《The Ruby Magician》


 Book 1 - Chapter 1

    Ardwyn was mystified at the sheer number of people walking about in the sprawling city of Alestead. He was standing just inside the entrance past the massive open doorways, dumbstruck at the sight. His entire company¡¯s horse riders could¡¯ve fit through them, all six of them, riding side by side. All kinds of people walked through those doors, from nobles and their vassals to commoners wearing their entire life on their back. They walked through the door from different cultures and cities, though all were the same past that grand entrance. No matter their history on the other side of those pillar-like door frames they now shared something, one aspect to make them equals.


    They were visitors, merely tourists, come to see the tower and the Climbers that challenged it.


    Someone bumped into Ardwyn, barely noticing him, their eyes wide and head turning quickly, trying to see all that the grand entrance to the city offered. He readjusted his backpack straps, the weight nearly throwing him off. The woman kept walking, gaping with an open mouth, just as struck as Ardwyn at the city around them.


    Ardwyn stopped to look at her, beginning to chastise her for her rudeness, but quickly saw what actually drew her attention in the distance. The tower was even larger than he had assumed. It stood taller than the mountain range behind it that was rumored to strand at least a dozen people a year, yet it was thin and circular like a winding staircase in a castle. Granted, he had not seen many of those, only the ones at the Lord¡¯s castle he once guarded years ago, but mused at how their tower appeared to this one like a cat to a dragon.


    The tower was named Alistair, and it was the lone magical tower in Jahnin. It was as glorious as it was dreadful.


    Ardwyn shook his head, focusing. He looked around at the droves of people, watching them, taking note of where they were headed. Some were forming lines to the side further into the city, where stations were set with tents and small lines formed for new Climbers. Most, though, were headed straight to the tower, seeking out the shops and more attractions in the city, funneling through the streets like ants in a line.


    It was nearly suffocating, the amount of people here, and Ardwyn tried to take a closer look at the people rushing to get inside. There were locals, citizens who¡¯d decided to take residence in the tower¡¯s city and procure businesses. He recognized them from carts they brought with them with freshly procured supplies, or trade items for their own shops. He remembered hearing that Alestead was a place of commerce and business, the people exchanging food, drink, equipment, and all manners of goods due to the high wealth that is exchanged by both the tower¡¯s explorers and tourists, as well.


    He could tell the Climbers apart from veterans and rookies, too, as those wide-eyed with wonder and curiosity were also filled with a healthy dash of fear and anxiety, just like him. They mostly blended in with the crowd but Ardwyn was able to spot them with some effort. They sprinkled through the people, all ending up at the lines that gathered by the tents deeper past the gates.


    The veterans he recognized easily, as they carried large weapons on their backs or sides and armor or clothes that looked outlandish and impractical. Plus, tourists either avoided them out of fear, or stopped to bother them with questions and admiration.


    Gooseflesh ran across Ardwyn¡¯s arms seeing the veteran Climbers. They were who he aspired to be, coming to the tower in the hopes of gaining a similar level of fortune and fame. His heart beat quicker, and he took deep breaths to steady his nerves.


    The city of Alestead was a marvel, just like he had heard. The tower was set on the edge of the mountain range behind the city, and the city itself formed a half circle surrounding the magical spectacle that rivaled any capital city in the country. Ardwyn knew it would take weeks before he would even be able to explore it all, and likely three times longer to be used to the layout.


    He took a deep breath. He had the time, though - he wasn''t going anywhere else for the foreseeable future.


    Continuing to make his way towards the rookie lines, he saw the crowd slow down. There were several lines now, dozens of people waiting for their entrance. Stations were equally set apart from each other, small kiosks where officials gated further entrance.


    Ardwyn saw several lines were moving faster. They had veteran Climbers, he assumed, as they all flashed something to the official and quickly moved past the rest. Other lines were slow, full of those without equipment to explore the tower, and their stations had periodic cheers or sorrowful yells.


    ¡°Wild, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    A woman, older than Ardwyn, had her arms crossed standing beside him. He jumped, not expecting her or noticing how close she was. She wore fur covered armor from her neck to her boots, and her auburn hair matched the color and was pulled back in a braid. She had a quiver on her back where feather fletched arrows stuck out. Ardwyn noticed they weren¡¯t all the same color.


    ¡°That¡¯s one word to describe it.¡± Ardwyn had to stop himself from staring in curiosity and admiration.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry - you¡¯ll get used to it. If you survive this crowd, that is.¡± She flashed a wink. Her face was warm and inviting, her freckles looking like tattooed dots on her face. She extended a hand. ¡°Name¡¯s Marcy.¡±


    Ardwyn readjusted his backpack, trying to redistribute the weight, before grasping her hand and shaking it. It was strong, rugged and firm. He felt the callouses from her palms, and it reminded him of his time greeting men out in the fields at war. It was an archer¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Wyn. Nice to meet you, Marcy.¡±


    ¡°You as well.¡± She looked around, peering through the crowd. She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, as though she was smelling something fragrant and fresh.


    ¡°The lines,¡± Wyn said, as he noticed her shifting gaze. ¡°They¡¯re going through their harmony, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Her head moved to him, where she eyed him up and down in a second.


    ¡°Yea, they are. You¡¯re well caught up. Not many know about the harmony process.¡±


    ¡°Really? I figured everyone would be excited to find out their class!¡±


    They both turned and looked at one of the harmony lines, where shouts and yells suddenly erupted above the normal chatter. A group of people were laughing at someone, a man, young and energetic, who had just finished being harmonized. He threw his hands up in the air in dismay.


    ¡°Not everyone,¡± Marcy said, laughing. ¡°People want to choose their class but it isn¡¯t that simple. The harmony shows them what the tower wants them to be, but I guess you already knew that.¡± She pointed to the line of rookies. ¡°Some, like him, aren¡¯t too happy about the outcome.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true, though the whole process is incredible. You¡¯d think people would appreciate whatever they got. Do you have to follow your class, though?¡±


    ¡°No, not exactly. Though it¡¯s expected you do. It determines your mentor, if you can cast spells, and even the skills you¡¯ll gain in Alistair. If you choose a different class than you harmonized with, it¡¯ll be much harder to improve and hone your talents.¡±


    Wyn nodded, trying to solidify her words to memory. ¡°And why would you want it to be harder when you¡¯re already facing the tower itself, right?¡±


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    ¡°My thoughts exactly,¡± Marcy said, and jokingly punched him in the arm.


    Wyn smiled, thankful she was friendly and helpful. He made a quick mental note to find her again, if possible, to see if she¡¯d be willing to help him in the tower.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a lot I don¡¯t know. I only knew of the class harmony, a bit about the tower and classes. Not much about the rest.¡± Wyn looked around, seeing the different Climbers merge into Alistair¡¯s base on the other side of the stations. There had to be dozens. More of them would enter, more than likely, before the day was over.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. You¡¯ll learn what you need before you enter the tower, and figure out the rest with a good party.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You¡¯ve been a great help. I hope to see you inside!¡± Wyn extended his hand first this time, hoping it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to find specific Climbers once inside.


    ¡°You too,¡± Marcy replied, accepting the handshake. ¡°I¡¯m a Ranger, by the way. Specialize in archery. I¡¯d be glad to party up for your first trip in if you decide to enter today or tomorrow. Wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a friendly face for your first time, after all. Too many deaths lately.¡±


    Wyn nodded in agreement. He had heard about that. It dissuaded some people from becoming Climbers. Even his sister and father didn¡¯t want him to go. But the appeal of riches, glory, and power was too much for people to completely stop applying.


    He also was delighted to hear she would accompany him on his first trip in the tower. He took a deep breath as he felt his nerves settle a bit though his heart kept racing.


    ¡°Too true. Thank you again. I should probably go ahead and get in line!¡± Wyn smiled, one last pleasantry to offer, before joining a line to harmonize. It wouldn¡¯t be too long, thankfully, as he quickly counted about ten people in front of him, though a new source of anxiety was growing within him.


    His military training served him well for fighting. He¡¯d be fine in a combat class, if not excelling, as most ex-military would be - Fighter, Rogue, or Hunter would all be useful. His heart raced as he took another step forward, one step closer to deciding his fate. Just to prepare, he studied on some basic magic principles, in case he had a class that offered some magical abilities, like the Sorcerer or many different kinds of Magicians.


    He didn¡¯t want to become a completely magical class, as he felt like his background would be wasted, though he wondered if it could give him an edge over other people? Mages normally didn¡¯t engage in combat. Not directly, at least. If he was skilled in wielding weapons and had more training than most, which he did, maybe that would be a valuable trait to a fully magical class?


    Unless the growth of spells, skills, and procurement of items based on the Climber¡¯s class didn¡¯t account for things like that. Breaking out of the norm for the class was generally frowned upon, and he didn¡¯t need to research that bit of information - it was generally known.


    Wyn wasn¡¯t sure about it all. Regardless, he thought about the potential of becoming a master in his class. A skillful, dexterous Rogue. A tough, strong Fighter. A perceptive, nimble Hunter. An intelligent, spell-slinging Magician or Sorcerer.


    No matter what class he would receive, he would immerse himself completely. It was imperative to succeed, to climb the tower and gain the rewards it offered. Arabelle and their father both relied on him, and there was no other choice for him to take.


    He heard a woman loudly clear her throat, drawing out the noise for emphasis. He blinked, lost in thought, and realized he was now next in line.


    The woman behind the small desk in front of him waved her hand like she was a teacher getting the attention of a distracted student.


    ¡°Are you not ready yet?¡± she said, her voice gravelly and hoarse. She was older and frail looking.


    ¡°Um,¡± Wyn said, stammering, ¡°yes, ma¡¯am, I believe so. What do I do?¡± He pulled off his backpack and placed it on the ground, thankful the weight was off his back.


    He looked down at the desk in front of him and saw a number of odd items. Taking up the majority of the desk was a large open box, full of grey colored sand. A palm sized opaque orb rested beside it, beautiful and ornate. In front of the woman laid a blank piece of parchment, though no quill or ink was to be seen.


    She picked up the orb and handed it Wyn. ¡°You hold this, then watch. Easy.¡±


    He subconsciously grabbed it carefully, like someone would hold a delicate, expensive piece of jewelry. It was smooth and well worn, cloudy in appearance, drawing Wyn¡¯s attention to it by what felt like a command. The orb¡¯s cloudy appearance began to move, shifting and swirling like a rolling thunder cloud. Wyn wasn¡¯t sure if he was supposed to see anything at all in the orb or just hold it, but he didn¡¯t care in the moment. He had never held something so magical in his life. The sand in the box, once still, now shifted in unison with the clouded orb, a sort of magical communication forming.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t decide if the orb or sand was more interesting, then settled on watching the sand, witnessing runes and symbols eventually take shape. They would show in the box, take hold for a few seconds, then shift again, disappearing, like the moles that would peep out of their holes on the farm back home.


    He laughed to himself. He left the farm, but he surmised the farm would never leave him.


    He was brought back to the present as more symbols formed in the sand. He recognized some of them. One was the basic runic foundation for magic - a circle with a triangle set inside. It represented the base for writing spells, a form of connection with intended spells and magical energy. He remembered reading it while preparing for the tower, just in case he could cast magic.


    A sinking feeling formed in the pit of his stomach, as though the magical objects caused that, too. He wondered if it meant he would be given a magical class, or if this process itself was magical.


    Another symbol flashed, though he couldn¡¯t recall what it meant. It was a circle with a square set in the middle, identical to the one with a triangle inside it though simply a different shape. There were many more that showed, more complicated than the basic ones, and he was unsure what they meant.


    Just as soon as it began, or so he thought, it stopped. The sand returned to the same calm setting it was before, and the orb no longer had swirling clouds within it. The woman picked up the parchment in front of her and began writing on it, using a quill she pulled from behind the desk. If there was any ink on it Wyn couldn¡¯t tell, as she wrote in a flurry and didn¡¯t stop to dip it in any inkwell. He carefully sat the orb back down on the desk, waiting for her to finish.


    She stopped writing abruptly and hid the quill as quickly as she revealed it. ¡°Congratulations! Your class has been chosen.¡±


    Wyn blinked. ¡°Wait, just like that?¡± Wyn¡¯s heart raced again, his anxiety and excitement reaching new heights as he was left in suspense.


    ¡°Just like that,¡± she replied with a smile. She folded the parchment and handed it to him. ¡°Please proceed past the gate and report to the guild hall.¡± She motioned to someone behind her, who rushed out from the tent and grabbed his backpack. ¡°Your belongings will be ready for you at the guild hall, where you¡¯ll be given a key to your room and information about your mentor. Good luck! You, especially, will need it.¡± She waved him off once more, already looking past him for the next person in line.


    Wyn, barely hearing any words she said, walked past the gate with his parchment in hand. He wondered what she meant by saying he¡¯ll need luck, but guessed she said it to every rookie who entered the tower for first time.


    He looked down at the parchment and opened it, having already forgotten about his backpack in the wonder of the events that just unfolded. Inscribed in fancy letters, there was information written at the top half of the page, information that he had no idea how it was revealed to the woman or anyone.


    He read it several times, finding himself in awe of his new status.


    Ardwyn Thatcher


    Citizen of town Rywood


    Resident of Jahnin


    Tower Alistair: Climber


    Class: Ruby Magician


    Growth: Any


    Passive Skills: Lucidity, Armored Spellcasting, Spellcasting (Ruby)


    Active Skills: Dyadcast, Speed Up


    Wyn smiled and tried to steady his shaking hands. He folded the parchment and put it in his pocket.


    He remembered reading about Magicians, or more commonly called Mages. They were one of the two base classes for magic users, though their focus varied greatly depending on which elemental branch they were.


    Ruby was not one of the elemental branches. It was a rare class, able to utilize a mixture of both spells and combat skills that afforded the Climber variety. Or, rather, that¡¯s what the basic information books said. Hopefully his mentor could shed more light on the class, as well as have him ready to climb today.


    After all was said and done, Wyn felt excitement rise within him. The tower was mere feet away and his entrance ticket was punched. Plus, he wasn¡¯t just any Mage. He was a Ruby Magician.

 Book 1 - Chapter 2

    Wyn snaked through the crowd, avoiding the new Climbers. All of the rookies were carrying their parchment like it was made of gold, which to them it was. It had their newly minted information: their name, class, background, and skills. He still didn¡¯t fully know what most of it meant or why it was there, but he hoped his mentor would help guide him.


    He just had to find them first.


    The new Climbers all migrated towards a large building, that appeared to be at least ten stories tall. It occupied its own space on the corner of a street on the way deeper into the city towards Alistair¡¯s base, though he assumed all streets eventually led deeper towards the magical tower. All of the people who had been harmonized now sought their next step like Wyn.


    The entrance mimicked the entrance to the city - pillars for doorframes with two large wooden doors filling their gap. It was smaller here, obviously, but the resemblance was purposeful and uncanny. In large letters above the doorway read GUILD HALL.


    Wyn quickly realized there weren¡¯t just rookies in the crowd, either. He could tell the veterans apart from the rookies easily, as they walked with the same air and stride as earlier outside the city gates. None of them carried their parchments openly, and instead wore their weapons and armor like trophies.


    The inside, at no surprise to Wyn, was also grand. There was a large staircase at the far end of the hall opposite the entrance that was incredibly wide, easily able to accommodate five men walking side by side. It led up through multiple floors, branching off either direction in an open layout where he could see hallways and doors many floors up.


    The staircase sat to the left of a desktop that spanned the entire back wall. The back wall was filled with shelves of bottles of alcohol, obviously serving as the bar when it wasn¡¯t so busy. Several people stood behind it, all running around managing people who waited for their help.


    Scattered in the middle of the hall were tables, steadily filling with people, either eating and drinking or just talking, likely planning out their day or just simply catching up. Wyn overheard several conversations just walking in, all discussing some element of the tower and the climb.


    To the right of the hall was a large stone hearth, where a man was bent down trying to light the fire. There were doors on either side of the hearth where staff entered and exited. Coming through into the hall they were flying from table to table, carrying trays of food and beverages. They were wearing a sort of uniform - black pants, formal white shirts, and a blue apron. They had varying degrees of flair to each of them, some shirts short sleeved and others buttoned, though all their aprons were adorned with silver trimming and a symbol of the tower Alistair on the chest.


    Wyn felt a tap on his shoulder. ¡°Can I get you anything?¡± A woman carrying an empty tray was smiling at him. She was middle aged, slightly plump, and cheerful with kind eyes.


    Wyn realized he was just standing right inside as Climbers brushed past him in either direction. ¡°I¡¯m okay, thank you,¡± Wyn said, smiling back. ¡°I¡¯m just looking for information about my mentor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes! So you¡¯re a Climber,¡± the woman said, tapping the tray with her fingers as she held it. ¡°The managers are behind the desk next to the staircase. They¡¯ll help you find your mentor!¡± She was exceptionally positive, bouncing a bit, and Wyn couldn¡¯t help but keep smiling.


    ¡°Thanks, again. Do you normally have a lot of customers?¡± Wyn was nervous. He felt dumb right as he said it.


    The woman laughed. ¡°You could say that! We have new Climbers every week. This was a large amount, though! It¡¯s probably for the festival tomorrow night. Everyone wants a reward or recognition. Or just to enjoy it!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I almost forgot! I¡¯ve heard they¡¯re quite the spectacle for Climbers and tourists alike. I¡¯ve never attended one myself."


    ¡°You¡¯ll have a great time! Just don¡¯t overindulge, especially if you plan to start the next season right away.¡± She giggled a bit, her hair bouncing off her shoulder and falling behind her. Her smile quickly faded, though, and she sighed.¡°You¡¯re right, though. It also celebrates all of the Climber¡¯s accomplishments, both in life and death.¡±


    Wyn nodded, fully aware of how serious it is to climb the tower. ¡°I¡¯m sure the festival brings more business, here, too.¡±


    ¡°It does, yes. Though I do wish I could have regulars more than tourists and newcomers. No offense!¡±


    ¡°None taken.¡±


    ¡°I just¡­¡± She paused, looking down. ¡°I hate to get to know a new group of people and find they lose themselves, or leave, or¡­ die in the tower.¡± She immediately lost her glow as a sour expression crossed her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Wyn balled his fingers into a fist. He hated losing friends when he served in the military, so he understood to a degree. It was never easy. Impossible, even, for more than most.


    ¡°Well, no matter,¡± She said, quickly smiling again. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to greet you so negatively. I do hope your time here is long and fulfilling!¡±


    Wyn returned her smile, finding it infectious. ¡°Me, too. I¡¯m Wyn, by the way. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be back and see you again.¡±


    She gave a soft smile. ¡°You better! I¡¯m Wendy. When you come back ask for me!¡± She gave a wink, then darted off as quickly as she came, running back behind the closest door beside the hearth.


    Wyn walked over to the desk and looked for someone who wasn¡¯t busy helping another Climber. The crowd was thicker now, the noise well above average conversation. Some were talking to the guild staff for information, others were trying to get their attention, and some still were yelling just to be heard.


    A shorter man, tanned with cropped black hair, ran up towards the desk in front of Wyn. He was wearing a similar outfit to the waiters and waitresses, being part of the guild, though instead of an apron he wore a vest with the same symbol of Alistair on the chest.


    ¡°Let me guess, looking for your mentor?¡± The man was looking around, his forehead glistening with beads of sweat. He was being summoned left and right.


    ¡°Umm, yes,¡± Wyn said, flustered.


    ¡°Hand me your parchment. Quickly, please!¡±


    Wyn held up his parchment, then began to hand it over. The man nearly snatched it he grabbed it so fast, scanning it quickly.


    ¡°Your mentor is Daniel. He¡¯s on the third floor.¡± The man began to walk away, looking for another person to help.


    ¡°How will I know which door?¡± Wyn said, yelling back at him. Who knew how many doors or rooms were in this building? Was he supposed to knock on each one?


    The man looked back and simply pointed to his hand. He was already taking another Climber¡¯s parchment.


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    Wyn looked down at his own magical paper. What did he mean by that? He looked it over, reading the words again. This time he noticed something he didn¡¯t see before. On the top right, stamped like a seal, was a symbol. It was a magician¡¯s hat, red in color, laid over a shield that covered a sword and staff in a cross shape. It appeared like a coat of arms, a symbol of royalty.


    Here in the tower, classes were royalty. They were the means to gain access inside. And he realized he had his ticket.


    Wyn made his way upstairs, giddy with newfound excitement. He thought of Daniel, his mentor. He wondered about his knowledge, his skills, even his appearance. He imagined a strong, tall man, though smart and intelligent, who wielded the skill set to fight in close quarters but also cast magic when needed. He wondered how popular being a Ruby Magician, or Red Mage, would be, considering they were rare. Being able to be flexible with his own skills to overcome any obstacle would surely be valuable.


    As he thought and walked, he found himself on the third floor, daydreaming while climbing the stairs. The hallway snaked around the open floor of the guild hall¡¯s entrance, and he started to his right. The doors didn¡¯t have numbers or names, but rather symbols. And there were many more doors than he thought.


    He noticed on this floor there were mostly magical doors, as he passed other classes¡¯ symbols. He saw a staff over a magical rune, the same foundational circle around a triangle that allowed the user to cast spells. He assumed that would be a Magician¡¯s door. He also saw some with elements on them: a ball of fire, a snowflake, a lightning bolt. He passed by one that had an incredibly complex magical symbol, a large circle with many other shapes and lines inside it, and he hurt his head trying to figure out what it could represent.


    He passed by several Climbers also looking for their door, checking their parchment and looking for their symbol. They all exchanged nervous glances, anxious smiles or simply ignored each other. Who knew what would happen next? Fortune, glory and power could be introduced on the other side of that door. Death, ruin and shame could, as well.


    Finally, at the end of the hall, he came across his door. He checked his own symbol, then checked the door again, and sure enough, the Ruby Magician¡¯s symbol was there, though it wasn¡¯t what he expected. It was older, splintered in places, more worn and dusty than the others. Was it more commonly used? Maybe it was opened quite a lot? He thought he remembered reading that Red Mages were more rare but maybe not. He grabbed the cold doorknob and turned it to open.


    He had no idea what to expect on the other side of the door. A grand room, a simple room, weapons and armor on racks or a bookshelf with knowledge and spell books, he was excited and anticipated anything and nothing at the same time. What he saw, however, was not what he expected.


    Inside was an apartment, and Wyn stepped right into the den. The low lantern light offered little visibility, but what he saw was out of a nightmare. He first saw a small bookshelf to his right, a few books laying on their sides or sprawled open, and cobwebs filled the majority of the empty space. The middle of the room had a small rug, stained and dingy, with a wooden table set on top. The table was filled with dirty plates, bottles of alcohol, and a rag scattered over it all like a cherry on top of a trash can sundae.


    The smell of ale and old food smacked Wyn in the face. He gagged and tried to hold back his breakfast. He immediately hoped he stumbled into the wrong room but deep in his gut he knew he was, unfortunately, in the right place.


    Two armchairs sat to the left in the room, less stained but torn in random places, and a bearded man was cuddling a bottle of ale while he slept. He jolted when Wyn gagged and woke up.


    ¡°Mrmm, hello? Who¡¯s there?¡± His eyes were bloodshot. His words slurred.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Wyn said, offering a sad excuse for a smile. He breathed through his mouth so he wouldn¡¯t smell the room. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Daniel. I¡¯m a new tower Climber.¡±


    ¡°You are? Really?¡± The man got up and dropped his ale, though none spilled. The bottle clanged against the ground, hollow and empty. He gained some composure and his words sounded more sober. Barely. ¡°Alright. Wait one moment.¡± He walked off, further into the den, where a hallway sat behind a wall. Wyn didn¡¯t notice it before due to his gagging and disgust.


    The man jumped back out into the den, now haphazardly dressed in a red robe and hat, his right arm not fully into the sleeve and the hat covered his left eye. He was taller than Wyn thought, slightly above average, though had a gut that betrayed his indulgence of food and drink. He looked as though he left his prime several years ago.


    Wyn jumped back in surprise, smacking the door behind him with his back.


    ¡°Ta da! Hello newcomer! Welcome to, umm,¡± the man said, hiccuping several times between words. He pulled out a ripped piece of paper from somewhere in the robe. ¡°Welcome to the Ruby Magician¡¯s den! We at the guild would like to thank you, umm,¡± he stopped, then turned the piece of paper over in his hand. ¡°The rest is here somewhere. I don¡¯t know where, though. Ha! That¡¯s embarrassing!¡± He laughed, and hiccuped several more times.


    ¡°That is what¡¯s embarrassing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find it eventually. Anyways! I am Daniel! I¡¯m the Ruby Magician mentor for tower Alistair. I¡¯ll be your mentor! Welcome!¡±


    ¡°Yea. You already said that.¡± Wyn looked over the filthy room. He instantly regretted coming to the tower, and had a sinking feeling he would die a quick and painful death.


    ¡°Well, once more for emphasis,¡± Daniel said, smiling. He walked into the den and sat back down in his chair. ¡°Please, have a seat. And what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Wyn,¡± he replied, and brushed off some crumbs from the chair. Thankfully it wasn¡¯t as dirty or stained as the other. He sat on the edge delicately.


    ¡°Great to meet you, Wyn.¡± Daniel stared at him, smiling again.


    Wyn stared back, not knowing what to say or do.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Daniel continued. ¡°Can I see your parchment?¡±


    Wyn waited a moment, unsure if he wanted to part with it so quickly and to someone so questionable, but eventually offered it. Despite it being his, it appeared as though it was customary to have officials casually review his newly acquired paper.


    Daniel took it and looked it over. He nodded several times, twice raising his eyebrows.


    ¡°Rywood, aye? You must have some farming in your blood. Makes sense with your lightly tanned skin and broad shoulders. Though you don¡¯t have the bulk of a young farmer your age. And Lucidity! That¡¯s a useful skill! Not every Ruby Magician has that right away.¡±


    Wyn perked up, ignoring the slight. ¡°Yes, actually, I do come from farmers. I remember reading that some skills are given immediately and some are earned in the tower. I thought maybe that skill was standard?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, and no. I think that¡¯s right. Lucidity is a special passive skill usually earned in the second tier for our class. It will serve you well, though, if you make it that far.¡± His face grew sour. He looked at the bottle of ale he dropped earlier, picked it up, then threw it back down when he felt it was empty.


    ¡°I plan to make it very far, thanks.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t they all.¡± Daniel handed him back his parchment, then got up from the chair with effort and walked back to the hallway.


    Wyn stared at him in disbelief, his jaw open subconsciously. His mentor, who he had been looking forward to meeting and imagined was a great Climber and person, was a drunk and cynic.


    A cork popped in Daniel¡¯s direction.


    Wyn set his jaw and clenched his teeth. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt your day plans or anything, I just need you to mentor me. Or whatever needs to happen in order for me to go into the tower.¡±


    Daniel came back out, now holding a new bottle of ale in his hands. He took a quick drink, then appeared oddly more at peace. He sat back down in his chair.


    ¡°Most Ruby Magicians don¡¯t come here. They either choose a different class, find some other work, or leave.¡± He was hiccuping less than before, and waved his ale bottle around while he talked. ¡°The ones that do stick it out don¡¯t understand how to be the class. I haven¡¯t had a new Climber in¡­¡± Daniel looked up at the ceiling. ¡°Almost a year.¡±


    Wyn swallowed hard. He wondered how long his mentor had been in Alestead and how many negative experiences he¡¯d been through. ¡°Why do they leave without giving it a chance?¡±


    Daniel sighed, then took a small sip of his drink. His slurring was hardly noticeable now and his movements were less sporadic, though still slow. ¡°People don¡¯t like a class that doesn¡¯t specialize in something specific. A Ruby Magician¡¯s specialty is variety. Options. Flexibility. Our growth,¡± Daniel said, pointing to Wyn¡¯s parchment, ¡°is any. We don¡¯t focus on strength or toughness like a Fighter, speed or quickness like a Rogue, or pure magic like a Sorcerer or other Magicians. That variety doesn¡¯t appeal to people who need to play a role inside Alistair to succeed.¡±


    Wyn thought on that. ¡°I¡¯d imagine the ability to do several things, though, would be helpful. Like you said - flexibility. That could be useful in the tower where the floors change and environment is unexpected.¡±


    Daniel tilted his head. ¡°Sort of.¡± He took a large swig of his beer. ¡°Though when Climbers go into the tower, they form parties, of course. They expect specific roles in those parties to both maximize their chances of survival and to face obstacles they find.¡±


    ¡°I knew that. And roles, too. Like someone who can heal and support, someone who can cast spells or shoot arrows, and someone in close combat. A well-rounded group.¡±


    Daniel pointed at Wyn with the top of the beer bottle and smiled. ¡°Exactly. You¡¯ve done your homework!¡±


    ¡°If I want to succeed I needed to know the basics. I thought so, at least. I still have some questions I was hoping you could answer, though.¡± Wyn realized he had fully settled back into the chair during their conversation as his focus shifted to the dirty room. He immediately sat up and scooted closer to the edge of the chair again. He felt contaminated.


    ¡°There is so much I am unable to tell you that you must learn on your own in the tower. It¡¯s that simple. However, there are some basics I can teach you first to help you in the beginning. And you must know these before risking your life.¡± He took another long drink from the bottle.


    Wyn nodded, holding his breath for a second as he wanted to keep breathing through his mouth. He felt sick to his stomach. ¡°Then can we discuss it downstairs? No offense, but it¡¯s absolutely disgusting in here. I think I might throw up.¡±


    Daniel furrowed his brow and looked around the room. His cheeks flushed red and he cleared his throat.


    ¡°Umm, yes, you¡¯re quite right.¡± He popped up from his seat and began to grab the dirty plates from the tables. ¡°Meet me downstairs in the guild hall. Order some food - that will help. I¡¯ll be down before long!¡± He hurried back behind the wall with dirty dishes in hand.


    Wyn didn¡¯t hesitate. He held his breath, jumped up, and ran out the door.

 Book 1 - Chapter 3

    Wyn settled at a table by the roaring hearth in the guild hall. It was quieter with less hustle and bustle of the rookie climbers, far different than the rest of the hall. Most of them had likely found their mentors who probably weren¡¯t drunk and lived in garbage, though, so they still had an advantage.


    Wyn took a deep breath. He shouldn¡¯t be too critical of Daniel. The man had a history, and Wyn just met him. He made a mental note to be more gracious with the older drunk.


    There were several groups still in the hall, nearly all of them dressed like they were going to climb. Obviously not new Climbers, they either sat and laughed at the newcomers or silently talked amongst themselves. Wyn grew antsy, ready to dive into the tower himself. He knew it was a challenge, and felt as physically prepared as he could be, but he also knew there was more to this experience than just pure training.


    Daniel could offer that. Information, knowledge, expertise. It would be crucial - necessary, even - to know more about the tower Alistair. Plus, not to mention, he needed more information about being a Ruby Magician. His excitement and anxiety both grew.


    Wendy, still delivering food and drink, saw Wyn and came over to him. She was still chipper and pleasant.


    ¡°Hello again, dear! Would you like something to eat or drink?¡±


    Wyn heard his stomach rumble. She had oddly perfect timing.


    ¡°Gods, yes. A pitcher of water, two cups, and¡­¡± Wyn trailed off, and looked around the room. Other tables had various assortments of large platters of food with a variety and amount that would make any noble jealous for an important meal. If that kind of food was commonplace, there was no need to be stingy. ¡°Maybe a platter of bread and fruit, if you don¡¯t mind? My mentor should be coming down soon.¡±


    ¡°Excellent! I¡¯ll place it on his tab.¡± She trotted off back towards the kitchen, leaving as quickly as she came.


    Wyn immediately saw Daniel coming down the stairs. He was dressed in his red robe and hat, though a bit more presentable than before. He appeared to have at least washed and combed his face and beard, and looked more like a mage. His hair was greying as some glimpses of it popped out from under his hat, but it only added to the wisened older man look.


    Wyn had a brief glimmer of hope seeing him more cleaned up. Maybe this wouldn¡¯t be so bad, after all.


    Daniel sat down opposite him at the table. He looked around nervously.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Wyn started, ¡°let¡¯s get right to it. I know the basics of the classes and party roles. That the tower floors change every day, like a different pathway to the next floor, so no two days are alike. I know there are monsters inside it, and defeating them is necessary to climb the tower.¡±


    Daniel repeatedly tapped his finger on the table. ¡°That¡¯s the basics, yes.¡±


    Wendy, as if on cue, returned with what looked like more food and drinks than she should be able to safely carry. She sat down a large pitcher of water and two cups, and a heaping plate of bread, cheeses, fruit, and assorted meats. She also brought a mug that Wyn immediately smelled was ale. She put it directly in front of Daniel, and he swore she winked at him.


    Daniel smiled and grabbed the mug first.


    Wyn¡¯s mouth watered seeing the food all laid out before him. He grabbed a handful of cheese and some grapes and began making himself a plate. If this was life as a Climber, he could easily get used to it.


    ¡°First, I want to apologize,¡± Daniel said. ¡°I haven¡¯t taken my role seriously or kindly. I have had a certain¡­ history¡­ of students, you see, and don¡¯t enjoy the prospect of another. No offense.¡± He held the mug gingerly in his grasp but didn¡¯t drink it.


    Wyn nodded, then popped a grape into his mouth.


    ¡°But this is a fresh start,¡± Daniel continued. ¡°A clean slate, if you will. So I will be better.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Thank you.¡±


    Daniel nodded and took a deep breath before pushing the mug away forcefully and grabbing some food for himself.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with classes and roles,¡± Daniel said. He poured himself some water from the pitcher and made a plate of food while talking. ¡°Your first lesson!¡±


    Wyn munched on a mouthful of food. ¡°But I already know about them.¡± He didn¡¯t realize how hungry he was, barely stopping to swallow before talking.


    ¡°Yes, but you also didn¡¯t know why Ruby Magicians aren¡¯t popular.¡±


    Wyn nodded, reluctantly agreeing, now more amenable with food.


    ¡°So, since that¡¯s the case, let me explain further - it won¡¯t hurt to be reminded. Now, parties have specialized roles to diversify, yes. A standard party is one primary healer, one support class, and three to four damage classes.¡± Daniel paused to swallow his mouth of food. He absentmindedly reached for the mug of ale, decided against it, then grabbed his cup of water instead.


    ¡°Optimal diversification would be a mix of ranged and close combatants,¡± he continued, ¡°as well as spell casters and non spell casters. Not to mention you have the Mappers and Packers.¡±


    ¡°The Mapper helps trace the route taken and the Packer helps collect items and carry equipment.¡± Wyn wagged a piece of bread while he spoke.


    ¡°Yes, but they can have classes as well.¡± Daniel smirked while taking another sip of water. He plucked a few more grapes from their vines, too.


    Wyn stopped before grabbing more food and looked at Daniel closer. ¡°Huh. I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°See? There are some things for you to learn still! Yes, they have classes, and usually serve as support. But their reasons for being Mappers or Packers vary wildly, and it¡¯s more of a discussion that your impatience won¡¯t enjoy.¡±


    Wyn chose to ignore the slight. ¡°That¡¯s interesting. So why aren¡¯t Ruby Magicians popular? You still haven¡¯t completely answered that.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, yes.¡± Daniel sat down his cup. It rang hollow, and he poured more water into it from the pitcher. ¡°So within the specific roles of a party are specialists. Alistair is unforgiving, and you want to be as proficient at that role as possible. Fighters deal damage and endure, Sorcerers deal damage with spells, Diamond Magicians heal and support, Rogues deal damage quickly. That is their focus.¡± Daniel set his cup down and smiled wide, waiting for emphasis.


    ¡°Ruby Magicians are able to do all those things!¡± He continued, taking his arms out wide in excitement before restraining himself by clearing his throat. ¡°Like we said, flexibility is helpful. However, we aren¡¯t as efficient as someone who specifically is designed to do that task. We can do them all, just not, or ever, as well. When people look for party members they find specialists, not generalists.¡±


    Wyn scrunched his eyebrows together. ¡°So because we can¡¯t heal as well, or protect as well, or deal damage as well, we aren¡¯t as appealing?¡±


    Daniel sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right. If a party wanted ranged spell support, they¡¯d find a Topaz or Garnet Magician or try a Sorcerer. Not a Ruby Magician.¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s complete bullshit.¡± Wyn forcefully stabbed a hunk of sausage with a fork.


    Daniel spilled some water from his mouth from Wyn¡¯s sudden cursing. It sloshed into his beard, and he wiped it with a napkin.


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    Wyn took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to be crass. That¡¯s just hard for me to grasp that a class here is considered useless.¡±


    ¡°I know, Wyn, but you¡¯ll see. Sooner rather than later.¡± He stared past Wyn, caught in the moment. He cleared his throat after a few silent seconds, refocusing his thoughts. ¡°Yes, well, to continue. About tower Alistair itself. All you need to know, for now, is about the floors themselves.¡±


    ¡°I remember reading about it. Different towers across the world are all different. The tower here, Alistair, has 20 floors, and they are all the same for one day, then change their path the next.¡± He spoke as though reciting a lecture given when asked by a teacher.


    ¡°Sort of.¡±


    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not true?¡±


    ¡°No, it is. But it¡¯s more complicated. The floors are split in groups of five based on difficulty. Floors one through five are the easiest, and 15 through 20 are the hardest.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense.¡± Wyn crossed his arms, taking a break from eating. He was finally the getting information he sought, and wanted to be as present as he could.


    "Every fourth floor is more difficult, having tougher and more monsters. Those are floor four, nine, and 14. The final floor in each tier is an advancement and recovery floor, no enemies or obstacles. They''re popular meeting and relaxing spots. The 20th floor is unique and always changes, but hardly anyone truly knows about it. However, what most new Climbers don''t realize is that the very first floor in each tier is easier, making good locations to repeat over and over. As as it''s a compatible floor for the group, of course."


    ¡°Farming, right? For money, items, weapons, class growth?¡±


    Daniel scrunched his face and scoffed. ¡°Yes, though I hate that term. We aren¡¯t farmers. We are Climbers. We seek things in the tower: glory, treasure, camaraderie. We don¡¯t farm things. Whoever coined that is a fool.¡±


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but smirk. He remembered reading and hearing about the term, farming, which is what appealed to Climbers so much. Repeating floors over and over again, like a farmer continuously reaps their crop. Slang was popular, and he was exposed to it even in rumors and books in his preparation before coming. Obviously Daniel was exposed to it, too.


    ¡°Anyway, to continue,¡± Daniel said. He also stopped eating, though the platter of food was nearly empty. ¡°Each floor has a sort of final challenge before the next, and each group of floors carries a theme. So if you enter the first floor, and see it¡¯s makeup is a castle, you can expect the next four floors to be climbing further into that castle, gradually more difficult than the last, with the fourth floor in the group being the most difficult challenge.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so there would be difficult monsters at the end of each floor to defeat, with the final one being the hardest?¡±


    ¡°You would think,¡± Daniel said, smiling again. He eyed the mug of ale and reached for it, though stopped himself, writhing his hands together like he was washing them. He began tearing into the last bread loaf. ¡°The final floor in the group is a surprise. But it isn¡¯t always monsters that present the challenge inside for the other floors. Sometimes it¡¯s a puzzle against the tower itself. It¡¯s actually very clever, though dangerous if you aren¡¯t ready.¡±


    Wyn grabbed the last cut of ham to add to his plate. ¡°That¡¯s good to know. Thank you for the information.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, after all. To prepare you to not die.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was to help me succeed to climb the tower?¡±


    ¡°To me, your mentor, they are one in the same.¡± Daniel sloppily finished his loaf and Wyn watched as crumbs fell all over his beard and robe. ¡°Another point of interest with the floors are that the themes change every month. Though that also means they are the same for one month, which is why Climbers come out in larger numbers at the end of the month. Like now.¡±


    ¡°Really? I figured it¡¯d be towards the beginning of the month in order to practice the new season?¡±


    ¡°Some veteran Climbers do that after they took a break, sure. But rookies are informed to come at the end to take time to prepare for the following season. I¡¯m surprised that wasn¡¯t told to you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t exactly seek the information at a guild, so no, I didn¡¯t know that. But that means whatever theme the first set of floors are now, being the end of the month, they¡¯ll stay that way today and tomorrow, until after the festival. Just the floor¡¯s paths will change each day?¡±


    ¡°Precisely!¡±


    Wyn took one final bite of bread. He was skeptical of how much the platter would fill him but it felt as though it was food made for four instead of two. He relaxed back in his chair, his stomach fuller than he would¡¯ve liked.


    ¡°I appreciate you helping me, but I¡¯d like to get right into the tower. Today. I¡¯m ready to explore it already!¡± Wyn sat back up, forgetting about his stomach. His heart was racing.


    Daniel laughed a brief, high pitched chirp. ¡°That¡¯s rich! You just arrived, Wyn. Why would you want to start now? There¡¯s more preparation to do. Most rookies take at least a week before they enter Alistair.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no practice quite like the real thing, right? I could find a group willing to take me, or you come with me, and I¡¯ll see for myself. Easy.¡±


    Daniel¡¯s face went as red as his robe and hat. ¡°I won¡¯t be going into Alistair. I¡¯m sorry, Wyn. But if you¡¯re absolutely certain about going today, some veteran Climbers are taking rookies out for their introductory climb this afternoon. It happens before the season change as a safer first experience.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°That sounds perfect! You should¡¯ve started with that. What do we need to do next, then?¡±


    ¡°So eager! A lot, actually. You still need to place your mark and learn some important things about your class, your skills, and spells, too.¡±


    Wyn thought of Marcy when he first entered Alestead. She was a veteran though happy and excited to climb the tower. He suddenly had the urge to find her and ask if he could join her party. His cheeks flushed unexpectedly.


    ¡°If you want to climb this afternoon, we need to move along. It¡¯s a lot to cover in a few short hours.¡±


    Wyn placed his hands on the table, shooting up. Daniel spilled his drink again and stared at him wide eyed, huffing.


    ¡°Then what are we waiting for? I didn¡¯t come here just for a lesson. I came to seek out riches in that tower, and by the gods I¡¯ll find it!¡±


    Daniel laughed while wiping water out of his beard.


    ¡°I envy the excitement of youth! I¡¯m reluctant, but I can¡¯t stop you. Let¡¯s head to the training hall, then. We need to place your mark and you need to learn about magic. Meet me in half an hour.¡± He got up from the table, straightened his hat and placed some coins down on the table. He bowed to Wyn, bidding farewell.


    Wyn returned the bow with an added smile. Finally, his luck was starting to turn.


    After Daniel walked off, Wendy came over to pick up the tray and dishes. Wyn waited for Daniel to be out of earshot before talking to Wendy. He didn¡¯t want to be rude.


    ¡°So you seem to know him. Daniel, I mean.¡± Wyn looked down and noticed Daniel had left a gold coin and three silver rounds. His breath caught in his throat. Why would he leave such a ridiculously large payment?


    Wendy talked while she cleaned up their table. ¡°Of course! I know all of the mentors here. But Daniel is special.¡±


    Wyn perked up, trying to wrench his eyes from the coins. ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Well, a Ruby Magician isn¡¯t a popular class. He hasn¡¯t trained a new Climber in I don¡¯t know how long.¡±


    ¡°He told me that earlier.¡±


    ¡°After his last Climber,¡± Wendy continued, ¡°he would just drink and stay in his room. He loathed coming out to meet new Climbers who just got their class. Those who would get Ruby Magician wouldn¡¯t follow through after the last one, even though there weren¡¯t many at all. It¡¯s rare, you know, like a Summoner or Samurai.¡± Wendy finished cleaning, quickly pocketed the coins and finally wiped the table dry, ready for new patrons.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they wouldn¡¯t at least try. Who would come all the way here then just given up?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But they usually end up being employed by the guild in some other way, or try their hand at something different. They¡¯re definitely out there, though, shamefully keeping their selected class a secret.¡±


    ¡°What happened to the last Ruby Magician?¡±


    Wendy looked Wyn in the eyes, her mouth contorted in a sad smile. ¡°It¡¯s not my place to say the whole story, but they went in alone after no group would take them. They died inside Alistair, and Daniel blamed himself.¡±


    Wyn felt his stomach drop. ¡°That¡¯s awful. Well, I¡¯ll be sure to be more sensitive about that. And him. Thank you, Wendy.¡± He decided not to push the subject anymore. If Daniel wanted to talk about it, he¡¯d let him in his own time.


    They both heard another table clank their tankards on the table, several in unison, and watched as beer sloshed all over the table and floor. Laughs and guffaws flooded the room.


    ¡°I believe I¡¯m needed. Good luck, Wyn! I hope to see you soon!¡± She smiled her infectious smile once more, then darted off.


    Wyn was one step closer to climbing the tower, one step closer to his goal of getting the wealth he and his family needed. He would be a great Red Mage, the best one Daniel had seen, and prove them all wrong.


    Father and Arabelle needed him. They needed money, and a lot of it. He vowed he would do whatever he could to make that happen. Sticking with his class seemed to be the quickest way to climbing as long as a group would take him. But he could prove his worth one way or another.


    Unfortunately, though, Wyn had no idea how to even get to the training hall.

 Book 1 - Chapter 4

    Wendy, gods bless her, was able to direct Wyn out of the guild hall to the training hall. Thankfully it wasn¡¯t far, but still - in their excitement Daniel forgot to tell him where it was and Wyn forgot to ask.


    The training hall ended up being down the street closer towards tower Alistair¡¯s base. It was large and unexciting, a contrast to everything else Wyn had seen so far. Though it didn¡¯t have the grand pillar entrance or even the cozy feel of the guild hall, it¡¯s sheer size was impressive in its own right. It appeared like it was four or five buildings smashed together, because in a way it was. It was at least four stories tall and held an entire side of the street, dwarfing any other building Wyn had seen since entering the city.


    Unsurprisingly, there was more traffic flowing in than the guild hall, a solid combination of new Climbers coming to train with their mentors, many in groups. There were veterans as well sprinkled in amongst the people though in less numbers here than he¡¯d seen so far. They were the ones with audacious gear and the focus of many stares.


    Wyn shuddered. He thought of rain, his company moving up a muddy hill towards an unknown enemy on the other side. They slipped and trudged slowly, as quietly as possible, the rain helping mask their noise of rattling armor and weapons. His helmet clouded most of his vision and he despised it for that, though was also grateful for the protection.


    He shook his head and took a deep breath. He needed to focus - he¡¯s no longer on the front lines of war. He¡¯s in Jahnin. He¡¯s home.


    Well, sort of.


    He took another deep breath and walked towards the doors.


    Wyn followed a crowd of Fighters. He guessed they were Fighters since they wore the same military clothes he¡¯d seen before - a long sleeved fitted black shirt and black pants, with the patch of the Jahnin¡¯s coat of arms sown into the left breast. It was a stag with a silver head and antlers, and was bright in contrast to the black shirt. The same symbol of the tower he¡¯d seen with the guild members was directly below the stag head.


    There were over a dozen of them being led by two mentors, a man and woman, both tall and well built. Wyn wondered if they were related or maybe a couple, or even just two friends who happened to both be Fighter mentors sharing similar body types.


    Though there were some in the group Wyn¡¯s age, the group was more on the younger side, basically teenagers who chose to become a tower Climber than another profession. They all looked the same age as his sister, like some of the fresh soldiers he led in the war. It reminded him of his own time as a recruit in the military, young and foolish, seeking companionship and a new life.


    He laughed and smiled, followed by a sharp feeling of shame. The memory and nostalgia thankfully faded quickly.


    Wyn tried to keep to himself but it was difficult. He stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the others. He was dressed in casual clothes: a short sleeved undershirt and red jacket, which he now saw as ironic because of his class, and his trusty leather boots. He caught some wayward glances from the nearby group of Fighters and he tried to ignore the lingering stares.


    ¡°Welcome, new Climber! I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re meeting your mentor here today?¡± The woman mentor spoke to Wyn, her voice booming over the relatively subdued chatter of the crowd. She was taller than Wyn, taller than most of the Fighters, even, and her arms were impressively bulging through her tight-fitted black shirt.


    His cheeks flushed. ¡°Umm, yes. He said to meet him here.¡±


    She nodded and moved on, trying to tend to other Climbers like a shepherd to their flock of sheep. Wyn looked around, hoping to see Daniel soon so he wouldn¡¯t have to talk again. This was surprisingly awkward. Wyn didn¡¯t know if it was because of his less popular class or a new environment, but he hadn¡¯t felt this way since his early days as a soldier.


    It was hard to spot Daniel, too, because Wyn was lost marveling at the hall itself. It was larger than any training hall the military had as the ceiling was several floors high and the training room was one large room for a wide range of activities. There were sections full of targets and dummies with multiple racks of weapons, equipment, and people to try them out. One entire length of wall had various obstacles of ropes, pits, walls, and more that Climbers were facing at various points.


    ¡°Ahh. Coming to show off a bit, eh?¡± The male mentor spoke this time, his voice equally as loud as his partner. He smiled and flexed his arms a bit. Some of the Fighters laughed, some snickered.


    ¡°I bet he¡¯s a Sorcerer. He looks as lost and dumb as one!¡±


    Wyn couldn¡¯t tell who said that, but it came from the middle of the crowd. More of them laughed this time, louder than before.


    He hoped the mentors would discipline them, make them have respect for the other Climbers. Unfortunately, he was wrong. The two adults laughed loudest.


    One Fighter on the edge of the crowd didn¡¯t laugh. He was scowling at the rest of them, arms crossed and shaking his head. He began to say something, but the male mentor cut him off.


    ¡°Come along, now, Fighters. We have actual training to do. Let the little Sorcerer go!¡± He laughed to himself, and the rest of the group joined in like schoolyard kids.


    The lone Fighter stayed behind as the rest walked off towards the section of the hall full of racks of equipment and training dummies. He was as tall as Wyn, appeared to be similarly muscular, if not more so, and looked to be a bit older than the rest of the group. Wyn immediately wondered if he was also a soldier.


    The Fighter walked over to Wyn, still scowling. ¡°Sorry about them. They¡¯re immature and misguided. They don¡¯t understand the value of making friends here, apparently.¡± He dropped his scowl and offered a charming smile. A sword was strapped on his hip that had runes running all along the sheath, and a shield was attached to his back.


    ¡°Obviously not,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But I appreciate that. And I¡¯m a Ruby Magician, not a Sorcerer.¡±


    The man winced. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t tell them that. They¡¯d make fun of you more, honestly.¡±


    ¡°Probably so. But I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯ll be just fine.¡± Wyn felt his confidence growing, though also wondered if it was a front. Maybe it was the excitement of the day and of what was ahead, but he was getting more and more used to saying he was a Ruby Magician. It felt right despite what others thought.


    The Fighter eyed him up and down and smiled again. ¡°I think you might be right! I¡¯m John, by the way. John Gallows.¡± He extended his arm in a greeting.


    ¡°Wyn. Nice to meet you.¡± He returned the greeting and clasped John¡¯s forearm. Wyn still wondered if he was ex-military, though didn¡¯t think it was the right time to ask. It was a customary greeting to grasp arms with your peers and bow to superiors, but many people adopted the greetings who weren¡¯t involved in the military, either.


    ¡°You, too. Maybe I can go and set the others straight before my climb this afternoon.¡±


    Just then, Wyn saw Daniel standing by a rack of weapons in a corner of the large hall. He had a few targets and training dummies beside him. He caught Wyn¡¯s eye and waved, at first excitedly, then reigned himself in.


    ¡°There¡¯s my mentor,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I hope to see you again this afternoon if I can help it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be nice. Good luck!¡±


    Wyn moved through the crowded hall, avoiding Climbers and their training. He heard clashes of weapons all over the room, and could see the occasional arrow flying at a target. He noticed several guild members on standby just in case, all wearing the same uniform as before though wore additional royal blue overcoats and the tower symbol on their chest. As Wyn looked around he noticed they were scattered around the hall, all observing, though whether for talent or protection he wasn¡¯t sure.


    He thought back to his time in the military with his company. He was back on that hill, smoke covering his vision, hearing far off clangs of metal and yells of men. He remembered his company crested the top of the hill, happy to cross the last barrier before they could join the fight despite feeling ragged and tired. They were weighed down by caked mud on their boots and armor drenched from the rain, though they were ready to fight.


    ¡°Wyn? Hello?¡± Daniel said.


    Wyn stared at nothing, his mind distant.


    Daniel grabbed Wyn¡¯s shoulder and shook him gently.


    Wyn, reacting on pure instinct, grabbed Daniel¡¯s wrist and twisted, using his body for momentum in self-defense. Daniel rolled with the movement, surprisingly agile, and grabbed Wyn¡¯s arm back, bringing Wyn down to the ground beside him. They both laid there staring at each other, Daniel wondering what happened and Wyn¡¯s mind blank.


    Wyn realized what had happened and immediately let go, scrambling away from his mentor on the ground in the process.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Daniel! I... I wasn¡¯t thinking.¡± His breathing was quick, but several deep breaths helped him calm down. His mind wandered yet again, and he reacted thinking he was being attacked.


    Wyn repeated his phrase to himself to center his mind. He''s in Jahnin. He''s home.


    Daniel slowly stood up and brushed himself off. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


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    ¡°No, it¡¯s not alright. I attacked you unprovoked,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It was reckless!¡±


    Daniel studied him for a moment. ¡°You were in the military, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Wyn returned his stare, his face blank. He didn''t know if it would benefit him more to tell the truth or lie, though his lack of response answered for him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not uncommon, you know,¡± Daniel said, continuing, ¡°that ex-soldiers come to the tower. But your neatly cropped short hair, your attentive pose, the way you speak and your observance of the environment tells me you might not have been a simple soldier.¡±


    Wyn stood at attention and took one more deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He didn¡¯t want to share much more than that. Not yet.


    Daniel slowly nodded, understanding. ¡°As I said, it¡¯s alright. We all have pasts. Though we didn¡¯t come to discuss that, did we? This hall was built for training and that¡¯s what we must do!¡± He walked over to the weapon rack beside a training dummy. It had all sorts of basic weapons, and nearly all of them Wyn had seen or trained with at some point. They were wooden training weapons, too, of course, as expected.


    Wyn followed silently. Based on Daniel¡¯s reaction, maybe he really was the mentor he¡¯d been seeking.


    ¡°Now,¡± Daniel continued, ¡°before we get to the basics of magic I want to see your capabilities in combat. Being a Ruby Magician means having different tools at your disposal, both magic and weapons. We are capable of doing nearly anything well, if not exceedingly well, despite what most think. So, as your mentor, I have a task for you.¡±


    Wyn took another deep breath to suppress his smile. If there was anything he was confident in, it was his combat abilities. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Daniel is fine. No need for formalities,¡± Daniel said, offering a warm smile. He patted the weapon rack beside him. ¡°Now! I want you to choose three different types of weapons to attack this training dummy. I want to see what you favor and what you¡¯re comfortable with.¡± Daniel picked up a short sword and twirled it around his wrist. He didn¡¯t look at it, only at Wyn, and exuded confidence and skill he hadn¡¯t shared before.


    Daniel walked over to the dummy and stood beside it. It was wooden and lifelike, having a torso, head, and arms, though they were all rectangles or squares of wood pieced together. It stood on a base, firmly planted to the ground, and had a shield as its left hand. Daniel patted it on the back and Wyn noticed a strange aura radiating away from the impact like smoke from a flame.


    His heart skipped a beat. Daniel just used magic.


    The dummy suddenly jerked, the head and arms moving in quick flashes, and Wyn stepped back in surprise. Daniel laughed.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen a magical training dummy before?¡±


    Daniel then gave his short sword to the dummy. It reached with its empty right hand and grabbed it. Wyn didn''t notice it had fingers before, or any capability to hold a weapon. Then, as suddenly as it jerked alive, legs sprouted out of the base, almost as though it was a plant breaking free from a pot. It then waited, still as a statue, and Daniel backed away to provide some space.


    Wyn wondered how skilled the dummy was in combat. If it was magically enhanced to wield a weapon and be able to fight back, it likely was a worthy sparring partner.


    Wyn walked to the weapon rack. He had trained on nearly all of the weapons, sure, but he did favor a few. The military encouraged certain weapons anyway, and his company wasn¡¯t the type who used clubs or maces.


    He looked back at the dummy, then decided to match it weapon for weapon.


    Wyn picked up a shield he knew he¡¯d be comfortable with, an average size round shield. The weight felt good. He then looked for the right sword. Most of his experience was with a slightly longer short sword rather than a more stout weapon that required two hands to adequately wield. The reach and length balance, along with the lighter feel, served him better than the more common longsword, too.


    He didn¡¯t see one, though, and settled on a wooden longsword. He hooked the shield onto his left forearm and felt confident with the straps, then picked up the sword.


    The dummy quickly strode towards Wyn the instant he picked up the sword. It didn¡¯t waste any time.


    In the moments during its approach, Wyn tried to study it. Its stride wasn''t too long, though it was more smooth than he expected from a wooden enemy. The arms were a bit shorter as well, and he began to estimate the distance it would be able to reach.


    Wyn readied himself and stepped away from the rack. The dummy swung down first on the offensive, and Wyn easily blocked the strike with his shield. He felt the recoil but maintained his grip. He moved his shield to the side to open up for an attack, then swung his own wooden sword in retaliation. He was faster than his wooden opponent but it raised its shield at the last second and blocked it sloppily. He noticed it recoiled back more than he did, staggered from the blow.


    He smiled. It wouldn''t be nearly as hard as he expected.


    Wyn drew back and stabbed forward this time, faster than before, and the dummy wasn¡¯t able to keep up. It took the hit to the torso and stopped, then backed away to where it started and waited, as though it was following unknown commands.


    Daniel walked up to the dummy and slapped it on the back again. Another aura of magic plumed away from his smack. ¡°Good! You¡¯re quick and precise, fitting for a trained soldier. You obviously need something more challenging!¡± The dummy jerked again, then loosened up its stance a bit. It swung its sword in a circle, ready for the next round.


    Wyn had a feeling the next match was going to be much more challenging.


    He walked over to the rack and placed his equipment back to their place. He knew what he was going to pick up but thought about the order. He left the shield behind this time, choosing the battle axe and picking it up.


    The dummy moved faster this time, its stride more fluid and purposeful. Wyn tried to surprise it and struck first, swinging the axe down with both hands to the approaching dummy. To his surprise, the dummy sidestepped and blocked it with the shield, brushing the axe aside and opening Wyn up to an attack. The dummy began to swing the sword in a diagonal slash, though Wyn dropped low and ducked under the swing, sidestepping to the left. There was a brief moment where the dummy was open and exposed, and Wyn knew that was his chance.


    He reached to his lower back for a dagger that wasn¡¯t there, ready to strike quick. He grabbed nothing but air.


    The dummy, whether sensing the opportunity or simply following preset moves, slashed out horizontally, following the momentum of its first swing. It struck Wyn in the side. It wasn¡¯t a hard hit, thankfully, as the instant Wyn felt the wood hit him the dummy stopped with surprising control. The wooden combatant sensed it had won and backed away to its starting position yet again.


    Wyn cursed, frustrated. He was used to a dagger on his low back for those exact moments. Caught up in the excitement he forgot to equip one.


    Daniel smiled again. ¡°Not a bad choice! Though it appears you¡¯re also used to having a secondary option to your weapon. That¡¯s good. We¡¯ll have to remember that.¡±


    Wyn threw his axe on the ground and turned back to the weapon rack. He saw exactly what he wanted - a spear. He grabbed it and turned, not waiting for the dummy to charge him. He spun it with both hands, twirling it around in the air. He wanted to feel it, sense the weight and length. He stabbed the air a time or two in front and behind him. It was solid and felt just like one with an actual metal spearhead.


    To his surprise, the dummy didn¡¯t charge. It instead started to circle him and crouched lower than before in an unfamiliar stance.


    Wyn stepped forward to close the gap, still twirling his spear. He felt lighter on his feet than with the other weapons and more confident, too. He reached a distance he knew would be enough and struck out, half stepping with his front foot to gain a few extra inches.


    The dummy blocked it with its shield and smacked it away similar to the axe. Wyn recovered easily, spinning it as the dummy pushed it to the side, able to maintain control. The dummy then attacked again, this time leading with a flat horizontal swing. Wyn ducked and made sure to carry the spear with him, striking the butt of the spear into the dummy¡¯s leg. He backed away, thinking he had won.


    To his surprise the dummy continued to advance, readying another swing. Wyn was confused but decided to keep going - no sense in stopping now.


    The dummy stabbed forward, extending its wooden body for more reach, and Wyn used the spear shaft to block it to the side. He spun around it quickly, hoping to stab into its side, though the dummy hopped out of reach almost too fast, avoiding another strike.


    Wyn felt alive. He nearly forgot the thrill he had fighting and sparring. Using a spear afforded him more reach and maneuverability, and he valued the tactical advantage that was usually under appreciated. He loved this part of his training and using his own talents while wielding a weapon. It was invigorating.


    He moved towards the dummy for one final attack, spear at the ready. This time he performed a series of strikes, all stabs, at various points towards the dummy in quick succession: the right leg, torso, left arm, and head. The dummy did what it could to dodge or block, but it missed the final strike, taking a wooden spear point directly to its wooden head.


    It stopped, stood tall, and backed towards Daniel in defeat.


    Daniel walked over, slowly clapping. Wyn let the butt of the spear rest on the ground and held it proudly by his side. He was breathing a bit harder than before, but not quite out of breath - his experience served him well to keep his stamina up. It was mostly out of enjoyment and adrenaline.


    ¡°We know what weapons you¡¯ll use in the tower, now. That was impressive!¡± Daniel patted Wyn on his shoulder like an approving father. The older mage looked more open and inviting than he had when they first met.


    ¡°Thank you, Daniel. It felt good, too! I always favored the spear. I love the reach and feel of a weapon I can use quick.¡± Wyn walked to the rack and placed the spear back.


    ¡°Not many people use a spear but it is a worthy weapon,¡± Daniel said as he walked back to the dummy. He patted the dummy on the back one more time and another aura of magic flowed from his touch. The dummy shortened, its legs collapsing back into a base. It looked like a regular training dummy now, funny and awkward with its wooden body.


    Daniel pulled a flask out from under his robe and took a quick swig. His face scrunched in disappointment. ¡°Now Wyn, are you sure you want to explore the tower today? There¡¯s another introductory tour tomorrow afternoon, as well. You don¡¯t have to rush, you know.¡± Daniel looked around the hall at other rookie climbers and their mentors, all training. The sounds of thumps and thuds radiated through the hall, everyone sparring with wooden weapons and each other.


    Wyn smirked at Daniel trying to sneak a drink. ¡°It¡¯s just a brief climb, right? If the veterans are leading us it should be easy. It seems as safe as could be.¡±


    Daniel paused and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s true. But nothing is safe in the tower, Wyn. If nothing else, remember that. Always be on guard. Always be ready for anything.¡± Daniel stared intently at Wyn now, his brows furrowed and demeanor unwavering.


    Wyn took a deep breath. ¡°I will. But I still would like to go. After you teach me magic, of course.¡±


    Daniel laughed. ¡°Wyn, I couldn¡¯t teach you everything about magic if we had weeks. Months, even.¡±


    Wyn looked confused. ¡°Then how are you going to teach me what I need to do before the first climb in a few hours?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m going to teach you magic for a Ruby Magician! And, thankfully for you, magic is simpler and more straightforward when using your tower mark.¡±


    ¡°Right. I almost forgot about the mark. It¡¯s to help use magic and skills, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But we need to go apply it.¡± He took another drink from his flask, quickly and discreetly. ¡°Follow me, please.¡± Daniel then walked off towards a door in the wall he hadn¡¯t noticed before.


    Magic. A large part of the appeal of the tower. Wyn had heard it was easier to use as a Climber but he didn¡¯t know exactly how. It was rare to see magic in the military but those who could wield it were revered by the soldiers and officers alike.


    If only his company could see their captain now.

 Book 1 - Chapter 5

    Wyn stood, holding his left forearm. He had decided to apply his mark on his inner arm so he could see it when he wanted but hide it fairly easily with a coat or sleeve. The mark wouldn¡¯t be large, at least, though Daniel told him it could be as big as he wanted, such as on his chest or back, or small if he wanted it on his hand or face.


    He wondered why in the hells someone would¡¯ve wanted it on their face, but then he thought about people and how strange they are.


    Daniel went on to explain to him that the mark allowed the casting of magic and using skills in the setting of the tower, outside of more complicated means throughout the rest of the world. ¡°The mark acts as a focus,¡± he had told Wyn, ¡°and magic needs a focus to transfer raw energy into purposeful casting.¡± Wyn followed, or at least he thought, though it wasn¡¯t easy. He needed Daniel to explain it again or a different way several times.


    He was glad it was only part of his class as a Ruby Magician and didn¡¯t make up the entire class. If he was a different Magician or Sorcerer, which were completely focused on magic, he knew he would need much more time to study it to be useful.


    Daniel told Wyn that runic circles help make up the components of a spell, and that they serve as the foundation for the specific creation. They can have multiple layers of varying designs and complexity. If letters helped formed words, then runes and their variations helped form spells. It made up the language of magic to cast what was intended. Basic spells only needed basic runes, and higher leveled spells needed more circles of runes that added to their complexity.


    That made sense to Wyn, though he knew it would get complicated fast. Training wasn¡¯t just going to involve physical improvement, anymore. He¡¯d need to train his mind as well.


    Daniel and Wyn were in a private room in the training hall. Apparently there were many of them for more specific studies or meetings. This room was large, almost as big as the guild hall where they shared breakfast, and he figured it was because it helped contained and allowed the casting of magic.


    The area was lit by multiple torches set in sconces on the right, and windows on the left wall shined bright from the midday sun. Wyn wondered how there were windows in here when he felt like he was in the middle of the building, but he didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    There was a small desk beside a bookshelf with various books, a large table for writing and making notes, and targets at the other end of the room. The table had several stacks of pages, mostly blank, a few quills and ink wells for notes, and many smooth stones for paper weights.


    ¡°Magic is not nearly as easy outside the tower,¡± Daniel said, continuing his lesson, ¡°but we don¡¯t need to discuss that now. The mark is your class mark and matches what was provided to you on your parchment. Can you set in on the table?¡±


    Wyn obliged. He unrolled his parchment and set it down. Daniel then placed some of the stones on the edges to keep it from rolling back up. There, at the top right, was the symbol of the Ruby Magician with a runic circle behind it. There were four small circles set within the runic circle at each corner, so if you drew a line to connect them a square would be formed inside.


    ¡°The runes behind your class mark are specific to you. It is your foundation for performing skills and casting magic. The combination of skills is different for each person, and you can choose any sort of spells allowed by your class.¡±


    Wyn nodded along, understanding some of it, but didn¡¯t want to interrupt. Not yet, at least.


    ¡°Your Ruby Magician skills come from the same pool as mine, though we obtain them at different points based on our experiences and performance in the tower. The runes on your mark allow those skills to be more basic or more advanced, no matter when you obtain them.


    ¡°For example, you have the skill Lucidity. That is a special skill, and one that you should study further. But for now, at your beginning stage, it only allows you to accumulate mana. And slowly, at that.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Wyn said, deciding it was time to interrupt him. ¡°I have several questions. Mana is the energy we have for magic, right?¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°And, from what I read, it¡¯s a pool of energy that is finite but can grow as I grow in my class. Different from my energy to move or swing a weapon, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Your pool is different from anyone else¡¯s and will increase in time. Our magical energy pool is different from our physical energy, such as what we need for our muscles or organs to function. It¡¯s also different from our spiritual and mental energy as well.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ seems complicated.¡± Wyn rested his arms on the table, still standing but quickly growing impatient. His head hurt.


    ¡°As I said, it can be. And honestly is! But just trust me on this. When you¡¯re tired physically, your muscles ache, your joints hurt, and you want to rest to recover. Or eat,¡± he said, patting his stomach and smiling. He then patted his coat higher up and grabbed his flask. He took another drink, this one longer, and sat it openly on the table.


    ¡°I know that all too well,¡± Wyn said. ¡°The military made sure to make that energy pool seem never ending. Or at least make us get used to the pain of when it was empty.¡±


    ¡°So your physical stamina is high. That will serve you well, as I¡¯ve said before! When you¡¯re tired mentally, you have difficulty focusing, your emotions are less in control, and you can develop headaches.¡±


    ¡°Like I have now.¡± Wyn rubbed his temples. His mental stamina wasn¡¯t near as impressive as his physical endurance. He ran, fought, and worked out constantly, but he wasn¡¯t forced to read or study in the military.


    ¡°Mana is similar. You will know when your pool is low, and your mark will tell you, too. Not everyone recovers mana passively like you with Lucidity. It takes food, rest, and a mental break.¡±


    Wyn nodded along but didn¡¯t respond. He was getting more and more mentally drained.


    Daniel smiled and laughed that chirped sound again. ¡°Then let¡¯s move this along.¡± Daniel walked over to the desk and opened its top drawer. He pulled out a strange stick and ink well. It had a diamond at the base and a sharp point at the other end. The ink well was glowing.


    Wyn perked up immediately. He didn¡¯t like the looks of that.


    ¡°The mark, unfortunately, is a magical tattoo of sorts. I¡¯ll need to place this on you for you to channel the tower¡¯s magic.¡±


    Wyn, excited but reluctant, rolled up his left sleeve. He pulled out a small stool from under the table to rest and laid his bare arm on the tabletop. He sat and thought about what he could focus on to distract him. Plenty of soldiers got tattoos during service, and he accompanied them more than once for support. This was no different.


    Well, this was completely different and no ordinary tattoo.


    Wyn wasn''t helping himself during the situation.


    Daniel sat the tools on the table. ¡°It won¡¯t take long. I don¡¯t have to stab you repeatedly for it to take like a regular tattoo, either. I just have to draw it on while the magical ink and pen do the rest.¡±


    Wyn exhaled loudly, relief leaving him in a rush. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Daniel grabbed the pen and ink well to ready them for the mark.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Wyn shouted, startling Daniel. He nearly tipped the magical ink well over. ¡°I almost forgot. What about the skill Lucidity?¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡± Daniel snapped back at him. He checked the ink well to make sure none of it spilled. ¡°You nearly made me drop this!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Daniel took a calming breath. ¡°It¡¯s alright. What about Lucidity?¡±


    ¡°You said it allows me to accumulate mana. How? And it can do more than that? Not to mention I don¡¯t even know how to use a skill!¡± The moment of relief from before vanished and anxiety quickly replaced it.


    ¡°So many questions,¡± Daniel said, and sat the diamond-studded pen down on the table. ¡°Lucidity, at its most basic form, allows mana accumulation slowly while the skill is being used. It¡¯s a passive skill, so it¡¯s used at all times. You activate skills by focusing on them and using your mark, similar to a spell. You¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°If you say so. I still don¡¯t fully understand.¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. You¡¯ll figure it out in due time! Now quit putting it off. I figured you for more courage than you¡¯re letting on.¡±


    Wyn shook his arms and stretched his neck. Daniel was right - he needed to get over this fear of the unknown and act. He placed his arm back on the table and braced himself, tensing. Daniel said it wasn¡¯t bad but he saw how his soldiers reacted when actually getting the tattoo. It wasn''t a sight you forget.


    Daniel chuckled, taking another drink from his flask. ¡°You won¡¯t need to do that. Just watch.¡±


    Wyn gulped, hoping Daniel wasn¡¯t getting too drunk to do this right, but had a feeling his tolerance was much higher than the average person¡¯s.


    Daniel traced the mark on Wyn¡¯s parchment with the pen. He did this carefully and slowly, and Wyn figured he was practicing so he wouldn¡¯t mess up on his arm. The diamond began to softly glow white while he was tracing. He then dipped it in the ink, and the point changed color to a bright red glow. He took it to Wyn¡¯s arm and began to trace the mark, slowly but steadily.


    Wyn still winced when the pen touched his arm, but realized immediately it was a blunted tip, pointed for accuracy and not for piercing the skin. Daniel was just drawing on his arm like he said. No sharp needle or stabbing involved.


    As Daniel worked over his inner forearm, Wyn noticed the drawing was slightly crooked and lopsided. An intrusive thought entered his mind about him not being able to use his skills or magic from this drunk man''s shitty mark as the lines would be wrong. Thankfully the magic was truly magical, and the lines corrected themselves into a smooth and perfect copy from the parchment.


    It only took Daniel a minute before the mark was finished. The symbol of the Ruby Magician, in all its glory, was now stamped on Wyn''s arm. He felt power rushing through him. His adrenaline spiked.


    His parchment and mark began to glow in unison. It was the same shade as the point when it magically connected - blood red.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Wyn looked at his parchment closer, and the glow slowly faded, including his mark on his arm.


    ¡°The mark took, connecting itself to your parchment. Remember that parchments are pieces of paper directly from the tower itself. This is how magic is so easily used inside Alistair as a connection was formed between you and a literal piece of the tower.¡±


    Daniel grabbed some other pieces of paper on the table and drew on them with the same pen. Wyn saw he was drawing his unique mark in the top right corner at the same location as his piece of parchment. Daniel copied it onto four total pieces of paper. They all gave off the same red glow before dulling down to resemble a perfect red stamp.


    ¡°These will guide you as you climb the tower. Thankfully there¡¯s seemingly no shortage of extra sheets from Alistair for Climbers to use.¡± He wrote titles on all the pieces of paper - SPELLS on two of them, then CLASS and ITEMS on the others. ¡°As you collect items, equipment, weapons, or anything, really, it will magically appear here. It¡¯s tied to you now, evidenced by your mark stamped into the paper.¡±


    Daniel shuffled the papers neatly and handed them to Wyn. He grabbed them gingerly, not knowing what to do with them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you some beginning equipment and help copy a few spells. It is our job as mentors, after all, to start you off properly. Fold those papers up with your parchment and keep them on you at all times.¡±


    Wyn followed his instructions.


    ¡°Now,¡± Daniel continued, ¡°I want to give you a few basic spells to start.¡±


    Wyn''s heart was racing. ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you, Daniel. Thank you. I honestly have no clue where to start with magic.¡±


    ¡°Yes well, it would be a disservice if you didn¡¯t have any starting out. All classes who cast spells start with a few given by their mentors. You may find a few more in the tower to use but most are here in spell books. You¡¯ll want to choose your own, of course, based on your group and preferences, but these will serve you well for now.¡±


    Daniel walked over to the bookshelf and pulled out a book. He hefted it back and plopped it on the table. Wyn read the cover - Beginner Spells for Tower Alistair. It was a simple, unassuming book, but if it gave him spells to use, it was one of the most powerful objects he had seen yet.


    Daniel casually flipped through the pages. They were covered in runes and magic circles and contained paragraphs of information. Wyn wasn¡¯t reading them too carefully, but he could tell they weren¡¯t overly complicated. Nearly all the spells he could see at a quick glance were made up of a few runic shapes and circles at most.


    He wondered what the more advanced spells looked like. They probably held pages and pages of information per spell, and he shuddered at the thought of sifting through them for study and use.


    Daniel stopped flipping through the book towards the middle. ¡°This book holds dozens and dozens of spells, but you can¡¯t hold too many. Not yet. We have to select our spells wisely as Ruby Magicians, but know you can change them out if needed. All it takes is a spell book where the runic foundation is held. I have a few copies in my room of this book, and you¡¯re free to take this. I¡¯d encourage you to look through it when you have the opportunity.¡±


    Wyn was shocked. Which was shocking in of itself, because this entire experience held one surprise after another. Here was a spell book, an artifact of untold value, which was just given to him. He could hardly believe it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss a few that would be most beneficial to you. It¡¯s easy to change out spells but time consuming. You need several hours of focus followed by practice to use a spell efficiently, especially for the more complex spells.¡±


    ¡°This is amazing,¡± Wyn said quietly, almost at a whisper. ¡°I¡¯ve never dreamed of anything like this. But how do I know how many I can use at a time?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question. Ruby Magicians would be too powerful if we could use as many spells as other Magicians or if our mana pool was as large. At least I''d like to think so¡­ But your mark and parchment will tell you how many you can prepare and store at a time.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    Daniel pointed to Wyn''s magical pieces of paper. ¡°Hold your new parchment labeled SPELLS. It will react to your mark.¡±


    Wyn eagerly picked up his new piece of parchment. It began to glow at his touch, and he noticed there were four spaces for spells. At least it looked like there were four places he could copy a spell, though it was more intuition than certainty. It wasn¡¯t obvious, and he wasn¡¯t sure how he knew - but in his gut he knew he could prepare four spells.


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure how, but I think I have room for four.¡±


    ¡°Intuition of your mark. You¡¯ll find that occurs more as you gain experience, too,¡± Daniel said as a matter of fact. ¡°But that¡¯s great! So we should find four spells that suit your needs most. What do you feel you could benefit from?¡±


    Wyn thought on that. He knew his combat ability was more than qualified, but was limited to close range. Maybe something at range would be helpful? Then he thought about improving his physical ability, too, to make himself even more capable. There were so many avenues he could take it was almost overwhelming.


    Daniel gave Wyn some time. This wasn¡¯t an easy decision.


    The older Magician took his flask and drank from it. His face scrunched up from the liquid¡¯s taste. Then he did it again. He tapped his fingers on the table waiting for Wyn to decide. ¡°May I give some suggestions?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact spells, but I know what would be helpful. Something to improve my combat ability. Something to stay alive, of course! Something to help my teammates, too.¡±


    Daniel¡¯s face relaxed into a wide smile. ¡°Excellent ideas! There are several spells you could use. Cure heals wounds, Arcane Aura protects you, Magic Weapon improves your weapon¡¯s damage and durability. There are damaging spells as well, which would be beneficial for ranged ability, too.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t most other magical classes have those and use them? Aren¡¯t I looking for something helpful but different?¡±


    Daniel thought on that a second. ¡°You have a point. Yes, any Diamond Magician worth your time will prepare several variations of healing and protection magic. And the other elemental Magicians will have damaging spells galore, either direct or indirect.¡±


    ¡°So something that¡¯s similar but not exactly the same. It would admittedly be easier after forming a group. But can we look at the different spells together for now?¡±


    ¡°Of course! And I know you¡¯re still wanting to join the introductory climb today. We have only a brief amount of time to find, select, and copy your spells before you¡¯ll need to go.¡±


    Wyn agreed. Daniel showed him the book and explained to him different spells - sections of the book for different categories of spells, their descriptions, and occasionally different variations of them. It was hard to narrow his list down to just four. He thought of changing it in the future, and knew he would several times, but for now he wanted a good variety.


    It took about thirty minutes, but he finally found the ones he wanted.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Daniel was tired but satisfied. It had been a long day already. It was invigorating teaching again, but he wasn¡¯t used to it, not to mention he was reaching his peak drinking alone time.


    ¡°I am. So I need to add them to my parchment next. I just use the pen and ink and my mark will do the rest?¡±


    ¡°In simple terms, yes. You just write in the spell by copying it! In the tower you say the spell and your mark will do the rest. At least for now.¡±


    Wyn thought about how much time he had. He checked the lone clock in the room over on the desk. The climb was at three in the afternoon and it was currently one. ¡°I¡¯ll need to copy these quick. The climb is in two hours!¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, then, and I¡¯ll gather some things for you while you work. I¡¯ll be back in an hour.¡±


    Daniel left the room and it was suddenly very quiet. The only noise came from the torches, their flames crackling like sharp whispers in the dead of night. It was oddly comforting, reminding him of the various camps he and his soldiers endured throughout his service.


    Wyn began right away. He wanted to make the introductory climb today. He needed to. His family couldn¡¯t afford for him to wait much longer. It was a fast decision when he left his military company only last week, visited home, then came to Alestead to pursue climbing the tower. He knew it was the only option to help his family and refused to allow any time to change his mind.


    He felt hopeful that these spells would help, but his anxiety continued to grow. He still wanted to practice them, too, but knew that would be cutting his time close. Combat was known to him - fighting and killing. He hated it, but convinced himself before he came that killing monsters in a magical tower would be easier than men in a war.


    Magic and spells, though? It added tools to his belt, sure, but he didn¡¯t like the thought of being unprepared in a deadly place. It weighed on him like a suit of armor that didn¡¯t fit.


    Still, it didn¡¯t overcome his desire to climb, and climb quickly. He would learn on the fly and do what he could for now. That was something he was good at, at least.


    The magical papers on the table didn¡¯t deter him. He grabbed the sheet labeled SPELLS and started copying.

 Book 1 - Chapter 6

    ¡°This is maddening.¡± Wyn stood at the base of tower Alistair. The actual entrance, not just the guild hall or the city. Before him was the opening, the same opening he¡¯d seen throughout Alestead and the one that welcomed him in earlier this morning - two large pillars, wide and glorious. It was the exact image of the entrance to Alestead, only he knew these were the original while the others were simply copies. Something about the slight dullness to the stone that showed weathering over the years and the pockmarks that littered it like freckles wasn¡¯t here on these pillars. The pure magical radiance that the tower released kept these stone barriers in pristine condition.


    Wyn craned his neck to look up at the top, and he wasn¡¯t even close to seeing the peak. Not that he could, considering there were clouds hovering in the sky and the tower was higher than the clouds, but still. Even the width of the mighty tower was abnormally large, being easily as round as several buildings. The tower seemed evenly cylindrical with various windows and decor spiraling up its length, but it also didn¡¯t seem to make sense. No support structures were anywhere to be found, and the building felt as though it should fall over from its sheer height. The only explanation for it¡¯s strange and unrealistic appearance was that it was completely made up magic.


    No castle Wyn had ever passed or even heard about came close to matching the sheer scale and awe of Alistair. He looked back down at the entrance in newfound amazement. It was no wonder people were captivated by the tower¡¯s allure. And that was only what the outside held.


    There were less Climbers coming to the tower than came into the city. Wyn still noticed a handful, many accompanied by what looked to be their mentors or other veterans. The rookies wore more simple clothing and gear and the more experienced Climbers had more elaborate equipment. It was nearly time before the scheduled climb.


    Back in the training room Daniel quickly taught Wyn the basics of his magic with a few spells to practice, which he promised wouldn¡¯t consume too much mana. He said Lucidity would recover them before he started his climb. Thankfully Wyn picked up on them relatively quick, though he was by no means as comfortable as his combat ability.


    ¡°Just say the name of the spell and the mark does the rest,¡± Daniel told him.


    Sure enough, he was right.


    The spells were listed in his parchment - the names, runes to cast them, and their description. The mark worked by summoning those runes when called on, using mana to cast it. It was a complicated concept, but Wyn accepted that he both had a limited understanding and that it would work in the tower. He thought this because it worked in the room at the guild hall, and it worked well.


    ¡°It is something, isn¡¯t it?¡± Daniel wasn¡¯t as in awe as Wyn. He¡¯d seen it many times before, and while Wyn was in awe in some ways, Daniel was in awe for different ones. The elder mage had experienced the tower. He felt the impact of climbing it, both good and bad.


    Though all he could focus on right now was the bad with his new apprentice.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Wyn gripped his spear tight with his right hand. Being here felt right.


    ¡°You say that,¡± Daniel said. ¡°You won¡¯t ever be ready. Not truly. But you¡¯re prepared. And that¡¯s as good as you can hope for.¡± He pulled out his flask of seemingly never ending alcohol and took another drink.


    Wyn looked at Daniel. He knew, deep down, something happened to him. Not just losing students or prospective future students. Some other bad experience or culmination of experiences that changed him. He opened his mouth to ask but thought better of it.


    In time he¡¯ll share when he¡¯s ready. Now isn¡¯t that time.


    ¡°Thank you, Daniel. I mean it. You¡¯ve done so much for me to get ready to climb today. I don¡¯t know how to repay you.¡±


    Daniel smiled. ¡°I¡¯m your mentor. It¡¯s my job to help! But I know one way you can repay me.¡±


    ¡°Survive? Come back and have a beer with you after reaching the top?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but also no,¡± Daniel said, and patted Wyn on the shoulder. ¡°Actually repay me. I think 150 gold crowns should cover it.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°What?! 150 crowns? It took over three months to make that in the military!¡±


    Daniel paused but quickly laughed and hiccuped at the same time. The alcohol was finally catching up to him. ¡°I¡¯m only kidding, Wyn. I would never ask you to repay me. I want you to succeed, of course, so I¡¯ll give you whatever you need!¡±


    Wyn¡¯s heartbeat returned to a steady pace. He was surprised Daniel was able to catch him off guard. He obviously still had a lot to learn about the man.


    ¡°If I do have the opportunity to repay you, consider it done. I am thankful for what you¡¯ve done for me in a short period of time.¡± Wyn adjusted his leather jerkin, another gift from Daniel. It covered his shirt and protected him without restricting his movements while also not interfering with his spells. Daniel informed him earlier that most mages can''t cast spells in armor reliably, which limits their protection - another benefit to the Ruby Magician that goes unnoticed by most Climbers. He couldn¡¯t wear heavier armor but that was fine with him. It was too restrictive anyway with his more mobile fighting style.


    Daniel pulled out another small object out of his inner robes. Wyn thought it was simply another flask until Daniel handed it out to him. ¡°Here, one final gift. I want to make sure you are completely prepared.¡±


    Wyn grabbed the object. It was a small vial of a deep red liquid.


    ¡°It¡¯s a healing potion,¡± Daniel said. ¡°A basic one, but plenty for the first floor. Use it in an emergency.¡±


    Wyn had only seen them in the military, where they were provided for his superiors in times of war. He immediately wondered if they were commonplace here. It made sense that they were, considering how magical the tower was and the people who traversed it, but still, Wyn was surprised to be holding one.


    Daniel also provided him a spear and dagger, both standard issue and basic, but kind gifts nonetheless.


    Wyn had sheathed the dagger in the small of his back under his backpack - his preferred place. He checked it was snug, then checked again, and adjusted his pack¡¯s straps one more time. He only had the basics inside - a water canteen, some dried food, and now the healing potion. Daniel offered the pack and supplies for his quick trip, and Wyn didn¡¯t feel right not taking them when offered. Plus, Daniel recommended he climb light so he could get used to the experience as a whole. It was a climb that only would take a couple of hours at most, and only the first floor at that.


    Wyn pulled out his parchment from a pocket on his pants. It was the piece labeled SPELLS. He quickly looked it over once more, trying to familiarize himself with the information.


    Ice Shard: A damaging spell that allows you to fire a sharp chunk of ice the size of a dagger in the direction you point. This could pierce the target or coat them in ice. Consumes a small amount of mana.


    Arcane Aura: A protection spell that coats the user or target in a magical shield of armor. Currently provides basic protection that will last a short amount of time. Consumes a moderate amount of mana.


    Regen: A healing spell that will heal the user or target over a period of time. Heals basic wounds, not able to cure diseases or remove poisons. Currently takes more time to heal and consumes a less moderate amount of mana.


    Magic Weapon: A utility spell that coats a weapon in magic for a small amount of time, increasing damage, durability, and overall effectiveness. Consumes a less moderate amount of mana.


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    Wyn stared at the parchment for a moment. He used them all in the training hall but he silently cursed himself for not finding out more about them. How much is a small, less moderate or moderate amount of mana? From the first spell he cast to now was about an hour. He foolishly took some sips of a weak mana potion Daniel brought in order to help recover and be completely ready. Of course it restocked his mana pool, but he didn¡¯t track anything about how much mana each spell used. There was no true sense of his capacity or ability to cast spells in the brief time he had. And, the spells that lasted longer he also ended early to save time, but now he regretted not having a better idea of how long they lasted.


    His stomach dropped. He felt less prepared than he did before, like he was wading into combat with a weapon he didn¡¯t know how to use. Which in a sense was exactly what he was doing.


    He took a deep breath. Then another. He was experienced and level headed, having trained for years to expect the unexpected and adjust himself on the fly. Plus, this was more of a training exercise than anything truly life threatening. He folded the parchment back up and placed it back in his pocket.


    Climbing the tower was the entire reason why he came. The best training was jumping right in, and he needed to get out of his head and jump.


    Wyn adjusted his gear, ending with his new robe and hat. Both were the most unique gifts of all, at least according to Daniel. They were the signature look of Ruby Magicians, and it was customary, Daniel said, to wear them proudly and respectfully.


    The robe was a high collared coat and the hat a magician¡¯s hat, wide brimmed with a loose center. Both were blood red. It was a nice contrast to his dark grey under shirt and stained leather jerkin, though he felt funny wearing the hat. Daniel told him it was a rite of passage to wear it for his first climb, and that veterans wore far stranger gear that offered magical boons. These were as ordinary as socks, but who was he to argue?


    ¡°Good luck. I mean that.¡± Daniel offered his hand.


    Wyn took his hand, shook it, and offered a smile in return. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯ll be great, I know it!¡±


    Daniel quickly walked away, obviously not one to linger. He headed back to his room to find a drink until Wyn returned. He couldn¡¯t go with him into the base of the tower. Most other mentors were at least escorting them inside, but he couldn¡¯t. Not again.


    Wyn was nervous but ready. He walked through the entrance and inside, ready to face Alistair. He joined the mass of other new Climbers, almost all of them nervous along with him. He expected a few snickers and laughs from his outfit but found only whispers, likely not even about him.


    It wasn¡¯t a long walk past the large pillars, though it was equally as intimidating and awe inspiring inside the tower as from outside. The main hall wasn¡¯t as large as Wyn thought, though it was strikingly beautiful. He had never seen anything like it, even in noble castles he¡¯d protected in the past.


    The walls were made of smooth stone, set perfectly from floor to ceiling. There were large stained glass windows in the walls, all depicting different scenes. Some were of trees and nature, some of war with conflicting armies. They were massive, easily as tall as buildings, and Wyn wondered why he didn¡¯t notice them from the outside and how someone was able to construct them. Each one ended before the ornate domed ceiling of intricate patterns of stone, though to Wyn¡¯s surprise he could see the top. It was still the tallest room he¡¯d ever seen, but the tower obviously spanned much, much taller than this ceiling appeared.


    At the far end of the room was a series of connecting desks and people behind them, all guild workers. Some were walking around carrying objects here or there, and some were standing still, though all had tasks to do. Further behind them were storage compartments and various doors that other staff members were using, entering and exiting beyond the room into unknown areas.


    To his left and right were open doorways and hallways that extended past the main room into more unknown places. Wyn knew those were the way to the actual adventuring part of the tower. The desks and guild staff were probably there for information or help.


    The rookie Climbers were gathered in the middle of the hall. Together with their mentors there were probably 30 or 40 of them, and the room still looked as though it could hold more, probably over a hundred people.


    As Wyn looked around, he noticed about a dozen Climbers standing to the left of the desks. They were wearing extravagant gear - full packs, weapons, and armor that were definitely not basic. He assumed they were the leaders for their climb. They looked tired and beaten. One woman¡¯s armor in particular was covered in a green, almost fluorescent substance. She had a quiver on her back and a bow slung around it. Her armor was made of furs over leather, and the more he stared the more he recognized her.


    It was Marcy.


    She caught him staring at her and smiled. She waved a small wave, quick as a flash. Wyn couldn¡¯t help but return both.


    ¡°Wyn! You made it!¡± A voice rose up from the hushed crowd, surprising several people. One rookie jumped and dropped their staff. Wyn, most surprised at all, looked around for the source.


    A man cheerfully pushed himself through the crowd towards him. It was John, the Fighter from the training hall. He had his sword sheathed on his left hip and his shield was attached on the outside of his backpack. He was holding a helmet in the crook of his left elbow and wearing padded armor, a popular choice of protection that gave more defense but was still more maneuverable than heavier plate armor.


    Wyn breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°John! I guess you made it, after all!¡±


    John trotted up beside him. His mentors weren¡¯t around, thankfully. ¡°I couldn¡¯t miss it. I¡¯m too excited to wait and sit it out! Most of the other Fighters wanted more training but I knew I was ready. I¡¯ve been ready for awhile.¡±


    ¡°I felt the same way. Were you in the military, by chance?¡±


    John¡¯s face scrunched up. ¡°No. Why do you ask that?¡±


    ¡°Well, you said you¡¯ve been ready for awhile. And you seem more mature than most other new Climbers. I figured you¡¯d have combat training or experience somehow?¡±


    ¡°Ahh,¡± John said, adjusting his backpack strap. ¡°I¡¯ve been training to be a Climber for months, now. Nearly an entire year. And that¡¯s outside of lessons and study. My entire family are Climbers!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not serious,¡± Wyn said, eyes nearly popping out of his head. ¡°That seems dangerous for a family business!¡±


    ¡°It is. But rewarding,¡± John said, smiling again. ¡°My father and mother met while climbing Alistair, then they left after awhile to start a family. Me and my siblings caught the bug.¡±


    Wyn nodded. ¡°I can understand that. Everyone has their own reasons for being here, I suppose.¡±


    John sighed and peered through the crowd, darting his head back and forth. ¡°You¡¯re telling me. Good or bad.¡±


    Wyn looked at him. His sword and shield did look different from others he saw in the crowd. He only caught a glimpse of both in the training hall, but now he really studied both. The sword had an ornate hilt and the sheath had gold trim. He realized the hilt perfectly matched the runes on the sheath, which were also laced in gold. The shield had an aura similar to the brief bits of magic he¡¯d seen, as though the air around it shimmered and shifted.


    John grabbed the handle of his sword as if he knew Wyn was examining it. ¡°This was my older sister¡¯s. She retired a couple of years ago after climbing to floor 17, and it was one of her magic swords she found inside Alistair. She offered it to me to use on one condition.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°That I find a weapon to pass down to my little sister in the same way! She wants a bow, though. What crazy 15 year-old wants a magic bow for her birthday?¡±


    Wyn just stared at him. He absolutely did not know the answer.


    ¡°So were you in the military? Interesting choice of a spear there,¡± John said, pointing to Wyn¡¯s weapon.


    Before Wyn could answer, one of the veteran Climbers walked to the front of the guild desks and climbed on top of it. He was a large man, both tall and wide, and wore black chain armor. He had a large axe on his back and a belt across his waist full of potions in varying size bottles.


    Wyn was struck with how easily he was able to climb on top of the desks. The gear looked heavy and armor awkward. He wondered if it was part of his class growth or something else.


    ¡°Good evening,¡± the man said, and his voice boomed over the crowd. Everyone was already mostly silent, eager and anxious to climb, but now you could hear a pin drop it was so quiet.


    ¡°I am Xander,¡± the man continued. ¡°I am a Barbarian and veteran Climber of tower Alistair. I¡¯m here to help guide all of you on your first climb, along with others who are experienced and capable to lead you safely. They are very generous to give their time and expertise to all of you!¡±


    Xander was animated with his speech, smiling awkwardly and waving his arms around. The crowd was silent though, not sure what to expect or how to respond.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but wonder how he was a Barbarian, either. He hadn¡¯t heard of that class before. Of course there were other classes out there, but there were only five choices to start. Obviously more could be found or earned.


    ¡°Are you not excited or ready for your first climb!?¡± Xander yelled. His powerful voice carried through the hall, echoing off the walls. Some of the rookies jumped in surprise.


    Wyn shot a side glance at John, who also glanced over at him. They smirked at each other. John then beat his chest with a fist twice. Eagerness and confidence poured from him.


    Wyn gripped his spear tight and banged the butt on the floor twice. He used to do it to signal his comrades he was ready for battle, and they would return the beat with their own weapons. Memories flooded his mind of laughter followed by war cries, friendly shoves in the barracks over meaningless games followed by gritty, dirty fighting to be the one standing rather than dying.


    He remembered the excitement before the bloodshed.


    Alistair didn¡¯t seem too foreign from war. Regretfully, he was in his element.

 Book 1 - Chapter 7

    Xander, standing on the desk by himself and towering over the Climbers, was as loud with his voice as his appearance. Though his effect was too effective, as he wanted responses but he only managed stunned and scared silence.


    He cleared his throat, which seemed just as loud. ¡°As I was saying, there are some rules we must follow. We will split you all into groups of six led by a veteran. We have already mapped all of the first floor and cleared some of the monsters for today. Our goal is to have you proceed to the final challenge of the floor safely, though you still need some challenges! We¡¯re here to keep you alive but not do it for you. At least not from here on out.


    ¡°Also, any drops and rewards that occur during our first climb will be given out on decision of your group. If you are unable to make a decision or you simply don¡¯t care, your leader will decide and have the final say. Now! Let¡¯s split up into parties and find your teammates!¡± He pumped the air with his armored fist, striking a pose. There was a moment of awkward silence.


    The large group of Climbers moved slowly, not separating at all but growing louder with conversation. Wyn looked over at John who was giddy with excitement.


    ¡°Well?¡± Wyn said, nervous to ask but wanting to jump on the opportunity. ¡°Would you want to be in a party together?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely!¡± John replied. ¡°I¡¯ll help keep you alive after all. That pointy stick will only get you so far.¡± He laughed. Wyn did not, though he couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And to answer your question, yes, I was. Seven years, actually.¡±


    John¡¯s eyes went wide. He stopped perusing through the crowd and looked Wyn up and down. ¡°Woah. You fought in the Great War? And made it out in one piece?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. I wasn¡¯t in it the whole time. It¡¯s a long story.¡± Wyn¡¯s cheeks flushed. He shook his head, trying to keep his focus on the present and not dwell on the past. He was thinking about his unit and allies, the good times they shared and the bad times they suffered.


    ¡°Fair enough. But I guess I don¡¯t need to worry about you, then. I take what I said about it,¡± John said, pointing to Wyn¡¯s spear. ¡°You could probably use that better than most. Plus, I¡¯m curious to see your magic!¡±


    Wyn paled. Maybe he should stick to his combat only for this climb if he meant to keep friends and not embarrass himself.


    John looked around at the other rookies. Most of them had started to pair off, and he noticed the mentors had left, too.


    Wyn quickly realized it as well. ¡°Let¡¯s finish getting a party together first. Do you know anyone here?¡±


    ¡°Well, yea, I trained with a bunch already. And there one is,¡± John said, and ran over to another Fighter. They bumped forearms in a friendly, informal greeting.


    The Fighter was taller than both John and Wyn, and stout. He wore chain mail under a shirt with a coat of arms on the right breast though Wyn couldn¡¯t make it out. Which was odd, because he was familiar with most emblems of the country. The Fighter had two war axes on his belt, one looped under each arm. He was just as big as the veteran Climber who climbed on the desks though not nearly as flashy or well-equipped.


    Wyn walked over, eager to meet his potential new teammate.


    ¡°I¡¯m Wyn,¡± He said, and extended his hand out for a greeting. ¡°Nice to-¡±


    ¡°Oh shit, you¡¯re that Red Mage, aren¡¯t you?¡± The man said, cutting Wyn off mid-greeting. ¡°John, why are you so nice helping out the needy?¡±


    Wyn balked as he was rudely cut off, and he felt as though the voice sounded familiar.


    ¡°Easy, Lionel,¡± John said. ¡°He¡¯s a good guy. And experienced. We¡¯ll be fine!¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Lionel sighed. ¡°I¡¯m always having to do the work. You¡¯d be more useful as a Sorcerer,¡± he said, pointing his thumb towards Wyn. ¡°It¡¯s your lucky day, Red Mage, to be paired with me and John.¡±


    Wyn instantly remembered. His voice was the voice of the person who ridiculed him in the training hall, the Fighter that made the comment about his class. And now he¡¯s in his party.


    ¡°Yea, we¡¯ll see,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I think I can handle myself.¡±


    Lionel laughed. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure you can, Mage.¡±


    Wyn started to reply to him, but stopped. It wasn¡¯t worth a response - his opinion didn¡¯t matter. They¡¯d work together now but he¡¯d move on in the future. It was a necessary evil for this one climb.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± John said, patting Wyn on the back, ¡°we need a couple more. Hopefully a Garnet or Sapphire Mage to round us out? We can power through this tower in no time at all with one or two!¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we have some healing or protection?¡± Wyn said. ¡°And we still need three more for a group of six.¡±


    ¡°Look at the Mage, thinks he¡¯s so smart,¡± Lionel said, looking around the room. ¡°Most are already partied up. We¡¯re too damn late.¡±


    One of the veteran Climbers came over to them with a rookie Climber trailing behind. They both were Magicians of some sort, Wyn could tell, as the veteran wore grey robes lined with yellow patterns interwoven in basic but beautiful designs. He had a book lashed to his side in a leather sling like a sheathed weapon. He was also walking with a staff that had a gnarled top with a topaz gem set within it.


    There was no telling how much that gem was worth. Easily several hundred crowns. Selling it could feed a family through an entire winter, and this young man carried it around for a weapon.


    Climbers were very, very different breeds of people.


    The rookie, which Wyn saw was a young woman, wore a robe and carried a staff herself. Her hair was dark and curly, and she seemed well put together though simple overall.


    It was as though she was trying to blend in with the other rookies, looking plain and boring despite her barely cracked leather boots and well-hemmed clothes. She obviously had money, likely a merchant¡¯s daughter. The staff she carried didn¡¯t have a jewel set in it and she had a dagger sheathed on her side, so she didn¡¯t have the background like John.


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    ¡°You three need to round out your group,¡± the veteran said. He had a husky voice despite being about the same age as Wyn, and clearly enunciated his words. ¡°We¡¯ve already placed the rest of the rookies in groups of six.¡±


    ¡°Damnit,¡± Lionel said. ¡°Do we need to split up and join a different group? ¡®Cause I¡¯m alright with that.¡±


    Wyn glared at him.


    ¡°No,¡± the veteran said, ¡°I have a rookie Diamond Mage here. Her name is Tasha.¡± He waved his hand back towards the rookie to introduce her and she shyly stared at the ground. ¡°She will join our group.¡±


    ¡°Our group?¡± John stepped in. He extended his hand to Tasha. ¡°I¡¯m John, by the way. This is Wyn and Lionel.¡± He pointed to each of them when he said their names.


    ¡°Yes, our group. I¡¯m Cedric. And we¡¯ll have an extra veteran with us since our group is short.¡±


    ¡°There really aren¡¯t any other rookies for a group, huh?¡± Lionel asked. He kept scanning the other Climbers in the room, though Wyn wasn¡¯t exactly sure why. It could¡¯ve been any number of reasons, though he was only half paying attention to the current conversation. He must¡¯ve really not wanted to pair up with them.


    ¡°Afraid not,¡± Cedric said. ¡°But here she is.¡±


    ¡°She?¡± Wyn asked.


    Another Climber walked over to the group. She was obviously an archer, with a quiver on her back and a bow slung around it. The fletched feathers on the arrows were made of several different colors. Her armor was furs over leather, and it was covered in a strange green substance.


    ¡°Good afternoon, rookies,¡± Marcy said, cool and confident. She winked at Wyn. ¡°I¡¯m Marcy.¡±


    John introduced himself again, and Lionel simply shrugged her off. Wyn was not getting a good impression of him, and something didn¡¯t sit right about him. It wasn¡¯t just that he was rude, but something deeper he couldn¡¯t place.


    The rookies in the room all began to walk further into the tower, escorted by their veteran guides for their climb. Wyn was getting restless and excited, and apparently he wasn¡¯t hiding it well.


    Marcy cleared her throat in the silence of the group. ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t awkward at all. Hopefully all of you will open up some when we get inside. I don¡¯t want to be carrying all of you through the whole damn floor.¡± She patted Wyn and John on the back before setting off to lead the group.


    John, Lionel, and Wyn smiled. Tasha gulped.


    ¡°I like her,¡± Lionel said. ¡°I guess this is it, then.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Cedric said, ignoring Lionel. ¡°Let¡¯s proceed to the portals. Marcy and I will show you the entrance and exit into the tower¡¯s actual challenges.¡±


    The rookies followed behind as Cedric and Marcy led them. The other groups had already begun to file off in the same direction and they seemed to be last. They walked past the guild desks and into one of the wide, large hallways. It had the same look as before - stone walls and stained glass windows, though both on a smaller scale.


    At the end of the hallway was a smaller room, with multiple portals floating in the air, all scattered about. They were as big as a door but oval shaped, seemingly able to take a person in one at a time. Wyn had never seen anything like it, but he immediately noticed they were beautiful. He stopped to stare at the closest one. It was shimmering like a brilliant gemstone and radiated a heavy aura of magic. It was thick in the air and clear in color. Wyn was in a trance.


    ¡°This is an entrance portal,¡± Marcy said, and ushered in the rest of the group around the one portal.


    The rookies were staring at it, all with differing feelings. Cedric and Marcy simply smiled at each other.


    Cedric cleared his throat. ¡°We¡¯ll step inside this to start the true interior of Alistair.¡±


    ¡°How does it work?¡± Wyn wanted to reach out and touch it but was terrified. And mystified. He was feeling many emotions.


    ¡°There are many portals to enter different floors of the tower,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Each floor has several portals, too. The difference is each portal will place each group at a different starting location on the floor.¡±


    ¡°So will we all be scattered at the start?¡± Tasha spoke up. She wasn¡¯t feeling many things. She was just scared.


    ¡°No. Since you are all in a party, you¡¯ll start in the same place. The tower will separate parties from each other to give you all a bit more room to roam, so to speak. But you can still find other parties inside. It¡¯s strange, I know, but that¡¯s the tower¡¯s magic. Check your parchments.¡±


    The rookies took out their papers. Wyn noticed something interesting on the main page towards the bottom.


    PARTY: 6/6


    Alistair¡¯s Base


    He had no idea how or when it showed up, but sure enough, it was there in ink as clear as if he wrote in himself.


    The others must¡¯ve seen something similar. They were all silently reviewing their own parchments.


    ¡°So you can see and check the new status,¡± Cedric said. ¡°You¡¯ll get changes like that on your parchment often. The tower keeps updating it periodically.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°Like the number in your group, your task at hand, or if you¡¯ve cleared a floor. Oh, and a summary of your potential growth and rewards when you leave the tower and return here.¡±


    ¡°A summary?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I got this one,¡± John said. ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but after you spend time in the tower and then leave to return to the base, you get updates on your class growth and any treasure the tower rewards you with. You show your papers to the guild members at the desks when we walked in and they pay you! I think.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re correct,¡± Cedric said. ¡°The tower chooses how to reward you based on your performance. As I said, it¡¯s strange. You¡¯ll find out for yourself before long.¡±


    ¡°My growth says any though,¡± Wyn said. ¡°What exactly does that mean?¡± He remembered Daniel mentioned all Ruby Magician¡¯s had any as their growth, but he didn¡¯t explain much further.


    ¡°Any?¡± Lionel asked. ¡°As a Red Mage? I call bullshit.¡±


    Wyn pulled out his piece of parchment that described his class. He showed Lionel, who snatched it and scanned it. He huffed and handed it back to Wyn.


    ¡°What a bunch of shit,¡± Lionel said. ¡°A Red Mage with the ability for any growth, and here I am, a Fighter with strength, toughness, and stamina.¡±


    Wyn smiled. He enjoyed the thought that Lionel was jealous of him.


    ¡°Not exactly what that means,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Sorry, Wyn, but any growth means all of your characteristics have the potential to grow but none will grow as quick as others like yours, Lionel.¡± He looked over at the Fighter. ¡°You essentially have the ability to grow in anything but specifically will grow faster in those three traits, and have future skills available that relate to them. When your growth is any, your skill progress is slower and future skills could be anything, making your skill set potentially too broad to be specifically useful.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s smile instantly faded. The next instance of what made a Ruby Magician less popular and desirable showed up like a slap in face. It was nice to hear that his class could grow as he climbed, but if he was spread too thin with his potential growth he¡¯d fall behind others who were more specialized. Yet another reason why the Ruby Magician was less desirable that Daniel warned him about. It was hard to hear.


    Lionel laughed, hearty and excessive. ¡°That makes way more sense! I knew something had to be off. No way a Red Mage would be better!¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry,¡± Marcy said. ¡°It still depends on how you use your class, Wyn. You could be the best class on paper but still make poor decisions or not be a team player,¡± Marcy said, eyeing Lionel.


    Wyn inhaled and exhaled deeply. His resolve to prove other Climbers wrong about his class was strengthened. Even if he obtained skills that didn¡¯t completely work in his favor he¡¯d use them to the best of his ability and make himself useful. It would be a challenge but he was up for it. He¡¯d faced worse and overcome them. His family depended on his success and he wouldn¡¯t fail them.


    ¡°True,¡± John said. ¡°And he was in the Great War so I¡¯m going to stick close to him!¡± He inched himself away from Lionel a bit.


    The others looked at Wyn. Cedric and Marcy sized him up, and Tasha¡¯s eyes went wide. Lionel simply narrowed his eyes and stayed quiet.


    Wyn felt his cheeks flush from the sudden attention. He didn¡¯t particularly like having so much focus on him, especially when it came to his time in the war.


    ¡°How about we move on and try out the floor,¡± Cedric said, seemingly reading Wyn¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Loud and clear,¡± Marcy said. ¡°The day isn¡¯t getting any shorter, after all!¡±


    Wyn smiled and took another deep breath to calm himself. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m ready!¡±


    ¡°Looks like we got to party up after all,¡± Marcy whispered. She smiled to him, then stepped into the portal. It swallowed her, or maybe allowed her to enter. Wyn wasn¡¯t sure which. It was a strange but exciting sight.


    Wyn reached out with his hand at the portal to follow her. He didn¡¯t exactly know what to expect but he was confident - more than he had been in some time. He felt the pull of the portal and stepped inside.

 Book 1 - Chapter 8

    Wyn immediately felt nauseous, like he was shunted out of reality and brought back a second later.


    Which, to his surprise, was exactly what happened.


    When he stepped through the portal he didn¡¯t know how he would feel, though he was glad he at least kept his lunch down. When Tasha came through she began throwing up almost right away. Almost was key here, considering she was able to hold off long enough to step out from the portal¡¯s entrance and throw up a few feet away from where the others came through.


    Lionel came next, followed by John and Cedric being last. The rookies all took a few minutes to adjust, their heads and stomachs swimming.


    ¡°That was very uncomfortable,¡± John said. He was holding his head as a headache pierced his skull. ¡°No amount of preparation was enough.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Which is why it¡¯s important to have these first time climbs guided.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± Wyn said. He took a few deep breaths and steadied himself. It didn¡¯t take his body long to settle back down, but he certainly didn¡¯t feel ready to fully engage in a fight at the moment.


    Then he looked around.


    ¡°By the gods.¡±


    Wyn realized he was standing at the edge of a field. Behind the group was a small village surrounded by a wall made up of wooden logs. There was a well worn road leading from the village towards a sparse forest of trees. Wyn realized they were standing by the road. The treetops and limbs were swaying with a slight breeze, and some patches of tall grass further into the field were leaning with the wind. The sun was high in the sky. Wyn noticed a small fire smoldering on the edge of the forest where the road lead deeper into the woods.


    None of this was right.


    ¡°How in the hells is this possible? It should be late afternoon, not midday.¡± Wyn tried to look further away. He could see clouds above him mostly covering the sun, and far away behind the village a mountain top crested high above the terrain.


    A minute ago he was standing in the tower base, and now he felt like he was in another location entirely. Not only that, but this was far too grand to be fully inside the tower.


    ¡°The tower teleports us to a realm of its design,¡± Cedric said. He was walking ahead towards the campfire. ¡°Or at least that¡¯s what the researchers believe. No one knows exactly, but it makes sense.¡±


    ¡°But the point,¡± Marcy continued, ¡°is that the tower is choosing a challenge for us. So for this month, the goal of the first floor was to find a little girl from the local village who got lost in the woods.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Lionel asked, then unsheathed an axe and inspected it. He looked at Marcy from the corner of his eye.


    ¡°Your parchment tells you,¡± Tasha replied. She wiped her mouth with the sleeve on her robe in one hand and held her parchment in the other.


    Wyn pulled his out from his pack and looked at it. Sure enough, continuing on the information from the party and floor was new writing. It read exactly as Marcy told them, though more like a wanted poster in the town square.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you,¡± Lionel said. ¡°I asked the Archer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an Archer,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I¡¯m a Ranger. And you should be kinder to your teammates, especially the one who can save your ass.¡±


    Tasha tried and failed to hide a smirk. Lionel openly scowled.


    John walked over to the campfire along with the rest of the party. He began to take the shield off his pack and attach it to his left forearm. It was dark grey, nearly black, and runes were etched along the edges. ¡°Is that why you have green goo on your armor?¡°


    Marcy sighed. ¡°That¡¯s enough questions for now. You all have to learn this stuff on your own, after all. I won¡¯t tell you everything.¡±


    Cedric laughed. ¡°So that means we¡¯ll shut up now. We have a few hours to accomplish our goal in order to be back in a reasonable amount of time. We¡¯ll help make sure you don¡¯t die in the process, but you should start trying to figure out what to do.¡±


    The group waited around the campfire, the rookies not sure about their next move. The smoldering logs weren¡¯t lit, and instead gave off a pitiful smoke that rose from cinders. It made a good point to commune, though, as the two veterans stood to the side silently.


    Wyn took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He had to focus, and the fact remained that they had a task and a path to accomplish it. They needed to find a little girl, apparently, and the road that connected the village to the woods was an obvious starting point, as well as the old campfire. This was a good starting sign, and he wondered if other signs in the woods would be as easy to spot.


    ¡°Hey guys,¡± Lionel said. ¡°I found something.¡± He stood by the edge of the woods away from the campfire. He was holding something in his left hand. ¡°It looks like a little girl¡¯s ribbon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It¡¯s definitely a clue. We should keep to the road and head into the woods. It¡¯ll probably form into a trail or something similar.¡±


    Lionel huffed. ¡°No shit it¡¯s a clue. And I found it! Catch up, stragglers, or I¡¯ll leave you behind.¡± He laughed and pocketed the ribbon. He stepped backwards with a slight skip and mocking smile, then disappeared after entering the woods.


    ¡°What an ass,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Do I have to keep him alive?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We¡¯re better off sticking together. We¡¯ll accomplish our goal faster that way and stay safe.¡± He eyed Lionel as he said it, trying to convince himself of those very words. Something felt off with him around, and he made a mental note to keep an extra eye on the arrogant Fighter.


    Tasha sighed. ¡°If you say so.¡± She grabbed her staff and set off to follow Lionel. Cedric began to follow them as well, staying true to his word to keep silent.


    ¡°Think we¡¯ll be alright?¡± John asked, and he fiddled with the straps on his shield again.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Wyn said. He grabbed his spear and secured his pack. ¡°I do. We¡¯ll be fine as long as we work together. Climbers do this all the time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Stay confident and positive.¡± She elbowed John in the side for emphasis.


    ¡°You¡¯re stronger than you look,¡± John said, wincing.


    Marcy¡¯s smile grew wide. ¡°Just you wait.¡±


    Suddenly Tasha screamed. Marcy unslung her bow lightning fast, and the three of them ran into the woods behind the others. They weren¡¯t too far past the tree line, but just enough to where John, Wyn and Marcy couldn¡¯t immediately see the situation. A short trip into the woods and the trees were suddenly denser and the sunlight didn¡¯t shine near as bright.


    After a few seconds of running they saw Lionel hacking into something on the ground with his axe. Tasha was beside him using a free hand to cover her mouth from the scream. Cedric was standing off to the side with his staff at the ready, away from Tasha and Lionel but staring intently further into the woods.


    ¡°What in the hells happened,¡± John said, unsheathing his sword as he ran behind Lionel.


    Lionel stopped hitting whatever he was hitting with his axe. ¡°That happened.¡±


    John looked down in front of Lionel at a pile of green goo and dark black bits. Lionel¡¯s axe was now green, dripping with the slimy substance. His armor was speckled and blotched in areas of it, too.


    John bent down to inspect it closer. ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± A long, hairy appendage twitched once, and John fell back on the ground with a yelp, dropping his sword.


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    ¡°Yea,¡± Lionel said. ¡°A spider the size of a small dog! It came down from the tree beside Tasha. I just started hitting it.¡±


    Tasha held her staff close to her chest. She wasn¡¯t screaming anymore but was as white as a sheet and completely still, breathing soft and deep.


    Wyn looked over at Marcy. She was calm and collected, unfazed at the situation. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re covered in, isn¡¯t it? You cleared these out before we came inside?¡±


    Her face twitched a bit as her muscles worked to keep her thoughts from expressing themselves, but the faintest hint of a smile curled on the corner of her mouth.


    Wyn walked over to the group. ¡°So there are spiders here. It¡¯s darker here, too, even though we¡¯re only a bit into the woods. It¡¯s reasonable to assume it¡¯ll get darker the deeper we go, too.¡±


    ¡°Just our luck,¡± Lionel said. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring a torch or lantern.¡±


    ¡°Me either,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And you know there are probably other things here, too. We have to stick together so we can be more prepared.¡±


    ¡°We are together,¡± Lionel said. He wiped his goo-covered axe on his pants.


    ¡°No,¡± Wyn replied. ¡°You and Tasha went ahead, out of our vision.¡±


    ¡°So? I handled myself just fine. Her scream scared me more than this piece of shit.¡±


    ¡°Which is great, and I¡¯m sure you can handle yourself with a bigger one, too. But what if there were five of them instead of just one?¡±


    Lionel glared at Wyn. He shook his head and took a deep breath. ¡°Yea, alright, Red Mage. But who put you in charge?¡±


    ¡°No one! And I¡¯m not trying to be the leader. But for now we need to have a plan and stick to it. We¡¯re here to beat the tower, not argue.¡±


    John grabbed his sword and stood up. ¡°He¡¯s right, you know. That¡¯s why we came to Alestead! So let¡¯s work as a team!¡±


    Tasha cleared her throat. ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s do it.¡± She seemed to relax a little, though kept her staff close to her chest.


    ¡°All of you are ridiculous,¡± Lionel said. ¡°Whatever.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± John said, swinging his sword in an arc. As he did it lit up in flames, runes on the hilt activating the magic inside. The other rookies recoiled from the sudden burst of flame. ¡°Onward!¡± As he yelled he stuck his flaming sword up and forward.


    The flame from the sword lit up the area above them. The sudden burst of light and heat made the previously hidden hanging spiders shriek and flail. The noise was eerie and unnatural, like high pitched squealing and chittering. There were several close ones that had started to descend before the others, following the first that was felled by Lionel. Their hairy legs jerked away from John¡¯s flame, scurrying helplessly in midair while suspended by thick strings of web.


    Tasha screamed again.


    Wyn reacted quicker than the others. He raised his left hand in front of him and thought of the spell he wanted to cast. The brief review of magic and spells with Daniel suddenly seemed laughably inept, but Wyn hoped to the gods it would work.


    ¡°Ice Shard!¡± Wyn yelled, and felt his mark activate. He could see it glow out of the corner of his eye under his sleeve, too. It was an incredibly odd but invigorating feeling.


    A series of magical runes instantly formed in the air in front of Wyn¡¯s left hand the moment he said the spell. They were the copied runes for the Ice Shard spell, and a sharp, pointed slice of ice flew directly away from his hand. It was fast, too - faster than arrows from a bow and possibly as fast as those from a crossbow.


    The shard of ice crashed into the spider closest to Tasha, dangling from a singular web strand above her. It pierced its main body and the momentum took it further back into a tree, pinning it like a nail. Its legs curled as it went still.


    Lionel acted nearly as quickly, though his efforts to strike at the nearest spider were in vain. He tried to swing his axe high in the air to strike it but it was too far out of reach, even with his height. He swung upwards several times, hoping to hit it as it lowered.


    John, initially shocked at seeing the many spiders, snapped out of his inaction. He saw the closest spider and swung his sword at it, activating another rune on the sword. The flame that coated the sword¡¯s blade lashed out, growing several feet in an arc. It caught two spiders on fire. They began to shriek and cry continuously before falling from their web, the connection breaking from the flames. They fell in a fiery heap to the ground.


    The other spiders stopped their advance and retreated back into the treetops, their black bodies blending in with the leaves and dim light. The woods became silent save for Lionel cursing and the flames from John¡¯s sword crackling.


    Cedric walked over to Wyn. ¡°Not bad! That was an impressive cast.¡±


    Wyn briefly heard a chittering sound and thought the spiders were waiting up in the trees to attack again. A loud thwack came from Tasha¡¯s direction, followed by more thumps and pounds.


    Wyn looked over and saw Tasha was beating a spider with her staff, green spider¡¯s blood flying everywhere. She was groaning with the effort. Random shrieks filled the air, but whether from the spider or Tasha was impossible to tell.


    He ran over beside her along with Marcy. Cedric went to check on John and Lionel.


    Tasha¡¯s robe was now a splotchy bright green and beads of sweat formed into streaks on her forehead. The spider was a mashed pulp beside her.


    ¡°That¡¯s unconventional,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I like it!¡±


    ¡°It was quieter than the others,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I never saw it. It fell on my shoulders and I knocked it off in a panic.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You took care of it.¡±


    ¡°But my shoulder and back hurt,¡± Tasha replied, and turned her back to them. ¡°I think it bit me. Is it bad?¡±


    Both Wyn and Marcy winced. Tasha¡¯s robe was cut and she had puncture wounds on her shoulders and upper back like shallow stabs from a knife. The wounds slowly bled, and large welts already formed around them.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been bitten a couple times,¡± Marcy said. ¡°We need to heal you. Nothing serious, though.¡±


    She began to reach for her pack but Wyn caught her wrist. He briefly saw that her mark was on her left hand and wrist and had two outer runic circles.


    ¡°Let me,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We have to be the ones to do this, right?¡±


    Marcy nodded and stepped around to where Tasha could see her. She held the Mage¡¯s shoulders and looked her in the eyes. ¡°Wyn will heal you. You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Wyn set his spear against the closest tree and thought of his next spell. ¡°Regen,¡± he said, and again felt the mark activate. The runes appeared in front of his hand and hung in the air, emanating a soft white glow that seemed to spill out onto Tasha. There was a radiating aura that started at her back and shoulders, then transferred to her whole body. She looked like a gently radiating white firefly. The wounds stopped bleeding right away, though Wyn guessed it would take the entirety of the spell¡¯s length to heal her. He didn¡¯t know if it would fully heal her, but it should at least close the wounds.


    A smile flashed across Wyn¡¯s face subconsciously. It was strangely funny - here he was, in a magical land inside a magical tower, casting magic.


    Wyn suddenly thought that maybe he should be timing the spell to see how long it lasts. It had only been a few seconds so far, and he began counting in his head to get an idea of the spell¡¯s length since the description was vague.


    Another thought occurred to him. He pulled up his sleeve to expose his mark. It was radiating magic, giving off a similar glow to Tasha. Less than half of it was dull and grey, as though it wasn¡¯t being used.


    Tasha relaxed her body, physically relieved by Wyn¡¯s spell. ¡°That already feels better!¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t choose Cure as your healing spell?¡± Marcy said, letting go of Tasha¡¯s shoulders. She walked around Tasha to look at her back.


    ¡°I figured most healing Mages would prepare it so I chose something else,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°Not a bad idea, but you¡¯d be surprised how useful an instant healing spell is,¡± Marcy said, satisfied with Tasha¡¯s back. She looked over at Wyn¡¯s mark. ¡°Did your mentor tell you about your mana reserves?¡±


    Wyn thought about that for a second. ¡°Not entirely. I rushed him to get ready to climb today. I believe I remember him saying ¡®you¡¯ll figure the rest out.¡¯¡±


    Marcy laughed. ¡°Of course he did! Typical. Well, we don¡¯t have an exact measurement of our mana. But you just know. Like an intuition.¡±


    ¡°He did say it was like how we know our mental or physical energy stores. Like when they¡¯re full or low.¡±


    ¡°Something like that. But your mark is glowing because your spell is still working. It does that with skills, too.¡±


    ¡°What about passive skills?¡±


    ¡°Depends. But every class is a bit different, so your mentor was right - you really will need to figure it out for yourself. I¡¯m not familiar with Ruby Magicians.¡±


    Wyn sighed.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m better,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Thank you, Wyn.¡± She stopped glowing right then.


    Wyn blinked, remembering he was trying to count the time. He figured it lasted about 3 minutes, though wasn¡¯t exactly sure. He wondered if spells could even have exact times, or if they varied depending on different factors.


    Marcy checked her back again. ¡°It looks great! Can¡¯t even tell what happened!¡±


    Wyn looked down at his mark. It was still glowing. The outer runic circle wasn¡¯t glowing now, but only the center image. It was slowly radiating inward, becoming softer and dimmer like the dulled bit from earlier. At least half of his mark was still glowing, and he wondered if Lucidity was already working.


    It must be, but he needed more experience to truly figure it out. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d learn it all now.


    ¡°Everyone okay over here?¡± John asked, as he, Lionel and Cedric joined the rest of the group.


    Marcy and Tasha filled them in as Wyn was still distracted with his mark. He wasn¡¯t fully listening.


    Tasha waved her hands in front of Wyn¡¯s face. ¡°Hello? Wyn?¡±


    ¡°Yea, sorry,¡± Wyn said, and dropped his arm. ¡°Still trying to figure out magic and my mark.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we all,¡± John said. ¡°But let¡¯s go. We can do it later when spiders aren¡¯t plotting our demise.¡±


    Wyn picked up his spear. ¡°Fair enough. Do we know where to go?¡±


    They looked around. It was even darker than before. A small sliver of light permeated through the trees though it was much darker in the denser forest.


    Tasha help up her staff. ¡°Torchlight!¡±


    The end of her staff glowed like a bright lantern, much brighter than a torch, and the group shielded their eyes for a moment.


    It was incredibly effective, though.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Tasha said. ¡°We need a light, and we need to get going.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s where we need to go,¡± John said, and pointed with his sword again.


    There was a small path leading deeper into the woods split by trees, and was a bit more worn than the undisturbed forest floor. It was a clear trail though not very wide.


    ¡°Then get on with it,¡± Lionel said. He waved his axe. ¡°I¡¯ll lead. Tasha, you should be in the center so we can all see. I don¡¯t care about the rest of you.¡± He immediately set off towards the trail without waiting for a response.


    Wyn looked at the others and shook his head. At least if something attacked Lionel would be hit first.

 Book 1 - Chapter 9

    The surrounding woods were eerie with the absence of light and strange transition from the side of the village to a darker forest. It was as though they stepped into a new place altogether, not the woods set next to a village that seemed normal. These woods had a creepy feel to them, danger falling from the trees or wherever else the tower decided.


    It was exactly that, though. A new, magical place that the tower presented to the group of Climbers, a challenge to overcome and push through. Wyn was still mystified and impressed all at once.


    He stopped to feel the leaves and trees, and they felt so real. He had wondered if this was going to feel fake or something would be off, as though the tower had created a fake image or copy of the real world to populate its residence, but it didn¡¯t feel that way at all. It was alive.


    ¡°Strange, I know.¡±


    Wyn jerked his hand from the tree in surprise and whipped his head around. Cedric was standing behind him smiling, his staff in his right hand.


    ¡°This whole place is nothing like you thought, is it?¡± He had a sly smile on his face, and was failing to suppress it.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Wyn replied. ¡°It¡¯s so real.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because it is. It''s as real as it gets.¡±


    Wyn thought about that for a second. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t think much about what was in the tower, only what I could gain from it. I knew it was dangerous, but still.¡±


    ¡°Some people believe the tower actually holds this environment, that it changes for a new season every month into something different so people can¡¯t exploit it for too long. That you climb the tower literally after each floor, hence the height.¡±


    ¡°And others believe different,¡± Lionel said.


    Cedric turned his head sharply, eyes wide. He quickly settled down. Lionel was standing behind him, listening quietly.


    ¡°What do they believe?¡± John asked. Everyone was listening at this point, eager to learn more about the tower. Marcy was the only one not interested, holding a small splinter of wood and absentmindedly picking her teeth.


    ¡°They believe the opposite,¡± Lionel continued, ¡°about the environment here. That the tower actually transports people to another place. An entire plane of existence, actually.¡±


    ¡°Woah,¡± John said. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ hard to imagine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± Tasha chimed in. ¡°How can one magical reason be crazier than the other?¡±


    John scrunched his face. ¡°Huh. I¡¯m not sure. That¡¯s a fair question, to be honest. But why would the tower be so tall, then?¡±


    ¡°Because of what it represents,¡± Lionel said. He was inspecting a tree, the same one Wyn was standing beside. He ran his hands up and down the bark as though he was familiar with it. ¡°It¡¯s a monument. A marker of a challenge for those deemed strong enough to find true meaning and prove themselves worthy.¡±


    Cedric narrowed his eyes. He glanced over at Marcy. She was standing against a tree but tossed her toothpick to the ground. Her arms were crossed and she nodded. He nodded back.


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Tasha said. ¡°That¡¯s the goal of all Climbers - climb the tower, survive, claim your rewards.¡±


    Lionel jerked his hand from the tree and cleared his throat. ¡°Exactly. Which surviving isn¡¯t easy with all the monsters and traps here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, those spiders weren¡¯t that bad,¡± John said. He waved his sword in the air. ¡°We handled them just fine!¡±


    ¡°That sword of yours is something else,¡± Lionel said. ¡°It¡¯s no fair that you¡¯re a decent Climber, too.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, Lionel, I¡¯d say you¡¯re starting to like me.¡±


    Wyn suddenly heard a low growl from the darkness further down the path. It wasn¡¯t loud but it was obvious, specific in its nature. He looked into the dark woods but couldn¡¯t see too far past Tasha¡¯s magical light. The shadows and darkness were oddly heavy, and based on his experiences it shouldn¡¯t be this dark at this time.


    Just as Cedric and Lionel both said, though, the tower was different. Even the environment was not normal. Wyn knew he needed to be more on guard here than ever.


    Another growl echoed the first.


    ¡°There are other things out here besides spiders, John,¡± Wyn said. He grabbed his spear and readied himself. ¡°I heard growls in the thicket. Get ready!¡±


    Lionel raised his axe. ¡°I¡¯ve been ready. Stay behind me and you won¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    Wyn stared at him. Then, uncontrollably, he stared through him. His mind wandered, and he lost his focus.


    ¡°¡­stay behind me, sir, and you won¡¯t get hurt! We can¡¯t afford to lose you!¡± A hollowed voice came from a far away time. A blurry man dressed in armor and holding a sword and shield stepped in front of Wyn. The scene was like looking through still water, murky and unclear, sounds muffled and dull, but he could still make out what was said.


    ¡°No!¡± Wyn yelled back, trying to stand up from a kneeling position. He failed, falling back to his knees. He looked down and saw a bloodied, dirty arrow shaft sticking out from his stomach, the white feathers clean and pristine. The arrow was as clear as the morning sun, a point of clarity in the haze of memories.


    The soldier guarded Wyn with his shield, standing tall and towering over him. The sky was orange with the setting sun, the land around them muddy and littered with bodies, both humans and horses either lying still or frantically writhing about.


    It didn¡¯t make sense. They were supposed to surprise them, not the other way around. It was a setup? How? The enemy knew they were coming, and they were ruthless.


    The orange sky turned dark. Wyn looked up as a large flock of birds silently flew over them, the messenger of death signaling he was coming.


    ¡°Stay down, sir! Please!¡± The face of the man was clearer. Only it wasn¡¯t a man. He was no more older than a boy, barely seventeen, his first engagement in war. Wyn looked past him at the sky, at the fast moving birds.


    No, they weren¡¯t birds. They were arrows.


    Their silence quickly faded as dull thumps hit like a barrage around them, screams and cries responding everywhere. The loudest was in front of Wyn, as the boy blocked most with his shield but not all.


    Wyn finally gathered the strength to stand in the mud. The boy then lost his strength and fell on his shield. Wyn looked down, arrows littering the muddy field like flowers of death, their white feathered fletchings like morbid daisy petals. Several were sticking out of the boy, who was now silent, quiet and still. He used his shield to block Wyn, and where he couldn¡¯t block him, he used his body to shield the rest.


    The scene faded into a cloud as quickly as it came. Wyn was knocked on his back, shouldered from a tackle by a large wolf. He looked up from the ground, aching and pained, and saw a canopy of dark leaves and limbs from trees, not an orange sky. He shook his head. Immediately in front of him was a wolf growling and snarling, its teeth bared as bloody saliva dripped from its mouth.


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    Wyn could feel the hot air it breathed on him, the smell of a canine¡¯s breath - pungent and real. He snapped back into reality instantly, the gravity of the situation cloaking over him in warm, dangerous air. He saw a flash of sharp teeth and knew it was over.


    Wyn closed his eyes softly, accepting his fate. The fate stolen from him not long ago in a muddy field of death and daisies, a time borrowed and short lived.


    A loud thunk hit flesh. He shot his eyes back open in surprise. He thought of the field, the many arrows that penetrated man, beast, and earth, and recognized that gruesome sound.


    Only he was here in the tower, about to be eaten by a wolf. Suddenly, though, the wolf fell hard to its side, blood seeping from its neck.


    A bloodied, dirty arrow shaft stuck out from its neck, the colored feathers clean and pristine. Both arrow and beast lay still.


    ¡°Get it together, Wyn!¡± A far off voice yelled.


    Wyn looked around. Marcy was standing about thirty feet away, her back to a tree. She had an arrow nocked and drawn, though stared hard at Wyn.


    ¡°Get off your ass, I said!¡± She repeated, and loosed an arrow at another wolf.


    Wyn saw the arrow fly into a gaping mouth scarily close to Tasha''s arm, the very arm that supported her staff - the group''s sole source of light. She whimpered and closed her eyes, scared, though the wolf fell midair with an arrow protruding from its skull.


    Wyn took a deep breath and audibly blew out hard. He was dead weight, almost literally. He didn''t want to fail another group, and needed to focus. His eyes darted around the area, scanning the situation.


    Tasha was standing in the middle of an open area of the magic forest, her staff glowing and giving off light. It was bright but not overly bright like the sun - it offered as much brightness as a torch but it reached further than a torch ever could, its magic working to light up their area. The wolf Marcy slayed with her arrow laid beside her, and she was shaking, her staff vibrating with her nerves and sobs.


    She was terrified, and Wyn didn¡¯t blame her. The setting was chaos, and outside their circle of light was darkness and more unknown dangers.


    Cedric stood at the edge of their light peering deeper into the forest. It was as if he saw further despite the darkness, looking for other threats. He very well could see past there, his skills unknown to the rookie Climbers. Marcy was standing on the opposite side on the edge of their light, the two veterans sandwiching the rookies in a protective manner. She had already fired two arrows, felling a wolf with each one, and had a third ready.


    John was waving his flaming sword around, using it like a torch to ward off the wolves. It was working, thankfully, as three wolves had him surrounded but weren¡¯t openly attacking him. They were crouched low and snarling at him, ready to attack, though hesitant from his deadly, magically flaming sword.


    Wyn heard a sound he knew all too well - the slurping, wet sound of metal meeting flesh. Only it was exiting instead, and he turned his head to see Lionel pull his axe out of a Wolf¡¯s back. There was another dead wolf that laid beside him.


    ¡°You useless Mage,¡± Lionel said. He took a quick, heavy breath and steadied himself. ¡°Do something already - don¡¯t just stand there!¡± He trotted over beside John and began to swing at one the wolves surrounding him, yelling as he moved.


    Wyn clenched his jaw, angry at Lionel, though mostly for him being right - he was not only useless right now, but by not acting he was causing the situation to be even worse. His knuckles went white as he gripped his spear in anger, and a sudden jolt of pain erupted from his left arm when he tried to lift his spear. His robe was ripped and shoulder bloody. The wolf didn¡¯t just tackle him - it took a small chunk out of his shoulder.


    Ignoring the wound, he ran over to Tasha to support her.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked her. She looked over at him, her eyes large and frantic. She was blinking fast and turning her head in seemingly all directions to check for danger.


    She didn¡¯t answer him.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Wyn said, ¡°listen. We¡¯ll be fine. We need you, though. Just in case.¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°Tasha.¡±


    Her breathing slowed when she heard her name. She looked at Wyn, staring, and allowed her gaze to soften. She seemed to relax a bit. Her staff stopped shaking so heavily. Then, she gasped.


    ¡°Wyn, your shoulder!¡± Without a response, she pointed her bright staff at him. ¡°Cure!¡±


    A wave of refreshing energy washed over Wyn¡¯s left shoulder, followed by a tingling where the tissue and flesh magically regrew and reformed. He saw the same effect on Tasha¡¯s back from his own spell, but this effect was instant.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Wyn said. He moved his arm around and it thankfully felt perfectly normal.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I can at least do that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can. And watch for people getting injured so you can heal them, too.¡±


    She nodded, and looked over at the two Fighters who were standing their ground. Or, more accurately, where Lionel was wildly swinging his axe and John was matching his chaos with a flaming sword.


    Wyn chuckled to himself. It was absurd, but effective. At least for now.


    Out of the corner of his eye he saw a wolf circling them. It was eyeing John, waiting for the opportunity to attack. John didn¡¯t see it as he was preoccupied with the wolves in front of him, having struck one down with his sword already.


    Wyn patted Tasha¡¯s shoulder in reassurance and began to work his way left, slow but steady. He knew that if he¡¯d be able to circle it himself, he could catch it off guard. He¡¯d have to be quick, though, and quiet.


    The ground was soft under his feet, as the grass was tall enough to soften his steps but not impede his advance. He crouched low and moved with purpose. He didn¡¯t want to move too slow in case the wolf decided to attack, but didn¡¯t want to alert it, either.


    Luckily the tactic paid off.


    Wyn was able to get right behind it before it closed in on John. He lunged quickly, launching off his rear foot, and jabbed his spear out with force.


    He pierced through the wolf¡¯s haunches at an angle, feeling less resistance than he anticipated. The spear tip protruded through the wolf¡¯s left front shoulder, as Wyn staked it from its right side. He pulled the spear back and the wolf fell in its place, dying immediately.


    John sliced through another wolf, the magical fire searing the wound as he cut it. It whined and limped for only a second before John sliced down at another angle, following up his first strike.


    The area of the woods went suddenly quiet, save for the sound of leaves and branches swaying in trees they couldn¡¯t see. Wyn breathed deep, settling his heart rate.


    Both John and Lionel didn¡¯t look tired at all. Tasha was sweating more than all of them, though mostly from fear.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what was going to happen,¡± Marcy said. She walked over to the group and still had an arrow nocked though not drawn. ¡°Especially from you. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to freeze, Wyn.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s cheeks flushed. He looked at the ground and squeezed his spear hard. Truth be told, he didn¡¯t expect to freeze, either.


    John flicked his sword and the flames subsided. He sheathed it to rest. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Wyn started, and paused. ¡°I had a memory overtake me. From the war. When you said to stay behind you, Lionel, it drew it out of me. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a liability,¡± Lionel said. ¡°A weak Red Mage in class and a weak person in experience.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not fair,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Just because he¡¯s not a popular class doesn¡¯t mean you can put him down!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a shit class and he could get us killed, too,¡± Lionel said. ¡°Being in the war is not a good thing. Not if you clam up like that when we need help.¡±


    Wyn pursed his lips. He kept quiet, because he knew Lionel was right, unfortunately. Again.


    ¡°Well, he seemed to snap out of it,¡± John said. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. Just try not to let it happen again, Wyn, okay?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Truly. I lost my focus and realize now how dangerous it is here. Of course I won¡¯t let it happen again.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled!¡± Tasha said. ¡°I mean, I froze, too. Let¡¯s just move on. If anyone got hurt I¡¯d heal them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a White Mage,¡± Lionel said. ¡°You aren¡¯t supposed to fight. No offense. He¡¯s a Red Mage, and a veteran. He has both experience and a class that encourages fighting. It¡¯s inexcusable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen things I¡¯d rather forget, Lionel,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And I¡¯m sure people have seen and experienced things in this tower, too, but it was war. Fought by soldiers that could barely be called adults. And no magic to heal them when they got hurt. At least not the grunts, anyway.¡±


    The group was silent for a moment.


    ¡°Still,¡± Lionel said. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of myself. I won¡¯t rely on you or anyone else. I don¡¯t trust anyone.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re time here will be difficult and unpleasant,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Climbing the tower means working together. If you don¡¯t do that you don¡¯t succeed - period.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Lionel replied. ¡°No obstacle here will stop me. Just wait.¡±


    ¡°At least we took care of the wolves,¡± John said. ¡°So that¡¯s encouraging!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more out there,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± John asked. How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a Ranger! That¡¯s part of my class. I can hear and see them. Is that scary to you?¡± She nudged him in the ribs with her elbow playfully.


    Cedric laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve always been jealous of that.¡±


    Wyn looked at Marcy. She might¡¯ve been joking around, but there was more to her than she lets on. Cedric, too. So maybe he wasn¡¯t the one looking into the dark - she was.


    John groaned. ¡°Then maybe we should keep going? Let¡¯s stick to finishing the floor. There¡¯s an objective, after all. And it¡¯s not killing everything in here.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We stick to the same formation. Keep going down the path deeper in.¡±


    Lionel immediately set out ahead of the group without another word. The rest followed, falling in line.


    Wyn¡¯s gut still felt unsettled. Lionel wasn¡¯t team minded, and though he didn¡¯t have much room to talk, Wyn felt he¡¯d a liability in the long run. The Fighter said he didn¡¯t trust anyone, and Wyn certainly didn¡¯t trust him.


    The quicker they could finish the climb, the quicker he could move on from the guy.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Marcy said, poking at Wyn. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. You, too.¡°


    Wyn smiled. As much as he wanted to get away from Lionel, he wanted to partner up with Marcy that much more.

 Book 1 - Chapter 10

    Tasha had one hand on her knee and the other held her staff. It was still lit from her spell but dimmer. She was breathing hard and sweating profusely, her robes damp and her hair matted to her head. She leaned against a tree for support but was reluctant to sit to rest, knowing her and the others would need to continue on soon and that stopping would make starting again that much harder.


    The group of Climbers were taking a brief solace from following the trail deeper into the floor, trying to finish their goal of finding a little girl who was lost in the woods. They had been successfully following a trail led by various objects that a little girl would carry - a ribbon, a doll, and a little shoe. It was creepy, they thought, but it was their goal, nonetheless.


    The woods were nearly pitch black this deep, Tasha¡¯s spell being their sole light source. They couldn¡¯t see too far around them so they protected her and kept her at their center. The sky above was almost completely covered by leaves and branches of trees, and it felt like night even though their sense of time was distorted and false.


    ¡°How are you guys not tired?¡± Tasha asked, stopping to breathe between every few words.


    ¡°Resolve is certainly helpful,¡± John said. He held his sword at the ready and was scanning the woods. He forced himself to slow his breathing to combat his own fatigue, but he hardly seemed tired at all. ¡°Plus I¡¯ve been training for awhile. You have to be prepared!¡±


    ¡°What is Resolve?¡± Wyn asked, leaning on his spear. He was also recovering from the trudge but felt good, his years of training having come in handy for the physical test of the tower. He was sweating but his muscles didn¡¯t ache. He was thankful for that.


    ¡°It¡¯s a passive Fighter skill,¡± Lionel said. ¡°It improves our overall strength and endurance.¡± He was inspecting his axe and didn¡¯t bother to look at Wyn. A dirty mixture of red and green blood covered his shirt. ¡°Helpful for sure.¡±


    Tasha huffed and put her head down. She wiped the sweat off her forehead.


    ¡°Well, Tasha, you¡¯re doing great,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Thanks for the healing and light, too. Those wolves were nasty. I¡¯ll need to remember some better armor instead of this robe.¡± Wyn looked at his left sleeve - or rather, what was left of it. It was shredded and his mark was exposed, though his wounds had been healed by Tasha when able.


    His mark was still glowing as the passive skill Lucidity worked to slowly restore his mana. He had used more of his stores firing two more Ice Shards at wolves.


    Lionel and John both had wounds that Tasha also healed, but they were the only others. Cedric always seemed to be in a position where he wasn¡¯t attacked, and the few times he came close Marcy took care of the beasts and spiders for him. For her credit, she picked the various enemies apart before they ever came close to her. She was obviously very skilled as each arrow was perfectly placed, which in the heat of battle was extraordinary. Wyn wouldn¡¯t have believed it if he didn¡¯t see it for himself.


    John obviously felt the same way as he commented on her accuracy nearly every time.


    ¡°I thought you veterans were supposed to clear this place out?¡± John asked. ¡°There are spiders and wolves everywhere!¡±


    ¡°We did,¡± Cedric said, as he wiped his forehead of sweat. He was tired, too, especially after climbing this floor at least once. ¡°The tower will always bring in new monsters. But we did thin them out. It seems like it¡¯s nearly back to the amount we started with, though. What do you think, Marcy?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning to go through so many arrows this time. I only have about a dozen left.¡±


    ¡°About a dozen arrows, she says, ¡° John said. ¡°Even though you could kill twice as many monsters with those.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯ve heard,¡± Wyn said. He smirked at John and lightly slapped him on the back.


    ¡°Well, you should use them,¡± Tasha said, standing up from the tree, ¡°because I¡¯m running low on mana. I want to save the rest for my Light spell. Unless you all want to finish this in the dark?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It¡¯s very helpful. I can help heal from here on out, too.¡±


    ¡°Not as good as her,¡± Lionel said. ¡°So how about we just kill things before they kill us? I think you¡¯re better at that than healing, anyway.¡±


    Wyn stared at Lionel with an open mouth. Did he just compliment him?


    ¡°I never really recovered from my mana from before,¡± Cedric added. ¡°But there¡¯s enough to finish. We aren¡¯t too far from the end. Let¡¯s keep pushing.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that over there?¡± Tasha said, and pointed with her staff to a tree stump.


    It was shimmering in the dim light, a faint green aura surrounding it. It was radiating magic.


    ¡°You lucky ducks,¡± Marcy said. ¡°That¡¯s a treasure chest!¡±


    ¡°Treasure?!¡± John said, nearly yelling, and ran over to the stump.


    It was more obvious close up, and John knew it. It was a wooden chest that appeared like a tree stump, round with a flat top instead of a square body with a rounded top. He flipped it open without hesitation.


    ¡°Woah.¡±


    Inside was a small collection of coins, jewels, and a small vial of liquid. The vial swirled with a light shade of blue.


    ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡± Lionel asked, and ran beside John. He looked inside and visibly deflated. ¡°That¡¯s it? Money and a lousy potion? I want gear. Weapons and armor.¡±


    ¡°How much is it?¡± Wyn said. He wanted to patiently wait for John to count it but he was excited, too. It was strange to just find a small cache of items, but he wasn¡¯t going to complain. Any opportunity to help him obtain more coins was a welcomed one.


    ¡°What is the potion for?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°Settle down, children, settle down,¡± John said, the most excited of all. ¡°While I count the coins and jewels why don¡¯t you figure out the potion?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Save your mana, Tasha.¡±Cedric grabbed the vial from John and inspected it. He grabbed his staff and said, ¡°Identify.¡±


    A large, magical rune appeared over the vial. It glowed a brighter blue, beautiful in color. It was hard not to look at the magical display. Cedric then pulled out a small piece of paper from his pocket and looked at it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mana potion,¡± he said, reading the results on his parchment. ¡°That¡¯s not a common find!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that instead of my share of coins,¡± Tasha said. She eyed the potion and was entranced by it. To a mage a mana potion would be invaluable.


    Wyn didn¡¯t blame her for not wanting more of the cut. He felt envious for the potion.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it,¡± John said.


    ¡°Sure, whatever,¡± Lionel added.


    Tasha grabbed it and held it carefully, like a newborn kitten. She pulled her robes back to reveal a thick leather belt around her waist. There were loops and empty spots in them, and she placed the small vial in one of the loops.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but stare, his envy growing. ¡°Where did you get that belt?¡±


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


    ¡°My mentor bought it for me,¡± Tasha said. ¡°At a tailor¡¯s shop in Alestead. The same one that made my robe, actually.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to see which one when we get out. I need some better gear.¡± Wyn dangled his ripped left sleeve. He definitely needed some armor, let alone clothing. At this rate he¡¯d spend all of his money just on clothes.


    ¡°Me, too. I don¡¯t think standard robes cut it. I need a magic set.¡±


    ¡°Can you buy that?¡±


    ¡°Sure, but my mentor said it¡¯s better to trade for items at the trading hall. She¡¯s a bit biased towards the shops, but I¡¯ve liked them so far.¡±


    Wyn nodded, but was as lost as the new recruits he used to train. There was so much he needed to learn, and part of him wondered if it was a mistake coming in so quickly.


    ¡°Alright!¡± John said. ¡°I¡¯ve counted it up! There are 14 gold crowns, 21 silver cloaks, and 47 copper boots. Plus a small ruby, onyx, and jade.¡±


    A strange wave of relief fell over Wyn. He was thankful the currency in the tower was their own, though it seemed odd to find it here.


    ¡°Wyn should get the ruby,¡± Lionel said. ¡°You know, since that¡¯s you and all.¡±


    ¡°Lionel, are you being nice to me?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°No, cause rubies are shit,¡± Lionel said.


    Wyn sighed.


    ¡°But treasure is treasure,¡± Lionel added. ¡°And you did spear that wolf that nearly bit a chunk out of my leg. So thanks for that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°Aww, look at you two,¡± John said. He put his arms around both of the rookies. ¡°Getting along and making up!¡±


    ¡°Bite me,¡± Lionel said, and shrugged John¡¯s arm off his shoulders. ¡°And give me my money.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright!¡± John split the currency evenly and handed out the spoils. The three rookies went about to store it in their packs. John looked back at Marcy and Cedric, who were whispering to each other and watching the woods. ¡°And you two don¡¯t get any, right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We got our share when we cleared this floor out to begin with.¡±


    ¡°Mostly cleared,¡± Marcy said. She winked at Cedric. ¡°Have to let them have a little fun.¡±


    ¡°You call this fun?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°This place is horrifying. I had no idea this is what the tower would be like!¡±


    ¡°Surely you had some idea,¡± John said. ¡°I knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy but it¡¯s exciting. I feel alive!¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, that¡¯s true,¡± Tasha said. ¡°But seeing it in person is completely different. I just need to get stronger, I guess.¡±


    ¡°You will,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Everyone does if you stick with it and climb smart. When you get reckless and make stupid decisions is when you end up hurt or dead.¡±


    ¡°Same with life, honestly,¡± Wyn said. He slung his pack around his shoulders. ¡°The war was the exact same way. People died when they didn¡¯t think ahead or prepare. Though I¡¯ll admit sometimes it¡¯s just dumb luck, too.¡±


    Cedric nodded in agreement.


    ¡°The military is one thing, but the tower is pretty different,¡± Lionel said. He put his axe back on his belt loop. ¡°A spear isn¡¯t a popular choice but you¡¯re not bad with it. Not many know how to wield it well.¡±


    Wyn inspected his spear for a moment. It was basic and bland, just like he was used to using, though a large part of him was curious about the magical weapons he¡¯d find.


    ¡°We trained in many weapons,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It¡¯s the one I¡¯m most comfortable with. That and the sword and shield.¡±


    ¡°Now that is a truly great choice,¡± John said, as he patted his shield. The runes flickered. He then closed the tree stump chest and sat on it. ¡°I chose this combination last year and began training with it. It¡¯s the best combination of attack and defense, in my opinion.¡±


    ¡°Why did you choose to climb the tower?¡± Wyn asked. He leaned against a tree opposite John. ¡°I know you said your family climbed it and were successful. But surely they told you how dangerous it was.¡±


    ¡°They did, yea.¡± John stretched before resting against a tree. ¡°But it was basically expected of me. My dad was actually a shopkeeper and my mom¡¯s main supplier. They took their earnings and moved out to Veritas. He opened a general store and she kept training. Then my sisters and me all came along!¡±


    ¡°Moving to one of the major cities with no previous land is impressive,¡± Tasha said. ¡°So you went into the family business, so to speak?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. They never forced us. My sister climbed higher than my mom, finishing floor 16 and taking her spoils back home. My parents were so proud, but not nearly as proud as me and Quinn, my little sister. But now she¡¯s rich and traveling all of Jahnin!¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Tasha said. ¡°She sounds incredible.¡±


    ¡°She is. But why are you here, Tasha? No offense, but you don¡¯t seem like the type to be excited about climbing the tower.¡±


    Tasha paused, stiffening for just a moment before relaxing. ¡°No offense taken. My father wanted to enroll me into Keyworth¡¯s -¡±


    ¡°The Magic College?!¡± John interrupted. He threw himself forward away from the tree.


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s a Wizard and wanted me to follow his footsteps. I didn¡¯t want that life.¡±


    ¡°So you came to the tower and still became a Wizard?¡± Lionel asked. ¡°That¡¯s the same thing. Only more dangerous.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same thing,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I would¡¯ve had to study for years at Keyworth¡¯s. Sitting in a classroom, reading textbooks, practicing magic on dummies and targets for years only to either join the Great War or teach back at the college. It sounds so¡­ boring. At least here I can go at my own pace with something new every month.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not what you thought, is it?¡± Wyn asked.


    Tasha sighed. ¡°No. It definitely isn¡¯t. But I¡¯m here and I need to make the best of it! I just hope I made the right choice.¡±


    ¡°I think we all feel the same way,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I know I do.¡±


    ¡°So what about you, Wyn?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°If you were in the military you must¡¯ve been paid well. You survived, obviously, and most survivors go home with some wealth according to my father. Able to start a new life with plenty of cloaks and crowns to their name.¡±


    ¡°I did, yes,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Make money, I mean. And I survived. Which not everyone can say, especially those in my company.¡±


    Wyn went quiet. His mind wandered back to the hill, but he forced himself to be present. No more mental wanderings.


    ¡°I lost some people. Allies. Friends. But my family back home are farmers. I didn¡¯t want that life, and still didn¡¯t when I came home. But my sister told me about some bad deals our parents made and that to keep our farm they went into some serious debt with people they shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of that before,¡± Lionel said. ¡°Thieves¡¯ Guilds all over Jahnin demanding high interest for loans they know will ruin those who actually need the money. Forces them to do whatever the guilds want.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Then our mom left us. Still not sure if she left on her own or was taken, though my father says she bailed the moment they were caught. I might not ever know the truth. At the end of the day it doesn¡¯t matter since they were shitty parents and people. But my sister isn¡¯t fit to work the fields and my father is too stubborn and foolish to do anything else. So I decided to try to make money the quickest way I knew.¡±


    ¡°How much do you need?¡± John asked.


    Wyn felt a hitch in his breath. ¡°I¡¯d rather not say.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you¡¯re in this position,¡± Tasha said. ¡°But I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not that bad in the grand scheme of things.¡±


    ¡°Bad enough to come to the tower as a last resort? I left the military for this life. I could¡¯ve stayed and been promoted, but my only shot is here. No where else can get me the amount I need in the time demanded.¡±


    ¡°How much, Wyn,¡± Marcy said, more of a point than a question. She was standing by the tree line and keeping an eye out, but now she was invested in their stories. Wyn¡¯s obviously caught her attention. ¡°Not to be an asshole, but desperate people do desperate things. Just how desperate are you?¡±


    Wyn sighed. No sense in keeping it a secret. ¡°75,000 crowns.¡±


    John spewed his mouthful of water all over the ground, and Tasha gasped. Even Cedric was shocked, fumbling his staff in his distraction.


    ¡°Yes. My father is a fool! First the banks turned him away, then the Merchant Guilds. He found the wrong person that put us all in this situation. Owed money and promised to pay it back, and the last two years have been awful for crops. He kept borrowing and kept borrowing. All of this happened while I was gone, and I came back to the news after he forced my sister to lie in her letters. I left for the tower right away.¡±


    ¡°How long does he have to pay it back?¡± Lionel asked.


    ¡°Until the end of the year.¡±


    The group all looked at each other.


    ¡°That¡¯s not too bad,¡± John said, finally breaking the silence. ¡°That¡¯s nearly the whole year and still six more months. You can make a lot in that time! Maybe not the whole amount, but at least half if you¡¯re smart about it.¡±


    Wyn laughed. ¡°I have to make at least 12,500 gold a month. They threatened him, John. First it was a warning - according to my sister, he came home bruised and bloodied and couldn¡¯t work for almost two months. Now it¡¯s an arm if we don¡¯t deliver. Honestly I couldn¡¯t care less about him, but he still has to work for my sister¡¯s sake and I don¡¯t want them to turn their attention to her. Who knows what¡¯s next, but I can¡¯t let it go on.¡±


    The others were quiet. The forest was strangely quiet, too. It had perfectly emulated a real forest with all the sounds of wildlife scurrying about, branches falling from trees, animal calls and sounds. But oddly, in this very moment, there was an eerie hush around their small lit circle of the first floor.


    Marcy stood up quickly with her ears pricked. She spun around and pulled an arrow from her quiver in a flash, nocked it to her bow and drew halfway.


    ¡°Something bigger is here,¡± she said. ¡°Not a spider or wolf - my Extrasensory kicked in.¡±


    Wyn looked at John, who simply shrugged his shoulders. He didn¡¯t know what that meant, either.


    Still, the group grabbed their gear and readied themselves.


    ¡°Is it the floor boss?¡± Lionel said. He twirled his axe in his hand and crouched.


    ¡°No,¡± Cedric answered. ¡°We aren¡¯t at the end yet. It must be a champion. That¡¯s rare.¡± The topaz gem at the end of his staff lit up and began radiating magic.


    ¡°A champion?¡± Wyn and Tasha asked at the same time.


    ¡°It¡¯s the floor adding in an extra challenge,¡± John said. He swung his sword and activated the runes, setting it ablaze. He raised his shield so he could just see over the top. ¡°Monsters that are stronger than normal for the floor. My sister warned me about them.¡±


    Wyn steadied himself. They couldn¡¯t see too far into the woods due to the darkness, and Tasha¡¯s staff was effective but limited to a fixed point. John¡¯s sword helped to see with the magical flame but Wyn needed to be ready.


    Wyn, Lionel, and John all surrounded Tasha in the middle. Cedric and Marcy stood towards the edge of Tasha¡¯s Torchlight spell and Cedric had his back to Marcy. Tasha was holding her staff and shaking again.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Tasha,¡± John said. ¡°Just stay in the middle to give us light. We can handle this!¡±


    At the edge of their light, where the trees were dim and shadows were more present, was movement. Wyn saw a small tree writhe and separate like it was splitting itself apart. Bark and branches cracked as it took a different shape.


    Then he saw another tree beside it do the same thing. Then a third.


    The new trees moved towards the group slowly. They weren¡¯t wide or tall but changed their height to be the size of a person. Wooden arms and legs looked vaguely human, but something entirely different, too.


    They were creatures born from the tower itself, not twisted beasts or insects. They crept closer, slowly, and came inside the group¡¯s light together.


    They were wooden warriors, all wielding weapons - one a large club, one a sword, and one two daggers. Their gait was slow and jerky, though purposeful in their direction. Thick bark covered vulnerable spots like natural armor, wooden reinforcements that seemed to be part of them rather than accessories. Where a face should be was a blank slab of wood except for red glowing eyes that darted between each Climber.


    The monsters began to separate, slowly attempting to attack them on different sides. They mimicked Lionel¡¯s crouched stance with their weapons raised.


    Wyn didn¡¯t want to assume anything in the tower, not if he wanted to be careful, prepared, and alive. These enemies appeared smart with some degree of intelligence, not unlike the wolves with their tactics. The difference was these enemies wielded weapons and seemed far more durable and dangerous.


    No more flashing memories, only action. This was a threat too great to ignore. Wyn knew what he needed to do. It was like he taught his company - strike first, strike swift.

 Book 1 - Chapter 11

    The wooden warriors oddly reminded Wyn of the dummy back at the guild training hall. They had similar features, wielded weapons, and were magically created. Unfortunately, that¡¯s where the similarities ended. Here they were out to kill, the tower¡¯s sadistic way of challenging its Climbers.


    Wyn sidestepped to the left of the group, hoping to challenge one of the champions himself. The closest one was the one with a club. He knew it was a more favorable matchup with his spear being faster and him being agile, though he wondered about the skill of these new enemies. At first glance they certainly looked stronger and more capable than the beasts they¡¯ve been dealing with so far.


    If they were too fast or too strong for them, he knew Cedric and Marcy would step in, but they''d still be in trouble. Not to mention the rookies didn''t need to rely on the veterans to fight their battles - they''re here to grow and learn, and they have to be able to do that even if the challenge is difficult.


    The club-wielding tree monster honed in on him and matched his readiness, raising its club to strike. Wyn was crouched and held his spear in front of him, similar to Lionel though lighter on his feet. He started to slowly circle around the monster, hoping to keep its attention on him. The enemy also crouched and circled now, separating from the other two to focus on Wyn.


    Wyn decided to strike first, hoping to get an early upper hand. He lunged out quickly, stabbing forward where the neck should be. There was no extra bark armor there and he was hoping they had vulnerabilities like humans. His strike was aimed well, though the figure leaned back just out of reach to avoid being stabbed. It then rose its club overhead and swung it as Wyn dodged the swing with a quick side step.


    The wind from the club tussled Wyn¡¯s robe. The monster was faster than he expected, and the club more than a mere piece of wood. He realized the weapon was a small tree, and the end was a gnarled mess of dirt, roots, and wood. It made a loud thud as it hit the ground, and dirt scattered about both from the tree-club and the ground after the impact.


    It was obviously strong. Too strong. And quick. Wyn knew right away that if that strike connected he''d be knocked out or more likely dead.


    An idea clicked in his mind. He took a step back to give himself some room and time. The spell would hopefully activate right away, but he wanted to be sure. After placing his left hand on his chest, he glanced at his mark. There seemed to be enough mana for the spell, as it was recovered just over halfway. His mark¡¯s symbol was still lit, gathering mana from Lucidity, though the outer ring was dull. He instinctively knew it was enough.


    ¡°Arcane Aura!¡± Wyn yelled.


    A magical rune appeared in the air in front of him in a soft white color similar to his Regen spell. It hung in the air for a second, the circles of magic turning slowly, before rushing towards Wyn in a swarm. It covered him like a sheet, and the magic became an aura around him. A layer of armor was created from his spell, covering his torso, head, and thighs, though it weighed nothing. He radiated some light around him, too, being able to see his immediate area a bit better than before.


    He nearly laughed to himself. While the danger was ever present, using magic really was special.


    Just as the spell took hold the wooden figure stepped towards him and brought its club up for another attack. Wyn again dodged it as the club whiffed the air and missed him. He thought he might not need the spell if he''s able to dodge it consistently, but he was cautious. He¡¯d get tired before the magical creature would.


    Wyn brought his spear up and stabbed into the figure¡¯s thigh. He hit his mark, though the spear thudded against it and bounced off as though he stabbed a tree.


    Which, in a way, is exactly what happened.


    The two continued their lethal dance several more times - club swinging and missing, spear stabbing harmlessly. Both were locked in a stalemate of ineffectiveness.


    ¡°Guys, I¡¯m not having any luck over here!¡± Wyn shouted. ¡°My spear is useless against its body!¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself!¡± Lionel yelled back. He was locked into the fight with John against the other two champions. They were more successful on their end as John¡¯s flaming sword and Lionel¡¯s axe were both effective weapons against enemies made of wood.


    John clashed sword with sword and shield, parrying the enemy¡¯s strikes with his shield and effectively striking back. His sword wasn¡¯t doing much on its own, but the magical flames radiating from the blade made large, burnt gashes in his foe. The armor was stripped away after a few strikes, sloughing off like melted wax. Even when John would miss with a direct attack, the flames would lick at the wooden body, catching fire here and there in a literal heated fight.


    Lionel quickly gained the upper hand against his enemy as well. The dagger-wielding champion was quick but his strikes were shallow, glancing off Lionel¡¯s chain mail with every cut and slash. His shirt was shredded, though. He would counter with his battle axe at well-timed moments, cleaving bits of bark off with each contact. The champion was fast and dodged with high agility, though Lionel was smart with his attacks and connected more often than not.


    Both Lionel and John were good Fighters, keeping their edge intact. Tasha was holding her staff and keeping the Torchlight spell active, watching the fights around her nervously but keeping her composure. She took deep breaths to keep her nerves still.


    ¡°We might not be needed after all,¡± Marcy said to Cedric, still holding a nocked arrow. They were both watching the group handle the champions. ¡°They¡¯re doing fairly well.¡±


    ¡°You know how it can change,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Keep your eyes out. We¡¯re still tasked with keeping them alive, after all. Even if we are supposed to let them succeed or fail as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yea, yea. I know.¡± Marcy kept looking around. Something felt off. Her Extrasensory was alerting her but she couldn''t quite make it out. They were already aware of the champions but the skill was still activating within her.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Lionel yelled. A soft thump came from the ground as his enemy¡¯s arm fell, lopped off by his axe and a lucky swing. He took the opportunity to attack faster, and was able to chop off a leg on the same side. The champion fell, now off balance, and Lionel quickly chopped into it like a logger splitting a tree. except more carnal and barbaric.


    Wyn, however, continued to struggle. This fight was dragging on and he was aware of it. He was getting tired and had only splintered the armor on his foe, despite managing to luckily avoid all of the slow club swings.


    That was true until his fatigue caught up with him.


    He stepped to the side to dodge yet another attack when his foot caught on a lump of grass. The recovery was too slow, hindered by fatigue. He managed to avoid most of the club¡¯s force but still took the majority of the hit on his right shoulder, knocking him back several feet and on his backside. The magical armor dissipated at his shoulder as it took the majority of the blow, but it still felt like he was kicked by a horse.


    He took a quick, gasping breath. His arm was nearly numb, but he could move it, at least. A silent prayer went up to the gods it wasn¡¯t broken. The realization that the spell saved his life and prevented his torso from being smashed hit him nearly as hard as the club.


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    No need dwelling on that, though. He needed to finish this.


    The tree monster had its club at the ready and was pacing him again, taunting him. Wyn¡¯s spear was near useless. He realized, here and now, the importance of a magic weapon and their effectiveness against the tower¡¯s monsters.


    He looked at his mark through his shredded robes. It was still recovering mana but had enough after his Arcane Aura spell for one more based on his intuition.


    Wyn waved his left hand slowly over his spear and thought about the spell he wanted to use: Magic Weapon.


    He didn¡¯t even need to say it. The mark protruded itself like before when he cast a spell, magic runes appearing in front of him and around his spear, covering it with magical light. His spear lit up a bright white, the same color as his magic armor, and gave off a bit more light in the dark. It hummed with magic and shimmered in the darkness.


    The spell wouldn¡¯t last forever - Wyn knew he was racing against time. In fact, he didn¡¯t know exactly how long it would last, so he also knew he needed to be smart and act quickly. If the spell faded and his spear lost its magical ability, he''d for sure be useless against it.


    He took the opportunity and decided for one last attack. If it didn¡¯t work he¡¯d need to back off and let someone else handle it. He hated the thought of not finishing the job because he couldn¡¯t do it, so he decided to risk it.


    He ran towards his enemy and swept its leg with his spear. His weapon was stronger, and he felt stronger wielding it. He hooked behind the foot and pushed it to the side, hoping to throw it off balance.


    It worked.


    The champion¡¯s foot slid to the right from the force of the spear, harmlessly bringing the club down awkwardly. Wyn swung the spear around and butted it in the stomach. He figured it wouldn¡¯t do much but he was hoping it would tell him if the spell would be effective or not. He could back out now if it wasn¡¯t, or keep going if it was.


    The shaft dug into the bark armor and beyond, piercing several inches into thick wood. The warrior doubled over and stepped back as if the wind was knocked out of it, if that was even possible.


    Wyn saw a hole in its torso that was bigger than the shaft of the spear. Even though the hit was with the blunted end, the magical aura seemed to amplify the power of the weapon.


    Seizing the opportunity, Wyn twirled his spear around and performed one more attack - slashing across the torso followed by a stab.


    It was more than effective. The slash left a large, gaping gap of wood that Wyn felt was as easy as cutting through paper. The stab went straight through the champion¡¯s neck, well past the spearhead. Wyn¡¯s momentum carried him further than he wanted, and he stared at the monster face to face in its red eyes.


    He watched as its eyes dulled and became a lifeless husk of bark and dirt that fell to the ground.


    ¡°Damn, Wyn,¡± John said, walking over beside him. His sword wasn¡¯t on fire anymore. ¡°What in the gods did you do? You¡¯re glowing!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a spell,¡± Wyn answered. ¡°And the magic on my spear is my spell Magic Weapon.¡± He looked at his spear. The aura was still there, pulsing and vibrant. It felt alive.


    ¡°That¡¯s helpful. I wonder what it would do to a weapon that¡¯s already magic?¡±


    ¡°Huh. I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll need to ask my mentor about that.¡±


    Wyn made a mental note to ask Daniel about the spell when he returned. His list of questions was growing quickly.


    ¡°You guys are amazing,¡± Tasha said. She looked at the champion John slayed. It was a pile of harmless wood and ash, some parts still smoldering. ¡°But that was creepy.¡±


    The fallen champion Wyn defeated began to glow. He and John readied their weapons, unsure of what was happening.


    A small, dim glow of bright green was coming from the wooden body. It wasn¡¯t moving, but rather began to dissolve like acid. It only took a few seconds, and what was left underneath was a strange object and the source of the glow - a hunk of wood.


    ¡°What in the hells is that?¡± Wyn said. He bent over to look at it closer. It didn¡¯t seem dangerous, so he picked it up. It was truly a hunk of wood though it was radiating a small amount of magic.


    ¡°It¡¯s the reward,¡± Marcy said. She walked over and inspected it while Wyn held it. ¡°Monsters in the tower will sometimes drop items. This one is a common crafting material. Not too special.¡±


    ¡°Says you,¡± John said. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what else we find!¡±


    ¡°Mine had nothing,¡± Lionel said. The others jumped when he spoke, startling them. ¡°I finished chopping it up and wanted to see all the fuss.¡±


    Marcy perked up again. She drew her bow, pulling the arrow back and anchoring it on her jaw. The others stood confused.


    ¡°There can¡¯t be more already,¡± Tasha said. She stood in the middle of them to offer them light.


    ¡°Something else is here,¡± Marcy said.


    The woods appeared to be alive. The trees swayed and moved similar to before.


    Wooden branches cracked and thudded against the ground, falling from something unseen. It was like a miniature, focused storm around them they couldn¡¯t see.


    The group huddled closer together and drew their weapons. Cedric joined them in the circle, no longer standing back to watch them.


    Something didn¡¯t sit right with Wyn. Marcy and Cedric looked like they were about to intervene rather than let the rookies fight. He wondered what was beyond their light.


    More wooden enemies suddenly formed from the trees. They had varying types of weapons, though most of them wielded branched clubs or nothing at all. They slowly stood, stretched, and then crouched in an attacking position. They began to slowly move towards the group.


    There were nearly two dozen of them.


    ¡°By the gods,¡± John said. He lowered his sword. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can take all of them.¡±


    ¡°We have to try, damnit!¡± Lionel said. He raised his axe.


    A bright light shot from Marcy¡¯s bow with a twang from her bowstring, startling the rookies. Wyn thought he heard her say something but didn¡¯t make it out.


    The arrow flew quickly, striking one of the wooden monsters in the head. It caught fire immediately, his wooden head now engulfed in a harsh and powerful flame. It dropped to the ground as fast as it was hit.


    It was a fire arrow. And a powerful one, at that.


    Marcy drew again. Wyn saw the fletching right before she fired - red feathers.


    She downed another, this time hitting it in the torso where it¡¯s heart would be, if it had one. It began to catch fire and burned longer than the previous one, producing more light for the group to see.


    ¡°Anytime now, Cedric,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to shoot all my arrows!¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Everyone huddle together.¡±


    He raised his staff and the topaz gem at the end began to glow. He pointed it at the closest enemy, not ten feet behind them.


    ¡°Lightning Arc!¡± he shouted.


    Wyn stared wide eyed as he saw a large runic circle, much larger than his own spells, appear at the end of Cedric¡¯s staff. A large flash of lightning formed and shot out from his staff even quicker than Marcy¡¯s arrow. It exploded the first enemy in a loud pop as wood chips rained down around what used to be solid wood.


    The sound was deafening, like someone clapped right inside their ears. The rookies all flinched, barely following the bolt of lightning as it flew. The after effect was more noticeable than the spell itself.


    Wyn next saw two more arcs of lightning fly out from the now-charred corpse into nearby champions with a similar speed and clap of thunder, though a bit slower than the original flash. It continued several times, the arcs splitting away and forming new streaks, until all of the enemies were smoking husks of burnt wood.


    The area was silent for a few moments. The rookies¡¯ ears were ringing from the sound of the spell. Marcy and Cedric, however, were used to the noise, seemingly unaffected.


    ¡°Show off,¡± Marcy said. She seemed to relax for the first time.


    ¡°Sorry everyone,¡± Cedric said. ¡°But that was unusual for the first floor to have not only a second wave of champions, but that many. I figured we would just get rid of them quickly and move on.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± John said. ¡°I¡­ wow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± Lionel said. He eyed Cedric up and down, gripping his axe harder. ¡°What in the hells kind of spell was that?¡±


    ¡°A powerful one,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I wanted to make sure they were finished. Though, admittedly, it might have been a bit of overkill.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡± Marcy said.


    Wyn and Cedric both laughed. Tasha stared at them dumbfounded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get on with it,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Get me the hells out of here.¡±


    ¡°I think some dinner sounds nice,¡± John said. ¡°Lionel, maybe some sparring after, too? I¡¯ll go easy on you this time.¡± He mockingly patted the other Fighter on the back.


    Lionel snickered. ¡°I¡¯d like that. You spar better than you climb.¡± He grabbed John on the shoulder in a friendly manner, then jerked his hand back as though the gesture physically hurt him.


    He shook his head and cleared his throat, ignoring the looks from the others. ¡°Let¡¯s just find that trail again.¡±


    The group began to search for the path to continue on except for Lionel. He suspiciously watched the group, never letting go of his axe. Wyn didn¡¯t bother to ask why - he was ready to move on and move away from him.


    In minutes John picked up the trail and led the way. Lionel followed behind the group this time, keeping his distance. Wyn didn¡¯t mind but something still felt off. They cleared the enemies but he just couldn¡¯t explain what it was. Marcy seemed on edge, too, so at least he didn¡¯t feel like the only one.


    Wyn sighed. Onward and forward. It wouldn¡¯t be long before they¡¯d be finished and he¡¯d be able to sit down and think about the challenge the tower presented. He only hoped the final challenge wasn¡¯t too difficult - he had a long ways to go to be useful in this strange place.

 Book 1 - Chapter 12

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    ¡°Are we there yet?¡± John asked. He was getting impatient and rushing the trail towards the final area. They were back on track following the clues from the little girl, their current goal for completing the first floor of tower Alistair.


    ¡°Gods, I don¡¯t know,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I¡¯m so ready to be out of these dark woods. It¡¯s creepy!¡± She was still holding her staff that was giving the group light. She had to recast it not long ago, though she was grateful it was a basic spell that didn¡¯t cost too much of her mana.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Cedric said. He was towards the back of the group walking with Marcy. ¡°And we¡¯ve only been in here for a couple of hours. It took us longer than that to map it out and clear it today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask about that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°All of the veterans that are leading the groups cleared it this morning? The entire floor?¡±


    Cedric smiled. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But it couldn¡¯t have been too difficult for all of you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve cleared much higher floors.¡±


    ¡°Sort of,¡± Marcy answered. ¡°It depends on what you consider much higher.¡±


    ¡°The 10th floor?¡± Lionel asked.


    ¡°Almost,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We¡¯re working on the 9th floor right now.¡±


    ¡°Which isn¡¯t bad for our group,¡± Marcy added. ¡°We¡¯ve only been together for a season and don¡¯t even have a guild yet.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Lionel grunted. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of better.¡± His interest left as quickly as it came.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty good,¡± John said. ¡°Most new groups take a few months to make it that far! And those that move past the 10th floor are usually only in guilds.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°The resources needed to finish it safely,¡± Cedric answered. ¡°Those floors are larger and deadlier. More people means more skills, talents, and ability to bring in items and money. Not to mention sponsors and backers, too.¡±


    Wyn stopped walking. ¡°You¡¯re kidding. People sponsor guilds? Like actually pay them to climb?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. For clout and respect in their social circles, but also for special items from the higher floors. You¡¯d be surprised.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ believable, actually. I just never thought about it.¡±


    ¡°The guilds that are sponsored are the guilds that last. As long as they keep producing quality climbs.¡±


    ¡°Who cares,¡± Tasha said. She threw her free hand up and sighed with great exaggeration. ¡°We can talk about all of this back in the city. What¡¯s going to be at the end of the floor so we can get back?¡±


    ¡°It can be several different things,¡± John said. ¡°But it¡¯s a major obstacle that separates one floor from the next. A difficult puzzle, a monster boss, even just finding it is sometimes the challenge.¡±


    ¡°Or a combination of those,¡± Marcy said. ¡°As you¡¯ll find out here.¡±


    Tasha bumped into Lionel who had stopped walking. She was listening to the conversation and not fully paying attention to where she was going.


    ¡°I think this it,¡± Lionel said. He looked out of the woods into a clearing. It was strangely lit as a series of dim lights were scattered around the edge of a wide, curving tree line. They couldn¡¯t tell exactly what they were, but the lights made the area visible enough to where Tasha felt comfortable stopping the light spell from her staff.


    The clearing was a large open area set in front of the mouth of a cave. There was short, almost manicured grass with large rocks scattered about, and a strange red magical shimmer covered the mouth of the cave.


    ¡°What is that red aura?¡± Lionel asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the entrance to the second floor,¡± Cedric replied.


    ¡°Why is it red?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s closed until the first floor¡¯s final challenge is complete. Then it will turn white and open, allowing you to enter.¡±


    ¡°But the floors are open to all groups. What¡¯s to stop a guild from powering through the floors and rushing a rookie group with them?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget your parchment,¡± Marcy said. ¡°We¡¯re in a party. Unless our party faces and defeats the challenge it won¡¯t open for us. The tower will continue to provide a final test as long as there is a party willing to challenge it, so there could be an endless amount of final tests.¡±


    ¡°At least at higher levels,¡± Cedric added. ¡°We¡¯re doing that in a way, now, by guiding all of you through the first floor. But if you don¡¯t grow with your experience and skills you¡¯ll eventually become a liability to yourself and your group.¡±


    Some groups of other Climbers stepped out from the edge of the forest. They all appeared battered and worn, having faced other paths through the first floor to come to this ending. They were standing and waiting.


    ¡°Maybe we should go out, too,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°Already ahead of you,¡± John said, as he stepped out into the clearing. ¡°I want to be a part of the group to clear the challenge! So even if you guys hang back I¡¯ll get us through. That¡¯s how it works, right?¡±


    ¡°It can, yes,¡± Cedric said. ¡°As long as someone in your party helps overcome it. But you all should pitch in. It¡¯ll make this go smoother and hopefully with less injuries.¡±


    The rookies all stepped out, with Lionel and Wyn walking further into the clearing beside John. Tasha stayed behind them to offer support but didn¡¯t want to be directly in the fray.


    Wyn noticed Lionel wasn¡¯t his usual confident self. He was changing his gaze between the other groups and the portal constantly. He played with the axe on his belt nervously with his fingers, like he was itching to use it. That wouldn¡¯t have seemed too odd considering their situation, but Lionel seemed to have kept his nerves in check the whole time. Something was off but Wyn couldn¡¯t pinpoint what it was.


    ¡°What now?¡± Lionel said. He drew his axe and began to spin it in his hand. He rocked back and forth between each foot.


    He looked¡­ paranoid. Wyn was thinking about asking him what was bothering him but was distracted. He was eager about what would happen next, too.


    ¡°We wait for the challenge to present itself,¡± John said. He drew his sword.


    Other parties that surrounded the clearing were similarly gearing up for their challenge. Whatever the challenge was going to be would have a difficult time with nearly every rookie present. It seemed like all of the Climbers from the guild hall just a few hours ago were standing here.


    Wyn suddenly felt a rumble beneath his feet. The ground shook, the earth under them vibrating as the scattered rocks began to shift and move. He steadied himself to keep his balance.


    In the middle of the clearing popped open a hole. It wasn¡¯t big, but it was definitely noticeable. It started to grow bigger as the earth around it rose, pieces of rock and dirt falling over each other having no where to go. The energy rising from beneath then exploded above ground, and several shouts and yells came from the Climbers.


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    A large, hairy leg popped through the hole. Then another. And another. A bulbous, huge body followed, and a spider the size of a horse crawled out of the hole.


    Then another followed behind it.


    They dwarfed the spiders they¡¯d killed so far. They began crawling out into the clearing, two identical arachnids moving slow but with obvious force. Their fangs looked to be the size of daggers, and their legs were long and thick like crooked, ugly, black trees. The only saving grace was that they appeared to move slow relative to their size, their legs working in an eerie tandem.


    It would take them a minute or two to crawl to the closest group of Climbers, but some of them began rushing towards the spiders with a battle cry, eager to finish the floor. More groups quickly followed suit.


    ¡°Not again,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I hate spiders!¡±


    ¡°At least there are only two of them,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And look how many there are of us!¡±


    Immediately two more spiders of identical size came out of the hole.


    ¡°You just had to say something, didn¡¯t you?¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go already,¡± Lionel said. He began to charge the spiders with the rest of the Climbers leaving John and Wyn behind.


    ¡°He¡¯s brave, I¡¯ll give him that,¡± John said.


    ¡°I guess,¡± Wyn replied. ¡°Still, he¡¯s not entirely wrong. You ready?¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ll ever be. Tasha, stay behind us. Make sure we don¡¯t die, okay?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Plus, the veterans are watching over us. This is meant to be practice, remember?¡± She smiled, though nervousness came across more than confidence.


    The three followed behind Lionel heading towards the fight. Several groups had already met the spiders, and the clash of weapons and arachnids began. Screams of horror and excitement came from all over, and the shrieks of the four spiders joined the symphony of battle. The many Climbers with their weapons, skills, and magic were able to overpower the spiders and their size and strength, working together to fight them with relative ease.


    Wyn was joining his party attacking one of the monsters, a combination of distracting strikes and powerful blows hitting the enemy on all sides. When Climbers would be thrown back or hit they would be healed almost immediately, as both rookie and veteran mages were healing them to make sure they weren¡¯t anywhere close to sustaining an actual threat of death.


    Wyn stopped and pulled back, wanting to watch the spectacle around him. Another party had joined theirs to attack this spider, and he knew they were going to easily kill it. He noticed the veterans were also firing magic from the back lines, helping the rookies when possible. He took special notice to Cedric as he saw his staff flash, followed by vines from the earth grab hold of the legs of the spider they were facing. It held it in place long enough for the rookies to finish their onslaught and defeat it.


    He remembered his time on the hill in a far away time in a far away land. Their company was outnumbered, running towards a guaranteed defeat that they didn¡¯t know at the time. It was a slaughter, and his soldiers were on the receiving end.


    For a brief moment he pitied the spiders and the tower¡¯s attempt at defending itself against a small army of intruders.


    Then he thought of what the tower was. It wasn¡¯t an opposing country and army, with its own beliefs and clashing ideas fighting oppressors. It was a challenge, a means of proving oneself by climbing and showing their worth in a place that could never be truly conquered.


    Wyn shook his head and snapped back to reality. Regardless of the means, he was still fighting and could get hurt or die. Shouts of victory rang out around him as four large bodies were cut and beaten and slain, and Climbers reveled in their quest¡¯s end.


    ¡°What a rush!¡± John said. ¡°That was incredible!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem so bad after all,¡± Tasha said. ¡°What do you think, Wyn?¡±


    Wyn saw Marcy and Cedric walking down to meet them. The parties were all hugging and celebrating with each other, happy to finish their introduction to tower Alistair. Who knows what they met and found on their way here? It was all different, and tomorrow the path here would be different, too. It was an odd feeling.


    ¡°Wyn?¡± Tasha said.


    Wyn caught a glimpse of Lionel staring at the portal to the second floor. It was now clear, though the aura that showed it was a portal was still there. It was enticing, a call to keep climbing and face another challenge. He felt it. It was magnetic, drawing him in to see what was behind it. He believed Lionel felt it, too.


    Or so he thought.


    ¡°Wyn?¡± Tasha repeated. ¡°Hello?¡± She waved her hand in front of his face.


    Wyn blinked several times. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Never mind,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I¡¯m just glad we¡¯re done. Now how do we leave?¡±


    ¡°Good question,¡± Marcy said. ¡°There are magic keys that will return you to the base. Or, when you step through the portal to the next floor, you can choose to return to the base instead.¡±


    ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t know that,¡± John said.


    ¡°Yes. The tower will sense your will. If you want to stop and go back it¡¯ll send you back. If you want to keep going it¡¯ll take you to the next floor.¡±


    ¡°But once you¡¯re there,¡± Cedric said, interrupting her, ¡°you either have to have a key to return or finish the floor. It¡¯s a risk if you¡¯re unsure of what to do.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a key?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Maybe we should use that.¡± He thought of what he wanted. Did he want to go back? It was hard to tell. What if he went through and the tower accidentally took him to the next floor?


    His heart skipped a beat. He decided he didn¡¯t want to take any chances.


    Marcy laughed. ¡°I get it. You¡¯re drawn to the next floor. We¡¯ve all been there.¡±


    ¡°I agree with Wyn,¡± Lionel said. ¡°You should use your key.¡± He kept eyeing the portal and the rest of the parties.


    ¡°I used mine earlier today,¡± Marcy said, ¡°when we cleared it the first time. I didn¡¯t bring a spare.¡±


    ¡°I have mine still,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Here.¡± He took a large, almost ridiculously large, key out of his robes. He walked over to an open area and pushed it forward into nothing like he was pretending to open a door. When he turned it, though, a portal that was big enough to walk through opened in the space. It was the same color and appeared exactly like the portal that led to the next floor.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Easy as that.¡±


    Wyn looked around. The other parties also had veterans who opened portals back to the base. It didn¡¯t seem like any of the Climbers there wanted to step into the portal that could lead to the next floor. They steadily walked through them, all returning after their successful first trip into the tower.


    ¡°Thank the gods,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I¡¯m ready for a warm bath and dinner!¡±


    Before they stepped through the portal Marcy¡¯s ears perked and the hairs on her arm stood on end. A shiver ran down her spine, and she froze.


    Wyn saw her and knew something was wrong. She looked the same as when the champions showed up not long ago. The final monsters were defeated, though - why was she sensing danger?


    Cedric noticed her, too. He frantically looked around for another threat, another monster to fight and defeat. Nothing stood out, as though it was a false alarm.


    They were wrong.


    John had a sudden look of confusion and jerked forward with his chest. Lionel stood behind him and dropped his axe.


    ¡°John?¡± Wyn said.


    John put a hand to his back and coughed. Blood spewed out of his mouth before he fell forward on his hands and knees. Lionel quickly grabbed John¡¯s sword before he completely collapsed onto the ground.


    There was a dagger embedded in John¡¯s back nearly to the hilt.


    Lionel started sprinting towards the portal to the next floor, John¡¯s sword in his hand.


    ¡°NO!¡± Wyn yelled, and immediately ran after him. His mind started to return to the hill but he suppressed the memory in a fit of rage.


    ¡°Heal him!¡± Marcy yelled at Tasha. ¡°And get him back to the base!¡±


    Tasha stood, frozen. She was too shocked to move.


    ¡°NOW!¡± Marcy yelled. She was already running after Lionel though lagged behind Wyn. In a swift motion she nocked an arrow and fired it quickly while running. It was awkward and misplaced, but the situation wasn¡¯t the best for firing arrows. It zipped beside Lionel, barely missing him but alerting him to an attack. He ducked in response, hoping to avoid another attack.


    The arrow missed him but it slowed him down. He was almost at the portal, and Wyn and Marcy made up some of the distance. She drew another arrow but realized they wouldn¡¯t reach him before he went into the portal. Instead, she redoubled her efforts into catching up to him, hoping her next shot would be on the other side when she could properly aim


    Cedric, choosing not to run, already had a spell prepared and pointed his staff. Vines shot up from the ground, intending to capture Lionel or trip him or both, though he was a split second behind. The vines grabbed at his feet but he jumped over them and dove directly into the portal.


    ¡°Damnit,¡± Cedric said. He looked at Tasha and John. ¡°Tasha, stabilize him before he dies!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Tasha said. She was staring at John on the ground. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t have enough mana.¡±


    Cedric bent over and held John. He was unconscious and barely breathing. Cedric pulled his hand away, now covered in blood. They were the only Climbers left in the tower, the others already back at the base. No one else could help him.


    Tasha suddenly gasped. ¡°Wait! I do have enough!¡± Her free hand shot to her belt and pulled out the mana potion she acquired earlier. She uncorked it immediately and drank it.


    Pulling her staff up she spoke her spell - ¡°Cure!¡± They both saw John¡¯s body relax a bit. She repeated the spell again, hoping it would heal him further. She reached down for the dagger but Cedric grabbed her hand.


    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°Let the medics handle it. Just keep him alive.¡±


    ¡°The bleeding stopped, at least,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I can keep healing him.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then we will take care of Lionel.¡± Cedric looked towards the portal. The open area in front of them was empty except for the spider carcasses.


    Cedric helped drag John towards the portal, Tasha holding onto John to the best of her ability. He pushed both rookies into it, and they vanished without a sound.


    Cedric was running towards the floor portal without another thought. Marcy and Wyn would need his help. He couldn¡¯t let Marcy and Wyn go by themselves. Whatever happened on the other side with Lionel wasn¡¯t the final straw - they would still need to finish the floor since they didn¡¯t have another portal key.


    Two veteran Climbers and a rookie against a traitor and another floor of the tower.


    His mind was already made up. He felt the pull of the portal as it whisked him to the second floor.

 Book 1 - Chapter 13

    Wyn tolerated moving through the portal much better his second time. It was a stranger sensation since the first, almost like a delay, not quite as fast as before. As though the tower was taking an extra second to decide where to send him.


    His desire to chase Lionel to the second floor easily overcame his desire to leave, and he found himself standing inside the mouth and entrance of a large cave. A wave of fatigue washed over him since he stopped running.


    He looked around between breaths and was immediately thankful he could see, not standing in pitch black darkness. The cave was lit by clumps of glowing moss and various mushrooms scattered on the walls that spread from the ground to the very top of the ceiling. They emitted a soft glow, all varying in color, and the shimmer was similar to the treasure chest they found on the previous floor. There were also holes in the roof of the cave where beams of sunlight pierced the room, adding to the brightness though it was still darker than out in the open. He could see better than he did with Tasha¡¯s Torchlight spell, and much further, too.


    Lionel stood at the far end of the cave that seemed to lead deeper inside. He looked relaxed, almost peaceful, despite just stopping from a complete sprint. He faced Wyn with one hand by his side and the other holding John¡¯s sword.


    He didn¡¯t assume a threatening pose. Wyn thought he might¡¯ve attacked him right away but he was just standing there.


    ¡°What in the hells did you do?¡± Wyn yelled. ¡°You bastard!¡± He raised his spear, ready to attack. He started running towards the Fighter, trying to close the distance before he struck.


    ¡°I did what I had to do,¡± Lionel said. His voice was different. Calm, purposeful, soft. ¡°You had your objective and I had mine.¡±


    Wyn gripped his spear hard, his knuckles white. He stopped his advance. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Lionel scoffed. ¡°There¡¯s so little you understand about this world. About this tower.¡±


    ¡°Like you know more? You¡¯re a rookie Climber! We¡¯re here to work together against the tower, not each other!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Lionel yelled. He pointed John¡¯s sword at Wyn. ¡°You¡¯re wrong! I am here to defend this tower. Climbers have always been in the wrong, Wyn. You¡¯ll find that if you keep climbing.¡±


    Wyn was caught off guard. He didn¡¯t understand what Lionel was saying. It didn¡¯t make any sense.


    Lionel reached into a pocket with his free hand and pulled out a key. ¡°If you survive, that is. I was starting to somewhat warm up to all of you. But it had to be done. I finally saw the truth, and maybe one day you will, too.¡± Lionel smiled. ¡°Praise Aliyar!¡±


    At the same time, Marcy emerged from the portal behind Wyn and tumbled forward in a controlled roll. She rose to her knees with her bow readied and an arrow drawn. Lionel¡¯s smile quickly turned sour.


    Lionel opened a portal with his key and stepped through right as Marcy released her arrow. He seemed to duck at the right time, avoiding a lethal blow, but wasn¡¯t able to avoid it completely. It grazed him right as he disappeared inside the portal. Marcy¡¯s arrow clanged against the wall of the cave and the portal behind Lionel vanished.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t try to stop him?!¡± Marcy yelled. She grabbed Wyn¡¯s collar and pulled him close to her face. She was seething, her cheeks and nose flushed red and eyes wide. She had a feral look to her with her goo-coated fur armor and crazed expression.


    Wyn raised a hand in surrender. ¡°I was trying to stall and talk to him first. He said ¡®praise Aliyar¡¯ and that he wanted to defend the tower and not climb it. It didn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    Marcy let go of him. She yelled, and the cave returned her scream several times over.


    Wyn looked at her and the empty space where Lionel just stood. He could hardly believe what happened. He was caught off guard with Lionel¡¯s change of demeanor and words. Maybe he should¡¯ve just attacked him instead, but he wanted an answer to his actions.


    A realization suddenly hit him. How were they going to get out of the second floor?


    Cedric appeared in the cave, entering through the same portal like Marcy. He looked around, his staff raised and glowing. His eyes were large and his moves sporadic.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Cedric asked. His voice cracked.


    ¡°Gone,¡± Wyn replied. ¡°He used a key and teleported out.¡±


    Cedric cursed. Marcy laughed.


    ¡°What in the hells is so funny?¡± Cedric said and whipped around to Marcy. She was crouched at the other end of the cave entrance.


    ¡°At least I snagged him on his way out,¡± she said. She turned to face them, holding an arrow. The tip was blood red.


    ¡°So he¡¯s hurt,¡± Wyn said. ¡°He¡¯ll likely heal.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± she said. ¡°But it¡¯s something. That bastard.¡±


    Cedric sighed. ¡°And I¡¯m too late. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The three stood in the cave for a moment, all processing the events. Everything happened suddenly at once.


    ¡°We lost him,¡± Wyn said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do about it now. Cedric, how was John? Did you see him?¡±


    ¡°He should be fine,¡± Cedric said. He set his staff against the wall and sat down, folding his legs and resting his head on the wall. ¡°Tasha was healing him. He should be stabilized and she¡¯ll take him back through the portal I opened. The guild¡¯s infirmary will take over from there.¡±


    Wyn breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank the gods.¡±


    ¡°Thank Cedric and Tasha,¡± Marcy snapped. ¡°They did it. Not gods.¡±


    Wyn stared at her. ¡°You¡¯re right. Thank you, Cedric. And I¡¯ll thank Tasha later.¡±


    Marcy sat down beside Cedric. She straightened her legs and relaxed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Wyn. I don¡¯t mean to be an ass. I¡¯m just frustrated! And tired.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I get it. But now I can¡¯t help but wonder how do we move forward from here?¡±


    Marcy and Cedric looked at each other, bags under their eyes and shoulders slumped.


    ¡°I just used my key back on the first floor,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I don¡¯t have another.¡±


    ¡°We all know I don¡¯t have one,¡± Marcy added.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Wyn said. He set his spear against the cave wall and folded his arms. He was too anxious to sit and did his best planning while up.


    ¡°This was not a smart decision,¡± Cedric said. ¡°It won¡¯t end well.¡±


    ¡°Downer,¡± Marcy said. She lightly punched him on the thigh.


    Wyn took a deep breath. ¡°Let¡¯s talk this through. There¡¯ll probably be another group come after us once word gets back, right?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Cedric said. ¡°But the odds of them porting here is far too low. The tower starts parties at different locations for a better challenge.¡±


    ¡°Strike that one, then,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Wyn continued, ¡°why don¡¯t we wait until morning, then? We camp here, wait for tomorrow when the next batch of Climbers enters the tower. The chance of one of them coming here or us meeting them in the floor increases.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t work either,¡± Marcy said. ¡°The tower resets itself with a new day. A new layout of the floor, a new set of monsters, different rewards. We don¡¯t need to be in the tower when that happens.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the reason people don¡¯t camp overnight here. When it shifts, this small alcove could be where the boss is. Or at the bottom of a lake. Or in a volcano. Or in a horde of enemies. Or sucked into the void when the actual shift happens. No one knows because the Climbers stupid enough to try it have all died.¡±


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    Wyn stopped pacing and stared blankly at her. ¡°Shit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°Strike that one, too,¡± Cedric added.


    ¡°Last idea, then,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And I think it¡¯s our only option.¡±


    ¡°I was afraid of that,¡± Cedric said. He closed his eyes.


    ¡°We finish this floor,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And quickly, apparently, since we¡¯ll all die when the tower changes. At least we have several hours.¡±


    Cedric kept his eyes closed. ¡°How? I¡¯m nearly spent of mana. After clearing the first floor the first time and helping you guys I don¡¯t have half my mana left. I¡¯d be next to useless.¡±


    ¡°And I have less than half my usual arrows left,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Just over a dozen. Like Cedric, I have about half my mana, too. And no offense, Wyn, but you¡¯re not exactly an experienced Climber. Only three of us in poor condition tackling a floor? Even for just the second floor it¡¯s not good odds.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But I¡¯m experienced with fighting. And I¡¯m damned determined not to die here. If you two back me up I believe I can lead us to the end.¡±


    Cedric and Marcy simply stared at Wyn. Marcy chuckled.


    ¡°You¡¯re confident, Wyn,¡± she said. ¡°I like that.¡± She stood up and wiped her hands on her fur-lined pants, smearing green spider goo everywhere. ¡°But you have a non-magical spear, limited magic, and used quite a few spells on the first floor.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Sort of. I currently have four spells.¡± He looked down at his forearm and noticed his mark was glowing but mostly dull. The time between casting his last spell at the champions and now was enough for Lucidity to regenerate most of his mana.


    Wyn was thankful for it - it truly was an incredible skill.


    ¡°And, my mana will be fine. I¡¯m over halfway full.¡±


    Cedric stood up. ¡°How? You cast several spells just an hour ago. It takes food and rest to recover mana. Or a potion. You should be nearly spent!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my passive skill - Lucidity. It lets me naturally recover mana over time. I don¡¯t have a large pool like you two but my mark tells me how little or how much I have thanks to that skill. And right now it¡¯s saying I have over half of my mana available.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Marcy said. ¡°That¡¯s pretty useful. You can be smart about spacing out your magic with other things and essentially never run out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the hope.¡±


    ¡°What are your spells and skills?¡± Cedric asked. ¡°Marcy and I know ours, of course. We¡¯ve been climbing for awhile together so we know how to manage when we¡¯re low on resources. But I¡¯d like you to share your abilities so we know what we have available.¡±


    Wyn smiled. They were trusting him. Even if they were veterans they knew they had to work together. Hope swelled up in his chest that they¡¯d get out of this hellish situation.


    ¡°I have Ice Shard, Arcane Aura, Regen, and Magic Weapon for my spells.¡±


    ¡°Regen is good,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Just be smart about when you use it.¡±


    ¡°And Magic Weapon can solve your non-magical spear problem. This might work after all.¡±


    ¡°That was my thought, too,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I took more utility spells thinking I¡¯d be better served that way. I¡¯m hoping it¡¯ll pay off now.¡±


    ¡°What about your skills?¡± Cedric said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of folded paper. He looked it over for just a second and folded it back up.


    ¡°Lucidity, as I mentioned,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Also Dyadcast and Speed Up.¡±


    ¡°Speed Up is straightforward. I¡¯m not sure I know the other one. What does it do?¡±


    Wyn flushed and his heart skipped a beat. He realized he never finished reviewing his skills with Daniel. A resource he had available wasn¡¯t put to use because he wanted to rush into the tower. A pang of regret resonated within him. Like with his spells, he could read them on his parchment but he wouldn¡¯t know the full capabilities or applications. Not yet.


    He pulled out his parchments and looked them over. Rifling through the pages, he pulled up the paper labeled <u>CLASS</u> and looked at it. Sure enough, there was a brief description of both Lucidity and Dyadcast.


    ¡°<u>Lucidity</u>: Allows passive recovery of mana. Your mark will show the current status of mana and is a guide to your expected amount of recovery time from empty to full. When your mark fully glows you are empty and currently recovering. When your mark is dull and grey you are full. Current time to fully recover: 3 hours.


    ¡°<u>Dyadcast</u>: Allows you to cast a spell twice for only one and a half the mana cost. Speak the skill followed by the spell to engage the ability.¡±


    Wyn read them out loud to Marcy and Cedric. He stared at it for a second longer. Shame crept up within him, now - he should¡¯ve looked at this before he stepped inside the tower. This information was important and crucial to his success. The fact that he was just now learning about it was embarrassing.


    ¡°Not too bad, not too great,¡± Cedric said. ¡°At least compared to others, honestly. Sorry, Wyn.¡±


    Wyn held his head up and squared his chest. Based on what Daniel told him, he knew the Ruby Magician¡¯s skill set and abilities wouldn¡¯t be the most efficient. But he was damned if he wasn¡¯t going to make the best of them.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯m going to prove it¡¯s better than you think. You¡¯ll see.¡±


    Marcy smiled. ¡°You must¡¯ve been popular in your company. You seem to be a pretty positive guy.¡±


    ¡°I learned that you have to be,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Especially when you¡¯re young and facing the likelihood of dying.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re wiser than most,¡± Cedric added. ¡°Most rookie Climbers can¡¯t see that. They¡¯re too bold and make stupid mistakes.¡±


    Wyn briefly thought of his own conversations with Daniel earlier in the day. How he wanted to rush to get into the tower rather than take his time to learn his abilities in a controlled environment. It was a bold and stupid mistake, the exact thing Cedric was saying he didn¡¯t see in him.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t count myself out of that category, yet. But all I know is that we can definitely make it through this floor if we work together.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I believe we can, too.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Let¡¯s get a plan. According to my parchment it¡¯s currently 7:12. We have some time but we don¡¯t need to be distracted. We¡¯re a small group, low on mana and resources, and need to find the best way to the boss so we can open the portal and return to Alestead.¡±


    ¡°And be smart about what we do,¡± Marcy added. ¡°We aren¡¯t looking to grab rewards, here. Only move forward. We¡¯re on a clock and the odds are still against us.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But what skills or magic do you two have? Since we¡¯re laying everything on the table.¡± Wyn couldn¡¯t suppress a smile. He was dying to know their abilities.


    Marcy laughed. ¡°It¡¯s not worth the time to go over everything we can do. Let¡¯s just say I will shoot things with arrows, Cedric will shoot them with spells, and you will stab them with your spear. On top of healing, if needed.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Cedric said. ¡°But I focus on Lightning spells, obviously, and have skills to support the strength and mana efficiency of those spells. To be brief.¡±


    Marcy threw her pack on the ground. ¡°And mine support ranged attacks, improve my senses, and overall just make me more of a badass.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s effort at trying to get them to share their abilities wasn¡¯t totally fruitless, but still disappointing. ¡°That¡¯s something, I guess. Do you have any magic items or weapons, at least?¡±


    Cedric held his staff out in front of him. ¡°My staff and robe are magical. I can cast a few basic attacking spells without using mana and it can amplify my magic, simply put.¡±


    ¡°Any my bow is similar,¡± Marcy added. ¡°I can increase my accuracy, use it to cast some arrow-specific spells, and make standard arrows magical. You should find a weapon like that at some point, too, by the way. If we make it out of here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and our packs are magical,¡± Cedric said. ¡°They can hold more than normal.¡±


    Marcy sighed. ¡°And the rest we left back at our stash. This was supposed to be an introductory climb, remember? I didn¡¯t want to bring anything extra with me outside of some snacks and an emergency kit.¡±


    ¡°Which,¡± Cedric added, ¡°in hindsight, was foolish. We won¡¯t make that mistake again.¡±


    Wyn took a deep breath. ¡°Okay, then. I have another idea.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll scout ahead for a bit while you two rest to recover some mana. I won¡¯t engage with anything but will note the paths ahead. Then, in an hour, we start and push through.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t even fight you on it,¡± Marcy said. She reached into her pack and pulled out a blanket and rations. She laid down on the cave floor and began eating, handing some to Cedric. Using her pack as a pillow, she pulled the blanket up like she was going to sleep. Cedric did the same beside her.


    Wyn turned and looked deeper into the cave. It was lit by ambient mushrooms on the wall and ceiling and gave off dim light, which was enough for them to see without another source. It wasn¡¯t lit as well as their space due to the beams of light from the ceiling, but at least they¡¯d be able to see. He noticed the path immediately veered to the right, though, so he couldn¡¯t see too far.


    Using his spear as a walking stick, he began to walk into the cave to explore.


    He stopped mid step as a thought struck him. The tower has objectives for them on each floor. Maybe the objective for this floor could give an idea about what lied ahead?


    Wyn pulled out his parchment. There it was, magically imprinted:


    ¡°Your search for the girl leads you deeper into the unknown. What lies within? Is she still alive? Is she worth this much trouble? Keep pressing on to find out. Fair warning, though - something doesn¡¯t want you here. Good luck.¡±


    Wyn folded it up and put it away. He chuckled a bit at the near-absurdity of it all. The description was definitely ominous, and completing a quest in the midst of surviving here was ridiculous.


    He thought about the objective at the last floor and trying to find the little girl. He didn¡¯t remember any more clues but figured if he were to keep climbing the floors he¡¯d find more. It seemed as though there was a large, connected puzzle between each of the floors inside the tower. As though the entire twenty floors laid out an adventure rather than random challenges.


    Excitement grew once more despite his current situation. He understood the appeal of being a Climber with only the smallest of exposure. The taste was intoxicating, and he wanted more.


    But now wasn¡¯t the time for that.


    Wyn checked his mark. It was still recovering mana, of course.


    He had an idea.


    Placing his hand on his chest, he immediately cast Arcane Aura on himself. The same showings of mystical armor appeared over his Ruby Magician robe gifted by Daniel, and he matched the same glow from the moss and mushrooms on the cave wall.


    He checked his mark again. It showed less than half of his mark recovering mana but more than a third. So, one cast of his armor took about one third of his total mana. Using the time they have until they start exploring as a group, he could be able to track more precisely how long the spell lasts.


    He tapped his spear against the ground and stood at attention. Being caught off guard here would spell death for all of them, and he¡¯d be lying to himself if he said he wasn¡¯t nervous. It was one thing to be out in the real world, but here he felt even more exposed and at risk.


    Wyn took two steps forward and the moss on the wall changed color - what was just a soft green quickly turned to a shimmering purple, and the plants shifted like they were alive.


    Two steps in and he was already questioning just exactly how far he should go.

 Interlude - Lionel - 1

    Flir scratched some notes on a small pad of paper. The sounds of sparring - punches and kicks landing, grunts of effort and pain, and weapons echoing off each other - were melodious, like a sweet song. It relaxed her. The training hall was bustling with Climbers, all eager to continue practicing in order to maximize their chances of succeeding in the tower. The newer Fighters held most of the hall as they were the most numerous of the rookie classes, and she watched over them along with her partner.


    ¡°Samuel doesn¡¯t seem too bad,¡± Flir said, not taking her eyes off her notes. ¡°Good strikes with a club. Strong. Not too bad footwork.¡±


    ¡°Good family, too,¡± Dirk said. ¡°I believe they¡¯re minor nobles outside Fyrewatch?¡±


    Flir¡¯s eyes lit up. She quickly made another note on her pad. ¡°Excellent! We could¡­ persuade them to sponsor us. I could use a new set of armor. And I¡¯m still missing a water helm to complete the set.¡±


    ¡°Come now, Flir, think of the Climbers. They need some things, too.¡±


    Flir looked at him, and he looked back. Both smirked and chuckled quietly to themselves.


    ¡°Maybe a potion or two,¡± Flir said. ¡°Where would they be without us leading them to greatness?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Quite right. Alright, who else have you noted?¡±


    Flir sighed. ¡°The stock this week is slow. This season has not been productive for us. But a legacy Fighter named John seems promising.¡±


    Dirk raised his eyebrows. ¡°A legacy¡¯s here and you¡¯re just now mentioning it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Gallows.¡±


    Dirk moaned. ¡°No wonder. We won¡¯t squeeze even a copper boot out of him.¡±


    ¡°Which is why I haven¡¯t said anything. But, I will say he shows potential. Good sword and shield skills, good endurance compared to most rookies. It¡¯s obvious he¡¯s trained for awhile before coming.¡±


    ¡°What are his skills and growth?¡±


    Flir scribbled more notes with fury. ¡°He hasn¡¯t shared them.¡±


    ¡°What?¡° Dirk snapped. ¡°We¡¯re his mentors. We should know all of his information!¡±


    ¡°He said he doesn¡¯t want it known just yet. It¡¯s driving the others mad.¡±


    ¡°Has he not practiced them during sparring bouts?¡±


    Flir smiled. ¡°No. He¡¯s beating his opponents without them.¡±


    Dirk nodded. ¡°Not bad. And even though I hate it, it¡¯s not a bad idea keeping them secret with this much competition. I¡¯m surprised he¡¯s held his own without them, though. Maybe he already has a passive skill?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But the only other rookie to give him trouble is Lionel.¡± She tapped her quill on the paper several times. ¡°He¡¯s our guy.¡±


    ¡°Lionel? Why?¡±


    Flir flipped a few pages over and handed them to Dirk. ¡°Take a look. He¡¯s a bit older than the rest, but still young. Tall. Well built. A temper like a bull!¡±


    Dirk read over the pages. The notes read how Lionel preferred using axes, overpowered his opponents with brute force, and was reckless with his attacks but almost always won his matches. He tended to go too far when pushed, but was noted to be more than capable.


    Dirk looked over the recruits and frowned. Flir was right, of course. But she didn¡¯t take it as far as she needed. ¡°I think they¡¯d want him.¡±


    Flir felt her heart skip a beat. ¡°Shit. I really don¡¯t want to see her again.¡±


    Dirk smiled and patted her on the back. ¡°I¡¯ll do all the talking. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Dirk stepped forward and clapped his hands together several times, gathering the training Fighters. He smiled his best charming smile and praised them for their efforts.


    ¡°We¡¯re done for today, unless anyone wants to prepare for the rookie climb tomorrow. If so, there¡¯s more preparations to be done, but please break for some food or rest and meet back in two hours. Lionel, could you please stay behind?¡±


    Murmurs swept through the small crowd. They slowly separated, all going their separate ways. A tall Fighter stepped forward, a wooden training axe in his right hand. His arms were bruised and his hair was plastered to his head with sweat.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Lionel said. ¡°Did I do something wrong? If Annie doesn¡¯t want an actual fight she shouldn¡¯t be a Climber. It wasn¡¯t my fault -¡±


    Flir raised a hand. ¡°It¡¯s not about that. We¡¯ve taken notice of your abilities. You¡¯re good.¡±


    Lionel straightened up and relaxed his grip on the axe. ¡°I know.¡±


    Dirk smirked. ¡°See? He¡¯s perfect.¡±


    ¡°Perfect?¡± Lionel asked. ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Dirk said. ¡°Follow us.¡±


    Dirk turned while Flir waved Lionel on.


    Lionel stood still, confused. The two mentors were obviously up to something strange, and he had no idea about their intentions. He was clearly a much better Fighter than the rest of the lot, so it likely had something to do with a secret boon or training.


    Well, he wasn¡¯t better than John, but the sword and shield Fighter had an unfair advantage from his family and prior training. Lionel was confident he¡¯d surpass him in a season or two.


    The two middle aged Climbers silently led Lionel out of the training hall and towards another part of the city. Lionel hadn¡¯t been in Alestead long and was still getting used to the layout, but he knew where they headed was not a commonly travelled area. Regular citizens made up the vast majority of people walking about, and it wasn¡¯t nearly as busy as the primary street or trade district. The houses were more cramped and on top of each other, too, like a shanty town. No one seemed to be too poor, though, as he didn¡¯t notice a single beggar on the cobblestone street or anyone running around in cloth sacks or pitiful clothes. It was likely the housing area for the various workers at the tower or markets.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Lionel asked. They had passed multiple streets and turns, and his patience was wearing thin while his nerves were growing. The amount of people they passed were lessening with every turn, too, to the point where now they hadn¡¯t passed anyone.


    ¡°Be patient,¡± Dirk answered.


    Lionel scoffed. He hated roundabout answers, and hated being patronized even more. If these two weren¡¯t his superiors he would¡¯ve raised more of a fuss or started pushing back by now. There was obviously some deeper, secretive thing happening, but he was annoyed how they decided to go about it.


    This didn¡¯t seem like it was worth the trouble, and Lionel started to look for a quick escape.


    ¡°We¡¯re close,¡± Flir added. ¡°Just one more side street.¡±


    True to her word, the trio turned once more into a dead end. There were no homes or doors here, only the shadows from the tall buildings and barely any light from the early afternoon sun. It was dark and more shaded than lit.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Lionel immediately stopped and took a step back. ¡°What is this? What are you two doing?¡± He raised his fists like he was ready to fight, and quick stepped towards Dirk.


    ¡°My, my, he¡¯s feisty,¡± a silky smooth voice said further down the alley.


    Lionel stopped his advance and whirled his head to the sound of the voice. He squinted, but was unable to see in the shadows.


    Dirk and Flir stepped to either side of the alley away from each other.


    ¡°We have a new recruit,¡± Dirk said. He folded his hands behind his back. ¡°He¡¯s very promising.¡±


    ¡°Recruit?¡± Lionel asked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be in some damn group.¡±


    The voice from the shadows laughed. It was deep but oddly still feminine. ¡°You say that now. Every Climber has to be in some group.¡±


    Lionel looked at both of his mentors in turn but they stayed resolute, looking down the alley as though they could see the person clear as day. Flir gave a quick glance back but her expression was unreadable.


    Light steps clattered on the cobblestone as a woman emerged from the darkness. She wore a sleek robe with dress shoes, adorned with various jewelry on her hands, wrist, and neck. Her straight, long hair was as black as night and smooth without a single strand out of place. Her green eyes seemed to pierce Lionel¡¯s soul, and her smirk seemed to invite him back to her bed.


    Lionel¡¯s heart raced. She was alluring, but out of place. Her appearance didn¡¯t match the situation or environment. Someone looking like her was the last person he expected to step out from a dark back alley.


    This was not good. But, they wanted something from him. So he had the upper hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m Marianna,¡± the woman said. ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°Lionel.¡±


    ¡°Lionel. Your name suits you. Strong, confident, brash. We need people like you, Lionel.¡±


    ¡°Who is we?¡±


    Marianna¡¯s smirk deepened into a smile. ¡°We are a select group of Climbers with a very special task inside Alistair. We don¡¯t invite just anyone to join, either.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re part of a guild, then? Already had my information from these two and liked what you saw?¡± Lionel gestured to his mentors but only saw empty space.


    His heart raced. Those two bastards must¡¯ve sneaked away when Lionel was busy focusing on the woman. He suddenly felt very exposed but also trapped like a caged animal. She didn¡¯t seem too dangerous, but those were always the type of people to guard against. Their motivations were usually deeper than what they let on, and Lionel felt like this was that exact scenario.


    He was vulnerable, and that wasn¡¯t a feeling he particularly enjoyed.


    ¡°Not quite a guild. And yes, we heavily invest resources into any potential member - can¡¯t have just anyone join us, after all.¡±


    Lionel took a step back. ¡°I have a bad feeling from you. Like¡­¡±


    ¡°Like power?¡± Marianna finished for him, cutting him off. She held out a hand and summoned a small orb of water that slowly began to swirl. It was perfectly round and constantly in motion, almost mesmerizing. ¡°The ability to defeat your enemies with absolution? Crush those who oppose you?¡±


    Lionel stared at the orb now, her words flowing through him like a siren¡¯s song. The orb grew to the size of a large melon, though maintained its allure.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lionel whispered, almost absentmindedly.


    ¡°Prestige? Fame? Known throughout the country for your deeds and wealth even the highest of nobles would envy?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The orb continued to grow, now the size of her torso as she held her hand out further from her body.


    ¡°This is a small portion of power you could obtain. Even as a Fighter.¡±


    Lionel scowled at her, shaking off the trance-like display. ¡°Even as a Fighter? Lady, warriors are better than damned Mages in every way. Your little spells won¡¯t do much when you¡¯ve run out of mana. That was a neat trick, but not good enough for me.¡±


    Marianna chuckled and decreased the size of her water orb back to fitting in the palm of her hand. ¡°I could do so much with this little orb of water before you could even react, and no one else has this kind of spell or skill. Don¡¯t underestimate the power of magic, boy. It¡¯s how anyone, even Fighters, accomplishes what they do, but me and my group more so.¡±


    Lionel folded his arms. ¡°I don¡¯t need a lecture. If you¡¯re asking me to join your magic group or whatever, count me out. I¡¯m done.¡± He turned and walked away, ready to get out of this twisted recruitment. He had no interest in what she was selling.


    Marianna sighed and released her water orb, causing the water to disappear as vapor into the air. ¡°He¡¯s more bullheaded than I thought. Wait, Lionel. We aren¡¯t a group of magic users.¡±


    Lionel stopped and turned back around. ¡°Then what are you?¡±


    ¡°I can only reveal a little. You¡¯ll have to agree to join to find out the rest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a terrible deal.¡±


    Marianna laughed again. ¡°If people only knew what we offered they¡¯d be trying to kill you right now for the chance.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t mentioned shit. That¡¯s not a very convincing argument.¡±


    ¡°I guess not for you. But do you know who the last person to complete the 20th floor of Alistair was?¡±


    Lionel shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because the city¡¯s guild doesn¡¯t announce who completes the tower. They don¡¯t want the masses to know how rare it actually is to finish all 20 floors, and how many Climbers die on the last tier trying to win it all.¡±


    ¡°We all know the risks. So what?¡±


    ¡°So, our leader was the last one to finish. And the rewards he received are far, far better than any amount of gold crowns or magic items you could find.¡±


    Lionel¡¯s heart raced again. ¡°What did he earn?¡±


    Marianna smiled. Her hook was back in place. ¡°Power. And plenty of it.¡±


    ¡°Good for him. Why would I care?¡±


    ¡°Because the power he received allows him to share it with others. You could be far greater than any normal Climber, no matter what kind of rare class you obtain or magic items you find. This is true, undiscovered strength that Climbers such as yourself only dream to hold in their hand.¡±


    Lionel felt a strange surge of power suddenly rush through him. Was that her? Or did he only imagine it, hoping what she said was true? He desperately wished for her to be right. He craved - no, needed - power above all else.


    ¡°How do I know you¡¯re telling the truth?¡±


    Marianna waved him to her. ¡°Come, show me your mark.¡±


    Lionel hesitated.


    Marianna scoffed and pulled the edge of her dress back, exposing her entire left leg up to her bare hip. The mark of some class Lionel didn¡¯t recognize composed the center, and six rings of runes surrounded the symbol.


    Lionel blushed, then realized what he saw. Six runic rings weren¡¯t just rare, they were unheard of. Everyone should have an odd number of rings except for those specifically chosen or blessed by the tower, and even those methods of acquisition were unknown.


    Maybe she really is telling the truth.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been a Climber for some time, but I wouldn¡¯t have six rings without the very power I¡¯m offering.¡±


    Lionel walked up to her and took off his outer shirt. Staring at her, he unbuttoned the top of his under shirt and pulled it to the side, exposing his Fighter mark on his left chest.


    Marianna gingerly placed her hand on his mark and closed her eyes. A swirl of arcane runes formed around her, creating a faint blue aura.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Marianna said, her eyes still closed. ¡°This wasn¡¯t your chosen class but you¡¯ve decided to be marked as a Fighter anyway.¡±


    ¡°How did you -¡±


    The swirling runes around Marianna circled and swept down her arm towards Lionel, settling on his mark.


    Lionel felt his breath catch and recoiled. A wave of cold washed over him like jumping in a frozen lake, and his breathing rapidly picked up. He tried to step back but found that Marianna¡¯s hand was magically attached to his mark.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lionel asked, his voice cracking. He tried to suppress a rising feeling of panic, but stopped resisting when the cold turned warm with a euphoric sensation.


    The blue aura dissipated and the woman let go of his mark.


    ¡°There. And that¡¯s only a fraction of what you could obtain.¡±


    Lionel looked at this chest and saw his single circle had more runes lined within it. They contrasted the Fighter¡¯s red runes and slowly faded to black over several seconds. He still only had one runic circle, but knew he was just granted a boon.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°That was a small enhancement. I can¡¯t grant you the full amount of power, but I was able to pass along a minor boost. To establish trust.¡±


    Lionel squeezed his hands into fists over and over. ¡°I feel¡­ I¡¯m not sure. What¡¯s the enhancement?¡±


    Marianna winked at him. ¡°Something fit for a Fighter, of course! Your strength and endurance are permanently increased beyond what a first-tiered Fighter should possess.¡±


    Lionel flexed and moved his body, eager to test the amount of improvements. ¡°That¡¯s incredible. I already feel it.¡±


    ¡°So you see now that I¡¯m serious. We want you, Lionel. And we mean business.¡±


    Lionel¡¯s smile faded. It could be too good to be true, but he couldn¡¯t deny this feeling. This power. It was intoxicating.


    ¡°Alright. How do I join?¡±


    Marianna placed her hands behind her back and dropped her smile. She stood straighter, displaying a commanding presence that didn¡¯t match her previous appeal.


    ¡°We are not for the weak. We will demand you to do things you may not like but are necessary. You will be ruthless. You must be willing to do what others shy away from to accomplish a greater purpose.¡±


    Lionel¡¯s face crept into a smile. ¡°That¡¯s the best thing you¡¯ve said yet.¡±


    Marianna smiled once more, though it was not as alluring as before. It was¡­ menacing. ¡°You say that now, but we¡¯ll see if you can stomach it. Your task for entry requires a sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°A sacrifice? I have to die to join?¡±


    ¡°No, you fool.¡± Marianna¡¯s voice cracked into a deeper, harsher tone. She visibly softened, trying to maintain her composure. ¡°You must sever the bond of an ally and prove your level of cruelty.¡±


    Lionel clenched his jaw. How in the hells was he supposed to do that?


    The woman walked up to Lionel and cupped her hands around his face. She stared deep into his eyes, past the surface and further into his being. Magic runes began to swirl in her irises, and her words felt as though they were echoing in his mind.


    Lionel couldn¡¯t look away. He was completely focused on her and her alone.


    ¡°We must introduce you to our beliefs. Our meaning for Climbing.¡±


    Lionel didn¡¯t blink. Her eyes were hypnotic, both commanding his attention and showing him truth. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Your first lesson. Have you heard of the great Aliyar?¡±

 Book 1 - Chapter 14

    ¡°This place is a maze,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Twists and turns everywhere. There are so many paths to keep straight!¡± She was leaning against the cave wall and smacked it with her fist.


    ¡°I know,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And we haven¡¯t faced anything. This spear is more of a walking stick than a weapon.¡±


    ¡°At least both of you have one,¡± Marcy replied. She stuck her lip out and huffed.


    ¡°You¡¯re just pissed you can¡¯t remember this floor¡¯s challenge.¡±


    Marcy didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Which doesn¡¯t make sense. How can either of you two not remember an entire floor?¡±


    ¡°Because we rushed through this floor almost a month ago,¡± Marcy said. ¡°The first day of the season we finished the first, second, and third floors, then never looked back. Can you remember what you ate for a day a month ago?¡±


    Wyn shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a fair comparison.¡±


    Marcy kicked a rock into the cave wall, hitting a small mushroom. ¡°I don¡¯t care. After enough floors changing every day and the entire environment changing each month, hey start to blur a bit.¡±


    Cedric was quiet. He had his own parchment in one hand, turning it around and looking at it from different directions periodically. There were scribbles from him mapping out the floor, but it was chaotic and incoherent.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ve been in these tunnels for half an hour! I keep drawing them out but it¡¯s like it doesn¡¯t end.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯m confused, too.¡±


    The tunnels had been winding and varied greatly, branches of paths splitting the further they went. They had backtracked dozens of times, looking for anything that resembled the right path or changed scenery. The tunnels all looked the same with the same glowing plants and elevation, and they were easily disoriented.


    Wyn just stared at a mushroom that was glowing purple. It still moved ever so slightly, like it was waking up from a deep sleep.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just keep moving,¡± Cedric said. ¡°At least there aren¡¯t any monsters. If we come to another branch we¡¯ll just keep mapping it out. You know it has to end at some point.¡±


    ¡°Yea, yea,¡± Marcy said. ¡°This whole tower is a monster. One huge, cunning, damned monster.¡± She stormed off further down the path. Wyn and Cedric followed behind her.


    ¡°By the gods!¡± She yelled. ¡°Another branch!¡± She stood between a fork in the tunnels not one minute after they stopped. She kicked the cave floor again, this time causing dirt to spray onto the wall.


    ¡°Which way should we go?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Who cares,¡± Marcy replied. ¡°We¡¯ll be coming back here to try the other before too long anyway.¡± She started off to the left path.


    Cedric sighed and followed her, trying to carefully draw a new tunnel on his map. Wyn waited behind. He knew if they didn''t try something different, and soon, they''d be lost in the floor and never make it out.


    Wyn began to follow them but quickly stopped. He raised his spear instinctually. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye though wasn¡¯t sure from where. He scanned the other tunnel and the one they just entered for any signs of a threat.


    Then he saw it. A mushroom on the wall shook itself, releasing a bit of the purple magic it used for light onto the ground. Then another, in the same tunnel Marcy and Cedric were walking down, shook itself and dropped its magical purple dust, too. More followed suit, silently releasing their spore magic behind them.


    Wyn wondered how they didn''t notice it before. It was nearly silent and behind them, and they never thought to turn around while exploring the tunnels.


    He stared for a minute while Marcy and Cedric rounded the tunnel. The first mushroom¡¯s dust was slowly disappearing. It didn¡¯t take long for the others to disappear, too. That was how they missed seeing the dust on the ground when they backtracked. By the time they returned, the evidence was already gone, magically disappeared.


    A thought entered his mind. Maybe the mushrooms gave off different colors, too? Could the color help determine their path?


    Wyn rushed forward to follow the pair of veterans.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Wyn yelled. ¡°I think I found something!¡±


    Marcy and Cedric stopped abruptly.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Cedric asked.


    ¡°I believe the mushrooms are telling us which way to go!¡±


    ¡°Oh gods,¡± Marcy said. ¡°You didn¡¯t eat one of them, did you?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But hear me out. I think we need to start from the beginning.¡±


    Both Cedric and Marcy let out an audible sigh.


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Wyn continued,¡± but when you start walking down a path they release magic spores. These have been purple. There could be other colors, too!¡±


    ¡°It makes sense,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Different paths for different groups to go through so they wouldn¡¯t interact. That is something the tower likes to do.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I can already tell he swayed you, Cedric. Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re wasting time.¡± Marcy immediately set back towards the tunnel they walked down. Then she stopped.


    ¡°But we¡¯ll need your map. I can¡¯t remember how to get back.¡±


    Cedric laughed. He walked ahead of Marcy and led the group back to the entrance without another word.


    *******


    ¡°Is it working?¡± Wyn asked. He decided to take the lead down a hall so Marcy and Cedric could see for themselves. He picked a random tunnel, one they had mapped out, and began walking down it.


    He heard Cedric laugh and Marcy curse.


    Wyn smiled. It must''ve worked.


    ¡°The mushroom is letting out a blue powder,¡± Marcy said, having caught up to Wyn. ¡°We just need to find tunnels that are blue, right?¡±


    ¡°I believe so,¡± he replied. ¡°Though both of you have way more experience in the tower than me. I¡¯m just assuming, here.¡±


    ¡°Most of the tower is an assumption,¡± Cedric said. ¡°At least until you rerun the floor a time or two. Though any other floor could be, and usually is, wildly different.¡±


    The three of them continued down the tunnel, each turning back to watch the mushrooms. It was an odd sight - they would vibrate and shake to release their magical spores like a dog shook water off its coat. The blue substance coated the tunnel floor but would disappear before too long. They each marveled at it, especially the veterans who knew they had seen quite a bit but were also surprised each time something new came up. Such was Alistair - a new obstacle, enemy, or both, all under the guise of a magical tower releasing its power into the world.


    "Didn''t both of you say that certain things in the tower can be valuable?" Wyn walked over and picked up the blue dust on the ground. It felt like light, fine sand as it fell through his fingers. He was surprised how much the mushroom made and dropped to the ground.


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    Marcy walked beside him and inspected it. "Yes, but we aren''t here to collect items, remember? We need to worry about finding a way out, not making money."


    Wyn let the spores fall through his fingers. It vanished as it hit the ground, and the rest of the pile disappeared, too. "I know you''re right. I just can''t help but wonder."


    Cedric put a hand on Wyn''s shoulder. "Let''s get through the floor, and you can wonder about making money and gathering items on another climb. Remember - priorities."


    Wyn nodded. He knew they were right, of course. Time was of the essence, and he didn''t want to be the reason for them to be too delayed. Still, the tower was enticing, and he could already feel the appeal of wanting more and more here, whether that be money, items, or clout. Like a moth to a flame, he needed to be careful and guarded, and know when to approach or stay away.


    In minutes they were at a crossroads with multiple paths before them, branching tunnels of six possible paths to take. They all looked identical. Cedric pulled out his paper he had been using to map out the floor. He looked at it carefully, turning it over multiple times for different views.


    ¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± he said. ¡°These don¡¯t match up with the ones we had before. We never had six possible options.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the tower changed the layout so quickly?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Can it do that?¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything I¡¯ve learned,¡± Marcy said, ¡°it¡¯s that it can do anything - but it does tend to follow set rules. Maybe since we have a plan and figured out a path to the end it showed us the right options of tunnels.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more likely,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Before you learned about the mushrooms, Wyn, we would¡¯ve just endlessly wandered around these caves. The tower is showing us the way. In a sense.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Wyn said. He stepped into the second path from the left. He walked about ten feet into it then stopped to look back to the mushrooms to see if he chose correctly. Cedric and Marcy waited, watching eagerly.


    A mushroom shook itself and released yellow spores onto the ground.


    ¡°Okay, then,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Let¡¯s choose another path.¡± He began to walk back towards the others. Suddenly more mushrooms began to shake and loose spores, more yellow dust falling onto the tunnel. The amount was definitely more than before, and it was thicker than the blue spores, like sand pouring from an open hole.


    Wyn stopped. He wondered if it was a trap.


    The spores began to grow from the tunnel floor, quickly rising and forming a mushroom shape then morphing into something vaguely humanoid. A large mushroom cap formed its head, with a stalk-like body and appendages that were thin like sticks. It grew a long spear in its right hand similar to Wyn¡¯s. Where its face should¡¯ve been was a mixture of various types of mushroom caps, with glowing yellow eyes staring right at Wyn.


    He raised his own spear, ready to fight the obvious challenge. It was definitely a trap, though it appeared to be straightforward.


    Wyn thought about his spell - Magic Weapon. He raised his spear and readied himself to attack the mushroom, hoping it wasn¡¯t a waste to use his mana like this if his regular spear worked fine. He also didn¡¯t want to waste time or energy, and wanted this dealt with quickly. If his spear had the same effect as the wooden champions without the spell, it¡¯d be detrimental to getting through the floor. And that¡¯s if he came out completely unscathed.


    He didn¡¯t want to chance it. At least his mana would recover.


    Wyn first swept the mushroom¡¯s leg, severing it and causing it to teeter over in a heap. From there he stabbed it in the face directly below the eyes, shoving his spear hard. The spear tip hit the rocky ground with a loud pang behind the mushroom¡¯s head. It was odd - he thought it would be more durable, but it felt like he was stabbing into a firm lump of dough.


    He pulled the spear out of the mushroom and left a gaping hole where its face used to be. It quickly dissolved back into a pile of yellow dust. The other piles of yellow dust around them disappeared, too.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Marcy said. Her and Cedric were just standing there watching Wyn. Her arms were folded and she had a smirk on her face. ¡°For killing a plant, at least.¡±


    ¡°The spell might¡¯ve been too much,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But I wanted to make sure.¡±


    ¡°At least your mana can recover without resting,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We should be fine, but I definitely think it was unnecessary. Let¡¯s just find the right path, already. I have a bad feeling about this floor. Something feels unfamiliar.¡±


    ¡°Always so negative,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°Realistic, actually,¡± Cedric said, correcting her. ¡°You know that.¡±


    Wyn was a bit frustrated with himself, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. Better to be safe than sorry, at least, and how could anyone predict the abilities or strength of a magical mushroom? Maybe next time warranted a test without the spell first.


    The rookie trotted back towards them and went down the next path. He repeated what he did before - he walked in about ten feet, turned to watch for the mushrooms and waited. This time, however, he readied his spear right away. The spell was still active, and he wanted to take advantage of the time.


    The mushrooms lighting the cave shook and released a green powder in a similar amount and density as before.


    Wyn heard Cedric sigh. He chuckled thinking about the two veterans being impatient while he fought some weird mushroom monster.


    The dust began to grow like before, except this time the monster looked different. Its mushroom cap head was smaller but its body was taller than the yellow mushroom. It was stockier and seemed stronger, too. Joints and muscles helped form its shape, and it looked much more humanoid. It didn¡¯t grow a weapon but flexed its body, stepping towards Wyn right after forming.


    He was shocked, but only for a moment. He knew to expect the unexpected, but it was amazing the amount of weird he had found here so far.


    Rushing the enemy, he swiped diagonally at the monster, slashing down across its body. Surprisingly, the mushroom dodged it, quickly ducking under the attack. It was more nimble than the last colored mushroom. Not having a weapon was going to be its downfall, as Wyn¡¯s reach with his spear gave him the obvious edge.


    Wyn back-stepped as the monster tried to close the distance. He wanted to use the best strike to end it in one blow and needed to use his weapon¡¯s advantage. Spears weren¡¯t typically used to slash at enemies, and were most effective to stab and pierce armor. The magic coating on the weapon, however, at least gave it different means to cause damage.


    Taking his spear in a wide horizontal arc, he opted to hit it whether the blade struck it or it bluntly knocked it away. To his pleasant surprise, a large gash formed across the monster¡¯s torso, and its top half collapsed forward in its momentum.


    It was easy, oddly, and a bit unsettling the power that magic wielded. The mushroom disintegrated back into dust.


    ¡°Damnit,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I should¡¯ve known it wouldn¡¯t be this easy.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°That wasn¡¯t that bad.¡±


    ¡°Wait until there are more of them. And deadlier.¡±


    Wyn wrinkled his eyebrows. ¡°Fair point. But how about someone else pick the next path?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Marcy said. She skipped a few tunnels and went for the far right path. She walked forward like Wyn and stopped to turn around. The mushroom shook and blue spores fell.


    ¡°How about that,¡± Marcy said. She chuckled to herself. ¡°Let¡¯s go, boys.¡±


    Wyn held his arm up, confused. ¡°How did she get it first try?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned it¡¯s a gift,¡± Cedric replied. ¡°It can sometimes be an annoying one, but a gift nonetheless.¡±


    Cedric and Wyn followed her, all walking through the tunnel deeper into the cave. None of them recognized the new path, especially Marcy, though she wasn¡¯t exactly trying to remember them. Cedric was mapping out their paths on his parchment. Though whether it was truly to find their way back or keep his hands busy Wyn wasn¡¯t entirely sure.


    While they walked down the cave, Wyn still couldn¡¯t believe his situation. The books, the rumors, all of his preparation didn¡¯t do the tower justice. The magic was far beyond anything he¡¯d seen or heard about. Portals, items, equipment, classes, skills, spells - it was nearly overwhelming.


    Wyn remembered that Lionel mentioned the name Aliyar. He wondered if he was the creator of the tower or someone influential in its early days? Was he a mage, a god, or one of the first ascendents to complete it?


    Daniel would know the answer. When he made it back - and he was determined to make it back - he knew he needed to take a breather and learn more about the tower. His mentor would have a good sense of direction about what to research for learning more.


    The three came to another branching while Wyn was deep in thought. Now only four options were presented for the next tunnel.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good sign,¡± Cedric said.


    ¡°What is? Only having four paths instead of six?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Yes. Though be on guard - it¡¯ll be harder and more challenging.¡± Cedric raised his staff and the tip began to glow softly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll lead this time,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Maybe we can skip one of those challenges.¡± She began to walk down the far right tunnel, walked ten feet in and turned around.


    Wyn was quickly learning Marcy must¡¯ve been the braver Climber in their group. That, or she was the reckless one. She didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by difficult decisions or shy away from a challenge. It was impressive, really.


    Immediately after Marcy stepped into the cave tunnel three large stalagmites erupted from the ground and attached to the ceiling, forming bars that separated her from Wyn and Cedric. The stalagmites had an orange color to them mixed in, appearing like a light clay.


    Marcy cursed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting that. Cedric, what do we do?¡± She felt the earthen bars with her hands then grabbed and shook one. It was solid and unmoving.


    Cedric also ran his hands over the stone bar, then the wall and ground around the immediate area. ¡°I don¡¯t know. There doesn¡¯t seem to be a release or similar.¡±


    He and Wyn watched as mushrooms outside the tunnel began to shake, and orange dust dropped onto the ground. It had a similar consistency as before. A mushroom began to sprout from the ground, smaller than before but wide and round. Beady eyes glowed orange under its mushroom cap helmet, and there were additional caps on its torso and joints that looked like armor.


    It was very close to looking ridiculous if it wasn¡¯t trying to kill them.


    ¡°Damnit,¡± Cedric said.


    Wyn readied his spear. Thankfully it was still glowing, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as bright as before. A dull glow barely emitted any light, and he hoped it lasted at least through the fight. It hadn¡¯t been but maybe ten minutes since he cast the spell to coat it in magic.


    As Wyn lowered his spearhead to charge the mushroom, another sprouted behind it, identical in appearance. Then another.


    ¡°You just had to say something,¡± Wyn said.


    Cedric raised his staff but Wyn put his arm out, blocking him.


    ¡°Save your mana. We¡¯ll need it.¡± He steeled his nerves and charged the first mushroom.

 Book 1 - Chapter 15

    Wyn knew his spear was going to lose its magical boost soon, and he didn¡¯t want to waste the time. The orange mushrooms were in their way and needed to be eliminated. Quickly.


    Unfortunately for Wyn he found their cap armor was sturdy, though the monsters themselves were slow. They didn¡¯t wield weapons like the yellow mushroom and didn¡¯t move quickly like the green one, but he knew if he got caught by a blow from them it would be incredibly strong.


    Well, he didn¡¯t know for a fact, but he assumed based on their armor and bulk.


    His stabs at the armor were effective though not as much as the last round of enemies. It was only from the spell, too, as the mundane metal spear tip was nearly useless. He was finding more resistance with each stab, and his attacks were only damaging the outer cap due to the magic radiating from his weapon. Unfortunately, even that was fading.


    The fight further emphasized his need for a magical spear. When he returned, it would be the first item he¡¯d look to obtain.


    He sidestepped the first mushroom and went for the second, who was several feet behind it. He swept the second¡¯s leg, cutting a shallow gash under the cap that protected what he assumed would be a knee. It stumbled but didn¡¯t fall, and Wyn tried to expand on his attack with another strike. The mushrooms were thankfully moving slow, like they were trudging through water, which gave him additional time to maneuver himself.


    He turned to the back of the first mushroom and saw an opening. There was no armor on its back, and it was completely exposed. He stabbed it, happy that his magical spear tip went much farther than before. It was dense, but still not resistant to the magic coating the metal spear.


    When he pulled out his weapon he followed it with a quick slash, opening up the mushroom¡¯s back and causing it to fall. It collapsed into a large pile of spores. He then noticed Cedric in front of him, his staff raised and pointed at him, while a runic circle appeared in the air.


    Cedric was casting a spell. And he aimed it directly at Wyn.


    He couldn¡¯t hear what he said as his focus was on the current fight, but he began to yell, hoping some magic in the tower didn¡¯t cause Cedric to turn on him or have him think he was an enemy.


    Helplessly he raised a hand towards Cedric, hoping a peaceful gesture showed he wasn¡¯t going to attack him. Right as he did two things happened at once. One was a heavy thud at his back that felt as though an angry mule or a mean drunk smacked him hard undefended. The attack was enough to make him lurch forward and fall to the ground exactly like the mushroom he just attacked.


    The second thing that happened was that several small yellow streaks flashed out of Cedric¡¯s staff, flying in several directions but mostly where Wyn was just standing.


    Only the magical shots didn¡¯t go for Wyn. They went wide around his space.


    Wyn lifted his head from the ground to see, wanting to visually follow the magical lines, and saw the second mushroom monster standing directly behind him with a raised stalk leg ready to attack him again.


    The yellow streaks all flew into it at once, and magical lightning erupted from the mushroom at the points of impact. It stopped mid attack, paralyzed and smoking, and crumbled to dust as it fell to the ground.


    Cedric was attacking the mushroom, not him.


    Why would he even think his ally would do such a thing?


    Wyn¡¯s back ached and stung when he tried to lift himself. He paused, hoping there wasn¡¯t any major damage, but when he twisted his back he didn¡¯t find any worrisome effects.


    Wyn¡¯s cheeks flushed with heat. He looked at Marcy, who simply smirked and nodded. Both shame and embarrassment welled up inside him, for questioning Cedric and for his own mistake, respectively. He wasn¡¯t looking much like a leader here in the tower. The experience he had leading his company in the war would only take him so far.


    Immediately two of the stalagmites retreated down halfway from the roof of the cave. The middle one stayed tall. Marcy inspected it more, and tried to climb over one side but failed after several attempts.


    Cedric reached a hand to Wyn to help him up. ¡°I know how it looked. You¡¯re not the first to think I was attacking them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯m still getting used to this place. And magic, too.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I won¡¯t try to critique you on fighting - you¡¯re much more experienced than most Climbers, especially rookies. But you have to expect the unexpected here. Always be on guard. You just never know here in Alistair.¡±


    Wyn remembered Daniel telling him the same thing. Obviously the experience of a veteran Climber was worth more than any gold crowns or magic items he¡¯d find. They were right, of course. He needed to trust them more for the tower¡¯s challenges and his own assumptions less for his survival.


    ¡°But don¡¯t be too hard on yourself,¡± Marcy added. ¡°You¡¯re still getting your feet wet. At least you didn¡¯t freeze like on the last floor.¡±


    Wyn grimaced. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll be better. But how are you going to get out of there?¡±


    ¡°I have an idea about what¡¯s happening,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I think you killing those two monsters moved these two bars.¡±


    ¡°And the third?¡± Cedric asked.


    Marcy looked back towards her hallway. It was empty, though she had a hunch it wouldn¡¯t be for long. ¡°I think there¡¯s one more to kill. On this side of the bars. Another test from the tower, separating us.¡±


    ¡°Like we need that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We¡¯re only three people down here as it is.¡±


    ¡°The tower knows it, too,¡± Cedric said. ¡°It adapts as Climbers enter it.¡±


    Marcy began walking down the tunnel, though she wasn¡¯t in a hurry like before. She took careful steps, checking her surroundings as she went. Wyn could¡¯ve sworn at one point he saw her sniffing the air.


    She stopped about halfway down and quickly drew an arrow from her quiver. About twenty feet in front of her another mushroom began to sprout from the ground. It was the same orange color - caps began to expand in size like before in areas of potential weakness for armor.


    Before it even materialized fully, Wyn heard the Ranger mutter a spell right before she loosed her arrow -¡°Ignite.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s eyes went wide.


    A complex, green runic circle appeared at the very tip of the arrowhead, and it caused the pointed tip to light up like a torch. Not just any torch, though, but a large one - it was at least the size of a campfire. The arrow flew towards the orange mushroom in a red line leaving a trail of smoke behind it. It hit the enemy directly in the chest, piercing its cap armor.


    The arrow sunk in for a second, and it set the entire plant on fire. It barely even stood to fight before succumbing to Marcy¡¯s attack.


    ¡°You don¡¯t see Ranger¡¯s often,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Their abilities are quite a sight.¡±


    The third stalagmite barring the tunnel began to retract, and when it met the others halfway down they all moved towards the cave floor. The entrance was opened, and Marcy was able to exit.


    ¡°I guess that wasn¡¯t the way either,¡± she said. ¡°Now we know what will happen if we pick the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ll pick next,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Wyn can stay back and help handle the two that pop up and I¡¯ll take care of the one that shows up in the tunnel.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t argue,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Are you positive that¡¯s what happens, though?¡±


    ¡°Not entirely, but I have a hunch,¡± Marcy said. ¡°The tower tends to follow a pattern with puzzles like this. I¡¯m sure once we get through this tunnel and to the next it¡¯ll be harder but similar. Just like this one was compared to the last tunnel.¡±


    That explanation made sense to Wyn. So far, the tower had shown a certain pattern. First there was just one enemy, the tunnel wasn¡¯t barred, and there were six possible paths. Now there were three enemies, the tunnel required them to be defeated to proceed, and there were four possible paths. The mushroom monsters were all formed the same way, too.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Even though this was his first trip into the tower Wyn was able to get a better sense of the progression. He only imagined how confident Climbers became with more experience as they completed the floors over and over.


    Cedric began to survey the other tunnels. He checked each one, taking his time to pick the tunnel he wanted to try.


    ¡°So a Ranger,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I don¡¯t remember that as a class option.¡±


    Marcy chuckled. ¡°I started as a Hunter. Ranger was my second tier class upgrade, but you don¡¯t need to worry about that right now.¡± She held up her bow and inspected the bow string, plucking it gently. It vibrated a bit then quickly went still.


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because getting to the second tier isn¡¯t our focus at the moment. Living to see tomorrow is.¡±


    Wyn relented. Of course she was right. His curiosity was getting the better of him, though.


    ¡°Humor me. What makes your class stand out?¡±


    Marcy stared back in his eyes, seemingly looking beyond them. Her gaze was piercing.


    ¡°Alright. There aren¡¯t many classes that are more ranged outside of pure magic. Some Fighters and Rogues specialize in ranged combat, and of course there are Magicians and Sorcerers. But I¡¯m a sort of magical hybrid focusing on a bow.¡±


    Wyn laughed. ¡°You sound like a Ruby Magician, just ranged.¡±


    Marcy scrunched her face up. ¡°Huh. I guess you could say so. But my spells are specific and different from your options.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes you more desirable, then. That¡¯s good for you.¡±


    Marcy patted Wyn on the back. ¡°You¡¯ll find a group like I did. Who knows, you might¡¯ve already found a couple of members with Tasha and John.¡±


    Wyn thought about that. Maybe Marcy was right. What the three rookies went through, culminating with Lionel¡¯s betrayal, created a sort of bond, in a way. He¡¯d certainly ask them to group up when he got back.


    He still wanted to ask Marcy, too, even if she was in another group. But he needed to find the right way and time.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I think I know which one I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°Finally,¡± Marcy said. She began to walk over to Cedric and the tunnel he chose. ¡°I¡¯m ready to get out of here and find Lionel so I can kill him.¡±


    ¡°And make sure John is okay,¡± Wyn added.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she responded. ¡°He¡¯s fine. The guild medics are second to none.¡±


    ¡°And, like I said,¡± Cedric added, ¡°Tasha was healing him when I ran after all of you. He made it back. Let¡¯s just focus on ourselves.¡±


    Marcy and Wyn nodded.


    Cedric was right, of course. Wyn was realizing he must¡¯ve been the voice of reason in their group. A tactician, too. If he wasn¡¯t the leader, he was definitely someone who they turned to for direction.


    The three stood outside the main hub of tunnels. Cedric walked to the far left tunnel this time, then stopped. He shifted his feet and went to the tunnel beside it, second to the left.


    Marcy chuckled. ¡°Always superstitious.¡±


    Cedric ignored her and walked into the tunnel. All three of them waited for a second and nothing happened.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Cedric said.


    No mushroom shook its powder and no bars erupted from the cave floor to seal him off. There was only silence.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Wyn asked.


    The three Climbers then heard a sound further into the tunnel. It sounded like stone moving against itself, something shifting further down they couldn¡¯t see at the entrance. Something was happening though they weren¡¯t sure what.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look,¡± Cedric said. ¡°You two just wait here. It¡¯ll only take a minute.¡±


    Wyn felt a bead of sweat roll down his neck. He knew Cedric could handle himself but he hated the thought of him going in alone. He wanted to interject and say he¡¯d follow him but ultimately decided to respect his request and stayed behind.


    Cedric walked down the tunnel and disappeared around a bend out of sight. Marcy and Wyn waited impatiently.


    ¡°So Rangers aren''t too popular, then,¡± Wyn said, breaking the silence. ¡°Ruby Magicians aren¡¯t either. Obviously.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a question, just a statement,¡± she said.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t let me finish.¡±


    She nodded, conceding.


    ¡°Have you seen another Ruby Magician? Is it really that bad?¡±


    ¡°Why does it matter?¡±


    Wyn took a deep breath. ¡°In the military we respected rank. Someone higher up could give orders without question and we¡¯d follow them. We looked up to them.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Makes sense.¡±


    ¡°I was a captain. I led a company of men who looked up to me and relied on me. They respected me. I earned it, too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. But then something went wrong, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Wyn looked at the ground, breaking eye contact. His shame returned, and he closed off.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to push you to talk about it. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not easy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°But what¡¯s your point with all this?¡±


    ¡°My point is that in the military camaraderie and working together was crucial. Those leaders were useless without soldiers to listen and act. It takes trusting people to accomplish a goal. The same goes for here. To really climb Alistair you need a group that¡¯s rock solid. Together.¡±


    Marcy plucked her bowstring again, keeping her fingers busy. She let Wyn go on, not wanting to interrupt.


    ¡°Which is why what Lionel did was unforgivable. But do people really not trust others because of their class? He ridiculed me just because I¡¯m a Ruby Magician. I don¡¯t care, honestly, because I know my abilities - but have you seen that here?¡±


    Marcy drew an arrow and twirled it with her fingers. ¡°Yes, unfortunately, I have seen it.¡±


    Wyn wasn¡¯t surprised. Just disappointed.


    ¡°The main classes all find their place in one way or another,¡± Marcy continued. ¡°Fighters are the most common and the most general. They have many different kinds of skills they can use for enhancing their physical abilities. Magicians, in their different forms, are the strongest magic classes and typically focus on spells that either hurt enemies or help allies. Look at Diamond Magicians like Tasha or Lightning Wizards like Cedric.¡±


    ¡°You keep calling him a Wizard. Is that his class upgrade, too?¡±


    Marcy smiled. ¡°Yes. He was a Topaz Magician.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever figure this out.¡±


    Marcy laughed. ¡°You¡¯re being too hard on yourself. Classes are specific, yes, but also generic. Rogues are generic physical attackers. Sorcerers are generic magic users. You just happen to be one of the classes that falls under both.¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t answer. He didn¡¯t know how.


    Marcy took a second before elaborating. She scrunched her face and brought her hand up to her chin. ¡°Think about it like this. Generic classes can be helpful because there are a lot of them and they are varied. You can have a dozen Sorcerers all with different skills and different spells to cast, and they will seem unique despite being generic.¡±


    ¡°Like one focusing on the fire element, or one focusing on ice?¡±


    ¡°It could be that way, yes. Or one Sorcerer having skills and spells to support area based magic instead of targeting a single enemy.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I think I¡¯m catching on. And on the other hand, Fire Magicians, for example, all cast fire spells and are basically the same?¡±


    ¡°In a way. Though they¡¯re called Garnet Magicians. They¡¯re based off the gem that helps provide the elemental magic. The difference in the gemstone Magicians, though, is that they¡¯re immensely helpful by being so focused.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the secret, then.¡±


    ¡°In a party of six people, let¡¯s say, you want roles to round out your group. It¡¯s good to have a variation. It¡¯s also good for that one person filling that role to be great at what they do. And on the higher floors it¡¯s necessary.¡±


    ¡°So a Ruby Magician, as an example, being both generic and specific, is neither? And not useful?¡±


    ¡°To most people, yes.¡±


    ¡°To most people. My mentor told me that, too.¡± Wyn smiled. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t fall under that category?¡±


    Marcy smiled back. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. Because my class is also considered not very useful.¡±


    Wyn laughed. ¡°No way. Don¡¯t make me try to feel better.¡±


    Marcy furrowed her eyebrows and stopped smiling. ¡°I¡¯m serious. Why do you think there aren¡¯t many of us? We¡¯re seen as not useful. When given the option, climbers don¡¯t take Ranger.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. I¡¯ve barely seen you use your skills and you¡¯re incredible.¡±


    Marcy¡¯s cheeks flushed. ¡°I¡¯m grateful to be in a group that thinks the same thing. Which is what you need to do, Wyn. Find people who see your worth. Prove them right and then prove the masses wrong.¡±


    Wyn thought on that statement. She was absolutely right - just because people think Ruby Magicians aren¡¯t helpful doesn¡¯t mean they aren¡¯t. Variety is useful, and having a group to utilize that like Marcy¡¯s group would be his key to success.


    John is someone like that. Tasha, too.


    A rush of cold flooded through Wyn¡¯s body.


    ¡°John,¡± Wyn said to no one. ¡°He agreed to team up even knowing my class. I have to make sure he¡¯s okay. I want him in my group.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯d be lucky to have you,¡± Marcy said, and tapped her arrow on Wyn¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Maybe your group needs some more variety,¡± Wyn said. He smirked, and twirled his spear in a flashy display.


    Marcy laughed. It was hearty, loud, and warmly comforting. ¡°Maybe so! You need some better gear, though. You can¡¯t be taking on even the lower middle floors with basic weapons and no armor.¡±


    ¡°This should help with that,¡± Cedric said.


    Both Marcy and Wyn jumped, startled by the Wizard. He was standing at the entrance of the tunnel holding something in his left hand.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°And what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it was a dead end,¡± he replied. ¡°But at least at that dead end was a chest!¡±


    ¡°What happened to focus on the task and don¡¯t be distracted by loot?¡± Marcy said, mocking him.


    ¡°We¡¯re doing alright on time,¡± Cedric replied. ¡°I checked. Plus, Wyn is right. We¡¯ll make it out of here fine.¡±


    ¡°Well, spill it already,¡± Wyn said, ¡°What did you find?¡±


    ¡°Some silver cloaks, a few gems. The basic monetary rewards. But this - this was more special. And you should have it, Wyn.¡±


    Cedric then held out a dagger. It was simple - black and silver, plain, and sheathed. It looked to be an ordinary dagger. Except it was not, as it had a blue aura around it.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Marcy said. ¡°A blue weapon on floor two? That¡¯s pretty rare.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the importance of that?¡± Wyn asked. He took the dagger from Cedric. The faint blue aura was captivating, like his eyes were drawn to it.


    ¡°Magic weapons and armor have a certain amount of magical power to them based on their aura,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Green is the most common and least powerful.¡±


    ¡°Next is blue,¡± Marcy added, ¡°followed by purple, then orange.¡±


    ¡°But besides the aura it doesn¡¯t look all that special,¡± Wyn said. ¡°No offense.¡±


    Both Marcy and Cedric chuckled.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been identified yet,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Once it is, its appearance will reflect its true, magical nature.¡±


    Wyn opened his mouth to respond, but Marcy cut him off.


    ¡°And before you ask more questions, just put it in your pack. No sense in Cedric using his limited mana to identify a weapon that may not even help us right now. Let¡¯s just stick with what we know and you can identify it back at the base. Alright?¡±


    Wyn already had his pack open and placed the dagger inside. ¡°Alright. And thank you, Cedric. I¡¯m sure this is worth quite a lot.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. This is your climb, after all. An atrocious one, mind you, but still.¡±


    Wyn nodded. ¡°How about I check the next path? It¡¯s my turn, and there are only two left.¡± He turned around and walked to the next tunnel in line to try.


    ¡°Do I see smoke coming out of the end of that tunnel?¡± Marcy whispered, trying to look down the cave path where Cedric explored.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± he replied, smiling. He followed Wyn to look for another path.


    She accepted his reply without another word.

 Book 1 - Chapter 16

    ¡°Two more tunnels left here,¡± Wyn said, standing with his arms folded. ¡°The far left one and this one. Second to the right.¡±


    ¡°I went through that one,¡± Marcy said, pointing to the far right tunnel, ¡°and it was a bust.¡±


    ¡°And mine had a chest but still not the way through,¡± Cedric added. ¡°So yes, that leaves these two.¡±


    ¡°You had a bad feeling about the far left one, didn¡¯t you?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°That¡¯s why you changed your mind at the last minute?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just neurotic,¡± Marcy said.


    Cedric shot her a harsh look. She failed to suppress a laugh.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m trusting him,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯ll try this one.¡±


    Wyn held his spear at the ready and walked through. Wanting to not enter too far, he stopped a few feet in and waited. He turned around and shrugged to Marcy and Cedric.


    After a few seconds a mushroom shook itself out of the entrance, and red dust fell to the ground. Stone bars shot up from the ground separating the group again, and Wyn quickly stepped further back into the tunnel a few feet to avoid being impaled.


    ¡°Damnit,¡± he said. ¡°I thought I had it. This is wasting our time!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a step forward,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Now we know the other tunnel is the correct one. We just need to focus and take care of the mushrooms quickly and efficiently. Get ready.¡± He raised his staff, and the topaz gem began to glow with a pale yellow light.


    A mushroom began to form in front of the veterans and by the bars, rising from the ground. It was fiery red, thin like the yellow mushroom and had cap armor similar to the orange one though not as large as either. Overall, it was a bit short, maybe four feet tall. While it was smaller it looked more dangerous than the other colors. It moved fluidly as it rose from the ground like a flickering flame, and smoke trailed from its head like dark, dirty hair.


    Then another identical mushroom rose directly in front of it.


    Wyn was only a feet away, the bars separating him and everyone else. The red mushrooms were facing Marcy and Cedric and weren¡¯t focused on him. They didn¡¯t even acknowledge him at all. He was thankful, too, because the heat they gave off was immense. He felt hot even with the bars between them and a few feet back. Direct combat would be difficult, and both Marcy and Cedric were better equipped to face them anyway.


    ¡°Earthen Trap!¡± Marcy said, nearly yelling. She bent down and placed her hands on the ground, palming the stone floor. A large magic circle appeared and covered the ground between her and Cedric and the two flaming mushrooms.


    Cedric raised his staff and pointed it at the mushrooms. ¡°Come on, you bastards!¡±


    Wyn began to yell out but stopped himself. What would he even say? They were two veteran Climbers who had likely been in similarly difficult situations and managed themselves just fine. They weren¡¯t his soldiers and he wasn¡¯t their captain. He needed to let them handle it themselves and stay on guard for his own safety.


    He turned and looked down the tunnel to see if any other mushroom had formed like before. All he saw was an empty cave path lit by mushrooms on the wall and ceiling. During the last attempt to find the exit one formed on Marcy¡¯s side of the bars, so he figured another could be here, too.


    Taking a deep breath, he began to slowly walk, staying vigilant so he could strike quickly.


    A loud clap echoed off the walls, like a heavy rock suddenly slapped against stone. He turned quickly and stabbed with his spear. There was nothing there, though he saw what caused the noise.


    The two mushrooms had charged Marcy and Cedric but were now caught in a rock-like prison. Chains made of stone held them in place in various areas - their necks, arms, legs, and torso were all shackled. The spell Marcy cast held true, and they tried to writhe and free themselves but weren¡¯t able. Flames erupted from their heads and bodies, licking at the magic chains but were seemingly useless. The spell was strong, and apparently too much for these weaker enemies.


    Cedric stepped forward to the two mushrooms and extended his staff, arcing his body back away from the heat and partly covering his face with his free forearm. ¡°Forked Lightning!¡± He yelled, casting a spell.


    Instantly lightning burst from his staff, multiple arcs flying out in multiple directions. It pierced the mushrooms and the rest of the tunnel, too, jolting out wide. The electric bolts bounced around the tunnel entrance, looking like lightning caught in a bottle.


    The two mushrooms froze in place as lightning coursed through their body, their flames expanding before snuffing out. They dissolved in a pile of ash just as the lightning spell dissipated around the cavernous room.


    Two of the bars lowered just like before, the one in the middle staying still.


    ¡°Your turn,¡± Marcy said, yelling down the tunnel.


    Wyn knew what that meant. His heart raced, excited but nervous. They easily dealt with their enemies - would he be able to handle himself just as easily?


    He turned, focused back at the task at hand. He knew another would be showing up but didn¡¯t know when or where. It shouldn¡¯t be long. Strategies bounced around in his head about the best way to combat these flaming enemies.


    His spear¡¯s reach afforded him some distance, but there wasn¡¯t much room in the cave tunnel to maneuver his position. He could keep backing up to the bars but would essentially trap himself. That would be a death sentence. Trying to skirt around the enemy could be possible but the room was much narrower on the sides, not to mention he ran the risk of being burnt.


    Ranged attacks would be best, like how Cedric and Marcy handled it. Unfortunately Wyn only had two means of ranged attacks: casting Ice Shard or throwing his dagger. He was never one to throw his secondary weapon, and the odds of it harmlessly hitting the flaming mushroom with the hilt or flat of the blade was far higher than an actual pierce with the tip or cut with the edge. That left his spell, but it was an ice spell. How would that be effective against a flaming enemy?


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    Maybe Cedric could identify his new dagger quickly through the bars. There was still a chance it held some effect that could help him. But would he even be able to use it correctly? He barely knew how to use his spells, and he spent time with Daniel telling him exactly what to do to even get to his current point. If he relied on it and it failed, the dagger itself could hurt him, or he¡¯d be burned alive by these fiery creatures.


    About twenty feet in front of him he saw a mushrooms shake it¡¯s dust to the ground, and a red flaming mushroom began to emerge. It was writhing like the others in its formation, the incarnation of living flame.


    Wyn quickly thought about how the magic would react to each other. Hopefully the elements didn¡¯t interact too much - it was magic, after all, and his spell could hopefully overcome the typical idea of ice melting under fire. The monster forming in front of him was magic, too, though, so that theory was highly unlikely.


    He looked at his simple spear. The Magic Weapon spell had wore off a good while ago. Would a standard metal spear point and wooden shaft be enough against magical flames?


    The mushroom was almost fully formed. Wyn quickly brought up his left forearm and checked his mark. Lucidity had recovered some mana but not that much. He had just under half remaining, and the thought of using it for testing theories didn¡¯t sit well with him.


    He had only one option left. If he could quickly strike the flaming monster, position himself for attacks and defenses fast by moving away to avoid the heat and fire before they overwhelmed him, he¡¯d stand a fair chance.


    He opted to use his Speed Up skill and hope for the best.


    The mushroom finally finished growing itself into its final flaming form, and locked its beady, smoking black eyes on him. The effect was unsettling, like a demon formed directly from one of the deep layers of hell and rose as a perverse fungus.


    Wyn decided it was time. The more this was drawn out the worse it¡¯d be for him. He still wasn¡¯t exactly sure how to engage the skill, but he hoped it was similar to his spells - say it with intention, and the mark did the rest. ¡°Speed Up!¡± He yelled.


    A soft red glow began to envelope him. It was much duller than his Arcane Aura spell and red instead of white, but still obviously magical. A rush of what felt like adrenaline overtook him. He did not have the same feeling with the protective spell. They were obviously different, but it was striking how this skill made him feel.


    The mushroom began to move towards him in a hypnotic pattern. It was beautiful, almost like a dance, as flames licked out of its core body in swirls. There was no weapon in its hands, and Wyn could hardly tell if it even had hands. But it didn¡¯t matter with this enemy, as being too close would bring about scathing heat and burns, and any direct contact would be dire.


    Worse, what other kinds of magic did it have? Could it cast spells or throw fire at a distance or was it strictly a close ranged combatant? Wyn had no desire to find out. This monster needed to be killed fast.


    Moving his feet to reposition, Wyn felt his legs pulse forward much quicker than he thought. It was jarring, and his body matched the quickness when he awkwardly shot himself forward. He lightly jumped back and forth, then swished his spear in the air, testing his new ability with a few movements. To his satisfaction and surprise, he was moving at a greater speed than he imagined, able to move his weapon and body faster than ever.


    The red mushroom began to hop down the cave, frolicking like a child. It was strangely unassuming, like it was playful rather than trying to kill him. The flames were not harmless, though, and Wyn could feel the heat rising as the monster came closer. Using his newfound speed he pierced his spear forward, aiming in the middle of his enemy. The weapon lashed out quickly, but his body was adjusting to his new speed. It was invigorating, though Wyn had no idea how long the skill would last. He needed to be prudent.


    As the spear tip lunged out, the entire metal head went into the monster. Wyn didn¡¯t quite know what to expect. He felt as though he would¡¯ve been surprised whether the monster was gaseous like fire without a true physical form or had a solid body that only radiated fire. Thankfully for him the latter was true, as he felt resistance in the torso give way to his weapon. When he pulled his spear free the monster jerked, obviously damaged by the attack. He was glad he could hurt it but hopped backwards as the heat was nearly too much to bear even being several feet away.


    The spear head was barely glowing red as though he quickly exposed it to a fire, which in a way, he did. Wyn could also see the end of the spear¡¯s shaft was discoloring, and he figured too many attacks would char the wooden portion of his weapon making it useless.


    This further emphasized the importance of dealing with this enemy quickly. If he stalled too much, he¡¯d be weaponless and then burned to death.


    Wyn took several more strikes against the enemy as he seemingly flew around the cave tunnel, moving like a whirlwind. The monster returned his movements in kind, slinging small globs of fire at him left and right, though Wyn was moving too fast to be hit. His theory was unfortunately right about the monster having more abilities, and long ranged ones at that.


    Still, it was truly a beautiful fight, like two dancers playing the role of fighters on a stage.


    Thankfully the red mushroom was slowing down, the spear strikes working to kill it. It was oddly shrinking in size, the flames dying out and reducing both their intensity and heat. The tallest flames coming off its head weren¡¯t even reaching Wyn¡¯s waist.


    He was close to finishing it, and was glad. The fight felt like it was raging on, though it couldn¡¯t have been thirty seconds - Wyn¡¯s speed increase made it feel as though he was speeding through time. It didn¡¯t help that he felt like he was fighting in a furnace, and several patches of holes formed in his robes from stray streaks of flame.


    He sidestepped once more around the monster, repositioning to its back for a better strike. As he did, the mushroom leaped towards him in a desperate maneuver. It lashed out with a fiery hand to cut him or punch him, Wyn wasn¡¯t sure which. But the contact would be awful regardless.


    Wyn was able to cut it down with a large slash, but the body of the mushroom kept rushing towards him. It struck him directly in the hip and leg, and he gasped from the initial impact. The mushroom lost its flames and turned to dust, but not before scorching Wyn¡¯s waist and right leg down to his shin. He yelled in pain, his robes singed and pants underneath completely burned away exposing his leg.


    Wyn patted the smoldering embers, hoping he could put out the fire before it caused worse damage. It felt hot and ached, the cool cave air torturing his new burn. Not to mention each pat caused sharp pings of pain from his leg to his brain.


    This was his fear. Injury at this point in their climb would not just be detrimental to finishing the floor, but could cause a permanent injury. Would his healing be able to address severe burns? What if he passed out from pain before?


    The spear clanged to the ground. Wyn dropped to the cave floor soon after, the pain unbearable. He had been hurt before, but nothing like this. It wasn¡¯t normal fire but magical fire, if that even made a difference. He was afraid to look at his leg but decided to anyway. It was important to know the extent of his injuries, if he could heal completely or if he¡¯d be dealing with something far worse.


    The skin was charred and swollen, and who knows what the muscle and tissue was like underneath. When he tried to bend his knee it felt as though he was being stabbed by thousands of tiny needles, and he couldn¡¯t move it much at all.


    At least he wasn¡¯t bleeding. The burned skin cauterized whatever deeper wounds he had.


    Wyn took a deep, shaky breath. This might be the end. Regen was a powerful spell, but he didn¡¯t know its capabilities or limits. The thought instantly crossed his mind that he might lose his leg if he even survives.


    What in the hells did he get himself into?

 Book 1 - Chapter 17

    Marcy and Cedric rushed down the tunnel the instant the stone bars were gone.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Cedric asked. He got his answer when he walked in front of Wyn and saw his leg. ¡°Shit. I was hoping we would get through this unscathed.¡±


    Wyn laughed, which was a strange feeling. Seeing Cedric still focused on the task of finishing the floor was oddly comforting, like this was an injury that was possible to overcome. It gave him a sense of hope.


    Then Wyn felt the pain in his leg, again, causing that small flicker of hope to snuff out.


    ¡°Not now, Cedric,¡± Marcy said. She quickly dropped her pack on the ground and rummaged through it.


    Whether by subconscious decision or the skill expiring, Wyn¡¯s magical aura faded. He gritted his teeth and breathed heavily. The loss of the magical boost to his physicality made him feel even more helpless than he was.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Wyn said through gasps. Each hitch in his breath caused movement, which made his leg jolt with pain. ¡°I didn¡¯t have much of an option. I thought Ice Shard would be useless.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right about that,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Being made of the fire element, ice is weak to it. It would¡¯ve been a waste of mana and could¡¯ve been even worse. That was the best call you could¡¯ve made, unfortunately.¡±


    Marcy glared at the Wizard. ¡°We don¡¯t need a lesson right now, Cedric.¡± She pulled her hand out of the pack along with a medium sized corked jar of some type of cream. It looked like it should hold some type of spread for the dinner table rather than the middle of a deadly tower.


    ¡°Learning opportunities are always¡­¡±


    ¡°Cedric, damnit, shut up,¡± Marcy snapped, cutting him off. ¡°And save your breath, Wyn. Try not to jerk so much.¡±


    Cedric started to reply but quickly closed his mouth, stopping himself from continuing his lecture.


    Wyn wasn¡¯t listening too well, anyway. His leg still felt like it was on fire, and a portion of his charred knee began to ooze. Or at least what he thought was his knee. It didn¡¯t resemble much of a leg anymore, to his horror. It was more of a large lump of unidentifiable flesh.


    His thoughts began to push back to the war, where bloodshed was rampant and death welcoming. The view was hazy as Wyn fought to stay present. He shook his head and focused on the pain. Oddly, it helped ground him to the situation at hand.


    Marcy had already popped the cork on the small jar while Wyn was lost in thought. The cream was yellow and waxy, and a strong aura exuded out of from the jar. It wasn¡¯t as strong as Tasha¡¯s spells or Wyn¡¯s Arcane Aura, but it was more noticeable than the potion.


    Wyn shot upright from the ground, then cursed at the pain. ¡°Shit!¡±


    ¡°Wyn, I said to stop moving!¡± Marcy said. She scooped a bit of the magical cream up with her fingers and reached over to Wyn¡¯s leg.


    Wyn caught her wrist. ¡°Save it. My mentor gave me a healing potion.¡±


    Marcy smacked Wyn¡¯s hand away. ¡°You save it. It won¡¯t work as well as this for this injury.¡±


    That was all Wyn needed to hear to find some comfort that he¡¯d be alright. If Marcy was turning away a health potion, then it either wasn¡¯t as serious as Wyn thought, or her magical cream was just that good.


    He leaned towards the latter based on how his leg looked and felt.


    Wyn immediately closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. He knew the application would hurt - salves on burns always did. He remembered the soldiers who suffered burns from oil fires and flaming arrows and their screams when the medics tended to them. They said it was the contact with the burned flesh that felt like being stabbed with a hot iron.


    Only pain never came. Relief flushed over him instead, reminding him of the bath houses outside Caryn. He remembered the soothing feel of lotions and creams on him after the baths, how his chapped skin drank the moisture with rejuvenation before setting back out into the sun with his company.


    He snapped open his eyes. The bath houses and company men were not here - he was in the tower, fighting for his life and the life of others.


    It still surprised Wyn how magic was seemingly infused in everything here. At this point he expected it to be inside food, too, served on literal silver platters. But the salve that Marcy applied worked like a spell to heal him, whether it was one or not.


    He finally gained the courage to look at his leg where Marcy was still applying the medicine. The cream was still glowing, nearly as bright as the mushrooms around them. He was sure that it was magical. The pain steadily went away and his skin returned, like she was wiping a new layer back onto his leg. It wasn¡¯t fast, though, and the process took several minutes, even if it felt like it took hours.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Wyn said. He moved his leg. It felt perfectly fine now, even though his pants exposed him almost up to his groin. The weakness and tingling sensation were both gone.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Ranger spell that can be stored,¡± Marcy said. She jammed the cork back onto the jar and placed it back in her pack. ¡°It would never be useful in the heat of a fight, but it¡¯s great for down times. And it¡¯s stronger than potions for elemental injuries.¡±


    ¡°Now look who¡¯s lecturing,¡± Cedric whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Thank you, Marcy.¡±


    Marcy reached out for Wyn¡¯s hand to help him stand. He grabbed it and she easily yanked him to his feet. He was a bit taken aback at how strong she was, and made a mental note to stop using his preconceived notions and experiences to try and understand this new world.


    ¡°At least it was minor,¡± Cedric said. ¡°All things considered. Some monsters in here can rip limbs off. You got lucky.¡±


    ¡°Minor,¡± Wyn said, shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°But I know I did.¡± He fingered the singed edges of his robes and pants. ¡°I really need to get some better gear. This is pathetic.¡±


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t expected, though. No rookie Climber would have magical gear on their first trip into the tower. Not average ones, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Cedric¡¯s right,¡± Marcy said. ¡°And you¡¯re doing great. Well, except for the parts where you aren¡¯t. But don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Wyn knew she was teasing him, but hearing it out loud stung more than he thought. ¡°I think I need to stay in the first few floors for some time and not rush it. As long as I can find a good amount of gold that way.¡±


    Cedric penned some notes onto his map. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised about what you¡¯d make doing that for a season. It won¡¯t be as much as you need, but you can increase the number of climbs to help offset that. But Wyn, that¡¯s one of the wisest things I¡¯ve heard today.¡± Cedric patted him on the back.


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    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him,¡± Marcy said. ¡°He missed his true calling as a teacher.¡±


    ¡°And having a magical weapon is basically required,¡± Cedric said, ignoring Marcy. ¡°All Climbers have one, and those who engage in combat often have several. That way you won¡¯t have to rely on your spells and skills and use valuable mana inefficiently.¡±


    ¡°Especially for a Ruby Magician who needs to use everything,¡± Wyn said. He flicked his right foot and felt the cool air rush over his now-barren leg. At least his boot was still mostly intact so he wouldn¡¯t have to walk or fight lopsided. ¡°And maybe several pairs of clothes, too.¡±


    Marcy and Cedric laughed. It felt good to hear it, and they all warmed up at the lighthearted feeling despite their situation.


    That was the camaraderie Wyn missed the most with his company. The laughter and bonds formed in the midst of chaos and destruction.


    Marcy walked out of the tunnel back towards the entrance. ¡°But let¡¯s move on to the final fork, shall we? I don¡¯t want to press our luck with time,¡± she said, not turning back. She waved her bow in the air like she was summoning them to follow her.


    Cedric pulled out his small piece of parchment again. ¡°It¡¯s 9:41. She¡¯s right. We still have some time but I¡¯m exhausted, too. I¡¯d rather not delay anymore.¡± He began to follow Marcy hurriedly, catching up to her.


    They were right, of course, and Wyn knew it. Based on Marcy and Cedric¡¯s information they should be nearing the end of the floor. It didn¡¯t feel much worse than the first floor regarding the combat, though the enemies were more magical. Of course that made them more dangerous, especially for a new Climber like Wyn who wasn¡¯t familiar with the knowledge of magic, the elements, and monsters that are made of them both.


    The maze leading through the cave was another challenge to overcome, and Wyn could see how each higher floor would pose different sets of challenges rather than pure fighting. This floor was a maze-like puzzle in addition to bouts of combat. What would the eighth floor look like? Or the fourteenth?


    Wyn put that out of his mind. There was no sense in worrying about that when he¡¯d never face them. Not now, anyway. By the time he was ready to challenge those floors, this season and environment would be long gone.


    He jogged behind them, catching up to the veterans. They silently walked back to the beginning of the forked tunnels to traverse the only one left - the far left tunnel.


    Wyn thought about all of the possible challenges he¡¯d face in the tower. Of course combat was ever present, but based on this floor Climbers would need a good head on their shoulders, too, in order to face non-combat related issues. Having magic was an obvious bonus as well, as he was sure there¡¯d be tougher magical enemies and terrain in his future. The luxury of choice he had in choosing spells he could use was as much of a boon as any. Entering the tower with a good balance of spells, magical equipment, and Climbers to wield them all would make for a powerful team that could achieve great heights.


    Thinking about this only solidified his resolve that Ruby Magicians were helpful rather than a handicap. Having combat related skills like melee classes and being able to use spells like magical classes was the best option for the unexpected. He could maintain a variety of tools at his disposal in order to keep his relevance. A store of weapons here, a cache of armor there. There¡¯d be no doubt with his future team about his worth.


    But it was all worthless if he couldn¡¯t earn the money needed to pay off his father¡¯s debts. Earning coins to send back home was the ultimate goal, after all. Being the best Climber possible in his situation was the means to achieve that goal.


    Wyn made a vow to himself that he would do what was necessary for his family.


    *****


    ¡°So much for your bad feeling,¡± Marcy said as they all stepped into the last remaining tunnel. They all turned around and saw two mushrooms shake their blue dust onto the ground, the tower¡¯s signal that they were finally on the right path.


    Cedric made a face at Marcy, sticking out his tongue and crinkling his face. She laughed at him and pushed him away from her. He laughed, too, a high pitched cackle Wyn wasn¡¯t expecting. It was jarring coming from the stoic Wizard, but Wyn was unexpectedly delighted that Cedric of all people made a noise like that.


    The three made their way through the tunnel, knowing full well they were getting closer to the end. It was progressing into a sour feeling and they all felt it - they were happy they were doing fairly well but upset at why they were here in the first place. They wanted to confront Lionel more than their fear of the consequences of going to the next floor without a key.


    But they were here now and doing what they could to survive.


    ¡°I want to take the next one, too,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Whatever happens I can manage. I know I can.¡±


    Marcy and Cedric exchanged glances.


    ¡°We will all take the next one,¡± Cedric said.


    Marcy nodded her head. ¡°Right, because it¡¯ll likely be the final path.¡±


    Right then they came upon their next fork. It was far shorter than the previous tunnels between forked options but the mushrooms continued to light their path. Only now the fungi were becoming more sparse, their multicolored glow lowering down to more of a dim light.


    Before them now were two possible tunnels to choose. They could see down each about twenty feet but then they both curved off, hiding what was further down the path.


    ¡°So this is it,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Our last path.¡±


    ¡°Either the right way,¡± Marcy said, ¡°or the very wrong way. That¡¯s usually how this works at the end.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d imagine it¡¯s deadlier if we choose wrong,¡± Wyn said. ¡°So maybe two should go instead?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We stay together. We can¡¯t afford to be separate if we choose wrong.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Marcy agreed. ¡°From here to the end. Whether we choose right or wrong, it¡¯s as a group.¡±


    Wyn nodded. They had a point, and he wasn¡¯t about to argue. This wasn¡¯t a basic scouting assignment or patrol. This was far, far different, and the value of keeping together as a group was apparently paramount.


    Marcy sat down at the fork and set her bow beside her. ¡°Might as well rest for now, though. There¡¯s a lot riding on this.¡±


    Wyn thought for a moment. ¡°Cedric. We only have a couple of hours, right?¡±


    Cedric pulled out his parchment paper. ¡°9:56.¡±


    Wyn checked his mark. He had little more than a third of his mana remaining, which likely wasn¡¯t enough for two spells if he needed to use them. ¡°How much of your mana would you recover if you rested for an hour?¡±


    Cedric scratched his chin. ¡°Some, but not a lot. Maybe a fifth?¡±


    ¡°About a fourth for me,¡± Marcy added.


    ¡°Then I say we rest for an hour and then pick. We¡¯ll have more mana and we have the time, especially since this is the end. We can afford it.¡±


    Cedric sat down beside Marcy. ¡°That would give us only an hour to finish the final room. A calculated risk I¡¯m willing to take.¡± He closed his eyes and sat his head against the cave wall.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be nearly at full,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But can you talk and recover mana at the same time or does it take concentration?¡±


    ¡°Concentration,¡± Marcy said, closing her eyes. ¡°Sort of like meditation.¡±


    ¡°So I guess trying to remember what the final area consisted of would be too distracting?¡±


    Marcy threw a small rock at Wyn that bounced harmlessly off of his chest.


    ¡°Maybe something in the room will spark a memory,¡± Cedric said, not opening his eyes. ¡°But for now, we empty our minds and prepare.¡±


    Wyn took that as a statement to leave them alone. Which was fine by him, as he didn¡¯t need to concentrate to recover his mana. Meditation never came easy to him anyway. He was happy once again that Lucidity allowed him to recover his own mana without the need to rest. He wondered if he could recover more if he joined them, but he was restless. It would be fruitless to try and sit still so close to the end.


    And yet, the camaraderie was important as well.


    Wyn ultimately sat down opposite them beside a purple mushroom. Not ten seconds later his stomach growled. He realized he hadn¡¯t had food in hours. He opened his pack for his water skin and rations and snacked for a few minutes, enough to curb the hunger but not too much to overfill.


    His attempt at resting was failing quickly. He tried taking deep breaths to still his mind but was unable to tear himself away from the cave. Finally, he decided to take a look around. Lucidity would recover some of his mana, and he made peace that it would suffice.


    The mushrooms here were moving ever so slightly, impossible to tell unless you took the time to stare at them exactly as Wyn was doing. They would gyrate as though trying to escape the wall and ceiling, and seeing them all move like that was a bit off putting. No dust was falling from them, though they continued their luminescent glow in various colors with blue being the most dominant. The spectacle of movement and many colors made Wyn uncomfortable and nearly sick.


    He looked down the tunnels and noticed the left tunnel was now glowing a dim yellow. The light began to grow slowly, a different, stronger light than the mushrooms. Wyn stood up to try to get a better angle. The light was warm and inviting, and he felt a strange sense of calm while watching it grow brighter with each second.


    Before he realized it, he walked over to the tunnel entrance and slowly stepped towards the light. He stopped, not wanting to go alone. Cedric and Marcy would be furious with him if they knew he went down it without them.


    ¡°Guys, look at this,¡± he said, but squinted his eyes now due to the brightness. ¡°I think we need to -¡± he started, but stopped. Marcy and Cedric were gone. The tunnel was empty, the mushrooms no longer gyrating. The space was still and void.


    The yellow light was pulsing now, giving off a strong magical aura. It seemed to call to him, drawing him in to see what it was.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t resist the urge. He stepped forward and began to walk into the light.

 Book 1 - Chapter 18

    The instant Wyn stepped into the tunnel to find the source of the light he regretted it. He didn¡¯t walk twenty feet further before the light became too bright, shining big and bold like the sun, forcing him to cover his eyes with a hand and then close them when it was still too much.


    It was an odd feeling as his mind wasn¡¯t thinking clearly. Deep down in the back of his mind he knew he shouldn¡¯t be going anywhere without his teammates, let alone towards a mysterious bright light. Still, his legs were seemingly moving on their own as the light drew him in.


    He could see the light through his eyelids for only a second, an afterimage of the blinding light. Before long he noticed it was thankfully starting to fade. He gingerly opened his eyes and saw the light was now gone, but his vision was clouded from the experience. His eyes needed to readjust. It took him almost a minute of hard blinking and nervously looking around in fear before he could make out any details.


    He now realized, to his horror, that he was no longer in the cave tunnel. Instead, he seemed to be in a small cabin.


    Wooden walls surrounded him, simple and plain. Bookshelves lined the walls to his right and a small countertop with a wash basin sat on the left wall. There was a square, wooden table in the middle of the room, two chairs sitting on either side of it. It was empty. Hanging on wood columns that accented the space were lanterns that offered light so Wyn could see. The light was soft yellow - the same yellow that beckoned him in the first place.


    There was a single door to his back and no windows, and he was alone.


    As Wyn looked around he noticed it wasn¡¯t as simple or boring as he first thought. He walked over to the bookshelves and saw not books, but jars of liquids set all across it, murky colors of green, brown, and yellow clouding the insides. They looked old and dirty, like someone from decades ago filled them from a swamp or some similarly disgusting water.


    He picked one up and shook it a bit, the brown water swirling inside. A rattle echoed off the glass. He couldn¡¯t make out exactly what was inside, but it looked almost like small bones.


    ¡°Welcome, Ardwyn,¡± a voice said, scaring Wyn. The words were drawn out, the voice hoarse and old. He jumped back, startled, and dropped the jar onto the ground. It shattered, and the liquid spewed all over Wyn¡¯s robes and boots, the bone-like objects scattering on the wooden floor. Wyn looked around the room to find who spoke to him and said his name.


    ¡°Hello? Who¡¯s there?¡± He stepped over the glass and walked to the table. He narrowly avoided stepping on the small bones from the jar, and didn¡¯t realize they were inching towards his boots like worms on the floor.


    It didn¡¯t seem anyone else was in the room. Not that he could see, at least. The space appeared empty and eerily silent but he had no idea about what magic resided in this place. The sound of the glass jar shattering still echoed in his ears.


    ¡°Please sit down,¡± the voice said again, and Wyn jerked his head around. There was now a woman sitting in one of chairs in the middle of the room, her fingers steepled together as her arms rested on the table. She had a sly smile on her face, and her grey hair was wiry. Her skin was wrinkled and grey, like she was wearing makeup made of dust.


    Wyn cautiously stepped over to the table but didn¡¯t sit down. ¡°Where am I? And who are you?¡±


    The woman chuckled. ¡°Always so many questions. You¡¯re in the same place you¡¯ve been. And I am an Avatar of Alistair. Won¡¯t you please sit down?¡±


    Wyn felt like he was in a dream. For all he knew he was - maybe the mushrooms in the cave put him in a sort of hallucinogenic trance? Were Cedric and Marcy in similar situations?


    Wyn grabbed the chair. It felt real. The grains of the wood were splintered and rough, and when he pulled it out to sit it was heavy. He sat down opposite the older woman.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. She gave that sly smile again. It felt¡­ odd.


    ¡°Avatar of Alistair. What does that mean?¡±


    She laughed this time. It was more of a cackle, really, and Wyn¡¯s hair stood on end hearing it. ¡°No one seems to know anymore. It means that I am a part of the Great One. I was created to carry out whatever is needed, and have been granted the magic and means to do so.¡±


    Wyn made it a point to remain as calm as possible. He didn¡¯t want to seem antagonistic or threatening, and right now it felt as though she only wanted to share information. But he felt very strong and very serious power from her deep inside him. ¡°The Great One. You mean the tower?¡±


    ¡°Not THE tower, the Great One! And you will refer to her as such!¡± She raised her voice at Wyn, sending spittle across the table with her words. She pounded her palms on the wood when she spoke, and Wyn jumped in his chair. He could¡¯ve sworn her eyes were glowing yellow when she lashed out.


    It struck him that she referred to the tower in another name he hadn¡¯t heard, not to mention calling it ¡®her¡¯. He¡¯d need to tread very lightly and carefully choose his words.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Wyn said. ¡°The Great One. You¡¯re¡­ her¡­ Avatar, then.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, her demeanor calming down and her sly smile returning. ¡°I change with the seasons. Currently I reside on a higher floor but she wanted me to see you.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s heart raced. There were several points in that sentence that he picked up on immediately. This Avatar was a higher floor creation - definitely a strong enemy, maybe a boss. If the tower sent her, that pointed to it being potentially sentient.


    But, above all, why was he so special?


    Wyn took a deep breath. ¡°She¡­ wanted you to meet me. Why? I¡¯m a nobody. A rookie. I just came here today, after all.¡±


    ¡°The Great One sees all and is a part of all beings and things here. Your class, magic, and abilities come from her. Items, currency, even some foods are born here, their magic stemming from the Great One and being sent out into the world. She knows much more than anyone gives her credit for.¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t know what to say. How could he? Was this normal? He didn¡¯t even know what normal meant in the tower, if there even was a normal. Was this supposed to happen to Climbers and be kept a secret? His mind was racing and he was having difficulty focusing.


    The old woman smiled. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. So many questions running through your mind. But it¡¯s okay, child, you don¡¯t need them all answered. And some will be answered soon.¡±


    Wyn just stared at her. He didn¡¯t know if he should speak or just listen at this point.


    She stared back at him for a minute. They were both locked in, her mysterious and vague and him nervous and confused. A bead of sweat ran down his forehead. He knew deep down he wouldn¡¯t have the ability to fight her. If she truly was a being from the higher floors, she could kill him with relative ease. It wouldn¡¯t even be a fight. It would be a slaughter.


    ¡°The Great One wanted me to meet you for encouragement. What happened today wasn¡¯t exactly¡­ typical within her walls. It was unexpected, even for us. But there are forces at play here outside your understanding. It would be wise to not interfere.¡±


    Wyn perked up. ¡°So it¡¯s a warning, then? Steer clear of this since I¡¯m too weak to do anything?¡±


    She shrugged her shoulders. ¡°In a way.¡±


    Wyn quickly switched from being nervous to being frustrated. He did his best to keep his expression subtle.


    ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t be offended,¡± she added. ¡°You still have much to learn and much room to grow. And The Great One sees that you will grow very well.¡±


    Wyn obviously didn¡¯t do well with subtlety. The Avatar¡¯s words were unexpectedly encouraging, and he honestly didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Be patient. Do what you came here to do. Grow, acquire magic and wealth, and then¡­¡± her sly smile grew wider and more menacing. ¡°And then, we will meet again.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Why are you telling me this? Even if it is a warning. And it sounds like you¡¯re encouraging me to defeat¡­ The Great One. And you.¡±


    She cackled, and the sound made Wyn¡¯s skin crawl. The noise was piercing and harsh. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your true purpose. You aren¡¯t here to defeat The Great One. That¡¯s impossible. You are simply here to pass her tests and take what she offers you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I thought the purpose was to conquer¡­ her. Climb to the top and¡­ well, I don¡¯t know. Win?¡± Wyn felt ridiculous the instant it came out of his mouth. He honestly didn¡¯t know what happened when Climbers reached and finished the 20th floor. So few of them actually made it.


    The old woman tilted her head to the side and furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°You must not know much about The Great One and her magic. How she came to be. How her brothers and sisters are?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    The old woman let out a sigh. ¡°Always so naive and uninformed, these children. I¡¯ll make it brief since I don¡¯t have much time. The noble and wonderful Alistair was the name given to this Great Tower by Aliyar, one of the gods who brought magic to the world by means of a special space¡­¡±


    For a second Wyn was distracted hearing the name Aliyar again. Apparently they¡¯re a god, and he made a point to look more into them.


    ¡°¡­He wanted to test the citizens of the world by trials to determine their worth. Even I don¡¯t know exactly why but we were created to push people and advance them. And advance them we have.¡±


    ¡°Through magic?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°So that still doesn¡¯t answer me. It sounds like I¡¯m still trying to defeat the tower since it¡¯s a trial.¡±


    The woman jerked her head slightly from Wyn¡¯s words. ¡°Have you studied in an apprenticeship or undergone training in your life?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I was in the military. They exposed us to general educational classes and combat training.¡± Wyn was honest. No sense trying to lie.


    ¡°That explains your resourcefulness and confidence for your first day.¡± She smiled again. Wyn shivered.


    ¡°So,¡± she continued, ¡°think about it like this - when you had a test in your education or training you were graded in some way about your performance, no?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So you weren¡¯t trying to defeat the actual test. You can¡¯t. There¡¯s nothing to beat or kill. You were only displaying a performance about your abilities. And then others did the same with the same material.¡±


    Wyn thought on that. She was right, after all, as he processed it. It was a strange way to consider it but it made sense.


    ¡°This trial you are experiencing is similar. You can not defeat the Great One. You can pass her trials or die trying, and you are only here to determine your worth. From Aliyar¡¯s perspective.¡±


    ¡°This is a lot,¡± Wyn said. He rubbed his temples. He was getting a headache with everything piling on from the course of the day topped with this new information.


    The old woman sighed. ¡°You are right. Which is why I shouldn¡¯t reveal more. You will find out more in your time here and continue to face challenges. However, don¡¯t forget - stay the course and don¡¯t interfere.¡±


    Wyn felt a heavy pressure from her when she finished. The room grew dark as the various sources of light flickered and dimmed. She smiled and they returned to normal.


    He was frozen, afraid to move. This felt even more surreal - just how powerful was she?


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°One last thing. She wants you to have a reward. For the trouble caused.¡±


    Wyn perked up. ¡°Yes?¡±


    She waved her hand, and he felt a strange force in his pocket. It seemed to come from his parchment.


    ¡°The Great One wanted you to have a new skill. Exclusive to you.¡±


    Wyn could hardly believe it. A new skill exclusive for him? Was it normal to obtain skills easily like spells? He pulled out his parchment labeled <u>CLASS</u> and looked at it. There, under Lucidity and Dyadcast was a new entry - Tower¡¯s Blessing.


    Tower¡¯s Blessing: A gift from the Avatar of Alistair. Provides one additional spell slot that may be used from any class at your tier that uses spells.


    ¡°That will make your arduous journey slightly easier,¡± the woman added. ¡°Not by much, but it will grow in time.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t believe it. He felt exactly what she offered - blessed. One, for not attacking him and simply talking, and two, because he was getting a boon that he imagined no other rookie Climber possessed.


    ¡°Wyn,¡± she continued, ¡°one more thing.¡± She walked over to the bookshelf and grabbed a small jar that she easily palmed in her hand. Or rather Wyn thought she walked, because it was hard to truly tell. She was fluid with her gait, and her long, ragged grey robe covered her legs, masking the truth. It looked as though she was gliding on air. Regardless, she came over to Wyn and showed him the jar.


    There were small mushrooms inside the glass jar and a small chain on top of the lid. The mushrooms resembled the ones he''d seen so far in the cave, only tiny. She shook the jar and the mushrooms bounced around, releasing their spores that lit up the area around him in an orange glow. It wasn''t as bright as a torch but the effect strangely carried further around the room. The mushrooms in the jar settled down but the spores swirled around like falling snow caught in the wind. The light was impressive for the size of the magical object.


    ¡°The blessing was from the Great One and this is from me. Shake this jar and you¡¯ll have light for a few hours. You can use the chain to secure it to yourself similar to a chained lantern.¡±


    Wyn took the jar and attached it to the front of his pants. ¡°But won¡¯t it break? It¡¯s glass. It looks fragile.¡± He played with it while it hung around his waist, giving it a brief tug to test the chain. Only now did he realize there was a faint blue glow to the item.


    The old woman laughed again. ¡°Silly child. It¡¯s a magically reinforced object! If you manage to break it you¡¯d be the first.¡±


    Wyn blinked hard. It felt strange being called a child. Was he not the first owner of the jar?


    She rapped her knuckles on the wooden table. ¡°But our time is up. Remember my words, Ruby Magician. Take care.¡±


    Wyn saw the same light as before behind him. It was alluring, drawing him in again. He began to walk towards the light nearly subconsciously, his legs carrying him without him controlling them. Before he completely reached the light he heard her speak one last time behind him, almost as an afterthought.


    "And Wyn, mind the colors. You won''t make it out whole, I''m afraid."


    Wyn turned back, unsure at her words. His legs carried him forward, though, and before he could reply he was engulfed in the light. The cabin and the old woman disappeared as the light overtook him once more.


    ******


    Wyn felt the room spinning. He looked around, startled that he was back in the cave tunnel. His head throbbed and he felt disoriented. The cave provided some support as he reached out to steady himself, but his knees buckled slightly, wobbling uncontrollably. He decided to give in and sat down on the cave floor as softly as he could, resting himself. The cold floor helped ground him to reality, and he closed his eyes to refocus.


    His eyes shot open. Marcy and Cedric. Where were they? His head wasn¡¯t throbbing as much, thankfully, and he noticed there was a path leading left. Maybe it was the beginning of the two tunnels that forked, where he started walking when following the light? He stood up and walked over to it.


    Sure enough, he was right. It was the start of the fork, the final decision that either led to the final room or a wrong path. He didn¡¯t find Marcy and Cedric, though. They were just here, he remembered, resting to recover some mana.


    It didn¡¯t make sense. Nothing made sense.


    He heard footsteps, shoes stomping on the ground loudly. Someone was here and they were running. He wondered if it was his teammates, or maybe some straggling group that stayed late to tackle this floor?


    Cedric and Marcy suddenly appeared from the tunnel from the previous fork, the last area they overcame. They were sweating and running.


    ¡°Marcy, Cedric -¡± Wyn started but was cut off from Marcy tackling him and pushing him against the wall.


    ¡°What in the hells did you do?!¡± She yelled. She seemed frantic. Here eyes were wide and she was breathing hard, likely from running. Or so Wyn thought.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wyn asked. He held his hands up pleadingly. The cave wall was digging into his back and Marcy was holding his lapel, keeping him pinned. He tried to shift his torso for comfort but she held him firmly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been gone nearly an hour,¡± Cedric said. He was breathing hard.


    Wyn¡¯s heart dropped. An hour? He was talking to that old woman for barely fifteen minutes! There¡¯s no way that was right.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been running up and down these tunnels looking for you,¡± Marcy said. She let go of Wyn a bit but still held onto him. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to chance going down one of the final tunnels but we retraced our steps. It was like you disappeared!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I saw a light down the left tunnel while both of you were meditating. I went towards it to get a better look before I was suddenly gone! Both of you disappeared. It was like I was teleported somewhere else.¡±


    Marcy let go of him. She waved him off and turned away. Cedric was still recovering, doubled over with a hand on one knee, though Marcy had basically recovered.


    ¡°That was incredibly dumb,¡± Cedric said, taking another drawn out breath to help settle himself. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have taken even one step¡­ towards either tunnel without us.¡± He was leaning on his staff for support. He looked worn down.


    Wyn nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I stepped into it at all. I was about to warn both of you before it happened. But I was only gone for a few minutes, then I came back.¡±


    Cedric took one more deep breath. ¡°Even if it felt like a few minutes it was much longer here. It¡¯s 11 o¡¯clock.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. Though I¡¯m realizing it¡¯s a ridiculous effort to try to make any sense of this place.¡±


    ¡°Not true either,¡± the Wizard replied. ¡°There are some rules.¡±


    ¡°But there are also some things we don¡¯t fully understand,¡± Marcy added. ¡°Are you alright? What happened in those few minutes?¡±


    Wyn thought about it for a second. Should he tell them? Would they think he was crazy? It seemed crazy even by this tower¡¯s standards. He flinched, expecting a scolding for not thinking to call it ¡®the Great One¡¯ or ¡®her.¡¯


    He laughed. He trusted them. Of course he would share it.


    But not yet.


    ¡°You won¡¯t believe me, but now might not be the best time for it. I¡¯d rather get out of here first.¡±


    ¡°At least tell us something,¡± Cedric said. ¡°And what is that on your belt?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a magical jar like a lantern. It was given to me.¡±


    Marcy and Cedric looked at each other. ¡°Maybe it would be best to wait to tell us when we get out,¡± Marcy said.


    Wyn laughed. It felt good to laugh.

 Book 1 - Chapter 19

    ¡°So the left tunnel is the wrong one, then?¡± Wyn asked. The three Climbers all stood at the final fork, deciding on their next move.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We still don¡¯t know for sure.¡±


    ¡°But this is the one where you saw the light?¡± Marcy asked. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Wyn answered. ¡°It took me to a room, sort of like a cabin where I met an old woman. I don¡¯t remember going into the tunnel at all.¡±


    ¡°A cabin with an old woman,¡± Marcy said. ¡°What was it like? Describe it.¡±


    Wyn paused for a moment to think. ¡°It was simple but creepy. All of the furniture was wooden, and there wasn¡¯t much of it. Plain and unassuming. There was an empty table in the middle of the room, a small kitchen on one side, and a bookshelf with strange jars on the other. I felt like I was in a hunting cabin instead of in a magical tower.¡±


    Marcy and Cedric exchanged a quick glance. Wyn caught the look.


    ¡°What?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Does that sound like something you¡¯ve heard of?¡±


    ¡°Did she attack you?¡± Cedric asked.


    ¡°Like I said, it wasn¡¯t bad. She sat down at the table and just¡­ talked. Though what she said was weird. And made hardly any sense.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like floor 9,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Remember what that Cleric from the Alistair Junkies said during the floor planning a few weeks ago? That the 9th floor was just a field and a witch¡¯s hut and they lost three members?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Cedric said quickly. ¡°I remember. They said it was one of the hardest final floors of a second tier they¡¯ve had in many seasons. That the floor boss was a witch - cunning, devious, and cruel. They were recommending guilds to only take their best groups and for the others to skip it.¡±


    ¡°Wyn,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Did the woman look like a witch?¡±


    ¡°What does a witch look like?¡± Wyn responded. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever met one.¡±


    ¡°You ass. You know - creepy, old, hermit-like?¡±


    ¡°Well, that does describe her. But that could be anything in this place. Or any village crazy lady.¡±


    ¡°Did she have grey, wispy hair?¡± Cedric asked. ¡°Thin and fine? Grayish skin? Moved like a ghost? Cackle that sent shivers down your spine?¡±


    Wyn¡¯s face paled. Her sickening laugh rang out in his head and he felt a wave of goosebumps shimmer over his arms. ¡°Yes. That description matches her exactly.¡±


    Marcy whistled, long and drawn out. ¡°You met the boss of a much higher floor. They were saying she likely should¡¯ve been the next tier boss, too. The head of floor 14, not 9. What in the hells happened?¡±


    ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time. Just know we talked and she gave me this magical jar. Shouldn¡¯t we focus on getting out of here first?¡± Wyn wanted to share with them what he learned, but not yet. Though he wanted to keep his new Tower¡¯s Blessing skill to himself. He didn¡¯t want to give off the impression he was being given handouts immediately after becoming a Climber.


    ¡°Probably,¡± Cedric said. ¡°There can be time to figure out how you managed that when we¡¯re done, but we absolutely need to discuss it. For now, maybe we should try the other tunnel?¡±


    ¡°I say yes,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Since you both want to avoid the more interesting topic of conversation. But we need to be smart at our approach. We didn¡¯t recover as much mana as we needed.¡±


    Wyn felt a pang of strike his stomach. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. How much did you recover before you looked for me?¡±


    ¡°Hardly any,¡± Cedric said. ¡°And we spent some looking for you. Some of the tunnels weren¡¯t searched and we tried them. We had to fight back.¡±


    Wyn felt even more guilt stir within him. He didn¡¯t blame them for searching for him as he would¡¯ve done the same thing. A team member suddenly disappears - in this environment of all places - and you look for them. No question. He was sure they started right away, trying to make sure they didn¡¯t potentially lose another rookie in this death trap. And then they spent even more precious resources to find him.


    He clenched his jaw. He¡¯d be damned if he wouldn¡¯t make it up to them somehow. A gift, or loyalty, or something.


    A renewed sense of purpose flushed out the guilt and took over his emotions. He wasn¡¯t as tired as them, had plenty of mana, and knew he needed to take the lead. Marcy could hold her own, but Cedric seemed as though he was wearing thin. They needed to finish this floor, and fast.


    ¡°But we¡¯ll be alright,¡± Marcy said. She patted Wyn on the back. ¡°Nothing we can do about it now. Let¡¯s move ahead and finish this damn thing. I¡¯m tired and ready for a bath.¡±


    Wyn chuckled. Cedric again laughed hard, high pitched and brief. Wyn laughed harder after hearing it, forgetting his strange laugh.


    The three smiled, finding a moment of solace, camaraderie, and confidence in a desolate place. This was a familiar feeling to Wyn, though in his experience it was always the enjoyable times of companionship before hardship came to light.


    ¡°So this one, then,¡± Cedric said, pointing his staff to the right tunnel. ¡°Let¡¯s go down it together.¡±


    ¡°Together,¡± Wyn echoed. ¡°I like that.¡±


    Marcy pushed the men on, all three stepping together in a line. They just fit down the width of the cave tunnel walking arm in arm. They didn¡¯t hesitate, stepping into and continuing down what could be either the correct or very wrong tunnel.


    Nothing happened. The three kept walking, silently, anxiously, further down the mushroom-lit cave path.


    Wyn stopped, which forced the veterans to stop, too. He nearly forgot how to confirm the tunnel they chose was right. The blue mushroom should be shaking itself to show the path the tower designated was theirs from beginning to end. He turned around and looked out for the sign.


    Not ten feet away a blue mushroom gently shook its cap, scattering blue spores onto the cave floor. Several more followed suit, looking like a grim celebration that they¡¯ve made it to the end but would still have to face the final test.


    Wyn turned back, and Marcy and Cedric were smiling. They knew this was it, the final walk before whatever it was that held them from returning to Alestead and getting out of their situation. There were several things Wyn needed to do right away, and he felt as though he wouldn¡¯t have the time to do it. He needed to make sure John was alright. And to check on Tasha, too, after dealing with the immediate aftermath of Lionel¡¯s betrayal. Then there was resting, eating, and celebrating their victory beyond the first floor.


    It might not feel quite like much of a celebration after what¡¯s happened to them, but it was important to do nonetheless.


    ¡°Did the witch give you any advice for the last room?¡± Cedric asked.


    Wyn stopped walking. He froze, her words coming back to him like a slap in the face. ¡°Only one thing.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t tease us,¡± Marcy said. She nudged him in the ribs playfully.


    ¡°She said to mind the colors.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Cedric said out loud. ¡°That vaguely rings a bell. And the entire cave has been a color puzzle, too.¡±


    ¡°And,¡± Wyn continued, ¡°that we wouldn¡¯t make it out whole.¡±


    Marcy and Cedric¡¯s smiles were instantly wiped away. They looked at each other worriedly, then back to Wyn.


    When the witch first told Wyn that last sentence he barely registered what she had said and truly didn¡¯t know what to make of it. Maybe she was blowing smoke, or maybe she was just trying to scare him. But thinking back on their conversation, she was incredibly honest and forthcoming, not teasing at all. After Marcy and Cedric revealed her true nature, he was even more convinced.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    He knew, without a doubt, she was right. The only problem was the extent of how right she would be.


    The three walked to the end of the tunnel, silent and anxious once more.


    *****


    Based on the previous tunnels they knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before they were at the final room. The last two paths only took a few minutes to walk, a brief stretch in the cave maze that the tower laid before them as a challenge. They walked at least twice the distance of the previous tunnels, and Wyn wondered if it was deliberately laid out longer.


    Regardless, he didn¡¯t have too much time to wonder as the tunnel started to open up into a large, square room. They stopped immediately before crossing into the room except for Wyn, who noticed the veterans waiting and awkwardly stepped back mid stride to stand with them.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Cedric said. ¡°This is it. We have very limited information,¡± he noted, pointing to Wyn. ¡°Though we can take what we¡¯ve encountered so far as a sort of warmup to this.¡±


    ¡°Something with colors,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Which is obvious, if you think about it, considering the different mushrooms and their colors so far. So that was a basically useless clue. You bet your ass it¡¯ll be a harder puzzle of some kind.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± Wyn agreed. ¡°But still, we need to keep that in mind about colors. You two are the experts here but I want to do the heavy lifting. So to speak.¡±


    ¡°Wyn,¡± Cedric started, ¡°that¡¯s nice and all, but you¡¯re right - we are the experts. We need to be the ones to lead.¡±


    ¡°But you both have much less mana than me.¡± He pulled up his left sleeve and looked at his mark. It was hardly glowing now, about one third of his mark showing his mana recovery. ¡°I¡¯m mostly full. I can do more if needed! Or at least hold off anything that tries to attack us while you two figure out what we need to do.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I can back you up, and if we get into too much of a bind, Cedric can take out several at once as a last resort.¡± She looked at Cedric. ¡°Just focus on the puzzle and try to figure it out to move forward. We can handle the enemies.¡±


    ¡°Gods I wish I had my potions,¡± Cedric said. ¡°It was so stupid not to bring them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who said it was only a rookie climb,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Remember? ¡®I don¡¯t need potions, it¡¯ll be easy! I don¡¯t need my circlet, or robe, or boots - it¡¯s a cake walk.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± Cedric said. He put his hands on his forehead and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll know to never do that again. Always treat the tower like I¡¯m facing the highest challenge.¡±


    ¡°Exactly like Faye used to say. She knew what she was talking about, after all.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Faye?¡± Wyn asked. He kicked some dirt nervously.


    ¡°She was our former leader,¡± Cedric said. ¡°She was a veteran for two seasons before she led our current party for two more. Then she was recruited to one of the top guilds.¡±


    ¡°I think she made their lead party, too,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Which isn¡¯t surprising.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Cedric said. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that. Good for her! She was a great Druid.¡±


    ¡°Is a great Druid,¡± Marcy corrected. ¡°Just not one for us anymore.¡±


    ¡°Did she leave on bad terms?¡± Wyn asked. He was more interested now, curious about other classes and Climbers.


    ¡°No,¡± Marcy replied. ¡°We knew she would go on to be in another guild. It was only a matter of time. She¡¯s a great Climber - skilled, smart, and team-focused. But we lost some definite confidence and power when she left.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ve been trying to climb back ever since,¡± Cedric finished. ¡°But we¡¯ll get there.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Marcy smiled at Cedric. He returned one to her.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but smile at their interaction. It was contagious and encouraging. In a sense they looked more like allies at war than Climbers in Alistair, and truthfully, they were.


    ¡°Alright you two,¡± Wyn said. ¡°No time like the present.¡± He stomped the butt of his spear on the ground, readying himself.


    ¡°True,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We have a plan. Let¡¯s stick to it the best we can.¡±


    ¡°Ladies first,¡± Marcy said. She began to walk into the room, striding carefully. She drew an arrow and nocked it to her bowstring, readying herself to draw and fire at a moment''s notice.


    Cedric held his arm out for Wyn, inviting him to go next. Wyn started but then stopped. He pulled up his left robe sleeve and held his arm out to Cedric, touching his shoulder.


    Cedric furrowed his brow, unsure of Wyn¡¯s intention. Wyn smiled and patted his shoulder reassuringly.


    ¡°Dyadcast: Arcane Aura!¡± Wyn said. He felt the skill take effect on top of the spell, the magical energy surging from his mark. His class symbol appeared on the ground below him, and a second one appeared under Cedric. It started from the ground and moved up, enveloping both of them in the familiar magical aura. The symbol morphed into another one with a single circle, the runic makeup of the Arcane Aura spell. The skill and spell covered them in a magical haze, forming into a soft white suit of armor over their own clothing.


    Even Marcy turned around and watched him cast it, curious at his skill.


    ¡°Thank you, Wyn,¡± Cedric said. ¡°That skill is definitely something. I¡¯ve never seen that spell used in a sort of double-cast.¡± The Wizard moved his body around, twisting and turning his torso and arms freely. He stood a bit straighter with the armor around him, confident and secure.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re impressed,¡± Wyn said. He felt useful for a change. ¡°But let¡¯s get this going while it¡¯s still active. Based on the experiment at the start of the floor, the spell should last about ten minutes.¡±


    Cedric nodded his agreement and followed behind Marcy. ¡°I hope that''s enough. And I¡¯m ready to get out of this place, too.¡±


    Wyn followed behind both of them. He quickly looked down to inspect his mark while they were still safe. Nearly the entire mark was glowing - the Ruby Magician hat, shield, sword and staff were gently pulsing magic, and the singular runic circle was dull. Lucidity was working, and by his mark, needed nearly the entirety of his mana before it would completely recover, or just under three hours. He figured he would have enough for an Ice Shard spell only, and not even right now. It would be some time for him to recover enough mana for a single cast.


    This had to work. He still had years of combat experience and training to rely on.


    The three Climbers cautiously walked further into the room. They each looked back at the entrance and noticed it wasn¡¯t barring them off. At least the entrance was still a possible escape.


    But it didn¡¯t matter. They had only one possible way out, and that was forward.


    The room was massive, as Wyn figured it would be. It was nearly as big as the training hall where Wyn first met John and then sparred with Daniel. What he didn¡¯t expect, though, was the sheer amount and size of mushrooms that grew out from the cave walls and randomly through the cave floor and ceiling.


    The mushrooms created an assortment of varying colors. They all pulsed and emitted a bit of light, blanketing the final room in a strange rainbow. The Climbers could see everything easily, but it was a bit disorienting, too.


    Wyn noticed there were a few colors he hadn¡¯t seen in the tunnels before. Pink, white, brown, even some multi colored mushrooms were scattered around the ones he recognized. He wondered what kind of mushroom monster would emerge from those.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Marcy said. She was standing at the opposite end of the room. Wyn realized he was standing directly in the middle of the large cave, staring at the mushrooms coating the area. Marcy and Cedric had been busy in their time, having fanned out to search for the objective.


    Wyn felt again like a true rookie. Despite his experience and training he still found himself caught in moments of wonder, difficulty focusing on the task before him. He hoped it would be easier as he gained experience as a Climber, but he couldn¡¯t help but chastise himself for these moments.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Wyn asked. He had jogged up to them to see what they stopped to investigate.


    Marcy was standing at a stone pedestal that held a large bowl. They were both dark grey. The bowl was also stone, and there was a small circular hole in the middle that appeared like it drained deeper into the pedestal. It looked like something that belonged in a temple, though Wyn hadn¡¯t had much experience there.


    He looked over to Cedric and noticed he was standing in front of an opening. There were a series of stone bars, similar to the ones that they had encountered on their winding journey here. Three were vertical and three were horizontal, all the size of a small tree.


    Behind them, though, was their prize. The portal to the next floor floated there, bright red, beckoning them to touch it so they could exit. It was a tease, literally barred off from them until they could solve whatever puzzle the tower laid out.


    ¡°So this was probably open earlier today, after some groups cleared it, right?¡± Wyn asked, pointing with his spear at the portal.


    ¡°Yea,¡± Marcy replied. ¡°But it closes quick, resetting itself for the next group. Otherwise you could get carried through the whole tower, which defeats the purpose.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. There¡¯s no spider bosses here, though, so that¡¯s something.¡±


    ¡°Marcy,¡± Cedric said, inspecting the bowl and pedestal. ¡°Do you remember the color puzzle on floor 6?¡±


    ¡°Gods, yes. I hate that floor.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have bad news. I think this might be similar.¡±


    Marcy groaned and smacked her forehead with her palm.


    ¡°Why is that so bad?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°The puzzle,¡± Cedric started, ¡°involved having to light colored flames in a specific order to continue on. If you made a mistake, enemies would appear and you¡¯d have to start over.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡±


    ¡°It took over two hours,¡± Marcy said. ¡°And nearly drained us of our resources at full capacity. As other groups joined us more enemies joined, too. It was awful.¡±


    Wyn nodded, trying to understand the difficulty. ¡°Well, how do we start, then? There¡¯s only a grey bowl and no other colors.¡±


    ¡°Based on our previous trials, the assorted mushroom enemies we faced, and the massive amounts of colored mushrooms here, it¡¯s safe to say this will be similar. I feel like this floor might be coming back to me.¡±


    Wyn still wasn¡¯t convinced. It just seemed¡­ boring. Granted, there wasn¡¯t much information to make that conclusion, and he needed to trust their experience. If there were only a few mushrooms like what they faced, they stood a good chance while Cedric remembered what to do.


    Marcy suddenly perked up and wheeled around, facing the entrance. She drew her bowstring, anchoring the arrow to her cheek. She steeled her gaze and straightened her torso, readying herself.


    Wyn was slower than her Extrasensory, and he turned to see what alerted her. Three yellow mushrooms had vibrated and shaken on the wall beside the tunnel where they entered, and they released their spores onto the cave floor. Mushrooms began to sprout from the dust, all yellow like the ones they first fought on the floor.


    Wyn smiled and readied himself beside Marcy. He remembered that they weren¡¯t so bad, being slow and soft. They had weapons but were manageable. Plus, there was a fair distance between them, giving him plenty of time to counter with an attack.


    Marcy cursed.


    The mushrooms grew larger than the ones they had fought previously. They expanded at least three feet taller and wider, more like trees than mushrooms, looking much more intimidating than before. He could see their yellow eyes glaring at him from across the large room. One wielded a spear like him, another an axe, and the third had two swords, one in each hand.


    Wyn immediately stopped smiling. This wouldn¡¯t be nearly as easy as he thought.

 Book 1 - Chapter 20

    Wyn waited just a second to see how the mushroom enemies would move. They charged the Climbers, running across the hall towards them. It would only be a few seconds before they met them at their speed.


    Not only where they bigger, but they moved faster than before, too. He found himself both surprised and not surprised at the outcome, as this was the final floor after all. He was warned it would be harder, but it was still jarring to see them appear so much more formidable.


    Wyn decided to act quickly in order to catch them off guard. He focused on the one in the middle, the one leading the charge who wielded a large axe. The weapon was easily as big as Wyn.


    He decided to take two quick steps forward at the same time as it approached. He stabbed forward and up with his spear, aiming at the top of its chest, hoping to succeed in his plan to take it down fast. In a brief moment of panic he was afraid his mundane weapon wouldn''t do any damage, afraid their outer layer was tougher, too.


    Thankfully the monster had its axe held high wanting to strike down, and after being caught off guard stopped its attack in surprise. Wyn used his spear as a lever and aimed up and to his side, trying to use the monster¡¯s momentum to his advantage and cast him off like throwing hay with a pitchfork.


    By the gods, it worked.


    With great difficulty he flung the mushroom off to his left, away from Marcy and Cedric. It was definitely heavier and tougher than before, but it was easier to stab and haul than a soldier in full combat gear. Even though his spear wasn¡¯t magically coated, he noticed how the entire metal head of the weapon pierced the mushroom¡¯s body, and he easily pulled the weapon out before stabbing its downed head in two quick successions.


    He smiled, silently thanking his time on the farm for the maneuver. He certainly didn¡¯t learn that in the military, nor would he want to use it there - he would''ve been stripped of his rank and laughed out of service. He could only imagine the verbal lashing he would get for trying something like that in battle.


    The mushroom began to dissolve on the ground just as before, and Wyn was thankful it wasn¡¯t too much harder than last time.


    He turned, ready to face the others, before realizing there weren¡¯t any others. He looked around the room and saw Marcy standing, her bow now relaxed with no arrow drawn.


    Two piles of mushroom spores covered the floor not too far from where she stood, arrows poking out from both of them.


    She downed them both before Wyn finished off his one. He didn¡¯t know if he was completely focused on his own fight or if she was just that skilled. The twang of her bowstring and firing of her arrows never even crossed his ears.


    Wyn nodded with his head, small but firm, reassuringly. She returned a similar nod before walking over to the piles of yellow spores and picking up her arrows. Wyn noticed she inspected them, twirling them in her fingers and bending them slightly, like the archers he had in his company.


    One of the arrows she tossed to the ground, the rest she placed back in her quiver. Two were kept in her bow hand, a technique Wyn wasn¡¯t familiar with.


    ¡°Now what?¡± Wyn asked.


    Almost like the tower was answering him, a large pedestal grew out of the far corner of the room. It looked like the one beside the portal though it was slightly smaller. A stone bowl sat at the top, and it wasn''t grey but completely yellow.


    Cedric ran over to Wyn and picked up some of the mushroom spores without saying a word.


    ¡°Cedric? What are you doing?¡± Wyn looked around the room. He didn¡¯t realize it before, but there were more pedestals, all different colors. Were they there before and he missed them? But wouldn¡¯t Marcy or Cedric have mention them earlier?


    Cedric, with a handful of yellow mushroom spores, then ran over to the newly risen pedestal and dumped the spores into it. The pedestal began to glow from the bottom up, like it was filling up with a magical, glowing substance.


    Which is exactly what it was doing.


    Soon, though, it stopped. It was only glowing about three quarters of the way up the pedestal. It stayed that way and didn''t rise anymore as the spores had filled the pedestal only a portion of what it could completely hold.


    ¡°Bring more spores!¡± Cedric yelled. ¡°And hurry!¡±


    Wyn looked over at Marcy, who looked at him at the same time. There was only a brief pause before they each scooped up as much of the spores as they could. Marcy put away her arrows and slung her bow on her back in order to use two hands, and they both awkwardly trotted over to Cedric.


    They lost some of the spores on the way over, but there was still plenty to add. They dumped it all, hoping it was enough.


    The entire pedestal was now glowing, and one of the bars that blocked off the portal turned yellow and began to retract.


    ¡°It worked!¡± They all said in unison.


    ¡°I remembered!¡± Cedric said, his face beaming with pride despite their situation. ¡°A new wave will come soon, but I¡¯ll make sure to get the leftover spores unless I need to intervene!¡±


    A mushroom shook right beside their head and red spores now began to fall.


    They stepped back, drawing their weapons to attack and to give themselves some room.


    ¡°Get ready,¡± Cedric yelled.


    Wyn looked across the room. More mushrooms had shaken all across the room, and now four more mushrooms began to rise.


    Two were green, one was red, and another white.


    Wyn quickly thought back earlier in the floor. The green mushrooms shouldn¡¯t be too bad, but those two red mushrooms would be downright deadly. He had no idea what a white mushroom could do.


    His spear began to quiver, but a few deep breaths steadied his hands.


    Cedric stepped forward and raised his staff straight towards the ceiling. ¡°Electric Bolt!¡±


    A large rune appeared above Cedric¡¯s staff, intricate patterns and swirls of magic confusing Wyn and disorienting him. It looked powerful just from the runic makeup alone.


    The same magical missiles Wyn saw before streaked out of Cedric¡¯s staff and arced their way towards the mushrooms. This time, however, the streaks of lightning were larger and faster, confirming Wyn¡¯s guess this was a strong spell. The first one hit the red mushroom right beside them, and the impact burned a large hole in its chest. It stopped the red mushroom¡¯s advance, which was an impressive feat as the monster was their height and size. Smoke plumed both from the creature¡¯s head and the now-empty torso.


    Before it could react too quickly Wyn took advantage of the moment and stepped over to it, slicing across its chest with his spear. It opened more of its body up, the lightning crackling through its armor and into its fire-like body. These were upgraded, too, having cap armor over their bodies at strategic locations for additional protection. Wyn attacked once more at the closest distance he could stand, hoping to fell it before it fought back or burned him again.


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    He was thankful he had his magical armor this time. He could barely feel the heat emanating from the monster, even now that it stood eye to eye. After his second slash, the mushroom fell back in a smoke puff, dissipating into ashes on the ground.


    Wyn looked around the room and saw the other mushrooms similarly falling down, all except for the white mushroom. It was stocky and short but bulbous, looking like a clean blob of dough with a ridiculously large mushroom-cap head. It absorbed Cedric¡¯s lightning attack and looked to be unscathed.


    It was standing still, at least. It didn¡¯t seem to want to attack them. It had strangely small, beady black eyes that didn¡¯t seem to fit its larger body. It wasn¡¯t looking at any of them in particular, just¡­ staring at the cave wall.


    Seeing the mushroom was unsettling. Wyn felt a shiver run across his spine. It was odd, and he didn''t have any idea what else it could do, adding to its mystery.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, Wyn,¡± Cedric said, ¡°go take the spores!¡± He went over to the closest red mushroom and gathered it, then looked around the room for the colored pedestal. He began trotting towards the one colored red.


    Wyn snapped out of his complacency. Cedric was right, they needed to be efficient and move fast.


    He started towards the other mushrooms then paused. He saw Marcy hesitate, too. They stood about 30 feet from the piles of spores but that wasn¡¯t what they were concerned about. The other mushrooms were fairly close to the white mushroom, and they were still unsure of its abilities.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, but be on guard,¡± Marcy said.


    Wyn snickered. ¡°Like you even have to say it.¡±


    He held his spear at the ready and side stepped in an arc, hoping to keep some distance from the white monster while closing in towards the piles of spores they desperately needed. Marcy was doing the same on the other side. They both gave it a wide berth, hoping to keep their distance and avoid unnecessary fighting. Time didn¡¯t seem to be as much of a concern anymore, but efficient mana usage and energy expenditure was critical.


    The mushroom wasn¡¯t focused on them, keeping its gaze in the same direction. It seemed more like a statue than an enemy and had yet to move an inch.


    Marcy and Wyn met in seconds, quickly grabbing as much spores as they could carry while being cautious. They both grabbed a handful of green spores and looked around.


    ¡°Do you see the pedestal?¡± Wyn asked. He saw Cedric run to a far off corner and stop. The pedestal lit up red, a similar amount as the first one, and one of the bars began to glow red, too.


    ¡°There,¡± Marcy said, and began to run towards a different corner of the cave.


    Wyn followed her, trusting her vision more than his. He couldn¡¯t completely make out the colors and his focus was being pulled in several directions. His hope was that when the pedestals held at least some spores they¡¯d light up, becoming easier to see within the sea of colors.


    He ran over to it, though lost most of the spores along the way. Multiple curses left his mouth.


    Marcy dumped her share into the bowl, able to carry more with two hands than Wyn. He quickly realized he had a decision to make. He could leave his spear and carry more spores, but he¡¯d be without a weapon if something happened while he was transporting the material. If he took it, though, he limited his ability to carry more of the spores to add. Any second more mushrooms would form, and Wyn couldn¡¯t think of a good alternative.


    He decided to keep his spear for now in case he needed to defend himself. It was the cautious decision, believing he could always get more spores for another trip rather than being without a weapon.


    Marcy followed him, quickly realizing they needed much more to fill the green pedestal as their current haul wasn¡¯t even half of the amount required.


    ¡°I might have to be the one to do this,¡± she said, speaking between huffs. ¡°You can¡¯t carry very much!¡±


    ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t want to leave my weapon behind!¡±


    They made it back to the piles and grabbed more, still eyeing the white mushroom. It continued to stay still, facing the same direction it was before.


    Where were the next set of mushrooms? Surely, Wyn thought, they would¡¯ve come by now.


    Both Climbers took their new share of spores back to the green pedestal and poured it. It filled nearly full but stopped. The bar in front of the portal was still closed off.


    ¡°Damnit, we still need more,¡± Wyn said. He set his spear against the pedestal this time, opting to be more efficient with gathering the spores. He could easily grab more with two hands to scoop and decided to take the risk this time, mushrooms be damned.


    Without another thought he started back towards the pile again, nearly in a sprint now. When he got there, he realized the green pile was duller than before. Where it previously was a bright green it was now nearly grey, the color draining from the pile.


    The magical aura dissipated from the spores, and it looked like a pile of grey sand.


    Wyn looked at Marcy, confused as to what was happening.


    "It''s a different color,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Think it''ll still work?"


    She sighed. "No, I don''t think so. Looks like we have a limited window of time."


    Wyn cursed again. He had made two wrong decisions back to back, and they missed out on completing part of the puzzle due to his mistakes. This process wasn¡¯t nearly as easy as he thought it would be.


    Cedric had moved to the portal, inspecting the door. "We¡¯re doing well so far!" He yelled. "We just need to keep getting the spores!"


    "We need to be fast, too!" Marcy yelled back. She held up a handful of the spores and let it pour out onto the floor. "It won''t be good after a minute or so!"


    Cedric moved towards the other pedestals without a response. "Here is the blue one. And here''s an orange one!" He was moving along the room quickly, pointing out the various locations for Marcy and Wyn to note.


    Wyn saw more mushrooms shake and release their spores. Marcy drew another arrow, readying herself. Wyn stood in the middle of the cave without his weapon, the exact situation he wanted to avoid. He immediately ran to the green pedestal to grab it.


    He looked around the room to see where the mushrooms would be growing but there weren¡¯t any obvious signs yet. Cedric was standing beside him now, staff at the ready, while Marcy stood in the middle of the floor.


    "I don''t like that mushroom," Cedric said. He used his staff to point to the white mushroom not far from Marcy. "I have a bad feeling about it and I can¡¯t remember what they do."


    It was facing Wyn and Cedric, now. It was still expressionless and not moving its body, but it wasn''t facing the same direction as before.


    "Strange," Wyn said out loud. "It turned."


    "That¡¯s part of why I don''t like it. But new plan - let me and Marcy kill the enemies and you get the spores."


    "What? Why?"


    The mushrooms were forming, scattered all across the room. There were multiple colors again, and Wyn thought it looked like a deadly and perverse rainbow. There were more of them, too, nearly ten by Wyn¡¯s estimation.


    "Because we can kill them quicker and from further away. I have enough mana for one more wave, so this needs to be it. Just be fast! We''ll help when we can!" He raised his staff again and pointed it at the closest mushroom. It was a mere 15 feet away, glowing orange and growing fast. Like the last wave of enemies this one was slightly bigger than the orange one they fought earlier in the caves. Wyn knew it would be seconds before it reached its full height and closed the distance between them.


    A large rune formed in front of Cedric''s staff followed by a ball of crackling lightning the size of his head. It flew towards the mushroom like the speed of an arrow, quick and precise.


    It smacked into the chest armor of the mushroom, dispersing into webs of crackling energy that seared the mushroom all over its body. It immediately roasted into plant ash.


    Wyn felt the hairs on his arm raise and his skin tingle from the lightning attack. Thankfully his magical shield armor still shrouded him, and he shuddered thinking about the effects of being so close to a spell like that without it.


    Cedric took his staff and pointed it at another mushroom, casting the same spell again. It hit its mark a second time, and again the enemy was reduced to mushroom spores. Wyn couldn¡¯t help but marvel at Cedric¡¯s magic. War was one thing, smashing into each other with swords and shields and arrows flying like a flock of birds. But this? This was an entirely separate beast, and it was difficult to not be awestruck at the power of magic.


    He snapped out of his wonder when he saw Marcy shoot a magical arrow like earlier, nearly exploding a mushroom on the far end of the room. The sound crackled and popped loudly, shaking him from his lost focus.


    He realized Marcy and Cedric were more than holding their own. They were basically playing with the plant monsters, conserving their resources but still easily dealing with the situation. If this kept going, though, they¡¯d be out of mana and in a dire spot.


    Wyn left his spear beside the green pedestal and ran over to the orange spores that Cedric first annihilated. He began to pull the spores on the ground together into a pile and tried scooping it up, disappointed at how little his cupped hands could hold.


    He took a deep breath to think. Rushing himself was only causing mistakes, and he needed to jump ahead of the situation rather than react after the fact.


    An idea entered his mind.


    He dropped the spores back to the pile. He nearly forgot about the Magician hat Daniel gave him, as it was surprisingly a good fit on his head - but now he needed it for a specific reason. He put it on the ground and began shoving spores inside it to use as a makeshift bowl.


    He remembered where the orange pedestal was, and locked in on it. It was on the other side of the room between two corners at the left of the portal and right of the entrance. Unfortunately there was chaos separating him from the pedestal, but he was determined to be useful and this was his designated role at the moment.


    His magical aura flickered and dulled slightly. A soft curse left his lips. Did he cast his armor spell too soon? Doubt tried to cloud his mind but he forced those thoughts away. He needed confidence and focus now.


    Carrying his spore-filled hat as though his life depended on it, he rushed across the room without another moment of hesitation.


    More than just his own life rested in the balance. This wasn¡¯t the first time that was true, and Wyn wanted to be sure this time he''d succeed.

 Book 1 - Chapter 21

    All around Wyn was chaos. It could¡¯ve been worse, of course, but he certainly didn¡¯t feel that way in the moment.


    Arrows flew like quiet bringers of death, strategically placed to be able to bring down mushroom after mushroom with the most efficiency possible. Wyn recoiled as another pop of crackling energy echoed off the cave walls, the smell of burnt plants filling his nose.


    His companions were doing their part. Wyn was doing his. He kept his head down and just ran, holding his spores-filled hat so nothing would fall out. It wasn¡¯t the prettiest hold or run since he still held onto his spear for emergencies, but it was the best he could do. The orange pedestal wasn¡¯t too far, and he did his best to ignore the impulse to check his surroundings and focus on his task.


    Marcy and Cedric obviously worked well together. What would their situation be like if they both were more close-ranged Climbers?


    Wyn pushed the thought away. He was thankful for their abilities and teamwork. Maybe, just maybe, when they made it out, they¡¯d be willing to group up and continue climbing together.


    Without a single mushroom focusing on him, Wyn made it to the pedestal and dumped the contents. It was more than before and it filled up over halfway. He smiled, happy that it filled more than he and Marcy together were able to carry with their hands. The strategy paid off. It could take just a couple of trips, maybe less if he filled his pockets, too.


    Silence filled the room. It was a strange contrast to the pops of Cedric¡¯s magic, twangs and thuds of Marcy¡¯s bow and arrows, and loud crashes of giant, monstrous mushrooms. They had succeeded again for the second wave of enemies, and Cedric and Marcy took them out with relative ease.


    But at what cost?


    The three Climbers wasted no time.


    "Fill your pockets!" Wyn yelled, trying to save time. "Take as much as you can!"


    They ran around the room gathering spores where they could, filling pedestals with their respective color and trying to be efficient. Cedric was using his robe pockets to fill the spores, grabbing and scooping as much as the dead plant would offer. Marcy unfortunately kept her strategy of cupping her hands as she didn¡¯t have pockets on her armor. Between the three of them gathering, transporting, and dumping the spores, they worked more effectively than the last wave of enemies.


    In the middle of them running around the room, however, they each noticed something. Two more white mushrooms had spawned, and all three of them were unmoving in the room. It was like they were glued to the ground though able to turn as a whole, resembling movable statues.


    Marcy was the one to point out what they each were thinking, yelling it out while they kept filling pedestals. ¡°Cedric, they¡¯re following you!¡±


    It would¡¯ve been more eerie if they weren¡¯t white and round like a child¡¯s toy, but the Climbers still wondered what their purpose served. For now, though, they were merely distractions, not engaging in the fight and not posing a threat.


    As the next minute rounded off, the remaining spores dulled. Wyn was in the middle of pouring blue spores into the pedestal when some of it went dark and the pedestal stopped filling with color. He cursed.


    When he looked around the room, though, he realized they had completely filled the orange, green, and yellow pedestals. They partially filled the purple, red, and blue ones. The portal was that much closer to being freed, and relief washed over him seeing more bars that kept the portal locked away retracting. This was their most successful wave yet, and Wyn guessed it would take only one more round if the correct colors fell for them to use.


    The three Climbers met in the middle of the room, huffing and breathing heavy. Cedric leaned on his staff for support while Marcy took big breaths arching her back, both hoping to calm themselves down after nearly sprinting around the room. Wyn could feel his own fatigue set in as sweat dripped down his cheek and neck.


    Both of the veterans looked utterly exhausted. Wyn understood, though. They¡¯d climbed the tower all day and were still doing the majority of the fighting despite his intention to lead them. Marcy had bruises all over her exposed skin but was seemingly unhurt. Cedric¡¯s robes covered his body so Wyn couldn¡¯t tell if he was injured, but his lack of magical armor revealed that he¡¯d taken some blows during the last wave. The aura still covered his head, hips, and left leg, but was gone everywhere else.


    ¡°This needs to be our last shot,¡± Cedric said. ¡°This armor won¡¯t last past the next round, and I¡¯m nearly out of mana.¡±


    ¡°Same here,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I only recovered three arrows and have enough mana for about two spells, depending on which I use.¡±


    Wyn checked his forearm. He was still recovering most of his mana as they¡¯d only been in the final cave room for a short time. No spells or skills would help him for this next wave.


    ¡°New strategy, then,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We only kill the colored mushrooms we need and avoid the others unless absolutely necessary. Marcy, you and I take out the red ones. Wyn, handle the blue. They¡¯re resistant to magic but weak to physical attacks. And if you can, use your Ice Shard spell on the purple ones - they¡¯re the opposite, resistant to weapons but weak to magic.¡±


    Wyn shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough mana for that, yet. I can do my best to distract the other colors and take on the purple ones while you two focus on the red and blue.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Once I use my mana I¡¯m useless. I have no charges in my staff or any way to recover.¡±


    Marcy pulled a large knife from her boot. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can with Wyn and save the arrows for the big baddies. Cedric, call it out.¡±


    Wyn stared at the two Climbers for a moment. ¡°Call it out?¡±


    ¡°Climber terms,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Being the eyes and ears for your team when you need to solve a task.¡±


    ¡°You were military, Wyn, you should at least infer that,¡± Marcy added.


    Wyn sighed. ¡°There are plenty of differences, you know. And I absolutely don¡¯t know everything.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a rookie,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°Focus,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We have three colored pedestals left and the large gray one, too. I can¡¯t remember how it plays into the room but I do remember we need to use it. Hopefully we can figure it out sooner rather than later.¡±


    Wyn knew climbing the tower would be difficult but he never imagined the amount of thinking required to progress. Of course he should''ve known there''d be one more piece to the puzzle on this floor. He hoped one of them would figure out the final piece before it was too late.


    Wyn heard, rather than saw, the mushrooms shake their spores. There were so many across the room it was audible, like a waterfall of sand being poured onto the stone floor.


    The three Climbers braced themselves. By the sound and looks of the spores falling they expected about a dozen or so to emerge.


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    They were wrong.


    The spores on the ground collected together, forming larger piles than before. Mushrooms began to grow from the ground, rising like large stalks that looked more like trees. Seven new mushrooms formed in total. One was white and was the size of the others, making four of those strange creatures.


    The other six were huge, at least ten to twelve feet tall, completely towering over them. They made the last wave of enemies look small in comparison. Two yellow mushrooms and one each of red, purple, green, and blue were scattered around the room.


    The colors they needed were there. All they had to do was survive the others.


    Wyn had trained for years to harden his body and resolve. There was no way in all the hells he¡¯d let this be the end.


    He raised his spear and readied himself to charge. There really wasn¡¯t any choice but to attack and to attack fast.


    ¡°Wyn, distract them while Marcy and I take out the red and purple!¡± Cedric yelled.


    Wyn stopped his advance. He had ran directly at the closest green mushroom, and it faced him ready to fight. But now that Cedric called for a change of direction he needed to divert his strategy.


    The easiest way would be to have them chase him around the room. Would it be that easy, though?


    One of the large yellow mushrooms lumbered forward towards Wyn, dragging a large yellow sword on the ground behind it. The monster walked right behind the green mushroom who was still focused on him.


    Apparently it would absolutely be that easy.


    Wyn started jogging away from Cedric and Marcy in an arc, hoping to pull the attention of the majority of the mushrooms. The two veteran Climbers moved away and threw rocks at the red and purple mushrooms, successfully separating them from the rest. It was honestly a brilliant move, not sacrificing any resources while quietly gaining their attention.


    Wyn didn¡¯t have time to be impressed, though. He had four mushrooms trying to kill him.


    The green mushroom was far more physically intimidating than the others with their improved strength and reflexes, but the yellow mushrooms had weapons that increased their deadliness. Oddly, the blue mushrooms seemed to be a mix of the two, but it didn¡¯t wield any weapons as far as Wyn could tell.


    Wyn turned to check the distance between himself and the mushrooms just in time to see the blue mushroom furthest back raise an arm and fire a large ball of magic from its hand. Wyn abruptly stopped and jumped back, dodging the bolt of magic as it slammed into the cave wall not ten feet behind him exploding a huge brown mushroom into a plume of spores. The attack left a small crater in the wall. There was serious power within that magic.


    So the blue mushrooms were weak to physical attacks but could cast magic. That was not good for his current strategy.


    Wyn cursed and decided to go on the offensive. The green mushroom was the closest and would be his first target, and he had time to exchange a few blows before the yellow monsters would get close.


    He raised his spear and stabbed out to the large green mushroom. It sidestepped the attack fairly easily and countered with a kick with its thick, trunk-like leg. Wyn tried to avoid the hit but couldn¡¯t dodge all of it due to the sheer size of the monster. Its green leg glanced off of his shoulder but it still knocked him to the side. He hardly felt the impact at all due to the magical armor taking the brunt of the attack, but if an attack actually landed he¡¯d be in serious trouble.


    Wyn recovered quickly and lunged out with his spear. Even though his spear gave him additional reach the mushroom was still quick and strong, and several short jabs at the creature¡¯s torso barely connected. One strike was a solid blow, but the spear barely seemed to hurt it. There was no blood, no deep gash, no major reaction, or any real indication that Wyn made much of an impact at all.


    Instead, the monster swung a wide punch that Wyn tried and failed to dodge. The force actually knocked him off of his feet, sending him tumbling to the side and rolling on the cave floor. He took one deep breath, thankful it wasn¡¯t as painful like he thought it¡¯d be. It definitely hurt, but felt more like a bruised side than a cracked rib.


    Unfortunately his armor was now completely gone on his left side, the attack using up the protective aura in that area. Fortunately he held onto his spear, years of training to always hold onto his weapon coming in handy.


    Wyn stood up and realized two things. One, the other mushrooms were closing in on him and would all attack him if he didn¡¯t move away. Two, this was a fight he absolutely was not going to win. Not with these circumstances, anyway. He wasn¡¯t equipped to be able to fight them all at once, and his teammates were handling their own tasks.


    The blue mushroom raised its arm again for another ranged magical attack. Wyn started to run away at an angle, trying to maneuver himself in the square cave room so he¡¯d still keep these monsters away from Marcy and Cedric. When the magical ball came at him again, one of the yellow mushrooms stepped in its path and took the force of the attack in its back. It lurched forward from the hit, one of its arms falling to the ground as its torso now held a large crater from the magic. The blue mushroom didn¡¯t seem to care that it hurt its ally. The others didn¡¯t even acknowledge the instance.


    An idea suddenly crossed Wyn¡¯s mind. It was risky, but potentially a way for him to overcome these mushrooms monsters.


    First, he had to let the yellow mushrooms catch up. Despite their size they were slow to move but faster with their weapon attacks. The green mushroom mostly kept up with Wyn, and would be the biggest threat. If the other were gone, though, he felt more confident about handling just one mushroom instead of four.


    It took several minutes and several more close calls with the green and yellow mushrooms almost hitting him, but Wyn was able to position himself to where the blue mushroom¡¯s magical attack defeated both yellow mushrooms. Only large, unneeded piles of their spores remained on the floor. The green mushroom was an aggressive annoyance, dodging both Wyn and the magical attacks of its brethren with relative ease. It needed to die next, though, so Wyn could kill the blue mushroom last. He had to run its precious blue spores to the pedestal right away once it was defeated, and couldn''t run the risk of dealing with the green monster at the same time.


    Wyn knew what he had to do. He just hated it.


    At least he had a health potion to use after.


    *****


    ¡°You sure he¡¯ll be alright?¡± Cedric asked. He had his staff pointed forward, a spell ready in his mind. ¡°That¡¯s four of those monsters chasing him around like hounds.¡±


    Marcy had an arrow nocked but hadn¡¯t pulled the bowstring yet. She stood right beside Cedric, waiting for the opportunity to attack the red and purple mushrooms that spotted them. ¡°He has to be,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s trying to prove something to not just us, but himself.¡±


    Marcy drew back the bowstring and channeled a small amount of her mana into the weapon. It was hardly a noticeable amount, but too many of those magical shots would reduce her mana pool to a point where she couldn¡¯t cast the spells she might need. Plus, each arrow imbued with her bow¡¯s magic greatly reduced the chance of recovering it to use again. Even her enhanced arrows weren¡¯t perfect.


    The arrowhead glowed with a dull blue, almost white in color, the telltale sign of non-elemental magic. It flew true and was placed well, hitting the fiery mushroom where its heart should be. Well, if it had a heart.


    The magical mushroom momentarily halted its advance towards the two Climbers, its left shoulder dissipating into the air in red smoke. It screamed in rage and pain, an eerie high-pitched sound that sounded like nails on a chalkboard.


    Then, it took in a huge breath as its stomach swelled. The flames on its head grew in size and strength, and a large whip of flame spun from where its empty shoulder.


    It was suddenly a couple of feet shorter but a new arm formed from its own power. It resumed its advance.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Only four arrows left. Have to make them count!¡±


    ¡°Take out fatty first,¡± Cedric said.


    The purple mushroom didn¡¯t seem to be offended by the insult. It lumbered behind the smaller and more agile red mushroom, its bulbous body and stubby appendages trying hard to keep pace. Its size looked to be more detrimental than helpful, but was surprisingly resilient to physical attacks and couldn¡¯t recover at all from magical ones.


    Marcy relaxed her draw a few inches from her face. ¡°I thought you wanted me to deal with the red one?¡±


    ¡°I think we need to focus on taking them out one at a time. So, big guy first!¡±


    Marcy growled in frustration and turned her aim from the red mushroom not fifteen feet away to the large purple mushroom further behind it. The arrow glowed like before then shot forward and past the red mushroom. It struck the purple creature in the neck - an easy target from its size and slow movements - and it lurched backward as though hit with a sizable attack many times more powerful than a mere magical arrow.


    Cedric¡¯s staff glowed with the familiar yellow light, runes forming just in front of the topaz at the staff¡¯s end. It wasn¡¯t as intense as before, the aura smaller and runes less complex. A small streak of lightning followed the arrow¡¯s trajectory, hitting the purple mushroom and dispersing in smaller arcs across its body.


    The monster seized for just a moment before falling to the ground in a heap of spores, its magical weakness its final downfall.


    The red mushroom closed the distance quickly, its body growing larger causing the flames and heat to grow in intensity. It was nearly in striking distance to Marcy.


    Marcy anchored her arrow to her chin. She knew there''d be enough mana for one more spell after the one she planned to use, and it would have to do.


    The spell left her mouth without hesitation. ¡°Drench.¡±


    A green runic combination appeared in front of her arrow followed by the arrowhead being smothered in a brilliant blue glow.


    The Ranger released the arrow right as the red mushroom expanded twice its size not five feet in front of her.

 Book 1 - Chapter 22

    The sounds of magic popping and cracking across the room tried to pull Wyn''s focus from the mushrooms attacking him, but he forced his mind to stay at the task at hand. His magical armor still flickered and held, but not for long. Wyn only hoped it would protect him enough to not be a burden after his plan.


    It wasn''t a smart plan, but he didn''t have time to sit and strategize further. Action spoke louder than hesitation.


    Wyn tossed his spear away from him, noting the spot where it clanged to the ground. Even though he was risking his own safety, he couldn''t run the risk of damaging his primary weapon. Drawing his dagger, he squared up to the green mushroom that stood between him and the blue monster further away. That was the true target, but it had to wait.


    The green mushroom stepped forward in another attack, swinging a wild, plant-like fist at Wyn''s head. He ducked under it and stepped to the side, glancing to the blue monster. It just stood there, its arms by its side, watching like a judging referee in a sparring match.


    Wyn silently cursed. The bastard needed to fire its magical attack again. There appeared to be a slight delay after each of its attacks, but the time was up. Why wasn''t it attacking?


    Wyn felt a heavy kick slam into right hip that sent him sprawling onto the ground. He quickly got up but winced at the initial pain when he put pressure through his right leg. His magical armor was now gone there, but his leg still looked normal. At least it wasn''t broken. Likely heavily bruised, but he could use it, still.


    He refocused on the green mushroom. Several more attacks came his way, a combination of brawling attacks since the monster didn''t hold any weapons. It was unfortunately both fast and strong, much more than the previous green mushroom earlier in the floor. When Wyn relied feinted to his right to dodge another strike, though, his leg gave slightly from the previous hit, slowing his movement. He couldn''t avoid the attack and was punched heavily in his left side.


    There was no more magical armor there to protect him.


    Wyn yelled in pain as he stumbled back from the blow. He felt his ribs give under the heavy fist, and was sure he heard a few cracks from the hit. A painful deep breath confirmed his fear.


    Holding his left side with his hand and dagger in his right, Wyn yelled at the blue mushroom that finally held a hand up, readying an attack.


    "That''s right, you bastard. Hit me!"


    Another magical glow formed at the monster''s outstretched palm. The green mushroom wasn''t aware of the attack just like before, though its quicker movements and Wyn''s desire to avoid being hit both added to the monster not having friendly fire like its yellow brethren.


    This time would be different.


    Wyn baited the green monster into an attack and grappled it when it was close. Using his knife to solidify his hold, he stabbed it in the back of the creature up to the handle and held on. With all of his strength he did his best to maneuver the monster into the line of fire, fighting the wiggling creature. Its efforts to escape Wyn''s grapple weren''t enough, and Wyn''s efforts to force it into the blue mushroom''s path of attack were plenty.


    A magical explosion rocked Wyn back and onto the ground, hitting him far worse than he anticipated. He knew it would be a powerful force but he previously hoped the remainder of his magical armor would protect him. Now he hardly thought about much of anything as his ears rang and his head swam. The stone floor was cold on his back and his right leg tingled from his shin to his foot. Whatever injury he had before was worse now, and to top it all off, his Arcane Aura was completely gone.


    Blinking dirt away, he opened his eyes to see his was alone, surrounded by a huge pile of green spores like ash from a bonfire.


    A smile formed on his face. His plan worked after all.


    The blue mushroom monster slowly walked towards him, lumbering like a giant of impending doom. It lowered its head towards him, its glowing eyes a beacon of blue death.


    His smile quickly left.


    For all of his quick planning he forgot to consider what might happen after he succumbed to a magical explosion. He still needed to handle the blue mushroom, after all. The very mushroom that was standing over him while he helplessly laid on the ground.


    So much for his plan.


    *****


    Marcy quickly nocked another arrow. Not that she needed it, of course, but she was paranoid now so close to the end. Her Drench spell completely washed the fiery red mushroom away in a torrent of water. She hadn''t been able to use it on a fire elemental creature before, and the result was as satisfying as she hoped. Still, it required a chunk of her remaining mana, and she knew there was only enough left for one more spell.


    Steam rose from the red spores that littered the ground, a harsh interaction from the two elements. It was too thick to see through and felt sticky on her exposed skin. Thankfully the mist didn¡¯t damage the precious spores that lay on the ground.


    Confirming the monsters were dead, Cedric immediately began gathering the spores on the ground for the pedestals. If this was enough, they¡¯d be finished and could return to Alestead.


    A loud boom pulled both of the Climber¡¯s attention. They saw Wyn fly several feet in midair, his magical glow shattering from the attack and thudding to the ground in a plume of green spores. He didn¡¯t move for a few seconds on the ground, then slowly stirred.


    The blue mushroom began walking over to Wyn ominously.


    ¡°Damnit,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Cedric, get the spores. I¡¯ll help Wyn!¡±


    Grabbing her two remaining arrows, she held one in her left hand and nocked the other on the bowstring while jogging over to Wyn. Hopefully she could recover them after killing the blue mushroom, or at least be able to leave. If they had to face another wave, they¡¯d all die. She was sure of that.


    Stepping around and behind the blue mushroom, she shot both arrows in quick succession at the monster. They sunk deep, nearly up to the fletching, but didn¡¯t stop its advance towards Wyn who was still on the ground. Whatever maneuver he pulled cost him, but she couldn¡¯t think about that now. Only killing this blue bastard.


    She dropped her bow to the ground and reached to her sides for weapons that weren¡¯t there. A foul curse left her lips, followed by an internal promise that she¡¯d never climb without her primary gear again.


    Looking around, she hoped for a rock large enough to bash it with. Instead, she saw Wyn¡¯s spear on the ground.


    That would do nicely.


    *****


    Wyn took a deep breath. This was it, then. The blue mushroom raised its foot as though it was going to stomp him before it suddenly jerked back with its shoulders. His spear poked through its chest, the metal head completely protruding from its body.


    Then the weapon disappeared, yanked back out. The blue mushroom convulsed a few times before slumping and falling into a large pile of blue spores.


    Marcy held Wyn¡¯s spear, heaving deep breaths at the same time. She started to say something before her face contorted after seeing Wyn on the ground, and words never came.


    The spear clanged to the ground while she knelt beside him. ¡°Shit, Wyn. Can you move?¡±


    Wyn nodded, then tried to get up. Pain erupted all over his body, but he felt it most in his left side and right lower leg. ¡°Barely.¡±


    Marcy grabbed Wyn¡¯s pack and dumped it. She grabbed the healing potion and gently uncorked it. ¡°Aren¡¯t you glad you saved this? These injuries are exactly what these are for. Now drink.¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t hesitate as Marcy tipped the slender vial towards his mouth. It was thick like honey but tasted nothing like the sweet syrup. It was more tasteless than anything, but the thought of it helping his injures made it go down far easier. Instantly his breathing hurt less, and the pain subsided from his entire body. Everywhere except his right leg felt better, though not perfect.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    When he stood he felt a much more tolerable jolt of pain from his right ankle, but unfortunately it was still there. He took a few hesitant steps.


    ¡°It¡¯s not perfect, but I can fight for a bit more. It didn¡¯t completely heal my ankle but I can hold out.¡±


    Marcy patted him on the back. ¡°They¡¯re potent, but that¡¯s only a tier 1 potion. If we had a tier 2 or 3 potion that would be a different story. But we¡¯ll get you healing when we get back.¡±


    Cedric trotted over beside them, quickly analyzing Wyn. ¡°Good, you can stand. All the pedestals are filled except the main one. Look!¡±


    Using his spear like a crutch, Wyn limped over and checked the portal. All of the bars were gone. The pedestals around the cave room were all glowing, completely filled as Cedric said. They obviously finished the challenge while Wyn was still fighting, and he wasn¡¯t aware how far ahead they were since he was still contending with the blue and green mushrooms.


    A sigh left Wyn¡¯s mouth. He needed to realize he simply wasn¡¯t at their level of strength and power, but at least his distraction worked. And he was still alive.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it, then,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We just need to activate the portal so we can go home!¡±


    ¡°Yes, but how,¡± Cedric replied. ¡°We still need to do something with the last pedestal.¡±


    The white mushrooms still appeared like statues, unmoving and lifeless. It was unsettling as they were all facing the Climbers at the portal, staring at them with their fluffy white bodies and creepy eyes. Or, more accurately, they were facing Cedric as Marcy previously reasoned.


    ¡°Let¡¯s quickly talk this out,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I have a bad feeling.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So the pedestals lit up based on their color,¡± Marcy thought out loud. ¡°We poured the colored spores in the bowl to match the color¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­and it glowed signaling it was right,¡± Cedric finished. ¡°But there aren¡¯t any colored pedestals left.¡±


    ¡°Except this one,¡± Wyn said. He pointed to the main pedestal beside them in front of the portal. ¡°It looks exactly like the others, only bigger and colorless.¡±


    ¡°And we haven¡¯t tried pouring any spores into it,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Would it even take it, though? It doesn¡¯t have a color.¡±


    ¡°Which is exactly what we need,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I finally remember!¡± He ran over to a pile from a mushroom they defeated and grabbed a handful of spores from it. It was dulled grey, the color long gone.


    He walked over to the pedestal and poured it in.


    The pedestal began to light up a softer grey, a faint magical aura emanating from the large stone. It only filled up a small amount but it was obviously accepted. This pedestal would take much more than the others, two or three times as much based on the size difference.


    ¡°Cedric, you genius!¡± Marcy slapped him on the back, knocking him forward a bit.


    Wyn smiled. That was the last puzzle to their challenge, then. They only needed to collect as much leftover spores as possible and fill this pedestal, and thankfully there were plenty of piles around the room to collect.


    A rumble reverberated through the cave. The white statue mushrooms began to shake and move.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Marcy said. She pulled up her bow and nocked an arrow. Only one extra remained, held in her left hand. ¡°That set something off!¡±


    ¡°Hurry, then!¡± Cedric yelled. ¡°Wyn, get as much as you can!¡±


    Wyn dropped his spear at the pedestal and ran over to the next pile of spores, wasting no time. His right leg screamed at him in pain but he ignored it. If they could just finish this last task, they¡¯d be back safely in the city and he could address his injuries. Now wasn¡¯t the time to slack off.


    He began shoveling as much as possible into his hat. He kept sneaking glances, too, at the four white mushrooms. There was no telling what magic they possessed, and he had a feeling they were going to be the final challenge to face. His current job was to collect as much of the spores as possible and hope they could escape before they fought them, but if the mushrooms moved fast or shot magic at them it would be hard to avoid a fight.


    One of the strange creatures began to elongate, growing legs and standing. It was nearly as tall as the last wave of mushroom monsters, easily ten feet to its large, mushroom cap head. A yellow and blue mushroom on the ceiling shook their spores loose, and they travelled to the white mushroom like they were being magically directed.


    The white mushroom absorbed the spores and began changing color, swirls forming inside it before coating its body.


    The Climbers watched in amazement. What was once a white mushroom was now a blend of yellow and blue. It held a yellow sword in its right hand as well, growing from its body out of nothing. The rest of it was a hybrid of the colors, yellow and blue mixed around it like paints that couldn¡¯t combine on a canvas. Its eyes, previously small and black, were now glowing - one yellow and one blue.


    ¡°That¡¯s new,¡± Marcy said. She kept her bow ready but didn¡¯t draw yet. She wanted to wait for the precise time and determined that time wasn¡¯t now.


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I don¡¯t remember them. What in the hells is going on?¡±


    More mushrooms vibrated and released their spores on the wall and ceiling, various colors rushing to the cave floor all at once.


    The next wave was starting, and it was going to be difficult. Maybe even impossible in their current state.


    Wyn was already dumping the contents of his hat into the pedestal when the second mushroom stood and began forming new colors. The pedestal kept absorbing the spores, filling about a third of the way up. It was a lot, but he needed much more and several hat fulls.


    His legs shook as he gathered the spores from the ground, trying to work fast with death looming. Spores flew into his hat as he scooped with his forearm on the ground before sneaking a look at Cedric. His shield was finally gone, too. Hopefully the Wizard realized it.


    Wyn ran to the pedestal with his heavy hat and dumped more spores. It was now over halfway and he was making good time despite the situation. His leg hurt more with each step, and he wasn¡¯t sure how long he could keep ignoring the pain.


    ¡°Marcy,¡± Cedric yelled. He looked at her with wide eyes but a tight jaw.


    He didn¡¯t need to say more. She understood.


    Marcy stepped beside him and bent to the ground. ¡°Earthen Trap!¡± A large rune spread out on the ground in front of them, covering the area in front of the portal. It was a larger placement than her previous one, too. She backed off, running away from the mushrooms for a pile of fallen spores she could gather to help Wyn.


    All of the mushrooms were no longer white but a myriad of colors, and looked funny compared to the previously solid colors. They were bright and inviting, a stark contrast to how serious and deadly they were. All of them were lumbering their way towards Cedric at various speeds.


    Cedric stayed away from the portal but directly behind Marcy¡¯s trap on purpose so he could escape when the timing was right, but he still needed to hold his ground. He cast out with his staff at the closest one, and lightning leapt from the topaz gem directly into the monster¡¯s chest.


    This particular enemy was a mixture of orange and green, but just before Cedric cast his spell the colors swirled, and the front of it went completely orange as the green shifted to its back. It had large mushroom caps of armor that now layered its body, forming them just before it was attacked in a protective maneuver that highlighted more intelligence than the last set of mushrooms.


    It took the lightning and halted its advance, but the mushroom caps softened the blow. It reformed its colors again, this time moving green to its legs to quicken it and keeping orange at its chest and head for additional protection.


    It was smart. Almost too smart.


    Cedric ran to the side away from the pedestal and portal, realizing they were in a dire situation. He only needed to outlast here, not defeat. He stole glances every few seconds to Marcy and Wyn to see their progress and knew they weren¡¯t quite ready. They were pouring another round of spores and the pedestal was almost full, but not completely.


    It would likely be full with this pour, though. They were almost free, ready to escape this hell of a day. Even though they were here at the end it felt like time was dragging in hours instead of seconds.


    Marcy¡¯s rune activated with a loud blast. Ropes of stone and rocks settled around two mushrooms, holding them both in place. They struggled against it, shifting their colors of purple, red, and yellow to try to form a way to escape the magical trap, though Cedric knew the spell would hold long enough for them to be counted out of the fight.


    That was two dealt with in the moment, but two more were right at Cedric. He didn¡¯t bother raising his staff to hold them off. The last blast of lightning consumed his remaining mana, and there were no charges remaining in his staff to defend himself.


    He wouldn¡¯t be able to outrun them to the portal, but he needed to try. They were larger, smarter than before, and had several means to cut him off. He was used up, tired, and currently useless as a Wizard.


    But he was still a Climber.


    Turning as fast as he could, he lowered his head and sprinted. Marcy and Wyn had finished pouring their spores and the portal was completely grey, signaling it was complete and ready to enter.


    The pair smiled and hugged in celebration, then looked at Cedric. Their joy faded immediately seeing him run towards them with the giant mushrooms hot on his heels. Between the distance and time they knew he wouldn¡¯t make it.


    They ran towards him to help though were unsure of what to do. Their minds were focused on leaving and escaping, and couldn¡¯t form a new plan to help him in the moment.


    Marcy immediately shot both of her arrows at the closest mushroom, but the monster easily deflected both by swirling purple at its front. The arrows harmlessly bounced off its new, physically resistant surface.


    Cedric met them not ten feet from the portal though the mushrooms were there as well. The Wizard reached for them, extending his staff, hoping they¡¯d pull him to safety. As long as he could just graze the portal he¡¯d be gone instantaneously. Unfortunately he was caught by a green arm that grabbed his left wrist. He couldn¡¯t move, held in place by a mushroom giant.


    He looked back and saw the other colored mushroom raising a yellow axe to cleave him.


    Marcy yelled in defiance, trying in vain to pull her ally, her friend, away from death.


    Wyn grabbed Cedric¡¯s forearm and tried to help Marcy pull uselessly, stuck watching the monster¡¯s yellow weapon ready to drop down. Cedric knew he wasn¡¯t going to make it into the portal. This was it.


    Wyn refused to let another ally die no matter what. He changed his strategy by hooking Cedric¡¯s foot and shifting it to the side, twisting the Wizard¡¯s body at the last second to try to avoid a killing blow.


    The axe fell.


    Wyn was too focused on saving his teammate to watch the mushrooms. He and Marcy were able to pull Cedric away, dragging him back towards the portal. They had less than ten feet to go.


    Marcy led into the portal first, dragging Cedric with a new found strength. He didn¡¯t resist. He wasn¡¯t moving.


    They had made it, though not unscathed. Not whole.


    Wyn turned, taking in the sight of the final room one last time before he stepped backwards into the portal to take him to the base of Alestead.


    He saw, between the multicolored mushrooms standing nearby still pursuing them, Cedric¡¯s left arm lying on the ground. Behind it and the monsters stood the silhouette of an old woman. In only a brief second Wyn was able to see her, barely registering her features within the chaos and the magically lit room.


    She had grey wispy hair and a wiry frame, and she didn¡¯t seem to be touching the ground. A witch, Cedric called her. A deeply unsettling smile was plastered on her face as she watched the Climbers scramble out of the cave.


    Wyn continued to backpedal and felt the rush of the portal engulf him.

 Book 1 - Chapter 23

    Wyn felt the pull of the portal like before, the tower sensing his desire of where to go. It was just as straightforward as the last time, though for much different reasons. Where he wanted to follow Lionel and advance to the second floor just hours ago, he desperately wanted to return to base this time.


    In seconds he was standing in the hallway of portals. He saw all the various portals around him, nearly all red. But he wasn¡¯t interested in them right now. He saw Marcy on the ground holding Cedric, his body on top of her. He wasn¡¯t moving and was losing blood out of his left shoulder at an alarming rate.


    Wyn flung himself down to the ground as he allowed exhaustion to take over. He wanted to help, but the one item he had that could potentially save Cedric from bleeding out was gone. He drank the potion just minutes ago, selfishly for himself. If only he would have saved it, his friend wouldn¡¯t be dying before his eyes.


    ¡°You made it!¡± A voice said. It was a woman¡¯s voice, soft but filled with relief. She had on the formal attire of the guild, an attendee for Climbers inside the tower¡¯s base. Her joyful expression quickly turned sour, and she gasped when she saw Cedric.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get help!¡± She disappeared almost as quickly as she appeared.


    Wyn clenched his fist and banged the floor. He despised feeling helpless. Maybe what others said about his class was true. He was too useless to make a difference.


    The glow of his mark drew his attention. He¡¯d been gathering mana during the final fight but it wasn¡¯t enough. Regen needed more mana to be cast, he was sure of it.


    But magic wasn¡¯t all he had.


    Acting quickly, he tore off several strips of the remainder of his pants. He hobbled over to Cedric and turned him so he could have better access to his left shoulder.


    Marcy just laid there, staring at Cedric¡¯s unmoving body as though she were catatonic. Wyn had seen that look before. She¡¯d be fine eventually, but not now.


    He wrapped the strips around Cedric¡¯s bleeding stump several times over, tying tight knots at the end of each strip to form makeshift tourniquets. Then he took his hat and covered his remaining arm, tying another strip over it to secure it in place.


    The bleeding slowed. Wyn only hoped it would be enough.


    For what felt like an eternity the three Climbers stayed there, two conscious and exhausted, one barely breathing without an arm. They didn¡¯t say anything else. No words seemed appropriate in the moment.


    ¡°Wyn!¡± A familiar voice said. Wyn looked up and saw Daniel. The older mentor was rushing from down the hallway with purpose. He seemed relieved but his face quickly grew serious after seeing Cedric.


    ¡°Is he stable? Have you done anything?¡± Daniel knelt down beside Marcy and inspected Cedric¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough mana to do anything else,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I just tried to stop the bleeding with what I had.¡±


    Daniel cupped Cedric¡¯s arm in his hands. ¡°Amplify Cure.¡±


    A bright white glow enveloped Cedric, nearly blinding Wyn. It only remained for a moment before the magical light condensed and formed around his body like a protective coat. It was far denser and brighter than anything he¡¯d seen before. To Wyn¡¯s relief, Cedric gained some color in his face and his breathing slowed. To say that healing spell was a powerful one would be an understatement.


    ¡°He¡¯ll live, but he needs better expertise,¡± Daniel said. ¡°A more refined magical touch.¡±


    Daniel then turned to Wyn and flinched when he more closely inspected him. ¡°Wyn, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± He cast the same spell while he gently touched Wyn¡¯s leg.


    Wyn felt a wave of pure euphoria rush over him as the spell took effect. It felt like happy memories and romantic butterflies and the joy of belly laughing with friends all wrapped up in a singular sensation. Pure bliss didn¡¯t come close to how this made him feel, but relief followed immediately as he felt broken bones solidify and torn tissues mend.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± was all Wyn could muster. He honestly didn¡¯t know what else to say.


    Daniel smiled at him. There was a warm look in the older Ruby Magician¡¯s eyes. He was completely sober, too - Wyn couldn¡¯t smell any alcohol on him at all. ¡°You did great. I¡¯m so proud of you.¡±


    Daniel went to pick up Cedric and Marcy stopped him, forcefully pushing his arm away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch him,¡± she snapped. ¡°Just¡­ don¡¯t.¡±


    Daniel nodded. He understood her feelings better than most. The bond that groups shared when climbing the tower was strong in all situations. A deep sense of protectiveness radiated off Marcy like its own magical aura, and to Daniel it was palpable in the air.


    ¡°There¡¯s a large group of people waiting for you three,¡± Daniel said, ¡°after you didn¡¯t return with the other rookies. I passed an attendee on the way and she said someone was seriously hurt. Help will be coming soon.¡±


    Marcy nodded this time, softening her expression. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°The Tower Master will want an explanation of what happened,¡± Daniel continued. ¡°Preferably from a veteran.¡± He sheepishly looked at Marcy, not wanting another scolding.


    ¡°Not now,¡± she replied. ¡°Not until I know he¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    A large clatter of boots and footsteps rushed them. They were immediately swarmed with people, all guild members. The officials were wearing various degrees and uniforms of clothes but they all had the symbol of the tower on their chest signifying their status.


    Four guild medics, recognizable by their white clothes and gloves, bent down to Cedric. Marcy waved them off, growling at them on instinct. She had a wild look in her eyes and several guild members took a step back or gasped.


    ¡°Let them take him,¡± a voice boomed. A tall and stout man loomed over them. He had an impressively groomed beard and well cropped short hair, and his clothes were the most well dressed of the group. His demeanor gave off a sense of importance and gravitas.


    When Marcy saw him she relaxed and let the medics pick up Cedric. They placed him on a stretcher and took him off in a hurry. Marcy was right beside them, pushing people out of her way in order to keep up. She held Cedric¡¯s staff in her hand and her bow was slung across her chest.


    Daniel helped Wyn stand. ¡°That is the Tower Master,¡± he whispered. ¡°Aureus.¡±


    Wyn straightened up. He realized he didn¡¯t know much about the tower and the world of being a Climber, but he absolutely understood rank and respect.


    ¡°Climber,¡± the Tower Master said. He looked at Wyn. It was hard to gauge his emotion in the moment as his face was blank and expressionless.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Wyn replied.


    ¡°I am Tower Master Aureus. You are a rookie, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    He waved a hand at Wyn and his face softened a bit. ¡°No need to call me sir. Aureus is fine. Will you come with me?¡±


    Wyn nodded. Aureus seemed stoic and fair, all things considered. Not asking to be called his rank with a less formal conversation was inviting and reassuring. Wyn only hoped he wasn¡¯t in too much trouble.


    ¡°And I am his mentor,¡± Daniel said, with a bit of a stutter. He seemed flustered.


    ¡°Yes, Daniel, I believe?¡± Aureus said. ¡°The Ruby Magician class mentor. You¡¯ll come as well.¡±


    The group gave a wide berth for the three of them, eyeing Wyn up and down. He felt uncomfortable, like a pariah. He didn¡¯t like it one bit. Aureus led them away, though not out of the base of the tower. It took several agonizing minutes winding around hallways Wyn didn¡¯t think possibly existed in the building before they arrived at a very professional and ornate door.


    Aureus opened it and held it open for the Ruby Magicians. ¡°Please, come in.¡±


    *****


    Wyn tried settling into the chair but it was uncomfortable. The entire office looked uncomfortable, but by the gods it was refined. Silver trimmed everything: the dark wooden desk with well organized papers; the similarly dark chairs with red cushioned seats; even the window that peered out into the city of Alestead had silver trimmings around the frame.


    ¡°Ardwyn Thatcher,¡± the Tower Master said. ¡°Ruby Magician. From Rywood? I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve heard of that town.¡±


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    ¡°It¡¯s small, sir,¡± Wyn replied. ¡°I mean - Aureus. A farming town, mostly.¡±


    Aureus smiled. ¡°Take a breath, son. You¡¯ve been through a lot. The room may look it but no need for formalities. I¡¯ve been meaning to dull the place up a bit.¡±


    Daniel laughed awkwardly. He was seated next to Wyn and shifted even more uncomfortably than the rookie.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Wyn replied. ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning¡­ well, all of that. I only wanted to join the rookie climb before the next season started.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you and the veterans who led your group went to the second floor. That¡¯s not only ill advised, but against our rules for the veterans leading the introductory climb. Why did you do it?¡±


    Wyn swallowed hard. How much should he say? This man is the Tower Master, after all, so likely the person with the most authority in the city. If Aureus found cause for him not following their rules - and lying about his first climb would be cause enough - he might be suspended or banned before he even truly started here.


    ¡°One of our group members stabbed another in the back at the boss of the first floor. He ran towards the portal and escaped, and I wanted to try to prevent that. The veterans followed me.¡±


    ¡°Did that Climber say why he betrayed you all?¡±


    Wyn thought to choose his words carefully. ¡°He said he had an objective to do. That he was here to ¡®defend the tower, not climb it.¡¯ His exact words. He didn¡¯t say anymore before he used a portal key and left.¡±


    Aureus was expressionless while he folded his fingers together on his desk like he was thinking. ¡°And then what happened?¡±


    ¡°Marcy and Cedric, the veterans that led our group, entered the portal behind me. They didn¡¯t want me stranded or to get hurt so they followed me. Unfortunately they used their portal key just before when we defeated the boss and we ended up being stranded after all.¡±


    Wyn thought to keep the two veteran Climber¡¯s true reasons for going to the second floor secret. They wanted to find and kill Lionel just as much as him, but he didn¡¯t want them to get in trouble. And what he said wasn¡¯t necessarily a lie.


    ¡°I see.¡± Aureus let the silence fester for several agonizing seconds.


    Daniel sat still, taking it all in. He was as invested as the Tower Master, if not more. If he was shocked he did a good job of concealing it.


    ¡°So,¡± Wyn continued, ¡°we concluded our only choice was to finish out the floor and return back through the portal after the floor boss. Though the entire ordeal was my fault. I was the one who chased him, they only wanted to protect me.¡±


    The Tower Master sighed. ¡°They served their role well, then. Any Climber who enters the tower should have a secondary objective of protecting their fellow Climbers. Always. Climbing Alistair is useless if we are pitted against each other, destroying ourselves from the inside. Healthy competition is one thing, but this¡­¡± He trailed off, not finishing his thought. He stood up and walked over to the window to look out into the city. His hands were neatly set behind his back in an officer¡¯s pose.


    Wyn recognized that posture all too well and was instantly curious about Aureus¡¯ background.


    ¡°What happened to Cedric?¡± The guild master asked. He kept his back to them while still looking out the window.


    ¡°We made our way through the cave system,¡± Wyn continued. ¡°It was mostly a color puzzle, and we made it to the boss room. We were all low on mana and resources so we had to be smart, but Cedric figured out our task. The enemies were¡­ strong. Much stronger than the earlier parts of the floor. Just before we made our way through the portal one captured Cedric and held him down. The monsters closed in on us and were about to land a lethal blow. We¡­ maneuvered him to where he only lost an arm instead of being cut in two.¡± He blinked, trying to separate as much emotion from his report as possible.


    Wyn¡¯s thoughts began to drift to the briefing he gave after the battle on the hill. The days after and his feelings of his men dying were clouded with regret, disgust, and anger. Dwelling in that headspace would do him no good here, and he needed to focus for this meeting.


    Daniel shifted uncomfortably again in his chair. He tapped the armchair with his fingers nervously.


    Aureus let out a deep sigh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ardwyn. Unfortunately things like that happen in the tower. Climbers, especially rookies, forget how serious this life is. They get strong, wield magic, then they feel like they¡¯re invincible!¡± He placed his hands on the desk and leaned in towards the Magicians. ¡°But they aren¡¯t. None of us are. And I don¡¯t need to remind you of that, Daniel.¡±


    Whatever composure Daniel had left was instantly deflated. He slumped in his chair though tried to maintain contact with the Tower Master. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.


    ¡°Anyways,¡± Aureus continued, standing up with a sad smile, ¡°I see no wrong on your part. In fact, I would have done the same thing and you¡¯d be damned to find another who¡¯d feel differently. I hope you learned something from this, though.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did. Thank you.¡± Wyn nodded his head in respect.


    ¡°Good. Then I¡¯d encourage you to grab a bite to eat before heading to the infirmary. I know you¡¯re wanting to see your friends but it would suit you well to have some food on your stomach first.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s stomach growled precisely at that moment. He instinctively touched it, realizing how hungry he was. He never had dinner and had definitely spent a day¡¯s worth of energy throughout the day, both with training and climbing.


    Daniel stood first, and Wyn followed suit. They bowed and began to leave before Aureus cleared his throat.


    ¡°Oh, and one more thing,¡± the Tower Master said. ¡°You should stop by the reward center on your way out. It''s normal after you climb, after all. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll surprise you what you earned having completed two floors today.¡± He smiled, then sat down at his desk and pulled up some papers to read. ¡°That¡¯ll be all. Welcome to Alestead, Ardwyn. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet again.¡±


    *****


    Wyn and Daniel walked in silence. Both were processing the information differently. Daniel couldn''t believe his new student had been through so much so fast, and Wyn was still reeling from the events of the evening. He wanted to check on John and Cedric now, but he knew they were in more than capable hands. Both of them needed time to process the events, too.


    "The reward center is pretty informal," Daniel said, bringing them both back to the present. "It''s the desk before you enter and exit the hallway of portals."


    "That was where all the rookies met earlier today, right?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°The large room at the entrance?"


    "Yes. Gods, that felt like minutes ago."


    Wyn stayed silent. He couldn¡¯t disagree more.


    It was only a few minutes before they arrived back at the front of the base of the tower. Wyn was turned around several times, and was thankful Daniel was there to show him the way. Even Daniel had to stop at a few forks to figure out the exact way, though, but he hadn''t completely steered them wrong yet.


    At least the tower wasn¡¯t fraught with traps or monsters like the cave. Wyn didn¡¯t mind a wrong turn or two here.


    The large room was still as magnificent as before, more so now due to the emptiness. Wyn wasn''t as distracted as earlier in the day with the many Climbers crowding the room, and it looked three times as large being more empty. It was still impressive, though he wasn¡¯t appreciating it nearly as much as before.


    There was only one guild member behind the desk. Their head was down and snug in the crook of their folded arms. Wyn could hear soft, muffled snores coming from the sleeping lump.


    "Excuse me," Daniel said, in the kindest tone he could offer.


    The man jolted awake, startling the Climbers. There was drool all over his mouth that he promptly wiped with the back of his hand. He had bags under his eyes and looked like he hadn''t slept for days.


    "Woah!" He said. "What is it?!"


    Daniel shot a glance to Wyn and subtly pointed with his thumb to the guild member in a way that said ''go on, ask him!''


    "Umm, right," Wyn said. He pulled out his parchment, suddenly realizing he had nearly forgotten about it. It was strange having something magically record his progress, and he knew he needed to check it more, especially inside the tower. Hopefully it would become an easier habit to keep an eye on it.


    "I just finished a climb and I''d like my reward,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Right?"


    The man let out a deep sigh. He mumbled something under his breath but Wyn was too tired and didn¡¯t care enough to ask him to repeat it. He then put his hand out like he was wanting something. An awkward second passed.


    ¡°I need your parchment?¡± The man said, though he said it more like a sarcastic question.


    Wyn handed him his entire stack of parchments.


    ¡°No, no,¡± he said, and sorted through his papers. He folded most of them back and only kept one. ¡°Only the summary page. I guess this is your first time. That page is where it tells you your rewards for the daily climb.¡±


    Wyn took the rest and went red in the face. He looked at Daniel who gave him a reassuring smile.


    ¡°Woah,¡± the guild member said. His eyes went big. ¡°You had a productive day, rookie.¡± He smirked, obviously impressed, and walked off behind the counter. He disappeared through a door without another word.


    ¡°What did he mean by that?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Well, if I had to guess, I¡¯d imagine your rewards were better than others because you climbed the second floor in addition to the first. You earned much more than any other rookie today.¡±


    Wyn felt a smile forming and let it happen. It was the entire purpose of coming here, after all - amassing wealth to pay off his family¡¯s debts. He instantly wondered how much he¡¯d earn for completing two floors. It likely wasn¡¯t very high since it was only the first two floors, and he didn¡¯t do too much while inside. Granted, they did have a smaller party for the first floor, and only three of them total for the second. Different things that added weight to what constituted a reward ran through his mind, distracting him.


    While Wyn¡¯s mind raced with possibilities the man returned suddenly with a small chest. It had the same logo of the tower stamped at the top of the lid. It was well decorated and beautiful, and Wyn noticed it shimmered orange ever so slightly.


    He set Wyn¡¯s parchment down and pointed to the bottom. It said <u>REWARDS</u> in a small summary under the goal of the floors. He hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but maybe it only showed up when a floor was completed?


    ¡°These are your rewards,¡± the man said, ¡°so you know we can¡¯t cheat you out of anything. Congratulations.¡± There wasn¡¯t much enthusiasm behind his words, his initial excitement gone.


    The man opened the chest and began pulling out coins. Wyn looked at the parchment at the same time. It clearly stated under rewards what he earned: 167 gold crowns, 39 silver cloaks, and 64 bronze boots. A ruby gemstone. One blue rarity magical dagger. One green rarity monster item. One green rarity magic item.


    He thought about the items he found in the tower. Then he realized what the witch gave him was mysteriously not on the sheet. That¡­ was concerning.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Daniel said. He was looking at the rewards, too. ¡°For your first climb? That¡¯s incredible!¡±


    The guild member set out the coins and handed them to Wyn. He grabbed them and put them in his backpack. Wyn quickly realized he would need a better coin purse to hold his earnings so he wouldn¡¯t lose them.


    ¡°The magical dagger, monster item, and ruby aren¡¯t here,¡± the man said. ¡°So I guess you got those in the tower. But reach inside for your magical item as your introductory climb reward.¡±


    Wyn looked confused but trusted him. He reached in and felt something inside. Strangely, he was able to reach all the way past his elbow. He shouldn¡¯t have been surprised it was magically deeper than how it looked, but the feeling was odd to say the least.


    Sure enough, there was a physical item inside that he pulled out.


    It was a belt. Standard and boring, just like the dagger, though it emitted a slight green shimmer.


    ¡°Oh, and these, too.¡± He handed two eye glasses to the rookie. They were small enough to fit in the palm of his hand and emitted a white magical aura. ¡°These are identifying glasses. You can choose to use them or not but every rookie gets two. Thanks again.¡± He closed the chest with a loud snap and walked off. He didn¡¯t return.


    Daniel put his arm around Wyn. ¡°I know this was a lot. You can always look at the items later. For now, would you want something to eat, or maybe to rest before you head to the infirmary?¡±


    ¡°Definitely some food,¡± Wyn said. His stomach growled again as though on cue. ¡°But then straight there.¡±


    Daniel nodded. They walked out of the tower¡¯s base together. In a stark contrast to earlier, it was dark and nearly pitch black outside. The only light provided was the magical lanterns that lit the cobblestone streets and the twinkling of stars in the sky.


    It was a cloudless night - beautiful, wondrous, and mysterious. Thankfully Wyn didn¡¯t have to walk it alone.

 Book 1 - Chapter 24

    The guild hall was almost empty except for Daniel, Wyn, and Wendy who gladly served them. A few straggling Climbers were sitting by themselves at various tables with small stacks of books or notes. One Climber was snoring loudly, using a book as a pillow.


    Wendy was kind and brought out leftovers from the day as the kitchen staff had long gone home, though Wyn didn¡¯t care. He was happy to have anything in his stomach, and he remembered the rations the military served.


    Leftovers were a delicacy compared to that mess of food.


    Wyn was also incredibly grateful for Wendy not pushing him by asking about his first day in the tower. She knew something happened, especially since he was here eating now so close to midnight, and he figured word would get around soon about what happened. He didn¡¯t care about talk or rumors, though. His thoughts were on his friends.


    His friends. People he met only hours ago. It was funny how that worked in the heat of combat, though - he gladly called them friends as they were more than just teammates at this point. They¡¯ve been through more than most in a matter of hours.


    Wyn contentedly ate in silence while Daniel sipped on some coffee. The older Ruby Magician didn¡¯t push the rookie for information, either. Wyn was thankful, and made a mental note that he would thank Daniel further, in one way or another, later.


    After swallowing one last bite of potatoes, Wyn sat his fork down neatly on the plate. His meal wasn''t anything special but it was hot and available. He looked at Daniel who simply smiled at him, patient as ever.


    Wyn took a deep breath. "Where is the infirmary?" He didn''t return his mentor''s smile. He was tired, anxious, and ready to make sure the others were alright before crashing for the night.


    "It''s close to the base but a short walk. Less than 10 minutes from here." He sat his coffee down and waved Wendy over.


    Wendy flashed that same smile she presented earlier in the day. She carried bags under her eyes and her hair was slightly messier, but she was as chipper as ever.


    "Are you all done sweetie?" She asked Wyn. She took his empty plate and dinnerware and he nodded politely. He was finally satisfied after two plates.


    Daniel went to pull out his coin pouch and Wyn raised a hand. "Let me. You''ve done a lot for me today." He pulled out three silver cloaks and a gold crown and laid them on the table.


    He wanted Wendy to like him, too, but he had a feeling she would whether he was a generous tipper or not.


    The Magicians then went on their way, leaving the relative silence of the guild hall behind. At one point after passing some shops Daniel started to offer some advice but stopped himself, choosing to instead give Wyn some peace. He figured the rookie wouldn''t be in the right mindset to retain the information, anyway.


    No more than five minutes of walking they arrived at the infirmary. Daniel¡¯s estimation of the time it took to cover the distance didn¡¯t account for Wyn¡¯s eagerness. He didn¡¯t mind, of course. He was just thankful the newest Ruby Magician was still alive.


    The infirmary itself was bland, and Wyn had trouble telling it was even a medical building until he stepped inside. The building was two stories and matched the others around Alestead, and only the symbol of the medic was placed above the door informing the public of what it offered. It was open hands under a red colored heart.


    The inside was orderly and plain, a far cry from the base of the tower itself. It reminder Wyn more of military buildings than the fantastical areas in Alestead. A lone desk sat straight ahead, and a woman sat behind the counter. She was wearing the same guild clothing including a medic hat. Her head was faced down as she seemed to be writing in a book.


    Wyn and Daniel approached her and she still didn¡¯t take notice.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Daniel asked.


    The woman yelped and shot her head up, startling them. She was attractive with fair eyes and skin and had a distinct scent of sandalwood that reminded Wyn of home. He felt a rush of heat in his face as he took in the smell.


    ¡°Umm, yes, hello,¡± she said, flustered. She smoothed out her uniform and adjusted her hat. ¡°How can I help you today?¡±


    ¡°My friends are here,¡± Wyn said. He shuffled his feet uncomfortably. ¡°I¡¯d like to check on them.¡±


    ¡°Of course. What are their names and class?¡±


    ¡°John Gallows, Fighter. And Cedric¡­ umm. Lightning Wizard.¡± Wyn fumbled over his words. How could he not know Cedric¡¯s last name? A brief moment of panic flooded him as he realized he didn¡¯t know Marcy¡¯s or Tasha¡¯s last name, either. Maybe they would tell him on their own terms. Come to think of it, he didn¡¯t remember telling them his last name, either. Only John was comfortable enough baring it all, because of course he was. He was someone Wyn wanted around him. Needed, even.


    The woman shut her book and pushed it to the side out of view. She promptly opened another, larger book, that seemed like it held a log of information. She used her index finger to sift through names. Wyn noticed most of the names were scratched out.


    ¡°Ahh, yes. John is in Wing A. Cedric is in the intensive unit at this time, though. You won¡¯t be able to see him until he moves into the standard care unit.¡±


    Wyn let out a sigh. ¡°Is he alright, though? Cedric, I mean.¡±


    The woman smiled. Wyn couldn¡¯t help but notice her smile was equally as attractive as the rest of her. ¡°He is stable and recovering. We have some great medics here both with classes and without. If you¡¯d like, we can arrange a courier to notify you when he moves out of the intensive unit?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Wyn said, nearly shouting. The woman recoiled a bit with a bigger smile and slight giggle. ¡°I mean¡­ yes, thank you.¡± He gave a slight bow and began to walk away.


    Daniel bit his lip to stop himself from laughing.


    ¡°Umm, excuse me?¡± The woman said.


    Wyn turned around, flush again. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I need your name and class to inform the courier, please.¡± She wagged the feather pen she was using to write.


    Wyn swallowed his shame and walked back to her desk. ¡°Wyn Thatcher. Ruby Magician.¡±


    She wrote down the information without any additional reaction. Wyn noticed that the mention of his class didn¡¯t seem to affect her at all. She was the first person to not immediately flinch or laugh in pity.


    ¡°Also, Wing A is the other way,¡± the woman said. She pointed with her feathered pen and looked down at her book to try and hide her smile.


    ¡°Right,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Thank you. Again.¡±


    Wyn and Daniel turned around to walk further into the building and Daniel couldn¡¯t help but chuckle a bit once they were safely out of the woman¡¯s earshot.


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    ¡°Did you know the A Wing was this way?¡± Wyn whispered, looking over his shoulder to make sure the woman couldn¡¯t hear him.


    Daniel, still chuckling, pointed overhead. There was large lettering that read WING A over the hallway.


    Wyn put his hand over his face. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have pointed that out before? How embarrassing!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Daniel said. ¡°I didn¡¯t even think it was possible for you to be flustered like that. I just couldn¡¯t help it!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s mean," Wyn said, smirking.


    Daniel laughed.


    Wing A was right around the hallway. The infirmary wasn''t quite as big as Wyn thought, though he figured more of the space was for offices or larger rooms for the more injured or sick. The wing was lit by lanterns hung on the wall, and Wyn thought of the mushrooms that gave off the light in the second floor of the tower.


    It was less colorful here but much safer. And that was enough.


    Stepping into the main Wing, Wyn was surprised to see how much it reminded him of the military infirmaries. There were beds made with fresh linens alongside simple bedside dressers lining both side walls, and curtains reaching half of the two-story ceiling separated each unit that could be pulled for privacy. A few beds further into the infirmary had their curtains pulled, and Wyn wondered if he had to pull each of them back to find John.


    A few medics walked the makeshift hall in the middle of the wing. One man approached them, walking quickly. Obviously he read Wyn¡¯s mind and didn¡¯t want him intruding behind each curtain.


    "Can I help you gentlemen?" He whispered, trying to keep his voice low.


    "Yes," Daniel said. He matched the volume of the medic with a hushed voice. ¡°We''re looking for John Gallows. He¡¯s a Fighter."


    "Ahh, yes," the man replied, "right over here." He pointed to the right, and sure enough, John was there in bed. The curtain wasn''t drawn but he was sleeping.


    "Wyn," Daniel said, "why don''t I give you some time?"


    Wyn took a deep breath, then released it over a few seconds. It was relieving, oddly, but welcomed, as though he¡¯d finally had time to relax and his body finally got the message. "I''d appreciate that, Daniel. Thank you."


    Daniel waved his hands in the air. "No need. Take as much time as you¡¯d like. I''m heading back to get some sleep."


    Wyn paused. "Speaking of, where am I staying tonight? I don''t think I was ever given a room. And if I was, I definitely don''t remember."


    "You should''ve been given a key to a room at the guild hall. But we can sort that out tomorrow. When you''re ready just come back to my apartment - I have a spare room you can sleep in."


    "Are you sure?"


    "It''s not even a concern. Of course! I''ll leave the door open and a candle lit so you know which room is yours."


    Wyn put his hand out and Daniel took it for a handshake. There was a key in Wyn¡¯s hand when he let go.


    ¡°For the outside door. I¡¯ll see you in the morning, Wyn.¡± After a reassuring pat on the shoulder, Daniel decided to leave their goodnight at that.


    Wyn was thankful for the older Ruby Magician. Daniel had done so much for him already, hardly knowing him at all, and was everything Wyn could have hoped to have as a mentor.


    Wyn was far too critical of him when they first met. He¡¯d need to make it up to him somehow. But maybe just heeding his advice and listening to his counsel would be enough for the time being.


    The medic from before came over with a chair, placing it quietly beside John''s bed. He smiled and walked off, leaving for his other tasks. Wyn appreciatively took the seat and looked at his new friend.


    John was sleeping soundly, covers wrapped tight over his chest. It was haunting seeing him like that. Wyn instantly thought of his company in the field tents, the same white sheet covering missing limbs and gaping holes in his soldiers that wouldn¡¯t heal and who wouldn¡¯t return. He thought of the warmth the sheets provided in their last moments, or at least whatever little warmth the thin cloth offered. Then he thought of the sheet¡¯s next task of either keeping the now-hollow body hidden with no more warmth to hold, or sending them home crippled for an even harder life than the ease of death.


    He thought of Cedric and his own white sheet. He wondered what its next task would be.


    John stirred, moving ever so slightly. Wyn first thought to get up, to let him rest and recover. He only wanted to make sure he was okay and was happy to see him breathing and whole. He wasn¡¯t quick enough before John opened his eyes.


    John smiled. It was warm and friendly.


    Wyn smiled back. It was soft and sad.


    ¡°I¡¯d ask if you¡¯re okay but you were just stabbed in the back,¡± Wyn finally said. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see your eyes open.¡±


    ¡°Truth be told, magical medicine is pretty amazing. The wound was healed right away, but the medics said I lost a lot of blood. They said I should be completely healed by tonight.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°You¡¯re kidding!¡± He heard hushed voices shush him from across the wing. He hunched low in his chair, rebuked.


    ¡°Why would I joke about that?¡±


    Wyn felt embarrassed. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    John laughed, stretching his arms behind his head. ¡°I¡¯m just messing with you! I¡¯m alright. Really.¡± He sat up more in the bed and turned his body to fluff his pillows behind him.


    Wyn looked him over and noticed he honestly did look fine, and seemed to be enjoying the rest. He was happy to see him alive and well, but he couldn¡¯t help but think of his own company. Anger rose inside of him for his soldiers who didn¡¯t have magical healing, who suffered and had to die or wish they were dead.


    Cedric entered his mind, again. Maybe his white sheet will simply be a white sheet after all?


    ¡°Hello? Wyn?¡± John waved his hand in the air trying to get his attention.


    ¡°Hmm? Sorry,¡± Wyn replied. ¡°Did you say something?¡±


    ¡°Yea. What in the hells happened in there! You HAVE to tell me!"


    "Shhhh!" Came once again from across the Wing. A woman held a finger up to her mouth and stared daggers at the Climbers.


    John tried to hold back laughter before his smile faded, his face turning serious. "I heard from a medic that one of the rookie groups went to the second floor. What happened?¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°We chased Lionel into the portal.¡±


    John snickered and gripped the sheet, his knuckles turning as white as the draped cloth. ¡°Lionel. That bastard.¡±


    ¡°He escaped. I¡¯m sorry about that, too.¡±


    John was quiet for a moment. Wyn tried to guess what he was thinking but it was futile - he could be thinking of a thousand different things right now after confirming his own suspicions.


    ¡°But there was quite a bit that happened,¡± Wyn continued. ¡°Do you want to rest or -¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hold out. You better tell me!¡±


    "SHHHH!" was whispered loudly, this time from two medics. They were standing at different ends of the Wing and were still able to be heard.


    John and Wyn smiled, trying not to laugh again as giggles tried their hardest to escape.


    ¡°You¡¯re so eager for a healing Climber,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°I¡¯m always eager, my friend. You¡¯ll see.¡± He settled back into his bed and pulled the sheet up further on his chest. Wyn chuckled, thinking that John looked like a child waiting for his bedtime story.


    Wyn told the tale of the second floor, sparing no detail. If there was anyone here he could trust it would be John, and he had a feeling they would work together well.


    All in all, Wyn was thankful that the sheet that covered John was only a sheet.


    *****


    Wyn stumbled back to Daniel¡¯s apartment. It was late and he was exhausted. He could feel his muscles ache and his legs were heavy after climbing the stairs to get there.


    He knew he had enough climbing for one day.


    Holding his breath, he opened the door with the mangy and worn Ruby Magician symbol. He remembered Daniel''s apartment and how dirty it was, and didn''t have the stomach or energy to deal with it now. His plan was to simply rush to his room and close the door behind him, but he stopped after taking two quick steps into the apartment.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. The room was immaculate. The furniture was tidy and clean, the table dusted, and a fragrant scent hung in the air smelling of wheat and honey. He went back to the door and looked at the outside, wondering if he accidentally entered the wrong apartment.


    Wyn then closed and locked the door. The rooms were past the sitting room at the entrance if he remembered correctly, and he walked in further to find the spare bedroom. Not far past the kitchen was a small hallway, and on the right was a cracked door with a bit of light shining through. He walked to it quietly, trying to not be too loud, and opened the door.


    The room was fair and simple but cozy, perfectly suitable for a guest. The bed was made and a small desk sat beside it where some papers, a quill and ink, and a small lit candle occupied the space. The window on the far wall wasn''t covered, the curtains pulled to the sides. The starry sky helped the small candle light the room, a mix of black night sky and soft orange light reminding Wyn of the cave and mushrooms that lit his path over the evening.


    He blew out the candle and sat on the bed, satisfied watching the wisp of smoke float to the ceiling. He wished he had his sister''s letter with him. Despite it being only one day he missed her. If this first day was a hint as to what was in store for his new profession, it would be a difficult but likely rewarding road.


    Wyn made a mental note to secure the key to his room tomorrow and get his belongings. He needed his own place to settle into, and he wanted to start logging what he needed to both survive the tower and help his family. There was much more to climbing the tower than simply having a class and gaining coins - if he was going to pay his father¡¯s debt back he needed to be efficient and plan ahead.


    Wyn carefully took off his boots and sat them beside the foot of the bed like the many nights in the barracks before this night. He undressed to his undershirt and pulled back the covers, relishing the thought of rest after the wildest day he¡¯d ever had.


    He let the night sky keep him company and welcomed sleep.

 Book 1 - Chapter 25

    Wyn woke up to the smell of coffee and eggs. His body was sore all over, and he instantly wished he could get more sleep. It was too early to wake up, and apparently magical healing still didn¡¯t do much about sore muscles and joints. The lone window in Daniel''s spare room had light shining bright from outside, the sun high in the sky. He suddenly regretted not closing the curtains last night.


    He shot up in bed. With the sun shining bright, it wasn''t as early as he thought.


    He grabbed his ragged clothes and threw them on haphazardly. He ran his hands through his hair and hoped to find a wash basin and bathroom soon to be more presentable.


    A stronger scent of breakfast beckoned him once he left his room. He squinted, trying to let his eyes adjust after just waking up. With his eyes closed he could smell sausage and toasted bread, making his stomach growl. Footsteps pattered all around the kitchen before settling at the small table in the corner of the room.


    Daniel was running around, trying to prepare the table for Wyn and himself. He sat down at the small table with the feast in front of him, noticing Wyn there with his hands up trying to shield his eyes.


    "Good morning! I hope the noise didn''t wake you." Daniel clapped his hands together in obvious excitement.


    Wyn shook his head. "Not at all. The sun woke me, the smell brought me in.¡±


    Daniel laughed. ¡°Good, good! It¡¯s all ready, and there''s plenty!¡±


    ¡°Did you cook all of this?¡±


    "I''m many things, but a cook is not one of them. I had Wendy bring it up for us. That woman is something else." He stood to grab a mug for Wyn in a cabinet and placed it on the table in front of an empty chair.


    Wyn sat and began to make his plate of food. He rubbed his eyes one more time to help wake up. He was much slower than Daniel, who already had a full plate, steaming mug of coffee, and was tearing apart a piece of buttered bread. Wyn took his own bite of bread before pouring himself coffee out of the steaming kettle.


    ¡°So what are you planning to do today?¡± Daniel asked.


    Wyn smiled. Daniel was much happier today than yesterday. He remembered how jittery and drunk he was, somber and negative. He began to warm up as he showed Wyn around Alestead, though, and Wyn hoped this was Daniel''s true personality. His cheerful attitude suited him much better, even if it came while Wyn was still waking up.


    ¡°John and I decided we¡¯d walk around Alestead. He still needs to claim his rewards from the climb and we want to find some shops that could be useful for the next season. Not to mention I still haven¡¯t had a true tour of the city.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, especially since you were too impatient to get going yesterday. There¡¯s an incredible amount of things to do and see here in Alestead. Just make sure you make it to the festival tonight.¡±


    Wyn swallowed a mouthful of sausage hard and too fast, stretching his throat uncomfortably. ¡°I nearly forgot! With everything that happened yesterday it completely left my mind!"


    Daniel chuckled over his cup of coffee. "Well, that''s alright. Yesterday was not an ordinary day! Going to the second floor, one of your own group betraying all of you. That''s too much for someone''s first trip in the tower."


    Wyn took his own sip of coffee. It was hot and nutty, much more enjoyable than the quality of coffee he was used to drinking. Obviously the amenities in Alestead were held in much higher regard than the military standards and farm life.


    He took in the taste and smell for a minute, reflecting on the day before. Floors one and two all in one day. It felt much longer, and he was supposed to do this day in and day out for months. He wondered how other Climbers kept their sanity.


    ¡°Well,¡± Daniel continued, ¡°I''d love to hear the more detailed story of the climb. I''m sure there were some parts you decided to keep to yourself. And I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t want to hear about it. Plus, you made out like a bandit compared to the average for clearing floors one and two.¡±


    Wyn gave Daniel credit. The man wasn''t easily fooled. ¡°I know. It¡¯d be good for me to fill you in, and I actually had some things I wanted to get your advice on, too. But is that not a typical amount? People come here for the riches, after all.¡±


    Daniel stopped chewing some sausage and grinned ear to ear. He was desired - wanted, even - by a new Climber for his expertise. He thought that maybe this time would be different. That Wyn would be different.


    No. Daniel knew he was different, and he was excited to see this new Ruby Magician climb higher and reach new heights.


    ¡°I¡¯ll share anything I can and find out about what I can¡¯t. But no. A good average is about 40 gold crowns for the first floor and twice that for the second. I wonder if it was because of your hardships and small group in the second floor that influenced the increased coin. Something to look into, I suppose.¡±


    Wyn never thought it was a possibility that there were so many factors playing into the rewards. Of course he didn¡¯t know much about being a Climber, not yet, but if finishing floors with less people increased his payout he¡¯d absolutely try that strategy. Whatever could get his debt paid off quickest would be worth trying.


    ¡°Thank you, Daniel. Maybe tonight after the festival we can discuss it? To prepare for the next season that starts tomorrow? I don¡¯t plan to stay out late partying. It¡¯s not exactly my area of interest.¡±


    ¡°Splendid! Mine either. Though you should also go get your key and find your room from the attendant downstairs before you head out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, gods, so much to do,¡± Wyn said. He put his fork down, finishing a bite of eggs. He took a few more gulps of coffee, the mug having cooled, and stood up. ¡°Let me wash up first and I¡¯ll go get it before I meet John.¡±


    ¡°How about you get your key and wash up in your own room? You can unpack a bit, settle in some before you set out. That way it¡¯ll be ready when you return tonight.¡±


    Wyn nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Would you mind helping me? I know you¡¯ve done a lot for me already, but -¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Daniel said, cutting him off. ¡°That¡¯s a better idea, anyway.¡± He put down his own coffee mug and threw on his Magician¡¯s robe. ¡°The Ruby Magicians are off, ready for another adventure!¡±


    Wyn laughed, nearly spitting out his coffee. Even though he had no idea what lied ahead, he knew today would be a good day.


    *****


    Wyn¡¯s room was on the second floor of the guild hall, and his legs were deeply grateful. It wasn¡¯t a special room by any means, but his class symbol was marked on the middle of the door similar to Daniel¡¯s, only smaller and less worn. It was a basic apartment with a kitchen, small living area, and single bed, all in one large room. It was plenty for him, and much more than his communal bunk as a soldier.


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    Maybe one day he¡¯d advance to a house further out in the city, or even a guild hall if his journey led to being in a guild. But that was a thought for another day.


    He and Daniel worked to unpack his bag of clothes and gear. Daniel offered to help fill his small bookshelf with some books on magic, the tower, and general information that would be useful. Wyn gave him a spare key, and Daniel gave one to Wyn for his own apartment. Wyn didn¡¯t want to be intrusive and use it and figured Daniel would feel the same way, but the gesture was both kind and fitting.


    Daniel left to enjoy the day for himself, though Wyn didn¡¯t quite understand. He mentioned he would scour the library and historical texts for books and information Wyn could use. But how could the library be that fun? Reading was helpful, sure, but spending an entire day in there and enjoying it? There was a reason Wyn joined the military and not the academy. To each their own.


    After Daniel left Wyn took a deep breath and fully took in his room. This was his. To some Climbers it would be downgrade, especially if they were royalty, but for Wyn this was special. Even though he rented the space it was an area he could call his own, not to mention the privacy he now possessed. It would be a great place for him to plan and recover to face the challenges that both Alestead and Alistair offered. Wyn initially thought the fee of 250 crowns a month was absurd, but he¡¯d likely make that in less than a week.


    First, however, he needed to regroup with his friends after the events of yesterday. Realizing it was already after lunch, he hurried out to the infirmary. He didn¡¯t want to miss John getting out for the first time.


    *****


    The streets of Alestead were bustling with people, both Climbers and tourists alike. Wyn thought the city was busy yesterday but it was nothing compared to the day of the festival. All of his preconceptions about trying to separate the Climbers and visitors in the crowd was also wrong, as there was no truly accurate way to tell them apart. People varied greatly in what they wore or carried, ranging from casual clothes to elegant dresses and no equipment to carts of supplies.


    The crowd was nearly suffocating, too, and he was thankful it was likely only for one more day as people would hopefully leave after the festival tonight. They would come to explore Alestead for the day or weekend and enjoy the festival activities that evening to harken a new cycle of exploration and trials. It was odd how they celebrated a new challenge that was just as defeating as rewarding.


    At least he could ignore them and focus on preparing for the next month by really diving into being a Climber.


    Wyn suddenly felt very lost, as he hadn¡¯t had a true tour of the city and what buildings were present. Daniel only showed him the basics and what he needed to know before entering the tower yesterday, but people flooded the cobblestone streets from the front gates to the tower base. There wasn¡¯t any rhyme or reason to their directions, and it was disorienting.


    A pair of guild officials were standing in the middle of the streets handing out papers to anyone who wanted them. Wyn walked over to them to see what they offered, gently walking around people young and old.


    He was grateful for their information, as they gave him a rough map of Alestead that highlighted the important buildings to visit as well as the various activities to be held that evening. The city held much more than he thought, and decided to explore more when the crowd wasn¡¯t as heavy. The markets and trading districts were especially interesting, but he figured John and Tasha would be able to help guide him. He also figured there were housing sections and more desirable areas for the elite Climbers or nobility, and sure enough most of the surrounding land was for that purpose. There were enough for thousands of people to live here, not to mention the hundreds that could live in the guild apartments and even more visitors from outside the city.


    This would be an interesting new adventure.


    Wyn continued to traverse the growing crowds on the way to the infirmary. It took longer than expected, but he made it nonetheless. When he entered there was a woman behind the front desk but she wasn¡¯t the same as the night before. This woman was older and frail-looking.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Do you have any update on a certain Climber? I¡¯d like to know how he¡¯s doing.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± she said. Her voice was rough and raspy like she¡¯d smoked a pipe her whole life. ¡°What¡¯s the name and class?¡±


    ¡°Cedric, Lightning Wizard.¡± He knew it was a long shot of him being out of the intensive unit, but he still wanted to ask.


    She ran her fingers down a log book. ¡°Ahh, yes. He is still in the intensive unit. Sorry, but no more visitors allowed.¡±


    Wyn perked up. ¡°No more?¡±


    ¡°One woman is already there visiting him. Has been there since last night, actually. We only allow one visitor per patient in the intensive unit.¡±


    Wyn smiled softly. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    So they did allow visitors. The woman last night didn¡¯t mention that, but maybe she forgot? Or the woman visiting him was already there and didn¡¯t think to mention it.


    ¡°Wyn!¡± A voice said. Wyn turned, and John was standing outside Wing A with a woman beside him.


    Wyn grinned. ¡°Tasha!¡± He went up to her to shake her hand but she threw her arms around him in a hug. He was surprised at first, but quickly and awkwardly returned the embrace.


    She let go of him then punched him in the arm.


    ¡°Hey! What was that for?¡±


    ¡°John told me what happened. That was incredibly stupid of you to go to the next floor!¡±


    Wyn winced. ¡°I know, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But it was also brave of you,¡± she said, cutting him off. ¡°You¡¯re a good guy, Wyn.¡±


    John waved his hands in the air. ¡°What am I, chopped goblin?¡± He started to limp and stepped closer to Tasha before putting his arm around her. ¡°And I¡¯m still recovering, you know.¡±


    ¡°Oh, stop it,¡± Tasha said, playfully pushing his arm off. ¡°I basically healed you before we even came back! The infirmary was a formality. Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re still hurt.¡±


    Wyn laughed, then caught the look of the woman behind the desk. She had a look of displeasure on her face that Wyn couldn¡¯t quite place. It was definitely not as inviting as the woman from last night.


    ¡°How about we make our way outside,¡± Wyn said, trying to avoid anymore negative comments.


    ¡°So, what are we doing today?¡± Tasha asked. She held the door open for John who gave a slight bow, then held his hands out in front of him after he went outside in an ¡®after you¡¯ gesture.


    ¡°John and I were talking last night about it,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We want to go explore the shops a bit before we relax tonight. Maybe see more of the city, if possible.¡±


    ¡°Yea, like a good weapons and armor smith, a general goods store, maybe even a magic item shop?¡± John clapped his hands, giddy with excitement. ¡°The basics, but important places. And we need to find some good ones to keep visiting for this next season!¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Tasha said. She held out a hand on her chin, thinking. ¡°Then we should also look for a tailor, an alchemist, and a spell or scroll shop. If we¡¯re really covering our bases.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Wyn said, as he stepped around a family walking by with a large bouquet of flowers. The bundle was nearly as tall as the man, oddly. ¡°But I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll have time for all of that before tonight.¡±


    ¡°We find the shops we might like, then ask around if they¡¯re even worth it,¡± John said. ¡°It¡¯ll be easier than getting around this crowd, at least.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to buy anything with your rewards from yesterday?¡± Wyn asked.


    John immediately stopped walking. ¡°My rewards! I completely forgot to see what I earned after the climb!¡±


    ¡°Well, you were just stabbed in the back,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I don¡¯t think you had coins on your mind.¡±


    ¡°Tasha, I always have coins on my mind.¡± He looked at her with an obnoxious grin, making her giggle.


    Wyn laughed, too. He was relieved that John really was okay, and with the three of them getting along so well, it felt right. He knew he had found the core of his climbing group, and only after one climb no less.


    It was absolutely the worst way to start his time as a Climber, but Wyn was grateful. They didn¡¯t judge him based on his class like Daniel said, but rather by his actions.


    John and Tasha would make excellent partners, though all three of them knew they needed more members.


    Or did they?


    "Wyn?" Tasha asked.


    Wyn was thinking about a strategy to climb the tower. Would it work with only three of them? Could they survive? It was difficult with Cedric and Marcy, and they were veterans. They struggled just on the second floor. But what if they were better prepared? Both Marcy and Cedric admitted they were in the worst possible situations, and they still handled themselves well. Plus, Wyn wasn''t keen on trusting a random Climber right now, so his options seemed limited.


    "Wyn!" Tasha said, stepping in front of him on the street and waving her hand in front of his face. "Helloooo?" She drew out the word in a sing-song to get his attention.


    "Hmm?" Wyn shook his head, and realized Tasha and John were standing in front of him staring. Tasha had her hands on her hips, her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.


    "I swear," she said, "you just disappear sometimes. You''re in your head too much.¡±


    "I''m sorry," Wyn said. "What did you say?"


    "Don''t apologize," John said. "It''s not a bad thing. But Tasha asked if you and her wanted to join me to the tower to get my rewards before we shop?"


    "Oh. Of course," Wyn replied. "Maybe we can see about trading this dagger, too, for something useful?"


    John''s eyes lit up. "I''d love that! I''m so jealous you found it without me." He deflated a bit, his excitement leaving him in a rush. Instinctively his hand went to his belt, but he only grasped air. "I need a new weapon, too."


    Wyn patted him on the back. "I know. We all need better gear. Let''s see what we can find and we''ll go from there. Maybe we can make a list?"


    "A shopping list!" Tasha jumped up and down, joining in the excitement.


    "And now she just made it boring," John said.


    "For today," Wyn said, "I love boring."

 Book 1 - Chapter 26

    John pushed his way through the door, excited to leave the bustling crowd. "Finally. A magical shop!" He began to wonder around like a little boy in a toy store, wanting to see and grab anything that interested him. With each new magical item he spotted two more caught his eye, and he was bouncing around with glee like a puppy.


    Tasha and Wyn were close behind, also happy to leave the ever-growing crowd but not nearly as ecstatic as John about the magic item shop.


    "It''s not like you''ll be able to buy much with your measly 40 gold," Tasha said, teasing John.


    Whether he heard her or not, he continued his amazement of the different magical items the shop held. They ranged from scrolls to weapons to armor and potions, all with a brief description and colored tag to show their magical strength. It reminded Wyn of the colored mushrooms in the cave, though it was much more pleasing to the eye in the neat categories of the shop. Nearly all of them were green or blue, and Wyn wondered if the more powerful purple items that Marcy and Cedric mentioned were guarded somewhere.


    A man appeared from around a corner, wearing an apron and fine cloth gloves. "Welcome to The Silver Step!" He said, his voice loud and smooth. He was objectively attractive, Wyn admitted, and well groomed. His hair was styled, his clothes were neat and elegant, and he was wearing a bit of cologne.


    Tasha gingerly walked up to him, drawn in by his charm. "I''m Tasha St. Clair," she said. "Your shop is lovely!"


    The man gave a deep bow. "Thank you, my dear! Please, have a look around and let me know if anything catches your beautiful eye." He winked at her, then walked behind the glass counter at the end of the store. There were smaller, more detailed magical items that set underneath it.


    "You''re a St. Clair?!" John said, louder than he intended. "You never told me that!"


    Tasha bent over to read a description of a pair of jeweled earrings. "I didn''t think I needed to. What does it matter?"


    "It doesn''t," Wyn said. He shot John a look. "But it does help explain your reasonings for coming here a bit better. And it¡¯s not often you find yourself in the presence of nobility."


    "We can discuss all of that later," she replied. "Aren''t we here for a specific reason? There are other places to want to see before the festival, too.¡±


    "Yea, yea," John said. "But I wouldn''t be surprised if you''re carrying more than your reward from yesterday. Are you looking to stock our bags and belts, St. Clair?"


    Tasha didn''t even look away from the earrings before waving John off like a fly. He simply laughed at his own joke.


    Wyn wondered how much wealth John had, too. His family may not have been nobility but they all climbed and gained some form of fortune. He likely knew of ways to secure items most didn¡¯t, and he¡¯d already showed a wealth of information that Wyn didn¡¯t think most rookies possessed. Wyn wasn''t going to be the one to start asking for handouts, though - he would earn his place here and incur no more debts. Especially from those he called friends.


    Walking around the room, Wyn was quickly growing overwhelmed with the magic items, their glowing auras, and descriptions of what they did. It was too much for him to mentally process right now as he studied each one he came across. He honestly didn¡¯t even know where to start. So, he settled at the counter where the charming man was patiently waiting with a smirking smile. Wyn felt a strange draw to him, though not a sinister one. The smell of cedar and smoke from the man¡¯s cologne filled his nostrils, and it was pleasant.


    "I''m Ardwyn Thatcher, but you can call me Wyn. I''m looking for some information or advice, among other things."


    "Hello, Wyn Thatcher! I''m Benedict Greaves. What information or advice, among other things, are you looking for? That could be one in the same or two very different matters." He bent forward towards the glass and rested his chin on his right hand, never losing the smirk on his face.


    Wyn was a bit thrown off, but decided to go with it. Something was definitely different about Benedict but he couldn''t put his finger on what.


    "Yes, well, first I would like to know about this," Wyn said, as he pulled the magical dagger from his backpack and gently placed it on the glass countertop. It shimmered blue, the magical aura visibly radiating when focusing on it. Magical items seemed to only give off their aura when viewed with intent, otherwise the entire shop would¡¯ve been a glowing headache of brilliant colors. As Wyn already discovered.


    Tasha and John joined him beside the counter to watch, hoping to hear more information themselves.


    "Ahh," Benedict said. He took the dagger and inspected it. He grabbed a small eyeglass from behind the counter and set it down, similar to the two Wyn received last night with his rewards. "What floor did you find it on, if you don''t mind me asking?"


    "Floor two," Wyn said.


    "On his introductory climb, no less!" John added.


    Benedict broadened his smirk into a genuine smile. It was as magnetic as the rest of him. "Now that is interesting! You must be the rookie that climbed to the second floor yesterday. My, my, I''ve already heard of you."


    "I think everyone has by now," Tasha said. She mirrored Benedict, placing her chin in her hands on the counter across from him.


    "That''s me," Wyn said awkwardly. He wasn''t used to that much attention and didn¡¯t know what else to say. "But I don''t use a dagger. I primarily use a spear. Well, I do use a dagger, but only as a backup. And I don''t even know if the magic in it would be useful to me." Wyn stammered a bit. He was caught off guard and oddly nervous. He felt strangely comfortable, though, which only added to his overall confusion.


    "Hmm." Benedict took the dagger and held it up. "It wouldn''t be practical to have a useful, magical backup weapon if your primary weapon is mundane. No, obviously the best option is to have all of your weapons and armor magical - but that will come in time, won''t it?"


    Both John and Tasha absentmindedly nodded yes.


    "With that being the case," Benedict continued, "you have several options."


    "I do?" Wyn asked.


    "Why, of course! And I''m here to tell you about them. It''s our duty to help our brave Climbers, after all!¡±


    The three rookies smiled and looked at each other, eager to know more.


    Benedict cleared his throat quietly. "First, if you want to identify the dagger, a few options follow. One option, is you then keep it and use it, which wouldn''t be a bad idea if it''s useful to you, but admittedly not recommended. Another option, is you could trade it at the guild''s trading house to another Climber for a different weapon or item. Or, the last option, is to use a shop like mine to trade or sell it."


    Wyn nodded, mentally noting his growing list of options. ¡°Okay, and why wouldn¡¯t I want to identify it?¡±


    "Ahh, that''s a good question! If you choose not to identify it but still want to get rid of it, it''s more of a gamble for either the seller or buyer. The magical properties could be useful or not, and there is quite a range of possible properties to be found."


    "Which isn¡¯t quite as helpful for a lower quality magical item and new Climbers, but can be a larger risk or reward for a higher quality one," John added.


    Benedict smiled. "Precisely. For a blue item, though, I wouldn''t recommend it. Especially not at this stage of your climbing career."


    "I''m inclined to agree," Wyn said.


    Benedict laughed. It was hearty, warm, and infectious. ¡°Excellent! Most Climbers who trade without identifying are well established and like the thrill of gambling items rather than coins. They like to¡­ live a little.¡± He winked again.


    Wyn¡¯s cheeks flushed. He felt like he was under a spell.


    Maybe he was?


    ¡°So I don¡¯t want to do that, then.¡± He reached back into his backpack and pulled out one of the identifying glasses he received as a reward.


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    ¡°No, no,¡± Benedict said, ¡°don¡¯t use yours. This one is on the house.¡± He took his glass and gave it to Wyn. ¡°Though you need to be the one to identify it. For your first time, and all.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait until my first time,¡± Tasha said. She stared right at Benedict.


    ¡°I¡¯d be so honored,¡± the shop keeper replied.


    Wyn¡¯s cheeks flushed with heat, and he did his best to ignore them, if it was even possible. John furrowed his eyebrows, confused. He caught on far too late.


    Wyn took the eye glass and inspected it. Tiny runes lined the outer metal rim, and the glass was perfectly clear without flaw. It was gold where his two were silver, and he wondered what the difference between them was.


    Not wanting to delay, he held it up to his eye, looking directly at the dagger. The magical sight revealed a completely different weapon. The blade was a darker metal and slightly curved like a hunting knife, while the handle was a mixture of grey and blue. Faintly glowing runes lined the hilt up to the short cross guard and gave off a small crackle of energy. There was a small topaz set in the bottom of the hilt, and as he kept looking at it he heard Tasha and John go ¡°woah¡± at the same time.


    He took the eyeglass away and the dagger maintained its new appearance, transformed after being truly seen and identified.


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible,¡± John said.


    ¡°Look at your parchment for the effects,¡± Benedict said, smiling. ¡°This is always the best part, when new Climbers identify magical items for the first time.¡± He picked up the dagger carefully, holding it like a jeweler would handle a precious item.


    Wyn quickly pulled out his parchment and read the one labeled <u>ITEMS</u>. There, completely by the tower¡¯s magic, appeared a new paragraph. Wyn read it out loud for everyone to hear.


    <u>Stunning Dagger:</u> this dagger is imbued with a topaz, helping give it the magical property of lightning. When struck by this dagger, the being has a small chance to become stunned, paralyzed by the lightning magic imbued within. The light but durable metal improves the wielder¡¯s agility by a small amount.


    Standard attacks will also electrify the target with small sparks to a minimal degree.


    Paralyze chance: very rare


    Agility boost: small


    Lightning element


    Benedict whistled. ¡°That¡¯s mighty impressive! And two very useful effects, too. I can imagine there would be many Climbers who would appreciate having this as a weapon.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that would be useful, Wyn?¡± Tasha asked. She was inspecting the sheath, twirling it in her hands. It was identical to the dagger¡¯s hilt as a perfect match.


    Wyn stared at the dagger in shock. His first thought was thinking back to the second floor. Would its effects have changed anything? It was an impressive weapon but he doubted it would have made much difference.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t have asked for a better effect and rarity on his first voyage into the tower, but he knew it wasn¡¯t what he needed at the moment.


    ¡°I do,¡± Wyn said, ¡°but I think a spear would be more useful for me right now. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Why are you sorry?¡± Benedict asked. He laughed again, short but sweet, and sat the knife down. ¡°This is a fine item and a valuable trade! I don¡¯t have an endless amount of items here but I do have many different kinds, with more in the storeroom. There¡¯s bound to be something to help you.¡±


    Wyn thought for a moment. ¡°How about two weapons of slightly lesser value?¡±


    Benedict clapped his hands and rubbed them together, startling the Climbers. ¡°Ahh, you¡¯re thinking like a true Climber now! I love it!¡± The scent of his cologne hit their noses again, aromatic and charming like magic. ¡°I would trade two green items for it - good ones, too!¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Having two weapons for us instead of me having one really powerful one would be better.¡±


    ¡°Wyn,¡± Tasha said, ¡°you don¡¯t need to do that. This is yours! We¡¯ll all find our own items in the tower eventually.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± John said. ¡°And I already sent a letter to my family asking for a new sword!¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°When I was in the infirmary I had some extra time on my hands. I explained the situation and even had the Tower Master sign it. They¡¯ll understand. It might not be as good as the sword I had before but it¡¯ll be just fine, so don¡¯t worry about me!¡±


    Wyn let out a satisfied sigh. ¡°It¡¯s settled, then. How about a spear and a staff?¡±


    ¡°No, Wyn,¡± Tasha said. She put the sheath back on the counter while Benedict hurriedly stepped away. ¡°I don¡¯t need a magical staff right now. Spells are plenty for me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand. Either of you.¡± Wyn looked at both of his teammates in the eyes, emphasizing his point. ¡°The second floor was not easy. I¡¯m thankful that both Marcy and Cedric came after me or I would¡¯ve died in there. We need any useful resource we have, and sharing our capabilities is the best way to succeed.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right, you know,¡± Benedict said, holding both a spear and a staff. ¡°What truly makes a rookie Climber become a veteran is how well they work with their team. A rookie group who works well together and communicates efficiently will be more effective than a stronger veteran group who doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Tasha let out an annoyed, relenting sigh. ¡°Fine, fine, you win. What¡¯s a good staff for a Diamond Magician?¡±


    Benedict looked at the staff he was holding, opened his mouth like he was going to speak, and then paused. ¡°Wyn, what is your class?¡±


    Wyn hesitated but didn¡¯t want to shy away from his class. He needed to own it if he was going to change other¡¯s minds. ¡°I¡¯m a Ruby Magician.¡±


    Benedict gave a pitied smile that he quickly shook away. He then left with both weapons in hand, and returned quickly with two others.


    ¡°I believe these will be to your liking,¡± Benedict said.


    Wyn noticed the spear first, and it was a beautiful weapon. The spearhead was longer than usual and more curved on one side, and there was a small feather that was attached with thin leather straps just under the blade. It still had a similar height and appearance like a spear, but resembled more of a small glaive from the curved blade than the traditional spears he was used to fighting with.


    The wooden staff he held in his other hand was nearly orange in color like young cedar, and the top was a large rounded knot that nearly formed a complete circle. It didn¡¯t look natural at all, but rather like it was magically shaped in a coil at its end. Runes were clearly etched on the upper half of the staff and throughout the circular top.


    ¡°Oh, those look impressive,¡± John said. He was wide eyed and smiling, eager to hear more about them.


    Benedict handed the staff to Tasha and the spear to Wyn. ¡°They certainly are, young man. Tasha St. Clair, that is a Sunstaff. It can cast the spell Cure three times a day, and by speaking a keyword it will light up brighter than a torch. In other words, it casts the spell Torchlight on command as often as you¡¯d like.¡±


    Tasha gasped. ¡°That¡¯s perfect! I used Torchlight a lot and now I can focus on something else!¡± She held the staff and ran her fingers along it, feeling every inch of its magic.


    ¡°Excellent! It doesn¡¯t add to your magical abilities like some weapons, but I¡¯d encourage you to find armor or accessories to fulfill that role. At least for now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the advice,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I¡¯ll do just that.¡±


    ¡°I have no doubt,¡± Benedict said. ¡°And for the spear - its name is Windcutter. It¡¯s magically imbued with the Wind element and is lighter than a regular spear. Personally I think it¡¯s more like a small glaive, like how a short sword is to a long sword, but I¡¯ll let you be the judge of how to use it. You seem more than capable. But it¡¯s real perk is the smaller, talon-shaped blade on the bottom.¡±


    Wyn twirled it around and inspected the butt end. Instead of a blunted shaft there was a small hooked blade, just a few inches long but curved like a claw. Runes sat above it in markings Wyn didn¡¯t recognize. Granted he didn¡¯t recognize most runes, but they were formed with harsh edges of squares and triangles rather than the more familiar layered circles he¡¯d seen so far.


    ¡°What do these runes do?¡±


    ¡°You have a good eye, Magician! They cast the spell Wingbeat. It¡¯s not a common spell, only found on the Sorcerer¡¯s list. But it releases a sharp wave of air that cuts in a wide range over a distance of about 20 feet. It¡¯s used directly from the talon and twice a day.¡±


    Wyn spun it around in his hands a bit. Benedict had a brief look of shock for his shop but tried to contain himself. Wyn was well trained, and the spear felt natural in his hands despite the foreign appearance. He was right, too, as it was light and easily maneuverable but felt strong and firm.


    ¡°These are both great,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Thank you, Benedict.¡±


    ¡°You are more than welcome! So it¡¯s a deal, then?¡°


    ¡°I believe so. These should serve us well.¡±


    Benedict clapped his hands together. ¡°Then I hope my helpful suggestions will convince you to become regulars here! If you have other magical items you may always consult me. And, as a thank you, here is a small gift.¡± Benedict reached behind the counter and pulled out a small pouch. It was a light brown leather and looked similar to a coin purse, but magical runes were easily seen on the bag¡¯s opening.


    ¡°What is it?¡± John asked. He held his hands out, practically begging for it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a magical pouch that is common for Climbers.¡± Benedict handed the pouch to John. ¡°It holds much more than it appears. Around the size of a large backpack in the convenience of a coin purse.¡±


    ¡°I knew it! I tried to convince my parents to bring one but they refused, saying I needed to gain my items when I was an actual Climber. This would be very helpful, Benedict. Thank you.¡± John immediately began to strap it to his belt.


    ¡°Can we keep these here and pick them up before we climb again?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Of course. You shouldn¡¯t go to the festival carrying these, after all. You need hands to drink and flirt!¡±


    Tasha giggled and John stepped back towards the door.


    ¡°We should go to the tailor¡¯s shop next!¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°Girls and their clothes,¡± John muttered.


    Tasha shot him a look. They began to walk out, saying their goodbyes and thanks to Benedict.


    ¡°You guys go ahead,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I want to ask Benedict something real quick.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be right next door,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Come on, John. We need to find some matching clothes for us to wear if we¡¯re going to be a team!¡±


    John gave Wyn a look of fear and walked out with the bouncing Tasha.


    ¡°I need a favor,¡± Wyn said.


    Benedict¡¯s eyes seem to sparkle as he lowered his voice. ¡°Oh, favors. I like those.¡±


    Wyn pulled out his magical hunk of wood he received on the first floor. He gingerly placed it on the counter.


    ¡°My, my, you are full of surprises,¡± Benedict said. ¡°Another magic item. What are you interested in?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not looking to trade. I¡¯m looking for it to be crafted. Can you do that? Or know someone reliable who could?¡±


    ¡°I can. For a fee, of course. It¡¯s pretty straightforward to create something from a green rarity item. This doesn¡¯t have to be a favor either, though you owing me sounds much more fun.¡±


    Wyn scratched the back of his head. He honestly felt embarrassed. He wasn¡¯t sure what Benedict¡¯s talents were, but now that he knew he could also craft items he was sure he¡¯d be visiting him again.


    I have to ask, though. Is this for you or someone on your team?¡±


    ¡°Someone else. It¡¯s for one of the veterans that helped me yesterday. I want to give a gift as a thank you to both of them, but only have an idea for one for now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you. What are you wanting?¡±


    Wyn smiled. ¡°Arrows.¡±

 Book 1 - Chapter 27

    Wyn took a deep gulp of the mead, letting the honeyed drink sit in his mouth a bit longer than usual. It was sweet and savory, a rare combination, like nothing he had experienced before. The small stall selling the mugs was quickly having people line up for more, and Wyn could see why. He paid the man behind the wooden counter and took his mug, making a mental note to bring it back in order to get a small refund. Not before getting another refill or two, of course.


    The festival was about to kick off with the parade being the highlight of the evening. The markets and streets of Alestead had been busy all day, and after shopping for hours Wyn wanted to rest alone before he met back up with Tasha and John. He didn¡¯t know if shopping in the busy crowds all day was worse than the tower or not, but he felt like it drained him more than fighting. He was used to his life being in danger and relying on his own merits, but going from store to store looking through endless amounts of things was another challenge entirely.


    He had decided to experience some of the festival by himself to relax, wandering around the Alestead courtyards. Where it normally was outdoor training grounds and popular hangout spots - at least according to his map and information from Tasha - the open fields were now bustling with activities and a steadily growing large crowd. There were many stalls of food and items, events, and general things to do, and Wyn was enjoying simply walking around to take it all in. The crowd migrated from the streets and markets, hoping to end the night as the parade would snake its way through the festival and people alike. It was a fun way to enjoy the festivities and company, so he was told.


    The fields had been transformed, with banners flying, jugglers juggling, and bards singing. There was merriment everywhere, with the chaos of the people cheering, laughing, or singing along to the different songs that played in different areas. Most people walked around with food or drink in hand, and children ran rampant with ribbons and toys.


    The three rookies had decided to meet at the food court, a small area where tables were gathered and stalls sold all varieties of food and drink. Wyn was trying to scout out a good table spot early when his stomach growled, persuading him to find food and drink instead. That was when he noticed the stall selling the mead, and he wanted to try it.


    He walked around the fields sipping his drink, enjoying himself. There was a small crowd around a series of games, where people could pay a small price to play. He settled on watching a young boy run up to an area with dozens of bottles lashed together, holding small rings in his hand. The boy then threw the rings at the bottles, trying to get a ring around a bottle neck. He threw and threw and threw, but after eight tries was unsuccessful.


    A man, probably the boy¡¯s father, walked up to the vendor and gave a few more coins. The woman gave out a handful more rings, and the man gave them to the boy. He instantly stopped crying and began laughing again, which made the father laugh, too. A woman then stepped beside them, dressed in combat gear with a sword sheathed on her waist. She put her arm around the boy¡¯s father, and the two of them fondly watched their son play another round of the game, this time succeeding twice.


    It was a funny contrast, watching a Climber dressed for combat interact with her civilian-dressed family. The more Wyn looked around, though, the more he realized this festival was also for the many Climber¡¯s loved ones to join them. He assumed they would take the opportunity as family and friends to gather and celebrate what they¡¯re doing, using the festival as a reminder of what they had and what they fought for.


    It was heart warming, but also filled Wyn with a sense of anxiety. His own family was struggling, barely able to feed themselves and riddled with debt. He thought of his sister, how she had abandoned her life to help their father after their mom left. He thought of his father, his health ailing him after his family nearly fell apart, now relying on his children for his own mistakes and poor judgment.


    Wyn took a long swig of his mead, or at least he tried. It was empty, and he had a strong urge to fill it.


    Back at the mead stall he was dismayed to see a line wrapping around the far corner. He sadly knew he wouldn¡¯t make it before they sold out. Instead, he opted to return the mug before looking for another source of drink.


    Casually strolling back towards the food court, he saw Daniel and Wendy sitting at a table. They were smiling and laughing, giggling like they were children up to no good. Daniel had a mug in his hand and Wendy was eating an apple on a stick, and it was coated in something thick like syrup. It looked strangely delectable.


    Daniel caught him staring and raised his mug to him, very subtly nodding his head in a greeting. Wyn waved but didn¡¯t approach, wanting to be polite by saying hello but also not wanting to interrupt them. They seemed to be having a great time, and he didn¡¯t want to spoil it.


    Wyn suddenly had an arm around his neck. He jerked away in response, then relaxed when he saw it was John.


    ¡°Easy, man. It¡¯s just me!¡± He pulled his hands back and held them up innocently, but was smiling his big, charming smile.


    Wyn figured he could probably get away with most things based on that smile. He sighed in relief. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m still jumpy, I guess.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me. If anyone should be jumpy around here it should be me!¡±


    Wyn took a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re right. But man, this festival is busy. It¡¯s almost as bad the city.¡±


    John laughed. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t most festivals busy? At least there are fun things to do.¡±


    ¡°Yea, I guess, but I didn¡¯t imagine it would be quite like this. I thought some Climbers and their families would be here but it seems like it¡¯s much bigger than that. The rumors didn¡¯t do it justice.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yea. Plenty of people come out to see them and to watch the parade. It¡¯s wild - just wait!¡±


    ¡°I take it you¡¯ve seen it before?¡±


    ¡°Dozens of times. When my family would climb, seeing friends who were climbing, when I wanted a vacation - any excuse I could make to come and see it I would.¡±


    Wyn looked around at the varying kinds of people, again marveling at how everyone meshed together despite their different backgrounds. Here they weren''t a noble or a peasant, they were either a visitor to see the magical tower or a Climber to challenge it. Wyn had never seen such a cultural phenomenon, and had a feeling this barely scratched the surface of the wonder of both the city and tower. It was a refreshing break from the power struggle he was more familiar with.


    ¡°It¡¯s an entirely different world, here,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I had no idea.¡±


    John patted him on the back. ¡°It¡¯s definitely different. But it grows on you in the best way.¡±


    John began walking away, heading to a table. Wyn followed him and saw that Tasha was sitting down with food and drinks already prepared.


    ¡°About time you showed up, Wyn! I was hoping we weren¡¯t going to have to find you in this crowd,¡± Tasha said between a mouthful of food. She may have come from a noble house but she was eating like the poor soldiers who never had a full, hot plate.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we ever would¡¯ve found each other,¡± Wyn said as he sat down at the table to eat. He grabbed a clean plate and began adding food to it. ¡°But I¡¯m glad we did.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll drink to that,¡± John said, raising a mug.


    Wyn grabbed a cup, filled it with water from the pitcher and toasted along with John and Tasha.


    ¡°No ale?¡± John asked.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°I already had a mug of the mead, and it was incredible," Wyn said. "Anything else wouldn¡¯t be as good.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention we have to get back to climbing tomorrow, right?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°It is the new season, after all. We might as well hop to it!¡±


    John sat his mug down after a long drink and stared at it. ¡°I¡¯ve given a lot of thought to that. You''re right, of course. Though we haven¡¯t talked about what our plan is.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tasha asked, cramming a chicken leg into her mouth.


    ¡°Well, we are here to climb," John continued. "But are we going to go just the three of us?¡±


    Tasha put her now-cleaned chicken leg down and thought about it, licking her fingers clean. Wyn had already been thinking about it too, and now was the best time to bring it up.


    ¡°I think we should,¡± Wyn said. ¡°At least for now.¡±


    Tasha wiped her hands on a dinner napkin. ¡°That¡¯s risky. I doubt we¡¯d make it very far. I mean, no offense, but look at how you, Marcy, and Cedric did last night.¡±


    Wyn clenched his jaw, but reluctantly nodded his head, agreeing. ¡°I know, I know. I could make excuses but you¡¯re right. I just am having a hard time trusting anyone right now.¡±


    They sat in silent agreement, leaving their dinner for the moment. Wyn was right, they all had a hard time trusting anyone - but Tasha was right, too.


    ¡°Why the long faces?¡± A voice said at the end of the table while a mug of ale slammed down. Foam sloshed out of it, and the three rookies looked to see who rudely interrupted them.


    Marcy stood there, one hand on her hip, wearing a tipsy smile and rosy cheeks.


    Tasha jumped up and hugged her without a word, spilling Marcy''s drink. The mug flew out onto the grass beside them as the Ranger couldn''t hold onto it well enough. John stood up, too, and hugged her when Tasha let go.


    ¡°Yea, yea, settle down, settle down,¡± Marcy said, her words slurring.


    Wyn thought of Daniel and how drunk and depressed he was at the start of yesterday. He seemed to be wanting to sober up, though, to Wyn''s delight. Marcy seemed to be going in the opposite direction, wanting to get drunk instead. Wyn understood her sentiment, though, as he likely would''ve kept drinking mug after mug of mead if John and Tasha hadn''t found him first.


    Wyn stood up and reached out his hand for a handshake. Marcy sized him up and firmly shook his hand before forcefully embracing him in a hug. She held him tight, squeezing him. He warmly hugged her back.


    The four Climbers sat. After several awkward seconds of silence, Tasha was the one bold enough to ask what the others were thinking. ¡°How¡¯s Cedric?¡±


    Marcy grabbed a cup and poured water from the pitcher. She drank it and made a sour face. ¡°Water? That¡¯s not what I want right now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably what¡¯s best right now,¡± John whispered to Wyn. Wyn kicked him under the table.


    The rookies waited patiently for an answer. They didn¡¯t know if they should push the subject, but they were desperately wanting to know. Their curiosity didn''t eclipse their disrespect, though, and waited for her to respond when she was ready.


    ¡°He¡¯s alive,¡± Marcy quickly said. ¡°So there¡¯s that.¡±


    A collective sigh was let out at the table. Leave it to a drunk Climber to answer promptly.


    Wyn smiled and closed his eyes. Cedric was alive, and his effort to save him paid off.


    ¡°But he lost his left arm. They can¡¯t do anything about that.¡± Marcy ripped off a piece of chicken and ate it sloppily.


    Tasha held a hand over her mouth. John looked away, finding it hard to look at Marcy¡¯s face. Wyn knew he lost his arm. He remembered seeing it left behind, lying on the ground in the midst of the mushroom monsters who were still trying to kill them. What he didn¡¯t know, though, was if the medics could do anything about it with their magical healing.


    Apparently they couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Oh, and our group kicked us out.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Collectively was shouted at the table, the young Climbers yelling in unison.


    ¡°Why?¡± ¡°How!¡± Saying it out loud more than asking the question, they were baffled. Why in the hells would they do that?


    ¡°Cedric isn¡¯t really useful without an arm, so they say. They voted to leave him behind.¡± Marcy banged her fist on the table, startling them. ¡°I refused to do that. I will never leave anyone behind. So they kicked me out, too.¡±


    ¡°Marcy,¡± Tasha said softly, taking her hand into her own. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. But hear me when I say this. We wouldn¡¯t be here if it wasn¡¯t for you and Cedric.¡±


    ¡°I feel the same way,¡± John said. This time he did look her in the eyes as his began to water. ¡°I owe my life to Cedric. You, too.¡±


    Marcy sniffled as she wiped away tears that began to roll down her cheeks.


    Wyn just couldn¡¯t believe it. They must¡¯ve been a pretty pathetic group to simply cast away a member like that after something so horrible. But is that what Climbers do here? Are they so cutthroat to secure any advantage possible, that when a disadvantage rises they purge it right away?


    A thought clicked inside Wyn that seemed to fall into place. It made sense, and was a perfect solution. ¡°Marcy,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We¡¯re all thankful. Truly. And I have a proposal for you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Wyn looked at Tasha and John, who both tearfully smiled back, knowing exactly what he wanted to ask.


    ¡°Would you want to join our group? And Cedric, too, of course, when he¡¯s ready.¡±


    Marcy stared at them, dumbfounded. Then she laughed. It was small and quick, like a chirp, but then she laughed harder and harder, nearly falling out of her seat.


    Wyn had a look of concern cross his face, hoping he didn¡¯t just insult her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± she said, wiping her hands on her shirt, smearing it with chicken grease. ¡°A bunch of rookies wanting to pair up with a bum Wizard and an outcast Ranger.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only fitting, considering I¡¯m an outcast, too,¡± Wyn replied. ¡°But we work well together. You know that personally.¡±


    Marcy smiled. ¡°I know. Yes, of course I will. Thank you for considering me.¡±


    Marcy barely got the words out before Tasha yelled in excitement and reached across the table to grab her arms. John and Wyn both exhaled in relief.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan, then?¡± Marcy asked. ¡°No offense, but I¡¯m done being the responsible one for the time being. Don¡¯t want that burden for this coming season.¡±


    They all looked at each other and eventually their eyes settled on Wyn. He was wondering that very thing, but had a feeling he would be their leader until someone else wanted to take the role or he messed up bad enough for them to take over. For now, though, he relished the thought of leading a group of warriors into combat.


    Wyn made a personal vow to not make the same mistakes he¡¯d made before. This time would be different. They¡¯d be successful and meet whatever goals they set.


    He took a deep breath.


    ¡°Let¡¯s figure it out tomorrow,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We can meet at lunch to prepare to tackle the first floor the next day. No rushing this time.¡± He smiled, and genuinely felt happy.


    They toasted in agreement and continued their meal as the night went on.


    As a group, they made their way through the still-growing crowd to prepare for the parade. The people naturally separated into two sides, the middle being where the actual parade would take place. Everyone around seemed hopeful, joyous, and curious to see the actual display.


    Wyn looked through the crowd at the people. He noticed some people were laughing and cheering, but some were serious or anxious. Several people, likely Climbers, had their weapons out and formally presented, like soldiers paying respects to officers passing by.


    Or, which was likely the case here, respecting the memorial of a fallen ally.


    Wyn remembered that the parade honored those that had fallen in the tower over the current season. He wondered how many precious Climbers had died, and how many more would die this coming cycle to the trials of the tower.


    Interrupting his thoughts, the parade began with a pop of celebration as streamers of magic and toys began to fly through the air. The noise of the crowd instantly seemed to double. The parade itself was made up of various groups, some funny and some extravagant, all trying to entertain in different ways. All were succeeding based on the crowd reaction.


    In the midst of some guild officials walking in the parade, waving and cheering back at the crowd, Wyn saw a strange figure on the other side of the crowd. The person was tall, robed, and wore a mask. Despite the flashing lights it wasn''t easy to make out specific details, but the mask looked porcelain with a white blank face except for holes at the eyes.


    Wyn''s heart raced. It felt like the figure was looking right at him, unbothered by the crowd and parade.


    Something felt strangely familiar but also foreign about the person, though a sinister emotion seemed to be pouring out of him. Wyn decided to act quickly, and he moved through the crowd, pushing people away but keeping an eye on the robed figure.


    People called out in annoyance at being pushed away and interrupting the parade, but Wyn didn''t care.


    ¡°Wyn?¡± John called out, but he was ignored.


    The person was just on the other side of the parade, and Wyn knew he could get there quickly but he stopped his pursuit. He didn''t want to make a scene and draw attention, and they stared at each other for only a second.


    When a large, fake dragon passed by, actors underneath making it seem alive and roaring in the air, the crowd went wild. It blocked Wyn¡¯s view, though, and he tried to move around it to see. In seconds the dragon passed by, and then the figure was gone.


    ¡°Wyn, what¡¯s wrong?" John asked.


    Wyn turned and saw his three teammates standing there, looks of confusion spread across their faces.


    "I thought I saw something, but I guess not," Wyn said. "I¡¯m sorry."


    He tried laughing it off as a woman scolded him for blocking her view of the parade, and the others began laughing, too. Thankfully his friends didn''t press him about it again, and he was grateful he didn''t have to explain it further. He was sure he saw someone there, but he didn''t want them to worry, especially if it was nothing.


    The four Climbers continued their night, enjoying the parade and festivities in celebration before a new journey inside the tower began. It likely would be fraught with challenges both in the tower and out, but at least they would face them together.


    As the parade finished and they began their walk back to their rooms, a lone figure in a porcelain mask watched them from afar. At their side was a familiar sword with an ornate hilt and sheath with gold trim, runes etched along the side. They tightened their grip on the weapon and widened their eyes under the mask, content on watching and waiting. For now.

 Interlude - Lionel - 2

    The environment shifted from the musty cave to an empty, equally musty room. It was dark and oddly humid, smelling of mold and old linens. Lionel was breathing heavy, holding his face and neck. He could feel his skin being wet and warm and knew it was a mixture of sweat and blood, though hoped it was more of the former.


    He pulled his hand away for a second and felt a streak of liquid run down his neck into his shirt. A curse escaped his lips, and he recovered his upper neck with his hand, putting pressure on the wound.


    That damned Ranger nearly killed him. If he hadn¡¯t gone through the portal and moved his body at the right time, the arrow would¡¯ve struck his chest instead of graze his jaw, and he¡¯d bleed out before help could arrive.


    He might still bleed out, but at least there was a chance he¡¯d live.


    A few slow, methodical breaths left the Fighter¡¯s still-quivering mouth. He blinked hard several times, panic rising inside him as the darkness wasn¡¯t changing whether his eyes were open or closed.


    Did she blind him, too? No, that can¡¯t be right. The room must be nearly pitch black, no source of light to be found.


    Lionel jerked his head frantically side to side, looking for anything. He saw the faintest sliver of light under a door and stared at it for a few moments. The light centered him, and he started to see his surroundings better as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Two old barrels sat against the wall and a broom was leaning against it.


    A chuckle escaped his smiling mouth. He was in a storage closet. Of all the places they could arrange for the other half of the portal to be, they picked a damned storage closet.


    His mind rushed with the events of the afternoon. He knew he had to bide his time to fulfill his true purpose, and he succeeded. He didn¡¯t want to kill John, but it was necessary. It was the added bonus to his mission and he knew he would be rewarded far more than what was promised.


    Gaps of light formed and moved under the door. Lionel held his breath, afraid he¡¯d be caught. The door suddenly opened, and an older, bald man stood hunched in the light. Lionel tried to move his other hand to cover his eyes from the sudden brightness, but stopped when he remembered he was holding John¡¯s sheathed sword. He alternated between squinting and trying to open his eyes from the influx of light.


    ¡°Incompetent,¡± the man growled. He reached down and hoisted Lionel up with surprising ease.


    Cold hands ran over Lionel¡¯s neck and face, and he didn¡¯t dare move his hand so he wouldn¡¯t bleed out. The man briefly fought with him, trying to make him move his hand.


    ¡°Move your damn hand, boy,¡± the man spat. ¡°I need to heal you if you¡¯re injured so you don¡¯t bleed all over the place. Can¡¯t be making a scene, now.¡±


    Lionel didn¡¯t recognize his accent, and he certainly didn¡¯t trust the man, but he wasn¡¯t in a condition to argue. He still could barely see.


    Relenting, Lionel dropped his hand. In a flash, the man swiped some salve over his jaw. The cream was cool and thick, giving instant relief. He could feel his skin tightening underneath, and the cooling sensation turned warm as life seemed to return to him.


    ¡°Put this on,¡± the man barked, twirling a cloak around Lionel¡¯s shoulders. He could only see it shimmering blue before his appearance began to shift, his hands tanning and clothes changing to robes.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lionel asked. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Always with the questions,¡± the man said, more to no one than at Lionel. ¡°Shut up and follow me. He¡¯s waiting.¡±


    Lionel¡¯s heart skipped a beat. So this man was part of it, then.


    Without another breath, the man pushed Lionel out of the room ahead of him. Lionel squinted and blinked hard and fast, trying to get his eyes to adjust quickly while being pushed to walk. He started to make out where he was after a few turns and hallways.


    They were passing the hall of portals, at the base of Alestead.


    For some reason Lionel thought that the special portal key he was given would take him to some secret place, not the actual tower. But maybe he wasn¡¯t quite worth that.


    Not yet, at least.


    The two men passed rookie Climbers still exiting the first floor, unaware of what he had done. He looked back to see the man guiding him along.


    A smirk formed on Lionel¡¯s face. The stranger was wearing a vest with silver trimmings, and Alistair¡¯s symbol on the chest. Whether he was an actual guild member as a double agent or simply stole the outfit, Lionel didn¡¯t care. He was impressed. He was obviously important enough for all this effort, and that made his chest swell.


    No one glanced twice at them as they walked. Lionel looked down and was shocked to see the sword he held looked like a staff, and his clothes like robes. For all intents and purposes, the cloak gave the illusion he was a Mage of some kind.


    A grimace formed on his face. It was an insult to disguise him as some kind of Magician.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Lionel asked.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± the man said, pushing him along. ¡°No questions.¡±


    Lionel felt a sharp finger poke him in the back and push him forward. He gritted his teeth and kept walking, unsure where they were going.


    They past the front entrance at Alistair and turned off into an errant alley from the primary road. The way was dark and hard to see, but the strange man guided Lionel by the shoulder once they exited the main street of Alestead.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± the man said. He stepped to the side out of view.


    Lionel looked around. They stood at a dead end, the only thing around being a lone, small tree without leaves right beside him and a small patch of grass that rested under his feet. The area was surrounded by stone and brick of the walls from the neighboring buildings, trapping it from continuing. The area was unassuming and innocent, as though it was a perfectly secure place for a picnic.


    Suddenly the ground under his feet shifted, and he backed away in alarm. A square patch of grass next to the tree flipped up and over, and the man was standing in the ground, only his head and shoulders visible.


    ¡°Come on,¡± the man grumbled. ¡°Not too much further.¡± He climbed out of the hole and nodded his head towards his for Lionel to lead.


    Lionel peered into the hole and saw a tall wooden ladder descending into darkness. It looked rotted and barely usable, but the man insisted, nudging Lionel¡¯s back. He relented and climbed down it, unsure how far down the ladder would take him.


    Suddenly he felt the ladder shake and dust fell on his face. He blew air out of the side of his mouth, trying to breathe without sucking in extra dirt. The man joined him at the top and flipped the grass cover back over them. The instant the cover was replaced, a dim light shown not far under his feet, and Lionel peeked under his boots to see the ground wasn¡¯t too far.


    Landing with a thud, Lionel realized he stood in a narrow, carved pathway. It was all dirt and mud around him, completely underground though obviously manmade. Candles lined the walls every so often, barely lighting the path enough for him to see. Various patches of darkness made him cautious, but he didn¡¯t have anything to fear.


    Not yet, at least.


    After several minutes the pair arrived at a plain wooden door with a small square hole that was sealed from the other side. Bars covered the front of the hole in the door. The man pushed Lionel aside and rapped the door four times in a varied cadence with his knuckles.


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    The slot behind the hole flew open. A single eye peered through it and looked at both men.


    ¡°Aliyar¡¯s mercy,¡± the man behind the door said.


    ¡°Is swift and unforgiving,¡± the older bald man leading Lionel finished.


    The hole was covered again, then a latch sounded behind the door. The wooden door creaked as it opened towards the inside and the man again pushed Lionel forward.


    Lionel¡¯s mouth hung open when he stood inside the door, still clutching John¡¯s sword. Dim light completely filled a large open room with candles scattered around, either in tall iron holders, on tables, or just on the ground. There must have been over a hundred of them. The room was circular with various halls or doors leading out deeper into what seemed like the hub of catacombs.


    Over two dozen people were gathered in the center of the room, all wearing dark blue hooded robes that covered their features. They faced away from Lionel towards a man sitting on a stone throne that held a multitude of candles, all dripping wax at different heights. The throne was elevated with several wide steps leading up to the gaudy and macabre display.


    The man at the throne wasn¡¯t wearing a hooded robe, but instead a stark white cloth covering that looked like a bleached clergyman¡¯s outfit. He stood and waved Lionel over with a smirk.


    Lionel hesitated. Was this him? The man who orchestrated this entire ordeal? It had to be. He was obviously their leader, here in the flesh. Lionel knew him only as a myth, and yet here he stood.


    The older man pushed him forward yet again. ¡°When you¡¯re summoned, you don¡¯t delay. Now go.¡±


    Lionel stepped forward and the crowd silently parted to allow him passage. As he approached, the mysterious man¡¯s smirk grew to a wide smile.


    ¡°Lionel, my dear boy,¡± the man said, his voice flowing like smooth honey. ¡°Welcome to our humble abode. You have earned your place. I hope.¡±


    Lionel smiled and held John¡¯s sword in front of him. ¡°I have. I did exactly as you asked.¡±


    ¡°Commanded,¡± the man corrected, his voice stern and face expressionless. In another moment his features returned to before, smiling and inviting, as though a magical force shifted his demeanor in the blink of an eye.


    Lionel scrunched his eyebrows. Something didn¡¯t feel right but he couldn¡¯t put his finger on it. He was supposed to be welcomed, but this felt like a trial of sorts. He¡¯d already undergone the trial and succeeded. This should be a formality more than anything.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lionel said. He looked around the room with quick glances and realized no one was looking at him, or even at the man in the throne. They were simply looking forward in the same direction, as though in a trance or under some spell.


    "Please, tell me what happened," the man said, waving his hand towards Lionel. "I need to hear it from you. From your soul."


    Lionel cleared his throat and recounted the events in the tower, sparing no detail. He didn''t quite trust this entire ordeal but he wasn''t about to lie to this man in this place. He may have been many things, but a fool was not one of them.


    The man sunk down into his throne and closed his eyes as though Lionel was telling him news of dire importance, the kind that includes families being reunited with loved ones, or hearing someone lived when thought dead. He clasped his hands together in joy and let out a relieved sigh.


    "Well, young man, you certainly went above and beyond," the man said.


    "Yes, sir," Lionel said. He bowed his head in respect.


    The man stood up quickly, his white robes flowing behind him like sheets in the wind. No one dared move in the chamber, and Lionel counted himself part of that group. The man stepped off from his throne and began to slowly walk down the steps.


    "When our order discovered you, Lionel, we were hopeful we found our next lieutenant. Tall, strong, capable - everything we needed as a foundation to mold you." The man stepped down the steps slowly, accentuating his words. "You were receptive to us, as well! Your task, in order to join our order, was to betray an ally. To sever a bond you had made within the tower. Doing that would show you would stop at nothing for us, and ruthlessness is crucial for the role you''ll need to play."


    Lionel straightened his posture, though did not dare take his eyes off the man.


    "You have succeeded that task, and then went a step beyond."


    The man snapped a finger, and three people in the crowd brought over a large stone basin of liquid. It was dark like the black of night, impossible to see through like standard water. It strangely appeared to swirl as the people placed the basin before Lionel, and he saw what looked like flashes of stars form and disappear over and over in the moving liquid. It was incredibly alluring, and Lionel fought to take his eyes off the mysterious substance in order to look back at the leader.


    The man rested a hand on the basin and one hand on Lionel''s shoulder, a sinister smile forming on his face. The rings on his hand reflected brilliant light in various metals and gems. "You not only betrayed your ally, but literally stabbed him in the back as well. And stole his sword! Incredible!" The leader lightly ran his fingers over John''s sword before patting Lionel on the back.


    "Not quite, my Lordship," a familiar voice said.


    Lionel snapped his head around to see the stranger who led him here sitting down eating an apple, his legs propped up on the wooden table in front of him.


    "Excuse me?" The leader said. "What are you saying, Mathias?"


    The older bald man - Mathias - finished his bite of apple before throwing the core in a small basin at his side. "Pardon me, my Lord, but Lionel did not kill that Climber."


    "What?" Lionel said in a low tone, growling through his teeth. "I stabbed him in the back. That Mage was out of mana, she couldn¡¯t heal him enough. No way he survived that."


    Mathias smiled softly. "He absolutely did. Apparently the Divine Magician in your party was quite the healer. Or had more mana than you thought. She stabilized him and brought him back to the infirmary, where he''s resting now. The healers are saying he''ll recover completely."


    Lionel''s face softened and his eyes went wide. His plan to kill John failed. What did that mean for him here?


    The leader clicked his tongue several times in a disapproving manner. "Oh, what a shame. So you didn''t quite kill him. You tried and failed." He flicked John''s sword, making Lionel jump. "You stole his weapon, though, and that''s something. I guess." He turned hurriedly and walked behind the basin, raising his arms out wide. "Still, you have earned your original reward. A promise of power lies ahead." He smiled wide, and the liquid stirred in the basin as though prompted.


    Lionel stared back at the basin, a hunger rising within him. Power was what he sought, and power was what he''d earned. He was inches from obtaining it, just within his grasp. His free hand, as though acting on its own, reached for the liquid. The dark liquid then pooled around his hand and wrist and began to trickle up his arm. It followed a strange path, swirling and turning without reason while causing runes to form on his forearm and bicep. Lionel could feel the liquid run up his shoulder and neck before settling on his face, all the while still rotating and moving like a miniature flowing river.


    The liquid began to expand as though consuming his arm and shoulder. It originally felt cool and refreshing, but slowly turned warm against his skin.


    The leader''s smile faded, and his face was expressionless once again. The crowd all turned towards them, bearing witness to the event.


    Panic rose inside Lionel. The liquid was now hot, and he could visibly see steam rising from his arm. He began to grunt and willed himself to manage the growing pain. His willpower was breaking far faster than he thought. The pain was unbearable, and he fell to one knee as the liquid scalded and burned his skin. A scream left his mouth and he desperately wished for the experience to stop.


    "Power does not come without sacrifice," the leader said, his hands resting on the basin as the excess liquid disappeared into his white robes.


    Lionel kept screaming, his neck and face now sizzling from the liquid that still covered him.


    "Power does not come without sacrifice," the crowd echoed in unison.


    "You have earned your place with us!" The leader said, shouting above Lionel''s screams of pain and agony. "You will come to know the might and power of The Great One, and all who she houses!¡±


    The leader immediately grabbed Lionel by the shoulders, gripping them hard. The Fighter could feel the fingers digging hard into his flesh, harder than should be possible. It felt like a steel vice squeezing him, any harder and he¡¯d pop. But from his touch the liquid began to cool. It was then drawn away from his face down his neck and arm into the white robes of the leader standing before him, completely bypassing the basin.


    The room was completely silent except for Lionel¡¯s ragged breaths. His left arm twitched from the scalding liquid and his eyes widened when he looked at it. Runes covered his entire left arm from his wrist to his shoulder, and he knew he must have some on his face, too. They felt like magical brands, seared into his skin by whatever kind of unholy liquid was introduced to him.


    Lionel tried to settle his breathing down. Their Lord was standing up at his throne now, his arms out wide. Three figures stood at the bottom of the stairs, just a few feet in front of where Lionel knelt. Two were on his left and one on his right. They all wore the same dark blue robes as the crowd though their faces were concealed with white porcelain masks.


    He studied them for a moment. It was impossible to tell whether they were male or female, and they didn¡¯t seem to carry any obvious weapons or gear on their persons. Their masks had varying black marks - one had swirls of circles while another had only one triangle on each cheek, opposite each other like mirrors.


    One of the mask-wearing acolytes walked towards him. Their mask had three thick black lines vertically running across the entire piece, one each over the eyes and the third over the nose. Lionel stood, unsure of what was about to happen.


    ¡°These are your fellow lieutenants,¡± the Lord said, his arms still out wide beside him and his white robe draped underneath him. ¡°You are our fourth. Make me proud, Lionel. Make Aliyar proud.¡±


    The masked acolyte reached into their robes and pulled out a blank, white porcelain mask similar to the ones the three wore. Lionel took it with a shaky hand.


    ¡°You will earn your marks,¡± the Lord said. ¡°You are no longer a Fighter and no longer Lionel. Now, you will be known as exactly what you are. Who you are - the Betrayer.¡±


    ¡°The Betrayer!¡± The crowd echoed.


    Lionel stepped to the fourth and open spot beside the other masked acolyte, still breathing heavy. His arm and face pained him, though the pain was not without reason - he had done it. The Order had accepted him, and he was finally on his destined path.


    No one would stop him, and he¡¯d make sure to finish the job he started.

 Book 1 - Chapter 28

    Wyn anxiously looked around trying to find his team. He was standing in the base of Alistair, waiting to join them to finally enter the tower for the new season. They had decided at the festival two days ago to start the new season this morning to take their time on the first floor, leave after completing it, and analyze how it went. They wanted to take it a floor at a time for at least this week to get used to climbing while trying to minimize any problems.


    It was slow, sure, but with their limited team of four and John literally getting stabbed in the back three days ago, they were understandably cautious.


    Wyn took the time to focus and steady himself. They would show eventually, and they would be fine. He wasn¡¯t concerned about that. But after seeing the many different Climbers and their groups enter, he was feeling underwhelmed by his own group. They needed to be more cautious due to their shortcomings. If they had six members they could afford to be more risky, but as it stood now they needed to take it slow.


    Which was unfortunate. He needed funds, and he needed them badly. Climbing slower meant taking longer to get them. Hopefully he¡¯d find a way around that, but for now he was at a loss.


    Wyn saw some other people standing around the base as well. They didn¡¯t appear to be involved in groups, though. One woman was wearing an explorer¡¯s hat and clothes with multiple pouches on her belt that seemed a bit excessive and unwieldy. She was looking around the room trying to survey the climbing groups for some reason.


    Another one was a taller man, heavy set but obviously strong. He was wearing a large backpack and a war hammer was on his hip. He looked anxious, but wasn¡¯t studying the Climbers nearly as seriously as the woman.


    ¡°Are you looking for a group?¡± A man asked, startling Wyn. He had a shield on one forearm and a sword sheathed on his hip. His padded armor was green and black, and he carried a helmet under his shield arm. He looked like he led the climbing group behind him.


    ¡°Umm, no,¡± Wyn said, caught off guard. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for my group to come.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± the leader said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I thought you were a Mapper.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. Honest mistake.¡±


    ¡°Are you a Fighter?¡± A man in their group asked. ¡°I don¡¯t see many Climbers with spears, let alone a robe to go with it.¡± He pointed to Wyn¡¯s spear that was leaning against the wall behind him.


    This Climber had thinner leather armor on that was darker in color. A cowl was draped around his neck from his cloak, and Wyn noticed he had two short swords sheathed on his hips.


    Wyn hesitated but decided to be honest. ¡°I¡¯m a Ruby Magician.¡± He nervously fiddled with his backpack straps.


    The Climber tried to suppress a laugh but failed. A woman in their group snickered.


    ¡°What¡¯s your class?¡± Wyn asked. He clenched his jaw, cursing himself for asking. He wanted this conversation to end before it picked up but foolishly kept it going.


    ¡°I¡¯m a Rogue,¡± the man replied. ¡°It¡¯s not everyday you see a Red Mage out here.¡±


    ¡°I guess not,¡± Wyn replied. He looked around again, hoping that his friends were close. He was more than ready to get into the tower. Monsters were easier to face than ridicule.


    ¡°A spear wielding mage,¡± a woman said. ¡°You¡¯re not the rookie that went to the second floor, are you?¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± the Rogue replied. ¡°Those are just rumors. He¡¯d be dead if he actually went to the second floor.¡±


    Wyn declined to answer choosing silence instead. One thing he learned in the military was it was often better to not talk back unless absolutely necessary. And it was absolutely not necessary right now.


    The leader smiled. ¡°Regardless, we have no room for you. We are only looking for a Mapper.¡±


    ¡°Yea, good luck in there,¡± the Rogue said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll need it.¡±


    Wyn smiled back and grabbed his spear. He walked away, wanting to get as far away from them as possible. He hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with them again.


    Before long John and Tasha tore through the crowd towards him and he thanked the gods they were finally here. He took a deep breath and donned his helmet. After discussing with Daniel, Wyn decided he wanted the protection rather than the appearance and comfort. The older Ruby Magician recommended finding a magical hat that protected him and was more comfortable, but until then, Wyn settled on the familiar helmet.


    ¡°Finally!¡± Wyn said when he was in earshot of the others. John smiled and Tasha rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Sorry, Wyn,¡± Tasha said. ¡°But this lazy ass just had to take his time with breakfast after we were already late.¡±


    "I can''t help it," John said. "I need my beauty sleep and a full stomach to be of any use."


    Tasha laughed. "You''d need a lot more for that."


    John rolled his eyes. "Anyway. Have you seen Marcy?"


    Wyn looked around, scanning the Climbers in the base. The crowd was new, most of them he''d seen earlier already entering the tower. He didn''t spot her fur armor and bow and quiver.


    "No, I haven''t. I though she might be with you guys."


    "It''s alright," Tasha said. "We can wait a little while longer."


    The three of them nervously shuffled around, feeling out of place. It was a strange sensation. They were more confident for their first trip with Cedric and Marcy leading them, and now they were two less people without Lionel or Cedric.


    "Are you guys as nervous as I am?" Tasha asked. She was fidgeting, fingering her potion belt and triple checking the mana and health potions holstered in it. "It''s a completely new layout. Who knows what it''ll be?"


    "That''s the exciting part, though," John said. "Plus we have a plan. We''ll be fine!"


    "Exactly," Wyn said, agreeing. "There may only be four of us but we¡¯re healthy, ready, and not in a rush. We complete the first floor then come back to assess. Marcy has a key, too, in case we need it."


    "Though we won''t, since both of you can heal us," John said. "Not to mention Marcy could just obliterate anything on the first floor, anyway."


    "I don''t know about that," Marcy said, sneaking up behind the group, "but you''re probably right." She put her arms around John and Tasha and smiled wide.


    "About time," John said.


    Tasha shot him an annoyed look.


    Wyn smiled back at the Ranger. "Great. We''re all here!" He started to turn to walk to the hallway of portals when he stopped and turned back around. "Wait a second. Are you wearing something different?"


    He took a closer look at Marcy who had on the fur armor she wore before, though it was more elaborate now. She had a wide belt at her waist that was new, and several potions were set in it sideways along with a pouch that was strapped to the side. A cowl was draped around her neck and a matching cloak covered her back to her knees, both dark brown that matched her armor. Her quiver was full of arrows that had similar fletchings as before, though some were different colors.


    She let go of John and Tasha and twirled a bit. "This is my normal climbing gear. I didn''t wear it last time since we cleared the floor already, but let me tell you - I won''t make that mistake again."


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    "Is it all magical?" John asked. He tried to touch her cape and Marcy slapped his hand away.


    "My cape, armor, belt and boots are. Of course you know my bow and quiver are, too."


    John whistled. "So basically everything you¡¯re wearing. Man. I can''t wait to have that many magical items."


    "Be patient. You''ll get more in no time - trust me. You¡¯ll probably have at least two or three by the end of the month. Each of you."


    "Can we go, already?" Tasha asked. "You can ask all the questions about her magic gear later. I''m tired of being anxious and want to just get it over with."


    Marcy and John nodded, and they looked to Wyn. His heart raced when they did, knowing they were looking at him for guidance. He was their leader now. There wasn¡¯t any more room for errors or a lack of focus.


    He didn''t completely consider himself their leader, but when they planned this all out yesterday they certainly acted like he was. He was hoping Marcy would take over but she seemed distracted, and Wyn didn¡¯t blame her. She''d been checking on Cedric daily and probably would continue to do so. She had much more experience here in the tower but he understood that she didn¡¯t want the pressure of being a leader right now.


    Wyn took a deep breath and forged ahead. He led a company in the military, sure, but this was an entirely different beast. He wanted to make sure everyone would make it fine, and felt like he needed more experience before he felt like a true leader. Still, they trusted him, and Marcy did, too.


    He didn''t want to let them down or get hurt. Not like Cedric again. Or worse.


    They arrived at the hallway of portals quickly. There were many other groups there, all steadily entering their own portal to climb the tower. Some of the Climbers were intimidating, reminding Wyn of Xander who led the rookies on his first climb, wearing scary looking armor and weapons. They moved silently, not paying attention to anyone else, only focused on the task at hand. Wyn realized other rookies noticed the veterans, too, as several groups cleared a path when more confident Climbers walked towards the portals.


    Wyn''s heart jumped when he saw the portals and wondered if it was anxiety, excitement, or a mixture of both. He stepped up to a portal and looked at it, waiting for his group. Tasha took a deep breath and John was giddy with excitement. Marcy smiled, much more confident than the others. Not an ounce of fear was on display from her, but the other three held enough to share.


    "Are you all ready?" Wyn asked. He looked around the portal at the others. They each nodded, and Marcy was the first to step in. Wyn quickly jumped in after her, and he hoped he would be able to tolerate the portal better than the first time.


    He didn''t.


    When he emerged into the tower his nerves got the better of him and he began dry heaving to the side of the portal. Tasha and John followed behind him and John threw up right away. Tasha kept it together much better than last time. She was taking deep breaths and small sips from her waterskin, though she stopped to laugh.


    "Serves you right for eating a huge breakfast," she said, laughing at John.


    John made a sour face at her, began to say something, then immediately threw up again. Tasha laughed harder.


    Wyn took a deep breath and settled himself. It was better than the last time but he obviously needed some practice.


    He looked around and tried to process his environment. It was incredibly disorienting. He half expected to see the forest again, ready to fight spiders and wolves in the dark woods, but instead they were right on the edge of a thicket by a jungle. It was humid, the air sticky with heat and moisture. It was early morning which was a nice change, but the large leaves on the trees and vines snaking around them made it nearly impossible to see too far into the nearby thicket.


    Wyn decided to go ahead and put his overcoat and mushroom lantern into his backpack. The coat would be too hot to wear and there was plenty of light, so he didn¡¯t need a magical light source.


    He walked around a bit trying to take it in. The portal placed them in a small, open haven of a clear field. There was dense greenery all around them, every direction seemingly blocked by branches, bushes, or trees with leaves the size of people.


    Worse, he was already starting to sweat and they had just arrived.


    Marcy was scouting ahead, taking in their surroundings. She started to look for any signs of a trail or path to start their trek. She went over to John to make sure he was alright before taking out her parchment to look it over.


    Wyn thought that was a good idea to look at his parchment right away. He was curious what was on it, still impressed that it changed itself so often.


    PARTY: 4/4


    Floor 1


    <u>Quest</u>: There are rumors that a long forgotten temple resides deep in this jungle. Some locals claim that they see bright lights reaching to the stars at certain nights, others swear they see a temple deep in the brush. You¡¯ve been tasked with finding if these rumors are true.


    Wyn folded the parchment back up and put it away. The task seemed odd, but what about the tower wasn¡¯t odd. It seemed like his mission was to go deeper in the jungle and stay alive.


    Easy.


    The sound of John¡¯s sword unsheathing broke the silence of the group. He had his shield readied on his left forearm, too, and seemed to have his stomach more under control. The four of them gathered together to start their plan.


    ¡°Are we ready, then?¡± John said, pointing his sword towards the jungle. ¡°I guess we need to start exploring. Find the set path and follow it to the boss area.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Marcy said. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked around. ¡°I can¡¯t seem to find a path, though. Maybe it¡¯s deeper in the brush but there¡¯s nothing to suggest a clear way in.¡±


    The four of them looked around and Wyn pointed to a tree that looked a bit taller than the rest. ¡°Let¡¯s start by that tall tree. We can use it as a starting marker.¡±


    ¡°I just hope we don¡¯t get lost,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Marcy, how easy is it for someone to get lost in the tower?¡±


    ¡°It definitely happens, but usually you¡¯d run into another group and keep going." She reached into a pouch on her belt and pulled out a portal key. "Though I do have one of these if we need it. Granted, we should keep trying even if we do get lost and use this as a last resort. Getting lost typically just makes the trip a lot longer, not impossible.¡±


    ¡°And longer means spending more resources like mana and energy,¡± Wyn said. ¡°So let¡¯s stick together and take it a bit slower so that doesn¡¯t happen. Maybe map out our route if we have to.¡±


    ¡°Plus, we have a veteran Ranger with us,¡± John said, pointing his thumb at Marcy. ¡°We¡¯re not going to get lost. So don¡¯t worry, Tasha.¡±


    Marcy laughed and shook her head. She started walking towards the tall tree and the others followed. She stopped after a few feet of walking and took out a strange looking dagger from her back that Wyn didn¡¯t notice before. It had a large, wide blade and was slightly curved. She began to swing it, using it to hack away at the vines, leaves, and bushes. The blade was clearing it relatively easily and it appeared effortless, which Wyn considered was good so she wouldn¡¯t wear herself out.


    John stepped beside her to do the same, using his sword as a makeshift tool similar to Marcy. Both of them created a wide berth of clearance for Tasha and Wyn to walk through. John was exerting much more effort than Marcy and his sword wasn''t as effective, but he was managing even if it was a bit slower.


    Before long they all heard water running and rushed to see what it was. A river snaked its way through the jungle beside them with the water flowing steadily in the direction they were heading. It was murky and dirty, and the four of them weren''t able to see what hid under the surface. It was a good sign, though, showing them that they were making some kind of progress.


    They decided to traverse the jungle close to the river, hoping to find something else, anything, that would direct them further with their task. The river curved and wound often, and the group was thankful that Marcy was leading their way since it was disorienting. Wyn wasn''t used to traversing terrain like deep brush, and even then he wasn''t the best at determining direction, choosing to use his guide during military marches rather than his own poor sense of direction.


    The four of them continued this process for nearly an hour, stopping once to hydrate and take a break. As they were pushing forwards, Marcy stopped mid-swing, looking around her.


    Wyn had seen her do that before. He knew it meant her Extrasensory skill was activating. The others knew it, too, as they quickly alerted themselves to their surroundings.


    Granted, their surroundings were dense foliage as high as them, and they couldn''t see anything more than a few feet in all directions. That made for a terrible fighting environment and meant an ambush was all but guaranteed.


    "Something''s here," Marcy said, and shifted her knife around to hold it upside down. She left her bow slung around her chest, knowing it would be useless this close.


    "Backs together," Wyn said, returning to his days as captain. He turned and took a few steps backwards to the middle of the group. "Keep your eyes out for anything."


    The others quickly caught on, the four of them able to see any threat in all directions. It was the best strategy for their situation, but still not perfect. Their hearts beat quickly as they felt blinded to enemies and each of them hoped they wouldn''t be taken by surprise.


    "Marcy, can you sense anything?" John asked in a hushed voice.


    "Yea, I think so," she replied. "There''s two of them. Smaller, but moving quick." She perked up and turned her head around. "Wyn, in front of you!"


    Wyn stepped forward and flipped his spear around, deciding to act fast. All he saw was the foliage rustle and shake, but that enough for him to know enemies were close at hand. He took the clawed end and swung it in a wide arc, casting the spell at the same time: "Wingbeat!"


    The spear briefly lit up, the green aura around it faint but noticeable. A strong rush of visible wind flew away from the spear, managing to cut down the bushes and leaves that clouded their vision. The force continued for nearly twenty feet, and they heard loud, piercing squeals as the wind cleared away a small section of the jungle.


    Two creatures of similar appearance both fell over onto the cleared brush. They landed with several thuds, still and unmoving. Wyn and John hesitantly walked over to them, ready to attack again if needed. The creatures looked like giant lizards though were bipedal, almost like a human-lizard hybrid. Their torsos were separated from their chest and abdomen in a fine cut, Wyn¡¯s spell completely bisecting them.


    Wyn and John looked at each other in shock. Wyn looked at his spear and had a newfound respect for the magical weapon.

 Book 1 - Chapter 29

    ¡°Woah,¡± John said, still staring the at the monsters lying dead in the grass. ¡°That spear is wicked strong. Be careful where you swing that thing!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way it¡¯s that powerful,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It¡¯s the least strong magical weapon out there.¡±


    ¡°Yea, but look at the flaming sword I had. I was melting spiders and wolves left and right!¡±


    Wyn laughed. ¡°That¡¯s a bit of a stretch, isn¡¯t it? Plus, your sword wasn¡¯t green.¡±


    John smirked.


    They both heard a shriek and turned around to see Marcy and Tasha standing behind them. Tasha held a hand over her mouth and Marcy nodded her head approvingly.


    ¡°That¡¯s disgusting!¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°Impressive is the word you meant to say,¡± Marcy said. She patted Wyn on the back. ¡°But don¡¯t think your spear is that strong. They must be earth-based, making them weaker to your wind magic.¡±


    ¡°Ohhhhh, that makes much more sense,¡± John said. ¡°I knew it couldn¡¯t be that strong.¡±


    Tasha punched John in the arm.


    ¡°But still, nice job, Wyn,¡± John said, rubbing his shoulder and glaring at Tasha.


    The two creature¡¯s bodies began to disintegrate like the creatures killed in the woods from the introductory climb, slowly returning to whatever plane of magic or existence they came from, if they even did come from something. The ground was just leaves and grass now, with no trace of the lizard creatures to be found. No blood, no body, no mess. It was strange, but made the environment less messy.


    ¡°So there are earth-based lizard creatures here, then?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°At least Wyn¡¯s spear is strong to them. They didn¡¯t look too big, either.¡±


    "Oh, I''m sure there''ll be bigger ones," Wyn said. "But I got lucky with my spear. I''m thankful they aren''t ice based or I''d be looking for another weapon. Right?"


    "That''s right," Tasha said. "It''s not too bad to remember how the elements interact with each other. It seems pretty intuitive, if you ask me."


    "You get used to it," Marcy said. "But yes, it¡¯s fairly straightforward. Fire is weak to water, of course. Lightning is strong against water. Earth grounds lightning, wind slices earth. Ice freezes wind and fire melts ice. That¡¯s how I¡¯ve remembered it, at least. Oh, and do the opposite and you¡¯ll have a bad time. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, that does make sense,¡± Wyn said. ¡°How often do the elements come up?¡±


    Marcy laughed. ¡°They play a constant role. It¡¯s partly why some of the more experienced Climbers have several sets of armor and weapons. They want an elemental advantage as much as possible. Often even an objectively weaker weapon or piece of armor is stronger based on elemental type advantage alone."


    "Or, just burn things to the ground," John said. "That was my original plan with my sister''s sword. It was so strong, even at an elemental disadvantage it would''ve been better than any weapon I would''ve found for a month or two. At least."


    John whacked some errant bushes beside them with his sword. His frustration was obvious.


    "I tend to recommend to rookies to find a weapon that doesn''t have an element for their first two seasons," Marcy said. "The difficulties of trying to plan out elemental types with an already low number of items are just too high. Honestly Wyn, you got lucky the enemies are earth-based. Otherwise I would''ve suggested trading that spear for something else."


    Wyn looked at his spear. What Marcy said made sense, which makes the fact that Benedict didn''t mention the elemental types concerning. Was he just trying to rid himself of the weapon or did he not share the same opinion as Marcy? There was no way he could''ve known what enemies there''d be in the tower, either.


    Whatever it meant, Wyn decided it didn''t matter. His weapon was magical and strong, even if Marcy was right that he got lucky with the elemental advantage. He could use spells to round out his shortcomings, or find another weapon.


    For now, though, he was satisfied.


    "When we finish the floor we can plan if needed," Wyn said. "For now, let''s keep going, yea?"


    "Couldn''t agree more," John said. "We keep going the same way, right?"


    "I think it''s our best bet," Wyn replied. He began to walk back towards the path they were originally heading before the monsters ambushed them from the side. "I hope we figure it out soon, though. This heat is rough."


    "You''re telling me," Marcy said. "This is the wrong armor for this season. I''m ready for a bath already." She walked ahead of Wyn, resuming her role of clearing brush.


    Wyn could see the sweat beading on Marcy''s arms and face, and felt it on his own arms and face, too. It was strange, this tower. They could be here all day in the blistering heat of the jungle then leave to return under the cool night sky back in Alestead. It was a weird concept that undoubtedly would take some time for him to adjust.


    John continued with Marcy, the both of them clearing a path in the thick jungle while Tasha and Wyn followed along. It was boring work and the heat was exhausting, but they felt more confident now that they had a better idea of how to handle themselves.


    The sound of the river came rushing back quickly, and they soon found themselves back at the river banks. It was wider here and flowing more rapidly, the water smooth but steady. At the very edge of the river were small boats, crudely hewn with paddles laying beside them.


    "Canoes!" John shouted. He ran over to them, sheathing his sword. "I can''t believe it!"


    "I guess we know what we''re supposed to do, then," Marcy said. She had a smile on her face, too. She inspected two of them for holes and found none, the hulls sturdy. Then she dipped her hands in the river and splashed water onto her bare arms and legs.


    "We should probably go in groups of two," Wyn said. "Just in case. We don''t want one canoe to fail and all of us drown."


    "Hmm," John said, looking around. "I guess we should split up the healers, so Wyn and Tasha can''t go together."


    "And probably the same idea for being able to hit something from a distance," Tasha added, "so Marcy and Wyn need to separate."


    "Alright, then Tasha," Marcy said, patting the canoe beside her, "here is the girl''s boat!"


    Tasha laughed and ran over to the canoe. She put her staff inside it to help Marcy push it out into the river.


    "Wait!" Wyn said, nearly shouting. He startled the others. "When will we know to get out?"


    "We''ll go first so I can keep a look out," Marcy said. "Just follow our lead. Easy."


    Wyn looked at her hesitantly, then looked at John. They shrugged their shoulders at the same time, then prepared their own canoe for the river.


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


    It only took a few seconds before both boats were setting out. They all had their own paddles though the river itself gave plenty of propulsion for them to move at a good pace. It was pleasantly cooler on the river, too, with a breeze forming from the ride cooling them all off, and a break from the thickly condensed air of the jungle foliage.


    Tasha and Marcy handled their canoe easily, paddling every now and then to keep straight but letting the river do the work. They worked well together with Marcy leading and Tasha behind her, giving directions here and there when needed. The Ranger stood every 30 seconds or so, scanning around them for threats or signs to continue through the floor.


    Wyn, however, cursed his luck. He wasn''t used to being on the water and struggled, flailing his paddle back and forth on either side of the canoe to stay forward. He was a terrible swimmer, too, and his anxiety rose the instant they were on the water. He was afraid the current would sweep him under, and he thought that would be a pitiful way to die in the tower.


    John was seated in back and kept chuckling at Wyn, noticing he was having trouble. He thought it was funny that the fearless mage''s worst enemy was a canoe. After realizing he was seriously having trouble, he knew he had to help or Wyn would wear himself out.


    "Slow down," John said, trying to get his voice above the sound of the river. "You don''t need to paddle that much!" John seemed much more experienced in a boat, though any amount of experience was more than Wyn carried.


    Wyn nodded, trying to listen. He looked back at John relaxing in the canoe and flushed red. How embarrassing. This was definitely not his specialty. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath and rest his arms. He saw how John would slowly put his paddle in the water and barely move it at all, like he had been on a boat all his life. The canoe would respond slowly but surely, straightening when needed with him steering from the back.


    "See?" John said. "The river is doing the work for us. Fighting it is one battle you''ll never win."


    Wyn took a deep breath. John was right, after all. Their boat was keeping the course fine, and Wyn really didn''t need to do any work at all. His anxiety and need for control took over in the worst way. He looked ahead and saw Marcy waving her arms, unslinging her bow from her chest and grabbing an arrow in a fluid motion.


    Something was close. Wyn looked back at John who set up his shield as a makeshift barrier. It likely wouldn¡¯t do much, but could block an arrow before needing to be set up again. "I can steer the canoe," he said. "Just handle whatever is spooking her!"


    Wyn sat his paddle down and grabbed his spear. He instantly felt better with his weapon, though he really, really wanted to be on land. He felt trapped and out of control on the water.


    He hoped whatever it was wasn''t in the water, or else they risked flipping their canoe. He would be able to attack it, though, unlike something that would be on the bank. Marcy had the advantage with her bow, though Wyn knew he needed to be ready to cast a spell to attack, too. While he had limited mana and didn¡¯t want to use it all casting spells, she was far better equipped to handle enemies at range.


    Wyn looked ahead to try to see what Marcy spotted. Further up the river he saw a group of lizard creatures standing on the bank, readying a makeshift barge to push out. It was crude and flat, several small logs banded together to make a platform to stand on but less efficient than a boat.


    He turned and told John, who laughed.


    "What''s so funny?" Wyn said. His eyes were wide and his heart was racing. He was way out of his element. The thought of a fight on that rickety, cobbled together boat was frightening.


    "Think about it," John said. He put his paddle down across his lap and stretched his arms. "If Marcy doesn''t pick them off with her bow first, you''ll just blast them out of the river. They have no idea what''s coming."


    Wyn turned back around, much less confident than John. He wasn''t wrong, though. They could handle a few creatures well before they got close enough to pose a true threat.


    He saw the creatures begin to push off, two of them holding spears and one readying a sling. Marcy fired an arrow at the one holding a sling, striking it in the shoulder. She purposefully waited until they were just off the bank for a reason. It stumbled back from the shot and lost its balance before falling off into the water. Its now limp arm was useless at trying to keep its head afloat, and it thrashed around before slowly working its way back towards the shore. The current was its worst enemy now.


    The others hissed and screamed in anger, stabbing the air with their spears in defiance.


    Marcy looked back at Wyn, held an arm out in an after you motion and smiled.


    He shook his head. No way he was that accurate with his spells. She¡¯d gone mad!


    "Come on, Wyn," John said. "Let loose!"


    Wyn relented. At least this would be good practice.


    He held his left arm out towards the creatures who were using the current to steadily float towards them, nearing their canoe. He saw their beady eyes and forked tongues lash at them, holding their spears ready to stab at them in seconds.


    Now was his chance. They weren¡¯t moving and their path was fairly predictable.


    ¡°Dyadcast: Flamebolt!¡±


    A large magical rune appeared in the air just in front of Wyn¡¯s hand, the Ruby Magician sign overlapping the rune for the spell. Two small bolts of fire shot out of Wyn¡¯s hand towards the lizards. He aimed directly in the middle of them, hoping the spell would split evenly and hit both of them. One flaming ball of magic struck the creature on the left, burning an apple sized hole into its chest, and the other one hit their barge right at their feet.


    The lizard that was hit dropped, falling on its back and tipping the barge. The other one took a couple of steps back from the fire that was forming in the middle of their boat, further rocking the craft. The magical flames weren¡¯t being dowsed by the water whatsoever.


    The Climbers watched, opting to see how the events unfolded rather than continuing to use resources to kill them. In a matter of seconds the monster¡¯s makeshift boat was coming apart, the fire destroying several logs and lashes that held it together. The remaining lizard fell into the water, flailing about with its spear while the other one slid off and floated on the surface motionless.


    Wyn and John kept watching them to make sure they were completely out of commission before they heard a loud whistle. It startled both of them, but they looked ahead and saw Tasha and Marcy pulling off the main river onto a small stream. The stream ended into a small pool of water, and there seemed to be a mostly cleared path leading away from the river that was free of bushes and tall grass.


    Wyn looked back at John, unsure of how to steer the canoe that hard and precise.


    ¡°Paddle on the left!¡± John said.


    Wyn followed his instruction and quickly paddled, trying to get as much water behind him as possible. Their boat began to veer right, though if they didn¡¯t steer it well and fast they would miss their exit.


    ¡°Now the right!¡±


    Wyn flipped his paddle over, hitting the side of the canoe in the process and spraying water all over him and John. The current was making it much harder to paddle at his current angle, but he was determined to get out of this damned canoe. He was giving it everything he had, trying his best to use his strength and energy to pull themselves out of the raging river.


    Their canoe oscillated like a fish¡¯s tail, but it diverted towards the bank, following the girls and making it off the main river. They just narrowly avoided turning too much to risk a capsize and losing control of their boat, but they made it. The offset stream had barely any current to it and they floated for a moment gently.


    Wyn took a deep breath, thankful to almost be off the river. There was a small moment of peaceful waters outside the main river that Wyn soaked up.


    Marcy and Tasha got out of their canoe and pulled it to the bank. There were a few other canoes there, and they pulled theirs beside them to form a line. They were laughing the entire time.


    As the boys pulled up and Wyn hopped out, John laughed with them.


    Wyn looked around, not sure what was funny. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± John said. He pulled the canoe onto the bank and grabbed his shield. ¡°You were trying SO hard!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to miss the exit!¡± Wyn said. ¡°Or flip over!¡±


    John laughed harder.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have much experience on the water, do you?¡± Tasha asked. She was leaning on her staff and giggling.


    Wyn flushed red and grabbed his spear. ¡°They tried me out for the military on a boat and I promptly threw up and panicked. So¡­ no.¡±


    John laughed even harder and Marcy snickered, too.


    ¡°Aww, well, it¡¯s alright,¡± Tasha said, and walked over to pat Wyn on the back. ¡°You can¡¯t win them all.¡±


    Wyn sighed. "I just feel much better on the land, thanks."


    "Just think," Marcy said, "you''ll get much better at it the more you do it." She unsheathed her dagger and walked over to the cleared brush, ready to move on.


    "I hope not. I''d like to avoid it if possible."


    Marcy turned around wearing a sinister smile. "You''re in the tower, now. You know how many times you''ll likely be repeating this floor?"


    Wyn¡¯s heart sank. The realization of repetition in the tower''s floor hit him like a mace to the stomach. John and Tasha laughed out loud, much harder than before.


    "Oh gods," Wyn said. "I didn¡¯t even think about having to do this floor again.¡±


    "And likely many times at that," John said. He wiped away tears from his red cheeks.


    "Maybe we should just go on to the second floor, then," Wyn said. "Finish it and then start there next time? Didn¡¯t you say that¡¯s how it works?"


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± Tasha said. "We agreed to take it a floor at a time, after all.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Not to mention this is your first season. It¡¯s standard that new Climbers run the first few floors over and over their first full month, which means you¡¯ll be seeing this floor for weeks to come."


    "We¡¯ll be fine," John said. "In all seriousness, we just need to take our time and not rush it. You''ll be fine the next time we do this, too. Don''t worry."


    "Easy for you to say," Wyn whispered. But they were right. They all agreed to take it easy this month, both to gain experience and to be on the safe side.


    He just really, really hated the thought of going back out on that river. But that was a worry for another time.

 Book 1 - Chapter 30

    Marcy and John led the way again as Tasha and Wyn kept a lookout behind them. The path was easier to traverse having been cleared already with leaves and brush littering the jungle floor in a wide swath.


    It was cut cleanly with a blade as Marcy had pointed out, just like how her and John were forging a path through the floor before the river. This clearing was wider than they were cutting and looked like three or four Climbers were doing the work.


    "So a group is directly ahead of us, then," Wyn said, picking up a large leaf that was cut and looking at it closer.


    "It seems that way," Marcy said. "But it shouldn''t be a problem. It happens. Especially early on when all the groups are having to clear the early floors to get to the tier and floor that will actually challenge them."


    "That makes sense," Tasha said. "Like it''s oversaturated right now with Climbers?"


    "In a way, yea."


    "Will we miss out on enemies and treasure?" John asked.


    Marcy laughed. "No, don''t worry about that. The tower will add more enemies to accommodate for the increased number of Climbers on the floor."


    "I would¡¯ve been fine without knowing that," Tasha said. "You just had to ask, didn''t you, John?"


    "Of course," he replied. "I need those sweet, sweet magical items."


    Marcy stopped and held up a hand signal for them to stop. She looked back at them. "Something''s coming. Get ready."


    "Tasha," Wyn said, "remember what we planned for!"


    Tasha nodded, grabbed her staff and settled behind John. The Fighter raised his shield and readied himself to fight at the same time. Marcy went to grab her bow but thought better of it and kept it slung across her chest. The jungle was not privy to longer distanced combat. Not that she was ineffective with her bow at close range, but she decided to keep more of a lookout role while the newer Climbers worked their strategy.


    On second thought, she unslung her bow and nocked an arrow just in case. She¡¯d let the other three go as long as possible, but after her last climb she wanted to be absolutely sure they¡¯d be safe.


    Marcy and Wyn formed a triangle with John then scanned the jungle while Tasha was protected in the center. Just like before it was hard to see past the dense bushes, grass, and trees, but they tried to be as still as possible while on high alert. Wyn turned his left forearm over and quickly checked his mark. Lucidity had recovered little of his mana from using Dyadcast on top of his spell, but he was still over half. He could cast any of his spells if needed.


    They all heard leaves rustle and sway before seeing low hanging branches move in John¡¯s direction. Wyn and Marcy shifted a bit for a better angle and John stepped forward with his shield raised. He was going to take whatever emerged first and didn¡¯t hesitate in the slightest. Preparing himself, he breathed deep and let out a firm exhale, loud and strong like a bull before a rush.


    Tasha tapped her staff on John¡¯s back. ¡°Arcane Aura!¡±


    The staff glowed while a multitude of runes lit up in the air in the space between her staff and John. John instantly had a visible aura of white magic surround him. The magical armor overlapped his own, and he stood a bit straighter as confidence swelled up inside him.


    ¡°Focus,¡± John said quickly with another exhale of his breath. A red wave-like aura spilled out of his torso, covering his body under the armor spell that protected him. It pulsed like a beating heart, the aura trailing off and thinning under the white armor that enveloped him. It was duller in brightness than the armor¡¯s aura but appeared more dense.


    Wyn glanced at John and sensed something different about him. A chill run over his arms. He hadn¡¯t seen him use one of his skills before. The blood red aura seemed like visible bloodlust. Wyn knew John had to have several other skills, too, but wondered how many the Fighter had since he couldn¡¯t cast spells. It had to be enough to be balanced compared to the magical classes, or at least each of the skills strong enough to be powerful all on their own.


    The large leaves suddenly moved and parted, pulling Wyn out of his thoughts. Nearly as quick as it emerged, John moved forward, bashing the first creature that came through to his left. He moved much faster than Wyn expected, his reaction and strength higher than he¡¯d previously seen from the Fighter.


    Just what, exactly, did that skill increase?


    The lizard creature, bigger than the previous ones they¡¯ve met, held a jagged dagger in each of its hands. It stumbled to the side, knocked over in surprise from John¡¯s shield. Unfortunately being bashed to the side cleared a path for its allies to emerge as more barreled out of the foliage. Another monster leap from the bushes, this time a sword slicing down towards the Fighter. John met it with his own in the air, parrying it with a loud clang.


    Wyn decided to act while John was keeping the other one distracted. He stepped forward and lunged at the staggered lizard monster with Windcutter, aiming for its chest. The spear struck true, sinking in and through it completely, the wind-element weapon showing its advantage. The lizard let out a shriek and coughed blue blood, coating Wyn¡¯s boots and pants. It was dark and bubbly, a clear sign Wyn pierced its lungs.


    To his surprise the lizard swung wildly at him with its daggers, still trying to attack him in a frenzy despite it clearly dying. Thankfully the spear was keeping it just out of arms reach, and Wyn pulled it out of its chest inflicting a deeper cut. It lurched forward from the momentum, trying for one last flurry, though Wyn spun the weapon around and used the clawed end of Windcutter to hook it and sling it to the ground out of harms way. He doubted he¡¯d be able to succeed with that maneuver on one of the monsters who wasn¡¯t on the brink of death and sputtering blood, but he was thankful for the advantage when he had it. One final stab to its chest on the ground sealed its fate, a perverse cry leaving its jaws before going still.


    A loud thud made Wyn turn back to the group, hoping John wasn¡¯t being overtaken. He should¡¯ve known better, though, as he saw one of the creatures lying on the ground beside the Fighter trying to get up. John had moved to a third monster further in the grass, where he took another blow on his shield from a large hammer that caused the loud noise. This lizard was the largest of the group, even taller than John, and looked to be the strongest, too, as it swung its large hammer to attack. The weapon looked as though it should be wielded with two hands, but the monster made it look easy holding it in one. Its body was lean with muscle, too, comparable to any warrior Wyn had seen who¡¯d trained for months to enhance their physicality.


    Wyn was sure the blow would¡¯ve hurt John¡¯s arm seeing the force needed to move the heavy weapon, but the Fighter absorbed it without flinching. He figured the red-aura skill aided the Fighter in his physical ability, but he was shocked to actually see it in action. He doubted John even needed the magical armor around him. John, not missing a beat, swung his sword back, too quick for the lizard to react and cleaved its arm off at the shoulder.


    It was gruesome, Tasha even yelping at the sight of it, as she turned her head away and closed her eyes.


    The second lizard monster on the ground, meanwhile, was up and about to strike John from behind. Wyn started to rush forward to help but stopped mid stride when he heard the whoosh of an arrow fly beside him. It struck the monster hard on the back of its shoulder, and it whipped around to see who attacked it. Spittle flew from the monster¡¯s mouth as it growled in anger, a deep, rumbling noise escaping its reptilian jaws.


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    Two more quick arrows silenced it, one hitting it in the chest and another in the neck. It sputtered blood as it clawed at the arrow shafts sticking out of it, breaking them both as it ripped them free from its body.


    Wyn promptly slashed and stabbed at the creature while it was recovering, peppering it was quick blows. The attacks caused it to bleed profusely, and it let out one final angry roar while dropping to one knee.


    A fourth arrow pierced its open mouth and exited the back of its head, killing it.


    Behind it, the largest lizard dropped its hammer and held its empty shoulder, screaming in a fit of rage. John promptly stepped forward and stabbed it with his sword, the blade emerging from behind it. It was silenced quickly as John retracted his sword and stabbed it again. It toppled over in death.


    In a matter of seconds all three lizards were dead and bleeding, the ground in their area more blue now than green from the jungle floor.


    Tasha gagged and wiped her eyes before taking a deep breath. ¡°Is everyone okay?¡±


    John breathed deep one more time and wiped his sword on a large leaf before sheathing it. ¡°Should be. They weren¡¯t that bad.¡±


    ¡°Tasha are you okay?¡± Wyn asked. He walked over to her and grabbed her shoulder. ¡°Were you hurt?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m alright,¡± she replied. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I wasn¡¯t expecting it to be that gruesome.¡±


    ¡°You mean all those wolves and spiders weren¡¯t enough for you?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°This was much worse than that and you know it,¡± Tasha replied. ¡°I could handle spiders being killed all day long. But these reminded me of people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the tower for you,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Monsters can show up like anything. But this is real. Don¡¯t forget that. And I hate to break it to you, but life is gruesome.¡±


    Tasha took another deep breath to settle herself. ¡°I know. I just have to get used to it. But John - I¡¯m speechless. That was incredible!¡±


    ¡°Yea,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Where was that last week? That was¡­ a bit terrifying. In a good way.¡±


    John smiled at the compliment. ¡°I wanted my first time to be skill-free, purely on my own training and abilities. But yea¡­ that was special.¡± He flexed his arms, enjoying the rush of his skill and finding himself unable to be still from his physical surge.


    The lizard creatures all began to dissolve and the blood along with them. Where the leader laid was a small item glowing with a green aura. Tasha was the first to spot it.


    ¡°Hey! Another magic item!¡± Tasha ran up to it and went to grab it but paused. There were two items rather than one. ¡°Even better - there are two! How should we split them up?¡±


    Wyn walked up beside Tasha and looked at the items. They were a lizard tooth and claw, both much larger than the lizards themselves possessed and giving off a faint green aura. Both were the size of his palm. He picked them up and handed them to John.


    ¡°I think you deserve these,¡± Wyn said. ¡°They kept wanting to attack you, not anyone else. They saw you as their biggest threat and you were. And, you handled them easily.¡±


    John grabbed them and put them in a pouch on his backpack. ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t quite know what I want to do with them yet, but we can figure it out later.¡±


    ¡°What could you do with them?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Well, I could sell them or have them crafted into something. Nothing too great since their both green items, but maybe a potion or basic item. My mother told me some crafters are able to break down items into raw materials that are more readily used, so even green items like these have some value.¡±


    ¡°Or the guild will buy them from you for a flat amount of coins,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Something like 10 gold per green item, I believe. Nothing too much, but they can definitely add up.¡±


    Wyn thought about that. That would certainly be another way to supplement his needed income.


    ¡°But like we said before, we can discuss all of this outside the tower,¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Wyn said. He twirled his spear and slung the excess blood off the blade. ¡°I assume we just keep following the path that was cleared?¡±


    ¡°I would think so,¡± Marcy said. ¡°If a group ran into a dead end they would¡¯ve retraced their steps and I haven¡¯t seen or heard anyone yet.¡±


    ¡°Then we keep following it,¡± Tasha said. She grabbed her staff sheepishly and stepped beside Wyn. ¡°But I would still like you two to lead.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Marcy said, ¡°then let¡¯s keep going.¡±


    A loud scream suddenly filled the air. Tasha jumped with a slight yelp then held a hand over her mouth.


    ¡°What in the hells was that?¡± John asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Marcy replied, ¡°but it doesn¡¯t sound like it was very far away.¡±


    ¡°And it was definitely further down the path,¡± Wyn added. ¡°We should hurry!¡±


    The others agreed without another as they followed the scream at a light jog. Wyn was impressed again at how well John was keeping up in his armor, but he had to remind himself that he had been training for this long before he came to Alestead. He knew a lot of soldiers who wouldn¡¯t be able to keep at that pace and still be useful once they stopped. He wondered just how well his Fighter skills expanded his already improved physical talents. A passive skill or two was likely helping him like how Lucidity was helping Wyn recover mana.


    ¡°Once we see what it is,¡± Wyn said, still running, ¡°we help, but stick together. No one separate.¡± He wasn¡¯t used to running and talking at the same time, but he managed to get his words out between huffs of air.


    ¡°Good idea,¡± John replied. ¡°Tasha should stay back with Marcy and Wyn back me up!¡± He was running just as fast as the others and didn¡¯t seem to need to take a break to talk while running.


    Wyn felt a pang of jealousy. John was basically showing off, now.


    They could all see from the cleared brush a larger area ahead and heard more commotion. Yells, another scream, and loud thuds all hit their ears over the noise of their own gear as they ran. In seconds they came out of the cleared path and emerged into an open field full of chaos.


    There were two giant lizard creatures, both holding heavy, huge weapons they wielded in their hands. One was a large club and the other a large axe. They easily stood over ten feet, dwarfing the previous enemies they¡¯ve met so far. They had cloths that scantily covered their bodies and warpaint on their chest, arms, and face that looked menacing.


    Unfortunately, they were fighting a group of Climbers who weren¡¯t doing well.


    Four members of the group were at the edge of the clearing, one laying on the ground and another holding him in a way that seemed like they were comforting or healing him. The third was standing nearby with a staff in hand and didn¡¯t seem too engaged in the fight. The last member was just standing there with a large backpack on and not moving.


    Three more Climbers were facing the lizards, engaged in direct combat. Two of the climbers were tall and dressed in armor like John, holding shields in one hand and a weapon in the other, while the third held two short swords and was working hard to mostly dodge strikes or reposition themselves. They weren¡¯t doing much attacking back.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t make out their exact details but he knew they were in trouble. The front line Fighters looked exhausted and beaten, and they all looked ragged and worn to some degree.


    Behind the two large lizards was the portal for the next floor. It was still red, the Climbers¡¯s task not yet completed to gain entry.


    ¡°Rally!!¡± One of the Fighters yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t give up!¡± He stood firm, beating his shield with his sword two times before thrusting the blade up towards the sky in a cheer. A wave of red aura left him, covering over his allies in combat and shrouding them similar to John¡¯s aura. It was less intense but familiar. The skill was obviously a strong and useful one as it was able to spread to others, and Wyn instantly wondered what benefits it gave. The Fighter looked back and saw Wyn and the group standing at the edge of the clearing.


    ¡°Reinforcements!¡± The Climber who held the short swords yelled, smiling and waving the weapons frantically. His head was covered by a dark cowl, and his thinner armor was darker than what the other Climbers wore.


    ¡°Stay focused!¡± The rallying Fighter yelled back. ¡°We don¡¯t need their help!¡±


    One of the lizard creatures swung its club across in a wide arc, and nearly all of them missed it by jumping back out of the way or ducking. The Climber who held the two short swords was too focused on Wyn and their group instead of the fight at hand and didn¡¯t even realize it happened.


    The club caught him in the side of his torso and threw him several feet in a loud crunch. It sounded like dead wood splintering apart. The woman on the back lines screamed the same scream that pierced the jungle minutes earlier.


    The Climber lay still, not moving. One of the Fighters moved to guard him with his shield from the lizards. His sword arm and legs visibly trembled.


    The lead Fighter growled and turned back to the monsters. ¡°Forget about him! Kill these bastards, now!¡± His armor was more easily seen now, green and black in color that stood out from the mundane colors of regular armor.


    ¡°Come on,¡± John said. ¡°We have to help them!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do the boss formation,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I think we can do it.¡±


    Wyn looked at them and nodded, agreeing. They could do it. He didn¡¯t have a doubt in his mind at their abilities. His concern was the lack of discipline and obvious skill of the other Climbers.


    The woman from the other group ran over to them crying and screaming. She didn¡¯t have her staff in hand as she left it back at the other Climber who was still lying on the ground. Her breathing was fast and inconsistent and her movements were jerky as she was frantic and panicking.


    ¡°Please, help us!¡± She cried, stopping as she got nearer to them. ¡°Oh, gods, we¡¯re all going to die!¡±


    Wyn recognized her as she ran closer, able to see her features in more detail. She was the woman who laughed at him just hours ago at the base of the tower for being a mage wielding a spear. The familiar look of the rest of her group clicked into place in Wyn¡¯s mind. The Fighter with the green and black colors wielding a sword and shield. The Climber with dark armor and two short swords.


    This was the group who ridiculed Wyn. And now they were failing miserably.

 Book 1 - Chapter 31

    The group separated without another word, already knowing their roles. They had prepared for this, planned ahead, and went over it multiple times in the training room the day before. They wanted to be ready, work together effectively, and be more efficient despite their smaller group size.


    Wyn and John ran directly towards the fight, going to help out. Marcy and Tasha followed the woman to the back line where Marcy kept an eye out for any additional enemies. She already had an arrow nocked with her bow in hand. Tasha bent down to inspect the Climber who was on the ground.


    The man was stable but unconscious. She didn¡¯t see any wounds that needed to be healed and felt him breathing when she placed her hand beside his mouth and nose. The woman, a Diamond Mage, too, was breathing loud and quick, nearly having a panic attack. Tasha stood back up and squared up to her, grabbing her shoulder with her free hand. She stared into her eyes with a determined but calm look.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± she said. ¡°Take deep breaths. You have to calm down and help. He is stable, breathing, and alive. But you have to help with the others who might not be.¡±


    The woman took a deep breath and nodded quickly, settling down a bit though her eyes still flittered around the area. ¡°O-o-okay,¡± she said, stammering her words. She wiped away a tear that had fallen down her cheek.


    Tasha bent down and picked up the woman¡¯s staff and handed it to her. She took it with a bit of hesitation, but Tasha was giving her courage. ¡°You can do this. The others will handle the enemies, we only need to heal the wounded. Just follow my lead, okay?¡±


    She nodded without another word.


    The other mage, wielding a staff with a garnet set in the end, stepped forward. ¡°Flame bolt!¡± He yelled, pointing his staff to the lizard monsters. The spell lobbed to the side and well short, missing them entirely before erupting in the jungle and setting a bush on fire. He sheepishly looked around and cleared his throat. He was too nervous to join the fight, opting to stay a safe distance away.


    Marcy saw the large Climber wearing a similarly large backpack. His jaw was set and he was sweating, his fists clenched by his side. He looked like he was paralyzed.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± She asked him.


    He turned to look at her and his expression softened a bit. ¡°No. I want to help, but Roderick said to stay out of it.¡± His voice was surprisingly soft for his size and demeanor.


    ¡°And you listened to him?¡±


    He turned away and looked back at the fight. ¡°He said he¡¯d have me banned from the tower if I did, disobeying a direct order. I¡¯m only a Mapper, not a Climber, and don¡¯t have the authority. According to him.¡± He grabbed the war hammer on his belt and squeezed it so hard his knuckles went white.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s a fool that¡¯s going to get his group killed,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Stay here with me and keep an eye out. With us joining the fight its only going to get worse.¡±


    She looked over at Tasha who nodded back at her, her face serious and posture straight. She was more than ready - she was determined. Marcy smiled and pointed with her head towards the fight. Tasha pulled the other Diamond Mage behind her, nearly dragging her, and they set off to join the chaos. Their groups needed them.


    *****


    Wyn¡¯s thoughts ran to the war, thinking about his men scattered on the ground in various states of life and death. He thought of his inaction, where he wanted to move but felt as though he was a statue set in place.


    He willed his thoughts out of the past, shaking his head. Now was NOT the time to lose focus. He chastised himself. That was the past, and this was the here and now. People needed his help, and they needed it right away. His group couldn''t afford for him to not act. Not again.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get him out of there,¡± Wyn said, jogging along side John. They were rushing into a dangerous situation with people they weren''t familiar with and dangerous foes, but they were confident in each other. The other Fighters, though, could very well get in the way, being more trouble than helpful. The two Climbers both knew it without saying it out loud.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to distract them,¡± John replied. ¡°Just don¡¯t take long!¡±


    In seconds they were across the field. Wyn split off first, stabbing his spear into the ground twenty feet before the lizards and Fighters where it stood on end. He noticed the Fighters look at him, and the lizard monsters looked, too. The monster that held the great axe swung down at the two Fighters trying to hit them both at the same time. The weapon was as big as a person, and the swing was forceful but slow. They both stepped out of its attack awkwardly, with the Fighter guarding the downed Climber falling to the ground, and the other stumbling but staying upright. He cursed and stared at Wyn.


    ¡°You! Red Mage!¡± His eyes were furious, his mouth in a snarl.


    Wyn hoped he was angry at the situation and not him personally, but it honestly didn¡¯t matter. He saw the unconscious Climber and guessed he was likely a Rogue. He bent down to grab him and realized the jungle floor was soaked in blood, his armor wet and slick. His left arm was bent at a strange angle, and what he assumed was a previous gash on his side had opened considerably.


    Wyn didn''t know how close he was to death. There was still the faintest signs of breath as his chest slowly rose and fell but it was weak. Wyn wasn''t a medic and didn''t know the true extent of the man''s injuries. What he did have, though, was magic.


    Wyn touched his side gently. ¡°Regen,¡± he said, hoping his spell would help keep death away. He saw the white aura envelope him and hoped it would be enough. The Rogue¡¯s swords were lying on the ground but they weren¡¯t important right now and would just get in the way. Wyn slipped under his good arm and heaved him up, trying his best to run away from the fight so he wouldn¡¯t get smashed in the back.


    He saw Tasha and the other mage coming across the field and met them in the middle. The woman gasped and went white, taking a step away in fear. At least Tasha stood resolute at the gruesome sight. Wyn set the man on the ground as quickly and gently as he could.


    ¡°I don''t think Regen is going to work fast enough,¡± Tasha said. She inspected him like she did the other Climber, feeling for a breath and seeing what wounds he had.


    ¡°It''s all I have,¡± Wyn said. "I was hoping you could take care of the rest." He stood and watched as the other mage threw up.


    ¡°He¡¯s still alive!¡± Tasha yelled, turning back to the other woman. She placed a hand on the man''s chest. "Stabilize."


    The white aura around the Rogue increased in size but decreased in intensity. Wyn couldn''t tell if the man''s wounds were closing or not, but he trusted Tasha and her abilities to heal.


    ¡°He''s barely alive but I got it from here,¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°Good," Wyn replied. "I need to go back. I''ll yell if we need you."


    Tasha held out her staff and tapped Wyn on the shoulder. ¡°Arcane Aura,¡± she said, casting another spell. The aura enveloped him in magical armor while she went back to tend to the Rogue. She touched her staff on him, now - ¡°Cure." The staff glowed for a moment before creating the familiar runic structure at its tip. This spell was cast using the energy from the staff itself as the runes in the air didn''t have Tasha''s Divine Magician signature. The white aura now grew exponentially as multiple spells of healing magic flowed into him.


    His arm was now right again and his side was nearly whole. The gash had mostly healed but was still open, though the Regen spell was still active. It was closing the wound up slowly.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The Rogue stirred and coughed. The other Divine Mage gasped and cried.


    *****


    ¡°Come get me, you bastards!¡± John screamed while banging his sword against his shield. He was standing off to the side away from the other Fighters, working to get the giant creature¡¯s attention. One of them turned, its eyes black and full of death, and lashed out with its tongue in a feral cry. In two large steps it was within striking range as it held up its axe and swung it at John.


    He sidestepped nimbly, avoiding the blow of the weapon as it lodged into the ground and kicked up grass and dirt. He rushed forward and slashed at it several times, leaving small cuts across its upper thigh.


    Its skin was as tough as armor, and his sword was basic. In this moment he really, really missed his magically flaming sword. At least he still had his shield.


    He stepped back quickly, putting some distance between the monster and himself to reassess. He knew he just needed it distracted and their numbers would overwhelm them eventually, but he didn¡¯t want to be directly under it.


    Or did he?


    ¡°Hey jackass, stay out of this!¡± The other Fighter yelled. He pointed his sword at John. ¡°We are handling it!¡±


    ¡°Like hells you are!¡± John yelled back.


    The Fighter turned to strike at the other lizard creature as he and his ally were taunting it. Their strategy fell apart almost immediately as the lizard swung at them with its club and they dodged it in the same direction, the leader tripping and nearly falling over the other. He cursed again, pushing his teammate away from him with his shield in frustration. The other Fighter stumbled back a bit, caught off guard by being shoved.


    John realized how poorly they were working together. This was just the first floor and they looked they just held a weapon for the first time yesterday. They''d likely never make it as Climbers. He pitied them.


    The axe-wielding monster rose his axe again to strike. John stole a quick glance back and saw Wyn running towards them, and he knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before he would join and they could take them out. His ally might be a Red Mage, but he was more competent than even most of the Fighters John trained with.


    He just needed to survive until Wyn joined the fight. His idea was going to test that fact, but he wanted to try it.


    ¡°Focus!¡± He yelled, and the same red aura covered him again. He felt its effects immediately, like a surge of adrenaline but more stout and effective. He charged forward at the monster right as it swung down with its axe. Narrowly avoiding the weapon, he sidestepped it and parried it at the same, using his magical shield to redirect the force. The axe struck the ground once more, and John stabbed the monster¡¯s lower torso several times.


    The blade sunk deeper and was more effective than before, his skill working to improve his strength. Dark blood seeped away from the gashes but they weren¡¯t as deep as he would¡¯ve liked. He ran around the giant to the opposite side of the other Fighters, hoping to at least turn its attention away.


    ¡°Come on, come on,¡± he said, taunting it.


    Wyn picked up his pace across the field after seeing how the other Fighters were hurting themselves more than helping. Their communication was terrible. He was thankful his own group had a plan and knew they would be able to make it far despite their smaller party.


    John decided to draw an attack to give Wyn the chance to strike by surprise. The other two Fighters would just have to deal with one of the large beasts while he took on the other by himself. He realized the shielding spell Tasha placed on him was starting to fade, as the auras from his own skill and her spell had blended together before but now the red was overtaking the white. In a desperate effort he decided to use what was left to his advantage.


    He stabbed at the monster several times, more to taunt it than actually cause damage. The creature roared in frustration, the noise deafening, causing the Climbers except John to flinch. He was too zoned in to be distracted himself. The monster let go of its axe and swung with a backhand to John as though he was swatting a fly.


    John didn¡¯t want to sidestep it this time - he used his shield to take the blow.


    The magical shield combined with his stacked magical effects took the entirety of the force. He held his ground, keeping his stance together, but was shoved to the side several feet. There were marks in the jungle floor where his boots dug in and pushed out the ground from the force. He stabilized himself behind the shield and stood tall and proud at absorbing the blow.


    Wyn plucked his spear from the ground without slowing down as he closed the distance. He twirled his spear around and sliced in a heavy arc at the back of the creature¡¯s knee that was attacking John. He felt the flesh give out and saw a spray of blood burst from its leg, covering the side of his clothes and the ground beside him. He couldn¡¯t even tell its skin was hardened like armor, his wind-based spear cutting through it like a hot knife through butter.


    The creature fell to the ground on its knee, screaming in pain. It dropped its axe clawed the dirt from pain and anger.


    ¡°Now!¡± Wyn yelled.


    John ran forward and stabbed it in the side, hoping to do whatever damage he could. Wyn, however, let out a flurry of slashes and stabs, all of them gouging and opening the flesh of the monster. It cried in agony and pain before Wyn put one final blow into its torso, feeling the entire blade sink in where its heart should be, causing the beast to go still.


    As he pulled out the spear it fell to the ground in a loud thud.


    Wyn and John smiled at each other, happy at their success.


    A loud clang shook them from their brief celebration. They looked and saw the other group¡¯s leader stabbing at the remaining lizard-giant while his teammate was on the ground, his shield cast off to the side. He was holding his arm and yelling in pain.


    Wyn ran to him, checking his mark on the way. He still had some mana left but it wasn¡¯t enough to cast Regen. His lack of available mana was while climbing was becoming detrimental, not just a nuisance. Whether it was mana potions or equipment or both to increase his ability to use spells and skills, he decided right then and there he needed it to be more effective.


    ¡°That bastard!¡± John yelled, rushing to help, directing his frustration at the Climber. He couldn¡¯t heal the other Fighter and knew his role was to help deal with the monster directly.


    Wyn looked back at Tasha and saw that she had already come to help. She pointed her staff to the Fighter and used its magic once more. ¡°Cure!¡± She yelled, and a flash of white magic overtook the Climber and began healing his wounds.


    Satisfied that Tasha was taking care of the injured Climber, Wyn looked back at the beast and held out his spear. He knew it would be over quick, but he almost wanted the other Fighter to manage it on his own just to add insult to injury.


    No. He wouldn¡¯t stoop to their level. If he was going to show them what being a Ruby Magician entailed, he needed to prove himself and the power of the class.


    He hurried forward beside the other Fighter.


    ¡°Stay away!¡± The Fighter yelled. His eyes were crazed and spittle flew from his mouth when he spoke. ¡°We don¡¯t need your help, Red Mage!¡±


    Wyn looked in his eyes and promptly ignored him.


    The beast raised its club again to attack, and the Fighter wasn¡¯t even paying attention. He was only looking at Wyn, furious that he would even try to help. Wyn ran to him and shoved him out of the way to the ground just as the giant swung in a wide arc with its club.


    It caught Wyn in the back as he fell to the ground, flinging him further away several feet. He blinked, shocked at the hit, and tried to move his body. He stood up, thankfully, and hoped his adrenaline wasn¡¯t taking over and masking an injury. He looked down at noticed his white aura was completely gone.


    It absorbed the blow for him and dissipated. Whatever strength was in that swing and however it contact Wyn was enough to completely use up the magic inside it. The thought of being hit without that magical protection made Wyn shudder.


    Angered with new resolve, he ran towards the beast with a battle cry. The monster just roared back in a challenge. He saw John beside it, readying his sword, wanting to help however he could.


    ¡°Wingbeat!¡± He yelled, hooking his spear as though he was pulling something from thin air with the clawed-end. He aimed it in a diagonal arc so it would miss John instead of catching him in the spell. Hopefully it would react as intended. The magical wind cut through the air at the creature and sliced across it exactly how he¡¯d hoped, catching its right leg up to its left shoulder. It left a large gash across its body, causing it to rear back. It dropped its club and clawed at its chest as blood poured out of its wound.


    It fell back onto the ground in pain. Wyn ran forward and forcefully stabbed it in the neck, nearly beheading it from the blow.


    The field was silent for a moment except for the Climbers deep, fast breaths from exertion.


    ¡°Woah,¡± John said. He lowered his sword and walked over beside Wyn.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± Wyn replied. ¡°You were amazing, John. Even better than expected.¡±


    ¡°I meant you, Wyn. Look at them! They¡¯re nearly in pieces!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t believe it,¡± the Fighter said, his eyes wide in amazement. He was lying on the ground and looking up at the carnage. ¡°But you¡¯re just a¡­ a Red Mage.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about the class, you idiot,¡± John said. ¡°Look at you, you nearly got your teammates killed and you''re supposed to be a Fighter! You should be able to handle these types of enemies well enough!¡±


    The Fighter looked back and saw what was left of his group. The others had gathered around Tasha and the Rogue, staring at the scene at the end of the floor. They were all shocked, barely aware of what happened.


    Suddenly a loud crash hit on the edge of the field. Another giant lizard stepped out, this one holding two swords. It had the same war paint and torn linen on its body, and it roared at the Climbers for a fight.


    An arrow protruded from its eye socket in a flash in a sickening thunk, immediately silencing it. The beast paused and went still. Suddenly the arrow exploded in a flash of fire, and a now-headless giant lizard creature fell to the ground with a loud thud.


    All of the Climbers looked to the direction where the arrow came from and saw Marcy standing there with her bow.


    She shrugged and slung it around her chest, unbothered.


    The portal changed color to gray, showing they had successfully completed their task and were allowed to proceed.


    Wyn, John, and Marcy walked over beside Tasha, celebrating their success.


    The other Climbers stood there dumbfounded, staring at the small group in disbelief.


    ¡°Hey,¡± the Rogue said. ¡°Who in the hells are you guys?¡±

 Book 1 - Chapter 32

    The group felt the pull of the portal, the strange sensation of every fiber in their bodies twisting and turning over in a second. They appeared back at the base in Alestead one by one, Wyn and his group appearing much more intact than the other group of Climbers.


    John inspected himself when he emerged, checking for any wounds or bruises. The adrenaline and skill both now worn off, he only felt the drag of fatigue and not any extraneous damage. He breathed a sigh of relief, thankful this time he emerged without needing to dash to the infirmary. Hopefully that was a one time occurrence.


    The Fighter and Rogue who were both hurt were standing, at least, but decided to take themselves to the infirmary to make sure there wasn¡¯t any additional damage they couldn¡¯t see. Tasha healed them nearly on her own without the other healer¡¯s help, and she wasn¡¯t trying to seek any form of payment or thanks. Still, the frantic pair wanted to leave almost immediately when they entered into the base.


    The woman, a Divine Mage, stammered over her words when she tried to thank Tasha. ¡°You¡­ you saved us. And¡­ you saved¡­ me. Just¡­ thank you!¡± She bowed low towards the ground, nearly dropping her staff awkwardly.


    Tasha snickered. ¡°I did what I needed to do. But this isn¡¯t a place to mess around! You have to be ready to help when you can.¡± Her cheeks were flushed, hot with nerves and a brief flash of disdain.


    The mage recoiled. ¡°I know. I¡­ I¡¯ll be better.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Tasha softened a bit and sighed. ¡°Just¡­ try, okay? It¡¯ll get easier. But you¡¯re their lifeline. We can heal injuries but only to a point. Don¡¯t let it get out of your control.¡±


    The mage nodded her head and sniffled. ¡°Words to climb by. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right, it will get easier,¡± John said, putting his arm around the woman. Her face grew even redder than Tasha¡¯s. ¡°But don¡¯t worry! Just heal first and throw up later.¡±


    ¡°Easy for you to say,¡± Tasha said. ¡°You still throw up going through the portal.¡±


    John blanched. ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t have eaten those eggs this morning.¡±


    Tasha laughed, and the other mage nervously laughed along with her, John¡¯s arm still resting on her shoulders.


    ¡°You idiots!¡± The Fighter yelled, stepping up to Wyn. He was shorter than Wyn but held his chest high with arrogance. His face was blood red. ¡°You nearly got us killed!¡±


    ¡°We nearly got you killed?¡± Wyn said, standing firm. He held his spear at his side and felt his knuckles pop from his tightening grip. ¡°We saved you and your group! If it wasn¡¯t for us you would¡¯ve had two dead Climbers, maybe more.¡±


    The Fighter leaned more into Wyn, nearly at his face. ¡°We had it under control. I had it under control!¡± He threw his hands to the side and yelled in frustration. He backed off, turning to face his group before they completely left the hallway of portals. ¡°If you all would¡¯ve just listened to me! I¡¯m the leader, here, you take orders from ME!¡±


    The Fighter and Rogue stopped before they completely left the room, turning around to face him.


    ¡°Are you serious, Frederick?¡± The Rogue said. His face was contorted between disgust and laughter. ¡°We basically hobbled our way through that floor. We had a full group! And it was only the first floor!¡±


    ¡°And that speaks about the leader more than anything,¡± the Fighter added, ¡°more than the group as a whole, at least. You made awful calls, rushed us, and nearly got us killed


    ¡°Yea, they saved us,¡± The Rogue said. ¡°You should be thanking them!¡±


    Frederick slowly walked towards them, putting a hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword. ¡°You ungrateful fools,¡± he started, but was promptly cut off. He stopped moving immediately, an arm appearing under his chin in a flash.


    Marcy held him in place, twisting his arm behind his back and choking him at the same time. She was calm, her hands steady and face neutral. His already red face grew redder, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets in rage.


    Her mouth was right behind and above his ear, though she leaned in for more effect. ¡°I would advise you to calm down, Climber. You won¡¯t like the outcome if you draw that sword.¡±


    Frederick struggled for a few seconds but relented. He either realized he was outmatched or out of place. She was strong and he didn¡¯t expect it, but his emotions were also raging with intensity. He raised his hands slowly, taking deeper, slower breaths. ¡°Alright, alright,¡± he struggled, his face now purple.


    Marcy let go and stepped beside him, eyeing him suspiciously. He coughed a few times and rubbed his throat.


    ¡°At any rate, I¡¯m done with you worthless, weak excuses of Climbers,¡± Frederick said, his voice now hoarse. ¡°Find your own leader.¡± He walked off, pushing past the other Fighter and Rogue who stepped out of his way.


    ¡°What in the hells is his problem?¡± John said. He looked down and realized he had grabbed his own sword hilt in response, subconsciously readying himself if things went worse. His hand quickly jerked away.


    ¡°He thinks he¡¯s a somebody because he¡¯s rich,¡± the other Magician said. He shook his garnet staff mockingly.


    ¡°A noble, actually,¡± The Fighter said. He sighed. ¡°From Caryn.¡±


    ¡°A nobody, actually,¡± the Rogue added, ¡°is what you meant to say. He¡¯s a piece of dirt and doesn¡¯t deserve to lead a group.¡±


    ¡°Well, he won¡¯t lead us,¡± the Divine Mage said. She walked over to the rest of her group. ¡°We can manage without him. This time we find someone better and do it right.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Tasha said. ¡°I¡¯m sure it will go much smoother next time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the woman replied. ¡°We owe you guys.¡±


    ¡°Yea, like our lives,¡± the Rogue said. He walked over to Tasha and extended a hand. ¡°You saved my life. Thank you.¡±


    Tasha waved his hand away. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t thank me! Wyn was the one who pulled you away and healed you first.¡±


    ¡°Who is that?¡± He looked over at John, who only smiled back, then waved sheepishly.


    ¡°He¡¯s our leader, I guess,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Though we haven¡¯t exactly decided. He¡¯s the Ruby Magician.¡±


    The Rogue jerked his head towards Wyn, shock evident on his face before changing serious as he relaxed and set his jaw. Wyn smirked but quickly shook it off. There wasn¡¯t any need to gloat. Not now.


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯d hope anyone would do the same for me.¡±


    The Rogue walked up to Wyn and held a hand out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for earlier. That was¡­ pretty shitty of me. Thank you.¡±


    Wyn took his hand and shook it firmly. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°I will be, I¡¯m just¡­ embarrassed. I¡¯m sorry. I obviously need to be a better judge of character.¡±


    ¡°Both good and bad,¡± John said, pointing a thumb towards the exit where Frederick stomped off.


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    The Rogue sighed. ¡°Right. Well, we should be going. I might take a few days off but I hope to see you all again. Truly.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The Fighter said. ¡°Might be worth grouping together in the future. I know we could definitely learn a thing or two.¡±


    John walked over and clapped the man on the shoulder. He introduced himself and made another joke, further lightening the mood. The Fighter introduced himself as Travis, and the others exchanged names and pleasantries as well. The Rogue - Devon - seemed to lighten up the most, and Wyn was grateful they were friendly. There were good people here, after all. After a few more minutes of talking, the others finally said their goodbyes.


    ¡°Maybe another time,¡± Maven, the Divine Mage, said. ¡°Dinner would be nice, but we need some time to think. Thank you all again.¡± She herded the other Climbers like sheep.


    The group hobbled away, reminding Wyn of himself, Marcy and Cedric after they left the second floor. He thought of the scene right before they left, where he saw Cedric¡¯s arm lying on the ground and the witch standing in the distance. He knew the Lightning Wizard would be changed forever, but he didn¡¯t know the extent. Hopefully he¡¯d be able to see him soon - he¡¯d been wanting to talk to him, to make sure he¡¯s doing alright. Sure, physically he lost an arm, but he had no doubt he was alive and stable. He was wanting to make sure mentally he wasn¡¯t falling apart. That was far too common in his background, and he had a strong feeling that it was common here, too.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m ready, too,¡± John said. He stretched and took a deep breath. ¡°That wasn¡¯t that bad, but I lost my breakfast before we even got started.¡±


    Tasha laughed. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re starving. I can get some food with you before we meet at the training hall.¡± She walked over to him and playfully nudged him in the side. He yipped, more in surprise than pain. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind the company?¡±


    ¡°Escorting a noble to a meal?¡± He bowed to her in a large, grandiose way. ¡°Not at all, m¡¯lady. May we collect our rewards, first?¡±


    Tasha laughed. ¡°Stop it. If you act like that I¡¯ll kick you out to the streets!¡±


    John returned the laugh, and they walked out of the hallway of portals towards the base entrance. Marcy shook her head and followed them out, wondering how in the hells she ended up in this situation.


    Wyn began to follow them out before he saw the Mapper awkwardly standing to the side, holding onto the straps of the large backpack he wore. He was trying not to be nosy, but he stood just far enough away to go unnoticed. He caught Wyn staring at him and jumped a bit, straightening up his posture.


    Wyn walked over to him, having to look up at him to look him in the eyes. ¡°Are you alright? I didn¡¯t really see you in the fray back there.¡±


    The Mapper cleared his throat and spoke. His voice was higher than Wyn expected for someone his size, though not comically so. ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± he said sheepishly, avoiding eye contact with him.


    Wyn waited for him to continue, but he didn¡¯t. ¡°Well¡­ alright, then. Good.¡±


    The two stood there for a moment, Wyn not knowing if he should speak further and the Mapper wanting to avoid conversation entirely. The man started to walk out of the hallway towards the tower entrance and Wyn walked with him.


    ¡°You know,¡± Wyn said, trying to fill the void of silence, ¡°people like that don¡¯t deserve to lead a group. I hope he wasn¡¯t unkind to you in the tower.¡±


    The Mapper didn¡¯t reply, only readjusted his backpack straps and continued walking. They passed groups of Climbers here and there, some entering the tower late and others leaving, heading back to the front entrance. Wyn found he had to step slightly faster to keep pace as his legs were slightly shorter, though the Mapper didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry. He was just set on where he wanted to go.


    ¡°Regardless,¡± Wyn continued, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay. It seems like most of their group suffered rather than improved under him. Hopefully they will find a better leader and you a better group.¡±


    The Mapper looked at him for a second then turned away. His face was kind but serious, almost sad in a way. ¡°I hope so, too. No one should have to deal with an attitude like his.¡±


    Wyn smiled. ¡°I agree. My name is Wyn. I¡¯m a Ruby Magician.¡±


    ¡°I figured. About your class, I mean. No way I could¡¯ve guessed your name.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±


    The taller man shrugged. ¡°You used a healing spell and then rushed in to fight. No base class has the ability to heal along with being confident enough to fight directly except for Red Mages. I just put two and two together.¡±


    Wyn looked at the man again. There wasn¡¯t anything that stood out on his person except for the backpack that looked like it could hold Wyn. Everything else - his clothing, armor, and war hammer on his belt - looked perfectly normal here in the tower. He obviously knew much more than he let on, and Wyn liked those kinds of people.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re spot on,¡± Wyn said.


    The man chuckled, laughing with his whole body. ¡°My name is Caloman, but you can call me Cal.¡±


    Wyn stopped and put his hand out in a formal greeting. Cal stopped, too, and shook it. His hands were huge and strong as Wyn was barely able to squeeze his hand for the handshake. ¡°Good to meet you, Cal. If we need a Mapper, I hope you¡¯re available for us. We¡¯re a new group but we work well together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure I¡¯m available if you need someone, just put in a request at the desk at the entrance and I¡¯ll be sure to see it. And I can tell you all have some experience, at least. Better than Frederick and his group.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is our first official season and only second time in the tower, but I¡¯d like to think we¡¯re preparing ourselves well.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Cal said, and kept walking. ¡°I would¡¯ve thought this would¡¯ve been your second or third season. Did you all know each other before you came to Alestead?¡±


    ¡°No, actually. We met just a few days ago, but we seem to get along well enough. I think we¡¯ll go pretty far together.¡±


    ¡°I think you will, too. I know a good group when I see one.¡±


    Wyn smiled. Whether he was looking for it or not, he was glad to have some validation about their group. Sure they were small, and most would likely judge them as not being capable with their smaller number, but he felt good about them working well together. Hearing it from someone else didn¡¯t just feel good. It felt great.


    The sound of conversation grew quickly around them as they entered the base of Alistair. Climbers were still readying themselves to enter the tower, people who left were collecting rewards at the desks, and some groups were catching up with others at the start of the new season.


    Cal waved bye to Wyn as he walked back towards the wall where the other Mappers stood to be hired for a climb. Wyn waved back, glad to meet a new Climber and potential ally in the future.


    He saw Marcy, John, and Tasha standing beside the desks, laughing at John¡¯s antics. He was waving his arms in some big show, and Wyn was sure he was making some kind of joke. John saw him and waved him over.


    ¡°Hurry up and get your rewards,¡± John said as Wyn approached them. ¡°We need to grab some food then head to the training hall already!¡±


    ¡°Oh now you¡¯re in a rush?¡± Tasha asked, pocketing her parchment in her robes. ¡°This morning you dragged your feet to come to the tower!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all about the food, St. Clair! I basically missed lunch, so now I have to stack up enough for lunch and dinner.¡±


    Tasha sighed audibly. ¡°Of course it is. But that actually makes sense in a weird way.¡±


    Marcy laughed and crossed her arms, leaning on the desk.


    ¡°You guys go ahead,¡± Wyn said. He pulled his parchment out of his pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll get my rewards and meet you at the training hall.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± John asked.


    ¡°I want to talk to someone here about Frederick. Someone like that shouldn¡¯t be allowed to lead a group. He could¡¯ve gotten them killed.¡±


    John looked at the women. ¡°Yea, but is it our business?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a Climber like we are, so yes, I think it is. If we won¡¯t, who will?¡±


    John sighed. ¡°Alright, alright. You make a valid point. But I¡¯m starving. Can you handle it without us?¡±


    Wyn laughed. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be fine. Like I said, I¡¯ll meet you guys after.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Marcy said. ¡°It would be good to have an eye witness with you.¡±


    ¡°And Tasha and I will grab some food,¡± John said. He visibly brightened. ¡°Perfect!¡±


    ¡°Always food with you,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Sorry guys. I¡¯ll bring some food to the hall for both of you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Marcy said. ¡°It won¡¯t be too long.¡±


    John nearly dragged Tasha away, and Wyn could only shake his head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you who we need to talk to,¡± Marcy said. ¡°But I doubt it¡¯ll amount to much.¡±


    ¡°Really? How so?¡±


    ¡°Climbers like that are everywhere. John knows it because he knows more about the tower than most rookies, and I¡¯ve personally seen it many times before, sadly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not fair,¡± Wyn said. ¡°The guild should know when Climbers could jeopardize the lives of others! Can¡¯t they take disciplinary action to punish them or expel them from climbing?¡±


    Marcy barked a laugh. ¡°Technically Frederick didn¡¯t break any laws. Incompetence isn¡¯t the same as a crime.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see it that way. If this were the service he¡¯d be demoted and forced to clean boots for a week.¡±


    ¡°Wyn, this isn¡¯t the war. The same rules don¡¯t apply. If nothing else, you need to understand that simple difference.¡±


    Wyn shook his head and sighed. ¡°Maybe so.¡±


    ¡°The Guild is an organized entity to help regulate us, but they definitely don¡¯t operate the same way. They¡¯ll make sure no crimes happen but they tend to leave the dealings of group squabbles to the group to work out.¡±


    ¡°That was more than a squabble. But I see your point. Still, I want to tell someone.¡±


    ¡°Yea, it won¡¯t hurt to have his name on record, just don¡¯t be disappointed if nothing happens.¡±


    Wyn thought about that. It wasn¡¯t fair that Frederick wouldn¡¯t at least be disciplined for his shitty leadership. Wyn had seen that too many times before for less offensive actions. He¡¯d even felt the sting of shame and failure and paid terribly for it. His mind drifted back to the hill and his soldier¡¯s deaths, the aftermath of the scolding and punishment he took for simply following orders. Being a lower officer, even if he led a company, still meant he took orders, and meant that he also took the fall for failures that shouldn¡¯t have been his.


    Being a Climber was being part of a new world. He couldn¡¯t use his previous experiences to completely relate to this new position. There were still plenty of things for him to learn.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Wyn finally said. ¡°I know I still have a lot to learn here. Thank you for talking it out with me.¡±


    Marcy put her arm around him and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s what friends are for. Now come on. John might be the one who loves food, but I¡¯m hungry, too.¡±

 Book 1 - Chapter 33

    ¡°I¡¯m ready whenever you are,¡± Marcy said, smiling wide with her hands on her hips. She was walking with Wyn to the training hall, their pockets deeper with their rewards and stomach¡¯s growling from lack of food.


    Wyn sighed in frustration, delaying his eventual response but knowing she was going to get it from him one way or another. ¡°It¡¯s getting pretty tiresome saying it all the time.¡±


    ¡°For you, yes, but I¡¯ll never tire of hearing that phrase.¡± She skipped ahead, then turned around and walked backwards to face him while keeping their pace. ¡°Come on already, spit it out!¡± She eyed him teasingly.


    ¡°Fine! You were right.¡± He shook his head and smirked, pleasantly annoyed. The guild member who they spoke to was no help. When Wyn informed her about Frederick, and even had Marcy corroborate his story, she politely but dismissively told him they would note it and cut him off. She wrote his name and class in a bound book but inquired no further, shooing him away so she could move on to other matters.


    Wyn knew that interaction well from the reports he gave in the service. They were logged somewhere as a formality, but never released to the lower grunts or officers again. There the change was obvious as soldiers would be gone from their company or officers reassigned or shipped back home, but here was different. Nothing would change and the problem would remain. He had hoped the politics at the tower would be better, but he was unfortunately sorely mistaken from this simple interaction. Marcy was gloating while he stewed.


    She turned and stepped beside him. ¡°That wasn¡¯t so hard, was it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care to admit you were right. It¡¯s the fact that nothing will change and he¡¯ll just keep doing whatever he wants in the tower.¡±


    Marcy sighed. ¡°I know. It¡¯s awful. But, think about it this way - no one here is under orders to commit to one group or do something they don¡¯t want to do. Just like the Climbers before, they¡¯re free to leave and find another group as they like.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true.¡±


    Wyn felt a cool breeze tickle his neck, the newly summer air pleasant and warm. Spring was gone now entering the third month of the year, and hopefully a harsh summer wouldn¡¯t be found in the city. The sun wasn¡¯t as hot as it would be in the coming weeks, and the swarming clouds were helping to keep the air mild. They turned a corner at the end of a block and saw the entrance to the training hall in front of them. Climbers were steadily entering and exiting, dressed in their full gear to train and ready themselves for the real challenge.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s true,¡± Marcy said. ¡°He¡¯ll have a horrible time finding a team that sticks with him and is successful unless he changes his attitude, and the rest of them are better off finding someone else anyway.¡±


    ¡°I just hope no one gets hurt from him in the tower.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we all hope that. But how about we worry about our own group?¡±


    Wyn opened the door to the hall and stepped to the side for Marcy to enter first. ¡°True. Though based on today I¡¯m not quite as worried.¡±


    The two Climbers walked past the crowd that stood at the front entrance, working their way to the hallway that led to private rooms. They all decided to meet in the same room they used yesterday when planning for the new season, the second furthest room to the left. Marcy knocked on the door three times and Tasha answered it with a jolt.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I was afraid your food was going to get cold!¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Wyn said, and set his spear on the weapon rack when he stepped through the door way. John¡¯s basic sword was set beside it in the scabbard, and Marcy set her bow and quiver on a rung beside Tasha¡¯s staff. ¡°I had to do it.¡±


    ¡°I guess it didn¡¯t go well, then?¡± John said. He was sitting down with his elbows on the large square table in the center of the room. Pieces of paper and stones for weights were strewn across it, and he had a quill he twirled with his fingers. ¡°Based on your gloomy face I gather that it wasn¡¯t a pleasant conversation.¡±


    ¡°No. You were right, too.¡±


    John smiled sadly and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t take any pleasure in that. I¡¯m sorry, Wyn.¡±


    ¡°At least someone doesn¡¯t,¡± Wyn said, taking a seat beside John. He grabbed a hunk of bread from a platter of food on the table.


    Marcy snickered.


    ¡°How did you know it wouldn¡¯t work, John?¡± Tasha asked. She took a seat at the table and pulled a piece of paper in front of her.


    ¡°My family told me about things like that. They know all about the ins and outs of the politics here. My parents climbed over four years, and my sister almost three.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty incredible,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I guess you¡¯re an expert, then?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. It¡¯s like when you learn everything you can about something and then go out in the world to practice it. It¡¯s not quite the same, and you have to see it for yourself to really understand it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Like in the military, you can only learn so much in training. The real lessons are out on the battlefield.¡±


    Marcy grabbed a mug of ale and raised it in a toast. ¡°And that¡¯s why we¡¯re here, to prepare ourselves for the real training. To Alistair, the climb, and the Climbers themselves.¡±


    The others raised their own mugs in a similar fashion before all taking a drink.


    They set their drinks down except for Marcy, who kept hers in hand for a longer drink, nearly finishing the cup in one gulp. Wyn plucked a handful of berries from the platter of food and munched on them periodically. ¡°So let¡¯s pick up where we left off yesterday.¡±


    Tasha banged a fist on the table and startled the others. ¡°Alright, then! So we want one day off in the week to rest and recover. That¡¯ll be Torday.¡±


    ¡°We can get supplies, change strategies if needed, or just relax and recover,¡± Marcy added, taking another drink from her mug.


    Tasha nodded. ¡°Exactly. Which gives us two more days in the tower before then after today.¡±


    John was writing something down on a piece of paper. He picked up his quill to dip it in the ink well, not looking up to disturb his focus. ¡°Plenty of time to practice the first floor again. It honestly was easier than I expected.¡±


    Wyn wiped his hands before grabbing his mug to wash down the tart aftertaste of the berries. ¡°I agree with John. And now we know the theme of the first tier is a jungle and earth-based enemies. Marcy, what do you think would benefit us the most?¡±


    ¡°I think I need to ditch my fur armor and wear something cooler,¡± Marcy said, as she rubbed her hand over her armor and bristled the fine hairs that lined it. She poured water into her mug from the pitcher on the table. ¡°Your wind spear is great, Wyn, though none of you have the resources to change gear like seasoned Climbers just yet. I¡¯ll grab some different arrows and weapons that should help and change a few spells, too.¡±


    ¡°What arrows and spells?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°We need to know everything, remember? Lay it on the table. Maybe Tasha and I can pick other spells, too.¡±


    Marcy sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a bit overkill, but alright, then. My fur armor is too dense for the warm air in the jungle. I have a light leather set that¡¯ll keep me more cool and boosts my hand to hand combat ability. My kukri is good for the dense jungle and I¡¯ll grab another, too. Some fights might not be the best with my bow in that dense shit. I¡¯ll get some wind arrows, another exploding arrow, and change my spells away from lightning since they¡¯ll resist that. Maybe a Wind Trap spell, instead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s helpful. Would there be anything different we could use for spells?¡±


    ¡°Both of you are still only on the first level of Magician spells. You don¡¯t have access to much, and I still don¡¯t even know what a Ruby Magician can use. Once you hit the next level you can see about more, but you¡¯ll be fine for now. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Tasha took a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s helpful, but I¡¯d love to have access to more spells that could be useful. John, when are you getting your new sword?¡±


    John picked up his paper and inspected it, turning it in different directions. ¡°I just mailed the letter on Faesday, but my family should be mailing it as soon as they get it. Hopefully by the end of the week? Or next Solday?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice that they are doing that for you,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Do you have an endless amount of magic items at home or something?¡±


    John laughed. ¡°No, though that would be awesome! It¡¯s the sword I trained with at home, actually. The other one was a gift and more powerful. Mine is a water sword I can freeze to become ice-based, and it¡¯s a blue aura sword.¡±


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    ¡°Oh, impressive. I can¡¯t wait to see it!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll feel good to have it again, that¡¯s for sure. This basic sword just doesn¡¯t feel right. And we are wanting to go to the second floor this week, right? I know we said only the first floor for now, but that was easier than we expected. I think we could handle it.¡±


    Wyn looked over at Marcy who raised an eyebrow and took a drink, avoiding answering the Fighter. Wyn decided to take the lead. ¡°I still would like to only stick with the first floor for now to be safe, but this is a group decision. Marcy has a key if we need it, too, but I would only feel good about it if we spent very little resources on the first floor. I¡¯d want us as healthy as possible entering the second floor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s reasonable,¡± John said. He put his quill back in the holder and folded his hands to rest on the table. ¡°Plus, don¡¯t forget that the higher we climb the more rewards we get. I only made about 30 gold today and I¡¯m sure your rewards were similar. We need to be climbing higher to really make any sort of good coin.¡±


    Wyn sighed. John was right, of course, and Wyn had been thinking that very same thing. Still, it was going to be a slow process, especially in the beginning without any experience, items, or real power under their belt. ¡°I know. I think about that a lot. We¡¯ll get there, I just don¡¯t want us to get hurt in the process. No amount of gold or silver is worth us jeopardizing our safety.¡±


    The others nodded while Marcy took another drink. ¡°We¡¯re being almost too cautious. We¡¯ll be fine! If anything big sneaks up on us I¡¯ll kill it. And both you and Tasha can heal so I¡¯m not worried at all. My vote is to move on.¡±


    ¡°Yea,¡± John started, ¡°shouldn¡¯t you be leading us, Marcy? No offense, Wyn, but she has a lot more experience here than we do.¡±


    Wyn sat back in his stool before grabbing more food from the platter. ¡°I¡¯ve already tried to get her to lead. She said no.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why not?¡±


    Marcy stood up and pushed her stool in under the table. ¡°Because I¡¯m no good at making those kinds of decision. I¡¯m a good little soldier and will do my role well, but I don¡¯t want to be the one to make the plan. No thanks.¡± She walked over to the weapon rack and grabbed her bow and quiver, slinging them on her back.


    ¡°Are we done?¡± Tasha asked. She fiddled with the hem of her robe, watching Marcy get ready to leave.


    ¡°Looks like it,¡± Wyn said. ¡°There¡¯s not much else to discuss, at any rate. Unless, John, you want to share what you¡¯ve been writing?¡±


    John smiled and showed the group his piece of paper. Marcy waited to leave until after she saw it, being as curious as the others. ¡°Ta da!¡± The paper was a crude drawing of them fighting the Lizard creatures, with John standing over one with his sword raised high in victory. Marcy and Tasha laughed, while Wyn just shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I saw that before I left,¡± Marcy said, already halfway out the door. She closed it gently behind her.


    John folded the piece of paper and put it in his pocket. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s that. I¡¯ll be saving this as a reminder of our first victory!¡±


    ¡°You are ridiculous,¡± Tasha said. ¡°But I can appreciate the sentiment. That¡¯ll be nice to look back on one day.¡±


    ¡°I think so, too. It¡¯ll go in my collection of rewards from here!¡±


    Wyn stood up from the table and took one more roll from the platter. ¡°That¡¯s a good note to end on. I¡¯m going to train for a bit before calling it a day. See you guys in the morning.¡± He walked over and grabbed his spear, following Marcy out.


    ¡°And on time, please!¡± Tasha emphasized to John, who was standing up to leave, too. ¡°Bright and early, Climber!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, damn. Are you sure you weren¡¯t an officer in the war?¡±


    Wyn laughed, and he knew Tasha was giving John a harsh look without even looking.


    He had a good feeling about this month.


    *****


    Wyn opened the door to his room with a shaky hand. He was surprised the floor only took the morning and early midday, and opted to train for several hours more. He practiced some spells and fighting on the dummies in the training hall, trying various combinations of things while allowing his mana to recover at the same time. He still didn¡¯t quite have a grasp for the timing of his recovery but the exercise was helpful to see which spells he could cast with however much mana left, and being more familiar with the spells themselves was always helpful.


    He stepped inside and set his spear against the wall, shedding his clothes and grabbing a cup of water. He was ready to turn in, wanting to rest for tomorrow. The books on the bookshelf Daniel provided goaded him into learning more, but he was physically too tired. He decided to crack one open tomorrow.


    The window was open but Wyn had no light in his room. He quickly lit a candle and looked out the window. It was cloudy and moving quickly, with lightning strikes lighting the sky in the distance. He hoped it would avoid Alestead, but then realized he wouldn¡¯t be in it, anyway. The tower has its own weather and environment.


    He moved with his candle across the room. The desk beside his bed had a few sheets of paper, a quill and ink well, and he sat at the stool with sore legs. Unfolding his pieces of parchment, he sat and reflected on the magic that was his class, skills, items, and spells.


    Ardwyn Thatcher


    Citizen of town Rywood


    Resident of Jahnin


    Tower Alistair: Climber


    Class: Ruby Magician


    Growth: Any


    Passive Skills: Lucidity, Armored Spellcasting, Spellcasting (Ruby), Tower¡¯s Blessing


    Active Skills: Dyadcast, Speed Up


    <u>SKILLS</u>


    <u>Lucidity</u>: Allows passive recovery of mana. Your mark will show the current status of mana and is a guide to your expected amount of recovery time from empty to full. When your mark fully glows you are empty and currently recovering. When your mark is dull and grey you are full. Current time to fully recover: 3 hours.


    <u>Dyadcast</u>: Allows you to cast a spell twice for only one and a half the mana cost. Speak the skill followed by the spell to engage the ability.


    <u>Speed Up</u>: Increases your speed a bit temporarily. Speak the skill or mentally will it to activate. Costs a smaller amount of mana.


    <u>Spellcasting (Ruby)</u>: Allows the use of spells. Ruby spells are selected from other classes at the cost of a lowered amount of spells, slightly higher mana consumption, and decreased overall mana capacity. You may selected spells from the Sapphire, Garnet, Topaz, Amethyst, Emerald, Diamond, and Aquamarine Magician list only.


    <u>Armored Spellcaster</u>: Wearing armor does not interfere with spellcasting. Passive skill and always active.


    <u>Tower¡¯s Blessing</u>: A gift from the Avatar of Alistair. Provides one additional spell slot that may be used from any class at your tier that uses spells.


    <u>SPELLS</u>


    <u>Flamebolt</u>: A damaging spell that allows you to fire a small ball of fire in the direction you point. This has the ability to catch fire. Consumes a small amount of mana.


    <u>Arcane Aura</u>: A protection spell that coats the user or target in a magical shield of armor. Currently provides basic protection that will last a short amount of time. Consumes a moderate amount of mana.


    <u>Regen</u>: A healing spell that will heal the user or target over a period of time. Heals basic wounds, not able to cure diseases or remove poisons. Currently takes more time to heal and consumes a less moderate amount of mana.


    <u>Magic Weapon</u>: A utility spell that coats a weapon in magic for a small amount of time, increasing damage, durability, and overall effectiveness. Consumes a less moderate amount of mana.


    *<u>Cure</u>: A healing spell that heals the target instantly. Heals basic wounds, not able to cure diseases or remove poisons. Currently consumes a less moderate amount of mana.


    <u>ITEMS</u>


    <u>Windcutter</u> - This magical spear possesses a hooked claw at the base, and curved blade at the tip. Wind elemental magic runs throughout the weapon. Able to cast Wingbeat three times per day.


    <u>Mushroom Lantern </u>- A handful of rare, luminescent mushrooms reside within this magical jar. When shaken, the mushrooms activate, shining bright in their own colors. Provides dim light up to 60 feet. Will stay active for one hour, may be shaken again immediately. Colors can change with each activation.


    Wyn sighed. He didn''t love his Cure spell as Tasha provided more than enough healing, but he was at a loss of what spell to actually take. Hopefully Daniel had some better insight into choosing a good spell. Wyn decided to swap Ice Shard before the season but that was his only change so far, unsure of how to proceed. This was still an entirely new experience, but relying on his mentor for advice was the best option for now.


    Wyn folded up his parchments, closed his eyes and grabbed one of the blank pieces of paper. It was unfolded but crinkly, and he flattened it further on it the edge of the desk. He read it once more, trying to keep his eyes from getting misty reading his sister¡¯s words.


    Arabelle. She was worried, and rightfully so.


    She wrote him that their father¡¯s health was declining, that he recently fell and broke his ankle. He¡¯d pushed himself harder on the farm from the injury though wasn¡¯t doing well. Which meant he¡¯d be worse to Arabelle than he already was, forcing her to pick up more around the farm than she was probably already doing. Hopefully the useless man didn¡¯t treat her any harsher than normal, which Wyn thought would be false hope.


    Arabelle was worried about him and asked him to come home, to forget about the debt. He knew it was impossible to leave. It was frustrating, in a sense, how ignorant she was about the situation, but she was inside it and he was seeing it from the outside. It¡¯s harder to notice when you¡¯re living it, and Wyn hadn¡¯t been living at home in years. He¡¯d visited some but wrote constantly, keeping tabs on their land and his family, but he was still trying to live his own life. It was a strange dichotomy between becoming your own self and living how you¡¯re told.


    Wyn wanted to correct his sister and tell her how serious this was, that he was helping them when they couldn¡¯t help themselves, and how things would get so much worse if they couldn¡¯t produce the funds for the debt. He didn¡¯t, though. The quill moved quickly on the paper, ink barely drying before he started a new word, a new sentence, a new paragraph.


    He told her that he would continue getting them money for food, for supplies, and for their debt. He told her not to worry, that it wasn¡¯t so bad and they would make it just fine. He told her he would visit soon, that their debt was manageable.


    He told her lies. This was to comfort her, and to encourage her to keep her head up and do whatever work she could do to help herself, their miserable father, and their land.


    He told her he loved her, and that he would secure the funds to pay their debt and help them survive. That he¡¯d find a way to get her away from this situation to be able to live her own life that their father was robbing from her. That he was always thinking about her.


    He told her the truth. This was to comfort him and to give him the motivation to keep climbing Alistair to help her, their father, and their debt.


    Wyn finished the letter in minutes. He signed it with his name and two drops of tears that ran their course down his cheeks.


    He set the quill back in the ink well, set the paper aside, and grabbed a sheet that was set to the side.


    He took the quill and wrote his rewards for the day: 31 gold crowns, 19 silver cloaks, and 27 copper boots. He needed to keep climbing, to keep earning money for his family. Every day was a step forward, but he wanted to take leaps instead of steps.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Arabelle. You¡¯ll be alright. I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡±


    Wyn withdrew for the night and slept in a deep sleep.

 Book 1 - Chapter 34

    Wyn saw Daniel eating by himself in the busy guild hall. Climbers were everywhere, tables full of groups readying themselves before they entered Alistair and the difficulties it would present to them. Wendy walked over and brought him a new pitcher, taking his old one off on her tray.


    ¡°May I join you?¡± Wyn asked his mentor, walking around him so he wouldn¡¯t startle the middle-aged man.


    His face soured for a brief second then softened. ¡°Of course, of course. Wendy will bring something out for you shortly.¡± He took the pitcher and poured it into his mug. It was dark and hot and smelled earthy.


    ¡°Thank you, Daniel. How are you? It¡¯s been a couple of days since we¡¯ve spoke.¡± He grabbed a mug and poured himself some coffee, too. He decided to wait to let it cool as it warmed the mug almost instantly, content with his hands absorbing the heat and smelling the fragrant aroma.


    Daniel grabbed a piece of bacon and ripped into it, void of manners. ¡°I¡¯ve been well, thank you! But I¡¯m glad I saw you. I¡¯ve been wanting to talk to you about what you saw in the tower.¡±


    Wyn sat his mug down on the table, wishing he had some food to eat so he could stall. Blowing on his hot cup would only get him so far. He knew Daniel would ask about it at some point, but he had other things on his mind for the morning. There were moments when he completely forgot about it and other times when it was the only thing that occupied his mind. Daniel probably felt the same way, though for likely different reasons.


    As if on cue, Wendy appeared with a plate of breakfast. ¡°Here¡¯s some food for you, dear! If you want something different let me know, okay?¡±


    Wyn graciously grabbed the plate of food and set it on the table. ¡°This is great, Wendy, thanks.¡±


    ¡°Wendy! Refill, please!¡± A voice yelled across the hall. Wendy seemingly flew between the tables to the customer, nimble as could be.


    Wyn began to coat a piece of bread with jam from a jar. He smirked, thinking about how lavish the food here is compared to the slop he ate in the service. If someone needed to prepare themselves for a day of training or climbing, this was certainly the type of food to keep the body going.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s a sensitive topic¡­¡± Daniel started, toying with more bacon.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. We need to talk about it. Maybe another time, though, when I have more time and my head is a bit clearer?¡±


    Daniel¡¯s eyes went wide and he laughed once, obnoxious and loud like a chirp. ¡°Oh of course, of course! You¡¯re climbing today! Yes, I¡¯m sure you want to eat and meet your group. Silly me. Another time, then.¡± He put the bacon down and grabbed a slice of bread, eating it in large chunks.


    Wyn felt a pang of guilt. He didn¡¯t want to avoid the topic, he just didn¡¯t want to dwell on it now before climbing the tower. ¡°I do need to meet them soon, but maybe we could have dinner to talk about it?¡±


    Daniel swallowed his large bite of bread hard. ¡°I¡¯d like that. How about tomorrow night? I was going to go to the archives to research what you told the guild master. It would be good to have a better idea of what¡¯s going on, after all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea. I was wondering if something like that was here in Alestead. I guess it¡¯s at the library?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes! The archives are full of history around the tower and surrounding region, as well as uncovered magic, environments, and past seasons in the tower. It¡¯s not as vast as the mage college, mind you, but it¡¯s worth looking into since it¡¯s here. Some people swear there are patterns to how Alistair presents the new seasons and challenges, but nothing¡¯s been substantiated.¡±


    Wyn nodded along, not really caring about theories or research. Daniel obviously enjoyed it, though, so there was no sense in being rude. ¡°I think it¡¯s absolutely worth looking into, too. Would you want me to come along?¡±


    Daniel smiled. ¡°No, no, you have other things to do. I¡¯m here to be your mentor and I believe this is how I can best serve at the moment. Let me worry about the boring research!¡± He took a long drink from his coffee.


    ¡°Why do I have the feeling it¡¯s not quite boring to you?¡±


    Daniel barked a laugh again causing a Climber at the neighboring table to jump. ¡°But I see you¡¯re not wearing your Ruby Magician cloak. Is it because of the new season?¡±


    Wyn finished his jam covered bread and moved on to the sliced sausage on his plate. It was absolutely delicious, but he knew he needed to be careful to avoid eating too much and throwing it all up like John did yesterday. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s jungle themed. Humid, sticky air, and I just took it off right away. Too warm.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Daniel took another sip from his mug before he set it down on the table. ¡°I was hearing rumors yesterday that that was the first tier. I believe it gets better in the second and third tiers, but you¡¯re not quite there yet, I¡¯m afraid. Some Climbers are having problems with their heavy armor, having to rethink their strategy. It might end up being too late, but maybe you should have your cloak enchanted to be weather resistant? It¡¯s fairly common, you know. Unless you¡¯re looking for other magical items first, which is more than reasonable.¡±


    Wyn blinked and stopped just before taking a bite of sausage. ¡°Huh. I didn¡¯t even think you could enchant items. I thought they had to be found in the tower.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, my boy! You can use magical essence to magically enhance a mundane item. There are several steps and factors involved, but if you find some items in the tower you don¡¯t want or need you can have them broken down into essence. There are classes out there that specialize in it as well, mostly Magicians or Sorcerers who leaned away from the perils of climbing and towards more mercantile professions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great information. Thank you again, Daniel. I¡¯ll be sure to think twice before I quickly get rid of them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯m here for - to help you grow and learn!¡± Daniel plucked a few grapes from his own platter and popped them into his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll grab a book or two for your shelf so you can read about the different properties and outcomes, too.¡±


    Wyn smiled awkwardly, grateful for his gesture, but thinking about the tedious act of reading textbooks. He made a mental note to ask Benedict about it when he would visit the market on their rest day. Surely he could help him, or point him in the right direction. Maybe the shopkeeper was a former Climber, too?


    ¡°Daniel, I keep hearing about more classes. I thought there were only five classes?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s a more advanced topic. When you clear the fourth floor of each tier, the fifth tier is a sort of rest and advancement floor. You¡¯ll get to choose an upgrade for your class that is presented by the tower. It¡¯s the only way Climbers could manage the third and fourth tiers, for example. They¡¯re far too dangerous to manage with only base classes.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. How far did you advance?¡±


    Daniel stopped mid bite of a grape. He swallowed it thoughtfully before answering. ¡°I made it to the third tier and chose not to proceed any further. I still call myself a Ruby Magician because I chose an upgraded path that expands on the core of the base class, like an enhanced version. Climbers who want to be mentors or guides often go that route. Be cautious, though, Wyn, when those options are presented to you. Please consult me before you make a decision. As Ruby Magicians, there are far more potential options of upgrades than other classes. There¡¯s no telling what classes you¡¯ll be presented, and there are numerous books about class upgrade paths to be found.¡±


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Wyn rubbed his temples. There was a lot of information to still be learned about being a Climber, and he felt a headache coming on from Daniel. He knew there was magic and that it would be complicated when he came, but he started to doubt if he made the right decision jumping into climbing so quickly. Maybe taking his time to learn some of this would¡¯ve been a better option.


    No. That wasn¡¯t Wyn¡¯s style. Plus, he couldn¡¯t afford to wait weeks before making more coin. He made the right call. Learning on the fly was just going to have to be part of his experience these first few months.


    ¡°I appreciate you sharing that. It¡¯s a lot to think about, and we can definitely talk about it more tomorrow night.¡±


    Daniel smiled softly and nodded, taking another sip of his coffee.


    Wyn finished his bite of sausage and reached into his pockets for some coin. He placed some cloaks and one crown on the table, then stood to leave for the tower. Daniel stood up to politely dismiss him and the two Ruby Magicians exchanged their goodbyes before parting.


    *****


    Wyn felt his stomach turn when he was pulled through the portal, his breakfast churning inside him. He willed it to stay down, trying to not emulate John¡¯s situation yesterday.


    When the group emerged back into the jungle they all took a second to compose themselves except for Marcy, who walked towards the jungle and began to orient herself. Her leather armor set was less bulky than her previous fur armor but covered a similar amount, and she moved gracefully and with purpose in the lighter set. There were likely other benefits to it, both magical and mundane, and Wyn was envious of her setup. Her leather headband held her auburn hair off her face, giving her more ability to see in her periphery as well as keep her head cool.


    John coughed a few times and spat on the ground before breathing a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank the gods breakfast stayed down this time.¡± He shook his head and rubbed his stomach, patting it for thanks that it agreed with him.


    Tasha walked over beside Marcy and stared into the thick jungle. ¡°Woah. This feels incredibly strange.¡±


    Marcy withdrew her kukri and nodded in agreement. ¡°It definitely is. It¡¯s disorienting seeing the similar terrain and having memories of a specific path, but then it¡¯s laid out completely different. Like a foggy memory that feels both right and wrong at the same time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly how I¡¯m feeling. It¡¯s a wonder people don¡¯t get lost.¡±


    ¡°Oh, they do. You just have to approach it like it¡¯s brand new, because that¡¯s exactly what it is. And tell yourself that it¡¯s not the same path as before. Over and over. It¡¯ll get easier the more you climb.¡±


    Wyn and John joined the women at the edge of the jungle. Wyn looked around now and tried to orient himself though found it hard. The leaves and thick brush looked the exact same, but the trees and layout itself were just¡­ different. He couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it but trusted it would get better. It¡¯d be easy to get lost, though, as his instincts told him to follow one path that wasn¡¯t the right way anymore.


    John took a deep breath and drew his sword. ¡°I¡¯m just going to cut down whatever path you say. This is¡­ strange.¡±


    Marcy smiled. ¡°We¡¯ve all been there. Try to see it as a new day, a new journey.¡±


    John walked up and slashed a tall, thin tree from the bottom. ¡°Like a new jungle ready to be explored!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Wyn said. He patted Tasha on the shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s the same challenge as yesterday, and we did great!¡±


    Tasha sighed and used her staff as a walking stick to follow Marcy and John. ¡°I know, I know. Let¡¯s just make it through.¡±


    ¡°Find the river and make it past,¡± John said. He looked back at Wyn, pausing from cutting through the thicket. ¡°That¡¯s what Wyn is looking forward to most, after all!¡±


    Wyn blanched, nearly forgetting about the river. He hated the thought of traversing it again in the canoes and instantly dreaded the experience.


    It was necessary, though. He¡¯d overcome his fear one way or another.


    In what felt like half the time as before, they heard the sound of running water and made their way straight to it. Unfortunately they didn¡¯t find any canoes, but they knew they only had to walk the bank until they did find them.


    John started humming a tune while they walked, thankful that he didn¡¯t have to clear brush on the riverbank. It was jolly and upbeat, and he whistled in certain parts when he didn¡¯t hum. Wyn recognized it right away. It was a common song bards would sing about merry times and adventuring guilds seeking fame and fortune. It was a popular song in the barracks and out in the field at war, a song to remind young soldiers out of their depth of far away happiness and hope in the midst of strife and stress.


    During John¡¯s third iteration of the song, Wyn spotted something strange out of the corner of his eye. He stopped walking and looked back towards the jungle. It was a plant, much smaller than the foliage around it but still an impressive size, though what stood out most was that it was colored yellow and bloomed in a vertical spiral. He had never seen anything remotely similar to it.


    ¡°Wyn?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Wyn walked over to the plant and looked at it closer, bending down to inspect it. It had a faint magic shimmer to it. He couldn¡¯t believe it. It was magical.


    Tasha snuck up beside him and put her face right beside his. ¡°Woah! That¡¯s beautiful!¡±


    ¡°And magical. I didn¡¯t know if we would find anything like this here, but here it is right in front of my eyes!¡±


    ¡°A plant? That¡¯s it?¡± John said, standing with his sword resting on his shoulder. ¡°Boring!¡±


    ¡°Plants like that can be useful,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Alchemists or Herbalists can use them, you know. You could sell it for coin at least!¡±


    Wyn reached low to the base of the stem and plucked it, trying to preserve as much of the entire flower as possible. ¡°Thanks, Tasha. I¡¯ll find a use for it somehow, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what it¡¯s called?¡± The Diamond Magician asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe Marcy knows?¡±


    ¡°We always ask her everything. I¡¯d like to figure things out on my own for once.¡± Tasha walked back to the river¡¯s edge, following behind John.


    Wyn understood her point and felt the same way. He appreciated Marcy¡¯s experience and expertise but didn¡¯t want to keep annoying her by asking questions all the time. He wanted to explore and learn the ins and outs of the tower on his own to the best of his ability.


    He stopped again, struck with an idea. He pulled out the parchments from his pocket. Shuffling through the papers he pulled out the one labeled <u>ITEMS</u>. He saw his dagger, his spear and description, leather armor, helmet, backpack and supplies, and now the flower.


    <u>Sun Spiral</u>: a flower that grows in a spiral towards the sun. It gives off magical heat when in full bloom, deterring potential predators from eating it. It continues to grow throughout its life and the heat is more intense the larger the flower.


    Wyn smiled. ¡°Huh. It¡¯s called a Sun Spiral, Tasha.¡± He shuffled the papers again but noticed something different. There was more text on the main page. He looked at it and saw a new paragraph under the Quest description.


    <u>Secondary Quest</u>: Sun Spirals are uncommon but not unheard of in the jungle. The magic society finds them very valuable, though they have been mysteriously disappearing in this area before being harvested. There have also been reports of an increase of weird sightings around patches of flowers, such as glowing eyes in the dark and large, reptilian footprints.


    1/8 Sun Spirals


    ¡°Woah,¡± Wyn said. ¡°That¡¯s new.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°I have a secondary quest. I didn¡¯t even know that was possible.¡±


    Tasha excitedly skipped over to Wyn to see his parchment. ¡°I didn¡¯t either! Can I read it?¡±


    ¡°Sure. But I wonder if it applies to all of us or just me?¡±


    Tasha¡¯s eyes grew wider as she read the description. She promptly pulled out her own parchment and gasped. ¡°I have it, too! I can¡¯t believe it!¡±


    Marcy stopped walking and wiped her brow, slinging sweat away from her onto the jungle floor. ¡°What are you two going on about?¡±


    ¡°Marcy, did you know about secondary quests?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of them before. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Look at your parchment!¡±


    Marcy looked over at John, who already had his sword sheathed and parchment open. He was intently reading it and he scrunched his face while trying to piece together the new information.


    Wyn scanned the area to make sure no enemies were around but then thought that Marcy would¡¯ve alerted them if there were. That was an old habit that wouldn¡¯t go away anytime soon. ¡°So it¡¯s another quest within our main objective. My parchment says I have one out of eight, probably to finish the quest. Do you all have that, too?¡±


    John nodded and folded his parchment before placing it back into a pouch at his side. ¡°Yea, it was the same for me. So we could find more flowers and finish another quest? But it doesn¡¯t help towards getting to the next floor.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Wyn replied, ¡°but it might offer the chance at getting more rewards.¡±


    ¡°Which means more coin,¡± Tasha added. ¡°I wonder how hard it would be to find more?¡±


    John sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯d rather keep pushing our main quest. Since we¡¯re deciding to go through this floor several more times I¡¯d like to keep practicing at it. I still feel turned around.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with John,¡± Marcy said. ¡°No offense, but slogging through the first few floors sounds more like a chore than anything. The quicker we get to the next tier the better. And we¡¯ll get better gear and items as we climb.¡±


    Tasha looked at Wyn, who shook his head and put his parchment away. She slumped her shoulders. ¡°Alright, alright. Then we keep going. But this is definitely something to look into further, especially since you aren¡¯t familiar with it, Marcy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with Tasha on this,¡± Wyn said. ¡°If we find some flowers along the way then we¡¯ll grab them. Maybe we can finish it by the time we complete the floor. Otherwise, we can look at it more when we get back. Deal?¡±


    John and Marcy relented before turning back to the brush ahead of them to continue their clearing.


    ¡°Deal,¡± Tasha said. She picked up her staff and walked with a smile, more intrigued than before and curious about their new revelation. Wyn felt the same way. This new discovery could be an incredible resource for him. There could potentially be a lucrative opportunity in whatever these secondary quests held, and the more chances he had at making coin the better.

 Book 1 - Chapter 35

    <u>The Ruby Magician - 1.35</u>


    John slammed his sword into his sheath before leaning back against a tree. He groaned and wiped the building sweat off his forehead with a lazy arm. The sun was beating down in various patches within the jungle and the foliage only served to contain the warmed air instead of cooling it off.


    ¡°I can''t express how badly I want to get out of this jungle,¡± John said. He drained his waterskin before throwing it back into his backpack. ¡°And now I''m out of water. Perfect.¡±


    Marcy stood beside him on the tree also leaning against it. ¡°You need to get some magical armor. That gambeson isn''t helping cool you at all. I don''t know how you''re functioning in that.¡±


    ¡°I know. But chainmail is a bit too heavy for me to use comfortably and leather armor is too light. I think I''d rather have new armor at this point than my new sword. If we can just progress to the next floor, hopefully we can get out of this hotbox.¡±


    Marcy laughed. ¡°I have a feeling the next floor will also be hot, so you''ll need to rethink that strategy.¡±


    John groaned even louder than before, then sat on the ground to rest. ¡°Great. You''re probably right! But what in the hells is taking them so long?¡±


    ¡°Wyn! Tasha! Hurry up!¡± Marcy yelled into the forest. She also took a long drink from her own waterskin before offering it to John. ¡°Here. It''s enchanted to refill over time and stay cold.¡±


    John''s eyes lit up as he graciously took the leather waterskin. He drank a seemingly endless amount and poured some over his head when his mouth had had enough.


    ¡°Almost done!¡± Tasha yelled back from behind a large bush. She reached down and plucked a large flower while shielding her face from the flower''s heat. They felt like miniature torches without giving off a flame. Her back was hot and sweaty from the other flowers she stored in her backpack. ¡°I think this was the last one! Wyn, did you get all of yours?¡±


    Wyn put away his waterskin after both quenching his thirst and cooling his head. He had removed his helmet hours ago, though his hair was still wet from both sweat and water where he had attempted to cool himself off not long ago.


    Despite John and Marcy''s desire to finish the floor quickly, Wyn and Tasha convinced them to complete the side quest of gathering Sun Spirals before they fought the final lizard enemies. Their curiosity about the rewards gained from finishing the side quest was just too great, and the heat and energy expenditure of clearing thick brush finally broke down both John and Marcy to take an extended break. John and Marcy were also wondering about finishing the quest but their desire to escape the heat far exceeded their interest in flowers that were named after the sun.


    Wyn was searching through thick brush with Tasha just outside the clearing that they determined held the final enemies before the floor''s portal. Both of them wanted one final opportunity to find the flowers, and they were elated to find a patch of several of them this late in the floor. Wyn was developing a theory that they were more abundant deeper into the floor and jungle overall, and would see if he was right if the second floor was still jungle terrain and held more flowers.


    After what felt like hours in the heat, Wyn spotted the eighth and final flower he needed to fulfill the quest in a matter of minutes. "I see my last one! I''m nearly finished!" Just as he had been doing, he used his helmet to block his face from the intense heat of the Sun Spiral before plucking it and adding it to his backpack. He was ready to dispose of them so his back would cool off, though the thought that each of them were potentially worth more coins helped convince himself to deal with the heat they exuded.


    Either way he was happy to be finished, and rejoined Tasha with the others with a full but hot pack.


    "Finally!" John said, throwing his hands in the air in celebration. "Can we get through the floor already? I don''t even think I want to climb again today. I just want a cold bath and a cold drink."


    "Yes, we can finish now," Wyn said. "Even though you aren''t the one holding the little fires like me and Tasha. I can barely stand it."


    "I know," Tasha agreed. "I''m going to be mad if the reward is puny."


    "I have a hunch it''ll be worth it," Wyn said. "But John''s right, let''s finish out. I''m curious to see what the reward will be, too."


    The group readied themselves before quickly entering the final clearing. Just like yesterday, they immediately spotted two of the large lizard monsters that separated them from the portal that would take them back to the base. Unlike yesterday, there was no group already engaged with them to make the fight even more complicated.


    ¡°Just like before?¡± Tasha asked. She held her staff with more confidence and a steadier hand than her last two climbs.


    ¡°Just like before,¡± John answered with a malicious grin. ¡°I¡¯m ready to -¡±


    ¡°Windstrike!¡± Marcy said, cutting John off. A series of runes appeared in the air in front of her arrow and she released the arrow as the spell was cast.


    It flew with blinding speed between the group of Climbers as a small gust of wind rippled in the path of the arrow. All three of the rookies covered their faces from the aftermath but still tried to peek at the trajectory of the attack.


    One of the large lizards faced them after hearing Marcy cast the spell, and right as it turned the arrow struck it directly in its chest. The impact caused a crater to form in its chest as though a huge rock was launched into it by a catapult. The wind element showed its power over the monster¡¯s earth element, and it was knocked backwards onto the ground with a hole in its body so large it was nearly bisected.


    It laid still, obviously dead from the Ranger¡¯s attack.


    The three Climbers slowly turned to look at Marcy, their eyes wide and mouths open in surprise.


    Marcy furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°What? I¡¯m just as ready to be done as you! It¡¯s too damn hot here!¡±


    The others looked at each other with amazement. They still didn¡¯t know the actual power Marcy possessed, and she kept letting small glimpses appear like this attack. It reinvigorated their drive to push on and advance, and they all pushed towards the lone giant standing before the portal.


    Wyn had all of his mana remaining as they barely spent any of their resources on this climb, not to mention the recovery time from him and Tasha collecting the Sun Spirals. If only one more obstacle stood in their way, he figured he could be more liberal with his magical energy.


    ¡°John,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Let¡¯s see how quickly we can take the other one out!¡±


    John smiled. ¡°What do you propose?¡±


    Wyn held his hand out towards John¡¯s sword. ¡°Magic Weapon,¡± he said, casting his spell. White light instantly began to glow from John¡¯s mundane sword.


    John simply nodded. ¡°Focus,¡± he said, as a red aura enveloped his body. He breathed in deep, then out with a hefty force before launching himself towards the final enemy. His empowered body shot him forward with large steps that covered the distance much quicker than a normal person.


    Wyn opted to let his friend take the lead in direct combat and would support him when possible with his spear. He didn¡¯t want to get in John¡¯s way or be a liability, and he could help survey both their fight and the battlefield as a whole by keeping a perceptive watch.


    A loud thud interrupted Wyn¡¯s thoughts as the other lizard monster fell, its lifeless body smacking the ground. He blinked a few times trying to process what happened, wondering if Marcy ended the fight early again.


    John wildly yelled into the air in victory, pumping his magically radiating and bloody sword into the air over and over.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°That took took no time at all!¡±


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I feel invincible!¡± John replied, screaming into the air. ¡°It was much easier with a proper magical weapon!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember you taking care of the wolves and spiders so easily last week!¡±


    John laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t use skills then! Not to mention my style is more suited to big dumb beasts like this guy.¡±


    The two large lizard bodies began to dissolve, though nothing was left from their corpses. The portal they guarded immediately turned grey, signaling their success yet again at completing the first floor.


    ¡°That was fast,¡± Tasha said. Her and Marcy joined them while John calmed down.


    ¡°Not as fast as me, but still impressive,¡± Marcy said. ¡°You have a good technique.¡±


    Wyn was happy for his friend and teammate at his success, but upset he missed the brief fight. He didn¡¯t even know what techniques John used.


    ¡°I guess all my training paid off,¡± John said. He sheathed his sword and started walking towards the portal. ¡°Though I¡¯d like my sword already so I don¡¯t have to rely on that spell. No offense, Wyn.¡±


    ¡°None taken,¡± Wyn replied. ¡°If it¡¯ll free up another spell for me to use I¡¯m all for it. I¡¯ve been thinking about some others to use for the second floor, anyway.¡±


    John stopped walking and quickly turned around to Wyn. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re open to going to the second floor already?¡±


    Wyn looked at Tasha and Marcy, who both shrugged as though they had no say in the matter. ¡°Well, that did go much better than planned, but I¡¯d like a few more magical items before we climb the second floor. Or at least another key or two.¡±


    ¡°Like trading our one magical item we got on Faesday for our first climb?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°Weren¡¯t we going to go to the markets on Torday to trade them for something better?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can go tomorrow morning instead and make that our day off,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Or even this afternoon if we want. Test them, practice with them, then aim for the second floor on Faesday?¡±


    John clapped his hands together. ¡°I love it! Even though I won¡¯t have my sword by then, I say we go for it!¡±


    ¡°About time we moved on!¡± Marcy added. ¡°But let¡¯s finish this back at the base. It¡¯s still too damn hot.¡±


    *****


    John shook his parchment at the guild official like a banker trying to collect payment. He was itching to get the rewards for their climb, hoping that his performance at the final boss was enough to help get him a few more gold crowns. The official brought out their signature orange glowing chest that magically gave out the rewards from the tower. The others were waiting at the desk, too, eager for their own rewards but listening to John as his was brought out first.


    ¡°Alright, here you are, sir,¡± the woman said with a smile. She flipped open the chest and began reading John¡¯s earnings from his parchment. ¡°You earned 51 gold crowns, 36 silver cloaks, and 12 copper boots for coins. You found a Lacert Tooth and Lacert Claw, both green rarity crafting components. Congratulations!¡± She stood awkwardly beside the chest for a moment while the Climbers stared at her. ¡°Oh, right!¡± Her cheeks flushed red as she reached into the chest to procure John¡¯s coins for him.


    John smiled. ¡°That was more than last time and the climb was easier. This is great!¡± He rubbed his hands together while the official finished gathering his coins, eager to pocket them.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± another guild official said. He placed an identical orange glowing chest onto the desk in front of Tasha.


    Wyn suddenly wondered how many chests the guild possessed to give out rewards to Climbers and if it took any special magic to open and pull items out of them, or if it was purely a business protocol that only guild officials could manage them. Regardless, the magical portals of coins and rewards opened for Tasha, and they were all surprised at the result. The most surprised, however, was the guild official.


    He originally had a nearly blank stare and emotionless face, just there to do a job rather than having a passion for the work. When he read Tasha''s parchment, though, his eyes shot open and he audibly gasped. The change of demeanor immediately caught the attention of the four Climbers, and they wondered what made him react like that.


    "Is something wrong?" Tasha asked.


    "No, ma''am," the guild official responded. "You just completed a secondary quest section and rewards! It''s the first time I''ve actually seen it!"


    "You''re kidding!" John replied. "How is that possible? Are you a new employee?"


    The official yanked his head towards John with a disgusted look. "I''ve worked here for nearly eight seasons, thank you very much. This was a new discovery this season and we are still as surprised as the Climbers to see it in person!"


    "A new discovery? Like the class advancements a couple of years ago?" Marcy asked.


    "Yes, exactly," the guild official responded. "We are noticing an increasing amount of new things Alistair is giving to us recently. It just so happens one of the top Climbers discovered the incident of these side quests on Solday, which were never part of the tower before. Now, though, more and more Climbers are finding out about them."


    "Are they on every floor?" Tasha asked.


    "Not that we''ve seen. But the rewards are impressive, even for the basic tasks like yours."


    Tasha stood there shocked, a large smile quickly forming on her face. "Well, show me, then! What did I get?"


    The guild official opened the chest on the desk and flattened her parchment beside it. "For completing the first floor, you are rewarded 38 gold crowns, 44 silver cloaks, and 8 copper boots. For completing the secondary quest, you are rewarded 25 gold crowns and 8 Sun Spirals, which are green rarity herbs. Congratulations!"


    John''s jaw dropped as Tasha yipped with excitement. "Wow!" Tasha said. "That''s nearly as much as completing the floor itself!"


    "I''ll say," John said. "You were right. I''d say that was definitely worth it!"


    Wyn was just as elated as Tasha. The reward was impressive, just as the guild official said. It wasn''t quite as much as completing the floor, but accomplishing both was nearly as good as completing the floor twice in a day. The pay off for the amount of work needed was enormous, and it didn¡¯t require him to risk his safety in combat. He instantly wondered about secondary quests on other floors and the rewards they offered.


    It also solidified the fact that climbing higher would obviously yield more rewards for the effort and danger. Sure, anyone could stay on the first several floors and clear them several times each day for an impressive amount of coin that couldn''t be guaranteed elsewhere in the world. That process, however, would be both boring and less efficient than climbing higher floors for better rewards. It would be safer, but Wyn couldn¡¯t exactly afford the safest option.


    While the guild official took Wyn''s parchment and began to tally his earned coins, he began to do some math in his head. If he cleared the first floor twice in a day and completed the secondary quest each time, he could net over 100 gold crowns easily. It would be monotonous but safe. If he did that every day, it would also be exhausting, and the risk of failing by getting hurt or dying goes up when a person is exhausted in this line of work. Doing that every day for a month? He''d make well over 3000 gold crowns, and anyone could find themselves rich doing that for a year if the other seasons had similar secondary quests.


    It was nowhere near what he needed, though. Wyn knew he needed to clear nearly 13,000 gold crowns a month to pay back his family''s debt by the year''s end. He wasn''t foolish enough to believe he could make that his first month, and hoped to find a way to submit some form of deposit or good will to his debtors initially before making up the sum later. At his current rate, he was looking at more of about half of that if he pushed himself and sold off some items.


    Interrupting his thoughts, the guild official slid his earned coins across the desk, where Wyn promptly stashed them into his new coin pouch. It was obviously magical, and he was incredibly thankful for it - the stack of additional coins added no more weight or substance to it, as it held them inside a magical plane of existence. Or at least that''s what the description on his parchment read, and he found out it was true when he was able to magically procure any coin he possessed by simply reaching into it and thinking of the coin he wanted. It didn¡¯t have the ability to hold anything else, but it was still an impressive piece of equipment.


    "So what now?" John asked. He hoisted his shield onto his back over his backpack and stretched at the new weight. "Are we wanting to go back into the tower this afternoon or something else?"


    Marcy groaned, throwing her head back and slumping her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m normally all for climbing the tower, but damn this first floor is rough. I don¡¯t think I can go back unless we clear the first floor to move on to the second floor. It¡¯s just too hot for me, even with my lighter gear.¡±


    ¡°This is really affecting you,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Haven¡¯t you had something like this in one of the other seasons you¡¯ve climbed?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I can stand colder weather - and my first season a few months ago had us literally climb a mountain in a cold climate - but this heat is frustrating me. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°My mentor mentioned something about enchanting your armor to be weather resistant. Do you have something that can ward off heat?¡±


    Marcy smacked herself in the forehead. ¡°By the gods - no, but I know Cedric does. I¡¯ll see if he¡¯ll let me borrow it. My mind has been everywhere lately.¡±


    The group all looked at each other. ¡°Will he let us see him?¡± Wyn asked.


    Marcy sighed. ¡°Not yet. He¡¯s still pretty shaken up. If nothing else, he respects his privacy.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I don¡¯t want to be disrespectful. If anything, I¡¯d like to thank him and actually pay my respects.¡±


    ¡°I know. In fact, I¡¯ll go see him this afternoon. I¡¯ll ask about the cloak he has and if you all can come see him.¡±


    The rookies all visibly brightened. They each wanted to see Cedric but Wyn had more personal reasons than the others. He did save the Wizard¡¯s life, after all, even if it meant for Cedric to lose an arm.


    ¡°That leaves us three, then,¡± John said.


    ¡°Instead of climbing, why don¡¯t we go finalize our gear?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°We can try to trade the items we earned on Faesday and see if these Sun Spirals can get us anything, too. I¡¯ve been wanting to see the trading district anyway.¡±


    Tasha clapped her hands. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! We might not have enough worth to trade but I¡¯d like to try.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely worth trying,¡± Wyn said. ¡°If we can¡¯t trade it, we¡¯ll head to The Silver Step and see Benedict.¡±


    ¡°I like it,¡± John said. ¡°Off to the markets for our first trade!¡±


    Wyn smiled. He was told the trading district was a high energy and highly magical place as Climbers and merchants both tried to trade gear or advertise themselves. Getting better items could make the difference between giving them an edge over the lower floors as their basic items were rapidly becoming less useful. He had to sacrifice another climb or two in the meantime but that was a necessary sacrifice. Better equipment could mean a faster improvement in the tower and better rewards to boot.


    Wyn had a new goal in his mind for him and his group. They¡¯d succeed in the first tier and advance the entire five floor, ready to tackle the second tier for next month. It was fast progress but urgency still motivated him.


    He¡¯d get his gold as quickly as possible. Arabelle just had to survive.

 Book 1 - Chapter 36

    Wyn and Tasha stood by the auction house doors impatiently waiting for John. They all agreed to have lunch and grab the items they wanted to trade before meeting in the trade district, though John was unsurprisingly late.


    "I swear, no one is worse than him at being on time," Tasha said. Her arms were folded and she kept pacing a small distance, huffing with deep sighs every few minutes. "Is it really that hard to be punctual?"


    Wyn could only smile. He was a bit more patient than Tasha, enjoying the warm early summer air and still marveling at the city. "For some, yes. There was one man in my company who always slept in, was always the last to meetings, and always had to be reminded about times for everything."


    "Really? You''d think being in the military would force you to have more initiative. Did you whip him into shape? Scold him? Make him clean the floors and dirty dishes?"


    Wyn shook his head. "No, I let him get away with it. He was never that late, and the other soldiers always gave him enough friendly grief about it. It kept moral up and gave them all something to laugh at. I didn''t think he needed his commanding officer to rip him and disrupt that."


    Tasha stopped pacing. "That''s very kind of you, Wyn. I''m sure other officers in your position would''ve enjoyed having the excuse to put him in his place."


    "Probably. But being at war, I didn''t want any of us to have another reason to loathe our situation. I''d rather have the respect than resentment."


    Tasha took another deep sigh. "I guess you''re right. It''s not always fair, and it''s not like we''re pressed on time."


    As though on cue, they both spotted John walking up to the trading district. He was looking down on the ground and walking slow.


    Wyn immediately thought something was wrong. Normally John was jovial and energetic, but now he seemed down in the dumps. Tasha must''ve picked up on it, too, because she shifted her posture and her face softened, looking worried more than upset.


    "What is it?" Tasha asked John. "Are you okay?"


    "I''m not getting my sword from home," John said, his head still lowered facing the ground.


    "Really?" Wyn asked. "Why not?"


    John managed a deep sigh. "My sister wrote back to me. She was upset I lost her sword and told me I needed to earn my next one. AND to bring her a sword back to replace the one she let me borrow!"


    "Oh, John, I''m so sorry," Tasha said. She placed a hand on his shoulder.


    "Even the word from the Tower Master didn''t help! But what am I going to do now? I was relying on that sword. Now I have nothing."


    Wyn pointed to the markets behind them with his thumb. "Good thing we''re in a place where we can find you a new one. We can pool our items together for one if we find a good deal."


    John waved his hands across his body. "No way. I''m not going to ask you to trade for me a sword."


    "John, remember what Wyn told me in the Silver Step?" Tasha asked. "We''re a team. You having a magic sword will help push us forward, so that''s what we look for. Plus, the item I earned from our first climb doesn''t fit me, anyway."


    "Me, too," Wyn added. "I was looking to trade the belt I have. If it means getting you a better sword I''m all for it."


    John smiled his usual warm, inviting smile. "Alright. I trust you guys. Thank you!" He instantly brightened and hugged both of them before stepping forward to the trading district. When he opened the door to the markets it was as though they opened a portal to a hub deep in the city.


    Wyn remembered once helping guard a nobleman''s family for an event at their estate. It was an auction of expensive artifacts and items, some even magical, coming from the towers around the world. His company was hired to provide security services for the many royals attending the event, and he thought about how proper the affair was while priceless magical items were exchanged before their very eyes.


    Standing here in the markets within the Alestead trading district he felt a very different atmosphere despite a similarly impressive situation.


    There were Climbers littered across the many tall tables in the open lobby, and chaos was as close to a descriptive word as Wyn could find. Loud conversations, occasional shouts, frantic hand waving, and even displays of magic all scattered around the large hall. It looked like an auction house but five times larger. Individual areas were being used to trade items, and the rookies had no idea where to even start.


    Wyn was intimidated by the Climbers and their gear as they looked even more menacing than the ones he saw during the festival just a few days ago. It looked as though they had slain great beasts in the tower and immediately came to barter and trade afterwards. Large weapons and blood splattered armor covered the various people in the crowd.


    Thankfully for the inexperienced Climbers, a row of desks lined the back wall and guild officials were waiting on standby to assist Climbers as needed. The group worked their way through the crowd towards the guild members, hoping to find some direction.


    "First time in the house?" The guild official asked, raising his voice to be heard over the noise. He had a smirk on his face and leaned on his elbows on the desk.


    "That obvious?" Wyn asked.


    The man laughed, but they all saw it rather than heard it. He laughed like Cal more with his body than his voice. "You first time Climbers always have the same bewildered look on your faces. But it''s alright, you''ll be at the tables arguing and trading in no time!"


    Tasha leaned in towards the official and scrunched her face, cupping her hand over her ear. "What did you say?"


    "I said, welcome to the trading house! How can I help you?"


    Wyn and John couldn''t suppress their laughter. Tasha obviously had no idea what he actually said and continued on none the wiser.


    "We''re looking for some items,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°Is it always this loud?" Tasha asked.


    "Mostly at the start and end of the floor cycle,¡± the official said. ¡°Are you looking for items directly or from the logs?¡±


    "The what?" Tasha yelled.


    The man held up a finger without another word. He reached behind the desk and pulled out a large book. It was easily the largest book Wyn had ever seen, and very obviously magical. The cover was leather with stacks of tiny runes lining the edges, and they all briefly glowed at random times. It looked like miniature lights randomly flickering on and off. The spine was thick with more runes, as it needed to be thick and powerful to hold the hundreds, possibly thousands of pages inside. Wyn instantly assumed that the book was from the tower, but how something that massive could be found was beyond his understanding.


    A sudden shout erupted from behind them. Two men squared up to each other, yelling about some trade. They looked like they were about to begin fighting while other Climbers in the house either cheered them on or yelled at them to stop. The place somehow became even more chaotic than before.


    Instantly a large, visibly magical barrier appeared around the two separating them from the crowd. The space inside the barrier began to shrink, causing both of the men to fall to their knees as though commanded by their king to bow. The crowd hushed. Another guild official, a woman dressed in their similar attire but carrying both a clipboard and sense of purpose, calmly walked to the troublemakers.


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    The crowd moved to give her room to walk without any instruction. Her power was purely the gravitas she carried, let alone whatever actual power she possessed. Wyn knew she was someone important as the other Climbers seemed to know her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± the man with the log book said. He didn¡¯t need to raise his voice anymore as the trade house was much quieter. ¡°Unfortunately it happens a lot. But what kind of item are you looking for?¡±


    The three Climbers did their best to ignore the situation behind them and focus. John kept staring, though, curious as to the outcome. The woman was muttering something to the Climbers in the barrier who were still on their knees. It looked as though the barrier was causing some form of magical weight on them, as though it took every bit of their strength to even stay on their knees instead of being pushed to the floor. The crowd around them made it hard for him to see or hear what was fully happening.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for a magical sword, preferably a blue rarity one,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We have some green rarity items to trade for it. Are we allowed to trade several items for one?¡±


    The man smirked again. ¡°You can attempt to trade for anything! It solely depends on if anyone will accept it. I¡¯m merely a middle-man. But let¡¯s sort by blue rarity swords first.¡± He opened the book with a heave, and then the magic began. The pages began turning by themselves, quickly fluttering by blocks of pages.


    Both Wyn and Tasha were mesmerized. They knew magic was intertwined with a fair amount of things in life, especially in the noble courts, but here in Alestead it seemed as though magic was part of literally everything.


    In seconds the book fell to an open page. Some words on the page were glowing, and they were all a blue aura.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± the guild official said. ¡°Blue aura swords offered for trade. Would you like to peruse through them to try and find one you like?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Tasha said. She quickly grabbed the book and began sorting through the lines of description with her finger.


    Wyn read the lines along with her. Each one held the name of a sword and a brief description of its effects, and the name glowed blue signifying its rarity. After the description was the name and class of the owner, followed by a short summary of what the seller was seeking for trade.


    ¡°John, do any of these catch your eye?¡± Wyn asked. He turned to see John still watching the group behind them. ¡°John?¡± Wyn shook John¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± He responded. ¡°Oh, sorry. What?¡±


    Tasha sighed. ¡°Always distracted. Can you look and see if there is a sword you¡¯d want? There¡¯re so many!¡±


    John¡¯s eyes grew wide seeing the magical lines of text. ¡°Wow. All of these are blue rarity swords, I¡¯m assuming?¡±


    ¡°If you were paying attention you¡¯d know the answer to that,¡± Tasha said.


    Wyn smiled. Tasha may have been timid in the tower and in combat, but she was definitely not shy when it came to manners and social etiquette. That was her familiar battleground, always confident and reliable. She likely had more experience in that area than both of the men put together.


    The new Climbers took several minutes to debate and search for different swords John would find useful that they could potentially trade for. They discussed swords that cast spells, swords that enhanced skills and martial abilities, and even swords that changed its physical makeup to grow longer or wider. John had a hard time deciding on the magical components.


    One in particular caught Wyn¡¯s eye, and it wasn¡¯t because of the sword itself but rather what the seller wanted in exchange. The summary said they wanted 25 Sun Spirals in exchange for a blue rarity sword. Other offers asked for two or three green rarity pieces of equipment, but this was the only description Wyn noticed that asked for a green rarity item that was not a piece of armor, clothing, or weapon.


    ¡°Look at this,¡± Wyn said. He pointed to the line with his finger. ¡°This is the first offer I¡¯ve seen like this.¡±


    ¡°And the sword is pretty good, too,¡± John said. ¡°The name is Sword of the Elementalist. It says it can change its sword to become any element. That¡¯s incredible!¡±


    ¡°The owner¡¯s name is Cara, class Sorcerer,¡± Tasha said. ¡°So how do we find Cara? Or make the deal?¡±


    ¡°We can help locate the owner to negotiate,¡± the guild official said. He was idly standing by while they waited to decide. ¡°Her name is glowing which means she¡¯s here in the trade house. I¡¯ll find her and point you in her direction.¡±


    John fidgeted with his backpack. ¡°It said we need 25 of those flowers. How many do we have?¡±


    ¡°Both Tasha and I have 8,¡± Wyn said. ¡°So we¡¯re short. But let¡¯s at least talk to her to see if she¡¯ll accept another item or something similar.¡±


    John nodded, satisfied with the answer.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± the man said. ¡°She¡¯s at a back table. Follow me, please.¡±


    The guild official raised a portion of the desk on a hinge that allowed him to walk through. He led the three Climbers through the crowd to a table that was more isolated. The crowd began to grow loud again, though the auction house was large enough that the area they were heading into was more spread out with tables. There were far less Climbers here, too, as it seemed to be less of an active and volatile trading area and more relaxed or professional.


    A woman sat at a table by herself reading a large book. She was wearing a tall brimmed black hat and a black mage¡¯s robe with many pockets with gold ornate trimmings on everything. She was obviously a well seasoned Climber.


    ¡°This is Cara,¡± the guild official said. ¡°Cara, here are some potential buyers for one of your trades.¡± The man bowed to both parties and promptly returned to the desk.


    Cara kept reading her book and didn¡¯t even acknowledge the trio. They all looked at each other, then John shrugged.


    Tasha cleared her throat. ¡°Excuse me -¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Cara said, cutting Tasha off. She kept reading her book, her eyes not leaving the pages. ¡°You¡¯re here for the Sword of the Elementalist. Do you have the Sun Spirals?¡±


    Tasha blanched, taken aback. ¡°Umm, yes, that¡¯s right. How did you know that?¡±


    Cara sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t ask stupid questions, girl. It¡¯s unbecoming.¡±


    Tasha¡¯s face quickly turned red, and she opened her mouth to respond but Wyn put a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the matter at hand,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Obviously you¡¯re busy. Why are you looking for Sun Spirals?¡±


    Cara looked up at Wyn and then scanned each of them. Her eyes darted from head to toe, randomly and without any pattern. ¡°Sun Spirals are a new herb found in the tower. I¡¯m wanting to continue to research them. Plain and simple.¡±


    Tasha seemed to relax a bit. She looked at Wyn, who nodded back. She knew she couldn¡¯t take offense - this wasn¡¯t a test of politeness or formalities, but a business exchange, pure and simple. She readjusted her robes and held her head high.


    Tasha pulled out the flowers from her backpack and held them. ¡°We have 16 Sun Spirals right now, but -¡±


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t have enough,¡± Cara said. ¡°Good bye.¡± She returned to her book and flipped the page she was reading.


    Tasha didn¡¯t move. ¡°We can get you another 16 by tonight, totaling 32. If you guarantee us the sword now.¡±


    Cara stopped reading and looked back at Tasha. The boys looked at each other, their eyebrows raised. Tasha apparently had some gumption for bartering, too.


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting offer,¡± the Sorcerer replied. She closed her book with a loud thud and crossed her legs. ¡°32 green rarity items for one blue rarity item doesn¡¯t seem like too good of a deal. For you, at least.¡±


    ¡°These flowers aren¡¯t much use to us at the moment, but the sword is.¡±


    Cara laughed. ¡°So you want the sword for your Fighter. That¡¯s obvious. However, I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t know the flower¡¯s true power, do you?¡±


    Tasha stood still, determined to appear like she wasn¡¯t completely inexperienced in matters regarding magic and climbing. Cara was playing along, though, much more interested than before.


    ¡°Honestly, no, I don¡¯t,¡± Tasha replied. ¡°But if it doesn¡¯t help me now, why should I care that much? I¡¯d rather have an item that can help me live and climb for today, than something that might help me tomorrow, when no tomorrow is guaranteed.¡±


    Cara stopped smiling and stood up. She stepped around the table and faced Tasha directly, intimidating them by her sheer height alone. She stood taller than Wyn and John, though the boots she wore also had high heels, betraying her actual height. The Climbers thought that Tasha might¡¯ve said something wrong, offending the Sorcerer. Wyn¡¯s heart raced, thinking they just blew their chances when Tasha was gaining ground in the conversation.


    ¡°You¡¯re wiser than most rookies, Mage. That mindset will carry you far.¡± She reached into a pocket on her robe and pulled out the hilt of a sword. The weapon continued to elongate out of the seemingly endless pocket before completely revealing itself. The sheath was basic and unmarked, but when Cara drew the sword it had a brilliantly mirrored sheen to the blade. If he didn¡¯t know any better, it looked more suited to decoration than fighting.


    Wyn recognized the sword¡¯s style. It wasn¡¯t a traditional longsword but rather a broadsword, possessing a slightly wider blade closer to the hilt that became more pointed towards the tip. It was more commonly used to slash with the wide blade, but it was still a popular style of sword. The entire weapon from pommel to tip was beautiful, though, and John¡¯s jaw dropped when he saw it.


    ¡°This sword is blue rarity because it can become any element you wish,¡± Cara said. She turned the sword over and showed them the hilt. It appeared to have a socket directly where where the hilt overlaid the blade, though it was currently empty. ¡°If you place a gemstone in the hilt and infuse a bit of your mana into it, it will become the element that represents the gemstone. The elemental magic will be stronger based on the clarity and rarity of the gemstone. With some limitations, of course. You can read the full descriptions on your parchment.¡± She handed the sword out to John who hesitated before grabbing it.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Cara said. ¡°You have a deal.¡±


    John now excitedly grabbed it, inspecting every inch the moment it was in his hands. Wyn knew he was now tuned out of the rest of their conversation, too.


    ¡°Meet me here at 9 tonight,¡± Cara added. ¡°You have until then to bring the rest of the Sun Spirals. Or I will get that sword back, one way or another.¡±


    Tasha put her hand out. ¡°We accept the deal and will meet you tonight.¡±


    ¡°This is better than I could have hoped for!¡± John said, hugging the sheathed sword. ¡°What monster did you kill for it? Was it the boss on floor nine? Or from a group of champions? In an ancient temple, or maybe a secret underground cavern?¡±


    Cara let go of Tasha¡¯s hand after shaking it and smiled a wickedly sharp smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t find that sword. I made it.¡±

 Book 1 - Chapter 37

    The three Climbers had one more stop before they returned to the tower. After John finished admiring his new weapon, Cara gave him the matching sheath along with more information. The elemental properties of the sword were activated via mana using an ability called Elemental Shift. According to John¡¯s parchment, all he had to do was infuse his mana into the weapon while it contained a gemstone similar to his skills. It only took a small amount of mana, and the blade literally changed properties to mimic the gemstone. It could stay like that for an hour before he needed to infuse it again, though he was confident he wouldn¡¯t have an issue between keeping the elemental property active and using his other skills. He didn¡¯t need to keep it active all the time, either.


    The group also decided to purchase a portal key at the Silver Step before going back inside Alistair so they could promptly leave the tower at any time. John also wanted to be included on the rewards this time, opting to gather flowers, too, to also complete the secondary quest. They realized the Sun Spirals held some value after Cara wanted a bunch of them and felt they would be useful to sell. They didn¡¯t have the crafting ability the Sorcerer had, but they could always use the money, especially Wyn.


    John then brought up an interesting point as they were nearing Alistair.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll be fine if we decide to peek at the second floor,¡± the Fighter said. ¡°If we¡¯re going to use a key to portal out of the floor, why not see what the second floor looks like first? If we don¡¯t like it we can just leave right away. No harm done!¡±


    Both Wyn and Tasha had reservations about going to the second floor with just the three of them. They were arguing about even finishing the first floor since Marcy wasn¡¯t with them, but John was making a compelling point that they had had no trouble so far, and his new sword gave them both offensive power and confidence.


    They entered the base of Alistair and watched the various groups enter and exit, still working in and out of the tower in the early afternoon. They stood there with their gear, not entirely sure of themselves with their three-person party. All three of them thought the same thing, though they didn¡¯t speak it. Not at first.


    Wyn finally broke the silence of them watching other Climbers and waiting. ¡°Maybe we should group up with another team for this afternoon?¡±


    Tasha and John didn¡¯t immediately disagree with him, and he knew it was because they agreed instead. They just didn¡¯t want to outright admit it.


    ¡°Hey!¡± A voice said from behind them. ¡°Red Mage!¡±


    The group turned around. Wyn¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he was obviously being called out. Someone either recognized him or guessed he was a Ruby Magician, and he wasn¡¯t too keen on either option. How they¡¯d guess his class was beyond him.


    Three Climbers pushed through the crowd all looking a bit worse for wear. They were headed straight for Wyn, intent in their eyes.


    Wyn immediately recognized them as part of the group they saved in the tower yesterday. It was Devon the Rogue, Maven the Divine Mage, and the Garnet Magician, though he couldn¡¯t remember his name.


    John and Tasha softened a bit seeing them. ¡°Hey guys,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I see you¡¯ve been climbing. Did you find someone to lead you?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Devon said. ¡°I decided to lead us instead. Travis decided to take a couple of weeks to train more, so he left, but we wanted to keep climbing. But damn if the tower isn¡¯t hard for a smaller group! We¡¯ve barely been scraping by on the first floor.¡±


    John smiled. ¡°We understand that! But luck seems to be on our side today. Were you all going to go inside again for the afternoon?¡±


    The other group looked at each hesitantly. ¡°We were, yes,¡± Maven said. ¡°We really want to get better to clear a few more floors this season.¡±


    ¡°Right, and we need the practice,¡± the Rogue added. He flashed a sleek, dark grey short sword for them to see. ¡°I just got a new weapon, too, so I¡¯m eager to try it out.¡±


    John laughed, taking the Climbers by surprise. ¡°Well, fortune really is shining on us today! We only have three members are looking to climb one more time. Should we party together?¡±


    The other group collectively breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I think that would be great,¡± Maven said. ¡°Having two healers would take the burden off me. I still don¡¯t think I¡¯m reacting as fast or as well as I need to.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see how much we¡¯ll be needed,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I didn¡¯t have to heal us this morning. It was a bit boring, to be honest.¡±


    The Garnet Magician gasped. ¡°You¡¯re kidding! I nearly used all my mana just trying to kill those lizard things!¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll manage fine,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Weren¡¯t there more of you, though? Besides Travis, I mean.¡±


    Devon deflated a bit. ¡°Yea, but he left our group, frustrated with how we¡¯re doing. I¡¯m worried Travis might do the same. So it¡¯s just us now.¡±


    Wyn looked at his friends, who just nodded. ¡°Well, you have us for now. So why don¡¯t we discuss strategy while we head in?¡±


    All of the Climbers walked and talked, eager to share their abilities. Well, the other group did, at least, hoping to establish a bit more confidence in the more successful team of Wyn, Tasha, and John. The Garnet Magician, William, completely used offensive fire-based spells, though had trouble both aiming and timing them. Devon had several skills that gave him an edge in combat for movement and attack speed, as well as general perception in the area, but the group as a whole was sorely lacking melee combatants since their other two Fighters left.


    The other group was also surprised at the mention of the secondary quest and were immediately interested. Completing the quest could afford them additional opportunities to advance their gear or hire members until they found a lasting group. They all decided to attempt to find the Sun Spirals, though Wyn secretly was afraid they wouldn''t have enough flowers to satisfy their owns quests with six Climbers total looking for them. If it was a quest presented from the tower, though, there had to be enough. Worry just seemed to flood his mind far too easily lately.


    After the initial jaunt through the portal the group set off both to find flowers and the path leading through the floor. They decided to let Tasha and Maven take the lead looking out for flowers, and Devon was the best equipped to help find the path they needed to take. The others assisted where they could.


    John swung his sword around, excited to try it out, before stopping mid swing and audibly groaning.


    "What is it?" Wyn asked.


    "I completely forgot - I don''t have a gem to socket for the sword!" John said.


    "Yes you do," Tasha said. She was peeking behind a bush while looking for Sun Spirals. "You got that jade gemstone from our first trip, remember?"


    John smacked himself in the forehead. Without another word, he pulled out the gemstone from his backpack and placed it inside the hilt of his sword. Concentrating and infusing it with a bit of mana, the gemstone fit inside it like it was perfectly made for it, and wouldn''t budge when he tried to pull it out. The blade began to shine a mirrored green, matching the gemstone exactly.


    "Woah," Devon said. "That''s impressive. I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s elemental, too?"


    "You have a good eye," John responded. "It should be the earth element, now. At least these guys aren''t wind-based. I need to find more gemstones just in case, though."


    "In due time," Wyn said, as he patted John on the shoulder. "Let''s just worry about the here and now." He continued on their path, looking around for flowers and enemies more than the path itself. Marcy wasn''t there to alert them to danger, a fact he realized they had become accustomed to having, and he didn''t want to be caught off guard.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "I think I see something," William said. He raised his staff and pointed it deeper into the jungle.


    "Nice eye, William," Devon said. He drew his other sword and turned towards the jungle. "Fire some bolts into the woods, just in case!"


    Wyn''s eyes went wide. "No! Don''t do that! Save your mana for when you actually see them!" He looked into the thicket, too, and saw nothing. "You don''t want to accidentally hit another Climber or waste your mana!"


    "Or scorch a flower," Tasha said. She was finishing picking another Sun Spiral from a small patch she found. "Don''t be so on edge!"


    John had his sword and shield drawn, holding it out in front of Devon placatingly to hold him back. "Relax. Take deep breaths. Don''t consume your resources so quickly and without true reason."


    Wyn eyed the split group. In this moment he was incredibly proud of Tasha and John. It was obvious John had training before coming to climb the tower, and his actions and words proved it. Tasha was level headed and more confident than their first climb, and they had only climbed a couple of times at that. Albeit they hadn''t climbed past the first floor together, but so far their ability to work as a team was far and above these other Climbers, who looked like they hadn''t faced any form of combat or training in their lives.


    Were these the kind of people who became Climbers? Wyn suddenly understood why Daniel was so insistent of taking weeks to prepare before actually climbing. If they were the average, it was a miracle more people didn¡¯t die.


    The bushes suddenly rustled in front of John and Devon, and they all saw three of the Lacerts, as they were called according to their parchments, emerge from the thicket. They were the average sized monstrous lizards that didn¡¯t pose much of a threat before. Two were carrying clubs and one was unarmed, though their sharp claws easily counted as weapons.


    William immediately pointed his staff at the group and yelled a spell - "Flamebolt!"


    A large ball of flame shot from his staff, narrowly missing Devon and striking one of the Lacerts that held a club. It singed the ragged cloth it was wearing and scorched its leathery skin.


    "Careful, William!" Devon yelled. "That was too close!" He sprang to the side away from the Fire Mage and towards the other Lacerts. His feet pattered against the grass as he moved much quicker than the other Climbers but far quieter. In seconds he was directly in front of the enemy attempting to strike it.


    Unfortunately, John was already moving towards the same monster, acting faster than Devon but not reaching the target as fast due to his lesser speed.


    John was caught off guard by the Rogue''s fast movement and abrupt positioning, backpedaling to avoid being caught in the direct melee. Wyn was watching the entire debacle unfold, shocked at the mistakes the others were making. "Watch your positioning! Give each other room to fight!¡± He wanted to join them but knew he¡¯d only get in the way at the moment. An obvious choice that didn¡¯t seem so obvious to Devon or William. He could help directly if the fight were more serious, but he knew this would be a good learning opportunity that wasn¡¯t too deadly.


    John reluctantly turned to fight the other enemy after giving himself some room from Devon, though was unfortunately a second behind. That Lacert wielded a club and swung it down in a surprisingly fast arc, though John was ready with his shield. His shield absorbed and redirected the blow, causing the enemy to briefly stumble.


    Taking the opportunity, John reached out to stab the Lacert directly in the chest. It was both a direct hit and a powerful strike, and the magical sword impaled the creature deep into its torso. John felt the body go limp on his sword, and he freed his weapon before the body hit the ground.


    Devon yelled in frustration, exchanging blow for blow with the final and unarmed monster. The Rogue¡¯s arms and torso were cut up, the claws from the creature acting like small daggers slicing his skin with shallow cuts where his armor didn¡¯t protect him. He had the upper hand, though, as his swords were making far greater and deeper gashes into the scaled, leathery hide.


    With a few more strikes the Rogue felled the creature. As the body began to disintegrate into the jungle floor, Devon breathed heavy and was already sweating through his clothes. The existing grime, sweat, and dried blood was coated with new layers.


    ¡°Maven, can you heal me?¡± Devon asked. He sheathed his swords with effort and inspected his arms. Dozens of cuts were randomly strewn about, and he sighed at his shredded skin.


    Without another word, the Mage held a hand out to the Rogue and began to heal him, casting her Cure spell that closed his wounds but left his clothes in tatters.


    ¡°Not too bad, right?¡± William said. He held his staff awkwardly. ¡°At least I hit that lizard!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Wyn said. ¡°That was bad. I¡¯m honestly surprised you three are still alive.¡±


    Devon snickered. ¡°Look, I know we¡¯re not as good as you three, but that¡¯s a bit much. I think we did alright.¡±


    Wyn sighed. ¡°It¡¯s the truth, and you all need to hear it.¡±


    ¡°What, in your opinion, made that so bad, then?¡± William asked. ¡°We¡¯re alive. Healed, even, in top condition! The enemies are dead, and we barely struggled!¡±


    Wyn looked at the Fire Mage and straightened his posture. These Climbers weren¡¯t his soldiers, but he needed to channel his inner captain in order to show them the error of their ways and to help them prevent the same situation in the future. He wanted to do his best to leave his commanding behind, but his friends trusted him to lead them.


    In order to lead, sometimes you have to scold.


    ¡°I can give my opinion,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Let¡¯s review. Devon, you asked William to attack an unseen enemy without knowing what was truly there, potentially hitting an ally and wasting mana on a low chance of hitting an enemy. William, your position was bad to attack from range. Your spell nearly hit Devon, and based on the last time we saw you climb, your aim could use some work. The hit you made was a lucky shot.¡±


    Wyn walked around the small battlefield, pointing and waving his arms to emphasize his point. ¡°Devon, you were forced to move your position, but you stepped in front of John who was already beginning to engage with the same enemy you rushed to attack. Despite you saying you have a high perception you didn¡¯t see your ally¡¯s movement or attack, becoming a liability. That caused John to relocate to the last enemy, causing a delay of precious seconds to defend himself. All of that and you still traded blows with the enemy, needing to be healed right away, who is the most basic of basic enemies in this tower. This is the first fight on the first floor, and every single enemy past here will be stronger, faster, and tougher.¡±


    The other Climbers were dumbstruck, even Tasha and John. They had no idea Wyn possessed the strategic analyzation skills he shared, and after hearing it laid out from a fight that took less than a minute, they didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    ¡°Oh, and one more thing,¡± Wyn added. ¡°Your mana use needs work. Getting hurt, Devon, caused you to need to be healed, costing Maven her mana to heal you. And she¡¯ll need that mana for later on in this floor. This fight should¡¯ve been over without any mana expenditure, and little energy used, too. I am far from an expert at climbing this tower, and even more so with being around magic, but I do know my way around a battlefield.¡±


    Devon and William looked at each other. Their smiles faded long ago, and their shoulders slumped to a depressing degree.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know what to say,¡± Devon said.


    ¡°Me, either,¡± William added. ¡°I had no idea there was even that much to consider.¡±


    ¡°Well, you do now,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It¡¯s important to reflect on your performance and recognize where you can improve. This isn¡¯t a child¡¯s game. This place is serious, and you WILL get seriously hurt if you aren¡¯t careful or smart with how you approach it.¡±


    William pounded his staff into the ground and straightened his robe. ¡°You¡¯re right. We can do better! We will be better!¡±


    Devon smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°That was still harsh, but appreciated. We¡¯ll do better. We have to, after all.¡±


    Wyn smiled back. ¡°Exactly. I¡¯ll be the first to admit I¡¯m not perfect. My first climb here was basically a disaster in more ways than one. But I will force myself to be better to make sure all of you live to see another day. So, next fight, how about you watch how we handle enemies. Then you critique us and see where we could improve.¡±


    Maven laughed, putting her hand in front of her mouth. ¡°Now THAT would be something. I wouldn¡¯t even know where to start!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good learning technique,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised what you notice when you¡¯re trying to.¡±


    "Speaking of noticing things," Tasha said, interrupting the other Climbers. She walked over to a thick patch of tall leaves and vines, away from the path they were following to advance. "Here''s another patch of Sun Spirals!"


    The others all gathered to collect whatever flowers they could find. Wyn was thankful they found as many as they did just starting out in the floor, and was quickly gaining confidence they could find enough for all six of them.


    After they picked the entire patch, they moved on, eventually finding the river and canoes that allowed passage through the rushing waters.


    "Here is where you really want to watch Wyn''s ability to navigate," John said to the other Climbers, elbowing Wyn in the side. "You should give him some feedback on the water!"


    Tasha laughed while the others looked confused. Wyn''s cheeks quickly flushed red but he cleared his throat and relented with an awkward smile. No sense in trying to appear like he was good at everything, and it could make him more relatable if the new Climbers saw him bad at something. Not that that would be difficult.


    Grabbing their canoes, Wyn reluctantly stepped into one with John, who was still laughing to himself.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re so funny, don¡¯t you?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°No, I know I¡¯m funny,¡± John replied.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile at the Fighter¡¯s charmingly disarming personality.


    ¡°But Wyn,¡± John added.


    Wyn turned around to face John. ¡°Yea?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really glad you¡¯re in our group. And even happier you¡¯re leading us. I know most Climbers are pretty rough when they start, but¡­ I¡¯m excited to see where we go with you at the helm.¡±


    Wyn was shocked. He expected another joke, not for John to be serious. Still, it was an incredibly generous thing to say, and Wyn¡¯s confidence grew even more. ¡°Me too, John. I know I¡¯m very lucky to have all of you in a group.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now - don¡¯t have a heart attack here on the water. I might just laugh instead of save you.¡±


    Wyn sighed. It was going to be a long canoe ride.

 Book 1 - Chapter 38

    Wyn took a deep breath, thankful his boots were once again on dry land. He had wondered before if practicing this floor and being forced to navigate the river would help alleviate his fear of the water, but he found himself just as afraid and nervous as ever.


    The other Climbers - even Tasha and Maven - all had caught on to his discomfort and teased him in some form, though it was nothing he couldn¡¯t take. His soldiers gave far worse insults. He was simply grateful his boat never flipped. They hadn¡¯t seen any Lacerts, either, which Wyn thought was suspicious, but he quickly remembered it was the afternoon and the floor had likely been cleared and thinned of enemies throughout the day. He assumed that was the reason, at least.


    Knowing that, he also made the assumption that hardly any other Climber was gathering the Sun Spirals as the group was easily finding them left and right. In fact, they were having a harder time finding enemies to fight than flowers to pick. Apparently the Climbers either didn¡¯t realize the secondary quest was available or the ones who had had already moved on to other floors to climb. The first floor truly did seem easy in hindsight with only a few encounters before the boss. That thought made Wyn want to climb further.


    The group was nearing the end of the floor in less than an hour after navigating the river, and they had completely filled their quota of Sun Spirals to both complete their quest and for Cara, too.


    ¡°I feel like this is cheating,¡± Devon said. ¡°I haven¡¯t even found a track of an enemy since the beginning of the floor. And we¡¯re nearly done, I think.¡±


    ¡°No, we are,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We¡¯re nearing the end. It wasn¡¯t far after the river that the large enemies guarded the portal. It¡¯s so strange how little Lacerts there are.¡±


    William was inspecting a large tree, craning his head to see the top. ¡°So that¡¯s what they¡¯re called, huh? Lacerts. I¡¯ve never heard of that word.¡±


    ¡°It was what the guild official called the components we earned,¡± John said. ¡°But don¡¯t keep your guard down. You never know what¡¯s around the corner.¡±


    Devon suddenly shot up from his crouched position while trying to find more tracks. A sword-wielding Lacert shot through the jungle thicket with impressive speed, slashing at him in a surprise attack.


    The Rogue nimbly sidestepped the swipe at the last second. ¡°Help!¡± He yelled, unsure of what else to say in the moment.


    John and Wyn both rushed to cut off the creature from Devon, hoping to intervene without issue. This Lacert was wearing leather armor that covered his body in addition to its scaly hide, along with bracers and thigh guards. They immediately recognized it was a stronger enemy and that more were likely not far behind.


    ¡°Tasha, protection!¡± Wyn yelled, organizing his group. They had rehearsed scenarios in the war room for various situations during their day off before the season started, and this one was one of their more basic strategies. It was simple but effective.


    Without hesitation, Tasha raised her staff and pointed it at John while remaining behind the closer ranged fighters. ¡°Arcane Aura!¡± She said, casting her protective spell. The white magical aura enveloped him in the familiar glow as the new layer of armor protected him.


    John simultaneously activated his Resolve skill to increase his power and defense. The red aura radiated around him under the white magical armor, and he breathed in deep before exhaling loud in a crouch.


    Devon stepped back, surprised by the Fighter¡¯s sudden change. John looked like a bull breathing heavily while covered in a magical aura, and his presence took on a new feel. It was as though the surrounding air was more dense, magical energy accumulating heavily around the Fighter. He immediately engaged with the Lacert.


    Wyn took note of the surrounding, finding two more similarly equipped Lacerts behind the brush ready to attack, one on either side. It seemed as though they planned to pin the Climbers. They looked identical, all holding swords though no other weapon or shield. ¡°Speed Up,¡± he said, mostly to himself and not loud enough for others to hear. The soft red glow enveloped him like John though to a smaller degree. He felt new power surge through him, knowing the mana fused into the skill was fueling a newfound speed.


    Their strategy was straightforward. John would distract and fight the strongest enemy while Wyn and Marcy would handle the weaker and more numerous ones. John could easily handle himself, and Wyn was more suited to literally running around while Marcy could choose her targets easily. Tasha stayed in the middle of the group to be able to intervene anywhere, keeping her eyes and ears open to heal or support where she could. Unfortunately they¡¯d have to deal without Marcy being around, but Wyn felt confident they could handle it.


    Wyn ignored the noise of metal clashing between the monster and John and pushed to the jungle¡¯s edge right as the Lacerts stepped into their small clearing. He took the first one by surprise with his speed and weapon, slashing down in an arc at a safe distance away before the Lacert could even raise its weapon. The slash cut deep, the element showing its superiority by opening an even greater gash that Wyn didn¡¯t expect. He followed the strike with a quick stab to the chest, his skill increasing his follow up speed to a degree that still surprised him.


    The spear went straight through the creature and he pulled his weapon out before the body fell to the ground. He sidestepped around John towards the third monster, giving him information as he passed by. ¡°One left!¡±


    John parried a sword attack easily with his shield before striking back with a forceful swing of his sword. He had held back the entire fight, performing his role of drawing out the engagement with ease. The sword came crashing down through the lizard-like monster, all but ignoring the leather armor it donned and cleaved its arm off at the shoulder. The Lacert screamed though was cut short with another strike from the Fighter that killed it with relative ease.


    Wyn, still rushing to the third and final Lacert, had to cover more ground as the enemy ignored the two front line combatants and charged at the rest of the group. The three new Climbers simply stood by, remembering that Wyn asked them to only watch but were also paralyzed by fear of the enemies.


    Tasha stood her ground, though, holding her staff in front of her as though she would thwack the creature the instant it came close. Instead, Wyn cut it off, his heightened speed giving him more than enough time to intervene.


    Before the creature even stepped into its sword range to attack Tasha, Wyn was beside it. He swept its legs with his spear and cut them both off at the knees. The monster screamed, a blood curdling sound that made the Climbers standing by recoil. The monster fell to the ground, dropping its sword and clawing at the jungle floor with its hands to crawl to the closest Climber, relentless in its pursuit.


    Wyn promptly stabbed it in the back. The creature lay still, ceasing it¡¯s advance.


    For a few seconds it was only silence in the clearing where everyone stood before the sound of John sheathing his sword broke the lull.


    ¡°That was pretty good even without Marcy,¡± Tasha said, tapping the dead Lacert in front of her. Its body began to dissolve back into the tower leaving no trace of its existence.


    ¡°I definitely learned even the champions are probably a bit of a pushover now,¡± John said, wiping some blood off his padded armor. ¡°It¡¯s actually easier to fight these monsters than the pack of wolves from last season!¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t been overrun, yet,¡± Wyn said, taking deep breaths. He mentally cancelled his skill, the red glowing aura dissipating around him. The increased sense of speed withered, too. ¡°There haven¡¯t been packs of enemies here like before. Which is odd, but I¡¯m not complaining.¡±


    The other Climbers all stood unmoving, shocked at the display. Devon and William looked at each other, and the Mage simply shook his head side to side.


    ¡°How in the hells can you lot do that,¡± Devon said. ¡°That was¡­ something else.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯re new Climbers,¡± Maven added. ¡°Surely you¡¯ve climbed into the second tier already. You made that look far too easy.¡±


    John laughed, and Tasha hit him in the arm in response. ¡°What?¡± The Fighter asked, still laughing. Tasha gave him a stern look. He sighed.


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    ¡°This is our third day in the tower, but we¡¯ve been planning a lot,¡± Tasha said, still staring daggers at her teammate. ¡°I do believe we¡¯re more than capable, though.¡±


    Devon laughed this time. ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡±


    Tasha nodded her head, accepting the compliment.


    ¡°So what do you think we could improve?¡± Wyn asked. He straightened his simple leather armor and wiped some dirt off his boots. ¡°Any feedback would be helpful.¡±


    The new Climbers looked at each other before Maven and William shrugged.


    Devon walked further on the path, continuing deeper into the jungle and first floor. ¡°Not a damn thing,¡± he said, as he walked by the Climbers.


    John, Wyn, and Tasha all looked at each other, accepting the answer but not satisfied. They all continued their trek on the floor, one more patch of enemies dealt with.


    Within the hour they all reached the familiar clearing that held the portal to the next floor and giant Lacerts that guarded it. Wyn checked his mark and saw that it was entirely grey. He was completely full of mana, only having used his skill once and barely spending any to use it at that. He knew he could be liberal in the coming fight if he wanted but thought that saving enough for a few spells on the second floor would be prudent - just in case.


    ¡°Should we form a plan?¡± William asked, whispering behind a bush. The entire group had stopped just outside the clearing and three large giant Lacerts stood guarding the portal. The six Climbers all hid behind the jungle foliage in order to not alert the giant monsters.


    ¡°We absolutely should,¡± John said. ¡°And that¡¯s good that you realize that!¡±


    ¡°Well, the way you three handled the last fight seemed too easy,¡± William said. ¡°Maybe this could be easy, too.¡±


    ¡°It definitely can be,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Maven, do you have the Arcane Aura spell?¡±


    Maven nodded her head yes, not taking her eyes off the giant guards.


    ¡°Good,¡± Wyn continued. ¡°So you and Tasha cast one each on John and Devon before we rush in. The plan is to take them out one at a time. If we spread our focus over all three, it¡¯ll take longer and leave more threats.¡±


    The other Climbers nodded in agreement, letting Wyn instruct them. This was what felt more familiar to him than anything else, even in direct combat. He knew he was more than competent in a fight but he enjoyed the strategic aspect of a good plan more, and climbing in the tower afforded him many chances to exercise that strength.


    ¡°John, you focus on one like before. Devon, attack the same one as John, and don¡¯t worry about holding back - just finish it as quickly as possible. You should have plenty of chances with both of you attacking it.¡±


    ¡°What about the rest of us?¡± William asked. ¡°I can fight!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re joining me by being the distraction this time. We need to keep the other two off John and Devon, annoying the giants enough to try to attack us and not gang up on the fighters. Once John and Devon kill it, they¡¯ll move on to the next one, and then we distract the last one. When there¡¯s only one left, we just kill it, though don¡¯t cast your spells at an enemy if there¡¯s one of us fighting it. The chance of you hitting an ally is too high.¡±


    ¡°Do me and Tasha just stand there?¡± Maven asked. ¡°You left us out.¡±


    Wyn glanced back at the giant bosses. They were still unaware. ¡°Do you have any spells to attack enemies or support us in the fight?¡±


    Maven knitted her eyebrows together. ¡°Not at the moment, no. Just the Shield spell, Arcane Aura, and more healing.¡±


    ¡°Look at it this way,¡± Tasha said. ¡°We help setup the fight and provide healing if needed. If it¡¯s not needed, then as a group we¡¯re all the better for it.¡±


    Maven sighed and held her staff close to her body in a hug. ¡°That¡¯s true, I guess.¡±


    One of the giant Lacerts grunted and turned towards the group. It didn¡¯t seem completely alert but suspicious at the noise.


    ¡°Maven, Tasha, now!¡± Wyn whispered. ¡°William, stay on the left side of us a bit away, and aim your spells this time!¡± He grabbed his spear and fanned out to the right side in a slight jog, waving his spear around frantically hoping to pull the Lacert¡¯s attention to him.


    The move worked. All three giants turned and howled at Wyn, waving their weapons or fists at him.


    The rest of the group set out in motion and began their advance. After gaining their sets of magical armor, Devon and John rushed straight into the clearing, immediately gaining the attention of two of the Lacerts. William mimicked Wyn and fanned out to his side, and though he was slower than the others he didn¡¯t need to cover as much ground.


    William planted himself at a distance he felt comfortable and pointed his staff at the left most Lacert while it was still advancing towards the melee Climbers. ¡°Flamebolt!¡± He yelled, and the spell hit his target in the thigh. It was a well placed spell, and the Lacert giant yelled in anger before stopping and turning towards William.


    William initially cheered at his success, but quickly realized the gravity of what was happening. He had a giant monster now running towards him and began to panic again. Keeping his staff pointed towards the beast, he immediately cast three more spells in quick succession. They all hit the giant in various places, and it stopped its advance to cover itself with its large arms from the onslaught of globs of flame. It began to retreat not long after, its leathery skin smoking and body missing pockets of flesh from being burned away.


    William held his ground and tried to steady his growing heart rate. He didn''t know if he should continue attacking it or wait, then realized he didn''t need to decide at the moment.


    Wyn, on the other side of the clearing, was slicing the large Lacert across its entire body, leaving relatively shallow gashes that opened up deeper from the magical wind element of his spear. He was doing his best to keep an eye on the other two giants at the same time and found it not too difficult - the large monster¡¯s swings with its club were easily avoided. They were heavy and shook the ground when they fell, but their wind up and attack was predictable and obvious.


    Wyn saw William fend off the attacking Lacert and smiled when it retreated. The middle one wasn¡¯t faring much better, nearly dead already from Devon and John¡¯s combined attacks. In less than a minute they had all performed their roles nicely, even better than Wyn had hoped.


    Stepping to the side to avoid another club smash into the ground, Wyn saw Devon split away to begin attacking the burned giant Lacert. John was about to deliver a final blow on the monster that was a bloodied mess. Cuts and puncture wounds covered its legs and torso like a gruesome training dummy. The blood was seeping from the wounds at an alarming rate, and it seemed unnatural.


    Wyn began to maneuver himself closer to John, drawing his giant to the middle of the clearing. A loud thud suddenly reverberated across the jungle as one giant Lacert fell to the ground dead. John immediately rushed to the next enemy and slashed the monster fighting Wyn in the back, causing it to roar in anger. The Fighter nodded to Wyn in confidence, and Wyn knew he could handle it from then on.


    Wyn looked down at his mark, wondering about his mana. Of course it was nearly full as he had only used one skill and no spells. Their journey had been easy, and he was thankful they were able to manage with minimal resources. The tower was quickly appearing less and less intimidating, even if they had only traversed the first floor.


    A crash into the soft jungle floor pulled Wyn from his thoughts. Devon laid on the ground not far from him, the magical armor around him gone. His sword was cast off to his side and he immediately coughed up blood. There weren¡¯t any obvious injuries but Wyn knew he needed help fast.


    The Lacert picked its heavy club back up to rest on a shoulder, now trying to close the distance between itself and the Climbers. It had knocked Devon back quite a bit, making solid contact with its attack that the Rogue was unable dodge.


    ¡°Regen,¡± Wyn said, the instant he was beside the still-coughing Rogue. A magical white glow enveloped him but he struggled to get up. His left arm was bent terribly but Wyn didn¡¯t see any other obvious injuries. Everything must be internal.


    Wyn pushed him to the ground and held him in place. ¡°Don¡¯t. Stay here.¡± He looked back at Tasha and Maven who were already rushing to their side. Tasha was nearly dragging Maven, both looking frantic though Tasha less so and for different reasons.


    Knowing the White Mages would take care of Devon, Wyn needed to take this monster down. Another bolt of fire hit the Lacert again, William attacking from the side. He seemed confident and focused, a far cry to his demeanor the last time they were in this situation against the same enemies. At least his spells were hitting the intended target.


    Wyn raised his spear and wanted to settle this fast. He swung it in a wide arc, casting the Wingbeat spell at the same time. A visible line of magic swept out and across the creature, slicing it across its chest and hip. It caused a deep gash to form and blood to pour, and several burned areas appeared to open up as well. It roared in pain before another bolt of fire silenced it, hitting it directly in the face.


    ¡°How¡¯s Devon?¡± William asked. He trotted over to the Climbers, sweating. Wyn could¡¯ve sworn he saw the Fire Mage shaking a bit.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Devon said. He was still glowing white though more pronounced now. ¡°And that Regen spell of yours definitely helped.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that,¡± Wyn said. He smiled seeing the Rogue in better spirits.


    Another thud interrupted them and they all turned to see John standing beside the last Lacert that just fell to the ground. The portal the monsters guarded was now open, as well.


    The Fighter turned around and waved them on, not waiting to bask in the glory of their success. He then turned to face the portal and eyed it seriously.


    Everyone gradually gathered together in front of the shimmering portal that taunted them with its clear swirls of magic. They silently stood there staring, knowing they weren¡¯t heading back to the base but rather to the second floor. The only member in their party who had entered the portal to advance to the second floor was Wyn, and he had done so for very different reasons than purely scouting ahead.


    Though they had been excited about seeing what mysteries beckoned them further into the tower, they hesitated. All it would take was a key to open a portal back to the base and they would safely return - but it was still a daunting thought of the harder, and more dangerous, floor of the tower that stood before them. This was their entire reason for being a Climber, though. Like that first trip into the portal, it would get easier in time. But the first time was always harder.


    John turned his head and smiled at all of them. It wasn¡¯t his usual confident, charming smile but rather a feigned appearance that betrayed his nerves. Wyn smiled back, strangely comforted by his friend¡¯s hesitation.


    Wyn then patted him on the shoulder in reassurance before stepping forward toward the portal. He mentally told himself he wanted to progress to the second floor, throwing his caution to the wind. Gripping his spear tighter and patting the key in his pocket, he continued his steps through the portal and felt the magical pull of the tower¡¯s magic once again.

 Book 1 - Chapter 39

    The members of the party all exited the portal one by one, being spit out around the starting area randomly. Tasha and John ended up next to each other looking ahead into more dense jungle. After a few seconds to allow their heads to stop spinning, they both looked at each other in confusion.


    ¡°I imagined being out of the jungle, at least,¡± John said, scratching his chin. ¡°I guess we have to slog through it some more.¡±


    Tasha turned around, her eyes widening and jaw opening. She tugged at John¡¯s arm without a word.


    ¡°What?¡± The Fighter asked, before turning around to see what she was gawking at. His face quickly matched hers. ¡°Woah.¡±


    The rest of the group had already been enamored by the second floor¡¯s environment. Jungle brush still coated the edge of the initial starting area, but it was obvious they would leave the dense foliage behind for the entirety of the second floor. This was obvious due to the fact that an incredibly large ancient temple stood in the not so distant background, and ruins covered the path from the jungle to the steps that made up the bottom portion of the temple.


    Cracked arches and broken sandstone littered the area separating their small grove and the temple that looked eerie. It was a literal maze before the cult-like building, though. Wyn assumed the floor would be a trial of puzzles similar to the cave system of mushrooms during the last season, and it looked like he was right at first glance. So far, the second floor seemed to have a goal of completing a puzzle to advance rather than just kill the monsters on the path.


    They all had their hands on their forehead, covering their eyes to be able to see the path past the bright sun. It rested high in the sky, no clouds in sight to offer any form of reprieve from the light and heat.


    ¡°The path looks dense,¡± Devon said. He pointed with his sword to the forrest of sandstone and rock. ¡°Tight corridors, small pathways are likely. Though the sky looks to be open the whole way to the temple, so we won¡¯t feel too claustrophobic without a roof.¡±


    ¡°And that means the temple is the third floor,¡± John said. ¡°That¡¯s not terrifying at all.¡±


    ¡°One floor at a time, please,¡± Tasha said. She gripped her staff tight and held it close. ¡°My Torchlight spell won¡¯t be too useful right now. It¡¯s so bright.¡±


    ¡°When we get into the temple, though,¡± Wyn said, ¡° I have a feeling we¡¯ll be glad you have it.¡±


    William and Devon stepped forward out of the safety of the grove. The Mage turned towards them and smiled. ¡°One floor at a time, right? I have a feeling we¡¯ll be lucky to make it to the temple this season at all.¡±


    Devon laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t count us out yet. There¡¯s an entire month left. This is only the first week!¡±


    The group slowly made their way towards a large sandstone arch signaling the entrance to the ruins. It was nearly as massive as the entrance into Alestead, and resembled it, too, with pillars bordering the open path. Here they were in tatters while the ones in Alestead were pristine. The ground beneath their feet abruptly shifted from grass to sandstone, small rocks and dust coating the area like a blanket. Behind the arch was a small sandy courtyard, a desolate entry into the maze that called them further.


    ¡°How far are we wanting to go?¡± Maven asked. She was standing close to Devon, whipping her head back and forth to survey the area. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve seen enough.¡±


    William laughed. ¡°We just stepped into the ruins, Maven! It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to know if more lizard-things were here or something else, too.¡±


    Devon threw his hand out to the side, forcing the group to stop. He bent down to the ground and ran his hand over it gingerly, as though he was trying to feel energy radiating from the sandy floor. His hand suddenly stopped and he felt the stone with his palm. A sigh escaped his lips, and he grabbed a larger rock, inspecting it closer.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about the enemies at the moment. Traps line the path. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± He tossed the rock about ten feet ahead of them, and an arrow flew across the courtyard from left to right.


    Maven yelped, jumping back. The group all readied their weapons, unsure of what to expect next. Devon stood up and wiped his hands together, a small plume of dust rising above him.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t make out exactly where the arrow came from but spotted multiple holes between stones on either side of their immediate path. There were likely more areas of the path that would cause additional arrows to be shot, but whether it was from a specific spot or just general movement he wasn¡¯t sure. Nothing else in the courtyard gave any indication of being triggered.


    ¡°This will make it more challenging,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But nothing we can¡¯t handle. You spotted it almost right away, Devon. Is it certain spots on the stones or something else?¡±


    Devon carefully stepped forward. ¡°I believe it¡¯s just as we move forward. I¡¯ll stay to the front.¡± He kicked another rock forward and another arrow flew across them in a similar manner, also from the left.


    Wyn looked at John, who nodded back at him with a smirk. The Fighter was serious but confident, and Wyn had a rising feeling inside him that warmed him. It was unusually calming.


    He didn¡¯t know how, but he knew they could do this. They could make it through the floor with their group as Marcy had a higher degree of perception than Devon and they could take their time to map it out.


    Wyn kept repeating that in his mind over and over. They could do this. They could continue climbing the tower.


    The memory of colored mushrooms flooded his mind along with Cedric mapping out their path. He hoped the Wizard was recovering well and vowed to ask Marcy right away when he could see him next.


    In minutes they were across the small courtyard, carefully advancing while Devon made sure they were safe. It took several agonizing minutes and they only crossed about fifty feet, but thankfully no traps were set off by the group following Devon. It was as though once the traps were sprung they were done, much to the group¡¯s relief. The area ahead was more narrow and covered, and multiple paths branched away to lead them further.


    They all stood there, anxiously waiting, checking each path to see if there was a difference.


    ¡°Which looks less menacing?¡± John said.


    ¡°That might be the most dangerous,¡± Wyn responded. ¡°But we aren¡¯t looking to complete the floor. Let¡¯s just pick the middle path and see what we find. Any signs of too much trouble and I¡¯ll activate the portal to get us back.¡±


    The group nodded and let Devon lead them slowly, carefully checking for traps along the ground. It was a laborious process and incredibly time consuming. It took them the better part of an hour to just go a small distance further from the time they entered the ruins, taking a few turns here and there with no signs of enemies or more traps.


    Everyone was becoming more impatient with each step. Devon was being less careful with his approach, the heat causing him to sweat more and groan with each new open hallway they entered.


    ¡°This is getting frustrating,¡± the Rogue said. ¡°If the whole floor is like this it¡¯ll take ages!¡± He kicked a rock forward, hoping to set off a trap - anything to break the monotony.


    Nothing happened.


    John joined him in an exaggerated groan. He wiped more sweat off his forehead and slung the moisture onto the ground. Their morale was waning, and the weather only contributed to the lethargy of the lengthy maze.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but laugh to himself. They had barely entered the second floor and everyone was already hot, tired, and complaining. They certainly weren¡¯t soldiers, otherwise they¡¯d have kept their feelings to themselves and pressed on, following orders as given. They were Climbers. Barely even adults and definitely not trained to withstand such discomforts. Not yet, at least.


    Devon began to walk with a tired gait, flailing his arms and torso to the end of the short path before it turned again. He suddenly straightened and whipped his hand to the pommel of his sheathed sword.


    The group stopped walking, unsure of why the Rogue was alerted but readying themselves for a fight.


    ¡°I hear something,¡± Devon said, his voice short and hushed. ¡°A group moving ahead.¡±


    Wyn tried to silently tiptoe on the other side of the pathway beside Devon, his spear ready to strike.


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


    A group of monsters appeared at the end of their path from the left-hand turn, walking in a structured marching formation. They were Lacerts though much more well equipped than the ones on the first floor. The first two wore heavier armor and chain mail with helmets, along with halberds that were double their height. Behind them was a new creature. It looked like a hybrid between a giant snake and a human, with a long, muscular tail beginning at the hip and recognizable features from the head to navel. Well, recognizable except for the slitted nose and snake-like head and scaled skin. It stood heads taller than the Lacerts and taller than any man Wyn had seen, likely seven or eight feet. There were two swords strapped to the snake-man¡¯s back in a cross formation, and it slithered along between the two Lacerts in an undulating motion.


    Wyn¡¯s heart raced. He knew there¡¯d be all sorts of monsters in the tower but this was definitely frightening. It was much more humanoid and looked fierce. Even though there were only three enemies they seemed to be much more capable than the previous Lacerts, likely even the floor bosses. Walking in a formation showed both intellect and teamwork, and the weapons and armor they wielded were intimidating.


    Devon took a nervous step backwards. Wyn saw his hand quiver above his sword, hesitation evident in his posture.


    Hesitation could be the difference between life and death, and it was crucial to act when necessary. Wyn knew this all too well, though was afraid his teammates wouldn¡¯t be as prudent with their decisions.


    ¡°William, fire!¡± Wyn said curtly but quietly. He trotted forward, trying to close some distance between the enemies. He didn¡¯t want to be caught off guard and was afraid the snake monster would be fast.


    There was a pause. The enemies turned towards them and yelled something, the Lacerts pointing with their giant weapons. A rough snarl left the snake-man¡¯s mouth, and he drew his swords from his back in a rush.


    William still hadn¡¯t attacked. Wyn stole a look back and saw the Mage was frozen in place, Tasha shaking his shoulders to stir him to action.


    John appeared beside Wyn, his sword glowing from the gemstone and shield raised in a defensive position.


    Wyn immediately sliced his spear horizontally to cast Wingbeat, trying to hit all three monsters. The spell flashed through the air, catching the hybrid snake monster off guard. It recoiled for a moment, trying to block the spell with its sword. To Wyn''s surprise, the swords actually deflected the strike, though not entirely. Two large cuts formed on the outer edges of the creature''s torso from the magical slice of air.


    The Lacerts also fared surprisingly well. They braced themselves from the spell, the air cutting across their armor and forearms. Their chainmail took the majority of the attack, and though they were knocked back several feet and arms slashed, they remained standing.


    Wyn''s heart sank. These enemies were even stronger than the champions from the first floor. The difference in power was startling, and he knew they would be in trouble if they couldn''t handle them quickly. Half of their group was more of a liability than help.


    "William, fire!" Wyn repeated, a slight hint of desperation in his voice. "Hold those two back!"


    He stayed focused on the immediate threat, not risking a glance back at his teammates to see if they were coming around or still wrestling with inaction. If he was distracted for even a second, he climbing career would be over here and now.


    The half-snake monster whirled its two swords around like a dancer, graceful and with ease. The blades were wide and curved, a far cry to the standard longsword so common to soldiers and Climbers alike. Bright flashes glinted off the metal, reflecting the sun¡¯s rays in a dizzying display when the angle hit Wyn¡¯s eyes just right.


    In seconds the creature slithered towards him, its body writhing side to side as the large tail guided it along the ground. It was hard to predict where it would stop and attack. It wasn¡¯t like a usual person or Lacert attacking straight on, and its movements were smooth and fluid, unusual for fighting.


    ¡°Arcane Aura!¡± Wyn yelled, wanting to desperately protect himself as he was unsure whether he would be able to defend with only his spear. A white flash of magical armor enveloped him. He took a few steps backwards and stabbed out with his weapon, hoping the extra reach he possessed would be enough to counter the monster¡¯s height and movement.


    When Wyn would stab in one area, the monster simply twisted its body to avoid the spear tip, and appeared to do so easily. He jabbed at it several times in various areas, but each strike hit only air as the monster utilized its snake half well to slither out of harm¡¯s reach. John similarly tried to swipe and stab at the monster but it deflected each hit with one of its swords.


    A sudden loud pop interrupted their fight. The creature looked back to its allies, and Wyn couldn¡¯t help but see what caused the noise, too. Small fires were scattered around the two Lacert soldiers, and they were both rolling on the ground trying to put out the flames that now covered them.


    William had finally cast his spell, and it worked beautifully.


    The snake monster roared in anger and its voice was piercing in the noiseless ruins. Wyn recoiled, wincing at the sound. He recovered quickly, however, hoping to utilize the brief window of time that the creature wasn¡¯t focused.


    Wyn swept in an arc with his spear, aiming for the lower, scaly half of the monster. It hadn¡¯t dodged or deflected the blow, currently focused on fighting John, and the spear cut a large gash across its reptilian body. Blue blood poured from the wound and the snake-man writhed in pain.


    The movement only caused the wound to seep more blood, though it quickly attacked with a fury. Wyn was able to block one sword strike with the shaft of his spear, but he helplessly stared as the other was coming down on top of him. He couldn¡¯t maneuver his spear to block the next attack as well and hoped his Arcane Aura spell would protect him.


    A clang rang out as a shield blocked the sword from Wyn¡¯s shoulder. John was beside him and absorbed the blow with his magical, runed shield. A red glow surrounded his body as he was empowered with his Fighter skill, activated at some point during the fight. He sidestepped around the monster and began to attack it from the side. The snake-man was unable to completely keep up with both warriors, and in the span of several more exchange of blows was cut down from magical spear and sword alike, but not without landing a few hits of its own.


    John and Wyn looked at each other over the lifeless body, both panting, mostly from fear. John¡¯s armor was cut up from the creature¡¯s swords and Wyn¡¯s spell was nearly spent. It alone had landed more attacks than any creature they¡¯d faced so far. It was quick and deadly, and Wyn knew they¡¯d be in far worse shape if they had to fight it alone. The thought of fighting more than one at a time made Wyn shudder.


    Tasha rushed over and inspected them quickly. She had a frantic look in her eyes, her pupils darting over them as her head turned on a swivel. ¡°You both seem okay,¡± she said finally, taking a deep breath. ¡°The difference between them and the monsters on the first floor¡­¡±


    ¡°Is scary,¡± John finished. ¡°Thankfully there were only three of them.¡±


    ¡°One, you mean,¡± Wyn said. He looked over at Devon and William, who were both standing over the Lacert¡¯s charred corpses. Devon pulled his sword out of one of the bodies. He had finished them off while they burned on the ground, William¡¯s spell doing most of the damage. ¡°They took care of the others.¡±


    ¡°Imagine if there were more,¡± John said. He tightened his grip on his sword, steadying his shaking arm. ¡°If I didn¡¯t have this skill I wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep up. I can¡¯t use it every fight, though.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We need a different strategy for this floor. These fights won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    "It should be easier with Marcy," Tasha said. "She can help with traps and help take down anything like that." She pointed with her staff to the lifeless corpse of the snake-man hybrid.


    John and Wyn looked at each other. Wyn knew what the Fighter was thinking - Marcy would be incredibly helpful, but they were still limited with the four of them. This floor wouldn''t be easy, and it only spelled increased difficulties further into the tower, too.


    They desperately needed to fill their group to six members, and fast. He wondered about the three currently joining them. They seemed to have a good rapport and had improved quickly with proper guidance.


    "I''m sorry about that," William said. Using his staff as a walking stick, he walked over to the rest of the party along with Devon. "I... froze. Again." He fiddled with his robes, his eyes darting between the other Climbers.


    "Me, too," Devon said. He scratched the back of his head and stared at the ground.


    "It''s alright," Maven said. "We''ll do better next time. Don''t be hard on yourselves." She smiled awkwardly, holding her staff close.


    Wyn looked at all three of them. Devon and William had shameful looks plastered on their faces, and Maven seemed more fearful than ever. And yet, despite that, they were still here. The three of them didn''t run or hide and eventually acted to help the group. It was better than when he first saw them, and he knew they''d improve in time as long as they were smart and stayed alive.


    However, they still didn''t act right away, and those precious seconds were costly. They''d be fine Climbers eventually, but for now - they weren''t the party members his current group needed.


    "Wyn, what did you think?" John asked.


    Wyn shook his head, lost in his thoughts again. Everyone was staring at him. "Hmm?" He asked, unsure of what he was being asked.


    Tasha sighed. "Here we go again, lost in thought! We asked, do you think we should keep going?"


    Wyn nodded slowly. "Ahh... well, no."


    The others seemed to give out a sigh of relief. John and Tasha simply nodded their heads in understanding.


    "I think we saw what we needed to see," Wyn continued. "No sense in chancing anything further. We can collect our rewards and call it a day."


    "Exactly what I was hoping," William said. "Time for supper and a good book!"


    Devon and Maven chuckled, though Wyn only smiled awkwardly. It felt like they didn''t respect the tower, not fully realizing the danger present. They wanted to leave as quickly as they wanted to climb. If anything, it only solidified Wyn''s thoughts about the contrast between them and his own team.


    "And we should be going, too," John said, sheathing his sword. "But, thank you all for joining us. I''m glad it worked out."


    "Us, too," Devon said. He put out his hand in respect, and they all exchanged final pleasantries and handshakes.


    Wyn took the portal key out from his pocket. It felt silly using it, pretending like he was placing it inside of a keyhole and opening the lock. When he pushed it forward in the air, however, he felt resistance. It startled him, but he continued the process. He turned it and again felt a slight difficulty as magic poured from the key to perform its duty. A familiar portal suddenly opened in the air directly in front of him once it had turned ninety degrees.


    They each entered the portal to return to Alestead, though Wyn stole one last look at the second floor. In just two days they''d push to return here, attempting to accomplish the floor and proceed to the third.


    Their goal was to finish the first tier by the month¡¯s end. Five floors. Five weeks. It seemed easy when laid out simply but safely climbing the tower was another story. Their first week had just begun, though Wyn felt as though they had a mountain to overcome. They''d need more resources both in Climbers and items to succeed, and they''d barely scratched the surface.


    Still, it was necessary. Wyn needed as much gold as he could get to pay off his father¡¯s debts. Climbing higher and often was the only solution. He just didn¡¯t want to sacrifice his or any of his friend¡¯s safety to obtain that goal.

 Book 1 - Chapter 40

    The streets of Alestead were darker than usual though surprisingly not empty. Many Climbers and civilians alike still filled the streets, conversing while the night continued. The night sky was cloudy, the normally illuminating stars above covered and hidden. Magical lamps were the only light source tonight, and despite not fearing anything in the city''s streets, the three Climbers stayed closer together out of habit and comfort.


    "At least they were better than last time," John said, eyeing a stray person across the cobblestone street. He arched his back and rubbed his stomach. "I thought for sure they''d either die or give up, but they did much better than I thought."


    "Both William and Devon surprised me," Wyn added. "William showed a lot of improvement and Devon seemed to have more resolve. As long as they can get a Fighter like you, they should be fine. In time."


    "No one can find a Fighter like me." John flexed his arms theatrically, and Tasha giggled.


    "If you keep eating like you did at dinner, you''ll be right about that," Tasha said, patting John on the back.


    Wyn laughed along with John and he was happy with how good it felt to laugh. He still had reservations about the entire experience but brief moments like these reminded him of the good times he shared with the soldiers in his company. Those times were special, and he knew this experience would be no different.


    "But don''t forget about Maven," Tasha added. "She was the one who wanted to help Devon at the end. I was proud of her!"


    "Yea, I''ve been meaning to ask you about her," John said. "How did you two not know each other? Shouldn''t you have met from your mentors?"


    Tasha blushed and shrank a bit, withdrawing into her robe. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t have the standard Divine Magician mentor.¡±


    John furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°What do you mean? I know we don¡¯t all have the same mentors but you should¡¯ve at least trained together.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I have a private mentor.¡±


    John stopped walking. ¡°You¡¯re not serious. Is that even possible?¡±


    Tasha sighed and kept walking. ¡°My mother demanded I have someone ¡®capable¡¯ to train me. She didn¡¯t trust the mentors already here. To be honest, they hardly trust anyone outside of their social circle. But yes, I''m serious."


    John laughed and shook his head. "My, my. How special it must be to have a private mentor coaching you to climb the tower!"


    Tasha whipped her head to him, her dark curls bouncing in the light of the street lamps. "You''re one to talk! You''ve been training to be a Climber your whole life. Your entire family is better than private mentors by a long shot!¡± She stabbed a finger at his chest. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between that and me having my own mentor?"


    John put his hands up in defense, stepping backwards away from Tasha. ¡°Okay, okay! I see your point! I was only kidding around. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Tasha stared at him for a moment before huffing a breath. She turned back down the street and kept walking.


    John looked at Wyn. ¡°What in the hells was that about?¡±


    Wyn shook his head. He had no idea about the intricacies of the tower. Was having a private mentor seen as being an elitist? Was John seen that way, too, being a second generation Climber? His entire family pursued Alistair and had more items and knowledge than most current Climbers, so what if others saw him negatively, too?


    It didn¡¯t matter to Wyn, in the end. He had dealt with people from poverty to royalty, and they all had different manners of how they carried themselves and treated others. It was each person¡¯s character that ultimately mattered, and both John and Tasha were people of good character, and Wyn knew it. They were his teammates and his friends, and he¡¯d vouch for them no matter what.


    Tasha stopped abruptly before turning back to John and Wyn. Her face softened and she stared at the ground. Breathing a sigh, she leveled her gaze at John. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, too. I¡¯m a bit¡­ sensitive about that.¡±


    John mustered a laugh. ¡°You¡¯re telling me. I didn¡¯t mean any offense by it. Honest.¡±


    ¡°I know. I just don¡¯t have an easy time with others pointing out any advantages it may seem I have. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair but it also wasn¡¯t my choice.¡±


    John shrugged. ¡°I won¡¯t do that. We all took our own path here, after all. And I have my own advantages, too.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Wyn agreed. ¡°We all came for various reasons and through different means. But it doesn¡¯t change how we see each other.¡±


    The three continued walking towards the trading house, huddling close under the street lights.


    ¡°You probably didn¡¯t get much of that in the military, did you?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°Choice, I mean.¡±


    Wyn laughed. ¡°Not at all. Do this, go here, say that. It was all orders until I left. Now I have the freedom of choice but still feel tied down.¡±


    ¡°You mean your debt?¡± John asked.


    ¡°Yes. I can choose my team, my equipment, when to climb or rest. I can even choose my spells with my class, but still have to climb at the end of it all.¡± Wyn sighed. ¡°Bottom line is I need money. Badly.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll help you, too,¡± Tasha said. ¡°With your debt.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Wyn said curtly. ¡°I can¡¯t take on another form of debt. I¡¯d never ask you to do that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you aren¡¯t asking,¡± Tasha said. ¡°And didn¡¯t we just agree we all have the freedom of choice?¡±


    Wyn looked at her. She stared at him intently, no signs of playful banter whatsoever. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He smiled. ¡°And, I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you - you¡¯ve really proven yourself, Tasha. You seem much more comfortable and confident in the tower.¡±


    John let out a snort. ¡°Yea, a far cry to our first climb last week. No offense, but you definitely seemed out of your element!¡±


    Wyn could see Tasha¡¯s cheeks turn red, even under the dim light.


    ¡°I had to grow quickly if I wanted to hold my own,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I think seeing you like that, stabbed in the back and bleeding¡­ I just - I¡¯m going to prevent that again.¡±


    John put his arm around her shoulders. ¡°That sounds like the best plan I¡¯ve heard yet.¡±


    Wyn could¡¯ve sworn he saw Tasha lean into John¡¯s embrace before she slightly shook her head and shrugged him off. Then she jabbed a finger in his side.


    ¡°Still,¡± Tasha said, ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling a bit more useless this season. I hate watching you both do everything.¡±


    ¡°Your Arcane Aura spell has been very helpful,¡± John said. ¡°I feel invincible with it! And don¡¯t take any nasty injuries.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with John,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Taking the load off of me for that spell is invaluable.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Tasha said. ¡°But I wish there was more I could do.¡±


    ¡°Are there other spells to help support us?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Buff is the term Climbers use,¡± John interjected. ¡°Buff for support and debuff for afflictions on enemies.¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Tasha added. ¡°I¡¯ll have to look over the spell book again. I can only support, not afflict, but there are some others to use. We¡¯re so limited with only one circle, though, both in mana and spells available.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You mean we get more spells?¡±


    Tasha and John laughed together.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Tasha said. ¡°Even I know that. Didn¡¯t you read the spell book?¡±


    Wyn felt his face rush with blood. He kept telling Daniel he¡¯d look over the books he graciously placed on his bookshelf but honestly hadn¡¯t even opened one. The thought sounded boring, and he wanted to either climb, search the markets for items, or train. But obviously he¡¯d missed out on crucial information.


    ¡°Not¡­ yet,¡± Wyn said.


    Tasha sighed. ¡°You¡¯re a Mage, Wyn, you need to know this! When we get our next circle we¡¯ll have access to more spells and more mana. It will definitely make things easier.¡±


    ¡°And combat classes get more skills,¡± John said. ¡°A lot more frequently, too. It tends to even out some since I can¡¯t use spells.¡±


    Wyn mentally chastised himself. He came rushing into the tower, thinking his training and experience in the military would¡¯ve been enough to start and climb, but he was wrong. Very wrong. This process was complex and challenging, and likely the reason so few Climbers advance and become veterans.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Alright, then,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I think I should catch up on the intricacies of being a Ruby Magician tomorrow instead of going to the markets.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± John asked. ¡°It¡¯ll be a fun day!¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Wyn replied. ¡°I was only planning to try to trade my magical belt, and if you both still go you can do it for me. I don¡¯t quite think an embroidered silk belt that makes me less of a target for enemies is the right fit. And Tasha¡¯s right, after all - I really do need to learn more about the magic here.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s the right move,¡± Tasha said. ¡°And we can look for another item for you while you catch up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already looking for more magic items?¡± A figure said. They were leaning against the trading house wall in a spot between two street lights, hidden in the dark.


    John and Wyn crouched, ready to attack. Wyn grabbed the knife on his back ready to draw it. Tasha jumped and gasped.


    The figure stepped out from the light, laughing. It was Marcy.


    ¡°That¡¯s not funny!¡± Tasha said. She stomped her foot on the ground in emphasis.


    Wyn and John relaxed, both sighing in relief.


    ¡°It was a little funny,¡± Marcy said. ¡°But what else do you need for the first two floors? You three are getting magic items quicker than any rookie I¡¯ve seen.¡±


    ¡°My mentor told me about some enchanted robes that can help with the extreme weather,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I think it¡¯d be helpful in the heat.¡±


    ¡°No kidding,¡± John said. ¡°I¡¯d take anything to cool off in the hot jungle. It¡¯s miserable.¡±


    Marcy shook her head. ¡°No, no. Trust me, you don¡¯t want that. That¡¯s just an enchantment that helps comfort. You¡¯ll want something more impactful.¡±


    Wyn furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°I didn¡¯t have another idea right now. What would you suggest?¡±


    Marcy smiled. ¡°It¡¯ll be a surprise. I can go with you two tomorrow and help sort through some good trades.¡±


    Tasha clapped her hands. ¡°Oh, yes! This will absolutely be so fun!¡±


    John shot a horrified look to Wyn, which only made him laugh. He was sure Tasha would want to check all of the stores again, and John would be dragged along willingly or not.


    ¡°What about Cedric?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Can we see him soon?¡±


    Marcy sighed. ¡°He¡¯s doing better. It¡¯s really taken a toll on his mentality, though. He said you can come by on Faesday to see him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± John said. ¡°I¡¯d love to thank him for saving me.¡±


    ¡°And he wants to thank you, Wyn, for saving him,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Among other things.¡±


    ¡°What other things?¡± Tasha asked.


    Marcy shifted her feet and shook her head. ¡°Like say goodbye. He¡¯s leaving Alestead. For good.¡±


    *****


    Wyn rolled over in his bed as the sun beamed in through his open window. He kept his eyes closed and soaked in the morning light, taking deep breaths to help himself wake up. A smile slowly formed on his face. He enjoyed the leisure mornings of Alestead where he could wake up when he wanted and perform whatever morning routine he wanted, too. When he was in the field with his soldiers he had strict routines, times, and harsh living arrangements.


    Still, despite the bed being cozy and morning warm, there was work to be done.


    Thankfully breakfast was just downstairs, and he opted to satisfy his hunger before he''d strain his mind. He didn''t relish the thought of sifting through books all morning but knew it was both necessary and important. Having food on his stomach and more in his room for later was important.


    It took him less than an hour to get ready and eat, Wendy serving him as usual. She was particularly speedy this morning, both serving him food and cleaning up. Wyn wondered if she had a sixth sense about her customers or if she was just used to quick turnover in the dining lodge due to the number of Climbers wanting a large breakfast before they disappeared for the day. Regardless, she was as pleasant as usual, and another bright part of his day before the slog of reading began.


    Wyn straightened up his room, periodically looking over at his small bookshelf that was mostly empty, save for the few books Daniel provided him. He was seriously procrastinating reading them, and tidying or cleaning anything he could find. A speck of dust there? Gone. Dripped wax on his desk? Scraped off. Clothes thrown about his room? Placed away to be laundered.


    Another few minutes drained away. He looked out his window again and sighed. How could this be so difficult? It was only reading books. The information was interesting, too, and he knew it would capture his attention once he started. But that was exactly the problem - without being told what to do, starting was never easy.


    Reluctantly, he growled out loud to himself to get it done. His friends were busy with their tasks, even if theirs were much, much more enjoyable.


    He lumbered over to the bookshelf and skimmed the spines. A few of the books he picked up and read the summary. There were books that covered any topic he¡¯d need as a new learner. They included the history of Alistair, the history of Alestead, the basics of climbing, magical items, classes, tiers and upgrades, magic as a whole, spells¡­


    His finger stopped on the spine of the one book he was familiar with. <u>Magic of the Ruby Magician</u>. It was the book he reviewed with Daniel the very first day, when he had his mark placed and chose his first spells. He flipped open the pages and began perusing the book. It wasn''t a very thick book, but he was never one to sit down and read from cover to cover, whether reading for pleasure or education. He was suddenly happy the size was more easily digestible, otherwise he''d be looking at a migraine later in the afternoon.


    The beginning of the book helped explain what he already knew. His mark allowed the use of spells as a catalyst instead of the usually complicated method of using gemstones, knowing the rune formations, mana requirement, etc. It was a complicated process and he blinked several times trying to process the dense information. Thankfully, being a Climber afforded him a much easier method of using spells than the Wizards of the world like Tasha¡¯s father.


    He skimmed the book further to find the spells listed inside. It was broken down categorically by the number of circles on his mark which was a sort of tier list for spells. Apparently gaining a circle was fairly straightforward - advancing to the next tier grants access to that tier¡¯s spells. Spells are categorized by tier one, tier two, and so on.


    This book only had information on the first tier of spells, and it mentioned how he could grow his mark much more than that, though higher ranked spells were more difficult to come by and had more books to explain them and their use. Those spells used more mana, had more effects, and were of course far stronger. Lower tier spells were also upgraded as a Climber grew with their class, and each new effect was slightly different based on their new class. This was obviously a beginner book meant to inform rather than provide true research and study as it didn¡¯t explain further.


    A sigh subconsciously left his lips. More reading, and more studying. Exactly what he wanted.


    He kept looking through the available spells the book listed. There weren''t many, which was confused him. In fact, most of the book was an explanation of the how and why of the Ruby Magician class as a whole, rather than the exact spells he could use. Some of the spells listed were the basic ones he''d seen before and used, like Cure, Ice Shard, and Arcane Aura, but he didn''t see Regen on the list and knew he could use it.


    The pages flew under his fingertips as he reviewed the spells again, more carefully this time. Regen still wasn''t there.


    "Huh," he said out loud. "That''s strange."


    He scoured the beginning of the book again to try to find an explanation. When he skimmed the pages before, he didn''t realize that more than half of the book was a summary, and just skipping around from paragraph to paragraph obviously made him miss some important information.


    He began to read the book from the beginning, finding a comfortable spot in his chair to settle in. Straining his brain was already harder for him than training his body, but it was an exercise all the same.


    In just under an hour, he leaned up from the chair. Finally a relevant part of the book stood out to him, and his heart raced to find the answers. The paragraphs showed him that the Ruby Magician is a unique spellcaster, able to utilize the spells of other classes. He already knew that, but figured he had a specific list he could use. Instead, a brief sentence read that the book wouldn''t list all the spells he could use because they were already listed under the other Magician¡¯s book, and he would need to scour the spellbooks of other classes for compatibility. Apparently under the spell description was a small mark of the Ruby Magician, showing it could be used by his class.


    He groaned. Based on what the book informed him, he''d have to individually search through other books to find the spells he could use. It could take hours, possibly days, and he just didn''t have the time, mental capacity, or desire for such an undertaking.


    It was another question to ask Daniel, and potentially another task if his mentor was gracious enough to find the spells for him. He''d pay him if he had to, but Wyn just couldn''t stomach the thought of searching through so many other books for potential spells to use. Daniel likely had many of the spells already memorized anyway, and Wyn decided to simply ask for a brief list based on what he wanted to do as a Climber.


    The book thumped on the small table as Wyn set it down, still open to the page he was reading. He stood and stretched, basking in the warm light through the window above his small kitchen area. This was the perfect time for a small snack, and he needed a break to think.


    So far, his choice of spells had been mediocre at best. He didn¡¯t have many options, though. Or at least he didn¡¯t think he did. Daniel helped guide him about the basic spells to use but Wyn didn¡¯t press him last week - he only told his mentor about what kinds of spells he wanted to use and Daniel helped him from there. Based on his party makeup, though, he wanted to rearrange a few things.


    He grabbed a clean cup from a cabinet and filled it with water from a pitcher, staring out the window. The view wasn¡¯t great as he only saw the side of a building, but the change of scenery was nice enough. This was far better than the mud-floors of his tent out in the fields, or the barracks during training with soldiers in bunks and no privacy for weeks.


    Wyn then took a deep breath. There wasn¡¯t any point to delaying what needed to be done. He was here for a reason, and his and his team¡¯s survival was partially dependent on his ability to perform well in Alistair. His physical capability would only go so far - he had the means to cast spells and he needed to capitalize on that.


    He strode over to the bookshelf and looked for more books. He saw similar books for Diamond Magicians, a book that covered the elemental magic the various Magicians use based on their gemstone that was basically a thick tome, and a book detailing magical theory and history.


    Wyn sighed again before picking up the largest book of them all - <u>Magic of the Elemental Magicians</u>. He settled back into his comfortable chair, slid the last book to the side, and cracked open the monster of a book. His eyes flittered through the pages and his fingers swept over sentences and paragraphs with a renewed sense of determination. That feeling didn¡¯t last long, however, and Wyn¡¯s pace began to slow as the minutes dragged on.


    *****


    A knock at the door stirred Wyn. He jolted from his chair. The room was darkened as the only source of light he was using was nearly gone. The sun was almost completely set, a faint orange and purple glow creeping into Wyn¡¯s apartment.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Wyn said, as he realized he fell asleep reading through the large spell book.


    Another knock rasped the door, this time louder and more pronounced. A muffled voice came from the other side, drowned out by Wyn scrambling to put the books away and be more presentable.


    ¡°Coming!¡± Wyn said. That bought him a few seconds as the knocks stopped and he rushed to the door. He jerked it open, and Daniel stood there smiling.


    His mentor barked a laugh. ¡°Have you been catching up on some well-needed sleep?¡±


    Wyn rubbed his eyes and tussled his hair. ¡°I was reviewing some books and fell asleep.¡± He yawned absentmindedly.


    Daniel smirked and put his hands behind his back. ¡°Dinner is ready in my apartment. How about you meet me there?¡±


    Wyn nodded gratefully. ¡°It¡¯ll only take me a few minutes to look more presentable. Thank you.¡±


    Daniel waved a dismissive hand at him before walking away.


    Wyn sighed. So much for looking over the spells - he barely remembered what he read. Apparently he fell asleep soon after looking more spells up.


    He¡¯d settle on asking Daniel over dinner about some guidance for the rest of the first tier of the tower. For now, though, he needed to wipe the drool off his face.

 Book 1 - Chapter 41

    Daniel was finishing his plate, soaking up the mushroom sauce with his roll. The chicken was coated in the delectable cream along with sugar coated carrots, creamy potatoes with cheese, and enough rolls to fill a small bakery.


    The cooking staff at the guild hall outdid themselves for dinner, preparing a feast fit for royalty and the elite though served to the hard working Climbers of the tower. Daniel and Wendy were kind enough to bring up a platter to his apartment so he and Wyn could enjoy it in private. Daniel¡¯s apartment was far nicer than it was before, and the food only increased the appeal. Wyn reflected on his own experiences watching others eat food of similar quality while he and his men would have the scraps and slop in their quarters after hours.


    Another perk of being a Climber, he thought.


    ¡°Are you finally ready?¡± Daniel asked. He pushed his plate away from him and filled the empty space with a tea cup and saucer.


    Wyn held up a finger while he finished his own bite of chicken. It was one of the best meals Wyn had ever had the pleasure of eating, and he was enjoying every bite as though it was his last. ¡°Yes,¡± he said, after taking a brief moment to savor the food. ¡°And thank you for being patient.¡±


    Daniel waved a hand in dismissal. ¡°Nonsense. I know you were going to share when you were ready. And you¡¯ve been busy, jumping right into the tower this season. It¡¯s impressive!¡±


    Wyn smiled warmly. ¡°I¡¯ve had a good group with me. They make all the difference.¡±


    ¡°They absolutely do. As your mentor, I couldn¡¯t be happier that you have a group you mesh well with to climb. This is a group effort, after all.¡± Daniel finished making his perfect cup of tea with a dash of honey and set the stirring stick down before enjoying his creation.


    ¡°I know. Well, it didn¡¯t start that way¡­¡± Wyn started, before telling Daniel everything from his first trip into the tower last Faesday.


    *****


    Daniel set down his tea cup, finishing off his third. His tongue was numb after accidentally drinking his last cup too quickly, excited and on edge from Wyn retelling what happened in the final room of the second floor. Wyn stayed silent after telling it, set on making his own cup of tea while Daniel decided to make his fourth.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ an unusual experience,¡± Daniel finally said, processing the story.


    Wyn nodded, content with smelling the scents of herbs and honey in his own cup.


    ¡°The final room shouldn¡¯t have been that difficult,¡± Daniel continued, ¡°let alone the rest of the floor. It sounds like the difficulty of more of the third or fourth floor. The fact that the three of you accomplished that is a miracle.¡±


    Wyn blew on the top of his tea cup, the steam dissipating from his own breath. ¡°That¡¯s what Cedric said. Both he and Marcy mentioned it was harder than a second floor should be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the witch you met. I don¡¯t know if it was a fortuitous encounter or an omen of death.¡±


    Wyn sipped his tea, satisfied that the taste matched the pleasant aroma. ¡°I¡¯m choosing to say it was positive since she gave me the Tower¡¯s Blessing skill and magic item. Oh, and let me live.¡±


    ¡°Too true. I think I¡¯ll side with you on that one.¡±


    They both sipped their tea as the firewood popped in the fireplace. Wyn jerked his head towards the sound, but quickly relaxed seeing what happened. How an apartment room had a functioning fireplace was beyond him, but everything in this city seemed to be heavily intertwined with magic, so he thought nothing more of it.


    Daniel noticed the reaction. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the situation of you recalling your time in war, as well.¡±


    Wyn snorted a puff of air. ¡°Situations, you mean. It unfortunately happened more than once.¡±


    Daniel smiled softly. ¡°You¡¯re right. Not a good occurrence within the tower. Or anytime, for that matter. Has it happened again this season?¡±


    Wyn sighed and took a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s what I can¡¯t figure out. It was only during that trip. I haven¡¯t had another spell since, though I¡¯m not complaining.¡±


    Daniel nodded, agreeing. ¡°Maybe it was your first dangerous trip into an unknown environment, surrounded by people you didn¡¯t know and someone you didn¡¯t trust. The first time back in a life or death situation. But they could have stopped since the incident with Cedric. Maybe you pulling him to safety and saving his life was cathartic in some way. You did save his life, Wyn. That¡¯s both a noble feat and something to be celebrated.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that. And honestly, I¡¯ve had the same thought. I do believe that exact situation and him living was some sort of subconscious redemption, as ridiculous as that sounds.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound ridiculous at all! Though why do you feel as though you need to be redeemed? From what you said, what happened on that battlefield was out of your control. It¡¯s not your burden to carry.¡±


    Wyn held his cup of tea, trying to find warmth from the thin stone cup in his hands despite the fire roaring beside him. It was as though an internal cold crept inside him, and he was looking for any source to fight and overtake that absence of heat.


    ¡°I still carry that with me,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Even if it wasn¡¯t my fault. I don¡¯t believe it was, but being in the middle of that¡­ and how I left didn¡¯t help either.¡±


    Daniel raised his eyebrows, though didn¡¯t respond. He simply drank another sip of his tea.


    Wyn took the hint to continue. ¡°I was dishonorably discharged. So they say. It wasn¡¯t my call to be on that hill or push to the enemy, but I was blamed nonetheless. I was just following orders that shouldn¡¯t have been given. It was a trap and I was stunned and furious after. But in a way I was happy to leave so I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with it again. Coming home, though, I found my family¡¯s debt with the worst group and decided to come here. I hated leaving my sister but this isn¡¯t the place for her. I just¡­ I had no other option. Though now I wonder if I made the right call.¡±


    Daniel took a deep, drawn out sigh. He didn¡¯t want to respond - he felt as though words wouldn¡¯t quite do justice along with his pity for Wyn¡¯s situation. Being a soldier was hard enough, but a leader in war being used as a pawn seemed even worse. Wyn¡¯s tenure obviously affected him heavily, and coming home to find insecurity was packing on the pain.


    Still, he wanted to be a safe space for Wyn. Maybe in time he¡¯d open up, too.


    ¡°Well, often just talking it out and sharing is helpful,¡± Daniel said. ¡°If you ever want to share more I¡¯ll listen.¡±


    The two sat in silence for several minutes, sipping their cups of tea after dinner by the firelight. Words didn¡¯t need to be said. Not at the moment, at least. Enjoying each other¡¯s company was enough, and they were both grateful for their own reasons.


    ¡°Have you thought about what spell you¡¯ll choose for the skill you gained?¡± Daniel asked. He decided to change the subject, knowing full well the previous matter needed to be over for the current conversation.


    ¡°I can¡¯t decide, actually. Don¡¯t Ruby Magicians already have a combination of spells from the other classes?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. We are a rare combination of almost all of the other Magicians - the Divine¡¯s support and healing and the various elemental¡¯s attack prowess. With some Fighter skills thrown in there, but they don¡¯t have spells, of course. Only Magicians and Sorcerers in your tier can cast spells.¡±


    Wyn stared into the glow of the fire, content with holding his tea. ¡°So the skill isn¡¯t that helpful? I figured any more ways to have more spells would be a nice bonus. And it says I¡¯m not limited by the class.¡±


    Daniel chuckled, his beard bobbing with the small shakes of his head. ¡°That¡¯s not exactly what I meant. It¡¯s a great boon! You may not have many options now, but what about when you¡¯re in your third tier and can have a spell that¡¯s limited to a specific class? You could pick and choose based on your skill set. That¡¯s an incredibly unique, and honestly powerful, effect.¡±


    Wyn stopped his cup right before it met his lips. ¡°I¡¯ve been so focused on the here and now I haven¡¯t thought nearly that far ahead. That¡¯s great news, actually, for a class considered to be awful.¡±


    Daniel scrunched his face. ¡°You know, it saddens me that that¡¯s our reputation. No one sees our flexibility as useful anymore, able to perform any role at least competently when climbing. The current recommendation is only to have roles filled by the most ideal class, but you can bypass that with a cohesive group.¡±


    Wyn furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°You said anymore. What do you mean?¡±


    Daniel sighed while leaning closer towards the fire. ¡°Years ago, when I first became a Climber, Ruby Magicians were actually popular. Some older Climbers here - mentors, residents, even some merchants - will remember. Our versatility was an asset. Every party wanted at least one of us, just in case their group met something they weren¡¯t ready for because we have the ability to manage quite a lot. But over the seasons as the tower has slowly changed and the Climbers have quickly changed that perspective morphed.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Only the gods know, but I have a hunch. Apparently one of the top guilds a couple of years ago determined that floors could be cleared faster with what¡¯s called a three-two-one team. Three melee combatants, two ranged Climbers, and one support healer. They said it was more efficient. And, when they would find out the makeup of the floor, they said they didn¡¯t a Climber who could handle anything when they knew what was coming. Other guilds took notice and adopted the strategy, and it trickled down to new groups as the seasons went. Now it¡¯s nearly a standard practice.¡±


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Wyn sat back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. ¡°That disregards so much. What works for one group of six won¡¯t work for another.¡±


    Daniel clapped Wyn¡¯s shoulder and squeezed softly in a friendly gesture. ¡°If only everyone saw it that way. Their argument was they could use various kinds of magical equipment to make up for any downfalls. But you can help them change, Wyn. I see that.¡±


    Wyn smiled and then cleared his throat. He wasn¡¯t expecting for Daniel to put so much faith in him. He was only here to make money, after all, not change an entire social structure.


    ¡°So I can choose any of them, then?¡± Wyn asked. For some reason Daniel had a way about pulling him out of their current conversation. ¡°The spell, I mean.That sounds a bit ludicrous picking from any class. Surely that wasn¡¯t what was intended?¡±


    Daniel shrugged. ¡°It says what it says.¡± He took a long sip of his tea.


    Wyn jerked his head to the fire when one of the logs popped. He tensed for only a moment.


    ¡°Well, I misspoke earlier,¡± Daniel said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, either I¡¯m far too tired or my mind isn¡¯t what it used to be! But the Hunter also can use spells. Granted, it¡¯s a major step down compared to what you already have access to, and the Sorcerer has nearly the same list of spells right now.¡±


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but feel stuck again. He thought the skill was truly a blessing, a leg up on the other Climbers here that he greatly needed. But, as is expected, it seems as though it was fairly limited at this point. If he climbed higher, then new opportunities would show themselves - but he needed to get there, first.


    ¡°So, I can just get another spell, basically.¡± Wyn shrugged his shoulders. ¡°You know, I can¡¯t be upset at that. Another spell is another tool.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re exactly right! What is it that you need?¡±


    Wyn folded one leg over the other and scratched his chin. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to think that way. I think I need to change my strategy a bit.¡±


    Daniel furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°What do you mean? It sounds like this week has been going quite well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it has! I have a great group with me. We get along well and they are more than competent - they are some of the best in their class and personality. But I still feel like I¡¯m missing something. I can¡¯t put my finger on it.¡±


    Daniel sat back, mimicking Wyn by placing one leg over the other. ¡°I¡¯m not following. Explain.¡±


    ¡°I want us to succeed in the tower. My ultimate goal is to pay off my debts. To accomplish that, I need to climb higher and clear floors more often. To accomplish that, I need to be more powerful. Power will secure me coin, safety, and keep my teammates safe, too.¡±


    Daniel smiled. ¡°Of course. That¡¯s a very standard outlook for the tower, you know. But it¡¯s something more specific than that, too, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Wyn nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve been choosing a variety of spells. I have something for different scenarios - a ranged spell, a defensive spell, a healing spell, and a spell to make my weapon magical. Granted, I need to change that now, too, since everyone in my group has a magical weapon.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound bad, Wyn. It sounds like you¡¯re being smart, using the resources you have to the best of your ability. Remember, our class is made to be broad.¡±


    Wyn put his leg down and leaned into the fire, sighing all the while. ¡°I just don¡¯t know. It feels like it isn¡¯t enough. I don¡¯t know if I need more skills from items or something else, but I feel like I need some form of focus. I¡¯m lacking that right now.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s think about your current team setup as a whole. John is a Fighter using a sword and shield. From what you¡¯ve told me he¡¯s a more than capable melee combatant, smart in battle, and trustworthy. Tasha is growing with her confidence, an adequate healer, and takes instructions well. And Marcy is holding back, obviously, though is able to handle any threat at a distance and alerts everyone to danger.¡±


    Wyn ran his fingers through his hair, scuffing it up. Daniel explained their group so well and simply that it made him second guess his own ability to analyze his team. Granted, his mentor had much more experience in the tower as well as all matters regarding Climbers, not to mention life experience as a whole. Wyn was still young despite his time at war. He was used to managing inexperienced soldiers over familiar terrain, not rapidly changing magical environments and handling magic.


    Hearing it out loud cleared the situation up, however. Wyn didn¡¯t need ranged spell attacks unless the group was separated from Marcy, which was unlikely, not to mention his new spear had a mid range magical attack. They had all decided to always keep their group together anyway since they were smaller in numbers. The odds of him needing to use a ranged spell was low, and if he were to use it, it was likely just to relieve the pressure off of Marcy - though Wyn knew she could probably handle nearly anything herself the first floor or two.


    When he used his Flamebolt spell on the first floor in the river it was mostly to try it out. Marcy could¡¯ve hit every Lacert on that floor several times over. Plus, having the ability to use Wingbeat from his spear was plenty at the moment.


    So, Wyn thought, he could scratch out having a ranged spell attack - for now, at least. It would reduce the chance of him using his Dyadcast skill but there could be other ways to implement it.


    Without that and his Magic Weapon spell, he had two free options. Well, three, actually, with the addition of his new Tower¡¯s Blessing skill. He wanted to keep his optional healing just in case, and having support spells would be beneficial.


    A strategy suddenly clicked into Wyn¡¯s mind. He shifted in his chair before grabbing another roll off the platter.


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But I need some guidance.¡±


    Daniel simply waved him on with his hands.


    Wyn picked up on the cue, not missing a beat. ¡°Marcy is more than capable to handle anything at range, like you said. So I can cut my Flamebolt spell for now. I¡¯d like to keep my healing and support. But maybe that¡¯s just it?¡±


    Wyn paused, and Daniel tilted his head.


    ¡°What do you mean that¡¯s just it?¡±


    ¡°I mean, being support. Diamond Mages are one of the best healing and support classes but they¡¯re limited. They don¡¯t have anything to support their defenses outside of spells like relevant skills, they typically don¡¯t use weapons, and they can¡¯t wear traditional armor - right?¡±


    Daniel nodded slowly, trying to mentally catch up to Wyn¡¯s train of thought. ¡°That¡¯s all true, yes, though magical cloaks and robes help make up for that.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± Wyn continued, ¡°I have all those things Divine Mages lack. I can wear armor. I have a weapon that affords me some reach and has a magical, mid range attack. My skill Speed Up gives me the ability to maneuver myself fast to support or attack. I can heal or support from anywhere while still having the ability to attack in the middle of direct combat.¡±


    Daniel nodded faster now, seeing where Wyn¡¯s strategy was coming into play. ¡°You can essentially be a controller.¡±


    ¡°Like a battlefield controller.¡±


    ¡°Precisely. They can be crucial in a well rounded group, often changing the flow or outcome of a fight. Usually they are Sorcerers or skilled Rogues with good skills or items.¡±


    Wyn ripped off a bite of his roll, thinking and chewing. ¡°So what would be good spell options for me as a Ruby Magician controller?¡±


    Daniel smiled and propped his feet in front of the fire. ¡°Keeping Regen is good. Shield or Barrier would be helpful to give you quick, additional defense for yourself or an ally for either physical or magical attacks. Let Tasha use Arcane Aura since it takes more mana to use. You could use a short range magical attack to either stagger an enemy or inflict a fair amount of damage since you¡¯ll be fighting monsters directly anyway.¡±


    Wyn stopped mid-chew and sat up straight. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± He said, with a mouthful of his roll.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t commonly used spells because it requires the Mage to be up close, but they¡¯re sometimes chosen to have as a last resort until movement-based spells become more usable at tier two. They are elemental based, firing a short blast of magic directly in front of you. I think it¡¯d be very helpful for your strategy.¡±


    Wyn smiled. ¡°I do, too. So that¡¯s one other spell to have. Swapping the defensive spells makes me have two other options.¡±


    Daniel tapped his finger on the table, taking a few seconds to think. ¡°I think both Flash and Feeble should be your last two spells to pick.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of Feeble. And Flash causes a bright light to distract and blind enemies, right? I remember reading that and liking it!¡±


    ¡°Yes, that should be perfect for you! Feeble is actually from the Onyx Magician spell list. They¡¯re a rare class like us though they focus on afflictions and death, the opposite of the Diamond Magician. But the spell causes enemies to have a curse, reducing their defense, attack power, speed, everything.¡±


    ¡°That seems a bit strong.¡±


    Daniel laughed. ¡°It is! But the class is rare and depends on curses to reduce the strength of enemies, so they have powerful spells. It should work well for your other spell from the Tower¡¯s Blessing skill since we can¡¯t normally use their spells. You should have a book on the Onyx Magician in the stack I gave you for your bookshelf.¡±


    Wyn rapped his knuckles on the table. ¡°That¡¯s perfect, then! I¡¯ll set on making the changes tonight before we climb again tomorrow. Thank you, Daniel! That was incredibly helpful!¡±


    Daniel picked his teacup back up and sipped it contentedly. He simply nodded in response while he resumed his drink.


    Wyn stood up but then paused. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I choose these spells before? It makes so much more sense now.¡±


    Daniel laughed, hearty and full. He spilled his tea but he didn¡¯t care. ¡°Remember when I said you were rushing to go climb into the tower? We could¡¯ve discussed this over training and began this season with this spell list and strategy. But at least you came to it now. That¡¯s what matters!¡±


    Wyn slapped himself on the forehead. Of course Daniel was right. If he would¡¯ve taken his time he could¡¯ve learned more about the intricacies of magic and climbing as a whole, though he didn¡¯t regret his decision. What happened happened, and he learned from both successes and mistakes.


    Wyn bid his farewell to the elder Magician and set off back to his room, hoping to finish scribing his spells quickly so he could get a good night¡¯s rest. He had an exciting day tomorrow, and needed to be as healthy as possible.


    *****


    Wyn yawned again, the fourth time in less than a minute. The candle was nearly burned to the desk and the moon was well over halfway through its path in the night sky. Both sources of light were diminishing, and Wyn was more than ready to sleep.


    He put his quill back in the jar and marveled at this spell sheet. Sleep was minutes away, but he wanted to review his newly forged spell sheet one more time.


    <u>Flash</u>: Conjure a bright flash of light that dazzles and blinds creatures that see it. Covers approximately 20 feet of space in front of the caster in an arc. The light dissipates immediately, and would not work as a source of illumination. Consumes a small amount of mana.


    <u>*Feeble</u>: Place a curse on a creature that reduces their strength, durability, and overall vitality by a bit. Target must be close. Lasts for approximately 5 minutes before the cursed creature gradually returns to normal over the span of 1 minute. Consumes a smaller amount of mana.


    <u>Shield</u>: Conjure a magical one-sided barrier resembling a large shield, able to deflect physical attacks of comparable strength for a time. Consumes a smaller amount of mana.


    <u>Regen</u>: A healing spell that will heal the user or target over a period of time. Heals basic wounds, not able to cure diseases or remove poisons. Currently takes more time to heal and consumes a less moderate amount of mana.


    <u>Fire Blast</u>: Spew a stream of blazing hot fire in a 15 foot stream in front of you. Initially consumes a small amount of mana, though will continue to consume mana if the caster keeps the spell active. The caster must willingly stop the spell or it may consume all available mana.


    Satisfied with his new spell list, Wyn folded his parchment and haphazardly went to bed. He had a big day tomorrow, and he was ready to both show his friends his new spells and climb the second floor.

 Book 1 - Chapter 42

    Wyn breathed in the early summer air with a refreshed mind. Talking with Daniel helped more than he thought. He never had anyone to talk about his time at war, and the older man was both compassionate and understanding. Wyn felt a sense of peace when he fell asleep, and thankfully that same feeling stayed now that he was ready to climb. He made a mental note to talk to Daniel more. Hopefully the time would allow him to have some calmness about his mental state as well as help with his occasional flashbacks.


    The walk to the tower was pleasant and Wyn immediately saw Marcy waiting at the base of Alistair. She was wearing her usual climbing gear but had at least a dozen more arrows in her quiver and a larger pack on her back. She was also talking to a large man with his own large backpack and war hammer on his belt. It seemed like they were locked into an important discussion. The man was actually who Wyn spotted first, as his towering figure was hard to miss even in the sea of Climbers.


    Marcy caught his eye and waved him over. The large man straightened up and nodded his head as a hello.


    ¡°Good morning, Marcy,¡± Wyn said, ¡°and hello, Cal. Good to see you both.¡±


    ¡°Wyn,¡± Cal said. He put his hand out to shake. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure.¡±


    Wyn shook it, a bit intimidated by the size difference. He had forgotten how large his hands were, like he was shaking a bear¡¯s paw rather than a person¡¯s.


    ¡°Cal and I were just talking,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I think we should bring him on for our climb today.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°Interesting. I¡¯ll never say no to having someone I like, but do you think we need a Mapper? No offense, Cal. I thought you¡¯d be more used on a higher floor.¡±


    Cal shrugged. ¡°No offense taken. We usually are hired for the second tier or higher or contracted out by guilds. But I¡¯ve been on the second floor mostly the last few days since it¡¯s a bit of a maze.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯m sure Marcy filled you in on our goal for today?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did,¡± Marcy said. ¡°And when I saw Cal here the idea to bring him along struck me like an arrow to the brain. We could use him, especially since we¡¯re climbing multiple floors.¡±


    Wyn nodded his head. ¡°I think it¡¯s a great idea!¡± Wyn pointed to the war hammer on Cal¡¯s side. ¡°Is that just in case? I don¡¯t know how standard it is for Mappers to carry weapons or to have skills.¡±


    Cal¡¯s cheeks flushed and he turned his body to hide the weapon from Wyn¡¯s view, shrinking a bit at the same time. ¡°Some Mappers can fight, sure. But it¡¯s always a good idea to carry a weapon in there. You just never know.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh,¡± Marcy said. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to fight for us if you don¡¯t want, Cal.¡± Marcy quickly shot a glance to Wyn and cleared her throat. ¡°We can handle the fighting, I¡¯m sure of it. We¡¯re just looking to complete the first and second floors.¡±


    Wyn scratched the back of his head. He immediately understood Marcy¡¯s look, and felt a bit embarrassed. Obviously his question was rude, though it wasn¡¯t obvious to him until after the fact. Thankfully Cal was a bit too sheepish to call him out. Wyn made a mental note to be more thoughtful in the future - this wasn¡¯t the military¡¯s strict and gruff operation, and there were far more intricacies than he was familiar with.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Cal said. He straightened back up, regaining a few more inches to his height. ¡°I can carry some items, too. I¡¯m a bit of a Mapper and Packer hybrid.¡±


    ¡°Lucky us,¡± Marcy said. She clapped her hands together. ¡°We just have to wait for the others and we can get going. The earlier the better.¡±


    As if on cue, John and Tasha emerged from the growing crowd. A new bag was slung across Tasha¡¯s shoulders in place of the standard leather backpack she wore before, nearly hidden under her Mage robes. Wyn spotted a new pouch on John''s belt, too, and a smaller leather backpack was slung over his shoulder.


    Unlike before, Tasha wasn¡¯t having to drag John this time. They both happily walked over, laughing.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Wyn asked. He smiled, though wasn¡¯t sure why.


    ¡°Just a dumb joke,¡± John said.


    ¡°Per usual,¡± Tasha said. ¡°As you all know.¡±


    Marcy sighed. ¡°See, Cal, like I said - we¡¯ll be escorting children.¡±


    John scrunched his face in a rude gesture, playfully dismissing Marcy¡¯s comment. He put a hand out to Cal. ¡°I don¡¯t think we met before. I¡¯m John.¡±


    Cal shook his hand. ¡°Cal. I¡¯ll be your Mapper today.¡±


    John¡¯s eyes grew large when Cal shook his hand. ¡°A Mapper? Excellent! You seem more than capable. It¡¯s a pleasure.¡±


    Cal nodded curtly then looked over at Tasha before giving a slight bow. ¡°You must be Tasha. Good to meet you, as well.¡±


    Tasha smiled and return the bow. ¡°Likewise. I¡¯m assuming one of these two already informed you about our goal today?¡± She wagged a finger between Marcy and Wyn, eyeing them both.


    ¡°I did,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Are those what I think they are?" Marcy pointed to Tasha''s bag and John''s belt.


    John smiled. "You bet! We were able to get exactly what we were looking for!" He unslung the pack from his shoulder and handed it to Wyn. "Here you go. Your very own Magical Storage Bag! It can store way more than it seems and won''t get heavier. Should be a perfect alternative to using a Packer for now."


    Wyn took the bag and inspected it. It was made of fine dark brown leather under the obvious green magical glow. Several buttoned pockets adorned the sides and front, outside of the main compartment where a buckled flap was fastened. He slung it onto his back and it felt incredibly snug. Then he took out his parchment with the ITEMS category to read the bag¡¯s description.


    <u>Lesser Spatial Marcaroo Bag</u> - Made from the leather of the Marcaroo, this bag is magically enhanced to hold far more than it seems. Items up to six feet in length may be safely stored in the main compartment with a weight limit of 50 pounds. The items inside will not move, but be temporarily frozen in time and space. The weight of the bag doesn¡¯t change no matter the contents. The outer pockets serve as normal pouches.


    "This is perfect," Wyn said. "I don¡¯t need much more than 50 pounds anyway. I doubt we¡¯ll be finding many items per climb for awhile. Thank you for getting this!"


    "Thank Tasha," John said. "She was the negotiator for it. And I put the potion in the side pocket. The belt you had was only enough for the bag and one health potion, though. That merchant really liked it for its effect."


    "I¡¯ll gladly take this bag any day. I still appreciate it."


    "I''m guessing your bag is similar?" Cal asked, pointing to Tasha''s shoulder bag. "Maybe you all don''t need me to Pack for you, then."


    Marcy patted Cal''s shoulders, having to reach higher than her head. "Don''t worry - there''ll be plenty of use for you yet."


    ¡°And yes,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Though it stores more smaller items. So I can carry extra potions and accessories and Wyn can carry the gear.¡±


    "Oh, and this," John said, grasping the pouch on his belt. "I was able to trade the cloak from last week for the pouch and a couple of gemstones! Now I have an aquamarine and amethyst for some elemental flexibility!"


    "That''s great," Wyn said. "It''ll be a long day today but we can do it. We''ll rest when we need to to recover - mana, food, water, everything."


    "I can help with that," Cal said. "If that''s alright."


    Wyn smiled. "Of course! Thank you."


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Marcy sighed. "Alright, already. Let''s get going." She immediately started walking away towards the hallway of portals.


    Everyone followed, eager to start their day and to keep pace with the Ranger.


    ¡°Always in a hurry!¡± John said. ¡°We have all day!¡±


    Marcy kept walking, not bothering to turn around. ¡°True, but I haven¡¯t been to the second floor like you all. It¡¯ll take a little longer.¡±


    ¡°We can manage, though,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯m with John. I still don¡¯t want to rush it.¡±


    Marcy turned, now trotting backwards to keep her pace. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re both right and wrong.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°I mean, we can definitely manage it because I plan to rush us through the first floor. You all just have to keep up. But we aren¡¯t stopping at the second floor this morning.¡± Marcy reached into a hidden pocket on her belt that seemed far too shallow for her hand, her hand and wrist magically disappearing. She then pulled out a portal key. ¡°We¡¯re going to the third floor.¡±


    *****


    Wyn stopped to rest, doing his best to take slow, deep breaths. Marcy wasn¡¯t lying when she said she would rush through the first floor. They barely emerged from the portal before she got her bearings and began to forge a path through the thick jungle. The first encounter of Lacerts was laughable, too, as Marcy quickly killed them by firing arrows at a dizzying speed without even slowing down.


    Tasha was doing her best to keep up with the group, obviously in less shape than the rest. She never stopped jogging once despite the three groups of enemies they encountered that Marcy single handedly slew.


    John trotted up beside Wyn and put his hands on his knees, also taking deep breaths. ¡°What in the hells¡­ is happening,¡± he said, pausing to take a breath. ¡°This wasn¡¯t exactly¡­ what I had in mind!¡± Despite his fitness he was already dripping sweat. His armor and gear didn¡¯t do him any favors for staying cool.


    Wyn nodded, wanting to save his energy instead of talking. He began to pull up two canoes at the river, one for him and John and the other for Cal and Tasha. The Mage and Mapper both lagged behind a bit, though thankfully not too far.


    ¡°Marcy, maybe slow down a little?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°This is absurd!¡±


    Marcy laughed. ¡°I¡¯m tired of slogging through these floors, Wyn. It¡¯s high time we moved on!¡± She put a foot on the edge of her canoe, stretching her limbs to stay warm. She wasn¡¯t breathing nearly as heavy as Wyn or John - if anything, she looked like she was still energetic and could go faster.


    Tasha and Cal joined them at the riverbank, Tasha breathing heavily and Cal scanning their area. He wasn''t breathing hard at all, and looked to be similarly as well off as Marcy. That was interesting to Wyn, and he didn''t imagine him being as fit or as capable physically as a Climber, especially with his build.


    Tasha looked at Marcy and shook her head with wide eyes, not even bothering to speak. She threw her hands up in the air before bringing them down and slapping her sides. Marcy only laughed in response again.


    "I''ll lead," the Ranger said, "Cal and Tasha in the middle, and Wyn and John in the back. Just try to keep up." She pushed her canoe out with her foot and hopped inside it before sitting and grabbing an oar. There was no stopping her, and she was pushing as fast as before.


    Tasha looked at Wyn in disbelief while Cal simply readied their canoe. He helped the Diamond Mage inside while grabbing an oar himself.


    Wyn''s heart raced thinking about the canoe. It was one thing to ride the river, but it was an entirely new beast to try to keep up with Marcy while also trying not to tip over. He gingerly climbed in behind John, both men taking their usual spots.


    John took another deep breath before rowing a hard stroke with his oar. "I think we only have to stay floating and keep pace. I have a feeling she''ll kill anything that might give us trouble."


    Wyn barked a laugh. "Easier said than done. I don''t care about Lacerts right now - I just really, really don''t want to flip over." He didn''t even bother raising his head to see the direction they were heading - he trusted John to steer them as long as he could keep rowing so they wouldn''t be left behind.


    After what felt like an eternity, Wyn finally felt John steer them harder to the left. He fought against his instinct to keep his head down and looked up to see what was happening. Sure enough, Marcy was docking her canoe and exiting the river. Somehow Cal and Tasha were already on the riverbank docking as well.


    Wyn breathed a sigh of relief the instant their small wooden boat came to a stop at the muddy edge. He threw the oar back into the boat and used his spear as a walking stick to get as far away from the river as possible.


    "At least we won''t have to do that again," Wyn said. "Hopefully that''ll be the last time we have to navigate that death trap."


    John only laughed while kicking mud off his boots. "Maybe so. But Marcy''s already gone! I''ll be ready once we stop running through this damned hell." He wiped a large pool of sweat off his forehead and face with his sleeve before trotting deeper into the woods after the others.


    Wyn heard a strange roar that stopped him in his tracks. John, not too far in front of him, also stopped, before they both rushed further behind their group. In seconds they were back in the jungle thicket, though a small clearing gave them some space to see.


    Marcy rolled under a javelin that flew across the area, sticking into a tree and wobbling from the impact. The instant she was upright she sprang onto her knees, an arrow knocked and bowstring pulled. She fired it at the Lacert that attacked her, and the arrow sunk deep into its left eye. It let out a similar yelp that the others heard seconds earlier before falling onto the grassy floor next to its brethren.


    There were four dead Lacerts scattered around, all with either a single arrow through their head or multiple arrows in their chest. Marcy immediately slung her bow around her and collected what usable arrows she could from the carnage.


    "Wait, damnit!" Tasha said.


    Marcy stopped mid-bend of an arrow and turned around. "What?"


    "I need... a minute!" Tasha fell to the ground on her knees trying to breathe. She sucked in air hard like the wind was knocked out of her.


    Marcy groaned while placing the arrow in her quiver. "I''m sorry. I thought you could keep up."


    "We can," John said, "but she needs a bit more time." He knelt beside Tasha and fanned her with his hand. He was sweating more than she was, but his endurance was obviously much higher.


    Wyn noticed something different about the arrow¡¯s fletchings that protruded from the corpses. He walked over to one and inspected it closer. The feathers were blue with a small white stripe in the middle, all three fletchings identical. He hadn¡¯t noticed Marcy¡¯s arrows having that style before.


    ¡°What kind of arrow is this?¡± Wyn asked.


    Marcy stepped over and knelt down beside Wyn. She took off her quiver and held it out in front of her so he could see it better. Large runes faintly glowed along the opening, and the entire quiver was made of a dark leather with an identical white stripe parallel to the arrows. If Wyn¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t playing tricks on him, there was a dull blue aura around the entire item.


    ¡°This quiver makes arrows over time,¡± Marcy said, as she flicked the butt end of the arrow sticking out of the dead Lacert¡¯s chest beside them. ¡°These arrows are only magical in the sense that they¡¯re kinda like copies.¡±


    Wyn eyed the quiver again. Sure enough, despite Marcy having shot over a dozen arrows so far, the quiver looked just as full as when they entered the tower. She collected arrows when she could, but not that many. ¡°So it copies the arrow with this fletching allowing you to have an endless supply?¡±


    ¡°In a sense. As long as I don¡¯t shoot all of them too fast for the quiver to copy, I should have an endless amount, yea.¡± She slung the quiver back on her back and stood up. ¡°I was serious when I said I didn¡¯t want to slog through these first two floors. Tasha, are you ready?¡±


    Tasha stood up and took one more large gulp from a water skin. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We can rest longer on the next floor.¡±


    Marcy patted her on the shoulder. ¡°Thatta girl. Don¡¯t worry - we¡¯re almost there.¡±


    In minutes they emerged into the final clearing. Sure enough, the portal to the next floor rested behind two large, lumbering Lacerts in a familiar layout but still slightly off. The setup looked the same, but everything was mirrored to their floor from yesterday.


    ¡°Let me guess, you¡¯re going to take them both out before we step one foot into the clearing?¡± Wyn asked.


    The Ranger nodded her head. ¡°Exactly right. No sense conserving my mana right now. Just walk to the portal - it¡¯ll be open before you get there.¡±


    ¡°Have you always been a show off?¡± John asked. He shrugged and sighed. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to swing my sword once!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be as daring on the second floor,¡± Marcy said. ¡°But this is familiar at this point. You¡¯ll see in a couple of seasons. Fox now, save your resources and let me do what I need to.¡± She stepped out from the edge of the forest and immediately fired an arrow into the closest giant.


    The arrow struck it in the throat, and it¡¯s roar was muted from the impact and item now lodged into it. It dropped its weapon and began to claw at the arrow. Unfortunately for it, two more arrows soon came after, both sinking deep into its chest.


    Marcy slowly stepped forward while systematically firing one arrow after another. Once she put the fourth arrow into the first monster, she turned her attention to the second. In response to her attack, the next creature was already charging at her, but she simply smiled and pulled her bowstring a little further than normal.


    ¡°Ignite.¡±


    Runes suddenly appeared at the end of her arrowhead, a large fire forming at the center right at the tip of the arrow. She loosed the arrow and it zipped across the clearing, smacking the giant directly in the chest. The impact caused the monster to stumble backwards, and its chest smoldered from the fire, a small crater now appearing in its torso.


    Marcy promptly followed up the magical attack with two more regular arrows, both finding purchase in the newly exposed flesh.


    True to her word, the Ranger downed both enemies before the group even made it half way across the clearing.


    Cal hesitantly walked past the two giant corpses though wanted to inspect them himself. The second one¡¯s chest was still smoldering though he waited a few seconds for the bodies to ripple and dissolve back into the tower.


    ¡°Here are two claws,¡± he said, standing and holding out two Lacert claws. They both emitted a soft green glow. ¡°Your reward, Marcy.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± the Ranger said, grabbing and putting them into her pack. ¡°Every little bit counts, right?¡±


    Cal nodded slowly. ¡°Yea. Right.¡± He watched as she smiled and walked to the portal as though she didn¡¯t just single-handedly kill her way through the first floor.


    ¡°Crazy, right?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°I think she¡¯s far too strong to be partied up with us, but here we are.¡±


    ¡°No offense, but I agree,¡± Cal said. ¡°She looks more like the guild members who climb the third tiers. I haven¡¯t personally seen a Ranger before, either.¡±


    Wyn smiled. ¡°We¡¯re lucky to have her. Hopefully she won¡¯t wise up and leave anytime soon.¡±


    He stomped his spear on the ground twice, following the rest of the group into the portal. Cal was right behind him as they both entered the clear portal to the next floor, leaving behind the first floor jungle likely for the last time.

 Book 1 - Chapter 43

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    Wyn emerged from the portal in stride, stepping out into the small clearing that bordered the temple ruins. He took a few deep breaths to settle himself, thankful that he was already tolerating the portal trip better.


    Tasha promptly sat down in a small shadowed patch of grass directly outside the jungle. The stone arch that signaled the entrance into the ruins wasn¡¯t too far in front of them, and again the layout was different than yesterday but still familiar. She reached into her bag up to her shoulder and searched around before pulling out some bread. Her water skin was already out and in use.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Cal asked. He sat on the ground beside Tasha and took off his backpack, stretching his back and arms.


    Tasha gulped down her water for several seconds before letting out a satisfied sigh. "I am, surprisingly. All that running in the humid jungle did me in."


    "Do you want me to make something?"


    Tasha furrowed her eyebrows at him and tilted her head. "What do you mean? Do you have a secret compartment of food somewhere in that pack?"


    Cal chuckled. "I have the means to make food. Pots, pans, ingredients - I can cook some lunch if everyone wanted."


    Tasha shot up onto her knees, dropping her water skin in the process. "That''s so resourceful! I think that''s a great idea. We can climb longer and take our time without needing to go back to Alestead for food!" She climbed to her feet and fumbled with her staff, rambling and clumsy in her excitement. "What do you all think?"


    John sat down beside Cal and sprawled out on the ground, taking a large whiff of the jungle air. "Not a bad idea at all! I''m not hungry right now, but I''m open to the idea."


    Wyn watched Marcy inspect the large stone arch at the edge of the ruins. She wasn''t in earshot, instead taking in the environment since this was her first time on the second floor for the new season. Wyn had a feeling like she was still able to hear them, though, thanks to her advanced perception of her surroundings.


    "I think it''s a good idea, too," Wyn said, rolling his shoulders and stretching his neck. "Though we should probably push on for a bit first. It could take awhile in there, and we need to make the best use of our time."


    John groaned as he stood up, then put out a hand to help Cal stand up, too. The Mapper grabbed his forearm and pulled, and John was yanked forward before replanting his feet and using his other arm to help Cal the rest of the way.


    "You know, you''re a stout guy," John said, rubbing his arm after helping Cal up. ¡°If you wanted to fight instead you''d make a hell of a Climber.¡±


    Cal''s cheeks flushed as he scratched the back of his head. "Yea... thanks. Maybe." He quickly slung his backpack on his shoulder and hurried down to the ruin entrance.


    John furrowed his eyebrows. Wyn made the same face, and they looked at each other in confusion. That was more than a strange reaction. Cal was shy, sure, but that was a fairly dismissive response.


    Under the stone arches, Wyn felt a bead of sweat fall down his cheek. It was unfortunately just as hot here as the jungle, but he was thankful it wasn''t as humid. From their vantage on the clearing he could tell the ruins held a few pockets of shade where stone held together for small spots on ceilings or corners, or tall walls shading the stone paths from the sun''s rays. Those areas would serve as good places to take breaks, though they could also hold more traps or enemies.


    The entirety of Alistair was a death trap, but its design made it manageable. At least so far.


    The courtyard ahead of them was empty and quiet. It wasn¡¯t long - maybe fifty feet until the next section, Wyn guessed - but it seemed more frightening due to its innocent and inviting appearance. It looked similar to last time, except the appearance was slightly changed, like trying to create something new from a dream or memory. The sandstone path was smooth except for various pebbles and debris, and the walls on both sides were halfway broken apart. Excerpts into other parts of the maze were visible behind the sides, though Wyn wasn¡¯t sure it was possible to scale them and break the traditional layout that was obviously set before them.


    "So these are the ruins,¡± Marcy said, not taking her eyes off of the scattered stones and path ahead. ¡°And you said there were traps in each section?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Devon found, but not every section,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Just this first section was trapped. It looks innocent enough, but arrows flew out of various holes in the stones on either side.¡± Wyn pointed to the stones on the sides of the small courtyard ahead of them.


    ¡°I can sense them,¡± Marcy said. She knelt down onto the ground and softly ran her hands across the stone surface. ¡°It¡¯s a distance trigger. Something that weighs enough and goes far enough will set it off. So dust or pebbles won¡¯t set it off.¡±


    John picked up a stone and chucked it forward, letting it skid across the ground. Two arrows flew across the path from each side, one a bit further than the other. They bounced harmlessly off the stone on the opposite side. It was strange, too - the arrows were nearly silent except for the brief whoosh when they were fired and the twang of hitting rock.


    ¡°There¡¯s two down,¡± John said, smirking. ¡°Is it that easy?¡±


    ¡°For this type of trap, yes,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Though I have a feeling there will be other kinds the further we go. These floors are designed to be strategically overcome rather than brute force, so we likely won¡¯t find many wandering monsters, either.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Tasha said. ¡°We encountered a group pretty quickly last time. They were different and harder than the first floor, too.¡±


    Marcy snickered. ¡°That comes with the territory. Each floor will obviously be harder. The trick is finding out how much harder, and surviving it. Then, after a few climbs through the floor figuring it out, it¡¯s much more manageable.¡±


    Wyn stepped forward, unafraid now that the traps had been set. He reached down and picked up another rock, throwing it forward. The stone set off another arrow, and he advanced down the path, knowing it was safe. He reached for one more stone, carefully throwing it so it wouldn¡¯t go far past the wall that separated the courtyard from the next section. Marcy needed to check each new path, but he figured he could at least contribute along the way.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t so bad,¡± John said. ¡°And we have no shortage of rocks.¡± He kicked a rock to the side with his boot.


    Cal slammed a small book shut, and the pop made the others jump. He looked at them sheepishly before slowly putting the book in a pocket. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just taking notes.¡±


    Wyn laughed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just unexpected. You¡¯re already taking notes?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Cal said. ¡°I started a small drawing to help us navigate, and made a note about the trap. There shouldn¡¯t be more than a few different kinds of traps here.¡±


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    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Have you helped another group on this floor, Cal? Do you have information about what others have found?¡±


    The Mapper smiled softly and adjusted his pack. ¡°Funny enough, I¡¯ve only been on the first and third floor so far. This is new for me, too.¡±


    John¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Oh! So you know about the third floor! What¡¯s there? Enemies? More traps? It¡¯s the temple, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Not now,¡± Marcy said. ¡°We can discuss it when we rest. We still have to climb this floor, John.¡±


    John put his hands up defensively. ¡°Alright, alright. I was just curious!¡±


    ¡°Curiosity and cats,¡± Marcy said, walking forward to the next section. ¡°You know what they say.¡±


    John moved his mouth mockingly behind her, using his hand as a puppet to emphasize his point.


    Marcy repeated the same tactic as before, kneeling on the ground and inspecting the stone floor. It only took her seconds before she stood up and clapped her hands together, a small cloud of dust forming.


    Wyn smiled to himself. Devon did the same thing before.


    ¡°No traps here,¡± Marcy said. ¡°This is going to get old fast having to check every section.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s like the sections of mushrooms,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Until the next branch the path was the same. Maybe here it¡¯ll change once we find the next portion of the whole floor?¡±


    Marcy nodded her head. ¡°That¡¯s likely. It¡¯s still annoying, though.¡±


    Wyn sighed. ¡°I know.¡±


    The group slowly moved forward, section by section, just like the last time they were here with the others. It was tedious and boring, but safe.


    Eventually they came to a wider, longer section of broken stone that was reminiscent of the courtyard at the beginning. At the other end wasn¡¯t a continuing section but a perpendicular cross way, their first branching path of the ruins.


    Marcy stopped at the edge and crossed her arms. ¡°No traps here, but it seems odd. I can¡¯t put my finger on why, though.¡±


    John walked forward, hand on his sword hilt where an amethyst gemstone was socketed. ¡°Could be the enemies like before. Maybe that¡¯s the next section you mentioned?¡±


    Marcy straightened suddenly before grabbing her bow and drawing an arrow. "I sense something coming. Get ready.¡±


    Wyn grabbed his spear and walked a few feet away from the group, giving himself some distance between them. ¡°I¡¯m going to distract them, then Marcy, pick off what you can. John, be ready for a fast follow up.¡±


    John moved forward slowly along the path, repositioning himself. Marcy stayed put with an arrow nocked, ready to attack whatever revealed itself behind the crossing way ahead.


    A small patrol of Lacerts stepped into view from left to right. It was a different setup than last time - there were only three of them, two carrying halberds and one carrying a sword and a shield. They weren¡¯t quite as armored either, which made Wyn wonder if they met champions last time.


    The creatures quickly yelped in surprise seeing the Climbers, readying their weapons and crouching to move into position. Wyn wasn¡¯t too far from them, though, and stepped forward to close the gap he needed.


    ¡°Flash!¡± He yelled, and held his hand out in front of him. He didn¡¯t know whether the magical light would affect him, too, but he decided to close his eyes just in case. In an instant a bright flash erupted from his open palm flooding the monsters in white light.


    They all immediately screamed and held their hands or arms over their faces and eyes in response. One of the Lacerts holding a halberd dropped it. They all stumbled back, disoriented.


    ¡°Now!¡± Wyn yelled, hoping Marcy and John would take advantage of the opportunity. He didn''t wait for them as he wanted to end this quickly, only hoped they¡¯d act fast. Taking only a couple of steps he lunged out with his spear, stabbing the closest Lacert in the stomach. He was aiming for the chest, but due to it writhing in blindness, his target moved, and the spearhead dug deep inside its abdomen through the armor it wore. The wind element of the spear again worked in his favor, and it felt much easier to strike in addition to the spear being able to pierce the armor and cause more damage.


    While pulling the spear out, the Lacert screamed louder, its eyes wildly rolling around uselessly. It clawed out in a panic, though Wyn was at a safe distance due to his weapon''s reach. He stabbed it two more times in quick succession, and the third blow felled the flailing creature.


    Wyn turned, ready to attack the next creature, but was too late. John had stepped to another one and attacked it, and was currently pulling the entire blade out of the monster''s chest in a sickening sound. The sword was a rich purple, imbued with the wind element from the amethyst stone. The third Lacert had an arrow sticking out of its chest, and John promptly slashed it across the entirety of its torso with a harsh swing that nearly separated it in two.


    There was a brief moment of quiet, the only sounds being a few deep recovering breaths from the two warriors.


    "That was new," Marcy said, as the rest of the group walked over to the aftermath.


    "Yea, but amazingly useful," John added. "Why haven''t you used that before?"


    Wyn started to wipe the blood off his spear but stopped when it started to dissolve back into the tower along with the monster¡¯s bodies. He wondered if he would ever get used to that.


    "I just added it," Wyn said. "I changed a few spells to be better support. I realized I needed to utilize my ability to have spells more, and I''m hoping what I chose now will be good enough for awhile. I still favoring using a weapon and want my spells to complement that and all of you."


    "It''s definitely helpful," John said. "That spell will be great to use again. How many times can you use it? You know, before your mana runs out."


    Wyn checked the mark on his forearm. Only the outer circle was glowing, showing that he had barely used any of his mana. It wouldn''t take long to fully recover, either, especially if they didn''t meet too many more groups of enemies.


    "In quick succession, and using no other spells, likely six or seven times," Wyn said. "Though I have a feeling I won''t need to worry about that since I''ll gain my mana back before long. That spell didn''t use much."


    "That''s a spell from my list," Tasha said, more as a statement than a question. "I haven¡¯t really heard of it being used at all, but it really was effective. I might need to add it just in case."


    Wyn nodded. "It''s not popular because you have to be closer, and it''s not ideal for you to be too close, right? That''s what my mentor mentioned, at least."


    "Yes, that''s what I was told, too," Tasha said. She fiddled with the hem of her robe and furrowed her eyebrows. "But it''s definitely useful. I''ll have to remember that."


    "You''re useful, he''s useful, we''re all useful," Marcy said, waving her hands in the air. "We all know we''re useful. Let''s move on, already - I think this is the start of the next portion."


    Everyone agreed and moved on, Marcy leading them. Tasha stayed behind them as they walked, and Wyn could sense something was wrong with her. She might have wanted a bit of privacy from the others, so he walked slow to let them get a bit ahead.


    "Everything okay?" Wyn asked. He lowered his voice so he wouldn''t be overheard too easily.


    "I guess," Tasha said. "I''m just... still feeling useless. I want to help more. That''s all."


    "Tasha, you are an incredibly important part of our group. I wouldn''t want to climb at all without you here. I know you aren''t doing as much now, but your healing and support is crucial. Honest."


    Tasha sighed and shook her head, her black curls bouncing around her shoulders. "I know, I know. Maybe towards the end of this season we''ll already be at our class upgrade. I¡¯ll be ready for more and to do more.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get there. I know it.¡±


    The group stopped again, Marcy standing before a new pathway. She was looking around in all directions, trying to spot something.


    This particular path was still broken stone, but it seemed different somehow. The stone path and walls were darker, and the debris that littered the ground was more grey than brown, like stone from a building rather than sand. The ceiling was still gone as the sun illuminated their path and brightened the area. The path was even, large square blocks of stone, where before it was simply a large stretch of sandstone.


    Overall, there wasn¡¯t much difference, as they were still in ruins and still outside. But it was still obvious.


    ¡°So we¡¯re definitely in the next section,¡± Marcy said. ¡°See the sconces on the walls? Or where they¡¯re intact, at least. That¡¯s new.¡±


    ¡°Kinda like we¡¯re in some inner portion of a castle?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Sort of,¡± Marcy said. ¡°But more like the inner workings of a temple. This is the same environment, after all, and the large temple is likely the next floor. It¡¯d make sense that this would¡¯ve been an outer portion of that temple long ago, and is now in ruins.¡±


    Wyn tried to see what Marcy pointed out. Sure enough, there were remnants of a sconce on the back left wall, or at least what remained of both. It was hardly noticeable, but the Ranger spotted it and apparently spotted others.


    Marcy stepped forward before immediately jumping back. The square stone she stepped on was pushed down an inch below the rest of the path.


    Everyone froze, waiting to see what would happen. Slowly the square stones in front of them dropped down, and a loud clatter came from below them. Wyn and Marcy peeked over the edge trying to see what happened.


    About twenty feet below them was a pit of many jagged, wooden spikes along with the crumbled remains of the stone flooring. The pit was three stones long, easily over ten feet, and stretched the entire width of the path.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Tasha asked.


    Wyn turned to look at the others with a frown. ¡°Not good.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± John asked. He walked over to the pit¡¯s edge. ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Yea,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to jump it.¡±

 Book 1 - Chapter 44

    ¡°There¡¯s no way in the great hells that I can jump that,¡± Tasha said. She was standing next to the rest of the group peering into the pits, though still a foot¡¯s length behind them out of caution. ¡°Are you all insane?¡±


    ¡°No, just realistic,¡± John said. ¡°Do you see a plank or other means of crossing? Do you have a fancy spell that can levitate us across?¡±


    "No, I do not," Tasha said, putting one hand on her hip. She met John''s eyes with a piercing stare of her own. "Maybe the rest of you all could jump it, but how can I?"


    John shook his head and sighed. "I don''t know. You seem light enough, maybe we can throw you across?"


    Tasha punched him in the shoulder.


    Wyn smiled, taking a moment to enjoy their back and forth banter. Despite the situation, it was still funny to see.


    "Tasha, let''s think through this," Wyn said, still smiling. "Truthfully, it''s only a small gap. Soldiers practice drills like this all the time. You''d be surprised how far you can jump with a running start."


    ¡°Exactly!¡± John said, walking backwards. ¡°I¡¯ll even be the first one to do it if it¡¯ll make you feel better.¡±


    Tasha snickered. ¡°You falling into a pit full of spikes to your death? Sure, that¡¯ll make me feel better.¡±


    John crouched, readying himself for a running jump, before standing and putting his hands on his hips. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re joking or not. Are you joking? Actually, don¡¯t answer that. I don¡¯t want to know.¡±


    Sheathing his sword and putting his shield on his back, John readied himself to jump. He inhaled deeply followed by exhaling sharply once, then again, and then took off in a sprint straight towards the pit. He jumped at the last second, leaping up and forward. Tasha covered her eyes, unable to bring herself to watch the outcome. The others couldn''t take their eyes away, eager to make sure John could make it without issue.


    The Fighter cleared the pit by several feet, rolling to a stop on the other side. His shield clanged against the stone path when he rolled, taking most of the force. He stood and brushed the dust off his armor and pants, waving to the others in celebration while stepping backwards.


    A stone plate under his left foot sunk a few inches, and he instinctively stepped forward towards the first pit. Another large section of the path crumbled away, and he was now standing between both holes with wide eyes. The intact, safe portion of stone was the same length of the pits - about ten feet long.


    Wyn quickly gauged the total distance of their current section. It was about thirty feet long until a split hall veered both left and right. The two pits made the center section where John was standing nearly the exact center of their path, at least on a quick estimation. Likely, that was the only other pit present, but it made running and jumping that second hole far harder.


    "Is it the same width?" Wyn asked. "That second hole?"


    "Looks like it," John answered. "I don''t know about running and jumping over this one. I don''t think I''ll have enough room."


    "Great," Tasha said, covering her face with one hand, "exactly what we needed - another death pit!"


    Marcy shot her a sideways glance that Tasha ignored.


    "So it looks like enough room for us to make it to John, at least," Wyn said. "But I''m not sure about crossing that second hole. Marcy, you and John will likely make it. Cal, do you think you can jump that? No offense, but I''m not quite sure of your physical abilities."


    Cal nodded. "Yea, I can make it. I''ll be able to make the second jump, too."


    The rest of the group turned their heads and looked at the Mapper, various looks of confusion or disbelief covering their faces.


    "What?" Cal said. "I''m stronger and more athletic than I look!"


    Marcy laughed. "That''s good news more than anything. Just pleasantly surprised, is all. But the question here is how can we convince Tasha to jump it?"


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to convince me,¡± Tasha said, snapping in response. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Of course I need to cross it. I won¡¯t get a spell for something like this until I upgrade my class or find an item that lets me fly, and that would far too expensive. We do it the old fashioned way for now. I may need some help, though.¡±


    ¡°I have a plan,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It¡¯s easy and straightforward, but you¡¯ll need to trust us. Okay?¡±


    Tasha nodded her head with a stern look and gripped her staff with a firm grip. ¡°What do we need to do?¡±


    *****


    Cal and John had their arms out ready to slow down Tasha¡¯s momentum. Wyn was standing by the pit in a crouch, and Marcy was whispering additional words of encouragement into the Diamond Magician¡¯s ear. The girls stood at least ten feet away from the first pit, enough for a head start but not enough to discourage Tasha about being able to perform the next jump with much less running distance.


    Marcy turned and nodded to Wyn, while Tasha took another deep breath followed by a loud exhale like John.


    ¡°You can do it,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Trust us. We got you!¡±


    ¡°Yea we do,¡± John said. He bounced back and forth on both of his feet, eagerly awaiting the Mage. His sword and shield were on the ground away from him to free up his space and focus. Cal stood beside him having already made the jump, anxiously waiting to play his role of catcher.


    Tasha immediately began to run in a sprint, Marcy running alongside her, holding her left hand. The moment she stepped at the pit¡¯s edge, Wyn put a hand on the small of her back and Marcy mimicked him on the left side, both supporting her by pushing her forward and up. Tasha pushed off with a groan, leaping to the best of her ability. She practically flew through the air, easily clearing the distance and landing in the arms of both Cal and John. The men easily caught her, stopping her progress and holding her in a comforting hug safely on the solid stone.


    Tasha immediately threw her arms around John, hugging him tight. He held his arms up and away from her, looking at the others for guidance. She wasn¡¯t letting go, though, and he slowly patted her back reassuringly.


    Tasha¡¯s eyes flew open at the realization of her situation of still hugging John tight around the neck. She practically pushed herself off of him, again adjusting her robes and dusting herself off. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, nodding to the Fighter with as much etiquette as she could muster. ¡°And thank you as well, Cal.¡±


    Cal looked away at the ground and cleared his throat. ¡°Umm¡­ you¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Marcy quickly leapt over the gap, easily clearing it without so much as a head start. She landed gracefully on the balls of her feet, entering a crouch silently upon landing. She turned and smiled. ¡°Last one, Red Mage.¡± She held her hands out like she was about to give him the biggest hug possible.


    Wyn tossed his spear over, careful to throw it sideways so it wouldn¡¯t cut or stab the Ranger. She easily caught it and set it down along with John¡¯s equipment.


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    Wyn now backed up a few feet, estimating the distance he¡¯d have for the next jump. He didn¡¯t want to be overconfident, but he also wanted to make absolutely sure he could clear the next pit with the same strategy. If not, well - he¡¯d need to come up with something quickly.


    He took several hard steps, sprinting the short distance before leaping off the edge of the pit at the last second. The warm air cut across his face as he soared through the air, and he knew he¡¯d make the distance easily. He landed as the others steadied him, ensuring he wouldn¡¯t go too far.


    ¡°Alright!¡± John said, clapping his hands. ¡°That worked out well! Only one more to go in the same way and we¡¯ll be set!¡±


    ¡°As long as we can make it without the extra distance,¡± Tasha said. She paced along the patch of stone, cautious to not go too close to the pit¡¯s edge.


    John backed up to the side of the first pit before taking a few more deep breaths. He put as much power as he could in the few steps he had available before jumping at the edge. He flailed in the air with his arms and yelped, but landed on the other side with relative ease, clearing the pit with a couple of feet to spare. A sigh left his lips and he cautiously stepped around, not wanting to cause a potential third hole to emerge.


    ¡°We should be alright,¡± Marcy said. ¡°There likely isn¡¯t another one.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Wyn said, happy that his estimation before was affirmed by the veteran. ¡°Let¡¯s keep the same process, then. Cal, you¡¯re -¡±


    On Wyn¡¯s right, he felt a small surge of wind cut him off mid sentence. Cal pounded with his feet in his strides and grunted with a leap. He jumped the pit with his pack and weapon like before, the added gear not slowing him down in the slightest. A loud thud shook the stones at his impact, and he landed with practiced ease beside John.


    John looked up at him, his eyes wide. ¡°Well alright, then. Show off.¡±


    Cal smiled awkwardly, his lips curling and cheeks beat red. He turned to face the others and spread his arms like he was waiting for a hug. ¡°Ready when you are.¡±


    The others carefully tossed their gear over that they weren¡¯t comfortable holding. Wyn¡¯s spear and backpack, Tasha¡¯s staff and pack, and John¡¯s equipment all systematically were thrown over, the two men catching them and setting them in a pile.


    Marcy stood beside Tasha again, holding her left hand. ¡°You can do this. You saw how easily you went over the last one. It¡¯s the same thing!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I know I can. I¡¯m just¡­ scared is all.¡±


    Marcy clapped her other hand over Tasha¡¯s and took a deep breath. ¡°Come on, St. Clair. We got you.¡±


    Tasha hopped up and down on her feet several times. ¡°Alright. You ready?¡±


    The men all nodded.


    Tasha leaned forward and pushed against the ground hard, mimicking John and Cal. Just like before, Tasha was pushed forward by Wyn and Marcy, and she jumped across the gap. The large stone underneath her foot shifted slightly, and she screamed in the air. Thankfully she had plenty of force behind her and she landed into the other men¡¯s arms without difficulty. They all breathed a sigh of relief, and Tasha stepped off to the side breathing deep. She wiped her face with the sleeve of her robe.


    Marcy deftly leapt to the other side without hesitation, having no issue with the block of stone. ¡°Come on, Wyn. It should be fine.¡±


    Wyn prepared himself, too, hopping up and down. He scooted to another stone block just in case, not wanting the edge to give way. He rushed the few feet he had and jumped.


    The stone under his foot crumbled into the hole, and he fell more than he went forward. The lack of stability under his feet prevented him from having any sort of solid ground to push against. He flailed at the realization, and the others scrambled to their edge of the pit, not knowing what else to do. Marcy and John each reached out a hand, but it was in vain. They were just too far away.


    Wyn quickly realized he wasn¡¯t going to make it across. It felt as though time slowed down in those precious seconds. He guessed he likely wouldn¡¯t even be able to get a hand on the other edge - he was falling too much and didn¡¯t have enough push forward. He reached to his lower back and pulled out his dagger as fast as possible, slamming it into the earthen wall of the other side of the pit the instant he hit it. The dagger went into the earth up to the hilt, but he still fell, the weapon only cutting into the dirt. At least it slowed his descent. He dug his boots into the dirt wall and clawed it with his left hand, but his momentum was still too great.


    Any moment he¡¯d fall into the spikes, and he knew it was inevitable. He changed tactics and pointed his free hand to the bottom. ¡°Shield!¡± He yelled, and a large, circular barrier of magical force appeared below him. The spell activated just in time, popping into existence the moment before he would¡¯ve been impaled. His feet slammed into the magical barrier. It acted more like a small platform to stand on, separating him from the spikes.


    He looked up at the edge where the others were looking over. John let out a sigh of relief, and Marcy disappeared from his view.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how long my spell will last!¡± Wyn yelled. The spell was vague as all spells were, with its mana cost, defensive ability, and active timeframe. It¡¯s description only said it would last ¡®for a time¡¯. Now was definitely not the time to test that time, either. He thought about quickly digging out hand and foot holds in the dirt to have a place to secure himself just in case.


    Something suddenly hit Wyn in the head, causing him to flinch. He looked up and saw the end of a rope, knotted and dangling.


    Cal stood at the top holding the other end. ¡°Grab it!¡± He yelled down before disappearing.


    Wyn¡¯s heart raced. Knowing the spell could dissolve at any moment was terrifying, as it was the only saving grace separating him from dropping into the spikes. He quickly sheathed his dagger and tugged the rope, testing the strength. It was stout, and if he didn¡¯t know any better, he¡¯d think it was tied to something sturdy. The instant he pulled he was yanked up and off the spell where it suddenly disappeared. He put his feet onto the wall again, hoping he could climb up the wall as long as the other end of the rope was secure.


    Even though it only took him half a minute to climb the wall, it was an agonizing amount of time. Adrenaline surged through his body, and he raced up the side to his freedom. When he approached the edge, he shifted from the rope to the stone, and felt Marcy and Tasha grab his arms and armor to lift him up.


    Wyn floundered onto the safe ground, lying there while he caught his breath. He looked up to see Cal and John holding the other end of the rope, both serving as the anchor. They knelt over with their hands on their knees now, recovering from the strength necessary to hold Wyn and help pull him up as well as the frantic urgency of the situation.


    Everyone took a few moments to collect themselves from the sudden turn of events.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Wyn finally said in an exhale, looking at all of them.


    ¡°That was smart,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Using that spell like that.¡±


    Wyn shook his head and laughed. ¡°It was purely a guess. I¡¯m glad it paid off!¡±


    Marcy snickered. ¡°Me, too. I think that spell will serve you better than Arcane Aura anyway. Leave that to Tasha.¡±


    Tasha stood over Wyn, holding his spear out. He stood up and grabbed it from her, nodding in thanks.


    ¡°Next time,¡± Tasha said, ¡°I¡¯ll a have spell to prevent that. I promise.¡± Tears fell down her cheeks, and she wiped them with the back of her now-free hand. Her gaze didn¡¯t change, though, looking right at Wyn.


    He knew that look. He¡¯d seen it many times with his soldiers. It was the look of someone who was pushing past regret into change, deciding to leave their negative feelings behind and vow to both do better and be better.


    ¡°I believe you,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Thank you for trusting us, too.¡± He looked behind her at Cal and John who were both readying themselves to continue. ¡°Guys - thank you both.¡±


    ¡°Thank Cal,¡± John said, not taking his eyes off his sword and sheath that he was still fastening around his waist. ¡°He was the one who pulled out the rope so fast.¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to do my part,¡± Cal said. He readjusted the straps on his backpack, fiddling with the buckles. ¡°It was nothing.¡±


    ¡°Well, it was something to me,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯d be dead if you didn¡¯t drop that down for me.¡±


    Cal shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sure you would¡¯ve found a way to escape one way or another.¡±


    ¡°When it comes to magic,¡± Marcy said, ¡°anything is possible. Eventually. But let¡¯s keep going. I want to finish this floor sooner rather than later.¡±


    ¡°And we still have a break soon,¡± Tasha said. ¡°It¡¯ll be needed after that debacle.¡±


    Marcy suddenly spun on her heels readying her bow, while John drew his sword with a slight delay. A guttural roar came from the left intersection followed by a loud hiss. Two of the large snake-men slithered out of the hall further ahead, both swinging swords wildly, their bodies creeping across the stone floor like giant snakes.


    Marcy immediately fired at the closest snake monster, though it easily writhed out of the arrow¡¯s trajectory, only suffering a glancing blow. The creature picked up speed as it came closer, seemingly heading straight for Tasha who stood by herself. She froze, clutching her staff with both hands, panic overtaking her.


    ¡°NO!¡± John yelled, though he was too far to make any relevant impact in the moment.


    The monster towered over Tasha, raising its sword and hissing one more time before slashing down. Tasha closed her eyes and winced, anticipating the sword to strike at any time.


    A loud clang in front of her roused her and her eyes shot open. Cal stood beside her and the monster, his war hammer intercepting the attack and dispersing the force. The Mapper pulled his hammer behind him in a flash with both hands and slammed it into the side of the creature with surprising speed and strength. The impact boomed with a small gust of wind, and the monster¡¯s body cratered under the hammer before flying into the side half wall. It crumpled against the stone, slumping in an awkward bend into a monster mess.


    Tasha¡¯s robes whirled around her from the hammer¡¯s contact, dust flying all around them. She blinked several times, unsure of what, exactly, just happened. Unfortunately she didn¡¯t have time to ask as more of the snake like monsters slithered towards them from the same path ahead.

 Book 1 - Chapter 45

    John¡¯s arm shook from another sword blow against his shield. He was thankful for the magical item but knew he couldn¡¯t keep defending against the snake-creature like this for long. The monster was fast, able to strike quicker than he expected, but fortunately it wasn¡¯t too strong. He had trained to defend against stronger attacks before, but he was still wearing down from the day¡¯s climb and heat.


    ¡°Defense Up,¡± John said, activating his skill. A red aura enveloped him and his shield, weighing heavier on his body than his Focus skill. He instantly felt a surge of energy flow into his muscles, strengthening them and his body. The drawback was that his movement slowed, the skill leaning more towards an immobile defense.


    The monster attacked again, swinging its sword sideways in a slash. John¡¯s shield was already in position and the attack easily clanged off of it. The creature lurched back in recoil as if it just hit a block of stone.


    ¡°Wyn!¡± John yelled. ¡°Pinch it!¡±


    Wyn struck down the Lacert in front of him, slashing across its body with his spear. The one behind it was already dead with arrows sticking out of its chest. Another was rushing him but an arrow struck its shoulder, throwing it off course and knocking it down.


    Wyn turned and moved back, seeing why John asked for help. He was in a defensive stance, his shield close to his body and his sword down. The snake-man hybrid was overwhelming him. Wyn rushed back towards it, leaping into a stab with his spear.


    Thankfully the monster was still focused on attacking John and the stab went deep into its back. The creature screamed, the sound shrill and piercing unlike anything Wyn had heard. He pulled his spear out of its flesh, a rush of blue blood flowing away from the now-gaping hole his weapon left inside it. The resistance felt as easy as the Lacerts, and Wyn assumed the monster was also associated with the earth element. It would make sense as it resembled their lizard-like bodies but he hadn¡¯t known for sure.


    As the monster turned to strike at Wyn, John used the opening to slash at it, and his sword caused another deep gash, his weapon imbued with the wind element from the amethyst gem at its hilt.


    The two warriors quickly cut the creature down, overpowering it with magical and tactical advantages.


    One final twang of Marcy¡¯s bowstring followed by a dull thud of an arrow sinking into flesh signaled the end of their current fight. The area was now strangely quiet.


    John fell to a knee and dropped his sword to the ground. The aura around him dissipated and he put a hand to his side. There was a large gash where his armor ended, and he pulled his bloodied hand away. The dark red liquid dripped onto the sandstone floor but stopped when he replaced his hand.


    Tasha was beside him in an instant and put a hand over the wound. ¡°Cure,¡± she said, as her staff glowed with magic. The wound quickly healed as the skin stitched itself back together.


    John sighed in relief. ¡°Thank you, Tasha. That¡­ feels much better than being cut open.¡±


    ¡°That goes without saying,¡± Tasha replied. ¡°At least it wasn¡¯t worse.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of,¡± Wyn started, ¡°Cal - that was beyond incredible. What in the hells is that hammer made of?¡±


    Cal put the hammer on his belt through a small loop. ¡°It¡¯s not that special. Just has a knock back effect. It¡¯s helpful for keeping enemies away.¡±


    ¡°It is special,¡± Tasha said. ¡°You saved my life with it. Thank you.¡±


    Cal scratched the back of his head. ¡°Do all of you always thank each other all the time?¡±


    Marcy barked a laugh followed by a deep, drawn out laugh causing her to bend over and hold her stomach. The others all had varying looks of embarrassment or annoyance, though Cal was the most embarrassed of all.


    ¡°What did I say?¡± Cal asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Just finally got Marcy to crack up, is all. Consider that a success no one else has been able to accomplish.¡±


    Marcy wiped her eyes as her laughing slowed down. ¡°Oh man, that was amazing. Even made me cry.¡±


    Wyn let the Ranger recover while he surveyed their small battlefield. The monster¡¯s bodies were dissolving as usual with nothing mundane left behind. But a glint of magical aura caught Wyn¡¯s eye. Something was left behind.


    He walked over to the flickering light on the ground. It was from the body of the snake monster that Cal killed, now nowhere to be found. When he looked down, he saw a short sword glowing green in a familiar magical aura. It was like the dagger he had from the last season - plain and simple without any indication it was magic except for the aura it radiated.


    "Nice, a short sword," John said. He was looking over Wyn''s shoulder while he held the sword. ¡°That¡¯s a good find.¡±


    "It is," Wyn said. "And it belongs to Cal." He turned back to the Mapper and extended it to him. "You killed it, after all. And saved Tasha, too. It''s your reward."


    Cal hesitated before reaching out and taking it. He held it in both hands gingerly, like he was given a priceless item to keep. "I typically don''t keep rewards, though. I''m only here to help you all navigate the floor."


    "Not based off that," Wyn said, pointing to the section of broken stone where the body of the monster laid before it dissolved. "You earned it in protecting her and killing that monster."


    Cal nodded at Wyn then placed it inside his backpack. It seemed to disappear in a smaller pocket on the side that was the size of a fist, obviously able to hold much more than it appeared. Wyn immediately wondered how much his pack could store with the sheer size of it.


    At the same time, Tasha walked up beside Marcy who was studying the forked paths ahead. The Ranger was stroking her chin with a hand while her faced was scrunched up.


    "What are you thinking?" Tasha asked.


    "Which path to take," Marcy replied. "I briefly checked on both paths and they look identical. At least the first part of this floor was straightforward and easier to follow, and if we took a wrong turn the backtrack was easy. I think the next part will be harder."


    "Harder with more enemies and traps?"


    "More than that," Marcy said. "Harder as in finding the right way and not backtracking too much through wrong ways."


    "But that can''t be that bad to backtrack if we need to. We take a wrong path, and just come back and try another. It''s why Cal is here to help us, too."


    Marcy snickered. "Backtracking might not seem like a big deal but it is. It''s more enemies we could find. More traps that could hurt us or worst of all - slow us down. And backtracking? That''s the biggest time waster of all. We''re here to move forward and get to the third floor. That might not happen if we burn hours and hours getting lost."


    Tasha swallowed hard. "That... makes more sense."


    "New Climbers don¡¯t realize the biggest enemy here is actually time. You have one day to figure out the right path and advance before it resets. Don¡¯t make it? Try again tomorrow, but you face the same problem. It bogs rookies down and frustrates them, which is when they make mistakes. Sucks, right?"


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    "Definitely."


    John threw an arm around Tasha, causing her to flinch. "So which way, ladies? Have you decided for us?"


    Tasha looked over at Marcy, who only shrugged her shoulders.


    "Take your pick," Marcy said. "I can''t figure out which way is right just by looking. They both have sconces on the walls that was the only new environmental factor I noticed. It won''t be an obvious way to find the next path, so we just try whichever way."


    John groaned. "Great. This is going to be the boring part, isn''t it? And hot. And tiresome. And annoying."


    "Then we take a break like we agreed to do," Wyn said. "But we need to stay on guard. The enemies and traps here are obviously more dangerous. If we''re caught off guard - that could be very bad."


    "I know, I know," John said. "Just complaining, is all. I''m allowed to do that."


    "Doesn''t mean you should," Tasha whispered, while working her shoulders to knock John''s arm off.


    "Let''s go for another hour or so and then take a break," Wyn said. "We''ll recheck our progress from Cal''s notes and see how we''re doing."


    The others all agreed before proceeding on. Tasha decided to go right, so right they went.


    And, true to his word, Wyn stopped them after an hour to take a break. And, true to his word, John complained most of the way while continuing to be hot, tired, and generally annoyed.


    John flopped himself on the ground, sprawling out in the shade. They had found a small area of a cleared path that still had a large section of the wall and some of the roof intact, providing some much desired cover from the raging sun. It oddly hadn''t moved in the sky and continued to flood them in heat despite their spent time so far in the floor.


    Wyn leaned against the decrepit wall, inspecting it to make sure it wouldn''t fall over from his weight. He breathed a sigh of relief at its sturdiness. "Cal, how''s it looking? I feel like we''ve covered some good ground."


    Cal pulled out his small booklet and thumbed through a few pages, nodding his head while he scanned them. "We did, actually. We''ve only had to backtrack twice while advancing past five intersections."


    "That''s not confusing at all," John said. "How do you know that''s still the right way forward?"


    "Because the early floors aren''t quite that cruel," Cal said. "We would''ve hit a dead end or two before now if it was the wrong way and had to backtrack to find another path. On the early floors the tower makes it easier to navigate than middle or higher floors, of course. Usually enemies or traps or wrong turns, rather than all three or some combination."


    John nodded as though he was following, then squinted his eyes and pursed his lips. "I see. You seem to know a lot about the other floors, too. I take it you''ve been to them?"


    Cal paused, then smiled awkwardly, a small laugh escaping his mouth. "Only a few times. But yes - obviously the middle floors more."


    John sat up in a rush, his grin widening into a large smile. "No way! What''s the highest you''ve climbed? How long have you been a Mapper? What -"


    "John, ease up," Wyn said. "This isn''t an interrogation!"


    John''s smile faded though quickly returned. He put his hands up in surrender. "Sorry, sorry. It''s just nice to have someone who''s climbed a lot. Marcy''s already tired of me badgering her with questions."


    "Truth," Marcy said.


    Cal smiled and scratched the back of his head. "It''s alright. I''ve helped groups map out up to floor 12, though that was only once. I''ve been a Mapper for three seasons."


    John laughed in excitement. "Man, I can''t wait until I can climb the upper middle floors. I''ll be better than my parents, my sister - all of them." He laid back down on the stone floor and put his hands under his head, closing his eyes to rest.


    Then his stomach rumbled.


    Tasha laughed. "It sounds like you need some food, first!"


    "Didn''t you say you had us covered?" Wyn asked, looking at Cal. "I don''t know about everyone else, but rations don''t exactly sound appetizing right now. I¡¯ve had enough of them for several lifetimes."


    Cal immediately began rifling through his pack. ¡°Of course. It won¡¯t take long and it¡¯ll be worth it.¡± He pulled out a large frying pan from a side pocket, followed by enough wood for tinder and kindling to make a small fire. A few strikes from a metal rod using a small knife ignited the tinder, and he slowly added wood in a way that seemed practiced many times before.


    Once the fire was at an acceptable level, he set the frying pan on it and once again pulled more items from his pack. Everyone watched him with intense curiosity, all temporarily transported to a much safer and comfortable time similar to camping or a picnic. He pulled out a relatively large bundle of cloth, and when he unraveled it multiple scents struck the Climbers at once. A collection of various foods and cooking ingredients were all neatly tucked in the center, and napkins and a small jar of spread were also inside. Butter was the first ingredient used, and Cal dropped that to sizzle in the pan right away. The crackle when it hit the hot pan made everyone¡¯s mouth salivate.


    While the butter melted Cal went to work. And he worked fast. He obviously had food already prepared in the bundle because there was thinly sliced meat and hunks of bread, round onion slices, and a hunk of cheese that dominated the smells. No one bothered to ask any questions to let him focus, and whatever happened outside their small circle of warmth and fragrance was ignored in favor of their upcoming meal.


    Cal cooked the onion in the pan for a few agonizing minutes while everyone waited impatiently for the final product. Next he added the sliced meat for a much shorter amount of time before toasting one side of each bread slice systematically until he removed the pan from the heat. The Mapper-turned-chef looked around at his patrons, all wide eyed and unable to take their eyes off him. He chuckled.


    ¡°Grab a napkin,¡± Cal said, pointing to the small pile of cloths he laid out. Everyone might as well have been told to grab priceless relics as their hands flew to the neatly folded cloths with newfound purpose. Cal whipped the spread from the jar onto the bread slices before stacking them with the ingredients. He passed the sandwiches out one by one, his mouth stretched ear to ear for the first time since they entered the tower.


    Wyn inspected his sandwich for just a second, trying to suppress his hunger that he didn¡¯t realize was even there. The simple but well-made meal looked divine, and he wouldn¡¯t have believed it was made so fast and so well, let alone inside the tower and out of a kitchen if he didn¡¯t watch the chef make it with his own eyes. Deciding to give in to his desires he took a large bite out of the corner.


    What hit his tastebuds was far greater than he imagined. In fact, it was one of the most elegant and divine combinations of food he¡¯d ever had. The combination of the meat, onion, and cheese, as well as the sweet spread that covered the bread, took Wyn back to a time where he was only able to watch nobles eat food of this caliber while he was stuck with rations.


    No. What he held in his hands was better than the food available to nobles - it was straight from the gods themselves.


    John groaned, slapping his knee while chewing his first bite. His eyes were closed and he slowly chewed, savoring every morsel of flavor. He swallowed and looked at Cal seriously. ¡°Cal. What in the many heavens is this blessed food. I just¡­¡± John was lost for words for the first time, deciding to take another bite instead.


    Cal watched the others eat, taking their bites and enjoying his creation before eating his own. One of the bright spots in the life of working in the tower was watching others appreciate the food he made. He sighed in satisfaction, and after one last smile, continued to eat his sandwich.


    The group sat contentedly eating their food, satisfied with savoring the time of peace and complacency. Wyn had a rare moment of feeling incredibly thankful. Despite so much negativity surrounding the tower - the need for money to save his family, the threat of injury or death, the constant need to survive - he was happy to be surrounded by these people.


    His thoughts quickly turned sour, though. There was still one missing from their group, one who he desperately wanted here. A certain Wizard who was dearly missed.


    ¡°Cal, I truly don¡¯t know what to say,¡± Marcy said. She wiped her hands off each other and licked a small bit of the spread that dotted her hand. ¡°That was impeccable, even by the high standards that the guild hall pushes.¡±


    Tasha wiped her mouth with the napkin and neatly folded it, returning it to its original shape. ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more. Why aren¡¯t you cooking for them? Or have your own restaurant? You¡¯d make a fortune if you make food like this!¡±


    Cal¡¯s smile vanished and his cheeks flushed red. ¡°Well¡­ I was a chef, once. But then I came here. I needed a break from the chaos of the kitchen.¡±


    Wyn chuckled. ¡°You left the chaos of cooking in a restaurant to come to the tower? You know that sounds ridiculous, right?¡°


    Cal nodded. ¡°Yea I know. But it¡¯s the truth.¡± He looked at his supplies scattered across the ground and began to clean up, fumbling with the large cloth before dropping a slice of cheese.


    Wyn knew something didn¡¯t feel right about his answer. There was more he wasn¡¯t saying, but he didn¡¯t need to press him, either. If Cal wanted to share, he would - he had no obligation to tell anyone his reasons for being here. If they kept working together then maybe he would feel comfortable enough to share, but Wyn was content with not knowing all the details. Cal was trustworthy and helpful, and he''d keep anyone around like that.


    Cal stood up after he repacked his bag and brushed off his pants. "Well, uhh... I guess it''s time, then. Should we keep going?"


    John sighed, licking his fingers. "After that amazing break and food? Why the rush? Also, you have to tell me what''s in that spread. I¡¯d wager a day¡¯s climb that there¡¯s some secret ingredient in there that I¡¯d never expect."


    "We just... should be going, is all," Cal said. "And it''s a combination of spices and cream from traders in the south. Family secret."


    Wyn patted Cal on the shoulder and offered a warm smile. "Thanks for sharing that with us. It was a nice treat to taste your food and hear more about you no matter how much or little."


    Cal seemed to have a weight lifted off of his shoulders as Wyn could feel his arms relax. The Mapper nodded his head and readjusted his backpack.


    Marcy stood in the middle of the stone path with her arms crossed over her chest and her back to the group. She shook her head and mumbled to herself. "The thanking will never stop."

 Book 1 - Chapter 46

    Wyn twisted his spear, making the Lacert he was currently stabbing scream in pain. It¡¯s eyes were bulging as it clawed at his spear, trying helplessly to free itself from the weapon as it dropped the daggers it was wielding. Wyn could feel his side and arm burning after being slashed by the monster''s claws just moments before. In his anger he retaliated with full force, and the Lacert wasn''t prepared to meet a similar ferocity.


    Wyn promptly yanked the spear back, freeing it from the monster¡¯s body in one sickening pull. The scream stopped abruptly, haunting echos carried off into the ruins as its body fell to the ground.


    Wyn knew John and Marcy would take care of the other two. They had stumbled upon a group of four Lacerts as they rounded another turn in the ruins, and both sides were momentarily caught off guard. Wyn acted first, taking two out by himself, but suffered a few gashes in the process by claws and daggers.


    He inspected his right arm and side and saw blood dripping from both. He cursed under his breath. The leather armor he wore left a small area at the bottom of his torso exposed, more so when he was moving and in combat. Unfortunately that was the exact area he was struck, and only one of the creature¡¯s claws was stopped by the leather while the other three drew blood.


    ¡°Regen,¡± he whispered, and let out a relieved sigh as he felt the magical energy radiate from him. The wounds quickly stopped bleeding, and as he watched the cuts closely he saw them slowly began to reform and disappear. He was a better fighter than most, but he wasn''t used to monsters and their tactics. Weapons, military strategy, even the brute brawls men forced on each other wasn''t quite like the enemies he encountered in Alistair.


    Not to mention he had to fight more than one enemy at a time. He thought of protecting himself with his Shield spell but had trouble processing using magic and fighting at the same time. It was hard enough on one enemy, but coupled with two creatures trying to kill you in manic chaos made for a harsh learning curve.


    "Are you alright?" Tasha asked, holding Wyn''s arm. He was still radiating magic as the spell had just been cast, but visibly there was now only dried blood and a faint impression of a healed gash.


    "I will be, yea," Wyn said. He twisted his body to show his additional cuts on his side. "Frustrated that my armor didn''t completely protect me, though."


    Tasha tapped her fingers on Wyn''s side carefully, checking to make sure he wasn''t cut elsewhere. "It won''t, unless you have heavier armor or an enchanted robe. Or something similar."


    Wyn sighed. "I can''t use heavier armor while casting magic. An enchanted robe sounds interesting, though. Wasn''t that something you''ve been aiming to have?"


    ¡°It is. I don¡¯t quite know the enchantment I want yet, though. There are several kinds I''d find useful."


    "That''s what I''m still trying to figure out. The weapon element enchantment makes sense. But what could be useful on armor or clothes?"


    Tasha chuckled, shaking her head. "There''s a near endless amount, Wyn. Most veterans change their gear based on the season, especially guilds that have access to more funds and equipment."


    Wyn''s jaw dropped. "They change every month? That''s crazy!"


    "Well, what do you expect when the season changes from one environment and types of enemies to a completely different kind every five weeks?"


    "I mean, it makes sense. It''s just hard to believe. That takes money, space to store it, the expertise to still have what you need and be proficient with different kinds of gear. It''s impressive, really."


    "It absolutely is," Tasha said, smiling. "Which is why veteran Climbers are so prestigious. It''s a big deal, Wyn."


    Wyn nodded. She was right, of course - veteran Climbers commanded respect. They were popular figures in the military as young soldiers idolized the thought of fantastical men and women who wielded magic swords and armor and possessed magic like those of myths and legends. Even though Climbers didn''t carry their magic outside the area of Alestead, they still had their renown.


    "But for now," Tasha said, "I''d take anything I could get. I''m waiting to see if anything comes from this first season before I really start finding more equipment and items. If it doesn''t work for me, I''ll trade it and have some items that work well together for next month."


    "That''s a good goal," Wyn said. "Hopefully we can find enough for each of us to have several pieces of gear."


    Tasha giggled causing her curls to bounce. "It''s only the first week, still. We have plenty of time!"


    "Hey guys," John said. "Check it out!" He held up a pair of dark green boots. They looked stout and scaly.


    "What is that?" Wyn asked. He walked over, seeing them better close up. They were large and covered in dark green scales that were almost black, the same color as the Lacert''s hide. The footwear also gave off a faint blue magical aura.


    "I couldn¡¯t wait to identify them back in Alestead," John said. "Can you hold them? I want to see what magic they have!"


    Wyn took them and nearly dropped them right away. They were much heavier than he expected. There was no way someone could realistically wear them - they''d weight them down too much, making them barely be able to move.


    "Woah," John said. He had his parchment folded up awkwardly, and was only reading a small section of it. "They''re called Earthen Scaled Boots. They don¡¯t weigh as much when you wear them, and they¡¯re still classified as heavy armor with the earth element! It also can cast a spell!¡±


    Wyn¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he heard the abilities. ¡°That¡¯s an incredible find! Are you planning on wearing them?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely I am,¡± John said, still grinning from ear to ear. ¡°These cast Earthen Tremor. It¡¯s a small pulse of energy like an earthquake that can cause enemies to fall back or to the ground in a wide area. And it can disrupt spells, too!¡±


    Marcy whistled. ¡°Now that is a useful perk. Disrupting spellcasters is a huge boon. That¡¯s a great item for your first full month!¡±


    John practically begged to have the boots back, hopping up and down and eyeing them in Wyn¡¯s hands like a child wanting candy. Wyn laughed and handed him the boots.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, John, I won¡¯t fight you on them,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Yes, they¡¯re great - but I can¡¯t wear armor heavier than leather. So don¡¯t worry.¡±


    John immediately threw his currently muddied and worn boots off and began donning the new, magically scaled boots. ¡°I know you won¡¯t. Cause you¡¯d lose!¡±


    Wyn smiled. It was good to see John so excited, especially after losing his sister¡¯s sword. The new sword they worked to trade had helped, but it was a different matter entirely when you find a piece of gear to use. The excitement was palpable, and Wyn could feel it in the air. He knew the other¡¯s felt it, too, as they were all happy for their teammate.


    John stood up and kicked his feet around. The boots formed to his feet and lower legs, looking a bit sleeker and slimmer than before. The magic in them must conform to the user, too, another great perk of magical items.


    ¡°These are incredible,¡± John said. ¡°I bet they¡¯ll carry me for the rest of the season! Maybe even next month, too!¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But let¡¯s keep going. Aren¡¯t we almost to the end?¡±


    Marcy nodded her head and looked over to Cal. ¡°I believe so. We¡¯ve been getting steadily closer to the temple, plus the section ahead is enclosed.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t backtracked in awhile,¡± Cal said, flipping through his small booklet. ¡°Safe to say we¡¯re almost there.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± John said, striking a pose with his right foot forward, emphasizing his new boots. ¡°Then we march on!¡±


    A collective groan filled the noiseless path, cloaked in embarrassment. Wyn was immediately thankful there were no other Climbers around.


    The section ahead was surprisingly a straightforward path, not branching like it had previously been. Where the last month¡¯s web of caverns had many different choices, they had only encountered intersections that made them choose right or left. The winding ruins were longer than the mushroom caves, though, another point to the difference that the tower laid out each month.


    Arches covered the entrance into the final section, or at least what the group had assumed was the final section. Wyn didn¡¯t need Marcy to tell him they were in a new area - this new path ahead of them was completely enclosed, stone walls and ceilings intact with some cracks splintering here and there rather than complete destruction. The sconces that set in the corners now held torches, all lit with flickering embers that gave enough light to see.


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    It looked more like a dungeon than empty ruins, and the air suddenly became cool. The sun was no longer relentlessly beating on them and Wyn appreciated the relief.


    ¡°This is certainly different,¡± Tasha said, running a hand along a large stone in the archway.


    ¡°Stay on guard,¡± Marcy said. She drew an arrow from her quiver and nocked it. ¡°We¡¯re close, but that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re done.¡±


    Wyn gripped his spear and cautiously studied his surroundings. The path forward wasn¡¯t any larger than the hallways and rooms they¡¯ve been navigating, though it felt tighter due to being more intact and closed. A similar archway blocked the path ahead of them, too, making him wonder if they took a wrong turn. The hallway they were currently in was a bit longer than the individual sections before, about 100 feet total give or take. A strange sense of claustrophobia and memories began to well inside him but he quickly suppressed it. This was definitely not the time to lose focus.


    A loud thud made Wyn turn abruptly. Tasha jumped and yelped, pointing her staff to the archway they just walked under. Cal stood like a statue, standing just a few feet in front of the doorway being the last one through. An incredibly large stone wall closed them in, dropping from the ceiling and slamming into the ground. It was the cause of the noise.


    Cal cautiously turned around to inspect it, and sighed. ¡°No backtracking, now.¡±


    Another loud thud came from ahead of them further into the ruins. They all turned together, weapons at the ready. Then a slow, drawn out noise like stone being dragged on stone began to fill the hall. The archway ahead of them began to open as two large blocks of stone moved apart to reveal a doorway.


    ¡°Something¡¯s happening,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Marcy, can you tell what it is?¡±


    ¡°Not from here,¡± Marcy said. She stepped forward gracefully and carefully, staying on the balls of her feet. The door was mere feet ahead of her, and she stepped through it to have a better vantage point.


    Wyn saw Marcy¡¯s eyes widen before she let an arrow loose to her right down another hallway. Without hesitation she came partially back into their long room, crouched to the ground, and placed a palm flat on the stony floor just outside their view.


    Wyn felt a hitch in his breath. He knew what she was about to do. The look in her eyes, her sudden jolt of action, placing a trap spell on the ground. Whatever was coming was not something she thought would be a pushover. He hadn¡¯t seen her this serious since the boss room in the caves.


    ¡°Boss formation,¡± Wyn said, though obviously not loud enough. The others just stood there, wondering what was happening past the walls. ¡°Boss formation!¡± Wyn yelled.


    John and Tasha both jumped, then hurried to their positions.


    ¡°Arcane Aura,¡± Tasha said, pointing her staff at John.


    John began taking deep breaths. He squeezed his sword hilt hard and exhaled with force like a bull. ¡°Focus!¡±


    ¡°Tasha, I need that, too,¡± Wyn said. He ran over beside her. ¡°I replaced it with Shield and don¡¯t have it anymore.¡±


    Tasha cast the spell without another word, worry shrouding her face. Cal stood beside her, hammer in hand. They were both trembling.


    A large glow flashed outside the chamber. Marcy¡¯s trap spell engaged on the ground, taking up a large portion of the exit. She then sprang to the other side to quickly place another.


    ¡°Marcy, what is it?¡± Wyn asked. He felt more confident now that he was magically protected, but something about her demeanor worried him.


    Marcy stepped back beside the rest of the group the moment the runes appeared on the ground, not taking her eyes off the narrow exit. Another arrow was already on her bowstring while she took careful steps backwards.


    ¡°Marcy?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°What in the hells-¡±


    Wyn was cutoff by a rush of noise ahead. He stopped, trying to listen. A flood of screeches, hisses, and battle cries washed over them from the space beyond. It was growing in volume fast. Too fast.


    A group of Lacerts clawing over each other shot out from the archway. There were at least six of them, all barren without weapons or armor, only their green hides and claws at their disposal. One stepped too wide and activated one of Marcy¡¯s traps as earthen chains immediately erupted from the ground and snared the closest four of them. While they didn¡¯t die, they were caught in place, and they acted like a dam blocking additional Lacerts from rushing that side.


    Two kept running, though that wasn¡¯t the problem. More Lacerts emerged and ran behind them, as though a small army of the monsters were gathered and unleashed on them all at once. John quickly stepped forward and struck down one of the two Lacerts in two quick slashes with practiced ease, though it was hardly enough. At least a dozen more creatures were now in the chamber with them.


    Wyn knew he and John would be the ones needing to take the Lacerts head on. Marcy could kill any number of them at range, but there were so many so quickly they needed to stop them from reaching Tasha or Cal. The large man could protect himself in a fight but Wyn wasn¡¯t about to chance it.


    ¡°Speed Up!¡± Wyn yelled. He pushed forward while the skill took effect, embracing the newfound speed. With their boss formation strategy, John would be the distracting force and main defense, keeping the bulk of the enemies preoccupied. Wyn needed to be able to move about the room to keep the threat contained, and Marcy would be simply killing whatever she saw fit.


    Wyn rushed to the side where Marcy¡¯s spell had already activated. He twirled his spear and swung it in a wide arc, releasing the Wingbeat spell across several Lacerts. Three of them instantly fell, cut in half by the spell as the magical wind pushed past them and gashed several more that took their place.


    The effectiveness took Wyn off guard but it also helped him realize something. These Lacerts weren¡¯t durable, and likely weren¡¯t strong, either. Lacking weapons or armor and having such a high number of them meant their focus was numbers, not strength. The only advantage they had were the sheer amount of their force. That would be possible to overcome with smart decisions.


    John was busy hacking any Lacert that entered the area around him, becoming a whirlwind of death with his sword. He stood in the direct middle of the hall taking the brunt of the numbers. The magical suit of armor around him dulled quicker than expected, soaking damage from claws and teeth that would otherwise slow him down. Despite his ability to quickly kill them he was still being bombarded from all sides.


    Another flash of magical light lit the room, and another of Marcy¡¯s trap spells activated. It caught multiple Lacerts in its chains, stopping the flow on the other side of the room opposite of the first.


    The two spells holding Lacerts acted like barricades, forcing the remaining monsters into a funnel. Unfortunately for the creatures, that led directly to John, though he wasn¡¯t able to kill them fast enough. Those he didn¡¯t strike down clambered around him, pushing their way past to the other Climbers or striking at his back.


    Wyn quickstepped behind John and began to cut down the ones that made it past the Fighter. He stabbed, slashed, and swept any enemy he could reach, and with his spear he was able to reach quite a wide berth.


    Their stance lasted for minutes though it felt like hours in the moment. The bodies weren¡¯t stacking, though, dissolving soon after dying to make room for more. It made it hard for the Climbers to know exactly how many they were slaying, but Wyn didn¡¯t care. He just knew he had to keep going. Both his and John¡¯s auras were barely perceptible and nearly gone, and Wyn had used several casts of Shield to help mitigate the immediate onslaught.


    Out of his periphery Wyn noticed Marcy step directly in the middle of the chamber. She drew an arrow and a magical aura formed at the arrowhead.


    ¡°Duck!¡± Marcy yelled.


    Out of instinct both Wyn and John fell to their knees, with John putting his shield above and in front of him. The Ranger immediately fired her arrow. The projectile whistled as it flew incredibly fast and pierced a Lacert right outside the doorway. There was a loud boom as the arrow exploded, causing multiple arcs of green wind to slice out similar to Wyn¡¯s Wingbeat spell. Each cut was less intense but there were at least six different arcs, and all of them killed or nearly killed several monsters. The one attack cut their current numbers in half.


    Then Marcy drew another arrow, nocked it, and released the same spell again.


    Wyn could see the number of Lacerts slow down while he knelt. They must¡¯ve killed at least three dozen so far, likely more, and fewer monsters were taking their place.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there!¡± Wyn yelled. ¡°They¡¯re slowing down!¡±


    John stood and raised a boot before slamming it down onto the floor. An arc of greenish brown magic rippled across the stone like small, forceful waves of earth. Every Lacert standing in the funnel was thrown back or onto the stone floor, all knocked back by the spell from John¡¯s boots. No other monsters was running from the path beyond, and John rushed forward to finish their fight.


    Wyn took the opportunity to join him, knowing they had a brief moment where they could strike and end the Lacerts while they were attempting to recover. More than half a dozen remained, and Wyn wanted to end this fast.


    He held out his palm and aimed it at the closest Lacert. ¡°Fire Blast!¡±


    A roaring jet of fire spewed from his palm. It took him by surprise, though he didn¡¯t quite know what, exactly, to expect from the new spell. The stream was a couple of feet wide and blazing hot. He moved his palm from left to right, coating all of the Lacerts in magical fire. In a roar of yells and cries, the Lacerts quickly succumbed to the spell, Wyn burning nearly all of them in seconds. After he passed the last enemy, he mentally stopped the spell, and the heat left as soon as it came.


    Wyn took a few deep breaths as small, leftover flames puttered out on the stone floor. The Lacert bodies disappeared quicker than before, as though the magical fire expedited their return to the unknown.


    John looked around while taking ragged breaths. ¡°That was terrifying.¡± The red aura that covered him was now gone, and he had various cuts and scrapes all over his armor, pants, and body. Despite Tasha¡¯s spell protecting him, several attacks still reached him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t imagine the spell would be quite like that,¡± Wyn said. He looked at his hand, happy to see it wasn¡¯t burned after commanding the fire. When he looked down he could see more cuts and gouges, one in particular on his thigh that was bleeding down his leg. He didn¡¯t remember being hurt that bad, but in the heat of the moment it was easy to ignore pain.


    John cracked a laugh. ¡°No, that spell was great. I meant that flood of enemies. I did not expect that.¡±


    ¡°That was a horde,¡± Marcy said. ¡°It¡¯s another way enemies show up. The monsters are weak, but their numbers can get overwhelming.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember my family telling me about them,¡± John said.


    ¡°That¡¯s because they were new last season,¡± Marcy said, smirking. ¡°We found out the hard way. This wasn¡¯t so bad compared to one on the sixth floor.¡±


    Wyn shuddered thinking about that. John simply shook his head, unsure what to say.


    Tasha ran up to John and began to heal him, whispering something in his ear. Wyn couldn¡¯t hear it but didn¡¯t think it was important. He¡¯d ask her for some healing too when she finished but decided to let them have some privacy if they wanted. As he looked around the room, though, his eyes widened. ¡°Woah.¡±


    Several piles of items shimmered green, rewards that dropped from the many, many Lacerts. It was by far the most treasure he¡¯d seen while climbing, and here it was in one place.


    He smiled. It was time to collect.

 Book 1 - Chapter 47

    The group divvied up the spoils from the Lacert horde, and even though Tasha insisted that it be split between Marcy, John, and Wyn, Wyn fought back to split it evenly. He argued that her spell kept John in fighting condition and her healing after was important and comforting, so she was just as important as the rest of them. She relented, knowing they would trade or sell any item they couldn¡¯t use, anyway, in order to obtain a more relevant piece of gear.


    All in all, they collected two more gemstones for John - a garnet and another emerald - in addition to three small mana potions, two small health potions, at least a dozen more Lacert teeth and claws, some piles of coins, and a necklace. The necklace was the best find, at least to Wyn, since it was a magical piece of gear. According to Marcy, jewelry was popular to use as it was easy to wear and often complemented spells or skills.


    Wyn held the necklace and decided to identify it now. The instant he did, it changed under the glass eye piece, forming a sort of tribal necklace with a wooden block at the center and small Lacert claws lining the rest of the chain. The block had small runes all over it.


    He pulled out his parchment to read its description.


    <u>Tribal Chain </u>- this necklace was popular among priests and priestesses of the snake god Simet. It gives the wearer the ability to have their skills last a bit longer at the cost of using more mana. As Simet would tell its followers, ¡°every bit counts,¡± they often took it literally, draining as much blood from their sacrifices or utilizing every bit of their body as possible.


    Wyn winced, holding the necklace away from him. The description was gruesome, though the effect seemed helpful.


    ¡°John, I think you can utilize this necklace best,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It¡¯ll let your skills last longer at the cost of more more mana to use them.¡±


    ¡°That would be a nice trade off,¡± John said. ¡°Are you sure? You have skills, too. And I have these gemstones!¡±


    ¡°Yea, I¡¯m sure. I want my mana available for both skills and spells and you could use the boost for your skills.¡±


    John took it and immediately put it on. The runes briefly glowed green before returning to normal once it fell on his neck. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be sure to put it to good use.¡±


    ¡°Are we ready to move on?¡± Marcy asked. She held an arrow along with her bow, though it wasn¡¯t nocked. ¡°I have a feeling like it isn¡¯t far, now.¡±


    Wyn shook his head. ¡°I really can¡¯t tell how you know that. Experience, I guess?¡±


    Marcy chuckled. ¡°Mostly. That horde of Lacerts was a special encounter, but I¡¯m wondering if it was still a planned event on this floor. This room and setup is a little too perfect for that.¡±


    ¡°The funnel idea with your traps was absolutely brilliant, though,¡± John said. ¡°It made things much easier.¡±


    ¡°Something I¡¯ve done before, and likely will do again,¡± Marcy said. ¡°But this section should be the last one. It just makes sense - an entry into the temple itself, still intact from the ruins but still outside on the temple grounds. The boss will be here before we know it.¡±


    ¡°So we continue on, then,¡± Tasha said. She tapped her staff on the ground with force. ¡°Make it to the third floor, see what¡¯s around, then leave.¡±


    The others agreed, and Marcy led them. Wyn stayed back, surveying the room one last time. It was completely empty. No signs of dead Lacerts, blood, or combat at all were present. Stone blocks lining the floor and walls looked exactly the same as when they entered.


    Wyn took a deep breath. Knowing that they killed dozens of monsters and the only evidence was the rewards they received was a strange concept.


    No - strange wasn¡¯t the right word. It was eerie.


    He remembered the many times he was in combat with his soldiers. The worst parts weren¡¯t necessarily the actual fights. His training made him more than capable in combat, as well as his soldiers. The worst was after. When his body would calm after the adrenaline rush and his breathing would pick up to compensate for the energy expended and the realization of what he had done. Seeing broken bodies and empty shells of people was not something easily handled.


    Cleaning up after a battle humbled anyone involved. It turned rookie soldiers into veterans immediately when you had to pick up the body parts of people you fought with or against. Here, though, in the tower - there was no humbling. There was no visual shock of seeing the lasting effects of a body just stabbed or crushed. Not human, anyway. The tower magically whisked them away, and Climbers would continue on towards another obstacle.


    ¡°Wyn?¡± Cal asked. He shook Wyn¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Are you coming?¡±


    Wyn shook his head and jumped at Cal¡¯s touch. ¡°Hmm? Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Just¡­ lost in thought.¡±


    Cal smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It happens to all of us. What were you thinking about?¡±


    Wyn turned with Cal and walked behind the others. ¡°I was in the military. Captain of my company. We¡­ dealt with a lot, you could say.¡±


    Cal chuckled. ¡°Someone could say that, yes. I¡¯m sure that was a hard life. Did you come to the tower to take it easy?¡±


    Wyn offered a soft smile. ¡°Not exactly. My family piled up a ton of debt and I¡¯m here to pay it off. There¡¯s no other way to get that much money so fast.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Cal deflated a bit, his shoulders slumping. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That was rude of me to assume.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Really. How could you have known?¡±


    Cal opened his mouth but then closed it, deciding not to speak. Wyn noticed but didn¡¯t want to press him. If he wanted to share, he¡¯d share when he wanted.


    The path forward wasn¡¯t terribly long - they passed only a few turns similar to what they¡¯d seen before, though it was more intact overall. Eventually they came to a doorway that was open and dark, inviting them into the unknown.


    ¡°No more torches ahead,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Something is down there, too. Don¡¯t know what, but I can tell.¡±


    Tasha raised her staff. ¡°Torchlight,¡± she said, activating the spell from her staff. It immediately began to glow, and revealed another empty room past the previously darkened doorway.


    Marcy poked her head through the threshold though didn¡¯t step inside. She looked around carefully and placed her hands on the floor. It took nearly a minute for her to gauge the room. She then sighed and stepped back.


    ¡°It¡¯s a large chamber. Trapped. But I think this might actually be the final room.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°That was quicker than I thought! I felt like this floor was shorter than the second floor last time.¡±


    Marcy shrugged her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s not always the same distances or anything like that. Challenges and obstacles are what¡¯s similar. I guess Alistair deemed it enough to be the second floor.¡±


    Wyn sighed. Marcy talked like the tower was sentient, and maybe it was? Everything was still so complicated. He wondered if he would learn about it as much as her over time.


    John pumped his arms and checked the strap on his shield. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If it¡¯s the end, we need to be ready. Who knows what¡¯s coming out of there next.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Monsters and obstacles,¡± Tasha added. ¡°You said the second floor last time was a puzzle. Do you think this will be the same?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Marcy said. ¡°We had to reason our way through the entire floor, and the final room was a last test requiring similar reasoning. We didn¡¯t have any kinds of puzzles here. Just traps and monsters.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s reasonable to say both will be here in the final chamber,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Now that makes sense.¡± He twirled his spear and took a deep breath. He suddenly had a funny feeling of being exposed with the relatively small amount of light in the room and hardly any armor to protect him.


    Wyn''s spell list was finally at a point he was satisfied with. Well, at least for the time being. His weapon was magical and could last at least the rest of the current season. He felt ready and confident, though lacking still. Next on his list would be better armor and defense, as it was only going to get harder and more dangerous each floor they climbed.


    In this moment, though, he really wished he had his new mushroom jar item so he could have some light. He could relate to Marcy and Cedric from his first trip into the tower now after leaving behind a piece of equipment that could be useful. From here on out he decided to bring it with him so he wouldn¡¯t be without a light source.


    "What''s the plan?" Tasha asked. She held her staff to the side so it wouldn''t blind her, and she was darting her eyes left and right randomly.


    "I think the usual," Wyn said. "We don''t know what monsters could be in there but it''s a good chance it''ll either be a type of Lacert or one of those snake-hybrid creatures."


    "And the traps," Marcy said. "Not sure exactly what''s in there, but there''s likely something. I''ll be on the lookout for them. Just don''t fan out too fast without making sure the area is clear." She eyed John and smirked.


    John chuckled. "I''ll be sure to stay in line. I tend to stay in the middle, anyway."


    "The middle might not always be the best," Marcy said.


    "Then I''ll go where there is least resistance! Or maybe the most resistance, now that I think about it."


    Wyn laughed this time. "How about we see what''s in there and then adapt as needed. Tasha, we''ll need you close so we can see. Cal can stay with you and be on the lookout for anything we might miss. Marcy will look for traps, John and I will take whatever is in there head on. I''ll move around as needed - John, hold your ground."


    Tasha stepped forward so they could see better, and they all took one more moment to compose themselves before entering. Marcy led them, carefully stepping inside while inspecting the ground with each step.


    The Ranger slowly inched forward and Wyn could feel his heart rate steadily increase. One of the worst parts was the anticipation, and not being able to see well made it much, much worse.


    Suddenly a large stone fell down in the doorway they crossed, right behind Cal as he stepped across the threshold. Torches higher up in sconces on the wall lit up providing only dim light in the chamber, though it was enough for everyone to see the entire layout in at least dim light. Tasha''s staff was still the best method of seeing, though, and they continued to huddle around her.


    The chamber was just as large as the cave room from the last season, giving them plenty of room to roam. Which unfortunately was a bad sign if they were a lot of enemies like the horde they just faced. Four large pillars stretched all the way from the floor to the ceiling, equally spread apart in the room and providing the only pieces of cover Wyn could see. At the opposite end of the room was a wide open passage that contained stone stairs that led up into darkness. A red portal was hovering in the air several stairs up, confirming their assumption that they were at the final room. Four bars separated them from the portal like a prison cell.


    Before the portal, though, stood four snake-hybrid monsters, all frozen in place like statues. In fact, looking closer at them revealed they were actually stone statues. They were taller than the similar creatures they''d seen and were each holding different weapons.


    "Is that normal?" John asked. He pointed with his sword to the enemies.


    ¡°Stay on guard,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Who knows what¡¯s normal here.¡±


    Wyn walked over to the closest pillar and inspected it. The floor didn¡¯t seem any different, and Marcy wasn¡¯t as cautious the more she stepped further in, which Wyn took as a sign that traps might not be here after all.


    The pillar in front of him was the same stone material as the floor and wall, but thick and sturdy, unlike the outer ruins. He ran a hand over it and felt a large indention. Squinting, he was able to make out what it was in the dim light.


    ¡°I think I found something,¡± he said, loud enough for his voice to carry through the large room.


    The others came over and looked at it alongside him, Tasha¡¯s staff giving enough light to see the image more clearly.


    ¡°So it¡¯s an image of an axe,¡± John said. ¡°What in the hells does that even mean?¡±


    Wyn looked at the monster statues and studied their weapons. ¡°The one on the far right is holding an axe just like the symbol on this statue.¡±


    ¡°I bet they¡¯re connected, then,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Four statues. Four pillars.¡±


    They looked at each other then split off, all going to a different pillar. Tasha stayed in the middle of the room trying to provide an equal amount of light while the others checked the pillars.


    Wyn stood beside the Divine Mage, wondering what the puzzle would be in this room. Something was going to happen, and whatever challenge they had to overcome wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got two crossed swords over here,¡± Marcy said. She went to the pillar diagonal to the one with the axe.


    ¡°And I have a halberd,¡± John said.


    Cal cleared his throat, loud enough for them all to hear. ¡°There¡¯s a staff on this one.¡±


    Wyn squinted at the statues to try to see any particular features. They each had different weapons, whether on their back, in their hands, or attached on their side. But knowing that the pillars held the four statue¡¯s exact weapons confirmed his suspicion.


    ¡°They¡¯re definitely connected,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Everyone regroup until we can figure out more!¡±


    The pillar beside Marcy began to illuminate a light green, covering that area of the room in more greenish light. The symbol etched into the pillar glowed brighter, and a matching rune formed under the monster statue that had two swords on either hip.


    ¡°It¡¯s starting,¡± Marcy said. She drew an arrow and held it in position, slowly working her way beside the group while aiming at the statue.


    Stone began to fall away from the statue like shedding skin, and the snake monster began to glow yellow. It moved its arms and tail like it just woke up from a deep slumber before drawing the swords on its side.


    It locked eyes on the group and let out a piercing hiss.


    John raised his shield and sword. ¡°Focus!¡± The familiar red aura enveloped him as he stood his ground in front of the group.


    The snake rushed the Climbers, heading for John first. Marcy released an arrow but the creature slithered side to side as it moved, and the missile only grazed it as it flew past and struck the stone wall. In seconds the monster reached John and lashed out with two fast sword strikes.


    Both of them glanced off John¡¯s shield while the Fighter held his ground. He clenched his jaw and stretched his left shoulder, the strength from the strike more than he anticipated.


    Tasha pointed her palm to John and inched closer behind him to reach the range she needed. ¡°Arcane Aura!¡± She said, casting her protective spell around him. The magical armor flared into existence on top of his own red aura, boosting his defenses further.


    The monster craned it¡¯s body over and around John and hissed at Tasha.


    Tasha froze, her eyes widening from the realization that she could potentially be its next target.


    John also realized this and stepped to the side, intercepting the creature as it tried to writhe its snake-like body beside him to reach the White Mage. He was magically enhanced and quick on his feet but the monster was larger and faster. His sword lashed out and carved a long gash in the monster¡¯s side. John smiled after making contact but then his face contorted in horror.


    Despite the new wound the creature kept rushing past the Fighter, ignoring him to continue its pursuit of Tasha. It seemed to perceive her as a greater threat.


    Tasha took several small steps back, fear clouding her judgment as she held her staff close but lost the thought of what else to do.


    The monster quickly towered over her, pulling its arm back for a powerful strike.


    A strike which never came.


    Cal suddenly appeared at her side, bashing the creature away with a large tower shield. A wave of force flew away from the impact, tussling Tasha¡¯s hair and robes and flinging dust around them.


    The monster slid against the ground more than ten feet before whipping its muscular tail against the cold stone and righting itself in a fluid motion. Blood seeped from the gash John made, and its left arm hung limply at its side, broken from Cal¡¯s attack.


    It stood still, breathing heavily, not rushing to attack again.


    Cal had saved the Mage yet again.


    The Climbers moved back into position, and Cal put himself in front of Tasha. His hammer was in his right hand and shield in his left, stoically standing guard.


    Marcy let loose another arrow now that the monster was in an open space away from the rest of the group. At the same time, the pillar dimmed as green light disappeared from the chamber like a candle being snuffed. The arrow clanged off stone once more despite hitting its intended mark.


    The monster had returned to stone just before the arrow made contact, frozen in its pitiful state of injury.


    Marcy cursed. ¡°That was unexpected.¡±


    ¡°Tasha, are you alright?¡± Wyn asked.


    Tasha nodded, though didn¡¯t respond. Her staff was slightly shaking, causing the projected light to shake in the room.


    ¡°Cal, we owe you again,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Where did that shield come from?¡±


    ¡°No time,¡± Marcy said. She drew another arrow and nocked it. ¡°Talk later.¡±


    One of the other pillars began to glow exactly like before. It was the pillar Wyn had initially inspected, and the axe symbol stood out in the darkness.


    The axe wielding statue slowly came to life, shaking chunks of stone off its body. It twirled its axe in a circle, stirring up dust around it.


    Wyn looked at John. ¡°Let¡¯s kill it quickly this time.¡±


    John nodded, not taking his eyes off the creature. Then he charged, barreling across the room with a newfound strength.


    Wyn followed suit, though didn¡¯t activate his speed skill, opting to save his mana for later on in the fight. He had a feeling he was going to need it.

 Book 1 - Chapter 48

    The snake monster didn''t have to go far to reach John as the Fighter nearly sprinted to the enemy. They clashed immediately, the creature''s axe deflecting off John''s enhanced shield for its first blow with John following it with a stab of his own weapon.


    Wyn trotted behind, waiting for an opportunity. John could likely take the enemy one on one, but he might not come out unscathed, and he needed to be in the best condition possible if they still had three more similarly powerful enemies to defeat.


    The clangs and rings of metal clashing against metal echoed throughout the room. Wyn could see small gashes on the creature where John had made some contact, though no major blow had been dealt. John was lucky that the axe was large and cumbersome, and with his aura enhancing him he was able to dodge or create glancing blows so far, though Wyn knew he couldn''t forever.


    When he was closer behind the Fighter, Wyn held his palm up and stepped to the side. "Flash!" He yelled, and a bright light overtook the dim portion of the room. The monster reared back and hissed, dropping its axe and covering its eyes with its hands. Wyn placed a hand on John''s shoulder and pushed him to the ground. "Get down!"


    John listened and allowed the Red Mage to push him into a crouch, though kept his eyes on the enemy. He wasn''t sure why Wyn took his chance of performing a counterstrike, and opened his mouth to yell at him when an arrow flew directly over him and struck the monster.


    The arrow exploded when it struck the creature''s chest, and blood began to pour out of a large hole.


    Wyn let go of John and sprang up with his spear ahead of him, piercing the creature''s lower torso with the entirety of the spearhead. He held it in place like skewered meat, using all of his current strength to prevent it from moving despite it lashing about and clawing at the weapon.


    John stepped forward and slashed horizontally in a fierce swing, yelling in ferocity.


    Wyn felt the beast slump to the ground and heard the thump of its head hitting the floor.


    John took a deep breath. "One down."


    The pillar stopped glowing except for the axe symbol, and one of the bars covering the exit portal disappeared.


    Wyn yanked his spear out of the snake''s body. "Three to go. Let''s regroup."


    The two warriors worked their way back towards the middle of the room, waiting for whatever came next.


    "Are you hurt?" Tasha asked. She looked John up and down, but the Fighter didn''t respond.


    Another pillar lit up in the chamber, and another enemy burst from stone. This one wore leather armor over its torso and held its halberd away from it, slowly slithering along the ground towards them.


    "Not good," Wyn said. "It has more reach than the others. Your sword isn''t a good match."


    Marcy stepped forward and fired a regular arrow, though the monster swatted it away with its halberd and slithered its body away in case it missed.


    Wyn''s eyes widened, and he heard a hitch in John''s breath.


    "That''s also not good," Marcy said. "It''s smarter than the others, too."


    "So we constrain it and kill it," Wyn said. "Trap it, and strike it down while its chained." Wyn checked his mark on his forearm and saw that he still had three quarters of his mana. No point in saving it - he needed to act now.


    He began slowly walking towards it, matching its speed. The halberd and its snake-like body - along with just being plain large - gave it the advantage of reach, even though Wyn also had a weapon longer than most. But Wyn had magic at his disposal, and he felt confident he could handle it by himself.


    "Wyn, you aren''t defended well enough against it!" John yelled.


    Wyn didn¡¯t bother answering. John was right, of course, but Wyn had a new spell he wanted to try out.


    When the creature came close enough to attack, it dropped its halberd and stabbed towards Wyn quickly. Wyn lunged to the side, staying on his feet. He then stepped towards the monster hoping to close the distance. While the monster had good reach, the halberd was not a great weapon to fight up close.


    ¡°Feeble,¡± Wyn said, almost at a whisper. A large black rune appeared in front of his hand, and at the center was a human skull. That same symbol and runic combination draped over the creature like a cloak, and the skull hovered above its head in the air.


    The monster visibly shrank by several inches, and the armor it wore suddenly looked like it was a size too big. It brought the halberd back around for a sweeping strike as though nothing happened, but its moves were sluggish as though it was moving through water.


    The swing was pitiful and Wyn easily ducked under it. He brought his spear up in a quick stab, finding purchase under the armor at its lower torso.


    Blood flowed from the puncture, and the monster recoiled from the pain slower than Wyn would have guessed. He followed up the attack with two quick jabs of his spear, making two more smaller but still effective holes in its scaly hide.


    The spell worked far better than he hoped.


    The monster repositioned to the side, writhing its body to find another angle to attack. It lunged upwards in an arc with its huge weapon and Wyn jumped backwards to avoid it. An arrow suddenly pierced its neck, and another jutted out of its shoulder quicker than Wyn could take a breath.


    Marcy''s ranged strike distracted the creature enough for Wyn to continue his own attacks. He slashed across the creature once, then again in another direction, using the momentum from his weapon to maximize the time he had available. The wind element in his spear afforded him greater effectiveness than a standard attack, and likely even better than a base magical one.


    Both slashes cut through the monster''s armor and opened up its chest, causing blue blood to pour from the wounds. It roared in anger, though its roar came out in a deeper pitch and was drawn out, as though the spell worked to slow every part of its being including its speech.


    Wyn drew his spear back and struck it forward hard, grunting to add any ounce of strength possible. The scaly body attempted to slither out of harm''s way, but the Feeble spell caused it to move too slowly to avoid Wyn''s spear. The weapon pierced the monster''s neck, enough for its eyes to widen at the realization it was bested.


    It spat out sickening blood as it slumped down to the stone floor, and the respective pillar dimmed except for the halberd symbol.


    Wyn took a few deep breaths. He was foolish to be so cocky thinking he could take it on his own. There was a strong chance he was going to win, though just like he was wanting to prevent with John, he might''ve taken too long, used too much energy, or been damaged himself. Marcy''s attack dealt enough damage and distracted the beast the perfect amount for Wyn to continue maintaining the upper hand.


    Before he was able to mentally refocus, the last remaining pillar glowed, and the last snake statue crumbled to life. Similar to before, the monster shrugged off the pieces of stone that encased it and began stretching its body as though waking from a deep slumber. There was no armor on its slender body except for a necklace it wore similar to the one they found currently around John''s neck.


    Wyn watched in horror as it held its staff out to the side and smiled wide, its scaly mouth stretching to reveal nasty fangs and a darting tongue.


    A rune formed at the top of its staff and below the creature, and a magical green aura began to envelope it.


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    Gods. It was able to use magic.


    Wyn took several steps backwards to his group, his heart racing. He knew enemies could cast magic based on the power of the witch he met in the caves, but he assumed he wouldn''t have to deal with that power until higher floors. The mushrooms that used them in the caves last season were stronger than normal, and Wyn assumed he wouldn¡¯t find an enemy like that again for sometime. This was too much too soon.


    "Magic user!" Wyn yelled. He didn''t know if the others saw the same display as he did, but he frantically tried to warn them regardless.


    A glowing arrow whizzed by him towards the creature. Marcy obviously wasn''t going to wait. The arrow was going to hit the monster directly in the chest, though it harmlessly bounced away, the green aura around the enemy lighting up where the arrow hit. The aura that enveloped it was obviously a protective shield as Marcy¡¯s enhanced arrow was deflected. It wasn¡¯t too strong, though - it had a visible crack from the impact. It could block magical attacks, too, but likely not for long.


    The snake-hybrid slithered away from them unexpectedly, only being able to be seen by the faint green aura around it. Wyn wasn''t sure what it was doing but he didn''t want to find out too late. It likely had the ability to cast longer ranged attacks similar to Cedric but there was no tell until it actually used its magic.


    Wyn tracked the monster and maneuvered himself beside the others, not taking his eyes off the enemy. "John, how well does your shield work against magic?"


    John huffed, almost in a laugh. "Well enough. I''ll be fine, let''s just kill it before it casts too many spells!" He inched forward carefully, Wyn right beside him.


    The monster worked its way on the outskirts of the chamber towards the statue of the other creature with dual swords they didn¡¯t kill. It raised its staff as a large circle of runes appeared under the stone statue and a similar runic circle appeared on the corresponding pillar.


    Wyn and John froze. They looked at each other with a quick glance, worry plastered on their faces.


    The pillar lit up with green light and the statue monster came to life yet again, stone pieces falling around it. It twirled its sword in the air and slithered beside the enemy mage. The previous wounds it bore began to close, its scaly skin reforming in a flash of green light. Where its left arm was limply hanging by its side it now twisted and moved it just as well as the other, and another sword appeared in the free hand. It looked as menacing as before, newly rejuvenated.


    Worse, Wyn thought, was that the two enemies were hissing and clicking as though they were communicating.


    "Definitely not good," John said, taking a step back. "They bastards are planning something!"


    Wyn''s mind scrambled. Their group wasn''t ready for this. Challenging the tower by overcoming puzzles, killing basic enemies, working together as a group - these were doable at this point, but he had no idea the level of capabilities he''d be up against. He thought it would be more than a few days before the difficulty would ramp up so quickly. Enemies who could cast magic and strategize were incredibly more dangerous. To make matters worse, they didn¡¯t have a full group and one of them wasn¡¯t even a Climber.


    He shook his head. No. He wouldn''t let Alistair outsmart him. He was a strategist, too, and this was just another obstacle to go over, around, or through.


    "Stay beside me," Wyn said, quiet so only John could hear him. "We take down the sword-wielder first, then pin down the mage."


    John nodded quickly, exhaling audibly to slow down his breathing. The red aura around him was dimmer than before, his skill nearly finished.


    "Marcy," Wyn yelled, "distract the mage. Cal, protect Tasha!"


    "I''m fine!" Tasha yelled back, her voice cracking. "I don''t need protecting!"


    The sound of swords clashing together rang throughout the room followed by sparks visibly flying about. The monster signaled its readiness, and it shot away from the wall''s edge with impressive speed, slithering across the floor while twirling its swords.


    A volley of arrows flew through the air just over Wyn and John, covering both enemies. The approaching monster''s swords where a whirlwind as it cut down the arrows threatening to hit it. The mage monster simply shifted to the side, avoiding the attack easily as the arrowheads scraped against stone.


    "Speed Up," Wyn said, stepping to the side. He was hoping to pinch the enemy, letting John take the initial attack so he could cut it from the side or back. The Fighter recognized the maneuver and yelled in distraction and readiness, holding his shield high and preparing a swing of his sword.


    The threat didn''t work.


    The monster kept rushing forward, using the now-open space ahead of it to push past the two warriors. It lashed out with a sword against both Wyn and John as it snaked between them in glancing blows, and both Climbers parried with weapon and shield respectively.


    Wyn thought quickly. Why wasn''t it attacking them directly? They were the most obvious threats, but it moved past them intentionally.


    A large green rune appeared on the ground under Cal and Tasha. They both looked down, unsure of what was happening. Tasha looked ahead at the monster and locked eyes with it.


    It was coming for her. She was the target.


    She screamed at the realization, though her voice was cut mid-shout. The runes under her stopped glowing, and she saw Cal noiselessly mouth something to her. When she tried to talk back nothing came from her throat.


    Understanding hit her like a punch in the gut. The enemy cast a silencing spell, and she was the target.


    Cal met the snake monster head on, intercepting its swords with his shield in a loud clang. The monster wasn''t focused on him, though, and lashed out with its tail at Tasha who wasn''t anticipating the attack.


    The tail cracked against her chest like a whip, and the force knocked her off her feet and back several feet. She fell hard against the stone floor while her staff fell to the ground. The light continued to pour out into the chamber though it was muffled from its poor position.


    Tasha tried to take a deep breath but failed as she felt the wind knocked out of her. She grasped her chest and curled up, attempting to breathe. The instant she did, a large, scaly body was lumbering over her, darting around defenses and attacks. She opened her eyes briefly to see a reflecting light from the monster''s sword, and watched helplessly as the sword slashed across her stomach.


    When she screamed no sound was made. Only the hushed splattering of her blood on the stone floor beside her made a noise.


    A yell filled the room. John barreled across the stone floor, his feet pounding with each step and a new coating of red aura shining like a demonic presence. Pebbles and dust flew around him as he threw care to the wind and exuded unknown and unrevealed strength. He jumped towards the snake monster and swung his sword in a downward arc.


    The creature threw up both of its swords to block him uselessly. John''s sword crashed into it, pushing past both weapons in a frighteningly strong strike. Cracks reverberated from the creature as both of its arms collapsed towards itself, breaking from John''s power. A deep, long gash from its shoulder to navel formed and began pouring blood, and it hissed in pain.


    Cal followed up instantly with a blow to its back, more cracks filling the air. In seconds the beast was bludgeoned and cut down, and it fell to near pieces on the ground.


    John''s eyes went wide seeing Tasha''s blood pool around her and her body shaking from the attack. "Wyn, we-"


    Before he was able to finish his thought Wyn was beside her, his skill pushing him to cross the room in seconds. He quickly inspected the wound, noting her face was pale and sheen from sweat.


    He clenched his jaw. His Regen spell would help her but he was afraid it would be too slow. In this moment keeping that spell rather than Cure felt foolish even though he was told it healed more overtime at the cost of a delay. She needed an answer now as her breathing was shallow and she was losing blood at an alarming rate.


    Wyn quickly pulled out a healing potion from the side of his pack and nearly forced it down Tasha''s throat. She sipped it slowly, and Wyn let out a sigh of relief as the wounds began to visibly stitch themselves back together.


    "Everyone, move!" Marcy yelled.


    Another rune began to form on the ground around the Climbers, though it looked different than before despite its similarly green color. Its runic circle was larger, easily fifteen feet in diameter, and the symbols looked different. Wyn had no idea what spell was about to be cast, but he wanted no part of it. He instinctively grabbed Tasha and hoisted her up, rushing away as fast as he could. Cal and John stepped out of the area as well, just avoiding the magical torrent of boulders falling from some unknown point in the air within the confines of the magical circle. The spell lasted several seconds, rocks falling and smashing against the ground in loud thuds before slowly disappearing like every other creation within the tower.


    Wyn knew he and the others would''ve been crushed by that spell without some sort of defense, Tasha especially. He looked down and saw a bit of color return to her face and her breathing slow but more forceful. She was unconscious but alive.


    "Regen," he whispered, and gently set her on the stone floor. Relief filled him as he watched the familiar white aura encase her like a protective light. His spell would continue to heal her along with the potion, though they needed to rid themselves of the source of this mayhem.


    Wyn quickly checked his mark to see how much mana he had remaining. He had used several spells and his skill in a short amount of time, and it showed that he had just a bit left. More time was needed before he could use most of his spells. The time he had left on his Speed Up skill needed to be utilized well.


    He stood and saw Cal gently set Tasha¡¯s staff beside her. John''s face was filled with rage, and he breathed in slow and exhaled with force like a bull. The Fighter was ready to trample and attack whatever enemy possible, and Wyn didn¡¯t blame him.


    A loud hiss filled the room and Wyn saw the monstrous mage smiling from across the chamber, shaking its staff mockingly side to side.


    Wyn thought about voicing another strategy but dismissed the thought when he saw the monster throw up another shield to protect itself from one of Marcy¡¯s arrows. This arrow glowed purple and released a violent gust of wind when it struck the magical barrier, causing it to completely shatter and the monster to block itself in vain with its staff. The smile it wore before was gone, replaced by a sinister snarl.


    Marcy wasn¡¯t holding back anymore. Wyn decided he didn¡¯t need to either.


    The Red Mage began to trot towards the enemy with his spear gripped hard. He steadily picked up his pace until he was in an outright sprint, and crossed the distance in seconds.


    He only had one thought in his mind. Kill the enemy.

 Book 1 - Chapter 49

    Wyn didn''t bother skirting around the room for a better vantage point to attack. He was focused on thing, and one thing only.


    Kill the monster.


    He sprinted in a straight line towards the last enemy, covering a great distance in seconds that wouldn¡¯t have been possible without his skill.


    John yelled with his approach, running across the room as well. The Fighter also ran straight at the mage, though was slightly slower than Wyn despite his aura improving all of his physical attributes.


    The snake-like mage''s snarl turned to a raspy hiss seeing the Climbers rush towards it. A bright green aura coated it like the pillars. Like a Climber¡¯s aura. It then raised and pointed its staff at them, and a large green rune formed at the end of its weapon.


    Both John and Wyn instinctively moved to either side, noting the imminent threat. A blast of stone exploded through the room as huge chunks of rock shot from the mage''s staff like large, blunt arrows.


    The attack forced the creature to stand still, taking the seconds needed for the spell to be cast and being unable to move. Wyn tried to take advantage of the opportunity and pinch the monster on one side while John attacked on the other. He both saw the Fighter move into position and heard him yell a war cry, fiercely determined to kill the creature in a rage that Wyn didn¡¯t know he possessed. John was a great combatant and Climber, sure, but his fun demeanor and joking personality wasn¡¯t anywhere to be seen in his pure rage.


    The enemy stopped its spell and blocked John¡¯s strike with its staff though left a large opening at it¡¯s back. Wyn performed a slash of his own, though it wasn¡¯t as effective as he would¡¯ve liked. The green aura still radiating from the monster prevented most of the damage from his wind-element spear, and only a shallow cut was made in a diagonal along its back.


    The monster tried to twist its body to reposition between the two warriors but Wyn was faster. He stabbed at its lower half where the torso was more tail than abdomen, and was able to pierce through its tough hide most of the way up the spear head. The creature yelled in pain, a piercing screech that jolted the Climbers in surprise.


    John raised his sword ready to attack again, a smirk plastered on his face. ¡°Magic Break,¡± he said, and his sword began to pulse with a similar red aura that still cloaked him. It was different, though, as it seemed to undulate and move across the blade. He slashed down with his sword quickly, and the monster was too distracted to block it or dodge. The sword cut was shallow like Wyn¡¯s, but the effect was the primary goal.


    The pulsing red aura shifted from the sword to the mage monster¡¯s body. It continued to vibrate, though it didn¡¯t do much more than just exist.


    At least not that Wyn could immediately tell.


    The monster maneuvered its staff to be able to point right at Wyn. It lit up again as a green rune formed on the end of the weapon, but it flickered several times. The creature¡¯s face went pale at the horrified outcome - its spell fizzled out, unable to be compete. The red aura was buzzing around it now, interfering with its ability to properly form a spell.


    Marcy appeared from seemingly nowhere and stabbed the mage directly in the side while it was distracted, and she took all three of them by surprise. She twisted her kukris that were nearly hilt-deep, and blood began to seep from the punctures.


    John and Wyn followed suit and attacked the monster in a barrage of blows. It failed miserably to defend itself, pinned in place by the warriors on three sides and unable to block all of their attacks at the same time. Its magic was useless, too, having been nullified by John¡¯s skill.


    In seconds the three Climbers wordlessly chopped, stabbed, and slashed the monster to death in a gruesome fashion. They did not hold back. No mercy was shown for this enemy.


    No one said a word when the final pillar dulled its light and released the last bar. It was quiet except for boots clopping on the ground to return to Tasha to make sure she was alright.


    No one noticed the portal becoming clear, signaling their triumph and allowing passage to the third floor.


    Everyone had their eyes on the Divine Mage who was sitting up beside Cal. She was breathing heavy and sweating more than when they were in the jungle. Her previously white robe was caked in blood at her abdomen.


    ¡°We won,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Tasha sat there unmoving, still except for her chest rising and falling with each breath. She barely blinked. ¡°No. But I¡¯m alive.¡±


    Wyn furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Do you need more healing?¡±


    ¡°Not physically. My body seems to be fine.¡± She stared past him, focused on the portal.


    Silence filled the air louder than any scream or spell for a lingering moment.


    Wyn nodded slowly, understanding what she meant. ¡°We¡¯re almost done. One peek at the next floor then we return. We¡¯ll take some time after this.¡±


    ¡°We need it,¡± Marcy said. ¡°In more ways than one.¡±


    Wyn helped Tasha to her feet and she slowly began walking to the portal the instant she was standing. She didn¡¯t bother looking at anything or anyone else in the room. Her steps were even and methodical, slow but purposeful, her staff bobbing up and down giving off light like a moving lantern.


    Wyn looked at John who only shook his head. His aura had faded and he looked like he could fall over any second. His hair was plastered to his head with sweat, his clothes were cut up and dusty, and he was leaning to one side with a hand on his hip.


    ¡°One more bit of treasure,¡± Marcy said, almost in a whisper. She pointed with her head away from them towards Tasha.


    Wyn looked around and saw that the halberd-wielding monster had some loot on its body, and a small chest appeared beside the pillar that showed the glowing staff. He trotted to the body to grab it before Tasha made it to the portal since she walked right beside it, obviously uninterested in rewards at the current moment.


    The body held a claw and fang, similar to the Lacert''s but obviously a component of this monster. A piece of leather armor was resting on the ground, too, shimmering with a blue aura. Wyn''s heart skipped a beat. This was the first piece of armor he found he could wear, and it was blue rarity at that. His desire to immediately identify it wasn''t quite as high as his desire to make sure Tasha was alright, though, and he placed the armor in his bag to inspect at another time.


    He worked his way over to the chest next, though John beat him to it. The Fighter impatiently opened it right away. They were both in a hurry to keep up with the rest of their group who were still walking to the portal.


    "I found some armor on the body," Wyn said. "Leather. And a few components."


    John nodded while opening the chest, the wood creaking with each inch and magical light shining out like a bright lantern. "Good, we need more items. Let''s just collect what we can and sort through it later." He reached inside and pulled out two gemstones that he immediately pocketed, followed by handfuls of coins.


    Wyn joined him by reaching in and finding a large wooden staff. He didn''t hesitate before yanking it out of the chest, having to stand and pull it as it seemed too long to be stored inside, though the magical essence of the chest defied logic. It was shimmering with a blue aura, similar to the leather armor.


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    John cut his eyes at the staff, and scoffed. "You know, I bet it''s the staff that damned mage used." He spat on the ground and slammed the chest shut.


    Wyn put the magical weapon in his backpack beside the piece of armor. If John was right, it meant that Climbers could find weapons and armor similar to what the enemies they defeated used. He knew there was a high chance John was, indeed, right.


    The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. The piece of armor was likely a similar piece to the one the halberd-wielding monster wore. They found a necklace earlier in the floor that the mage also wore around her neck, further proving John''s assumption.


    Marcy abruptly pushed Wyn''s back, causing him to lurch forward awkwardly. "Come on, Wyn." She pointed to Tasha, who was about to enter the portal. "We need to go."


    Wyn nodded and hurried along with the others. Their original plan was to see what the third floor was like, use a key to open a portal, and return to the base to challenge it next week. Tasha''s behavior was understandable given the situation, and he wondered if she would choose to return to the base alone or continue with their original goal.


    "Wait," Wyn said, reaching for Tasha before she could enter. Either she didn''t hear him or simply ignored him, because she walked into it without so much as an acknowledgement for any of them.


    Marcy sighed. "Let''s just hope she''s on the next floor, or this will get more difficult fast." She stepped into the portal next, followed immediately by John.


    Cal was standing beside the portal, hesitant.


    "Are you ready?" Wyn asked him.


    "It was my fault," Cal said, staring at the portal. "I wasn''t able to protect her."


    Wyn shook his head. "No, it wasn''t. Don''t think like that. It wasn''t anyone''s fault - it just happened, plain and simple."


    "I don''t see it that way. I''m supposed to protect others, and I failed."


    Wyn furrowed his eyebrows. "No offense, Cal, but you''re a Mapper. Your job is to help us navigate the tower. Protecting us means you¡¯d be a Climber instead.¡±


    Cal turned his head to look at Wyn, and he straightened his posture, taking one step closer to the portal on the staircase that loomed over him. ¡°I have a class, Wyn. All Mappers do. I was a Climber before and stopped. If anything, this helped me to see that I made the right choice.¡± Cal looked back at the portal and took a deep breath. ¡°From here on out I won¡¯t interfere again. I¡¯ll stand to the side and do my part. No expectations about protecting anyone.¡±


    He stepped into the portal without waiting for a response.


    Wyn only stared at the empty space where Cal stood, dumbfounded. How could he have known Cal used to climb and stopped? Did something similar happen to make him stop? He knew the Mapper was reserved and wondered if something happened. The way that Cal talked before he thought it had something to do with his life before he came to Alestead entirely, but now he wondered if something else happened here.


    He looked around the room one more time, unsure of their future. Unsure of his own. He hoped Tasha would come around, and Cal, too. His family needed him to keep climbing, and he needed his friends to survive.


    Wyn stepped into the portal without another thought, knowing that he¡¯d have answers sooner rather than later, or not at all.


    *****


    Wyn emerged from the portal in a barely lit room. To his relief, the rest of his party was standing around, including Tasha. She was staring down the empty and dark space ahead, but she was with them. And for now, that was enough.


    The Red Mage looked around and felt a pang of disappointment. He expected some big transition but the environment was exactly the same as what they¡¯ve been exploring. Refined stone made up every surface, the room was quaint and empty, and two small torches set in sconces were giving the party a minuscule but acceptable amount of light. Tasha had obviously cancelled her staff¡¯s spell of Torchlight, though in their small room it didn¡¯t seem to matter.


    What was eerie, though, was that the only path forward was completely black and void of any light, even dim light, and noiseless to an unsettling degree. Tasha stood right at the precipice, as though she tested the space between light and darkness, either unafraid or uncaring about what lied beyond.


    ¡°Tasha?¡± Wyn asked. He looked around, and everyone else seemed too sheepish to approach her. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Tasha didn¡¯t answer. She held her staff beside her like she was about to walk into the darkness, but didn¡¯t move.


    Wyn walked up beside her and stared into the inky black room, wondering if she was seeing anything he couldn¡¯t. Nothing stood out to him, and the sheer absence of light was disorienting. When he blinked he saw a similar amount of darkness, and he had to turn his head back to their dimly lit small room to differentiate between his eyes being closed and open.


    ¡°I nearly died,¡± Tasha whispered, low enough to where Wyn had to lean in close to hear her. ¡°I could swear I was going to.¡± She turned to look at Wyn, her eyes relaxed and her face complacent though her eyes were red and bloodshot from crying. ¡°And then you gave me that potion and cast that spell. You literally saved my life.¡±


    Wyn looked in her eyes and was mentally taken out of the tower. He remembered his soldiers, those brave men and women under white sheets who didn¡¯t feel the same sentiment Tasha did, or who were already gone from this life to speak their mind. No one told him he saved their life because he never did. War was ugly and destructive, and he had the misfortune of leading most to their deaths.


    Now, though, with his abilities and magic in the tower, he could change his story. He already saved Cedric¡¯s life, and now Tasha was thanking him for saving hers. Maybe there was hope for him as a leader to keep his soldiers alive after all.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can ever repay a debt like that,¡± Tasha said.


    Wyn wasn¡¯t sure what else she said before that, and he blinked quickly, snapping himself back to the present. ¡°You can repay it.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°By helping mine and my family¡¯s.¡±


    Two tears fell down Tasha¡¯s cheeks. One to mourn her innocence before the threat of death came knocking, and the other to mourn the change she was going to make.


    She wiped her face with the sleeve on her robe and took a deep breath. ¡°Alright. But first, we see what in the hells waits for us on the third floor.¡±


    Wyn smiled. His friend was back, determination dripping on her words. He could sense her newfound confidence and smiled subconsciously.


    Tasha tapped her staff two times on the stone floor, the thud echoing out in front of them in the darkness. At the second tap her staff shown with the Torchlight spell, her intention to light their path carried through her magical weapon.


    Everyone¡¯s mouths fell, and Wyn could hear several audible gasps. The chamber in front of them was massive, and the light from Tasha¡¯s staff set off a series of torches that reacted to her light and their approaching presence. It was larger than the entrance at the base of the tower, larger than any castle Wyn had walked through. The ceilings were easily over a hundred feet tall, and the walls stretched an even larger distance on either side of them.


    Wyn realized they stood at the entrance of the temple and this was the opening chamber. It could easily hold hundreds of people, possibly a thousand or more. The strangest part of it, though, was that it was completely empty except for three evenly spaced paths on the other side of the space with some kind of markings above each of the archways.


    ¡°This is unreal,¡± John said. ¡°I just can¡¯t believe something like this exists. Huge doesn¡¯t even begin to cover this size!¡±


    ¡°And this is only the entrance,¡± Marcy said, her mouth stretched wide in a giddy smile. ¡°This place probably has multiple layers to it. I bet most of this season¡¯s floors are deeper in this very temple.¡±


    ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± Wyn said, hurrying ahead across the chamber.


    The others soon joined him, curiosity pushing them to see what was next. All of them were enjoying the openness and freedom except Cal, who took his time and crossed the empty room steadily, staring all around him in awe.


    They approached the three paths and studied them. Wyn didn¡¯t recognize the markings above the archways as they looked to be in another language. It was a strange language, though, as it was mostly made up of pictures and images rather than symbols like letters or numbers.


    ¡°Do any of you know what these mean?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Or what it could signify?¡±


    ¡°Not a clue,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I can ask around in Alestead, though not sure it would mean much to us.¡±


    Each archway was spacious, large enough to easily fit a full party. The paths were also completely dark, and Wyn wondered if they lit up when entered like the chamber they were currently standing in.


    ¡°Guys?¡± John said. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± He pointed to the left wall where a section of stone was now gone. A light was forming behind the wall and growing quickly. The wall was quite a distance away, but it was a strange sight like most things in Alistair.


    ¡°That¡¯s not ominous,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s another party?¡±


    The others just stared, unsure.


    Noise began to rise in the room. Roars, chirps, and chattering were growing along with the light, and Wyn felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand.


    ¡°That is definitely not a party,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Can we get that key out, now?¡±


    Marcy immediately put a hand in her belt and pulled out a key. She pushed it in the air, turned it, and created a portal back to Alestead in seconds.


    Everyone waited, though, curious to see what emerged from beyond the new path. As the noise continued to rise, shadows formed and moved chaotically.


    A stampede of Lacerts clawed their way through the door, some even attacking their allies to be able to make it out as fast as possible.


    There were easily a hundred enemies total, racing across the room to the Climbers. They were snarling and screaming, eager to rip them apart if given the chance.


    Marcy turned to look at everyone, her eyebrows raised. ¡°Time to go!¡± She backpedaled into the portal, instantly disappearing.


    The others all locked eyes and mimicked the Lacerts, fighting over each other to see who would enter the portal next. In a large rush, the rest of the party left, returning to the base and ending their current climb.

 Book 1 - Chapter 50

    Wyn emerged in the hall of portals, taking deep breaths to steady himself. He smiled. They made it. Two floors completed and entered the third. The next time they could start right at the third floor and take their time working towards finishing their ultimate goal for the season.


    He thought back to their discussions in the war room. They were going to complete the first tier of the tower by finishing the fifth floor, amassing as much wealth as possible to satiate the debtors of his father. He wouldn¡¯t obtain nearly enough, or even enough to average out his remaining time, but it was a start. Hopefully the coins he earned for the month would be enough of a showing to prove he was diligently working to pay it off without issue.


    ¡°We made it,¡± Tasha said, collapsing to the ground. ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t think we would for a minute there.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± John said. He bent down and put his arm on her shoulder. ¡°But Wyn saved you. When I couldn¡¯t. And you¡¯re here, and look to be in pretty good shape to me!¡±


    Tasha stared at him and blushed. She shook her head, opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. Deciding not to let the moment pass, she opted to release some inhibitions and relax into his arm. John also seized the moment and squeezed her tighter. They both decided words didn¡¯t quite fit in the moment, and somehow knew it¡¯d be alright.


    ¡°I think I need a bit of a break,¡± Cal said. ¡°That was¡­ tough. Mentally, at least. And not what I expected.¡±


    ¡°You helped us a lot,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯d love to have you back with us.¡±


    ¡°And that food¡­ gods, that was amazing,¡± Marcy said, patting her stomach and smiling. ¡°That is worth more than gold or magical items. Trust me.¡±


    Cal laughed, but shook his head. ¡°I appreciate it but I just can¡¯t. I¡¯ll be around, but I¡¯m not going to be a Mapper for a few days at least. There¡¯s some things I need to think about.¡±


    Wyn nodded and extended his hand. ¡°Do what you need to do. I sincerely hope you consider us for your next time in the tower. I know you work on contracts, but I felt like we had a good system going.¡±


    ¡°I think we did, too,¡± Cal said, shaking Wyn¡¯s hand. ¡°Maybe if you started a guild you could just hire me on full time.¡±


    Wyn cocked his head to the side. ¡°Huh. I would¡¯ve never considered that.¡±


    ¡°It makes sense,¡± Marcy said. ¡°You¡¯re a natural leader. It¡¯d make you more gold and networking than no guild. Just takes people and costs upfront.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s mind began to wander but he reeled it back to reality just as fast. It wasn¡¯t a thought he needed to explore right at the moment. His money needed to go elsewhere for the foreseeable future.


    ¡°I see,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Something to think about. Regardless, we¡¯ll be around, Cal.¡± He reached into his coin pouch to pay him. ¡°How much was it again?¡±


    Cal laughed, and to Wyn¡¯s confusion, Marcy did, too.


    ¡°I¡¯m automatically paid with the parchments when you get your rewards,¡± Cal said, smirking. ¡°So don¡¯t worry about it. The dagger drop will be worth much more, anyway.¡±


    ¡°I hope you can put it to good use,¡± Marcy said. ¡°That or trade it for something useful. I don¡¯t really care.¡±


    Cal chuckled, causing a chain reaction of Wyn laughing and Marcy smirking, pleased with herself.


    Cal waved his goodbyes and walked to the entrance of the base. Climbers were still walking into the portals and out back towards the tower¡¯s entrance, and he blended in before long.


    John and Tasha were still on the floor, their clothes bloodied and cut up. It was a stark contrast to the pristine marble stone that made up every inch of the large hall.


    ¡°So now what?¡± Marcy asked. She looked back at the two Climbers huddled together. ¡°I think we might need to recover after that.¡±


    Wyn sighed. ¡°I know. We¡¯re seeing Cedric tomorrow so maybe taking the rest of today and tomorrow off will help. But Marcy, something¡¯s been bothering me.¡±


    Marcy furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Look at them,¡± Wyn said, lowering his voice. ¡°John¡¯s beat to hell and Tasha nearly died. Cal helped but his focus wasn¡¯t climbing like us. How are we supposed to survive this? And without a full group? That was only the second floor, too.¡±


    ¡°I know. That was unusual for enemies to be that coordinated on the second floor, but not concerning enough like when we were in the caves. Better items and having a full group will help, but that¡¯s the reality of climbing the tower. It¡¯s hard, Wyn. If you aren¡¯t ready you can end up worse.¡±


    Wyn sighed. ¡°That¡¯s what I was afraid of. I¡¯d love to have a full group but I just don¡¯t know. And we¡¯re slowly getting magic items. It¡¯s only been a week, after all.¡±


    ¡°True. It¡¯ll happen. Just keep being cautious. We can run the third floor several times if we want to get some more funds and items. We¡¯re doing fine, all things considered.¡±


    ¡°What about the second floor? We know we can run that, at least.¡±


    Marcy shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s a maze and full of traps. We¡¯d be lucky to finish one run in a day - we just pushed hard and didn¡¯t have to backtrack much today. The third floor shouldn¡¯t be quite like that.¡±


    ¡°Then we need to get our confidence up and finish it without an issue,¡± Wyn said, folding his arms. ¡°Which means more in our group.¡±


    ¡°Then we need to do some recruiting,¡± John said.


    Wyn and Marcy both looked over at John at Tasha who were still holding each other but obviously listening to their conversation. They shared a brief look and shot up, Tasha pushing John away with the realization of him comforting her intimately.


    Wyn snickered. He could see the start of something between them, and thought it was funny they reacted the way they did. It didn¡¯t bother him in the slightest, and it was nice to see them connect like that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a burden,¡± Tasha said, dusting her robes off. She stopped at the blood across her stomach and straightened up before staring at the Climbers with a determined gaze. ¡°I refuse to be one.¡±


    ¡°And I will look for another Fighter to join us,¡± John said. ¡°I know some good ones I trained with who might agree to help us.¡±


    Tasha tapped her staff against the ground twice. ¡°We can¡¯t stop because of me. We all have goals of why we¡¯re here, and I will be better.¡± She looked at Wyn and pursed her lips. ¡°I want to go over some spells and strategies for me to be less of a liability. This evening. We can review my spells and item options. Whatever it takes so that won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Wyn assessed her in a split second. Yes, she nearly died on the second floor. But this was not the same White Mage. She stood tall, her gaze pierced Wyn like one of Marcy¡¯s arrows, and she seemed genuine. Whatever she went through mentally after Wyn healed her must¡¯ve set her on the path to this conclusion. Maybe John whispered something to her, or some memory sparked a flame inside her.


    Wyn smiled. The how didn¡¯t matter. What was important was that she wanted to improve herself. He didn¡¯t think she was in the wrong, and he doubted the others thought she was, either. But Tasha thought she was holding them back. Then she admitted her feelings and expressed a desire to change. That was the difference, and it was an important one.


    ¡°Of course, Tasha,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And anyone else can come, too. If we want to make it another strategy meeting I¡¯m all for it.¡±


    Marcy groaned. ¡°Not another strategy meeting! Count me out. I¡¯m managing just fine.¡±


    John cleared his throat and sheepishly smiled. ¡°I think my time would be better served finding us a Fighter. If I don¡¯t find one this evening, I can look tomorrow when we aren¡¯t with Cedric.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good plan,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I trust your judgment. Tasha, maybe we can start by trading these items we found for something you can use?¡±


    Tasha blinked several times in quick succession. ¡°Items? What items?¡±


    John nodded slowly, clicking his tongue. ¡°That¡¯s right, you were¡­ a bit preoccupied when we found them. They¡¯re the drops from the boss room on the second floor. We found a magic staff and leather armor.¡±


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    Tasha blushed and sunk a bit, her shoulders drooping. ¡°Oh. Well, that¡¯s good, then. What kind of staff? I can¡¯t wear the armor, sadly.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t identified them yet,¡± Wyn said, opening his arms in an apology. ¡°Maybe we can see Benedict and look at our options?¡±


    A small smile flashed across Tasha¡¯s face. It was nice to see, and much more pleasant than her self-criticism.


    Marcy turned and began to walk away. ¡°We aren¡¯t doing anything until we get our rewards. I want that money!¡±


    John, Tasha, and Wyn all looked at each other and grinned with envious, greedy intent. Somehow, Wyn¡¯s magical coin pouch seemed a little lighter than he wanted, and he quickly followed Marcy to collect his spoils.


    *****


    The bell above the door at The Silver Step rang harmoniously, and Wyn and Tasha were relieved when they entered. The magic shop had customers perusing items but wasn¡¯t overly busy with Climbers. The pair wanted Benedict¡¯s counsel about items to trade and were afraid it was going to be too crowded to get his undivided attention.


    Wyn didn''t see the owner around so he decided to look through the items himself. "So what, exactly, did you decide would be the best kind of enchantment for you? Since you can''t wear armor as a Diamond Mage."


    Tasha was close by but looking at another isle of magical items. She inspected an elegant circlet that seemed to glimmer in the light, a purple aura radiating around it. "That was what my mentor and I have been discussing. Obviously my options are more limited until I can get more powerful spells and a higher mana pool. But I have a couple in mind."


    Wyn put down a gauntlet that was heavy and woven with dark red chainmail. "Are you going to tell me or make me guess?"


    Tasha chuckled and walked over to the section of the shop that held larger pieces of armor. She passed by leather pieces, chainmail, scaled armor, and stopped in front of cloth robes and cloaks. "No, I''ll tell you. Enchantments vary quite a bit with benefits to abilities, boosted performance, or using skills or spells. The combinations can literally be endless. One was an illusion spell that can make copies of myself to prevent being targeted or hit. Or getting one with Arcane Aura so I don¡¯t have to use it myself.¡±


    "So you can find either spells that bolster your defense or spells that prevent you from getting hit altogether. If you¡¯re only looking for spells rather than effects."


    "Exactly. I just can''t decide. Both effects and spells seem to be helpful, and I keep going back and forth in my head."


    "Having both would be extra helpful," Wyn said, holding the side of a long white robe out. A green aura radiated from the entire garment. When he bent down to read the description, it read <u>Divine Mana Robe</u>: Will boost your overall mana capacity and magical power a bit.


    "Huh," Wyn said, almost absentmindedly. That seemed nice even if it was fairly basic.


    "Here''s something good!" Tasha said. She was twirling around with a white robe accented with golden trim and complementing grey features. "It says it can boost magical power and casts the Reflection spell twice a day! Exactly what I was talking about earlier!"


    Wyn crossed his arms and nodded his head. The robe certainly looked fitting enough for a noble, so that was a benefit. "Does that spell make copies of you? I haven''t heard of that before."


    "It''s because it''s a second circle spell," Benedict said, appearing in their isle with a flourish.


    Both Wyn and Tasha jumped, though quickly calmed down seeing the shop owner.


    "Benedict!" Tasha said. "It''s so good to see you!"


    The shop owner bowed his head and smiled his wide, charming smile. "Lady St. Clair, it''s a pleasure, once again. And Wyn Thatcher accompanying you, too! My, my, what a treat today." He winked at Wyn.


    Wyn blushed, not sure what to say. So, he decided to say nothing.


    "Benedict," Tasha said, "this is an impressive robe. I need something like this."


    Benedict nodded and hummed, holding the robe out beside Tasha. "It does seem to fit you! Good spell, good effect. Perfect for a Divine Magician! Are you wanting to be a little more evasive in the tower?"


    Tasha''s smile faded. "Well... yes. I was hurt pretty badly today. I need something to prevent that from happening again."


    Benedict''s smile was erased from his face as quickly as it appeared, and he frowned with a deep downturn of his lips. He hugged Tasha from the side, awkwardly holding her against him. "My dear, I''m so, so sorry. I would love to help find something to keep you safe. Are you looking to buy or trade?"


    Wyn smirked, amused at Benedict''s quick turn from compassion back to his merchant''s mindset. He bent over to read the robe¡¯s description, curious about buying it. His eyes grew wide, but he forced them to return to normal, hoping to hide his surprise. "I think we might need to trade for it. I don''t quite have 1500 crowns to buy it outright."


    Benedict snapped his fingers and waved his arm at the same time. "Darn! Oh well, another time and another item, perhaps. But, let''s see what items you''d like to trade. We can see about what you and your group could use."


    Wyn pulled out his leather armor piece and staff and placed them on the glass countertop. Benedict quickly identified them with his eyepiece after a nod from Wyn, and hummed to himself while looking at them. The leather armor morphed into a green, scaly cuirass, and the staff became knotted at the end of a thick, dark brown piece of wood. Benedict pulled out a piece of small parchment paper and read it after the descriptions appeared for the items.


    "Mhmm, yes, I''ve heard of these sets but haven''t seen these pieces. A great find! They are earth element pieces. The armor casts a spell that gives a knockback effect, and the staff fires a series of rock-like projectiles."


    Wyn sighed. "That piece of armor is the same as John''s boots, then. That''s not quite as useful. What is the benefit of a set?"


    "Having a full set of armor or weapons will give you bonuses. For example, if John wore this armor along with the boots, he could increase the number of times he could cast the spell, and the spell would be stronger."


    Tasha scratched her chin in thought. "That could be helpful, but we should probably spread out the items for us to use rather than stack only one of us up. At least until we get more items. Plus, he has that necklace."


    "I agree," Wyn said. "The bonus would be nice but the priority should be just getting magical items first. So let¡¯s trade it and the staff. We don''t need that, either."


    Benedict smiled and clapped his hands together. "Excellent! That''s two blue aura magic items. That robe will do wonders for you, my lady, but if you''re wanting to be extra careful you should look into another item, too."


    "What item would help?" Tasha asked. "I can''t trade for jewelry at the moment. I know those are worth more. Boots? A different staff? I like this one that can cast Torchlight."


    Benedict gasped, and raised a fist in triumph. ¡°I¡¯ve got it! Give me just one moment. You! Fighter! No testing the items in the store!¡± Benedict pranced away, his attention diverted.


    ¡°What do you think he has in mind?¡± Tasha asked. She played with a curl on her shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Wyn replied. ¡°But it¡¯ll be helpful. That I do know.¡±


    A thud made Tasha flinch. A pair of short boots were resting on the countertop with the same color scheme as the robe she found before. They were white-dyed leather with golden accents and grey laces, and radiated a faint blue aura.


    ¡°These, my dear Mages, are the complement to the robe you found. I knew I had them in here somewhere! They work similar as the robe, except for a small trade off - it only casts the Reflection spell once doesn¡¯t have the magical power increase, but it increases the time of your spells. With both items the effects will increase a little and should improve the number of times you can use the spell. At least once!¡±


    Tasha ran a hand over the pair of boots carefully, her eyes widening with each new rune felt by her touch. ¡°They¡¯re amazing.¡±


    ¡°But if you want an alternative, here¡¯s something else.¡± Benedict flew a cloak out over the counter. It was a lighter grey with white streaks running along it like a web, though the entire edge was curved in places like an insect¡¯s wing.


    Several Climbers had gathered around now, curious to see what the three were negotiating.


    ¡°This is called the <u>Cocoon Cloak</u>,¡± Benedict said, brandishing it around his shoulders like a shawl. ¡°And it¡¯s a special piece indeed.¡±


    Tasha cocked her head to the side. ¡°Hmm. It looks like an insect, especially with that scalloped edge. What does it do?¡±


    Benedict laughed heartily. ¡°You have quite the seamstress¡¯ eye! It¡¯s a blue rarity item that can cast Arcane Aura on you twice a day, improves your support spells, and also has a one-time use bonus that will destroy it when used.¡±


    A few gasps came out of the small crowd in the shop. More Climbers were interested.


    ¡°Oh yes, the primary feature is quite enticing,¡± Benedict continued. ¡°If you¡¯re badly injured it will magically wrap you in a cocoon of silk, protecting you from magic and physical damage, and cast Greater Cure on you instantly.¡±


    A few whistles and more gasps came from the crowd. Tasha¡¯s eyes lit up hearing the cloak¡¯s abilities, and she reached for it with both hands.


    ¡°That¡¯s absolutely perfect,¡± she said, holding the soft cloak with a newfound respect. ¡°How is this just a blue rarity, though? That seems like an immensely powerful effect.¡±


    ¡°It is powerful,¡± Benedict said, ¡°but once that life-saving feature is used the cloak is gone. So it balances out. I almost forgot about it, actually. It was brought to me from many seasons ago and it¡¯s been collecting dust since.¡±


    Tasha looked over at Wyn and deflated a bit. She held the cloak tight but set it back on the counter. ¡°What should I do? The bonuses from the pair or the boots and this cloak?¡±


    Wyn looked at Tasha and smiled. ¡°They¡¯re both helpful. It¡¯s your decision!¡±


    Tasha looked at the robe she held and the cloak on the counter. Then she took a deep breath. ¡°Alright. I think I¡¯d prefer the cloak at the moment. We¡¯ll trade you both the armor and staff for the boots and cloak.¡±


    Benedict clapped and yelled in happiness, and a few Climbers in the shop clapped, too. Benedict then clicked his tongue and put his elbows on the counter, cupping his face with his hands. ¡°Excellent choice, dear. You need to be careful, after all,¡± Benedict said, dropping his voice lower so the now dispersing crowd wouldn¡¯t hear him as well. ¡°There¡¯s something happening in that tower.¡±


    Wyn furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, rumors are swirling about some outside force complicating the standard climbs. The Faceless Four nearly lost a member a couple of days ago!¡±


    Wyn looked at Tasha, whose face went pale.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°The Faceless Four are a notorious group,¡± Benedict said, ¡°who are known to rush to the third tier and farm it for items. No one has seen their faces in the tower since they cover up with masks, and they are known for moving as fast as the top guilds even though they aren¡¯t a registered guild themselves. And there¡¯s only four of them!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°No one knows exactly,¡± Benedict continued, ¡°but they think there is some sort of cult working in the tower against Climbers. It¡¯s all so dangerous!¡±


    Wyn¡¯s heart raced. Could it be Lionel and whatever group joined? It seemed likely and followed in line with what the traitor said about protecting the tower itself.


    Benedict slid the cloak and boots across the counter. Tasha picked them up and nearly dropped the pile when she heard glass bottles clinking together. She looked in the cloak and pulled out three small vials - two red and one blue.


    ¡°For the future,¡± Benedict said, winking. ¡°Oh, and Wyn, this is for you.¡± He placed a long, cylindrical canvas wrap that was neatly tied in twine on the counter and slid it over to Wyn. ¡°Put it to good use.¡±


    Wyn nodded, and mouthed his thanks to the shop owner. He and Tasha then left, though they were less sure of themselves now than before they entered.

 Book 1 - Chapter 51

    Wyn slumped back in his chair, wiping his face with his hands. He enjoyed strategy and had less anxiety with a plan, but after climbing all day he was exhausted. Tasha sat down in a chair across from him, holding a page with her finger in a Divine Magician spellbook.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fall asleep yet,¡± Tasha said. ¡°We¡¯re almost done!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Wyn said, rubbing his eyes. ¡°After climbing earlier, getting your new equipment and testing them out in the training hall I¡¯m wiped. You might as well be singing a lullaby having me read at the end of a long day.¡±


    Tasha laughed. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. It¡¯s how I get more information! So choosing Flash was genius on your part. I never would¡¯ve thought about using it!¡±


    Wyn sat up and took a deep breath. ¡°Well you have to be close, and as you know, most Mages don¡¯t really want to be close to their enemies. It works for my skill set, though.¡±


    ¡°It definitely does.¡± Tasha closed the book and sat it on the table. ¡°I appreciate you going with me today. And training with me. I do really want to be better, you know.¡±


    Wyn smiled. ¡°I know you do. And you will. Honestly, I think we¡¯ll do much better with another Fighter in our group. And you¡¯ll get better spells before long.¡±


    ¡°True. But I don¡¯t want to be just on standby if someone gets hurt. I want to help take down our enemies before it even happens!¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t many attacking spells for White Mages, are there? And you should save your mana for healing spells just in case.¡±


    Tasha snickered and stood up, then started to pace around the room. ¡°But if I help kill enemies before they hurt us, I won¡¯t need to save mana for healing spells. That¡¯s my point.¡±


    ¡°Yea, I get that. You could look at a mix like what I¡¯m aiming for. But aren¡¯t Climbers supposed to be more specialized? The more broad we are the worse we are.¡±


    ¡°Worse in whose opinion?¡±


    Wyn scrunched his face up and shifted his posture in the chair. ¡°Well, I guess other Climbers.¡±


    ¡°And who cares what they think?¡±


    ¡°I see where you¡¯re going with this. But if you want to be successful -¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t quote me some old Climber¡¯s mentality,¡± Tasha said. She waved her hand at Wyn, shooing him away. ¡°Your mentor probably said that, didn¡¯t he? Which is why Red Mages aren¡¯t popular? And no one wants you in their group?¡±


    Wyn sat up straight now and huffed. ¡°Yes. Exactly.¡±


    Tasha let out a snorted laugh. ¡°Wyn, you of all people should realize that politics don¡¯t matter here if you already have a group and can prove yourself. You get to the top with success and skill, not your family name or money or even what classes people say are good or bad.¡±


    "But doesn''t success and skill as a Climber directly correlate to your class abilities?"


    Tasha swayed her head left and right. "Well, yes and no. Honestly, everyone has trouble when they first start no matter what class or skills they have. My mentor told me it''s because we aren''t used to what the tower actually is. It''s a challenge and it''s incredibly dangerous, but at the end of the day it''s still a test we need to overcome. How we do that is up to us, but if we find a group that meshes well together and works hard, even the worst classes or worst skillset can manage."


    Wyn leaned back in the chair and folded his arms across his chest. "That makes sense. Your mentor sounds wise. I guess mine is just biased and resentful."


    Tasha stopped pacing and laughed. "Maybe. They all should have helpful information and insight, though."


    "Yea, that''s true. I appreciate Daniel, and he''s helped me a ton - but I can definitely tell something happened to him before. His view of our Ruby Magician class and climbing as a whole is definitely negative."


    "I''m sorry about that. My mentor has been great. It''s funny, though. She isn''t even a Divine Magician!"


    "She''s not? Then how can she teach you?"


    "Well, she helps me with the ins and outs of the tower and what it means to climb it. My mother found her just before I came here, and it''s been nice having her to teach me."


    Wyn walked to his small kitchen and began to pour two cups of tea from the kettle Wendy graciously provided him earlier in the evening. She also provided a small tray of additional items, such as sugar cubes and stirring spoons. He brought the entire tray back to the chairs and set them on the table, offering a cup to Tasha.


    "So what exactly happened?" Wyn asked. "When you left home. I didn''t think your parents approved of you skipping out on the Academy, but you said she found a mentor for you?"


    Tasha added one sugar cube to her cup and began to gently stir it, keeping her legs under her delicately as though an unheard voice was cueing her regarding her posture. "No, that''s right. They absolutely didn''t approve. My father still won''t write me back, and I''ve only received one letter from my mother. That letter told me that she paid for a mentor for me so I wouldn¡¯t ¡®ruin the family name.¡¯ Not to be safe. Not to protect myself. It was so that I wouldn¡¯t bring down the great St. Clairs.¡±


    Wyn blew on his cup of tea before taking a sip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That¡¯s a terrible thing to do and say about your family. I can¡¯t imagine that.¡±


    Tasha set her tea cup down on the tray. ¡°I know. The whole reason you¡¯re here is for your family, and the reason I¡¯m here is to escape mine.¡±


    ¡°Family is¡­ complicated. I don¡¯t want to be here. You do. I¡¯d rather spend time with my sister instead of risking my life. Again.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s lucky to have you. I have no doubt you¡¯ll be able to pay off that debt.¡±


    Wyn made a weary smile. ¡°And your family has no idea what they¡¯re missing out on. I know you¡¯ll discover yourself here.¡±


    Tasha returned his smile and blushed. ¡°I think I definitely have started to. But there¡¯s still more to come. I¡¯m simply glad I found a group to grow with.¡±


    ¡°A climbing family, in a way.¡±


    Tasha stood up and gave a slight bow. ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more. But I really should be going. I want to rest before seeing Cedric and prepare to back to Alistair on Solday. We have our work cut out for us.¡±


    Wyn stood up and returned her bow before politely showing her out the door. When he stepped back into his apartment he felt a wave of exhaustion fold over him. This was the first time he¡¯d been able to rest all day, and it was quite the day.


    He cleaned up absentmindedly, lost in his thoughts. He wanted to prepare himself when he saw Cedric and began to mentally review talking points and ways to express exactly how he felt.


    Cedric wanted to leave Alestead, and Wyn planned to convince him to not only stay, but join their group. Cedric wouldn¡¯t be easily persuaded but Wyn was confident. He smiled right before he fell asleep, excited for the new day.


    *****


    The morning air was crisp and cool, and Wyn breathed it in like a fine scent. It refreshed his lungs and spirit, bolstering him further for the conversation he was prepared to have.


    He pulled open the doors to the infirmary and strolled in confidently. The woman sitting at the front desk was someone new, and Wyn deflated a bit not seeing the attractive, younger woman, but he wasn¡¯t deterred.


    After receiving the directions and information that Cedric already had multiple visitors, Wyn set off. So the others were already there. He originally intended to arrive early but wanted to give Cedric the chance to sleep in a bit. Obviously the others didn¡¯t have the same courteous foresight.


    He reached out for the knob to open the simple door, but hesitated. Several emotions ran through him at once. He was excited to see Cedric, though also anxious about what he planned to say and afraid Cedric wouldn¡¯t see his point of view. The Wizard needed to see logic and be convinced to climb again. And Wyn was prepared to be blunt and direct. He needed to channel his inner captain again for the conversation ahead.


    Wyn took a deep breath and turned the knob. Laughter was the first sound he heard, which took him aback. Cedric¡¯s barking laugh pierced his ears first, making him smile. Wyn caught their eye and they all happily rejoiced together at him finally making it.


    A smile formed quicker than any smile had formed before on Wyn¡¯s face. His friends were here, together, laughing and enjoying themselves. A new sense of purpose and resolve swelled up within Wyn.


    Cedric would stay. Wyn wouldn¡¯t allow him to say no.


    Cedric immediately stood up and walked over to Wyn. He was wearing simple clothes with a white sheet draped over his shoulders like a blanket. It bundled him up as though he was out in the cold and snow rather than inside. He stopped a few feet from Wyn and took a deep breath. His smile was gone and had a serious look about him, though it was difficult to read how he was truly feeling.


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    ¡°Wyn, you saved my life,¡± Cedric said. He extended his right hand. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, I¡¯d be dead right now. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever be able to thank you enough.¡±


    Wyn swatted his hand away and pulled him into a hug. There was an empty space on Cedric¡¯s left side where his arm should be, and it was obvious in the moment. Wyn wondered if he had miscalculated as Cedric didn¡¯t hug him back, thinking that maybe the Wizard wouldn¡¯t be as receptive to the gesture.


    A few seconds after the initial embrace, Cedric wrapped his right arm around Wyn and squeezed hard.


    Wyn pulled up a chair in the relatively large room and sat with the others. Marcy stood by the lone window in the room and looked out with her arms folded. She was unfazed by the greeting.


    The four Climbers exchanged pleasantries and talked for a little while, sipping on tea and eating bread and cheese intermittently. Marcy occasionally joined them but stayed standing, rotating around the room in various positions, her angst obvious.


    Wyn slowly began to grow anxious himself knowing the only thing they hadn¡¯t discussed was Cedric¡¯s stated departure and their goodbyes. He wasn¡¯t one to avoid uncomfortable topics of conversation but also knew there was no great time to bring it up.


    Best to get it over with.


    ¡°Cedric,¡± Wyn said, setting his small cup on the table. ¡°We need to discuss you leaving.¡±


    The conversation ceased as quickly as a parent scolding their child to be quiet.


    ¡°What about it?¡± Cedric asked. He still sipped from his cup, not bothered by the change of topic.


    ¡°Why are you leaving?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°You haven¡¯t given a reason yet.¡±


    Cedric stopped mid-sip, swallowing his tea hard and setting the cup down with force. Tasha jumped, startled.


    ¡°I think you know the reason quite well,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I no longer have a left arm. My climbing days are over.¡±


    ¡°On whose decision?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Has the Guild Master ordered you to resign?¡±


    Cedric squinted and cocked his head to the side. Everyone else was quiet, watching the conversation unfold, afraid even to breathe too loud to be dragged in.


    ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t,¡± Cedric said, annoyance building insidiously in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m opting to leave before he does.¡±


    ¡°Has he ever asked anyone to quit?¡±


    ¡°What are you getting at, Wyn?¡±


    Wyn took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should leave.¡±


    Cedric laughed. It made Wyn clench his jaw, because the sound was short and snarky, and obviously faked.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± the Wizard muttered. ¡°Like I haven¡¯t heard this argument before from the others.¡± He slung his thumb towards Marcy, who was staring out the window, listening but not acknowledging their conversation.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard it from me.¡±


    Cedric straightened up. ¡°And you think you¡¯re more convincing than Climbers I¡¯ve been with for months? Been through thick and thin, countless monsters and challenges? What makes your word better?¡±


    Wyn put his hands calmly on his thighs and took a deep breath. He forced his quickening heart rate to settle down and reminded himself about his past. Hard truths were part of his job, whether he liked it or not. This was just another time he had to call on that experience.


    ¡°My word is better because I¡¯ll tell you the truth you don¡¯t want to hear.¡±


    Cedric sat there in silence for a few seconds, not speaking. Wyn felt as though it was the loudest he¡¯d heard them all, though not one of them spoke.


    Marcy shifted against the wall and stepped towards them. ¡°Don¡¯t, Wyn,¡± Marcy said. ¡°You won¡¯t help.¡±


    Wyn furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll help. Someone needs to do it.¡±


    ¡°No one is doing anything,¡± Cedric said. He stood up and turned his back to them, his sheet still around his shoulders like a draped blanket. ¡°The only thing that is happening is everyone is leaving and I¡¯m packing my things to go.¡±


    John and Tasha looked at each other though didn¡¯t move. They were frozen, unsure of what to do or say.


    ¡°What¡¯s your plan, Cedric?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Say you leave.¡±


    ¡°I am leaving,¡± Cedric spat, cutting him off.


    Wyn narrowed his eyes. ¡°Say you leave. What will you do? You¡¯re young. You have an entire life ahead of you.¡±


    ¡°Do I?¡± Cedric said, spinning around to face them. His face was red and he pointed to his left shoulder, void of the rest of his arm. ¡°Now that I¡¯m like this I have nothing. Am nothing! I can¡¯t work, I can¡¯t craft. I¡¯m a cripple! I could sell my items I¡¯ve collected and live off of that for the rest of my measly life with the right buyer!¡±


    ¡°If you do that, you¡¯ll be dead in a month,¡± Wyn said. He folded his arms but didn¡¯t move another inch, still staring directly at Cedric. ¡°You¡¯ll find some vice because you lost purpose. Alcohol. Drugs. Love. You¡¯ll get mixed in with the wrong people and be dead before you know it, your wealth scattered in the wind with your ashes.¡±


    The Wizard drew back like he¡¯d just been struck. ¡°How dare you think so little of me!¡±


    ¡°How dare I?¡± Wyn said, standing up. ¡°How dare you be so naive for being so damn smart! Try again, Cedric. What¡¯s your plan?¡±


    Cedric stood there with his mouth agape. He shook his head and snapped back, trying to settle himself. ¡°I have a job offer lined up at Keyworth¡¯s. A professor of magic for Tower Studies.¡±


    Wyn laughed the same laugh Cedric gave him earlier - forced and fake. ¡°Come, on. You¡¯ll be bored to death!¡±


    ¡°You have no idea what interests me and what doesn¡¯t,¡± Cedric said. ¡°It¡¯s a well-respected position and anyone would be lucky to have it!¡±


    ¡°Is that what you told yourself when you debated back and forth whether you¡¯d take it or not? We may not have had much time together, but I pick up on things easier than most.¡± Wyn stood up and took a step towards Cedric, while the Wizard reflexively took a step back.


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± Wyn continued, ¡°what you¡¯ve been doing in this room. You¡¯ve been terrorizing yourself mentally about what you should¡¯ve done, what you could¡¯ve done differently to make it out with your left arm.¡°


    ¡°Wyn,¡± Marcy said, almost in a whisper. ¡°Enough.¡±


    Wyn ignored her. ¡°When that exhausted you, you thought about the good times you¡¯ve had here when your group mates came to check on you, thinking back on your times here and reminiscing. When they kicked you out, you had an existential crisis about your purpose and what you¡¯d do from here.¡±


    ¡°Wyn,¡± Marcy repeated, louder. ¡°Stop!¡±


    Cedric went wide eyed, backing into the wall. He closed his eyes and turned his head away. Crackles of electricity formed around him, small yellow flashes of light zipping around him like flies.


    Marcy stepped forward along with John, who leapt up from his seat.


    ¡°You let them in,¡± Wyn said, pointing to his head. He took another step towards the Wizard, ignoring the palpable electricity in the air. ¡°Whatever you think others would say about you and judge you! You let them in your head! You are the one who said you can¡¯t climb again, no one else!¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Cedric yelled, stepping forward into Wyn¡¯s personal space. A small concussive force flew out of him like a brief gust of wind. ¡°It was you. You cost me my arm and made me a cripple! You didn¡¯t let me die in there! You brought me back like this!¡± He pulled the sheet off of him, exposing the bandaged shoulder where his arm should¡¯ve been.


    Tasha gasped and covered her mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one to blame!¡± Cedric raised his right arm and a small ball of electricity formed within it.


    ¡°No, Cedric!¡± Marcy screamed. ¡°Both of you, stop!¡±


    ¡°I was supposed to be something!¡± Cedric continued. ¡°A great Wizard! You took that life from me!¡±


    ¡°Cedric!¡± Marcy yelled. She rushed beside him but lightning arced and struck her arm. Her arms flew up in defense, and she backed away.


    Cedric didn¡¯t take his eyes off Wyn as larger arcs of lightning streaked between the small ball in his hand and over his entire body. It looked like living, breathing lightning all around him, and he was its master, waiting to command it to attack like a hunting dog.


    Wyn panicked a bit seeing the small storm forming around Cedric, though it didn¡¯t deter him. He silently cast Regen on himself, knowing what he had to do, though not exactly looking forward to the process. He suddenly wished he still had the Arcane Aura spell. The Wizard was intimidating and showing off his power, and he knew Cedric needed to be both calmed down and persuaded.


    Wyn stepped forward and grabbed Cedric by the shoulders, staring into his eyes. The lightning jumped through his hands and across his body, and he felt like he was stabbed with thousands of tiny needles deep into his muscles, his organs, his bones. He gritted his teeth and snarled his lips, shaking Cedric slightly and squeezing his shoulders harder. The only thing keeping him from collapsing was the prolonged healing of his spell.


    Something deep within Wyn was stirring, brought on by Cedric¡¯s anger, and he needed to unleash that feeling.


    Cedric wasn¡¯t expecting him to do that, and the lightning ball in his hand dissipated. His jaw dropped seeing Wyn. The Ruby Magician glowed with a white aura from his healing spell, appearing angelic and otherworldly in the moment.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t a great Wizard,¡± Wyn said through his teeth, forcing himself despite the pain, ¡°you are a great Wizard! You¡¯re a storm in the coming night but I am the winds that direct that storm. I am your captain! Your leader! You forge your own path but I am the one who directs you!¡± Wyn winced once as he realized Regen wasn¡¯t healing healing him as fast as the lightning was coursing through his body.


    Still, he pressed on, ignoring the pain.


    ¡°You are a tempest and will destroy our enemies. Our enemies! How can a storm be crippled? It adjusts course and continues its path of destruction when meeting an obstacle. You will do the same. Do it for us. For me.¡±


    John and Marcy stepped forward and grabbed Wyn, though the instant they did, lightning arced into them and they flinched. Cedric shook his head and instantly negated his magic.


    Wyn didn¡¯t let go, still staring at Cedric. Sweat dripped down his face, and he was breathing heavier than before, but he still held Cedric¡¯s shoulders in a firm grasp. He felt the Wizard slump, nearly going completely slack. Wyn was providing most of the support now, holding him up even when the Wizard wouldn¡¯t hold himself up. The spell finally was healing the sparking pain he felt all over.


    There was a few moments of silence in the room, no one moving or speaking.


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡± Cedric asked quietly, breathing hard. ¡°You could¡¯ve died.¡±


    Wyn took a deep breath and bent even closer to Cedric, inches from his face. ¡°I¡¯ve lost people, Cedric,¡± he said in a whisper. ¡°Never again. No matter what. I¡¯ll die before I let an ally die. Especially for a friend.¡±


    Cedric slowly nodded in understanding.


    ¡°Now,¡± Wyn said, continuing, ¡°if you really want to show me thanks, keep climbing as our fifth group member. We need you. I need you. You¡¯re more than capable, you arrogant Wizard.¡±


    Cedric huffed a laugh and sat down on the floor. Wyn followed him down and sat across from him, finally letting go of his shoulders. The others crowded around, everyone huddled close.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Cedric said after a minute. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind being known as the group with the cripple, I¡¯ll stay and join your group.¡±


    Wyn smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll show everyone what you¡¯re capable of, not that you¡¯re a cripple. You¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°I can tell you¡¯re serious. I saw that during our first climb together. You¡¯re not one to easily back down, are you?¡±


    ¡°Takes one to know one,¡± Wyn replied, shrugging his shoulder. ¡°All we need is to get you caught up to the third floor.¡±


    Marcy snickered. ¡°That¡¯ll be easy. We have way more firepower now, we can rush those floors in no time.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea, if you¡¯re open to it,¡± Cedric said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been thinking of a lot of ideas in here,¡± Wyn said. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    Cedric smiled, his lips curling towards each ear. ¡°All I need is the rest of the day to trade my gear. Then we rush tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°How about just us,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Tomorrow before the whole group joins after lunch?¡±


    Cedric shook his head. ¡°We won¡¯t even need that long.¡±


    Marcy slapped Cedric¡¯s back, pushing him forward a bit. ¡°Can¡¯t leave me out, now. It¡¯ll take an hour tops.¡±


    ¡°I think we may set this one out,¡± John said, pointing with his thumb to Tasha. ¡°How about we meet you all at 9?¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll go with you to the trading district,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Let¡¯s go get that gear!¡±


    John and Tasha shared in the cheers and congratulations at Cedric deciding to stay. It was relieving, to say the least, that Cedric decided to give climbing another shot. Wyn knew it would be a hard conversation, but he certainly didn''t expect Cedric to use magic like that. Maybe it was a reflex, a defensive mechanism to shield himself when he felt vulnerable. Wyn could relate. He''d done it many times to his soldiers and his family, using far worse words that cut deeper and hurt more than Cedric''s lightning.


    Watching his group celebrate, Wyn was thankful. He was quick to forgive and looked forward to the coming climbs with a fuller gorup. Suddenly, as though being drawn by magic, his eyes glossed over to the sheet on the floor, thrown to the side by Cedric. A relieved sigh left his lips. He was grateful, here and now, that that sheet was cast away, being unable to claim another life this day.

 Book 1 - Chapter 52

    The river was raging over various stones and debris, though in a different direction than last time. The entire jungle environment looked oddly familiar but slightly different - the tree line wasn¡¯t quite right, the foliage wasn¡¯t the same color, and the path through the first floor wound an entirely new direction. The experience felt like returning to a place years later and recalling it from a foggy memory.


    Wyn still couldn¡¯t wrap his head around the tower¡¯s ability to change so much and so quickly, but he was more concerned with the task at hand. He hated traveling over water, and he lamented the fact that he was back on the first floor having to traverse the river yet again.


    Worse, Cedric and Marcy were practically sprinting, and Wyn was barely keeping up. They weren¡¯t concerned with looting or efficiently killing monsters, but rather purely getting to the end to ascend to the next floor. Marcy told him to push ahead while they decimated a group of Lacerts not one hundred feet back, and the Ranger said she could hear the river ahead. Wyn decided to let the two deal with the enemies and compete, as it seemed as though they were trying to see who was better.


    It was a competition Wyn was not fond of, as magic sprayed in all directions from both Cedric¡¯s new scepter and Marcy¡¯s magical arrows.


    One of which suddenly zipped not far from Wyn and pierced the running water. He turned around and saw both Marcy and Cedric bolt out of the forest, laughing.


    Seeing the Lightning Wizard was a sight Wyn wouldn¡¯t soon forget, and he had a feeling that Cedric wanted to make a good first impression to anyone who would question his abilities. He was wearing a new robe and no cloak or spellbook on his side while holding a topaz-crested scepter. The robe was sleek and thin, mainly yellow with accented colors that looked professional yet obvious about his Lightning Wizard class. It was pinned at his left shoulder so the fabric wouldn''t blow around due to his missing left arm but making it more of a focal point than likely intended. A fine circlet hung around his head as well, and his boots were an off dark grey but complimentary.


    All in all, he looked like a professional Climber far more than before.


    "I guess having one less arm makes you faster," Marcy said, jogging to the water''s edge beside Wyn. "You''re keeping up better than before!"


    Cedric jogged alongside the Ranger. "It''s my new boots, you ass. It gives me more mobility. Which is the focus of my new kit."


    "Your boots are the main draw of your equipment?" Wyn asked.


    Cedric shook his head. "No, it''s the effect they have. I decided that if I was coming back into Alistair, I was going to be nearly impossible to hit again. So, my equipment allows me to do that. I sacrificed some attack power for defense but I really don¡¯t care."


    Wyn nodded, though knew he''d have to see for himself. He began to pull up one of the several canoes on the water''s edge but stopped when he heard Marcy snicker.


    "You would do that," the Ranger said. "Still trying to beat me to the end?"


    Wyn looked around, confused. He noticed Cedric jogging across the top of the river as though he was running on solid ground that formed inches above the current. He rubbed his eyes, unsure if what he was witnessing was actually real. The Lightning Wizard trotted around a small area on the river, showing off that he could walk on water before resuming his trip down river.


    "I guess we take the canoe, then," Wyn said, going back to readying the boat.


    Marcy sighed. "I guess so. It seems like his competitive nature is worse than ever now."


    The two Climbers jumped into the canoe, Wyn''s heart racing. He tried to gain his balance as the boat rocked, though it was much harder than any previous time due to Marcy flinging her oar around her in a whirlwind.


    "Come on, Wyn, stop messing around," she said, pulling an absurd amount of water with each stroke of her oar.


    Wyn didn¡¯t answer, doing his best to focus on not flipping while trying to row at the same time. His focus could only go so far, and he was already at a disadvantage since he was terrified of being capsized.


    Marcy more than made up for Wyn¡¯s inability to navigate in the canoe, and they flew down the river much faster than he expected. Cedric was keeping pace, though, like he was just moving across an even surface without need for direction. He was able to stay just a bit ahead of them despite moving at a brisk walk.


    ¡°How is he doing that?¡± Wyn asked between pulls of his oar. ¡°It has to be his boots.¡±


    ¡°Right you are,¡± Marcy replied. ¡°They¡¯re <u>Boots of Mobility</u>, and purple rank, at that. His base speed is faster, endurance is better, and he can levitate over surfaces. Honestly, I¡¯d like to have them, myself.¡±


    The canoe tilted side to side from a small rushing current, and Wyn did his best to keep his balance by ignoring his rowing duties. He chastised himself by even asking about Cedric¡¯s ability, knowing he needed to focus on the task instead.


    To Wyn¡¯s delight, they were at the necessary bank to continue along the floor without any trouble on the river. Not that it would have mattered as Cedric would have just fried anything resembling an enemy like the Lacerts before, but the absence was welcome. Wyn then jumped out of the canoe the instant he had clearance of the water.


    Cedric stood at the edge of the continuing jungle, tapping his foot impatiently. ¡°About time! So slow in that boat.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± Wyn groaned. ¡°Thankfully we didn¡¯t have any Lacerts to deal with, though.¡±


    Marcy snickered. ¡°You can thank him for that,¡± she said, readying her kukris to clear the jungle thicket.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°He killed the one batch of enemies along the way before we even saw them,¡± Marcy said, slapping Cedric on the shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s another for you, then.¡±


    ¡°And that puts me one ahead,¡± Cedric said, smiling. ¡°From what you¡¯ve said, it doesn¡¯t seem like we have far to go, either, making it more likely it¡¯ll stay that way!¡±


    Marcy sighed and pushed past him, chopping down bushes and tall leaves in anger.


    Wyn grabbed his spear and looked at it. ¡°I don¡¯t even know why I brought you along.¡±


    *****


    The Lacert giant hit the jungle floor with a thud, it¡¯s top half nearly blown off. Blood and guts were scattered in a wide area around it, stinking up the clearing just before it all dissolved back into the tower.


    Wyn walked up and checked the now empty spot, crinkling his nose. No loot was left behind - only a stench that rivaled the barracks of sweaty, dirty soldiers.


    Wyn had been demoted to being both the clean up guy and loot-checker, combing over each body for possible rewards. Marcy and Cedric were killing enemies faster than Wyn could spot them or form any sort of plan of attack in his mind. The sheer power they both held as mid-level Climbers working through the first floor was both apparent and frightening.


    He had a sudden thought of what it would be like being a higher tier Climber running through this first, easier tier. He imagined it would be child¡¯s play, and even more trivial than how Marcy and Cedric were literally sprinting through it. That may not happen in a month or two, but likely after several like them. The thought was a bit intimidating but exciting, too.


    A loud crack stirred Wyn out of his head. He looked around and spotted the third and final Lacert boss with a large hole in its chest, still standing. It toppled over in a heap similar the the last one, smoking from whatever spell Cedric decided to obliterate it with.


    ¡°Damnit,¡± Marcy yelled. ¡°Honestly, I think you might be faster now than before.¡±


    Cedric whirled his scepter in his hands before sticking it back into a cloth sash around his waist. ¡°I¡¯m definitely faster than I was before, but I¡¯m glad you¡¯re starting to realize it.¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The portal behind them opened, and they both stretched their bodies as though preparing for a training run. Wyn noticed that yet again no loot appeared, and sighed at his uselessness.


    Cedric pulled out a piece of parchment from his robes. ¡°24 minutes. Not bad. We need to pick up the pace to finish within the hour, though.¡±


    Marcy nodded as though he wasn¡¯t speaking insanity and it was perfectly normal to rush through a place where death waited at every corner.


    ¡°You¡¯re both mad,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I haven¡¯t done a thing to help. Why am I even here?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re faster than Tasha,¡± Cedric said. ¡°In case we need healing you can help, and you¡¯re solid in a pinch. Plus your speed skill is good. I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t used it yet.¡±


    Wyn gawked at him. So he was only here as a precaution in case they got hurt. It was strange feeling both wanted and an afterthought simultaneously, and Wyn didn¡¯t have words to respond.


    ¡°And,¡± Marcy added, ¡°you can get some more coin this way.¡± She elbowed Cedric and shot him a reprimanding look.


    Cedric clicked his tongue. ¡°I¡¯m not going to beat around the bush anymore. Tact is out the window, I¡¯m afraid. He asked, I answered. If I¡¯m going to climb, I¡¯m not taking it easy on anyone, especially Alistair. Now let¡¯s see what her second floor has to offer.¡± He immediately stepped backwards into the portal and was swept away in an instant.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s still adjusting,¡± Marcy said, staring at the portal. ¡°He¡¯ll come around.¡±


    ¡°As long as he keeps that determination, he can say whatever he¡¯d like to me.¡± Wyn held a hand out to the portal. ¡°After you.¡±


    Without hesitation Marcy stepped into the floating clear portal, and Wyn soon followed. He emerged with a slight dizzying sensation but felt leagues better than his previous teleports.


    Cedric was standing at the jungle edge, facing the temple alongside Marcy. The Magician walked beside them, unsure of why they waited.


    ¡°These are very different circumstances than the last time we climbed the second floor together,¡± Cedric said. He kept staring at the temple and ruins ahead, his right hand clenched in a fist. ¡°Let¡¯s hope this go around will be more fruitful and less erratic.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go at a slower pace due to traps?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Not to mention the Lamierts roaming around. They¡¯re more dangerous and faster, and your lightning spells aren¡¯t as strong against them.¡±


    Wyn recalled his parchment after looting the new snake-man hybrid monsters and finding their name. They shared a commonality with the Lacerts but seemed to be of a higher order regarding both their race and power in this section of the tower. Or at least that¡¯s what he assumed.


    ¡°Do you regret inviting me in, then?¡± Cedric asked. ¡°I am a Lightning Wizard, after all, and earth elemental enemies are my worst match up.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You¡¯re stronger than any enemies we¡¯ll face these first several floors, even if your element is weaker.¡±


    Cedric pulled his scepter from his belt and twirled it in the air. It projected a slight shimmer, different from magical auras. The head of magic weapon that held the topaz gem seemed to shift colors in the light like a prism or shard. ¡°This will help reduce that weakness. It¡¯ll be enough for now.¡±


    Wyn nodded and tapped his spear against the ground twice. ¡°Then we should be ready. I¡¯ll do my best to keep up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Marcy said. ¡°How about a wager to add a bit of fun?¡±


    Wyn cocked his head to the side. ¡°Hmm? How so?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet a loot drop item you can¡¯t kill at least three enemies,¡± Marcy said. ¡°At least blue rarity.¡±


    Wyn barked a laugh. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly the betting type, and I¡¯m at a huge disadvantage. I¡¯ll pass, thanks.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Cedric asked.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Marcy said, a grin on her face. ¡°I already know you can kill plenty of enemies. Just leave some for me.¡±


    The three Climbers moved to the large archway signaling the start of the ruins. Similar to the day before, the sun was berating them from above, relentless with its light and heat.


    Marcy and Cedric moved a bit slower than the first floor to allow Marcy adequate time to identify any traps. Wyn, on the other hand, picked up his pace, musing that both of the veteran¡¯s decreased pace was still quite fast. Despite the dangers found by Marcy and monster threats dealt with almost immediately, it was still an incredibly impressive change from his group¡¯s ability.


    The rookies definitely brought the pace and efficiency down a few notches, though Wyn was realizing that the two veterans possessed a confidence he hadn¡¯t seen before. When they were on the second floor last week chasing Lionel, they were ragged, barely equipped, and on a time crunch. With those pressures removed, it was like they were different people, even if Cedric was dealing with the loss of his left arm and navigating the tower with a different perspective. The ease at which they cleared the first floor made him curious about being able to clear future floors himself. Would he get to a point with his confidence to clear the first floor alone? Both Marcy and Cedric were too confident last week leading the rookies and didn''t bother recovering enough to be prepared. He saw now why they had that initial bravado for climbing the first floor.


    He vowed to not make the same mistake again. Deep down, under their little game they played, he knew both of the veterans thought that way, too.


    After about ten minutes the three had already cleared two small groups of Lacerts and a couple of trapped hallways. No Lamierts had appeared yet, and Wyn knew it would slow them down.


    Almost as if on cue, Wyn jogged forward to turn a hallway and came upon a group of two Lacerts and one Lamiert, catching them in surprise. He immediately swung his spear horizontally, casting his Wingbeat spell and hitting all three at once. The two Lacerts hit the ground, but the taller Lamiert roared from a gash now spewing blood across its stomach.


    It slithered forward towards Wyn, hissing in anger. A beam of ice suddenly slammed into its chest, causing a small blast of snowflakes to fill the air. Wyn covered his face, unsure of what was happening.


    When he took his arm away, he stared in confusion. The monster was frozen in a block of ice in a fighting stance. Chunks of ice fell apart like falling stones, and the monster¡¯s body began to dissolve, leaving behind a small glowing pile of loot.


    ¡°Not bad, right?¡± Cedric said with a smile.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had ice spells, too!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s so great,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± He walked over to the loot before pausing. He put his scepter back in his sash before picking up his rewards.


    ¡°It¡¯s his new weapon,¡± Marcy said, watching the Wizard loot the creature¡¯s remains. ¡°It lets him change the element of a spell. Talk about being helpful for enemies who resist lightning.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± Wyn said. ¡°That¡¯s an incredible feature! Useful for an elemental Wizard not wanting to be resisted or to catch enemies off guard.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. But those two enemies still only count as one.¡± She slapped Wyn on the back and continued on through the ruins.


    Wyn took a deep breath, noting the veterans were already jogging ahead. If they wanted to be impressed, he needed to do something impressive. Not that he was part of their bet. But a piece of him still wanted their approval, strangely enough.


    He activated his Speed Up skill and forged ahead, trying to keep up. A smile flashed across his face as he passed the two Climbers and stepped into a more intact part of the ruins. He remembered this was the second half of the maze and wanted to be the first to find a group to kill. Somehow the two showboaters were giving him a new level of confidence, even if it wasn¡¯t the smartest move.


    The veterans weren¡¯t the best influences, but Wyn felt like a new Climber compared to their climb in the caves. He was confident they¡¯d make it relatively unscathed, even if it exhausted his mana and endurance.


    Marcy turned to Cedric while they ran and jabbed a thumb in Wyn¡¯s direction. ¡°So he was all it took to bring you back?¡±


    Cedric laughed. ¡°Not exactly. I was on the fence, truth be told, but still leaned towards coming back. I just wanted him to want me back.¡±


    ¡°You knew he wanted you in the group?¡±


    ¡°Not quite, but I had a hunch.¡± Cedric jumped over a wide pit that formed behind the sprinting Ruby Magician, easily clearing it as his boots emitted a faint glow. ¡°He¡¯s a careful guy who only wants to surround himself with people he trusts. I figured after what we went through I fell in that category.¡±


    Marcy leaped over the next gap both with grace and without any piece of her equipment enhancing her. She landed in a tumble before repeating the process on the next gap, thankful that this was the only type of trap laid out so Wyn wouldn¡¯t recklessly get hurt.


    "You''re right," Marcy said, pausing between the various pits to talk. "It''s good to have you back, even if we only finish the first tier this month."


    Cedric floated over the last pit in front of Marcy, trying to catch up to Wyn. "At least it''ll let me try out my gear. It''ll be a good opportunity for the group to grow, as well."


    Wyn suddenly appeared beside the Climbers, skidding along the rubble coated floor. He was glowing with a faint red aura as his speed skill was still active. "Dead end ahead. I guess we try the other way at the last fork?"


    "That''s our best bet," Marcy said. "Check it off the list, then backtrack again if we need to."


    Wyn crouched, ready to run, then stopped. "Huh. I guess I made those pits appear. I was trying to stay ahead so badly I didn''t realize they showed up."


    Cedric snickered. "Maybe we should stop trying to rush and be a bit more careful? I guess I was a bit excited coming back to climb."


    Wyn smiled and took a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s probably for the best. At this rate I won¡¯t have any mana to be of any use at all.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be alright. Honestly, it¡¯s the traps that we need to worry about. Like these pits. We can handle monsters just fine.¡±


    Wyn took one step towards the pit he caused to appear and shook his head. He didn¡¯t want to get anywhere close to one again. ¡°I can understand that. I can heal wounds from those monsters but not from half a dozen spikes as big as me.¡±


    ¡°Still, that was an impressive run,¡± Cedric said.


    Wyn scratched the back of his head. ¡°Truthfully, I was only trying to impress you both. There was a fair amount of false confidence, there.¡±


    Cedric patted Wyn on the back. "I''m already back in the tower - there''s no need to impress me further. You''re our leader. You don''t have anything to prove. Besides, I have a feeling I¡¯ll be plenty satisfied after seeing your new spells you were bragging about."


    A mischievous grin spread on Wyn''s face. "Just you wait. I told you it''d be worth it."


    "Get a room," Marcy said, nearly yelling from across the path, having cleared all of the pits while Cedric and Wyn talked. "You''ll never see it if we don''t get there!"


    Cedric gave one last smile before he started back across the pits, never stopping his stride. He looked incredibly strange running on air as small magical circles appeared below his feet over the pits, but Wyn was still jealous.


    He took one deep breath before starting his more cautious approach of jumping the pits, though his enhanced speed made it easier to clear each gap despite the small distance between each one. Each step brought more confidence both in his teammates and in himself. Maybe there was hope for him to be a great Climber, after all.

 Book 1 - Chapter 53

    John and Tasha stood by the many portals in the base of Alistair. Tasha was fiddling with the hem of her cloak, watching the various Climbers enter and exit the portals all around them.


    "Didn''t they say 9?" Tasha asked. "It''s almost 9:30."


    "Maybe they took a few wrong turns," John said, picking his teeth with his fingernail. "I''m sure they''re fine. It happens all the time!¡±


    Tasha let out an exasperated huff. ¡°I just have a bad feeling. Especially since we couldn¡¯t get another Fighter.¡±


    John winced. ¡°Yea, I know. It was a bit short notice, to be fair. But I¡¯m as disappointed as you. We¡¯ll just have to manage.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the others will take it as easily as I did. I don¡¯t blame you, John. We¡¯ll find our last member when the time is right.¡±


    John put his arm around Tasha and sighed with relief. ¡°You know, m¡¯lady, you¡¯re quite forgiving. I appreciate that!¡±


    Tasha pushed him off of her with a giggle.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little early to be flirting?¡± Marcy asked from behind them.


    Both John and Tasha spun around to see Marcy, Wyn, and Cedric standing directly outside a portal. Marcy and Cedric wore big smiles but Cedric was eyeing every Climber that passed by them with a scrutinizing eye.


    ¡°You made it!¡± Tasha said, running up to hug Marcy. The Ranger stood there while being hugged, and her face quickly morphed to an awkward smile. ¡°Even though you¡¯re late!¡±


    ¡°You can thank Cedric for that,¡± Marcy said, weaseling her way out of Tasha¡¯s embrace. ¡°He took his sweet time there at the end.¡±


    ¡°He did fine,¡± Wyn said, defending the Wizard. ¡°There were no major problems on our end. Marcy¡¯s just impatient.¡±


    ¡°Well, did you find anything good?¡± John asked. ¡°Did the monsters drop anything? Those ugly snake things?¡±


    ¡°Lamierts,¡± Cedric said, whipping his head back to the group. ¡°They¡¯re called Lamierts. And only a pair of scaled boots that you¡¯re already wearing. Otherwise basic coins, gems, and a few potions.¡±


    John deflated, his shoulders slumping from the disappointing news.


    ¡°How about the other Fighter?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Were you able to find someone?¡±


    John¡¯s face went hot and he cleared his throat loudly, finding it hard to look Wyn in the eyes. ¡°Unfortunately no.¡±


    Then it was Marcy and Cedric who deflated.


    ¡°The ones I trusted,¡± John continued, ¡°either had groups or weren¡¯t available yet. It was pretty short notice, though.¡±


    Wyn nodded with a sigh. ¡°It was a long shot, but it was worth trying. Thanks for asking around. We¡¯ll manage for the time being, especially with Cedric back.¡±


    John smiled and relaxed.


    ¡°We can go through Marcy¡¯s key portal here,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We¡¯re just at the start of the third floor. Are we ready?¡±


    John stretched like he was readying himself to train before giving a nod of agreement. Wyn rummaged through his pack and pulled out his mushroom lantern. He attached it to the front of his belt, securing it so it wouldn¡¯t hinder him while fighting. The first two floors were too bright to actually use it, but based on what they saw for the third floor, it would come in handy.


    ¡°You know, at some point we need to talk about that witch,¡± Cedric said. ¡°That¡¯s still been bothering me.¡±


    ¡°How about over dinner?¡± Wyn said. ¡°Let¡¯s get through the floor and we can talk at the guild hall.¡±


    Cedric shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯d like somewhere private. We can go to my quarters to discuss it.¡±


    The others stood around with bated breath, waiting for a response. Cedric and Wyn looked at each other, a sort of power dynamic forming between them. It was previously established that Wyn was their leader, but Cedric had undeniable experience and power as a Climber.


    ¡°But,¡± Cedric continued, ¡°we can go wherever you¡¯d like.¡± He smiled, capping his offer.


    The others relaxed.


    ¡°Your place is great,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You make a valid point. It¡¯ll give me a chance to get out of my own apartment, too.¡±


    ¡°But first,¡± John said, ¡°we need to make it through this third floor. It was definitely the creepiest so far.¡±


    Tasha groaned. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. At least my staff will be useful again.¡±


    The Climbers stepped into the portal one by one, and were soon transported to the third floor.


    *****


    ¡°So after we cross this space, a flood of monsters enters from one of the side walls?¡± Cedric asked, staring into the large space at the entrance of the third floor.


    Tasha was holding her staff out, providing the initial lighting to see the open room. Just like before, torches magically began lighting themselves, providing enough light for the entire chamber rather than the relatively smaller area her staff showed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Wyn said. ¡°A section of the wall disappeared and created a path.¡±


    ¡°Probably a means to push us to make a decision about those three archways,¡± Cedric said. ¡°They look identical from here, but the odds of returning are slim if it means raging enemies on the other side. So whatever we choose we stick with.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear any rumors or information about the language, either,¡± Marcy said. ¡°They¡¯re still trying to work it out in Alestead and nothing has been found. At least from the ones who care enough to try.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re going in blind,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Then we choose a path at random.¡±


    ¡°Maybe take a minute or so to see if there is any difference with the symbols first?¡± John asked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t hurt to remember them or write them down ourselves.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll write them down once we¡¯re on the other side,¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°Good,¡± Wyn said. He began to cross the room, and the others soon followed.


    Wyn walked up to the middle path and stared at the symbols above it. They were arranged in a line as though meant to be read like words in a book. Or at least that was what Wyn thought. It was impossible to make out the language or meaning, at least in the short time they had. He saw symbols of torches, a lizard, a snake holding a spear, fire, and various magical runes he didn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°These are so strange,¡± John said. ¡°The symbols I have here are snakes with swords, a staff, a dagger, a water droplet, and squiggly lines.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s supposed to be running water,¡± Tasha corrected, pointing to the symbol on the wall.


    ¡°How was I supposed to guess that?¡± John asked. ¡°And how do you know that?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Cedric said. He stood with Marcy at the third and final archway. ¡°This one has an axe, a human being sacrificed, runes for a ritual spell, and a tree.¡±


    ¡°How in the hells did you figure that out?¡± John asked. ¡°I think you¡¯re both making things up.¡±


    Wyn looked at both walls and saw the opened path and light shining behind it. ¡°They¡¯re coming,¡± he said. ¡°Which one do we pick?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s in your path?¡± Cedric asked.


    Wyn quickly told them while still checking the path, watching the light grow and shadows form of the Lacerts running towards them.


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    ¡°Which one, Wyn?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°There¡¯s no rhyme or reason to them!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go through this one,¡± Wyn said, waving them over to his path. ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of a woman being sacrificed.¡± He also didn¡¯t like the sound of more water to overcome, but he decided to keep that to himself.


    The Climbers all pushed into the pathway, now lit by Tasha¡¯s staff. It was empty and long, the same clean and smooth stone lining every surface. The instant Marcy crossed the archway as the last one of their group, a large stone fell through the space, blocking them from returning.


    It was silent and dark except for Tasha¡¯s staff. No torches were in the hallway, and it was completely empty.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look ominous,¡± John said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you want to go through mine and Tasha¡¯s path?¡±


    Wyn briefly debated whether he should keep his fears of water to himself but ultimately decided to share. No sense in keeping it from them if they were going to trust him as their leader. ¡°Because there was a chance of going through water. And I hate water.¡±


    The others laughed, which made Wyn relax a bit despite them laughing at his shortcoming.


    ¡°If there aren¡¯t any traps,¡± Wyn said, glancing at Marcy, ¡°then let¡¯s get to the next room.¡±


    ¡°Not before we check this floor out,¡± Cedric said. He pulled out his parchment and began to read it like a scroll.


    Wyn mentally slapped himself. He completely forgot about his parchment giving him more information. It was an incredibly valuable piece of magic, if not the most valuable item in his possession. Turning the pages over, he found the new description.


    FLOOR 3


    PARTY 5/5


    <u>Quest</u>: After finding the temple within the jungle, you¡¯ve decided to investigate further. The chambers within house secrets and disturbing passages at every corner - what will you find during your path as you continue to explore the ancient structure?


    Wyn creased his eyebrows. The description was ominous at best. So far the environment had been fairly simple, except for the symbols above the passageway. Nothing had been shown or foretelling about any sinister dealings except for Alistair actually mentioning disturbing passages on this floor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like that description,¡± Tasha said. She folded her parchment and tucked it away. ¡°I don¡¯t remember the other floors being that foreboding.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you start climbing higher,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Oh man, I¡¯ll never forget the description of a floor we faced climbing a frozen prison. Do you remember that, Cedric?¡±


    Cedric snickered. ¡°As much as I try to forget, yes. It said we were looking for a foul beast eating any small creatures that found their way into the dungeon, including humans. Many Climbers didn¡¯t want to face it simply from that description alone.¡±


    Tasha gulped.


    Wyn walked forward along the path still lit by Tasha¡¯s Torchlight spell. He thought about activating his lantern but didn¡¯t think he needed the light just yet. At the end of the hallway was a complete left turn, and light protruding from around the corner enticed Wyn to keep going.


    After turning the corner with the others, he immediately stopped and surveyed the room. A bead of sweat fell down his face. He knew each floor was more difficult, but he still didn¡¯t know the extent.


    A large, long stone path was laid out before them, and an open doorway was in the midst of the wall at the far end. Four iron bars covered the dark path leading beyond. Four torches in sconces were also on the far wall, two on either side of the barred path.


    What was truly interesting, though, was the four man-sized snake statues that lined the room, two on either side and each in a corner. They were staggered in their placement, though all faced the exact middle of the path. A fifth snake statue was set in the middle of the room on a circular stone base.


    Two large wooden dials were placed at the entrance, like boat wheels that were turned on their side. They were set in small stone pillars with more inscriptions and symbols all around them.


    Wyn walked up and inspected one of the dials. It looked like it was meant to be turned, and likely caused something to happen from the statues.


    ¡°Should we see what happens?¡± Wyn asked. He put his spear against the near wall and grabbed the left dial.


    ¡°Might as well,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Those statues look menacing. I don¡¯t believe we should just walk down the path, either.¡±


    The others gathered around the dials as Wyn began to turn the left one. There was quite a bit of resistance as he started to pull it clockwise, but it slowly began to budge and move. He dug into the stone floor and used his body weight to help gather the strength needed to turn it. A sound like stone grinding against stone bellowed from under the floor, and after a quarter turn the dial stopped.


    When he looked up, he saw the stone statue in the middle of the room was now facing the far left snake statue.


    ¡°Try the other one,¡± Wyn said.


    John grabbed the dial and turned it similar to Wyn, though seemed to have an easier time. It spun a complete turn before flames erupted from the statue in the middle of the room. The flames spewed directly into the mouth of the snake statue, and a rune magically appeared under the far left torch on the wall. A flame emerged from the tip, and one of the iron bars over the pathway retreated and disappeared.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Tasha said. ¡°That worked!¡±


    ¡°It seems as though we just need to do the same thing for the other three,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Fairly straightforward.¡±


    ¡°I assume it¡¯ll only get harder from here?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°More complicated and in-depth?¡±


    Cedric smiled and patted Wyn on the shoulder. ¡°Now you¡¯re thinking like a Climber! This is likely the foundation for future puzzles. It¡¯ll be a play on this similar setup.¡±


    John rotated the dial back to its starting position to turn off the spewing fire. Wyn then rotated his dial again to change the statue¡¯s direction, and they repeated this process to light all four statues. It took a little while due to the strength needed for Wyn¡¯s dial, and Marcy opted to turn it on the last statue to give him a break.


    With the final torch lit the last bar opened, clearing their path. John turned his dial one last time to shut off the fire. Then they all advanced to the next section, confident and happy at their current progress.


    Wyn was walking ahead with Marcy while Cedric and John followed at the back, boxing Tasha in the middle so her light spell could equally illuminate as much area as possible. When they walked into the next room, though, similar looking torches on the wall were magically set ablaze on their arrival. It wasn¡¯t as large as the previous chambers and not empty, either. Two doorways were in the room, one on the left wall and the other on the right. The left door was barred similar to before. Clay pots of all sizes were littered around the room, some as tall as people. Most of the pots were broken or cracked, though Wyn noticed a couple were radiating magic.


    On the very far wall was a large statue of a Lamiert holding a spear. It was just as tall as the actual monsters they fought, though weathered, cracked, and broken in several places. Hieroglyphs were also scattered all around the room, coating the tops of the doorways, above and below the statue, and along a singular line all around the room. Vines were creeping into the room through various holes and cracks in the stone walls and ceiling, and moisture was thicker in the air than before.


    ¡°Woah,¡± John said. ¡°This is incredible.¡±


    ¡°And creepy,¡± Tasha said, staring up at the statue. ¡°I really wish I knew what these symbols meant.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Marcy said. ¡°All we need to know is how to push forward. We aren¡¯t here for research, after all.¡±


    Wyn walked over to one of the faintly glowing pots in the room. It was more intact than the others, and the lid was at his hip. He picked up the wooden lid and peered inside, curious about what it contained. A potion was glowing at the bottom of the jar which allowed him to also see more treasure.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some coins, a potion, and it looks like a few gems,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take whatever gem I don¡¯t have as my share!¡± John said. ¡°If it¡¯s in there!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some more,¡± Cedric said. He let go of his scepter and reached into the pot with his arm to haul out the treasure inside. ¡°Luck is on our side today!¡±


    John tilted his head and scrunched his face. ¡°Cedric?¡°


    ¡°Yes, John?¡± Cedric asked, bending over in order to reach the bottom of the pot.


    ¡°Is your scepter floating?¡±


    Beside the Wizard¡¯s torso, his scepter was hovering in the air, bobbing ever so slightly like tackle on a fishing line.


    ¡°Why, of course it is,¡± Cedric said. ¡°It would get in my way on my sash and I don¡¯t exactly have a second hand to hold it.¡±


    John nodded as though floating magical items was a perfectly normal, reasonable thing.


    There was a rickety wooden table beside the statue and the Climbers set out their found treasures. John took a topaz gem as his share, Tasha took the mana potion as Cedric had plenty for himself, and then they were stuck at what they wanted to do for the item Cedric found.


    ¡°A pair of gloves could be useful,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Depending on what they are. We could identity it now and see?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s blue rarity, too,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I have an identifying eye glass with me. If it¡¯s helpful, I could use a pair, as long as it doesn¡¯t cover my mark.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, Wyn, I can identify items. Do you really not remember? It¡¯s only been a week!¡±


    ¡°I remember. I was just offering to save your mana.¡±


    Cedric shook his head in understanding but raised his scepter. ¡°It¡¯s hardly any mana at all. Don¡¯t worry.¡± He pointed his scepter at the gloves and a runic circle of magic appeared in front of the item.


    ¡°I¡¯m out, for obvious reasons,¡± Cedric said, his voice flat. ¡°Plus I¡¯m fine with my equipment for the foreseeable future.¡±


    The previously worn leather gloves changed into a pristine, dark brown leather pair with a small emerald stud at each of the wrists. They shimmered blue magic and were fingerless, suddenly growing in length and looking as though they extended up into the forearm.


    ¡°It says here,¡± Cedric said, ¡°that they¡¯re called <u>Stone Hurler Gloves</u>, and that they can make basic projectiles into the earth element, as well as increase accuracy and power. Marcy, they¡¯re right up your alley.¡±


    Marcy put a hand to her chin before shaking her head. ¡°Nah. Thanks, but they¡¯re not for me, either.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Why not? That magical property is perfect for you!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like gloves. I¡¯ll do just fine without them. My bow and quiver already increase several abilities for my arrows - if I wanted something like that I¡¯d have been wearing them long before now.¡±


    ¡°So we trade them for something better,¡± Cedric said, putting them away in a pocket. ¡°It¡¯s a good find regardless.¡±


    ¡°It probably wouldn¡¯t hurt for your arrows to be magical, though,¡± John said. ¡°Wait, are they? You never really said.¡±


    ¡°Most of these aren¡¯t,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Some definitely are.¡±


    Wyn thought about the gift for Marcy. He wondered if now would be a good time to give it to her, but second guessed himself. Would she appreciate the gesture in front of everyone, or would she prefer something more private? Would the others be self conscious about not having a gift for them?


    ¡°Wyn,¡± Tasha said, shaking him by the arm. ¡°Are you coming?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Wyn mumbled.


    Tasha sighed. ¡°You know, you really should stop doing that. We¡¯re ready to keep going.¡±


    Wyn silently cursed himself for his inaction. He was always the captain that told his company to act instead of think, and here he was lost in his thoughts. There was something about being a Climber that reminded him of his early days of being a soldier. When he was more hesitant and reserved. Maybe it was the introduction of magic or being looked down on.


    Regardless, maybe one day he¡¯d break free from the habit. Maybe.

 Book 1 - Chapter 54

    The spear whiffed beside Wyn, only hitting air instead of his basic armor. He was able to move his torso awkwardly at the last second, forfeiting the possibility of a counter attack in order to not be stabbed. The Lacert attacking him was slightly taller, stronger, faster, and more durable than the ones he¡¯d faced before.


    Of course the enemies were more difficult. He was a fool to think they were on the same level as the first two floors, and it nearly cost him.


    His current task was to deal with this one Lacert while the others handled the more advanced fire puzzle. Thankfully there was only one monster attacking at a time, but this was the third Lacert Wyn fought, and he was afraid a Lamiert would be showing up soon. He didn¡¯t want to face that particular monster alone at the moment.


    ¡°Are you almost done?¡± Wyn yelled. The others weren¡¯t far away, but he didn¡¯t have the focus to temper the volume of his voice given the context.


    ¡°We¡¯ve had to make a few adjustments,¡± John said, straining his voice as he turned the wheeled dial.


    The stream of fire stopped from the snake statue on the left side of the chamber when the dial John turned clicked in place. He jogged to the identical dial ten feet away and started turning it. Now, the statue began swiveling on its stone base, the sound of stone grinding echoing in the room. It stopped in front of an empty space and John cursed. He turned it yet again, and the statue stopped in front of another empty statue, mouth open.


    John trudged back to the first dial. It was a laborious process he was managing alone.


    On the other side of the room, Marcy, Tasha, and Cedric were working together to move their own two dials. There was an identical setup on their side of the chamber - a singular snake statue able to spit fire while three statues able to receive the fire were set into the side wall.


    Two separate areas to work made it more challenging, and they decided to split up to move quicker. When the first enemy came into the room, Wyn split off to fight it. When he killed one, another spawned immediately.


    He was employing a new strategy on this third monster. Evade and distract rather than kill right away.


    Four torches had been lit, though two remained dark. Both groups had their final statue still, and Wyn was trying to buy them time.


    The Lacert circled around Wyn and shifted its attention to Cedric and Tasha, who were both pulling on a wheeled dial to turn their stone statue. Wyn rushed forward and swiped it across the back with his spear before it reached Tasha.


    The monster roared in pain and fell to a knee. Wyn kicked it in the back, sending it sprawling to the ground. He locked eyes with Cedric who stopped turning the dial in order to watch the fight.


    Wyn threw a hand up in the air. ¡°Don¡¯t stop - keep going! We¡¯re almost there!¡±


    Cedric shook his head and snapped back to helping Tasha turn the heavy wheel.


    The monster staggered to its feet, groaning in anger and frustration. It was too close to the others for Wyn to try and lure it away. He knew he had to kill it, but also knew another monster would show up directly after, and the mystery of what it could be frightened him more than the monster itself.


    Wyn lurched forward with his spear and stabbed it straight through it¡¯s chest, well past the curved blade. The Lacert snapped its jaws several times before slumping to the ground.


    The fifth torch lit. Sighs of relief and cries of joy rang out through the chamber.


    ¡°We finished our side!¡± Tasha yelled.


    ¡°Good!¡± John groaned. ¡°Then come help me!¡±


    The Climbers shifted their position and ran to the Fighter, aiding him with the last dial and statue. Cedric took to being on the lookout for another enemy while Wyn jumped in to help. In seconds the statue was in place, and they turned the second dial to start the spewing fire to light the torch. It was far easier and quicker to solve with five of them working together rather than split.


    The sixth and final torch lit, opening all the bars into the next room. From a similarly unseen space, however, two Lamierts emerged, one with a wickedly jagged sword, and the other holding a staff.


    Wyn dashed away from the dial. ¡°John, focus on the mage like last time! I¡¯ll take -¡±


    He was cutoff by a loud popping sound in the air. Cedric had his scepter pointed at the monsters, and a sharp, visible gust of wind flew out of his weapon faster than an arrow. It zipped across the room straight towards the Lamierts. The sword-wielding enemy slithered in its approach but was still unable to avoid the attack - the wind blast struck it across its body, slicing it with dozens of small gashes before pushing through it with an overwhelming force towards the mage monster. It was as though the creature¡¯s body acted as a catalyst for a new gale of wind, and a similar attack hit the mage less than a second later.


    Both monsters shrieked in pain though were stunned in surprise for only a second. That was all the time the spell needed, however, as the magic lingered on each monster and inflicted an increasing number of cuts that became deeper and more pronounced over the seconds they still lived.


    The Climbers stood in shock, waiting to see the after effect of the spell. Thuds of flesh hitting the stone floor made them recoil, and the deafening silence that followed made them relax.


    ¡°Cedric,¡± Wyn asked, confusion obvious on his face. ¡°Was that the effect of your scepter?¡±


    Cedric smirked. ¡°It was. I intended to cast Lightning Arc but used the feature to change the element to wind. I honestly didn¡¯t know what to expect, but that was incredibly similar to the original spell¡¯s design. Only it had a wind effect instead.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± Marcy said. ¡°That was amazing! Can you control the element the scepter changes?¡±


    ¡°I can, yes. But it takes an additional charge to do that, and I only have so many uses per day. I can let it change into a random element for only one charge, but I can¡¯t afford to not be precise right now. I¡¯ll only be able to do it two more times.¡±


    ¡°Then we need to conserve that for stronger enemies,¡± Wyn said. ¡°The weaker Lacerts will likely die from the strength of your spells, even if it was lightning. We might need to save it for any champions or the boss.¡±


    ¡°What rarity is that scepter?¡± John asked. ¡°That seems pretty powerful.¡±


    ¡°Purple,¡± Cedric answered.


    John whistled in response. ¡°I thought the fact that it floated was impressive. Is that why it¡¯s purple? It has to be. The floating bit is just on another level.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a small enchantment,¡± Cedric said, missing the joke. Or possibly ignoring it.


    Wyn waved them on, standing beside the open pathway. ¡°How about we discuss how amazing Cedric is after we finish?¡±


    ¡°I was talking about Cedric¡¯s scepter, not him,¡± John said. Apparently he was in a joking mood.


    Cedric sighed. ¡°A weapon is only as good as the person wielding it. It wouldn¡¯t be all that great in someone else¡¯s hands.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be in someone else¡¯s hands,¡± John said. ¡°It can literally float in the air.¡±


    *****


    The room they entered was much smaller than the previous one. They could all fit inside, but there wasn¡¯t much room to do anything else. Vines continued to creep in from the ceiling and top of the wall, and they were more dense now than before. Dust and crumbled rocks were scattered throughout the room, but there wasn¡¯t anything else of note except for a small span of hieroglyphs on the right wall, and the continued path straight ahead of them.


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    ¡°What kind of room is this?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Nothing is here. It seems kind of¡­ pointless.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Marcy said. ¡°If we needed to take a reprieve for some time and heal up or gain some mana back, this would be a good room. It¡¯s not trapped. No enemies or puzzles. Just some space to rest.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Tasha said. She leaned against a wall and propped her staff beside her. It was still radiating light for them to see. ¡°Which I will gladly take right now. That dial wore me out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± John said. ¡°I have increased endurance and I still got tired turning that thing.¡± He sat close to Tasha and splayed his legs out to rest, laying his shield on the ground.


    Wyn walked around the room, stopping to look at the hieroglyphs. The same symbols he saw when they started were in the writings, but new ones were mixed in, too. He saw what looked to be like a circle or plate, depictions of people and weapons, and more.


    ¡°Is it even worth figuring out what these mean?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°By the time the month is over all of this will be gone. Is it from this world, just on another country? Is it even from this time period?¡±


    ¡°Questions like that will drive you mad,¡± Cedric said. He stood beside Wyn and stared at the symbols. ¡°Climbers in the past have had the same thoughts, stressing themselves and going to ridiculous lengths to learn about what we find here in Alistair. But you¡¯re right - in a few weeks this will be behind us. As far as I know, no season has repeated itself, so whatever it is will be lost.¡±


    ¡°There are some people in the world whose life goal is to find the secrets of the four towers,¡± John said. ¡°My family has some close friends who do that for here in Alistair. It hasn¡¯t been successful, though.¡±


    Wyn shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know about that. But I can definitely see how it would drive someone mad, especially if you were the kind of person who needed to know all the answers. Honestly, Cedric, you strike me as that kind of person.¡±


    Cedric laughed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s because I am! Truth be told, my first two seasons climbing drove me crazy. I needed to know the ins and outs of each floor we came across - the location, enemies, weather.¡±


    ¡°I remember you being an absolute pest about the environment, too,¡± Marcy said. ¡°You were fixated on a particular strain of flower we found in a field. We nearly kicked you from our group.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I stopped,¡± Cedric said. ¡°After I realized how little actual progress I was making climbing and straining the few friendships I had, I had to force myself to stop thinking that way. I still have trouble with it.¡±


    ¡°I can understand that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And I see your point. It¡¯s here and it¡¯s a part of the tower, but not necessarily important for our actual goal.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Granted, in this situation, I think the symbols are actually helpful to us.¡±


    ¡°You just got lucky this time,¡± Marcy said. ¡°This season happens to be in a place where we are actually forewarned about potential challenges ahead. That¡¯s not always the case.¡±


    ¡°So the symbols above the path we entered really did give us an idea of what we¡¯d find,¡± John said. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be that specific. Didn¡¯t you say that there was a symbol above your archway that showed a person being sacrificed?¡±


    Cedric nodded. ¡°I did. Who in the hells knows what that means here. I don¡¯t quite think I want to find out, though.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I think we did just fine. I just hope there aren¡¯t too many more of these fire puzzles. I think it could get complicated fast.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We did pretty well last time for coming up with that plan last second. I have a feeling like there''ll be three parts to this next puzzle. I say we finish one part then progress to the next until we''re done. We''ll stay together better and can trade out as needed, but if more enemies show up, maybe Cedric can help me take them down?¡±


    ¡°Marcy and I will keep working on the dials,¡± Tasha said. ¡°It¡¯ll be slow, but manageable.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll keep doing the heavy lifting,¡± John said, standing up. Dust flew around him after he clapped his hands together, sending him into a small coughing fit.


    Tasha patted him on the back. ¡°There, there, Mr. Strongman. Some water should clear that right up.¡±


    John shot the Mage a look, but wasn¡¯t very intimidating through watery eyes. He searched his pack for his water skin, coughing intermittently.


    ¡°Also,¡± Cedric said, ¡°you never explained that magical jar.¡± He pointed to the lantern hanging by a chain on Wyn¡¯s belt.


    Wyn picked it up and held it, though it wasn¡¯t active. Small mushrooms rolled around the inside carelessly.


    ¡°So that witch said it would give me light for a few hours when I shook it,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And that the jar wouldn¡¯t break. But the description wasn¡¯t too fancy, just that different colors will give dim light and change each time I shake it.¡±


    Wyn looked at the lantern. He hadn¡¯t really had a chance to use it as the environment so far had been bright and easy to see. The mushrooms inside the jar bounced around after he shook it, and a faint orange glow lit up their room, pouring out of the jar. The glow reached past the pathway to the next hall, but it was consistently a low light rather than a brighter one from Tasha¡¯s staff.


    The others went wide eyed staring at the wall. Wyn looked at them in confusion, wondering if they were just impressed at the light. He turned around to look at the wall with the hieroglyphs.


    Text appeared under the symbols on the wall, an obvious translation in the common language. It glowed under the warm orange light.


    ¡°What in the hells,¡± Cedric said. ¡°This can¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°What is that lantern?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°How did the light make that appear?¡±


    Wyn shook his head in disbelief. ¡°I have no idea. I didn¡¯t even know it could do that.¡±


    ¡°Rotate the snake to breathe life into its brethren,¡± Marcy said, reading the text. ¡°The final challenge awaits in spear and flame. Destroy the heart of the weakest snake to bring new life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not creepy,¡± John said. ¡°We could¡¯ve used that message earlier.¡±


    ¡°It might still be there,¡± Cedric said. ¡°If this shows up there could be others! That light must reveal some hidden parts of this temple. Or possibly even the tower itself.¡±


    ¡°Only way to find out,¡± Wyn said, patting the jar. ¡°We use it again when we see more symbols and see if there¡¯s a reaction.¡±


    ¡°From what it reads, it looks like we¡¯re almost at the end,¡± Marcy said. ¡°We may not have much of a chance now. But Wyn, that could be incredibly useful on a lot of floors if there is more of this.¡±


    ¡°For now, though, we don¡¯t tell anyone you have it,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We don¡¯t need people trying to steal it or kill you for it.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯d do that?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Some Climbers would do anything to have an advantage here. The more experienced Climbers are safer due to being stronger, but you''re still only a rookie. Let¡¯s not give them an option.¡±


    ¡°Anything to let me keep my head,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯ll put it away before we get back, too.¡±


    The group rested for a brief few minutes before moving to continue on to finish the floor. Wyn took one last glance at the wall, wondering how in the hells he wound up in this position. He didn¡¯t ask for any of it, and hoped it wouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem in the future. To say he was wrapped up in something far outside his comfort was an understatement.


    The hallway leading to the next chamber was short, not affording the group any additional time to form a strategy. The instant they entered what they assumed to be the last room on this floor, they stayed together but positioned themselves to begin their respective tasks.


    Instead of two separate areas of statues, there were now three like Wyn assumed. It was similar to before though there were only two statues per section that needed to be lit, now. Three individual statues of giant snakes were set on pedestals, and on the far right and far left sections the two receiving statues were against the wall. In the middle section, though, a third snake statue was facing them, and it was easily twice as big as the others.


    They anticipated a slightly more difficult challenge though weren¡¯t completely sure. Having the new information from the symbols complicated things a bit, as it was a hint but still unclear. Thankfully, six torches still lined the far wall above the barred exit, similar to before. This time, however, a portal rested behind the bars.


    "Which one is the weakest snake?" John asked. "There''s no way to tell!"


    Marcy pointed to a statue on the far right side of the room. It was broken and in pieces, and a small hole in the wall was seen since the bulk of the statue was out of the way. There were still only two smaller snake statues against the wall, and the broken statue was one of the two. "I bet that''s what you''re looking for."


    John deflated seeing the crumbled hunk of stone. "That... makes sense."


    "I''ll go check it out," Wyn said. "I have a spear, after all."


    Wyn crossed the room at a jog, unsure when any enemies would show up. He knew it was only a matter of time and didn¡¯t want to be quite so far away from the others, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    The stone chunks made it hard to position in order to see inside the wall, but not impossible. His mushroom lantern gave him enough light to see fairly well despite its dim glow. He climbed over the pieces of rock carefully, then looked inside the hole.


    Several feet back, Wyn could see what looked to be soft red flesh. A faint glow of magic reverberated around it, like a pulse every few seconds.


    ¡°Like a beating heart,¡± Wyn said out loud. He raised his spear but cursed.


    The curved blade made the spear head too thick to fit inside the recess. The butt end wouldn¡¯t work, either, as it wasn¡¯t designed to stab. The claw didn¡¯t function by stabbing.


    ¡°Guys,¡± Wyn said, raising his voice so the others could hear him on the other side of the room. ¡°We have a problem!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Marcy yelled.


    ¡°My spear won¡¯t work! We need something else!¡±


    ¡°The wheels aren¡¯t working either!¡± John yelled back. ¡°No fire is coming out!¡±


    Wyn looked around the room for anything new, something they might¡¯ve missed. It was the same layout as before, only larger, except for the one statue in the middle that was huge. That didn¡¯t seem to be the answer at the moment, though.


    Based on the translation, they needed a spear along with the same flames that solved the previous puzzles. The strange part was bringing new life. What did that mean? The wheel wasn¡¯t making fire, and they needed that to continue.


    A black clouded mass formed in the middle of the room. Everyone stopped and stared, knowing what followed. Two large Lacerts emerged, both wielding spears. Directly behind them was an equally larger Lamiert, holding an axe on its shoulders with scaled armor and a scowl. It looked more menacing than the boss version on the previous floor.


    Wyn was the closest to them, and they all turned their gaze towards him.


    He cursed. It was never as easy as he¡¯d hoped.

 Book 1 - Chapter 55

    ¡°Any time now would be nice!¡± Wyn yelled, pulling his spear out of the Lacert¡¯s stomach. The monster fell to the ground in a heap, and he inspected the wound on his leg with a quick glance. It was deeper than he liked, but still manageable. The worst part was that the pain slowed him down, and he needed his speed.


    ¡°Regen,¡± he muttered, and felt the warm flow of magic coat his body. He didn¡¯t want to completely exhaust his mana, but he needed his leg to heal as much as possible so he could be mobile.


    The other Lacert threw its spear up, hoping to block John¡¯s sword strike. It succeeded but failed to completely block the stronger Climber - his sword continued along its intended path and cut a deep gash in the creature¡¯s shoulder. The only thing that prevented its arm from being hacked off was the spear blocking a portion of the blow.


    The Lamiert growled with its next attack, and John just managed to block the incoming axe with his shield. The force sent him to a knee despite his enhanced physicality from his Focus skill. He was handling both monsters at once and doing a damn good job of it, too.


    Wyn rushed to the axe wielding Lamiert, thankful that his leg wasn¡¯t slowing him down anymore. He pushed past the residual pain he still had and lashed out at the monster when he was close enough for a stab. The creature writhed its body out of the way skillfully, not needing to use its axe to deflect the failed attack.


    His goal worked, though, giving John enough of a reprieve to recover by joining the fray so the Fighter wouldn¡¯t be alone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take him on,¡± Wyn said, urgency in his voice. ¡°Kill the weaker one!¡±


    John spun without a reply and grunted with another slash of his sword. He turned up his intensity, hoping to kill the creature quick. A flurry of slashes and stabs improved by his aura overwhelmed the Lacert who was unable to completely block or dodge every strike. In seconds it was cut and gouged enough to die, falling to the ground in a sad yelp.


    Wyn kept the sole Lamiert¡¯s attention, aiming to keep it away from the others. He sidestepped one axe swing as it chipped at the stone ground, and Wyn knew he¡¯d be dead if the strength behind that weapon hit him.


    He suddenly, desperately wished for a better piece of armor.


    Another swing followed the first, surprising Wyn with its speed. He knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to completely dodge it. ¡°Shield!¡± He yelled, and curled his left arm against his body. The spell formed a large convex shield around him and immediately absorbed the blow. The axe bounced off the magical force field but Wyn was pushed back several feet from the remaining force.


    He stayed on his feet and thankfully didn¡¯t feel the impact in his arm. A flash of his mark told him he had less than half of his mana left.


    The Lamiert stayed on its attack and hissed, putting more force into another swing as it reared back with both hands. Wyn leapt to the side and back, avoiding the large axe as it cratered into the ground.


    A splatter of blood hit Wyn in the chest and made him flinch. He looked up from the ground to see a purple bladed sword sticking out from the chest of the monster. It dropped its axe and coughed up blood, clawing at the sword.


    John grunted and twisted the blade, causing the monster to howl in pain. It was a sickening sound, like a hiss mixed with a cry for help.


    Wyn stood and stabbed it in the neck with his spear, silencing it for good. Both Climbers pulled their weapons back as the body went limp.


    Wyn and John stood there for a second to recover. John looked as though he was barely tired, his aura radiating power and menace. Wyn felt fatigue begin to set in from his wound and effort but stayed vigilant.


    This was only the first round, after all.


    Wyn noticed the spears left behind from the Lacerts weren¡¯t disappearing like the bodies. He jogged over and grabbed one, realizing it was the perfectly slim size to fit into the hole in the wall.


    As he maneuvered himself back to the hole past the debris and distance, he pushed the weapon in and smiled. It was a good fit, fitting just enough to barely touch the stone edges. He shoved the weapon back as hard as he could and felt a soft resistance before a hard one.


    A reddish pink color began to grow from the hole, and the first torch lit on the far wall. A single bar disappeared in front of the portal, as well.


    ¡°It worked!¡± Tasha yelled.


    Wyn turned around to see a statue on the far left spewing fire. The others began to hurriedly rotate it, setting off the events needed to light the torches and remove the bars like the previous puzzles on this floor.


    After the third torch was lit, the group basically sprinted across the room to the far right section. There was only one statue to breathe fire into as the second was the broken mess on the floor, but another black mass formed in the middle of the floor.


    More enemies were coming.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help this time,¡± Marcy said. She ran over and placed a trap on the ground, the large magical runes flashing on the stone floor.


    Wyn took a deep breath. If he could lead one or two enemies into the trap, he¡¯d be able to manage the third. But being bait was never fun and always risky.


    Two Lamierts emerged from the portal before it closed behind them. One held a mage¡¯s staff and had dirty braided black hair, and the other twirled two swords while hissing. It wore a bone helmet on its head and bone armor on its torso.


    Marcy stepped back after the trap was set and launched a glowing arrow at the Lamiert with the staff. It raised its weapon and caused a large block of earth to magically rise from the ground, blocking the arrow and causing it to shatter. The mound of rock and dirt was well crafted and precise rather than a large and wide mass, showing the monster¡¯s skill with magic. It looked like the Shield spell except earth based.


    Wyn stepped forward to meet the encroaching creature with dual blades. It didn¡¯t rush towards him but instead took its time, hissing and glaring at him with intent. These monsters were obviously smarter and stronger. Which, unfortunately, made them far more dangerous opponents.


    He knew monsters at this caliber would be showing up sooner or later - it was just unexpected they showed sooner rather than later.


    When the distance was less than 15 feet, the monster suddenly lashed its tail into the ground and lurched itself forward, lashing out with a sword stab. Wyn rolled and dodged it, trying his best to brush off the discomfort of the hard stone floor against his body. At the end of his roll he stabbed out on his knees, though the monster slithered out of reach.


    Wyn stood up with his spear readied. The monster began to circle him as though it was assessing him. This creature wouldn¡¯t be a pushover, but Wyn had magic. And experience.


    He slashed out in an arc though the Lamiert easily blocked it. Wyn used the momentum to spin and hook it with the clawed end of his spear, pulling it to one side. The monster didn¡¯t expect the move and was lurched awkwardly, though flailed its tail around to try and right itself. The counter worked, and it was able to glide out of Wyn¡¯s range.


    Despite it wielding swords and Wyn wielding a spear, they were still evenly matched regarding the reach they possessed, as the monster was easily more than eight feet tall, and its tail gave a frustrating advantage. Even so, it couldn¡¯t use magic like the Magician.


    Wyn heard the plunk of Marcy¡¯s bow firing arrows and magic erupting all around the chamber. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off his opponent, though, or he¡¯d give it an opening he couldn¡¯t afford to lose. He had to trust his allies to hold their own as he carried out his plan.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The Lamiert continued to circle around Wyn. It occasionally shot glances to the other Climbers, but considered Wyn itss closest and most immediate threat. Wyn was fine with that, as long it kept moving exactly where he wanted it to go. He suddenly stepped to his left and pressed hard, yelling and striking wildly. The monster blocked and parried his attacks, but was on the defensive, moving away from him backwards.


    Only a few more feet in the right direction and their fight would be over.


    Wyn struck out one more time and the monster maneuvered itself back yet again. Marcy¡¯s trap activated and ensnared it, magical chains erupting from the ground and grabbing its arms, waist, and neck. It screamed in surprise and horror, caught off guard by the trap. Wyn didn¡¯t hesitate to stab it hard through its chest, though its bone armor was dense. Two more hard strikes and the spear finally buried deep. It only took seconds for the vital blow to kill it, the magical chains falling to the ground as the Lamiert¡¯s body dissolved.


    That would have been far harder without the trap holding it in place for basically a guaranteed kill. Wyn was thankful for his team and their abilities.


    A scream pulled Wyn back to the task at hand. He turned quickly to see Marcy on one knee, holding her left arm that hung awkwardly at her side. Her bow lay on the ground beside her and blood was falling from her shoulder.


    ¡°No!¡± Cedric yelled. He let go of the wheel he was helping rotate, and it reverted back to its original position.


    Tasha was already running across the chamber with surprising speed, surprising Wyn. His initial reaction was to go help but with Tasha acting so quickly he decided to let her handle it. She would be more useful anyway.


    A large green rune appeared in front of the monstrous mage, and a dozen large rocks formed and shot from the air towards the Ranger and Diamond Mage.


    Tasha looked up to watch the incoming spell, and resolve built up inside her instead of fear. She knew Marcy wouldn''t be able to dodge the attack in her condition. "Shield!" Tasha yelled, holding her staff in front of her. A large magical barrier formed in the air, protecting the women from the rock onslaught.


    The force field held as Tasha held up her staff in defiance. The barrier winked out of existence as the last bits of rock fell harmlessly to the ground beside them. A loud growl escaped the Lamiert''s mouth, and it began to slither towards them with its staff held high.


    Tasha tapped her staff on Marcy''s shoulder, silently casting the weapon''s Cure spell to heal her arm. The white aura immediately began to radiate around her wound, and the Ranger took a satisfied breath. She stood and made a circle in the air with her arm, testing her physical ability after the recovery. Tasha, though, stayed resolute, and pointed her staff at the quickly approaching opponent.


    For all the times she was afraid but feeling helpless, as though she was unable to contribute much to the group, she now stood rooted in the ground, confidence exploding out of her. She felt fear at the edge of her mind, but she suppressed it with a sense of determination and courage.


    "Holy Beam," she said, speaking the spell into existence. Her outstretched staff produced a light as though the sun itself formed in the chamber before concentrating into a singular beam of light. The light shot forward at an incredible speed, hitting the enemy mage directly in the chest. It bellowed in pain and stopped its advance as the light seared its skin. It held its free hand in front of it to try and block the light, but the beam was too thick with magic.


    Tasha held the spell in place as it continued to sear the Lamiert. Marcy stepped to the side while it was distracted and pulled back an arrow, whispering a spell that caused the arrow head to light in magical gusts of air. She released it in a loud whoosh, and the arrow pierced the exact spot where Tasha''s spell connected.


    The arrow struck the wall at the far end of the chamber, causing chunks of stone to fly out of the structure and litter the ground. The crater in the wall was easily a foot wide, though it was nothing compared to the mage. The top half of the monster fell to one side while its waist and tail fell to the other, slumping to the ground in pieces.


    Tasha relaxed her staff and drew in a deep breath. Marcy put a reassuring hand on the Mage''s shoulder, feeling it tremble under her steady palm.


    "Tasha," Wyn said, stunned at Tasha''s performance. "That was incredible!"


    "I won''t be left behind anymore," Tasha said, stomping her staff onto the stone floor. She turned her head to Wyn and looked at him with a piercing gaze. No words escaped her, only confidence.


    Reassured at the group¡¯s ability, Wyn helped to continue managing the dials. No monsters or black portals showed for another minute, and they were able to secure the third statue and fourth torch.


    "What now?" John asked. "There isn''t another statue. The fourth one over here was the broken one and there¡¯s only a fifth in the middle."


    The others didn¡¯t have an answer, but Cedric ran to the statue in the middle. "It has to do with this one, I know it. But what?"


    "Two torches left," Wyn said. "There aren''t two more statues to breathe fire into, though. Only this giant one and the two on either side that created the flames."


    Cedric smiled as though the answer was given to him. Which, in a way, it was. ¡°Help me with these dials. We need to rotate this large statue to face one of the others that made the flames.¡±


    Wyn furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°There are two bars left but three statues. This huge one and the two statues that spewed fire. I think this final, huge statue will create a larger spout of fire that we need to direct into the two statues that previously made fire. They¡¯ll be the ones to take it now, instead.¡±


    The others looked at Cedric with varied, but all confused expressions.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there,¡± Cedric barked. ¡°Help me! We have seconds before more enemies will show up!¡±


    Wyn and John hurried over to the middle wheel and helped Cedric turn it. It was more stout than the others but turned the giant statue to face the left, smaller stone snake. Before they were able to rotate the wheel needed to create the fire another black portal formed at the far end of the chamber. Cedric sighed while Wyn left the wheel to fight.


    ¡°Keep doing whatever you need to do,¡± Wyn said. ¡°If I need help, Marcy or Tasha can step in.¡±


    Wyn readied his spear but didn¡¯t have time to wait. Four Lacerts were running after him, crazed and knocking each other out of the way to attack him. He swiped his spear horizontally releasing the Wingbeat spell. The magical gust of wind sliced through the four Lacerts and continued, gashing three more behind them. The enemies on the front line fell from the elemental attack, but more and more kept pouring out of the portal.


    It was a horde of basic Lacerts, and they were all running straight towards Wyn.


    He took a few steps back and raised his palm. He didn¡¯t know how long he could use his Flame Blast spell, but now would be the time to use it. The ability of the spell to be continuous would be more than helpful for a mass of enemies, and he began to treat the horde like a bottleneck. Wyn stepped closer to the portal and unleashed the spell, the Lacerts howling and screaming in anger and pain.


    They died before they got close, as the magical fire either quickly burned them to death if they foolishly kept pushing to the Magician, or delayed the inevitable when they ran away while the magical embers kept them aflame.


    After more than a dozen more Lacerts wound up on fire and the portal closed, Wyn stopped the spell. There were some stragglers in the room trying to put out their fires, but before he could start finishing them off, arrows began peppering them. He looked over to see Marcy drawing and firing her bow with impressive speed, a calculating look on her face as she shot.


    One Lacert recovered but was quickly roasted by the large statue in the middle of the room as it spewed a stream of fire easily twice as wide and intense as Wyn¡¯s spell. The light and heat was staggering and far more potent than the previous flames. It was an unfortunate placement for the monster.


    One of the smaller statues that produced fire was in the direct line of fire though nothing happened as the fire roared. It¡¯s mouth wasn¡¯t facing the jet.


    Cedric ran over and pulled Wyn to the wheel. ¡°We need to rotate the statue to face the flames!¡±


    Wyn hurriedly grabbed the right wheel and began to move it, and Cedric came to help. Between him and Cedric together, they rotated the statue in short order despite the Wizard¡¯s physical limitations. He looked up to see the fire perfectly going into the statue¡¯s open mouth, and the fifth torch lit and second to last bar slid away.


    Cedric let out a satisfied yell, and Wyn smiled in relief. The Wizard was right, of course, and they only had one statue remaining before they finished the third floor.


    The two Climbers rushed back to the middle wheel as the others were already turning the final statue, realizing Cedric¡¯s revelation and final piece to the puzzle. In seconds they¡¯d be done, and they all frantically worked to move both pieces as quickly as possible.


    Wyn cursed out loud when a black cloud formed in the middle of the chamber. He put more effort into the wheel, trying to stop the blast of fire so they could rotate the large statue to the left side of the room. The resistance suddenly increased as he noticed Cedric step away from the wheel, staring at the black portal.


    ¡°Cedric, we¡¯re almost there!¡± Wyn growled through gritted teeth. It would only take a few more inches before the statue was set in its correct place.


    He looked up to see what Cedric was staring at and balked, nearly losing the progress he made turning the wheel. His feet were ground in place but he stopped pulling.


    Two giant Lamierts emerged from the portal alongside a tall humanoid figure draped in a ripped black cloak and wearing a white porcelain mask. A sword was sheathed on their hip, familiar runes lining the edges and hilt. The monsters were easily over ten feet tall, one wielding a large hammer and the other holding a halberd that was even taller than the creature.


    Lightning began forming around Cedric¡¯s body like static electricity. Wyn could feel the hairs on his arm stand, and with a last surge of strength he turned the wheel in its needed position before letting go.


    He stepped over beside Cedric as the enemies just stood there, the black portal staying open behind them. The rest of the group joined them as everyone stared at the opposing forces, monsters and Climbers alike.


    A red aura seeped from John, and he took loud, deep breaths like a bull. Tasha recoiled from her friend¡¯s display.


    John then roared in anger, and his aura expanded further than Wyn had ever seen.


    ¡°That¡¯s my sword,¡± the Fighter growled, his sword and shield swinging as he stomped towards their enemies.

 Book 1 - Chapter 56

    John barreled across the room, his boots leaving splintered stone with each step. He looked like a charging bull, rushing the enemies with his sword held in front of him at a frightening speed.


    Wyn began to race forward as well, unsure how this would play out. He didn''t know if that was Lionel standing there with two giant monsters, though the person''s build easily could''ve been him. The sword they carried certainly looked like John''s sword, though it also could be a similar sword or exact copy since it was a magical item from the tower. Regardless, his friend was blindly rushing to a fight, and he wanted to be close to help if needed.


    The masked figure still stood by the portal, not bothering to move. They raised a pointed finger at John, which was an unspoken command to attack. Both of the giant Lamierts rushed forward, readying their weapons for an attack. The monster with the hammer broke off to one side while the other brought its halberd down to attempt to slice John before he came any closer. John skipped to the left, opposite the side of the other monster, avoiding the large weapon and lunging for a quick stab.


    His purple hued sword dug several inches into the tough Lamiert''s hide, and it bellowed in rage before slithering out of reach, lugging its massive weapon with it. John continued his relentless assault, putting the monster on the defensive as blood started to run down its side.


    Wyn stopped moving forward as the second giant switched its focus to him. The creature was surprisingly fast for its size, and the hammer could pose a major problem as Wyn didn''t have a good means of defense. He knew he still had about half of his mana, and needed to conserve it as well as he could. The monster immediately swung down with its hammer, and Wyn back stepped to avoid it.


    The wind from the strike blew his hair back, and the stone floor crumbled from the blow, cracks splintering a foot away. If he was caught by that weapon with that force, there''d be nothing to heal - he''d just be dead.


    He raised his palm, casting his spell - "Feeble," he said quickly. The black runes again formed in the air, and a skull appeared above the monster along with a faint black aura. It visibly shrank a bit, and Wyn had a pang of relief as the fight was now a bit more even.


    Wyn moved forward to stab it when he stopped suddenly, interrupted by an arrow flying by him. It stuck the Lamiert in the chest, and the impact threw off the monster¡¯s follow-up attack. Another arrow stuck it in the neck, then another in its chest again.


    The monster fell to its knee, blood tricking down the arrow shafts. Wyn took the opportunity by stabbing it through its chest between the arrows, and kicked its lifeless body to the ground while simultaneously freeing his spear.


    He turned his attention to John, though was relieved to see the Fighter standing over the smoldering corpse of the other giant monster. Surges of lightning crackled around its still body before it began to dissolve back into the tower.


    The Climbers gathered together not twenty feet from the mysterious person still standing and unmoving, as though their plan was for the monsters to be slain all along. It was impossible to determine any expression or features due to their plain white mask and statue-like posture.


    "Lionel?" Wyn asked. "Is that you?"


    The figure drew their sword and held it with both hands in front of them. The runes began to glow on the blade, and flames licked the edge.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± John yelled, and stomped forward.


    The cloaked figure quickly swiped the sword sideways, lashing out magical flames like a whip. John stopped abruptly and raised his shield, deflecting the magical attack and grunting in frustration. Wyn and Tasha simultaneously cast Shield, forming enough of a barrier to hold the flames at bay from the rest of the group.


    When the flames died, the figure and black portal was gone. Silence filled the stone chamber, save for John¡¯s ragged breathing.


    The Fighter roared in anger, causing Tasha to jump. He stomped over to the portal and frantically looked around like a crazed man. He stopped when he saw the portal to the next floor turn clear, proving that they had completed the third floor.


    John sunk to his knees, still taking deep breaths. His shield and sword clanged against the stone floor, and he hugged himself, an uncontrollable chill forming in his back.


    *****


    Wyn took a large swig from his drink, nearly downing it in one gulp. The pitcher was almost empty of water, but he filled his cup back up anyway. He had no idea how thirsty he was until they left the tower, and it felt like he hadn¡¯t drank in days. They were so caught up in the newness of the third floor and the hidden secrets it contained that he completely forgot about his water skin.


    That, and discovering both Lionel was still alive and somehow working with the tower.


    The coin purse on Wyn¡¯s belt was fuller now, too, and he was shocked at the haul from the second and third floors. He made over 200 gold crowns, and even more when he tallied up the lesser coins. Not to mention some of the items they found in the floors themselves from the various groups or boss drops helped add to their total.


    Wyn breathed a sigh of relief after taking another drink. He could see the potential to earn the gold his family needed, though it would never be enough on the lower floors. This was a good start, though, if Lionel showing up hadn¡¯t put everyone in a foul mood.


    Wendy sat down a large tray on their table with ease, then quickly passed out plates of food. Wyn could heel himself salivate at the spread - roasted duck, grilled fish with wild berries, potatoes, bread with cheese and honey, corn, and leeks filled the empty space on the table. It was a feast fit for the highest of nobility, and he was still amazed it was the standard here in Alestead.


    A quick thought entered his mind about how they procured and afforded such delectable food, but then he realized the tax for Climbers and the massive economic exchange in the city likely more than made up for it. It was no secret that the cities that held towers were both revered and feared, along with being huge sources of magical and non-magical items.


    He took one bite of his duck and quickly forgot about any musings related to the local economy. All he could focus on was what bite he¡¯d have next, relishing one flavorful mouthful after another. Obviously the others felt the same way, too, because they began grabbing and shoveling food left and right. Their plates filled nearly as fast as their mouths.


    ¡°I hope you all enjoy it,¡± Wendy said, winking at the same time. ¡°The Gods know you all deserve it.¡±


    Wyn swallowed a bite of potatoes with a confused expression. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Wendy put the tray under her arm and looked around the room before lowering her voice. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard? Maybe you¡¯ve been too busy in the tower. A new group was almost completely wiped out on the third floor. Only two members survived, and they¡¯re in the infirmary. The rest were killed.¡±


    Tasha gasped while everyone looked at each other, various expressions on their faces. John nearly choked on his mouthful of food.


    ¡°We just finished the third floor,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And it was¡­ unusual.¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯m glad it wasn¡¯t all of you, but I don¡¯t wish that for anyone,¡± Wendy said. ¡°The Tower Master is giving a small reward for anyone who¡¯s had similar climbs. It¡¯d be good to go see him - if it could save another Climber from dying, I say it¡¯s worth it.¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    A voice from the kitchen pulled Wendy away, and she quickly stepped around the busy dining hall to return back to work.


    The mood at the table shifted from one of excitement and leisure to anxiety and anger. The food, despite smelling heavenly and tasting even better, suddenly didn¡¯t seem as appetizing.


    ¡°What is going on, here,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Do you think it has something to do with Lionel?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s likely caught up in it, yea,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Though I think there¡¯s much more at play than just him.¡±


    John pushed his nearly full plate away and rested his arms on the table. ¡°I¡¯m sure it has to do with the witch you met, too, right?¡±


    Wyn gulped down his drink of water far too fast than he wanted and it stung his throat. John wasn¡¯t exactly subtle. Wyn hadn¡¯t forgotten about the witch, but he certainly didn¡¯t want to be reminded of her. ¡°I¡¯d imagine so. I don¡¯t know all the ins and outs of the tower, but that encounter didn¡¯t feel normal.¡±


    ¡°It absolutely wasn¡¯t,¡± Marcy said. ¡°We fight monsters, not each other. Something is happening. You got a peek behind the curtain in the caves, and now the rest of us got one, too.¡±


    ¡°Wyn, I think it¡¯s time we discussed exactly what happened with¡­ the witch,¡± Cedric said, his voice lowering almost to a whisper. He looked around to see if anyone was eyeing them, but everyone in the busy dining area seemed to be focused on their conversations.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We did say we¡¯d get together tonight, anyway. Maybe we should go to the Tower Master tomorrow before we climb.¡±


    ¡°And did we decide on what we¡¯d do from now on?¡± John asked. ¡°It¡¯s only the second week and we¡¯ve already finished three floors. I¡¯m not complaining, don¡¯t get me wrong, but I don¡¯t want to be going too fast, either.¡±


    Marcy bumped John¡¯s shoulder with her own. ¡°Look at you, being all cautious.¡±


    John steeled his gaze and furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°After what I just saw - who I just saw - I won¡¯t be rushing into danger anymore. That bastard stabbed me in the back and left me to die. And stole my sword. I don¡¯t know what in the hells is going on, but I don¡¯t want to be caught in something that kills me.¡±


    Marcy took a deep breath and nodded her head. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The Fighter handed her a piece of bread. She calmly took it.


    Wyn looked down at his food and grimaced. While the spread was incredible, at the end of the day, they were in a place where death lurked around every corner. It was easy to forget when the amenities were better than most would likely ever experience, though it came at the price of safety and longevity. Climbing meant risking your life, similar to going to war. The guild helped sugarcoat that reality, but it could only go so far.


    He looked around the room after taking a bite from his plate. All of the Climbers seemed to be on edge. Most were hunched over and whispering to each other or eyeing everyone else in the room like Wyn. Now that he noticed it, he realized his table was acting the same way.


    News obviously traveled fast in Alestead. If everyone else heard about the group that was almost completely killed, they were probably questioning their own abilities to keep climbing given the circumstances. If nefarious activities were happening outside of the tower¡¯s already present difficulties, it only made climbing that much more dire.


    Unfortunately for Wyn, he couldn¡¯t afford to wait around for someone else to solve the problem. Not that he wanted to, either, as he was used to action rather than letting someone else handle things. Knowing that his group had been directly influenced only fortified his decision to keep pushing to find out what¡¯s going on and make a change.


    If nothing else, Wyn would protect his group and help take Lionel down. And he knew his friends felt the same way. The danger of it was an unspoken reality that none of them wanted to speak into existence.


    He took another bite of his meal, savoring the flavor of the potatoes. The feeling of warmth and vigor returned, the food centering him back to his goals. Hope seemed to be a better seasoning than anything else.


    *****


    Cedric leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath, not taking his eyes off Wyn. Then he took another. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ quite the tale.¡±


    Wyn shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s the truth.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s even crazier hearing it the second time,¡± John said.


    ¡°How come you heard it before the rest of us?¡± Tasha asked.


    John scoffed. ¡°I was on my deathbed, it didn¡¯t take a lot to convince him to tell me.¡±


    ¡°If I recall, the bed seemed pretty cozy,¡± Wyn said with a smirk. ¡°And I believe at that point you were completely healed.¡±


    John smiled wide while Tasha just sighed.


    Cedric stood up and began to pace around the room. ¡°So she gave you that lantern and a skill, which is completely unheard of. Only in the most rarest of circumstances can a person obtain an extra skill outside their class progression, and usually bonus abilities come from items.¡±


    ¡°I figured that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But you can look at my parchment, if you want. It¡¯s how I got the Feeble spell, which normally isn¡¯t something a Ruby Magician can learn. According to Daniel, at least.¡±


    ¡°I believe you,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I don¡¯t need to look at your parchment. It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable?¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Cedric said with a nod. ¡°Why now? Why you?¡±


    ¡°Ouch,¡± John whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering that myself,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯m no one special. In fact, that¡¯s the exact thing I told the witch. She just said the tower had an interest in me. Which didn¡¯t exactly give me any relief.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± John said. ¡°And that raises so many more questions! Like the tower has thoughts and emotions? Can make decisions and order people - or, monsters - around?¡±


    ¡°Sentient,¡± Cedric said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± John asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s the word you¡¯re thinking of. The witch implied the tower is a sentient being, alive with a conscious.¡±


    ¡°Ahh,¡± John said, nodding. ¡°That makes sense. I think.¡±


    Cedric sighed.


    ¡°It is what it is,¡± Marcy said. ¡°The real point is that it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°None of this makes sense,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯ve been here less than a week and it¡¯s far more complicated than I ever imagined.¡±


    Marcy shook her head. ¡°What I mean, is that it doesn¡¯t make sense why Lionel wanted to protect the tower but the witch said that they were handling it, as though the tower was opposing Lionel and whatever group he¡¯s a part of.¡±


    Cedric snapped his fingers as more information was being processed in his brain. ¡°Yes! Lionel said he wanted to go against the Climbers, but the witch supported you - a Climber - and said that Alistair was watching you with earnest. Lionel was directing those monsters, showing some semblance of control and alliance with the tower.¡±


    ¡°Now that doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Tasha said. ¡°It¡¯s like the witch lied, then.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I think I know where you¡¯re going with this, Cedric. Lionel has gained some ability to move freely and control at least a portion of the tower.¡±


    ¡°And the witch said it was a matter we should stay out of,¡± Cedric finished. ¡°She never said anything about disagreeing with Lionel, only that it was unexpected situation.¡±


    Wyn felt his heart race. Cedric was right, of course. The witch never mentioned killing or removing Lionel and the people he¡¯s working with. She was obviously vague for a reason.


    ¡°So one possibility is that they are at least familiar with each other,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Only the tower didn¡¯t expect what happened with Lionel, and is either trying to correct it or change tactics now that it¡¯s known.¡±


    Cedric stopped pacing and rubbed his chin. ¡°I think that¡¯s the stronger theory, and the one I agree with. Obviously we don¡¯t have all the answers, but that seems the likeliest scenario.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean for us, then?¡± John asked. ¡°If the tower is welcoming whatever this damned group is, what is the goal? How do we play into it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the main question,¡± Wyn said. ¡°How do we fit? She told me to stay out of it but keep climbing, as though the two situations wouldn¡¯t clash or interact.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get migraines if we keep trying to reason through this,¡± Marcy said with a sigh. ¡°Bottom line is we keep doing what we¡¯re doing. We climb, we get stronger, we make money. Period.¡±


    ¡°I want that bastard, Marcy,¡± John said, clenching his fists. ¡°I want him to pay for what he did.¡±


    ¡°And he will,¡± Marcy said. ¡°It¡¯s pointless to chase after him if he can teleport around the tower at will. We just also have to be prepared to face him or the people he¡¯s working with at any moment.¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling he¡¯ll show up again,¡± Wyn said. ¡°He showed himself this time, for some reason. He knows we¡¯re together and that we know it¡¯s him. It¡¯s only a matter of time before he¡¯ll likely strike again.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they have something to do with the group dying today?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°Wendy said a group was nearly completely killed. I wonder if it has something to do with these people.¡±


    The others looked at each other thoughtfully, concern obvious on their faces.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°She didn¡¯t mention anything else, though.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that unheard of for a new group to fail to that degree,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°But it is suspicious since it¡¯s around the same time,¡± Cedric said. ¡°And that the Tower Master is asking for information about what happened.¡±


    Marcy reluctantly nodded her agreement.


    Wyn clapped his hands on his knees and sat up straight on Cedric¡¯s couch. ¡°Alright, here¡¯s how we move forward. Tomorrow morning I¡¯ll go to the Tower Master and tell him what happened. Maybe I can get some information back from him. After, we¡¯ll climb again, and stick to either the second or third floors for this week. John was right at dinner - we still have four more weeks including the rest of this week to climb for the season. We¡¯re making great progress but we can slow down a bit. We¡¯ll see about gaining more items, some more wealth, and hopefully that sixth member we really need.¡±


    ¡°That sounds as good a plan as any,¡± Marcy said. ¡°So now we get some rest. We deserve it.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ll need our energy for what¡¯s to come,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Lionel made his move and caught us off guard. We have to be ready for the next one.¡±


    ¡°We will be,¡± John said.


    The group said their goodbyes shortly after, preparing for a long day ahead. A long season ahead. Wyn knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy, but it would be necessary. Their lives depended on it.

 Book 1 - Chapter 57

    Wyn took a few breaths to steady himself. For all of his experience dealing with superiors and the ranks of the military, he still found himself nervous when needing to meet with any leaders above him. It was an old habit. Anxiety weighed on him, and he wasn¡¯t a commanding officer long. Cedric, to his credit, seemed cool and collected, though Wyn wondered if it was a front.


    If it was, he¡¯d love to know how the Wizard pulled it off.


    ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡± Cedric asked. ¡°We aren¡¯t in trouble. We¡¯re simply bringing some information to Aureus, at his own request. You need to center yourself.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I didn¡¯t quite tell him the whole truth after we left the cave.¡±


    Cedric¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°What?! You didn¡¯t tell him everything? Why not?¡±


    Wyn had to refrain from wincing. ¡°I told him most things. I just left out the part about the witch.¡±


    Cedric smacked himself in the forehead. ¡°Literally the most important part. If you go back on your word now -¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll discredit myself,¡± Wyn finished. ¡°I know. I¡¯m trying to choose my words carefully, here.¡±


    Cedric sighed and shook his head. ¡°Fair enough. It¡¯s your information to tell, though I think you should come clean. It¡¯s not some conspiracy, here. He¡¯s always helped Climbers well.¡±


    Wyn nodded. Cedric was right, of course. This entire experience was new and strange, and his uncertainties came back in full force. That first day was¡­ rough, to say the least


    ¡°Oh, and I still need to give you my gift for saving my life,¡± Cedric said, reaching into a pouch in his robe.


    ¡°Gift? I don¡¯t need a gift! You coming back to climb with us is gift enough!¡±


    Cedric barked a laugh. ¡°No, that was a decision I had made already - I just needed the push. This is for actually saving my life so I had that option to come back in the first place.¡± Cedric reached out and handed Wyn a thin but sturdy metal bracelet that hummed with magic. It had a blue shimmer to it, though it was simple without any type of gem or ornate feature. It was still impressively pure silver, though, and looked very well made.


    The item felt warm in Wyn¡¯s hand. It obviously radiated magic essence, and much more than any other item he¡¯d encountered so far.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relatively common item for mages but a helpful one,¡± Cedric said. ¡°It¡¯s a mana regeneration bracelet. I know your Lucidity skill can regenerate mana already, but that will improve the rate since it stacks with abilities or skills.¡±


    Wyn placed it on his right wrist and it slowly morphed to become snug. He wiggled his hand around some and it didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°This is incredible,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Cedric waved a hand. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s for saving my life. That is thanks enough.¡±


    Wyn wondered how effective his mana regeneration would be now with the bracelet adding to his Lucidity skill. He¡¯d need to test it, of course, but having a faster means of gaining mana without rest meant that he could use his spells more liberally. That would give him an obvious advantage since he leaned more towards direct combat supplemented by his spells. He could cast spells he needed without quite as much planning for mana conservation.


    Suddenly the doorknob behind them turned, and both Climbers jumped in surprise. Three Climbers dressed in their climbing gear exited the room, all with sheepish looks on their face. It was a strange sight, seeing people dressed for magical warfare leaving an administrative office.


    Behind them, a small, wiry woman looked at them with confusion, and she held a clipboard in her hand. Her hair was frizzy and unkempt.


    "Are you here to see the Tower Master?" The woman asked, her voice mousy and quick, like a teacher''s.


    "Umm, yes," Wyn said, fumbling over his words after being startled. "We have information from our climb yesterday he''ll likely want to hear."


    The woman perked up after hearing Wyn''s comment and ushered them in with a wave of her hand. She closed the door behind them in a rush and scrambled across the room to a small chair. Beside her stood Aureus, who was looking out the window, seemingly not paying them any attention. His hands were delicately placed behind his back in a thoughtful pose.


    "Hello again, Ardwyn," the Tower Master said, without turning around. "It appears as though you have a knack for finding trouble."


    Wyn was taken aback, unsure how the Tower Master was able to tell it was him. It was quite a feat to tell just from his voice in one sentence, but he wondered if the man had some sort of way to discern Climbers magically.


    "Hello, sir,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It would certainly appear that way."


    Cedric and Wyn stood in the center of the room, waiting for any sort of instructions. They didn''t have an appointment, and Wyn suddenly wondered if they needed one. Their group had only heard the rumor that Aureus was giving small rewards for information about the strange events in Alistair, and he inwardly cursed himself for not finding out more information before they came to see him.


    The Tower Master turned around, a smile plastered on his face. "Please, sit down. No need to be so formal. Cedric, it¡¯s a pleasure, once again. And Ardwyn, remember - no ''sirs'' are necessary."


    Wyn relaxed a bit at the man''s informal greeting and invitation. He lucked out, at least, that there weren''t additional channels he needed to navigate to bring the guild''s leader their information. That was definitely not the case in the rank and file of the military, and he made a mental note to be better prepared in the future.


    "So," Aereus continued, "let''s get right to it. You have some information about what is going on in the tower?"


    "Some, yes," Cedric said, looking at Wyn.


    Wyn nodded for the Wizard to continue.


    "Yesterday our group was finishing our climb of the third floor, when a black portal emerged at the boss room. Two large monsters exited the portal, along with a masked person."


    The woman abruptly stopped writing on her clipboard, her feathered quill still in the air. She looked at the Climbers with a squinted face, wrinkles forming on her skin.


    Aureus nodded slowly, forming his fingers in a temple on his desk. He didn''t respond, but kept his lips tight and face unreadable.


    "We believe that person was Lionel," Wyn added, ¡°the Climber who betrayed us and stabbed our teammate, John, in the back during the rookie climb at the end of last season."


    "Why do you believe it was him?" The Tower Master asked, his expression still blank.


    Wyn straightened up in his chair, habitually correcting his posture in the presence of his superiors. "The man carried the same sword that Lionel stole from John. We could see the runes along the sheath and hilt, and it projected a large flaming spell just like John''s sword."


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "There are many swords able to cast flaming spells that have runes along their sheath and hilt," the Tower Master countered.


    "His build was also similar," Wyn continued. "Tall and stocky."


    Aureus nodded his head and leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the desk. "There is no definitive proof, of course, even if the sword you saw was the exact same. Did he speak? Or remove his mask?"


    Wyn deflated some, but stayed resolute with his gaze. "No, unfortunately. He watched us fight the two monsters before escaping through the portal. Nothing more, nothing less."


    "That''s not entirely true," Cedric said.


    Wyn shot his head to the side, creasing his eyebrows. Fear swelled up inside him that Cedric was going to sell him out about the witch. He''d have an impossible time trying to explain why he didn''t mention it before.


    "The man - Lionel - somehow commanded the two monsters to attack us," Cedric said.


    Aureus sat up and leaned forward, his curiosity evident. "You''re sure of this?"


    "I am. The three of them stood outside the portal waiting, which is very strange for monsters to not attack when having sight of a Climber. At least monsters on the lower floors. They didn''t budge until he raised a hand and pointed at us, at which point they moved to attack, as though following an order."


    Aureus sighed deeply and sat back into his chair again. "Now that is certainly troubling."


    The four sat in silence for a few moments. Wyn wasn¡¯t sure if they should continue speaking or not, though they really didn¡¯t have anything else to say. He certainly didn¡¯t want to bring up the witch from before, and Cedric told him the entire experience for this season.


    Aureus stood up and turned around, looking out his window again. The woman sat in her chair and stared at her clipboard, eagerly waiting for the Tower Master to speak so she could record whatever was said.


    ¡°Thank you for the information,¡± Aureus said, not turning around. ¡°As you can see, we¡¯re taking these matters very seriously, and any kinds of information about this mysterious group of people is helpful so we can form a plan of action to protect our Climbers and the sanctity of climbing as a whole.¡±


    Wyn glanced at Cedric, who only shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°So what happened to the group of Climbers yesterday did have something to do with these people,¡± Wyn said.


    The Tower Master chuckled and turned around with another smile. ¡°Yes. No sense beating around the bush. This season will be particularly harder than before, I¡¯m afraid. Nothing has been decided yet, but plan for word to get back about protective measures to be taken sometime this week. Betty, if you will, please give these Climbers a reward for providing this information. I do hope these make your climbing efforts easier and your return smoother.¡±


    Betty reached behind the desk and pulled out several small vials, frantically handing them to Wyn and Cedric. They each received a corked blue and red vial, swirling with magic.


    ¡°A healing and mana potion each,¡± Betty said, smiling wide and making her wrinkles present again. ¡°Off you go, now.¡±


    Wyn and Cedric took that as their cue to leave, both standing abruptly to exit. On their way out, they saw another pair of Climbers, looking as startled as they did.


    This was obviously a reoccurring situation, which was not a good sign. If this many Climbers had strange encounters, it didn¡¯t bode well for the rest of the season.


    *****


    Wyn pulled Windcutter out of the dead Lacert, not bothering to watch its lifeless body fall to the stone floor. He breathed a sigh of relief as John killed the last monster, sheathing his sword with finality.


    ¡°Does it seem to anyone else like there are more monsters this time?¡± John asked. He wiped his hands on his pants, and a small streak of blue blood was left on his clothes.


    ¡°There definitely are,¡± Marcy said. ¡°The traps are basically the same, but we¡¯ve already met more monsters than the last times we¡¯ve been here and we¡¯re just nearing the final stretch.¡±


    ¡°Too bad Cal isn¡¯t here,¡± Tasha said. She wiped sweat off her forehead, flicking it away from her. ¡°We had to backtrack more than before.¡±


    Wyn held a hand over his eyes, trying to block the sun¡¯s rays. Their group stood just before the entrance to the third portion of the second floor, where the ruins became more intact leading into the temple¡¯s entrance on the third floor. They were more tired than usual, though they fought nearly twice as many groups of monsters on average. Marcy was obviously being modest, as Wyn was actually getting a bit tired from the fighting, and he was normally feeling fine after a couple of floors.


    Tasha sat against the short stone wall, taking a long drink from her water skin. She sighed out a gasp of relief the refreshing water brought, though didn¡¯t budge from the ground. ¡°I bet our reward will be better after killing this many monsters, though. We may not even need to go to the third floor today.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the fatigue talking,¡± John said, alternating between stretching his arms and legs. ¡°You just need some more endurance, little lady!¡±


    ¡°Little lady?!¡± Tasha said, disgust evident in her voice. ¡°You¡¯d be flogged if you said that outside Alestead!¡±


    ¡°Ehhh,¡± John said, waving his hand in the air, ¡°I¡¯d be fine! Plus, I¡¯m a family friend, now. I can get away saying that in jest.¡±


    Tasha laughed sarcastically. ¡°Let¡¯s try it out and see, then.¡±


    Wyn looked at his mark and saw he was completely full of mana. He hadn¡¯t used a spell in awhile or checked his progress, despite saying he would test his mana regeneration. He suddenly remembered that his skill was listed on his parchment with a description and timeframe. Mentally smacking himself, he pulled out his parchment to check his skill.


    Lucidity: Allows passive recovery of mana. Your mark will show the current status of mana and is a guide to your expected amount of recovery time from empty to full. When your mark fully glows you are empty and currently recovering. When your mark is dull and grey you are full. Current time to fully recover: 2 hours.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but smile reading the skill. The bracelet Cedric gave him cut his regeneration time by an entire hour! It may not have seemed like much, but that meant he could recover enough mana for most of his spells in an hour or less, not needing it to be full to cast them in a pinch. He¡¯d be able to use them more often and more liberally.


    Marcy walked over to Wyn and looked at his parchment over his shoulder. ¡°Interesting stuff?¡± She asked, a smirk forming on her face.


    Wyn snorted. ¡°Just checking an updated skill. But hey, I¡¯ve been meaning to give you something for awhile.¡±


    Wyn set his pack down and fished through it. The ranger waited patiently with her arms crossed, unsure of what to expect. Wyn pulled out the bundle he received back from Benedict and handed it to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry this took so long. Honestly, I¡¯ve been overthinking when to give it to you but now is as good a time as any. It¡¯s for helping save my life in the caves. I owe you and Cedric my life, even though he thinks it¡¯s the other way around.¡±


    Marcy untied the string and pulled the wrappings off. She held up half a dozen dark, pristine arrows that emitted a faint green glow. They were fletched with bright white feathers, a stark contrast to the nearly blackened wooden shaft. She lightly tapped the wide broad head, and nodded her head in satisfaction.


    ¡°I had Benedict make those from the materials on our first climb,¡± Wyn said. ¡°When we fought the champions in the forest. I hope they¡¯re worth using.¡±


    Marcy looked at Wyn with a straight face, her expression hard to read. ¡°Wyn, anything from a friend is worth using. They¡¯re a wonderful gift. Thank you.¡± She pulled her quiver off her back and gently placed the arrows inside. The white fletchings were easy to distinguish from the other arrows, but otherwise they looked the same as the rest.


    ¡°Magic arrows are very useful, and not as common as you might think,¡± Marcy said. ¡°It¡¯s easy to put spells on arrows but it uses mana, and sometimes a magical arrow is all that¡¯s needed. Plus they won¡¯t use my mana. Thank you for these.¡±


    Wyn smiled. He was glad Marcy accepted them without any major push back and that they could be useful. Her quiver of tricks was still a mystery, but hopefully the arrows added some more variety to her abilities.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Marcy said, patting Wyn on the back. ¡°We¡¯re almost done with the floor.¡±


    The others readied themselves before stepping into the covered section of the ruins. The torches lit the area again, and they weren¡¯t startled this time when the large stone blocked off the archway behind them.


    ¡°Another horde?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t doubt it with all the monsters we¡¯ve seen,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I don¡¯t hear anything, though.¡±


    Over a minute passed as the Climbers anxiously waited, though no monsters showed. Marcy prowled ahead silently, then peeked around the lone path ahead of them. She turned back and shrugged.


    ¡°Nothing. I guess we¡¯re alone this time.¡±


    Everyone relaxed a bit before starting to push forward. Wyn stopped, curious to try something. There were no symbols on the wall, but he was curious now if the magical light from his mushroom lantern showed anything.


    He activated the item with a quick shake. An eerie green glow filled the smaller chamber, dim light covering the torches¡¯ brighter shine.


    Wyn stood, awestruck. ¡°Guys,¡± he said, not taking his eyes off the wall.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Cedric asked.


    ¡°Woah,¡± John said, now standing beside Wyn.


    Slowly the Climbers all stared at the left wall, which had a new, dark path open that was only visible under Wyn¡¯s green light. There was identical stone flooring ahead, though the darkness was thick and pitch black outside the edge of the lantern¡¯s green light.


    ¡°Ever heard of this before?¡± Wyn asked, still inspecting the new space. ¡°It¡¯s a completely new path!¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Cedric said. ¡°But it could be incredibly dangerous.¡±


    Marcy pulled out a portal key from a pouch. ¡°We have a way out, at least. Should we check it out?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± John said, his lips curling into a smile. ¡°A hidden passage? Who knows what treasure is inside!¡±


    ¡°Or enemies,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But I¡¯d lie if I said I wasn¡¯t curious.¡±


    Tasha sighed. ¡°We all know we¡¯re going.¡± She tapped her staff against the ground and activated her Torchlight spell. The light showed more of the passage ahead, which revealed it to be a large room. ¡°Let¡¯s just go already.¡±

 Book 1 - Interlude - Lionel - 3

    Lionel¡¯s breath was hot behind his porcelain mask. He actually hated wearing the damned thing but wasn¡¯t about to voice that opinion now. The leader insisted that his four generals wear them, and Lionel had to admit that the look was intimidating. If the rest of the followers knew how uncomfortable he was under the mask they¡¯d laugh him out of the cave, though.


    Well, they¡¯d quickly stop laughing after seeing his new abilities. Lionel stood a little taller thinking of his newly given power and how invincible he felt. Inside the tower he could do nearly anything he wanted. There was a limit to his control, of course, but the leader said it would improve as he grew stronger, similar to how a Climber advances throughout the tiers. He just needed to be patient as their plan continued.


    Whatever. Lionel had no interest in these supposed schemes the leader was coming up with. After gifting him power he showed his true colors. He saw them all as pawns in a bigger game, even if Lionel agreed with the cause. The truth was evident. But the man at the top felt¡­ false. Not like the god Aliyar they served.


    But it didn¡¯t matter. Lionel had power, and that was all he cared about right now.


    ¡°What happened in there?¡± A muffled voice asked.


    Lionel turned to his side to see the masked woman, Yara, beside him. Knowing the woman underneath was a pushover made Lionel¡¯s previous hesitation about her vanish.


    Not fear, of course. He was never afraid. Not of her or anyone.


    ¡°Seems like The Betrayer wanted to finish his mistake,¡± another voice said. This one was more masculine, though not by much. Marion never felt like a true warrior to Lionel. He was fast and deadly, sure, but speed only got you so far. Strength was the true measurement of power.


    ¡°I only wanted to show them that trying to interfere would be suicide,¡± Lionel said. Despite his feelings towards their group he knew he still had to choose his words carefully. He made that mistake one too many times already.


    ¡°And how did that work out?¡± Marion asked.


    Lionel couldn¡¯t see past the man¡¯s porcelain mask but knew there was a deviously sly smile plastered on his face. The damned fool loved being a prick and sticking his nose where it didn¡¯t belong even more.


    ¡°Enough,¡± a fourth voice said. It came from the woman who Lionel respected the most, even more than the leader. He was powerful, of course, but too much of a schemer. She was fierce and direct, and Lionel decided early on she was the person he wanted to grow alongside the most.


    The leader walked into the cavernous room and flippantly waved to the four masked people to follow. He sat on his gaudy throne and had them surround him so the rest of the followers couldn¡¯t see.


    ¡°Come, generals, and provide me counsel. Where do we stand in your missions? Betrayer, you first.¡±


    ¡°The portal was a success,¡± Lionel said. ¡°I could easily travel within the first tier of the tower freely.¡±


    ¡°Alistair. That is her name and you¡¯ll refer to her as such.¡±


    Lionel bowed his head slightly but scrunched his face in annoyance under his mask.


    ¡°But that is good,¡± the leader continued. ¡°We should have access to higher tiers soon. Slayer, what is your progress on that front?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately the same as before, my Lord,¡± Marion said. ¡°The second and third tier groups are much harder to influence and manage. It will take time.¡±


    The seated man made a pained face and balled his fist. ¡°Our plans are in motion and time is precious. We must continue to press on. What do you need?¡±


    ¡°People. Fodder, mostly, but enough to weaken their groups so we can clean up.¡±


    The leader nodded his head in agreement. ¡°Good. Now -¡±


    The leader was cut off as a rumble reverberated through the cavern. The four generals looked at each entrance quickly, unsure of what would cause such a quake. The other followers in the cavern acted more irrationally as a few cries of fear filled the air.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lionel asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Yara said. ¡°This has never happened here before.¡±


    The leader stood at his altar and immediately whirled around and knelt, posturing before them. It was a strange sight seeing their leader bow in submission, only adding to confusion in the room.


    Another shaking of the cavern came, more intense and longer as Lionel had to try and keep himself steady on his feet. Several of the people standing around fell to the ground, unable to keep their balance. The candle and torch lights around the room flickered from the shaking, causing the room to fall in shifting shadows. Then a sharp crack resounded like stone being split, and several more gasps came from the crowd.


    Standing at the top of the altar above the leader was a strange looking figure, and the first thing Lionel noticed was that it was taller than any humanoid he¡¯d seen, at least nine feet tall. It resembled a snake or lizard mixed with a human, with a scaly hide, rounded snout on its face, and slitted yellow eyes that seemed to fall over everyone all at the same time. It wore a suit of ornate black leather armor that radiated magic and held a twisted black staff in one hand.


    The pressure emanating from the being struck Lionel the most. It was hard to stand up straight being so close to it, let alone look directly at it. Lionel felt nauseated just from the brief seconds he dared to look, and immediately began to step backwards to distance himself from it. Apparently the others felt the same as the only one not leaving its presence was their leader.


    The room fell silent for a few moments. What in the hells was this creature?


    Their leader, kneeling at the creature¡¯s feet, abruptly turned back to the crowd and swept his arm across them. ¡°Kneel, you fools!¡±


    The crowd all varied with their reactions. Most knelt though not all at once - some looked around at each other in confusion, others in outright defiance. Lionel knew better than to question a being of such high power and knelt, along with the other generals beside him.


    The creature sighed. ¡°Disappointing, Zarath. Your¡­ flock needs discipline.¡± Its voice was harsh and commanding, a vibrating hiss mixed with human speech.


    A set of intricately green magical runes appeared in front of the creature, nothing Lionel had ever noticed before. It possessed more circles and layers than any spell he¡¯d witnessed. Suddenly the men and women still standing began to cough and sputter as they spat our black sludge. Their bodies began to morph and change color, liquifying on the spot to piles of black goo.


    Lionel felt a sickness wash over his body in a rush. Not from the deaths, but likely from whatever magic the mysterious being just used.


    The room fell completely silent as no one dared to move or speak. Lionel¡¯s heart raced. Whatever magic it cast was incredibly strong, as it both killed nearly a dozen people in seconds and targeted specific ones spread amongst the group. He didn¡¯t even know that was possible.


    The figure still stood with its arms folded as though it was unbothered. This creature was not someone to challenge. It likely could eliminate them all without much effort, and if their leader bowed to it, then it was the right move to do the same.


    ¡°Noble Avatar, you bless us with your presence,¡± Zarath said.


    The creature turned its gaze to the leader, its body strangely unmoving. ¡°It is not a blessing to be here today, Zarath. We must discuss certain matters that have come to our attention.¡±


    The leader raised his head but did not stand. ¡°We are following the Great Aliyar¡¯s will, noble Avatar. Are we not moving fast enough?¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The Avatar chuckled. ¡°You mortals and your misguided goals. No, Zarath, you are mistaken.¡±


    Zarath paused and bowed his again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I do not understand.¡±


    ¡°It seems as though you do not. We should speak in private.¡±


    ¡°Of course. If I may, my quarters are not far.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    The creature followed Zarath, taking care to distance itself enough so its massively long legs and stride wouldn¡¯t stomp out the comparably weaker leader. In fact, in Lionel¡¯s eyes, this figure seemed to be the true leader for their cause. It was odd seeing the previously regal man humbled, though he understood. It felt like the presence of a god-like being in their midst.


    Everyone waited for the two to leave before relaxing. Murmurs began to circulate through the crowd, and some started to inspect their former allies who were now piles of black sludge.


    Lionel tried to survey the response from the other three generals but the damned masks covered their faces. They were as still as he was, likely shocked at whoever or whatever had just entered their secret domain. And talking to their leader as though he was nothing in their eyes did not look good for their confidence.


    Lionel was sure that whatever this encounter meant did not spell good fortune for them.


    *****


    Zarath closed his personal chamber door behind the figure. The Avatar shrunk itself slightly so it could comfortably stand inside the room, though it was still more than a head taller than him. It searched the room and found a wooden chair sitting at a small table against the wall and pulled it out, sitting casually.


    Zarath scoffed and began pacing the room. The Avatar only sat and waited.


    ¡°Avatar, what is the meaning of this?¡± Zarath asked. ¡°You come unannounced and undermine me all in one fell swoop. My hard work of gathering acolytes and showing them my power was shaken just now!¡±


    The serpent-like creature laughed. ¡°My, my. So testy. What happened to that stoic, bullheaded Climber I met not long ago? The one that impaled me with his blade and lopped off my head, cursing my very existence?¡±


    Zarath flinched. ¡°That¡­ was before I knew the truth. You know that, Avatar. Don¡¯t be coy.¡±


    The Avatar¡¯s smile faded into a serious expression. ¡°I¡¯m here because you have been stepping out of line. Or your people have. And all of you need to be reminded of your true purpose.¡±


    Zarath shook his head and walked to the other end of his chambers. The room was relatively small and simple, but it was all that was available for his private study. A cushioned chair sat with its back against the far wall, facing a small wooden desk in the center of the room. The desk was neat and empty of papers or decoration, as though more for staging than actual work. The chair was filled by the Avatar.


    ¡°Do you not remember how many times I killed you?¡± Zarath asked. ¡°I¡¯m far stronger now than I was even then. My power has grown considerably, as well as my understanding. I do this only for Aliyar!¡±


    ¡°You only killed me with the help of your team, and even then it was a struggle. You could not do so alone. And your power is only a gift by Lord Aliyar. What was given can be returned.¡±


    Zarath¡¯s confidence swayed. He knew she was right. But he also believed he was right in his own way.


    ¡°I saw the truth,¡± Zarath said. ¡°His truth. To rid the world of evil! That his Great Tower is the only means of doing so! That¡¯s my goal and my intent! Climbers are misguided and they need direction. They need discipline.¡±


    The Avatar shook its serpent-like head. ¡°No. You are mistaken.¡±


    Zarath paused. ¡°How can you say that?¡±


    ¡°Your reasoning is well-placed but your intentions are wrong. Lord Aliyar¡¯s truth is to rid the world of evil, yes. The Great Tower was the means of doing so, yes. To challenge and guide potential heroes towards the path of gaining power to wield for those who could not wield it themselves. But do not forget that you were given a choice when you met Lord Aliyar. That choice should not, and will not, be used inappropriately. That is why I am here.¡±


    Zarath took a few steps away from the Avatar, never averting his gaze. His mind rattled with different responses but none fit the moment. None that let him escape further ire.


    ¡°Good. Think on my words and these as well - if you or your so-called flock step out of line again, that previously given choice will be removed permanently. From all of you.¡±


    The Avatar took its staff and spun it in the air, causing a bright flash of green and yellow light to fill Zarath¡¯s study. He flinched and covered his eyes, and when he was finally able to see again, the Avatar was gone.


    *****


    The leader and creature were gone for about half an hour, which gave Lionel time to think. Did he make a mistake joining this seemingly doomed group? He received power, yes, but at what cost? When their leader showed him the great might of Aliyar and his intentions for the tower, Lionel believed him. How else could he explain his new strength? Their leader said Aliyar granted him that power when he reached the 20th floor, and that his purpose was to share that power in order for Climbers to see the truth about Alistair. That evil existed in the world, both seen and unseen, and they were to use the tower¡¯s magic to purge it.


    It made sense. Climber¡¯s magic all came from Alistair. He had never heard of what, exactly, was the tower¡¯s actual purpose. Only rumors. Aliyar was very much a god figure and deserved to be worshiped, not like their human leader who forced the followers to bow to him instead. If he really was serving Aliyar he lost his way some time ago.


    One of the followers in the crowd suddenly threw off their cloak and laughed. It was the same man that brought Lionel to the group. Mathias. Lionel didn¡¯t know what in the hells he was doing, though. He didn¡¯t care nearly as much since he was an asshole, but it was definitely strange.


    Mathias looked over towards the generals and paused. Lionel didn¡¯t know what he was planning, but if he was going to attack it would be the stupidest and last thing he ever did. Instead, the bald man just winked in their direction and walked out of the cave.


    ¡°Good riddance,¡± Yara said, her voice pulling Lionel from his thoughts. ¡°Anyone who abandons us now is a traitor to Aliyar¡¯s cause. Right, Jen?¡±


    Lionel tensed. She hated being called by her name. Yara was a fool and should know better.


    The fourth general slowly turned her head towards the others, her porcelain mask concealing any emotion. ¡°You know what to call me. Do not use that name.¡±


    Yara bowed her head and took a step back. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sorry, Gouger.¡±


    Lionel chuckled under his mask. She¡¯d pay for that.


    ¡°But I know Mathias,¡± Jen - the Gouger - continued. ¡°He isn¡¯t a fool. He¡¯s crafty and underhanded, yes, but not dense enough to simply leave without reason. Slayer, can you follow him and find out why he left?¡±


    Marion stepped forward. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be sure to get his reasoning without too much bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°Do what you must.¡±


    The sound of a door creaking open pulled everyone¡¯s attention. Their leader was strolling out of his private quarters with purpose.


    Lionel cursed under his breath. Whatever those two discussed was not good news. His face was serious and he never walked as fast as he walked now. He was either pissed or worried or both. Hopefully he didn¡¯t take it out on them like last time.


    The leader walked straight to his throne and faced the crowd. He raised his hands and quieted the few murmurs in the crowd of people before speaking.


    ¡°I must apologize for before. That was¡­ an unexpected occurrence. But a necessary one.¡±


    Lionel scoffed. That was necessary? Some monster coming and just killing people without effort or reason?


    ¡°Despite what you may think our visitor is part of our cause. The Avatar of Aliyar in the flesh! His right hand combatant and sentient guardian within Alistair!¡±


    Lionel felt his heart skip a beat. So the display of power was just a taste. Something that strong visited them to speak to their leader? Apparently the man really was who he said he was. He somehow earned the presence of Aliyar¡¯s personal guardian. That was no small feat. Maybe Lionel judged him too quickly as he truly was Aliyar¡¯s chosen.


    The crowd gasped as more hushed talked filled the cave. The leader brought his hands down by his side until the people quieted. It didn¡¯t take long, their trust I him restored.


    ¡°Some of you were not true followers of Aliyar¡¯s cause. The Avatar purged the traitors and we are better for it. Do not question their intentions.¡±


    He sat on the throne and waved the generals forward. Lionel hesitated, but seeing the Gouger step forward without hesitation gave him confidence. He followed her lead.


    The leader leaned forward and kept his voice low so only the four masked people could hear him. ¡°Our plans have not changed but our timeline has been moved up. We must act faster than intended.¡±


    ¡°How fast, sir?¡± The Gouger asked.


    ¡°By the end of the month,¡± the leader said. ¡°The new season will bring change and we can¡¯t afford a different environment at this critical moment.¡±


    Lionel shook his head. That left hardly any time at all. He said before they had months, but now he¡¯s saying only weeks?


    ¡°So, take anyone and anything you need,¡± the leader continued. ¡°If we are to succeed we need to bridge the gap between the floors of Alistair and the city without going through the portal room at Alistair¡¯s base. There will be too much resistance with other Climbers and the guild¡¯s protection. By releasing the tower¡¯s power into the city itself we can truly purge the evil that has festered so close to our sacred temple.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, my Lord,¡± Yara said. ¡°For my report, I was able to open a portal with a key and Aliyar¡¯s power in an alley in the housing district. It was unstable but carried me through. I need time to work on a portal that will be larger and more secure for Alistair¡¯s denizens. Some of them are true monsters and quite large.¡±


    The leader smiled for the first time of the night. The sight made Lionel¡¯s skin crawl. It was¡­ unsettling.


    ¡°Make sure one of them finds the Betrayer¡¯s friends,¡± Marion said.


    Lionel could have punched the bastard for that comment. He didn¡¯t want to bring up his report right now. Or at all.


    The leader looked at Lionel as though he could see straight past his mask. Maybe he could.


    ¡°Are they still alive?¡± The leader asked.


    Lionel stepped forward. No sense in lying again. Last time was met with awful repercussions. ¡°Yes. I¡­ tried to handle them. But it was still a second priority to my original task. I assure you.¡±


    The man smiled again making Lionel feel unsure. ¡°I believe you. Maybe it¡¯s time to finish what you started.¡± He snapped his fingers. ¡°Harold, Roche. Come forward.¡±


    Two of the followers stepped forward in their robes and knelt. One looked to be a thin woman while the other was an absolute brute of a man.


    ¡°Lionel, take them and mold them. Do what you must to remove your former team. Set an example for the other Climbers to not challenge the great Aliyar¡¯s will.¡±


    Lionel bowed his head in respect to the leader for the first time since first meeting him. A sinister smile formed under his mask. Finally he¡¯d get rid of that damned Red Mage and earn his moniker in one fell swoop. Aliyar demanded it, after all.

 Book 1 - Chapter 58

    The chamber was large and empty - not a single torch or source of light could be found. From the entrance the group looked right and left, and the edges of light from both Wyn¡¯s lantern and Tasha¡¯s staff couldn¡¯t reach any wall. The floor was the exact same makeup of stone, but there was a chill in the air that felt different compared to the cool inner halls of the temple.


    It felt too different. It felt dangerous.


    Marcy stepped further inside, holding a nocked arrow in her bow. She tiptoed her way forward, slowly advancing while trying to perceive anything around her. The group followed behind, paranoia running rampant though no one dared to speak up.


    The Ranger perked up and took a step back. ¡°Something¡¯s ahead. I can¡¯t see it, though. It¡­ smells. Like dried sweat and blood.¡±


    The light from Tasha¡¯s staff quivered and shook as the mage began to tremble. The three men surrounded her in the front like an arrow formation, though she didn¡¯t feel any safer. The air emitted a strange magic, different than anything she¡¯d felt so far.


    ¡°This feels like a floor on the next tier,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Surely that wasn¡¯t some secret portal to the higher areas of the tower?¡±


    Wyn shook his head. There was no way he could know. There was no way any of them could know what his lantern or this place was.


    A green light began to glow at the other end of the chamber. The source was a small crystal hovering in the air, no bigger than a piece of fruit. It gave off a similar dim light to the mushroom lantern though it¡¯s reach was far less, only covering about twenty feet around it.


    ¡°Shit,¡± John said.


    The light bathed a small horde of Lacerts, all standing packed together like they were forced against some invisible barrier. They wielded various weapons and shields, and all of them were covered in thick leathers like soldiers.


    Not one of them moved, except for their chests slowly rising and falling with their breaths.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Wyn said. ¡°There¡¯s at least two dozen standing over there!¡± He gripped his spear harder to stop his hands from trembling.


    Marcy fired an arrow at the crowd of monsters. It pierced the first one¡¯s chest armor by a few inches, causing it to jerk back from the momentum. It remained upright, however, and immediately roared in anger.


    The attack caused a chain reaction, and the other monsters began to move, groaning and snapping their jaws like they were waking up.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Marcy said. She reached down and placed her hands on the ground, casting her Earthen Trap spell and causing a large rune to form on the stone. An arrow flew out of her quiver with incredible speed, and she nocked it to her bowstring with practiced grace. She backed up cautiously, not taking her eyes off the enemies.


    ¡°That arrow didn¡¯t do much,¡± Marcy said, nearly yelling behind her towards the group. ¡°It would¡¯ve killed a standard Lacert on this floor!¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Cedric said. He pulled out his scepter and quickly checked the wall behind him. ¡°The pathway is still open. We can exit if we need to, but I say we try and take on at least two waves!¡±


    ¡°Waves?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°What in the hells does that mean?¡±


    Cedric pointed towards the green light with his scepter. ¡°That is a summoning crystal. It¡¯s quite rare to find one, but they form monsters in waves as an added challenge. It¡¯s damn hard for whatever floor it¡¯s one the rewards are spectacular!¡± Cedric smiled, greed obvious in his eyes.


    ¡°We can do this!¡± Marcy said. She was now only ten feet in front of the group, still huddled around Tasha. ¡°It¡¯s a much better challenge than what we¡¯ve been facing!¡±


    The creatures began to inch forward, slowly but steadily. Growls and snapping jaws made the previously silent chamber echo with malice.


    ¡°This is why we came here, right?¡± Wyn said. He turned to Tasha and shook her shoulder gently. ¡°Marcy¡¯s right! If things get bad we can always leave. But if the payoff is as good as they say, then we should at least try. We might not have an opportunity like this again.¡±


    Tasha stared at Wyn for only a second, noting his resolve. She looked back at the group of monsters and the danger that approached with them. A sigh escaped her mouth with a small shake of her head.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Here we go, I guess.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Cedric said, waving his scepter in front of him. A large cloud began to form in front of the group, hovering at least twenty feet above them. It was a menacing dark grey, and rumbles of thunder and arcs of lightning began to grow inside it. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back! Use your mana without reserve and top yourself with a potion!¡±


    Marcy stepped to the left and aimed her bow. ¡°Multiply!¡± She yelled, and her arrow flew away from her bow with a loud twang, leaving as one but soaring as many. Over a dozen arrows peppered the approaching horde, and two Lacerts fell to the ground as they were struck. Others either absorbed the arrows and continued their pursuit, or raised shields to block the projectiles from harming them.


    They were at a steady jog now, their clawed feet pounding across the stone floor. The rumble grew louder and louder, and they fanned out across the chamber, using their numbers to try to overwhelm the Climbers.


    Marcy¡¯s trap sprang to their right, capturing four of them in magical chains. They roared in frustration, but were subdued for the time being. Others around them kept pushing forward, ignoring their trapped allies.


    John pushed forward with his shield at the ready and sword pulsing with wind magic, poised to strike. Wyn was right beside him, waiting for his chance to spear the first Lacert he contacted. It looked as though they were rushing over a dozen monsters themselves, and some hesitation swelled up inside him. They¡¯d fought and easily killed these creatures before, but these variants were stronger and tougher. It wouldn¡¯t be an easy fight, and he knew he needed to be on guard.


    Wyn lunged out with his spear and gored the first Lacert, easily stabbing it well before it was in range to attack back with its sword. The monster wailed in pain, grabbing his spear in desperation. Wyn slung it to one side with a push of extra effort, realizing it was denser than the previous Lacerts, too. A stream of blue blood flew behind the beast as it was thrown to the side, and the enemies behind it paused before advancing. Wyn then reached his hand out hoping to slow as many enemies as possible, casting his Flash spell and blinding multiple Lacerts in a well-placed area.


    John, at the same time, blocked a sword strike with his shield and slashed back at the attacking monster. His opponent wore heavier armor along with a helmet and greaves, being much better equipped than any other Lacert they¡¯ve fought so far. John was more proficient in combat, though, and it took several more attacks but he was able to swiftly kill it without issue.


    Chaos continued in the large room. Wyn and John were trying to manage Lacerts in direct combat, blocking, parrying, and striking enemies left, right, and directly in front of them, but they could only hold a few back at a time. The other Lacerts were running around them, directly towards the other three Climbers.


    Marcy¡¯s arrows were slinging left and right, well-placed shots pulling some monsters towards her, or magical shots killing individual enemies with pops and bursts of magic. The storm cloud that Cedric summoned was wiping out nearly half of the Lacerts alone, a deadly combination of lightning striking across a wide distance and magical winds slicing through armor and limbs alike. It was a true storm cloud, deadly and precise.


    Tasha, for all her worth, was trying to combat her own sense of impending doom. She had gained confidence over the past few climbs, but this was something different entirely. They had yet to face a group of monsters quite like this - the number of them mixed with the added strength was something the newer Climbers hadn¡¯t expected to face for some weeks.


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    The Mage stood still, clutching her staff with shaking fingers. She took several deep breaths, trying to center herself to move. Everyone else was fighting to keep the monsters at bay, and just managing to hold them off. That reality weighed heavily on her.


    A yell of pain that was clearly human stirred Tasha from her paralyzed state. Wyn clutched his left hip, and she saw him go down to one knee. He was hurt, and there were still several enemies surrounding him and John, though the Ruby Magician was trying to parry any strike possible with his shield. The Fighter shouted next, and she saw enemies beating him down with clubs and hammers. He blocked most of them, but errant strikes were hitting him on the arms or legs.


    Tasha took one more deep breath and willed her legs to push her forward. She ran up behind them, pushing past Cedric who was casting spells in quick succession, managing half of the Lacerts at once. She reached a hand out and knew which spell to use. Her emergency spell that spent nearly all of her mana in one cast.


    ¡°Heavenly Circle,¡± she said, pointing her staff at the ground between the two injured Climbers. A large rune formed under their feet, and a bright white light enveloped them both. It lingered on their bodies, coating them in a magical aura similar to her other divine spells.


    Wyn felt his body instantly recover, the gashes on his right hip and lower back disappearing and no longer hurting him. The wave of euphoria lifted his spirits and body altogether, and he was washed in rejuvenating magic that put his Regen spell to shame. It felt as though adrenaline was going to explode out of him, like his physical endurance was topped off and now spilling over his limits.


    The spell Tasha cast was obviously a powerful one, and Wyn pushed himself forward to clean up the remaining Lacerts with his newfound resolve. Each strike sliced through one of the monsters with resounding force, as though he was physically empowered in addition to his recovery. He saw Lacerts being thrown around to his right, and noticed John was going through a similar experience, attacking their enemies with sword and boot alike.


    One last strike with his spear felled a Lacert, and he stabbed it through the chest on the ground with a grunt. His heavy breathing was the only noise filling his ears, and he knew the current fight was over. Looking around, he saw John also realizing they had won, and a large smile formed on the Fighter¡¯s face.


    The green light from the crystal completely faded, and the room was again coated in light only from Tasha¡¯s Sunstaff and Wyn¡¯s lantern.


    ¡°Tasha, that was incredible!¡± John said. ¡°I feel as good as I do with my Fighter skill!¡±


    Tasha pulled out a small vial from her potion belt and drank the contents. ¡°That was supposed to be a last resort spell! And I had to use it on the first wave!¡±


    John waved his sword at her before sheathing it. ¡°That¡¯s why potions exist. But on a serious note, thank you. I really thought I was about to get beat to death for a second, there.¡±


    ¡°Me, too,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Those wounds would¡¯ve killed me if you hadn¡¯t healed me like that. These enemies are something else.¡±


    Cedric rushed beside them, bending down and picking up some items from one of the many Lacert corpses that were glowing with magic. ¡°Stop talking and collect! We have one minute before the next wave starts!¡± His scepter was nonchalantly floating in the air beside him as his one arm was busy looting.


    The rookies looked at each other for a second before rushing to grab whatever they could. Wyn dropped his spear and John dropped his shield, both realizing the task ahead of them. Most of the bodies were glowing with some type of treasure, which made nearly twenty piles to collect. They needed to grab whatever they could before the next group of enemies appeared, and they¡¯d be busy fighting instead of collecting their rewards.


    Wyn¡¯s heart raced as he picked up another Lacert claw radiating blue magic. The effects of Tasha¡¯s spell were still coursing through him, though the white aura surrounding his body was noticeably dull. In addition to the claw, he had packed roughly ten items of more claws, teeth, and scales, as well as a couple of potions into his magical pack. It was by far the best haul they¡¯d seen yet.


    He wondered if the middle and upper floors gave this much treasure. No wonder Climbers walked away from the towers rich - when they could walk away, of course.


    ¡°Found another item!¡± John yelled. ¡°A hammer!¡±


    ¡°That makes a hammer, bracer, and gloves,¡± Cedric yelled. ¡°See how good this is? Now group up! We have just a few seconds!¡±


    The Climbers rushed back towards the entrance. Wyn¡¯s mushroom lantern dimly lit the wall, and the original pathway was thankfully still there. He inwardly felt a sense of comfort wash over him, knowing they weren¡¯t trapped and could leave at any time.


    ¡°That strategy worked well,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It should work again for more of them, and I¡¯ll cast more spells this time.¡±


    The green light from the summoning crystal shown with a brighter glow, covering much more area than before as a stronger and faster pulse radiated in all directions. The light revealed a dozen Lacerts again, as well as a half dozen Lamierts behind them.


    Wyn balked at the sight of them. Two of the Lamierts held staves, and the others had large, menacing weapons. They towered over the Lacerts in front of them, easily being over ten feet tall. Like before, they stood still, waiting for some unknown reason before advancing.


    ¡°This looks impossible,¡± Tasha said, her eyes wide. She took a step back towards the open pathway behind them. ¡°No way we can kill all of them. Don¡¯t we have plenty of rewards already? I¡¯m more than satisfied!¡±


    ¡°This could be huge for us,¡± John said. ¡°Treat this like our final wave. Don¡¯t hold anything back. We can do it!¡±


    Wyn nodded. Tasha had a point - there were more rewards just from the first wave of monsters than they¡¯d found climbing for days. The potential to gain even more than that was a single battle away, though. There were more spells and skills they could use, and he was confident they¡¯d survive.


    It wouldn¡¯t be easy by any means, but it was possible.


    ¡°I say we fight,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Hold nothing back. Tasha, we can do this. I know it.¡±


    The White Mage sighed and tapped her staff on John¡¯s back. ¡°Arcane Aura,¡± she said. A white aura radiated around the Fighter before forming into a magical suit of armor. It seemed fuller and more dense than before.


    Tasha started to touch Wyn¡¯s back be he raised a hand.


    ¡°No. Save your mana since you drank a potion already.¡±


    The enemies began to stir. A Lamiert holding a staff raised it high, causing a strange green rune to form under three of the frontline Lacerts.


    Wyn cast Speed Up on himself before putting a hand on John¡¯s shoulder beside him. He didn¡¯t have his Arcane Aura spell anymore, and Tasha already used one on the Fighter, but he wanted to boost his confidence in a reassuring gesture. This wasn¡¯t going to be easy, but they were strong together.


    The monsters in the chamber began to move, then. The Lacerts advanced forward, running this time, straight at the Climbers. The Lamierts lingered a bit, not wanting to run directly into combat.


    Wyn knew this would be a harder fight. They were already more tactical than the last wave, and appeared stronger, too. If their group held anything back, they¡¯d lose - one way or another.


    He pulled out a mana potion and drank it. His mana pool was nearly empty, and he wanted to use whatever he needed in the coming fight.


    John engulfed them with a red light, his Focus skill emitting a far stronger aura. He took two deep breaths, exhaling loudly like a raging beast.


    Wyn could see the Fighter¡¯s arms expand under his armor - it looked as though his muscles were enhanced, his body morphing into something far deadlier than the average warrior. When John breathed a third time, he leapt forward, bounding across the chamber with steps that shook the stone beneath him.


    Wyn smirked. Defeating these enemies was possible. It had to be. He needed whatever advantage he could obtain, and this was an opportunity he couldn¡¯t afford to miss.


    He shot himself forward, exploding like an arrow from a taught bowstring thanks to his speed skill. In seconds he was beside John and mere feet from their enemies.


    Despite the increased danger and threat of death, Wyn felt he was exactly where he needed to be. John stomped down with a boot, causing a tremor from the item¡¯s spell to knock back a half dozen of the approaching monsters. Simultaneously, Wyn cast his Flash spell again, blinding and disorientating the other side of the first line.


    In a whirlwind of spear and sword, the two Climbers began slicing and hacking, felling enemies quicker than either imagined. The enemies were also enhanced from abilities or equipment or both, though the practiced strikes of the two men overcame the erratic and now-disjointed attack of the monsters.


    Streaks of wind blasted through several of the Lacerts in a chain reaction, as Cedric¡¯s scepter changed his lightning spell to the wind element. A small explosion knocked everyone off guard for a second, as an arrow Marcy shot took out two Lacerts and hurt three more.


    Wyn¡¯s speed and skill was helpful but his lack of good armor started to show. No matter how good anyone was at fighting taking hits was inevitable, and he took slashes and pounds from all sides. They weren¡¯t enough to warrant a spell or to use a potion, but if the fight dragged on he¡¯d have to recover somehow.


    John was faring much better, as he rolled through enemies like an untouchable harbinger of death. The multiple abilities layering over him made him look both angelic and demonic, and Wyn was left in awe as each sword strike dealt harsh blows from enhanced strength.


    Three large stones flew across the room, and Wyn leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding them. He looked back to the Lamierts who still stood waiting. Another trio of rocks were already flying at him, and he threw up his Shield spell to block them.


    The force of the attack was tremendous, and Wyn felt his arm tremble from behind the magical barrier. If there was a fourth rock, it likely would have shattered it. Wyn shuddered thinking about what would have happened then.


    Two of the Lamierts began to slither towards them, away from the green summoning crystal. They crossed each other, each choosing to face Wyn and John in a one on one fight. Green light glinted off a well polished dagger that had a long, jagged edge. The Lamiert twirled it in its hand before raising its other arm and repeated the motion with a second dagger. Leather armor protected its torso and the scales on its body were glowing a dull green.


    Wyn took a step forward and slashed in an arc, trying to catch it off guard. His movements were still heightened and he moved like a flash, his spear barely registering in the air due to its speed. The monster twisted its body in a way that made the strike completely miss, and it hissed at Wyn in retaliation.


    The monster moved in a way that seemed effortless. This would not be an easy battle.

 Book 1 - Chapter 59

    An arrow streaked through the air on Wyn¡¯s left, causing a small explosion of magic in the distance. He wanted to look and see the effect and the fight around him, but he knew if he took his attention off his current enemy even for a second he¡¯d lose.


    So far the Lamiert was fighting him on equal footing. The enemy Mage must have boosted the creature¡¯s abilities similar to their own spells and skills, as it was still glowing green and moved with impressive speed and strength. It wasn¡¯t as fast as Wyn, but its body was dexterous and could move in angles that Wyn didn¡¯t think was possible.


    It was a skilled fighter, and Wyn was getting frustrated.


    The occasional dagger strike broke through Wyn¡¯s parry or dodge, and his pitiful leather armor was taking a beating. It held up, but not before gashes split it in various areas. He still knew he needed a better defense, and hopefully the reward from this experience would afford him an item or two for that very purpose.


    Wyn stepped back again, narrowly avoiding a dagger strike to the throat. He was tired of this fight despite the engagement lasting only a few minutes - he wanted to get to the Mages and be done with this enemy.


    ¡°Feeble,¡± Wyn said, catching the Lamiert off guard. The spell took effect, and a magical skull floated above its head while its body shrank a bit. The spell enraged the monster, and it began attacking in a flurry.


    The wild nature of the strikes made up for the loss of physical abilities, but the attacks were less skilled and much easier to deal with. Wyn was able to predict patterns and anticipate a follow up attack, and moved to one side after a poorly executed dagger stab. He slashed up with his spear and successfully caught the monster, slicing it from the base of the tail up to its shoulder. The gash wasn¡¯t as deep as he would¡¯ve liked, but it pushed the Lamiert back and off guard.


    Wyn pushed harder, increasing his own speed further than he thought possible. He stopped the momentum of his spear on attacks that failed to hit sooner than normal, and followed up with many different angles of wide slashes and quick jabs. This wasn¡¯t the time to hold back.


    One of those stabs found purchase in the monster¡¯s side, directly under its armor. It howled in pain, and when it retched back the spear flew out, causing a wide spray of blue blood to coat the area.


    Wyn smiled and knew it was close to death. He readied his spear to finish it, but a brighter green glow covered the enemy¡¯s body, and the puncture wound started to close up. The monster seemed to be revitalized and began its counterattack.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Cedric said, across the chamber. ¡°They can heal!¡±


    ¡°We have to kill them now!¡± Marcy said. ¡°Otherwise Wyn and John won¡¯t be able to take them down!¡±


    Cedric silently cursed and raised his scepter again. The opposing Mage was no weakling, and his lightning spells were being rebuffed with relative ease as he was on the wrong side of the elemental interactions. Each time he¡¯d hurt one the other would heal it, and vice versa with the Lamiert Marcy focused on.


    ¡°Group up,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Focus on one! Kill it outright instead of damaging it so it can¡¯t be healed!¡±


    Marcy ducked under a boulder that flew her way, then sprinted towards Cedric. She released an arrow at the Lamiert the Wizard was fighting, more to distract it than anything. The projectile bounced off a quickly erected green barrier, though once the magical defense dropped, a powerful bolt of lightning slammed into it. It was knocked back several feet, its torso smoking black from the hit. It writhed for a few seconds, stunned and in pain.


    Marcy took advantage of the opportunity by launching a purple tinted arrow whose four fletching were small and striped with white and grey. It shot across the room with blinding speed, causing a small wake of air to shift away from its tail. The arrow struck the Lamiert in the abdomen, and the impact blew away the back half of the creature in a loud whoosh. The creature slithered to the ground in a heap, its breath ragged.


    The last thing it saw was an errant streak of lightning coming towards it, the path jagged and unpredictable. The monster knew the spell was going to hit it, and it could only lie there and accept its fate.


    A roar made every creature in the room flinch. The second Mage raised its staff in anger, forming an incredibly large rune to form above its head. The magical circle easily spanned thirty feet wide, and the magic was palpable in the air. Rocks began to fall from random places in the ceiling with enough force that it seemed as though they were falling from great heights. A brief runic circle would appear in the air, then a rock would barrel out of it, slamming into sections of the stone floor. Cracks and debris were all that remained, as the rocks themselves also exploded from the strength.


    It was a powerful spell both in strength and sheer volume. The runic circles that spawned the rocks appeared all over the room, over a dozen appearing at once. When one created a rock it would disappear then be replaced by another elsewhere in the room.


    Marcy deftly moved about the chamber, stepping in odd directions to avoid being crushed. Her Extrasensory skill was working in overdrive, and she couldn¡¯t focus on anything else except its activation to keep her alive.


    Cedric tapped his boots against the ground two times, and they began to glow with a red aura that quickly covered his body. He leapt to one side effortlessly, but the maneuver pushed him over ten feet, much faster than a normal hop. His eyes were focused on the ceiling, and he was able to evade the falling rocks easily with his added mobility.


    Tasha screamed and fell, just avoiding a rock that pelted her with small pebbles after it broke apart on the floor. There were rocks falling everywhere, and she couldn¡¯t move as well as the others to avoid them. It came down to sheer luck as she randomly darted around a small area.


    She then looked at her boots and remembered her new gear and spells. Her defensive abilities had drastically improved, and this was the exact reason for obtaining them. Stomping the ground, she activated the Reflection spell, and she shimmered with white light. She mentally willed her cloak to coat her in its Arcane Aura spell as well, and the familiar, magical coat of armor surrounded her in protective magic.


    When she straightened up, she smiled. Two other shimmering forms of herself were standing around her, moving in an exact copy of her own movements. The runic formations above created another rock and hurled it down at one of the three Divine Magicians, and Tasha tried to move out of its way but wasn¡¯t fast enough. The rock splattered against the ground through the image, exploding in dirt and small chunks of harder earth. The illusion dissipated, and the two other copies of Tasha still moved about, edging towards Cedric so she wouldn¡¯t be alone.


    Wyn jumped to one side, avoiding another falling rock. Both he and the Lamiert he was fighting temporarily paused their engagement to avoid the falling stones from above. They were aiming for anything around, and when the monster Wyn fought was nearly crushed, it had a similar realization. The Ruby Magician tried to find an opening to still attack his enemy but was too distracted. The battlefield was becoming increasingly dangerous, as the rocks forming and falling were bad enough, but their remnants spewed across the ground made for terribly uneven terrain. A single bad step could mean the difference between life and death.


    Another rune formed in the ceiling, and Wyn had an idea. He stabbed out with his spear in a feint, and the Lamiert easily dodged it to the side. The maneuver was its downfall, as half of its body was slammed by the falling rock, and it was knocked to the side several feet, yelping in pain as it fell. Wyn rushed to its side and stabbed it several times, finding no resistance or weapon to block his blows. The monster had blood pouring from its wounds, and its body slowed before coming completely still.


    A moment later, Wyn jumped back as a rock slammed into the Lamiert, completely crushing it with a sickening crunch. He winced at the sight and sound, but knew there was no way it could return from that finality. It was likely already dead, but that was absolute confirmation.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    John yelled across the chamber, and Wyn saw his shield fall to one side. The Lamiert he faced stabbed him with a spear that was now protruding through the Fighter¡¯s left shoulder. The attack caused him to drop his defense, his multiple auras fading quickly around him. Where they were once a bright magical force, they now looked dim in the chamber, barely giving off any light.


    Wyn sprinted across the room, urgency flooding his body. He didn¡¯t bother trying to dodge any of the rocks - he needed every second to get to John¡¯s side before any more damage was done. As long as he was alive, he could heal him. He just didn¡¯t want a repeat of Cedric¡¯s situation.


    The Lamiert fighting John noticed Wyn approaching and increased its attack, attempting to finish John before anyone else could interfere. John, in desperation, stomped a boot on the ground, causing a shockwave to erupt in front of him directly at the monster. The Lamiert was caught off guard and stumbled, losing control over its spear while working to keep its stability on the shifting stone floor. It¡¯s large, muscular tail served as an impressive stabilizing force, being able to prevent itself from being knocked back or falling.


    The spell did, however, serve to interrupt another strike, buying time for Wyn to join their fight.


    Almost to John, Wyn quickly checked his mark to make sure he had enough mana available to help. There was just about half remaining, and he knew it''d be plenty. His boots slid next to the Fighter, who was gasping for air and clutching his shoulder. Wyn placed a hand on him and cast Regen while keeping an eye above for another rock.


    "Thank you," John muttered, wincing at the pain from the spear. "I wasn''t a good match for it or its weapon."


    "You''ve done well," Wyn said, a smile crossing his face subconsciously. He turned his head to look John in the eye and saw another man''s face in front of a clouded background. The man had blood dripping from the corner of his mouth with more spewing out of him when he laughed.


    "I did my best," the man said, his voice distant and hollow. "Thank you, Captain."


    Wyn was confused. This was one of his soldiers, out at war. He remembered his face, only for a moment, and remembered covering it later as he helped bury him.


    A slap stirred him from the memory, jarring him.


    "Wake up!" John yelled, his face contorted in frustration and worry. "Damnit, Wyn, focus!"


    Wyn clenched his jaw and cursed himself. Of all the times for a memory of war to come, now was the absolute worst.


    He slapped John on his good shoulder and nodded sharply. The Fighter let out a relieved sigh and rolled his left arm as the white aura of Wyn''s healing spell renewed him. His shield still lay on the ground, but he ignored it, holding his sword with both hands.


    The rock-producing spell had ended as well as the threat from above. Now was their chance to finish this wave.


    Unfortunately the Lamiert was already on the counterattack, hissing at both Climbers in anger. It lunged towards Wyn with a stab, the sharpened bone spearhead frightening while coated in John''s blood. Wyn was faster, though, as his aura still bolstered him, and he sidestepped the attack, moving his torso in a practiced manner. A spear was his personal weapon of choice, and he knew nearly all manners of attacks with one. This was no longer a bad match up - now, the two Climbers held the advantage.


    Wyn launched a quick stab of his own, and the monster hissed as it moved. It wasn¡¯t quick enough, though still fast - a shallow cut formed at its side, and its hiss intensified. Wyn pressed his attack, alternating between slashes and jabs, quick movements and slow powerful ones to keep the Lamiert guessing. The enemy struggled to handle his onslaught, parrying or dodging some attacks but not all of them, and it yelled in frustration at the wind element weapon slowly and painfully cutting it down.


    John moved around the monster, waiting for his opportunity to flank it. He realized Wyn had the upper hand but he wasn¡¯t moving fast enough. Well, he was moving fast, but he wasn''t killing it fast enough. They needed to end this wave now.


    After another small hit from Wyn¡¯s spear, the monster flared its body around, angling itself for a counterattack. Wyn tried to parry the spear but was pushed back by the sheer force of the blow, successfully avoiding the strike but not avoiding the strength behind it. The monster''s anger was increasing its power, and his defenses were pitiful. Thankfully, he didn''t need to absorb another blow, as he saw John move into position behind it. He tried to attack the monster''s lower torso - or, rather, the start of its tail - with a quick jab. The Lamiert slithered back, avoiding the spear, but running directly into John''s sword in its gut.


    John pushed his sword forward, the tip piercing through the monster''s front, indirectly spraying Wyn with some if its blue blood. An ear piercing shriek left the monster''s snarling mouth, and it dropped its spear, trying in vain to claw at John behind it.


    Wyn stepped forward and stuck it like a pig, jamming the spear into its chest for a killing blow. The monster slacked between them, its arms dangling limply at its sides while they held it aloft with their weapons.


    The last remaining Lamiert roared, realizing it was alone and outnumbered. It writhed around the chamber, frenzy in its eyes as it darted back and forth without purpose. The staff it carried began to glow green again, and it raised it towards Wyn and John, hoping to attack them together. As a large green rune formed at the end of the weapon, an arrow suddenly pierced its shoulder, and the staff tipped down towards the ground.


    A small explosion kicked up dust and debris all around it as the spell was cast, but it hit the ground directly in front of the monster instead. Deep throaty coughs came from the small cloud, but a torrent of wind strikes silenced it in a rush. The small cloud grew from the impact of physical wind cutting into the stone and rocks, a barrage that lasted several seconds.


    The gusts were actually visible, arcing across the room in a trail of purple faster than Wyn could process. He looked over to see Cedric pointing his scepter in the monster''s direction, breathing heavy, sweat coating his hair.


    Just like that, being the last remaining enemy and easy target, the monster was killed.


    Green light disappeared in the chamber, again being lit only by Wyn''s lantern and Tasha''s staff. The Climbers all moved without discussion this time, knowing they had limited time before the next wave began. The numbers weren''t as great as the first wave, but they were battered and injured, and needed to gather as many rewards as possible.


    "Are we in agreement that we''re done now?" Tasha asked, not taking her eyes off the wall where the hidden entrance lay. The doorway was gone, as Wyn''s lantern didn''t quite reach far enough to reveal it. But she knew it was still there.


    "I''d say so," Wyn said, looking at the others. "Gods only know what the next wave will be like."


    "Then come show the door!" Tasha said, waving him over.


    Wyn jogged back towards the wall, and everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief as the pathway magically appeared inside the dim light of Wyn''s lantern. They all rushed out just as the green light behind them started to glow.


    When they returned to the small room, Wyn shook his lantern, causing the mushrooms inside to bounce around. The dust within the jar calmed, and the glowing light was gone. The doorway disappeared without a sound, and they all stood there dumbfounded staring at a blank, stone wall.


    "Well, that was unexpected," John said.


    Wyn couldn''t help but chuckle, causing a chain reaction that ended with everyone laughing, hands on their knees or hips in disbelief and fatigue.


    "I can''t believe that even existed," Cedric said. "If we were to find that again, that would change everything."


    Wyn tilted his head. "Do you think its possible if we looked in this hallway again?"


    "Tomorrow, please," Tasha said. "Not again today. I think I''m done for now, thank you."


    Wyn smiled. "Of course. It''s worth looking, though. You have to admit the rewards we found were incredible!"


    Tasha reluctantly nodded her head. "Yes, you''re right. Greater challenge, greater reward."


    "Exactly," Cedric said. "That was quite a bit for any rookie to find. Most would be lucky to find that much in an entire season!"


    "There''s a reason for that," Marcy said, crossing her arms. "That challenge was the next tier up. No rookie should be facing that. We got lucky, honestly.¡±


    Cedric sighed. "I suppose."


    "Only with you two here," Wyn said, pointing at Marcy and Cedric. "We would''ve died without both of your abilities."


    "Now that I agree with," Tasha said.


    "So are we going to go back or what?" John asked. "We still haven''t finished this floor."


    Wyn glanced over the group. They had used quite a bit of resources, but all in all didn''t seem to be in too bad of shape. John was the worst, but his injuries had mostly healed at this point. Their mana was another issue entirely - he and Tasha had each used a mana potion, and if they were to finish the floor, it would make sense for each of them to use another, just in case.


    Using potions meant spending coins. The small vials were incredible but expensive when purchased. Using more than one a floor meant that the final rewards were more of an even trade than net gain. That might be different on higher floors where the rewards were greater, but in the first tier he couldn¡¯t afford buying them so often. Not at the moment.


    "We made it out with more than enough items and resources," Wyn said. "I''m not quite sure about facing the floor boss in our condition.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t quite that bad,¡± Marcy said. ¡°We need to use some potions and they aren¡¯t overly expensive.¡±


    ¡°Maybe for you,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to be as liberal with them. And don¡¯t forget the mental tole. We aren¡¯t as hardened as you and Cedric about facing enemy after enemy in the tower.¡±


    Marcy nodded slowly. ¡°I understand. I don¡¯t need any of the items, though - just my share of the coin and enough extra to cover the key.¡± She pulled out the portal key from a side pocket and waved it in the air.


    ¡°I¡¯ll also forgo the items,¡± Cedric said, ¡°and ask only for coin. You three could use the items to improve your gear.¡±


    Wyn looked at John and Tasha, and they all smiled broadly.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s time for me to improve my defenses,¡± Wyn said. ¡°The only question is how?¡±

 Book 1 - Chapter 60

    The trading hall was full of life as well-equipped Climbers walked and talked chaotically around the large room. Wyn could have sworn it was even busier than last time, but accepted the fact that the exchange of magical items at a place where a magical tower resided naturally created a high rate of trade and turnover.


    ¡°Should we look at the book again?¡± John asked. ¡°It had a good log of items to sort through.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have a good item to trade one for one for a blue rarity piece of armor. I¡¯d like something I can use for awhile.¡±


    ¡°What about a piece of armor and a cloak?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°They could carry enchantments that would be extremely beneficial, after all. Or something similar to that.¡±


    Wyn nodded but wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°I don¡¯t mind the Ruby Magician robe Daniel gifted me, but something else would definitely be better. And this leather isn¡¯t faring that well for me.¡± Wyn tugged on his leather chest piece, disappointed at the basic item. It served a purpose - and was admittedly better than other Magicians since they couldn''t wear armor at all - but with their group climbing higher and more, he needed something more useful.


    "I still don''t understand why you won''t go to The Silver Step," Tasha said. "You know Benedict has plenty of items in store to choose from!"


    "He does, but I''m looking for something specific. I want to try here first. If I don''t find anything, we can absolutely go to his shop."


    "I know what you''re doing," John said, smirking. "You''re looking for the Sorcerer, aren''t you? Cara, I think?"


    Tasha let out a groan. "Tell me he''s wrong, Wyn. Not her, of all people."


    Wyn couldn''t hide a sheepish grin. "Come on, Tasha, you held your own when we negotiated for John''s sword! She said she made it, as in she crafted it instead of found it in the tower!"


    "I know what it means," Tasha said, folding her arms.


    "Then you know she''s both skilled and smart, and the items she has aren''t found anywhere else. I want to see what else she has before we look elsewhere. Just humor me."


    Tasha sighed. "Fine, fine. It''s your armor, I guess."


    Wyn clapped his hands together and excitedly walked over to the desk where a guild attendant was waiting behind the counter. He asked for the book again, and opened the large tome to pieces of armor once the attendant slid it to him.


    The Climbers all gathered around the book, able to easily see the words on the pages due to its sheer size. Wyn flipped through the pages of boots first, before finding the chest piece category. He ran a finger down the list of owners, searching for Cara''s name rather than the item name or even rarity. A relieved breath escaped him seeing her name several times, for both blue and purple rarity pieces.


    "She''s definitely a busy crafter," John muttered, peering over Wyn''s shoulder. "She has four pieces of chest armor alone!"


    "Yea, I wonder what else she has?" Tasha asked. "She could have dozens of items listed for trade."


    "See, Tasha?" Wyn asked. "It''s interesting, isn''t it?"


    "Maybe," Tasha said, pursing her lips but not taking her eyes off the book.


    Wyn found three items that looked good, and one in particular looked especially useful. One was defined as heavy leather, another chain mail, and the item that stood out on the page was a leather and chain mail combination. Wyn had never heard of such a protective piece, but was definitely curious. The names all didn''t reveal much, but he knew a conversation with Cara would help clear it up.


    All in all, Wyn hoped he could strike a deal. The items they found in the secret area were all blue rarity, except for a purple rarity pair of boots. They were light cloth, almost like slippers, but offered a major boost to magic power and moderate reduction to the mana cost of spells. Cedric respectfully declined them, and Tasha didn''t want to give up her newly acquired boots for them, so they decided to use them to trade for other gear. The other pieces they found were similarly nice but not immediately useful - their first goal today was to obtain a piece of armor for Wyn, and afterwards they''d take stock to see what else they could find that would be useful.


    Still, they had a warhammer, bracers, gloves, and quiver for trade. It was incredible luck that they found the room and even more fortunate for the items they found. The items would go a long way to helping round out their gear, all to be traded for something else. None of their effects were useful for the group. But the rarity alone made them useful.


    The three Climbers walked to the area where they met Cara before, and sure enough, she was seated at the same table in the same seat alone, just like before. She was reading some book Wyn couldn''t make out, and kept reading when they approached her.


    "Back for more items?" The Sorceress asked. She didn¡¯t even look up from her book.¡±Something defensive this time?¡±


    Wyn smirked. "As always, you¡¯re right. The sword has been incredibly useful. Thank you for that trade, by the way.¡±


    Cara briefly flicked her eyes up at Wyn before settling back on her book. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. So you¡¯re looking for my plate armor? Leather doesn¡¯t quite suit a Fighter, unless you¡¯re wanting to be less helpful.¡±


    ¡°Our Fighter already has armor. I¡¯m looking for something for me.¡±


    Cara lowered her book and looked at Wyn again, this time with more scrutiny. ¡°I was talking about you. But you¡¯re not a Fighter. I see that now. Robes for a combat focused Climber, then?¡±


    Wyn couldn¡¯t hold back a smile. ¡°I guess you aren¡¯t right all the time. I¡¯m a Ruby Magician.¡±


    Cara promptly closed her book shut and motioned for Wyn to sit. ¡°Show me your mark.¡±


    Wyn looked at the others, though they only shrugged. He didn¡¯t know the etiquette about revealing marks, but it felt a little rude. Regardless, her help would be valuable, and he wasn¡¯t exactly looking to hide it. He pulled up his left sleeve and flashed his forearm at her.


    She grabbed his wrist and turned it to get a better look. After a few seconds she gently let him go and sat a little straighter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was wrong. So you¡¯re looking for something more robust?¡±


    ¡°We just cleared the third floor this week,¡± Wyn said. ¡°In order to safely keep going I need some better equipment.¡±


    Cara nodded in agreement. ¡°How long have you been climbing?¡±


    ¡°This is my first full season. All of ours, actually.¡± He casually waved to the others. ¡°I started at the last rookie climb the Friday before this season started.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty impressive for a Ruby Magician in their first season, let alone second week, already reaching the third floor. Most Climbers want a couple of seasons under their belt to safely progress to the next tier.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not most Climbers. And we¡¯re doing fine, outside of needing more gear.¡±


    Cara waited a few seconds to respond, letting the silence linger. "Interesting. Very interesting. I can honestly say I have not had a piece of equipment I''ve made fall into the hands of a Ruby Magician, nor have I climbed with one. You have the Armored Spellcasting skill, then? Of course you do, you''re wearing some! Fascinating. It doesn''t interfere with your spell casting?"


    Wyn raised an eyebrow. Cara seemed to partly process information out loud, and he was surprised at her rambling. "Not that I''ve noticed."


    Cara squinted at him. "Are you more focused on your spells or combat ability?"


    "Both? I guess? I haven''t really taken to one or the other, so far. Though my magic is limited.¡±


    Cara snorted. "Then you won''t last long here. You need to focus on magic or direct combat and use the other as a surprise against your enemies. Or be some sort of support class. I''d be very interested to see your class progression as that typically helps Climbers decide."


    Wyn blinked at her. "I''ll keep that in mind, thanks."


    Cara smiled, her lip raising a suspiciously high amount. "But you aren''t here for a lesson, you''re here for equipment. Fair enough. I have a couple of pieces you might be interested in since you utilize both magic and combat, but one in particular you very well might desire. If you''re smart. What weapon do you use? What about a shield?"


    "I use a spear, no shield. Dagger for emergencies. Is it the leather and chain mail chest piece I saw in the book?"


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Cara snorted again. "Not exactly. That wouldn¡¯t be helpful to you. It¡¯s called the Sage¡¯s Overcoat, and it¡¯s actually quite fitting for you.¡± She stood and pulled out a large piece of garment from a pocket far too small to hold such an item. The royal blue coat was obviously well made and more regal than Wyn anticipated, with buttons and clasps adorning the coat like the commanders or generals wore in the military. It looked more fitting for a noble''s court than inside a deadly tower.


    Tasha gasped, holding a hand to cover her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    "Try it on," Cara said. She held the coat out for Wyn to take, a slight blue sheen of magic coating the entire item. The magically blue aura matched the coat¡¯s color perfectly.


    Wyn hesitantly took the piece, though was surprised to find it lighter than he expected. He put it on over his leather armor, moving his arms and twisting his torso as the magical properties of the coat adjusted itself to his figure. Even better than the formal look was its covering - it had a high collar protecting the back of his neck and hung below his waist, covering most of his hips and upper thighs. If the protective properties were good, it would cover just about every vital spot on him.


    "It looks incredible," Tasha said.


    "Of course it does," Cara said.


    ¡°What does it do?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°I''m looking for armor, after all."


    Cara sighed. "Do you think I''m an idiot? I know you are. You can still wear armor under it, obviously, though anything thicker than leather won''t be very functional. Chain mail might, but it''d be a stretch. But it functions in several ways. One, it will keep you comfortable in different weather environments except for extremes as any good coat should. Two, it has resistances to all attacks, including magic - physical damage like piercing and blunt forces, and magic spells will be reduced by a mild amount. Strong attacks could still get through, though. And for practicality, it will slightly increase the duration of your skills and lower the cost of your spells a bit. A win-win-win.¡±


    Wyn stared at the Sorcerer with disbelief. "It has all of those properties? That''s quite strong for a blue rarity item. I don''t know if I''ll be able to meet your price for it.¡±


    The rookies brought several items to trade, but Wyn didn¡¯t feel right using them all or most of them for himself. This felt like a powerful item, though, and didn¡¯t want the chance to slip past.


    ¡°Try me,¡± Cara said. ¡°It is a custom item, after all, but I¡¯m a reasonable person.¡±


    Wyn doubted that, but wasn¡¯t about to voice his opinion. ¡°Of course. I have a pair of purple boots fitting for a Mage we found on our last climb. And a few other items of blue quality.¡±


    Cara smiled. ¡° Good. I prefer components but would take items, too. Easier to craft while still getting paid for my work. Do you have any components?¡±


    Wyn reached into his backpack and pulled out a few of the monster drops from the hidden room. They were the claws, teeth, and scales. ¡°These are blue rarity. We have about a dozen of them total.¡±


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t bad,¡± Cara said, turning the items over in her hands one by one. ¡°But I¡¯m looking more specifically for the hidden item on the third through sixth floors. I guess you haven¡¯t found it yet?¡±


    Wyn shook his head.


    ¡°I see. It¡¯s a small vine flower that grows throughout the temple, a blue rarity component that I¡¯m needing for a project. It¡¯s appropriately called a Vine Bud. If you can bring me a dozen of them, and trade the purple boots, then the coat is yours.¡±


    Wyn reluctantly took the jacket off and handed it back to her. ¡°I haven¡¯t noticed any flower like that, but I¡¯ll be looking for them, now. How about six of the monster components, six flowers, two blue items and I can wear the jacket now?¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t have Tasha¡¯s negotiating ability, but he figured two blue items were better than one purple rarity. Cara was asking for a lot for the coat, but Wyn didn¡¯t care. It was a fantastic item, and they had the items to spare. Plus they would still have some leftover for future trades.


    Cara smiled, her lip curling at the corner of her mouth. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m in a generous mood. But make it six of the monster items, eight 0f the Vine Bud, and two blue items if you¡¯re going to wear it now. I don¡¯t care which ones. I¡¯ll give you four days for the flowers - I won¡¯t wait forever.¡±


    Cara was getting far more items than him, but Wyn couldn¡¯t help but feel as though he was getting the better deal. He had no use for the monster drops except to sell or store them, and this jacket could last him months. He happily handed over the components and the gloves and quiver and Cara handed the coat back to him.


    ¡°I hope it serves you well,¡± Cara said. ¡°But do yourself a favor and also get some armor under it. And before long you¡¯ll want at least a blue rarity spear. That one won¡¯t last you into the second tier.¡±


    Wyn nodded, gladly taking the item back. ¡°Thank you for the advice. I think that¡¯s our next stop, actually.¡±


    ¡°You mean we¡¯re finally going to see Benedict?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°It¡¯s about time!¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Wyn said, putting the jacket back on. ¡°We could definitely use a few more items.¡± He flexed his arms and walked with his group out of the trading hall, feeling a bit more like the captain of his past.


    *****


    Wyn closed his apartment door behind him, exhaling a deep breath. The day was finally over, even though it was one of the most productive days he¡¯s had while being in Alestead. He set his new Sage¡¯s Overcoat on the chair in his room, followed by the leather armor he obtained from The Silver Step. It already felt odd having the overcoat off of him, as he was getting used to the comfort it brought no matter the temperature of the cool air or warmer shop interior. He was anxious to try both pieces out inside Alistair, and satisfied at the decision to get them.


    The three rookies decided to trade the purple rarity boots for new items, though kept the war hammer and bracer to potentially trade at a later date. They obtained several health and mana potions to help stock up their inventory, a green potion and item belt for both Wyn and John, and Wyn''s leather armor. Their next item was a chest piece for John. He graciously offered for Wyn to have better armor since he had his blue rarity shield from home, and his own skills helped boost his defense. For now, he was satisfied.


    Wyn lumbered straight to his bedroom and sat down at his desk right away, sitting with a thud. He didn''t realize how tired he was until the thought of resting creeped into his mind, but he wanted to review his parchments and progress so far before writing another letter to his sister. Pulling out his parchment, he sifted through the pages for his newly updated status and items.


    Ardwyn Thatcher


    Citizen of town Rywood


    Resident of Jahnin


    Tower Alistair: Climber


    Class: Ruby Magician


    Growth: Any


    Passive Skills: Lucidity, Armored Spellcasting, Spellcasting (Ruby), Tower¡¯s Blessing


    Active Skills: Dyadcast, Speed Up


    ITEMS


    Windcutter - This magical spear possesses a hooked claw at the base and curved blade at the tip. Wind elemental magic runs throughout the weapon. Able to cast Wingbeat three times per day.


    Sage''s Overcoat - A magical overcoat of both fine material and quality construction. Weather enchantment - able to maintain comfort despite the weather and temperature, except for extremes. Mildly resistant to all forms of physical damage and most forms of magical attacks. Provides the wearer''s skills additional time when applicable, and reduced mana consumption of spells. Crafted by Cara.


    Cloud Lupus Chestpiece - Formed from the dense but soft hide of the Cloud Lupus, this leather chest piece provides moderate resistance to slashing and blunt damage. Increases the wearer¡¯s speed and is lightweight compared to its durability.


    Mana Bracelet - A standard mana regeneration accessory. Allows the wearer to slowly recuperate mana over time at all times.


    Supply Belt - A utility belt of fine leathers. Holds various potions for easy access and pouches for items or storage. Items held on the Supply Belt are heavily resistant to damage, though this piece does not protect the wearer.


    Lesser Spatial Marcaroo Bag - Made from the leather of the Marcaroo, this bag is magically enhanced to hold far more than it seems. Items up to six feet in length may be safely stored in the main compartment with a weight limit of 50 pounds. The items inside will not move, but be temporarily frozen in time and space. The weight of the bag doesn¡¯t change no matter the contents. The outer pockets serve as normal pouches.


    Mushroom Lantern - A handful of rare, luminescent mushrooms reside within this magical jar. When shaken, the mushrooms activate, shining bright in their own colors. Provides dim light up to 60 feet. Will stay active for one hour, may be shaken again immediately. Colors can change with each activation.


    Coins - 582 gold crowns, 241 silver cloaks, 437 copper boots.


    Wyn placed the papers neatly back together, smiling. He had accrued so much in only a short amount of time, and for the first time, his prospects at paying off his family''s debt seemed realistic. He had a long way to go, but he¡¯d only completed the first few floors in two weeks of climbing. There were items to sell, more floors to clear, and quests to complete.


    He glanced over at his bed and frowned. A letter rested on top of his pillow, a thick red wax seal in the middle of the paper. It wasn¡¯t there when he left that morning. His heart felt like it was going to beat right out of his chest. How did he miss that coming into his room? Fatigue must be hitting him harder than he thought. How did it get there? Did someone else have a key to his room, or was it a guild official?


    With shaky fingers, he gingerly grabbed the letter. His heart sped even faster when he saw the seal. Two swords and a dagger forming the letter A. He cursed. How did they find him here?


    A sudden sense of unease and exposure washed over Wyn. He already was risking his life here climbing the tower, but now they knew both where he was, and his residence.


    He ripped open the letter, his jaw tightening and his eyes watering as he read each line.


    Ardwyn Thatcher,


    We hope this letter finds you in good health. You will need it.


    We have attempted to contact your father once again regarding his debt to us. Despite numerous warnings and fruitless outcomes, we have decided to additionally pursue a more promising path - you.


    We have received word that you recently left the war efforts and are now taking up the life of a tower Climber in order to gather the necessary funds that are owed. We have to admit, this certainly pleases us. At least someone in your family recognizes the importance of your predicament. However, that doesn''t change the fact that your father has snubbed and ignored us time and time again.


    We will not tolerate such behavior.


    You may know the details regarding the owed funds, but we will repeat them here so you may have them on file as both a reminder to not be like your father, and a warning about what will come next.


    75,000 crowns are owed from the Thatcher family before the year''s end. As our gentle notices have gone without word, interest has been added, and the debt is now 80,000 crowns. Payment in the form of coins or flesh will be sought, one way or another. A deposit of 10,000 crowns is required by the end of the current month. We have select members in Alestead and will arrange a pickup at a later time.


    If  you do not provide us with the deposit in good faith at the specified time, we will take more drastic measures. The next reminder will not be a letter, but a package. And you will not appreciate the contents.


    Good luck. And say hello to your sister for us.

 Book 1 - Chapter 61

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    Wyn huffed at the vines on the tomb¡¯s wall. Yet again, there was no Vine Bud anywhere to be seen, and he only had one he¡¯d luckily found at the start of the third floor. He pulled out his parchment, reading the information again out of sheer frustration.


    Secondary Quest: The temple is dangerous, fraught with enemies and perils despite the appearance of being abandoned long ago. Many vines have also made this place their home, growing flowers well known to alchemists and herbalists for their impressive properties. Maybe if one were to claim them, they could also claim their value?


    1/5 Vine Buds


    ¡°No more here,¡± Wyn said. ¡°They really are rare. Even the listed quest only asks for five.¡±


    ¡°I see why Cara gave us more time,¡± Tasha said. ¡°It¡¯ll likely take several trips to find them all at this rate. I¡¯d be shocked if anyone has been able to complete the quest and find all five.¡±


    ¡°It would require lots of backtracking,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Going through each of the paths and truly exploring the floor. It doesn¡¯t seem worth it, to be honest.¡±


    Wyn nodded in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s worth gathering them for the item, at least. I just wanted some positivity after not finding another secret room.¡±


    ¡°Now that was truly sad,¡± John said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it didn¡¯t work this time! That mushroom lantern isn¡¯t very reliable.¡±


    Wyn toyed with the lantern on his belt. ¡°It has to be something with the color. It¡¯s yellow this time. Maybe it only works with a green light since the crystal in the room was green?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± John said. ¡°Who knows. Can you change the color by shaking it several times?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already tried that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It seems like it¡¯s the same color for the day.¡±


    ¡°The crystal in the room could change color, too,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly, but it might be the case where both your lantern and the crystal in the secret room need to be the same. If that¡¯s the case, then the odds of finding it again drop quite a bit.¡±


    John sighed. ¡°Then no secret room that gives us amazing rewards. Oh well, we¡¯ll try again before long.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, so disappointing we can¡¯t go back to the death room,¡± Tasha said. ¡°How sad for us!¡±


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯ll be much better this time!¡± John said. ¡°With our new gear, we can really go all out!¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯d still prefer another front liner,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of absorbing blows. I¡¯d rather that be for someone else.¡±


    ¡°Have you still not found another Fighter?¡± Marcy asked. ¡°Surely there¡¯s at least one that needs a group. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re fighting for our lives on these floors. They¡¯re fairly simple, really. It should be easy money and items for a rookie Fighter.¡±


    ¡°The instant I tell them about our party, they suddenly want to train more or have another party they were invited to first,¡± John said. ¡°Sorry, guys. I guess I¡¯m not selling us well.¡±


    ¡°I need to go with you next time,¡± Tasha said. ¡°And maybe Cedric, too. You¡¯re a Wizard, after all, and once they see you on our team they¡¯ll be begging to join!¡±


    Cedric tried to wave his left shoulder, though it barely made any movement. ¡°In case you haven¡¯t forgotten, I don¡¯t exactly instill confidence for our group.¡±


    ¡°Me neither,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Rangers aren¡¯t very popular.¡±


    ¡°Double for me,¡± Wyn added. ¡°I don¡¯t make a good first impression for my class.¡±


    Tasha sighed. ¡°Well I guess I can see why it¡¯s hard to recruit for our group.¡±


    John looked at all of them and shook his head. ¡°Well yea, especially with that attitude! By the gods, you''re all so depressing. What we really need is an attitude adjustment. Positivity comes from within, my dad would say."


    Wyn looked at John¡¯s resolve. He was right. Ever since learning about his family¡¯s debt he¡¯s been pessimistic and less positive than his usual self. A good self-evaluation is important. And John¡¯s frank words really made a lot of sense. But knowing how serious it was to be in debt to a group that could completely kill him and his family wasn¡¯t helping his mood.


    "Maybe you''re right,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I should be happy with our progress but I know I''m getting impatient. I just..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter he mysteriously received last night. ¡°There¡¯s a lot going on. Take a look.¡± He handed it to John.


    "What''s this?" John asked, opening the page. He flipped the page over a few times before studying the broken wax seal. After a few seconds he seemed to put the pieces together and his eyes went wide. "Wyn. I knew I recognized this seal. Did you know your dad went to the Assembly for a loan?¡±


    Tasha gasped. "The Assembly? They''ll kill him! Those are the worst people to get involved with!"


    Wyn nodded. "I found that letter on my pillow last night. I don''t know how it got into my room, but at least they''re being cordial for now. The debt went up, though, and now I have to secure a deposit by the end of the month. I may have to sell more items than I thought to make it. I don''t know if I''ll be able to make that amount unless I push harder and climb more floors."


    "That''s a pretty serious threat, too, mentioning your sister," John said. "If we need to help cover some of the amount, we can do it. We''re a team."


    Tasha took the letter from him, nearly snatching the paper. Her eyes grew wider with each line she read.


    "Agreed," Cedric said. "You''ve been there for each of us when we needed you. We can collect the funds. It''s not unheard of for Climbers to make that much, anyway - most will have a pretty impressive stash before retiring as it is. I don''t doubt you can make up the debt while you''re here."


    Wyn shook his head. "I just didn''t exactly choose this when I was thinking of what I wanted to do with my life. In some ways it''s worse than the military - my family is at risk if I can''t meet their demands. There¡¯s more of a personal stake than going to war. It''s definitely not the same." He sat down on the ground and rested his head against the wall.


    "No, it''s not," Marcy said, waving Tasha off, refusing to read the letter. "But it''s no less responsible, just in different ways. You''re making fine decisions here, don''t start questioning yourself."


    "She''s right," Cedric said. "The moment you start to question your own decisions is the moment we''re all dead. We trust you. So trust us to help you with this." He pointed at the letter still in Tasha''s hands, not taking his eyes off Wyn.


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    Wyn felt a sense of relief. Not a lot, but a significant amount. He really was fortunate to find the perfect group for him. ¡±Alright, then. I''ll try to put it out of my mind and keep pushing forward. It''s the only way I know."


    "That''s the spirit!" John said, reaching down to pull Wyn up. "I''m glad I could light this fire of positivity! The gods know we sorely needed it!"


    Tasha smacked him on the back, eliciting a surprised yelp. "And the gods know we need some humility from you."


    *****


    Wyn slashed across the frantic Lacert in front of him, his spear forming a large gouge across its chest. It fell in a pitiful groan onto the stone floor. He looked down at his side where the creature had caught him with its sharpened claws just moments before. A smile formed on his face both from seeing the Sage''s Overcoat intact and his side feeling perfectly fine. The crafted item was showing its worth. It was reassuring to know his new leather armor was also there for more protection.


    Hopefully the combination of both items meant no more stray hits and no more damage to his vitals. His legs were still exposed but that was alright for now. Handling the first tier would be more than manageable with his new gear. Maybe at some point finding a pair of magical pants would be helpful, too.


    "That was the last one!" Cedric yelled.


    Wyn looked around the large tomb. Nearly a dozen Lacerts were sprawled out dead on the floor, their bodies just beginning to crumble back into dust. A few patches of magical aura signaled some items that had dropped, but Wyn was mostly glad it was an easy fight.


    The sarcophagus on the far wall began to slowly move to the left, stone grinding and crunching together.


    ¡°I knew it!¡° John said.


    ¡°Not bad,¡° Cedric said. ¡°You caught it before I did.¡°


    ¡°What can I say,¡° John said. ¡°It was the only possible exit in here. I didn¡¯t think it would be just an empty room.¡°


    ¡°Is that your Climber¡¯s intuition?¡± Tasha asked.


    John smirked. ¡°I¡¯d like to say it¡¯s an inborn talent.¡±


    Tasha groaned. Marcy chuckled.


    Wyn decided to let the others loot the bodies. He still couldn¡¯t shake some uneasy feeling, the distraction making it harder and harder to focus. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling through his nose and exhaling through his mouth.


    John caught him before they climbed earlier this morning and told him he needed to get a handle on his focus. It was one thing to reminisce about his times at war, but it was another matter entirely to lose focus in the middle of a fight to the point where someone could get hurt. Or worse. John said how he didn¡¯t want their leader getting himself or one of them hurt, and he was worried the new information from The Assembly¡¯s letter would put him in a worse mental state.


    His friend was right, of course. Wyn made a mental note to talk to Daniel about it and discuss some ways to help overcome any distractions and stay focused. Daniel has his own past and issues, and maybe there was a way to overcome them together.


    Wyn opened his eyes and moved to push the anxiety out from him like a river. It was one of the techniques Daniel told him to try. He told Wyn to place a river in his mind and put his negative emotions in it so they could be carried downstream, away and gone. To let the natural flow take them away. It was a simple concept but had great potential, and Wyn was thankful for the imagery. He¡¯d tried doing it each night before he slept and was making progress.


    The others were talking or putting items away, and Wyn walked up to the new path forward to take a look.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know,¡± John said. ¡°I think sandwiches have way more potential than soups.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Marcy asked. ¡°You can add literally anything to a soup. Meat. Vegetables. Any kind of liquid to form a base! The possibilities are likely limitless.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not portable! A sandwich, however, can be wrapped and taken with you. Different styles of bread and equally any kind of filling make it much more versatile than soup.¡±


    Marcy tilted her head and scrunched her eyebrows. ¡°I can see your point. Soup is cheaper and feeds the soul, though.¡±


    ¡°A sandwich is made from bread, which is one of the cheapest food items you can get. But soup is a comfort food, I¡¯ll give you that.¡±


    ¡°Of all the things to discuss,¡± Tasha said, her curls shaking along with her head. ¡°Sandwiches versus soup. In the middle of climbing a deadly tower that could kill us any minute.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the little things,¡± John said. ¡°If you can¡¯t enjoy the small moments, then you¡¯ll go mad. You need to lighten up a bit, St. Clair!¡±


    Tasha huffed but didn¡¯t argue.


    After passing through the hidden pathway, the group found the final room. It was slightly different from the last several times they climbed before, the hallmark feature of the tower¡¯s magical ability to shift its layout. The three rookies still found the phenomenon slightly disorienting, though Marcy and Cedric had grown accustomed to the constantly shifting design.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡° Wyn said. He immediately moved to the center cogwheel, joining Tasha.


    ¡°Three turns," Tasha said. She positioned herself on the opposite end of the same large wooden wheel, and had more difficulty moving the large piece but was still making it easier than if Wyn did it alone.


    Similarly, the rest of the group took their spots with practiced haste. John moved to the far right wheel, readying it for when the group needed to light the statues on the right side. Marcy and Cedric took the left wheel, already turning it to receive the magical flames from the larger center statue. They found a succinct rhythm over the past several days with the statues and wheels and tightened the time and energy it took to maneuver them.


    A large black portal opened in front of the barred portal leading to the fourth floor. Everyone stopped to look, still wondering if a human would step out instead of monsters. Lionel had yet to show himself again, but his appearance before still had everyone on edge.


    Two Lamierts slithered through inky black smoke, both wielding daggers.


    Wyn breathed a slight sigh of relief. He wanted to find Lionel and confront him, but another part of him only wanted to deal with the tower and its own challenges at the moment. He helped turn the wheel one more quarter turn, stopping the raging flames. They already lit the first statue right away, and had just finished the second on the left side when the portal opened.


    An arrow whizzed across the empty space of the room directly towards the monster on the left. It raised its daggers to parry the arrow, but the instant the projectile made contact, it exploded in a heap of flames. Wyn knew, deep down, that the monster was killed instantly ¨C he didn¡¯t even afford it a glance. He continued his advancement towards the other enemy, his spear readied for a lunge.


    The monster slashed at him with its dagger but he decided to exchange blows - he stabbed through the monster¡¯s chest entirely through the spear head, while the larger monster¡¯s attack only glanced off his coat. The spear yanked out of its lifeless body without difficulty as it was already turning to dust.


    Another check on his coat brought another smile. Not even a scratch.


    The group continued to systematically alternate between rotating wheels to solve the flaming statue puzzle and kill the monsters that spawned in the room. After the final bar was released and the portal cleared for the next floor, no more enemies came. Everyone looked at each other with expectant worry but no more black portals showed.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s that, I guess,¡± John said. He sheathed his sword with a huff. ¡°I wonder why in the hells he hasn¡¯t shown back up.¡±


    ¡°Who knows,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I feel like there are more moving parts behind this situation that we aren¡¯t seeing. We need to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yea, yea,¡± John said. ¡°I just want to confront him.¡±


    ¡°I know. But I think he¡¯ll show up at some point or another. You¡¯ll have your chance.¡±


    John shook his head and walked forward into the portal without another word.


    Wyn looked around at the others, who had only just finished collecting the few piles of rewards left from the final area. They had decided days ago that they would only climb the third floor repeatedly so they could find the flower needed to pay off Wyn¡¯s coat, but a small part of Wyn feared John would push to the fourth floor to try and somehow search for or goad Lionel into showing up.


    The initial step back into the hall of portals made Wyn pause. His stomach twisted, and he took a deep breath to settle himself. He¡¯d gone through quite a few portals at this point, but when the wrong combination of fatigue, hunger, and distraction hit, he still had to catch himself from throwing up.


    John was a few feet away, holding his stomach with one hand and resting on a knee with the other. Obviously that feeling affected others, too.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s our cue to break for lunch,¡± Marcy said.


    Wyn turned around to see Tasha holding her forehead, her eyes closed. Marcy was helping hold her up.


    ¡°I believe you¡¯re right,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Some food would do us good.¡±


    ¡°Too bad we don¡¯t have any of those sandwiches that Cal made,¡± John said. He weakly positioned his shield onto his back. ¡°Those were divine.¡±


    ¡°Now if he made soup, I¡¯d be sold,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°Can we stop talking about food and just go eat?¡± Tasha asked.


    Cedric laughed.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°If the worst thing to be upset about today is food, then I think we¡¯ll be alright.¡±

 Book 1 - Chapter 62

    ¡°You know, I think the food here rivals the food back home,¡± Tasha said. Her curls gently laid across her shoulders, and she carried herself and her staff with a regal posture as she walked.


    ¡°That¡¯s high praise,¡± John said. ¡°Comparing the food to what nobles eat? Is that even allowed?¡±


    ¡°The quality of items here in Alestead are some of the best in the country,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Climbers who bring out the wealth and rewards from Alistair help fuel the economy and make it a highly prized place to exchange goods. Knowing that, merchants are keen to conduct business here in any way possible, and that includes the quality of food and such.¡±


    John turned to Cedric with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Did you read that out of a textbook somewhere?¡±


    Marcy laughed.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just a fact,¡± Cedric said, waving his arm. ¡°Maybe if you did more preparation than just combat techniques, you¡¯d know that. You come from a family of Climbers, after all.¡±


    ¡°They told me to find my own way,¡± John said. ¡°That I needed to learn for myself the ins and outs of what it means to be a Climber. I focused on training so I could survive long enough to do that.¡±


    Cedric stopped walking and smiled softly. ¡°I stand corrected. You¡¯re right - I didn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡±


    John patted the Wizard on the back. ¡°It would take a lot more than that to offend me! I genuinely want to learn more about this place, though, and you¡¯re a fountain of knowledge. It¡¯s the only way to really stand out from the rest - any person can swing a sword or block an attack.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right about that. I look forward to helping you learn, then.¡±


    Wyn opened the door for everyone at the entrance of Alistair. The front hall wasn¡¯t quite as busy in the afternoon, as most Climbers were either still inside climbing or out in the city. A few groups of Climbers were talking or readying themselves, but one man was a head above the rest, and immediately began to walk towards the group.


    ¡°Hey, Cal,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You look¡­ different.¡±


    Cal wore a different backpack than before, as this one was smaller and more compact, though likely still magical in its carrying capacity. The biggest difference, however, was that he wore an entire set of metal armor, obviously well made and magical, over green clothes that poked through the few gaps of armor. A large shield covered his backpack on his back, and his usual hammer was lashed on his side.


    ¡°Yea, what gives?¡± John asked. ¡°You look like your fit for war! Not that I¡¯m complaining. I just mean you look incredible.¡±


    ¡°Fearsome, is what you mean,¡± Tasha said. ¡°And powerful.¡±


    John looked at the Mage, who was scanning Cal up and down.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for a request,¡± Cal said. ¡°I revoked my Mapper status and returned to be a Climber, only I don¡¯t have a group. I was¡­ going to ask if I could join yours. I looked for you this morning but couldn¡¯t find you, then Wendy said you all were doing two-a-days and would come back this afternoon, so here I am.¡±


    The group stood there for a moment, looking at each other. Wyn cleared his throat.


    ¡°You know, I think you¡¯re exactly what we¡¯re looking for,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We¡¯ve been needing someone who can help at the front line with John. And Tasha¡¯s right - you do look strong.¡±


    ¡°Powerful,¡± Tasha corrected. ¡°That¡¯s what I said.¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯s right,¡± Marcy said. ¡°But we have to know some things first.¡±


    ¡°We do?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°But he¡¯s the perfect fit!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Cal said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she just wants to know about my class and abilities?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Remember, our entire strategy is playing to each other¡¯s strengths and minimizing our weaknesses. That was the exact phrase you said, Wyn.¡±


    Wyn nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I think the excitement caught up to me, but yes, we need a quick rundown. We can work out the kinks later, but we¡¯re on a bit of a timeline right now.¡±


    ¡°See Wyn¡¯s shiny new coat?¡± John asked. ¡°We have to pay it off, still. I don¡¯t think it would be good for his mood if he had to give it back.¡±


    ¡°I did notice it,¡± Cal said. ¡°And the armor underneath, too, as well as a few more pieces. It seems you all have been busy.¡±


    ¡°Staying busy keeps you on the right path,¡± Wyn said. ¡°That¡¯s what my superior used to say. I think it¡¯s a bit generic, but to new soldiers it gets the point across.¡±


    Cal smiled. ¡°I can relate. I don¡¯t like to sit around and do nothing. I¡¯d rather my hands be moving than still.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then like Marcy said, how about you tell us a bit about your capabilities? The highlights should be enough for now.¡±


    ¡°Yea, like we know about your hammer,¡± John said, pointing to the weapon on Cal¡¯s hip. ¡°And that you¡¯re a beast of a man who I hope can take some hits away from me.¡±


    Cal laughed. ¡°I can definitely do that. I''ve cleared the first two tiers, and my class is the Paladin. I was a Fighter then a Templar. I can''t cast spells, but have skills related to protection that can be similar to the Divine Magician''s class line. Their called Oaths, and are similar to the Knight¡¯s auras."


    Wyn blinked at Cal, unsure how to register the information given. He knew classes were enhanced when advancing a tier, like how Marcy said she became a Ranger. But the intricacies were lost on him. He hadn¡¯t thought about needing to know yet since he was so focused on clearing his debt, but it was obvious that he needed to stop that line of thinking and learn.


    "That''s a strong feature," Cedric said. "Paladins and Knight are incredibly sought-after. Just on your features alone we could likely finish the first tier and enter the second in a matter of days!"


    ¡°Hold your horses there,¡° Wyn said. ¡°We¡¯ll get to the next tier when we get there. I know you¡¯re wanting to get to the third tier, but that¡¯s looking like it will be next season. Or the one after that.¡±


    Cedric sighed. ¡°I know, I know. You can¡¯t rush it. But I really miss trying to crest that 9th floor.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get there,¡± Wyn said, patting Cedric on the back. ¡°But the best way at the moment for us to learn about your abilities, Cal, is to have you show them to us. We¡¯ve been managing the third floor fairly well so far. I have no doubt you¡¯ll make it that much easier for us.¡±


    Cal straightened his posture. ¡°So how many more times are you needing to climb the third floor? To pay off your coat.¡±


    ¡°As many as it takes,¡± Wyn said. ¡°The flower I need to pay it off is elusive, to say the least. I still need a few more, and today is the last day for Cara to accept it.¡±


    Cal smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll get them. Care to lead the way?¡±


    ¡°Would I ever!¡± John said. ¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask!¡±


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    *****


    The large stone door fell behind them as the group stood just inside the first chamber. They chose the fire puzzle again, as they were looking for speed rather than adventure at the moment. Their strategy to cover the wheels for the statues and fire had been paying off well, at this point allowing them to go through the motions without too much extraneous thought or worry.


    Cal lumbered over to one of the wheels with Tasha, studying it. ¡°I haven¡¯t gone through this section before.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy,¡± Tasha said. ¡°We just need to rotate this wheel to move the statues against the wall so they can receive the fire from the more prominent statue there.¡± She pointed to the stone characters as she explained the puzzle. ¡°It¡¯s easy now, but it¡¯ll get bigger. And enemies will show up eventually.¡±


    ¡°They always do,¡± Cal said. He grabbed the wheel and began to rotate it. The wood creaked under his strength, and the statue whirled to the side quickly, facing the middle of the room.


    Tasha stared blankly at Cal. ¡°That was¡­ fast.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought,¡± Cal said. ¡°You all made it sound like it would be hard to move it.¡±


    ¡°It is hard to move it,¡± Tasha said. ¡°You¡¯re just strong, obviously.¡±


    Cal¡¯s cheeks flushed red.


    The Lamiert statue that was required to receive the fire rotated slower than Cal''s statue, the other Climbers not moving quite as fast as Cal. Once they had the necessary pieces lined up, it was fairly straightforward. One of the bars blocking the path forward disappeared into the stone ceiling, signaling their success.


    The group made short work of the statues in the room, able to split up and rotate all of the statues and free each bar needed to advance at a pace a bit faster than earlier in the morning. No enemies entered the room, either.


    "That went much better than I thought," John said.


    "I knew it would be fine," Wyn said. "I think we could swap our arrangement to shave some time since Cal could likely rotate a wheel on his own, freeing up Tasha."


    "Oh he definitely could rotate a wheel by himself," Tasha said, poking Cal in the side playfully. "I didn''t help him at all, just stood there watching. It was pretty impressive!"


    "Get a room," John said, waving them off. "Or have this one. I''m going to the next hall."


    Marcy trotted up beside John, already at the path to the next room. "Jealous?" Marcy said, nearly in a whisper. Getting no response, she nudged his shoulder. "Oh, come on. I''m just playing around."


    "I know," John said with a sigh. "The sad part is I think I am."


    Marcy''s smile quickly went away, and she cleared her throat into her fist. ¡°Oh. Well¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn''t know you had feelings for her. I wouldn''t have teased you if I knew."


    "I honestly didn''t even think I did until I saw her flirting with Cal. Though I think it¡¯s harmless. I knew I really did when my heart raced like I was in a fight. That''s normal, right?"


    Marcy barked a laugh. "Yea, that''s normal. But it''s likely just harmless flirting. You do it all the time."


    John whipped his head to her with a shocked expression. "I do not! I''m perfectly pleasant and polite!"


    Marcy laughed harder.


    Before long the hallway opened into the second room where a similar layout of stone statues and wooden cogwheels were scattered about. It wasn''t identical to the layout they''ve seen, but each day was just like that - slightly different to the point of familiarity but not an exact match, like a foggy memory instead of perfect recall.


    "Okay, let''s keep to the same groups as before," Wyn said, already moving to one of the wheels in the room. "We''ll try to have Cal rotate a wheel on his own while Tasha directs all of us and calls out any signs of enemies."


    Without a response, the others moved towards their respective areas. Tasha stayed towards the middle of the chamber with her staff already coating the room in additional light. Everyone moved with practiced ease, and Cal picked up on the necessary rotations and movements quickly.


    ¡°Portal opening!¡± Tasha yelled.


    A black rift opened in the middle of the chamber, and everyone briefly looked over to see what would emerge. Two Lacerts and one Lamiert slowly stepped through the blackness, all holding weapons. Wyn stepped away from his wheel at the same time as Cal.


    ¡°Cal, we need you to rotate those wheels. I can handle them.¡±


    Cal shook his head. ¡°I insist. You focus on the statues.¡±


    Wyn furrowed his eyebrows. He hadn¡¯t known Cal very long or spent that much time with him, but he didn¡¯t expect that response. He seemed to be a more passive person before, but the focus in his eyes and confident stance told a completely different story.


    Something had changed within him since their last climb. Wyn spotted the difference and recognized the determination of a person with fresh resolve. He saw it several times after days on the battlefield, and experienced it several times himself.


    Cal strode forward with his shield by his side and hammer swinging like an extension of his arm. He looked more relaxed than ready, but that suddenly changed when he was about ten feet away from the Lacerts that rushed him. The tall Paladin muttered something Wyn couldn¡¯t hear, and an aura glowed around him in a dull yellow. The magic appeared to pulse and wave as though it was alive.


    Wyn¡¯s first thought was that the aura was dense - it was much more pronounced than his or John¡¯s skill auras, even if it only extended from his body a few extra inches. His next thought was how powerful the man really was, because in less than a few blinks his hammer completely smashed the two monsters as though they were insects.


    The Lamiert slithered towards Cal with a shriek, raising its sword to strike him. The clang from the impact on Cal¡¯s shield reverberated throughout the room, and the force knocked the monster back while Cal stood resolute. He then took one step forward, leaning into his hammer with a hard swing. A grunt accentuated the strike, and the creature¡¯s body contorted awkwardly as it folded into itself, blood spraying in all directions in a mist. The strength behind the strike caused a small plume of dust around Cal, and the bodies disintegrated quickly.


    The Climbers all looked at each other, stopping their current task. The room fell strangely silent, causing Cal to look back in confusion.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Cal asked.


    Wyn blinked. ¡°Not at all. I just absolutely was not expecting that.¡±


    Cal smiled awkwardly. ¡°That¡­ might¡¯ve been a bit much. I got a little excited.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it,¡± John said. ¡°Should we just sit back and let Cal, Marcy, and Cedric rush us forward? This is getting a bit ridiculous.¡±


    Cedric sighed. ¡°We aren¡¯t doing that. You still need the experience, and we¡¯re just trying to help, not do the work for you. If you want us to reevaluate our group arrangement, Marcy and I can certainly step back and look for a more experienced group.¡±


    John balked. ¡°Hold on, now, I didn¡¯t say that! It¡¯s much nicer having you around!¡±


    Wyn finished rotating the final statue, exhaling in satisfaction. ¡°Alright, John, last one. Let¡¯s keep moving.¡±


    After the final bar disappeared into stone with a loud grind, the group continued on. Another hallway was before them, Tasha¡¯s spell providing the sole source of light for them to see. Wyn was hesitant to use his mushroom lantern again since he had no idea what could show on the walls or any other distraction. He looked up and saw a grouping of vines creeping along the edge where the wall met the ceiling. His eyes widened.


    ¡°A Vine Bud!¡± Wyn said excitedly. He stopped and pointed with his spear towards the ceiling, though the vine was just out of the spear head¡¯s reach.


    ¡°Here,¡± Cal said, and put his hand out.


    Wyn gave him his spear without hesitation. The man was over a head taller than him, and with his height and reach, was easily able to use the spear to cleave a portion of the vine down that contained the flower.


    ¡°Hey, here¡¯s another!¡± Tasha said. She pointed with her staff to a corner of the room that held another vine. As the staff¡¯s light brightly lit the area, the vine suddenly writhed. A side length of the plant squirmed and moved before lashing out at the staff. Tasha screamed as the staff was nearly pulled out of her hands, though she dug her heels into the ground and fought back to keep her weapon.


    The others rushed beside her, and John quickly slashed the vine with his sword. The cut plant soon began to disintegrate and disappear. The rest of the vine, however, grew several offshoots of additional vine branches, then lashed out at the Climbers.


    Wyn thought about burning the vines with his spell, but knew that the flames would burn up any Vine Buds remaining, too. He settled with using his spears advantage of reach, cutting any of the attacking whips before they got too close. Cal was nearly useless, as his hammer harmlessly bounced off the stone wall rather than crushing the squirming vines that easily avoided his attacks. Thankfully Marcy still had her kukris, and between her and John¡¯s sword, were able to fend off the remaining plants.


    Tasha kept screaming the whole time, using all of her strength to hold her staff as a few stray vines would wrap around it and try to pull it back towards the ceiling. The entire encounter took less than a minute, but due to it being unexpected and sudden, felt more draining than fighting monsters.


    Finally the vine withered and disappeared after being cut into many smaller pieces.


    Everyone stood there huffing for a few moments.


    ¡°That was new,¡± John said.


    ¡°Never let your guard down here,¡± Marcy said. ¡°There¡¯s always something.¡±


    Wyn smiled. ¡°There¡¯s the luck I¡¯ve been looking for.¡± He reached down to pick up three Vine Buds that have fallen from the defeated plant.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Cedric said. ¡°That makes five, correct?¡±


    Wyn nodded excitedly as he placed the plant materials into his bag.


    ¡°Good,¡± Tasha said. ¡°The next time we meet these damned vines we can just burn them instead.¡±


    ¡°Now we just need to return to Cara and pay off this coat,¡± Wyn said.


    Cal shifted uncomfortably in his armor, tugging at some errant straps. ¡°The final room should be just ahead.¡±


    Marcy tilted her head and squinted her eyes. She raised a hand towards her ear, cupping it.


    Cedric sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not good. What do you hear?¡±


    ¡°Fighting.¡±


    ¡°Like monsters attacking each other?¡± Tasha asked.


    Marcy shook her head. ¡°No. I hear shouts. Clashes. Spells being cast. There¡¯s a group up ahead.¡±

 Book 1 - Chapter 63

    Wyn ran with the others, clearing the hallway in seconds before reaching the final chamber. Their plan of resting to prepare before the final battle fell apart when Marcy heard the sounds of Climbers ahead. They decided to run forward and help in case it was a situation like they encountered at the beginning of the season, when Cal had been mapping for the group that struggled on the first floor.


    Being on the third floor now, there was more at stake. A number of things could go wrong with newer Climbers trying to advance through the tower¡¯s floors. It was just at the end of the second week so it could be some more experienced Climbers with a late start, but Wyn had a bad feeling about the situation ahead.


    Tasha gasped when the group first entered the final room. The fire puzzle was halfway complete, with statues all across the room turned ready to receive the flames to loosen the bars ahead. The portal at the far end of the chamber had yet to open, and several bars still prevented advancement.


    The worst, though, was that a small horde of Lacerts and Lamierts were pummeling on a group of Climbers in the middle of the chamber. A protective barrier of magic surrounded three or four Climbers huddled together, though at this point, Wyn couldn¡¯t tell exactly how many were present. A lone Climber was outside the barrier fending off several monsters by herself, while the rest of the creatures were focused on trying to break down the barrier.


    Wyn¡¯s eyes widened when he realized there was a person lying on the ground inside the magical shield, and the others inside were darting back-and-forth, frantic and muffled yells adding to the chaos of the scene. Whether that person was dead or alive was hard to tell, but whatever the case, none of their teammates were showing any immediate signs of tending to them.


    ¡°We have to help them,¡° Cal said. ¡°They¡¯re being overwhelmed!¡±


    ¡°Cal and John, you two help the warrior,¡± Wyn said, immediately giving orders. ¡°Clear the horde away from the other Climbers!¡±


    Without another breath both men lunged forward, running towards the fray with weapons ready. Cal¡¯s aura began to radiate, covering both him and John in a dim yellow light.


    ¡°Marcy and I will look for any stray enemies,¡° Cedric said. ¡°We can try and attack some of them but my magic isn¡¯t great for situations like this.¡±


    Marcy raised her bow and fired it at a Lacert, piercing it through the neck. It dropped immediately.


    ¡°Tasha, come with me,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We need to make sure the group inside that barrier is okay.¡±


    Tasha already started forward towards the fight, impressing Wyn. Marcy and Cedric scattered to the side, taking their positions.


    The group of Climbers inside of the magical barrier showed mixed reactions seeing Wyn¡¯s group. Horror, confusion, and relief were evident, and not all at the same time. Regardless, one of the Climbers wielded a tall staff like Tasha¡¯s, and waved it at Wyn when they drew close.


    ¡°Stay back!¡± The man screamed. ¡°We¡¯re safe in here, and you can¡¯t touch us!¡±


    Wyn shot a glance at Tasha, who returned a similar look.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to help,¡± Wyn said. He could see now that four Climbers were inside, and the only Mage was the one who spoke.


    No, that wasn¡¯t right - another Mage was on the ground, a small pool of blood around her body. Her wooden staff was clutched in her right hand, and she looked either dead or close to dying based on the amount of blood.


    ¡°They¡¯ll kill us!¡± Another Climber yelled. He held a large hammer in two hands, and was a stout man with heavy armor, obviously a Fighter. ¡°Stay away!¡±


    The monsters around paid no attention to them, diverting their efforts to taking on John, Cal, and the lone warrior still fighting. They were clearing the enemies now with an improved force, and Wyn both felt and heard the crackle of lightning strike a monster.


    As much as he wanted to join the fight, the others could handle them with effort and talent to spare. This group needed to be convinced to let them heal their injured Climber, or the situation would go from bad to worse.


    Wyn had seen worse. He wanted to avoid that scenario.


    Tasha slowly approached the nearly invisible magical barrier and put her free hand up as though she was submitting to them. She spoke slowly and clearly. "Look around. Our group is taking care of them. They won''t hurt you anymore. Can someone heal your friend?" Tasha pointed down to the Climber on the ground lying in blood.


    One of the Climbers whirled a short sword around and pointed it at Tasha with both hands, trembling and crying. "She was our healer! I tried to give her a potion but she wouldn''t drink it!"


    The Climber holding the staff snickered at his ally. "Of course she didn''t, Hal, because you offered her your water skin! If you would''ve actually had a potion she''d be drinking it now and saving us! She needs to get up and help before we all die!"


    Wyn put a hand on Tasha''s shoulder and whispered to her. "They''re in shock. It makes you do strange things. We need the Mage to lower the barrier, otherwise they''ll just talk in circles."


    Wyn had a feeling if he talked to them, too, they''d become aggressive, thinking they were trying to capitalize on their misfortune rather than help them. He recognized that look in their eyes, the shaking hands, the insanity - this was their first time seeing an ally nearly killed. Shock presented itself in different ways, most of the time being a hindrance.


    "I can heal her," Tasha said. "If you lower the barrier, I can save her life.¡±


    "No!" Hal yelled, and slapped the barrier with his short sword. "You won''t heal her! You can''t!"


    Tasha shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to do. She¡¯ll die if I don¡¯t help her.¡±


    ¡°She may already be dead,¡± Wyn said. He looked around, and noticed that most of the monsters in the room had been dealt with by the others. Cal and John were chasing down a few Lacerts, while the warrior from the other climbing group came around to him and Tasha.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you lowered the barrier?¡± The woman asked. She placed a heavy looking axe through a ring on her belt.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to kill us, Lucy!¡± Hal said. ¡°Run! Try to save yourself!¡±


    The other Climbers inside huddled together closer, like trapped rats fearing for their lives.


    ¡°Are you mad?¡± Lucy said, waving her arms. ¡°They just saved us! What in the hells are you doing?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just scared,¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°Scared is one thing,¡± Lucy replied. ¡°This is something else.¡±


    ¡°Can you calm them down?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°You should have better luck since they¡¯re your group.¡±


    Lucy shook her head. ¡°I volunteered to guide them through this floor so they could make some extra coin for an ally who was hurt a few days ago. They¡¯re definitely not my group.¡±


    ¡°I can see why they were injured, then,¡± Tasha muttered. ¡°They don¡¯t seem very capable.¡±


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Cedric asked, walking quickly up to the scene. ¡°There¡¯ll be another wave soon until the portal is cleared. Why are they acting like that?¡±


    Wyn sighed. ¡°They think we¡¯re enemies and here to hurt them. They need to see -¡±


    Cedric waved his scepter in front of him before Wyn could finish. ¡°Dispel!¡±


    A large glyph formed in the air in front of the scepter, and the barrier shown with white magic before cracking apart and disappearing. The Climbers screamed, backing away towards the barred portal.


    Tasha immediately knelt down to inspect the injured Mage. She breathed a sigh of relief as her staff lit the woman in a white glow, enveloping her in healing magic.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be alright,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I¡¯ve stabilized her and healed her wound, but she¡¯s unconscious. She needs to be taken to the infirmary and cared for until she wakes up.¡±


    The other Climbers seemed to relax when the woman was rolled over and noticeably breathing, Tasha holding her gently. Divine healing magic was as obvious as it was trancing, and there was no doubt as to her actions.


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    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lucy said. ¡°Do you all see, now? They¡¯re allies, you idiots!¡± She gestured to Wyn and his group with one hand while yelling at the group.


    Hal stepped forward and shook his head. ¡°I¡­ I was so afraid. I thought I was going to die!¡±


    ¡°You easily could have,¡± John said. ¡°Her, too. Thankfully we were close.¡±


    ¡°How did you dispel my barrier?¡± The other Mage asked Cedric. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be possible for a new Magician. It was enhanced by a blue rarity item of mine.¡±


    Cedric sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m a Lightning Wizard, not a Magician. I have second tier spells and Dispel is one of them. Though that barrier was strong and likely was why you all were kept alive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the reason they¡¯re still alive,¡± Lucy said, frustration in her voice. ¡°Make no mistake, Wizard. And you, Jed - you singled me out, protecting the rest of you and leaving me to face all of those monsters by myself. I¡¯m the one who should be upset! If I would have died or these Climbers wouldn¡¯t have showed up, your mana would¡¯ve been drained, the barrier lost, and you overrun and killed.¡±


    The other Climbers shuddered back except for Jed, the Mage, who stood his ground with a look of defiance.


    ¡°I made a decision,¡± Jed said. ¡°It kept us away from harm.¡±


    ¡°It put me directly into harm!¡± Lucy replied. ¡°You could¡¯ve helped me! These enemies weren¡¯t too difficult, but you took the coward¡¯s way out and left me to fate.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve cleared the first tier and climbed into the second! We hired you because you could clear this floor by yourself!¡±


    Lucy laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve climbed higher, yes, but don¡¯t compare past success to current ability. And I¡¯ve never climbed alone, you idiot. I¡¯ve climbed with a capable team and trusted allies, which I thought you all could be, but here I¡¯ve come to find out, I was wrong on both accounts.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish the puzzle before things get worse,¡± Wyn said, looking at Cedric.


    The Wizard nodded in agreement. Wyn looked over to John and Cal and pointed with his head at the wheels scattered about in the room. Thankfully they both picked up on his message and began to maneuver the statues into position.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± The other Fighter said. ¡°If you release more of the bars, more of the monsters will come!¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s the point, dumbass,¡± Lucy said. ¡°They are right to finish out this room. We¡¯re almost done, which means I can be rid of you all quicker.¡±


    The other climbing group was still stood huddled together, nearly paralyzed with fear. They weren¡¯t quite sure what to do about the situation. They were obviously far out of their element and not ready to be handling the tower at this point. That was painfully apparent.


    Strangely, Wyn felt a sense of pride and confidence swell within him, seeing how well his group worked together despite the challenges they¡¯ve faced. His reservations when he first came to Alestead were unfounded, thankfully. He had found his group.


    Marcy, standing watch off to the side, drew an arrow with her bow and pointed it at the group.


    ¡°Marcy?¡° Tasha asked.


    ¡°I told you!¡± Hal yelled, pointing his short sword at Marcy. ¡°They¡¯re trying to -¡±


    He abruptly stopped talking, interrupted by a long, curved a dagger protruding from his chest. Hal looked down in confusion and dropped his sword at the sight. The other Climbers around him slowly stepped away from each other. The dagger suddenly disappeared, then two more erupted from him at other points in his torso.


    The other Mage yelled as Marcy¡¯s arrow flew through the group, striking the attacking Lamiert behind them in the shoulder. Its body towered over theirs by a few feet, its bulk and frame easier to hit. It recoiled back from her attack, hissing in anger.


    ¡°NO!¡± The Mage yelled, and pointed his staff towards the black portal that formed at their back. A large gust of wind knocked back more monsters that emerged, though only affected the closest ones. He backpedaled away from them in fear.


    The Fighter dropped his hammer and ran towards the entrance as fast as his heavy armor allowed him.


    Wyn drew his spear and rushed forward. They couldn¡¯t heal Hal at range, if he was even still alive. Taking three deep stabs like that could easily kill anyone. The portal was much larger than before, and there were at least a dozen enemies now in the chamber.


    Was this it? Was this Lionel¡¯s chosen opportunity to return? Attacking amidst chaos wasn¡¯t a bad strategy, if Lionel even had the ability to perceive them without being present.


    Still, the reason why didn¡¯t matter. He needed to act, and act swiftly.


    Hal was already covered with enemies that had dispersed in the room, unfortunately being attacked right outside the portal. Wyn had a bad feeling about him, since the enemies ignored the downed Climber to fight the others. Would they disregard him as a threat since he was so heavily injured, or were they moving on because he was dead?


    He swiped at two running Lacerts with his spear, stabbing and slashing them multiple times in quick succession. He heard spells being cast and Marcy¡¯s bow twanging in the room as chaos unfolded around him. John and Cal left their posts at the cogwheels and joined the fight, and he saw Cal crush a Lacert not ten feet from him.


    A surge of energy flooded him. He looked at himself to see Cal''s Oath surrounding him, the magical aura filling him with vigor and strength. He wasn''t sure of the exact effects of the aura, but he felt as though his endurance would last forever in addition to a power he''d never experienced. A Lacert was closing in on him at his left, and Wyn sidestepped the monster before stabbing at its chest. The spear head went through the creature''s torso and several inches up the shaft, and Wyn nearly lost his balance forward from the attack. He was caught off guard by the unexpectedly little resistance from his weapon and increased strength, and pulling the weapon out of the enemy was enough to completely kill it.


    Another Lacert tried to rush him head on, and Wyn swiped at it in an arc. The spear separated its right leg and left arm from its body, and nearly bisected its torso. It dissolved into dust before its parts even touched the ground, and Wyn blinked hard at the empty space that was previously occupied.


    A chill ran across his body. That level of strength didn''t feel natural. It wasn''t quite like killing a person, but the monsters were more durable than not, and the attack was too effortless.


    He looked around the room and noticed that the others were finishing their own smaller battles. It wouldn¡¯t be long before this wave would be complete. A quick glance back at the portal revealed that it was slowly closing, with no sign of Lionel or anyone in his faction.


    Hal still laid on the ground, still as stone. A dark puddle of blood completely surrounded his body.


    Wyn jogged up to him with reservations in his mind. Deep down he knew that the Climber was dead, and no healing spell of their capability would be able to help him. Hells, he didn¡¯t even know if it was possible to bring back someone from the dead. After he knelt and inspected Hal¡¯s body closer his suspicions were confirmed.


    Wyn felt tension and anger rise in his chest and had to suppress an outburst of emotion. Sometime ago he thought that he would leave death behind him at war, ready to move on to another section of life. Little did he know he would be right back in the thick of it. Though the environment and situation was a bit different, the underlying principle was the same - defeat the other side and survive.


    Still, he thought it best that he inspect the Climbers body, not Tasha. She had only recently overcome her fears of being injured along with the threat of death, and seeing Hal up close likely wouldn¡¯t help her mindset.


    Marcy knelt beside him and put a hand on the man¡¯s back. She slowly nodded her head in understanding. ¡°We should pull him to the side so his body won¡¯t get damaged further.¡° She pointed towards the portal behind her, where one bar still remained in place.


    Wyn let out a long breath before finally meeting Marcy¡¯s strained gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll get his arms.¡±


    The two Climbers gingerly pulled Hal¡¯s body over to the side, trying to be as respectful and discreet as possible. Thankfully, Cal, Cedric, and Lucy wrangled the newer Climbers together about what to do next, all but shielding them from the sight of their dead ally being dragged off to a corner.


    ¡°What about Hal?¡± The Mage asked. ¡°We need to check on him!¡±


    Lucy glanced over her shoulder at Marcy and Wyn. Then she took a deep, remorseful breath. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Hal didn¡¯t make it.¡±


    The Mage¡¯s face went pale. He didn¡¯t reply.


    *****


    Wyn stood at the entrance just outside the base of Alastair, looking back at the looming tower. The sun was setting and the air cool. The rewards he gained for finishing their climb didn¡¯t seem very appropriate at the time, considering what they cost. He knew this wouldn¡¯t be an easy process when he came to Alestead to become a Climber, and felt as though he had no other choice. Even so, death was never easy. He didn¡¯t know the Climber, but he didn¡¯t know every soldier he saw die, either. It didn¡¯t make it any less upsetting.


    ¡°They took Hal¡¯s body,¡± John said. He stood beside Wyn, joining him to look at the tower. ¡°The rest of his group went with him and Lucy vouched for us, saying they wouldn¡¯t have survived without our help.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something, at least.¡±


    John didn¡¯t say anything for a few seconds, pausing. Then he cursed under his breath. ¡°You know, I prepared for a long time to become a Climber. Trained, studied, everything. Impatiently waited for my chance to come and prove myself. Learned about magic in case I was chosen to be a Magician. Learned combat techniques and styles, got my affairs in order. But this¡­ I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s something else entirely.¡±


    Wyn nodded. He completely understood. He¡¯d been there before, in John¡¯s shoes, years ago. ¡°You can¡¯t ever prepare for facing death. Your enemies, an allies, or your own. You¡¯ve gone through a lot in just a few weeks here. Most people don¡¯t come back from what you¡¯ve experienced.¡±


    ¡°My parents prepared me as best they could for these moments. Warned me about the consequences of failing or being too risky. At first I ignored them, thought it was just over protective parents watching out for me.¡±


    ¡°Seeing it first hand is another matter.¡±


    John nodded with a sigh. ¡°Yea.¡±


    ¡°Still, I¡¯m proud of you. Tasha, too. Both of you have proven yourselves over and over. I don¡¯t have any more climbing experience than either of you but I know combat. Life or death. Unfortunately all too well.¡±


    John looked down at his open palms. ¡°That could¡¯ve been us, though.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    John looked at Wyn with a frown. ¡°That can happen to anyone! There were five of them, one more experienced than the rest! On the third floor!¡±


    Wyn kept staring at the tower, a soft smile forming on his face. ¡°I know, but I mean what I said. It won¡¯t happen to us. I won¡¯t allow it.¡±


    John snickered. ¡°You¡¯re good, Wyn, but you can¡¯t be that bold climbing Alistair. You have to respect the climb and everything it entails.¡±


    ¡°I know that, too.¡± Wyn looked at his friend, staring at him with intent. ¡°But John, believe me when I say, I¡¯ll die before I let any of you share the same fate at Hal.¡±


    John¡¯s face relaxed and he nodded quickly. He swallowed hard. Sometimes, reality wasn¡¯t easy to accept.


    The rest of their group walked out of Alistair, the mood somber.


    Wyn laughed and patted John on the shoulder. ¡°I think we should take a break tomorrow. Let our minds rest. We¡¯ve been climbing harder for the Vine Buds, and I need to go give them to Cara anyway. Thank you all for helping me, by the way.¡±


    They looked at each other with sad but resolute faces.


    Tasha suddenly perked up, snapping her fingers. ¡°Let¡¯s grab a picnic tomorrow! It¡¯ll be a good chance to relax and get ready for the week ahead! The weather should be perfect, and gods know we could use the downtime.¡±


    Marcy smiled. ¡°Only if Cal makes the food for us.¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± Cal said.


    ¡°Sandwiches?¡± John asked with a smirk.


    ¡°Soup,¡± Marcy said, folding her arms.


    Cedric sighed. ¡°Here we go again.¡±

 Book 1 - Chapter 64

    Wyn took a few deep breaths at the edge of the clearing. He hadn¡¯t expected to feel as tired as he was, but training all morning definitely added to his fatigue. Despite their rest day Wyn was determined to keep practicing, and knowing he could take the rest of the day off made it a much easier decision. Daniel had graciously agreed to be his sparring partner for spells and provided the means to keep training with his spear, while simultaneously reminding him that he¡¯d soon need a better weapon.


    He just secured his new coat and now he was being pressured to find even more items. He figured the progression to be better never really stopped as a Climber. But such was life. There were still some items he could benefit from having, and any ability or improvement to help him survive and climb would be a welcomed one.


    What he truly enjoyed so far was the feast Wendy arranged for them at breakfast, gods bless her. She even stayed a bit to watch both Wyn and Daniel, and it didn''t go unnoticed how Daniel perked up and showed off when the kind waitress was watching. It was nice to see him opening up. He didn¡¯t even smell of alcohol, which was a huge step forward.


    The grounds at the edge of the city were sprawling and beautiful, and the crisply cool spring air ushered a number of people to the field. The area seemed nearly as large as Alestead itself, as the flat, luscious green grass spread out wide and far with the occasional tree providing shade. Dozens of groups of people enjoyed the space, and Wyn had to take a minute to try and find his friends.


    He smiled after seeing John and Tasha standing and waving frantically beside a large tree. They weren''t quite halfway into the park, but still looked small in the distance. As he walked closer, the group welcomed him to their spot consisting of several large blankets where they sat together, three baskets of food and drink, and a few training weapons leaning against the tree.


    Wyn pointed to the weapons as he took off his own backpack and coat. "What are those for? I thought this was supposed to be relaxing!"


    Marcy patted him on the back. "Oh, come on, Wyn. It''s ingrained in us! We have to have a little fun!"


    Tasha shook her head but failed to hide a smile. "I can''t believe your idea of fun is sparring against each other. I''d rather lay here and enjoy the cool air before summer comes."


    "It''s just a bit of fun," John said, putting his arm around Tasha. "We''re always so serious when we climb, so it''s good to take a load off and enjoy the day¡­ while also seeing who is the most skilled at combat."


    "There it is," Cedric said, popping a grape into his mouth. "I knew there was an ulterior motive behind bringing those."


    ¡°Can we just eat?¡± Cal said. ¡°I made both sandwiches AND soup!¡°


    ¡°I would love a sandwich, thank you,¡° Cedric said. ¡°All of this bragging about how great you are as a chef has made me curious.¡°


    Wyn sat down and spread out on the blanket, doing his best to relax. ¡°I¡¯m with Tasha - I¡¯d rather enjoy the rest of the day.¡±


    ¡°The rest of the day?¡± Marcy asked.


    Wyn smiled. ¡°I already trained this morning, and the rest of the day is open and free for me.¡±


    John groaned. ¡°Leave it to the soldier to be disciplined enough to train even on his off day. And early in the morning, at that!¡±


    ¡°Captain,¡± Wyn corrected. ¡°Not just soldier. And you¡¯re the one who wants to spar now!¡±


    John huffed before grabbing a sandwich from the basket. His face relaxed the instant he took his first bite, closing his eyes and groaning in delight. ¡°Seriously, Cal, how do you do it?¡±


    ¡°I made these with a homemade recipe for honeyed ham, which pairs nicely with a mustard spread and robust cheese. I tweaked a recipe from a traveling chef I met a few months ago for the ground mustard.¡±


    ¡°It really is wonderful,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Even compared to the festival feasts. I¡¯m afraid to say you missed your calling.¡±


    Cal shrugged. ¡°I enjoy cooking and I¡¯m not too bad at climbing, either. Maybe I¡¯ll retire before long and open a restaurant.¡±


    John whistled. ¡°Now THAT¡¯S an idea! I¡¯d sponsor you for that in a heartbeat. You¡¯d sell out every night!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Cal said, scratching the back of his head. ¡°I¡¯d just be happy to cook again.¡±


    ¡°Well, you have our vote,¡± Tasha said. ¡°It pains me to say it, but I agree with John. I¡¯d love to sponsor you, too.¡±


    The group collectively ate and talked for awhile, basking in the fresh air and enjoying the company. Despite the lingering thought of climbing again in the back of each of their minds, together they were able to push their worries away and live in the moment. Times like these didn¡¯t come often, but taking advantage of them was a part of life not often taught or learned.


    After an hour, John belched from his spot on the grass, laughing to himself. He sat up and stretched his arms and legs before reaching for a sword at the base of the tree. ¡°Alright, gang, it¡¯s time! Is anyone going to spar with me?¡±


    The others looked around, smiling or scoffing, but no one agreed.


    John sighed. ¡°Aww, come on!¡± He deflated, his shoulders sagging.


    Suddenly, John shot up straight, gasping with an idea. ¡°I¡¯ve got it! I know how to convince the lot of you - we make it into a game!¡±


    Marcy crossed her legs and folded her arms. ¡°What kind of game?¡±


    John snickered. ¡°Ahh, your interest is piqued! How about, the winner of a duel will get to ask someone in the group whatever question they want. And they have to answer!¡±


    Marcy laughed. ¡°What about Tasha and Cedric? They aren¡¯t exactly direct combatants, you know.¡±


    ¡°Easy,¡± John said. ¡°They can nominate someone to fight for them! And the challenger gets to select the weapons used in the duel.¡±


    Cal stood up. ¡°I actually like that idea. John, I accept your challenge.¡±


    The others stared at him with blank faces, John especially. Cal loomed over him like a great tree, and easily had fifty pounds on the Fighter.


    Tasha laughed. ¡°Now THIS I¡¯d like to see!¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± John said, waving his free hand in front of him. ¡°No magic, though! It has to be a fair match - combat skills only!¡±


    Cal tilted his head side to side. ¡°Hmm. Alright, then. I¡¯ll still accept.¡±


    John nearly jumped out of his skin in excitement. ¡°Excellent! To reward you for your agreement, I¡¯ll let you pick your weapon. I¡¯m choosing the sword.¡± John swung his sword around with finesse, rotating his wrist in a practiced motion.


    Cal picked up the large wooden war hammer and hefted it a few times. It wasn¡¯t nearly the same weight or feel as his own weapon, but a blunt weapon was pretty similar no matter what.


    John grimaced seeing Cal easily handle the hammer. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s review some ground rules. No hitting the neck or head - I don¡¯t want to die, especially not doing this, and that hammer isn¡¯t make me feel any better.¡±


    ¡°This was your idea,¡± Tasha muttered.


    John cleared his throat. ¡°Anyway. A clean hit counts as a point. Each point, we can ask a question.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a clean hit?¡± Cal asked.


    ¡°A hit without a block or parry,¡± Wyn said. ¡°A glancing blow won¡¯t count, either.¡±


    ¡°I take it you¡¯ve sparred a few times?¡± John asked.


    Wyn smiled. ¡°Of course. How else do soldiers at war stave off boredom?¡±


    John¡¯s smirk vanished. The others laughed silently, or at least attempted to, seeing John¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start you,¡± Wyn said, moving between the two warriors. ¡°On a three count. Ready yourselves.¡±


    Both men took fighting stances. John looked a bit more formal but confident, and Cal seemed hesitant but strong.


    ¡°Three. Two One!¡± Wyn brought his hand down after counting, and jumped back out of the way.


    Cal immediately pushed forward, startling John. He began swinging his hammer wildly, quicker than John expected but less refined than a practiced combatant. The Fighter parried or dodged the attacks with relative ease, though the strength behind each strike was forceful. After the initial onslaught, John saw an opportunity to counter. Cal left himself open without a shield to complement his fighting style, and showed no guard whatsoever. John parried a swing then slashed across Cal¡¯s stomach in a quick follow up.


    Cal grunted in frustration, and John yelled in excitement. Cedric handed over something to Marcy with a sigh, who smirked and pocketed it.


    ¡°Ha!¡± John said, twirling his sword again. ¡°Not bad, not bad. But it¡¯s a bit obvious you haven¡¯t had much formal training.¡±


    Cal chirped a laugh. ¡°I¡¯ve had formal training in the kitchen, not the battlefield. I learned that crushing something with a hammer works just as well as fine strikes with a sword.¡±


    John bowed. ¡°Too true. And I won¡¯t deny your abilities in Alistair - those Oaths of yours are downright terrifying. But a win is a win! Now, I¡¯d like to ask you something, Cal. Where are you from?¡±


    Marcy and Cedric groaned, while Wyn couldn¡¯t suppress a laugh.


    ¡°What?¡± John asked. ¡°It¡¯s a legitimate question!¡±


    ¡°Of all the questions you could ask someone, you ask where they¡¯re from,¡± Cedric said. ¡°You¡¯d be a terrible Inquisitor.¡±


    Cal smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a fine question, John. I¡¯m from Elafor.¡±


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Cedric coughed on his drink. ¡°Cal! I¡¯m Elafor, as well!¡±


    ¡°See?¡± John said. ¡°It was a great question. Making connections already! But that¡¯s not really surprising. Plenty of people here are from the big cities.¡±


    Cal sat the head of his hammer on the ground and leaned on it casually. ¡°My family has been there for several generations. No one special, though, just general merchants. They helped organize the trading square on the east side of the city.¡±


    Cedric nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯m familiar with that post. My family are scribes, and we often sought the paper and ink traders on the far corner.¡±


    ¡°The Manzinos? They¡¯re good people!¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are! They always had such quality products. We only made scrolls on their papers and with their inks. They were the only ones reliable enough.¡±


    ¡°Small world,¡± Cal said. ¡°When I go back I¡¯ll have to tell them I know a trusted customer.¡±


    ¡°I take it back,¡± Marcy said. ¡°That was a good question. How about I go next, then?¡± She stood up, brushing off her pants. A bow wouldn¡¯t make a good sparring weapon, of course, but she picked up two long wooden daggers and tested their weight.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± John said, taking his starting stance. ¡°I have the advantage of reach.¡±


    Marcy smiled. ¡°It would seem.¡±


    Wyn again started their match, though was much more curious to see the Ranger fight in direct combat. After the brief time he saw her fight when climbing with Cedric this week, he wanted to see her abilities more outside of her bow.


    John struck first this time, lunging out with a stab. Marcy easily dodged, twirling with a light stance while keeping her distance. She seemed playful, not even countering John¡¯s strike. He then attacked more aggressively, slashing and stabbing one after the other, though the Ranger nimbly stepped around each strike or parried with a dagger when needed. It looked more like a dance in comparison to John¡¯s more formal but direct approach.


    The two separated, John huffing while Marcy only smiled with an intimidating sense of calm.


    She was toying with him, and Wyn knew she¡¯d easily win. He had a hunch John knew, too, but the real question was how humiliating she was going to make it. Interestingly, though, Wyn felt like he had seen that style before. It looked similar to the flowing fighting style a woman in his company knew and shared, but he wasn¡¯t certain.


    John continued his attack, relentlessly trying to score on Marcy. Each swing seemed more reckless than the last, until his steps and moves were a hair sloppier and less snappy. They had only been sparring for a couple of minutes, but Marcy had yet to retaliate. She conserved her energy to block or dodge, while John¡¯s frustration was growing more obvious with each passing second. His enhanced endurance was letting him keep going without fatigue, but that didn¡¯t mean his annoyance wasn¡¯t affected.


    Finally, John grunted and yelled after another swipe only hit air. ¡°Fight back! This is ridiculous!¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Marcy, enough already.¡±


    Marcy snickered before relaxing her entire body. Her face grew serious and she whirled her daggers up in a more prepared stance. When John attacked next, Marcy not only deflected it, but took immediate action. In less than a second she tripped him, flipped with him and pinned him to the ground, then struck a rib with her dagger, ending the entire maneuver on top of him.


    John breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That was¡­ unexpected.¡±


    Marcy helped him to his feet. ¡°A good fighter is one who embraces the element of surprise.¡°


    ¡°While also being a better fighter than your opponent,¡± Wyn said.


    Marcy abruptly turned her head to Wyn, a confused look on her face. ¡°How did you know the rest of that line?¡±


    ¡°There was a soldier I knew who fought like that and would say that all the time. I knew I recognized it! That¡¯s the defensive art called Hata, right?¡±


    Marcy sat down gently beside Cedric close to the tree, not taking her eyes off Wyn. ¡°It is. I¡¯m surprised someone else brought it here to Jahnin.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s from out of the country?¡± John asked. ¡°No wonder it¡¯s odd. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone fighting like that!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s favored by skilled warriors who prefer combat direct and fast,¡± Wyn said. ¡°The woman who showed me some basic Hata was our most respected and feared warrior. When she let loose, she tore through enemies. It was brutal.¡±


    Marcy shifted on the ground, holding one knee up. ¡°I¡¯d like to hear about her sometime.¡±


    Wyn blinked. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Is that your question?¡± John asked. ¡°You beat me. You can ask anyone anything¡±


    Marcy looked at John before softly shaking her head and laughing. ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry, that just caught me off guard. I actually have a question for Tasha!¡±


    Tasha perked up, stopping mid bite while eating a sandwich. ¡°Oh? What is it?¡±


    ¡°What made you want to learn tower magic? You said your father was a wizard and you come from a noble house. Why bother?¡±


    Tasha sighed. ¡°We aren¡¯t one of the major noble houses and aren¡¯t considered to be true nobles. Despite my father¡¯s status of wizard. Each of my siblings and cousins have looked to find something meaningful to do with our life, and we were encouraged to do so. I¡¯ve always seen magic as wondrous and fascinating! But I also wanted to prove myself by becoming a Climber. It¡¯s the harder road, but the road I wanted to take.¡°


    Marcy smiled. ¡°I respect that. You¡¯ll do well here even if you weren¡¯t a St. Clair.¡±


    Tasha blushed.


    Cedric cleared his throat. ¡°Alright, Marcy won that round. Does she get to choose who to fight next?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Wyn, of course.¡±


    John grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Now this I¡¯ve been wanting to see. No matter who you choose, I¡¯d like to spar with Wyn after.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m fine with that,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯d like to watch, anyway, and you¡¯re way too eager to fight him.¡±


    John jumped up from the ground and grabbed his sword. ¡°Fantastic! But it¡¯s not fair sword against spear.¡± He strapped a wooden shield to his left forearm and banged it a couple of times with his wooden training sword. ¡°I need to even the odds.¡±


    ¡°Hold on a minute,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We never said you could use a shield!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Wyn said. He slid a wooden dagger into his waistline at his back, then grabbed the spear against the tree. ¡°He¡¯s going to need it.¡±


    Marcy and Cedric whistled excitedly. Even Cal and Tasha were eager to see how the two men would fare against each other.


    John took a readied stance with his sword and shield raised, focused. He was couched just a bit, ready to move at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Wyn, however, took Marcy¡¯s approach. He casually walked over to a spot about ten feet from John and raised his spear. Cal moved between them and raised a hand.


    ¡°On my mark.¡± Cal stepped back, ready to signal the start.


    Neither man looked away from each other, though both smiled.


    ¡°Begin!¡±


    John yelled and rushed forward, bringing his sword back to prepare a strike. Wyn stepped to his left and kept his spear up and ready, though patiently waited.


    John swept out with his shield in order to give his sword arm enough room to swing, but before he could finish Wyn quickly jabbed his spear to John¡¯s exposed torso. John was startled by the speed at Wyn¡¯s strike and regrouped, abandoning his attack in order to block the spear head. The wooden shield thudded in response to catching the dulled spear, but only managed to glance it away.


    Wyn stepped to his left again, staying away from John¡¯s shielded side. He began lunging forward, and John moved both his sword and shield to block or parry the attacks. Wyn aimed all across John¡¯s torso, trying to trip up the Fighter by forcing him to block or dodge different areas of his body in quick succession.


    In seconds, John was backpedaling while Wyn kept advancing. The reach of his spear kept him at a safe distance from John¡¯s sword, and the speed at which he yielded it made John stay on the defensive.


    Wyn changed his tactic by swinging his spear in a large arc, and John twisted his body awkwardly to block it with his shield. When he did, Wyn stepped to the other side, shifting one hand from his spear and drawing his dagger in one fluid motion.


    John stood still, Wyn¡¯s dagger held against his side. He was just too slow to avoid the strike.


    The others clapped in applause. John grunted in annoyance.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t an equal fight,¡± John said. ¡°You have too much reach with the spear!¡±


    Wyn nodded. ¡°Yes, I do. It¡¯s a good weapon that¡¯s overlooked far too often. But that was a good fight! You¡¯re better than a lot of soldiers!¡±


    ¡°I want a rematch,¡± John said.


    The others groaned.


    ¡°A win is a win,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Don¡¯t be a sore loser.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Here.¡± He stabbed the spear into the ground and left it. ¡°Take it. I¡¯ll take the sword and shield.¡±


    Cedric stood up. ¡°Now we¡¯re talking!¡±


    John couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡°You¡¯re pretty confident, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Wyn nodded. ¡°I am in my own abilities. How are you with a spear?¡±


    John¡¯s grin lessened. ¡°I¡¯m decent. But it should be enough for us to use weapons we aren¡¯t used to using.¡±


    They each took their stances again after Wyn strapped the shield to his left arm. It felt awkward now that it covered his mark, and he knew he wouldn¡¯t want to use a shield again while climbing. The value of freely seeing his mark unencumbered was too high. Granted, he could change his mark¡¯s location, and the thought made him pause. Maybe a shield might not be a bad idea, after all.


    "Ready?" Cal asked, taking his position again.


    The two combatants nodded.


    Cal dropped his hand like before, stepping back to signal their start. John began to circle around, twirling his spear. He smiled as Wyn watched him, studying his movements.


    Then he attacked, and Wyn decided to analyze his style. John didn''t have the best footwork, and his moves were a bit too fast and reckless. He was skilled for his age and lack of specific training, but had some areas to improve. Wyn wasn¡¯t a master by any means, but he saw some specific flaws that he¡¯d corrected years ago.


    After a couple of minutes the Fighter suddenly stepped forward and lunged with his spear in a heavier strike. Wyn blocked it, impressed with the strength behind the stab. John was mostly strength, though, and that would be his downfall.


    Wyn knew if he stayed too far back John would eventually wear him down with the spear''s advantage of reach. He stepped straight at the Fighter and stabbed back as John moved out of the way and blocked it awkwardly with the shaft of the spear.


    Wyn bashed him with his shield, throwing him off balance. John stumbled, and Wyn slashed at him several times over. John, to his credit, parried or avoided most of them, but Wyn ducked and moved low. He swept the Fighter''s leg, threw him off balance with his shield and body, and gently hit him in the side with the wooden blade as he fell on top of him in a controlled takedown. It was a graceful move that seemed effortless by Wyn and awkward by John, ending with Wyn in control and kneeling over the younger Climber.


    John laid on the grass, stunned. No one else said anything, only processing the brief fight.


    John sat up and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone use a shield like that.¡±


    Wyn nodded. ¡°You have to improvise in combat. You never know what could happen, and you need to think quick and be decisive. I¡¯ve forgotten that a few times myself, if it¡¯s any consolation.¡±


    John reached a hand up, and Wyn grabbed it to hoist the defeated Fighter to his feet. He brushed himself off and traded weapons with Wyn. ¡°It is. I guess I need to train more.¡±


    ¡°Your abilities as a Fighter help make up the rest. You¡¯re not bad by any means, and honestly a lot better than most. I have a few years on you, though.¡±


    John nodded but didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Alright Tasha,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You sponsored me, so how about you ask a question?¡±


    Tasha shook off her surprise and raised a hand to her chin. ¡°Hmm. Actually, I have a question for you.¡±


    Wyn perked up. ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Have you found a way to stop the flashbacks to your time at war?¡±


    Wyn¡¯s face flushed and he felt his heart race. That was the last question he expected.


    ¡°Well¡­ not exactly. Sort of. I mean, I¡¯ve managed to snap out of those times quicker when they come on. I think.¡± He scrunched his face in annoyance. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he fumbled over his words so badly.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Tasha said softly. ¡°It¡¯s just us. You don¡¯t have to be so guarded about it. It¡¯s good to talk about it, you know.¡±


    Wyn nodded. ¡°I know. It¡¯s certainly not easy, though.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine,¡± Cal said. ¡°I have some family who left and some who didn¡¯t come back. It¡¯s not a pleasant experience.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit of an understatement,¡± Wyn said. ¡°No offense.¡±


    ¡°None taken. I just know you¡¯ll go crazy if you don¡¯t have the support you need to vent a little. It¡¯s good to be open about it.¡±


    Wyn sighed and sat down. ¡°I could never tell my family. My father couldn¡¯t care less, and the feeling¡¯s mutual. And I don¡¯t want to burden my sister with the guilt or worry.¡±


    ¡°Wyn, that¡¯s what family is for,¡± Marcy said. ¡°You can¡¯t reach any kind of deeper level of connection if you don¡¯t share your experiences, good or bad.¡±


    John plucked a small vine of grapes before handing over the bushel to Cedric. ¡°Exactly. Plus, you could share with us and see how it feels. We¡¯re your family, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly!¡± Tasha said. ¡°We¡¯re here for you. We trust you.¡±


    Wyn looked at each of them. He¡¯d never had anyone outside of the military to really trust or confide in. Arabelle used to be that person for him but he¡¯d been gone so long he didn¡¯t know where they stood. Not to mention he didn¡¯t want her knowing everything he went through. But that was their exact point. His sister wasn¡¯t some naive girl - she was smart and loyal. Even if he didn¡¯t tell her at first she¡¯d pry it out of him eventually. Maybe now would be a good time to share those memories so the chance of them coming back at a critical moment wouldn¡¯t happen again.


    Wyn smiled. He truly didn¡¯t know how lucky he was to find his people. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll share. But where should I start?¡±


    ¡°How about at the beginning?¡± John asked.


    Wyn¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s a long time and a lot of stories!¡±


    John laughed. ¡°Well, we have nothing but time! But I meant at the beginning of our time together. When we were fighting the wolves? That was the first time it happened here, right?¡±


    Wyn brushed his hair. ¡°Oh. Yes. That story. Well, it¡¯s not a particularly pleasant one.¡°


    ¡°I don¡¯t imagine any of them are,¡± Cedric said. ¡°But misery loves company, as they say, and we are your company. So if you¡¯d like to share, we¡¯d love to listen.¡±


    Wyn looked at each of them thoughtfully. They were all listening intently, but not to the point of scrutiny. They genuinely wanted to hear his story.


    He didn¡¯t feel negative emotions this time when he recalled and shared the battle on the hill. He felt secure and trusted, and knew, deep down, that it would be alright.

 Book 1 - Chapter 65

    The stone wall felt cool against Wyn¡¯s back despite his coat and armor keeping him insulated and comfortable. His torso was protected from his items, but his legs were cut up and bruised from the onslaught of monsters. He cast Regen on himself while knowing he¡¯d recover a large portion of his mana over the hour they agreed to rest before the final room. It was an easy decision to feel comfortable and be healed.


    Similarly, the others had Tasha heal their wounds that were more serious than an annoyance, and John had to use a potion at the end of the last fire puzzle. He misjudged the distance between the flaming statue and the Lamiert he fought, and took both a deep cut and burn on his leg. The potion healed it, but he was more frustrated than anything about his mistake.


    ¡°I hate wasting a potion like that,¡± John said. He sat down beside Wyn and drank some water after.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a waste if it does its job,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You¡¯re alive and physically healed! Can¡¯t complain about that.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s the cost. They aren¡¯t that cheap, you know! And they aren¡¯t so common on the lower floors. It was a costly mistake, at least.¡±


    ¡°Then use some of the funds you¡¯ve made to buy some more,¡± Marcy said. She held a pile of arrows in her lap that she was inspecting, bending them, turning them, and flipping them around in her hands. ¡°You¡¯ve made several hundred crowns so far, at least. That¡¯s more than most see in a month and we still have half the month to go!¡± She placed the arrow she held into her quiver before picking up a new one from her pile.


    ¡°The reward is higher but so is the cost,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Equipment, items, lodging, food. It¡¯s expensive here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to see that,¡± John said. ¡°I knew it wasn¡¯t cheap to be a Climber but damn. It¡¯s like the cost of a noble¡¯s arrangement with the quality of the working class.¡± John took a deep breath. ¡°But, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m alive and well and can afford more potions. Repeating the third floor over and over this week has paid off, but I¡¯m itching for more.¡±


    ¡°Always wanting more,¡± Tasha said. ¡°We¡¯ve really done well here. And like Marcy said, we still have two and a half more weeks before the season change! Why rush it?¡±


    Wyn stood up, his Regen spell starting to wear off. ¡°I can understand where you¡¯re coming from, John. I¡¯ve been wanting to be cautious to be safe but I really do think we should press further. This isn¡¯t quite netting me the coin I need.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± John said. ¡°More items, more coin, and our class advancement! We just need to finish the fourth floor. I know we can do it!¡±


    ¡°The final floor for this tier,¡± Tasha said. ¡°It makes me nervous.¡±


    ¡°Since Cal has joined us we¡¯ve had relatively no issues,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Our group consists of three veterans who¡¯ve finished this tier already, and three rookies who are more than capable. I really do think we¡¯d be fine to press forward.¡±


    ¡°Those monsters we fought in the secret room were stronger than the monsters we¡¯d face on the next floor,¡± Marcy said. She threw an arrow down on the ground with a scowl. ¡°We¡¯d just have to manage the environment, and that shouldn¡¯t be a major issue.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d give you time to test out your new classes, too,¡± Cal said. ¡°A week or longer on a familiar floor is a luxury for testing a class upgrade. You¡¯d go into next season with more confidence.¡±


    ¡°And items,¡± Cedric added. ¡°That¡¯s hard to pass up.¡±


    Wyn reached into his pocket and pulled out a portal key. He stared at it for a few seconds before looking at his group. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m good to advance today and see what¡¯s on the fourth floor before using this to go back to Alestead. Then we can regroup tonight and plan to finish it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Why not just talk to a Floor Broker?¡± Marcy asked. ¡°Information on the fourth floor would cost a bit less than a key and tells you more than just a quick glance. Plus you don¡¯t have to risk going in.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°They sell information about floors for a price,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Most guilds have them to sell to the public after they¡¯ve gathered enough information to help the newer or slower Climbers. It¡¯s popular among people who only climb the first tier because the price goes up an exorbitant amount per tier and floor.¡±


    ¡°We should¡¯ve used that at the beginning,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It would¡¯ve saved us planning and time!¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Marcy said. ¡°They don¡¯t release the info until the third week. We¡¯d need to wait a few days but could just run the third floor a few more times making more coin. Small tradeoff.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for all that, though,¡± Cal said. ¡°I already know what¡¯s on the fourth floor.¡±


    The rookies simultaneously turned to Cal, shocked.


    ¡°And you¡¯re just telling us this now?¡° John said. ¡°Just how far have you climbed this season?¡±


    Cal¡¯s face went red. ¡°Just this tier, and then it was only once. Right before I decided to join all of you.¡±


    Wyn pocketed the key. ¡°So you can tell us what¡¯s on the floor! That¡¯s much better than my plan!¡±


    ¡°We can review it tonight,¡± Cal said. ¡°Mappers aren¡¯t supposed to share the information before Floor Brokers have a chance to release it, and even then typically charge more for it. It¡¯s a pretty strict rule for us and have consequences if we break it.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t afraid of that by telling us?¡± Wyn asked.


    Cal shrugged. ¡°The Floor Brokers will start charging for floor information in just a few days. Plus, I¡¯m not a Mapper anymore. I¡¯m a Climber just like you all.¡±


    John slowly shook his head with a sly smile. ¡°Chef and a sneak! Are you sure your first class wasn¡¯t a Rogue?¡±


    Cal chuckled. ¡°No. But for the floor, I feel good about it. We should be able to handle it.¡±


    Wyn glanced over at Tasha who was nervously tapping her staff with a finger. He knew she was hesitant about progressing but it was important for them to keep climbing higher. The challenge of the third floor was losing its edge, as the more they solved the puzzles and handled the monsters the quicker they were finishing it. Of course situations came up like John getting hurt, but it wasn''t anything they couldn''t handle.


    And, of course, climbing higher meant more rewards, which meant being able to pay off his family''s debt faster. He didn¡¯t want to have near death experiences here, but wanted a balanced floor of good return of coins and ability to clear quickly.


    "We absolutely can," Wyn said, looking at Tasha. "We''ve done well to make it here, and we''re only getting better. I believe in us."


    Tasha met his gaze and nodded her head, though stayed silent.


    "Then let''s finish here," John said. He stood and adjusted his gear. "I have a bone to pick with these damned snakes."


    *****


    Wyn was surprised at how crowded the training hall was at this time in the evening. He assumed most Climbers would either be finishing up their climb or taking the evening off, but was obviously wrong.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "I haven''t seen it this busy at night all season," Wyn said. "What gives?"


    "It could be a variety of reasons," Cal said, walking beside him. "Some want to finish the season strong and come here to tighten up their group''s abilities. Some would rather practice in the training hall than in the tower itself, being a little more cautious, and realize their time for the familiarity of the current season is running out towards the end of the month."


    "I think I''d rather repeat the lower floors so I could at least make some coin. And fighting actual enemies is better than dummies."


    "Boots are better than nothing," Cal said. ¡°Not everyone can get crowns or cloaks all day.¡±


    Wyn nodded. "Same with actual experience."


    "Don''t you come in here to train, though? You said on Solday you were training before our picnic."


    "It''s my typical workout. If we aren''t climbing I still like to exercise, and I don''t think climbing by myself or with an unfamiliar team is the smartest move right now."


    Cal laughed. "That makes sense. If you''d like a partner sometime, I could join you."


    "Really? No offense, but I didn''t take you for the exercise type!"


    Cal blushed. "Well, my brother liked it. I just helped him along. I think it''d be good to get back at it.¡± His face dimmed a bit, morphing into a grimace.


    Wyn tried to read Cal but couldn¡¯t place him. Something had happened with his brother, he was sure of it. But it wasn¡¯t the right time to start probing questions. "I appreciate that. Yea, I would love the company."


    Cal smiled and stopped at the door to one of the war rooms. ¡°We can talk about it another time. It might be good to review the class you get, anyway.¡±


    Wyn nodded and stepped into the room while Cal held the door for him. The others were already inside. John and Marcy were working through the bowls and platters of food seated at the large table in the middle of the room, while Cedric and Tasha were gathering books and papers for preparations.


    ¡°How are you eating?¡± Cal asked. ¡°We just had supper!¡±


    Marcy shrugged while chewing a piece of bread. ¡°There¡¯s food. Might as well eat some of it.¡±


    John nodded quickly while gulping down a mug of something. He wiped away some froth from his lip after.


    Wyn sat down at the table. ¡°I know we don¡¯t need to take long, so let¡¯s get right to it. What can we expect on the fourth floor?¡±


    Cal shifted on his stool in several ways, fidgeting with his coat button and straightening wrinkles on his pants. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. ¡°Okay. The tower is pretty straightforward with the floor progression. It¡¯s not completely random, and tends to make sense as you climb.¡±


    ¡°We know that much,¡± John said.


    ¡°Let him set it up,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt him!¡±


    Cal straightened up with his posture. ¡°Right. Sorry. Of course you know that. Well, the current season is based on a temple hidden in the jungle, then exploring that temple and what lies inside it. You already know what the first three floors are, but the fourth is the first barrier until the relieving oasis on the fifth floor.¡±


    ¡°Relieving oasis? That sounds nice!¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°Every fifth floor is a break, right?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Marcy said. ¡°It¡¯s a place to reflect on the tier you just finished and a place to relax before progressing to the next. And a very popular social spot for Climbers.¡±


    ¡°But what bridges the gap between the ridiculous third floor and a fifth floor oasis?¡± John asked. ¡°We need to know that first.¡±


    ¡°The temple guardian,¡± Cal said. ¡°After the temple¡¯s entrance and warning not to continue, the guardian awaits as another means of defense from outsiders.¡±


    ¡°You say that as though there¡¯s a design to all of this,¡± Wyn said. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting perspective when you phrase it that way.¡±


    ¡°There absolutely is a design,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Remember what the tower actually is. It transports us to a magical place designed to test us. There has to have meaning. Each season consists of a rising challenge of 20 floors, and they¡¯re all connected.¡±


    ¡°Alright, point taken,¡± Wyn said. He thought about the many strategical sessions he listened to when deployed, about how the colonels and advisors would try to predict the enemy¡¯s plan and movements. Cal seemed to be doing something similar, and when thinking about it in the context of war, it made sense.


    Cedric scribbled some notes on a piece of paper. ¡°I¡¯m assuming that¡¯s what the parchment says on the fourth floor? About the guardian and defending the temple?¡±


    Cal nodded. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a fairly straightforward floor with no traps or puzzles, only wave after wave of monsters.¡±


    John laughed. ¡°That actually sounds less intimidating than I thought! We cleared the secret room of monsters that were far harder than what this guardian should be. It sounds like an easy win for us!¡±


    ¡°Not so much,¡± Cal said. ¡°There¡¯s still a strategical component you need to consider. Each wave is a bit harder than the next, and has the potential to become harder than monsters on the second tier. The waves only stop when the guardian is defeated, and it controls the monsters as well as helps them.¡±


    ¡°So clear it too fast, and more waves will come by the end of the floor,¡± Cedric said. ¡°It¡¯ll be harder in the end.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s actually posed a bit of a problem for some guilds who tend to fly through the first tier, and rewarded some of the newer Climbers who aren¡¯t as effective or strong. Until the guilds found out that delaying killing some enemies in a wave will delay the start of the next wave, making it an easier clear.¡±


    ¡°Smart,¡± Cedric said. ¡°That¡¯s our strategy, then.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what that means, though,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Maybe the tower is trying to even the odds and boost newer Climbers a bit? Or, make the population of Climbers stronger on average?¡±


    The others looked at him with varied expressions.


    ¡°What?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°You reminded me about looking at a battle from the other side. This is a strategy meeting, after all. I¡¯m just thinking out loud.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound like the tower is constructing this on purpose,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it, though? Cedric, you said the tower has meaning when it presents a season and about how the floors are connected. Maybe after the events of last month with Lionel and the witch it formed a series of floors that would help us, and helping us involves getting more newer Climbers stronger faster.¡±


    John shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re getting too far out of my league, here. Musings are nice and all, but at the end of the day all we¡¯re doing is climbing. There¡¯s no reason to put that much thought into it.¡±


    Wyn smiled. Spoken like a true soldier, but not an officer. Maybe one day John would broaden his strategical acuity. It was one thing to fight a battle, but fighting a war was entirely different. Wyn knew that if they were going to climb for an extended period of time over several seasons, he¡¯d need to dig a bit deeper into the subject. Daniel would be a good resource there.


    ¡°So it¡¯s a similar set of monsters, though?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°I agree with John. It doesn¡¯t sound too challenging, all things considered.¡±


    John choked on his ale. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see the day! St. Clair agrees with me!¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Cal said, continuing. ¡°One additional type of monster could show up. It¡¯s a flying snake. It¡¯s a bit smaller than the Lacerts but casts magic; initially they¡¯re only a nuisance, but left to their own devices they can be very problematic.¡±


    ¡°Good thing we have two excellent ranged attackers,¡± John said, putting an arm around Marcy. ¡°This is sounding easier and easier!¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Wyn asked.


    Cal sighed. ¡°Just the guardian itself. It¡¯s a large Lamiert that wields magic it can spread to the monsters in the wave, strengthening them and healing them.¡±


    Marcy whistled. ¡°That¡¯s a powerful enemy. I¡¯m surprised it¡¯s on the first tier, honestly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± Cal said. ¡°It¡¯s element isn¡¯t Earth. It¡¯s Ice. But the other monsters are still Earth.¡±


    ¡°Better for me,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We¡¯ve been lucky so far that our enemies have been relatively weak and can still be hurt from my Lightning spells. A different element will make it easier to take it down.¡±


    ¡°Worse for me, though,¡± Wyn said. ¡°My spear is Wind. I¡¯ll hardly be effective at all.¡±


    Now he saw why the guardian was the tier¡¯s boss. Going in with the advantageous element, Wind, would be utterly useless and detrimental. It was a test, both for an elemental education and to creatively think of a solution to overcome it. One that Wyn hoped to overcome.


    ¡°Then try to focus on other things,¡± John said. ¡°Let us take it down and keep the other enemies off our back. Or something like that.¡±


    Wyn scrunched his face together. He didn¡¯t like that his sole weapon would be nearly useless against the floor boss, but he had no other choice. Trading his weapon for another one at this point wasn¡¯t ideal, and it was still useful against most other enemies. He still had a couple of magic items that he could trade, but it was late in the day and they were planning to climb tomorrow morning. Plus, completely changing his weapon for one enemy didn¡¯t feel right.


    John was right. Wyn¡¯s best contribution would be to manage the battle itself, not necessarily help with the direct fight against the guardian. He could help make sure his group succeeded without getting hurt, and that would be enough. The other monsters still needed to be handled and he could be useful there.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You make a good point. You all are more than capable of taking it down, and I can do my part to make sure it goes smoothly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a plan, then,¡± Marcy said. ¡°First thing in the morning again?¡±


    Wyn nodded. ¡°Yes. I have a portal key with me but stock up on whatever else you all need. We¡¯ll go straight through with a break when we first enter the fourth floor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring some extra potions in my bag,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I¡¯ve been stocking some up!¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll bring some food,¡± Cal said. ¡°It¡¯ll help during the break.¡±


    John raised a cup, looking at everyone for a moment. ¡°And that¡¯s all I needed to hear!¡±


    Wyn raised a cup of water, prompting the others to follow. ¡°Here¡¯s to finishing the first tier! May we be safe, swift, and strong.¡±


    They toasted their drinks, laughing when John spilled his. The rest of their time together was more relaxed and enjoyable, though an underlying sense of anxiety filled Wyn as they parted to rest for the day ahead. He knew it wouldn¡¯t be an easy climb, but it was an important one. And he would do everything in his power to ensure his friend¡¯s survival, no matter the cost.

 Book 1 - Chapter 66

    The pull of the portal tugged at him, though Wyn felt the familiar stone floor under his feet quickly. After weeks of traveling through portals, often more than once a day, he finally felt more at ease.


    Still, he needed a couple of seconds to orient himself. No matter how many times he was magically transported it was still jarring to suddenly appear in a new location, sometimes facing a different direction.


    At least his stomach was settled and head calm.


    John¡¯s body still glowed from Wyn¡¯s Regen spell, though it was nearly finished. Thankfully the worst of his injuries had healed. He took a few nasty bites and one bad gash at the last room, though his armor took the brunt of it. Wyn told him he was being more reckless than usual, that the young Climber¡¯s excitement was interfering with his usually more sound judgment.


    John rotated his shoulder and leg a few times, testing the joints. ¡°Sorry, again. I¡¯ll be more careful this time.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Wyn¡¯s nicer than me. I wasn¡¯t going to heal you to teach you a lesson.¡±


    ¡°Really? I was bleeding pretty bad, you know.¡±


    Tasha huffed. ¡°No, not really. Though I really didn¡¯t want to get blood on my clothes again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easier for me anyway,¡± Wyn said. ¡°My mana naturally recovers, and a short rest will give me that much more.¡°


    John sat against the closest stone wall and rested his head against it. He exhaled a long sigh, closing his eyes and lowering his gear to the ground in a thud. ¡°Wake me up when it¡¯s time to eat.¡±


    Cedric folded his enchanted parchment away. ¡°It¡¯s about 9:30 right now. We made good time through the third floor.¡± He sat down on the ground beside John, crossing his legs but not attempting to sleep.


    Wyn rested his spear against the wall and looked around their immediate area. It was the same exact environment - cold stone everywhere, moss here and there, and a few torches on the wall that were lit to offer some meager light. Unlike the beginning of the third floor that opened up into a large open space, the start here had one spacious hallway ahead of them. A torch on either side of the hallway lit the path, and Wyn could easily see that it opened to a larger room further down the hallway.


    No enemies were anywhere to be seen, but that didn¡¯t mean that traps weren¡¯t waiting for them.


    ¡°Cal, do you remember if there were any traps along the way?¡° Wyn sad.


    Marcy clicked her tongue at Wyn. ¡°Uh-uh, hold the strategizing until after we rest. We should get a solid hour in before we keep going.¡±


    Cal sheepishly looked at Wyn. Wyn shook his head but reluctantly agreed. He felt fortunate that he was able to recover his mana naturally and quicker than normal, but also thought his time was going to be wasted. Sure, he was going to fully recover during that time while the others won¡¯t even receive half back, but they made it a point to limit their spells on the third floor for a reason. Now, he had only had his thoughts to bide his time while the others relaxed.


    He pulled out his parchment and reviewed them. Cycling through the papers, he nearly forgot about the update for the new floor.


    FLOOR 4


    Party: 6/6


    Quest: The temple is not a friendly place to find yourself. Why do you continue searching deep inside? Danger and trials have reared their heads rather than treasure or knowledge. This place isn¡¯t for the weak. If you continue on, however, you¡¯ll find the answers you seek. Trespassers always do, whether for better or worse.


    Goosebumps ran across Wyn¡¯s arms. The previous descriptions weren¡¯t as ominous, and somehow the text felt personal as though it was intended for him. Granted, the idea of exploring a long deserted temple was already dangerous, and Climbers are expected to face challenges.


    Wyn sighed. Maybe this was another part of being a Climber that he¡¯d have to get used to in time. He really hadn¡¯t been climbing long at all, and possibly this was just another part to the process.


    He folded his parchments up and put them back in his pocket. Smiling to himself, he internally laughed at the thought that crossed his mind - he could really use a book to read right now. Daniel would have a laugh if he knew.


    Before long, the hour had passed. Cedric stirred, standing and stretching while waking the others. Wyn decided to do the same to prepare himself.


    ¡°Now we can strategize,¡± Marcy said, carefully picking an arrow to hold at the ready.


    Cal chuckled. ¡°To answer your previous question, no. I don¡¯t recall any traps along the way. But once we enter that room ahead it¡¯ll be a constant source of fighting until we make it to the final chamber.¡±


    John strapped his shield to his arm and patted his sheathed sword. ¡°Nothing we can¡¯t handle! My mana is back and I feel ready to go!¡±


    Cal held out something small. ¡°Even without a snack?¡±


    John gasped. ¡°I almost forgot! What is that?¡±


    Cal handed it to him, and John took a large, satisfying sniff. The food was like a piece of bread folded over itself, baked and bulbous. There was likely something else inside. His face fell into a smile and he looked as though he had just laid down to rest in a comfortable bed after a hard day¡¯s work.


    Cal smiled as John expertly looked over the food. ¡°That is appropriately named a Meat Pouch.¡±


    Tasha gagged. ¡°Meat Pouch? That¡¯s not appropriate, that¡¯s disgusting!¡±


    ¡°I agree, but it¡¯s what my brother called it, so I¡¯m sticking with it.¡±


    ¡°Then your brother needs to call it something else. The name needs to make people want to eat it, not throw up.¡±


    Cal¡¯s expression softened. ¡°I told him the same thing. But what¡¯s done is done.¡±


    Wyn noticed Cal¡¯s mood change. He¡¯d seen it before, and wondered what happened between him and his brother. Was his brother even still alive? If Cal wanted to share, though, he would. Wyn respected that and didn¡¯t want to pry.


    John licked his fingers then wiped them on his pants. ¡°I think it was delicious, and that¡¯s all that matters. Call it whatever you want, I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s that good!¡±


    ¡°I think we should move on, then,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Now that your stomach is fuller, of course.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± John said. ¡°So is our plan to push through now that we have most, if not all of our mana back?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Use what¡¯s necessary but keep however much you need in order to fill yourself out with a potion just before facing the boss. That way we go in ready just like now.¡±


    The others agreed and walked down the stone hallway. Anxiety filled the stale air as they walked, no one wanting to take their mind off of the task at hand.


    Before long they made it just before the entrance to the chamber and stopped.


    ¡°Are we ready?¡± Wyn asked.


    The group nodded.


    ¡°Remember, only priority looting for the rest of the floor. Potions, blue rarity or unique items only - leave the rest.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Wyn, we remember,¡± John said. He wasn¡¯t smiling, but rather presented a serious expression.


    They were focused. This was the last obstacle of the tier, the final push before the fifth floor and their class upgrade.


    Wyn stepped forward, lightly jogging into the open room. The others followed him in their practiced formation ¨C John and Marcy led at the front, Tasha stayed in the middle, and Cedric and Cal held their ground at the back. They spread out so they wouldn¡¯t interfere with each other and in order to spot enemies easier. Once fighting started, Wyn would either stay up front or fall back with Tasha depending on the enemy¡¯s presentation. Marcy needed to be up front in order to spot traps or enemies, and Cal was in the back in case they were ambushed. They moved around frequently depending on what they faced, though this was their preferred formation of advancing.


    As though on cue, a black hole of magic appeared on the ground further into the room. It was large and empty, like a noble¡¯s rug adorning a space for socializing in their grand hall. Runes lit up throughout the space in swirling patterns and formations.


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    The Climbers stopped. Cal began muttering something, clutching his hand to his chest. Wyn couldn¡¯t make it out as his attention was on the hole about thirty feet in front of them.


    ¡°¡­resolve to withstand this trial. I will possesses courage to fight when necessary in order to protect my allies.¡±


    A wave of euphoria washed over Wyn. He felt the magical energy invigorate his body, Cal¡¯s oath strengthening him. The aura surrounding him was more intense than his own, and rivaled the multiple auras John stacked from the secret room. Was this the power of a third tier class? Only one ability was used that now enveloped the three men, and Wyn knew it was powerful.


    Lacerts began crawling and scrambling out of the hole like insects, knocking each other to the side in order to try and reach the Climbers first. It reminded Wyn of the previous hordes they¡¯d faced, and at first glance they didn¡¯t seem any different.


    John stepped forward on the left and met the first monster, slashing at it with his purple hued sword. He kept the amethyst gem set inside it to imbue it with the Wind element, and the strike cleaved the creature in half. Its body dissolved before it even hit the ground in a less gruesome sight than blood or screams filling the air.


    Wyn fanned to the right while Cal stood directly in the middle of the room. Wyn stabbed out with his spear in a surprisingly strong but agile form, completely stabbing through the first Lacert¡¯s chest. He withdrew his spear and readied himself for the next enemy in a second.


    Cal swung his hammer in a fury, crushing or knocking enemies away that dared to challenge him. The occasional swing would reach multiple monsters, keeping them at bay and preventing their advancement past the Climber¡¯s line. His shield took the brunt of more than one attack, absorbing multiple Lacerts at once. While John and Wyn took on two or three Lacerts at once, Cal managed six or seven alone.


    Together the three warriors held the onslaught back, all clashing and killing the Lacerts in their own ways. Line after line of enemies poured from the dark portal like a geyser from the hells, hellbent on consuming anything in their path. Unluckily for them, the three men stood in their way, a deadly line of defense preventing further passage.


    Their defensive slaughter lasted several minutes, though it felt hours. Wyn could already feel sweat pooling under his clothes, but his endurance held strong. He¡¯d trained for years - it would take more than a few minutes of continuous fighting to slow him down. The wave of enemies was the first to give, though, and their numbers drastically slowed. It was also apparent they were nearing the end of this round of enemies as the previously large black hole full of glowing runes was now dull and small.


    ¡°Keep some alive,¡± Cal said, kicking a Lacert away from him. ¡°Let the stragglers live a bit longer!¡±


    Wyn understood. They needed to slow their progress a bit so they wouldn¡¯t face as many enemies along the path to the guardian. He swatted the Lacert he was fighting with the shaft of his spear, knocking it back several feet.


    ¡°Everyone, move forward!¡± Wyn said. ¡°John, take the lead! Marcy, stay with me!¡±


    The others moved without hesitation. John and Cedric led Tasha past the hole, easily stepping to the side to pass, while Cal followed them. Marcy ran beside Wyn and fired an arrow at a Lacert, hitting it in the hip. It was a smart placement as it only slowed the creature but delivered no fatal wound. As Wyn looked around their area, he saw only three enemies still alive, and all had an arrow sticking out of them in various spots.


    ¡°Let them get a bit ahead,¡± Wyn said. He slowly inched further down the path as the remaining enemies hobbled towards them. ¡°We¡¯ll kill them at the last second.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t my first climb, Wyn,¡± Marcy said. She held an arrow nocked and pulled halfway back. ¡°I understand the strategy.¡±


    Wyn felt his heart rate spike but kept his composure. This wasn¡¯t the time to be smart. ¡°Right, but we still need to communicate our intentions.¡±


    Marcy glanced at him but didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Marcy,¡± Wyn said, his voice more forceful.


    Marcy slightly lowered her bow and glanced back at him again. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Wyn accepted the apology and decided to revisit that situation if needed.


    While waiting for the signal to the next wave, Wyn checked to see if any of the horde dropped something valuable. He saw three glowing green piles but nothing else. There might be a potion or two in them but it would take precious seconds and effort to check. He¡¯d need to set down his spear, take off his pack, and put whatever items found inside without really inspecting them. Part of him wanted to, but another part of him knew it was more dangerous.


    He decided it wasn¡¯t worth it. He was the one who established the rules for looting on this floor, and he definitely didn¡¯t want to be the one to break them. No matter how enticing they may be. This was a one time occurrence to complete the tier. He¡¯d loot to his heart¡¯s content for the rest of month¡¯s climbs.


    Marcy arrowed another creature in the leg, causing it to howl in pain. It tripped and fell from its momentum and new injury.


    ¡°The next portal is opening!¡± Cal yelled from further down the enclosed path.


    That was their signal. Both Marcy and Wyn quickly disposed of the lagging Lacerts and sprinted to catch up. The sound of clanging metal, growls, and screeches urged both of the Climbers to pick up their pace.


    As they rounded a corner, they met the rest of their party and enemies they were fighting. Wyn immediately rushed to the front, while Marcy released an arrow beside him. He didn¡¯t bother to see what or if the projectile hit - he trusted her abilities enough to know she chose and succeeded to hit her targets well.


    Cal and John were fighting off a group of Lacerts mixed with Lamierts, though the enemy numbers weren¡¯t nearly as bad as the first wave. They were obviously much stronger, though, as Wyn could see the lizard and snake-like creatures wearing armor and wielding weapons. Their equipment was crude compared to the Climber¡¯s magical items, but it slowed down the two direct fighters considerably as they weren¡¯t able to fell each opponent in one hit. Cal¡¯s aura coated John in a colorful light on top of his own red Fighter aura, but they were still challenged more than before.


    A small tornado formed to the side, whirling up dust and small debris from the stone floor. The enemies shrieked and yelped, losing their focus on the two Climbers while they tried to escape the small but swirling gust of wind. Cedric pointed his scepter forward, a large rune formed in the air in front of him. As he swept it across his body, the tornado similarly moved laterally across the floor, sweeping the smaller Lacerts inside it and slicing the larger Lamierts where their armor left them open with small, wind-like blades.


    The scales of the battle tipped heavily towards the Climbers with Cedric¡¯s wind attack. Cal and John began to cut or beat down stray creatures, and Marcy picked off any opponent they didn¡¯t see first with arrow after arrow.


    Wyn stopped beside Tasha, admiring his teammates around him. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m not even needed right now,¡± the Ruby Magician said. ¡°Look at them go.¡±


    Tasha nudged Wyn¡¯s arm. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying! It¡¯s not easy watching all of you all the time. I¡¯m only needed after the fact.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. Your Arcane Aura spell is helpful for more protection!¡±


    ¡°I guess. I just want to do more.¡±


    Wyn idly watched the others finish clearing the wave. He understood Tasha¡¯s sentiment - everyone had a specific role and hers was healing, but that didn¡¯t mean it was easier to watch your teammates and friends do the work to clear the floor. His role changed often, but he never felt left out quite like Tasha.


    ¡°Maybe your class upgrade will afford you some flexibility,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Granted, that¡¯s usually the opposite of what people recommend. At least that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been told.¡±


    Tasha moved forward as John waved them on to continue along the path. ¡°I know. I¡¯m not a fan of being typecast. It¡¯s the whole reason I¡¯m here! But it feels like being a Climber means placing yourself in a box.¡±


    Wyn stepped forward with Cal this time, Marcy walking beside Tasha in the middle of the group. John and Cedric stayed behind to clear the last few enemies once the next wave started.


    ¡°Maybe we can change that,¡± Wyn said, talking over his shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s get past this floor and see our options for our class.¡±


    Cal and Wyn continued down the long hallway, the torches on the wall still being an accessory source of light to Tasha¡¯s Torchlight spell from her staff. They lightly jogged to keep a good pace while not completely separating themselves from the group.


    ¡°There should only be one more wave,¡± Cal said. ¡°We¡¯re nearing the end.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°This was pretty short, then.¡±


    ¡°It seems like this path to the end was shorter than most. I heard some groups faced up to six waves, but the average seems to be about four. We got lucky.¡±


    Their path ahead ended with a stone wall with a corner appearing to the left. When they rounded it, the hall opened into a large chamber similar to ones they¡¯ve met in the temple so far. It seemed to be a combination of them, though, as multiple pillars spanning the entire height of the massive room were scattered evenly about the space, and it was much brighter than the hallways. Four large braziers were roaring with tall bonfires in each corner of the room, flooding it with light. At the far side of the chamber were two more braziers, though smaller and unlit. They surrounded a large throne where a Lamiert casually rested, leaning its head on its right hand as though it was bored. In its left hand was a tall staff adorned with a large sapphire as big as a man¡¯s fist.


    It was alone, but that didn¡¯t affect the chill that ran along Wyn¡¯s body. The creature had a bluish coloring to its scales, different from the green ones seen so far. It also possessed legs where the Lamierts had snake-like tails.


    The other Climbers caught up and they all stopped in the middle of the room.


    ¡°It looks like trouble,¡± John said.


    Marcy nocked and released an arrow, aiming directly at the sitting figure.


    The Lamiert didn¡¯t bother to move. The staff it held in its left hand glowed a bright white rune in the air, multiple circles and symbols creating the magical script. It was the most intricate spell Wyn had seen so far, and it was cast from a monster.


    The arrow bounced off a luminescent surface that refracted multiple colors of light, like the surface of an incredibly clear surface of water. The air rippled from the arrow¡¯s impact, then settled into a large bubble around the guardian and its braziers.


    ¡°That was a second level water spell,¡± Cedric said.


    The figure stood and stretched as though it was readying itself for a nap rather than a fight. That was before it locked eyes on the group, and huffed, ramming its staff into the ground.


    The braziers roared to life with a green flame, causing another black portal to appear outside the guardian¡¯s protective bubble. Lacerts and Lamierts crawled out of it, just as fearsome as the last wave and with more numbers. Along with them came smaller flying creatures that resembled a sort of flying snake and lizard hybrid with two stubby clawed legs, wings for arms, and a long tail that whipped the air around it. The creatures screeched and flew above its brethren, emanating a faint magical aura. There were nearly two dozen monsters that now stood protecting the guardian, growling and snapping with impatience.


    ¡°Here¡¯s our last fight,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We can do this! I¡¯ll focus on keeping the strays off us and call out changes along with Tasha!¡±


    John¡¯s red aura flared as Cal began another chant, coating each Climber close to him in a thick layer of magic. Cedric raised his staff with a twinkle in his eye while Marcy prepared another arrow, one that had a green sheen and hummed with magic.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been more ready,¡± the Wizard said. Electricity seemed to jump around his body like static, eager to find a target.


    The guardian raised its staff again and slammed it into the ground, harder than before. More runes appeared at the edge of the sapphire gem, and the braziers suddenly changed color from green to red.


    Every creature jerked and twisted as their scales and hides changed from a green to red hue, like they had been dipped in a fire and their hides burned. One of the flying monsters yelled towards the ceiling, spitting a small but long jet of flame reminiscent of the statues on the previous floor.


    The Climbers all froze.


    ¡°Oh Gods,¡± Cal said. ¡°That¡¯s new.¡±


    ¡°Well, shit,¡± Marcy said. ¡°The guardian changed their element.¡±

 Book 1 - Chapter 67

    ¡°Keep formation!¡± Wyn yelled. ¡°This doesn¡¯t change anything!¡±


    ¡°This changes everything!¡± John said. He plucked the gemstone from the hilt of his sword and stored it in his pouch with trembling fingers. When his hand emerged, it held two gems that he fumbled in his palm. ¡°They¡¯re a different element! Damn it, Cal!¡±


    Cal held his shield and hammer at the ready. ¡°This must be a different ability! I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t hear about it at all!¡±


    ¡°We can still do this,¡± Marcy said, raising her bow. ¡°Calm down, John. Steady yourself!¡±


    The Fighter took a deep breath, then another. He calmed further when he felt Tasha¡¯s hand on his back and her Arcane Aura spell engulf him in a magical suit of white armor.


    ¡°Get a topaz gem ready,¡± Cedric said. ¡°The guardian is still the same, and lightning and fire don¡¯t have negative interactions. We¡¯ll adapt if it happens again.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Wyn agreed. ¡°Now press forward!¡±


    John and Cal moved together, both enhanced under Cal¡¯s oath, and John further boosted from his own Fighter skill. The opposing creatures were already rushing them from across the room, leaving behind small trails of embers smoldering on the stone floor. One of the flying monsters flew to the side and began glowing red hot, about to release some kind of magical fire attack when an arrow pierced it¡¯s abdomen. It shrieked and released a small trickle of liquid flame from the protruding arrow, flying haphazardly from the injury.


    Another arrow sent the monster reeling into the wall where it quieted, its lifeless body erupting into a small fire.


    John yelled as he met a Lacert in combat, blocking a flaming claw with his shield and slicing back with his lightning-infused sword. Cal performed similarly, blocking attacks where he could and retaliating with his hammer, both Climbers working in tandem to block and counter when able. They held their ground against multiple enemies, their magical auras keeping errant flames and heat at bay while protecting them from attacks they couldn¡¯t defend quick enough.


    A lightning bolt surged through several of the enemies, making them spasm and jerk before smoking and falling to the ground. Another magical bolt pierced three more enemies with similar results.


    Wyn stared in utter awe of the sight. The group was pushing forward and giving it their all, and he now understood Tasha¡¯s feelings about not contributing. He could stand there and watch and they likely would be able to hold their own. Even if they were injured Tasha could heal them much more efficiently that Wyn.


    Where did he fall in their group? Was he blinded to the reality that his class truly wasn¡¯t as helpful as he had hoped? He could do a bit of several things, but was his broad capabilities too much of a hindrance to overcome?


    ¡°Wyn,¡± Tasha said, her eyes frantic. ¡°Get in there! They need you!¡±


    Wyn looked ahead. Did they, though? Cal and John seemed to be holding their own. Still, he wouldn¡¯t let his doubts hold him back or prevent him from doing whatever was within his power. He didn¡¯t have to be the main force of their group - if he could help here and there, keeping them alive at the end of the day, that would be enough.


    Wyn shook himself from his indecision and assessed their current situation. A few of the larger Lamierts were pressing hard from the left, drawing the attention of John. The monsters were too numerous for only the two Climbers to manage, when Wyn noticed that they weren¡¯t disappearing like normal after being cut or hit to the side.


    The guardian was healing them. Its staff was a constant source of magic, blue runes lighting in front of it and sending magical healing to the monsters not completely felled fast enough.


    ¡°Attack the guardian!¡± Wyn yelled. ¡°It¡¯s healing the grunts!¡± He stepped in beside John and swept his spear ahead of him, casting Wingbeat horizontally. It both slashed and pushed back several Lacerts, but only lightly cut two Lamierts with their armor and bulk. His fire spell wouldn¡¯t be helpful now as they were also the fire element, but he could distract several at a time if needed.


    John yelled as he cut down two of the Lacerts with two quick but forceful strikes, killing them on impact. A Lamiert raised its axe to strike back, but an arrow pierced its chest as a heavy splash of water exploded its neck and torso.


    The monsters screamed in frustration, realizing that less than a dozen of them remained. The momentum suddenly swung the Climber¡¯s way with the foot soldiers starting to actually die.


    ¡°Push through,¡± Wyn said, locking eyes with John. ¡°We¡¯ll keep the rest off your back!¡±


    Without hesitation, John turned and stomped forward. He activated his boots¡¯ spell and knocked back several encroaching monsters, further clearing a direct path to the guardian. In seconds he was before the large protective bubble and raised his sword to strike it. A red glow began to envelope his weapon, another of his skills activating. He struck the bubble without much effort, but the goal was for the skill to affect the magic - his Magic Break skill leeched onto the bubble like a sickness, breaking it down as it spread across its translucent surface.


    The guardian sensed something was wrong and scowled, raising its staff and moving with haste. Runes shown in front of it as it blinked out of existence just as the bubble completely disappeared. John frantically searched for it, then trudged off to the right as he found the monster had teleported across the room to escape. It slowly swiped its staff in an arc, summoning another black hole where more monsters began to emerge.


    "Damnit," John cursed, stopping his advance. "More monsters over here!" He yelled, hoping for more support.


    Meanwhile, Wyn was facing more monsters than he''d like. He held his hand in front of him and cast his Flash spell, blinding each one. In seconds he pierced, slashed, and struck each one down, making sure to kill one before moving to another to ensure they wouldn''t be healed.


    After finishing them, he heard John yell to his right, then noticed Cal was already moving to help. Marcy and Cedric refocused their attention to the next wave, too, as even more monsters began funneling out of a new black summoning hole next to the exposed but attentive guardian.


    Wyn knew they did well for the first round. They used their mana on spells and skills, sure, but they didn''t seem to be injured, which was a success. Something needed to change, though, to make the engagement tip back in their favor.


    Wyn''s thoughts were interrupted as he heard John laugh followed by the deafening sound of two fiery explosions. The monsters before them were now stark-white, and he felt a chill in the air even from halfway across the room. Gazing to the braziers, he saw their color had changed from red to white.


    The guardian changed their element to Ice, and it was a grave error.


    Wyn rushed the creatures and began torching them with his Fire Blast spell. The cries of agony and pain didn''t deter him as he raked his hand over as many enemies as possible without crossing towards John and Cal, but the effect was terrifying. The monsters either ran away trying to put the flames out on their bodies or slumped to the ground in a heap of embers.


    Marcy drew another arrow and released it into the mass of enemies, causing another eruption of fire from her spell. Between her previous arrow and Cedric''s scepter changing his element to fire, they eliminated over half of the new wave of monsters in seconds, and her next arrow killed another small group. Wyn''s spell had roasted most of the remaining monsters, and Marcy started picking off the stragglers with normal arrows. She smiled at their fortune from the guardian''s blunder, hoping this would secure their success.


    John ignored as many as he could and attacked the guardian beside Cal, both Climbers flanking the large monster. After the group''s efforts the monsters were blown apart with ease, and they relentlessly attacked the leader. It wasn''t a pushover, though, as its staff served many roles, blocking attacks from both Climbers or striking back when an opening presented itself. The monster moved quicker than either John or Cal anticipated, though with Cal''s oath boosting both of them, they were managing to hold their own and damage it when able. John''s lightning infused sword caught the guardian in the chest on a well-placed and timed thrust, and it bellowed in pain from the hit. In a desperate attempt to save itself, it pushed back and blasted both Climbers away from itself in a cone of water, holding its chest with a free hand.


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    Blue blood poured from the wound, and Wyn knew they were close to the end.


    The guardian stomped its staff against the ground again and disappeared once more, appearing back at its throne. It held a hand to one of the white-flamed brazier and changed the color to blue before absorbing its flame. The blood stopped pouring from its chest as a blue aura engulfed its body, and the monster roared, shaking the room.


    "Shit!" John yelled.


    Wyn could feel the magic radiating off the creature. The muscles on its body seemed to be bulkier, and it appeared to be a full head taller than before.


    The magic not only healed its wound, but buffed its entire self.


    The guardian twirled its staff in the air and held it towards the Climbers. Wyn watched in a mixture of awe and disbelief as the staff changed into a footlong spear with the spearhead rippling of pure water. The sapphire gem shifted to the spear''s shaft just below the multi-pronged head that was now shaped like a trident.


    A large blue rune appeared under the guardian as it hissed at them ferociously. Two smaller black holes appeared on either side of it, and two Lamierts began crawling out of the spaces. They were their typical green color, but still larger in size than before with more leather armor covering their body and menacing weapons ready to attack. One held a tall spear and rounded shield, and the other two curved swords.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got more!¡± Marcy shouted.


    Behind the group at the entrance to the large chamber, another black portal opened on the stone floor. A third wave of creatures began climbing out of it, all more familiar with their color and size. Still, there were already a dozen clawed hands scratching at the stone to be the first to emerge, and more heads were popping into view behind them.


    ¡°Cedric, Cal, and John, stay on the guardian!¡± Wyn yelled. ¡°Marcy, with me. We¡¯ll hold this group off.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Tasha asked. She clutched her staff close to her body, frantically looking between both groups of enemies that sandwiched the Climbers.


    ¡°Call out injuries and heal when needed,¡± Wyn said. ¡°If you see an opening, though, hit ¡®em with your new spell.¡±


    Tasha took a deep breath and raised her staff. ¡°Got it!¡±


    Marcy fired an arrow into the group of monsters that exploded in a shroud of ice and mist, freezing two Lacerts on the spot and stumbling several more.


    The sound of metal clanging and weapons clashing could be heard from the far side of the room, and Wyn stole a quick glance. John and Cal were locked in a stalemate between the three larger monsters, none displaying an advantage. The crackle of Cedric¡¯s lightning made a near deafening boom, the Wizard running around their enemies with an impressive speed.


    Wyn refocused. He had his task, and he needed to perform.


    It was time to act.


    ¡°Speed Up.¡±


    Wyn dashed forward, using his newly boosted speed to catch as many of the monsters off guard as possible. There were over a dozen now, but it didn¡¯t matter - he wouldn¡¯t stop until each one was no longer a threat. He maneuvered his spear with deadly precision, alternating between slashing in various arcs, piercing thrusts, and even using the clawed end of his spear to hook and throw enemies out of his way.


    His coat and armor underneath kept him protected from most blows, but he still felt the impact from each hit he couldn¡¯t dodge, occasionally causing him to redirect his momentum. He¡¯d be bruised and battered after, but if he kept his effort up he knew he¡¯d avoid major damage.


    A Lamiert used its tail to grasp Wyn¡¯s legs, catching him off guard. It tripped him and he fell the ground, unable to move. He tried to sweep back with his spear but the tail went slack when he saw nearly a dozen arrows peppered into the monster and those directly beside it. Scrambling to his feet, he twirled his spear and used another charge of Wingbeat to try and keep as many of the creatures back as possible while saving his mana. He redoubled his efforts when up to keep attacking, pushing past his growing fatigue.


    ¡°John¡¯s hurt! I¡¯m healing him!¡± Tasha yelled.


    Wyn was grateful to the Mage in that moment as he pulled his spear out of yet another Lacert. He didn¡¯t want to lose immediate focus and trusted her to take care of the situation.


    In just a few minutes only two more enemies remained, both of which were promptly disposed. Wyn tried to manage his breathing but felt his muscles ache. His body was nearly spent.


    ¡°We almost have them!¡± Tasha yelled.


    Wyn rushed back to the others. Only one of the Lamierts was still standing and it was in poor shape, bleeding and cut all over. It continued to lash out with its spear at the closest Climber, but for each strike there were two that hit it.


    The guardian was now on the defensive. It healed its bodyguard periodically but also splashed water magic at whoever was close enough to potentially harm it. To Wyn¡¯s surprise, Tasha was in the middle of the fray beside John, casting her Shield spell to counter the enemy¡¯s magic and protect the Fighter.


    ¡°Just a bit more!¡± Cedric said.


    The Lamiert caught Cal in the foot with its tail and wrapped around it, pulling him off balance. Its spear dug hard into Cal¡¯s leg where there was no armor, and he yelled in pain. Cedric released another bolt of lightning that struck the back of the Lamiert, making it spasm as sparks of electricity ran along its body. Cal swiftly pounded it with his hammer while Marcy added a magical arrow to its chest.


    The monster fell and turned to ash, disappearing in the void of the tower.


    Tasha quickly moved to Cal¡¯s side and began to heal him.


    ¡°Guess I¡¯m a bit rusty,¡± Cal said.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing great,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Just hold still.¡± Her light shone bright as she used a charge of Cure, the large gash on his leg instantly starting to close up.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Marcy said. ¡°We¡¯re so close!¡±


    The guardian hissed once more in anger and teleported the short distance to its throne. The single brazier still remained lit, and it reached out with a hand to absorb the magic before abruptly turning to the entrance of the chamber.


    Another black portal appeared, though it stood upright rather than flat on the ground. Black mist swirled similar to the portals between floors, rather than a void of color the monsters emerged from.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t part of the floor,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I sense something bad. Very bad.¡±


    Wyn gripped his spear tight. He recognized that portal.


    Three humanoid figures slowly walked out of the darkness. One in the back was a giant of a person, tall and wide, and wore a sort of priestly hooded robe that was gray in color and covered their features. The other in the back was thinner and lean but similarly covered.


    Standing in front of both of them was a tall figure draped in a ripped black cloak and wearing a white porcelain mask. A sword was sheathed on their hip, familiar runes lining the edges and hilt.


    Wyn knew that figure. He knew that sword.


    The guardian pointed its spear to the newcomers and hissed before sending a jet of water directly at them. Magic filled the air as the wavy blue stream flew across the room.


    The shorter robed person stepped in front and held a hand out. A large black runic circle formed in the air and the jet stream of water disappeared into the rune without any push back or after effect.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t look like a shield,¡± Tasha said. ¡°What is that?¡±


    The black runes began to glow one after another within the formation while the jet continued. The guardian stopped its attack noting it failed but the runes stayed lit. The figure then splayed their arms out wide and the black runes went into them like they were embracing the magic.


    ¡°Not good,¡± Cedric said. ¡°That one can absorb magic. Who knows what they can do with it, either.¡±


    ¡°No, that is good,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Now we know that one¡¯s trick. All we have to do -¡±


    John¡¯s aura burned a bright red with the same intensity the last time Lionel appeared. He restrained himself from advancing just yet, but readied himself.


    ¡°All we have to do is kill them,¡± John said, almost hissing like his voice was laced with poison and malice.


    The figure they presumed was Lionel stepped forward and drew its sword. The runes along the blade flared to life and engulfed the entire blade in flames.


    ¡°Aliyar thanks you for the sword,¡± Lionel said. ¡°It¡¯s not an axe, but it¡¯ll do.¡±


    Wyn felt his heart hammer in his chest. Lionel mocked them. After everything that happened, he truly was someone not worthy of redemption.


    ¡°I¡¯m with John,¡± Marcy said. She drew an arrow and fired it at Lionel.


    Lionel didn¡¯t budge. The larger figure behind him raised a hand and caused a large piece of stone to fly up from the floor directly on the front of their group, knocking the arrow harmlessly to the side. The stone piece crumbled apart right away in the air.


    The guardian teleported beside the invaders and struck out with its water spear in a flash, but Lionel knocked it away with his own weapon. He then grabbed the guardian¡¯s arm and held it while an inky black substance rushed from under his cape to the monster, completely covering its body.


    The guardian screamed.


    The black substance swirled around the monster and silenced it in seconds. Then it shifted and began rotating back to Lionel.


    The guardian was now a dematerializing skeleton, its flesh ripped away from whatever Lionel¡¯s ability caused.


    Lionel then groaned and spasmed as the substance was reabsorbed into him. He fell to a knee and nearly dropped his sword.


    ¡°What in the hells is he,¡± John whispered.


    Lionel then stood up and flexed, and his height now matched the previously taller figure behind him. He ripped off his cape and revealed a blue, scaly torso with a more stout posture. Whatever his form was extended to his left shoulder and arm as though he tried to consume it but only partly succeeded. His sword continued to flicker with fire, and he pointed it at the group.


    John growled like a beast. Whatever shred of fear was there momentarily was gone.


    The others looked at the Fighter who similarly raised his lightning-infused sword and pointed it back.


    Wyn made sure to lower his voice. ¡°Cal, Marcy, take the shorter one. Cedric, with me on the big guy. Tasha, keep calling out information and helping when possible. And John?"


    ¡°Yea?¡±


    ¡°Get your sword back.¡±

 Book 1 - Chapter 68

    Wyn¡¯s skill had worn off but he still had around half of his mana remaining. His original plan was to conserve his mana and save it when needed, but all the monsters in the room had been defeated and the guardian was now dead. All that remained now were the invaders.


    The invaders being Lionel and whoever he brought from his mysterious organization.


    They were the last challenge to face. Wyn no longer needed to hold back - it was kill or be killed. He¡¯d been in this situation before. Brutality reared its ugly head like nothing else when your life hung in the balance. He¡¯d seen men and women do horrible things just so they were the one who walked away instead of their opponent.


    Killing monsters in the tower was one matter, but fighting against people was another entirely. He didn¡¯t know if his teammates had had to deal with it before, but after today they¡¯d join his ranks whether they wanted to or not.


    Looking into the eyes of the three enemies, Wyn knew they¡¯d already joined him.


    They were dangerous. But so was he.


    Some of his soldiers had fallen under his leadership before, but not again. Never again. He¡¯d give his own life before that happened. Now, though, he possessed magic to help his cause.


    A feeling of confidence swelled up within him. His group may not have the experience of fighting humans to the death, but they had the advantage of numbers. Now they just had to survive whatever magic their opponents used.


    Wyn already gave his orders. They split apart immediately, Marcy firing arrow after arrow at the group to divide their attention. Cal rushed the far left, yelling like Wyn had never heard him before. He cleared the distance in seconds, and his hammer swung through the air with a fierce speed directly over the shorter person.


    The hooded figure didn¡¯t move, only held a hand out in front of them.


    Between them, though, rose a circular pillar of earth a foot wide that absorbed the hammer¡¯s blow. It wasn¡¯t nearly strong enough of a defense as it exploded from the impact, sending shards and small pieces of rubble in all directions.


    The shorter person grunted as they were littered with stones, stumbling backwards from the unexpected result.


    Cal didn¡¯t let up, pushing past the stone rubble to continue his assault, but was interrupted from Lionel lashing out with his flaming sword. A loud clang reverberated through the hall as John¡¯s sword crackling with lightning stopped it dead, intercepting the strike.


    ¡°Go!¡± John yelled. ¡°He¡¯s mine.¡±


    Cal pushed off to the side as a blue arrow whizzed by his head, a trail of cold flying behind it. The shorter enemy recovered and formed another black rune in the air like a shield. The iced arrow disappeared through the rune as though it was shot into the night sky, gone from sight.


    Another arrow flew towards them but struck the stone floor directly in front of the runic circle. A whirlwind stirred up instantaneously, the force causing broken rock to fly around like a miniature tornado. Cal stumbled back from the strength of the magical impact.


    The person yelped in pained surprise, their hooded cloak flying away as they tumbled back hard on the ground. They slowly rose to one knee, brushing long, black hair out of their eyes. She then wiped the back of her hand against her bleeding mouth, steely grey eyes widening in angered surprise.


    Across the chamber, a flash of lightning arced through the air, streaking from Cedric¡¯s scepter towards the larger brute with a boom that echoed off the walls.


    Wyn lurched to the side from the sight and sound of the spell, surprised by the strength Cedric produced. He was nearly to the large figure but stopped just short when the lightning whizzed by him.


    The figure took the spell directly in the chest, though didn¡¯t so much as recoil from the magical power. Their cloak flew back, though, revealing a hefty man with a bulk that made Cal seem small. He wore a heavy beard with short hair, and his torso was completely covered in thick scaled armor. A wide block of earth crumbled before him, nearly invisible from the cloak but now exposed. It took the entirety of Cedric¡¯s spell and the man didn¡¯t so much as blink.


    ¡°Not good,¡± Cedric said.


    The man ripped off his cloak and threw it to the side with a smirk. Runes formed under him on the stone floor, and pieces of stone crawled up his boots, legs and body towards his arms. They covered him from his shoulders to fingers, and he flexed and waved his stone arms with confidence.


    Wyn cursed under his breath. His spear wouldn¡¯t do much against a hard defense like that. He¡¯d be better served with Cal¡¯s hammer. The only advantage he had was his weapon¡¯s wind element having the upper hand against the brute¡¯s obvious earth elemental magic. It wasn¡¯t much to rely on, but Wyn¡¯s only choice was to try and test the elemental match up.


    In a swift move, Wyn lunged forward with a quick swipe of his spear. There wasn¡¯t much power behind it, but Wyn wanted to see the elemental effect. Tactics could be changed depending on the outcome.


    The man dodged the strike to the side, completely avoiding the spearhead.


    Wyn blinked in surprise, then regained his footing. He swiped again, this time in a larger arc and with more effort.


    The man twisted his body in a way that his bulk shouldn¡¯t have allowed him to move, but the spear still made contact. It felt like striking against a stone wall with a mundane, nonmagical spear. Wyn¡¯s arms vibrated from the hit, and it wasn¡¯t even a firm point of contact.


    The man chuckled. ¡°I knew this wouldn¡¯t be too hard against a bunch of rookies. Lionel was right after all.¡±


    Another streak of lightning flew into the man in a flash, but he didn¡¯t so much as blink. The spell was weaker than the last one, too, with less of a flashing light and barely so much as a clap of thunder in after-effect. What was different, though, was that three more followed in quick succession, causing the man to protect his face and neck with his stone-covered arms.


    The attack bought Wyn a second to think. His testing confirmed this matchup was not good. Even if his spear was able to slice through those stone arms and whatever else the man created, his scaled chest armor would protect him enough from Wyn¡¯s spear. He had a few spells to help even out the odds, but he wondered how much mana and effort it would take to truly take him out.


    A boom across the hall pulled Wyn¡¯s attention for a split second. The brute also looked over, completely ignoring Cedric and Wyn altogether. It seemed as though he didn¡¯t view them as a threat.


    Lionel and John were still locked in a duel, trading blows as though nothing else in the world mattered. For John, that much was true, and he was likely blinded to the environment in his rage. Wyn hoped Tasha would make sure he wasn¡¯t harmed by the other two. The two men fought in an ugly, disorganized brawl, more akin to a street fight than swordplay. But they weren¡¯t looking to score points for a tournament. They were both out for blood.


    The noise didn¡¯t come from them, to Wyn¡¯s surprise. He realized that Cal and Marcy had the third enemy - a woman - running all over the room, and that the noise was a large, fiery explosion courtesy of Marcy.


    ¡°Damnit!¡± A woman¡¯s voice screamed. ¡°Harold, get that damn Archer already! I can¡¯t do a thing with her blasted arrows!¡±


    The brutish man bolted across the room with surprising speed, splintering stone with each step. He aimed straight for Marcy, closing the distance in seconds.


    Marcy stood her ground, drawing a glowing arrow directly at the man.


    Harold laughed and raised his stone arms. ¡°You cocky little -¡±


    A large rune suddenly glowed beneath the bulky man¡¯s feet. Multiple strands of thick rope flew out of the magic circle, wrapping around Harold¡¯s entire body. Only small windows of his earth armor and his head were visible, the rest suddenly and completely enveloped in intertwined ropes.


    Harold¡¯s smile quickly turned sour. He pulled against the ropes but found no leverage as his arms were tied at his sides and legs held in place like a trapped animal.


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    Wyn figured the giant of a man would find a way out sooner rather than later, and opted to take advantage of the restraint. He still had no sure idea how to even injure Harold, but he was currently out of their fight. One idea struck him, but it would have to wait. The woman was the next, obvious target.


    Wyn likely only had seconds. He doubted he could trust the others to do what was needed, and didn¡¯t want to argue about the amount of lethality needed in this fight. Based on Lionel and John¡¯s engagement, though, it was obvious where their opponents stood.


    Wyn silently cast Speed Up on himself, then drew a mana potion as fast as his fingers allowed from his waist. He popped the cork and downed it, anxiety increasing with each second. It wasn¡¯t particularly enjoyable, but wasn¡¯t terrible, either. There wasn¡¯t much flavor to it at all. The worst part was the potion was thick in his mouth and it felt like drinking syrup. If it was more like water he could¡¯ve swallowed it faster, but the thickened liquid took more time than Wyn wanted. Still, he wanted to be sure he could use any spell or skill needed for the minutes ahead. His Lucidity skill wouldn¡¯t recover enough for what he planned to do.


    He tossed the empty bottle down and sprinted towards the woman on the other side of the room. She wasn¡¯t terribly far, but there was no hiding his approach.


    The woman whipped her head towards him and raised a hand, but Wyn was too fast.


    ¡°Flash!¡± Wyn yelled, hoping the spell was faster than her or that it couldn¡¯t be absorbed. He didn¡¯t know how her magic worked, but the spell wasn¡¯t a direct attack on her. It only coated a certain area in bright light, which hopefully was enough of a distraction.


    The woman pulled her arms around her face and cried out in a panicked scream. A large black hole formed in front of her, but she was too slow. The spell lived up to its namesake, starting and finishing before she was able to use her own ability to absorb it.


    Wyn immediately dashed around her, hoping to flank her. She knelt, making herself a smaller target while rubbing her face with her forearm. The black hole stayed in front of her, a last minute defense in case more spells came her way.


    It didn¡¯t matter.


    Wyn stabbed his spear forward as fast as possible, using his speed as increased momentum to drive the weapon through any armor she may be wearing.


    His breath caught only once when he realized the spear head completely went through her torso, not encountering any resistance whatsoever. A small part of him was surprised she didn¡¯t wear any armor, but a larger part was grateful she didn¡¯t.


    The woman let out a bloodcurdling scream that was quickly drowned out from her coughing up blood.


    Wyn twisted his spear as he pulled it back through her, then stabbed higher on her body. He didn¡¯t want any question as to whether she could still use her magic or not - this was the time for finality, not hesitancy.


    The woman slumped while the weapon was still piercing through her torso. Wyn saw her body fall lifeless to the ground, blood quickly pooling beneath her from the first wound while his spear stood straight up towards the ceiling.


    His heart raced, but he took a deep breath to steady himself. It was never easy taking a life. Magical monsters and creatures didn¡¯t weigh on his conscience, but ending a person¡¯s life was a completely different matter. Memories of war flooded his mind, threatening to take over any moment. His company. His enemies. Cries of rallying and dying soldiers mixed to create a ghastly song in his head.


    Wyn slapped himself in the face. ¡°No,¡± he said, out loud to no one. ¡°Stay away!¡±


    One of those familiar rallying cries pierced his ears. He jerked his head to the source. Harold was straining himself against the ropes, successfully pulling them apart in his anger from his ally dying.


    The man stared directly at Wyn, his face blood red and eyes wide. Spittle flew from his mouth like a rabid animal.


    One rope snapped. Then another quickly followed, a chain reaction setting off from his rage.


    ¡°Marcy, Cal, hit him with everything you got!¡± Wyn yelled. He yanked his spear free from the dead woman.


    Cal stood still, his hammer down by his side. ¡°Wyn, you¡­ you killed her.¡± His voice hardly carried more than a few feet from him.


    Wyn rushed across the room. He ran straight to Cal and pushed him hard in the shoulder. To his credit, the man hardly budged from his armor and size. Wyn stared in the man¡¯s eyes, not bothering to keep his voice calm. ¡°Cal, it¡¯s not the time. We¡¯re next if you don¡¯t act! If you want to be a Climber again, it means doing what¡¯s necessary when the time comes!¡±


    Cal didn¡¯t shift his gaze away from the dead woman.


    Wyn stepped around him. There was no point right now. That conversation, whatever it would be, needed to happen later. If there would be a later.


    Marcy had an arrow half drawn with her bow. It was pointed at Harold but her attention was skewed. She looked between the group, her eyes frantic and constantly moving.


    Wyn felt his heart racing again. Not in fear or anxiety, but in anger. Would they all break down this easily?


    ¡°Focus!¡± Wyn yelled. He wished he had a spell that could snap his friends out of their daze.


    In response, a large ball of harsh wind formed around Harold, kicking up dirt and rubble in all directions. The fierce gusts were visible in the air, slightly green in magical arcs that cut into the stone floor like swords through flesh.


    Harold screamed for a different reason, now. The ropes were flaying quickly, and his armor crumbled from the gales while exposed flesh was cut in dozens of areas.


    ¡°Go!¡± Cedric yelled, suddenly beside Wyn. His knuckles were white around his scepter. ¡°I can¡¯t change my element again, but hopefully that weakens him enough! We need to end this!¡±


    Bolstered with confidence that at least one Climber in their group was helping, Wyn sprang forward. Cedric¡¯s spell was still active, continuing to cut Harold on his legs, head and neck. Wyn couldn¡¯t enter the area yet, not without stepping into the deadly winds himself.


    He held his spear at the ready and bent his knees. Suddenly the spell stopped, and Wyn lunged forward with another strike of his spear at an exposed area where Harold¡¯s armor was damaged. He knew his spear would cut more of the ropes binding the brute, but he needed to deal a heavy blow. He doubted any single strike would be fatal at this point, but any advantage was worth taking.


    Harold broke free at the same exact time, pushing his exposed arms to swipe the spear away. Most of his body was still retrained by the magical ropes, but his strength was immense. More ropes snapped as he slowly moved out of the trap.


    Each snap was a precursor to an enraged beast being set free, a harrowing noise that made even Marcy flinch and step back. The bow in her hands shook with trepidation, and the arrow fell loose off of its nocked position.


    Wyn knew if the man gained momentum he¡¯d be a bear to handle. Maybe even impossible. He reached out with his free hand, hoping to gain an edge. ¡°Feeble!¡±


    A large skull appeared above Harold as he seemed to shrink a bit from the spell. He was still intimidating, but he looked more manageable in a fight. Unfortunately as he physically shrunk a bit, the last of the ropes binding him fell off of him like baggy clothes.


    That was certainly not what Wyn intended.


    Harold stepped closer to Wyn and lunged out with one of his stone arms. The punch didn¡¯t seem slowed at all from the spell, and Wyn felt his spear vibrate when he deflected it to the side. There was plenty of strength still in the man, but his confidence grew again. His weapon was a favorable type matchup. Harold¡¯s strength was reduced, he was weakened, and he was outnumbered.


    Wyn wanted this over, and over fast. John still needed help.


    Harold summoned a large block of stone and hurled it at Wyn. Wyn sprang to one side, avoiding it as it flew across the room. Two stones floated in the air in front of Harold now, both smaller but still the size of his torso. Like the first one, they launched directly at Wyn.


    Wyn jumped, leapt, and circled around Harold while giving himself some space, all while avoiding one stone attack after another. Harold changed up the size or amount each time, trying to outsmart Wyn though it didn¡¯t matter. His speed wasn¡¯t anywhere near where it needed to be to land a blow. Still, the attacks came relentlessly, and Wyn couldn¡¯t close the distance without potentially taking a hit, and that was something he definitely didn¡¯t want to do. In addition, some of the attacks were too close to chance, and he had to rely on his Shield spell more than once to avoid a direct hit.


    ¡°Marcy, help!¡± Wyn yelled, ducking under a boulder the size of his head. ¡°Distract him so I can attack!¡±


    Marcy fumbled an arrow and fired it, but it went wide. ¡°Shit.¡± She shakily drew another arrow from her quiver, though only managed to spill several of them onto the stone floor.


    She bent down and grabbed at them with trembling hands. She cursed herself. Why was this so hard? She saw and caused death all the time. Did Cedric almost dying really affect her that much?


    A hand gently grasped her forearm.


    Marcy looked up at Cedric. He wasn¡¯t smiling. He wasn¡¯t even mad. He just¡­ stared at her.


    ¡°Look deep inside yourself, Marcy. If you don¡¯t, this will happen again. Or worse.¡± He nodded at his empty shoulder where only his robes fell by his side.


    Marcy felt emotions rise inside her she hadn¡¯t felt in some time. She took a deep breath and clenched her jaw. ¡°Okay.¡±


    The Ranger drew an arrow with the same confidence and ease she¡¯d always done. Harold and Wyn were locked in a stalemate, one standing his ground and one running and leaping like a gazelle. She aimed directly at Harold, his back to her. His back that was exposed, no longer covered with earth as he fired so much of the element at Wyn.


    ¡°Multiply.¡±


    The singular arrow that fired from Marcy¡¯s bow split itself into nearly a dozen arrows mid flight. Nearly all of them struck the man, hitting his back and legs like a pincushion.


    Harold screamed and fell to one knee.


    Wyn paused for only a second then dashed forward. When he was within range, he stabbed forward with a grunt.


    The spear pierced the brute¡¯s chest, but Harold grabbed the weapon with two bulky, cut arms and held it in place. Blood fell from both sides of the man¡¯s lips, and he growled at Wyn like a wild animal. The arrows sticking out of him swayed from his shaking rage.


    He just didn¡¯t know how to die. Thankfully, Wyn knew how to kill.


    The next action happened all at once. Wyn let go of his spear that was in a stalemate with Harold so he could draw the dagger at his lower back. Then he closed the distance between them and stabbed the brute through the neck in one fluid motion.


    Harold¡¯s growls turned to gurgles and his eyes widened in surprise. He spit his last breath, one last act of defiance, coating Wyn in a spray of blood.


    Wyn recovered his two weapons then caught eyes with Marcy. She looked hurt, confused, and shocked. She wanted to say something, but her words were caught in her throat.


    Wyn ignored her, looking for Lionel and John. He caught Tasha¡¯s gaze this time. The Mage bent over and threw up on the floor, dropping her staff. Marcy and Cedric rushed to her side.


    She¡¯d be fine. Wyn knew that. It didn¡¯t make watching someone die easier, of course, but lives were on the line. Like John¡¯s.


    Another loud clang echoed across the mostly empty room. John had fallen to the ground, Lionel standing over him. Something was wrong.


    Wyn redoubled his efforts and dashed across the room. His friend wouldn¡¯t get hurt again. Not by that same man. He¡¯d give his life if that was the cost - he only hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to that.

 Book 1 - Chapter 69

    John felt fatigue wash over him like an uncomfortable wave. Which was surprising as his Resolve skill was working at all times to keep his endurance at levels no normal human could match, even for being a beginner Climber. That didn¡¯t seem to matter now, though. Lionel wasn¡¯t a beginner Climber anymore. And he sure as the hells didn¡¯t seem like a normal human.


    Each swing of John¡¯s sword was met by a crude parry from Lionel¡¯s own. Or, specifically, John¡¯s sister¡¯s sword. The very sword that was stolen from him.


    John¡¯s anger rose with each failed blow. It was one thing to be at a stalemate facing a monster, especially if he was out of his depth, but this was another Fighter. Someone who he¡¯d sparred with, fought alongside, and beaten multiple times before. Only it wasn¡¯t the same man. Whoever Lionel used to be was long gone. If there was even a shred of his old self behind the new, dense scales on his torso and arm and behind that freakish mask he wore, he wasn¡¯t an ally or friend anymore. He severed that bond the moment he tried to end John¡¯s life.


    Another clang of swords crashing into each other jolted John¡¯s arm. The lightning that visibly covered his sword lashed with small jolts at Lionel, but the flaming sword seemed to keep them at bay with its own wispy flames, two elements clashing but the stronger one winning out. The blow felt like John struck a metal pole, and Lionel didn¡¯t seem fazed at all. When John would recoil Lionel would stand resolute. John¡¯s ragged breaths were growing while Lionel looked strangely at ease and comfortable. The monster man¡¯s attacks were still untrained and fierce, obviously more suited to an axe than a sword, but he was stronger, faster, and more resilient than John ever remembered.


    John blocked an incoming punch from Lionel¡¯s monstrous arm with his shield, and it caused him to stagger. It felt more like an impact from a club, and with similar strength, too. Lionel had an opening where he could¡¯ve quickly stabbed John and likely secured his victory but ignored it out of pure egotistical confidence. John was too fatigued to keep his defense up, fear rising in him as he realized where their fight was heading.


    John¡¯s emotions fueled him but his strikes were sloppy and slow towards the end of their fight. His chest expanded and fell with each breath, sweat dripping from slick hair under his helmet as though he just stepped out of a bath wearing his gear. Energy escaped him, the only fuel remaining being pure emotion. His shield hung limply at his side, and it looked to be more of a burden at the moment than anything.


    ¡°You can¡¯t win, John,¡± Lionel said, his voice rough and muffled under the porcelain mask. He kept his sword down at his side, not even standing in a readied stance. ¡°Put down your sword and I¡¯ll make it quick.¡±


    John growled in anger. Nothing was going his way. This impossible enemy, his own shortcomings. What did all of his training mean if he would just give up and succumb to his own fate?


    ¡°Focus,¡± John said, and felt another wave of energy flow through him as he was coated in a red aura on top of the lingering Arcane Aura Tasha cast for the second time. He had enough mana for a few more skills but he needed to be smart about when to use them. Now seemed like the perfect time because he wouldn¡¯t have any more time if he was dead.


    The surge of power helped tip the scales as John pushed harder with his attacks. Lionel went more on the defensive, blocking attacks more than countering, but he still wasn¡¯t taking any damage.


    John feinted with an attack and bashed Lionel with his shield when he saw an opening, forcing him to flinch. He then saw an opportunity that hadn¡¯t opened before.


    ¡°Defense Break,¡± John said, and slashed across Lionel¡¯s chest. His sword glowed with a blue aura on top of the crackling lightning, and the blade sliced through Lionel¡¯s scales. The transformed man recoiled and yelled in pain as lightning coursed through him, amplified by the elemental advantage after he absorbed the water boss.


    John could hardly believe it. His attack worked! He then pushed harder with his assault, following up with a series of stabs and slashes, but Lionel¡¯s fury escalated. He started moving in a manner more akin to a raging beast than a man, wildly punching and lashing out with his flaming sword. The attack was an onslaught, his new strength revealing itself in speed and power.


    John mentally boosted himself with Guard Up, layering another protective aura on top of his rapidly diminishing one. He only had enough mana to use one more skill, and he saved that one in case of him losing. Like now. Lionel was too overwhelming, too much of a threat, too far gone.


    Each hit made John retreat, forcing him on his heels and off balance. Every blow from sword, flame, and fist caused a chunk of his magical protection to disappear, and for the second time being a Climber he feared he wouldn¡¯t survive, both times from the same person.


    A heavy fist connected with his stomach when his aura was finally gone. Despite his physical armor the hit made him double over, and he was too slow to react to the knee he saw coming for his face. He felt his nose break instantly as his head jerked back, and a new, sharp pain caused by fire and blade across his lower stomach and hip caused him to drop to the ground.


    This was it, then. He held on for as long as he could. Hopefully his friends could help where he failed.


    *****


    Wyn rushed to John¡¯s side, his speed still increased. The two Fighters remained locked in a battle, but John was nearly done. His red aura was completely gone and a faint glow of magical armor covered only his back and legs. He was on the ground after Lionel brutally attacked him and Wyn couldn¡¯t tell if there were any life threatening injures from that attack.


    Wyn had to be ready for anything. Just how strong had Lionel become? And why hadn¡¯t he finished John yet? Was toying with him part of his twisted goal, or was he truly just that deranged?


    The moment Wyn entered the fight the entire dynamic changed. John groaned in pain and stopped resisting. Two loud clangs echoed through the room as his equipment fell to the stone floor. Not that it mattered, as the now-heavy sword and shield were only delaying the inevitable, but John still felt a sharp pang of shame for his inability to continue the fight. Even though he was slowly bleeding out and his vision became blurrier by the second, he was frustrated more than anything.


    Lionel, though, seemingly sucked John¡¯s anger and energy like he did the floor boss just minutes prior. Seeing Wyn made his eyes widen in fury, his knuckles growing white from clenched fists.


    ¡°You,¡± Lionel growled, swatting Wyn¡¯s spear to the side with his scaled arm. ¡°Damn Red Mage always interfering.¡±


    ¡°You,¡± Wyn said, recovering his spear and swiping at the man again. ¡°Traitor and monster.¡±


    Lionel raised his left hand to inspect it. His forearm and hand were larger and foreign, possessing short but sharp nails and a girth that didn¡¯t seem to match the rest of Lionel¡¯s body. It truly looked like he stole the body of the monster.


    ¡°I guess in a way I am,¡± Lionel said. ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes, then so be it.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll do what I came here to do. You¡¯re just another monster, after all.¡± He held out a hand and cast Feeble. The familiar runes activated in front of his hand but the skull that should have appeared above Lionel¡¯s head faded into nothing almost as soon as it came.


    Panicking, Wyn cast Flash next, hoping to blind Lionel. The man didn¡¯t so much as flinch, unaffected whatsoever.


    So his spells that could reduce Lionel¡¯s abilities didn¡¯t work. He wondered if his mask reduced Flash¡¯s ability, but he had no idea why Feeble wouldn¡¯t be effective. It was likely something with his new abilities but there was no sense in worrying about it now.


    Wyn lunged forward with his spear to strike Lionel¡¯s leg. If he could block John¡¯s sword blows with the durability of those scales, then Wyn¡¯s spear likely wouldn¡¯t do much to Lionel¡¯s torso and arm. But hopefully the rest of him didn¡¯t have the same change. That was Wyn¡¯s plan, cripple him and drag him down long enough for the others to join, or find a good opening and take his chance to kill him outright. He doubted he had the ability to kill Lionel himself since he looked stronger than his two allies and it took the rest of the group to help take them down.


    But damnit if Wyn wasn¡¯t going to try. Maybe, just maybe, he could hold out long enough for their victory. There was still the rest of his group, too. But he made up his mind then and there. He¡¯d die before he let this traitor hurt one of his friends again.


    *****


    Marcy hoisted Tasha to her feet and wiped some dust off of her robes. She ignored the small puddle of vomit at her feet. It was harder to ignore the dead man¡¯s body behind her but she willed herself to focus. There were more pressing matters right now. If she didn¡¯t act and act quickly, there¡¯d be more dead bodies, and ones that she actually cared about.


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    ¡°Tasha, you need to get your shit together,¡± Cedric said.


    The two women looked at the Wizard with shocked expressions.


    Cedric pointed towards Wyn and Lionel with his scepter. ¡°John is nearly dead. Again. Go heal him and keep Wyn alive.¡±


    Tasha looked at John and gasped. Then she lightly smacked herself in the face as though she was trying to wake up from a deep sleep. ¡°Alright. Of course.¡± Without another breath she ran forwards and cast several Cures on John, pointing her staff to the downed Fighter. A large runic formation appeared at her staff and bobbed in the air as she ran before releasing a pulsing wave of white light. The aura seemed to teleport to John as it enveloped him in a light that was thicker even than his stacked Fighter skills. When she got close she dropped her staff and pulled him back with great effort.


    ¡°I¡­ won¡¯t¡­ let¡­ you¡­ die,¡± Tasha said, breaking between each word to grunt and drag his body away from the ensuing battle between Wyn and Lionel.


    John started to laugh but instantly stopped after he only coughed up blood.


    Tasha smacked him across the face then hugged him on the ground, never taking her eyes off of Wyn. She had a feeling he might need her soon, too.


    Marcy half drew an arrow then stopped. There was no good shot at Lionel with him being directly engaged with Wyn. Even though Wyn wasn¡¯t as close to him due to his spear¡¯s reach, his fast movements made him just as likely to be hit as Lionel. He was unpredictable with his positioning and attacks, constantly feinting, stabbing, slashing, dodging, and rolling around Lionel like a one-man whirlwind. Unfortunately whatever tactic he had in mind made ranged attacking more of a liability than asset. That was likely why Cedric hadn¡¯t joined him in attacking that betraying bastard.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get a clean shot,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Wyn¡¯s too damn fast and moving everywhere. If I use a magical attack the excess effect will hit him, too.¡±


    ¡°Then wait for an opening to at least distract Lionel,¡± Cedric said. ¡°That could give Wyn an edge. You¡¯re a far better aim than me.¡±


    Marcy drew one of her magical arrows and patiently waited for that exact moment. In what felt like ages she finally saw an opportunity and released her arrow, aiming directly at Lionel¡¯s back. The arrow flew with a slight trail of green following behind its fletchings. Right before impact, Lionel twisted his body and raised his left arm to block a blow from Wyn¡¯s spear, which also unfortunately deflected the arrow.


    The man turned his gaze towards the Ranger as his porcelain mask faced her but ultimately kept his attention on fighting Wyn.


    ¡°Damnit,¡± Marcy said. She started to draw another arrow but stopped. ¡°This is taking too long. And in case you can¡¯t tell from here, Wyn isn¡¯t exactly the stronger fighter.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to do. I can¡¯t attack for the same reason you can¡¯t, even more so. Cal isn¡¯t in his right mind to help, and he¡¯s more of a liability even if I could convince him to snap out of it. We need someone else to help Wyn.¡±


    Another twang of Wyn¡¯s spear bouncing off Lionel¡¯s scales echoed through the chamber. Marcy was tired of standing to the side. She¡¯d let the newer Climbers try to gain experience and prove themselves all season long, helping when needed but mostly taking the time to mentally gather herself after nearly losing her friend. This time was different, though. Another friend was on the brink of death, and she actually had the means to make a difference.


    She took her bow and quiver and dropped them on the floor.


    Cedric jerked his head in surprise. ¡°Marcy?¡±


    ¡°New plan,¡± Marcy said. She drew her kukris and took a deep breath. There was only one skill she had that could help her in direct combat as her others were all focused on her ranged ability. It was mostly used to keep her alive in fights where she needed to be at her peak of perception, even beyond what her Extrasensory provided her. She hadn¡¯t needed to use it only climbing the first few floors. There was the occasional time when she activated it just for fun, but now wasn¡¯t a time like that. This was an entirely different scenario.


    ¡°Keep an eye out for an opening,¡± Marcy replied. She started trotting forward towards the fight and mentally activated her Reflex Up skill. A green aura surrounded her as she closed the distance.


    *****


    Wyn felt his Speed Up was starting to fade so he willed it to reactivate. It came on just in time, too, as another wild slash from Lionel came far too close to his head for comfort. There was no need in watching his mana cost either - he had enough to spare in this last fight after the several uses of Shield to protect himself when his speed couldn¡¯t. The only things keeping him from injury was his heightened speed, his protective spell, and Lionel¡¯s ineptitude with a sword. Ironically, if Lionel would¡¯ve brought even a basic magic axe, he probably would¡¯ve been far more effective.


    Wyn was thankful for Lionel¡¯s hubris. It would ultimately be his downfall.


    As Wyn dodged another attack and leapt to the side, he saw Marcy running towards them with two of her curved short swords. Hope swelled inside of him at that moment. Another warrior on his side would make the difference, and her skill at fighting would be more than enough.


    Lionel tried to follow up a missed swing with a swipe of his monstrous hand but lurched forward instead. When he turned, Marcy stood at his back, already attacking with her second weapon. Lionel turned to block it but felt Wyn¡¯s spear cut at a soft spot on the back of his leg, causing him to howl in pain.


    Lionel activated the runes on his sword and lashed out with a wide swath of flames, causing both Marcy and Wyn to jump backwards in defense. They quickly returned to the fight, attacking on either side of Lionel to maximize their chance of landing another blow. Lionel¡¯s attacks became even more chaotic than before as he twirled with his sword like an amateur or lashed out like an animal with his claws.


    Wyn saw another opening and found purchase with his spear in Lionel¡¯s thigh just below his hip. The man actually stopped and fell to a knee from the blow as Wyn withdrew his spear. Marcy stepped forward to attack when Lionel grabbed her ankle and held firm, his monstrous arm whipping out with lightning speed.


    In her surprise and disrupted footing her sword went wide as she attacked.


    Lionel stabbed his sword directly through her thigh as it was held in place, causing her to scream in pain. He twisted the sword as he yanked it free, spraying the floor with Marcy¡¯s blood. He tried another stab but Wyn blocked it with a well timed and placed Shield. Wyn swiped at Lionel''s face with the butt of his spear to try and yank him to the side and let go of Marcy¡¯s leg.


    The porcelain mask was lifted and pulled as Lionel jerked back and fell to the ground. It shattered on the stone floor.


    Marcy crawled away as quickly possible, her leg unmoving and pouring blood with each push.


    A crack of lightning blasted through the room in a boom louder than anything Wyn had heard before. It struck Lionel and lit up the chamber in a bright light as though he cast Flash again. Lionel screamed in pain as visible streaks of lightning ran across his body from Cedric¡¯s attack, and he coughed blood once he took a breath. He clutched his smoking chest and stared at the Wizard who was already readying another attack.


    Lionel burst forward with his flaming sword lighting his way with a speed that matched Wyn¡¯s after being enhanced. When the deranged Fighter came closer, Cedric could see a raging bloodlust in his eyes. One hit would likely kill him outright, and he had absolutely no desire to be injured again. His circlet began to glow as he willed it to activate, and he tapped his boots on the stone floor at the same time. Instantly a red aura enveloped him from his boots.


    Lionel continued his advance and swiped at Cedric, hitting only air. The spot where the Wizard just stood was now empty, and he appeared a short distance away closer to Wyn. His circlet still glowed but was dimmer than before.


    ¡°You damned Mage!¡± Lionel yelled. ¡°Fight me like a man!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fighting you like a Climber fights a monster,¡± Cedric said. He raised his scepter and launched another spell. Four small arrow-like streaks of lightning flew from a large yellow rune that formed in the air, all curving directly towards Lionel. The unmasked man jumped to the side, dodging one, then feebly blocked the rest after activating a large blast of flames from his sword. The sword¡¯s fire evaporated and the weapon went dull, the magic used. But the elemental effect still washed over him like a painful static charge, and he was stunned from the pain.


    Wyn rushed across the room as fast as he could. Tasha was already sending a healing spell to Marcy, so at least she was safe. But the threat was still ever present. Lionel had to be stopped, and he needed to be stopped now. Whatever the cost.


    Another arc of lightning boomed as it struck the stone floor directly beside Lionel, missing him. He lunged at the last moment to avoid Cedric¡¯s attack, then turned his rage to the Wizard. He gained the distance far too fast, but the Wizard teleported backwards again before being hit. Luckily he passed Wyn as he teleported and the Ruby Magician clashed with Lionel once more.


    This time, Wyn had an advantage. Lionel was more chaotic and hurt, showing openings with each swing of his sword in his blind rage. Wyn¡¯s speed was more than enough. The only problem was his inability to pierce his scaled torso.


    Except, now his chest was scarred from Cedric¡¯s lightning attack. It was his weak point. That¡¯s where Wyn needed to attack.


    When an opening presented itself seconds later, Wyn stabbed his spear deep into Lionel¡¯s chest at the scarred point and held it. The spear head was completely buried, and unless Lionel could heal himself, it would be a fatal wound.


    Lionel clenched his teeth in anger and pain and pushed himself forward on the spear, digging it deeper. As he did, he lurched forward with his sword awkwardly and stabbed Wyn deep in his stomach.


    Wyn had never felt pain like that before. He instantly felt blood pool in his mouth, and he coughed it out subconsciously. The move made his stomach twitch causing more pain. Reflexively he cast Regen on himself. Despite his uses of Speed Up and Shield, using the mana potion before let him have enough to cast it. Wyn was confident it would keep him alive but the pain was still shocking.


    Lionel dropped the sword and grabbed Wyn by the neck. A strange sensation started to cover Wyn, almost like a magical blanket stemming from Lionel¡¯s hand. The man laughed, his eyes large and feral. Wyn could feel his magic leave him, the white aura around him dissipating far faster than it should. Worse of all, he felt the healing at his stomach stop.


    ¡°I can take your energy and make it my own,¡± Lionel said hoarsely. ¡°Then I¡¯ll kill each of your friends. Prove myself to be powerful and worthy!¡±


    Wyn¡¯s mind scrambled. The damned monster was stealing his healing aura for himself. Unless he was killed right here and now, Wyn was as good as dead.


    ¡°Cedric!¡± Wyn yelled, his voice strained from Lionel¡¯s grip. ¡°Kill him!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hit you too!¡± Cedric yelled back. ¡°I can¡¯t!¡±


    Wyn looked over at the Wizard. Fear was uncharacteristically plastered all over his face, but his scepter still glowed with a bright yellow light.


    Lionel¡¯s grip was tightening and Wyn couldn¡¯t speak. His mouth formed a plea and he hoped that Cedric could see him. That he understood the seriousness of the situation. He knew it had to be done. He¡¯d much rather be the one to die rather than any of his teammates. Rather than his friends.


    A bright light filled Wyn¡¯s vision and he knew Cedric was casting a spell. Good. At least it¡¯d be over soon. The last thing Wyn saw was Lionel¡¯s face changing from anger to fear. It was that moment that Wyn knew they¡¯d won.


    Then, darkness took him.

 Book 1 - Chapter 70

    Wyn stirred. The darkness that enveloped him was gradually lightening, like light filtering in from the morning sun past your eyelids after a long night¡¯s sleep. Wyn opened his eyes and realized that was exactly what happened. He was lying in an unfamiliar bed wrapped in a simple white sheet.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re awake,¡± a woman¡¯s voice said. It was familiar but Wyn couldn¡¯t place a name to it. What he could sense, though, was a familiar scent of sandalwood that reminded him of home. Specifically the happiness, of what little was there.


    Wyn turned his head and saw the attractive woman give him an even more attractive smile. She was straightening the sheets on the bed beside him.


    ¡°Not that I was worried,¡± the woman continued. ¡°But they¡¯ve been asking to see you the moment you woke up. They¡¯re a bit obnoxious, if I¡¯m being honest.¡±


    Wyn laughed. He abruptly stopped himself, expecting pain in his stomach to flare. But nothing happened. He lifted his sheet to find he was wearing a fresh undershirt and simple brown pants, neither of which fit him well. But his stomach was completely fine. It looked as though nothing had happened.


    He relaxed further back into the bed, relief washing over him like hot water in a private bath.


    ¡°Your body healed fine,¡± the woman continued. ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering about.¡±


    ¡°It was, yes. But I seem to be as good as new.¡±


    ¡°Physically, sure.¡±


    Wyn turned his head towards her. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    The woman pulled up a chair and sat in it. She gently set her hands on her lap and took a deep breath. Her hair fell nearly to her waist, dark and curly. It was beautiful.


    ¡°Magic can heal the body extremely well. Within reason, of course. It can¡¯t regenerate missing limbs or organs, but tier three healing spells can reattach them if applied fast enough. But that¡¯s just our bodies. Our memories of what happened, our mental strength¡­ those are far different and can¡¯t be addressed with healing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still better than any natural healing or non-tower magical healing I¡¯ve heard of. And obviously my stomach is better for it.¡±


    The woman laughed. It was sweet and melodic like a soft song. Wyn felt heat rush to his face at the sound.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad your stomach is alright. How¡¯s your head? Not the outside. That looks just fine. The inside, I mean.¡±


    Wyn blanched. Her comment caught him off guard and he stammered out a response. ¡°Umm, it¡¯s good. I think.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    Wyn smiled awkwardly. He was confidently not making a good impression. ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with far worse than this. Mentally, I mean. I¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    The woman furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°You have? I¡¯m sorry. That sounds like a hard life.¡±


    ¡°You can say that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll have to tell me about it sometime.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s face grew hot again. He was fairly sure if he were any redder he¡¯d look like a tomato.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Wyn finally said. ¡°But I don¡¯t even know your name.¡±


    ¡°Christine,¡± the woman said, flashing a smile. ¡°Come find me sometime between all that climbing.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Wyn said, still stammering. He tried to sit up more in his bed but Christine stood first, then gently touched his shoulder.


    ¡°Stay and rest,¡± Christine said. ¡°Take it while you can. I¡¯ll go get your friends.¡±


    Wyn only nodded, unsure of what else to say. As she walked away, he mentally slapped himself. Through all of his experiences, all of his time at war with battle-hardened soldiers, higher ranked officials, and even nobles, now was the time he lost his ability to think clearly? He¡¯d been with women before, like most soldiers. But never one who he was so smitten with. Was that the difference?


    Before Wyn could think about her further, he heard several pairs of footsteps stomping down the medical wing. When he looked, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. His entire group rushed over, each one carrying a different expression. But still, they were here, and that was comforting enough.


    Tasha got to him first and threw herself onto him in a hug. The move startled him but didn¡¯t hurt. It was just awkward that he was half lying down.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alive,¡± Tasha said, still hugging him.


    ¡°Me, too,¡± Wyn replied.


    Tasha let go of him and punched him in the arm. ¡°And that¡¯s for telling Cedric to use a spell on you, you idiot! Don¡¯t you ever do something as reckless and foolish as that again!¡±


    Wyn¡¯s eyes went wide at Tasha¡¯s outburst. He never once saw her act or speak like that before, and it was jarring. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry. But it was the only move I saw at the time. I¡¯m glad it worked out, though.¡±


    ¡°Me, too,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I was hoping I wouldn¡¯t be the one to kill you after you saved my life. That would be¡­ most unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°To say the least,¡± John said. ¡°But it¡¯s good to see you awake. No offense, but I¡¯m much happier to be on this side of that bed.¡±


    Wyn laughed. He pulled the sheet down and fully sat up, crossing his legs in the bed. He was happy to be rid of that sheet. It wasn¡¯t needed right now, and hopefully wouldn¡¯t be for a long, long time.


    ¡°Wyn,¡± Cal said. He stood towards the back of the group several feet away. When Wyn looked at him he averted his eyes, obviously avoiding his gaze. ¡°I¡­ well¡­ I messed up. That was so awful of me. I¡¯m the reason you¡¯re even here.¡±


    ¡°No you¡¯re not, Cal,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Lionel and those other two are the reason. They¡¯re the enemies, not you.¡±


    ¡°But if I had done better. Been better. Actually moved, then¡­¡±


    Wyn took a deep breath. Cal was trying to apologize, and Wyn could still sense something from his past that explained his actions. There¡¯d be a time to discuss it, but it didn¡¯t feel like now. ¡°Then who knows,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But I¡¯m alive. And I¡¯m okay. Really.¡±


    ¡°Being okay would¡¯ve been you walking out of that floor rather than us dragging you,¡± Marcy said. ¡°It¡¯s not fun to keep doing that.¡±


    Wyn looked at the Ranger. Something about her overly confident demeanor didn¡¯t set well with him. It was a long time coming, but he needed to be her leader. And, he told himself, maybe this was the right time for Cal to hear it, too.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You¡¯re right. But to be blunt, it would¡¯ve ended differently if you and Cal would¡¯ve fought alongside us right away. The fight would¡¯ve been over much sooner.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Wyn,¡± Tasha said. ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡±


    ¡°Fair?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Of course it isn¡¯t fair. Do you think I wanted to be in the position to even ask Cedric to use a spell on me? I wanted us to work together to finish them off. Lionel could¡¯ve been handled easier and without me risking my life.¡±


    ¡°We all don¡¯t have your war experience,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I wanted to kill Lionel just as much as the rest of you, but watching that woman cough up her own blood was sickening. Fighting people isn¡¯t the same as fighting monsters.¡±


    ¡°But defeating an enemy in order to protect yourself and your allies is the same,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I know the anger you felt after Lionel betrayed us and stabbed John. The feeling of wanting him dead. Did you not think it would come down to them dying or us? You know killing is brutal. But whether that enemy is a monster or a person, if they¡¯re attacking us, they need to be stopped.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Marcy shook her head. ¡°Easier said than done. But for what it¡¯s worth, I really am sorry. And I know you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Me, too,¡± Cal said. He stepped forward and set down two large sacks at the foot of Wyn¡¯s bed. They landed with a thud and shook his bed. ¡°Which is why I brought you these.¡±


    ¡°What are these?¡± Wyn asked. He pulled the top of one of the sacks towards him and gawked at the contents. ¡°Cal?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all of my earnings since I¡¯ve been in your group,¡± Cal said. ¡°I sold the items I earned and added them to the pile. I just¡­ I can¡¯t take it. To me it¡¯s tainted. But you said you needed money to pay off your family¡¯s debt. Hopefully this will help.¡±


    Wyn looked back at the sack. There had to be thousands of coins in there based on the size and weight. There was no way Cal earned that much with them, even after selling his items. He had to have added more from his own wealth.


    ¡°Consider it my parting gift,¡± Cal finished.


    The others all whipped their heads towards Cal, Wyn included. They each questioned him at the same time, their words drowning each other out as their volume rose.


    ¡°Shh!¡± Came a hushed voice from across the wing. The group instantly quieted.


    ¡°What do you mean a parting gift?¡± Wyn asked.


    Cal raised his head, finally meeting Wyn¡¯s eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t stay here anymore. I thought I could keep going but¡­ I can¡¯t. I¡¯ve let you down too many times and this last time could have cost you your life. I won¡¯t let that happen again.¡±


    ¡°It was your brother, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°He died here. Didn¡¯t he?¡±


    Cal slowly nodded. ¡°The entire reason I chose my class progression was to protect him. It was his dream to be a Climber, after all. Not mine. When I failed, I gave it up, but came back as a Mapper to try and help others. I realized now that that was a foolish thing to do. I¡¯m not ready to be here. I need time to think and figure some things out.¡±


    Tasha reached out a hand and placed it on the man¡¯s shoulder. No one else moved or said anything, unsure of how to respond.


    Wyn understood. He couldn¡¯t imagine the death of his sister, especially if that death came at his own failure. After losing so many of his soldiers he was in an awful mental place, as well. The only thing that brought him back was his sister and the determination to protect her and keep her safe.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry it came to this,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Truly. You¡¯re a great ally and an even better person. If you ever feel ready, please come back and see us.¡±


    ¡°Or write, at least, if you don¡¯t,¡± Tasha said. ¡°It would weigh terribly on my conscience if I didn¡¯t know you were okay.¡±


    Cal smiled a true smile for the first time in what felt like ages. ¡°I¡¯ll do that. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°But this really does help,¡± Wyn said, pulling the sacks of coins closer to him. ¡°If you¡¯re serious about giving them to me.¡±


    ¡°As serious as I¡¯ll ever be,¡± Cal said.


    Wyn nodded. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll add it to my stash back in my apartment. Maybe you can hold onto them for me until then?¡±


    Cal reached down and plucked the sacks from the bed easily, placing them back into his backpack. ¡°Sure thing.¡±


    ¡°Now for some good news,¡± John said.


    ¡°You mean me living wasn¡¯t good news enough?¡± Wyn asked.


    The group laughed.


    ¡°Not entirely,¡± John said, sitting on the bed. ¡°According to our parchment, even though Lionel killed the floor boss we technically still completed the floor. So we get to go to the fifth floor and upgrade our class!¡±


    Wyn felt excitement rise in his chest. Despite everything they had gone through, knowing they were rewarded appropriately was more than a relief. It was a lifeline. Climbing into the second tier meant better rewards and more coins. Which meant he could start gathering more funds to pay off his debt sooner. The difficulty spiked up, too, but with their class upgrade they could handle it. He was confident of that. The only problem was what would his class advancement be?


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Marcy said, patting Wyn on the shoulder. ¡°Soon you¡¯ll be on our level.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what upgrades a Ruby Magician has?¡± Cedric asked. ¡°I¡¯m very curious to find out.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering the exact same thing,¡± Wyn said. ¡°How about we go tonight and see? We can grab dinner and then head inside.¡±


    John clapped his hands together. Immediately another ¡°shh¡± came from across the room, louder this time.


    John recoiled. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said in a whisper. ¡°That sounds like a great plan!¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll meet you all in an hour,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Let me get my things here and sign out.¡±


    The group talked for a few more minutes before parting. Wyn took the time to lay back down and reflect. Despite nearly dying, he had done it. They had finished the first tier and dealt with Lionel. And with a spare week, too. Now he just needed to upgrade his class, take stock of his gear, and see about sending some money to The Assembly to start payments for his debt.


    Wyn closed his eyes, enjoying the gentle warmth of the sun through the open window beside his bed. He felt more alive now than he had even as a soldier. Maybe this was where he was supposed to be in life, climbing the tower instead of out at war. All in all, he was feeling good about his current position.


    ¡°Wyn!¡± A voice called, hushed but firm. A woman slowly walked over from across the room.


    It took Wyn a few seconds but he recognized her almost immediately. She was the Climber who helped the group that lost a member. A veteran, like Marcy and Cedric.


    ¡°Lucy?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Lucy smiled softly and pulled a chair close to Wyn¡¯s bed. ¡°Checking on the group. Wouldn¡¯t have guessed to find your name on the roster, and then I came to find out that you¡¯re the one who helped me back in the tower. Small world, this place. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Wyn relaxed into the bed. ¡°Thanks to my group. We all finished the fourth floor and had an¡­ unexpected encounter.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard! But I really am glad you¡¯re safe. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised based on how you and your group helped me out, but still. Thank you.¡±


    Wyn smiled and nodded. ¡°It was an easy decision. Think nothing of it.¡±


    ¡°Well, those Climbers won¡¯t be back in Alistair any time soon. They¡¯re healing fine but I gave them a good and proper scolding. They need some serious training.¡±


    Wyn chuckled. ¡°Along with some life lessons.¡±


    Lucy smiled. ¡°Very true.¡±


    There was a silent pause where neither of them spoke. Wyn felt awkward tension rise and suddenly wished for the rest of his group to come back and save him from forced conversation.


    ¡°You know,¡± Lucy finally said, ¡°I was a bit surprised to see your name on the book when I came here. All the talk out front was how there was a Ruby Magician climbing and now recovering, and I was a bit slow connecting the dots that it was you.¡±


    Wyn took a deep breath and forced a smile. He was not in the mood to try and defend himself or his class. Not today.


    Before he could speak, Lucy rushed her next words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Wyn. But I¡¯ve actually been looking for you for a different reason than just helping me in the tower.¡± She looked around and checked to see if anyone was listening.


    Wyn hesitated. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to be the bearer of bad news, but¡­ I¡¯m here to update you about your debt.¡± Her voice was softer, not wanting the sound to carry too far. No one was close enough to hear, but she still took the precaution.


    Wyn froze. Multiple thoughts ran through his head at once. How did she know about his debt? Was something wrong back home? Was Arabelle in trouble? What did his father do now?


    Lucy saw his pause and took advantage. ¡°I know. Doesn¡¯t make sense, right? But me and you, we¡¯re not so different. And we have a¡­ mutual friend, so to speak. So you can consider me an ally. I hope.¡±


    Wyn shook off his hesitation as anger rose within him. ¡°A mutual friend? Let me guess. You mean -¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Lucy said, cutting him off. ¡°Not here. But yes.¡±


    Wyn narrowed his eyes. ¡°Okay, then. But what¡¯s the update?¡±


    Lucy chuckled. ¡°Straight to business. I respect that.¡± She pulled her chair closer to him and leaned towards him, speaking only in a whisper. ¡°Your father begged for a reduction recently. On his knees, crying, hands-clasped type begging. It wasn¡¯t a good look from what I was told. He asked to spare his life but they didn¡¯t take kindly to that. Instead, they took a few fingers. I¡¯m so sorry, Wyn.¡±


    Wyn felt his heart thump in his throat. He summoned every ounce of will he had to compose himself and speak clearly. ¡°I don¡¯t care what happens to him. What does that mean for me? And my sister?¡±


    Lucy leaned back, her face covered in shocked horror. Whatever she expected of his response, it certainly wasn¡¯t that. ¡°Did you not just hear what I said?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did. But if you¡¯re here telling me this, it means there¡¯s more to it. Are they coming for me next? What is it?¡±


    Lucy swallowed hard. ¡°No, not like that. The amount went up. You need to pay 9000 crowns by the month¡¯s end as a show of good faith. You helped me out so I¡¯m helping you out - I convinced them to take a bit less. They were demanding 10,000 at first, but after hearing you saved me they realized your potential.¡±


    Wyn nodded absentmindedly. Lucy obviously had a contact in Alestead if word travelled that fast. Someone with influence. But if she was able to vouch for him, then she really was an ally. Or at least sympathetic to his cause.


    ¡°Meet me at the festival,¡± Lucy continued. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure your coins are taken appropriately.¡± She reached into a pocket in her tunic and pulled out a small piece of paper. On one side was the unmistakable signature of The Assembly, the same seal that was used to mark the letter he received personally.


    Wyn understood her intent. She was showing she wasn¡¯t lying and that she could be trusted. Though he didn¡¯t trust her at all. Reluctantly, he only nodded in agreement. Lucy seemed to relax at his acquiescence.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°Moving forward, I¡¯ll be your direct contact. But as long as you make the payments each month there shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡±


    Wyn couldn¡¯t suppress a laugh. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that. Rest assured, you¡¯ll get your money.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my money. Like I said, I¡¯m like you. I want nothing to do with their organization.¡±


    Wyn pointed at the paper Lucy tucked away. ¡°That says otherwise. Like I said, I¡¯ll pay up. But you aren¡¯t like me. Not at all.¡±


    Lucy smiled as a pained look crossed her face. ¡°Fair enough. I hope that you¡¯ll see differently soon. But please take care. And, truly, thanks again for saving me.¡± She got up and left, sparing one last sad glance at Wyn.


    Wyn took the time to settle himself. Large, deep breaths and squeezing and relaxing his fists helped calm his raging anger but it wasn¡¯t enough. Lucy showed her true colors. Even if she said she wasn¡¯t a part of The Assembly, she directly involved with them. For better or worse, that made her an enemy. He knew he needed to take care to watch his back.


    But, there was still the matter of his debt. 9000 gold crowns. In four days. The amount and short timeframe made Wyn¡¯s head swim. He had quite a bit of gold saved up but nothing to that amount. He¡¯d need to sell some items and desperately hope he was able to scavenge whatever amount he could. Cal¡¯s generous gift couldn¡¯t have come at a better time, unfortunately.


    Wyn threw the sheet off himself, gathered his items, and stormed out of the wing. His group was excited about their class upgrade and a small part of him was too, but only a small part. Right now, all he could think about was killing any monster that got in the way of potentially hurting his sister. Whether that monster was human or not.

 Book 1 - Chapter 71

    Wyn decided not to tell the others about his discussion with Lucy. Not right away, at least. They were far too excited about entering the fifth floor for Wyn to bring their mood down with his awful situation. He wasn¡¯t exactly keeping his debt a secret from them, of course, but knowing Lucy was part of The Assembly, that she would be his contact, and that they were already hurting his family was big news. He didn¡¯t care as much for his father, but he did worry about his sister¡¯s safety.


    Wyn told himself he¡¯d bring it up after they each learned of their class options and discussed them tomorrow. They had decided to go into the floor, marvel at its wonder, find out what their class upgrade options were, then go back and take the night to think on them before talking it out the next day. Based on Daniel¡¯s advice, they didn¡¯t have to decide what upgrade to pick right away, only before they were able to advance to the next tier and floor.


    Most Climbers had an idea of what classes would be available to them based on their growth, at least according to Daniel. Mentors and books had projected and standard class paths. Cedric also mentioned that other classes are often thrown into the selection based on Climber¡¯s performances leading up to the upgrade offers that may not fit in the expected class paths. Those were enticing, he said, but usually not taken in favor of a well-known and used class that Climbers and guilds could fit into groups.


    Ruby Magicians were another situation entirely.


    Daniel called back to his first lessons about growth and the Ruby Magician being too broad of a class. Growth influenced the classes as well as skills that could be offered. Fighters who had strength or stamina growth could be offered a Barbarian class, while Magicians with magic power growth could be offered a Shaman class, and Sorcerers with mana capacity growth could be offered a Witch class. Unfortunately for Ruby Magicians like Wyn, whose growth was any, it was borderline random.


    Daniel said that Wyn could expect a Wizard and Fighter upgrade option, but for class options beyond that he wasn¡¯t entirely sure. Since his class was a mix of those two options, he could specialize a little, but Daniel told him he¡¯d always be an entire class tier behind, which was why the class was so looked down on.


    It didn¡¯t matter to Wyn at the end of the day, though. He¡¯d look at his options and decide with his teammates the best class that fit him and their group.


    The group had their final dinner with Cal before walking back to Alistair. It was a bittersweet time. Cal had grown on everyone in their short time together, and Wyn had been thinking of future plans with him in their group. Now that he was gone, they had another hole where a strong melee Climber was needed. It would be a difficult position to fill.


    Now, standing in the portal room, the somber part of everyone seemed to be gone. They were ready to see the fifth floor and advance. Wyn had the same feelings, but was still conflicted.


    That internal conflict didn¡¯t stop him from being happy for his friends. And, honestly, still happy for himself and what he went through. Climbing the first tier in a month and surviving the encounters with Lionel were both no small feats.


    ¡°Are we ready?¡± Wyn asked.


    Tasha smiled and nodded her head. John simply put his arm around the Diamond Mage and made a funny face, making her laugh and the others, too.


    Wyn stepped forward and felt the pull of the portal. When he emerged through the other side, stomach intact and headache free, he once again marveled at what he saw.


    A massively open space large enough to rival the training hall was directly in front of him. Lights from glowing moss and lit torches spread about the room allowed him to see everything clearly but gave a sense of calmness and peace in a more dimmer light. It was a far different feeling than the previous floors, though the stone walls were a familiar shade of grey and there was still a distinct temple feel the the area.


    All around the room were pockets of Climbers all socializing in various situations. There had to be nearly a hundred of them spread around, though the room still didn¡¯t feel cramped. There were areas of small pools of water like spring baths, huts and tents, and several small campfires that added to the relaxed ambience. It looked more like a themed festival set inside an abandoned temple than a floor in a magical and deadly tower. Most still carried their gear, too, and it made Wyn feel better about bringing his spear despite the others going in without their weapons. He just didn¡¯t feel right entering the tower without it, even if their only goal was to go into a floor without monsters or challenges.


    ¡°Jovin!¡± John said. He walked to the closest group of Climbers and clapped a short but stocky man on the shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you finally made it past the first tier! I knew you had it in you!¡±


    The man pulled John into a friendly greeting and the Fighter was quickly swept away into a group that seemed to know him. The six or seven Climbers all shared congratulations before John pulled Tasha and Wyn over.


    ¡°Everyone, these are the other rookies in my group,¡± John said. ¡°This is Tasha and Wyn. The two others are veterans, so they won¡¯t be advancing their classes with us.¡±


    Each person in the group introduced themselves with their name and class. Almost all of them were Fighters, which helped explain how John knew them, except for two who were other Magicians. Tasha introduced herself without issue, but after Wyn said he was a Ruby Magician there were mixed reactions. Most of the group replied with awkward looks of pity or apologies, but two of them had the politeness to at least offer smiles and ignore his class.


    John obviously wanted to stay and socialize but Wyn wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind. He wanted to see his class options and leave since the responsibility of his massive amount of debt still hung over his head. Lucy put him in a terrible mood that was bringing down an experience that should be incredibly positive. Tasha eased into their conversation like she¡¯d known the group her whole life, which didn¡¯t surprise Wyn in the slightest.


    ¡°Wyn, can I borrow you for a second?¡± Marcy asked. She came up and grabbed Wyn¡¯s arms from behind. ¡°Sorry everyone but I need to pull him away.¡±


    The others said their goodbyes as Wyn left. ¡°What is it?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I could just tell you didn¡¯t want to be there.¡±


    Wyn smiled. ¡°Was that your Extrasensory?¡±


    Marcy winked. ¡°No, just my natural intuition.¡±


    They both walked over to Cedric who was sitting on one of two stone benches beside a small glowing pond. Wyn thought it was the strangest thing seeing little glowing fish swimming around to light up the water, but it was incredibly serene. He certainly didn¡¯t complain at the moment of peace.


    ¡°Thanks for that,¡± Wyn said, taking a seat on the other bench. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly in the right mood to be socializing, unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Marcy said. She sat beside Cedric and slumped, fully relaxing. ¡°You¡¯ll have plenty of chances to take advantage of the rest floor in the future. Just¡­ be in the moment for now. It really is something, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Wyn looked all around the floor and had to agree with her. This tower really was a magical place.


    After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Wyn finally asked what was on his mind. ¡°So how does this work, exactly? Getting my class upgrade, I mean.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as easy as this floor is,¡± Cedric said. He pointed to the far side of the room. ¡°Every season looks different but it¡¯s all basically the same. There are private rooms where you¡¯ll be guided on your options. All you have to do is walk up to the room and present your mark, then the space will open.¡±


    Wyn nodded. If it was that simple then there was no time like the present. He thought about grabbing Tasha and John but didn¡¯t want to bother them. They seemed to enjoy catching up with other Climbers, and honestly Wyn wanted them to. A part of him did as well, but he decided to make it for another time.


    As Wyn walked towards the other room he felt an arm catch him on the shoulder. Another person stepped beside him on the other side.


    ¡°Were you going to go on without us?¡± John asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to interrupt either of you,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t want to be a wet blanket.¡±


    ¡°Ignore him,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I had to pull him away after he left us in the first place.¡±


    John shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t help myself. But if we need another member to fill out our group, I need to start working the room now. Literally.¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t argue with him on that. If that was what John was really doing, then he¡¯d happily let him network all day.


    ¡°We can worry about that after,¡± Tasha said.


    The three walked across the floor until they came to a man with a clipboard. Behind him were six large stone doors evenly spaced out on the wall, enough for a full group to all go in at the same time but still privately. Interestingly the man wore the symbol of the guild on his lapel. How a guild member was able to be in the fifth floor was beyond Wyn. Maybe they had special privileges or were strong enough to actually climb the tower, but he didn¡¯t know for sure. And honestly, he didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Are you three here to advance?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s pretty obvious,¡± John said.


    The man smiled. ¡°Please enter one of the six doors behind me. Inside you¡¯ll find a large basin of water and a pedestal with a blank piece of parchment. Place your class parchment sheet on the pedestal and the blank sheet will provide information about your class options. The basin will allow you to see your various abilities in a rudimentary form if you are having trouble visualizing or understanding the descriptions. If you don¡¯t want to decide now, simply return back the way you go in. Don¡¯t forget to take the sheet of class options with you to review. If you decide a path, just walk forward into the next floor.¡±


    Wyn pulled out his parchments. It was strange how connected and how magical the pieces of paper were, but he definitely needed to utilize them better to be a more efficient Climber.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Alright you two,¡± John said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you on the other side.¡± He smiled his charming smile and stepped forward to the closest door on the left. He pulled his shirt open revealing his chest, and the mark of the Fighter surrounded by John¡¯s personal runes appeared above the door. The stone slab door began to slowly rise, then slowly closed once John was fully inside.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Tasha said. She took a deep breath then stepped to the door beside John¡¯s, repeating the process of showing her mark and entering the room.


    Wyn followed his teammates and stepped to one of the open doors on the right. When he flashed his mark from his left forearm the symbol appeared above the door. Murmurs could be heard through the crowd behind him, a reaction far different than John or Tasha. Neither of them elicited any type of response from the rest of the Climbers. Of course it was due to him being a rare class, and an unpopular one at that.


    He didn¡¯t care. There wasn¡¯t any point. Moving forward and improving was the only thing currently on his mind.


    The inside of his private room was fairly basic but exactly as the guild official said. It was the same style of stone walls with some lit torches in each corner while a large stone pedestal sat beside a large basin of water, both chest high.


    Wyn placed his main parchment sheet on the pedestal. It glowed briefly then returned to normal. There was a piece of parchment on the pedestal beside his personal paper that was identical in appearance and blank. Words began forming on the sheet as though magically written as quickly as someone could speak them.


    Congratulations, Ardwyn Thatcher, on your success. You have completed the first tier and rose to Alistair¡¯s challenge. As a reward, your skills will upgrade. Also, please choose from the following five class upgrades one class to advance.


    Five upgrade options? Was that normal? Wyn hoped so. Even if not, it was still good to have more options than less. Hopefully at least one of them would look like a good fit. Regardless, he¡¯d bring back the options to discuss with Daniel and the others. Returning to the parchment, words continued to appear.


    Skill upgrades:


    Lucidity: Allows passive recovery of mana. Your mark will show the current status of mana and is a guide to your expected amount of recovery time from empty to full. When your mark fully glows you are empty and currently recovering. When your mark is dull and grey you are full. Current time to fully recover: 2.5 hours. While recovering mana, spells and skills have a slightly reduced mana cost.


    Dyadcast: Allows you to cast a spell twice for only the mana cost of the original spell. Both spells are reduced in power and effectiveness. Speak the skill followed by the spell to engage the ability.


    Speed Up: Increases your speed a moderate amount for a short time. Speak the skill or mentally will it to activate. Costs a small amount of mana.


    Spellcasting (Ruby): Allows the use of spells. Ruby spells are selected from other classes at the cost of a lowered amount of spells, slightly higher mana consumption, and decreased overall mana capacity. You may select spells from the Sapphire, Garnet, Topaz, Amethyst, Emerald, Diamond, and Aquamarine Magician list only. Your mana pool has increased a small amount.


    Tower¡¯s Blessing: A gift from the Avatar of Alistair. Provides two additional spell slots that may be used from any Magician class. One spell slot may be a second tier spell.


    Wyn balked at the skill upgrades. Some were lackluster - his Spellcasting and Speed Up skills only improved a little, though he didn¡¯t exactly know what to expect. Lucidity was great, as improved recovery time was helpful and the additional of both skills and spells having a lesser cost while recovering felt like a great boon. He had mixed feelings about Dyadcast as the free second spell activation was nice, but both spells being worse still didn¡¯t feel too strong. Of course his given skill from the Avatar was the best of all, with a second spell slot added and being from the second tier, no less.


    It would take some time and discussion to really learn how great or bad these upgrades were. But Wyn refocused to the next section, which highlighted his class options.


    Option One: Ruby Warrior


    You have the abilities of a Ruby Magician but the heart of a true warrior. Your combat abilities increase while your magical abilities decrease.


    Gain 4 additional skills from a list of 6.


    Gain 2 spell slots.


    *Ruby variation: your skills and spells both increase in strength and duration.


    Option Two: Ruby Wizard


    You find that magic is more your means of climbing, not quite one to fight with weapons. Your magic abilities increase while your fighting abilities decrease.


    Gain 2 additional skills from a list of 5.


    Gain 4 spell slots.


    Gain the Ruby Magic skill.


    Ruby Magic: Your spells increase in strength and have slightly lower mana costs.


    Mana pool increases a small amount.


    *Ruby variation: your spells cost less mana and increase in duration.


    Option Three: Ruby Squire


    You¡¯ve proven yourself to be a stalwart defender of your allies. Continue on your journey while providing both skill and spell-backed support of your teammates while vanquishing those that wish them harm.


    Gain 3 additional skills from a list of 5.


    Gain 2 spell slots.


    Gain the Ruby Aura skill.


    Ruby Aura: skills may be shared to one ally within 30 feet. This costs a small amount of mana.


    *Ruby variation: your skills and spells increase in strength and cost less mana.


    Option Four: Ruby Captain


    Adaptability is the Ruby Magician¡¯s true power. Leading allies into battle requires confidence in decisions but also the ability to be flexible when needed. The Ruby Captain wields power to use and distribute to their troops based on the situation at hand.


    Gain the unique Shout skill that replaces Dyadcast.


    Shout: transfer skills to others up to 30 feet. Two others may be affected.


    Gain 3 Shoutable skills.


    Attack: improves all physicality a moderate amount temporarily.


    Defend: improves toughness a small amount and grants minor magical resistance temporarily.


    Regroup: improves speed a bit and activates Regen at the first tier for 30 seconds.


    Gain 1 additional spell slot.


    *Ruby variation: all spells are stronger, and all spells and skills cost less mana.


    Option Five: Ruby Strategist


    Flexibility is the Ruby Magician¡¯s greatest asset. Some see it as a weakness, but its potential to be useful in all situations is unparalleled. The Ruby Strategist takes advantage of this understanding and addresses the problem at hand as prudence is their true strength.


    Gain the unique Chaincast skill that replaces Dyadcast.


    Chaincast: when alternating spell types, there is a small chance that the spell will activate again for no additional mana at the same strength. Minimum spell casts to activate: 2. Maximum spell casts until duplication: 5.


    Gain 1 additional spell slot.


    Gain 2 skills from a list of 4.


    *Ruby variation: healing spells also recover mana. Defensive spells now defend against both magical and physical attacks if their original description called for only one. Offensive spells have a small chance to inflict a detrimental effect.


    List of available skills:


    Ruby Warrior:


    Focus


    Attack Break


    Guard Break


    Weapon Bond


    Guard Up


    Strength Up


    Ruby Wizard:


    Magic Break


    Mana Break


    Endurance Up


    Magic Power


    Provoke


    Ruby Squire:


    Focus


    Toughness Up


    Strength Up


    Dexterity Up


    Shield Power


    Ruby Strategist:


    Wellspring


    Guard Up


    Weapon Bond


    Silence Attack


    Wyn stared at the sheet of paper in shock. Even if his class options didn¡¯t offer many spell slot upgrades besides the Wizard, his Tower¡¯s Blessing skill was a huge boon to help that deficit. He felt like the Warrior and Wizard upgrades were standard options, and immediately dismissed them in his mind. They paled in comparison to the other three, especially the last two. Was that part of the Avatar¡¯s interference?


    Wyn took a deep breath. There was no sense in wondering about the hows and whys right now. He planned to go and discuss his options with his group, but first he needed a little more insight. The skills available to him were straightforward based on their description. He could also ask about the descriptions from Cedric or Marcy or Daniel. The Squire class was reminiscent of Cal¡¯s oaths and seemed to act similar, while his main concern was the abilities of the last two classes.


    Losing Dyadcast as a skill wasn¡¯t a great option, even if Wyn hadn¡¯t fully taken advantage of it yet. If skills grew with classes, then it would likely become stronger in time. But wouldn¡¯t the two skills that replaced it also become stronger? Shout seemed slightly better than the Aura ability affecting two people total but he was restricted on his skill choices. The use of the word transfer for the skill seemed obvious enough, but Wyn wanted to be sure. If the Squire shared it¡¯s aura like Cal, then the Captain would give it away.


    Wyn wanted to make sure about the ability so he peered into the basin and wondered how to use it. Would just thinking work? It hadn¡¯t activated so far, and all he¡¯d been thinking about were his options. Maybe saying it was the key.


    ¡°Show me the Shout ability,¡± Wyn said, looking into the basin.


    The water rippled slightly with a soft glow of magic. As it stilled, the water showed six shadowy figures facing one direction, all wearing different kinds of gear and holding different weapons. One of the figures started glowing in a magical aura similar to Wyn¡¯s Speed Up skill. Then, they raised their hand to their mouth like they were going to speak. The glowing aura moved to two other figures and completely left the original shadow.


    So, that confirmed Wyn¡¯s theory. Not as useful as sharing, but the abilities had incredible potential.


    That left the Strategist. Wyn had an idea of what the Chaincast skill did in context, but now he wanted to see it in the basin. It was there to use, after all.


    ¡°Show me the Chaincast skill,¡± Wyn said.


    The water in the basin once again rippled with magic. This time the image in the water showed two shadowy figures that he took to be Climbers and five staggered blobs with stubby arms and legs that were likely monsters. One of the shadowy figures raised a hand and coated the other figure in a white aura similar to Tasha¡¯s Cure spell. Immediately after, the figure pointed at one of the monsters and shot out a red ball that made the blob disappear. Suddenly a brief flash of magic appeared under the shadowy figure and another red ball flew from their hand and hit another one of the blobs.


    Well, that was obvious enough.


    Wyn started to pull his attention away from the basin but the images kept going. This time the shadowy figure released an attacking spell at one of the monster blobs then followed it up with another spell that coated the ally in a white glow. The same brief flash of magic appeared under the shadowy figure and the white glow intensified, doubling in size.


    Again, the image¡¯s purpose was obvious. But the ability was definitely true to the Strategist¡¯s name as it could work in a number of beneficial ways.


    Another aspect to consider were the skills available to each class upgrade. Again, the Warrior and Wizard options seemed bland. The Squire and Strategist options, though, were interesting. The Strategist especially gave a list of several skills that seemed unique and different. It might be too different, but they were certainly interesting.


    Wyn gathered his spear, summary sheet, and new parchment of options and sighed. It felt a bit selfish but he hoped that John and Tasha equally had difficult decisions. The classes were varied but gave several benefits, and he was feeling overwhelmed. He didn¡¯t want to be the only one with a complicated choice.


    Turning around and stepping out, he walked out to Tasha and John talking to Marcy and Cedric, all of them waiting. Most of the other Climbers in the large room seemed to be watching them, or at least were showing some interest in the result.


    ¡°Good news?¡± John asked.


    Wyn scratched his head. ¡°Depends on what you mean by good news. I definitely am able to upgrade my class, at least.¡±


    The others laughed.


    ¡°Then that¡¯s good news for us,¡± Marcy said.

 Book 1 - Chapter 72

    Daniel stood at the war room and took a deep breath. His sole apprentice had already cleared the first tier and was ready to upgrade his class, much to Daniel¡¯s disbelief. Wyn was one of the most determined and talented Climbers he¡¯d seen in years, and he was happy to help him. He had asked Daniel almost immediately to join their group to discuss their class options. Daniel felt honored but originally declined since he wasn¡¯t part of their group, thought Wyn was insistent. He said he needed an experienced Ruby Magician to help guide him. And it was his job as mentor, after all, to provide as much guidance as possible.


    The older Ruby Magician reached into his jacket and pulled out a flask. He inspected it closely before taking a long drink. Water didn¡¯t have the same effect as alcohol, but he made a promise to both Wyn and himself that he¡¯d clean himself up. And, he had to admit that he felt better in years after suddenly going sober.


    He swiftly put his flask away and knocked on the door with three rasps of his knuckles.


    Footsteps scrambled around inside the room and the noise made Daniel¡¯s heart race. Why was he this nervous? He¡¯d been around new Climbers for years. Wyn was different, though. He knew it in his gut. Something about him told the older, slightly grizzled Ruby Magician that he had what it took to really make a name for himself and their class.


    The door opened and Wyn warmly greeted him. After being whisked inside, Daniel was introduced to each of the four others in Wyn¡¯s group. They were all lounging around the room. He had heard of the veteran who lost an arm, and seeing him here was a bit awe inspiring. Truly the young man was courageous for continuing to climb, and Daniel instantly respected him. The other Climber was a Ranger, too, a unique class that wasn¡¯t often picked when new Climbers had their choice of upgrades. But from what Wyn had told him about her, he was impressed and thankful she was in his group.


    In fact, he was thankful for all of them. They helped keep Wyn alive, and for that alone he¡¯d do anything for them.


    ¡°It¡¯s an absolute pleasure to meet you all,¡± Daniel said, wringing his hands together subconsciously. ¡°Wyn has already told me so much about you, and from what he¡¯s said, you seem like one of the most put together groups I¡¯ve seen. It¡¯s a miracle that you all came together just by circumstance.¡±


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± John said. ¡°I literally owe my life to them.¡±


    ¡°Same here,¡± Cedric said.


    Marcy reached over the large table in the middle of the room and grabbed an apple from the basket of food. ¡°Nice to meet you. Now that we¡¯re all here, we need to figure out what you three are choosing for your upgrades. It¡¯s not the easiest balance to choose what the group needs and what you want to be as a Climber, but it¡¯s an important one.¡±


    Daniel sat at the table beside Wyn and nodded his head. Marcy hit the nail on the head. Most young groups of Climbers disband during their second tier from poor class synergy. Guilds were formed to help reduce that inefficiency, among other reasons. But for individual Climbers who relied on a select few others to climb with, it was crucial their abilities meshed well.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get to it, then,¡± John said. ¡°I was given the standard upgrade of Warrior, but it doesn¡¯t appeal to me. Too¡­ boring.¡±


    Wyn laughed. He had the same thought when he reviewed the Ruby Warrior class.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of the most common classes out there,¡± Cedric said. ¡°And for good reason.¡±


    ¡°As I said, boring. But my other two choices were far more interesting. Squire and Templar. How great is that?¡±


    The others clapped him on the back, and Wyn was equally as happy for his friend even if he didn¡¯t know those classes. If John chose the Squire, though, that would eliminate one of his own choices.


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between them?¡± Wyn asked.


    John laid his parchment out on the table. It was rolled up tight and curled back together the moment he sat it down, but a few stones and weights on each corner helped keep it flat.


    ¡°You can read it if you want, but basically the Squire is more defensive while the Templar is more supportive. The Squire focuses on defensive skills and auras to boost the team. The Templar actually has some healing with oaths instead of auras, but they¡¯re nearly the same.¡±


    ¡°Cal was a Templar before he became a Paladin,¡± Cedric said. ¡°They¡¯re both solid class progression lines but not quite nearly the same like you say. Though your skill list is one of the best I¡¯ve seen!¡±


    John gave a smug smile. ¡°Well when your growth is strength, endurance, and willpower, you have excellent options. And I¡¯d like to think I excel in each of those categories.¡±


    Wyn peered over at the parchment and abruptly stood up. John¡¯s upgrades were far better than his! Even if he only had three options and Wyn had five, his three were much better. He didn¡¯t have the ability to use spells, but the benefits outweighed that deficit.


    The Warrior class was similar to his Ruby version, but gave John 8 skills from a list of 12. Wyn assumed it was the tradeoff for not being able to cast spells. The biggest benefit he saw, though, was that the class increased his strength and endurance by a moderate amount, and speed by a small amount. Was that a perk of being a pure combat class with only skills? If those natural abilities improved with a class upgrade, he¡¯d carry that improvement with him everywhere. Wyn had heard that tower magic fades after a certain distance leaving the city, as the source of the magic was purely from Alistair and had to stay close. But as long as he stayed here he¡¯d be unnaturally physically strong.


    The Squire class really showed Wyn the difference between his Ruby Magician generalization and the specificity of another class. John¡¯s Squire upgrade gave 6 skills from a list of 10 and again increased his physical attributes. It was only a small amount and gave less skills than the Warrior, but his Aura skill was far better. It allowed him to share skills between three allies within 50 feet without any additional mana. Which was absolutely absurd.


    Finally, his Templar class really was a boon. Like the Squire he gained 6 skills from a list of 10 and increased his physical attributes by a small amount. It had an Oath skill like Cal, benefiting two allies within 30 feet. Not only that, but he gained four Oaths, all of them useful and focusing on protecting, healing, and boosting allies¡¯ physicality for a small amount of mana. Wyn didn¡¯t know how much mana John had, but for the amount stated they required he could likely use several Oaths back to back before needing to completely recover or use a potion.


    Wyn was happy for his friend but felt a bit deflated. When comparing his class to John¡¯s it really did seem inferior. He could use spells, but only having a few skills to John¡¯s many and his own potential abilities being watered down versions of John¡¯s was a bit of an eye opener.


    Unfortunately Wyn didn¡¯t know about the specifics of the skills available for John to use. They shared a few from their lists but John¡¯s looked more direct and powerful. And, if Cedric said they were good, then of course he believed him.


    ¡°Do you think we need more healing, though?¡± Marcy asked. ¡°Wyn can already heal a bit if we ever needed it after Tasha. I¡¯m not sure having a third person for that is really necessary.¡±


    ¡°I thought about that,¡± John said. ¡°Which is why I¡¯m hesitating about going Templar. I¡¯ve been leaning towards the Squire and hoped it was going to be one of my options anyway. The thought of being a Knight was always in the back of my mind, and it can be a great front-line defender class. So I''ll be choosing Squire.¡±


    Wyn couldn¡¯t blame him. It had great benefits for its class, and Marcy had a point with the extra healing. Wyn was hoping to be support for the group and John to be their primary combat class, but it seemed at first glance like John could do both. And better.


    ¡°What if I won¡¯t be healing quite as much?¡± Tasha asked. She was twirling one of her curls with her hands, wrapping it around her finger over and over.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± John asked. ¡°You¡¯re a Diamond Magician. Aren¡¯t you going Diamond Wizard?¡±


    Tasha¡¯s face grew red. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be put in a box. Just because nearly every other mage becomes a Wizard doesn¡¯t mean I will.¡±


    John reached a hand out and placed it on Tasha¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I know. I just didn¡¯t know what your plan was for the upgrade. I¡¯m not going to tell you what to do. Honest.¡±


    Tasha relaxed and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I¡¯ve been discussing it with my mentor and wrestled with it all night. I think I¡¯m going to choose the Herald.¡±


    Daniel leaned back in his chair and nearly choked on the roll he was eating. The Climbers all turned to face him.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Daniel said, wheezing through the last bite. ¡°I¡¯m alright. That just caught me off guard.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Is Herald a bad option?¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite, really,¡± Daniel said. ¡°It¡¯s a rare class line that can offer great power. When used properly, of course.¡±


    ¡°That was the same advice Cynthia gave me,¡± Tasha said. ¡°She¡¯s my mentor. I¡¯d have to work at it and it can be a learning curve, but I¡¯ll likely have the Summoner for my next upgrade which is a very strong class.¡±


    ¡°That it is,¡± Cedric said. ¡°One of the top guilds has a Summoner in their leadership. They¡¯re not exactly a recommended class line, though, according to him and other sources.¡±


    Tasha¡¯s face stayed the same shade of red. ¡°I have my reasons. But it can offer me much more potent healing as well as other ways to contribute to the group. I don¡¯t want to be just a healer. I¡¯d rather help us manage our climbs in ways to reduce needing to be healed at all.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°What are your reasons, then?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°We¡¯re putting everything on the table. No holding back. I know you want to do more than heal and I¡¯m in full support of that. But there¡¯s no reason to completely leave us in the dark if that¡¯s the class you want.¡±


    Tasha twirled another curl while eyeing everyone. No one else spoke, all of them waiting for her to respond. She finally let go of her curl and straightened her posture in her chair.


    ¡°That¡¯s understandable. Yes, I want to do more. But I feel this is the right step for me to prove myself. To all of you. To my family. To my father. That I not only belong here but also can hold my own. Sure I can heal and protect all of you but I want to do that and more. Plus, Cynthia can show me how and guide me. She¡¯s agreed to meet with me at least once a week to ensure I¡¯m doing the best I can.¡±


    ¡°She sounds like a great mentor,¡± Daniel said. ¡°You¡¯re fortunate to have her.¡±


    ¡°I really am,¡± Tasha said. ¡°And you all can trust her. I know about the Summoner Edgar, too. Cynthia was also his mentor and said I had a chance of getting the Herald upgrade since my growth and climbing style is similar to his.¡±


    John took a drink from his cup and began filling it with the pitcher on the table. ¡°Well, damn. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised you¡¯re so well connected. Thanks for sharing that! And I agree with Wyn. I¡¯m in full support.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I¡¯m not one to tell another Climber how to follow their own path. Whatever you decide we can make work. Open communication is how we¡¯ll do well no matter our classes.¡±


    ¡°Of course I agree, too,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Why not have another class in our group that isn¡¯t recommended? We already have two, let¡¯s go ahead and make it half of us.¡±


    Tasha let out a deep breath and clasped her arms around John, hugging him tight. He didn¡¯t shrug her off, only smiled.


    ¡°So that brings up you, Wyn,¡± Cedric said. ¡°And I¡¯m sure I can speak for the others when I say we don¡¯t mind one of our mentors coming to help strategize, but surely there¡¯s a reason you invited Daniel.¡±


    Wyn stood up beside the table and took out his parchment with the class upgrade options. He looked at everyone closely before speaking. ¡°There is. I¡¯m not as experienced as you and Marcy or as knowledgeable as John. And Tasha, it¡¯s obvious you have good connections to help bridge the gap of being a new Climber. But I¡¯m¡­ distracted. I know I am. Thoughts of keeping my sister safe and paying my family¡¯s debt, trying to mentally handle the change from leaving the war to coming here. I¡¯ve definitely rushed this process which is my own burden to carry, and it feels like I¡¯m in way over my head. But I want to make sound decisions, and honestly no one else knows what being a Ruby Magician is like better than Daniel.¡±


    The older man smiled awkwardly while bowing his head in respect. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever I can to inform you and help. I truly only want you to do well.¡±


    Wyn returned his smile and placed his parchment on the table, shifting the stones and weights to each corner to keep it flat. ¡°And this is part of why I feel that way.¡±


    The group crowded around Wyn¡¯s paper. Daniel rose from his chair and Tasha actually gasped.


    ¡°Five options?¡± Marcy asked. ¡°What in the hells? How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Wyn, this is incredible,¡± Daniel said. ¡°Ruby Magicians normally have four upgrade options. But five? I haven¡¯t even heard of that before.¡±


    ¡°Though the first three are a bit¡­ bad,¡± John said. ¡°Sorry, Wyn. It¡¯s weird how you had two of my upgrades. But they look like worse abilities than mine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the price we pay,¡± Daniel said. ¡°When pulled in too many directions our abilities are stretched thin. You have a multitude of skills but no spells, and other Magicians have a multitude of spells with few skills solely related to improving their magic. Our class falls somewhere in the middle, giving us more variety but less focus.¡±


    ¡°I can finally see it for myself,¡± John said. ¡°But what about those last two class options? Those don¡¯t look bad at all. They look pretty good!¡±


    ¡°I have a theory on that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I think when I met the Avatar in the form of the witch during my first climb she influenced me in more ways than one. I think this proves it. I haven¡¯t been able to come up with a better answer.¡±


    The others just stared at the paper, processing his words. Finally, Cedric spoke up. ¡°John has a point. He¡¯d make a better Squire than your Ruby variation. But the last two are good upgrades. I can¡¯t say for certain they¡¯re great, but definitely your best bets.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re great alright,¡± Daniel said. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard or read about either of those classes but their benefits are far better than an average Ruby Magician upgrade. And their abilities are uniquely strong. Chaincast is a rare skill I¡¯m familiar with, but Shout isn¡¯t in any reference book. Plus, Wyn, with you being a Captain, that doesn¡¯t seem like a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°I thought that, too,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s remarkably similar to the Squire¡¯s ability to share skills with others. Do we really need two of us being able to do that?¡±


    ¡°Likely not,¡± John said. ¡°And we could still get a sixth member. What if they¡¯re a Templar or other class that can also share skills like that?¡±


    ¡°Another good point,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Plus, I think I¡¯m ready to move on. I was a captain. Not anymore. I had a terrible experience serving in the war and don¡¯t want to repeat myself. Maybe a change would be for the best.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, then I understand,¡± Daniel said. ¡°But your skill list is also unusual, if a bit random. If you¡¯re picking the Strategist choice and have two skills to pick, which ones are you considering?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where I wanted some more advice. What, exactly, do these do? I get the gist of Guard Up. What about the others?¡±


    ¡°Silence Attack is a good active weapon skill we share with Fighters. It¡¯s a useful one-time skill that silences magic-using monsters and prevents them from casting magic.¡±


    ¡°I had that as one of my new skills, too,¡± John said. ¡°It will definitely be useful.¡±


    Daniel nodded in agreement. ¡°Weapon Bond is a great utility skill that lets you store a chosen weapon in an extra dimensional pocket. And you can magically will that weapon back to you for a bit of mana if it¡¯s out of that pocket but not on your person. It effectively makes you near impossible to be disarmed.¡±


    ¡°If only I had that for my arrows,¡± Marcy said. ¡°It might be too strong, though. I guess there¡¯s always enchantments that do the same thing.¡±


    Wyn thought further about that ability. If he chose his knife as the bond he wouldn¡¯t need to store it at his back anymore. He still thought it was a stupid idea to throw it, but if he did he could instantly return it for some mana. Would the same idea work for his spear? Could he throw his spear and return it to himself using the skill? Of course he could. And what if that spear was magically thrown, instead?


    Excitement welled up inside Wyn. ¡°Is there an enchantment out there that gives some kind of bonus to throwing a weapon? Like my spear?¡±


    Cedric scratched his chin. ¡°There are enchantments for just about anything. They¡¯re more common on hand axes and daggers, but I¡¯m sure there are.¡±


    ¡°Are you thinking about throwing your weapon and using that skill to bring it back?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°That¡¯s a bit of a leap to make the skill usable. And if it costs mana to bring it back every time you¡¯ll drain yourself pretty fast.¡±


    Wyn deflated. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t use it all the time! But you¡¯re probably right.¡±


    ¡°That would look damn cool, though,¡± John said quietly.


    ¡°If you found a weapon with an enchantment that teleported you to it you¡¯d be quite versatile,¡± Daniel said. ¡°I once knew an Assassin Climber that had a pair of magical daggers that worked similarly. One dagger let her teleport to it, and the other was magically recalled back like the Weapon Bond skill. She darted around combat like a specter, hardly ever being touched in the second tier!¡±


    Wyn¡¯s excitement grew again. John¡¯s did, too, because he leaned over the table and stared wide-eyed at Wyn.


    ¡°Easy, boys,¡± Marcy said. ¡°It¡¯s something to consider. But what about the last skill? Wellspring?¡±


    Daniel paused for a moment, then reached into his jacket and pulled out a book that was far too large to be able to fit inside his pocket. He opened it and quickly sifted through the pages before stopping. ¡°Aha! I knew it would be in this one! Wellspring: lay down a large glyph that covers a ten foot area. This glyph converts health into mana of whatever creature is within it and does not differentiate between friend or foe, though does not affect the caster. You do not have to be inside it to obtain the converted mana from the inhabitants of the glyph. The glyph lasts 10 minutes. Costs a moderate amount of mana to use.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound ominous at all,¡± John said.


    ¡°It¡¯s an Onyx Magician skill,¡± Daniel said. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have access to that, Wyn. It must be what you said about the Avatar influencing your choices.¡±


    ¡°I think so, too,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But that skill sounds risky to use.¡± Wyn looked down at the mark on his left forearm. Seeing it made him think of the times he checked his mana recovery from Lucidity.


    Something clicked in Wyn¡¯s mind. If Wellspring gave him mana, on top of Lucidity recovering mana for him, he could be more liberal with his mana use as his recovery would be expedited. And, since the Strategist has the benefit of healing spells recovering mana on top of health, he could boost himself with Regen for even more recovery.


    Wyn pointed to the description of the Strategist on his parchment. ¡°Healing spells recover mana, too. Along with Lucidity that skill could be a great trap to recover mana.¡±


    ¡°You could get to a point where you could recover mana naturally within minutes,¡± Cedric said, shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say about the limitations of your class. That¡¯s absurdly strong. If you pick the right equipment and were smart about your skill and spell use -¡±


    ¡°You could essentially never run out of mana,¡± Daniel said, cutting Cedric off.


    The others sat in silence for a moment.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll pick that,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°I¡¯d have to slap you if you didn¡¯t,¡± John said.


    Tasha sat back down and folded her hands on her lap. ¡°Like you did for me, I support your decision, Wyn. Is that all we need, then?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I have a good feeling about our group. You all have strong upgrades!¡±


    The group talked and ate and drink for a few more minutes, celebrating their success so far. Wyn grabbed his parchment and happily placed it back into his jacket. Their group had a plan to move forward and Wyn felt confident about going forward. A large weight settled in his chest from Lucy and her threat, though, keeping him from feeling completely hopeful.


    ¡°Wyn?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°Do you want a drink to celebrate?¡±


    Wyn looked up and noticed everyone else was holding a cup to toast. He quickly grabbed one and filled it with water.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I can tell. What is it?¡±


    Wyn held his cup and hesitated. He¡¯d already told them about his debt long ago, and he didn¡¯t feel comfortable delaying it anymore. He proceeded to tell them about Lucy meeting him in the hospital wing and what she said. He told them that he had the rest of the week to make up 9000 gold crowns and that she threatened him and his sister if he couldn¡¯t come up with it.


    They all set their cups down, the mood to toast gone. Silence lingered only for a few seconds but for Wyn it was far too long.


    ¡°Fuck her,¡± John said. ¡°The Assembly, too. We¡¯ll help you get that money in time.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°I¡¯m not even halfway there. I still need about 6000 crowns. And a large chunk of what I have was from Cal.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually doable,¡± Daniel said.


    The others looked at him. Wyn just shook his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me false hope, Daniel,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. You should make about 200 to 250 gold on the sixth floor. And it¡¯s always a bit easier than the fourth floor. If you all pool your money together you¡¯d make a thousand gold each clear, not to mention whatever items you found and sold.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t ask you all to do that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You each have your own reasons for being here, and that¡¯s far too much money to just give to me.¡±


    ¡°How have you not understood it yet?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°Is your head really that thick? We¡¯re a team. Friends, even. If any of us were in your position would you hesitate to offer?¡±


    Wyn opened his mouth to speak but stopped. She was absolutely right.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. We will climb the sixth floor twice a day and pool our winnings to make sure you can make that payment.¡±


    The other three didn¡¯t question her or make light of the situation at all. They simply raised their cups once more, and Daniel quickly joined them.


    Wyn raised his cup just as he was fighting the urge to prevent a tear from forming. He¡¯d never experienced such compassion or selflessness. There was no way he¡¯d ever forget their gesture or offer, and he made a personal vow to make it up to them one way or another.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±

 Book 1 - Chapter 73

    The water basin rippled once Wyn placed his parchment upgrade sheet on the stone pedestal. He wasn¡¯t sure what exactly was going to happen, but he was told he would be granted passage beyond the room along with the others, immediately being transported to the sixth floor.


    Nothing happened. After half a minute he started to worry something was wrong before a thought struck him. Maybe like before he needed to speak it?


    ¡°I choose the Ruby Strategist.¡±


    The piece of parchment glowed at his words before slowly disappearing into the air, reforming back into the magical tower from where it was created. The water in the basin to his left glowed as well, so bright that Wyn had to shield his eyes. When he noticed the light faded, he opened them to see a portal at the end of the small room.


    Walking through the portal was far easier than it had been a month ago. He was determined. Resolute. There wasn¡¯t just monsters and traps on the other side. There was hope. Hope that he would gain enough gold. Hope that he¡¯d survive and keep his friends alive, too. Hope that he would save his sister from a life of torment and strife.


    The chamber he walked into was smaller and more plain than he expected. It was lit by bright torches set in sconces close to the ceiling like the last several floors, the obvious temple layout of the season continuing into the second tier. He looked around to find his four teammates also present and also cautiously inspecting their surrounding.


    Wyn pulled out his parchment. His summary sheet was updated to reflect his new class upgrade, and each sheet for SKILLS and SPELLS also were updated. This would take some getting used to, but he had time. Time to practice and improve his new, magical skills. Time that he didn¡¯t take advantage of when he first came to Alestead, something that he regretted. If he wasn¡¯t so pressed to gain as much money as possible, he had a feeling he could¡¯ve studied magic with Daniel and trained to be even better Climber once he started into the tower. Instead, he rushed head first into it like an idiot that nearly cost him everything.


    But, somehow, it worked out. And here he was, entering the second tier during his first full month of climbing.


    Pulling up his primary sheet, he inspected the new text.


    FLOOR 6


    PARTY: 5/5


    Quest: The temple doesn¡¯t appear to be abandoned after all. You¡¯ve fought the lower inhabitants and survived, but that doesn¡¯t mean you should go further. Although, surely something of value must be held inside. What will you find as you continue searching? Death? Or rewards?


    Wyn put his parchment away. Alistair really liked giving cryptic messages for each floor. Was there some kind of complete quest for all 20 floors that only made sense after completing it? If he looked back at this season¡¯s floors, it started in the jungle and quickly veered to investigating a mysterious temple. What would the rest of the floors look like? Just how large was this place, really?


    At the moment Wyn didn¡¯t think too much about it past questions and simple curiosity. While it was certainly interesting, after the following week this entire space would be lost forever, gone and remembered only as a climbing challenge for those who participated. As he learned, the tower didn¡¯t repeat floors, so whatever mysteries and secrets were inside lasted for 30 days, only then to be left behind for an entirely new environment and challenge. He understood how it could drive a person mad, especially someone like Cedric or Daniel who valued knowledge and learning.


    But, that wasn¡¯t Wyn¡¯s interest right now. He wasn¡¯t going to climb any higher and he had only one goal in mind. And that goal wasn¡¯t learning about Alistair¡¯s intricacies.


    Returning to the task at hand, Wyn looked around. On the other end of the room was a single passageway that was large and wide, easily big enough for the entire party to walk side by side with room to spare. John and Wyn led the way while Marcy stayed close behind, and Cedric and Tasha brought up the rear. They casually walked forward in silence, a simple understanding that was shared between them.


    Just a few minutes into the passageway a loud rumble could be heard ahead. The path cut at a sharp angle to the right, preventing any visibility further on. Shadows appeared first, quickly followed by a group of four Lamierts slithering along the stone floor. They were armored and equipped similar to the ones seen on the previous floors but didn¡¯t look to be any stronger or different.


    Wyn felt a strong pulse of magic wash over him. He readied his spear to charge thinking he was under attack, but realized he was coated in a red aura along with John. The Fighter - Squire, now - just looked at him and smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s an enhancement aura,¡± John said. ¡°Strength, toughness, endurance. Just stay close.¡±


    Wyn understood. It was time to test out their new abilities in the new floor and John was already a step ahead of them.


    Wyn and John pushed forward and met two of the monsters head on. John immediately overpowered the Lamiert he faced with hard sword strikes and devastating blows, his improved strength and endurance showing its power immediately. He only had to block one blow with his shield that he easily knocked to the side, the monster¡¯s axe glancing off harmlessly. His counter strikes flashed with impressive speed that made Wyn envious.


    Wyn also felt the increase from John¡¯s aura, even without his Speed Up skill active. He dodged one attack from his enemy¡¯s sword and struck back but the Lamiert blocked it with its shield. Wyn recovered but cast Shield when he questioned being able to dodge the next sword strike. The weapon bounced harmlessly off the barrier.


    These monsters looked similar to the ones before but were obviously more powerful. They were stronger, faster, and downright bigger than what he previously faced. This floor might be easier overall than the fourth floor, but climbing was still deadly, and being overconfident equaled death. He needed to stay focused.


    Wyn cast Feeble on the monster, the familiar skull appearing above its head. It shrunk a bit and its movements slowed slightly, and a dim black aura surrounded it while it continued the fight. Wyn briefly wondered about his Chaincast skill. That was two spells back to back that met the criteria of activating it. Maybe he should push it further and see if the ability would activate?


    ¡°Regen,¡± Wyn said, casting it on himself. The spell activated like normal. Under his feet, however, similar to the shadow figure in the water basin, was a brief flash of his Ruby Magician mark.


    John killed the first Lamiert at the same time with a deep stab of his sword. As he freed his blade he was enveloped in the same white aura as Wyn. He looked at the multicolored aura around his hand for only a moment before attacking another monster.


    Wyn saw the same effect - it worked. Chaincast activated and the duplicate Regen spell latched onto John.


    Adrenaline swelled through Wyn. As long as he had mana and could use spells, he¡¯d try to use Chaincast to the best of his ability.


    The small fight took less than a minute longer before Wyn and John killed all four of the Lamierts. John did most of the work killing two of them and helping Wyn on the last, but with Wyn¡¯s Regen spell and John¡¯s aura affecting them both the monster¡¯s hits that made their way through their defenses were either blunted or healed immediately. There were only minor blows or cuts overall, and his healing spell rid them in seconds.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Feeling such magical power excited him. This was a taste of power that Wyn thought was palpable, and it was addicting. It was easy to see how Climbers could become addicted to wanting to gain more and more power. Power and prestige was never something he wanted in life, only safety and security. But for someone who sought being the best, being too careless could mean the end.


    Just like Lionel. His entire situation with Wyn and their group was a bleak reminder of the lure of obtaining power at whatever cost.


    The Lamiert¡¯s bodies dissolved back into the tower without leaving so much as a basic weapon behind. The rest of the group caught up to them immediately after, patiently waiting behind them during the fight in case they needed to intervene.


    ¡°That was easier than I thought,¡± John said. ¡°I feel¡­ powerful.¡±


    Wyn nodded. He and John were even more alike than he thought.


    ¡°Just keep a level head,¡± Cedric said. ¡°It¡¯s important to take your time. You three have new abilities to test and use but it¡¯s still a dangerous environment to do it in. This is just the beginning, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yea, of the floor,¡± Marcy said.


    John and Cedric looked at her with confused expressions.


    Marcy smirked. ¡°What I mean, is that that little fight was just the beginning of this floor. We¡¯ll have plenty more! It won¡¯t be completely easy. You¡¯re getting used to your new upgrades and you won¡¯t figure them out right away. So go slow.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t five minutes later when the next group of enemies showed up in the stone pathway. It was a similar makeup of before except they carried slightly different weapons. John and Wyn stepped forward ready to fight them when a large runic circle appeared on the ground around them, glowing with a bright green glow that was rising in intensity by the second. The runic symbols inside were were more numerous and complex than any spell Wyn had seen so far, and the size of it nearly covered their entire group.


    Before he could ask what was happening, he saw Tasha holding her staff in front of her, her eyes closed and whispering. It took about five seconds in total, but when the glow finally stopped Tasha opened her eyes. The large symbol on the ground broke and disappeared just as quickly as it came, and standing beside Tasha was a creature.


    Well, when Wyn looked closer, it wasn¡¯t actually standing. It was hovering just slightly off the ground as four small, translucent wings on its back fluttered quickly like an insect. It seemed to be about five feet tall and humanoid, but was covered in leaves and vines for clothes. Its eyes were completely yellow but not menacing, a nice contrast to its green skin and body. It raised its arms straight up and caused a flood of green and yellow magical energy to form higher in the air just below the stone ceiling.


    In a flash the energy rushed forward in a series of leaves, vines, and impossibly fast growing branches that battered, sliced, grasped, and encased the group of monsters ahead of them. The display of power was nearly too bright and strong for Wyn to directly watch, though the sheer magnitude and what he witnessed drew in his gaze like nothing before.


    When the magical display began to relax seconds later, Wyn¡¯s jaw fell open. The group of monsters were completely demolished. Parts of their bodies were scattered on the ground along with the magical earth remnants that were used to destroy them. Only one of the monsters seemed to survive it, but it was quickly killed with a smaller lash of a vine from the creature floating beside Tasha.


    Each of the Climbers turned towards Tasha who just smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°What in the actual hells was that?¡± John asked.


    ¡°This is a summoned being,¡± Tasha said, waving her hand to the creature beside her. The being didn¡¯t move or make any gesture, only stayed staring ahead at the fallen group of monsters. ¡°I only have three available, but this is the Fae elf Thrindikle.¡±


    ¡°It has a name?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Yes, he does,¡± Tasha said. Thrindikle started to glow and vanish as a puff of leaves and grass fell in the spot where he floated. ¡°My Herald spells are called Callings. The Called beings come here for a short time but are powerful. They¡¯ll be better and last much longer once I become a true summoner.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say they¡¯re great just as they are,¡± Wyn said. ¡°That is an incredible ability. How much mana does it cost?¡±


    Tasha sighed. ¡°Unfortunately a more moderate amount with each cast. I can only use two of them before I¡¯m low enough to not be able to cast a third. But I have several mana potions with me just in case, so don¡¯t worry about me not being able to heal when needed.¡± Tasha flashed her potion belt while she spoke, and there were twice as many blue vials inside it than red vials.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright with me,¡± John said.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But what about your Magician spells? Or any advanced spells?¡±


    Tasha smirked. ¡°My Herald upgrade includes three spells in the second tier of Divine Magician spells, and all of my first tier spells are stronger. So we¡¯ll be covered just fine with healing and support!¡±


    When everyone else showed signs of relief, Wyn¡¯s face fell. That wasn¡¯t just helpful. That was incredibly strong. She had both Callings as a Herald and more spells from the Divine Magician list? He had nothing like that.


    But, he had determination. He¡¯d use what he had available to him to still be worthy of being called their group¡¯s leader. Even if he had a class that was considered detrimental. There was no doubt in his mind about that.


    ¡°I have a feeling like we¡¯ll be just fine,¡± John said.


    ¡°Yes, we will,¡± Marcy added. ¡°I have a really good feeling about our group.¡±


    Wyn smiled along with the others. Marcy spoke what they were all thinking - their group was more than good. They were great. Even with just five of them they worked well together and were strong. Plenty strong to push forward and accomplish whatever they needed or wanted.


    Wyn looked ahead further down the stone path. Even if his group could handle themselves well this floor was still dangerous. And he knew he¡¯d be looking at some variation of this path several times a day for days to come.


    *****


    Wyn stepped out of the base of Alistair into the hot air. It felt nearly as bad as the jungle on the earlier floors, a time that felt like ages ago. The month was at its end as the season passed the midpoint of summer. It was a far slower change than the seasons within the tower, and far less exciting as well.


    Wyn wondered what the next month would being. A snowy landscape? The middle of a busy city? A desert? The magic inside didn¡¯t seem to have any boundaries. Whatever it would be Wyn dearly hoped it wasn¡¯t anything to do with water. That would be disastrous for him to try and climb.


    He held Windcutter delicately in his hands as though it was going to be blown away by the wind any second. An odd feeling washed over him. The spear got him through a difficult month on more ways than one. It was the perfect fit for the earth based enemies as well as its feel. To Wyn it just felt right. If he was going to climb into the second tier, though, he needed a new weapon. Something that could carry him further and give him even more benefits. A sense of melancholy washed over him thinking of parting with it but he knew it had to be done. This was the life of a Climber - equipment was exchanged often as a new Climber, according to Marcy and Cedric.


    It was just another season. That was a phrase Wyn had been hearing more and more at the guild hall in the last couple of weeks, and he had a feeling he¡¯d hear it plenty more.


    A hand softly rested on Wyn¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Tasha asked.


    Wyn smiled and nodded. ¡°I will be, yes. Just thinking of what¡¯s to come.¡±


    John and Cedric stepped forward while Marcy pushed her way between Wyn and Tasha, covering them both with her arms.


    ¡°That¡¯s the beauty of it, my friends,¡± Marcy said. ¡°No one knows what¡¯s next. But at least we aren¡¯t alone in finding out.¡±


    John twirled a green aura dagger in his hand while Cedric spun a green glowing crown around a finger, both of them playfully toying with their haul of items for their first climb of the sixth floor. They decided earlier to wait and go to the markets when they had a bundle of items to sell rather than each day to maximize their time. Wyn previously hoped they¡¯d have at least ten items to sell, but after finding two magic items on one climb alone, he felt confident the count would be closer to fifteen, maybe even twenty if they were lucky.


    Hopefully they fetched good coin. Wyn didn¡¯t want their entire haul to only go towards his debt despite them all agreeing to donate their earnings to him for the rest of the week. If they could earn a few extra hundred, he¡¯d happily give that sum back to them as thanks. And if not, he was making a tally to pay them back one day, anyway. They more than deserved it.


    Seeing his friends celebrate at their success made Wyn want to celebrate, too. This was an exciting new adventure even if it was out of necessity. Maybe one day Arabelle could join him in the city and start a new life. Not as a Climber, of course - that was far too dangerous. But maybe she¡¯d enjoy the city life and want to try her hand at finding a job in the guild. It had to be better than a pitiful life with their bastard of a father.


    When he first returned home and learned of their situation, he fought his father to bring Arabelle with him. Both he and his sister wanted to leave, but his father flat out refused. He said he needed the help on the farm, but Wyn knew he was just keeping her their out of spite. When his father threatened to bring in the authorities Wyn knew he had lost. Technically their father was still his sister¡¯s guardian, and she wasn¡¯t married. There was no other man or family she could go to. With Wyn leaving the military dishonorably, being framed for his soldier¡¯s deaths, he knew if the royal authorities stepped in there was a good chance he¡¯d be dismissed or even jailed.


    As Wyn¡¯s mind wandered he was brought back to the present with Cedric¡¯s eccentric laugh. The sound was jarring enough to wake Wyn from his own thoughts, and that was saying something.


    ¡°Are you all ready?¡± John asked. ¡°We still have plenty of climbing to do! After a small reprieve, of course.¡±


    The others all agreed as they walked to the guild hall to rest before their next climb. Wyn did, too. For once, here in a strange, magical place, he truly did feel ready. He felt warmth and comfort from people who he considered friends. And he felt encouraged that he was going to be successful at escaping his family¡¯s debt while saving his and his sister¡¯s life.

 Book 1 - Epilogue

    Marion knelt down at Lionel¡¯s still body. The impatient fool just couldn¡¯t wait. They were supposed to go together to face that Red Mage and his group. With the four generals facing them there was no way they¡¯d lose. But Lionel just couldn¡¯t help himself. Like he had something to prove or someone to impress. He took the two useless followers and went off to die.


    Or maybe he just really was that bullheaded. Honestly, though, it didn¡¯t matter anymore. He was dead and that was that.


    Marion opened a portal and drug the large man¡¯s body through it to the cave. He hated doing it but if he left the man¡¯s body it would be gone forever at the end of the day when Alistair changed its layout. The others weren¡¯t important like him, and he didn¡¯t care enough to bother with their bodies. They were just two more robes to fill the space. Still, Marion didn¡¯t know if he was lucky or unlucky that he found him by chance when he was searching through the floors for more bodies to attack the city. They were planning to strike tonight, and now they were three people down.


    In the dim light of the cave Marion huffed with effort, finally stopping to just let Lionel¡¯s body go. At least he was out. Now he could make some of the lowly followers deal with it.


    ¡°That damned fool,¡± Slayer said behind him.


    Marion jumped. ¡°Gods, don¡¯t do that. Warn a guy next time!¡±


    The general just turned her head towards him, her porcelain mask hiding her intentions.


    Marion sighed. ¡°What¡¯s done is done. The fool went and got himself killed.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t change our plans,¡± Slayer said. ¡°We continue on.¡±


    ¡°I know. We need to tell Zarath.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what?¡± Their leader said, suddenly appearing behind them. He stopped when he saw Lionel¡¯s body on the ground. A sharp curse left his lips. ¡°He wasn¡¯t strong enough. That¡¯s fine. We have more than enough to continue with the plan.¡±


    Marion let out a sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t know how pissed Zarath was going to be, but he was glad to know he wasn¡¯t about to take it out on them.


    Suddenly the cave rumbled and shook as though the earth itself was splitting under their feet.


    ¡°Again?¡± Marion asked. He had to balance his body in various angles to keep from falling.


    ¡°This is different,¡± Slayer said. She fell to one knee and braced the ground, not quite as dexterous. ¡°Stronger than before.¡±


    ¡°Oh, gods,¡± Zarath said. He fell directly to the ground to his hands and knees.


    A bright light filled the cave blinding everyone inside it. Screams of panic were shouted but silenced nearly as quickly as they came. The rumbling stopped and everything returned to normal.


    Except for the Avatar kneeling before the elevated throne in the cave where a glowing figure hovered in midair. His eyes shone like they were made of light, and a strong yellow and white aura covered him as though he was divinity itself.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± Marion asked. ¡°Who in the hells are you?¡±


    The floating figure slowly turned his head towards them but didn¡¯t move anything else.


    Marion suddenly felt¡­ odd. Like his body was warm and light. He looked down at his gloved hands and saw nothing different. But his breath was hot under his mask. His throat felt closed off and tight. In a panic he ripped off his mask and threw it to the ground where it shattered. He looked over towards Slayer, unsure of what was happening.


    ¡°Jen?¡± He said. Then a similarly bright aura enveloped his body before he crumbled away in ashes in seconds. A small pile of grey, white, and yellow dust was all that remained.


    Zarath sobbed on the ground. Jen slowly took off her mask and stared at the spot Marion just stood with horror in her eyes.


    ¡°Zarath,¡± The Avatar said, its voice booming throughout the cave. ¡°You were warned. Now you must face the consequences.¡±


    ¡°Warned? What is it talking about?¡± Jen asked, her voice frantic. She walked over to Zarath and yanked him up by the collar of his robes.


    Zarath looked at her with wild eyes. Jen let go of him and stepped away as though Zarath was infected with a sickness. She looked at him with disgust.


    The floating figure moved his gaze across the entirety of the cave. All of the followers began to remove their hoods and robes while looking at each other and the new figures in confusion. Then, slowly, they began to fade away from a bright aura into dust and ash just like Marion.


    Jen fell to the ground on her knees and watched the spectacle in horror. She stole one last look at the glowing figure whose eyes met hers. It was then she realized the truth. Zarath led them astray. He was a false prophet, a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. This man - no, this god - was the true leader. The true master. The one who they worshiped, who Zarath claimed to be following.


    Aliyar.


    Jen closed her eyes in acceptance at her fate and hoped in the last few seconds that she would be shown mercy. Then she felt nothing as she became nothing.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Zarath gathered himself and looked around the room. Only piles and scattered remnants of ash remained. Everything he worked for, his entire followers, his plans - they were all gone in mere moments.


    Realization hit him then. This was his fault and his burden. He would be next - it was only a matter of time. Likely seconds.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where I went wrong,¡± Zarath said, his voice quiet and broken.


    Aliyar now floated before him, his image glowing with reverence and power. He didn¡¯t bother looking down at the man. ¡°This, unfortunately, was not your fault. I take the blame.¡± His voice was deep and bold and reverberated with power.


    Zarath looked up for what was likely his final time. He didn¡¯t want to speak, however. He was too afraid of the figure that stood before him. It was a stark contrast to the last time he saw the god face to face. But now, even the Avatar that stood stoically behind the glowing god remained quiet in respect.


    ¡°When you first met me on the 20th floor I was hesitant to offer you the choice I offer Climbers who complete my challenge,¡± Aliyar continued. ¡°You did sacrifice your group, after all, in order to finish the climb. That goes against the purpose of my reward. But do you remember our conversation then?¡±


    Zarath tried to swallow. His throat was dry and he coughed, then cleared his throat. ¡°Of course. It was the best moment of my life.¡±


    ¡°What did I tell you?¡±


    Zarath closed his eyes and smiled. ¡°You offered congratulations followed by a choice. That no matter what I chose I¡¯d change the world. But I needed to choose wisely.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I had several tests for you that day. But when you wanted your boon to be able to share power to others I assumed you had learned your lesson about the value of allies. That you wanted to make amends for leaving behind your group. But now I see the truth.¡±


    Aliyar looked down at Zarath who instantly averted his gaze to the ground. He postured, falling to his hands in complete submission.


    Aliyar, for all his power and reverence, sighed. Another failure. Another waste.


    He waved his hand and Zarath became no more like the poor souls that followed his misguided lead.


    The Avatar waited for several seconds before stepping up to Zarath¡¯s ashes and inspecting them. ¡°Was that really necessary?¡±


    Aliyar didn¡¯t bother looking away from the destruction. ¡°He sullied the sanctity of my creation and purpose. He was given one warning purely due to his previous accomplishments. But my grace only goes so far, Elik¡¯yar.¡±


    The Avatar - Elik¡¯yar - bowed in respect.


    Aliyar crossed his arms and settled onto the ground. He walked through the cave slowly and purposefully through what was left of the people there. ¡°So much wasted potential. The decisions of these mortals sometimes makes me wonder why we decided to enact these towers in the first place.¡±


    He stopped at a pile of ash that was a mixture of white, green and blue dust. It was neat and collected as though poured from a jar and swirled in perfect harmony. He reached out a hand and absorbed the ash into himself, closing his eyes and smiling at the pleasant result. This person had a genuine heart and cared for others. It was easy to feel in her spirit. He kept her essence so that he could revitalize her and make her anew.


    Reincarnation wasn¡¯t common, but a spirit such as hers deserved a second chance. He¡¯d make sure she was given it.


    The Avatar watched with hesitation. It was unlike Aliyar to show such compassion in the wake of disobedience, but this poor soul also followed Zarath out of blind faith. All of them did. If Aliyar judged them to be worthy, then so it was. Elik''yar wasn''t one to question, but doubt flooded their mind. Alayar had been increasingly active in the last few seasons.


    But, Elik''yar was loyal. They would never question their god.


    ¡°Still, there is always hope to come,¡± Aliyar said, walking away after collecting another four piles of essence.


    Elik¡¯yar stepped forward beside her creator. ¡°Yes, my lord. What shall I do now?¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯ve always done and done well. Continue to test the challengers so they may prove themselves.¡±


    Elik¡¯yar bowed again. ¡°Of course.¡± They turned and began to walk away.


    ¡°Elik¡¯yar.¡±


    The Avatar froze. ¡°Yes, Creator?¡±


    ¡°The Ruby Magician. You think my interest in him is misplaced? I can sense your unspoken feelings.¡±


    Elik¡¯yar felt a tremble in their hands. It was a strange sensation, foreign and¡­ human. ¡°I would never question your decisions.¡±


    Aliyar smiled genuinely. ¡°I know. But you may speak freely. It is your prerogative, after all.¡±


    Elik¡¯yar turned to face him, hesitation on their lips. ¡°You said there was great potential in him. But isn¡¯t there great potential in all Climbers? Like the ones you just procured to repurpose? I admit he has¡­ potential. But I still don¡¯t fully understand.¡±


    ¡°I sensed something within him, yes. A resolve that few others have matched. Determination to accomplish his goals. Loyalty as fierce as yours. And a purpose that exceeds personal gain of power unlike most. It was why I gave him the Ruby Magician class.¡±


    ¡°But he is still a young Climber. His actions are questionable at best.¡±


    ¡°That is true for all who have little experience. But in recent years Climbers have lost their way. They see my creation as a means to an end, a way to advance their own status and power. They¡¯ve forgotten what it means to complete the challenge and the reward it brings. This, tonight, was an example of that ignorance.¡±


    ¡°I believe the Magician is treating his climb the same way. A means to an end only.¡±


    ¡°But not for selfish greed, by my understanding. Wealth, yes, but more for familial protection and security. And a similar notion could be said for his group, as well. If they continue to stay the course they likely could discover the true reason for climbing. It¡¯s rare to find a collected group such as theirs.¡±


    Elik¡¯yar nodded. ¡°Hopefully. After I took that Wizard¡¯s arm I wasn¡¯t sure how they would respond. Truthfully, I was surprised they survived at all. It¡¯s not easy for me to contain my power when I descend floors. I believe some¡­ leaked out, for lack of a better term. I didn¡¯t intend for the floor to be so difficult.¡±


    ¡°Climbers must be ready for anything. You did not disobey or intrude in the slightest. I sent you there, after all. It was my decision.¡±


    ¡°The Wizard continues to climb despite his deficit. I¡¯m not sure how he will do with one less arm as they continue to ascend.¡±


    ¡°I believe he will manage. I have a reward in mind for his decision to return climbing.¡±


    Elik¡¯yar jerked their head towards the god. ¡°My lord? You would personally reward a Climber?¡±


    Aliyar chuckled. ¡°You rewarded Ardwyn with an item and skill, did you not?¡±


    Elik¡¯yar bowed deeply and remained silent.


    ¡°Again, I am not upset. You only did what I asked. But yes, I do have something in mind for him. Not a direct reward, but an idea. A seed. One that has already been planted. And I will implement it soon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    Aliyar continued walking through the cave before returning to the throne. He looked out at the field of death once again, taking care to remind himself of the consequences of actions.


    Sometimes even gods choose poorly. But if mortals have anything, it¡¯s potential. And Aliyar knew that the right Climber was out there somewhere. Whether that was the Ruby Magician or not.


    ¡°Let us return, Elik¡¯yar,¡± Aliyar said. ¡°We must prepare for the change of the season.¡±


    Elik¡¯yar stepped beside the god and knelt on one knee. Aliyar placed a hand on their shoulder and disappeared in a flash of golden light, leaving behind failure and death to prepare for hope and success. As a new season comes, so will the possibility of success. More trials await, but so do changes. Changes that will mold or shatter those who climb.

 Book 2 - Prologue

    The pitiful head of wheat disintegrated with a mere rub of Arabelle Thatcher¡¯s fingers. The sun wasn¡¯t that harsh this spring but the damned crops were still dried and dead. She looked out over the rest of the crops and saw similar shades of dark brown, and that was on the heads that were still attached. A fair number of the wheat crops had simply fallen off after dying weeks ago.


    She bent down and pinched some of the soil, grimacing when the ground barely offered any at her request. It was hard and firm. A bad foundation for crops that needed some healthy, rich earth. When she put the soil in her mouth her grimace turned into audible cursing. There¡¯d been plenty of rain for the fields but it didn¡¯t matter if the soil was piss poor. It was bitter and wrong. Like too much salt in a stew.


    Her pathetic, no good excuse of a father may have been born into a family of farmers, but every ounce of farming quality missed him by a mile. Arabelle had never seen crops so poorly maintained. She begged him over the years to rotate the different crops like their neighbor William, whose farm was lush with strong, tall yields.


    It wasn¡¯t a matter of the weather like her old man kept saying. No, it was the product of a shit farmer and a shittier father.


    Wyn was right to leave when he did, even if his intentions were to help. Arabelle just wished she was able to go with him. He came and left in a matter of days, and set out for the magical city of Alestead just two days ago. She already missed him terribly.


    The pantry cabinet creaked when Arabelle opened it, a sigh leaving her mouth when she stared inside. She knew there wasn¡¯t much inside. The same contents taunted her like all the times before - stale bread, a few questionable potatoes, knotted carrots, and a little salt hidden in a potato sack. They could hardly afford anything to eat between the two of them, and whatever money she earned as a barmaid in the town mostly went into her private fund. Whatever coins her father made went into bottles of alcohol and gods know what else. She didn¡¯t want to ask. He certainly wasn¡¯t adding anything of value to their situation.


    It was mid afternoon but she needed to get a stew going and ready to eat. It would be cold when her father came stumbling home but at least it was prepared, and in his usual state he couldn¡¯t tell much difference anyway. She¡¯d be long gone by then. The best hours at the Pig Sty were the dinner rush and then late in the night when the drunkards starting letting coins slip easier. Arabelle learned to avoid the latter and preferred to work the former so she could both keep her dignity and some semblance of sleep. Despite all of her efforts at keeping the crops going she was just one person, and often it felt like her father was actively trying to keep her from succeeding in turning the farm around.


    Oh, well. It would be his problem before long.


    The stew was nearly done when the front door slammed open. Thankfully, Arabelle wasn¡¯t stirring the pot, or she might have spilled their whole dinner by her surprised reaction.


    The man took three steps, looked at Arabelle, then cocked his head to the side. ¡°What¡¯re you doing that for?¡± His word slurred and body constantly moved ever so slightly, unable to stay still. A silent hiccup shook his torso.


    So he was drunk already. Not a good sign.


    ¡°Dinner. You know, so you can eat?¡±


    The man scowled. ¡°I don¡¯t like that tone. But I meant¡­ why are you making it so godsdamned early?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that late. And my shift at the Pig Sty starts at sundown. I need to get there early, and you know the walk isn¡¯t short.¡±


    The man just grunted in response, then plopped down in a chair at the kitchen table. He cocked his head to the side, picked up a wooden bowl on the table, and spit into it. A dull clunking sound followed, and Arabelle stopped mid-stir.


    ¡°What was that?¡± She asked.


    Her father swirled his tongue around in his mouth, then cursed. ¡°That bastard today thought I was cheating. He popped me pretty good before I rushed out of there.¡±


    Arabelle knew that he was cheating, but she wasn¡¯t about to voice that. Not if she wanted to be the one spitting a tooth into the bowl next. His slaps never quite that got that far, but they¡¯ve been getting worse over the weeks. It was only a matter of time.


    She returned to the stew and added the carrots. It would need some time to simmer, and she was thankful for an excuse to not have to tend to him. Still, it was better to mitigate his situation and not escalate. That only caused more problems.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you got out in time. I¡¯m sorry that happened.¡±


    Yea, sorry for me. I¡¯m the one who suffers, she thought.


    Her father grunted and skidded the chair on the floor, making an awful noise. Then he stepped over and patted her on the shoulder. She recoiled from his touch, her reflexes honed over time to prepare her for what came next. But nothing did. Only shuffled, drunken footsteps that carried him into his bedroom. He still had a bit of a limp from his broken ankle, but that was likely as healed as it would ever be.


    Her shoulders relaxed and body loosened when he left room. The stew was bubbling but she didn¡¯t care. The man deserved a burned, shitty meal meant for a burned out, shitty man.


    But Arabelle didn¡¯t deserve it. She may have been burned out, but she didn¡¯t think she was a shitty person. Definitely not for putting up with him, and definitely not for still trying her best to make sure there was food on the table and the farm was tended. She wasn¡¯t a farmer like her father, though, and had no idea what she was doing. He refused to help or even give her directions, spending most of his time drunk or out gambling. The few times he was in the fields he demanded to be alone as she was ¡°just a damned good for nothing woman.¡± Thankfully those times were fewer as it meant fewer insults, but it also meant their farm suffered for it.


    Suddenly the footsteps behind her stopped. ¡°Arabelle, take some coins from the box. I¡¯m tired of stew and want a proper breakfast in the morning.¡±


    Arabelle jerked her head away from the pot. ¡°What about the payment from William? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to give us 100 crowns for the bundles of wheat?¡±


    Her father swatted the air like he was trying to hit a fly. ¡°That bastard never payed.¡±


    ¡°Never payed or you never gave him the wheat?¡±


    Her father cocked his head to the side. ¡°I had the wheat, you little shit, he just said no. So grab the damn coins from the box and pick up something good to eat for the morning.¡±


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    ¡°Did he say no because the wheat was bad?¡± Arabelle refused to drop it. Consequences be damned. She was tired of his harassment, tired of his incompetence.


    Her father paused. His face scrunched up in annoyance, which turned to pain from his jaw. ¡°I don¡¯t owe you any answer. He didn¡¯t pay. End of discussion.¡±


    So that was it, then. Talking about their farm was always a sore spot with him.


    Arabelle was in a particular kind of mood, today. She didn¡¯t like being told what to do by him, and didn¡¯t see the conversation over. ¡°So it was, then. I want out to the fields today, you know. The whole thing is shit. The wheat. The soil. It¡¯s like you haven¡¯t even tried out there.¡±


    Her father rushed back into the kitchen, though he stumbled most of the way. Arabelle tightened her grip on the ladle, just in the case. Not that it would do much good. Still, it felt better to have than nothing.


    He came right up to her and pointed at her with a shaky finger. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, you aren¡¯t a farmer. You don¡¯t know how hard it is out there. We¡¯ve had terrible luck the past few years and bad growth.¡±


    ¡°William¡¯s been doing fine. How come his crops are growing so well but ours looks like death?¡±


    Her father started to say something but stopped. He fumbled over his words.


    Arabelle knew something was wrong. She decided to press him further. What else could happen? ¡°It¡¯s because of why Wyn left so quickly, wasn¡¯t it? You two had a nice long discussion the instant he came back home. Then he left again in days. I put two and two together. It¡¯s our debt, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t speak on things you don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t ever need to talk about farming. But obviously it¡¯s bad enough for Wyn to leave. Who did you screw over? Or what organization?¡±


    Her father shooed her away, dismissing her like she was nothing. Like always. In his eyes, she really was nothing. He obviously missed that the feeling was mutual.


    ¡°Don¡¯t walk away, now, old man. I want answers! I demand answers!¡±


    He kept shuffling away, one bum ankle slowing him down.


    The stew behind her was definitely burned, now.


    ¡°So it is someone, then. Silence speaks volumes, you know. Wyn is out there trying to help us and all you¡¯re doing is drinking what¡¯s left of your miserable life away! And gambling away what¡¯s left of mine!¡±


    The bedroom door behind her father slammed shut. Arabelle felt tears form in her eyes along with several emotions at once. Anger. Frustration. Despair. Fear. She turned back to the stew and cursed at her luck. Even though the bastard deserved every meal he ever ate to be miserable, she¡¯d never hear the end of it. And that was after she¡¯d likely feel his anger, first.


    Her tears fell into the pot as she continued to stir it, wishing for all her worth that they¡¯d poison the man and end both of their suffering.


    *****


    Arabelle tied her leather boots and straightened her blouse. Her clothes were on their last threads, but at least her boots were in great condition. One of the many gifts Wyn gave her. One of the few things in this prison of a home she cared about. The sun was just getting ready to touch the tops of the trees in the distant forest. She was late for her shift at the Pig Sty, but she¡¯d make it up on the road. Jogging was a great freedom where she had hardly any.


    Exiting her room quietly took patience and skill. The door squeaked terribly, but not when she held the top hinge and slowly opened it. Her deadbeat father was likely asleep and it would be terrible for her if she woke him up. After several agonizing seconds, she stepped into the hallway and listened.


    Silence.


    For a moment anger rose to the surface. Anger at that drunkenly sleeping man for putting her and her brother, the only other person she cared about, in an awful position. Anger at her luck for being a younger woman, unable to contribute outside of earning measly copper boots every night at a shitty tavern to help survive. Anger at the world for being such a cruel place. Anger at Wyn for leaving.


    No. Wyn didn¡¯t deserve anger. He was doing what he felt best to help, and he actually had the means to do it. Serving in the military was a great honor, and he abandoned that for their family. For her. She just desperately wanted to be with him, to grow up with a family member who actually cared about her. Who wanted her comforted, fed, healthy.


    A sigh left her lips. That would come in time. For now, she had work to do.


    Carefully stepping back into her room, she walked to the furthest corner and slid a finger under the wooden board. It was raised just slightly more than the others, impossible to notice unless stepped on or looked at from ground level. Which her father would never do as he didn¡¯t care enough to ever come into her room. Lifting the board quietly took a few more seconds, but it was worth being ever later.


    Under the board was a small hole. A hole carefully dug over months to make sure her father never found what she hid. In the hole was a potato sack that held her freedom. Well, at least the start of it. It wasn¡¯t potatoes inside, either, but coins. Lots of coins. Enough coins that if her father did find it, she¡¯d be beaten rather than just struck, and he¡¯d take them and make their debt even worse. Though she had no true idea of just how bad it was.


    Carefully opening the sack she counted her coins again. Slowly so they wouldn¡¯t jingle together and a loud noise. It was likely too much caution since her father usually slept like a rock after drinking, but she wasn¡¯t about to risk it. Not after saving so much.


    18 copper boots. 27 silver cloaks. 14 gold crowns. She took out the boots and seven cloaks put them in her pocket, hoping she could earn enough tonight to exchange them for another crown. She decided weeks ago that converting them to crowns was the best move, as less coins meant less noise, less weight, and less chance of losing them or having them stolen. But it was also risky as spending them on smaller purchases was harder, but she decided that keeping 10 cloaks was the solution. Whatever boots she had on hand for when the time came was her pocket change, not to be included in her current savings goal.


    In total, she needed more. Of course she needed more, everyone needed more. But she had a specific plan. First, she needed money to survive. Shelter. Food and water. Protection. Then, she needed money for travel. A voucher to hitch a ride on a caravan. Enough funds to last the entire journey. Finally, she needed emergency money just in case something went wrong. She literally couldn¡¯t afford anything to go wrong. This was her only chance at escaping her hell. Her torment. It had to go well, and going well meant planning well.


    The survival criteria would be straightforward. She didn¡¯t need anything fancy for sustenance, just water, bread, jerky to last, and the occasional cheap meal to keep her going. One a day would be enough, two meals would be preferred, a total of about eight boots give or take. Inns were tricky to predict as she had never stayed in before, but the Pig Sty charged a cloak a night for guests not including food. Not terrible, but the place was a mess. They were a small town, though, and it was only one of two inns. She tripled that price to cover unexpected costs.


    The travel was a bit harder. Timing the caravan right was crucial, as one only came through their small town of Rywood every other week in the summer and the voucher was a crown a day for travel. A steep sum, but necessary. It would take two weeks of traveling in a caravan to get to her destination, and that was smooth travel. No storms, no bandits, just continuous motion. She¡¯d pass a few cities on the way, too, and from travelers let slip at the Pig Sty, caravans tended to stay in a city for an entire day to allow the exchange of traders both coming and going, but that depending on the caravan¡¯s owner. The actual trip could be longer.


    So, in total, she planned to cushion her funds to ensure she got to her destination with as little trouble as possible. By her estimations, she needed three cloaks a night to stay in the cities, or about one crown rounded up along with an extra night added to be safe. Eight boots a day for food and water, or one cloak rounded up. One crown a day for the caravan, so 12 crowns for two weeks. She figured rounding up to 15 would give her enough cushion as a ¡°just in case.¡±


    15 crowns for the caravan. Four crowns for the nights in cities. 15 cloaks for two and a half weeks of travel. 20 crowns and five cloaks total.


    She felt her heart race as she carefully hid her stash away. There was almost enough saved. Almost enough to ensure her freedom. Only a couple more weeks working, maybe with a good night or two, and she¡¯d be able to leave.


    Aleastead. Home of the magical tower Alistair. Current home of Wyn. That was her destination. That was her goal. That was her new life away from this hell hole.


    She marched on with the sunset to the Pig Sty with vigor, hope renewed. She would make it out of this place and no one would stop her. Not her father. Not the person or people who owned their debt. No one.

 Book 2 - Chapter 1

    FLOOR 1


    Group: 5/5


    Quest: The city is under siege! Foul creatures have broken through the defenses to terrorize defenders and citizens alike. Will you earn freedom or be caught in the onslaught? Danger lurks around many corners, but escape can be found in unlikely places.


    Wyn folded up his parchment and tucked it into his jacket pocket. Well, that description wasn¡¯t ominous at all. It was far different than a simple trek through the jungle, but he wasn¡¯t complaining. Hopefully this would be the first and only time he and his group climbed the first floor.


    Another rumble shook the small house where Wyn emerged from the portal inside Alistair. The others were right behind him as they all crammed into the space. It was borderline claustrophobic inside what could only be called a wooden hut, and Wyn was doing his best to suppress memories that desperately wanted to surface.


    Before the season started he sat down with Daniel and had another lengthy discussion about his time at war. It was healing to be able to talk freely about his experiences with someone who genuinely wanted to listen, and he could tell Daniel had a history of his own. Maybe one of their conversations would steer towards Daniel finding his own healing. Wyn desperately wished that for the older Ruby Magician. He was far too selfless and kind to be harboring any negative thoughts.


    But, Wyn knew that he himself wouldn¡¯t be freed from his thoughts instantly. They still lurked in the back of his mind waiting for the opportune time to make an appearance. A new season to climb focusing on war and death wasn¡¯t exactly something Wyn looked forward to, but his resolve was too great to be deterred. He told himself that not only would he make it through without spacing out, but that he¡¯d also refuse to freeze in the heat of combat. His teammates deserved far better than that, and he needed to be better.


    ¡°Well this is an unexpected start,¡± John said. ¡°Should we go out one at a time or together?¡± He pointed towards the single exit of the small hut with his sword. He was already gearing up for a fight, and based on the noise outside it was a smart move. Chaos seemed to whirl around them, with shouting, screaming, clanging of metal, and loud thumps all echoing through their shack.


    ¡°Let me check it out,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I¡¯ll be just a second.¡± She held an arrow along with her bow and opened the wooden door, disappearing around the hut in a flash.


    Wyn could see that the outside was coated in a sort of orange-red light that was far too intense to be sunset. It looked to be more like the glow from a bonfire that encompassed the city. Based on the quest description, that may very well be what was happening.


    Marcy suddenly appeared back in the hut. The arrow she held before was gone. ¡°Be ready. It¡¯s chaos out there. And it looks like some sort of demon-like creatures will be the monster of the month. Not sure if they have an element or not, but there¡¯s quite a few of them.¡±


    ¡°For the first floor?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°They can¡¯t be that dangerous so soon.¡±


    Marcy drew another arrow with plain white fletching. ¡°They¡¯re about the size of a stray dog. Not sure of much yet but you¡¯re probably right. Still, I saw about a dozen just running around while I was out. They don¡¯t look to be completely focused on us but better to be safe than sorry.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We¡¯ll go with our scouting formation. Tasha, just keep your eyes open for anything in the distance. Marcy will keep us on the path.¡±


    The others readied their weapons and gear before moving into position. John gave Tasha a reassuring wink before facing the door behind Marcy. He held his sword and shield at the ready, waiting for Marcy to exit first.


    ¡°Stay close to each other,¡± Wyn said to Cedric and Tasha. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay at the back to make sure we don¡¯t get flanked. If I need to move somewhere else, though -¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll start sprinting around like a madman, we know,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We can handle ourselves. Have confidence.¡±


    Wyn took a deep breath. Cedric was right, of course. The Wizard had far more experience at this than he did, but his experience and desire to lead and take command while remembering his teammates were capable of holding their own was a delicate balance. He needed to trust them.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Marcy, let¡¯s move.¡±


    The Ranger stepped out of the hut while the others followed in a line. Wyn could hardly believe what he saw when he finally emerged from the hut behind Cedric. He knew the tower magically changed and presented different environments but what he saw was still unexpected. The sky was filled with dark grey and black clouds, red and orange like coals in a fire, and massive balls of flaming rock soared through the air all around them. It truly was a war zone, but not just any war zone. This was a magical siege from one of the hells.


    The area around them looked to be a residential district as houses were everywhere. Most were on fire or completely turned into rubble, but some remained standing though not unscathed. Shouts and screams of people that Wyn didn¡¯t know were real or magical came from all directions, and he started to feel a bit of a sensation overload. He took another deep breath and steadied his mind, focusing on his teammates and following them.


    He inwardly sighed. This would not be an easy month.


    Marcy led the group through narrow paths between houses on dirt roads. It was interesting how there actually was a layout ahead of them as several paths ended with burning huts or large piles of debris or simply didn¡¯t appear to go anywhere. Once they started trotting along the road it was fairly obvious to see the path they were supposed to take.


    It was only seconds before they met their first enemy. They were alerted to a deep resounding bark, and they all looked to the right when their road opened into a small shared section of several houses that was more spacious than the road. The animalistic noise came from three monsters that were standing in the middle of the open space just growling. Their bodies were black and hairless with jaws that seemed to open far too wide. Sharp jagged teeth were coated in disgusting white drool that dripped from their mouth like they were rabid and wild, and beady red eyes sealed their demonic look.


    Marcy was right. They definitely looked like demon dogs.


    The Ranger immediately loosed her arrow at one of them and a pitiful yelp came from it when the arrow struck its neck. The force of the hit caused it to fly back several feet but it still squirmed, not entirely dead. The other two lunged forward with surprising agility but John stepped forward to meet them head on. Before he could intercept their attacks a streak of lightning crackled and shot around the Climbers, hitting one of the demon dogs in the side and obliterating its shoulder and side. John bashed the last one with his shield and cut it down with two swift attacks from his sword.


    Wyn ran over and inspected the dog that Marcy shot. It was starting to get up but hobbled from the arrow sticking out of it, and he promptly ended it with a stab of his spear. In seconds the body started to dissolve into magical dust. When he looked around he didn¡¯t notice a single dropped item.


    ¡°Do you think they have an element?¡± Tasha asked as Wyn rejoined them on the path.


    ¡°If they¡¯re demonic, no,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Demons are susceptible to Divine magic but that¡¯s about it.¡±


    ¡°So I can use healing spells and injure them instead?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°I was told that could happen with some enemy types.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯d recommend only doing that in a pinch. It¡¯s better to save your mana to heal and protect us, unless it¡¯s a boss or really needed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°But we need to confirm their type,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Get an item drop from them and check your parchment and we¡¯ll know for sure. Otherwise, don¡¯t waste it.¡±


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Another loud crashed sounded from off in the distance. Some errant screams could be heard but otherwise the noise returned to its previous level of chaos.


    John¡¯s sword flashed with a blue light before the blade reverberated a rich blue hue. ¡°I¡¯ll add an aquamarine gemstone to my sword just in case they¡¯re actually fire instead.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Then let¡¯s keep going. This new environment is overwhelming.¡±


    The others agreed and continued their formation through the residential district. The path felt endless at times as each turn that they passed seemed to open up into more blocks of homes. It could take hours just to cover the distance.


    But, the group was trotting along at a half-jog rather than the slower pace of the jungle the month before. Since there was no immediate obstacles to clear they could move easily. The only hindrance was that each of them would get distracted at one point or another from the houses on fire, the flaming sky, and the sounds of panic. It was unsettling, but didn¡¯t seem to be directly affecting them. Only an ambient distraction that was incredibly effective. Likely, Wyn thought, one of the features of the first floor, meant to disorient and force Climbers to focus.


    It only took a few more minutes before they encountered another group of the dog monsters. This pack had four of the dogs but they guarded the dirt road, waiting and ready to attack. The group quickly dealt with them with basic attacks, saving their mana for more serious needs. Wyn had to activate a Shield spell at one point to prevent being rushed by two of them, but the dull-minded creatures just slammed into the barrier and bounced away. Wyn felt like the magical shield was denser, and he attributed it to his second tier class and power.


    Again, unfortunately, no item drops from the monsters.


    Wyn decided to check his mark before they moved on, curious as to how much the spell took from his mana. The second circle that was added to his mark from his class upgrade held various markings he didn¡¯t recognize, obviously markers of the tower¡¯s magic. To his delight, the outer circle wasn¡¯t even fully glowing, only a sliver being lit up. So based on the amount of his mark left, he could cast the spell at least a dozen more times in a row before he¡¯d be too low or out of mana. That might not have been much for a spell that only used a small amount, but his ability to recover mana at a greater rate would help curb that deficit. Plus, the odds of him needing to use so many spells back to back like that were low. At least for the first tier. And, he had a mana potion on his belt just in case.


    He smiled. He finally felt ready to take on Alistair¡¯s challenge.


    ¡°Any luck?¡± Marcy asked. She pointed to John¡¯s sword.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± John said. He looked at the blue blade before sheathing it. ¡°They¡¯re not too difficult to kill outright. I haven¡¯t been able to tell a difference yet with the gemstone.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have more chances,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I¡¯m not too concerned about that.¡±


    ¡°As long as they¡¯re this easy, it might not even matter,¡± John said.


    The group killed two more smaller packs of the dog monsters in a similar fashion in less than 10 minutes from the start of the floor. No item drops came and their bodies dissolved quickly, leaving them to continue down the beaten path. They likely would have taken longer if they weren¡¯t going at a faster speed, but the intensity of the floor around them helped pushed them forward.


    Finally on their fifth monster encounter there was a familiar green glow when one of the monsters disappeared. Wyn excitedly picked it up. His excitement left almost immediately when he realized the item was just a patch of dried leather. Still, it was a green rarity monster item, so he wasn¡¯t going to allow his disgust to get in the way of treasure.


    Pulling up his parchment labeled <u>ITEMS</u> he looked down for the new item and found an entry.


    <u>Ashen Dog Leather</u> - a piece of hide from the Ashen Dog, rabid animals that are burnt husks of their former strength. Fire element.


    ¡°There¡¯s your answer,¡± Wyn said. ¡°They are fire based, not demonic.¡±


    ¡°And gross,¡± John said. ¡°You can keep that, by the way. I don¡¯t want that anywhere near my pack.¡±


    Wyn put the item in his backpack with a smirk. Even though it was definitely strange it wasn¡¯t bloody or filthy. Just odd.


    ¡°So water will be our friend this season,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I can work with that. I have some arrows I can bring next time and a few water spells I can use.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to change my Callings,¡± Tasha said. ¡°One of them is completely earth based which won¡¯t be a help at all. I could change it out for a water Calling but I¡¯ll need pretty much the rest of the day.¡±


    ¡°I can change my spells as well,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Let¡¯s stick with our plan, though. Get to the second floor and see if we can make it all the way. If not, at least we can use a key to return. Regardless, we¡¯ll take the rest of the day to change spells and gear.¡±


    John sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have any gear or spells to change like all of you. My sword is excellent and my gear should still work fine. What am I supposed to do? Maybe find a nice piece of chest armor?¡±


    ¡°Go with me to the markets for equipment,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I don¡¯t need to change anything and we can look for you some solid pieces. You¡¯ll need it since we¡¯ll be climbing the second tier more. And we can trade a few things for more appropriate gear, like Wyn¡¯s spear and Tasha¡¯s staff. Maybe some more armor for you two as well.¡±


    John¡¯s excitement returned just as quickly as it left. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! Is it time to finally use some of the items we kept from last week? Even after we sold most of it we brought in quite a haul!¡±


    ¡°Yea, I think so,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Now that we have a better focus of the elemental type we can definitely do that. And if we find something else on the second floor we can adjust what gear we get. But only trade one or two pieces, not all of it. We¡¯ll need to see what the second tier is like first.¡±


    John waved her away. ¡°Yea, yea. At least we have a good plan!¡±


    The ground rumbled as another loud boom filled the air, closer than before.


    ¡°First, we get out of this hell hole,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Tasha added.


    They continued on through another few turns past more burning houses and more Ashen Dogs before they reached a large courtyard. It was spacious and open with three side streets leading in different directions from their path. As they looked closer they realized one of the streets was blocked off from burning debris and another had a literal crater in the middle of it, but the path straight ahead was open.


    Standing before the path was a new creature. It was human-like but tall and lanky, and looked to be just as burnt and demonic as the three dogs it held on collared chains. Thin black armor covered its body and head and it held a club in its free hand. The three dogs on chains were about a size and a half larger than the dogs they had faced so far.


    The monster just stood there while the dogs snapped their jaws and pawed at the ground, eager to be let loose.


    ¡°Floor boss?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Doubtful,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We haven¡¯t been here that long. Could just be a champion, especially it being the first floor.¡±


    ¡°On our first run?¡± John said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we¡¯re that lucky. Either way, we¡¯re going to kill it.¡±


    Suddenly the monster let go of the chains that held the dogs and they sprinted for the group faster than the previous Ashen Dogs. The monster followed behind them, slower but just as determined, raising its club to prepare an attack.


    Wyn felt an aura envelope him and saw the red magical layer coat his body. He felt lighter and stronger as a surge of energy washed through him. It was John¡¯s body enhancement aura from his new Squire class. It also was likely overkill, but Wyn wasn¡¯t about to complain.


    The two Climbers met the dogs head on. One of the monsters lunged at John while he stood his ground and absorbed the blow with his shield, never so much as budging from the hit. The dog fell back from the impact and sputtered on the ground in a daze. Wyn cast another Shield and blocked the two other dogs from biting and slashing him with their long claws. When they smashed into the magical barrier they were knocked back a bit but recovered quickly.


    Wyn swept his spear horizontally and cast Wingbeat from the weapon. The familiar slash of magical green wind sliced over all three of the dogs but only left gashes. The monsters squealed in pain but weren¡¯t killed outright like the earth elemental Lacerts from last season.


    Well, his elemental advantage was gone. For now, at least. He quickly decided he¡¯d pick up a new elemental spear to gain the advantage. Hopefully the other floors were also fire-based. If not, his strategy would need to be reevaluated.


    Wyn quickly followed up the spell with another attack. John joined in beside him, both utilizing their enhanced physical features to attack faster and harder. Before the dogs could stand and attack again they were pierced and slashed several times over.


    The lanky monster almost arrived just as its pets were killed, though a magically glowing arrow pierced its chest and stopped it in its tracks as a plume of force cratered its chest. A surge of small lightning arcs hit it next, and in seconds it was smoking and on the ground, dead.


    The two ranged veterans killed it before it ever came close. They expended valuable resources to kill it, but the trade off was downing it before it even had a chance to attack.


    A smile green pile glowed where the lanky monster fell. John walked over to it and laughed.


    ¡°Coins!¡± The Squire said. ¡°It looks to be mostly silver cloaks, though it¡¯s a good sized pile for the first floor.¡±


    ¡°Money is money,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Every little bit counts!¡±


    ¡°I have better news,¡± Tasha said. She held her parchment with one hand and waved it. ¡°There¡¯s a secondary quest!¡±


    The others stared at her before pulling out their own parchments.


    <u>Secondary Quest</u>: Ashen Dogs are wild by nature but deadlier when controlled. The Fallen are twisted remnants of their former selves, hollow beings who have lost their way as well as their souls. When Fallen are awakened they can be an overwhelming force driven by nefarious means. You have slain one such being. Help ensure your escape by killing more.


    1/4 Fallen killed


    ¡°Gods,¡± John said. ¡°That¡¯s not eerie at all.¡±


    Wyn put his parchment away and thought the same thing. And this was only the first floor. What other weird and terrifying obstacles were they going to find? Looking up to the fire-red sky, it harkened a frightening season full of mystery and destruction. Wyn hoped it wasn¡¯t an omen for their time for the next month.


    ¡°Why do I have a feeling this entire season is going to be eerie,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°You never know,¡± Marcy said. ¡°But killing things is what we as Climbers do. At least the quest is easy.¡±


    A series of growls interrupted them further up the path. The others quickly put their parchments away and readied their weapons. Their climb had only just begun.

 Book 2 - Chapter 2

    Wyn pulled his spear out of another dead Ashen Dog. They had only been climbing for about an hour but had already faced nearly a dozen groups of the monsters. No more Fallen had appeared with the dogs on leashes but at least the enemies so far were easily dealt with. If Wyn was being honest with himself, they were more of a nuisance than a threat.


    Facing them and climbing the first floor this season felt much different than just a month ago. He was still learning about magic and skills and climbing overall, playing it safe and going with a cautionary approach. Now, having an entire season under his belt and feeling more confident about his skills and magic, he was loosening up his perspective. His previous fighting experience played a key role but his actual climbing experience was gaining ground, too.


    They could afford to be more aggressive moving forward. It would be too slow to be as cautious as they were before, and honestly they didn¡¯t need to be that way. All five of them now had second tier classes, and they were ready to climb higher and face greater challenges. It was how being a Climber worked. And Wyn was starting to see that.


    ¡°This is getting a bit repetitive,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Dare I say, boring.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have your work cut out for you before long,¡± Marcy said. ¡°But now you¡¯re starting to see how I felt last season.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted a bit of a break?¡± Wyn asked.


    Marcy inspected an arrow that had killed a dead Ashen Dog before the body dissolved. She bent it and twirled it in her fingers before tossing it back to the ground in dissatisfaction. ¡°I did. And I¡¯m thankful for it, don¡¯t get me wrong. But I won¡¯t lie and say it wasn¡¯t boring.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Hopefully we¡¯ll start getting you and Cedric some excitement in the second tier.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take difficult but prepared challenges instead, please,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I¡¯ve already lost one arm, I¡¯d rather not chance anything else.¡±


    Wyn chuckled. It was nice to see Cedric joking about his missing arm. He still held out hope that there was some magic out there that could help give back a missing limb or magically make a new one, but he wasn¡¯t sure about it. And his primary resource about magic was the person he wanted the information for. Maybe Daniel knew of something he could pursue.


    He mentally added it to his growing checklist of questions.


    The path they¡¯d been following in the first floor was straightforward. No major roadblocks, no twists or turns, no puzzles to trip them up. Only a desolate dirt road surrounded by death and destruction and the only obstacle they found were monsters. But they were numerous.


    Immediately after leaving one fight they were met with another. This time there was a Fallen, again with the Ashen Dogs on chains. Instead of being lanky with a club like the first one, this creature was short and stout, wielding a wickedly jagged sword in the hand that didn¡¯t hold the three dogs back.


    Wyn quickly lifted his jacket¡¯s sleeve and checked his mark on his left forearm to see how much mana he had remaining. It was nearly full, only about one quarter used so far. He hadn¡¯t needed to use much mana in the easy fights, only casts of Shield here and there to completely protect himself. His overcoat and armor likely would have protected him fully, but he liked keeping the monsters at a good range for his spear to be effective rather than biting and clawing distance.


    There was no time quite like now to further try out his new abilities, either. The few days they spent repeating the sixth floor last week over and over was purely to gain money rather than experiment. But now, on a floor that was basically equivalent to the training hall, it felt right to try new things.


    ¡°Let me try something,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I want to take them on alone.¡± He cast Wellspring on the ground in front of the group. The skill activated with his mark and two circles around it as it glowed a bright red in a flash. It stayed glowing softly in a ten foot wide area. Then, he yelled at the monsters ahead of them and stomped on the ground to get them to attack.


    The ruse worked. The Fallen creature let go of the chains as the monsters barreled forward towards him.


    Wyn had an idea. If he could have a net gain with his mana stores the skill would prove more than useful. It could alter his entire approach to climbing.


    He cast Regen on himself when the dogs were nearly at his Wellspring glyph. He didn¡¯t need the healing now, but he wanted the mana recovery while the spell stayed active. Plus, if he was hurt while fighting three dogs at once the spell would heal him without extra effort. He stood at the edge of the glyph so he could give as much room for the dogs to be inside as possible.


    A quick check of his mark showed he was under half of his mana. A bit more than one third remaining. He decided to make a mental note that the magician hat in his mark and a little outside of it was dull while everything else glowed.


    Thankfully the dogs didn¡¯t meet him all at once as one gained ground over the others. Wyn swung his spear wide and caught it when it leapt at him, its jaws open wide for a bite, and the attack both slashed it and knocked it to the side. The others were right behind it, though, and Wyn had to roll to the side to avoid another attack.


    One of the dumb beasts kept running to the rest of the group that patiently waited, all prepared to intervene at any moment. The monster had no idea it ran to its death, which was swift by John¡¯s blade.


    Wyn cursed under his breath. He wanted to try and keep all three of them in the glyph¡¯s area. But hopefully two would still be enough.


    He struck out at the second Ashen Dog with his spear and stabbed it in the side, causing a pained growl to escape its mouth. The first beast quickly came back and attacked again, and Wyn had to do his best to dodge and counter in the ensuing brawl. The monsters weren¡¯t strong but were quick, which could have been dealt with easily with John helping to keep them off or by using his Speed Up skill, but he wanted to experiment. And sometimes experiments require some sacrifice.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t tell passively if his mana was improving by a significant amount during the fight. He was too focused on not being clawed or bitten. He also couldn¡¯t tell how much their life force was being drained from the skill, but they did glow with a dulled gray aura similar to his Feeble spell. But in less than half a minute the fight was nearing its end, Wyn having taken a few stray hits but mostly finishing them off instead. His jacket protected him from any teeth puncture wounds or clawed gashes, but his body could feel the weight of the attacks underneath. Thankfully Regen was still active around him and the bruises would heal.


    As one monster fell to a final stab the other tried to leap at him from the side, and Wyn dropped his spear to let his arm take the bite. The jacket again saved him from the tooth but he could feel the pressure of a monster¡¯s jaw clamping around his arm. He promptly withdrew his knife from his back and repeatedly stabbed the monster until it fell limp.


    Finally, the beasts were dead. Wyn felt his arm already recovering. He glanced around to see where the Fallen monster was but saw only a glowing pile of coins about twenty feet away. Apparently someone didn¡¯t want the creature interfering with Wyn¡¯s plan.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Tasha asked. She stepped closer to Wyn but stayed outside the Wellspring¡¯s area as she could also be affected by its magic.


    ¡°Regen is healing me just fine,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Thank you, though.¡±


    ¡°What, exactly, was your plan just now?¡± Cedric asked.


    Wyn looked at the aura around him from his healing spell. It had faded some but was still likely going to be active for another minute or two. That meant more time of mana recovery on top of Lucidity.


    ¡°I wanted to see how much mana I could recover with my new abilities,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We didn¡¯t get much of a chance last week and I want to learn what I can do. I¡¯ll check once Regen is done. Shouldn¡¯t be long.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yea,¡± John said. ¡°I forgot about all the ways you can recover mana now. You know, because your class upgrade was so stupidly helpful.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Wyn smirked. He wasn¡¯t about to argue.


    Tasha and Macy collected the coins from the dead Fallen and the group kept on their path but at a walk this time. When the white aura from Regen faded, Wyn once again checked his mark.


    He was both a little disappointed and excited in a strange, bittersweet way. The entire experiment was only a few minutes and the actual fight lasted only seconds, vastly reducing the time Wellspring was active. But now the shield in his mark was dull but the weapons behind it were still glowing. So instead of a third of his mana he might have about half. Both his skill and spell cost a less moderate amount of mana and reduced him a large chunk to even start the experiment. Unfortunately he wasn¡¯t able to recover the difference entirely.


    Still, it was better than nothing. Having a trapped area drain the life force from others caught inside it and healing himself at the same time was a nice combination. And he didn¡¯t need a mana potion to recover after. If the fight lasted longer or there were more enemies it could potentially make a huge difference. Or, possibly, if the enemy had more mana to steal like a monster that could use magic, he might be able to recover even more. Like monsters on the higher floors that would give him more of a challenge.


    That would be an experiment for another time. For now, he was happy with his strange new skill and the benefits it brought him.


    ¡°What was the verdict?¡± Cedric asked.


    Wyn relayed his findings and thoughts to the group. They weren¡¯t gasping in excitement or falling over in praise at his new abilities. Just silently thinking.


    ¡°It¡¯s still a good ability,¡± Cedric finally said. ¡°And I bet you¡¯re right about using it on a monster that can cast spells. They¡¯ll likely have more mana for you to take than some first floor beasts.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ll try it with my trap spell,¡± Marcy said. ¡°That¡¯ll really get you some mana back. Using it like a funnel in a tight path would be incredibly useful, too.¡±


    ¡°Personally, I think the best upgrade you had was that your healing spells can also recover mana,¡± Tasha said. ¡°That¡¯s incredibly helpful. If you healed one of us when we ran out of mana completely it could be the difference in using another skill or spell. It¡¯s not always easy to break out a potion in the middle of a fight.¡±


    ¡°Like for me,¡± John said. ¡°I don¡¯t have a free hand to pop a potion while I¡¯m taking hits here and dealing blows there. She¡¯s right. Would it make a difference if you used Cure instead of Regen? You know, so you could recover right away?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Originally I didn¡¯t keep Cure because Tasha had it and Regen could be active while I kept fighting. Daniel also mentioned it had the potential to heal more, too, with the extended effect rather than an immediate heal. But that¡¯s something to consider. Only thing is I don¡¯t have that many slots for spells. I¡¯ve been trying to keep the healing to only one since Tasha is our primary healer.¡±


    John patted Wyn on the shoulder while they kept walking. ¡°It was just a thought. Don¡¯t stress yourself out about it!¡±


    ¡°I still think getting some items to add to your overall mana recovery is the way to go,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Your bracelet is an example of that. Get a couple more items similar to that and you might be surprised at how efficient you¡¯ll be, even at the second tier. It won¡¯t matter how people see a Ruby Magician or how limited your spell slots will be if you can constantly cast a few spells and use abilities without the worry of running out of mana.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my goal,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And why I have a small list of items I want you and John to look for at the trading post. I¡¯m really going to make a difference this month. I¡¯m damn determined.¡±


    A loud boom made all of them stop. The ground shook and the sky flashed with a series of bright lights. It seemed like the world around them was falling apart and they were caught in the middle of it.


    The Climbers looked at each other for only a second before continuing on their path forward. This time, though, they ran.


    *****


    It only took them a few more minutes before they reached what felt like the end of the floor. City-wrecking flaming rocks fell from the sky periodically, but now they were more numerous and varied. Like if the clouds were releasing raindrops from the size of marbles to wagons. And the raindrops were boulders on fire. One such flaming ball completely obliterated a small pack of Ashen Dogs before the group met them. They were inside a house off to the side picking through whatever remained before growling and barking as the Climbers jogged by. The monsters exited the house only to be hit by a boulder the size of a horse that cratered the earth and left no remains whatsoever.


    The group just stopped and looked around, shocked.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t one of those hit the dirt path, yet?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°They¡¯re hitting everywhere else. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair that the tower has this on the first floor. We could be killed any second!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I believe the falling rocks are meant to surprise us and distract us, sure. But not hit us directly. Not if we stay on the very obvious and safer path, at least.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like Alistair meant for it to be this way,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But I absolutely do not like it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we¡¯re at the end, then,¡± John said. He stood about ten feet ahead and pointed forward with his free hand as his other held his shield. Marcy stood even further away inspecting their route.


    About a hundred feet in front of the Ranger was another courtyard but more elaborate, like a town square or meeting place. The remnants of a statue was smashed and scattered along the ground towards the middle of the space and small pockets of flaming rocks were still on fire. At the edges of the wide courtyard were individual fights of armored soldiers combating the Ashen Dogs, and sounds of war were deafening. At the other end of the space, though, was a red portal floating in the air. If there was a boss to fight to open the portal they hadn¡¯t shown up yet.


    Wyn felt his attention pulled in nearly every direction. A familiar cry here, a sound of one of his fallen soldiers there. The environment looked all wrong but the noise was the same. It was always the same.


    As he focused on the fighting, though, it was easier to tell how wrong it really was. Wyn was able to bring himself back to the present by looking at one such engagement nearby. The soldiers were blurry and their shouts hollow, more like grunts and syllables rather than actual words. When one of them fell they seemed to disappear into the background while a new soldier mysteriously appeared out of thin air, taking its place to fight more monsters. The same could be said for the Ashen Dogs, and the entire background looked more and more like exactly that. A background for their actual challenge, which was staying focused on clearing a path to the next floor.


    Wyn thought about the quest for the floor. It only mentioned escaping, not doing any sort of fighting or helping in this supposed siege. A skirmish that looked more and more fake as Wyn slowed down and focused.


    ¡°Is it safe?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°As safe as the rest of the floor has been,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Stay close. We still have to do something to clear that portal.¡±


    As the group moved forward with Marcy leading the way, the ground shook under their feet. It wasn¡¯t as strong as when the boulders collided with the ground, but it was stout enough for them to notice something was happening. Then another shake came. And another.


    From the edge of the courtyard lumbered a giant, grey Fallen that rocked the earth with each of its massive footfalls. It was as tall a four story building and smoldered like it had just crawled out of hell to wreak havoc on the earth above. One of the fake soldiers from the edge of the courtyard ran towards it and stabbed at its ankle with a long pike, and the giant slowly turned back to the soldier and tried to crush it with a heavy fist. The ground shook again from the impact and the soldier wasn¡¯t anywhere to be seen when the giant stood back up.


    ¡°That¡¯s our boss,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Slow but powerful. Let¡¯s try and kill it before it reaches us, yea?¡± The tip of the arrow she drew was glowing in green light and left a trail of magic as it zipped towards the monster. The arrow stuck into its upper chest while the giant tried in vain to swat it out of the air. It was far too slow and uncoordinated to come anywhere close to avoiding an attack like that.


    Wyn cursed. He got rid of his longer distance attack spell last month and hadn¡¯t added another one. He didn¡¯t think he needed it since Cedric and Marcy were long range specialists. But now he regretted it as he wanted to contribute in some way.


    A quick barrage of lightning strikes and arrows pelted the giant as it slowly recoiled from the attacks. Marcy fired a few purely magical arrows then dropped them in favor of actual spells. The first she cast was a wind elemental spell that left a sizable hole in the monster¡¯s torso.


    Cedric then waved his scepter in the air and formed a huge yellow rune in the air in front of him. ¡°Lightning Bolt!¡± The rune crackled with the sound of lightning as a large flash of yellow and white flew to the monster. The spell hit it square in the stomach with a plume of black smoke. The spell continued for several seconds as Cedric strained with effort, and the other Climbers had to shield their eyes from the lightning¡¯s intensity.


    They had seen him use that spell only once before. It was a powerful attack but limited, as Cedric had to stay still while using it and if he missed his target he was out a large chunk of his mana for nothing.


    A loud groan escaped the monster as it fell to one knee in pain. Ironically falling down like that put its head in the path of Cedric¡¯s lightning, and as the spell ended the lightning connected with the giant¡¯s head and fried it even further. The monster then completely collapsed to the ground and dissolved like all of the tower¡¯s creatures before.


    The portal beyond slowly turned from red to clear, signaling their success.


    ¡°Cedric, that was amazing!¡± John said. ¡°Gods, you have incredible power.¡±


    Cedric took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m honestly surprised it took that much effort to kill. This was a first floor boss. Why was it that hard for just one group?¡±


    Another streak of flaming rubble sailed across the sky and shook the earth when it landed not far from the courtyard.


    ¡°Questions later,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Let¡¯s go ahead and move to the second floor!¡±


    Without hesitation the five Climbers ran to the portal and disappeared, willing the portal to take them to the next floor rather than Alistair¡¯s base. As Wyn neared the portal, waiting for his teammates to enter, he noticed a strange hole in the ground just behind the portal. It was just large enough for a single person to fit comfortably, and a similarly sized metal disc set on the ground beside it.


    Wyn recognized it from his time at war. One of the great cities had similar holes in their vast construction, their civilization advanced past what Jahnin was currently. There were more intricate city structures and advancements that their country had developed. He hoped the portal didn¡¯t take them to a floor similar to what was found at the bottom of one of those holes. Only once did he have to traverse those depths, and once was enough.


    Saying a silent prayer to himself, he pushed into the portal and willed it to take him to the second floor. Which hopefully wasn¡¯t going to be in a sewer.

 Book 2 - Chapter 3

    Unfortunately for Wyn and his group, the second floor was exactly what he feared - a sewer.


    The moment he stepped on solid ground his boot squelched. Well, not so solid, after all. The stench hit him next, like every bad latrine he¡¯d ever had to dig out in fields with his company all wrapped up in one shit-smelling memory.


    ¡°Oh, gods,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to throw up.¡±


    John gagged off to the side. The noise made Tasha gag.


    ¡°Get it together,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I have the best nose out of everyone here and I¡¯m doing just fine.¡± She crinkled her noise then held back her own breakfast by sheer power of will.


    Wyn closed his eyes and took a deep breath. So this was another way that the tower was going to try and distract them. Apparently this season was going to be full of ways to be annoying.


    The narrow passage they stood in was dark and damp. So, Wyn fetched his mushroom lantern in his backpack so they could see. Tasha would be able to provide some light when she was able to securely hold back her stomach from emptying itself, but for now he wanted to be useful. And the added thought of potentially finding a secret area was never far from his mind.


    He attached the chain to his belt and secured it in a comfortable spot on his waist. Then he shook the jar, activating the small mushroom spores inside to create a purple light that let them see in their immediate area.


    The portal definitely dumped them in a sewer system. The ground beneath them was firm but covered in a very thin layer of liquid that Wyn didn¡¯t want to think much more about. It was about a 15 foot wide passage with only one direction to go, and no other light source could be found except for a beam of orange light that filled the passage about 50 feet ahead. It was likely another sewage entrance. And potentially the only natural sources of light for awhile.


    Unfortunately there weren¡¯t any hidden runes or markings on the stone walls around them, either.


    ¡°Torchlight,¡± Tasha said weakly. Her staff lit up the area better than Wyn¡¯s lantern but didn¡¯t add any additional features to the area.


    ¡°This floor is going to be shit,¡± John said.


    ¡°In more ways than one, it seems,¡± Cedric added. He held up his robe so the hem wouldn¡¯t fall on the dirty floor as his scepter floated beside him. ¡°The guild cleaners are going to have an absolute riot for the month. I bet they¡¯ll start charging double before the week¡¯s out.¡±


    ¡°And the kitchens from all the Climbers losing their meals,¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it and it won¡¯t affect you as much,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Just focus on getting through the floor. Hopefully we¡¯ll only be here once or twice.¡±


    ¡°And we won¡¯t make any progress on that by standing here in shit,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I¡¯m going to scout ahead to that next light source. Hopefully there aren¡¯t any poison traps on this floor but that¡¯s being really optimistic. I have a feeling like we are going to have a hell of a time.¡±


    Wyn felt his heart drop. Poison? How in the hells does a Climber deal with that? Healing spells specifically stated they didn¡¯t treat diseases or poisons. Maybe there were some potions to buy just to get through the floor?


    ¡°We¡¯ll manage,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Since my class upgrade, my healing spells work on diseases and poisons, now. Yours should too, Wyn. Right?¡±


    Wyn stared at her and shook his head. ¡°No. My descriptions are the same. They still don¡¯t.¡± So there was another sign of his inferior class, then. Despite his excitement over the Ruby Strategist and potential of being able to control a battlefield he was still falling behind in areas.


    At least it wasn¡¯t a major setback. Hopefully the other floors didn¡¯t have poison.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be alright,¡± John said. ¡°We get through this floor and never look back. Or speak about it. That¡¯s our new strategy.¡±


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. But he definitely felt the same.


    Marcy came back and informed them that the path seemed clear for awhile so they slowly advanced down the smelly, shitty path. The singular walkway with periodic beams of light from above grew boring for the next half hour, but at least Wyn was starting to get used to the smell.


    Before long the path ended with only two options - left or right. The group collectively groaned and Tasha pulled out a small pad of paper to map out their path. Looking down each way was nearly useless, though Wyn saw a small pile of something further down the left path that was mostly hidden but still somewhat visible under the surface¡¯s light. The right direction was boring with a just a stone wall that extended out of view, telling him there was another turn soon ahead.


    ¡°Want to go see what that is?¡± Wyn asked as he pointed down the left corridor. ¡°At least it¡¯s something.¡±


    Marcy stepped forward and continued on without another word. As she approached the mysterious pile she crouched down and slowly walked closer to it. A sound like steam being released from a hot pan came from her direction. Marcy jumped back and backpedaled towards the group while a small green cloud of smoke wafted away from whatever the pile was.


    ¡°Damnit,¡± Marcy said. ¡°It was a pile of bones that shifted when I got close. I don¡¯t think I breathed in any of the fumes.¡±


    ¡°At least the poison is visible,¡± Cedric said. ¡°That will make it a bit easier to avoid.¡±


    Marcy snickered. ¡°I¡¯ll be damned. There¡¯s some treasure under the pile!¡±


    The others looked back towards the remains of the bone pile and saw a dim green glow. Not a glow like from poison, either, that was a more sickly pale green rather than the vibrant aura that radiated from items. When they stepped closer and looked down at the pile there was a small pile of coins and a corked vial of similarly pale green liquid.


    ¡°Five copper boots that that¡¯s a poison vial,¡± John said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking that bet because I thought the same thing,¡± Wyn said. ¡°How in the world could that be useful?¡±


    ¡°An offensive potion rather than a support one,¡± Marcy said. ¡°They¡¯re not that common and used even less. Some crafters can build wicked items with them or break them down for useful components but the process can be expensive. And it¡¯s not exactly my style.¡±


    ¡°Still worth something,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯ll put it in my pack. Maybe you two can trade it off when you¡¯re looking for some items at the trade hall.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Cedric said. ¡°But it¡¯s not a bad find for being from a pile of bones.¡±


    ¡°Should we keep going this way?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°At least it¡¯s a bit straighter than the other direction.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± John said. He then swept his arm down the path and gave a slight bow, looking at Marcy for the whole gesture. ¡°After you, my light footed Ranger friend.¡±


    Marcy just slapped the Squire on the side of his helm.


    Despite the dank passage being straighter initially, it soon started to turn at right angles in both directions. They didn¡¯t find more branching paths for several turns, much to their relief, but they did eventually stumble into a larger chamber that resembled the courtyard from above ground on the first floor. Only Marcy caught the first look as she scouted ahead.


    The large square space had one other opening in each of the other walls besides the one they entered through, making four total paths. One had a foul mixture of rubble and what looked like a huge pile of shit blocking the way, and the other two were empty. In the middle of the space was a group of monsters huddled together making awful slurping and ripping noises. They looked to be similar to the dogs but didn¡¯t have the same black fur and were even larger than the Fallen¡¯s chained beasts. Their coats were mottled gray with a sickening yellowish tint.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Marcy stopped the group first before slowly backing towards their tunnel. The monsters didn¡¯t seem to notice Tasha¡¯s glowing staff or radiated light as they were focused on whatever they were doing.


    ¡°Monsters ahead,¡± Marcy whispered. ¡°I think they¡¯re another type of beast but not the same Ashen Dogs. A bit bigger, sickly looking. Not sure how many.¡±


    ¡°Maybe a type of poison beast?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Is that even an element?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Cedric said. ¡°But still magical. Ranged attacks would be best since we don¡¯t know what they are or what they can do.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± John said. ¡°I can be in front just in case they rush us but won¡¯t engage. I really don¡¯t feel like being poisoned today. Or ever.¡±


    ¡°Is it blasting time?¡± Marcy asked.


    Tasha chuckled under her breath, and John couldn¡¯t help but smile as his eyes widened in excitement.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you got!¡±


    Marcy and Cedric smiled at each other before walking back towards the chamber. They stepped just inside with the others right behind them. Tasha held her staff out to give as much light as possible, and they could all finally see what Marcy first scouted.


    Unfortunately now the beasts were snarling and growling in their direction, and Wyn could see them clearer. They looked to have an identical build to the Ashen Dogs besides their coloring. Marcy was right that they were a bit larger, nearly the size of a wolf, and their fur was patchy in areas showing balding yellow spots.


    One of the monsters snapped its jaws at them causing an oozing green liquid to drip onto the stone floor. It sizzled and steamed when it hit.


    Wyn made a mental note to not let them bite him. He wasn¡¯t sure if his Sage¡¯s Overcoat could stop it or be damaged by the effect, or if healing spells could overcome that effect.


    Suddenly two large glowing runes appeared in the air, one in front of Marcy¡¯s arrow and the other in front of Cedric¡¯s scepter.


    ¡°Ignite,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°Lightning Arc,¡± Cedric said.


    The two Climbers cast their spells at nearly the same time. Marcy let hers off first, and her spell shot towards the group of beasts in a red flash. The moment it struck the first monster it exploded in a fiery ball, and that was when Cedric¡¯s spell activated. Lightning branched out from his scepter and impacted another beast close to the first, causing a chain reaction of sparked lightning to course through the rest of the monsters.


    It was hard to tell exactly what happened in the middle of the creatures because of Marcy¡¯s explosion, but the sounds of crackling fire and lightning filled the space in the next several seconds. Then, a deep pop erupted from the huddled monsters. A large plume of green smoke nearly fifteen feet tall and wide quickly filled the air. It completely surrounded the creatures making it impossible to see inside.


    Another pop sounded causing another billow of green smoke, but closer to the group. Then another, this time half the distance between them.


    ¡°Everyone fall back!¡± Wyn said. He turned Tasha around and began to push her back down the passage they came from, but she was quickly gaining her wits and ran without further help. The others ran right beside them, and they stopped after a few seconds to turn around after they didn¡¯t hear another popping sound.


    The open archway between their tunnel and the open space was clouded by whatever foul gas the monsters released.


    ¡°Gods,¡± John said.


    The smoke began to dissipate nearly as fast as it came, though the Climbers were hesitant about advancing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± Wyn said. ¡°If the gas is gone, we should be fine.¡± He stepped forward and into the space, initially holding his breath. Even though he said they¡¯d be fine he was still wary.


    But after he took a few small breaths he decided the area was clear and threat gone. ¡°It¡¯s alright! Nothing else is here.¡±


    ¡°This floor is going to be a nightmare,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I sincerely hope there¡¯s nothing like this in the second tier.¡±


    ¡°If there is, we¡¯ll find a way to manage it,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Let¡¯s stay positive.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can say that while standing in shit,¡± John said.


    Wyn started to reply but stopped himself. He pulled up his boot that made an awful squelching noise as it left the ground and recoiled at the sight and smell. Honestly, they were right. This was an awful floor that he couldn¡¯t wait to leave.


    ¡°I wonder how these monsters released their fumes,¡± Cedric said. He was looking through the remains of the beasts before they started to dissolve. ¡°I don¡¯t think they do it when killed or there would¡¯ve been more clouds. It could¡¯ve been a sort of suicide attack intending to release toxins into enemies at close range. Like a last ditch magical attack.¡±


    Marcy drew another arrow from her quiver and held it alongside her bow. She didn¡¯t bother inspecting what remains were still on the stone floor. ¡°I¡¯m leaning towards a suicide blast. Though your spell keeps hitting enemies as long as they¡¯re nearby, so it could also just be an attack of theirs that doesn¡¯t kill them outright.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be a bit strong for the second floor?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Maybe in the second tier, sure. But they can¡¯t have that many attacks at this point.¡±


    Marcy smiled. ¡°You¡¯re catching on quick. That¡¯s why I¡¯m leaning towards the last attack option where they die from releasing all of their power.¡±


    ¡°Well, whatever it is, I guess we¡¯ll be relying on you two more for this floor,¡± John said. ¡°I can spare a mana potion for you, Cedric, since I likely won¡¯t be using it.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that, but I¡¯ll go through mine first,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I have three in my robes. Which I fully intend to use to recover mana before stopping and resting here. It stinks really, really bad.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± John said. ¡°I don¡¯t see any drops from them and this place isn¡¯t going to start smelling better anytime soon. Which path should we take next?¡±


    ¡°How about Tasha pick this time?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°You¡¯re mapping it out for us, after all. What way do you think?¡±


    Tasha pulled on one of her curls, letting it bounce up and down for a second before answering. ¡°Straight ahead. It¡¯ll be easier to keep track that way.¡±


    Wyn started walking to the tunnel directly opposite of the way they entered. ¡°Then straight we go!¡±


    On his third step his foot sank further down into the stone floor with an audible grinding noise. He froze, expecting something else to happen as fear seized him. His mind blanked out of pure surprise. A trapped plate in the ground, of all things. At least it wasn¡¯t a trap that immediately expelled some kind of magic.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Marcy asked.


    ¡°I tripped something,¡± Wyn said. He stood motionless, hoping not to activate anything else. ¡°Some kind of trapped piece of stone. I don¡¯t know exactly what.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± John said. ¡°Now we have those to worry about, too?¡±


    ¡°Not now, John,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯m more worried about the present and making sure nothing is going to kill me!¡± His voice rose in alarm. Monsters he could face, but traps were completely different. Feeling helpless was not enjoyable.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be anything that extreme,¡± Marcy said. ¡°We¡¯re only on the second floor, remember? But just stay still. Maybe I can find something around here.¡±


    ¡°Can we help?¡± Tasha said. ¡°What should we look for?¡±


    ¡°Not sure,¡± Marcy said. ¡°But if it was a hidden plate in the floor there are likely more, which is bad news for us. It¡¯ll be rough to find another one. I don¡¯t exactly want to go slogging through shit finding more.¡±


    ¡°Too bad you can¡¯t teleport away,¡± John said. ¡°Should we look for an item like that for you, Wyn? You do seem to be the one who always gets caught in these situations. It might do you some good.¡±


    Wyn jerked his head to the Squire. ¡°Again, not helping!¡±


    ¡°No, maybe he¡¯s right,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I mean, not teleporting, exactly. But you are fast. Maybe you can quickly sprint away and throw up a Shield spell behind or under you just in case?¡±


    Wyn thought about that for a second. It wasn¡¯t a terrible idea. Waiting for Marcy to find another trap sounded time consuming, and what would they do if they even found it? He¡¯d still be stuck in this same scenario. He couldn¡¯t exactly stay in the same spot forever.


    ¡°That¡¯s not so bad,¡± Marcy said. ¡°But let¡¯s get some distance first, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready if you need help, too,¡± Tasha said. ¡°If it¡¯s poison related I can remove it!¡±


    That bit of information made Wyn feel better. Knowing that it likely wasn¡¯t an instant death kind of trap also helped. He tried to steady his mind and reassure himself while the others carefully backed away closer to the tunnel they entered. It also gave him a minute to come up with a plan.


    Casting Speed Up was the first step, obviously. Sprinting away would be next, and he immediately decided to go back towards the others. Going forward to the next tunnel was unknown territory, and based on the luck he had so far there was a good chance another trap would be sprung. Mentally placing a Shield like Cedric suggested behind and under him would be the last step. Hopefully whatever came out of the other side would be mitigated by that, and he could outrun the rest. Then Tasha could heal any damage if all else failed.


    All things considered, it wasn¡¯t a bad plan. This was just an experiment he didn¡¯t want to  personally conduct.


    When he saw the others standing back just outside the tunnel he decided to act. First, his skill. He waited a second for the aura to coat him as he steadied his breathing. Then, it was time to move. He pivoted on his boot and sprang back towards the rest of the group with an explosive burst of power and speed.


    The instant Wyn¡¯s foot left the trapped plate a boom and force of energy erupted from the ground. He didn¡¯t bother looking back and willed his Shield spell to cover his back while he kept running. The varied expressions from his teammates didn¡¯t give Wyn any indication of the type of trap that he set off, but as he ran closer towards them relief filled him up from the lack of pain.


    He stopped when he made it to the group and turned around with a relieved smile. He successfully avoided whatever hell he tripped.


    His smile vanished when he saw the room partially filled with a black and green gas cloud centered on his moment just seconds ago. The area was at least twice as large as the cloud released by the poison dog monsters, and it looked denser and more menacing.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± Wyn added.


    The cloud started to dissipate relatively quickly, but the smell it carried soon hit them in a delayed surprise. Despite the fog being nearly gone the lingering stench was horrific. They all started coughing and gagging, and John then throw up off to the side of their tunnel.


    Wyn was very, very thankful he wasn¡¯t caught in the middle of it, both for the damage it likely would have caused and for the smell. Knowing more of those traps laid in wait for them, he knew this second floor was going to be a long, terrible climb.

 Book 2 - Chapter 4

    Marcy¡¯s arrow pierced another sickly monster, causing it to swell and pop in another poison cloud. It was the third and final dog in the pack down a new tunnel the group tried. No one dared getting close to the monsters from the poison they released, instead allowing and encouraging Marcy and Cedric to take them down from afar.


    Since their first encounter with the poison dogs the Climbers only met one other pack. It was mostly wrong turns, false tunnels, and the occasional poison trap for the remainder of the floor. It was always shit, though. Always.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been on a floor I¡¯ve hated more than this one,¡± Marcy said. ¡°It¡¯s even worse than the frozen pond.¡±


    Cedric barked a laugh. ¡°Wow. That¡¯s saying something! Who knew a bit of feces would affect you so much.¡±


    ¡°What was the frozen pond floor?¡± John asked. He kept looking down the tunnel to see if any treasure was to be found from the monsters, but there was still only a cloud of poisoned fog.


    ¡°It was awful, that¡¯s what,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Just a long floor in deep snow that ended with a monster that had to be killed by destroying an item under a frozen pond. I drew the short stick to find the item and was cold for days.¡±


    ¡°And this is worse?¡± Tasha said. ¡°I think I could handle the smell over that. I despise the cold!¡±


    Marcy turned and patted the Herald on the shoulder. ¡°You say that now, but what about when you can¡¯t get the smell of shit out of those curls for weeks?¡±


    Tasha¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Gods, I didn¡¯t think about that.¡±


    Marcy chuckled. ¡°Welcome to the life of a Climber, where you face death each day and smell like shit one way or another.¡±


    John pointed forward and started walking down the tunnel. ¡°Treasure! At least there might be some good to come from this!¡±


    Wyn decided to go with him and see what the poison dogs dropped. When they arrived at the glowing pile they both shared a look. It wasn¡¯t coins or potions or even gemstones. It was an item. And it was glowing blue.


    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s a good find,¡± Cedric said behind them. ¡°We could add it to the pile to be appraised without identifying first. That would make five in total, which should be plenty to get you three ready for the rest of the second tier.¡±


    John bent down and carefully picked up the sheathless dagger. No additional smoke or poison was around, but he was cautious since Wyn set off the foulest fog cloud he¡¯d ever experienced.


    ¡°But it¡¯s a magic dagger. Found in a poison-based floor! I¡¯m sure the effect is great, and any Rogue worth their weight would want something like this!¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but it could be a detrimental effect, too,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the last item we identified.¡±


    John sighed. ¡°Yea, I know. A Helm of the Beetle isn¡¯t exactly on most people¡¯s list to use. I still think the effect could be useful, but I get your point.¡±


    ¡°Is limiting threats from insects and being immune to insect-born diseases really that useful?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe ask that when we get to a floor with only insect monsters!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Do what you want. Four unidentified items is plenty to trade for new gear even if this one is a bust. I¡¯m sure we could get something useful for it since you three still need a few magical pieces.¡±


    John excitedly fished around in his pocket before pulling out a small eyeglass. When he held it up to his eye to see the dagger the small glass piece glowed with white magic, causing the dagger to glow briefly before it morphed into its true form.


    Wyn¡¯s face scrunched up seeing the weapon. It wasn¡¯t pretty, but it did fit the theme of the floor. The dagger¡¯s hilt was a straight and firm piece of bone that directly changed to a straight black metal blade without a cross guard. It looked sinister and deathly, likely perfect for a Rogue who used daggers as John said.


    John held the dagger a bit further away from him. ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t have expected anything different.¡±


    ¡°What does your parchment say?¡± Wyn asked. He reached for the dagger to hold while John fetched his papers. It wasn¡¯t as light as he imagined and well balanced as he gently moved it around. All together the weapon was longer than a foot, and looked like it could be a solid secondary or backup weapon if the effect was decent.


    John unraveled his papers. ¡°Rotting Bone Dagger. This dagger was created from a bone of a Pestilent Dog, which gives it its sickly properties. When struck by this dagger, the being is inflicted with the Rot affliction, and slowly rots from the inside out. As long as the user of this blade has it on their person they are immune to toxic effects, both poisonous and venomous. Rot chance: very likely.¡±


    Marcy whistled from behind the three men. ¡°Cedric was dead wrong. That effect is great!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Cedric said. ¡°The toxic immunity alone makes it a great weapon. I don¡¯t find the appearance very appealing but that doesn¡¯t matter with such a boon. It¡¯ll trade well!¡±


    John held the dagger up in triumph. ¡°Finally, I scored a decent find! Maybe I can get a nice helm with this. Or a new armor piece like Wyn¡¯s coat?¡±


    ¡°Or both,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Would you want two green rarity pieces or maybe one blue rarity piece?¡±


    ¡°We could potentially find two lesser blue rarity items,¡± Cedric said. ¡°As long as something has an effect you like and the trade is with the right person we have a good chance of a favorable trade.¡±


    John twirled the dagger in his hand with a smile on his face. ¡°Whatever we get I¡¯ll be happy. I¡¯m just glad I was able to find my first good item.¡±


    Wyn clapped him on the shoulder. ¡°And there¡¯ll be more to come. Just wait until we¡¯re running the second tier for the majority of the season.¡±


    ¡°I have a good feeling about this month,¡± Marcy said. ¡°But first I want to stop smelling like shit.¡±


    ¡°That might not be this month, then,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Though I plan to take several very long baths soaked in very nice perfumes.¡±


    Marcy closed her eyes and sighed contentedly. ¡°That sounds lovely.¡±


    Wyn, John, and Cedric exchanged embarrassed looks. The girls caught on, creating an awkward silence between them.


    Wyn cleared his throat. ¡°Should we keep going then?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± John said. ¡°Right. Priorities. Getting out of here first.¡±


    Tasha abruptly looked away and cleared her throat. ¡°Let¡¯s keep following this way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll lead,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Same lineup?¡±


    ¡°Yea,¡± Wyn said.


    The group quickly moved to their positions but didn¡¯t share glances.


    Wyn laughed to himself. Maybe they had been spending a little too much time together.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    *****


    The next couple of hours were a literal slog. There were minimal traps on their winding route and they didn¡¯t end up getting hurt, thankfully. Marcy spotted two of them to avoid and John accidentally set another off, but as he kept his new dagger in his pack he was immune to the effects. He set his shield and prepared himself just in case the actual explosion could hurt him, but he was resilient and brushed it off without much difficulty. He didn¡¯t enjoy breathing the air despite the dagger¡¯s immunity, though, and loathed the other¡¯s decision to have him take the lead beside Marcy.


    What they did find on their journey were two things - plenty of wrong turns and more Pestilent Dogs, as the dagger named them. They continued their plan of dealing with them with ranged attacks until Marcy brought up their next concern.


    ¡°I¡¯m running through my arrows way too fast,¡± Marcy said. She plucked an arrow from a decaying monster dog and immediately threw it back to the ground. ¡°These bastards ruin every arrow I use, too. I can¡¯t recover any of them from their rotting effect.¡±


    Wyn stole a glance at the Ranger¡¯s quiver and didn¡¯t like what he saw. There were only a handful of arrows inside, and likely they were ones she wanted to save either due to their magical effects or for harder enemies. Or both.


    ¡°How¡¯s your mana, Cedric?¡± Wyn asked.


    Cedric closed his eyes and paused, then took a deep breath. ¡°Not great. About a third left. But I can take a potion if needed, so I¡¯m alright.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t your bow shoot magical arrows or your quiver make them?¡± John asked.


    Marcy turned around and looked at the Squire with a confused expression. ¡°In the past month of us climbing together have you ever seen me create an arrow from my bow like that?¡±


    John looked up to the ceiling and rubbed his chin. ¡°Hmm. Now that you say it, no, I don¡¯t think I have.¡±


    Marcy shook her head and sighed.


    ¡°Now that you mention it, you never told me what your equipment does,¡± Wyn said. ¡°In the caves you and Cedric skirted around the issue. And since then you haven¡¯t mentioned it.¡±


    Marcy shrugged. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve never thought to bring it back up. But if you must know, it¡¯s a fairly standard ranged pair. My bow improves my accuracy, increases the overall power of my arrows so I don¡¯t have to pull as much weight, and reduces mana use of ranged spells. My quiver can make standard arrows slowly over time, acts like magical storage, and also reduces mana cost for my spells. But I¡¯m going through them too fast this floor for it to recover in time.¡±


    Wyn fiddled with one of the buttons on his jacket. ¡°And they¡¯re both blue rarity items?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t want an element attached to either one because I can either cast elemental spells or get elemental arrows. I want other benefits instead.¡±


    Wyn thought about that. It was a good idea. Where he had been focusing on an element with his weapon to overcome the deficit of not having more skills like a Fighter like John, she¡¯d been pushing for alternative means of effectiveness. If he had a spear that had good effects and could boost his power through other means, maybe an element on his weapon wasn¡¯t necessary. It was a good thought, and something to consider.


    ¡°I appreciate you sharing that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°If we need to go back to Alestead and prepare better for the floor we can.¡±


    John groaned. ¡°Aww, come on. I really don¡¯t want to start over and climb in this shitty place again. I¡¯d rather just get through it and move on.¡±


    ¡°Says the Climber that¡¯s currently immune to toxins,¡± Cedric said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can manage, right?¡± John pleaded. ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead now since Cedric¡¯s right. We can handle it!¡±


    ¡°What about a compromise?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Would it be worth it to use a key and for just Marcy to go back and get more arrows? Do the key portals have a time limit?¡±


    ¡°They stay open as long as your group is still in the original portal¡¯s vicinity or the person who used the key closes it,¡± Cedric said. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea. Do you have enough in your storage, Marcy?¡±


    The Ranger nodded and reached into her wide belt. ¡°I should have enough in my chest back in my apartment. At least to get us through the rest of the floor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good plan,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Even if we have to wait it¡¯s better than restarting the floor.¡±


    John looked around and threw his arms in the air. ¡°Yea, alright. I wish I could actually sit down, though. We¡¯ve been doing quite a bit of running.¡±


    ¡°You mean you don¡¯t want to sit on this lovely slab of stone?¡± Marcy asked as she used her key to open a portal.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather stand for a a day than sit in this shit for five seconds.¡±


    Marcy laughed as she stepped through the portal and disappeared.


    Wyn walked over to the wall and leaned it against to rest. If Marcy was going to be gone for awhile and he couldn¡¯t sit on the floor, then at least he¡¯d rest his body somehow.


    The others caught on and walked over beside him. No one said anything for a few minutes as they rested the best they could.


    ¡°You know, Cedric, I¡¯m grateful you decided to climb with us again,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want another offensive Mage around instead of you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kind to say,¡± Cedric said. ¡°But I really was going to leave. I still go back and forth some days.¡±


    Wyn nodded along. He knew why Cedric contemplated leaving even without saying it. The shame of not having an arm and ridicule of still climbing with the constant reminder couldn¡¯t be easy mentally.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You really think it¡¯s impossible to get your arm back?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. There isn¡¯t a kind of spell or magical ability that regrows limbs. That power would¡¯ve been used a hundred times over by now if there were.¡±


    Wyn shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just don¡¯t buy that.¡±


    Tasha stepped away from the wall and looked over at Wyn. ¡°He¡¯s right. I even asked my mentor about it. Magic can do so many things but it can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like bringing back the dead,¡± John said. ¡°Just impossible.¡±


    ¡°Of all the magical abilities there¡¯s nothing?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Not even an item that could do it? Or act like an arm?¡±


    ¡°Not that I know of,¡± Cedric said. ¡°And I¡¯ve gone over this many, many times. I¡¯m thankful for your concern, but I¡¯ve come to accept my situation.¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t immediately respond. How could he? It was Cedric¡¯s choice at the end of the day, but Wyn still felt awful for what happened to him. The fact that they were surrounded by magic and used it daily gnawed at his mind. Cedric seemed like he was at a mentor¡¯s level of knowledge about the tower¡¯s magic, so if he said there wasn¡¯t a magical effect that could replace his arm he was likely right. But of all the magic they¡¯ve used and held Wyn found it hard to believe.


    Wyn fingered with one of the buttons on his jacket again. He strangely found it comforting to keep his fingers moving, similar to Tasha playing with her curls.


    An idea sparked to life in Wyn¡¯s mind. His coat. John¡¯s sword. They weren¡¯t found in the tower, they were crafted. As in made by a Climber with intentional effects.


    The fact that he didn¡¯t think about it before was baffling and he wanted to smack himself in the face. ¡°What about crafting one?¡±


    Cedric opened his mouth to say something and then paused.


    John cut him off and spoke first. ¡°Crafting an item to use like his arm? You mean something like a peg leg?¡±


    Wyn waved his hand in the air. ¡°No, not something like that. That¡¯s too primitive. I mean something magical.¡±


    ¡°Well, yea, like a magical peg leg. He can¡¯t be walking around with a weird tree branch sticking out of his sleeve.¡±


    ¡°John, get off the wooden limb idea. I mean an item like a sleeve or a band or clasp that would go around his shoulder or arm that could project magic to be used like an arm. Does magic like that exist?¡±


    ¡°Not at the first tier, no,¡± Tasha said. ¡°That would be more advanced magic that involves not just physical interaction with things but other elements, too. Strength to move or pick up items, longevity to last more than seconds or minutes, shaping to be usable at a certain distance. There¡¯s a lot of components to something like that.¡±


    ¡°True, but it¡¯s worth investigating,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I honestly haven¡¯t thought about it before. I don¡¯t know why. After we left the cave I was in a bad state mentally. You pulled me out of it, Wyn, but only to a place to where I knew I¡¯d always be second best. But this is definitely something new to think about it. I¡¯ve accepted my life now and am fine if it doesn¡¯t work, but¡­ maybe this is something to look into despite the complexity.¡±


    Wyn felt a surge of excitement rise inside of him. If Cedric was willing to pursue it then he was all in. ¡°That¡¯s great! Tasha, you make a good point. It would be best to ask someone who knows a lot more about crafting items first before we start dismissing the idea altogether. Maybe when you two go to the trading district you can find Cara and ask her about it?¡±


    John stepped away from the wall and clapped his hands together. ¡°Now there¡¯s the answer! She¡¯s brilliant! I¡¯d bet my entire climb today that she¡¯d find a way to come up with an item!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not that great,¡± Tasha said quietly. ¡°Wyn¡¯s right, though. You two should find her and talk to her about it.¡±


    Cedric smiled and looked up at the sole beam of light radiating down into their chamber. ¡°It¡¯s a start, though. More than I¡¯ve had before.¡± He moved what was left of his arm in his robe¡¯s sleeve and for the first time since he lost it, felt hopeful.


    ¡°First we have to get out of this shit hole,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Then you can go and talk to the crazy Sorcerer.¡±


    The others jolted in surprise at hearing the Ranger¡¯s voice.


    ¡°When did you get back?¡± John asked with urgency in his voice. ¡°And don¡¯t sneak up on us like that!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just been a minute or so,¡± Marcy said. ¡°But I caught the gist of what you were saying. I¡¯m in full support.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Cedric said.


    Marcy smiled at her friend, then flourished her quiver full of arrows. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m all geared up. Are we ready to move on?¡±


    ¡°More than ready,¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Cedric added. ¡°I¡¯m not holding back, now. The sooner we get out of here the sooner I can get some answers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Wyn said. He couldn¡¯t help but feel happy for his friend. He had a spark about him that he saw briefly when he first climbed in the tower again, but it had faded in the month they climbed together. Now it seemed the Lightning Wizard had a new purpose.


    The group started moving towards another tunnel when Marcy turned around to face them all. ¡°Oh, and we absolutely smell terrible. If you all could¡¯ve seen the looks I got in the city, well¡­¡± She laughed to herself before turning back to continue forward.


    ¡°Fantastic,¡± John said. ¡°I hate this place.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 5

    Wyn felt the now-familiar pull of the portal return him to Alistair¡¯s base. Even in all of his time out at war with his company training, in battle, in trenches and sleeping by latrines, he had never been this ready to clean his gear and take a bath.


    A Climber to Wyn¡¯s side gagged, and the rest of their group instantly covered their mouths and noses while looking at Wyn.


    Wyn sighed. Maybe one bath wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    The rest of his group emerged from the portal behind him and brought on far more looks of disgust than any of them wanted, but when they stepped into the fresher air in Alistair¡¯s base they immediately smelled the residual stench all over each other.


    A singular collective look shared between all of them was enough to communicate that they needed to freshen up before regrouping. No words needed to state the obvious.


    They all made their way to collect their rewards as quickly as possible - not necessarily to fill their pockets, but because every Climber they passed gave them a wide berth. One particular group of Climbers only smirked as they passed, and Wyn figured they were aware of the second floor¡¯s environment.


    After Marcy returned they pushed through the rest of the floor relatively quickly. There was more backtracking than they wanted, especially with each step being another step in magical sewage, but overall they made decent time of only a couple more hours for their first and last trip through the floor. The final room had a boss of two large packs of Pestilent Dogs that looked intimidating but was more of pushover with Wyn¡¯s strategy. They loaded up John with a few supporting spells as he heightened himself several times over with his own class skills, and he took the brunt of all attacks while Marcy and Cedric took down most of the enemies at range.


    John did get a big head afterwards when he commented he felt like a god with several of his own skills layered with Tasha¡¯s Arcane Aura and Wyn¡¯s Regen spells, and it didn¡¯t help that the others acknowledged he was glowing like a beacon with the many colors of magical auras layering him.


    It humbled him when he was tasked with reaching into a pile of the Dog¡¯s feces for treasure, and then all was balanced again.


    Continuing their plan they briefly went into the third floor and saw that it reemerged back to the surface of the bombarded city, and looked to have similar enemies from the first floor coupled with more hazards around them. Their theory was that the first tier would likely finish out in the city above, and they agreed to continue with their plans of changing spells, trading items, and cleaning themselves several times over.


    Wyn presented his parchment to the guild official behind the desk with an apologetic smile. The official crinkled his nose several times as their group approached the desks for their rewards, and he quickly left to fetch one of the orange aura chests after taking their parchments.


    He didn¡¯t look like he was going to rush to come back.


    ¡°So should we all get together in a few hours?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Get some food. Clean up. Then get ready for the next climb tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Cleaning up is priority number one,¡± Marcy said. ¡°And that might take awhile.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s meet at my apartment after dinner. That should be more than enough time.¡±


    The guild attendant returned with the chest and a pale face. He laid out each of their parchments and one by one they withdrew their money.


    ¡°130 crowns, give or take,¡± Wyn said as he stored his coins into his backpack. ¡°A bit less than normal for the first two floors, right?¡±


    ¡°Just over 155 for myself,¡± John said, as he carried his money in a large but simple brown pouch. ¡°I guess you need to contribute more next time!¡±


    Wyn scoffed. ¡°We¡¯ll see if you can keep up.¡±


    ¡°Oh-oh! Is that a challenge, Sir Thatcher?¡±


    Wyn held up a hand in defeat. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of betting these coins. Each one is too precious to me. But if you¡¯re in a betting mood you can always talk to Marcy or Cedric.¡±


    John turned to the two veteran Climbers as his smile fell off his face. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t quite think I¡¯m at their level yet. But I¡¯m close!¡±


    ¡°That you are,¡± Marcy said. ¡°And you¡¯ll be with us when we all advance to tier three. Unless you¡¯re thinking of abandoning us and joining some guild?¡±


    John laughed and swatted Marcy away. ¡°I could never abandon you, you know that! The thought of joining a guild is definitely enticing. But I¡¯d want us all there. Together.¡±


    ¡°Not everyone has that luxury. You¡¯re skilled enough for one, I¡¯ll admit. But don¡¯t be surprised if the rest of us don¡¯t get the same invite.¡±


    ¡°Unless you look at a smaller guild,¡± Cedric said. ¡°New ones tend to pop up every couple of seasons. But they¡¯re far worse than individual groups and rarely stick around.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°Teams climbing the tower are already hard enough to create with Climbers that synergize well, both in personalities and classes. Good groups can go quite far and if they¡¯re careful, come out being rich, but most groups aren¡¯t good and it takes them several tries before they settle into a rhythm. And that¡¯s just with six people. Now take that idea to a guild that has at least two groups in it and have everyone get along, follow orders and a command structure -¡±


    ¡°And it breaks down fast,¡± Wyn said. ¡°That makes sense. Without some kind of order and guidelines people would just do whatever they wanted. No structure for them to follow.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. And that¡¯s just one part of it. Guilds require fees, contracts, a guild house. And likely other things I don¡¯t even know about.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like a lot of work,¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°But the rewards can be so good,¡± John said. ¡°Climbing with not just your team but several teams you can call friends. And yea there¡¯s fees but the bonuses of being in a guild are far better. They share floor information that the official guild doesn¡¯t. They have sponsors that help cover some of those costs in exchange for items normally found climbing. And they even share loot!¡±


    ¡°Depending on the guild,¡± Marcy said. ¡°The Alistair Junkies are famous for sharing information with other guilds but I¡¯ve heard their membership fees are ridiculous. Like 1000 crowns in addition to a monthly cost. And they usually don¡¯t trade items with other guilds because their prices are too high since they like to keep items within the guild.¡±


    ¡°What are the other top guilds?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Now I¡¯m curious, too.¡±


    John excitedly patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Yea, you are! I knew you¡¯d be interested!¡±


    ¡°The Defenders is a popular guild,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re one of the top ones, but they¡¯re large. I believe they have something like nine or ten groups.¡±


    ¡°The bulk of their guild tends to stay in the second tier,¡± Cedric said. ¡°They¡¯re the largest but not the best in terms of quality. Plenty of turnover.¡±


    ¡°Then you have the Jahnin Knights who are more focused on melee builds and not many magical classes outside of healers,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Arcane Runners is the opposite with more Mages and very few melee combatants.¡±


    ¡°But The Order of the Scaled Dragons is the most famous and top guild of all,¡± John said. ¡°They regularly stay in the third and fourth tiers. I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s only like two or three teams that make up the whole guild!¡±


    ¡°Do they not just climb to the 20th floor and finish?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°If you¡¯re already that strong they should just go for it.¡±


    ¡°The higher floors are far, far harder than you might think,¡± Marcy said. ¡°It could take an entire day just to clear one out. And that¡¯s after knowing enemies, the floor structure, everything, and one wrong move or unlucky encounter could be death. It¡¯s why Climbers of that caliber go through keys just as much as potions.¡±


    Wyn had a shiver run down his spine. That did not sound like something he wanted to be involved in. He was satisfied sticking with the more reasonable floors and making his money. The Defenders actually sounded reasonable despite Cedric¡¯s claim of their lack of quality.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not going to deter me,¡± John said. ¡°I¡¯m not just going to be in a guild, though. One day I¡¯ll run one.¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    *****


    The soft woolen shirt felt heavenly as Wyn put it on, even more so than the soft but durable brown pants and fitted moccasins. A groan escaped his mouth as he slumped down onto his couch in his new wardrobe. Tasha was right - the tailor she found in the market district had clothes fit for nobles. Now that he had a mass influx of coins, Wyn could afford some smaller luxuries like a nicer set of summer clothes. The 60 gold crowns for several pairs of clothes and knee high moccasins to wear around his apartment and city were clothes he never thought would grace his body.


    Unfortunately his mood soured when he saw the mess on the table in front of him. Books, papers from the tower, a quill and inkwell, and a few stones serving as paperweights littered the table and mocked him all at once. He needed to change his spells but found himself itching to get up and move, to train and fight rather than labor over books and notes. It was a necessary part of being a Mage and wielding magic, but it didn¡¯t come natural to him.


    On top of that, he had earned another spell slot from his class upgrade to Ruby Strategist, and his Tower¡¯s Blessing skill allowed him to have it at the second tier. The only problem was that all of the spells he and Daniel reviewed were far too mana expensive for him to utilize well. The lack of a mana pool upgrade or enough of a mana cost reduction wasn¡¯t enough for him to justify a good second tier spell. Plus, Tasha had enough of healing and support that she was easily outclassing him in both categories with her upgrades and Callings, and Cedric was so strong with his lightning spells that Wyn didn¡¯t feel the need to pick a second tier damaging spell. Still, he settled on an Improved Cure as an emergency spell. Daniel recommended it and Wyn agreed it was better than the slot sitting empty.


    Wyn then picked up one of the sheets he used for scribbled notes. He wanted to keep better track of his funds to pay The Assembly so he wouldn¡¯t fall behind. Not to mention he had other expenses, too, like his new wardrobe and food. And the absurd sum that the guild charged per month to stay in an apartment, for example, was one such sum: 250 gold crowns. Anywhere else in the world would require at least a middle class merchant or on the lower end of nobility to comfortably afford that eight times a year, but at least a Climber could make that in a few days to a week just staying in the first tier.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t anywhere near the 12,000 crowns he needed this month for his family¡¯s debt. Just thinking about that number made his head hurt.


    A knock at his door relieved him from diving into the mess in front of him further. He sprang up and welcomed Marcy inside, helping her bring in her contribution to their little gathering. There was a cart in the hall outside with two platters of food, two jugs of water, and enough dinnerware for them to enjoy it all. As he helped bring in the food he didn¡¯t miss that Marcy had a separate pitcher of what was likely ale, and he was immediately thankful. He¡¯d need a drink or three to help get through the evening.


    Marcy unslung her backpack and began to take out her own set of books and papers, neatly stacking them in a pile on the floor beside the table. ¡°I don¡¯t think Tasha will be here for at least another half hour. She was on her third scrubbing when I decided to take my leave in the bathhouse.¡±


    Wyn chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll have a time focusing on getting her hair treated, too. I still feel like I can smell it on me.¡±


    Marcy sniffed in the air excessively. ¡°Nah, you¡¯re good. You scrubbed well enough.¡±


    ¡°You know, the soaps they have in the men¡¯s bathhouse are pretty impressive. But I guess it would have to be since they charge so damn much to stay here.¡±


    ¡°And that we all stink to the heavens even on a normal day, covered in sweat, blood, and grime doesn¡¯t help, either.¡±


    Wyn grabbed some food from the platter and made a small plate. It was a delicious combination of meat soaked in a well seasoned brine, soft and fluffy bread, and stout carrots and potato chunks. ¡°True. And that¡¯s fine with Tasha. I just had a few questions I was going to ask her about some spells I should trade around.¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking? Your spell list already seems pretty well-rounded. It¡¯s definitely worked so far.¡± Marcy ripped off a hunk of meat with her teeth and plopped down on the ground beside her very small pile of books.


    ¡°Well, I wanted to know what Callings she was taking so I could work around it. But I also need to take advantage of my new Chaincast ability and need a good balance of spells. I can use seven now, so I need a good mix to be able to activate it as much as possible. I just feel limited with only seven slots, even if my one tier two option is too expensive for me to use.¡±


    Marcy poured two mugs of beer, handing one to Wyn and immediately taking a long drink of the other. ¡°That makes sense. But you probably should just change your one attacking spell. Your others are too useful to mess with. And I know the few tier two spells I have access two are absurdly mana hungry, so I have no doubt you¡¯re in a similar boat.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. But my idea was to change some spells and have my gear cover some missing links. Depending on how well John and Cedric are able to find my one or two items and what else I get in the foreseeable future climbing. I¡¯d still like to focus on mana recovery at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too upset about figuring it out all right now. Getting some gear to make up for the fewer spell slots and having more options is a great idea. What was on the list you gave to John and Cedric?¡±


    Wyn smiled and tapped one of the books in front of him with an ink-less quill. ¡°A few things. First, I wanted a new spear. A blue rarity one.¡±


    Marcy rolled her eyes. ¡°Of course. The real question is what effects did you want with it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s part of my plan. I don¡¯t want a spear that can cast an attacking spell but I did give him two options to look for. One request was a water element spear and another was more of the effect boosts to my magic ability. Either one would work. I wrote down that I wanted mana recovery first and foremost, then the typical effects good for a Mage.¡±


    ¡°Like reduced mana use, increased magic power, mana pool, and duration?¡±


    Wyn paused mid bite, then swallowed his mouthful of meat too quickly. ¡°Yes. Exactly. Why am I surprised you know that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Wyn. Those are things every Climber wants, not just Mages. Hopefully you¡¯ll learn this stuff at some point.¡±


    A knock at the door interrupted them, and Wyn opened the door for Tasha. She held a large stack of books in her arms that Wyn promptly took for her.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Tasha said. ¡°It was not fun climbing stairs with those weighing me down.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re here now!¡± Marcy said. ¡°Grab some food and drink and have a seat. You haven¡¯t missed a thing.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late. That smell just¡­ lingered on me.¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But you smell great! Like fresh strawberries in a garden. The soaps in the women¡¯s bathhouse are much nicer, apparently.¡±


    Tasha shook her head side to side, making her curls bounce. ¡°That was a little something from home. The soaps here are a bit¡­ generic?¡±


    Wyn looked at Marcy who failed to suppress a smile.


    ¡°Go ahead and grab some food and let¡¯s get to it,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯d love to finish this out and get a good night¡¯s rest before we test these out tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°And our new gear,¡± Tasha said as she started delicately placing small portions of food on a plate. ¡°I gave very specific instructions to John so I hope he doesn¡¯t improvise too much.¡±


    ¡°Cedric will keep him straight,¡± Marcy said. She flipped open one of her books and laid it on the table, then unfolded her parchment and grabbed her quill. It was a dark leather book with decorative green runes along the cover¡¯s edges. ¡°But really, I¡¯m just here to change two of my spells and then drink. You two figure out what you want.¡±


    ¡°What are you changing?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Just out of curiosity.¡±


    Marcy took the quill and wiped it across her parchment with the feathered end. The words she wiped seemed to vanish as though they were never there. ¡°I¡¯m changing my trap spell to be of the water element and my fire elemental attack to a spell that boosts my defense temporarily called Toughen. Easy as could be.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then. Tasha, you said you were going to change your Callings. Is that all? And what are you going to choose?¡±


    Tasha scooted forward on the couch beside Wyn and carefully opened one of her books on the table. It was a silver and white book, pristine, with a hard cover. ¡°I¡¯m changing out Thrindikle. Unfortunately I just don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to be as useful this season being an earth elemental summon. There are a few water Callings but I just can¡¯t decide.¡±


    ¡°Are you keeping your little fluff ball?¡± Marcy asked. She didn¡¯t bother looking up from her parchment.


    Tasha scoffed. ¡°His name is Mongano. And yes, I¡¯m keeping him. Baratheon, too.¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t want to tell Tasha what to pick for her Callings but he felt some relief hearing her keep them. Mongano was a small, yellowish creature that levitated in the air and was fluffy like a thick furred rabbit. He wasn¡¯t about to complain about its appearance, though, since it laid down a large glyph on the ground to heal allies and boost their physical attributes. Tasha said it was her lowest cost Calling, and she could use it several times before needing to take a mana potion. It was an incredible ability.


    Baratheon he only saw once last week when they were repeatedly running the sixth floor. That summoned being was nearly seven feet tall, stocky and fit like a wrestler, and had white skin with yellow glowing tattoos covering its body. It looked like some kind of battle angel but Tasha called it a Celestial, though Wyn didn¡¯t see the difference. Its ability was to shroud one ally and Tasha in a protective aura that was denser and far stronger than her Arcane Aura spell. The being was also physically dominant and unafraid to wade into combat, basically rendering John useless. The Calling only lasted a couple of minutes, though it was quite powerful.


    ¡°I¡¯m still trying to nail down my spells, too,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯m wondering about switching some of them up but I don¡¯t think I can afford it, either. They¡¯ve been too useful so far.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still keeping all of my Diamond spells, so don¡¯t worry too much about healing,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Though I know you want a variety, right?¡±


    Wyn nodded and opened the Magician spell book, flipping to the section for Aquamarine spells. Daniel told him about the spell called Aqua Blast, and when he found it he agreed it was worthy to replace his fire spell.


    Aqua Blast: Fire a jet of highly pressurized water in a 15 foot stream in front of you. Initially consumes a small amount of mana, though will continue to consume mana if the caster keeps the spell active. The caster must willingly stop the spell or it may consume all available mana.


    It was a fitting replacement. The benefit of spells that use small amounts of mana were nice, too, and he decided to wait on changing more until he could see his gear. He had a strong urge to run to the trading district and get his own weapons, but he had to trust John and Cedric. They¡¯d do just fine getting what he, Tasha, and John needed.


    When he finished copying the spell he closed the book and poured himself a drink. He wasn¡¯t going to let Marcy drink alone, and he had a feeling even Tasha might be joining them soon.


    ¡°I think I found it!¡± Tasha said after half an hour. ¡°It¡¯s a being called Zoriquin. The description says it¡¯s a humanoid figure that casts projectiles of water and can attack in direct combat if needed. It also has a large area of effect wave-like attack but it would use all of the Calling¡¯s mana.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it sounds like a winner to me,¡± Marcy said, pouring herself another cup of ale. ¡°I trust you to pick the one you¡¯d use best.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Wyn said. He grabbed an empty cup and took the pitcher of ale from Marcy. ¡°Now are you ready to really join us?¡±


    Tasha went to grab the cup but then stopped. ¡°Let me copy the spell first. Then gods, yes.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 6

    John shrugged off his backpack and set it on the ground by the desk. The items they brought for trade weren¡¯t heavy, but he wanted to carefully place them out on the desk for the guild official to register them. Cedric stood by but only half watched, instead focusing on flipping through one of their large tomes of items for sale to see if anything stood out.


    John gently placed a pair of black slippers, a set of metal bracers, a short sword, and a large, two handed axe. They were all simple and basic, showing their unidentified state. And they all gave off a blue aura showing their higher rarity.


    The attendant, a woman with a large smile plastered on her face, folded her hands on the desk in front of the items. ¡°What a great haul you have! Are you wanting to register them unidentified or identified?¡± She didn¡¯t have to yell, thankfully, despite there being plenty of conversational noise behind them.


    The group already agreed on their decision for the items. They had sold over a dozen items from last week for coins to help pay for Wyn¡¯s debts and kept nearly all of the blue rarity items unidentified. The only one they identified was a broadsword that a particular merchant wanted identified first, but he paid nearly 700 gold for it alone. For these items to trade, they decided to keep them in their unidentified state as Marcy and Cedric said that it would be easier to find gamblers in the early season. Too much competition was out for items that would be especially helpful once the season started, like water elemental gear or poison resistant gear for the second floor.


    ¡°Unidentified, please,¡± John said. He slyly looked over and saw Cedric deep into a page about staves for Tasha. A casual stretch here and movement there while the woman wrote down their items let John take out the Rotting Bone Dagger and Helm of the Beetle without Cedric seeing. He appreciated the dagger¡¯s help on the second floor, but wanted a good trade for it instead. Hopefully someone else would find it useful. ¡°And please add these to the list. Both identified.¡± John slipped a folded piece of parchment that had both of the item¡¯s descriptions on them.


    The woman grabbed the paper. ¡°Excellent choice! A total of six items. Would you like to be notified when a potential trader is interested?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Cedric said.


    ¡°Fantastic!¡± The woman handed a small piece of parchment to Cedric. ¡°Here is your receipt of ownership. If you happen to find someone willing to trade without our assistance please present that to an attendant and we¡¯ll help facilitate the trade. If someone is interested in yours, the receipt will glow and pulse a few times to get your attention. Thank you, and I hope you find some nice new gear!¡±


    Cedric looked over at John and just smiled at him. ¡°I hope we do, too. And it would be nice for all six of our items to help us get that gear.¡±


    John smiled sheepishly. ¡°I guess I wasn¡¯t all that sneaky, after all.¡±


    ¡°No, you were not. But that¡¯s alright. It¡¯s a good idea and we don¡¯t need them.¡±


    John relaxed and put his backpack back on his shoulders. ¡°Have you found anything in the ledger?¡±


    Cedric returned his attention to the book but shook his head. ¡°Not exactly. Tasha¡¯s requests were¡­ what¡¯s the word?¡±


    ¡°Ridiculous? Restrictive?¡±


    ¡°Specific. I can¡¯t be upset at that.¡±


    ¡°No, but she¡¯ll be upset when we can¡¯t find her needle in a haystack. How are we supposed to find a staff that can increase her mana pool, reduce mana consumption, and casts a useful Diamond Mage spell? No one¡¯s going to part with a staff like that. Not for cheap, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Probably so. But we could look for something that isn¡¯t a staff.¡± Cedric flipped the pages past the staves into another weapon category. Then he carefully started perusing the trading options.


    John looked over to see the item category Cedric was reviewing. ¡°Wands? You think she¡¯ll go for using one?¡±


    ¡°I think she¡¯ll use whatever type of weapon gives her those abilities, as that¡¯s what she really wants,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Mages can use scepters, staves, and wands, and she only gave us a list of effects, not of the weapon type.¡±


    John chuckled and patted Cedric on the back. ¡°Cedric, you sly man, you. I love the way you think! That¡¯s genius.¡±


    Cedric¡¯s finger stopped on an item line. ¡°Here¡¯s something. Wand of Protection. Has two spells it can cast and helps with mana efficiency. The owner is a Warrior and is looking for an axe.¡±


    John snapped his fingers. ¡°That might be our guy! Okay, I¡¯ll get the attendant. How about you look for me a nice helm and some better armor?¡±


    Cedric returned to the book and flipped over to the helm section. John could look for his own armor, and that was way too broad to look for someone else. But before he got too far into the helms the receipt pulsed with a magical glow.


    ¡°That was fast,¡± Cedric said. The attendant was still talking to John, and they both looked over at him. He just held up the receipt.


    ¡°You must have a desired item!¡± The woman said. She took out a notebook and turned to a single page without needing to find anything else. ¡°A trader is interested in your unidentified items.¡±


    ¡°Which ones?¡± John asked.


    The woman smiled her big smile again. ¡°All of them.¡±


    John and Cedric exchanged a surprised look.


    ¡°Please follow me to locate the interested party, and please bring your items!¡± The woman lifted a portion of the desk and quickly walked out of it.


    After John gathered their items they followed the woman to the more private area of the trading district where Cara liked to stay. She wasn¡¯t anywhere to be found, though.


    ¡°Let me take the lead,¡± Cedric whispered. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work, you can take the lead on the next one.¡±


    John nodded as they kept following the woman. Their walk barely took any time as the attendant seemed to have only one speed - fast - and brought them to a table with three people sitting down, two women and one man, all mature in their 30¡¯s or 40¡¯s. John didn¡¯t know for sure, he wasn¡¯t great with determining age. They weren¡¯t wearing any armor or stored weapons, but instead wore fine clothes with either silver or gold trim. They looked more like nobles than Climbers, and both John and Cedric knew they very well could be exactly that.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± the guild attendant said. ¡°If you need anything else please don¡¯t hesitate to ask!¡± She then bowed to both parties and briskly walked back to her station.


    The seated people all stood and bowed, and John and Cedric did the same before they all took seats at the large table. There was plenty of space for sitting and presenting items.


    ¡°Thank you for coming so quickly,¡± one of the women said. She had short auburn hair and a pleasant face void of any jewelry. ¡°We are trying to gather as many items as possible, and it was nice to see such a variety from one owner.¡±


    The man¡¯s smile faltered for a moment before he recovered and leaned over to the woman and whispered in her ear. Her face changed from concern to an obviously practiced smile.


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


    John tried to hold back a smirk. He knew that exchange. She just offered up a free piece of information with how forthcoming she was and was chastised for it. The trio were more focused on the amount of items rather than specific types. No wonder they agreed to a trade so quickly. That gave him and Cedric leverage. He just hoped Cedric also caught it.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s our pleasure to accommodate,¡± the Lightning Wizard said with a smile. ¡°We¡¯re at a bit of a disadvantage though as we don¡¯t know what items you are willing to trade. We have a select few we¡¯re looking for but would be open to alternatives as well.¡±


    Both Climbers had discussed beforehand the possibility of not finding their items at the trade district and agreed on possibly settling for what Cedric called a value trade. A value trade was where they traded up for their items instead of for an item they wanted in order to make a future trade easier. Cedric said it was a somewhat common practice for Climbers who enjoyed trading and spent a lot of their time exchanging gear. John agreed on the understanding that he was at a disadvantage not knowing the recent trends of magical effects, though he had a better background of most for magic items.


    ¡°That¡¯s acceptable,¡± the auburn haired woman said, this time with a more professional tone. She reached into a small pouch and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Her fingers moved to unfold it before she stopped. ¡°We have¡­ a variety of items we are willing to trade. What is it you¡¯re looking for?¡±


    Cedric pulled out his own folded paper and put it on the table before sliding it over to the woman in a huff. Whoever these people were, they weren¡¯t normal traders. They felt more like visiting nobles or wealthy merchants that followed more serious lines of trade rather than the casual banter of tourists. ¡°That¡¯s a list of gear and effects we¡¯re interested in. If something on there matches what you have, we¡¯re interested. If not, no hard feelings.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly following the standard of trade,¡± the other woman said. Her tone was a bit condescending, and she raised her eyebrows for emphasis.


    Cedric raised what was left of his left shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t quite have the means to open that paper without embarrassing myself, nor do I have the patience to go back and forth in formal trade rules. We¡¯re Climbers, not merchants. If you don¡¯t like it there¡¯s plenty of people in here who¡¯d be more than willing to sit down instead.¡±


    John wanted to curse at Cedric under his breath or shoot him a look of frustration but he restrained himself. That was far too bold of a comment. Did he not like them or something? Or was he just a tough trader?


    The woman leaned forward and started to speak but the man cut her off with a simple raising of his hand. She closed her mouth and straightened, rebuked like a trained dog.


    ¡°This is our place, not yours,¡± John said. If Cedric wanted to play the role of shrewd businessman, then he¡¯d join. ¡°Climbers, I mean. Not merchants. Obviously.¡± He immediately regretted opening his mouth. This was not his preferred method of conversation.


    Cedric stared intently at the man but inwardly wanted to slap the Squire. Hopefully they wouldn¡¯t be too offended.


    ¡°You are correct,¡± the man said. His voice was deep and rich like a bard¡¯s. ¡°We do not mean to offend.¡± He gently took the paper and looked it over. It took nearly a minute. ¡°We can provide you with five items to match this list in an even trade. Four for the unidentified items and one for the already identified poison dagger.¡±


    John started to say something but Cedric beat him to it. ¡°The dagger is a high quality blue rarity. Closer to purple than green. But you want an even exchange for it?¡±


    ¡°For an exact match of the items on this list, yes. The unidentified items are a risk, which makes them a gamble. But we can provide you with what you need, which is a sure bet.¡±


    Cedric looked at John with a questioning look. The man was not just confident, but obviously wealthy, too. Especially if he knew he had a stash of items that fit their demands without checking a ledger. The deal seemed fair enough to Cedric, but they weren¡¯t his items. Two of them were John¡¯s which made his the final say for the deal.


    John took a deep breath. ¡°I found a potential buyer for the unidentified axe. They were offering a Wand of Protection that would fit one of our group members well. You¡¯re saying you have something just as good?¡±


    The man smiled. ¡°I do. Is it for the member named Tasha?¡± The man tapped the paper with his finger.


    John nodded. ¡°She¡¯s a Mage and can only use staves, wands, or scepters.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then I will sweeten the deal, as it were. I have a similar wand, a Unicorn Horn, that improves mana use and has an effect she may like. It can grant the user wings for a limited time and heal people, as well. I¡¯ll add in a green rarity ring to help with more mana efficiency if you agree to trade the axe to me.¡±


    Cedric¡¯s eyes rose in surprise but was too slow this time as John spoke first. ¡°That sounds great! Warrior who, am I right?¡±


    The man laughed in a hearty, broken laugh. It sounded like it belonged to someone twice his size with a giant gut rather than his slender frame. ¡°I appreciate that. And as for the other items, tell me if they would be sufficient.¡± He held his hand out as though he was waiting on a server when the curt woman placed a sheet of paper and quill in his hand. The quill glowed while he wrote without ink, and it seemed enchanted to not need it. When he finished he slid the piece of paper across the table.


    John picked it up and held it so both he and Cedric could read it together.


    Spell Helm - A knight helm made from a magical metal that absorbs and stores magic. This helmet is able to store a tier 1 spell that can be used by the wearer. Spells last one day before vanishing. It provides moderate resistance to magic, improves overall eyesight, and will magically conform to the wearer¡¯s head. Blue rarity. Part of the Energy set.


    Energy Splint Mail - A set of splint mail that is able to absorb and store energy in the form of both physical and magical damage while reducing their damage potential by a moderate amount. The metal strips will glow with a red aura when energy is stored and will reflect damage on attackers by using the stored energy in a non-elemental magical effect. Blue rarity. Part of the Energy set.


    Tidal Spear - A spear formed from a magical piece of water-infused metal. Once a day the user may use the spell Tidal Wave, a strong area of effect water spell. The wearer also uses less mana for all abilities. Blue rarity.


    Hat of the Magi - A wizard¡¯s hat that improves mana recovery by a less moderate amount and magical power by a small amount. It also protects the wearer¡¯s head from both physical and magical damage. Blue rarity.


    John looked over at Cedric who didn¡¯t show any kind of particular emotion. The Wizard simply looked back at the man and nodded. ¡°We accept the deal.¡±


    The man clapped his hands together and smiled broadly. ¡°Excellent! We will have the items for you here within the hour.¡± He turned to look at the auburn haired woman who just smiled and left the table.


    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± John said. ¡°We¡¯ll be sure to come back.¡±


    ¡°Would you like a drink or something to eat while we wait?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but we have some business with the guild attendant first,¡± Cedric said. He moved to get up and John joined him. ¡°But thank you again for the trade.¡±


    The man sighed but nodded in agreement. ¡°If you ever need anything else please ask for Antonio. I¡¯ll be sure to review any unidentified items you have.¡±


    The two Climbers left with Cedric leading the way.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the rush?¡± John asked. ¡°That deal is almost too good to be true! We should at least celebrate!¡±


    Cedric shook his head. ¡°I have a bad feeling about him. The less we deal with him the better. If the items pan out, then great. But I say we move on and don¡¯t look back.¡±


    John looked back over his shoulder and saw the man and woman watching them as they left. He didn¡¯t have the same feeling as Cedric before, but now that he thought about it something did feel off about them. He didn¡¯t know what, but he didn¡¯t want to find out, either. The best mysteries, to him, were inside Alistair. Those on the outside weren¡¯t worth figuring out. If Cedric had a bad feeling, then he trusted him.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± John said. ¡°Let¡¯s just get the items and get back. Hopefully Wyn and Tasha will like them. That helmet and armor piece looked incredible!¡±


    ¡°A little too good if you ask me,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Especially for two pieces in a set. I¡¯d rather not learn how he got them. And did you see how quickly he was able to find the exact items we¡¯re looking for? He must have some serious backing or a ridiculous pile of gear from the tower.¡±


    ¡°Then why was he wanting more items?¡±


    ¡°He was wanting unidentified items. A big difference. Either a buyer wanted the gamble or something else. Like I said, I really don¡¯t want to find out what.¡±


    ¡°So we just wait an hour then? Standing around awkwardly?¡±


    Cedric stopped and shrugged, though the effect looked strange with only one arm. ¡°Do you want to go and make small talk with the mysterious man? You might be, but I¡¯m not here to make friends. As far as I¡¯m concerned, we trade, we don¡¯t ask questions, we move on. Sometimes it¡¯s best to not know everything.¡±


    John scoffed but relented. ¡°Yea, alright. I trust you.¡± He looked around at the various groups of Climbers, all conversing with passion trying to find a deal. The intense atmosphere was growing by the minute. ¡°Would you want to look through the ledger while we wait? We might find something good.¡±


    Cedric tilted his head side to side. ¡°You know, what else are we going to do? Sure. Maybe you can find a trade for your insect helm.¡±


    ¡°Surely someone out there would want it. It¡¯s better than no magical helmet, after all! Right? Cedric?¡±


    Cedric paused, a sly smile forming on his lips. ¡°If you can trade that helm for a magic item that¡¯s the least bit useful, something a common Climber wouldn¡¯t turn away, then I¡¯ll give you 100 crowns. You have one hour.¡±


    John¡¯s mouth widened in an equally sly smile before he sprinted to the counter and ripped open the massive item ledger. He was on a mission. One worth one magic item and 100 crowns.

 Book 2 - Chapter 7

    The midsummer air was hot and dry as the sun beamed down its harsh rays onto Alestead. Most people in the city were wearing light clothing and a cloak to repel the sun¡¯s heat while staying as cool as possible, but some foolishly kept wearing their climbing gear. Wyn found it interesting to see Climbers walk around in their armor and equipped weapons in the roasting air that was worse than the first floor jungle from last month, their hair slick with sweat and panting like dogs. He immediately assumed those people likely weren¡¯t from Jahnin. Locals knew the weather in the middle of summer was notoriously dry and hot, like standing by a fire. If they wanted to stay for the rest of the season they¡¯d have to adapt.


    But Wyn just sipped his refreshing tea outside of the training hall while he waited. His Sage¡¯s Overcoat kept him nice and comfortable no matter the weather, and he thought it was both stylish and practical.


    Still, he wondered where his teammates were. They were normally later rather than on time, but being this late was just egregious.


    As he took his final sip of tea he spotted John and Marcy walking towards him. They were wearing light clothes, too, while John also had on his backpack. Wyn¡¯s excitement grew seeing John carry their new items as he knew they were in there. Plus, the big smile plastered on his face was a dead giveaway at his and Cedric¡¯s success.


    ¡°Nice of you two to join,¡± Wyn said as the pair approached. ¡°I¡¯ve completely finished my tea waiting on everyone.¡±


    ¡°Sorry we don¡¯t have the same military mentality with being on time,¡± John said. He was making a big show waving his hands but he still couldn¡¯t keep a straight face.


    Wyn finally smiled, too, as Marcy yawned. Obviously she wasn¡¯t as interested.


    ¡°Be grateful we even got out of bed this morning,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I didn¡¯t really want to come for a training session so early.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s less hot right now,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And it won¡¯t be as bad when we finally jump into the tower. We¡¯ll be ready with our equipment and warmed up, too. It¡¯s a win-win situation.¡±


    ¡°So he says,¡± John said.


    The three then moved into the training hall and picked the nearest open area to use. It was easy to find a spot as the hall was nearly empty except for a group of people on the far side. Sounds of sparring and instruction could be heard, though the group seemed to keep to themselves. Wyn saw about half a dozen people training and a similar amount standing to the side watching, a couple of them even taking notes on a pad of paper.


    As John began explaining his and Cedric¡¯s trip to the trading district yesterday as well as the items they received, Tasha and Cedric strolled through the door.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Marcy said. She then rubbed her eyes and stretched. ¡°If I can get up and meet this early, you two have no excuse.¡±


    ¡°I saw Cedric in a small cafe this morning and we lost track of time,¡± Tasha said. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I couldn¡¯t stop asking him questions about Magician spells and his experiences in Alistair.¡±


    Cedric rubbed his stomach and patted it. ¡°Good company and good food makes the time fly away.¡±


    ¡°Did you really fight a snow ogre a few seasons ago?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°That seems like a little white lie.¡±


    Marcy snickered. ¡°Put six arrows in it myself on top of all of the spells and blows it took. I¡¯ll never forget that damned white furred menace.¡±


    ¡°Who cares about that,¡± John said. ¡°What¡¯s this cafe? Do they sell pastries?¡±


    Tasha sighed while Wyn laughed. Even getting ready to try out new magical items John still couldn¡¯t take his mind off of food.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show it to you tomorrow morning,¡± Tasha said. ¡°But what are you holding?¡±


    John shook the wand in his hand before flourishing it and handing it to her. ¡°As I was telling Wyn and Marcy, these are our new items we traded for! This is one of yours - it¡¯s called Unicorn Horn. And this ring that helps with mana efficiency. Not sure exactly what it does, but it¡¯s better than nothing!¡± John pulled the ring out of his pocket and handed it to her. It was a silver ring with a pearl set in the middle along with faint, tiny runes that lined the outside. Not as extravagant as some jewelry but still a nice piece.


    Tasha took both items carefully and held them. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! I wouldn¡¯t have thought to use a wand but it might be a nice change from a big heavy staff. Let me look them over for a minute.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± John said. ¡°Wyn and I are going to try on ours!¡± He took the large piece of splint mail armor out of the backpack and began to put it on with Marcy¡¯s help. The helmet was much easier as it magically fit on his head, covering his head and neck while leaving his eyes and face mostly open. He looked much more like a knight than a Squire, and made a bit of a show showing both pieces off.


    Wyn fitted his hat and took some practice strikes with his new spear. Both items felt excellent. The black hat was snug but comfortable on his head, and though he felt a bit silly wearing it he admitted to himself that the magical effects made up for it. He could feel the soft hum of the magic it radiated, and appreciated that it still protected his head despite it not being a traditional piece of armor. The spear was also impressive as the shaft had a deep blue hue to it like seawater, with various runes closer to the spearhead. The base was simple but held a good sized aquamarine gemstone the size of a marble, and the spearhead was long with a slight flare at the base of the end as though it was meant to kill and spear fish rather than monsters. While his last weapon looked to be made from the skies, this one appeared to be made from the sea.


    Wyn didn¡¯t care as long as he didn¡¯t have to go into any water. Wielding water based weapons was perfectly fine as far as he was concerned. If one of the floors presented as traveling through water, well¡­ he¡¯d have some serious decisions to make.


    He pulled out his parchment and looked to see the effects from his two new pieces. He looked over his skills and spells and noticed some key differences.


    Lucidity: Allows passive recovery of mana. Your mark will show the current status of mana and is a guide to your expected amount of recovery time from empty to full. When your mark fully glows you are empty and currently recovering. When your mark is dull and grey you are full. Current time to fully recover: 2.5 hours (1.25 hours). While recovering mana, spells and skills have a slightly reduced mana cost.


    Regen: A healing spell that will heal the user or target over a period of time. Heals basic wounds, not able to cure diseases or remove poisons. Currently takes more time to heal and consumes a smaller amount of mana.


    Wyn felt his heart beat faster with excitement. Lucidity was reduced quite a bit further with the additional effect of his spear on top of the bracelet Cedric gifted him, and Regen took less mana than before. Where it previously said a less moderate amount, it now said a smaller amount.


    It was finally starting to happen. His gear was showing actual, meaningful change for the better. If he was able to secure more items, like jewelry or other pieces of armor, that effect would be even better. That had to be how Climbers survived in the higher floors. Which made sense, of course. But if he could get even three more items to help with his mana recovery, he would feel far more comfortable with his plan of being more liberal with spells and skills. And it would make climbing the second tier floors repeatedly that much easier.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Wyn folded his parchment and looked over at John, who now looked like a magical knight. He was wielding a sparring sword and shield and practicing some maneuvers with Marcy. Tasha and Cedric were working on her casting spells with her wand, and she seemed to be enjoying the new weapon based on her excited smiles and jumps of joy.


    Wyn turned to one of the dummies and decided to try out some of his own moves. It held a sword and shield and looked exactly like he remembered. He looked it up and down and saw runes all over its back, but couldn¡¯t figure out how to activate it. Daniel made it look so easy on his first day. Could he just push some of his mana into it? How would that even work? He was used to thinking and saying his spells and skills to activate them. What in the hells was the spell for this stupid wooden dummy?


    ¡°Mind if I help?¡± A voice said.


    Wyn looked over and saw a smiling, lanky man casually dressed and holding a notepad. A woman stood beside him with a bored look on her face, more focused on John and Marcy. Wyn recognized them as two of the people standing by for the group further in the training hall.


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯m not ashamed to admit I don¡¯t know how to activate these dummies. My mentor did it when I used them before.¡±


    The man nodded and walked over to the dummy, then placed his hand on its back. A small plume of magic radiated from his touch similar to Daniel¡¯s activation.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing special, just an activation rune,¡± the man said. ¡°Think of it like activating your skills but you¡¯re willing the dummy to come to life instead. There are different layers to it and you can choose the difficulty, so to speak. Or, you know, just push some mana into it. That works, too.¡±


    Wyn chuckled. At least the man was friendly.


    The dummy began to shake and jerk its body as it came to life, and a new, shimmering aura appeared around it. Wyn didn¡¯t remember that. Was this new? Or some kind of hidden trick by the man?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the man said, ¡°I only made it magically resistant so you can use your spear without damaging it. You know, so you don¡¯t ruin it.¡±


    Wyn relaxed a bit. The dummy did look magical, carrying a green aura around it. Almost as though it was a green rarity item.


    Even with an audience Wyn proceeded to practice his usual combat maneuvers. He didn¡¯t care if they watched him or not. The freedom of executing his practiced spear thrusts, slashes, dodging and repositioning made Wyn¡¯s body feel powerful. A sense of strength boosted him as he was easily able to outclass the dummy at every move, and he was only using his own combat prowess. He didn¡¯t have the same physical enhancements that John or other combat classes had.


    Soon the dummy faltered and went slack, returning to its statue-like state. Wyn took a deep breath to gather himself before trying out the runes on the dummy for a second round.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty good,¡± the man said. ¡°And I have to admit, I can¡¯t place you. Your weapon and equipment choice isn¡¯t usual. No offense.¡±


    ¡°Unusual means too bold to a fault or uneducated,¡± the woman said. She was still watching John and Marcy and taking notes. ¡°Or both.¡±


    The man waved her off. ¡°What¡¯s your class, if you don¡¯t mind me asking? And let me guess, this is your third or fourth season? About to break into the second tier?¡±


    Wyn looked at the pair and stood tall, holding his spear upright beside him. He mentally reverted back to his days as an officer giving his report. Spitting out information was easy and practiced. ¡°This is my second full season. And I¡¯m a Ruby Magician upgraded to a Ruby Strategist. My group here advanced our classes early last week.¡±


    The woman looked over at Wyn for the first time. ¡°Bullshit.¡±


    Wyn extended a hand towards John and Marcy. ¡°Go ask them yourself if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    The man tried and failed to hold back a wide smile. ¡°Where¡¯s your sixth member?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have one. It¡¯s just us five.¡±


    ¡°And the Fighter over there is your group leader?¡± The woman asked.


    Wyn shook his head, pausing for effect. Now he was curious at their reaction. ¡°I¡¯m the group leader. And he¡¯s a Squire now.¡±


    The man audibly laughed this time while the woman¡¯s face contorted into further confusion. She nearly dropped her notepad but was able to hold onto it against her leg to prevent it from hitting the ground.


    ¡°Now I think I¡¯ve heard it all,¡± the man said. ¡°A spear using Red Mage leading a group of five and finishing the first tier in their first season. I love it!¡±


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but smile. At least the guy wasn¡¯t mocking him, and if anything he seemed to genuinely be impressed. Still, Wyn had no idea who they were.


    ¡°Who are you two, anyway?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re guild recruiters,¡± the man said. ¡°I¡¯m Dorn, and this is Mesta.¡±


    Mesta recovered her papers and cleared her throat, though offered no additional response.


    ¡°I¡¯m Wyn. Nice to meet you both,¡± Wyn said. He put his hand out in a greeting and Dorn shook it with a firm grip. Maybe the pair were Climbers, too?


    ¡°Don¡¯t let us interrupt your training,¡± Dorn said. ¡°We¡¯ll just introduce ourselves to the rest of your group and be on our way. Maybe we¡¯ll see you again.¡±


    ¡°Maybe so. It was a pleasure.¡±


    Mesta grunted and scratched something in her notepad. ¡°Don¡¯t butter us up, we aren¡¯t looking to invite you into a guild right now. We¡¯re just taking notes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I wasn¡¯t asking to join a guild. You¡¯re looking for John, the Squire. He¡¯s the one interested.¡±


    Dorn laughed while Mesta simply walked away towards John and Marcy.


    ¡°I stand corrected from before,¡± Dorn said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°A Red Mage who doesn¡¯t want to be in a guild? Now I¡¯ve heard it all.¡±


    *****


    The decrepit wooden door creaked open as Wyn still held the key. John stood opposite him in the doorway in case there were enemies on the other side, looking more like a Knight than ever. His new helmet and splint mail along with his sword and shield gave him a very serious and intimidating knightly look. It bolstered Wyn¡¯s confidence, too, as he felt he probably looked a bit more ridiculous in his officer¡¯s jacket and wizard hat.


    The door in front of them looked like it could have been kicked in as it barely hung on hinges, and John definitely tried that. And then he needed a minute to recover as the door was magically sealed. Wyn tried to warn him as the Mushroom Lantern chained to his belt made the door light up with a faint aura of magic, but John insisted. Backtracking a few hallways led them to a room full of traps that Marcy was able to strategically set off and bypass to reach the lone chest in the room. Its only prize was a key, but it was an important one.


    It wasn¡¯t a portal key. It was a key to something else, and the group intended to find out what.


    Floor three was proving to be a bit of a hassle so far. It wasn¡¯t in the sewers, to everyone¡¯s relief, but it started in the dungeon of what the group assumed was a castle. Tight corridors, several cramped rooms, and limited light were their initial obstacles. Then John set off a trap that sliced his leg over his boot, requiring some healing from Tasha. And soon after that more of the Ashen Dogs showed up, except they were larger and fiercer. At least they didn¡¯t pose much of a threat as John¡¯s sword was water empowered with an aquamarine gemstone and Wyn¡¯s water spear made fighting them much easier.


    The hallway beyond the locked door was similar to before - dimly lit, long, and wide enough for only three of them to comfortably stand side by side. There were two doors that could be seen on either side before the hall ended in a winding staircase that led up.


    Tasha sighed in relief. ¡°Finally, a way up! I hope this entire floor isn¡¯t in a castle. I¡¯m ready for some space again.¡± She held her new Unicorn Horn in her hand ready to cast a spell at a moment¡¯s notice, appreciating the lighter weapon.


    ¡°Me, too,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I prefer fighting with room. A spear isn¡¯t the best in tight spaces.¡± He stepped forward cautiously a few feet behind Marcy, partly leading the way as the magical glass jar on his belt gave the group plenty of additional yellow light. Unfortunately he didn¡¯t find any hidden passages so far, but he held some hope that he¡¯d find something interesting during the season. If they could find another secret room like last month, that would be a big boon towards getting more items and coin.


    Marcy had an arrow ready to fire at a moment¡¯s notice and was actively searching the ground and area for traps. It was slow progress but necessary. She relaxed when they came to the first door and then grew excited when it hummed with magic as Wyn stepped closer. The lantern on his belt made the door¡¯s magic visible.


    The door shimmered with a green aura like an item. A single marking was on the door, though it was large like the markings back on their apartment doors in Alestead. Like a symbol telling what was beyond. It resembled three wolf heads staring directly at them with pointed ears and fangs from their top jaws. The group looked at each other and simultaneously hoped for a secret room.


    ¡°Well?¡± John asked. ¡°Are we going to stare at it or try to open it?¡±


    Marcy tried the door but it was locked, the handle not moving. A large keyhole was placed above it similar to the magic door that led into the hallway. John stepped forward with the previously found key and placed it in the keyhole. It turned and clicked.


    The marking on the door shifted from three wolf heads to one.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I wonder why it changed since that¡¯s the key that opens it?¡±


    ¡°Who knows,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°Who cares,¡± Marcy added. ¡°I want to see what¡¯s on the other side!¡±


    John readied his sword and shield and smiled under his white-glowing helmet. Tasha placed a casting of Cure on his helmet to be used if he was in a pinch and she couldn¡¯t reach him. He protested against a defensive spell like Arcane Aura, saying he¡¯d rather the emergency heal as his armor would be enough for the rest of the tier.


    The Squire hoped to test his theory with more challenging enemies, and a secret room was the perfect place for it.


    Wyn readied his spear and mentally prepared to cast Shield just in case. They didn¡¯t know what was on the other side, but he knew they¡¯d fight like hell to get the reward. With a final nod, Marcy pulled open the door to let John and Wyn lead their group inside.

 Book 2 - Chapter 8

    Despite the room being on the side of a fairly simple hallway, the magical doorway opened into a large great hall more fit for a royal banquet than inside a dank castle. Torches lit the area while hanging on the walls, a long red carpet split the room in the middle sitting below a fine wooden table and chairs decorating the space, and a raging fireplace was bellowing a great fire at the other end of the room. Five ornate chairs were arranged around the table with a smooth purple tablecloth resting on top. It felt strangely homey and comfortable for where they were, as if the tower was setting an area for them to feast rather than fight.


    Wyn stepped inside cautiously beside John, but there were no enemies around to fight. Traps may have been placed but he didn¡¯t notice anything immediate. Marcy likely could find something better but the room just seemed normal.


    John relaxed a bit and walked over to the edge of the table. ¡°This is strange. There¡¯s nothing here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Marcy said. ¡°There¡¯s a table and chairs and a nice fire.¡±


    John turned to the Ranger with a serious face. ¡°Ha, ha. You¡¯re hilarious.¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any traps?¡± Cedric asked. ¡°That seems odd.¡±


    ¡°Not that I can tell,¡± Marcy said. She walked over by John and examined one of the chairs. ¡°It looks just like a normal room.¡±


    Tasha walked to the table, pulled out a chair and moved to sit down. The others stared at her in shock at her boldness.


    ¡°What?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°It¡¯s not like I can do anything else. I¡¯d rather take a seat, at least.¡± She sat and the fire immediately roared in response, increasing in height and heat. The torches flickered, too, though nothing else happened.


    ¡°What in the hells was that,¡± John said.


    Wyn looked around the room and tried to think. It definitely didn¡¯t make sense with the room not having any traps or monsters. Like the room was more of a resting spot than a challenge. The door leading inside shifted from a symbol of three wolves to one, like it was a downgrade when John used the key. Like the tower was minimizing whatever actual challenge was inside to¡­ well, whatever this was.


    ¡°Is it a sort of recovery room?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Are those types of places found outside of every fifth floor?¡±


    ¡°None that I¡¯ve heard of,¡± Cedric said. ¡°That¡¯s why those floors exist and not other areas.¡± He took a seat beside Tasha and rested his scepter on the table. The crackling fire sparked and bellowed again, keeping its new strength and height for several seconds before slowly returning to normal.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s helpful,¡± Cedric said.


    ¡°When someone sits at the table the room responds?¡± Wyn said, more as a statement than a question. ¡°So that just leaves three of us. I wonder what will happen when we all sit.¡±


    ¡°Something terrible like the table collapsing into a pit of acid or the chairs binding and suffocating us,¡± John said. ¡°No way am I sitting down there.¡±


    Tasha sat a little straighter and swallowed hard. ¡°I hope that isn¡¯t true. Should I get up? What if something worse happens if I do?¡±


    Marcy leaned against one of the backs of the empty chairs. ¡°Don¡¯t freak out just yet. That may happen on a higher floor, but we¡¯re on the third floor, remember? Nothing quite that extreme should happen.¡±


    ¡°Yea, like the spiked pit of death Wyn nearly fell into last season,¡± John said. ¡°Or the secret room we found on the third floor that was several floors stronger? You can¡¯t convince me it isn¡¯t dangerous!¡±


    Marcy paused and then shrugged. ¡°Well, you got me there.¡±


    ¡°Gods, we¡¯re going to die,¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°No, we aren¡¯t,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Just take a deep breath, calm down, and think. The only two reactions in here were the fireplace and the torches. Both sources of light and flames. Something will likely happen with one or both of those.¡±


    Marcy pulled out one of the chairs and sat and the flames once again roared in response, still growing in its power.


    ¡°Good theory,¡± Cedric said. ¡°The real question, like you said, is what happens when we all sit down?¡±


    Wyn and John looked at each other. John shook his head in protest and Wyn shrugged.


    ¡°We have to see what will happen,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. We¡¯ll survive whatever it is!¡±


    John looked at each of them and sighed before pulling out one of the chairs beside Marcy to sit. The moment he did, the fires once again raged and bellowed, this time heating the room to where it was uncomfortable sitting at the table.


    Without delay, Wyn pulled out the chair at the head of the table. No sense in delaying what he was sure he needed to do. The moment he sat, the fire in the fireplace swirled like a wind caught it. Then it grew tall, growing out of the restricted space and into the room. As it reached about ten feet it split from the fireplace and began changing shape from a small twister to something else entirely.


    Wyn abruptly stood up with John, both ready to fight. The fires didn¡¯t change when they left their seats, and the form began to take shape of a giant dog. It was completely made of fire, no physical body to be seen, though its red claws and sharp teeth were easy enough to make out.


    The Climbers all abruptly stood up up and backed up towards the door. Tasha pointed her wand at John and cast Arcane Aura, coating him in protective white light that layered on top of John¡¯s Squire aura he was placing on himself and Wyn. Cedric and Marcy immediately fired a spell and arrow respectively, and both hit the beast but didn¡¯t seem to hurt it much. It just roared a deafening roar at the group before launching itself at the closest Climber with a swift strike of its paw.


    Which, fortunately, was John.


    The Squire absorbed the hit with his shield but it forced him back. He maintained his footing but wasn¡¯t able to immediately counter with an attack. The flaming dog then followed up with another strike, and John was able to stand his ground. When John struck back with his sword, that had an aquamarine gem socketed in the hilt, the dog moved its body to avoid a critical blow and only suffered a glancing hit before retaliating with impressive speed.


    The two were locked into an engagement, equally powerful with both their offensive and defensive abilities. Unfortunately for the monster, there was only one of it. Wyn flanked the beast and cast Feeble as a quick flash of black runes around his Ruby Magician mark caused a magical skull to appear above the monster. The flames coating its body immediately shrank a bit, and its previously impressive speed slowed.


    A flash of blue hit the side of the monster as Marcy¡¯s now-magical water arrow pierced its fiery hide and caused it to yelp in pain. The elemental advantage was crucial, and Wyn followed up with his own series of quick jabs into the beast¡¯s flank. Each stab dug into the monster with relative ease but wasn¡¯t going to be the primary means of killing it. It did serve a good job of wounding and distracting, though. As the beast turned to Wyn and tried to bite him, he quickly cast Shield and deflected the attack, the monster awkwardly bouncing off the magical barrier.


    Wyn used the moment to cast his new spell Aqua Blast, and the moment he did his mark appeared below him on the ground. When the spell activated, two jets of water exploded from his outstretched palm and slammed into the monster, causing it to stumble over backwards towards the wall. He kept the spell¡¯s effect going for several more seconds, the water spraying the monster like a geyser and pushing it into the wall from its force.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    His Chaincast ability activated, and it was glorious.


    ¡°Get back!¡± Cedric yelled, and he charged up a spell while John retreated. Wyn waited another couple of seconds before cancelling the spell and leaping backwards.


    Suddenly a large crackle of lightning shot out from Cedric¡¯s scepter directly into the beast, and everyone had to shield their eyes from the bright, jagging magic. There was no continuous effect like Wyn¡¯s spell, but the strength was obvious with a thundering boom.


    Wyn lowered his arm from his eyes and was stunned to see the monster. Or, rather, what was left of it. The beast was smoking but not from its flames - the lightning spell completely decimated it, and all that was left was a charred, smoking husk that immediately began to dissolve back into the tower.


    ¡°Gods, Cedric, what in the hells was that?¡± John asked.


    Cedric barked his high pitched, short laugh. ¡°That, my friend, was an incredibly satisfying elemental interaction. Thanks mostly to Wyn.¡±


    ¡°What did I do?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°You drenched it in water,¡± Marcy said. ¡°What do you think happens when lightning hits water?¡±


    ¡°Zap?¡± John asked.


    ¡°Zap,¡± Cedric confirmed.


    Wyn looked back at the beast. It was already gone, but the wall was blackened from the lightning. It was a devastating effect, and one that he planned to utilize more as the enemies became stronger.


    ¡°It¡¯s the perfect setup, really,¡± Marcy said. ¡°My magical arrows can¡¯t quite coat something in an element enough for an interaction, but your spell was more than enough. That Chaincast ability is going to be useful, I can already tell.¡±


    ¡°Guys, look over here,¡± Tasha said. She was pointing at the fireplace that was now barren and empty. In front it, though, was a large chest that looked like it had been placed there all long. A chest that was glowing blue.


    ¡°Rewards!¡± John yelled.


    The group moved over to it but none were as fast as the Squire who promptly sheathed his sword and removed his shield. He needed uninhibited access to the treasure. As he opened the top more blue light radiated from inside, and an audible ¡°oooh¡± came from him as he reached inside.


    Wyn patiently waited to see what John found. His love for earning and discovering treasure knew no bounds, and Wyn didn¡¯t want to rob him of his joy.


    John pulled out a large, thin sack that jingled and hung low. Coins filled it but how much wasn¡¯t exactly known. It seemed to be an impressive haul, though.


    Then he pulled out another. And then a third.


    ¡°Gods, how many coins are there?¡± Marcy asked. She grabbed one of the pouches and opened it, her head nodding in silent appreciation. ¡°This one looks to be all silver. But damn if these cloaks aren¡¯t beautiful. Not a single speck of dirt on them!¡±


    ¡°Not as beautiful as these,¡± John said, opening his own sack. ¡°Crowns just have a special look about them, especially ones that glisten with a fresh polish.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re obsessed,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one looking for every spare copper boot you can find,¡± John said.


    Wyn shrugged. ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I love it. Just means I need it.¡±


    John tilted his head side to side in agreement before handing the sack over to Wyn. ¡°Well, then this is for you. Should be a nice addition for your monthly quota! I bet there¡¯s at least a few hundred coins.¡±


    Wyn gently grabbed the sack. ¡°I appreciate that, but shouldn¡¯t we split it?¡±


    ¡°You need the coins. We can take the items.¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t mind that. There¡¯d be no shortage of items to find or trade for, and he felt confident in his current set for at least the season. They survived decently last week before the season changed running the sixth floor over and over, and they already had more items to be even better. The amount of potions they consumed last week was a bit of a concern, but he gathered that was part of climbing higher floors. For him, coins were the true prize.


    ¡°What items are in there, then?¡± Wyn asked.


    John rubbed his hands together like a greedy noble preparing to dig into a feast. Then he reached inside the chest with his entire upper body, his head, shoulder, and torso all but disappearing inside the magical storage box. Then he pulled out a large cloak that glowed red and orange like embers in a fire. It swayed as he inspected it, and the motion made the item look like it was actually on fire.


    Strangely, though, the cloak was already identified. John should have pulled out a basic cloak.


    ¡°Weird,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Why does it already look like that?¡±


    Wyn felt relieved. At least he wasn¡¯t the only one with that question.


    ¡°Sometimes that happens,¡± Cedric said. ¡°When rewards are predetermined they have a chance to be already identified. Rarer drops aren¡¯t always a guarantee and they could be a small number of items, so they¡¯re unidentified.¡±


    ¡°You mean that if we came back in here and fought it again we¡¯d get the same reward?¡± Wyn asked. His mind raced. That could be incredibly lucrative, a borderline exploit.


    ¡°Sort of. Typically only items work that way, not coins or potions. If we kept trying this floor over and over for this secret room there¡¯s a guaranteed chance we¡¯d either find the cloak again or another item in the set if the door showed up. It¡¯s why some groups and guilds farm areas for items.¡±


    ¡°For the set,¡± John said. He adjusted his armor and tapped his helmet. ¡°A set of items can be better with the bonuses, so yea, that¡¯s pretty common.¡±


    Wyn deflated about as quickly as he got excited. Still, it was a nice reward for the moment. Though if the set was worth it, he could see the benefit of repeating this floor to try for all of the pieces.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t that happen last month in the secret room Wyn found?¡± Tasha asked.


    Cedric snickered. ¡°I have a feeling that we weren¡¯t supposed to find that. I honestly don¡¯t know about that entire situation.¡±


    Wyn looked at the mushroom lantern on his belt, the tiny mushrooms bouncing around inside. He didn¡¯t know either, but he wasn¡¯t about to question their fortune. He wasn¡¯t that stupid.


    ¡°What does it do?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°Not sure,¡± John said. ¡°But I¡¯m not too worried. It could be a great trade item. The color doesn¡¯t really match my eyes.¡±


    Tasha audibly sighed, her curls bouncing as she shook her head in disappointment.


    Marcy pulled out four vials from the chest that were larger than the ones Wyn had seen before. They were a big longer and wider than the standard healing and mana potions he¡¯d used so far. One even swirled with a strange green and yellow color.


    ¡°Now these are my rewards,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who actually killed the beast,¡± Cedric said. ¡°At least give me the mana potion.¡±


    Marcy handed the blue vial to the Wizard who promptly stored it inside his robe. ¡°Fine, fine. But the stamina potion and one healing potion is mine. Who wants the other healing vial?¡±


    ¡°Why are they bigger?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re Greater potions,¡± Marcy said. ¡°More potent than standard ones and more rare, too. Like this stamina potion isn¡¯t found in the standard size. But damn if it isn¡¯t great! I swear I could run for hours after drinking one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I am the group healer but it would be good to have as a backup.¡±


    As they finalized spreading out the rewards, Wyn placed his coins inside his magical coin pouch. It really was a huge benefit to store the sheer amount of coins he had in a sack that didn¡¯t change weight or size. Still, he thought about more of the tower he was learning every day. There likely was even more magical items and situations that he¡¯d find climbing the second tier and higher regularly, becoming as familiar with Alistair as Marcy and Cedric. He envied their knowledge and wanted it for himself.


    Still, it would come in time. This was the start of only his second season, and there were several more to go to even pay back his debt. After that, he had no idea what he¡¯d do. But that was another concern for another time.


    ¡°Are we ready?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± John said. His shield was strapped to his forearm once again and he stood beside the door, saluting the others. ¡°After you all, sirs and madams.¡±


    Marcy patted his shoulder as she walked by and Wyn give him a proper attentive stance and salute. John momentarily lost his composure at the gesture but quickly recovered. Wyn chuckled and walked back into the hallway.


    As they continued to the stairs nothing else in the passage was particularly interesting. Tasha was right, and the others felt it, too - the quicker they could leave this cramped place the better they¡¯d feel.


    The stairs at the end were winding and ominous, only lit by torches that spiraled along with the wide stone steps. The climb was only about ten minutes but it felt like an hour, and they soon emerged in a grand hall that had three interesting things to note. Three very different things.


    One was that the hall looked to be a sort of ballroom, with tall glass windows in the high ceilings and two large passages that split both left and right further into the castle. It was a beautiful environment, but not as beautiful as the other side of the area that opened to outside, where the familiar yet strange fiery sky beckoned them to keep going.


    The second interesting thing they noted was worse. Far worse. There were not one, but two large beings that fought alongside more Ashen Dogs that were of similar size to the ones they killed on the floor. The beings looked like the same Fallen from the first floor, except these monsters were eight feet tall with bulbous bellies like overstuffed, obese creatures. Seven of the dogs still stood while two were lying dead on the ground, disappearing back into the tower before their very eyes.


    The third and final interesting thing was that the enemies weren¡¯t alone and were currently preoccupied. This was because they were fighting a group of Climbers. A group that were not only holding their own but winning. Handily.


    Spells were firing off left and right, both offensive and defensive. Roots grew from the stony floor and smothered one of the Fallen before growing and entangling one of the Dogs. Arrows zoomed through the air and two warriors bashed and stabbed the monster¡¯s pitiful attempts at fighting back.


    ¡°Damn, they¡¯re good,¡± John said. ¡°I really don¡¯t think they need our help.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯re part of the Twilight Blades guild,¡± Cedric said. He looked over to Marcy who nodded in agreement.


    Tasha¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°They¡¯re one of the top five guilds!¡±


    ¡°Top three as of last month,¡± John said.


    ¡°How can you tell it¡¯s them?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Because that Climber is causing those vines to snare monsters even with an elemental disadvantage,¡± Marcy said. ¡°And I only know one Climber who can do that.¡±


    ¡°Only one Druid, you mean,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Faye.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 9

    The group didn¡¯t have to wait long for the other Climbers to finish off the monsters. As Wyn watched he grew more impressed by the second. The team was efficient, communicative, and strong. Very strong. Each flash of a spell or ability was well-placed with either attacking their foes, reducing the chance of injury with the team, or controlling the course of battle to flow exactly how they wanted. It was obvious the Climbers had worked together for some time, and that this floor wasn¡¯t a challenge for them.


    Wyn felt jealous. He couldn¡¯t help it. While his focus was gaining coins he still wanted to excel, and seeing a group work that well together was fueling him far more than a group who struggled.


    Cedric and Marcy began to walk over to them and the three rookies followed. No one said anything. They weren¡¯t sure what to say. Before long the other group noticed them and waited for them to approach. One of the Climbers, an olive skinned woman with a similar build to Marcy, wore simple leather gear and carried a quarterstaff heavily adorned with runes and markings. Nothing from her equipment even looked that impressive.


    Wyn knew her gear was anything but simple, though, even if it wasn¡¯t as flashy or ostentatious as some other Climber¡¯s gear. In fact, she seemed like a humble person that belonged more in a forest than the city.


    ¡°Marcy! Cedric!¡± The woman said, instantly skipping forward and wrapping both of them in a hug. She squeezed tight, and both of the Climbers returned her hug warmly. She then let go and looked at Cedric closer, her expression hardening. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I am now,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Just a minor setback.¡±


    The woman - Faye, Wyn assumed - hugged the Wizard once more.


    One of the other Climbers in their group stepped forward. It was a man dressed in knightly armor not unlike John, except his matched and covered his body from head to toe. There was a slight orange sheen to it, making the plates and metal look like embers from a dying fire. On his left arm was a tower shield and he placed an elaborate mace in a loop on his belt. The group behind him silently chatted to themselves, not really paying attention.


    ¡°Hello there,¡± the man said. ¡°My name is Gregory. Any friend of Faye is a friend of us. How do you know each other?¡±


    ¡°We used to be in a group together,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Before she left for bigger and better things.¡±


    Faye pouted and put a hand on her hip. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t act all put out. You were the one who told me to leave, after all.¡±


    Marcy¡¯s serious expression softened into a playful smile. ¡°Ouch. You¡¯ve already forgotten my wonderful sarcasm? What happened to you, Forest Faye?¡±


    Faye relaxed and laughed. ¡°I wisened up, that¡¯s what!¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± John said. He stepped forward with an awed expression. ¡°I¡¯m John, by the way. Big fan of the Twilight Blades. Love your work!¡±


    Wyn looked at his friend. Did that even make sense?


    Gregory smiled and nodded his head. ¡°Thank you. If your friends here climbed with you before, then you must be seasoned. Are you two showing these others the ropes?¡±


    Marcy shook her head. ¡°Not really. They do fairly well for rookies. It¡¯s their second season and we tiered up last week.¡±


    Faye leaned around and looked at the three rookies. The others in the Twilight Blades quieted and focused more on the conversation. Wyn didn¡¯t love the attention on him, John, and Tasha, and wondered if they felt the same way. Tasha was as stoic as a noble, and John looked like he just grew six inches. So, maybe not.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty impressive,¡± Gregory said. ¡°You¡¯ll likely make good guild members one day if you keep up that success. Are you looking to join a guild?¡±


    ¡°Soon, I hope,¡± John replied without hesitation. ¡°Maybe not this month, but I¡¯m definitely interested.¡±


    ¡°And you two?¡±


    Wyn looked over at Tasha who raised her chin before giving a firm nod. ¡°Eventually, yes. I think it would be a good way to have security, growth, and success.¡±


    A noble¡¯s answer. But a damn good one all the same. Wyn wished he thought of it.


    ¡°If they¡¯re in, then I¡¯m in,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Not sure when we¡¯ll be looking, though.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯re your classes?¡± Faye asked. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me rudely asking.¡±


    Wyn knew the question was going to come eventually. He just didn¡¯t expect that right away. But maybe it was his strange gear combination of magical jacket, magician hat, and spear that made them wonder.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m a Ranger and Cedric¡¯s a Lightning Wizard,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°What about your new group members?¡± Gregory asked. Apparently Faye wasn¡¯t the only one interested.


    ¡°I¡¯m a Fighter upgraded to a Squire,¡± John said.


    Gregory smiled broadly. ¡°Excellent! We need more Knights in Alistair. That¡¯s a good path choice.¡±


    John beamed.


    ¡°My name is Tasha and I¡¯m a Divine Magician upgraded to a Herald,¡± Tasha said.


    There were some murmurs from the other Climbers but Faye and Gregory didn¡¯t betray any change of emotion. They remained smiling and inviting, patiently listening.


    ¡°That¡¯s a strong choice,¡± Faye said. ¡°Not a common one or easy one, though. Think you have what it takes?¡±


    Tasha took a step forward, beside and slightly in front of John, and returned her own smile. ¡°I do. But I have no one to impress or prove that to, except for myself.¡±


    Faye elbowed Gregory in the ribs playfully. ¡°Oh, I like that. I¡¯ll be remembering you, Tasha.¡±


    Gregory looked over at Wyn. ¡°And you? I have to say, I¡¯m not quite sure I¡¯ve seen a Climber with your¡­ equipment choice before.¡±


    There was some snickering behind him. Wyn didn¡¯t care. Though, there¡¯d be more in a second.


    Wyn stepped forward beside Tasha. ¡°I can understand that. My name is Wyn. I¡¯m a Ruby Magician upgraded to a Ruby Strategist.¡±


    Whatever silent conversations were happening with the other group stopped immediately. They all stared at him with varied expressions. Faye was the most expressive, her face scrunching up in confusion. Gregory¡¯s smile wavered, his face growing serious.


    ¡°I have to admit, I wouldn¡¯t have expected a Ruby Magician to keep the class and continue to climb,¡± Gregory said. ¡°Let alone make it to the second tier.¡±


    ¡°In one season, no less,¡± Marcy said. ¡°That¡¯s partly why he¡¯s our group leader.¡±


    One of the Climbers in the other group chirped a laugh. ¡°No way. Him?¡±


    Gregory turned around. ¡°Don¡¯t insult our fellow Climbers, Brett. Would you question two experienced Climber¡¯s decision for their group¡¯s dynamic? Who are personal friends of one of our own, no less?¡±


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but smile. He was really liking this guy.


    The Climber, Brett, was a tall man with dark leather armor and a sword sheathed on each hip. He sighed. ¡°Sorry, Gregory, but¡­ a Red Mage? Were you telling a joke?¡±


    ¡°I could show you my parchment for proof,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± Gregory said.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see it,¡± Faye said.


    The others, including Gregory, turned to the Druid with baffled expressions.


    ¡°He¡¯s offering!¡± Faye continued. ¡°I¡¯d love to see your mark, Wyn. Unique classes are so interesting.¡±


    Wyn reached into his jacket and pulled out his parchment. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. Take a look.¡±


    Faye gingerly took the papers from Wyn. After a few seconds, her face lit up in excitement. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one like yours! The runic makeup is impressive! Your skills are all over the place, though.¡± Faye looked closer at the sheet and knitted her eyebrows. ¡°Lucidity is pretty ridiculous. And Chaincast? That doesn¡¯t seem very balanced.¡±


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    ¡°Are those skills?¡± Gregory asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of either of them.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re really not fair,¡± Cedric said. ¡°But, he has less mana than other Magicians and less skills than the combat classes.¡±


    ¡°And less spells to use,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Wyn, I didn¡¯t mean to come across as offensive,¡± Faye said.


    Wyn laughed. ¡°Trust me, you didn¡¯t at all. I know the setbacks of my class. I¡¯ll be just fine.¡±


    Gregory opened his mouth to say something then stopped. He then briefly looked back towards his group. ¡°I have an idea. Would you be open to showing your abilities to us?¡±


    Wyn looked at his group. They didn¡¯t offer any kind of advice or change of emotion. Except for John. He was nearly shaking with anticipation.


    ¡°How can I do that?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Simple,¡± Faye said. ¡°Just climb. And let us tag along.¡±


    ¡°But Gregory,¡± Brett said. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to clear the tier by the end of the day.¡±


    Gregory turned back to him. ¡°And we¡¯ll continue with our goal. The first leg of this floor is already complete, and we¡¯ll just stay together while we finish the floor.¡± He turned back to Wyn and their group. ¡°I don¡¯t believe they¡¯ll slow us down. But only if that¡¯s alright with you.¡±


    Wyn put his parchment back into his jacket. ¡°It¡¯s alright with me. Through the rest of the floor, then!¡±


    Faye bounced up and down and hugged Marcy and Cedric again.


    ¡°You won¡¯t regret this, Wyn,¡± John whispered. ¡°Impressing a top guild is no small feat. Even if you aren¡¯t interested in being in a guild.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Wyn whispered back. ¡°Being friendly with a top guild is a smart move, pure and simple. Having allies is always good, and I have a good feeling about them.¡±


    ¡°Even if the floor is harder because we¡¯re traveling with them?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll overcome whatever is thrown our way,¡± Wyn said. ¡°This is just the third floor. I believe in us.¡±


    Tasha smiled and seemed to relax at Wyn¡¯s confidence.


    ¡°Are we ready?¡± Wyn asked.


    John drew his blue bladed sword and the others readied themselves. Gregory¡¯s group was also preparing to move, gathering their gear and drawing weapons.


    ¡°So how does your style work?¡± Gregory asked as they began to walk out of the grand hall. ¡°Faye seemed impressed with those two skills.¡±


    Wyn thought for a moment. How did his style work? He was working towards focusing on mana recovery and that was about it. Was that a style? Coming across as ignorant wouldn¡¯t look great, and Wyn wanted to leave a good impression. Both for himself and for his class.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy because Ruby Magicians are so varied,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Lucidity allows me to quickly recover mana. Chaincast can activate if I change spell types in quick succession, and when it activates it casts the same spell again without using mana. It¡¯s a bit random, though. It could activate anytime between two to five casts.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Gregory said. ¡°How long does it take for you to recover your mana?¡±


    ¡°An hour and fifteen minutes from empty.¡±


    Gregory stopped walking. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a very short amount of time for a second tier ability. Even for a Magician with limited resources.¡±


    ¡°I do have a few items that improve the time, but yes it is. My goal is to be able to regenerate my mana much quicker than that, too. Part of my Ruby Strategist class upgrade was that healing spells recover mana as well, so I¡¯m able to share the recovery if needed.¡±


    Gregory chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s an incredible support ability. I haven¡¯t heard of something quite like that before.¡±


    Wyn smiled. It was nice having his class complimented, and by a respected Climber, no less. He was fairly sure if Daniel was here he¡¯d have a heart attack purely from disbelief.


    As the two groups stepped outside of the grand hall the open air welcomed them with more destruction on a scale larger than the first floor. The castle they exited was on a small hilltop, and at least two dozen intricate marble steps led their path down to more chaos. The steps themselves were nearly gone, mostly rubble with pockets that were on fire or pitted into the earth below them from falling meteors. It looked to Wyn like any one of them could be struck at any moment, and he felt his attention being pulled in different directions. He wanted to keep talking to Gregory and his group, but he also needed to pay attention to his surroundings. No where seemed safe.


    Marcy nocked an arrow and hurried down closer to the front of the group, leaving Cedric and Faye behind. ¡°Enemies ahead.¡±


    The Twilight Blades stopped at the bottom of the broken marble staircase but readied themselves. Wyn and his group kept advancing, their boots hitting the familiar dirt path from the first floor. At least it was even ground, now.


    Both sides of the path ahead of them were lined with building edges, fires, or the same magical fighting of an army against the demonic dogs that shimmered like a false reality when really looked at. Their path looked to be a road, one that was wide enough for three carriages to comfortably move side by side. Plenty of room to move and control a fight. A collapsed building to their left side had its front door smash open towards the dirt street. Behind it came one of the Fallen giants, a round, grotesque monster that held three of the Ashen Dogs on chains. They snapped their jaws and snarled at the group, their red saliva hissing as it burned the ground when it fell.


    Then a second, identical group appeared from behind them, except the large Fallen only had two dog monsters.


    Wyn knew they would be strong. But his group was strong, too. No sense in holding back right now with Gregory and his group watching, either.


    ¡°Tasha, it¡¯s time,¡± Wyn said.


    Tasha waved and swished her wand in the air in a series of movements, chanting something under her breath. Her Calling would take a few seconds to appear, seconds that Wyn used.


    ¡°John, we do the boss approach,¡± Wyn said. ¡°No holding back.¡±


    John squatted and activated several skills at once. His Squire aura coated both him and Wyn, and an additional layer of his familiar red Focus skill made him look intimidating and out for blood. If he was going to be the primary defender, though, he needed the extra support. Wyn was capable but more suited to mobile attacking, but once Tasha¡¯s Calling came it should be far easier.


    Wyn cast his speed skill and took a deep breath. He let his physical enhancements wash over him and basked in his new power. It was intoxicating. A feeling of newfound strength that gave him confidence to face whatever in his path.


    He crouched, preparing his legs and body to strike. The first Fallen enemy didn¡¯t bother waiting any longer before releasing the chains that held back the snarling, flaming dogs. They lunged forward in a burst before immediately being hit with both a water-enhanced arrow and a lightning strike that slowed them and outright killed one of the dogs.


    John met the first one with his shield, which he bashed to the side before swinging his sword at the next dog. His blade carved into its hide, its water element opening the monstrous beast effectively. He glanced back at the dog he bashed but ignored it and kept focusing on the immediate threat.


    Wyn lunged forward and stabbed into the first dog as it scrambled on the ground to recover. It whined and thrashed from his weapon stabbing it over halfway up the spearhead. Even though the weapon had the elemental advantage Wyn wasn¡¯t quite strong enough to completely gouge it. John¡¯s aura was improving his physicality well, but his focus was on speed, not strength.


    So, Wyn freed his weapon in the blink of an eye and promptly stabbed it three more times before it even had a chance to retaliate. On the third strike the monster stayed still.


    The sounds of roaring beasts harshly grated on their ears. Wyn looked up to see the other two dogs sprinting towards them and the first Fallen waddling to their group. It was laughably slow with its huge size, but Wyn had a gut feeling it carried ridiculous strength and likely high defense, as well.


    With two dogs dead and John more than capable of managing the third from the enemy¡¯s first attack, they were in a great position. He felt confident about handling the two Fallen with his speed advantage and two ranged attackers, and was affirmed when Cedric and Marcy began attacking the first of the larger creatures.


    ¡°Ready!¡± Tasha yelled.


    Wyn positioned himself to intercept the two running dogs. ¡°On me!¡± He yelled. Then, he waited with an outstretched hand. The dogs may have been large and flaming, but they weren¡¯t particularly smart. Just before they crashed into him, front paws up and ready to swipe, Wyn released a Shield spell. The barrier held as both monsters yelped and fell to the ground, but the image flickered from their hit.


    Wyn had to suppress a brief flare of panic. Thankfully the spell was enough, but how well would it last at higher floors? He didn¡¯t have a problem on the sixth floor last week. Were these dogs stronger than he thought? Or maybe it was both of them attacking at once?


    He didn¡¯t have time to dwell on theories. He changed his focus to attack one of the flaming dogs on the ground before feeling a wave of mist coat his side. A blue figure about his height but bulging with muscles rushed forward and stabbed the closest dog with a long dagger. Then it stabbed it four more times, nearly as fast as Wyn with his enhanced body. Three fins adorned the figure¡¯s head and more accented its arms and legs. It was only wearing a pair of green, skintight pants, and it looked like a combination of a man and a fish, though it was built like a warrior.


    The figure looked at Wyn with black eyes and green pupils. It wasn¡¯t scary, especially since Wyn knew it was Tasha¡¯s new Calling Zoriquin. He was just grateful the blue Calling was on their side.


    The only two enemies left were the large Fallen. The furthest one was already being pelted with arrows and lightning spells by Marcy and Cedric, and the other one was nearly at John¡¯s side. He was finishing up dealing with the flaming dog and either didn¡¯t see the oncoming enemy or didn¡¯t have the means to divert his attention.


    Wyn rushed forward and met the rotund monster head on. ¡°Feeble,¡± he said, then dodged to the side when the monster struck at him with a fist the size of his torso. The spell took, though, as a large skull appeared above it and the monster shrunk in size about half a foot.


    Most of Wyn¡¯s strikes were distractions at best, as the large monster didn¡¯t appear to have the same fire element as the dogs and it¡¯s huge, fatty body was like heavy armor despite his weakening spell. His spear was still capable, and his improvements made him a fierce combatant, but when he looked over and saw John running to the other Fallen and Zoriquin coming to help him, he knew it was only a matter of time before the enemies would fall. Two enemies on the third floor were no match for their entire group including Tasha¡¯s Calling.


    As Wyn watched the Fallen disappear back into the tower half a minute later, he was relieved to see that John, Marcy, and Cedric took care of the other enemy easily. The three piles of treasure that littered the ground was a welcome sight, as well.


    ¡°I have to say, that wasn¡¯t bad,¡± Gregory said. He, Faye, and Brett were standing beside Cedric and Marcy behind the fight.


    ¡°For rookies, at least,¡± Brett added.


    Faye smacked him on the back of the shoulder. The Climber smirked in a friendly way, more relaxed than before.


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding,¡± Brett said. ¡°You know that, Faye!¡±


    ¡°But they don¡¯t know that,¡± Faye said. ¡°They could be our guild mates one day, so we should be extra nice to them.¡±


    ¡°We should be kind to them because they¡¯re Climbers,¡± Gregory said.


    Wyn looked over at John who was actually ignoring the piles of treasure to listen to the conversation. Apparently there were things more interesting to the Squire than rewards. Impressing a guild leader of one of the top guilds seemed to be high on John¡¯s to-do list.


    Wyn was happy they met but more relieved there were Climbers at their position and renown who valued others. It gave him hope both for his status as a Ruby Magician and his future as a Climber. Friends were needed to not just succeed, but survive. Especially in a profession as dangerous as theirs.


    John clanked in his armor as he trotted over to the nearest glowing pile and began picking through it. Wyn couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Treasure was needed to succeed and survive, too.

 Book 2 - Chapter 10

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    The rest of the floor was far more straightforward than the previous season¡¯s trudge through the temple. Where that season¡¯s third floor had puzzles, traps, and monsters to overcome, this season¡¯s third floor was one group of enemies after another. Apparently there wasn¡¯t much of a typical structure of challenges versus monsters to kill between each floor. It felt like the environment was more suited to hacking and killing their way through instead of a cautious approach as it was obvious they were heading to the denser part of this magical, seemingly fake invasion.


    More flaming rocks fell from the sky more frequently, and Wyn swore they were hitting the ground with more of an impact. Maybe it was because they were nearing the end of the floor, but it filled him with more anxiety than he thought the third floor would give. None of the impacts seemed to ever get close to hitting someone in his or Gregory¡¯s group, but he just couldn¡¯t shake the feeling. Still, they fought on through more packs of Fallen and Ashen Dogs without another secondary quest showing up.


    FLOOR 3


    Group: 5/5


    Quest: After finding an exit through the infested sewers more obstacles await. The city has succumbed to dark forces, but there is still hope. Some fight on and continue to try and protect the citizens from stronger, more numerous foes. Foes that have broken through their lines. Foes that stand in your way from the last line of defense at the city¡¯s walls.


    ¡°What¡¯s our strategy, here?¡± John asked. His hair was caked to his neck and head with sweat under his helmet, but his enhanced endurance and strength kept him from looking tired. He looked more like he was caught in the rain with his climbing gear.


    ¡°Same as before,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Nothing has given us too much difficulty, thankfully. Just keep holding our front line.¡±


    ¡°No, I know that. I meant about advancing further.¡±


    Wyn knew John would question it after meeting up with Gregory and his group. His friend wanted to keep impressing them by climbing higher even though they agreed to advance into the fourth floor the next day. It was only Moonday, the second day of the season. Their goal was to advance into the second tier by the end of the week which gave them four more days to climb that extra floor. It was plenty of time and a good balance of being cautious and fast. Having four weeks to climb the second tier was more than enough in Wyn¡¯s mind, and they all agreed.


    But John just couldn¡¯t help but try for more. Wyn couldn¡¯t blame him, but the Squire also wasn¡¯t their leader.


    Tasha must have read his mind because she stepped beside John and rested a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I know you want to keep going but we have time. This is a solid floor to run a few times since there aren¡¯t any traps and the monsters are manageable. Then we advance to the fourth floor Wursday. Or even Torday. We have time.¡±


    John looked at the other group who weren¡¯t listening, just keeping to themselves. He shook his head and spoke quietly, even if it wasn¡¯t needed. ¡°If I want a chance to make a good impression I think we need to try and keep going. It¡¯s a gut feeling. And I really want to make a good impression.¡±


    ¡°I know you do, but I also don¡¯t want to unnecessarily rush our progress,¡± Tasha said.


    Wyn knew Tasha was right but didn¡¯t blame John for speaking his mind. In fact, he was happy he did. It was better for them to voice their opinions than keep quiet and let resentment build. Going that direction usually meant people exploded with emotions.


    Still, Wyn was their leader and needed to inform them of his decision.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, John, but Tasha¡¯s right,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We have our month¡¯s plan and we should stick to it. It was a bonus to meet up with them and I think we¡¯ve already made a mark.¡±


    ¡°Sticking to our plan would actually be more impressive,¡± Marcy said, suddenly joining their conversation. ¡°They¡¯ll take it as a sign of commitment and not kissing ass.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± John asked, a hint of hope obvious in his voice.


    Marcy shrugged. ¡°Probably. I¡¯ll tell Faye that, anyway.¡±


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but be thankful at Marcy¡¯s suggestion. He assumed her front of indifference was actually just another way to appease the Squire. It seemed to work, too.


    ¡°I appreciate that, Marcy. Really.¡±


    Marcy patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Besides, it was nice to catch up with her. She¡¯s been so busy with her team and Cedric and I were forming our own that we lost touch for a bit. It¡¯s good to reconnect.¡±


    Wyn swore he saw a bit more interest in Marcy¡¯s eyes talking about Faye but didn¡¯t push it. He might be their leader but there were still some boundaries he didn¡¯t want to cross.


    Gregory, Faye, and Brett split from their group and politely interjected in their conversation.


    ¡°Our Stalker believes we¡¯re nearing the end of the floor,¡± Gregory said. ¡°I have a feeling it¡¯ll be a bit more of a challenge since we¡¯ve been climbing together for a good portion of the floor.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t take a Stalker to know we¡¯re close,¡± Marcy said.


    Faye failed to suppress a laugh. ¡°I told you she¡¯d have something snarky to say.¡± Faye winked back at Marcy. The Ranger blushed.


    ¡°What do you propose then?¡± Wyn asked, ignoring their banter. ¡°I¡¯m not going to pretend we¡¯re at the same skill or power as your group. You¡¯ve been kind enough to let us participate so far, and we¡¯re grateful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourselves short,¡± Gregory said. ¡°For three rookies on their second season you three show promise. From what Faye has said about Marcy and Cedric I¡¯ve been affirmed, not surprised. And she speaks highly of you two.¡±


    John practically beamed with pride at the comment.


    ¡°Your words are kind,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Regardless, I still don¡¯t think even an increased challenge on the third floor would stand much of a threat to your group.¡±


    ¡°True, but it would be nicer to leave the floor unscathed rather than banged up,¡± Faye said. ¡°If we worked together the boss will be easy. Some in our group needs to see that teamwork extends further than just your immediate group.¡± She eyed Brett for her last comment, but the man didn¡¯t acknowledge the look.


    ¡°And your rewards will be better than simply watching us instead of joining,¡± Gregory added. ¡°We can focus on the primary boss and your group can manage the lesser enemies.¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t know how he felt about being given orders. He wasn¡¯t in the military any more, and enjoyed the freedom he had while climbing. No orders to go here or fight there. But, Gregory had an unmeasurable amount of experience compared to Wyn as a Climber, and he was a leader in one of the better guilds. He could have simply commanded their group to do whatever he wanted and Wyn wouldn¡¯t have been able to contest him. The fact that he was offering to share and compromising between their groups spoke more about him than anything else Wyn had seen so far.


    It was an easy decision.


    ¡°That sounds more than reasonable,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You can count on us to help mitigate the chaos.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, I like that,¡± Faye said while fiddling with her wooden quarterstaff. ¡°Do you have an area of effect spell or skill you haven¡¯t shared, yet?¡±


    Wyn looked at the others who didn¡¯t offer any response except for Cedric. He just nodded in confidence.


    ¡°I have a skill that covers a 10 foot area in a glyph that converts health into mana for me. Unfortunately it¡¯ll take health from anyone, but it¡¯s a good skill with Marcy¡¯s trap spell.¡±


    Brett changed from looking bored to shocked. ¡°That¡¯s absurd! What in the hells are you?¡±


    Wyn smiled. ¡°A Ruby Strategist.¡±


    *****


    Wyn could feel the tension in the air as Gregory and his group pushed to the boss. Well, bosses, technically, as the half dozen Fallen guarded the red portal behind them. The final battle was set in a large courtyard immediately inside the city¡¯s gate. Clashes of metal, screams of pain, and yells of war could be heard behind the monsters that guarded the entrance to the next floor. It threatened to pull Wyn back to a time he didn¡¯t want to revisit, a time with soldiers devoid of magic but full of bloodshed and pain.


    But he wasn¡¯t there anymore. He was in Alistair with his group climbing. Surrounded by a magical illusion of war that only served to distract, a tactic he refused to fall for. Taking another deep breath, he centered his mind on the current fight exactly how Daniel had coached him.


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    The six Fallen were similar to the large, fat monsters they¡¯ve seen in the floor so far except for a few differences. One was that they were several feet taller and wider, and grew equally as disgusting with their sickly yellow bodies and bald heads. Unfortunately they were also stronger and wielded weapons, shown with each missed strike cracking the earth beneath them. The other was that their bodies seemed as tough as heavy armor when they absorbed blows that would have pierced or gouged the Fallen earlier in the floor.


    Gregory and his group didn¡¯t seem phased in the slightest by the change. They were systematic and precise, handling the enemies without issue.


    Still, Wyn felt that something was off. He couldn¡¯t put a finger on it and it bothered him. Marcy wasn¡¯t reacting, though, and her perception would catch any threat with plenty of time for them to react. Maybe it was the higher number of bosses and their improved strength like Gregory said. If so, he wanted to stay clear of climbing with other groups in the future. The challenge increase was too great and too unpredictable.


    ¡°I hate waiting like this,¡± John said. He nearly hopped between both of his feet. ¡°I want to do something.¡±


    ¡°I know, but be patient,¡± Wyn said. ¡°This was our agreement.¡±


    ¡°Are you picking up some fighting tips?¡± Marcy asked. ¡°Gregory is one of the most skilled Knights around. Just watching him should give you plenty of ideas on how to handle monsters.¡±


    John¡¯s eyes widened in the realization that he had, in fact, not been watching Gregory fight. He immediately locked in to study the Knight.


    ¡°All of them are impressive, honestly,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Their support Climber is so fluid and prepared. His Shields are precise, and I think he¡¯s using Invigorate on a couple of the others!¡±


    ¡°Invigorate?¡± Wyn asked.


    Tasha shook her head, her curls bouncing along in her disappointment. ¡°Really, Wyn, you should read up on the popular spells that will be available to you. It¡¯s a third tier spell that gives a physical and magical boost while providing a low amount of healing and defense. Like a strong Regen and Arcane Aura combined with improving all your abilities.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That sounds ridiculously powerful!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because it is! It uses a lot of mana but it¡¯s one of the best support spells to get. I look forward to getting it next tier!¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s basically necessary on the higher floors with stronger enemies,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Champions, bosses, even some regular enemies that are strong counters can outright kill a Climber who isn¡¯t careful. Spells like that are needed.¡±


    A bright yellow light flashed in the group, making all of them turn. The support Climber Tasha mentioned had created a large, arcing Shield that blocked several blows from the entire group. It had to be at least twenty feet wide. How the Climber could keep it up a spell of that magnitude for several seconds while smiling and freely talking to the others was another matter entirely.


    John suddenly gasped. ¡°Did you all see that? Gregory just bashed that Fallen¡¯s head in like smashing fruit! That¡¯s genius to knock down an opponent like that and get their vitals at a level that¡¯s more reachable. He practically took its leg off with one swing!¡±


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but smile at his friend¡¯s joy of watching more experienced Climbers fight. He had to admit, though, they were right. Their group was special.


    Marcy perked up and looked over to their side. She nocked an arrow and started to step away from their small huddle. ¡°I sense something. Several things.¡±


    John shook off his admiration and drew his sword while Tasha and Cedric stayed close to Wyn. Staying together as a group, they all slowly drifted towards the fight. Whatever was coming would likely attack anyone close. The monsters here didn¡¯t seem as intelligent as the Lamierts from last season. But their role was to keep the weaker enemies occupied no matter what.


    A rush of small Ashen Dogs came running from the edges of their courtyard on the right side. First there were four of them in a pack. Then three more appeared behind them. Their barks and growls weren¡¯t as loud as the sounds of battle from Gregory¡¯s group and the Fallen bosses, but they¡¯d be annoying enough to interfere.


    ¡°Marcy, Cedric, hit ¡®em first,¡± Wyn said.


    A large rune appeared at the end of Marcy¡¯s arrow before she released it at the rushing monsters. The arrow zipped forward while leaving a glowing blue trail behind - her water enhanced attack. When it hit the first dog and splashed over the others they all collapsed in a heap, rolling tail over head from their momentum. That was when Cedric¡¯s lightning connected, and all that was left was a smoking pile of charred monsters.


    Apparently Marcy and Cedric weren¡¯t holding back either. These monsters weren¡¯t terribly strong, but still.


    John stepped forward and activated the spell from his boots, Earthen Tremor. The ground seemed to ripple ahead of him like a wave at sea, and the next group of dogs all tripped over themselves and were knocked to the ground from the effect. John promptly stabbed one on the ground while Cedric blasted another with a lightning spell from his scepter.


    More howls and barks came from the same place where the dogs emerged. Another group was coming, though Wyn couldn¡¯t immediately tell how many.


    Marcy started to aim for one of them when she stopped and turned around. ¡°I sense that more are coming from the other side. It¡¯s a pinch!¡±


    Wyn cursed under his breath. They¡¯d need to separate if they wanted to hold all of them off. ¡°Marcy, come with me. Tasha, keep an eye out on both our groups. If someone needs help then get a Calling up.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Tasha said.


    Wyn and Marcy hurried across the battlefield, focusing on reaching the other side. It wasn¡¯t easy to ignore Gregory and his group fighting directly on their right as they crossed the field, but their experience and power served them well. They¡¯d likely finish the bosses in minutes as long as they weren¡¯t toying with them.


    The first group of Ashen Dogs came running straight from the tower¡¯s projected fake war and towards the Climbers. Wyn and Marcy stood in their way, ready to fight. There were five of them, and Marcy immediately readied another water spell. The moment it struck three of the dogs were killed, but two in the back kept running. Wyn decided on his Shield strategy and stepped forward to meet them, then activated the spell right as they lunged to bite him. Both of the monsters bounced off of the magical wall with pained yelps, and Wyn quickly stabbed one on the ground. Two arrows pierced and silenced the other one on the ground, and in seconds the group of five was reduced to none.


    ¡°More are coming,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Both sides.¡±


    ¡°Cedric and John will be fine,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many groups I can defend like this. I¡¯m not as strong or defensive as John.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll just kill them before they reach us.¡±


    Wyn scoffed. She said it as though it was so simple.


    Another group of Ashen Dogs came running at them, only four this time.


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Put your trap down.¡±


    Marcy stepped several feet forward and knelt, her mark showing up on the group in a wide circle. Then, Wyn stepped forward and placed his Wellspring skill directly on top of it. Both marks clashed horribly as their images mixed, but neither seemed to dull or disappear. Next they stepped backwards to give the trap room, and Wyn checked his mark. He had more than half but not quite three quarters of his mana remaining. His regeneration was working beautifully as he was being more liberal with his spells and skills, but it still wasn¡¯t as fast as he would have liked.


    His freshly laid trap was about to solve that.


    The dogs, true to their dumb nature, ran straight at Marcy and Wyn, directly over their magical runes. Both of the marks activated, and all four dogs were chained from Marcy¡¯s spell and glowed with a faint black aura from Wyn¡¯s skill.


    He looked down at his mark. The glowing portion was steadily fading, his mana recovering at an impressive rate. The health being sapped from the monsters were giving him an impressive amount of mana for their strength. Maybe their numbers help offset the fact that they were fairly weak.


    A pair of dogs came running just as fast. Except they were flaming and larger than the Ashen Dogs. Not as big as the fire dog they fought in the secret room earlier, but still stronger than the plain monsters.


    Marcy readied another water arrow while Wyn waited. The arrow struck the one on the left in the front shoulder and caused it to crash into the ground, while the other one kept running. Wyn activated his Aqua Blast spell directly at its head. The spell crashed into the monster and stopped its advance, but didn¡¯t have the same effect as Marcy¡¯s arrow. Still, the spell was continuous while hers was a one hit effect, and the monster backed up in retreat while it suffered a geyser of damage.


    Wyn kept the attack going until the dog¡¯s flames snuffed out seconds later, then he moved the spell to hit the other dog. It didn¡¯t take nearly as long but the spell was active for at least 15 seconds total, enough to cause a good drain on his mana. Looking down at his mark, he was stunned to see he was just under half full, and still rising. The chained dogs weren¡¯t fighting as hard now, their life being converted to mana for Wyn.


    ¡°That¡¯s a ridiculous skill,¡± Marcy said. She stood beside Wyn and looked at his mark.


    ¡°Kinda scary, too,¡± Faye said on his other side.


    Wyn jumped from the Druid¡¯s sudden appearance, and Faye just giggled.


    ¡°Sorry to scare you! I just had to check out your skill, though. It¡¯s terrifying what it¡¯s doing to those monsters.¡± She jabbed a finger at the group of dogs still chained and still slowly dying.


    ¡°Not as terrifying as what they could do to an unprepared Climber,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯ll take them down however I can. Benefiting from it is a bonus.¡±


    Faye laughed and patted Wyn on the back. ¡°Spoken like a true Climber!¡±


    Wyn looked over and saw that Gregory was watching him and waved a hand. Their group was inspecting the area for loot, so they must have just killed the bosses. When he looked back at John and Cedric they were casually standing around talking with Tasha. They spotted him looking and started to walk over to regroup.


    At least the threat was contained. And it was relatively minor, too.


    ¡°Job well done,¡± Gregory said, his voice as stoic and proper as ever. He sounded more like a noble in court than a Climber who just helped take down a boss. ¡°It really was a pleasure to meet you and your group, Wyn. I hope we can stay in touch.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± John said, extending a hand and shaking Gregory¡¯s firmly when offered. He lingered for a few seconds longer than he probably should have.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see you around,¡± Faye said, winking at them. ¡°Cedric. Marcy. It was great to catch up with you both. We should meet in our old spot Faesday evening and reminisce.¡±


    Wyn actually saw Marcy blush again, followed by an awkward wave goodbye. He never thought he¡¯d see that.


    In seconds their group collected themselves and stepped through the now-clear portal to the fourth floor. It was quiet in the courtyard despite the sounds of an illusory war around them.


    ¡°I hope we can join their guild one day,¡± John said. ¡°It would be really nice to have a community like that.¡±


    ¡°Like a family,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I understand why you¡¯d want to be in one. I want that, too. Having people around you that you trust and care for is special.¡±


    John smiled and playfully punched Wyn on the shoulder. ¡°Agreed. Like us five! So how about we take our earnings and go celebrate with a nice dinner before we kick the next floor¡¯s ass tomorrow?¡±


    The group laughed their way to the portal, exiting back to Alistair¡¯s base one by one. Wyn waited last, taking one more look around. It was a strange feeling being back in war, even if it wasn¡¯t real. A feeling he hoped to forget, but one that he realized was necessary. It was part of him, after all. Death. Ruin. Grief. At least Daniel offered an ear and a cup of tea for Wyn to share his experiences and help manage his emotions and flashbacks.


    Before he stepped into the portal he thought of Arabelle and hoped she was alright. She hadn¡¯t written him in over a week, but he knew one was coming soon. Tonight he¡¯d eat his fill with his group, schedule a time to talk to Daniel, and write to his sister. Slowly, his second chance at life was starting to come together.

 Interlude - Arabelle 2

    Arabelle stirred the hot soup alone in her and her father¡¯s pitiful home. Her father, the gambler, drunk, and general bastard, had said he was going to see his ¡®friends¡¯ that day. She had no idea how late he¡¯d be out when he saw them, but it was never early. She often left to go to her shift at the Pig Sty before he returned home, but after a few times of receiving lashings from not having food prepared before she left, she grew into the habit of finishing the soup before leaving.


    She took a deep breath and smiled. It wouldn¡¯t matter anymore. She was only four crowns away from her goal of having enough coins to escape. In three nights, maybe two if she was lucky, she¡¯d be done at that literal sty of a tavern and done with her awful father. Then she would run to her brother, the only person worth anything in her life.


    It had been almost a month since Wyn had left for Alestead to become a Climber. He sent letters about his time there and his experience so far, and joy and hope filled her heart when she thought about his stories of finding friends along with the promise that he¡¯d earn enough to pay off their family¡¯s debt.


    An even bigger smile crossed her face when she thought about his class being a Ruby Magician, whatever that was. He said it was a class that others looked down upon, but she didn¡¯t believe him. He was always pragmatic but a bit pessimistic, too.


    Finishing up the soup, she quickly changed and pulled out her stash of coins hidden in the floorboards of her room. One more check confirmed her amount and gave her the confidence to hold out just a little longer. Soon she¡¯d never return. This farm, this house, and all of the piss poor memories she had of everything along with them were going to be left behind.


    *****


    ¡°Arabelle, hurry up!¡± A voice boomed, rising over the chatter of the Pig Sty. Fred, the owner, was slinging plates and cups left and right. Both clear and dark liquids sloshed out of cups and food disgustingly slopped around plates when the bear of a man slid the dinnerware across the smooth bar¡¯s surface. She always thought it was a miracle the wooden bar top wasn¡¯t stickier from all manners of substances that littered it, but the man was diligent about cleaning at closing time. Not that he ever did it himself, of course, only making the girls working the room stay longer until the place was spotless. Which took hours, considering how filthy the place got over the course of a night.


    Arabelle shook the thoughts from her mind. That wouldn¡¯t matter soon. She only had three more nights and four more crowns. Then she¡¯d be free.


    Taking a sharp breath, she returned to the bar, needing to focus at the task at hand.


    She picked up three plates of food and set them on her large, circular wooden tray while holding the bottom with one hand. Three more cups soon joined her platter, and she held her breath at the stench. The food was edible, of course, but after watching Fred cook it so many times she eventually became repulsed by it, even preferring the meager soup at home. A mixture of onion, undercooked beef, stale bread, and lumpy potatoes could only go so far, so the man doused every plate in cheap spices. The patrons didn¡¯t mind once enough ale was in their body, and food was food, after all.


    Carefully passing between customers and tables, she worked her way across the fairly large room before setting down her tray on an empty table. She started to unload the platter when she felt a slap on her backside. Reacting to the touch, she jolted, lightly spilling a cup of water that was nearly set on the table.


    ¡°Ayy, wench!¡± A man seated at the table called, his words slurring. ¡°Careful, there! That¡¯s my dinner!¡±


    The seated man immediately to her right, the one who slapped her, tried and failed to hide his laughter. The four others had varied reactions, mostly laughing, though one hit the culprit on the back of the head. Arabelle felt her grip tighten on the wooden tray when she finished unloading the food and drinks, and she forced herself to calm her rising emotions in an instant. She had every intention to take the tray and smack the man across the face, but the only good it would do would make her feel justified. There would be far worse consequences than that.


    She offered a painfully forced smile and curtsied. The move made the men laugh, lightening the mood. If she got a better tip out of them for playing along, then maybe there¡¯d be some positive for the night.


    ¡°Order up!¡± Freed boomed, his eyes locked on her across the room.


    Arabelle cursed. Did the man not see the five other girls lazily spread across the room? Sasha was heavily flirting with some customers at a table, sitting in a man¡¯s lap and making them laugh with some crude joke she always used. Rachel just returned from the bathroom, no doubt wiping her eyes after crying from some other patron who harassed her just like Arabelle. The others weren¡¯t even worth mentioning.


    Slowly walking back to the bar for the next round, Arabelle reminded herself over and over of her goal. She repeated the mantra in her head repeatedly.


    Three more nights. Four more crowns. Three more nights. Four more crowns.


    ¡°¡­heard he finally got his comeuppance,¡± a hushed voice said to Arabelle¡¯s right. She perked up and cut her eyes to the source of the voice. A small table of four men, huddled together with only cups of water and bread, spoke in low tones.


    They weren¡¯t drunk like the rest of the tavern, and they were obviously discussing something important. They were leaning towards each other carefully. Arabelle slid around their table, looking at other customers and nodding to no one, hoping to look distracted and focused elsewhere despite trying to listen in.


    ¡°About damn time,¡± another man at the table said. ¡°No one loses that much and tries to play again without paying up. Thatcher had it coming.¡±


    Hearing her last name in their conversation made Arabelle¡¯s heart jump into her throat. Confirming they were talking about her father, she stilled. Panic flooded her. She then saw Rachel grab the food off the bar and mentally thanked the woman, knowing she earned some more time before needing to rush elsewhere. There was no way in hell she would miss this conversation.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t learn his lesson,¡± another man added. ¡°Never does. Even a few fingers won¡¯t stop an addict. He¡¯s in too deep!¡±


    ¡°Next time it¡¯ll be his daughter, from what I heard,¡± the first man said. ¡°His fate is sealed. I bet they want her and that farm, now.¡±


    Arabelle froze. So her father got caught and they took some of his fingers? Good. The man deserved far worse. But the fact that she was on their debtor¡¯s list terrified her.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    She took a deep breath and made a decision. To hells with three more nights and four more crowns. If her life was in danger, she needed to leave now.


    She sat her tray down on the bar and slowly walked to the door.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Fred yelled. ¡°Girl! Don¡¯t you dare walk out on me!¡±


    Arabelle opened the door, ignoring the raised voice and stares behind her. Her thoughts raced in different directions as she started jogging home. The meager copper boots she earned during her shortened final shift rattled in her pocket, but she ignored them.


    Her father obviously got caught in his latest failure. Instead of trying to help make up the deficit and turn his life around, he only committed her and Wyn further into their debt. What a bastard. She had every intention of beating the man herself if he was home, her anger at him rising like a bellowing flame.


    It took her even less time than usual as she ran quickly, emotions fueling her body. When she turned the corner to their farm, she stopped. The front door was open, which meant her father was home. She clenched her jaw in fury. Maybe she could release some more of her pent up anger. The man was injured, after all, and likely beaten already. What was a few more strikes?


    Carefully walking to the front door, she froze to allow her thoughts to clear. Her father never left the door open. In her anger, she overlooked that minor detail. Looking closer, she saw that blood stained the handle and pooled on the floor. There was a smear that led further into the house, and the color was a rich red.


    It was recent. She knew her father was injured, but this was far worse than she imagined.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Arabelle called. ¡°Father?¡± There was no response. She immediately chastised herself after calling for him. If he was that hurt and someone was here who was dangerous, she just alerted them to her presence. Were her emotions dulling her mind? She shook her head and took a deep breath. If their debtors were serious about harming her, she needed to gain some wits and fast.


    Gaining some courage to move, she stepped past the puddle of blood and took quiet steps to the kitchen. The house still seemed to be intact, nothing out of sorts or damaged. She assumed there wasn¡¯t a struggle, but instead her father just came home wounded on his own. The soup was cold and still in the pot, too. Ignoring it, she grabbed a rolling pin in one hand and the kitchen knife in the other. She waited a few more seconds to see if there were any sounds of movement further into the house.


    Nothing reached her ears. Her father was likely passed out, or even dead.


    Carefully stepping through the house, she stopped outside her room and relief washed over her. Her room was exactly how she left it. All of her prized coins were likely still stashed away, which gave her new hope. Continuing her current mission, though, she stepped to her father¡¯s room and slowly entered.


    The man was lying on the bed with his left hand wrapped in a large bloody cloth that was poorly wrapped and soaking his bed with more blood. There were spots of blood leading from the front door all the way to his bedroom, but nothing was as bad as where he now lay. If he wasn¡¯t already dead, there was a good chance he¡¯d die just from blood loss. Arabelle wondered if he had tried to staunch the bleeding at some point but either from poor work or a drunken stupor he had allowed the cloth bundle to unravel.


    With hesitant steps, she walked up beside him and neared her face to his. Sweat covered his forehead and face, and his skin was a sickly pale color. His chest slowly rose and fell with slow breaths, and he didn¡¯t seem awake. Blood continued to seep from his hand, and she didn¡¯t dare inspect it further.


    Standing up straight, she took a deep breath. The man was at death¡¯s door, and likely wouldn¡¯t survive the night. But this situation presented the need to make a choice. She could rewrap his hand and help cinch the bleeding, preventing him from losing more blood and wake him up to get some food into him. It would be a long night and several days of recovery to even gain enough strength to travel to see the local doctor.


    Or, she could get her coins and supplies and leave the man to die a slow death.


    The first option would be arduous and painful for many reasons. Would someone return to finish the job? Not likely, after thinking about it for a few more seconds. The people responsible made their threat clear and intended for her father to deal with the consequences on his own. But it also meant more work for her, as well as dealing with his awful barrage of threats and verbal abuse while she nursed him back to any semblance of health. The only benefit was that keeping him alive would keep the debtors off of her trail while they continued to focus on him.


    Letting him die would be incredibly satisfying in many ways, as well as freeing. She¡¯d be rid of this life and burden, able to start new in Alestead under the care of her brother. Once she get some time under her belt and they paid off the debt, she could decide what to do as a completely free woman. Unfortunately this option meant that she would be their next target, and the same fate that her father was subjected to could potentially be hers.


    In the end, it didn¡¯t take much convincing. The man deserved this fate and she deserved a chance in life. So, her mind made up, she started gathering supplies.


    The first thing she did was rummage through his drawers for anything of use, but only found flasks of alcohol, dirty clothes, and receipts of his gambling habits and debts. She had no desire to sift through those, but took them in case any paper trail would be needed later. She found the box where they kept their spare coins for food and basic supplies. Remembering it was there, a smiled formed on her face. The coins in the box would make up what was missing from her own stash to meet her goal. Her father didn¡¯t need them, after all, since he¡¯d be dead by morning. With a deep breath, she opened the box.


    Her smile dropped to a deep frown. The wooden box was empty. She turned back to her father still lying on the bed, anger seething inside of her. She hated him so bad she could spit on him. ¡°You damn bastard.¡± She knew he gambled and drank away what was left of their funds, and she hated him all the more for it.


    Arabelle then moved on to the kitchen and put together a small sack of food that would last - some bread and dried oats were all that was available. Sighing, she ate some of the cold soup to at least fill her stomach and moved on.


    Finishing in her room, she put together a makeshift sack of spare clothes, her favorite book, and the precious coins she¡¯d been saving. Before leaving, she paused. She stared at the small desk beside her bed and the empty piece of paper resting on it. Earlier she had meant to write to Wyn and tell him she was about to leave to come see him but now her mind wandered. In her rush she¡¯d all but forgotten about it, but quickly sat at the desk and grabbed her one, nearly spent charcoal pencil.


    While she waited, she wondered how Wyn would react to her decision. Would he be mad? Doubtful. If he was in the same situation he¡¯d likely leave, too. But would he worry and come looking for her? That was far more likely. Except she¡¯d be traveling to Alestead to see him, and there¡¯d be a slim chance he¡¯d find her without exceptional coordination, luck, and time. Three things she didn¡¯t have at the moment. Abandoning his station would mean less time climbing and gaining coins, too, and they needed money as quickly as possible.


    No. She needed money as quickly as possible. With her father as good as dead, she was next to be threatened. Her brother was actually making up the difference so he¡¯d be spared, but she was dead weight. They likely wanted him around to make money for them, but she couldn¡¯t think of a single use for herself. It was a sobering thought.


    Settling with new resolve, she finished her letter to Wyn, lying to him. It was necessary for her own survival. She wrote about the farm, her father, and her shifts at the Pig Sty, and how she wished she could see him and be rid of her life here.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t a complete lie. Just an omission.


    Tears fell from her face as she folded the letter and packed away one spare sheet of paper and her meager pencil. Hopefully she¡¯d be able to write him one more time during her travels so he¡¯d worry less. If not, well, she¡¯d apologize to him in person.


    Standing outside the farm house, she looked at it and their land one last time. It was the only home she ever knew. Her new adventure was terrifying but important, and her goal more so. This life was pathetic and now it was dead to her. A new life, one with potential, awaited her in Alestead, home to the magical tower. Home to her brother.


    ¡°Good riddance,¡± Arabelle said, scowling at the entire place one last time. Determination swelling inside her, she strode away into the night. The caravan would be leaving before long, and her new journey awaited.

 Book 2 - Chapter 11

    FLOOR 4


    Group: 5/5


    Quest: Escaping the city¡¯s walls was only the beginning. Entering the heart of the invading forces is no easy task, and you¡¯ve decided to take the hard route. The forces can be overwhelming, but there is reprieve at the end of blood and sweat. Can you survive long enough to find it?


    Secondary quest: the Fallen army has barely breached the city¡¯s wall, and most of them are on the outside trying to kill their way in. The outside, where you currently stand. Protecting the city means killing the invaders. Fallen killed: 8/24. Enemies killed: 14/40. Reward: one green magical item.


    Blood ran down Wyn¡¯s leg and soaked his boot. He cursed his luck, angry at both the Fallen being able to hit him and being injured on the fourth floor. This should have been an easy climb, especially after repeating it for the last several days. It was straightforward - the entire floor was short, with waves of enemies to kill and lots of energy and magic to spend. Wyn honestly thought it was easier than the third floor. Plus, after discovering the secondary quest and the rewards it brought, it was an easy decision to repeat the floor for the rest of the first week.


    It would be a hard floor for a newer group looking to advance into the second tier, but that thankfully wasn¡¯t Wyn¡¯s group. Not anymore.


    Wyn spat at the ground. He was already upset and this just made his mood worse. Arabelle wrote to him last night and her words were foreboding, to say the least. Things were getting worse at home, and there was nothing he could do about it. He only wished she was safe and far, far away from the Assembly¡¯s grasp.


    Making him angrier by the second, healing his injury didn¡¯t make the blood go away much to his annoyance. He wouldn¡¯t be able to stop and properly clean the leather boot, either. Another pair likely ruined.


    He stabbed the Ashen monster on the ground two more times with his spear for good measure, ignoring that it was already dead. He wanted to prove a point.


    This floor was exactly as it promised - chaotic. The same red sky filled with flaming projectiles and dark clouds hovered above, while louder and more intense fighting surrounded them. Fighting that was the same kind of illusion magic from the tower, where the defending army of the city clashed with the invading monsters as though it happened behind a veil. They never interacted with the group and the group couldn¡¯t interact with them. What it accomplished, though, was a reminder of the tower¡¯s progressing and strange environment.


    ¡°Wyn, more on your right!¡± Tasha said, pointing her wand to the side. A large magical barrier deflected several arrows from hitting Wyn.


    Another curse left his mouth. He needed to focus. There would be time to think about Arabelle and his boots later. For now, he wanted to live, and taking an arrow through the throat would be a guaranteed way to die. His Sage¡¯s Overcoat protected most of his torso, but his neck still had a few areas of exposure.


    Wyn turned and saw two of the newer enemies rushing him as three more stood back with bows. These enemies, just called Ashen, were strange. They looked liked humans except they had dark grey skin, horns, black hair, and yellow or red eyes. At first Wyn thought they were demons, or what he imagined demons to look like. But his parchment clearly stated they were simply called Ashen, and gave no more information. Wyn had no hesitations about fighting, and killing, them since they had a more demonic look than human and carried vicious looking weapons.


    It didn¡¯t really matter, though. They were enemies to defeat. And Wyn was getting better every day at defeating them.


    Wyn activated Speed Up and dodged the first attack, a wild sword slash that was more strength than skill. He immediately pierced it in the back with his spear and hopped back to avoid the second enemy that held its own spear. An arrow suddenly struck it in the neck, quickly followed by another that hit its chest. It dropped to the ground, out of the fight.


    At least Marcy was covering him while the others dealt with their own group of Ashen.


    A few more quick strikes to the sword-wielding Ashen killed it, but before Wyn could finish off the other he jumped out of the way of more arrows. It was easier to dodge when he was faster from his skill, and felt no real threat from them. His Shield spell wasn¡¯t needed. Not yet, at least.


    After pulling his spear out of the second enemy he turned to face the archers. ¡°Cedric, Marcy, can you take care of them?¡±


    A crack of lightning hit two of the archers and made the third stumble. It was a strong spell, but Wyn wasn¡¯t surprised. Cedric stopped pulling punches yesterday when they were nearly overrun with the enemies, and told them he¡¯d just recover with mana potions while deciding not to hold back anymore. The floor wasn¡¯t long, but it was packed with enemies, and he reasoned it was still a net gain on coins as long as he only used two mana potions per floor clear.


    Wyn wasn¡¯t about to complain. Faster clears meant more climbs during the day, and the rewards were great even for the fourth floor. Killing more enemies to complete the secondary quest meant more coins at the end, too. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up, as long as they weren¡¯t reckless.


    Tasha had been having her work cut out for her. A near endless amount of enemies made healing and defensive spells basically necessary. After her class advancement she gained considerable range on her spells, too, something Wyn was incredibly jealous of. His spells required close proximity, and the furthest he could cast a Shield spell was about ten feet. Tasha easily had four times that range.


    Another mark against a Ruby Magician.


    Wyn felt a warm wave wash over him from Tasha¡¯s healing spell. He felt the wound on his leg close and the frustration rise from being injured. It was a lucky swipe from an Ashen¡¯s sword, and Wyn was outnumbered three to one, but he still felt more than a little annoyed. His jacket helped reduce most blows that he couldn¡¯t outright dodge or block with a quick cast of Shield, but his legs and feet were the most exposed. Maybe he could find a nice pair of magical knee high boots to wear. Something like Cedric¡¯s was definitely on his list to have at some point that offered so much additional mobility. But maybe a spell that let him teleport would be even better? Or a shield to use in addition to his own physical shield? He wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with the setup of a spear and shield, just more used to using the weapon alone. If they were going to climb with only five in their group for the foreseeable future, and no other defender like John, perhaps a shield would be a good move.


    ¡°Wyn, was that enough?¡± Tasha asked. She stood beside him and lightly pulled his pants at the knee, grimacing from the blood.


    Wyn moved his leg in several ways, testing it. ¡°Yes, thank you. I might have to get a new pair of pants, though. Boots, too.¡±


    Tasha chuckled. ¡°You could spend money on worse things.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nine more enemies killed,¡± John said. He twirled his sword around, the blue blade shining like polished metal. ¡°We¡¯re doing even better than yesterday! I can¡¯t believe it took us three clears to finally discover the damned quest. I could do this all month, honestly.¡±


    ¡°The seventh or eighth floor should still give a better return,¡± Cedric said. ¡°But if it feels the same after a few clears, we could alternate. For variety¡¯s sake.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Whatever gets me the most coin,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Either actual coins or items to sell. I¡¯ll run it all day if I have to.¡±


    ¡°I know you need the coin, but we haven¡¯t gotten to the point of desperation, yet,¡± Tasha said. ¡°We have a solid plan. We should be able to make plenty this month!¡±


    Wyn shook his head. ¡°I need more. As much as possible, really. If I¡¯m able to pay off the debt early then me and my sister will be better off for it. I¡¯m tired of being more cautious and worrying all the time.¡±


    Marcy eyed him suspiciously. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m all for going faster. But I¡¯m also not stupid. Tasha¡¯s right, we have a good plan.¡±


    Wyn actually laughed. ¡°Are you calling me stupid for wanting to push it? Miss Impatient last season saying to pace ourselves?¡±


    Marcy scoffed. ¡°Of course not! That was because the first tier is pretty boring. Now that we can climb the second tier, we need to be careful. But we can save the emergency climbs for the last week of the month to help earn whatever you need. We have a lot of time.¡±


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t!¡± Wyn said, his voice rising. ¡°That¡¯s all great, but my sister and I are on a timeline. Coins mean she doesn¡¯t lose her fingers or I lose everything.¡±


    The others looked at each other, questioning his outburst. Wyn read the expressions on their faces but he didn¡¯t care. They didn¡¯t understand how dire his situation was. Not really. Despite how much he¡¯s told them.


    ¡°Wyn, is something wrong?¡± Cedric asked.


    Wyn looked at the Wizard. He wasn¡¯t an idiot, of course, and was usually honest no matter what. There was genuine concern on his face, not judgment. He wasn¡¯t questioning Wyn. He was trying to help a friend.


    Exactly like how Wyn helped him after he lost his arm.


    Wyn took a deep breath to calm down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Arabelle wrote me a letter and it seems like things are worse at home. After meeting Lucy and seeing how close The Assembly is to me, now, I just¡­ want to be done with this damned debt and make sure she¡¯s safe. I hate being so far away and not being able to help her directly.¡±


    ¡°We know that,¡± John said. ¡°But we¡¯re here for you. And to help.¡±


    ¡°Yea, maybe it would be good to actually take a break?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Wyn said. ¡°That would just stress me out more knowing I could be earning coins instead of something else. I think taking a good stock of items to sell and taking a chunk out of the amount owed this month would help the most. Then maybe I can relax a little.¡±


    Marcy drew three arrows from her quiver and held them with her bow in her left hand. ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s finish the quest, go again this afternoon, and sell it all. See what kind of profit a few days of collecting items can make.¡±


    From the chaos around them came another group of Ashen soldiers, this time led by a Fallen. The leader-type enemies were more obvious as they were either the fat, bulbous kind from the last floor or the thin and lanky ones from the first floor. This Fallen was a thin and lanky one that carried a long spear and shield that made Wyn¡¯s look small in comparison. Marcy and Cedric quickly took out three of the five regular soldiers with relative ease, and John and Wyn made quick work of the second two after a well-timed Flash stunned them all.


    The Fallen, though, wasn¡¯t affected by the spell. Its eyes were hidden behind a strange, awful looking helmet that completely covered its head and had spikes protruding from it at various angles. It looked more ridiculous than practical, but whether from magic or simply covering its eyes the helmet prevented the spell from working. Still, it was five on one, and the group had no reservations about being able to kill it.


    Unfortunately killing it took far longer than they expected. The monster¡¯s spear reach was even longer than Wyn¡¯s, and it was surprisingly agile. It blocked nearly all of John¡¯s attacks and dodged most of Wyn¡¯s, using its build and shield to defend itself fairly well. Its downfall was that it was outnumbered, and the group whittled it away over minutes rather than seconds as expected.


    No loot dropped from its body, either. Wyn cursed at their bad luck. Hopefully those monsters wouldn¡¯t come in groups of more than one, or they¡¯d be more difficult to kill.


    Climbing this floor made Wyn reevaluate his previous decision to go without a shield, especially without another front line warrior besides John. Marcy and Cedric had plenty of firepower to handle nearly any enemy as long as they didn¡¯t mind spending their resources of arrows and mana, but John being able to only distract one or two enemies at a time was becoming a problem. Wyn felt comfortable killing monsters but wasn¡¯t equipped to helped hold the line with John. If he could find a good shield worth carrying, he decided then and there to try one out. For now, though, they had more enemies to kill.


    *****


    The guild official brought out the familiar small, orange glowing chest and set it on the counter. He held Wyn¡¯s parchment in his hand for another second, reading it one more time, before handing it back to him.


    ¡°Congratulations on completing the secondary quest,¡± the official said. ¡°Please reach into the chest for your reward!¡±


    Wyn folded his parchment and put it back in his pocket. This was the group¡¯s third time completing the fourth floor, but the gamble of pulling out a random item still had its appeal. Most of the items their group pulled so far were potions, but none of them complained. Not yet, at least. Any item was great, and getting potions helped them from spending precious crowns to acquire some later.


    Still, John got a green belt after their most recent climb, and Marcy and Cedric each pulled a weapon. Tasha was the luckiest of all, having two green items for rewards, while Wyn had none.


    Reaching his hand into the chest, Wyn changed from concentrating to being excited. It wasn¡¯t a vial his hand wrapped around, but a grip, and he pulled out an axe. A large, double sided, long handled axe that required two hands to hold once he completely freed it.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a great pull!¡± John said. ¡°Two pieces of gear isn¡¯t so bad for us this time.¡±


    ¡°Yea, not when we could clear the floor two or three times a day,¡± Marcy said. ¡°And I much prefer killing monsters than avoiding traps.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯re done for the day?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°I was going to get together with Cynthia and train some more after dinner.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been doing that more, lately,¡± John said. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard, now.¡±


    Marcy mockingly laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard? What, are you afraid she¡¯s going to pass you by training harder?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not worried about that at all,¡± John said, folding his arms. ¡°I just don¡¯t want her to go too hard.¡±


    ¡°I think she can handle herself,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Tasha, do whatever you need. I¡¯m going to go to The Silver Step and see about selling my items. I want to make sure I¡¯m on the right track to cover this month, and don¡¯t want to burden Benedict with a bunch of items all at once.¡±


    ¡°We should actually be ahead of schedule,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Getting an item as a secondary reward is a great benefit, and clearing it twice a day would net about 350 crowns alone. Just doing that would be -¡±


    ¡°Over 2000 gold crowns in a week, I know,¡± Wyn interrupted. ¡°And that¡¯s besides what we find in the floor, and selling items, too. I¡¯ve been doing the math over and over. But I¡¯m tired of being in the deficit. I want to get ahead of this debt and get the hells out.¡±


    The others were quiet for a moment before John spoke. ¡°Do you want some company? Maybe have dinner first, at least?¡±


    Wyn shook his head. ¡°I¡¯d rather go now and get my coins. Like Tasha, I want to train later, too. I¡¯m thinking of picking up a shield and using it.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Cedric asked. ¡°Why the change?¡±


    ¡°John is our only defender. I can hold my own, but I can¡¯t defend like him. If we¡¯re going to keep climbing with just us five I want to make sure we¡¯re better protected. That I¡¯m better protected. So I want to try it out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll join you, then,¡± John said. ¡°Get some sparring in with an actual Climber instead of just the dummy. However long you need!¡±


    Wyn looked at his friend. He was usually carefree and relaxed, but he looked serious. It was obvious he genuinely wanted to help, and Wyn appreciated it. Looking at each of them, they all had looks of worry or concern.


    Wyn hadn¡¯t been himself the past few days. He was on edge, snapping or lost in thoughts of Arabelle and their debt. Climbing was more than just earning gold - he had a group to lead. A group to protect. A group to grow with and climb together.


    A group that he considered friends.


    Wyn smiled. ¡°I¡¯d like that. Thank you. And I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been so distant and rude lately. It¡¯s not fair to all of you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not, but we understand,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Take it from me who was actively pushing away friends when I actually needed them most - we wouldn¡¯t be your friends if we didn¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Yea, as much shit as I give you, I still want you around,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Us ¡®weak classes¡¯ have to stick together.¡± She flippantly waved her hand while calling their classes weak in a mocking gesture.


    ¡°I think a shield could be helpful,¡± Tasha said. ¡°It won¡¯t slow you down, will it? Or change how you move around us so well?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to use my spear as effectively but I mostly just stab through the enemies anyway. I could always change to a sword and show John how to really fight.¡±


    The others laughed while John scoffed. ¡°Okay, I know we sparred once before, but I¡¯m far better now!¡± John said. ¡°Let¡¯s really see who¡¯s the better sword and shield user!¡±


    ¡°No items, then,¡± Wyn said, playing up his playfulness. ¡°Like your armor or that belt you just pulled from the chest.¡±


    John flashed his wide leather belt that held a silver buckle. ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous! It¡¯s not every day you get a belt that lightens your armor and prevents pouches from being nicked.¡±


    ¡°If you get too used to it you¡¯ll be a burden in the future,¡± Cedric said. ¡°It¡¯s a novelty feature at best.¡±


    ¡°A novelty I¡¯m fully keen on using and abusing.¡±


    Marcy and Cedric rolled their eyes while Tasha and Wyn laughed. It felt good to laugh and enjoy the company of friends.


    Hopefully soon he¡¯d be able to laugh and enjoy the company of his sister, too.

 Book 2 - Chapter 12

    The familiar ring of the doorbell at The Silver Step welcomed Wyn and Marcy. Wyn had originally requested to come alone but Marcy asked privately at dinner if she could tag along, saying how she wouldn¡¯t be in his way and would be ¡®in and out¡¯. She then quietly mumbled something about winning a bet between her and Cedric, and she was there to finally get her Boots of Mobility. It didn¡¯t go unnoticed that she was carrying the staff Cedric pulled from the chest after completing their secondary quest, along with the bow she pulled and her own boots she¡¯d worn since Wyn knew her.


    It was obvious she meant business. If she said she wouldn¡¯t bother him, well, Wyn knew she was telling the truth. Though he wouldn¡¯t mind if she did.


    The shop had some people inside looking through the aisles of items and a few were at the counter looking through the glass at some of the rarer pieces and jewelry, but overall it felt¡­ normal. It wasn¡¯t crowded but it wasn¡¯t empty. Likely just how a merchant wanted it - steady and consistent. Benedict was tending to a few Climbers at the glass counter who wore enough combat gear to climb for days on end, their packs full with camping equipment adorning the sides and a weapon or two at their hip.


    ¡°Mappers and Packers,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°The people at the counter? They¡¯re Mappers and Packers. You can tell by their bags and that they¡¯re buying support equipment like potions, arrows, backup gear. You really think a Climber would do well fighting something with that on their back?¡±


    Marcy had a point. The more Wyn stared the more he noticed that they were buying several potions each like she said, and one of them even bought a new pack that had a faint blue shimmer. He wondered what the effects of it were. Seeing the trio also made him wonder about Cal. Hopefully he was safe and doing okay. Wyn wanted him to join them again, to cook his delicious food and provide good company.


    Thinking about missing someone made Wyn¡¯s mind quickly wonder to Arabelle. He shook his head, willing away his distraction before it could take hold. He absolutely did not want to be moody again.


    Benedict caught his eye and winked at him, causing Wyn to awkwardly wave. Well, at least the shop owner knew he was here, now.


    ¡°Here they are!¡± Marcy said, her voice far away.


    Wyn looked over and saw that she had meandered through the store while he kept staring at the group. She was kneeling down to a pair of leather boots on a small shelf like a display. They hummed with a purple glow. When he walked over, he read the description.


    Boots of Striding: The supple but strong leather of the Cloud Lupus serves to make fantastic running boots. Gives the wearer moderately improved speed, reduced carrying weight, improved endurance, and allows the use of Cloud Jump three times a day.


    ¡°Hey, my armor is made from the Cloud Lupus,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It¡¯s not that good, though. That¡¯s an incredible effect, and on boots, no less!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the difference between rarities,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Your armor and these boots likely came from the same season but from monsters in different tiers. You can¡¯t use that spell, can you?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. My armor is nice, but not that good.¡±


    Marcy flashed a devious smile. ¡°They can¡¯t levitate over surfaces like Cedric¡¯s boots, but Cloud Jump is a great spell. It makes a small puff of grey clouds cloak your silhouette, then teleports you away up to 50 feet of your choosing. With some restrictions, of course. It¡¯s a fantastic emergency spell.¡±


    Wyn gawked at the boots. He knew that with magic nearly anything was possible, and of course teleporting was possible as he used one over and over inside Alistair to move to different floors, but actually having an item to teleport at will was something he hadn¡¯t considered. The thought just seemed too strong, too powerful to be able to be used. Of course it was obvious why those boots were purple rarity and the price tag under the description read ¡°trade only¡± - how could you feasibly put a price on something that magically transported you from one place to another over and over?


    ¡°I take it you¡¯re impressed,¡± Marcy said.


    Wyn shook off his stupor. ¡°Absolutely I am. Don¡¯t tell Cedric but those might be better than his.¡±


    Marcy laughed. ¡°For me, they¡¯re absolutely better. Being able to move positions and covering my escape at the same time is too good of an ability. And three times a day is plenty! These items I have might not even be enough.¡±


    ¡°If they aren¡¯t I¡¯ll chip in and help. You have to have those. It¡¯s too good to possibly let someone else take them. I¡¯m surprised they¡¯re still here, honestly.¡±


    ¡°Climbers can be weird about their gear. You¡¯ll find a good number of veterans keep the same equipment season after season, swearing up and down that they found the perfect combination of effects and that changing one would mean changing it all. Some of them have merit, but most don¡¯t see the value in improving your abilities if you could just change one piece of equipment. That¡¯s why they get Packers. If they do change, it¡¯s an entire set of equipment, which is more reasonable to have a separate person carry it for them than fighting with a large backpack on your back.¡±


    Wyn looked down at his equipment. ¡°I get it. It could possibly mean changing your entire way of climbing and fighting, and most people see that as a bad thing. They found something their good at and stick with it.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I guess it takes us ¡®terrible classes¡¯ to show them adaptability and change can be for the better. For me, I¡¯d rather have one solid set and put my money elsewhere.¡±


    Wyn smiled. He liked that thought. Which was partly why he was here.


    ¡°Marcy, dear, those are some excellent boots,¡± Benedict said, suddenly standing beside the two Climbers.


    ¡°Benedict, I know you put these out after I asked about them a couple of weeks ago,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Tried to see if you could get a better offer?¡±


    Benedict¡¯s lips curled at the edges and a small, soft chuckle escaped them. ¡°A merchant can¡¯t reveal his secrets!¡±


    Marcy scoffed. ¡°Yea, yea, I¡¯ve heard that before. So I have my blue rarity Padded Boots to trade, and two green weapons. A Windsnatcher staff and Huntsman¡¯s Bow. Both have beneficial effects that put them on the upper end of green rarity, and you know how good my boots are.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, of course. Hmm¡­ For a purple rarity item I normally ask for at least two blue items. You know the jump in power is greater from the second tier to the third.¡±


    ¡°True, but you also accept two green items for a blue. And these are two great items, which makes it a value trade. You¡¯re still coming out on top with three items for one.¡±


    Benedict pointed to the weapons in Marcy¡¯s hands. ¡°But those don¡¯t look as good on a shelf. That bow is about as plain as could be, and the staff looks like a giant feather!¡±


    Marcy tilted her head side to side. ¡°Maybe, but they won¡¯t last long enough to notice. You know you go through your green and blue stock far quicker than your purple items. I wouldn¡¯t doubt both of these would be gone by the end of the week!¡±


    Benedict crossed one arm over his torso and scratched his chin with the other. Whatever internal debate was happening was a serious one. ¡°That¡¯s still one of the best boots for a ranged Climber out there.¡±


    Marcy smiled, her demeanor shifting like she¡¯d already won their haggling. ¡°Exactly, which is why it will go to a great ranged Climber. Plus, wouldn¡¯t you rather have items you can sell rather than items that just sit on a shelf?¡±


    Benedict¡¯s contorted face morphed to one of amusement. ¡°Alright, fine, fine! I should¡¯ve known better to try and haggle with you. You¡¯re too ruthless!¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Wyn didn¡¯t know if he would call Marcy¡¯s negotiating ruthless, but he understood that the man was likely paying her a compliment. Both of them had valid points, but Marcy¡¯s final point stood out to Wyn¡¯s the most - if Benedict couldn¡¯t sell the boots on his own, they weren¡¯t worth anything at the end of the day.


    Marcy rose her chin at the shop owner and handed him the items. ¡°I won¡¯t deny it. These boots need a good home, and I¡¯m the perfect person for them!¡± She immediately grabbed the purple shimmering boots and held them close to her.


    Benedict held the staff and bow and snuck a wink at Wyn. Whatever the man was thinking was definitely not him just being bested at haggling. If anything, Wyn thought, he likely was going to trade them to Marcy no matter what, and wanted to have a little fun with her. Better to have your customer happy and leave satisfied rather than thinking they were being played. And, the man looked to be equally as happy with the outcome.


    The entire exchange put Wyn in a good mood.


    ¡°Wyn, could you bring the boots?¡± Benedict asked. ¡°I only have so many hands, unfortunately.¡±


    Marcy handed Wyn her old leather boots. ¡°And this is where I leave you,¡± Marcy said. ¡°My work here is done. Good luck!¡±


    Wyn had never seen her move so fast outside the tower as she shot off like one of her arrows.


    Wyn followed Benedict to the counter at the middle of his store where the owner began to place the items and mark down notes on some pieces of paper. He effortlessly talked while he inventoried them.


    ¡°I know why Marcy came, but what brings you in?¡± Benedict asked. ¡°If it¡¯s anything like last week I can guess, but I don¡¯t want to assume.¡±


    Wyn cleared his throat and shrugged off his backpack. He pulled out his own piece of paper and slid it across the counter. ¡°I have ten items I need to sell. Two are blue rarity and the rest green. I wanted to come to you first, of course, but I really need the coins.¡±


    Benedict wrote something down on a piece of paper and put it in his pants pocket. In a swift motion with his hands he turned Wyn¡¯s paper and glanced over it. ¡°Fairly standard gear. Good for new Climbers, not much else. But you just about cleaned me out of my coins last week.¡±


    Wyn grimly nodded. ¡°I was afraid of that. I really need to sell them, though. I¡¯m not in a place where I can keep extra items just in case.¡± Wyn kept his voice down and looked around the shop, not wanting to outright mention his debt. Benedict knew his situation but respectfully didn¡¯t announce it, which Wyn was thankful for.


    ¡°I know. But most Climbers don¡¯t need such large advances of coins.¡± He moved to place an item under the counter, then whispered to Wyn. ¡°I have a contact that could suit your needs for selling items. It isn¡¯t the most popularly viewed way to offload items, but it can be incredibly lucrative if you have a good haul. Which I know you do.¡±


    Wyn leaned down on the counter like he was inspecting an item, whispering back. He tried to hold in his excitement but kept his voice steady. ¡°I do. Why isn¡¯t it popular?¡±


    Benedict gave his famously smirking smile. ¡°The buyers are mysterious and unknown. But the coin is honest. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    Wyn nodded. Of course it was. And if this contact was trusted by Benedict, than Wyn had no reason not to trust him. ¡°It is. I would greatly appreciate meeting this person.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll set something up and send a letter to you with more information.¡± He then stood up and spoke a little louder. ¡°In the meantime, did you have another reason you came by?¡±


    Wyn pulled out his spear from his bag and carefully placed it on the glass. It was large and nearly took up the entire counter, but he had seen more items and heavier ones rest on the glass without issue before. ¡°Yes, actually. I¡¯ve been using this spear this month since there are fire-based enemies, but I¡¯m having second thoughts. I¡¯m wondering if I need to change directions and start using a sword and shield. Or spear and shield.¡±


    Benedict¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had such flexibility in your combat prowess! That¡¯s impressive, Ardwyn.¡±


    Wyn felt his cheeks flush. Somehow Benedict caught him off guard. And somehow it was quite often. ¡°Well, yes. But I want to protect myself and my group more. And without a sixth member, I¡¯m thinking this might be a good solution for now.¡±


    Benedict nodded along as Wyn explained. ¡°That¡¯s a fair point. This spear, though, isn¡¯t easily wielded with a shield, I¡¯m sure. Wouldn¡¯t it be feasible to have both weapons? Packers are quite common to exchange equipment, you know.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard. But I¡¯d like to be able to change on a moment¡¯s notice. In the middle of a fight. I tend to be more flexible that way.¡± And hiring a Packer meant less money that Wyn made per climb, but he didn¡¯t want to outright say it out loud.


    ¡°Well, that is atypical. But not impossible! Outside of carrying both I¡¯m not sure what you could do. Unless you find a weapon that can change sizes and types.¡±


    Wyn perked up. ¡°Those exist?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely! Climbers don¡¯t tend to like them because they prefer beneficial effects for skills and abilities, like boosts to strength or magic. Instead, those types of gear can change appearance or structure but have less overall benefits. More flexibility, less power. I unfortunately don¡¯t have any in stock at the moment, but you might could find some in the trading district.¡±


    Wyn nodded. It made sense. And he understood why other Climbers didn¡¯t prefer them - everyone wants power and strength instead of the flexibility component. But Wyn wanted to try one out anyway. ¡°Thank you for the advice. I¡¯ll be sure to be on the lookout for that.¡±


    ¡°Good! I want you and your group nice and safe, after all. Is there anything else I can help with?¡±


    Wyn shook his head and looked down through the glass. Those were his only two reasons for coming, but he found himself distracted by the incredibly shiny and attractive jewelry in the display. Rings, necklaces, crowns and circlets, even some bracelets with and without jewels radiated various colored auras but all were beautiful.


    An idea suddenly occurred to him.


    ¡°I think there is, actually. These items in the display. I¡¯m assuming they¡¯re worth more than an even trade for green items?¡±


    Benedict gave a soft smile. ¡°Jewelry is valuable because they¡¯re lightweight, easy to carry, and most importantly incredibly fashionable. Yes, the trade criteria is different for these pieces.¡±


    Wyn nodded. He looked down at the piece of paper for his items he brought in, curious at what they were worth. His intention was to sell them, but he could always find more items. If the meeting with Benedict¡¯s contact wouldn¡¯t be for at least another week, which was likely, then that would give him plenty of time to find more items to sell. For now, maybe he could show his appreciation to his group with some gifts.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to gift the group an item each. I know I mostly have green items, but I¡¯m willing to trade them all. Two blue rarity and eight green. Would I be able to get four pieces with that trade?¡±


    Benedict smiled. ¡°You aren¡¯t exactly the negotiating type, are you?¡±


    Wyn shrugged. ¡°I leave that to Tasha. And apparently Marcy. I tend to lay all my cards out on the table.¡±


    Benedict slowly picked Wyn¡¯s piece of paper back up and looked it over. ¡°I know you do, Ardwyn. It¡¯s a good reason why I like you. If you wanted to trade all of these, I could definitely find you four items. They¡¯d be green rarity, maybe a lesser blue, but I¡¯m confident you¡¯ll find some items to compliment them.¡±


    ¡°How about five green pieces?¡±


    Benedict chuckled. ¡°Wanting to gift yourself, too?¡±


    Wyn returned his own sly smile. ¡°Not exactly. The fifth is for my sister.¡±


    Benedict gasped. ¡°That is absolutely the most precious thing I¡¯ve heard all day! Is she coming to Alestead? Oh, I¡¯d love to meet her!¡±


    Wyn¡¯s smile dimmed. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure. But I¡¯m hoping to see her soon. At least with this, I¡¯ll have something for her when I do see her.¡±


    Benedict slid open the back of the glass. ¡°Excellent. Then why don¡¯t you tell me what you all need and let¡¯s get some gorgeous pieces.¡±


    They spent the next half hour going over the various pieces of jewelry Wyn could reasonably trade for. He ended up with a necklace for everyone except John, who still wore the tribal necklace they found during the last season. Instead, Wyn got him a ring with a small but shiny ruby. Cedric and Tasha¡¯s necklaces gave a small boost to their mana pool, Marcy¡¯s gave a small boost to her bow¡¯s power, and John¡¯s ring gave a small boost to his strength. He got Arabelle a diamond necklace that allowed a single use of Cure once a day. It was a small diamond, but still a beautiful piece of jewelry. And who would argue about having a healing spell that could be used every day?


    Wyn hoped everyone could benefit from them. Their effects weren¡¯t large since they were only green items. Still, it was better than nothing.


    While he handed over each item and secured the jewelry in his pack, Wyn began thinking about Arabelle and her safety more. She was so far away, back home with their bastard of a father, and the only contact was her letters. Letters that likely weren¡¯t telling the whole truth of her situation. He knew she was proud and wouldn¡¯t tell the entire truth, but he desperately hoped she was alright. More than once he thought about leaving Alestead to go and get her, then bring her back to the city so they could be together. So he could watch her over and protect her. Not that she needed protecting, but it was better than her being alone.


    He had decided that if she wouldn¡¯t be able to come see him, he¡¯d go get her. It would take basically an entire month to travel there and back, but if he could stock up on payments ahead of time, that could be arranged. And it would be worth it if he knew his sister was safe.


    Which brought Wyn¡¯s mind back to Benedict¡¯s contact, and doubt started to flood his mind.


    ¡°I can trust him?¡± Wyn asked after some time. ¡°Your contact, I mean. No offense, of course.¡± Wyn cursed himself. He hated stumbling over his words.


    Benedict stored his new items away behind the counter while he kept talking, a smile never leaving his face. ¡°No offense taken. I serve all manners of clients, some great, some not. Some straight-laced, law-abiding citizens, some¡­ not. You get the gist.¡±


    Wyn slowly nodded. Benedict was answering by not answering, but Wyn could read between the lines. If he wanted an answer, he¡¯d have to ask this mysterious person face to face. No sense in pissing off Benedict by asking him too much about it, either. ¡°I understand. This could completely save me, though, so I have to try. You¡¯re sure it¡¯s not a big deal?¡±


    Benedict batted a palm at him. ¡°Not at all, dear. If it goes well he¡¯ll rely on me more, which means more business. And I¡¯ll get a bit of a commission, so to speak, for every item he buys from you as a referral. Just remember he won¡¯t trade them, only buy, so if you¡¯re still looking to exchange items I¡¯m your man. I can¡¯t have you leaving me so suddenly, after all.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll do that. I enjoy your shop and company too much.¡±


    Benedict laughed a hearty, charming laugh. Somehow it made him even more appealing.


    Wyn smiled. If Benedict trusted this person, then he would, too. He hadn¡¯t led him astray yet. That didn¡¯t mean that Wyn shouldn¡¯t be cautious, but if this meeting helped him fulfill his debt, he¡¯d be forever grateful.


    Maybe it was time to loosen up and start being a true player in this game he was inadvertently dragged into. The Assembly may be powerful, but he wasn¡¯t one to back down. Not for his sister.

 Book 2 - Chapter 13

    The red sky was oddly peaceful despite it being a beacon of death and destruction for the first tier. In the safety of the fifth floor, though, where a large, sprawling tent made up the sanctuary for all of the Climbers, the sky looked like a beautiful, permanent sunset. It could almost be considered romantic if it weren¡¯t for the obviously dangerous location.


    Still, the group felt it was nice to relax on the fifth floor before continuing their climb to the sixth floor later in the day. Their first week of the new season was behind them, and they all had fairly impressive hauls of both coins and items to show for their efforts clearing out the first tier. At least what could be earned in one week. They deserved a few hours to lounge and mingle before returning to their obligation. Hopefully at some point Wyn thought he could enjoy spending days in an environment like this. But the ever looming threat of his family¡¯s debt still weighed his thoughts.


    The tent covering them was a strange, almost perverse take on the military tents Wyn was used to seeing out in the field when at war. The familiar canvas and wooden poles that held up the material were staked all around them, but that was where the similarities stopped. War camps had many tents of various sizes and quality for everyone who was in the field. The grunts had the worst of them, with their tents filled with holes and poles that constantly needed tending. The leaders and planners had larger, better tents with tables filled with maps, food and drink, cots with private areas, and adornments that made the space feel a bit like home.


    Here, though, it felt like the tower was trying to recreate something like that experience while also providing a safe zone for Climbers. There was only one massive tent that covered the distance of a large courtyard, with various pockets of privacy for more intimate gatherings that were composed of additional canvas layers, and separate open spaces for community. Similar to the fifth floor last month, there were small ponds with fish calmly swimming about, and springs that gave fresh water. Both served as popular places for groups to meet and talk. Tables of food were set out in the middle of the tent like communal platters, and fine cushions and carpets were placed in other areas to make the space more relaxing.


    It was nothing like Wyn had seen before, but he didn¡¯t care. He felt at peace lying on a long cushion that was nearly as comfortable as his bed, hardly listening to the other four¡¯s conversation. It made sense why Climbers would clear the first tier to then spend most of their time relaxing on the fifth floor throughout the month. The weather was consistent, the atmosphere perfect, and the company nice.


    A pillow suddenly hit him in the face, stirring him from his zen-like state.


    ¡°Wyn, pay attention,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Stop relaxing in the relaxing floor.¡±


    Wyn halfheartedly threw the pillow back at her, but it sailed wide. She didn¡¯t even flinch.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you use a spear and aren¡¯t a ranged fighter,¡± Marcy said.


    Wyn sat up and shrugged. ¡°I have my strengths but they aren¡¯t everything. What did I miss?¡±


    ¡°We were talking about what platter of food to get next,¡± John said with a smile.


    The others all smacked the Squire with pillows.


    ¡°Seriously, though, we should all be celebrating,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We finished the first tier in a week! And now we have four more weeks of climbing what we want. I¡¯m feeling a lot better about this month, now.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Cedric said. ¡°You should. We¡¯re doing quite well for only five Climbers and three of us being new. But we do have some options about our strategy for the rest of the season.¡±


    Wyn nodded. ¡°Our original plan was to climb the second tier. But seeing how good the rewards are for the fourth floor, I propose we change our strategy.¡±


    ¡°What have you been thinking?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°I think we could clear the fourth floor twice a day with time to spare. So, we clear the sixth and seventh floors, then see if one of them is worth repeating. After that, we alternate by clearing the fourth floor and second tier floor of our choice.¡±


    The others took a few moments to process Wyn¡¯s idea. John was the first to respond. ¡°I like it, but maybe tweak it a bit? What if we cleared the fourth floor twice, then the second tier floor the next day. That way we only focus on managing one floor a day instead of the challenges each one present.¡±


    ¡°Or,¡± Cedric said, ¡°if the second tier floor is manageable enough, we could clear the fourth floor three times before changing. So two times a day, then the next day once in the morning before the second tier floor in the afternoon. Finishing a floor four times over two days is good progress, and our rewards would be even higher with it being the fourth floor.¡±


    John snapped his fingers. ¡°That¡¯s a lot better than my idea. That¡¯s my vote!¡±


    Wyn thought about Cedric¡¯s proposal. It was a good plan. The rewards wouldn¡¯t just be high - clearing the fourth floor three times in a row in one day would give them each a guaranteed green magical item every two days by finishing the secondary quest, not to mention whatever other items they found in the floor.


    And that wasn¡¯t even the coins. Wyn earned almost 200 crowns for each clear of the fourth floor, which could make up a big deficit. He was slightly behind schedule for the month by needing to clear the floors rather than repeat them. Selling items would net him far more coins, too, putting him in a better position and easily making enough to satisfy The Assembly¡¯s demands. If he could earn even more and start getting ahead of their debt? Well, that was an easy decision.


    ¡°I¡¯m in agreement, too,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Even taking a day off each week should be fine with that pace. As long as I can sell the items to Benedict¡¯s mysterious buyer I¡¯ll be happy.¡±


    Tasha pulled out her necklace from under her tunic. ¡°But only if you actually sell the items instead of trading them for gifts for us!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re complaining I can always take it back.¡±


    Tasha immediately pulled the necklace back to her neck and leaned away from him as though she was avoiding being hit. ¡°Don¡¯t even joke about that! This is too nice to take away now!¡±


    Wyn smiled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t give that much.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s the meaning behind it that counts. And it does help!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Thank you for the gift, Wyn. That was very thoughtful of you.¡±


    Wyn shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do. I was an ass before, and I don¡¯t want to be like that. It was both an apology and a promise to keep my head about me.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± John said, clapping Wyn on the shoulder. ¡°Though we didn¡¯t need either, it¡¯s appreciated.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Cedric said.


    Wyn smiled and laid back down on the pillows. ¡°Thanks, guys.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t get too comfortable yet,¡± John said. ¡°We¡¯re eating an early lunch before advancing to the sixth floor! I¡¯m ready to keep going!¡±


    ¡°You and your stomach,¡± Tasha said. She stood up and wiped off her cloak. ¡°But you make a valid point. I¡¯ll get started with that platter of fish!¡±


    *****


    Wyn stepped through a private room at the edge of the tent where a small basin sat beside a tome on a wooden table and the tent flaps made an exit on the other side. This season, and from now on, this floor only served as passageways to the sixth floor. The start of the harder but more prolific second tier. Thankfully he had an upgraded class to carry him further than before. He didn¡¯t need to upgrade his class anymore walking between these floors.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Not until the third tier, at least, but that was a concern for another time.


    Stepping through the portal with spear in hand, Wyn emerged back out into the plains that could be seen from the fifth floor with the red sky above. Except it felt much more ominous and real, like the rest floor tent was a far away place and nothing dangerous could ever reach it. Here, though, it felt like every step was a step closer to something that had the intent and means to harm him.


    The feeling was likely from the dense fog surrounding the field in the distance that looked like a brisk morning in spring. Nothing could be seen past it, though it was hundreds of feet away. It made the plains feel confined and controlled. Even stranger were areas of dead grass and light divots in the ground like pockets of the earth were just scooped up and removed.


    Wyn saw the rest of his group walk away from the tent as they slowly made their way together. In the distance, a cylindrical, stone tower beside a hut rose into the sky like a strangely built house. The tower was easily four stories tall though it was hard to tell being so far across the field where they stood and the dense fog clouding the area. It could be much taller, or even closer than he thought. Still, it was the only obvious structure in the immediate area inside the fog, and even then it was probably several hundred feet away. Whether it was the destination or a stop, Wyn wasn¡¯t sure.


    Wyn checked his parchment before continuing on.


    FLOOR 6


    Group: 5/5


    Quest: Outside the city walls in the plains of the countryside, a mysterious force gathers itself to continue its assault. The lone defensive power, the Wizard¡¯s Tower, was a beacon of hope and protection. Now, the magic inside is dim and gone, though why is unknown. It only happened before they showed up. If there¡¯s any hope to saving the city, the answer will lie in the Tower.


    That was certainly ominous, alright. Wyn put his parchment back into his jacket and mentally decided not to read that again. Not if he wanted to keep his composure while continuing in the floor.


    ¡°Keep your wits about you,¡± Marcy said. ¡°My Extrasensory is sending me all kinds of signals. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be very reliable this floor.¡±


    ¡°Then we go slow and in the trap formation,¡± Wyn said.


    John moved forward beside Marcy while Wyn fell back to join Cedric. Tasha would advance in the middle as they formed an I-shape. The idea was to have both a close and ranged combatant surrounding Tasha, who was the group¡¯s primary support. Marcy and John made the obvious choices of leading, as the Ranger could spot traps and threats faster than any of them, and John was their only defender in case there was a serious enemy or skirmish. Wyn preferred to be in the back anyway so he could keep an eye on the group and environment, and Cedric was there to blast any monster with lightning at a moment¡¯s notice while John kept the immediate enemies at bay.


    The progress forward was slow but steady. No traps were found on the ground, thankfully, but after a few minutes Marcy tensed up and started whipping her head around frantically before settling above her.


    ¡°Shit!¡± She yelled, pointing with an arrow to the sky. ¡°Run!¡±


    The others looked up, unsure what the threat could be. Wyn¡¯s eyes widened as he saw a group of red stars in the sky grow larger with each passing heartbeat.


    No, that wasn¡¯t right. Not stars. Rocks. Or, more specifically, boulders. That were on fire. And heading straight towards them.


    The five of them spread apart like scattering insects before the rocks made impact with the ground. Marcy jumped and rolled away to try to avoid them while John scrambled like a chicken with its head cut off. He stopped after a few seconds from panic and just raised his shield, hoping to absorb whatever came his way. Cedric hopped around like a rabbit, avoiding several flaming stones with inhuman agility. His Boots of Mobility showed their worth immediately. Wyn, to his credit, was able to spot the incoming rocks and avoid them similar to Marcy though only after activating his Speed Up skill to improve his reaction time and overall speed. Her new boots were serving her well, and she avoided the projectiles easily.


    The person who had it worst was Tasha. She didn¡¯t have the same level of physicality as the rest of them, and no magic items to help make up for that deficit like Cedric. Instead, she ran around even more chaotically than John with a near-constant Shield raised as extra protection. It was necessary, too, as the spell broke several times against the larger flaming boulders.


    Every impact of the deadly rocks sounded like cannons as the noise was near deafening. There was nearly two dozen of them in total, some the size of buckets, most the size of barrels, but a few as large as a horse. The entire barrage only lasted about ten seconds, but it felt much, much longer.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± John said. ¡°I thought the environment wasn¡¯t supposed to interact with us!¡±


    ¡°That was the first tier,¡± Cedric said. He stepped away from one of the smaller rocks that was still on fire and buried several feet into the ground. ¡°Apparently in the second tier they aren¡¯t illusions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Good Gods. Tasha, are you alright?¡±


    Tasha still had her wand pointed at the sky, both hands gripping it like she was about to fight the sky itself. No answer came from her, though. She just kept staring.


    ¡°Tasha,¡± Wyn repeated, a little softer this time. ¡°It¡¯s over. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more up there, you know,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Flaming rocks in the sky. I don¡¯t think those are stars up there.¡±


    The others looked up but John was the only one who answered. ¡°Damn. Alright, then. Let¡¯s say we quickly move, yea? Since the only cover seems to be the tower itself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about potentially just running through the whole floor,¡± Cedric said. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first floor. Easier said than done.¡±


    John pointed at Cedric¡¯s feet. ¡°Not with you and your boots. Don¡¯t doubt how fast I can run when my life depends on it!¡±


    Cedric pointed to Marcy. ¡°She has a pair now, too, you know.¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Wyn said. ¡°John¡¯s right. Sort of. Let¡¯s move quickly with the same formation. Tasha, I¡¯ll stay with you and put up some Shields along with you to make sure you¡¯re alright. You will be alright.¡±


    Tasha pursed her lips and nodded curtly. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Wyn could sense her annoyance at feeling helpless again, but he didn¡¯t care. He just wanted her safe. Her strength was in her magic, but even just one of the large rocks completely shattered her spell by itself. Her cloak would cocoon her and protect her from a life threatening injury, but Wyn didn¡¯t know if it would work from such a sudden impact. And he sure as hells didn¡¯t want to find out.


    The group immediately began running across the field directly to the tower. It wasn¡¯t a straight run, unfortunately, as the missing pockets of earth required them to run around that slowed their advance. Cedric tested his boot¡¯s levitating ability on one of the more shallow divots and found that he could run across it just as easy as if it was solid ground under his feet. He started slowing down his run when he figured he could just run straight no matter what was in their path.


    After about ten minutes of running they slowed down as Tasha started to lag behind, her lack of physical enhancements impeding her ability to keep up. Cedric wasn¡¯t too far behind her, either, and the group stopped to catch their breath for a few minutes. Wyn was thankful for his years of military service. He didn¡¯t have any passive enhancements like John, and carried heavier equipment than Marcy. But his own personal training paid off tremendously.


    Wyn kept staring at the sky hoping nothing would fall. Fatigue was not good when it came to the necessity of having to avoid deadly rocks from the sky.


    ¡°Heads up,¡± Marcy said, readying an arrow on her bow. ¡°Not rocks. Monsters.¡±


    Wyn looked down and ahead, following Marcy¡¯s aim. Directly in front of them, less than a hundred feet away, was a small group of Ashen monsters jogging in a V formation. Three of them, possibly more. Similar to the fourth floor they carried weapons and armor, but unlike the fourth floor their equipment was nicer.


    Much, much nicer.


    All of the monsters wore helmets on their head with tall, upright black hair that looked like a bird¡¯s plumage. They wore some kind of armor that covered them except for their forearms, hands, and lower legs. As they approached, Wyn saw there were five of them. The two in the back of the formation carried spears, the two in the middle carried a shield and sword, and the one in front carried a spear and a shield. The spears were long but simple, and the shields round but large. Their equipment softly glowed with magic, and their pace was far too fast for ordinary monsters.


    Wyn was mostly worried about their magical weapons and armor. Did they have effects like Climber¡¯s gear? Would they be able to use spells or sling elements at them like Wyn¡¯s spear?


    A rune appeared in front of Marcy¡¯s drawn arrow briefly before she let the arrow fly as they approached. She waited for them to come within a decent range, something like sixty or so feet. The arrow flew through the air with impressive speed before splitting off halfway into a dozen more arrows.


    The monsters stopped their run as the first three all raised their shields and huddled behind them, crouching to reduce their exposure to nothing as the shields took the brunt of the arrow¡¯s force. All of the magically created arrows bounced harmlessly off and clattered to the ground. Then the warriors stood back up and continued to move at a more careful and slowed advance.


    ¡°They¡¯re smart,¡± Marcy said. ¡°We need a plan fast!¡±


    ¡°Gods, this is not good,¡± John said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that!¡± Tasha said, practically yelling. ¡°Get it together!¡±


    Wyn took a moment to think. This was his element. He may not have been used to magic, and he still may not know too much about being a Climber, but he knew fighting. He knew battles on open plains, fighting together as a cohesive unit, and doing what was necessary to survive.


    This was just another battle. Another test. One that he wouldn¡¯t fail.


    He quickly looked around their area. The divots in the ground made for rough terrain but it could be used as an advantage. It would impede the Ashen warriors just as much. It was a five on five match, and only he and John would be able to take on the enemies directly. But that was fine. Magic was far more useful in other ways.


    ¡°Marcy, set a trap by that pit,¡± Wyn said, pointing to the group¡¯s left. ¡°I¡¯ll place my Wellspring immediately beside it. Cedric, bring up a storm cloud on the other side and force them to approach in the middle using the divots as barriers. Tasha, protection spells on me and John. Marcy, hit them from the back with magical shots.¡±


    ¡°And me?¡± John asked.


    Wyn walked up and placed his skill on the ground beside¡¯s Marcy¡¯s trap. Then he backed up and stood beside the Squire. ¡°With me. Aura up. We¡¯re going to need it.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 14

    Wyn¡¯s last-second plan ended up being almost successful against the Ashen warriors.


    Almost being the key-word.


    As the Ashen monsters came into their trapped area the two that formed the left V formation were caught in Marcy¡¯s trap, which meant they were also caught in Wyn¡¯s Wellspring. It only snared two of them, but that was plenty. Multiple earthen chains held their arms and legs and prevented them from moving or attacking at all. Keeping them there meant the group could focus on the three remaining creatures, one of which was their leader, in a much more manageable five on three fight.


    That would have been the case if the monsters were brutes like most monsters they fought. Instead, they were strategic.


    Wyn should have known. This was the second tier, after all.


    The moment after the two monsters were caught the back-most warrior split off from the formation and began slashing at the magical chains while the others defended it. To its credit, it was making quick work of Mary¡¯s trap spell with surprising ease. But while they were only combat focused the Climbers had more abilities and magic, and both Cedric and Marcy fired on the somewhat huddled group. Cedric¡¯s storm cloud was sending small, errant lightning strikes while the Climber himself fired a smaller but concentrated blast of lightning at the group. The warrior with the sword and shield took the brunt of the spell onto its shield, dispersing the lightning all around it and seemingly saving itself from being hit. Marcy¡¯s magical arrow exploded on the two chained enemies, completely blowing off one of their arms and part of its torso while the other one was knocked to the ground.


    Wyn gritted his teeth. So much for the trap. They were smarter than he realized, but manageable. That wasn¡¯t the only trick up his sleeve.


    Wyn stepped forward and pointed his spear at the group. ¡°Flash!¡±


    A bright light engulfed the Ashen enemies and they all raised their arms to cover their eyes except one, who didn¡¯t even flinch. That was the leader. Was he strong enough to resist that spell? Was that even possible? Maybe his helmet reduced the effect to a negligible degree?


    John stepped around the side to bypass the leader and flank the rest of the warriors. He was at a major reach disadvantage with the leader¡¯s size and spear, and felt his services would be best used against the others who were affected by Wyn¡¯s Flash. One of them meandered too close to Cedric¡¯s storm cloud and took another lightning strike from it, jolting it upright. John took the opportunity by stabbing it deeply in the underarm where it wasn¡¯t protected with armor. It didn¡¯t go down immediately, but it would be a relatively easy fight after that blow.


    Wyn stepped forward and lunged at the leader, who promptly blocked his spear. The strike felt like hitting a wall and sounded like hitting stone. And that was after being enhanced with John¡¯s aura. The monster¡¯s weapon looked metal but the feel wasn¡¯t quite right. Wyn assumed it was magic, though what magical property it held remained to be seen.


    The leader lunged forward with its own jab and Wyn narrowly dodged it to the side. It was a fast, firm strike, but nothing that felt unavoidable or overly magical. The followup jab into his side was the opposite, though, and was far too quick to be performed by any common warrior of its size. His coat took the damage but he felt the hit in his side immediately.


    This was no common warrior. This was some monster created by the tower. It was stupid of Wyn to think it wasn¡¯t magical as its entire being was magic.


    Wyn had to use a Shield to keep from being skewered a third time, and the hit felt strong against his barrier. Stronger than the warriors on the fourth floor though admittedly not by much. He quickly applied a Speed Up to himself to be able to out speed the leader. Combined with John¡¯s Squire aura he felt fast, strong, and durable, and his confidence grew.


    John was already facing another two of the warriors in the back after killing the dazed one, though he found they weren¡¯t as easy as he thought. One of the monsters stabbed out with its spear and jabbed at him several times but only met John¡¯s shield, harmlessly bouncing off it with each strike. The warrior that was directly engaged with John would have lost as his Squire aura was stronger, but a two on one fight made it hard to fully kill it. After the third spear strike the monster stopped, crouched, and held its spear with two hands.


    Then the weapon changed, the silver shaft melting and rippling as it shrunk in length but grew in width. John paused and watched in both confusion and curiosity. In a second the weapon morphed from a spear into a large hammer, and the warrior changed its stance to accommodate.


    John stepped forward and slashed with his sword but the monster blocked it with its shield. The Ashen in the back moved forward and bashed its newly changed weapon into John¡¯s leg, causing a sickening crunch and John to scream.


    He fell to the ground in agony with his leg bent at a very wrong angle. Marcy took the chance to fire several quick arrows at once, hitting the warrior with the sword and shield in the back several times and successfully distracting it. Cedric fired another lightning spell directly at the now-hammer wielding monster, frying it where it stood.


    Tasha extended her wand and cast Cure on John. The spell caused a white aura to envelope him as his leg righted itself. He scrambled on the ground to both get away from the enemies and to try and stand up. For good measure, Tasha cast Arcane Aura on him, as well.


    John bellowed in anger and swiftly killed the two injured monsters with reckless swings of his sword. The magical armor coating absorbed the hits he ignored, and his own slashes and stabs were able to connect at the cost of ignoring any sort of defense. Marcy and Cedric had done a good portion of the work, but John finished the job.


    Wyn had made good progress on handling the leader, landing several good strikes while avoiding every hit from the monster. His magically enhanced body was showing its power, and he knew he was going to be able to kill it. It wouldn¡¯t be as quick as John, and it was taking more resources with energy and mana that he cared to use on one single enemy, but he knew he¡¯d win eventually. And against the leader, no less.


    Before he struck another blow John¡¯s sword pierced through the Ashen leader¡¯s stomach causing it to lurch forward. Wyn stabbed completely through its leg and made it fully fall to the ground where both Climber¡¯s treated it like a pincushion until it died.


    It wasn¡¯t a smooth fight, and far from ideal, but it did the job.


    ¡°What in the hells are these things,¡± John said.


    ¡°Is your leg alright?¡± Tasha said. ¡°That was an awful sound. And your leg was terribly bent to the side.¡±


    John kicked the air a few times, twirling his foot in the air and moving his leg in several directions. ¡°It¡¯s mostly better. A small hitch here and there, but nothing some rest won¡¯t help.¡±


    Tasha tapped him on the shoulder and cast another Cure.


    John nodded. ¡°Or that. That¡¯ll do it, too.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re strong, I¡¯ll give them that,¡± Cedric said. ¡°That took more mana than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Smart, too,¡± Wyn said. He checked his mark and saw it was only a fourth greyed out. Even if he recovered some from the enemies staying inside his Wellspring his mana recovery wasn¡¯t nearly as much as he would¡¯ve liked. ¡°We need to be careful with them again.¡±


    ¡°Careful, as in me and Cedric blast them to hell before they get anywhere close to us,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it takes a whole mana potion and a dozen arrows with each group, I don¡¯t want to hear John scream like that again.¡± She shivered as she thought of the recent sound.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be able to change its weapon like that,¡± John said. ¡°One second it had a spear and the next it wielded a hammer. Its stance and its style of fighting completely changed. And their weapons were just¡­ strange.¡±


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    ¡°Guys, look,¡± Tasha said. She was holding an item that looked like a plain, silver helmet that a foot soldier might wear. While appearing simple, all magic items were until identified. And this one radiated a blue magical aura.


    ¡°A blue item drop already?¡± Cedric asked. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s my turn, now,¡± Marcy said. She extended her hand and Tasha gave her the helmet. Reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small monocle, Marcy quickly identified the helmet. It morphed into a helmet like what the Ashen warriors wore, and Marcy pulled out a small piece of parchment from her belt.


    ¡°Ashen Gallidium Helmet: A helmet made from the rare metal Gallidium that has the unique property to liquify and keep its integrity. The Ashen people have harnessed Gallidium to mold their equipment into pieces that are able to be shaped and changed on a moment¡¯s notice to fit the wearer and adapt to the task at hand. This helmet provides moderate resistance to both physical and magical attacks, and improves the effectiveness of physical skills by one stage. Will magically fit the wearer and its appearance can be changed at will.¡±


    Cedric whistled. ¡°Damn. That¡¯s a great item!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem that special,¡± Wyn said. He wondered what Cedric saw in it. It had good physical defenses but was it the physical skill effect that made him wonder if it was a rare feature.


    ¡°Improving skills are valuable effects on items,¡± Marcy said. ¡°An entire stage¡¯s worth of skills is fantastic! It¡¯s what you get when you upgrade your class, after all, so having that on an item let¡¯s you use skills well before you¡¯d be able to.¡±


    That was it, then, Wyn thought. If it was that valuable, then this was an excellent item drop.


    ¡°So that helmet is basically improving physical skills as though your class was already in the next tier?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Exactly. And the fact that it can change its appearance is arguably an even bigger bonus. Climbers love their look, remember?¡±


    Wyn slowly nodded. It made sense. A beneficial effect and a cosmetic one was a great combination. Any physical Climber would love to have an item like that. The appeal was obvious.


    But he remembered what Benedict said about items that changed shape. If these warriors had items like that - and it looked like they did since this helmet mentioned it and the weapon changed before - he figured he might be able to find his weapon here sooner rather than later.


    ¡°I remember,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Hopefully we¡¯ll find another group of these Ashen, though. I want their weapon.¡±


    Marcy put the helmet in John¡¯s magical backpack. Like all items they found, their agreement was to catalogue and decide whether to keep or sell in batches rather than immediately. Wyn had a feeling John would weigh the options of using the helmet, but even he saw its use. He decided to go with the safer skill Silence Attack for his class upgrade instead of Weapon Bond, and having that boosted to the next tier along with Speed Up would be a huge boon. John could make use of it further, but he just got a helmet and armor pair that were part of a set. That wouldn¡¯t be easy to break. Wyn, however, also got a new helmet, and it was perfect to add to his magical ability. If he could get a weapon and use this helmet that was part of a set, though, well¡­ his options would definitely open up.


    He finally understood why it wasn¡¯t easy choosing equipment and why most Climbers stayed with the same items. Changing one feels like it requires changing everything.


    But that was a problem for another day. For now, the task was getting through the floor.


    Working through the rest of the floor was, unfortunately, slow. Admittedly, Wyn thought, a little too slow. The pattern for the floor seemed to be alternating between fiery rocks from the sky and groups of Ashen warriors. They didn¡¯t find anymore enemy types while moving towards the wizard tower, and the back and forth pattern seemed to be time-based. After avoiding the rocks from above, a few minutes would pass before the monsters showed up. Once the monsters were defeated, it took about fifteen minutes before the next series of rocks came from the sky. This happened no matter how fast or slow they moved throughout the floor.


    Wyn learned a lot about this pattern. The negative was that this floor was designed to prevent resting. There was a bit of a lull after the monster group was defeated, but if they took the time to rest they¡¯d be forced to get up and work on avoiding being burned up or crushed from the never ending rain of hellish boulders. Not being able to rest meant no natural recovery of mana, no stopping to eat or drink, and no chance of a long break to reduce fatigue. It was another part of the floor¡¯s difficulty, even if the challenge was predictable.


    There were some positives about the alternating pattern, though. Knowing what was next allowed Wyn to plan accordingly, and he came up with a decent solution for both dealing with monsters and avoiding the fiery boulders.


    With both Wyn and Tasha casting Shield, they were able to combine and layer the spell to completely remove the threat of being hit. Marcy and Cedric were able to dodge without much intervention thanks to their boots, and John decided to just stay beside Wyn and Tasha. With both of their magical barriers they could completely absorb all but the largest of rocks, which only took being able to look up to help predict their trajectory. That job came to John who was quick to point out the largest of rocks coming for them. This strategy allowed them to only cast the spell about five times per encounter, which was easy for Tasha and manageable for Wyn.


    That led to Wyn either recovering some mana by utilizing Wellspring on the incoming group of Ashen monsters, or drinking a mana potion. Which he was forced to do after the third set of falling rocks and monster group. But, that was the cost of using his spells and continuing to climb. One or two potions on the floor wouldn¡¯t set him back too much at all. He¡¯d still come out with a net gain of coins at the end of the day.


    For the monsters, Wyn tried to use the boulders and uneven terrain to their advantage. But that strategy only lasted one time after he realized they were also at a disadvantage when John kept tripping. Coupled with losing time after the rocks fell and waiting for the Ashen to show up, Wyn decided to change their plan. What he learned was that it was easier to fight in his Wellspring glyph and keep at least two enemies occupied while Marcy laid a trap, Cedric blew them up, and John and Marcy killed the remainders. While Tasha wanted to help, her mana was better saved for support spells. She understood, but was reluctant each time. Then when they were done, they killed the ones Wyn held off. That setup allowed Wyn to recover as much mana as possible without any of the others stepping inside the glyph, and it reduced the Ashen warrior¡¯s attacking ability drastically. Cedric went through mana like John went through food, but he didn¡¯t mind. He enjoyed using his spells and said it was part of being an elemental Wizard.


    Another positive of the floor¡¯s pattern was that they could go at their own pace. After four more cycles of challenges, they guessed they could run in their short times of reprieve and cut their overall time by nearly half. That would serve them well if they only wanted to make money for clearing the floor. Which they did. Well, Wyn did, at least.


    But he also really wanted those weapons.


    So far, the only drops were coins and a few potions. Wyn certainly didn¡¯t complain about getting rewards in the floor, and the potions were great finds since they were using them more than ever. The potions helped the group break even for the ones they had used to keep their mana topped off and after one particularly nasty hit on Marcy that Tasha couldn¡¯t heal in time. But what Wyn really wanted was another item drop. He had a feeling these were exactly the kinds of items he wanted after talking with Benedict and seeing the helmet.


    After the sixth total group of monsters Wyn came to the understanding that he probably wouldn¡¯t find another of the items during this climb. They¡¯d try again, of course, but for now, simply completing the floor and moving on to the seventh floor was enough. Wyn had a suspicion they were nearing the end as the tower was actually getting closer in their view, something he found odd. The far-off background images of previous seasons never moved despite their advancement. They would only teleport closer through the floor portals or were given an update through their parchment¡¯s floor description. But now he could actually see the tower closer, which was interesting.


    When the group came to the tower¡¯s base, Wyn knew they were at their end. The red portal hung in the air just in front of the stone tower, an alluring call that the seventh floor was just in front of them. Unfortunately standing between them and the portal were five more Ashen warriors.


    Except these Ashen opponents were different. They didn¡¯t follow the floor¡¯s previous advancement, but instead were waiting at the tower¡¯s base to be faced. A perfect line formation was formed with them, and the lead Ashen was armored better than the creature¡¯s they¡¯ve seen so far, with the same Gallidium helmet as the item they found and the same spear and shield, but also possessing greaves, bracers, and a cloak that draped across its back. It looked more like an officer than the previous ones, and stood a few inches taller, too.


    It was a strange sight. The look reminded Wyn of a military leader. He shuttered at the thought.


    The two immediate creatures to its sides both had swords with shields and looked similar to the leader, but didn¡¯t wear capes. They were stockier and looked menacing. Worse, though, were the two final enemies at the back that carried staves and wore gray robes with hoods over their heads. Bright lights then flashed under all of them, coating them all in a white aura.


    One of the enemies cast some sort of support spell.


    Wyn immediately dismissed the thought that the monsters were a group of champions. This was the final challenge, the bosses to defeat before passage to the next floor was earned. It would be a hard fought battle if the monsters could utilize their own spells.


    Tasha began muttering her Calling without any prompt from Wyn. That was good. They¡¯d need the extra support.


    Wyn made a quick glance to his mark. He was nearly spent, teetering between needing a mana potion or not while slowly recovering his mana throughout the floor. With a deft hand, he pulled out a vial on his potion belt and chugged the contents like a strong drink. At the same time, he felt John¡¯s aura envelope him in a familiar but welcomed sensation of improved strength and vigor.


    No sense in testing abilities or pushing his luck with low mana. This would likely be their hardest fight yet.

 Book 2 - Chapter 15

    ¡°Wyn! Get up!¡±


    Wyn blinked hard while trying to focus. He had no idea who just spoke to him, the sound muffled and distant. His ears rang and his his vision was blurry. Despite mentally casting Regen on himself to mitigate the damage, his senses weren¡¯t recovering as fast as he needed.


    The last thing Wyn remembered was facing the Ashen warriors alongside John and Tasha¡¯s Calling, Zoriquin. Despite John¡¯s aura, his own natural combat abilities, and multiple enhancing magical items, he was still struggling against the enemies along with John and Zoriquin. The combination of fierce monsters with magical support was more difficult than anything they had faced so far. Both Climbers and monsters alike traded blows, but Wyn was confident they¡¯d come out on top knowing they could heal their injuries. His confidence then faltered when he saw one of the monster mages completely heal a solid spear jab into the leader¡¯s thigh. In a fight that carried on for more than several minutes, which was a long time for any fight, Wyn succumbed to a blow to his head that stunned him.


    His new Hat of the Magi was the only reason he wasn¡¯t completely knocked out. Or worse. His healing spell felt refreshing in his mind and soothed his aching skull despite the blow.


    But recovering still took precious seconds away from the fight that was already too close for comfort.


    Marcy and Cedric were in a ranged duel with the two mages, Marcy only keeping up due to her quick shots and begrudgingly liberal use of firing magically enhanced arrows. They drained her mana ridiculously fast, but it was worth it if it meant surviving. One mana potion was already gone from her belt in addition to an alarming amount of arrows from her quiver. Cedric found it harder to fire back at the Ashen mages due to the control needed for his spells. His skills as a Lightning Wizard allowed him to help shape some his lightning spells to minimize the risk of hitting an ally, but the mages were quick and had the ability to teleport. More than once he held back a spell to avoid hitting the scuffle of melee combatants between him and the enemy spellcasters.


    With everyone engaged one way or another, the odd Climber out was Tasha. But, in the end, she was the one who swayed the fight. She already contributed by using her Calling and bringing the water humanoid Zoriquin as another warrior, but she was able to keep watch on how the fight progressed. A healing spell here for John and a supportive barrier spell there for Zoriquin, she kept the close-combat fighters in check with a leg-up that was needed to overcome their enemies.


    Until Wyn was hit on his head and stunned. Then Tasha decided enough was enough. She wasn¡¯t afraid. She was angry.


    Tasha drew up her wand and pointed it at the group fighting. A bright white light flashed before forming an intricate set of runes in front of her, lighting up the fighter¡¯s area. Zoriquin, John, and Wyn were all enveloped in a white light before it settled onto each of them. When the light dimmed, they each wore a magical suit of armor like the Arcane Aura spell.


    Wyn briefly looked at him and his two allies who were now covered in Tasha¡¯s spell. Covering all three of them was incredible, and afforded them an edge where they could be more aggressive to end the fight. With a battle cry, Wyn lurched his spear forward and attacked the Ashen warrior he was fighting. Seeing the spell coating him and feeling his own healing spell soothing his head, he was invigorated to push harder.


    Before the Ashen warrior could retaliate, a bright red light drew both of the combatant¡¯s attention. Wyn spared a glance to see John¡¯s chest armor growing brighter and brighter before John made his own battle cry and unleashed the pent up power in the item. A wave of magical energy flew out of him like a strong storm, knocking back the leader and disarming it. John quickly followed up the armor¡¯s effect to capitalize on the opportunity.


    Sensing the turn of the battle, Wyn quickly cast Flash, blinding his current enemy before rushing over to help John. Together they pinned the leader and wore it down over several seconds with strike after strike. When the monster finally dissolved into nothing, unable to heal from the mages that had cast less and less supporting spells over time, the battle truly and finally swayed. The warriors teamed up on each enemy, ignoring hits to allow Tasha¡¯s protective spell to soak them up and instead focused on simply beating down the monsters before they could be too injured. It was crude but effective.


    Before long Wyn was panting with fatigue as he stood over the final mage¡¯s slowly disappearing body. He felt bruises and soreness all over his body, but his Regen spell healed the injuries his equipment missed. That didn¡¯t stop him from being tired, though. He looked to his team and saw they too were run down and exhausted. The entire floor was one obstacle to overcome after another, and they needed a break.


    The portal in front of them shifted from red to clear, signaling their completion and granted access to the seventh floor. Wyn took a couple of deep breaths to settle himself. Their goal was to complete both floors back to back then reassess in the evening. Based on how difficult that floor was, was it even possible to safely go into the seventh floor and expect to come out on top? If they went slow, then maybe, but it was a risk.


    Being a Climber meant facing challenges. For Wyn¡¯s situation, he needed to take some risks. Otherwise he¡¯d never earn the money he needed for his family¡¯s debt. But that didn¡¯t necessarily mean every gamble had to be a blind one. A calculated risk was absolutely vital in this crazy profession.


    ¡°Alright, I know we¡¯re tired,¡± Wyn said, his own voice strained. He wiped his damp forehead with his coat¡¯s sleeve. ¡°But let¡¯s rest at the entrance of the next floor and get out of this hellhole.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t go back to the city and rest properly?¡± Tasha asked.


    Wyn tilted his head side to side. ¡°What are the odds that you¡¯ll want to come back today instead of wanting to push the climb to tomorrow?¡±


    Tasha opened her mouth to speak but caught herself. Then she slumped. ¡°Fair enough. Rest tonight. It¡¯s what we agreed on, anyway.¡±


    John sheathed his sword and bent over to rest on one knee. ¡°I won¡¯t even argue. That took a lot more out of me than I thought, too.¡±


    ¡°It was a¡­ unique floor,¡± Cedric said, his head facing the sky to get more efficient and deeper breaths as he rested his one arm on his hip. ¡°I¡¯m going to be sore tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Marcy said. ¡°If we wait a few hours I¡¯ll have enough arrows and mana to keep going. If the next floor is worse than that, well¡­ we¡¯ll need it.¡±


    Wyn solemnly nodded. ¡°Fair enough. Let¡¯s move.¡±


    The group gathered themselves then slowly walked into the portal to the seventh floor. They weren¡¯t in a rush, and they were too tired to move any faster.


    The familiar pull of the portal threatened Wyn¡¯s head with another headache but he settled himself relatively quickly with another cast of Regen. If they were going to wait for hours he¡¯d be able to recover his mana even if it was completely empty, so he didn¡¯t mind spending the resources to make sure he was alright. Gathering himself, he then took stock of the new area at the next floor.


    The area was surprisingly small, at least compared to the openness of the previous floors. Except for the third floor which felt claustrophobic to a fault being in a prison-like dungeon in the basement of a castle. But here they were obviously in the wizard¡¯s tower now as the portal put them in an enclosed stone room with a singular, winding staircase set against the wall that led up to another section. There were no adornments or any decor in the plain room. There were also no corners as the room was circular, and it was just enough space for a full party to be able to spread along the ground to rest. Which meant they had ample space for the five of them.


    John quickly dropped his backpack and began rummaging through it. He pulled out his water skin and unfolded a large but thin cloth wrapping that held dried rations.


    The others followed suit while taking places around the room, either leaning against the wall or sitting down. Marcy was the only one who laid down and used her pack as a pillow. Wyn assumed everyone would take a brief nap after their meal and thought Marcy was just a step ahead.


    ¡°Anyone need healing?¡± Wyn asked.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    John rotated one of his arms in a circle while it held a handful of dried jerky. ¡°I could use some more. Those spells tend to take some soreness away, and I feel more than a few bruises still lingering.¡±


    Tasha stood up from her spot on the floor. Sensing her intent, Wyn stepped to John. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tasha. I get all my mana back in less than two hours so I have some to spare.¡±


    Tasha paused then sat back down. ¡°It¡¯s a little annoying how quickly you recover. It takes me six hours.¡±


    ¡°Me four hours,¡± Cedric said. ¡°And it¡¯s more than a little annoying. It¡¯s downright unfair.¡±


    ¡°But you two have more magic power and more total mana than me,¡± Wyn added after he cast his Regen spell on John. ¡°And I don¡¯t even have access to all of your second tier spells. Only the one granted from Tower¡¯s Blessing, and even that isn¡¯t normal.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I guess that is worse, then. So it balances out.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t quite call that balanced,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Both you and Tasha are still in better positions than me and Wyn, even with his unfair skill.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± John asked with a mouthful of food.


    ¡°Because I also have less mana and magic power than pure magical classes just like Wyn. I get some physical skills and unique spells like Wyn, but we still aren¡¯t as favored.¡±


    John swallowed his bite then looked at Marcy thoughtfully. ¡°Not to be rude, then why did you choose to upgrade to a Ranger?¡±


    Marcy smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not rude. You aren¡¯t the first to ask me that. But when I was a Hunter, I favored the bow with a skill that helped my ranged attacking. Along with a perception skill, it was a good class. When I saw my options to upgrade I was only happy with Ranger. Then I found out about some possible third and fourth tier classes and it only reaffirmed my choice.¡±


    ¡°What are some of your future choices?¡± Wyn asked. He was curious. He hadn¡¯t looked too far into his own future. Now that he was a class that didn¡¯t exist, though, he was in unknown territory. There was no telling what his next class choice would be.


    ¡°I should have two choices. I wanted Druid to be one like Faye, but my growth and skills aren¡¯t right for it. Instead, they¡¯ll be Mystic Hunter and Assassin.¡±


    ¡°That sounds ominous,¡± John said. ¡°But impressive, too.¡±


    Marcy nodded. ¡°Assassin is what you¡¯d expect. A Rogue can get it too, but after going Ranger I should have more ranged skills instead of close dagger or short sword skills like them. The other seems more interesting to me at the moment. It¡¯ll give me more magical abilities while still being focused on ranged combat.¡±


    ¡°Both useful,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But with an already heavily magic-focused party like ours would another strong magic user be good?¡±


    ¡°All classes get more magical in the third tier, and especially fourth,¡± Cedric said. ¡°It¡¯s just the way of getting stronger.¡±


    ¡°And,¡± Marcy added, waving her water skin as she talked, ¡°who said we¡¯ll be in the same party by that point?¡±


    Wyn faltered. ¡°Are you planning to leave?¡±


    Marcy laughed. ¡°No. But if we join a guild, we¡¯ll be split up at some point. You had to know that.¡±


    Wyn looked at John who was concentrating hard on the staircase, purposely avoiding his gaze. ¡°So you knew and still wanted to join one?¡±


    John took a deep breath, defeated in trying to avoid the conversation. ¡°Yea. It¡¯s just the way it goes. If we¡¯re in the same guild we can rejoin each other eventually, though!¡±


    ¡°After several seasons, maybe,¡± Cedric said. ¡°At least. They¡¯ll rate how we climb and then regroup us in a party. Only party leaders have influence over who gets in their group.¡±


    Wyn cursed. ¡°Then how in the world am I supposed to fit in there? We work really well together. I don¡¯t particularly enjoy the thought of leaving and climbing with another group.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s part of my hesitation about trying out for a guild,¡± Marcy said.


    The group stayed silent for some time. Wyn didn¡¯t want to continue talking about it and decided to sit down and make his time productive since he didn¡¯t need to rest. After eating and drinking some water he pulled out his one book that Daniel insisted he bring for moments like this.


    Magic of the Elemental Magicians was a hefty book, but thankfully his magic backpack kept it easily. He flipped it open to the Divine Magician and perused through it again to occupy his thoughts. Like before, there wasn¡¯t a single mention of any of the second tier spells being usable for a second tier Ruby Magician. There were notes for first tier spells, but that was all.


    Daniel had mentioned that when the Ruby Magician gets to the third tier they can use second tier spells of the other classes, much to Wyn¡¯s dismay. Unfortunately the fourth tier upgrade didn¡¯t give any higher spells, either. The extra circle gave more mana and power but nothing else. It was another mark against his class, taking parts of physical and magical classes and mashing them together but not being as good as either.


    Still, any advantage Wyn could gain he would use. His previous strategy of using spells to augment his combat was still his focus, and he didn¡¯t need to take many damaging spells since Cedric was in the party and Marcy provided more than enough magical ranged damaged in addition to her already impressive physical ranged damage. Which meant that Wyn focused more on support spells. He didn¡¯t mind that at all, but still wanted to be resourceful so he could be efficient with his contribution.


    Turning the pages absentmindedly, he settled on a second tier spell that intrigued him.


    Elemental Weapon: magically imbue a weapon with an elemental property. The element can be chosen by the intent of the caster. Lasts 10 minutes, costs a higher moderate amount of mana.


    Reading further, he reviewed the page and summary. The effect cost more magic and lasted longer than the Magic Weapon spell he used for his first climb. It was a natural progression to that spell. The only problem was he ditched that original spell when he picked up a magical weapon, and this spell wasn¡¯t really needed since his spear already had an advantageous element.


    But if the enemies for the season had various elements, than his spear wouldn¡¯t be as useful. Like John changing his sword¡¯s element, being able to adjust his own weapon¡¯s element based on the encounter was a benefit. If he had a weapon that was useful in other areas but didn¡¯t have an element, such as the Ashen Warrior¡¯s weapon Wyn wanted, then the spell would be a great choice.


    Still, he had access to only one second tier spell. Currently it was wasted on Improved Cure as Tasha could provide far greater healing than he ever could, so he needed to update it to something more useful. Something like Elemental Weapon.


    Or, he could ask Cara to make him a spear version of John¡¯s sword and save the spell slot for something else.


    He took a deep breath and rested his head on the cold stone wall. It wasn¡¯t easy having options. He never second guessed himself as a Captain, but the way forward in the military was easy. There were orders to follow and a plan in place to give to his company. Now he was a party leader without any orders from the top, and magic complicated matters far too much for his liking.


    But such was the way of a Climber. He needed to adapt or fall behind, and he wasn¡¯t about to do anything else except for his best.


    So, his next goal was set. He¡¯d secure the changing weapon and use the Elemental Weapon spell to boost it when able. Then he¡¯d be able to handle most enemies no matter what kind of combat abilities they had or environment they were in. The equipment combination could potentially be something he used season after season.


    With a lingering satisfied smile, Wyn¡¯s breath slowed as he fell asleep. The fatigue of the sixth floor¡¯s climb finally caught up to him.


    *****


    ¡°Wyn,¡± Tasha¡¯s voice called, almost in a whisper. She gently shook his shoulders.


    Wyn¡¯s eyes flew open and he jerked forward. He paused when he noticed the group was casually preparing themselves to continue climbing the floor. There wasn¡¯t any immediate danger. He just needed to wake up and get ready.


    He stood and stretched and gathered his equipment before meeting with the others. ¡°How long was I out?¡±


    ¡°We rested just over three hours,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We¡¯re all topped off of mana and ready to continue.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for healing John before,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I only had about a third of my mana but using more wouldn¡¯t have let me recover as much in those three hours. So thank you.¡±


    Wyn smiled. ¡°It¡¯s no problem. I¡¯m here to share the load, after all.¡±


    John had his shield strapped to his arm and his fingers fidgeted on the sapphire gemstone on his sheathed sword. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan? Is this floor heavily trapped like the second floor?¡±


    ¡°Typically, yes,¡± Marcy said. ¡°But we¡¯re in a wizard¡¯s tower. And in the second tier. Which means they¡¯ll be magical, more elaborate, and deadlier.¡±


    ¡°They were always deadly,¡± John mumbled.


    ¡°So we move slow,¡± Wyn said. ¡°No reckless or impatient decisions without talking them through.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Slower is better. We might not finish the floor today. But we need to try. We can at least find out some intricacies.¡±


    Wyn felt a brief jolt of concern rush through him, and by the looks of Tasha and John they felt it, too. Despite having the best perceptive abilities and being a trap expert, Marcy was always cavalier and not as serious. Was she finally respecting the tower with them being in the second tier? She wasn¡¯t this way last season. But only climbing the first tier was likely a walk in the park for her. They were finally at a point where she and Cedric were challenged.


    ¡°Good,¡± Wyn finally said. ¡°Then we do what we can and leave if needed. I¡¯ll be up front with Marcy and John can stay in the back with Cedric. Tasha needs to be in the middle like usual.¡±


    With their formation ready, Marcy went over to the stairs and inspected them carefully while Wyn stood behind her.


    ¡°Is this really that much harder?¡± John quietly asked Cedric.


    ¡°Did you think the last floor was harder?¡± Cedric asked.


    John scrunched his face in thought before nodding.


    ¡°Then this floor will be that much harder, too. Traps aren¡¯t fun to handle as they slow climbing down and can be dangerous, but a skilled climber like Marcy makes them easier though time consuming. Now make them magical? Instead of a trip wire firing arrows it might be a hidden glyph that coats the entire room in boiling, acidic mist or one that blows up in a fiery explosion.¡±


    John¡¯s face paled.


    Cedric patted him on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. Like Marcy and Wyn said, we just go slow.¡±


    ¡°And if we find a trap we can¡¯t overcome?¡± John asked.


    Cedric softly smiled. ¡°Then we leave and try another day.¡±


    ¡°That sounds wasteful.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than dying. At least there are other floors for us to climb.¡±


    ¡°Yea, but not floors that help us advance.¡±


    ¡°Welcome to the actual climb. Despite what happened last season, the first tier was just a warm-up.¡±


    John swallowed a lump in his throat. Then, seeing the group starting to climb the stairs, he reluctantly followed them with a new respect for Alistair.

 Book 2 - Chapter 16

    FLOOR 7


    Group: 5/5


    Quest: The wizard¡¯s tower looks unassuming and small on the outside, but looks can be deceiving. Stepping inside, you find the space is far larger than expected, and filled with enemies, too. The previous wizards who utilized this tower were called to help in the war, but they¡¯re nowhere to be found. Can you find any signs they still live? Or are there only monsters wishing to take over and control the magic for themselves?


    It didn¡¯t take five minutes before the group found the first trap. Well, more accurately, before Marcy found the first trap.


    The winding staircase from the floor¡¯s entrance led to a sprawling, empty floor that was far too large to actually be inside a tower. Wyn and John claimed it was some kind of Alistair trickery, though Cedric and Tasha claimed that it wasn¡¯t outside the realm of possibility. Some wizard towers actually did have spatial magic that expanded their space, and it was entirely possible that this floor was simply a representative of that.


    Marcy finally settled the argument by shushing them so she could focus. After crossing the room by sticking to the right side wall she felt a disturbance from her Extrasensory that made her cautious. There weren¡¯t any passages in the large hall-like room, and only three doors marked any kind of possible advancement. The walls were huge, easily four stories tall, and they were all suspiciously barren of any decor or adornment. Each door was set exactly in the middle of one of the three walls that wasn¡¯t the entrance, and they were each normal size. Wyn thought the ratio of door size to wall size looked ridiculous. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it was some kind of illusion that played with his mind, especially considering the fake army in the entirety of the first tier.


    When the group advanced closer to the first door on the right, Marcy slowed then stopped. She knelt down and inspected the ground for a moment, then carefully stepped to the wall. Placing her ear to it, she ran a hand along the stone feeling for something unseen.


    Wyn looked to the others who seemed just as confused, including Cedric. He was the one Climber who had more experience with Marcy¡¯s trap finding ability, but even he seemed unsure.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Marcy said after a few minutes. ¡°This is good. Really good.¡±


    John started to speak then caught himself. ¡°Wait a second. Good as in good for us, or good as in you¡¯re impressed by how good it is which would be for us?¡±


    Marcy smirked. ¡°Good as in impressed, of course.¡± She took a small, careful step back. Then another. ¡°The trap is a magical one unlike the ones you all have seen so far. I¡¯ve only seen one of these before a few seasons ago. They all vary, though.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Marcy confessed. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to know what it will do. I¡¯m not a trained Mage and I can¡¯t even see the glyph, but my Extrasensory is alerting me of the area where it should be. And that it¡¯s magical. But nothing more than that, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± John said. ¡°So what do we do?¡±


    Wyn thought for a moment. Marcy was able to locate traps and figure them out before, but they were all mundane traps. Trip wires, pit falls, basic things. She warned them about each one but still tested and set off the traps to make sure passage was safe. This wasn¡¯t any different. It would be helpful to be ready for anything, and probably be a safe distance away, but otherwise the caution remained the same.


    And, he had a certain lantern that might be helpful.


    ¡°Let me try something,¡± Wyn said. He unslung his backpack and pulled out his Mushroom Lantern. They hadn¡¯t needed the light so he no longer kept it on his belt, but the magical properties were still useful and he liked keeping it close just in case. Attaching it to his belt and giving it a shake, a dim green light filled their area. It didn¡¯t provide any extra light since they could see from the tower¡¯s interior just fine, but the glow showed something else.


    A large magical glyph was placed several feet in diameter exactly in front of the door where Marcy was previously inspecting, lit by the lantern¡¯s green light. It didn¡¯t resemble any class Wyn recognized, and was heavily marked with intricate patterns of runes and scripts he didn¡¯t recognize.


    The group stepped closer to the glyph and silently inspected it until Cedric spoke first. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look like anything resembling Alistair¡¯s magic. I¡¯m not sure what it is.¡±


    ¡°You mean like it¡¯s magic from this realm?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°Wherever we are in this wizard¡¯s tower?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. It¡¯s impossible to say. It could just be a way for the tower to set a trap, or it could be far more complicated. We still don¡¯t know all of the details of how Alistair provides its magic or how it creates its floors.¡±


    ¡°This makes me lean towards the idea that the tower sends us to alternate places instead of creating all of this from scratch,¡± Wyn said. ¡°If it creates everything inside, then this magic would at least be familiar. Same with the script from the temple last season. It was foreign, which implies another source outside Alistair.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a fair point,¡± Cedric conceded.


    ¡°Or a combination of the two,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Maybe the tower provides the enemies and loot while granting us temporary passage into this other location or realm or whatever you call it.¡±


    John groaned. ¡°Who the hell knows! Does it really matter at the end of the day? We¡¯ve been climbing Alistair as long as recorded history. None of the details mattered to generations before us. It doesn¡¯t matter to me, either.¡±


    Wyn laughed. ¡°Maybe. It¡¯s interesting, though. You have to admit that.¡±


    John shook his head and folded his arms. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. The only things that are interesting are the different monsters to kill and loot to find.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so stubborn,¡± Tasha said. ¡°It is interesting. Since this tower is as old as you say, it¡¯s fascinating to learn the history of our world or possibilities of another.¡±


    ¡°But like John pointed out, at the end of the month it won¡¯t matter,¡± Marcy said. ¡°We¡¯ll be climbing a different place anyway and whatever we learn about this place will be lost to the history books.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Wyn said. ¡°So, that leaves us with the here and now. The rest of us at least can see the glyph. I say we back up and prepare ourselves for a magical attack of some sort while setting it off from a distance. If it¡¯s not as threatening, then no harm done.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking,¡± Marcy said. ¡°The best idea I have is to shoot an arrow at it and see what happens.¡±


    After agreeing to the rudimentary plan, the group backed away fifty feet from the glyph. John stood in front with his shield raised, Marcy stood just beside and behind him ready to fire an arrow, and the rest stayed behind them both. Wyn stood off to John¡¯s other side, ready to cast a Shield spell at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Marcy¡¯s arrow pinged off the stone floor a second later, causing the glyph to light up in a bright red light. Then a loud boom echoed off the walls along with a fiery explosion that stirred up thick smoke. It lingered in the air for several seconds, hiding the door and area.


    ¡°Damn,¡± John said. ¡°Good thing we didn¡¯t walk into that. That would¡¯ve been a party killer.¡±


    Cedric patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Welcome to the second tier. But your armor would¡¯ve protected you better than you think.¡±


    John shook his head in polite disagreement. ¡°I don¡¯t think it would¡¯ve saved me from that.¡±


    Cedric tilted his head towards his shoulder. ¡°Probably. But you definitely would¡¯ve needed some healing after.¡±


    John barked a laugh.


    The smoke faded quickly and the door and interior looked like an explosion never occurred. The area was still pristine and unmarked, and all that remained was a door.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± Wyn asked, extending a hand towards the door.


    ¡°I should lead,¡± Marcy said. She carefully stepped forward and tried the doorknob. It was unlocked, and she slowly opened it while peeking inside. After a couple of seconds, she swung the door completely open. ¡°Empty.¡±


    ¡°Not even a chest?¡± John said, his disappointment obvious.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Marcy replied.


    Wyn stepped forward and let his lantern light fill the room, and the green glow exposed nothing. ¡°Now we try the other doors.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Walking across the room, the light from Wyn¡¯s lantern was still glowing, and it again revealed another glyph in front of the next door before they got too close. The group carefully approached it and waited again.


    ¡°Same strategy?¡± Wyn asked.


    Marcy already had an arrow nocked on her bow. The others backed up in preparation before Marcy fired.


    The glyph once again lit up, except this time it was a bright blue. A swirl of frost formed before coalescing into a large ball the size of a barrel. It then began to get brighter with each passing breath. The process was taking longer than the first explosion.


    Wyn had a feeling something bad was about to happen. ¡°Tasha, Shell with me!¡± While his own Shield spell protected against magic due to his Ruby Captain feature, Tasha¡¯s did not, but she had the magical barrier spell Shell ready just as easily. Wyn quickly raised his own magical Shield right before the sphere of ice exploded like the last glyph. Ice spikes flew in all directions, and the ones that were directed to the group were blocked with the combination of both Tasha¡¯s and Wyn¡¯s spells. The magical projectiles broke through one barrier and cracked the second, though didn¡¯t reach the Climbers.


    A collective sigh left the group in relief.


    ¡°Damn these glyphs are strong,¡± Wyn said. ¡°That was too close.¡±


    ¡°Good call on the spell,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I¡¯ll be quicker next time.¡±


    Marcy again tried the door in a similar fashion, but this time a wide smile formed on her face instead of a frown. ¡°Might not need to. We have a passageway.¡±


    Following Marcy, the group continued in their standard formation of Marcy, Wyn, Tasha, Cedric, and John. The passage beyond the door was narrow and uncomfortable, barely five feet across while the ceiling was only a few feet above their heads. It was a straight corridor and went beyond Wyn¡¯s dim green lantern light. Wyn knew if a fight broke out here, it would take some maneuvering to gain any type of advantage. His spear was far too big for the close quarters, too. Another point to having the changing weapon of the Ashen Warriors from the last floor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Tasha said. She flicked her wand and cast the Torchlight spell, giving them more light to see the stone blocks that made up the entire barren hallway. ¡°It¡¯s far too small to safely do anything.¡±


    ¡°If we get into trouble, I¡¯ll cast a Flash spell and fall back,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Hopefully it¡¯ll stun the monsters enough for John to step forward and take my place.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± John said. ¡°This might not be good for your spear or magic, but I could do some damage in this hallway.¡± He puffed his chest to try and match his bravado.


    Marcy took them through the passage at a slow pace while still checking for traps. She didn¡¯t find any, though after a short walk before the passage turned she stopped. She cocked her head to the side and slowly nocked an arrow.


    Wyn knew what this meant. He looked back at the group and a silent understanding passed between them. John drew his sword while Cedric and Tasha edged to one wall to make room for the position changes.


    Suddenly a series of clunks and thuds came from the passage ahead, past the turn. It was over forty feet away, maybe even fifty feet. Marcy cast her Ignite spell that lit her arrowhead with an impressive magical flame. She released it a second later, right as something rounded the corner. The arrow hit true and exploded in a fiery blast similar to the first trap they set off in the previous room, albeit on a smaller scale.


    Out from the flames and smoke came a heavily armored figure, humanoid in shape but covered from head to toe in polished metal armor. No part of their actual being was noticeable as every inch was armored. What was noticeable was that they were jogging straight towards them, two gauntlets wrapped around a large battle axe.


    Then, two more similar beings emerged from the blast unscathed behind it. One had a longsword and the other also held a battle axe. They both were at least ten feet behind, but jogging at equal speeds.


    Wyn decided to wait a few seconds until the enemies came closer before casting his Flash spell. He didn¡¯t want to use it too soon and it be ineffective, but he would be in John¡¯s way and in danger if he waited too long. The three enemies had helmets that left their eyes exposed, enough to potentially be affected by the bright light.


    He then heard a spell being cast behind him and glanced back to see John now covered in the familiar magical glow of Arcane Aura that was layered on top of his red glowing skill. It didn¡¯t look the same as his new Squire aura, but rather one of the lesser skills he had as a Fighter. He looked like a proper one-man army with his sword and shield raised and impressive armor set.


    Looking back, Wyn decided it was time. He cast his spell and jumped back towards the group to let John step forward. His heart fell when he realized the enemies weren¡¯t slowing at all, and they didn¡¯t flinch or respond whatsoever to his spell. They each wore helmets but their eyes were only shadowed. Did they have some sort of resistance to magic? Or were they actually covered better than he thought?


    He scrambled to think of another way to help as John stepped past him to face the opponents by himself. What could he do?


    A sudden idea came to him. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was something. He stepped forward and spoke to John¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯m going to throw up a Shield when they attack, then drop it. Counter when the time is right.¡± A small, nearly imperceptible nod from John¡¯s helmet was all Wyn needed to know he understood.


    Now the timing had to be even better than his last spell. When the first armored enemy approached and slowed down, then raised its axe to attack, Wyn cast his spell directly in front of John. The translucent barrier winked into existence right as the axe swung down and the weapon bounced off awkwardly. Wyn mentally willed the magical forcefield to disappear and it left as quickly as it came.


    John immediately sprang forward and swung his sword down in an arc like he was a blacksmith hammering in a forge. Wyn immediately thought he had gone mad and was trying to brute force his attack instead of using more precise, skillful movements that he knew John was capable of performing. John¡¯s sword glowed in a red aura as it smashed into the armored foe as though it really was a hammer. The blow completely dented the plate armor of the enemy and knocked it to the side, though the hit didn¡¯t take it completely out of the fight. Whatever it was, it was strong.


    John was strong, too, though. He followed up his attack with several more, his sword still glowing red and impacting as though it was a completely different weapon. Wyn wondered what kind of new skill John possessed, but figured he would have his answer before long. The fight didn¡¯t seem to be too far from being finished, as the first enemy fell in a crumpled heap right as the second two reached them. Though the narrow hall limited their movements and fighting, it did the same for their enemies.


    It took John a bit longer to deal with both enemies but he had help in the form of Wyn and Tasha casting well-timed Shield spells to block one opponent¡¯s attacks when John was focused on the other. Thankfully the fight didn¡¯t take long and Wyn didn¡¯t have to use more than three casts of the spell before all three enemies were killed.


    Marcy walked over to one right as it fell to the ground and lifted its helmet. Oddly, there was nothing underneath. It was just empty space. Then it disappeared back into the tower, leaving nothing more than a slightly winded, still-glowing John.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t even see a head!¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s some sort of magical defense,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Remember the environment. We¡¯re in a wizard¡¯s tower and facing whatever obstacles would be realistic here.¡±


    ¡°Like an animated suit of armor,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Except quite powerful ones.¡±


    A small pile of treasure was resting on the ground where one of the monsters disappeared. A pile that was glowing blue.


    John immediately sheathed his sword and bent down to look at it. ¡°Coins, a greater mana potion, and a ruby gem. The gem is better quality than the one I have, so I think I¡¯ll take that as my share.¡± With a brief glow of magic, the gem currently in John¡¯s sword popped off and he replaced it with the new ruby as he unsheathed it. The sword hummed with magic and gave a deep red glow, almost like blood, and it was richer than before. He twirled it in the air a few times, satisfied with the improvement.


    ¡°And what was that skill you used?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°The one on your sword? Those hits shouldn¡¯t have impacted like that.¡±


    Wyn was glad she asked the question. He was about to do the same thing.


    ¡°A new skill I learned when I upgraded to Squire. Bash. It coats a weapon in an aura that makes bladed weapons to be used like blunt ones, so I can deal with armor better. I haven¡¯t had to use it before but those rust buckets were perfect to try it out!¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s that effective, then by all means,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But let¡¯s keep moving. This hallway is way too small for my liking.¡±


    The group quickly agreed and kept moving. Wyn had a sinking feeling the path was going to be like this the entire floor, like how the second floor was usually some sort of maze. This was going to be a rough climb if that was the case.


    A soft noise ahead made Marcy jerk her head. Wyn was surprised he heard something, too, but the Ranger must¡¯ve heard it more clearly. It sounded like a sack of food being dragged on the floor. He held his spear at the ready but already cursed it. It was next to useless in this tight hallway.


    Walking forward slowly, the path had a single open hallway to the left. It was as plain and barren as the corridor so far. Marcy took one step forward then stopped. A thin stone wall steadily closed off the path, making the same noise Wyn heard before.


    ¡°What the hells?¡± John said. ¡°Where do we go now?¡±


    A similar noise came from behind them, except it was the opposite situation. A section of the wall slid out of view to reveal another open pathway.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Marcy said. ¡°This is going to make this floor next to impossible.¡±


    Wyn instantly understood. If the floor changed constantly like that, mapping out any sort of path wasn¡¯t going to work. It just wouldn¡¯t be feasible to accurately note down turns when the walls themselves created new passages or closed off previously used ones. They could spend hours just exploring the different halls, wasting vast amounts of time and energy. It was a great design to keep invaders from finding their way through a magical tower, but a nightmare for Climbers who needed to advance. This floor felt incredibly contradictory, and he wondered if the others thought that, too.


    After about ten minutes of turns through changing halls and barren stone, there was relief in the form of a larger room rather than another hallway. Each of the four walls were about twenty or so feet long, making it a square room. There wasn¡¯t any additional door or adornment that helped the boring aesthetic of the room so far, but there were two things that drew everyone¡¯s attention immediately.


    The first was a large chest sitting against the far wall. It was easily as tall as Wyn¡¯s waist and likely four feet wide. The second was four more Ashen Warriors that stood before it in a diamond formation like the other groups they encountered. The three in the back were draped in robes and fine jewelry, where two held staves and one had a scepter, and the monster in the front was the largest Ashen Warrior so far. It was likely close to eight feet tall, legs as thick as trees, and armor that covered its torso, shins, and forearms in a black metal. A helmet covered its head and face where only red eyes were visible underneath, glowing with hatred and power. In its right hand was a hammer the size of Wyn, and its left arm held a shield that was even bigger.


    One of the mage monsters tapped the giant warrior with its staff, causing a large rune to form at the end of the weapon. A deep yellow glow surrounded the warrior and it banged its shield with the hammer. A loud clang echoed throughout the room.


    Wyn wasn¡¯t afraid to admit he felt fear. The monster was just buffed from its magical allies, and dealing with that many mages would be more than problematic. The thought crossed his mind that they might actually be in over their heads.


    Marcy drew an arrow as a rune formed in the air and a blob of water formed on the arrowhead. ¡°Champions,¡± she whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back.¡±


    Wyn readied his spear. His fear, unfortunately, grew.

 Book 2 - Chapter 17

    The group wordlessly took their positions while Cedric fired a lightning spell at the Ashen Warrior. The air crackled with energy as the yellow light arced towards the Champions. It blasted into an invisible wall that materialized out of thin air while visible streaks of static rippled over the barrier.


    Wyn silently cursed. One of the mages used a protective spell. Fast, too. Much like he thought, this would not be an easy fight.


    Everyone began to cast their own prepared abilities before the enemies attacked. Tasha began to summon Zoraquin while John activated his Squire aura. Wyn cast Speed Up before placing a Wellspring glyph directly under the enemies. If they wanted to stay put, they¡¯d at least pay for it.


    The enemy warrior moved forward with impressive speed but John reacted immediately. They met in the middle of the room in a clash of titans. John was outmuscled and had less reach, but was faster and more skilled. In seconds they exchanged several blows, with John opting to use his shield to parry the massive hammer swings instead of absorb them completely, while moving into position to counter with his sword at the same time. He had to stay close for his sword to reach, but he was holding his own.


    Marcy and Cedric bombarded the mages with attack after attack. After Marcy¡¯s water arrow soaked one of the enemies¡¯ barriers and Cedric shattered it by electrifying the water, the enemy mages began to take them more seriously. They started returning attacks that Tasha and Wyn blocked by using their own protective spells. Unfortunately this interrupted Tasha¡¯s calling as she had to abruptly change her plan. Wyn had no idea if the mages had a limit to the number of spells they could cast, but they seemed relatively restrained with their simple but powerful purely magical shots that resembled strong missiles. One of the blasts cracked a Shell spell and a second broke it completely. They thankfully cast them even slower than Cedric as they were alternating between defensive maneuvers and offensive attacks.


    He didn¡¯t know the monster¡¯s magical limits in Alistair, but assumed they worked similarly to their own mana pools. Assuming was never a good strategy, though. It was best to be prepared. And he was prepared for their opponents to not run out of magic, which required their own group to be successful by skill and likely some luck.


    Wyn knew they were going to win as the fight continued, but it was a painfully slow process. Their group was using mana faster than they ever had, and out of the four of them locked in a fight with the mages he was the only one who didn¡¯t need to stop and take a mana potion the first minute. His Wellspring ability was one of the key factors in their fight, as the mages didn¡¯t have anywhere to go on their side of the room that wasn¡¯t inside the glyph¡¯s area. Wyn was able to slowly drain them of life while recovering his own mana. He was still losing mana over time, but it was far slower than the rest of the group.


    The other factor that swayed success their way was Tasha. She really was a strong Climber, and choosing the class of Herald effectively made her pull the weight of two Climbers. Taking a moment to step back and focus on her Calling again, instead of Zoraquin she now brought Baratheon. The Celestial was a mountain of a creature, almost blindingly white, taller and wider than any man, and unnaturally fast. It immdiately waded into combat to help John, but not before casting Arcane Aura on both Tasha and John. Baratheon¡¯s presence quickly tipped the fight towards the Climbers as he and John began beating the opponent down.


    When the first mage succumbed to one of Marcy¡¯s magical arrows that flew past a broken barrier, the tide fully turned in the battle. Wyn stepped away to help deal with the huge Ashen Warrior, and when he joined John and Baratheon it took no time to slash and stab it to death. The lone mage was dealt with soon after, but not after Wyn took a shield bash that knocked him off his feet, followed by one of the magical projectiles from the last remaining mage. His coat took the brunt of the force, but the hit still felt like he was rammed by a horse.


    His next breath was ragged and short, as Wyn felt several of his ribs pop and crack from the inhale. Pain reverberated all through his chest and upper back. Tears quickly came to his eyes as he realized he broke several ribs at his back. There was likely more internal damage that he didn¡¯t want to think about, too. He tried to cast Regen on himself but felt no relief with his next breath.


    Panic shot through him. Another short inhale put him into a coughing fit, and blood splattered all over the floor. If he didn''t have the magical protections of his Sage''s Overcoat and Cloud Lupus Chestpiece, he''d be sure as dead.


    ¡°Wyn!¡± Tasha yelled. She crouched next to him and tapped him with her wand. A soft white glow enveloped him, but her eyebrows furrowed seeing the aura. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think I have enough mana for a stronger spell.¡± She started to uncork a blue vial but Wyn stopped her.


    Wyn then reached down to his potion belt and pulled out a red vial. What felt like an eternity took only seconds as he drank the gross, thick liquid of a healing potion. His chest relaxed and pain left him in the next few breaths. Resting his head on the floor, he smiled.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Marcy asked, standing over him. ¡°That was a bad hit!¡±


    Wyn nodded with his eyes closed. ¡°It was. Thankfully we were finishing up. And thank the gods for potions.¡±


    ¡°You need to be better about using them quicker,¡± Marcy said. ¡°They¡¯re a small price to pay if it means staying alive. And healers can¡¯t always heal, like now.¡±


    Wyn sat up and beside Tasha and patted her on the shoulder. ¡°Thanks for the Cure. Don¡¯t worry about the rest. Marcy''s right, it''s why we have potions.¡±


    She huffed a reluctant smile. ¡°I guess. I need to be better about my own potion use, it seems. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    A bright light flashed in the room, making Wyn jerk his head in surprise. What he thought was initially another trap going off was instead the large chest being opened by John, Cedric, and Marcy. Apparently they couldn¡¯t wait long enough to open it as a group.


    Between John¡¯s gasp and Marcy¡¯s wide eyes, he knew that whatever inside was valuable. Marcy never had a reaction like that.


    The three Climbers all reached in and started pulling out loot, and the chest was large enough to where they weren¡¯t bumping into each other while emptying it. John pulled out several burlap sacks that jingled like coins, Marcy delicately held something in her hands, and Cedric whipped out a cloak radiating with magic.


    ¡°I guess our efforts weren¡¯t in vain?¡± Wyn said, walking over to the chest with Tasha.


    John scoffed with obvious exaggeration. ¡°Weren¡¯t in vain. Are you kidding? This is the best we¡¯ve ever been rewarded on a climb, including running the sixth floor at the end of last month! Well, besides that secret room you found. Still, I can hardly believe it!¡±


    Cedric turned around and held out a cloak to the group. It hummed with magic, and a dull purple glow came from it that drew everyone¡¯s eyes. ¡°A purple cloak. This is the first time I¡¯ve found a purple item! This could be worth a fortune!¡±


    Thoughts of paying off his debt instantly came to Wyn¡¯s mind, but he suppressed them just as fast. If it was a useful item, they¡¯d be better off using it, not selling it. Even if it was worth thousands, or tens of thousands of crowns.


    ¡°This ring is blue rarity,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Also worth a ridiculous amount. And if the effect is good then I¡¯ll fight you all for it.¡±


    John huffed and leaned against the chest after pulling out the sacks of coins. ¡°There¡¯s nothing left inside, but good gods this was a haul. Seven sacks of treasure, mostly coins with some gemstones mixed in. And two great items. I feel like we just scored the treasure from a boss room.¡±


    ¡°We got lucky,¡± Cedric said. ¡°But sometimes that¡¯s all that matters!¡±


    It didn¡¯t take any coaxing from the group to identify the two items to see what they found. After checking their parchments they learned that the items were a Wizard¡¯s Ring and Master Avian Cloak. The ring was silver and relatively plain though held runes along the entire inside of the band. It gave bonuses that any Mage would salivate at having: improved mana pool, mana regeneration, spell efficiency, and a quicker cast time. Cedric pointed out that the last two bonuses were especially useful, as spell efficiency lengthened the time that spells lasted and providing a quicker cast time was useful for higher tiered spells that took longer to cast. He added that his robes had a similar bonus which made his stronger lightning spells more effective since they could be cast faster, but the other bonuses on the ring made it a powerful item.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    The cloak was exactly what Wyn expected a purple item, like Cedric¡¯s robes, to have. Unlike the ring it was beautiful and elaborate, made up of large brown feathers interwoven into a fine piece of garment with silver threading. The hood resembled a hawk¡¯s beak, but looked regal instead of ridiculous. It gave the Climber wearing it the power of flight for up to two hours a day, moderate resistance to magical attacks, improved endurance, and the ability to summon a Deathhawk twice a day for 10 minutes at a time. According to Marcy, a Deathhawk was a large bird the size of a big dog, with a wingspan taller than most people, talons as sharp as razors, and beaks that could punch through steel plates.


    Those were the only two features of the cloak. But they were ridiculously great features.


    Needless to say, both of the items were useful and impressive. Which brought on the next conversation.


    What would they do with them?


    ¡°I think they would add some good value to our team,¡± Cedric eventually said. ¡°They fit us well, which isn¡¯t common for higher rarity items. It¡¯d be better to use them instead of trading for something else.¡±


    Marcy reached out for the cloak and brushed the feathered material with her fingers. ¡°This cloak is absolutely perfect for me. Not just a good fit. Wyn, you know how badly I wanted these boots. Imagine how much better I¡¯ll be if I wore this! I could rain down arrows from the sky and we¡¯d have another summoned ally for our group.¡±


    Wyn understood Marcy¡¯s points. The cloak really was the right complement to round out her mobility in a way that seemed fitting for an archer. He could sell the item for a good chunk of his debt, too, but that would be even more selfish than Marcy wanting to use it. All in all, it was a fairly easy decision.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a great idea,¡± Wyn said without another moment¡¯s hesitation.


    The others agreed with head nods and smiles, while Marcy beamed with excitement that Wyn had never seen her express. It was even better than when she got her new boots. There was something special about finding an item rather than trading for one.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Marcy said, holding the cloak close to her.


    ¡°What about the ring?¡± John asked. ¡°We have three Mages. Choosing the owner isn''t as easy.¡±


    Wyn, Cedric, and Tasha looked at each other. Cedric shrugged, his face unreadable.


    ¡°I have better equipment than both of you,¡± Cedric said. ¡°It would be a better boost if one of you two wore it.¡±


    ¡°The increased mana regeneration and capacity is definitely nice, but I don¡¯t need the faster casting time,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Plus, you really pulled your weight fighting those champions, Tasha. As much or more than any of us. And, you¡¯ll be getting higher tier spells and will be more focused on magic than me. I think it would serve you best.¡±


    Tasha¡¯s cheeks blushed and she straightened before responding. ¡°Thank you for the compliment, but I already have more items than you. And with that mana regeneration you might not need that many potions, and the improved mana pool could let you actually use a second tier spell.


    Wyn tilted his head side to side. ¡°Maybe, but I really don¡¯t mind. Plus there¡¯s a couple of other items I want first. This ring just fits you far better, like the cloak to Marcy. You could use all of the effects while I would benefit from only some of them.¡±


    ¡°What items do you want?¡± Marcy asked. ¡°We were just at The Silver Step. Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± She handed over the ring to Tasha who took it and delicately placed it on her left index finger.


    ¡°It was actually there talking to Benedict that I got the idea. I like my spear, but we haven¡¯t been facing only fire-element enemies this season like I thought we would. The water enhancement seems a bit wasted most of the time. Instead, he made me realize I want something a bit stronger and more flexible that I could put my own element on with a spell. When we fought the Ashen Warriors on the last the floor, seeing their weapons solidified my choice. I want their shield and weapon.¡±


    The others quietly thought on Wyn¡¯s idea for a moment before John spoke up. ¡°So you want to ditch the spear and use a sword and shield like me? Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m not complaining. Having another person beside me to tank some hits would take the pressure off. But I thought you liked the reach and mobility of using a spear?¡±


    ¡°I want the flexibility to use both. Remember how they changed their weapon from a sword to a hammer and to a spear? And the helmet we found said their metal was a flexible metal that could be shaped. I bet if their weapon dropped it would have the ability to change into whatever weapon I wanted, and I¡¯d wager their shield could change, too. And if there was a set bonus, the helmet might end up being better than my new hat as well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting thought,¡± Cedric said. ¡°It makes sense, too. You¡¯re basically owning your role as a flexible support Climber by going one step further to even be able to change your gear at a moment¡¯s notice rather than using a Packer to carry equipment.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. So, all that to say, Tasha gets the ring if we could keep their sword and shield for me to use as we try and get those pieces. And potentially use the helmet and not sell it. I really think it would make a difference.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m for it,¡± John said. ¡°Think you could keep up with an actual Fighter-turned-Squire?¡± He smirked and flexed his arms, which couldn¡¯t even be seen under his armor.


    Wyn laughed. ¡°I won¡¯t really need to. Fighting alongside you, your aura will do the work for me.¡±


    John furrowed his eyebrows then slowly nodded his head. ¡°Oh, right. Well, that¡¯s even better! I agree wholeheartedly!¡±


    Finishing up their decision on the items, the group then separated the sacks of coins so they could carry it out. Wyn checked his parchment to see that there were nearly 400 gold crowns worth of coins. Most of it was in silver cloaks, but he didn¡¯t mind. It was their largest single haul yet.


    Gathering themselves to continue through the seventh floor, they resumed the same marching order as before, with Wyn and Marcy in the lead, Tasha in the middle, and John and Cedric at the back. Marcy rocked her shoulders side to side as they stepped back into the hallway, showing off her cloak. She moved her quiver to her hip so she could display the cloak properly. It took some awkward wrapping and buckling to secure the quiver since it was designed for her back, but it would work for now. She said it would be an easy fix moving some buckles and leather straps on her clothes and belt back in Alestead, it would just take some time.


    It didn¡¯t take two minutes before Marcy stopped strutting and paused. She drew an arrow from her quiver as the rest of the group readied themselves for a fight. Wyn hoped it wouldn¡¯t be any stronger than the animated pieces of armor, as he wanted to help rather than just step out of the way for John. Whatever it was, though, it had the ability to hide extremely well, as Wyn couldn¡¯t see or sense a thing.


    Marcy looked all around them until she sighed and relaxed. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. I had the same feeling as the traps at the start of the floor, but I don¡¯t see anything.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s lantern was still glowing, and he couldn¡¯t see anything in the hallway, either. ¡°Then we proceed cautiously, then.¡±


    Marcy sighed and looked up to the ceiling with exasperation. Her eyes widened and she instinctively stepped back. Wyn followed her gaze and saw a large glyph plastered on the ceiling just in front of them. It was slowly getting brighter with its magical aura as it became more apparent. The outline was faint but glowing brighter. If the effect was anything like the first magical traps, they were all in serious trouble being so close to it.


    ¡°Run!¡± Marcy yelled, and the others instantly turned around. Tasha and John quickly ran, while Cedric teleported away. Marcy was right behind him, teleporting beside him and leaving a small cloud behind.


    The last one was Wyn. He was the closest beside Marcy, and didn¡¯t have a teleporting spell. Instead, he cast Speed Up on himself and sprinted away, while casting a Shield behind him for good measure. He couldn¡¯t see how bright the glyph was shining, but he didn¡¯t dare look back.


    The bright light then dimmed to nothing after a quick flash, and no explosion came. Pausing, Wyn turned around to see what had happened.


    The glyph was now dark, its magical energy spent. Wyn realized with horror that it wasn¡¯t the kind of trap that exploded from earlier, but something completely different. Something awful and more insidious.


    A large, writhing tendril slithered out from the glyph and grasped the ceiling. It was black and slimy and way too long to be anything small. Then another tendril emerged. And then four more. Once they had a purchase on the stone ceiling, a mass followed them that was as large as a horse. There were no discernible features on it except for a mass of red eyes and a small beak that resembled a bird. The body was just as black as the tendrils, and it began slithering its way on the ceiling towards them.


    ¡°Oh, gods,¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°What in the hells is that?¡± John yelled. ¡°It¡¯s terrifying!¡±


    Cedric fired a lightning spell at it but the creature moved with frightening speed as it morphed its body to condense into a smaller space to avoid the spell, then expanded back to its former shape. Marcy fired an arrow at it, but it whipped out a tentacle and smacked the arrow away harmlessly.


    Behind the creature, another identical monster emerged from the glyph and began crawling along the ceiling. Then a third.


    Wyn looked to the group who had shared expressions of horror and awe on their face. Whatever these monsters were, John was right - they were terrifying. Like the rest of the floor had been so far. And they barely started it.


    The day had been fruitful and they learned quite a bit about the second tier. It seemed as good a time as any to call it a day.


    ¡°Does anyone else object to leaving?¡± Wyn asked.


    John already had a portal key in his hand and quickly used it. As the rest of the group began going through to return to Alestead, Wyn had his answer.


    Maybe they weren¡¯t quite ready for the seventh floor.

 Book 2 - Chapter 18

    Leaving the seventh floor was not ideal but something Wyn considered a smart move. It was a strong floor, even from the little they climbed, and the payoff for the risk didn¡¯t seem worth it. They had their best loot find yet after fighting the champions, but after discussing the situation with the veterans and Daniel, they all came to the conclusion that the odds of finding more treasure at a similar value would be low. And the climb to get to that point would be hard and treacherous.


    So, they made an agreement. They¡¯d return to the floor in a couple of weeks, hopefully gathering more experience and items in the meantime, and potentially hire a sixth Climber to fight alongside John to clear the floor and move to the eighth floor. It wasn¡¯t necessary for them to clear the tier for another class upgrade, especially being only the first month climbing the second tier. They had plenty of time to climb the lower middle floors and Wyn was happy with the wealth they gained there, too.


    There was no rush. But it was always good to be prepared.


    After telling the group about his plan to gain the Ashen Warrior weapon and shield, they formed a new plan to climb for the foreseeable future. The fourth floor was ripe with rewards and relatively easy being the first tier¡¯s final floor, making it an ideal place to run over and over for coins and items. The next challenging but manageable floor, the sixth floor, was also their target, as Wyn wanted the Ashen items and their rewards there were even better. Their climbing plan was what they discussed before - they¡¯d clear out the fourth floor one day, aiming for at least three climbs but preferably four, then clear out the sixth floor the next day aiming for two clears. It was a lot, but if they worked hard it was doable within a reasonable timeframe of each day. And climbing that much would make Wyn roughly 500 to 600 crowns a day just from the floor rewards, not to mention whatever loot they found inside. The fourth floor especially had an easy secondary quest that could earn Wyn another 100 crowns, and even taking one day off a week would net him 2500 crowns climbing five days.


    But, they wouldn¡¯t be able to climb quite that much. John wanted to desperately participate in the guild recruitment process, which meant they would need to slow down their climbs to join. Wyn didn¡¯t care about joining a guild but his friend did, which meant he would help however he could. And helping meant either going him by trying out for a guild or letting John try out separately. The loss of wealth wasn¡¯t too big of a deal either, considering he had items to sell to make up the difference. He estimated he would make even more than the required amount for the month that The Assembly demanded, which put his mind at ease.


    After leaving the seventh floor, the group carried out their climbing plan to great success. They earned items and coins and fell into a rhythm of clearing floors, shaving off hours of each day while climbing both the fourth and sixth floors with better efficiency each time. It was the beginning of the third week of the season, over a week of them climbing between the fourth and sixth floors, when Wyn finally struck gold. They were midway along the sixth floor when a blue rarity dagger dropped from the group of Ashen Warriors.


    Wyn felt his heart race seeing the weapon. They had earned nearly two dozen items during their time climbing in that time, but had yet to find the two items Wyn was searching for. Most of the items were green rarity, but still worth money when sold. At the start of the week he made a new offer to the group so he could both get enough items to meet Benedict¡¯s contact to sell and for his new weapon set. The agreement was that he would either find the dropped items during the week or trade for them, as well as take eight unidentified items to be sold - five green and three blue. It was far more than his share, but the agreement was that he forfeited first choice on other items that fit him or to add to his count to trade or sell. Wyn felt he was still getting out better than the group, but they reassured him over and over that they were a team and that his debt was more pressing than simply gaining a wealth of items. If they found items like Marcy¡¯s cloak or Tasha¡¯s ring that were perfect fits, they¡¯d keep them, but otherwise they stored up items to trade at a later point.


    Their current stock of magical gear was impressive. While there was always room to improve, they felt comfortable with their current position.


    After their day of climbing, Wyn went to the training hall to test out his new weapon. It was currently in a dagger form in a basic leather sheath he bought at the Silver Step since the weapon¡¯s changing form didn¡¯t come with any kind of storage. It was lighter and easier to keep it small, and he smiled when he reviewed the item¡¯s description on his parchment again.


    Ashen Gallidium Blade: A weapon made from the rare metal Gallidium that has the unique property to liquify but keep its integrity. Gallidium is a malleable but strong metal that can be influenced to change with mana. This weapon provides an improved effect of abilities used by the wielder, boosting both spell¡¯s and skill¡¯s time and power. It can also be changed to another weapon type with a tiny amount of mana, though the exact mana needed is dependent on the size and type of the desired weapon.


    Wyn held the dagger in his hand with a training dummy ten feet away acting as his sparring partner. The weapon looked plain at first glance, but when really studied it showed signs of impressive crafting with a finely polished blade, a silvered pommel, and a black metal grip that felt secure. He twirled it in his hands a few times testing the weight. It felt exactly as a dagger should, and far better than his other mundane dagger on his back.


    Checking his mark, he started his first test. He willed the weapon to change into a spear, envisioning in his mind the length and design of spear he was used to carrying in the military. In a second the weapon morphed in a flash of silver, and the sudden change of weight caused him to briefly lose his grip and focus before recovering it. His mark registered the slightest sliver of used mana, less than what would be considered a small amount. Based on his previous tests and uses, he assumed it would take him about five minutes to recover what was needed.


    Using the spear in various combat forms from his training, he felt the weapon was easy to use and oddly familiar. It took hardly any time sparring with the dummy for him to feel completely in tune with the weapon in its spear form. Changing the weapon to a mace, he changed his fighting style and sparred with the dummy in a way more suited to a blunt one-handed weapon.


    After a few minutes of using the now-mace, Wyn laughed. The weapon felt solid and familiar. It was exactly what he had hoped it would be.


    ¡°Looks good,¡± a voice said from behind him.


    Wyn turned and changed the weapon back to a spear, setting the butt on the ground in a familiar resting position. He looked at John and Marcy who wore mischievous looks. ¡°It¡¯s perfect. Are you two coming to train? I thought you wanted to get some more rest for tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Well, we still do, but it was a lie,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t answer. Something felt off, but he couldn¡¯t place it. What was going on?


    John¡¯s mouth grew into a smirk before he pulled out something from behind his back. It looked like a bracer with a buckler attached to one side. A buckler that was the size of a saucer. It didn¡¯t look functional at all, but realization dawned on him right when John spoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Ashen Gallidium Shield. We had decided we¡¯d trade for one of the two as a surprise this week if the other dropped in the floor. We¡¯ve been climbing really well for only having five members, and not once have any of us felt in danger of dying or pressured to climb more to pay off your debt. You really are a great leader, and we wanted to show you that. One finally showed up in the trading hall so we jumped on it.¡±


    Wyn felt his words catch in his throat. That was the last thing he¡¯d expected to hear, and he certainly didn¡¯t feel like he deserved any special treatment. He was their group leader, sure, but he only wanted them to survive and be great Climbers. It was incredibly nice for them to show him such appreciation, even if he felt like it was too much. He cleared his throat and shook his head, ready to pitch a new deal for the item that was fair.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Marcy immediately interrupted him. ¡°And don¡¯t you dare go trying to pay us back for this. It¡¯s a gift. You¡¯ve done quite a lot for all of us one way or another, so be a good little soldier and just accept it.¡±


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but laugh as he nodded his head in agreement. ¡°Okay. Thank you. This really is an incredible gift.¡±


    John handed him the shield and Wyn immediately checked his parchment.


    Ashen Gallidium Shield: A shield made from the rare metal Gallidium. Made in all aspects of Ashen life, Gallidium is a flexible yet strong metal. This shield can be expanded and retracted by using a tiny amount of mana, and provides both magical and physical resistance at a moderate amount. Twice a day, you can Empower the shield to greatly resist all attack types.


    Part of the Ashen Gallidium set.


    Set bonus: 2/6. All mana costs are reduced by a small amount and individual item¡¯s effects are improved by a small amount. All clothing and gear magically fit the wearer.


    Wyn immediately slipped the shield onto his left arm and moved it around. It was light and felt just like a bracer, not impeding his movements at all. The downside was that he couldn¡¯t see his mark very well, but the bracer portion of the item was able to be reshaped as well, and he morphed it to become a series of straps instead of a solid bracer. His mark wasn¡¯t clearly seen, but he could make out his symbol and circles good enough to know his mana reserves.


    For now, he sparred with both the dummy and John as Marcy gave each of them pointers on form while acting as judge. It was one of the more productive training sessions Wyn had had all month, though it was likely fueled from the excitement of having his new weapon set. One of the perks of the shield he found was that it kept its lighter weight when expanded, and Wyn found it was incredibly easy to maneuver while keeping the defensive ability of a large shield when he increased the size. It was also fun to change his weapon mid-fight to keep John on his toes, forcing the Squire to adapt to a different fighting style on the fly. The dummy stopped being useful almost right away as John was a great sparring partner.


    Still, both Wyn and Marcy thought it was funny watching John¡¯s face when Wyn changed his attack from only using a spear to suddenly using a shield and axe, then a shield and mace, and then a large halberd. Wyn felt the rush of battle going through the weapons, and was elated to see that his mana was hardly spent at all despite the many gear changes during the duels.


    All in all, they would be incredibly valuable pieces. His climbing would be easier, which would mean they could go further more efficiently. Maybe they didn¡¯t even need a sixth member. Still, the best test would be actually climbing Alistair, so Wyn didn¡¯t let his excitement overtake his pragmatism.


    After all, he still needed to see how the Gallidium Helmet added to the set bonus. It very well could be his gear set for the foreseeable future.


    So, after training for another half hour, Wyn felt confident in his gear and left to go see Daniel. He had some mental and magical training to do.


    *****


    Daniel set down his cup of tea on the saucer and slowly nodded his head. ¡°That was quite the maneuver. But you know that their deaths aren¡¯t your fault?¡±


    Wyn took two deep breaths in and out while Daniel patiently waited for him to reply. In the past several weeks Daniel¡¯s mentor role had shifted to more of a confidant, something that helped both men. Wyn had started to come to terms with his time at war and his experiences of loss and hardship, while Daniel had finally found a Climber who sought him for wisdom and genuine trust. Since they had started talking about Wyn¡¯s past, the amount of flashbacks while climbing had drastically reduced, and he felt incredibly appreciative of the older Ruby Magician. Even though he wasn¡¯t completely at peace with what he experienced, Wyn still felt comfortable to share and to start leaving his past in the past.


    ¡°I know they aren¡¯t,¡± Wyn finally said. ¡°For awhile I harbored a lot of feelings of guilt and responsibility about it but I don¡¯t as much now. Strangely, being a Climber has helped with that. Seeing that Climber die last month helped me see that some people just aren¡¯t cut out for a life like this.¡±


    ¡°At least joining the military is an option, not a mandate. But yes. I¡¯m glad that you were able to release that burden.¡±


    Wyn picked up his own cup and sipped it, enjoying the warmth of Daniel¡¯s fire and his own tea. They caught up on Wyn¡¯s time during the current season while in the older man¡¯s apartment, as well as Daniel¡¯s time courting Wendy. Their time together over the past few weeks shifted from dinners to evening tea after Daniel started eating with Wendy nearly every night, a change that Wyn was incredibly happy to make. The older man deserved happiness, and Wendy was one of the most positive people he knew at Alestead.


    Daniel rubbed his hands together after setting down his cup, his habitual sign that they were done discussing Wyn¡¯s past. ¡°Oh! I almost forgot! I have something to show you.¡± He got up from his chair and walked over to his bookshelf on the wall, a display that dwarfed Wyn¡¯s own. He was never much for reading, but Daniel was obviously the opposite.


    Picking up a jet black book and coming back over to his chair by the hearth, Daniel sat and showed Wyn the cover. It was mangy and dusty, the edges frayed and scratched. ¡°This is an Onyx Magician tier 2 spell book.¡±


    There was a pause, but Wyn didn¡¯t respond. Daniel flashed a smile and raised his eyebrows excitedly. Wyn just shrugged.


    Daniel sighed. ¡°This is an important book, because there isn¡¯t a copy here in Alestead. I had to have this one mailed to me by an old friend in the capital.¡±


    Wyn perked up. That was certainly interesting. ¡°How did the library here not have one?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing. They did, but it wasn¡¯t in stock. The librarian believes it was stolen, along with a collection of other rare books. Apparently someone wanted some very unique books and went to great lengths to get them. I only got this because it¡¯s older and from a friend.¡±


    That made sense. It was a frightening thought, but Wyn knew if someone with enough money wanted something, they¡¯d get it. ¡°Alright. But why did you want that specific book?¡±


    Daniel smiled. ¡°Because you said your tier 2 spell wasn¡¯t a great choice. There are a few spells in here that would be far better for you to have since you can copy them, and I believe we should narrow them down.¡±


    Wyn nearly jumped out of his seat, but caught himself at the last second. ¡°Wait. But won¡¯t I run into the same problem? They take more mana that tier 1 spells, and they¡¯re huge mana sinks. I haven¡¯t found a support spell that Tasha can¡¯t already do or an offensive spell that Cedric can¡¯t match."


    Daniel smiled. ¡°That¡¯s why you need to pick an affliction spell that neither of them can cast. Hence, the Onyx Magician spell list. If your unique skill allows you any spell to choose, well, you need to look at all of them. And now you can.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s excitement doubled after Daniel explained his point. And it made complete sense.


    The next half hour was spent with Wyn looking through the older tome while Daniel rehashed his ideas. The more Wyn read about the mysterious class the more he was concerned with them. Instead of support or purely offensive, the Onyx Magician seemed to be more insidious and terrifying. If the Divine Magician was support and healing, then the Onyx Magician was support and death. There were still spells that were useful, like his Feeble spell, but a lot of what he read had negative features to them. He assumed it was because the beneficial portions of the spells were so strong they needed balancing. Like his Wellspring skill that could damage allies but siphoned health into mana for himself.


    Thinking about his skill connected several fleeting thoughts in Wyn¡¯s mind while Daniel idly chatted away. If he was focusing on support and mana recovery, he should pick a spell that fell into that category. And there were two that they had discussed with similar functions.


    One was the Drain spell. It was straightforward and similar to his Wellspring skill and Feeble spell but was an area of effect spell rather than a trap placed on the ground that healed himself. The description said it coated an area in a magical miasma that weakened enemies over two minutes, draining them of life and giving back half of their life force to the caster at the cost of a major amount of mana. It sounded disgustingly useful, something a monster would use rather than a Climber. But, the price still seemed steep, as it would take the majority of his mana at full to even cast the spell. However, being a healing spell, using it also meant he could recover mana in an incredibly useful combination.


    The other spell noteworthy was similar but worked in an opposite way. Instead of casting a spell in an area to leech an enemy¡¯s life, Decay worked to surround the caster in an aura that sapped the life from nearby attackers and converted it to health. Like Drain, Wyn would recover mana as well since the spell functioned to heal. The spell cost a less moderate amount, too, which was a more reasonable cost for a second tier spell.


    Both spells had benefits and drawbacks. Drain could work well with Wellspring to completely wipe out a certain area to heal himself and recover mana. It cost a lot of mana to use, though, and required Wyn to be nearly at full before even usable. On the other hand, Decay could be used more often and could layer with other skills and spells to make him an absolute terror in direct combat. Whatever monster faced him with Speed Up, Decay, and other effects like John¡¯s Squire Aura would be devastated.


    Talking them out with Daniel helped. They eventually decided that Decay would serve Wyn better, and if he wanted to change it at a later date or when he gained more mana to use he could since Daniel had the Onyx Magician spell book.


    All in all, it was an incredibly productive day. Wyn felt more ready than ever, which he¡¯d need. After tomorrow¡¯s climb, he was set to meet Benedict¡¯s contact, and then it was back to climbing.


    It was going to be a busy couple of days.

 Book 2 - Chapter 19

    John shifted uncomfortably on the cushioned bench beside Marcy. The plush seat wasn¡¯t unfamiliar to him, but the situation was. He, Marcy, and Cedric sat in a private room deep in the trading hall. Drawn curtains served as walls, and it was set far enough away from the mass of traders that they surprisingly couldn¡¯t hear the chaos. The space wasn¡¯t large, but it didn¡¯t need to be for private dealings. At least he couldn¡¯t hear the other spaces in the private area, which meant the other people couldn¡¯t hear their private area either.


    Marcy placed a hand on John¡¯s bouncing knee and slowly turned her head to him. ¡°Calm down. Why are you so nervous?¡±


    John took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The last time we were here the person Cedric and I traded with was shady as hell. And then you two requested this to meet Cara? It¡¯s suspicious!¡± He gestured all around him as his eyes flitted to each of the curtains while he spoke.


    ¡°Lower your voice,¡± Cedric said, his own voice low and deliberately calm. ¡°We can¡¯t discuss this out in public. You know that. If she laughs in my face about the idea that¡¯s one thing, but at least requesting a private meeting will give me some discretion. That¡¯s all I asked for right now.¡±


    Before John could respond, the curtain to their left slid open slowly, revealing Cara slowly stepping inside. She eyed each of the three Climbers intently before carefully taking a seat on the opposite bench. Her fingers intertwined on the table between them and she sat up straight, not speaking.


    John looked to the veteran Climbers. He wasn¡¯t the driving force here, Cedric was. But he was grateful to have been invited.


    ¡°Thank you for coming,¡± Cedric said after a brief pause. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have questions so I¡¯ll get right to it.¡±


    ¡°You want me to craft some special item for you that hasn¡¯t existed before,¡± Cara said, cutting Cedric off. ¡°You saw how well my coat worked for your Ruby Magician and now you want something better. Something different. And want an edge in the upcoming guild trials, I assume?¡±


    John kept his composure out of pure confusion and feelings of inferiority, but Marcy let loose a smirk. Cedric responded with a practiced statement. ¡°Not exactly, though close. Yes, we want an item that hasn¡¯t been crafted before. Your items have been flawless and your skill is obvious. But we¡¯re not wanting an item to help with the guild trials. Specifically, I¡¯m wanting an item to replace my missing arm.¡±


    Cara¡¯s poise slipped as she furrowed her eyebrows at the Wizard. ¡°You want¡­ an arm?¡±


    Cedric nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve given it a lot of thought, and I believe it could be possible. With your insight and ability, of course.¡±


    Cara¡¯s fingers moved to drumming on the table. It was the only movement present, everyone waiting to see how the conversation went. ¡°No one has ever crafted something like that. Or even found one inside Alistair. Some stumps here and there for legs, but nothing magical. What were you hoping for? An arm that could shoot lightning?¡±


    Cedric shrugged. ¡°I already have a weapon for that. Honestly, something with enough flexibility to let me grasp or hold objects would be more than enough. I don¡¯t need it to fire magic. I just want to have some semblance of an arm again.¡±


    ¡°That simplifies things, at least. Hmm.¡± She withdrew her hands and put one on her chin, rubbing it in thought.


    John looked to Marcy and Cedric for any kind of response but the two Climbers just patiently waited. Taking Marcy¡¯s advice, he took a deep breath and waited, too. This was Cedric¡¯s negotiation. He was there for support, though it felt more like moral support than anything.


    After an agonizing minute, Cara finally spoke. ¡°It¡¯s more than an interesting thought. It¡¯s actually intriguing. The components would need to be at least tier 2, likely tier 3, however. The core of the arm would need to be a flexible material that functions for the typical effect of fitting to the wearer. And enchantments for extended mana use since it¡¯ll need to be functional at all times. Something with minimal mana use so it can be used as much as you need, or at least to have the capacity to store mana to be used when needed. Oh, and strength to actually lift objects.¡±


    The three Climbers let Cara ramble about ideas for Cedric¡¯s arm for only a minute before John interrupted. ¡°What kind of material would be the arm¡¯s base? You said it needed to be flexible?¡±


    Cara scoffed. ¡°Of course. If it¡¯s too rigid, it won¡¯t work like an arm should. It needs to bend and rotate and more. Something like the Living Bark from a season last year. Or the Sentient Cloud, or Ethereal Water.¡±


    Marcy suddenly perked up. ¡°There¡¯s a Galladium set from the second tier we just got for Wyn. The metal is flexible and allows his weapon and shield to change shape. Is there a component like that instead of an item?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Cara said, bringing her hand back to her chin. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anything like that in the markets, and I¡¯ve been taking a break from personally climbing for a couple of months. If that item dropped in the second tier, there¡¯s a very small chance a component like that would drop in the same tier. The chance is higher in the third tier, but your group can¡¯t climb that high, can you?¡±


    Cedric shook his head. ¡°Not yet. The seventh floor is problematic, too, making our progress limited. With the upcoming guild trials I doubt we¡¯ll be able to put enough time in to reach the ninth floor, or repeat the mid-tier floors enough to get the drop.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d need more than one piece, too. I wouldn¡¯t be making a hat. For an entire arm, it would be something like five or six pieces in total.¡±


    Cedric leaned back in his seat and cursed under his breath. Not quite soft enough, though, and everyone heard his frustration. John understood his feelings as he thought that amount was absurd. But, he wasn¡¯t a crafter. Crafters and smiths in the city often used monster drops to enhance non-magical weapons in a process that was lost on him, though the outcomes were usually not as good as items that Climbers could find themselves in the tower.


    Cara, though, was an exception. If she said she needed that much material, then she needed that much material. It was as simple as that.


    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Cara said. ¡°You could ask around and see if there are any groups that have found the component and who would be willing to farm it for you. I¡¯d wager the price would be steep, but I have a feeling that getting an arm is worth quite a lot to you.¡±


    Marcy leaned forward on the table. ¡°Of course it¡¯s worth a lot. But, yea. If we can¡¯t get it ourselves, we¡¯ll buy what we need. That¡¯s a great idea.¡±


    ¡°We will?¡± John asked.


    Marcy shot him a look of annoyance while Cara just smiled.


    ¡°Of course we will,¡± Marcy said. ¡°What else would you need besides the Galladium?¡±


    ¡°Just the basics,¡± Cara said. ¡°If you¡¯re already forking over coin for the metal, I could secure the rest for a fee. It won¡¯t be cheap, though.¡±


    Cedric leaned forward beside Marcy. ¡°We seem to have a knack for gaining crowns. How much do you need?¡±


    Cara silently counted on her fingers for a few seconds before answering. ¡°4000 gold for the other materials then another 6000 to craft the arm.¡±


    John choked at the response and felt his eyes widen to the size of saucers. ¡°What? How in the hells is it that expensive?¡±


    Cara sighed. ¡°I know it¡¯s a lot, but consider what you¡¯re asking. You¡¯re wanting a custom-made item equivalent to purple rarity that¡¯s never been created before. Actually, nothing similar to it at all.¡±


    ¡°Your other items weren¡¯t as expensive! Like my sword and Wyn¡¯s coat!¡±


    Cara laughed. ¡°The truth about those two were that I couldn¡¯t get rid of them before your group came along. No one wanted a sword with the only enchantment being changing the element, and the coat wasn¡¯t right for any Climber that looked at my items. I traded them for components for other projects that actually made me money.¡±


    John felt some shame about his sword but didn¡¯t want Cara to notice. He loved the weapon¡¯s ability to change element, and didn¡¯t want to change it out any time soon. He also knew Wyn felt just as proud about his coat.


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


    The three Climbers looked at each other and exchanged silent understandings. How could they turn down that offer? It didn¡¯t matter how much she charged them. If it meant Cedric getting an arm back, then they had to try. They could always earn more coins. Getting the Galladium would likely cost a few more thousand crowns on top of Cara¡¯s 10,000 crown payment. But all three of them knew Tasha and Wyn would agree to help cover the costs. It might delay Wyn¡¯s debt repayment, but if all went well with his current meeting, then he¡¯d be swimming in gold crowns before the night was done.


    ¡°We need to get the Galladium first,¡± Cedric said. ¡°After we¡¯ll get you payment.¡±


    ¡°Does it all have to be upfront?¡± John asked.


    Cara shook her head. ¡°If you get me the Galladium before the season¡¯s out, then I can do installments. I have a feeling you won¡¯t be shorting me on payment for this.¡±


    Marcy pounded the table with her fist, making John and Cara jump. ¡°Good. Then we have a deal?¡±


    Cara extended a hand. ¡°Show me the Galladium. Then we¡¯ll have a deal.¡±


    *****


    Wyn took a deep breath before opening the ornate door to a private hall in one of the official buildings that Alestead¡¯s primary guild owned. He was told by Benedict and Daniel that there were two buildings like this in the city, and that they were for conducting business. They mostly held offices for the many guild workers, but also had individual meeting halls as well. He stood at a grand door for one such hall where he was told to meet Benedict¡¯s contact. Apparently sponsors for guilds and Climbers, merchants looking for business, royal officials, and military leaders, all used these rooms when needing to visit Alestead.


    He didn¡¯t feel nearly as important, but apparently the man he was meeting was.


    Tasha helped keep him calm and relaxed and talked him through the basics of what he wanted to accomplish just before he came to the hall. The goal of the meeting was simple - they¡¯d have dinner and discuss a business partnership where Wyn would bring items of value to sell with Benedict¡¯s contact, a middleman to wealthy clients. Wyn would need to sell himself regarding his ability to gather items and be reliable, but also not come across too eager. Essentially, he needed to utilize his history of dealing with people of higher status in order to make them feel comfortable and trusting him.


    He and his family¡¯s safety depended on this dinner. Securing a partnership would be vital on paying off their debt, and Wyn mentally reminded himself of that fact multiple times.


    Taking one more breath to gather confidence, Wyn pulled open the door to the hall.


    Inside was a view Wyn didn¡¯t fully expect. The room itself was ornate and grand, with some pieces of fancy artwork hanging on the walls and a large hearth on the opposite wall. A grand, impossibly long dining table filled the entirety of the room, with matching chairs set all around it. Dinnerware was only set for two chairs, one at the seat directly in front of the roaring hearth, and the other at the chair beside it. Sitting in front of the hearth was a man. A man who was intently staring at Wyn the moment he opened the door.


    It wouldn¡¯t have been too odd except for the fact that he was completely alone in the large hall. As Wyn stepped inside, the man abruptly stood up and waved him over.


    ¡°Come, come!¡± The man said, beckoning Wyn across the room. His voice was loud and boisterous, easily carrying across the empty distance. He wore fine dress clothes more suited to a lavish party than a dinner meeting, and his appearance was completely neat and groomed.


    During Wyn¡¯s time in the military he met many nobles who ranged from genuinely good people to downright abysmal. Tasha helped his perception as she was one of the better ones. Hopefully this man would be similar.


    As Wyn neared the man he shook his hand, and was met with an eager shake. ¡°I¡¯m Ardwyn Thatcher.¡±


    ¡°Pleasure, Ardwyn! I¡¯m Melvin. Please, sit and dine with me.¡± Melvin led Wyn over to the two lone seats and politely gestured to the seat at the side. Setting his backpack down beside the seat, Wyn pulled out the chair and sat in the way Tasha instructed him as nobles do in order to be polite and respectful. While he met more than his fair share of nobility, he never personally dined with any of them. She had been a valuable resource in quickly learning how to handle himself.


    The place settings were already filled, as plates, cups, and trays welcomed them to start the evening. The goblet in front of Wyn was filled with a dark red liquid while the simple cup beside it was empty. A glass pitcher of water sat on the table beside a tray of cheeses, nuts, and fruits.


    Wyn instantly knew this man was trying to make a good impression. That made him feel more at ease. He quickly ran through his prepared lines in his head.


    ¡°It was kind of you to agree to meet me,¡± Wyn started as both men began plucking at the trays to fill their plates. ¡°When Benedict said he knew a buyer for items from the tower, I was grateful. The merchants don¡¯t quite have the means to buy all of my findings.¡±


    Melvin popped a grape in his mouth and smiled as he swallowed. ¡°Yes, Benedict has been a wonderful contact here at Alestead. When I need wares, he provides. But sometimes there are items that the average tradesman can¡¯t provide that I need. I hope you are different.¡±


    Wyn nodded in agreement but didn¡¯t miss the slight. Melvin saw Benedict as just a contact, and viewed him as only average. Wyn thought higher of the man, but such was the mindset of nobles.


    ¡°I am,¡± Wyn said, pausing to take a sip of his wine. It was dry and rich, far more exquisite than the wine Alestead provided. He had to be careful not to drink too much. ¡°For starters, I¡¯m not a tradesman. I¡¯m a Climber.¡±


    Melvin smiled at the response and took it in stride. ¡°Too true. How long have you been climbing, Ardwyn? The last few Climbers that conducted business with me were guild leaders or Climbers wishing to retire. You seem like neither.¡±


    Right to business, then.


    ¡°You are correct on both accounts. I¡¯m in my second full season of climbing, with no plans of stopping anytime soon.¡±


    Melvin¡¯s smile softened as he stopped himself from grabbing a small hunk of cheese. ¡°A rookie? Gods. Benedict said you¡¯d be able to bring a horde of items for purchase. What game is this?¡± He sat up abruptly in his chair as though he was ready to storm out.


    Wyn quickly tried to sell himself. ¡°No game at all, I assure you. I¡¯m just a man who climbs frequently and is rewarded accordingly. During the final week of last month I was able to secure nearly two dozen items to sell in the second tier. Benedict couldn¡¯t buy them all, and I had to bleed every merchant dry to get the coin I wanted. And that was in one week.¡±


    Melvin slowly relaxed in the chair, though kept his guard up. ¡°He did mention you were able get items quickly. Climbing in the second tier your first month is¡­ impressive. What have you accomplished this month?¡±


    Wyn slowly stood and put his backpack on the table. He started to reach inside but stopped. ¡°I brought eleven items today, all inside this pack. For this new season me and my group have been storing items of value for this exact reason - to sell. I could pull them out for you to inspect, but I made a brief summary of them for you to review at once.¡± Wyn reached inside and pulled out a single sheet of paper, neatly folded in half. Handing it to Melvin, the noble grabbed it and quickly scanned the sheet.


    His face softened and Wyn knew he was satisfied at something. Even if he only liked a few of the items Wyn brought, or none of them, Wyn noticed the man was at least going to keep negotiating. There were four blue rarity items and seven green rarity items, all with good value. At least according to Cedric and Marcy. The bonuses on the items seemed beneficial to Wyn, but he still didn¡¯t quite the know the intricacies about what effects were more valuable than others.


    Before Wyn could think further, Melvin refolded the paper and handed it back to Wyn. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad list for a rookie. But certainly not two dozen in a week like you claim.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. But that was just what we found while climbing that seemed worth your time. We¡¯ve found twice that amount this month and we haven¡¯t been climbing just for the items. For that, I¡¯m confident I could repeat that week¡¯s success and obtain a fair amount of items per time invested.¡±


    Melvin narrowed his eyes and stayed quiet, not responding. His mental processing and lack of immediate response was excruciating.


    ¡°You found these items yourself? They weren¡¯t items you traded for in the district?¡±


    Wyn shook his head. ¡°No trades. I have traded for items, but those are only ones me or my group found.¡±


    Melvin nodded and thought for another few seconds. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you 7500 crowns for the entire list,¡± Melvin finally said.


    Wyn froze. Internally he was screaming, nearly overwhelmingly ecstatic at the offer. But he needed to maintain his composure and not seem too eager. He didn¡¯t want to negotiate for a better price so he wouldn¡¯t lose the offer, but if Melvin was open to a long term partnership, Wyn needed to look professional.


    ¡°7500 crowns?¡± Wyn said, doing his best to phrase his words and tone so his response could be interpreted several different ways.


    Melvin smiled a devious smile. ¡°I have some¡­ impressive clients, to say the least. That offer is mostly for the blue rarity items as they are more prized than the green rarity ones. The green rarity items are a consolation.¡±


    Wyn stuck a hand out to shake and felt relief flood him as Melvin excitedly shook in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s a deal, then. For you and your impressive clients.¡±


    Melvin laughed. ¡°Quite right. We can make the trade after we eat. This was only the appetizer, of course.¡±


    Wyn sat back down alongside Melvin and took a long drink of his wine in a brief celebration. In his happiness, a moment of inspiration struck him. ¡°You know, you could consider this meeting as an appetizer.¡±


    Melvin paused in the middle of a bite of food and tilted his head to one side. ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Well, my items were a showing of good faith. But there are far more items I could find inside Alistair, especially if you had a list of items you and your clients desired.¡±


    Melvin tilted his head side to side. ¡°That¡¯s a good point. But they must be items you find yourself, no trades. That¡¯s a specific selling point of mine.¡±


    Wyn nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Good,¡± Melvin continued. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to send you a letter of desired items within the next week. I plan to return for the festival at the end of the month, so hopefully a couple of weeks would be enough time for you to procure some targeted items for me. I¡¯ll pay double for those items, including purple rarity ones.¡±


    Wyn could barely contain his excitement, only letting a smile cross his face. He could pay off the debt quicker than he thought if there was even more coin to be earned. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep in the tower if I have to.¡±


    Melvin laughed again. ¡°I like the commitment! More information will come in time. For now, over the course of our dinner, I only have one request. One that will help you earn those coins.¡±


    Wyn speared a hunk of cheese with a fork. ¡°Of course. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Tell me how you got those items. The monsters slain, the traps disabled, the peril and hardships faced. Details are a requirement alongside the items, Ardwyn. Details that will follow these items to their eventual resting place, and that will circle conversations of some of the most wealthiest people in the country.¡±


    Wyn sat back in his chair while Melvin refilled his wine glass. It was going to be a long, fruitful night.

 Book 2 - Chapter 20

    Wyn leaned against the wall of the training hall beside the rest of his group. John was talking with some other Fighters he knew off to the side, while Marcy and Cedric were content to silently wait with Wyn. Tasha had joined John almost as soon as all of the Fighters started talking, to no one¡¯s surprise.


    What did surprise Wyn, though, was that he was actually nervous. There was something about being a Climber that gave him new anxieties despite several years of military experience hardening him. It could have been his situation of desperately needing coins, or possibly the introduction of suddenly using and being around so much magic. Regardless, he waited along with his group and an estimated hundred other Climbers for the guild trials to officially start. Today was the day they started the process of potentially joining a guild, and despite Wyn not really wanting to join, John had repeatedly mentioned that he wanted nothing more than to be part of a guild.


    John was his friend, as was the rest of the group. If his friend wanted something, Wyn was going to try and help. Even if he didn¡¯t want the same thing. He told himself this could be a good experience, facing more Climbers and ridicule for his class. His mysterious upgrade to Ruby Strategist would help curb the guaranteed mockery, but because it was a brand new class he was sure it was going to bring a lot more attention than he wanted.


    But it couldn¡¯t be helped. All Wyn could do was perform to the best of his ability. He secretly hoped they wouldn¡¯t get a guild invitation as that would completely change the dynamics of their group and their climbing strategy, but he definitely wasn¡¯t going to half-ass the process.


    From the way Gregory and his group were talking in Alistair, the guild trials for recruitment seemed far off. They didn¡¯t mention it was going to happen soon, let alone within a week. But when flyers were posted all around the city stating the initiation of the guild trials were set in just a few days, Wyn could hardly believe it. Everything was so rushed.


    According to Faye, who told Marcy and Cedric privately during a meal soon after they reconnected, the second tier was abnormally harder than usual and the guilds decided to restrict climbing it and advancing. Apparently that wasn¡¯t unusual, but after the same thing happened just two months prior, they wanted to be cautious.


    Wyn remembered that month well. Even though he only climbed one day during the season, that was when he met the 9th floor boss who was unnaturally difficult. The witch. Or rather, the Avatar of the tower. The guilds at that time decided to restrict climbing, too.


    So, to compensate for the harder second tier, the guilds decided to host their trials early.


    It was seemingly a smart move from the sheer amount of people here.


    A few claps in the middle of the large training hall helped silence the rowdy crowd, and a person climbing on top of some makeshift platforms began waving the lingering noise down. The person - a woman - seemed as average as someone could get, wearing basic clothes without any additional equipment. She didn¡¯t even look like a Climber. Her brown hair was tied behind her head exposing her face, and she wore no jewelry, either. The only thing that wasn¡¯t average about her was her voice, as it seemed to project easily over the entirety of the training hall.


    ¡°Welcome, Climbers,¡± the woman said, extending her arms by her side in a grand gesture. ¡°My name is Sonya and I¡¯ll be the host and one of the judges for the guild trials. Please welcome the other judges, all behind me!¡± She waved her arms to four people at her back, two men and two women.


    Wyn had a strange sensation of excitement flood his body. One of the judges was Gregory. If he was one of the judges, there was a greater chance Wyn and their group would look favorable. He had left a great impression on all of them, and seemed to be a genuinely good man. Since he already knew their abilities, all they had to do was show they were consistently good and he¡¯d likely put in a good word for them.


    Well, as long as the other Climbers didn¡¯t pose much competition. And that remained to be seen.


    Wyn didn¡¯t recognize the others, but assumed they were either the other guild leaders participating or influential to a major degree. Enough to make a decision for their guild, at least.


    ¡°You will have more opportunities to meet us and for us to get to know each of you,¡± Sonya continued. ¡°But let¡¯s move on to the rules for the coming trials, and please remain quiet so everyone can hear!¡±


    The crowd quieted further, nearly to the point where Wyn could hear Sonya as easily as if she stood right beside him, despite being at the back of the training hall. And that was without her impressive speaking volume.


    ¡°So, yes, a few things first. The trials will be exactly one week long. We won¡¯t be in here for the entirety of the week, but the judging will continue for seven days based on the criteria I¡¯m about to share. Then, soon after, we will mail the results to everyone. The letter will explain everything, but if you are accepted, you¡¯ll be notified. If more than one guild shows interest in inviting you, an additional in-person interview will be conducted over an evening dinner where you must choose by the night¡¯s end.


    ¡°For the actual trials, they will be split into four parts - two will be individual trials, and the other two will be group trials. For the first individual trial, and the first series of events, you will have the opportunity to showcase your talent as a Climber. Melee combatants such as Fighters will be placed in a dueling tournament using only passive skills and training weapons, while ranged combatants such as ranged Rogues and Hunters will have a shooting contest in various degrees of difficulty. At the heart of every fighting Climber lies raw talent and trained skill, and a tournament is the best way to show that. Magic-based Climbers will have a unique tournament where offensive-focused Climbers will attack special training dummies and defensive-focused Climbers will defend those same dummies in a head-to-head match. More details will follow!


    ¡°The second portion of individual trials are straightforward and some of the best entertainment around - a pure display of all available skills and spells! Each Climber will be paired with training dummies to showcase your abilities to the fullest, and will be judged in several categories based on your magic, gear layout, and overall synergy. Yes, you¡¯ll be able to use everything at your disposal to show the judges and guilds alike what you bring to the table for each guild.¡±


    There were some murmurs in the crowd at that, but Wyn wasn¡¯t surprised. Being able to show off in different ways was important, and tournament style competitions were always popular. He wondered if other people would be able to watch outside of everyone present, and thought it was likely. As Sonya said it was some of the best entertainment, and that likely meant more people would be invited to watch.


    ¡°As for the group trials,¡± Sonya continued, ¡°each climbing group present will similarly face training dummies to not only show your individual abilities but your group¡¯s abilities as well. Climbing isn¡¯t an individual profession, after all, and how you work together as a group is important in both climbing the tower and being a fruitful member of a guild. So, to that end, the fourth and final trial will actually be a culmination of the week¡¯s efforts outside of each tournament present here in the training hall. Your group will carry special parchments that track progress while climbing, and we expect every group to continue to climb during the week. Groups will be judged in this final category on how many floors you¡¯re able to complete, the time of completion, and statistics such as mana used, potions drank, and damage taken and given. This is a new but exciting trial to push all of you to show how you manage your time and energy in the midst of expectations.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Marcy said. ¡°This is going to be a busy week.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I thought this was going to cut into our climbing time. At least we¡¯re still encouraged to climb as part of the process.¡±


    Sonya waved her arms again to settle the growing noise. ¡°Lastly, some ground rules for the trials themselves. First, potions are allowed while climbing, but no potions will be allowed during the tournament trials! Utilize your mana well. Climbers will be on standby to heal or support if needed. Second, no changing spells or registered gear during the trials! Whatever you enter with as you sign up is what you¡¯ll have for the entirety of the experience. Up to two outfits of gear are allowed. If you wish to change your spells, let us know during sign ups or go ahead and use one of the war rooms to adjust accordingly. Third, your standard climbing equipment will only be used when allowed. We will inform you of such times soon. Finally, please come forward and register your parchments! We need accurate information on each of you and to stamp your sheets with our magical tracking symbol. Once everyone is registered, we¡¯ll be organizing the first trial - the melee tournament!¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    There were some halfhearted cheers and claps as Sonya finally stepped down from her perch. Wyn understood why the people weren¡¯t more excited. They were nervous. A large part of him was, as well.


    John, however, was as giddy as a child who was given wonderful news. ¡°Come on, guys! Let¡¯s go register first! Maybe we¡¯ll get better positions in the tournaments?¡±


    ¡°Doubtful,¡± Cedric said. ¡°But I like the enthusiasm.¡±


    While following his teammates, Wyn thought about what Sonya said. If he wanted to change anything he¡¯d need to do it before officially signing up. After receiving the gift of the Ashen Gallidium Shield and using it along with the blade, he decided to use the helmet as well. The set bonus was too good to pass up, even though he just received his new hat that improved his mana recovery and magical power.


    It was a necessary change. His mana recovery went from an hour and fifteen minutes up to an hour and thirty five minutes after replacing the hat, but he didn¡¯t care. The additional abilities he received was worth it. The Ashen helmet provided the same appearance change and protective qualities, but the skill improvement was admittedly a step down. The set bonus, however, was a major step up. Pulling out his parchment, he reviewed the changes.


    Improved Speed Up: Increases your speed by a moderate amount for a moderate amount of time. Slightly improves mental processing speed. Speak the skill or mentally will it to activate. Costs a smaller amount of mana.


    Improved Tower¡¯s Blessing: A gift from the Avatar of Alistair. Provides three additional spell slots that may be used from any Magician class. Two spell slots may be a second tier spell.


    Ashen Gallidium Set


    Set bonus: 3/6. All mana costs are reduced by a less than moderate amount, and individual item¡¯s effects are improved by a less than moderate amount. Moderate resistance to being disarmed. All clothing and gear fit the wearer.


    Wyn planned to add the second tier Elemental Weapon spell now that his Tower¡¯s Blessing skill was somehow improved, but now that he knew he had to keep his spells he needed to add it before signing up. He still didn¡¯t fully understand why the special skill the Avatar gave him was seemingly counted as a physical skill when it affected his spells, but he wasn¡¯t going to complain. The additional bonus of reduced mana cost made spells easier to use, and somehow his other items stacked their bonuses even further when the item¡¯s effect enhancement went from a small amount to a less moderate amount.


    With the equipment set bonus he understood why Climbers valued sets and kept them. If the others all had set gear with set bonuses and a sixth member, completing the second tier didn¡¯t seem like too much of a hurdle after all.


    John led them past the crowd towards Sonya and the judges. Pushing past the people and folding his parchments, Wyn heard his name called out within the crowd to his right while the rest of his group continued on ahead. Looking over, he saw three familiar faces, and the friendly Rogue was the first to greet him.


    The man had a few more pieces of armor but still carried two short swords on his hips. They were different weapons than before, as one had a nearly white sheen to the sheath and the other held a jade gemstone set in the hilt. His armor was different, too, being more elaborate with a dark leather base and studded accents. Still, he looked far more equipped than the last time Wyn led him and his small group through the tower.


    ¡°Devon!¡± Wyn said. ¡°You look good! How¡¯s the climbing been going?¡± He extended a hand and Devon eagerly shook it.


    ¡°It¡¯s been great,¡± Devon said, excitement plastered all over his face. ¡°We haven¡¯t cleared the first tier yet, but we¡¯ve been doing much better! Your instruction really helped us, too. We can¡¯t thank you enough.¡±


    Maven, the Divine Magician, and William, the Garnet Magician, each stood on either side of Devon and similarly wore more elaborate gear. They only wore a few more items that Wyn could tell were magical, but after only one season strictly climbing the first floor or two it was still impressive to see their rewards. Especially after how rough they started.


    Wyn waved him off. ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all. I¡¯m just happy to see you three doing well.¡±


    Maven and William each gave a slight bow of acknowledgement. ¡°We decided to pick up our climbing pace a bit last season,¡± William said. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to advance too fast, but we got much better running the first couple of floors over and over. The rewards and gear we found were really helpful!¡±


    ¡°And our new team,¡± Maven added. ¡°We found some good Climbers we can trust, and we¡¯re a good fit. We¡¯re hoping to break through into the second tier this month.¡±


    More Climbers came up behind the trio, and they each introduced themselves. Two of the Climbers looked like siblings as they both had the same curly brown hair and green eyes. The man, Mathias, was a little shorter than Wyn, and had shaggy hair but a friendly smile. The woman, Lynette, had longer hair like Tasha though her curls were less dense. Her smile was more reserved, but her eyes were kind. The brother had a mace on his hip and shield on his back, and the sister held a staff in her right hand.


    The third person was an absolute mountain of a man. He was easily a head and a half taller than Wyn, and was so bulky with hairy arms and a black mustache he looked like a bear more than a man. He also bowed when he introduced himself, and his voice was as deep as Wyn imagined. His name was Bryce, and he was a Barbarian. He only wore a vest for armor on his chest, leaving his massive arms exposed, and a huge two-handed axe was strapped to his back.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± Bryce said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard your name and class mentioned a time or two. It¡¯s wonderful to hear about an actual Ruby Magician climbing, and one so experienced, no less!¡±


    Wyn nodded in appreciation. ¡°Thank you. But I just wanted to help, is all. So you¡¯ve climbing the second tier, then? How long have you been climbing?¡±


    ¡°Four seasons,¡± Bryce said. ¡°I only became a Barbarian the season before last, and then my group unfortunately dispersed. I was happy to find Devon and the others to be able to keep climbing a few weeks ago. They¡¯ve grown a good amount in that time, and I have no doubt we¡¯ll do well in the second tier in the coming weeks as well!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kinda easy when you can shoulder just about any threat we face,¡± William said. ¡°You and Mathias make it seem like we aren¡¯t even there!¡±


    Mathias shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s part of being the front-line fighter, I suppose. Though Bryce still takes the brunt of most threats.¡±


    ¡°I understand the feeling,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Two of our group were second tier Climbers and made us feel a bit useless, especially at first. Now that we¡¯re consistently climbing the second tier, it¡¯s starting to even out a bit. So don¡¯t stress too much.¡±


    Maven¡¯s head jerked to Wyn. ¡°You¡¯re already in the second tier? Wasn¡¯t last month you¡¯re first full season climbing?¡±


    ¡°It was, yea. But we pushed ourselves and were able to progress. Within reason, of course. Though the more rewards we get the better, in my opinion.¡±


    Lynette snickered. ¡°A treasure chaser. That¡¯s typically how people lose to Alistair. Even experienced ones.¡±


    Wyn only smiled. He wasn¡¯t about to share his predicament with everyone here. If they wanted to believe he was only in it for greed, then so be it.


    ¡°What was your class upgrade?¡± Devon asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I have any idea about what a Ruby Magician could become!¡±


    Wyn hesitated. He didn¡¯t want to go down a rabbit hole of his new class and how it wasn¡¯t a standard upgrade option, instead likely only given to him because he met the Avatar of Alistair. That would raise far too many questions. Thankfully, his base class was so unpopular that hardly anyone knew about it, so he hoped they¡¯d just glaze over it.


    ¡°Ruby Strategist. It doesn¡¯t sound like much, but I¡¯m basically a support role for our group.¡±


    ¡°How do you support?¡± Mathias asked. ¡°You mean like covering the rear or only killing the weaker monsters?¡±


    Wyn tilted his head side to side. ¡°Not exactly. More like I can do a little bit of everything. Whatever is needed for the task at hand I can help cover.¡±


    ¡°Sounds subpar,¡± Lynette said. ¡°No offense.¡±


    Wyn smiled. He knew people would think that way. ¡°None taken. It works well in my group, and that¡¯s all that matters.¡± Wyn wanted to say that he could recover his mana in less than two hours, or that his skill siphoned mana back to himself. Or any number of points of how he is useful and helpful to his group. Instead, he just let them wonder for themselves. He didn¡¯t need to explain to everyone that being a Ruby Magician wasn¡¯t a bad class. If they watched him over the course of the trials, then they¡¯d find out for themselves.


    No one answered him, not knowing what to say. Wyn inwardly sighed.


    Deciding to change the subject, Wyn quickly rerouted the conversation. ¡°But if you¡¯re here, then that means you all are wanting to join a guild? Is that right?¡±


    Devon nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! We wanted to try our hand and see if anyone would be interested in picking us up. If not, then no harm done. But we also thought this would be good practice for us to see other Climbers fight and use strategies we might not have come up with. So we really can¡¯t lose by being here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great plan! I¡¯m sure you all will come out better at the end no matter what. I¡¯ll certainly be cheering for you.¡±


    The group said their thanks and quick goodbyes, and Wyn turned to catch back up with his group. The crowd was thick, nearly shoulder to shoulder, and he didn¡¯t see them nearby. Which wasn¡¯t a big deal, as they were all going to the same place to register. But he felt oddly alone in a sea of Climbers. Heading towards the war room to add the Elemental Weapon spell, he became lost in a sea of thoughts.


    A pang of longing for his sister hit Wyn like a brick. The last letter he read of hers wasn¡¯t the most reassuring, as he knew something was off based on her words and phrasing. He had several letters from her and knew how she wrote. How she spoke. She hadn¡¯t replied in nearly two weeks either, which made Wyn feel even worse. Something had to be going on, and he hated being in the dark about not knowing.


    Someone tapped on his shoulder and he turned. The feeling of missing his sister immediately shifted to anger as he saw who tapped him on the shoulder.


    Lucy stood there, tall and proud.


    Anger bubbled inside Wyn like boiling water in a pot. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Lucy scrunched her face up but thankfully kept her voice quiet. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to see me -¡±


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t want to see you,¡± Wyn said, cutting her off. ¡°Seeing your face reminds me of my burden. It¡¯s not pleasant.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Honestly, if there¡¯s anyone here who understands it¡¯s me.¡±


    Wyn turned back to head off to the war room. He really didn¡¯t want to talk to her at the moment.


    ¡°Listen,¡± Lucy continued. ¡°I won¡¯t overstay my painfully obvious welcome. But I have news. Bad news, unfortunately.¡±


    Wyn whipped his head around to face her. ¡°What could possibly be worse?¡±


    ¡°Your father is dead. And your sister is missing.¡±

 Interlude - Arabelle 3

    Mud splashed over Arabelle¡¯s boots, coating them with another layer. The rest of her clothes were already filthy but not nearly as bad as her leather boots. After the first week of travel she stopped caring about cleaning them as it was nearly impossible to find something that scrubbed well enough to remove the caked mud, and her hands always looked disgusting after, too. The outcome wasn¡¯t worth the effort.


    Her inventory was limited and coins were delegated to only the necessities - food, shelter, and most importantly, passage on the caravans to Alestead. The amount of coins she planned to save and use wasn¡¯t far off, but she still found herself short. It wasn¡¯t helped by the fact that she left sooner than she wanted, or that the delays going to Alestead were more frequent than she thought. One caravan during her first week just didn¡¯t show, and she had to scramble to find another. Then, after arriving at the last major city on her travels a few days ago, the lodgings were far more expensive than the rest of her journey. She was five days away from Alestead but only had one more crown to her name. It wasn¡¯t enough to make it there, and her worry grew.


    Closing her eyes, Arabelle rested her head against the side of the wagon she¡¯d been riding in. The final stop, Cambon, was a bit bigger than a town but not quite classified as a city. At least according to the traders and other riders of the caravan. It was a popular spot for merchants, though, as it was the last caravan stop before arriving in the absurdly expensive tower city. Arabelle didn¡¯t care about any of that, of course, but she overheard quite a bit during her travels. She only wanted to make it to the city and was afraid she¡¯d run out of coins to earn passage there. The last thing she wanted was to start begging, and stealing goods or a spot on a caravan was a guaranteed way to be jailed. That was not an option.


    She sighed. She was so close to her destination, though it felt like it was further from her grasp than where she started. Hiking the distance might be possible, but then there was the logistics of having enough food and water, not to mention shelter from weather or predators. The caravan was set to continue the trek in a few hours, scheduled to arrive in Cambon the next day. Alestead was a three day journey from there, and the caravan leader said the plan was to stop for only a day. That lit a fire under all of the merchants to prepare what they wanted to buy or sell at the last stop, which was likely the caravan leader¡¯s intentions.


    That was fine with Arabelle. The sooner she got to Alestead the better. And she was so tired of being alone. It was a feeling that she had long before her current trip started, but her desire to be with her brother was starting to overwhelm her.


    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t see her anywhere,¡± a voice suddenly said behind her.


    Arabelle perked her ears but didn¡¯t move. It became a habit of hers to listen in to conversations around her. She found out a good deal of information that way without the risk of having to expose herself as a woman traveling alone.


    ¡°She has to be on this caravan somewhere,¡± another voice said. ¡°Markus said he heard about a traveller matching her description at the last stop.¡±


    Arabelle felt her heart thump in her chest. She tried to calm herself - there was no way they were talking about her. No one else knew of her decision to go to Alestead.


    ¡°Maybe we can threaten her brother?¡± The first voice replied. ¡°Surely he knows about her travel plans. They write each other constantly.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to scare her away. We know she¡¯s going to Alestead, we just need to be patient. Have a few men posted at the entrance to intercept her.¡±


    Arabelle cursed under her breath. They were definitely talking about her. Did they check the farm and somehow figured out she was on the run? Maybe her father lived after all and sent them after her. Or maybe he died and they¡¯re looking for the next easy target to start making threats. If that was the case, though, then Wyn would have been the better choice. They knew where he was, at least. She never stayed in the same place long so she could get to Alestead as soon as possible which made her a harder person to find. But, here they were, looking for her.


    Which meant Wyn likely was already threatened, or at least would be soon. If he wasn¡¯t already.


    She heard them shuffle around and finish their conversation before leaving. There wasn¡¯t much else they spoke about, just planning with movements and timeframes and some things she didn¡¯t understand. It didn¡¯t matter too much to her, except for the fact that she needed to act, and act soon.


    She raised the hood of her cloak to help mask her face and swiftly walked back to her wagon. Maybe she could hide out until they arrived in Cambon and then try to avoid them then. It wasn¡¯t an ideal plan, but she didn¡¯t have much choice while they were stopped on the road between settlements. When she arrived at the wagon, though, she saw an incredibly suspicious man looking around at people. He didn¡¯t seem to be traveling with anyone, and was scowling at everyone after looking them over. There was a scar over his left ear where no hair grew, and his clothes were as black as night.


    Arabelle ducked back behind a wagon and peered around the corner to watch the man for a minute. He just kept searching through the crowd around them. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for the traders and travelers to commune during stops, wanting to stretch their limbs and exercise their mouths after so much time on the road. She thought about trying to get lost in the crowd, but the man was searching through the people vigorously.


    Suddenly another man stopped beside him and whispered something in his hear. He was equally as menacing, bald with a large black beard while wearing the same black clothes. They must have been the two men talking on the other side of the wagon. They obviously hadn¡¯t found Arabelle yet, but were searching relentlessly for her.


    She turned and quickly made her way through the crowd in the other direction. There weren¡¯t many wagons the other way as it was towards the head of the caravan, typically reserved for the wealthier patrons, but Arabelle wondered if they started searching for her at the front and were moving their way to the rear. She was lucky that they missed her so far, but they wouldn¡¯t make that same mistake again.


    Cursing her luck, she knew tonight would be a miserable night. But her plan was a simple one, and hopefully effective.


    *****


    The morning sun welcomed the caravan on the outskirts of Cambon. The caravan leader, Roscoe, timed the journey just right, deciding to set off just before sunrise broke over the skyline in order to arrive right as people started their day. He knew that stopping for only one day would infuriate a good number of the traders, but he found that he always had more success with this strategy as it forced the merchants to be looser with their wares. They¡¯d make up the profits in Alestead, no doubt, but it was a plan that had paid itself off more than once. He could secure some goods for the next few months at heavily discounted prices, ensuring either a tidy profit or security for a possibly poor harvest in the fall and subsequent harsh winter. Regardless, he would likely come out on top with a simple decision.


    Today was going to be a great day.


    After an hour of securing the horses and ushering the more prestigious guests away into Cambon, Roscoe was readying himself to begin his day of trading. As he turned to leave his personal wagon, his head of security and longtime friend, Bartholomew, was waiting for him with two additional members of his security team. He carried a sense of urgency and concern.


    Roscoe furrowed his brow. This wasn¡¯t like the distinguished man. Something was definitely off. ¡°What is it, Bart?¡±


    ¡°A woman, sir,¡± Bartholomew answered. ¡°Barely old enough to be considered one, at least. She was hiding in one of the storage wagons.¡±


    Roscoe softened a bit. He didn¡¯t have a bleeding heart, but at least it wasn¡¯t something worse. Like a dead merchant or stolen goods. He¡¯d dealt with runaways before, and it was usually a simple matter. But if Bartholomew was coming to inform him with an unusually serious tone, something was truly off. ¡°Why come to me? Where is her family? Or is she a stowaway?¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Bartholomew shook his head. ¡°No, sir. That was my first thought, but then she presented a travel receipt. Then I thought she might have stolen it, but she said some men were after her and she hid instead of returning to her wagon. I¡¯ve verified with some of the tradesmen that they traveled beside a lone young woman matching her description who didn¡¯t turn up last night. So her story seems to check out.¡±


    Roscoe nodded along. ¡°Have you found the men she described? You know I don¡¯t take kindly to harassers.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately we have not. They likely ran away when we first entered the town. I¡¯ve notified the local authorities but I don¡¯t have much hope about any success.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Such is the way of the world, Bart. But still, my first question remains. Why come to me?¡±


    ¡°I tried to turn her over to the local guards but she refused. She said she was on her way to Alestead to see her brother and couldn¡¯t be delayed any longer. Said guards would only slow her down.¡±


    Roscoe chuckled. The girl - or rather, young woman - seemed to have some spunk about her. Those kinds of people always made for interesting conversation. And he was desperate for some after such a time on the road. ¡°Did she make any demands? She wasn¡¯t looking for free passage, was she?¡±


    Bartholomew smiled. ¡°The only thing she asked was for work. She wanted to earn the rest of her way to Aleastead.¡±


    Roscoe actually laughed. ¡°Take me to her.¡±


    *****


    Arabelle slowly blew on the soup in front of her. The tavern she was in was one of the nicer buildings she¡¯d entered in all of her travels. It was too costly to waste precious coins on nicer meals when meager food was enough, but now the caravan leader insisted on taking her here and feeding her. She was weary of him at first, but after offering to pay for a meal in exchange for her story, she relaxed. He didn¡¯t seem out to get her, and he certainly didn¡¯t appear to be working with the two men. The intimidating man sitting with them, Bartholomew, likely could handle those two men with his eyes closed, too. Arabelle felt more secure than she had in some time.


    ¡°When¡¯s the last time you ate?¡± Roscoe asked. He sat patiently at the table across from Arabelle, his hands folded and resting on the table.


    Arabelle ripped a hunk of bread with her teeth and chewed it for a moment before responding. It was impolite to speak while chewing, and she didn¡¯t want to offend the caravan leader, especially after he bought the meal. The bread also wasn¡¯t stale, which made her want to savor it. ¡°Yesterday morning. Some basic rations for travel was all I could afford, and to make them last I¡¯ve only been eating one a day. I have to stretch my last few cloaks after some unexpected delays to Alestead.¡±


    Roscoe nodded as thought he understood perfectly. ¡°One a day isn¡¯t very much. You didn¡¯t plan for some unexpected delays on a long trip?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did. But I left a bit sooner than I wanted with less coin than I planned for. And one a day isn¡¯t so bad when all I¡¯ve been doing is resting. Less energy to expend means less food I need.¡± She didn¡¯t feel the need to explain that she¡¯d been eating meager portions of food for years as her and her father¡¯s worth decreased from the declining farm and worsening debt.


    ¡°At least you planned what you could. Bart here says your brother is in Alestead and you¡¯re going to see him. That true?¡±


    Arabelle paused before taking another spoonful of soup. She told Bart, the other man at the table, the truth, as she felt like lying would have been far worse for her. But now she regretted sharing so much information. Reluctantly, she nodded, but offered nothing further.


    ¡°Come, now. I¡¯m not handing you over to anyone. And the men trying to find you are gone. You can tell me.¡±


    Arabelle saw that Roscoe had a mischievous air about him, but he wasn¡¯t unkind. She didn¡¯t need to share every detail, but maybe some more of the truth couldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°My brother is all I have left. My drunken father racked up so much debt while pissing his life away that the burden has fallen to me and my brother. He went to Alestead to become a Climber to help pay it off, while I was simply trying to survive at home. Our farm wilted away into nothing, and I had to get away. Better to go be with my brother in the famed tower city than at home with a bastard of a father.¡±


    Roscoe sat back in his chair but offered no obvious emotion on his face. ¡°Interesting. You couldn¡¯t convince him to sell the farm? Some are worth quite a bit of coin, you know. Land alone could be worth thousands of crowns.¡±


    ¡°I know that. Our father flatly refused. At this point I don¡¯t even care, though. I¡¯m just happy to be rid of that place and all the memories that came with it.¡± Arabelle¡¯s thoughts started to drift back to times spent doing all of the chores from sunrise to sunset, attempting to farm and being chastised for it, and then moonlighting at the Pig Sty on top of everything else. The work was nearly unbearable, and her father made it ten times worse.


    Roscoe slowly nodded. He must have understood her unspoken meaning and thankfully left it alone. ¡°I can understand the sentiment. Being a Climber can be lucrative, too. I¡¯ve heard of some who play their cards right and retire with a small fortune rivaling some of the best merchants and even some of the lesser nobles! If you were to join him, I¡¯m sure your debt could be paid off quite quickly.¡±


    Arabelle recoiled. ¡°Me? A Climber? I have no skills at all that would help me face a magical tower full of monsters! The best I could do would be to find work and start helping that way.¡±


    ¡°Jobs in Alestead are coveted, you know. There are plenty of people who go to the city not looking to climb, but rather to find work in one of the many businesses. People with good experience and backgrounds. What makes you think a young woman from the country whose only experience is homesteading would be better then them?¡±


    Arabelle frowned. She hadn¡¯t considered that.


    Roscoe must have sense her concern as he continued without waiting for a response. ¡°Now that isn¡¯t to say there isn¡¯t opportunity there. There absolutely is! And having a good reference would go a long way though I¡¯d wager your brother could just as easily get you work somewhere.¡±


    Arabelle understood the meaning and latched onto it. ¡°You¡¯d be willing to help me? Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a businessman, first and foremost. I see opportunities and I take them. But I also enjoy a good story and interesting conversation, and you¡¯ve provided a bit of both. And, most importantly, you seem to be in need of safe passage into Alestead, which I can provide.¡±


    Arabelle slowly nodded in agreement. ¡°I can¡¯t pay for your generosity now, but I can work for it. Name a price and I¡¯ll pay it.¡±


    Roscoe looked over to Bartholomew who hid his growing smile. The hardened man had to look away to not show the smile on his face, not wanting to insult the woman. Roscoe just sighed. ¡°You have plenty of gumption, but negotiation isn¡¯t your strong suit, is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I follow?¡±


    Roscoe leaned in and spoke quietly. ¡°You don¡¯t start by asking to name a price and then promise to pay it. That¡¯s a guaranteed way to be swindled! You come up with a reasonable amount for the trade discussed and then offer less.¡±


    Arabelle felt her cheeks flush. She essentially just gave this man freedom to come up with any amount and then agreed to pay it. While she didn¡¯t have the impression he would cheat her, she immediately regretted her words. Was that how her father accrued so much debt? She had a lot to learn, apparently.


    Bartholomew¡¯s smile broke into a laugh, and Roscoe promptly smacked his shoulder. It was more of a friendly gesture than a disciplinary action.


    ¡°Thank you for the advice,¡± Arabelle said, hoping to recover some of her folly. ¡°I have¡­ some coin left, but I can make up the difference once I start work. I can help with the caravan and then find out a way to send you the debt.¡±


    Roscoe sat back in his chair and smiled. ¡°You catch on quick. That¡¯s good! You can help my bookkeeper log inventory until we set off for Alestead. There¡¯s always a guard with her so you won¡¯t be alone. On the road you can help my stable-master care for the horses. Once we arrive to Alestead, Bart and I will escort you personally inside until someone else can help you find your brother. I don¡¯t need to tell you you shouldn¡¯t be alone until you find him.¡±


    Arabelle felt relief swell inside her. For the first time since Wyn came home she felt truly hopeful.


    ¡°I have a contact who could use an assistant and I bet the pay would be decent. He¡¯s an honest man. As for paying me back, well¡­ I have a feeling your brother will be able to cover the cost quite easily being a Climber. The fee for everything - work, safe passage, and travel - will be 25 gold crowns.¡±


    The relief Arabelle felt was wiped away in an instant. 25 crowns? That was robbery!


    She started to respond but stopped herself. This man was generously offering to escort her to Wyn. Safely. Would any amount of crowns be too much? If Wyn knew about her situation he likely would have offered far more than 25 crowns to make sure she was safe. She should be grateful anyone was willing to help her, and she quickly calmed down.


    Arabelle nodded curtly. ¡°25 crowns.¡±


    Roscoe smiled softly. ¡°Excellent. Then go ahead and go back to the wagons. Cecilia, my bookkeeper, will need your help right away.¡±


    Arabelle bowed in respect and instantly set off while a guard from inside the tavern followed her out.


    Bartholomew summoned the waiter and ordered two pints of ale. ¡°Only 25 crowns? You¡¯re getting soft in your old age. You know her brother would pay hundreds. Or thousands.¡±


    Roscoe shrugged. ¡°If I would¡¯ve said too much more she would¡¯ve thought I was taking advantage of her. I don¡¯t need the money. And she really needs some help right now. She looked like a wild animal eating that soup.¡±


    ¡°Anyone in her situation would have. But my point still stands.¡±


    A man sat down two pints on the table, and both men grabbed their mug.


    ¡°Maybe so,¡± Roscoe said, raising his mug to Bartholomew in preparation for a toast. ¡°Opportunities don¡¯t come by like this much more. Not since we climbed that gods-forsaken tower ourselves. But here¡¯s to doing some good in this world.¡±


    Bartholomew raised his mug and clinked it with Roscoe¡¯s as foam gently splattered onto the wood table. ¡°Now that¡¯s something worth toasting.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 21

    Wyn sat in the stands along with his team. The first trial for the guild tryouts, the melee tournament, was about to begin, and they wanted to find a group of seats where they could all watch clearly. The stands themselves were fairly simple - four wooden rows of increasing height were placed against each of the three walls of the training hall, providing ample room and opportunity for spectating. It was a simple but effective structure, commonly seen in jousting tournaments and festivals where entertainment warranted large crowds.


    But Wyn¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t be any further from wanting to be entertained.


    After Lucy told him about his family, a mixture of emotions surged through Wyn as though Cedric hit him with lightning. A strangely deep sense of relief that his father was dead overcame him, but so did fear. Fear about his sister being missing. Fear that the Assembly would come for his sister and her life would now be in danger. Anger was also ever present, and Wyn had trouble suppressing it. He was angry that Arabelle was alone and very likely afraid. He was angry that he hadn¡¯t heard from her, and then that anger was directed at the Assembly and all the pieces of shit who worked for them.


    Lucy. She said they needed to talk, but Wyn ignored her and moved on. No matter what she said, she was a part of them, a part of the enemy. An enemy that couldn¡¯t be beaten down and killed like Lionel. An enemy that had reach in all corners of the country and potentially beyond.


    Wyn took a deep breath to try and settle his mind. His friends surrounded him in the stands, and they gave him comfort. He immediately told them about what Lucy said and they offered words of encouragement and support. Marcy even offered to leave the city and hunt down Arabelle, to which Wyn was grateful. Lucy had said Arabelle was missing but she carried a letter from her that she wanted to personally hand to Wyn. She said that his sister tried to get a courier to send it to him but it was intercepted instead. She mentioned something about risking her own neck in order to show some good will to him by giving him the letter herself.


    Wyn snatched it out of her hand and ignored her from then on. She quickly got the message and left him in peace.


    He sat in the stands now, holding Arabelle¡¯s letter while ignoring the people who were finishing setting up the combat arena. He had already read it once, but he could hardly believe what she told him. The letter was obviously from her, too, as her handwriting was unique and word choices specific, so at least he knew it wasn¡¯t faked.


    She explained that she was coming to Alestead. For him.


    She also wrote that she had a specific plan to make it to the city and that he shouldn¡¯t worry. He just laughed at that. How could he not worry? But when she mentioned she had saved up enough coins to ensure her travel was secure, he realized she was serious. And his sister was nearly as stubborn as he was. If she said she¡¯d come to the city, she¡¯d come. It would be an exhausting effort to try and find her, and he had to trust she found her way to him. If she didn¡¯t show or write to him in the next week or so, well¡­ he¡¯d abandon everything and look for her. There wouldn¡¯t be any family left to save at that point, anyway. And if it was caused by the Assembly, he¡¯d tear them apart.


    But, Wyn decided to be hopeful for his sister. All in all, it was an exciting thought that he could finally be with her for an extended period of time. If he was being honest with himself, he was thankful his deadbeat father was gone, too. He was an unfortunate burden and brought more detriment to their family than help. The only thing Wyn wished he could have changed was the decision to bring Arabelle with him to Alestead when he first came. The city wasn¡¯t as bad as he thought, and there were more opportunities for work and a life than they had on their farm.


    Leaving her alone with him for so long. First while at war, and again to climb. It was a mistake he hoped she¡¯d be able to forgive.


    John nudged his arm and Wyn blinked his thoughts away. ¡°You okay?¡± John asked.


    Wyn sighed. ¡°I think I will be. I¡¯m just¡­ wrapping my head around the news is all.¡±


    Tasha, sitting on the other side of John, leaned forward and patted Wyn¡¯s leg. ¡°We¡¯re here for you. And if you don¡¯t hear anything soon, we¡¯ll go look for her. All of us.¡±


    Marcy and Cedric, sitting in front of them, both turned around and offered similar gestures of encouragement. Wyn felt incredibly secure with his friends, and was thankful for them more than ever.


    The crowd around them suddenly started clapping and Wyn looked up to see the current two matches had ended. Four more Climbers started walking to the makeshift stage to start the next bouts. Wyn looked around but couldn¡¯t tell how long he was stuck in his own thoughts.


    The arena for the combat tournament was simple. Two areas were made for two different matches at the same time, which Sonya had mentioned was so they could get through the trials quicker. The stage was basically just the training hall floor squared off for the combatants to have clear boundaries. The setup was that the first tier Climbers fought first, each taking one section of the arena to have their spar. Going two fights at a time helped keep the pace going smoothly. The second tier participants fought next, though they were just one match at a time. John¡¯s theory was that it was so no guild recruiter would miss those fights, as they were better candidates for guilds than first tier Climbers.


    Currently, the last two matches were about to begin before the first match of the second tier group. Which was, of course, Wyn¡¯s trial.


    The fighting group closest to their seats was between two women, a Rogue and a Fighter. The Fighter had a sword and shield like John, and the Rogue wielded a single short sword. Wyn immediately knew that Climber was going to lose. Even if that was all she fought with and was comfortable using in Alistair, she¡¯d lose to a weapon with superior reach and a shield to block her attacks. It didn¡¯t matter much if she was faster or had better endurance, either - if the Fighter was at least halfway decent at her equipment selection, she¡¯d win.


    For the spars, everyone had their choice of equipment to use. They could either wield a primary and secondary weapon, or a weapon and shield. Weapon racks lined the stage around them, covered in wooden training pieces. It was a traditional spar and one Wyn was familiar with.


    As the match started, Wyn excused himself to get ready for his upcoming fight. Marcy and Cedric stepped away with him.


    ¡°Are you two coming to coach me?¡± Wyn joked as they exited the stands.


    Marcy patted him on the shoulder. ¡°I have a feeling you¡¯ll be just fine. We came down to talk to Faye.¡± She pointed over to the Druid, who was seated with the rest of her own group behind the judges. She waved at them excitedly, then gestured for them to join her.


    As Cedric and Marcy walked over to see their friend, Wyn returned to the match. The Fighter already scored two points over the Rogue, and one more point would net her the win. It was a simple scoring system of the first combatant to reach three points out of five won the match. Scoring a point involved a solid hit, not a glancing blow. The later rounds would probably be more in depth, but this was an easy scoring system to keep the fights moving.


    To his expectation, the Fighter won the next round and the match was over. As the other sparring fight was nearing its end, Wyn felt nerves rise inside of him. He didn¡¯t mind the spar itself, but didn¡¯t enjoy such an audience. It was a strange feeling knowing everyone in the room was watching you, and he took some deep breaths to help calm down. He mentally told himself that it was going to be just like any other spar.


    Sonya walked over to the middle of the stage and raised her arms high up into the air like before. ¡°There¡¯s the first round of our first tier Climbers! Please, everyone, give them a round of applause for a great performance!¡±


    The crowd clapped and cheered for the Climbers but stopped after only a few seconds. Sonya picked up on the lackluster response. ¡°Now we have the trials for our second tier combatants!¡± The crowd celebrated again, even louder than before. ¡°Up first is Ergol, Rogue upgraded to Duelist!¡±


    The noise picked up, with a few yells of support and cheering. Ergol walked over to the weapons rack and started to grab and test a few of the wooden pieces, deliberately stalling his choice.


    Wyn stood at the edge of the stage as his heart rate immediately spiked. This was it. His class would be announced to everyone present, and they¡¯d all be watching him compete. He felt confident in his abilities to spar, but how many seasons of experience did the other Climbers have?


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    He took a deep breath. It didn¡¯t matter how experienced they were. He had several years of military training under his belt. And he¡¯d show them his skills.


    ¡°And competing against Ergol,¡± Sonya continued, ¡°is Ardwyn¡­¡± She paused, checking the small piece of paper she held closer. The effect was dramatic as the crowed hushed. ¡°Ardwyn, Ruby Magician upgraded to¡­ Ruby Strategist!¡± She quickly picked up her enthusiasm, though her voice wavered when announcing his upgraded class.


    The crowd was strangely quiet except for a few claps and cheers. As Wyn grabbed a wooden spear he peeked into the crowd and saw John and Tasha were the only two who supported him. People sitting around the pair looked at them strangely, though only Tasha grew anxious and stopped. John kept right on cheering.


    Wyn walked into the simple arena opposite Ergol, who watched him with furrowed brows. He held a short sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. It was a poor match up for Wyn¡¯s spear, and he quickly devised a plan. From what he remembered around Rogues, they favored speed and agility, and it was a safe bet that a Duelist had the same build. If Wyn could keep him at a good distance, Ergol would never be able to get close enough to land a hit.


    ¡°A Red Mage?¡± Ergol asked with a smirk, twirling his wooden sword. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± Some of the people in the audience laughed.


    Wyn tightened the grip on his spear and took a readied stance. ¡°Serious enough to advance to the second tier.¡±


    Ergol¡¯s smirk vanished as he crouched low.


    ¡°Combatants ready?¡± Sonya asked.


    Both Ergol and Wyn nodded.


    ¡°The first person to land three hits will be our winner, and you will reset your positions when I call a successful hit. So without further delay¡­ begin!¡±


    Ergol slowly inched forward, and Wyn took that hesitation to advance. He closed the twenty foot distance quickly, and based on Ergol¡¯s surprised expression, the Duelist wasn¡¯t anticipating him to move so suddenly. Wyn promptly lunged with his spear aiming for the man¡¯s right chest.


    To his credit, Errol dodged to the other side and tried to sidestep into Wyn for a counterattack. Wyn, however, anticipated the dodge and swept his spear hard behind Errol¡¯s knee. Not expecting the move, Ergol lost his footing, and Wyn capitalized with two quick stabs into his torso. They weren¡¯t hard hits, but he didn¡¯t fully hold back, either.


    ¡°Hit!¡± Sonya yelled, raising a hand into the air.


    Ergol looked like he had just been slapped in the face. Wyn quietly moved back to his section of the arena, subtly looking around at the crowd. No one was celebrating his point, and everyone either seemed to be sitting in stunned silence or whispering to their neighbor.


    Readying himself for the second round, Wyn focused only on his opponent. Ergol was bouncing on the balls of his feet now, and Wyn knew he was going to rush him the moment Sonya called the round to begin.


    As expected, Ergol rushed forward at the start though had to leap to the side to avoid a quick jab of Wyn¡¯s spear. Trying to keep the Duelist at a distance and moving, Wyn kept attacking rapidly, and Ergol was forced on the defensive. He backpedaled while dodging when he could or parrying with one of his weapons. Wyn knew he would win this round, too - the man wasn¡¯t repositioning himself well in the arena, and just reacted instead of trying to think ahead. Wyn was forcing him into the corner so he couldn¡¯t dodge anymore, which was when he would be able to land a hit.


    Fighting someone required removing their advantages. If his opponent was fast and nimble, like Ergol, Wyn¡¯s strategy usually involved restricting their movements and limiting their chances to reposition.


    Once Ergol realized he was in the corner, it was too late. He couldn¡¯t parry all of Wyn¡¯s strikes, and one eventually landed on his shoulder.


    ¡°Hit!¡± Sonya yelled again.


    While the crowd murmured louder this time, Ergol growled in frustration. ¡°How in the hells is this happening!¡±


    Ignoring him, Wyn simply walked back to his corner. Only one more point was all that stood between him and moving on to the next round. He took a deep breath and positioned himself to start the next round.


    Ergol was silently muttering to himself, pacing in a small area on his side of the arena. He kept twirling his weapons like he was out for blood.


    Wyn sighed. If the man was angry, he was guaranteed to lose. Cooler heads always prevailed. It was a wonder he didn¡¯t realize the vast disadvantage a sword had against a spear, and a short sword, at that.


    Sonya called the start of the next round, and Ergol nearly launched himself at Wyn. He patiently waited for the Duelist to come to him. So far, Wyn noticed that Ergol favored attacks with his short sword, and preferred to use his dagger to parry or try for sneakier hits. Most of his strikes involved stabs to try for a longer reach to combat the disadvantage of a shorter weapon against a spear. He assumed the man was going to try and rush for a quick stab of his longer weapon, which meant he would lead with his right hand while needing to push off with his left foot for more power, speed, and length to extend his right arm.


    Wyn decided to take a chance. Which he was fine with, considering he had points to spare.


    As Ergol closed the distance, Wyn didn¡¯t move. He carefully positioned his body to move at the exact time needed, and when Ergol came close, he struck out with his short sword. Unfortunately for the Duelist, he also had a bad habit of keeping his body open to attacks, as his fighting strategy involved dodging or parrying, not blocking or protecting. Taking advantage of that, Wyn decided to try and score a hit in one move. He promptly lunged to the opposite side while stabbing out towards Ergol, instantly catching him in the ribs.


    Ergol flinched and threw both of his weapons down in anger. Wyn simply gave a small bow of respect after standing up. The crowd was completely silent except for a few stray claps and cheers. This time Wyn nodded to them, thanking his four teammates for their support. They were the only ones who congratulated him.


    Hopefully that would change as the trials continued. Wyn had a new, personal goal - he¡¯d change the opinions of the other Climbers and show them that a Ruby Magician was a worthy class.


    *****


    ¡°You¡¯re leader is pretty good, you know,¡± Faye said, popping a grape into her mouth. She lounged on a wide bench where the guild members sat. It was placed so they could all watch their potential future guild mates, and was nearly as full as the rest of the rowed seats in the training hall.


    ¡°We know,¡± Cedric said. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be our leader if he wasn¡¯t good. He¡¯s proven himself time and time again.¡±


    ¡°True, but Ergol was also just that bad,¡± Marcy said. ¡°No offense to Wyn, but he was telegraphing his attacks right from the start. He might be decent in the tower as a Duelist, but he looks like a one-trick pony. And he should¡¯ve changed weapons immediately after seeing Wyn picked a spear.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say a bit of both,¡± Faye said. ¡°But I¡¯m honestly shocked you two are even here! Didn¡¯t you say at one point you wanted nothing to do with a guild?¡±


    Cedric shrugged, though the effect was diminished with only one arm. ¡°That was before this group. Wyn did save my life, and they stuck around even after I lost my arm. John wanted to try out so bad I couldn¡¯t so no. Though I¡¯m not really as invested as he is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still not entirely convinced, myself,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I think it¡¯s good practice, but I¡¯m not as wild as the others about joining. Though you know that, Faye.¡±


    Faye sighed. ¡°Even after all of my attempts to convince you you¡¯re still as stubborn as an ass. Yea, I got it.¡± She popped another grape in her mouth, winking at Marcy.


    Marcy blushed, but quickly shook it off. ¡°I know we aren¡¯t supposed to be here, but we actually had a question that couldn¡¯t wait. Has anyone in your guild come across a tier three living monster component? Something special, like moldable metal or a shape changing material?¡±


    Faye paused before biting the grape she held in her hand. ¡°That¡¯s a very specific question. But yes, actually.¡±


    Cedric immediately whipped his head around. ¡°What is it? Is it hard to find? How many pieces have you been able to secure?¡±


    ¡°Woah, woah, woah. That¡¯s a lot more questions! If you must know, it¡¯s called Nimbus Smoke. I personally found one, but it was a rare drop. Not sure if anyone else in the guild found one, either.¡±


    Cedric looked back to Marcy, hope in his eyes. She returned his look with a broad smile.


    ¡°Okay, now I have questions,¡± Faye said.


    Cedric and Marcy quickly filled the Druid in on their meeting with Cara. She nodded slowly, following along. The crowd cheered and clapped along to the next round of sparring, and Faye was eventually informed of Cedric¡¯s plan.


    ¡°So you want to try and reform an arm using these components,¡± Faye said. ¡°That makes sense. I¡¯d love to help, though I only have one component. And they¡¯re worth a lot, so I¡¯d have to get it cleared to sell. I doubt Gregory would accept me giving it away or even selling it a large discount.¡±


    ¡°How much are they worth?¡± Marcy asked.


    Faye tilted her head side to side. ¡°I believe our last estimate was around 2000 crowns each?¡±


    Cedric spit out his drink all over his robe.


    ¡°A monster drop?¡± Marcy asked. ¡°Worth that much?¡±


    Faye shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s an incredibly valuable purple rarity item. So, yea, they¡¯re worth a lot! It was from last season, though. No one¡¯s been able to securely climb into the third tier. The second tier has been ridiculously challenging, even for us. But I might be able to ask around for two more in the coming weeks.¡±


    Cedric slowly nodded. ¡°If you could hold them, I¡¯d come up with 6000 crowns. Maybe not this month, but soon.¡± Cedric shook his head and blinked rapidly. ¡°What am I saying? I don¡¯t care how expensive that is. I¡¯ll sell my equipment if it means getting an arm again!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget Cara¡¯s extra costs, too,¡± Marcy said. ¡°The rest of us will help however we can. I know Wyn would try to work it out, too.¡±


    Cedric nodded in thanks, and Faye nudged them both. ¡°Hey, now, I¡¯m your friend, too. Just because I¡¯m not in your group doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t help! In fact, I might have an idea.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡± Marcy asked.


    Faye¡¯s smile turned wicked as she used a grape to point to each of them. ¡°If you both promise to put as much effort into these trials as the rest of your group, I¡¯ll convince Gregory to push the guild towards finding the materials you need and sell them to you at a reasonable price. The Twilight Blades have been looking for a new group, and I¡¯d love it if you¡¯d be the one to join! But only if you really try. There¡¯s some good competition here.¡±


    Cedric stood up from his seat. ¡°Are you serious? All it will take is us trying harder?¡±


    Faye popped the grape into her mouth and wordlessly nodded.


    Cedric looked over at Marcy, who just kept staring at Faye. He smiled, and knew that Faye that hooked both of them. For Cedric, he had hope of a very possible means of obtaining a new arm. For Marcy, hers was a bit less difficult though equally as complicated. Being a part of the Twilight Blades meant seeing and being around Faye more. And Cedric knew his best friend desperately wanted that to happen.


    Bowing to Faye, Cedric pulled Marcy from their seats and moved to leave. The trials had already started, but Cedric needed to plan.

 Book 2 - Chapter 22

    John absorbed another blow on his shield, then paused before his counterattack. His opponent, another sword and shield Climber, was strong but not very skilled. To him, it felt like she came to Alestead unprepared but likely found success with a good mentor and a good group. Unfortunately for her, he had been preparing to become a Climber long before he ever stepped foot into the famed tower city.


    Feigning a wide slash, John quickly jabbed his wooden sword into her ribs and scored his third and final point. Sonya yelled the hit and the crowd clapped for his success. Both Climbers bowed to each other, returned their equipment, and left the stage.


    Overall, it was straightforward and simple. It may have even been a little boring.


    ¡°You know, maybe this won¡¯t be as hard as we thought,¡± Tasha said, standing by the entrance to the training hall along with the rest of their group. ¡°That match looked far too easy.¡±


    ¡°Or we¡¯re just that good,¡± John replied. ¡°There are plenty of great Climbers here. This is just the first trial!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Cedric said. ¡°But we need to figure out our plan for the week. We need to balance climbing and being here in the training hall for the trials.¡±


    Wyn looked over at Cedric. He and Marcy immediately told the three rookies about their conversation with Faye, and the others couldn¡¯t have been more excited. The thought of potentially joining the Twilight Blades nearly made John¡¯s head spin, and Wyn was happy his friend had a good chance of getting his arm back. Tasha was happy for everyone, and as supportive as always. Still, it was nice to see that Cedric was now serious about the trials when before he was ambivalent at best.


    If anything, it made Wyn more interested in joining the guild, too.


    ¡°My trial starts in less than an hour, now,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I¡¯m up first, at least. Then the mage trials start two hours after that.¡±


    Marcy appeared more invested as well. Wyn always knew she was a good, loyal friend, and he felt better knowing she was doing this for John and Cedric. Though the way she fidgeted when Faye was mentioned made Wyn wonder if there was another reason for her interest.


    ¡°If we aren¡¯t too tired after, maybe we can climb once before the day¡¯s end?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°It¡¯ll make for a long day, but we can do it!¡±


    Wyn nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. We can probably get one more climb in before the mage trials if we go into Alistair the moment Marcy is done. We could likely clear one of the first tier floors before the mage trials start with a two hour window.¡±


    ¡°Either the first or fourth floors,¡± John said. ¡°The first is easy enough to rush through, and we can power our way through the fourth floor in that time. Shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem.¡±


    ¡°I vote fourth,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Be liberal with our mana and we can go even faster. Pop some potions at the end of the floor to fill your mana pools, then go to the trials. Easy!¡±


    Tasha¡¯s curls bobbed as she nodded several times. ¡°That¡¯s good! I also vote the fourth floor. We can do it! And our reward will be better than climbing the first floor!¡±


    John and Cedric both agreed as well, and the group concluded that if they had enough time at the end of the day, they¡¯d go back to the sixth floor for their last climb. For now, though, they waited for Marcy¡¯s trial to begin.


    The group took seats at the very edge of the stands so they could leave the training hall immediately when Marcy was finished, but still in a position so they could watch. Though Wyn had no idea why they even needed to. She was easily going to qualify, especially after Sonya announced the rules.


    Trying to showcase trials for all roles of Climbers wasn¡¯t easy, but for ranged matches they had a classic setup of an archery course. There were stationary dummies with large, painted targets on their torso lined up at ten, twenty, and thirty yards from a starting line. The Climbers had to hit the closest dummy before advancing to the next one, though only had five total arrows available to use. Their score was tallied with how close they hit the center target on each dummy, how many arrows it took to hit all three or as many as possible, and how fast they could finish. There weren¡¯t as many Climbers for the ranged trials, but they sectioned off four groups of five participants. According to Sonya, each group would move relatively quickly as they were timed.


    Five of the Climbers lined up, testing the training bows they grabbed and positioning themselves in certain spots on the starting line. Marcy still stood at the weapons rack, where she was testing arrows by slightly bending them, twirling them in her palms, looking down the shaft, and gently inspecting the fletching. One bow she grabbed pulled easily to her cheek, and she shook her head in disagreement before placing it back on the rack. Another she pulled back and and nodded in satisfaction, then casually walked over with the others.


    Her left hand held both her chosen bow and three arrows. She didn¡¯t even bother grabbing more.


    Unfortunately she was the last one to line up, and had a poor position on the very end. No dummy was directly in front of her like the others.


    Wyn laughed to himself. None of the other archers took any kind of care to select the perfect equipment for themselves. He knew how important it was to have the correct features of a bow and arrows match up to the archer, and Marcy clearly outclassed the rest.


    The moment Sonya raised her hand, every one of the five Climbers drew an arrow to their cheek. ¡°Begin!¡±


    Echoes of the twangs of bowstrings flooded the hall, followed by thuds of arrows hitting wood. Immediately after was a pause, except for one archer. Four of the archers took extra time nocking a new arrow, positioning their body, and aiming at the dummies. One Climber fired off one arrow after another with little more than a second of pause between each.


    After a single breath, Wyn realized Marcy was already done. It had taken her three arrows to complete the first round. Each arrow hit square in the middle of each dummy, and none of the other Climbers had even fired their second arrow before she was done.


    Walking back over to the weapon rack, Marcy placed her bow back and walked away. The other Climbers stood there, stunned.


    Wyn and their group moved to exit the training hall, no one saying a word.


    *****


    Wyn, Tasha, and Cedric stood shoulder to shoulder. They had just watched the first tier Climbers in the first magic trials, and they were each thinking how best to approach their own trials. Tasha figured more of her Diamond Magician spells would be helpful rather than her Callings, and immediately knew she was at a disadvantage from the other Diamond Wizards. She could still hold her own, but she wouldn¡¯t stand out as much as the others. At least not in the context of overcoming the very obvious setup for the standard Mage progression. Cedric thought the opposite, knowing that he was in a great position as his spells hit hard and ranged from basic lightning spells to powerful ones that could obliterate one of the training dummies if they weren¡¯t enhanced or protected well enough by his opponent.


    Wyn unfortunately felt even worse than Tasha. His spells and mana capacity weren¡¯t only limited, but his focus was split between both offensive and defensive spells. He could theoretically participate in the trials on either side, supporting or attacking the dummies, but he knew he would fare better on the defensive end. He had only one attacking spell but three support spells. Feeble and Flash weren¡¯t helpful in this specific trial, and he suddenly wished he was able to keep Arcane Aura. The protective spell would be helpful on the dummy, and a good complement to his three support spells. Still, having Shield, Regen, and Cure would go a long way for the trial.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Still, Wyn wasn¡¯t as focused on his magic as any of the other Climbers present for these trials. He didn¡¯t have their larger mana pools, their impressive spell lists, or their experience practicing and using spells as their only means of climbing. He had abilities that covered multiple roles, though when standing beside each of them, he looked worse than all of them for this specific event.


    His only hope was that the judges would be impressed he even participated in multiple trials at all. Maybe seeing that by trying to the best of his ability, and having multiple abilities at that, they would give him some consolation points.


    Or, they¡¯d just write him off as being too broad and ultimately useless. It was likely going to be one or the other.


    But, part of Wyn¡¯s supportive role as a Climber was being backup to Tasha, so he mentally prepared himself to try and outsmart his opponent rather than win by pure magic ability. That would be the only way for him to advance past the first round.


    Watching the first tier Climbers gave Wyn an overall sense of how the trial would go, as well as some ideas. For starters, the trial was simple in design but magically complicated in execution. A Diamond Mage stood behind three dummies, and a single attacking Climber stood about twenty yards away for the match. The trial would begin, and most of the Diamond Magicians would either cast Arcane Aura on the dummies one after the other, or would wait and try and intercept the attacking spells with Shell. If any damage got past them or if the Climber mistimed the spell, they would then cast Cure on the affected dummy to keep it healed. From what Sonya explained, the dummies and arena were enchanted to report how much damage was given and how much was prevented, like a magical set of scales.


    Each match played out like a game, and Wyn took mental notes. He was at a disadvantage, but had a few strategies to help his deficits.


    One was his spell choice. Most of the Climbers he watched used Arcane Aura, Cure, and Shell. Shell was a spell almost exactly like Shield, except its focus was on magical attacks. It still formed a translucent, partially domed barrier, but its color was different than Shield, like more of a light-brown sand rather than Shield¡¯s dull blue. From what Wyn remembered, it wasn¡¯t as common of a spell choice because there weren¡¯t near as many monsters in the first tier who used magic, and the spell itself cost a bit more to use than Shield making it less mana efficient. But, for this specific trial, it was a far better choice.


    Most Magicians wouldn¡¯t have to choose between either spell because they had the ability to just select both with so many spell options. However, Wyn had an advantage here - with his Ruby Strategist upgrade, Shield was able to protect from both physical and magical attacks. Part of the class feature was that if a support spell protected against one damage type, it now protected against both.


    Wyn was going to be able to catch some people off guard by blocking spells using Shield, and he was going to enjoy their reactions. If anything, the judges seeing that his one spell could protect from both physical and magical attacks should help him look like a better potential guild member.


    Another strategy he formed was how to properly manage his resources. Some of the Climbers were terrible with conserving their mana, wasting it by casting Arcane Aura on all three of the dummies when on average over half of the spell still remained at the end of each match. Diamond Wizards could coat all three dummies at once with their upgraded features based on what Tasha said about the upgraded class, but it was still a large mana drain. One that was unnecessary. Wyn saw that properly timed casts of Shell fared pretty well against most of the attacks except for the more powerful ones, and those could be overcome with a healing spell. So, his plan was to time casts of Shield against the enemy¡¯s spells and recover whatever damage he couldn¡¯t block. He had both Regen and Cure in his spell list, and could decide based on the situation which would be better. Regen he learned cost slightly less than Cure and healed slightly more, though it¡¯s effect was delayed over several minutes rather than instant. That was an advantage, though - if he let the dummy get damaged, he could use a single cast of Regen at the right time to allow the dummy to heal better than wasting his finite mana on Cure.


    It was a gamble, but so was being a Climber. He just hoped he could put on a good show, at the very least. He had no expectation of winning these trials. Only to prove he was not only competent, but that his class could be beneficial, as well.


    As the trials ended for the first tier Climbers, the three stood alongside dozens of other Climbers. Sonya stepped up and began to announce the next set of trials, and due to the large number of Climbers participating for the second tier, two matches were going on at one time.


    The first name to be called was, of course, Cedric.


    The Lightning Wizard casually strolled up to the arena to murmurs throughout the training hall. He wore only a basic set of Mage¡¯s robes and carried a simple scepter as none of the Climbers at this point were able to use their own gear in order to make the trials as even as possible. Wyn was thankful no one was laughing, but he assumed it was because they understood the dangers of climbing. Seeing a Climber without an arm was a sobering realization, after all. Though most Climbers around likely thought Cedric wasn¡¯t as useful with only one arm.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t suppress a smile. He couldn¡¯t wait to see how wrong they were.


    Cedric¡¯s opponent was a Divine Wizard, and he reeked of wealth. The man¡¯s hair was styled, his clothes gaudy with gold trim and high quality materials, and his attitude was even more ostentatious. When Wyn thought of a noble coming to Alestead to climb the tower, this man was the prime example.


    Three dummies stood still just a few feet in the front of the man, and Cedric stood another twenty yards away. The man peeked out from the sides of the dummies, eyeing Cedric as though he was a peasant who didn¡¯t deserve his time or attention. He laughed to himself and looked off into the crowd, waving at someone.


    Cedric was locked in on the man and the three dummies, his gaze calculating. Wyn had a chill run through him. Cedric wasn¡¯t just about to win, he was about to prove a point. This match was not about to go this noble¡¯s way.


    As soon as Sonya said begin, Cedric launched his first attack. It was one of his more basic spells, but a strong one that Wyn recognized - his Chain Lightning spell, that overtook monsters before lashing out to more nearby in a harrowing display of force and damage. The noble obviously wasn¡¯t used to lightning spells because he hesitated after the spell hit the first dummy, unsure of what was happening. Wyn guessed that the man either climbed with another element in his team or one that didn¡¯t have a damaging Mage at all. That, or the man really just coasted to this point on the back of his money.


    Regardless, the spell latched onto all three of the dummies before the Diamond Wizard began to heal them. Crackling lights of sparking energy zipped between all of the wooden dummies in an instant. He cast a Cure that affected all three, but right as the spell took effect on the third dummy Cedric activated another spell. This time, a strong line of lightning blasted into the first dummy with a loud crack. The noise pulled everyone¡¯s attention in the room, Wyn¡¯s included.


    The first dummy was charred from the hit and had its left arm blown to bits. Wyn had no idea how that factored into the scoring, and obviously no one else did either since the Diamond Wizard stood behind it with wide eyes cowering behind a hastily made Shell. The barrier didn¡¯t even cover the dummies, of course, and only covered himself.


    Cedric pointed to the dummy with the scepter and loudly asked Sonya, ¡°Is that enough for a win?¡±


    The woman just looked to the panel of judges behind her who all started hastily whispering to each other. Obviously they weren¡¯t expecting someone to be able to damage one of the dummies to that extent.


    Before answering, Cedric cast another of his spells at the defenseless dummies that washed over both of them. The nobleman was doing a poor job of protecting and healing the wooden statues as he haphazardly healed them over and over to where they glowed nearly a blinding white light. It was far more healing than any of the first tier Climbers provided, and showed that the man was over correcting more than anything.


    Still, it didn¡¯t matter how much he healed the dummies in the end as the match was set. Cedric showed that he had plenty of power as a Wizard and wasn¡¯t afraid to use it, and the Diamond Wizard showed that his judgment was poor and reaction equally bad. When Sonya returned and counted Cedric the victor without even tallying the final results on the dummies, apparently the judges came to a similar conclusion.


    The man strode over to Sonya and immediately started complaining while Cedric simply walked away. He looked confident and collected, and Wyn was proud. His sheer power was not something to be ignored, and he showed that to both the other Climbers and the judges. Him lacking an arm wasn¡¯t even a factor.


    As the other match finished, Wyn looked over to Tasha who just nodded to him. The next round of trials were up, and it was Tasha¡¯s turn.

 Book 2 - Chapter 23

    Faye flipped a gold crown into the air, a smile plastered on her face. She snatched it and added it to a small coin purse laying on her lap. ¡°Thanks again, Brett! Maybe instead of climbing this week I should just keep betting you.¡±


    Brett scoffed and scooted away from the Druid. He didn¡¯t make it but a few inches, as the stadium seats they were sitting in were packed. All of the guilds interested in new members were sitting and watching the trials, and their section of the Twilight Blades was just as curious as everyone else. None more than Faye, who took a special notice for the climbing group they met in Alistair.


    Two of the group members were personal friends of hers, but the rest were all rookies. Close to being veterans, but still new. Brett knew they were decent watching them climb, but he didn¡¯t expect them to amount to much more. He was being proven wrong over and over. Worse, Faye kept taking advantage of his lack of perspective.


    ¡°Ha-ha,¡± Brett said, his voice monotone. ¡°There was no way you could have known that Ruby Magician was going to do that.¡±


    ¡°Yea, Faye, that wasn¡¯t really a fair bet,¡± Nigel said, turning around. He sat in the row in front of Faye and Brett with his own group to watch the trials.


    Faye leaned down and patted Nigel on the back. ¡°I know you¡¯re all interested about that other Squire, John, but you didn¡¯t see them climb. Brett did and he still refuses to acknowledge that they¡¯re better than just decent. And the Ruby Magician¡¯s name is Wyn, by the way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s clear he has skill,¡± Brett said. ¡°I¡¯ll give you that. But I didn¡¯t expect him to completely embarrass that Duelist! Does he have some passive skills that give him some advantage? It¡¯s not like any of us know the intricacies of his class. You were the only one who got a look!¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Faye said. ¡°He has a speed skill, a mana recovery skill, a basic Fighter skill which is kinda strange, one that gives him two more spells, and one that is honestly a bit unfair but won¡¯t help him in the trials. Oh, and he can use light armor. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Nigel and the Climbers sitting beside him all turned around. They looked at Faye with varied expressions, but Nigel was the only one to speak. ¡°For an upgraded class those are his only skills? He should have closer to ten, if not more.¡±


    ¡°He has the spell casting skill, but anyone who can use spells has that. The point is that he doesn¡¯t have any passive skills like other combat classes. Or, honestly, any magically enhancing skills like the mage classes.¡±


    ¡°What about his spells?¡± Brett asked. ¡°He can use magic, at least. Surely he has enough of those to make up for the lack of skills?¡±


    Faye smiled. ¡°Cedric, their Lightning Wizard, mentioned that he didn¡¯t have the same upgrades like other Magician classes get when they advance. That his spell list still looks similar to a base Magician. Even a Sorcerer has more options than him, apparently. He mentioned Wyn has six or seven spells total? Something like that.¡±


    The Climbers around her were quiet, questions waiting on the tips of their tongue but unsure if they should ask. They had already stopped paying attention to the current matches. But Faye was both one of the guild¡¯s founding members and part of the lead group. Offending her by asking the obvious question wouldn¡¯t be the smartest move.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re all thinking,¡± Faye said. ¡°It¡¯s good that you don¡¯t say it. Probably.¡±


    Everyone sat up a little straighter. That wasn¡¯t like Faye to be so foreboding.


    ¡°Come on, Faye,¡± Brett said. ¡°Can you blame them? No one really knows about Ruby Magicians. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s another active Climber here with the same class, let alone one who¡¯s advanced. Of course they¡¯re curious. We all are.¡±


    Faye looked at each of them before slowly shaking her head. ¡°You¡¯re right. I understand being curious, because I am too. But that doesn¡¯t give anyone the right to question his ability. Not when we saw firsthand how good he is.¡±


    Brett folded his arms and looked back at the matches. Another one was just starting, though the Climbers around them still weren¡¯t paying attention. ¡°We actually can question him right now. That¡¯s the whole point of these trials! If we¡¯re looking to bring in another two groups, we need to question everyone. Critically. And if you¡¯re so adamant about Marcy and Cedric¡¯s group, well¡­ that¡¯s why we¡¯re curious.¡±


    Faye huffed but didn¡¯t look at Brett. She couldn¡¯t. She hated when the man actually made sense, which was unfortunately a lot. It was infuriatingly annoying. ¡°Acknowledged. I guess you¡¯ll see more of him as the trials go on, then.¡±


    Everyone seemed to relax except for Brett. A smile slowly started to form on his face.


    ¡°But I¡¯m still going to bet on them as the trials keep going, and I¡¯m still going to win,¡± Faye added.


    Brett¡¯s smile quickly fell apart.


    Nigel leaned back to the Druid and tried to subtly point to the upcoming match. ¡°You said you personally knew the Lightning Wizard and Ranger, right? Cedric and Marcy?¡±


    Faye didn¡¯t answer, but nodded at him to continue.


    ¡°Well, what about them? I¡¯m sure a Ranger could advance into something great. You were a Hunter, too, and still did. But how has Cedric done with only one arm?¡±


    The other Climbers around them turned their heads to the conversation, curiosity again rising about the group Faye was supporting. Everyone knew that Rangers weren¡¯t a popular choice for a Hunter¡¯s second tier advancement, but considering Faye herself used to be a Ranger, they weren¡¯t about to say that out loud. But a Climber with such a handicap as only having one arm was nearly just as ridiculous of a thought as someone climbing as a Ruby Magician. At least Nigel phrased it in a way that wasn¡¯t accusatory.


    Faye looked forward and saw that the Lightning Wizard was about to start his match. It was the Mage trials for the second tier group. Cedric¡¯s opponent was a cocky Divine Wizard, someone who looked like a noble dressed in elegant clothes with an attitude that said he thought he was heads above everyone else.


    It was perfect.


    ¡°Cedric¡¯s adapted,¡± Faye said, choosing her words carefully. ¡°But how about a bet?¡±


    Everyone either laughed or groaned but Nigel just chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s your wager?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet cleaning duties for next season and a purple cloak.¡±


    One of the Climbers in their group nearly choked on their snack as the rest stared in shock. Nigel simply wore a look of confusion. ¡°You don¡¯t hold back, do you?¡±


    ¡°Not for my friends, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. How about -¡±


    ¡°The Nimbus Smoke item drop you found last week,¡± Faye said. ¡°That¡¯s what I want.¡±


    Nigel furrowed his brow but extended a hand. ¡°I have no idea why you¡¯d want that, but fine. It¡¯s a deal.¡±


    *****


    Tasha took a deep breath before settling herself behind the dummies in her makeshift arena. Her opponent was a lanky man, taller than most men but nearly as thin as a bean pole. The match board that set up the entire trials had his class listed, and said that he was an Earth Wizard. Apparently just about every offensive Magician class chose their elemental Wizard upgrade, and she didn¡¯t notice any of the ones participating in the trials from the large board being anything different. For that matter, she only saw Divine Wizards, too, except for one Cleric.


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    That was a shame. From what she remembered in her studies, an Earth Magician would have gotten the Geomancer option for tier two. That would have been a fun class to see. But nothing was said to be as powerful as the Wizard classes, and Mages wanted to be powerful. The Mancer-type classes offered more utility than pure damage, but what was the point in that if their role was only to kill monsters?


    Tasha sighed as she took her position. She believed in Wyn¡¯s cause to break free from the stereotypical class structure. Her entire reason for becoming a Climber was to break free from the expectations set out by her family. Why not try and help enact change at Alestead, too? Seeing other classes would offer new group possibilities. And not everyone fit into the standard class expectations.


    But that involved showing value. And she was set on showing hers now.


    Sonya asked both Tasha and the Earth Wizard, Erik, if they were ready. Tasha nodded. She didn¡¯t need to hear the instructions for the match. She already had a plan and a backup plan ready after seeing her opponent¡¯s class. Winning in the mage trials wasn¡¯t her goal. She knew that would go to one of the Divine Wizards, who had the exact class benefits needed for the setup of these tryouts. Instead, she wanted to show how choosing another class could be just as helpful, which required their group to do well in the group trials and for her to do well in the individual trials.


    Still, that didn¡¯t mean she would willingly lose.


    As the match started, Erik waited a breath to see if Tasha would make the first move. She simply settled her racing heart and waited. Her plan didn¡¯t involve protecting the dummies with Arcane Aura. That would use too much mana. Instead, she¡¯d block each attack with a well-timed Shell. She didn¡¯t have the same benefit as Wyn did, who could block both magic and physical attacks with one spell, and instead she needed to use the right spell to block the right attack. After seeing how useful Shield was in the tower, she immediately added its magical counterpart to her list. Now that she couldn¡¯t change her spells, she was glad she did.


    Erik waved the staff he carried and a large, light green glyph appeared in front of him. There was only one circle of runes surrounding the glyph, so it was a first tier spell. A flurry of fist-sized rocks flew from him, all scattered and heading towards the dummies. Tasha pointed her simple wooden wand and cast Shell. A soft hum of magic radiated from the translucent barrier that curved around all three dummies, though it was quickly drowned out by the loud and dull thuds of the rocks slamming into it. They each glanced off or fell to the ground, completely missing the dummies. As soon as the last rock fell, Tasha released the spell.


    Confidence swelled within her. She could do this. As long as she stayed calm, then -


    Erik stomped on the ground across from her, interrupting her thoughts. It was a quick movement that caused another light green glyph of magic to show up in the air. The moment it showed up, a wave of rumbling earth cascaded from him to the dummies. Tasha was too slow to react, and the moment the wave hit the first dummy the ground lashed up in chunks of earth and pelted all three dummies in a heavy shower.


    The spell was over right away, but she could tell it damaged the wooden mannequins a fair amount. Cursing herself, she used her Multi-Target Spell skill to cast Cure on each of the dummies. The skill she gained when she upgraded to Herald was one of her best ones - it allowed her to cast one of her first tier support spells on up to three target allies for only twice the mana cost. It was a mana efficient skill and perfect in this trial. She hated the fact that she already needed to heal the three dummies, but she didn¡¯t want to lose her focus.


    Erik raised his staff to prepare another spell. He launched another of the wide earth spells that fired about a dozen rocks, and she blocked them with another Shell. Right after, he cast his earth wave spell again, and this time Tasha tried to block them with another Shell aimed at the ground.


    The defensive barrier simply hovered over the ground while the spell continued under it, firing the blocks of earth at the dummies like before. His spell completely bypassed her barrier, and she was forced to heal them again.


    Erik smiled and relaxed.


    Taking a moment to think, Tasha wondered what her opponent was doing. If anything, it looked like he felt like his victory was secure. Which, in a way, it was. He likely had more spells available to use but were saving them - these mage trials were setup to maximize mana usage. Without utilizing gear or using potions to replenish mana, and having this portion of the trials finished in one night, it was a strategic game. Using all of your mana in the first round to win would all but ensure you¡¯d lose in the next round.


    Every Climber here had potential to damage stationary dummies or protect and heal them. The way to win was to outsmart your opponent or just be more efficient than them. It was a good trial in the art of planning and reacting well, and likely was created to see how Climbers both approached challenges and responded to them.


    So, Tasha knew Erik came in with a plan to use only two spells in a way that allowed him to advance with only spending minimal mana. What he didn¡¯t plan for, though, was that Tasha knew she wasn¡¯t going to win this part of the guild trials. Instead, she wanted to show off her abilities while pushing herself in the other parts.


    She didn¡¯t mind spending more mana to conserve her pool for the entire trials. To her, this match was the entire trial.


    In the time when Erik paused before his next attack, Tasha began summoning a Calling. The man looked at her curiously, wondering what she was doing. Using a Calling wasn¡¯t like a normal spell - it took longer to cast, showed more pronounced runes on the ground, and was generally more flashy. He was caught along with a good number of the crowd, curious at her unfamiliar runes.


    When she finished a few seconds later, a small, yellow, fluffy being hovered in the air in front of her. Some people in the crowd gasped. Others squealed in delight. Erik just smirked arrogantly before casting another spell.


    ¡°Alright, Mongano, you¡¯re up,¡± Tasha said. She stepped back and took a deep breath. The Called creature would likely be able to handle this part of the trial on its own.


    A large runic circle appeared under the three dummies as Mongano twirled in the air and chirped in delight. It was one of the most adorable things Tasha had ever seen, and her and Marcy nearly lost their focus every time the creature was summoned. It was just so damn cute. The crowd obviously felt the same way, as Tasha could hear sounds of appreciation and admiration from the audience.


    All three of the dummies glowed with magic as a yellow aura heavily coated them. Just in time, too, as the earth spell Erik cast flew in the air in a spray of rocks and stone. Each of the dummies were quickly pelted. Tasha decided to see how Mongano¡¯s defensive spell stood up to Erik¡¯s earth spells.


    For all of its cuteness, Mongano had two primary abilities it used. One was the ability to heal a group of people at one time, even better than her Multi-Target Spell Cure. The other was similar to Arcane Aura, where a protective layer of magic coated up to four people. The aura had the added effect of boosting the person¡¯s energy and endurance, almost like a shot of coffee. That part didn¡¯t do much for the dummies, but even John started loving the little creature every time Tasha brought it out.


    To her delight, each of the dummies still had their aura intact and didn¡¯t look to be affected at all. They were dimmer than before, but still active. Mangano could cast that spell two more times or one more time with one cast of his wide healing spell before his magic would be used up and he would disappear.


    Immediately casting the other area of effect spell, Erik¡¯s smile shifted to a frown. The stone of the training hall floor rumbled and undulated like a wave moving to the dummies, but when it struck they stayed firm. The aura was completely gone now, and the dummies didn¡¯t look to be affected.


    Now it was Tasha who smiled. If Mongano¡¯s support ability could block both of Erik¡¯s spells before needing to be replaced, then she had four more rounds of nullifying his attacks without her spending anymore mana. Or, really, without her even needing to pay attention. The creature¡¯s magic was independent of her own, and the only mana she used was the mana needed to Call him.


    Mongano applied another aura on the dummies while Tasha made a show of inspecting her nails. The crowd¡¯s noise picked up with soft laughter and cheers while Erik scowled.


    The next attack was a more powerful rock blast where three large bucket-sized stones launched through the air at a high speed. Tasha cast a Shell in front of the dummies but it shattered after slowing down their trajectory.


    Still, it worked as intended. She only wanted to reduce the force of the attack, not completely stop it. She knew that the defensive aura on all of the dummies would be enough to protect them along with her barrier. They likely wouldn¡¯t be able to absorb another hit, but they could stop this more powerful spell.


    Sure enough, all of the dummies remained standing with the faintest glimmer of the yellow aura still around them while large pieces of rubble was haphazardly strewn around their match area.


    Their back and forth continued a few more rounds before the time of the matches were over. Tasha was pleased with her performance but didn¡¯t expect to advance after it was all said and done. Still, she forced Erik to use more mana and spells than he planned, and she was able to show the power and utility of her Callings.


    That would be enough. For now. She couldn¡¯t wait until she brought out the others.


    As the final results were tallied, Sonya announced that Tasha had barely won, surprising both Climbers. The crowd clapped and celebrated as Tasha did her best to keep her bubbling excitement to herself. Erik couldn¡¯t hide his frustration, but he still bowed slightly to Tasha as a show of respect. She bowed back deeper.


    She returned to her friends to celebrate the unexpected victory. Like Wyn, she didn¡¯t plan to go very far in this portion of the guild trials. But showing one of their cards would work to both win over the crowd and hopefully impress the guilds.


    Their full display would be far more shocking. They had big plans for the group trials where the entire team would showcase their skills against dummies in a mock climbing display. The individual trials, which was the next phase, was also exciting, but since Tasha¡¯s role was support she felt more comfortable showing off in that role.


    Overall, Tasha was ready. Her class upgrade wasn¡¯t the most popular pick but she was determined to show it was not only effective but powerful. She still had two other Callings to show, after all.

 Book 2 - Chapter 24

    Wyn took a deep breath and rested the butt of his staff on the ground. The position felt familiar but also foreign - he was used to his weapon being a spear, and despite the hunk of wood still being a long stick, everything was different. The weight was wrong, the height was off, even the width of the staff was just uncomfortable.


    Still, it was one of the standard tools a Mage used, and for these trials that was the part of his class he focused on. It felt slightly more natural than waving a wand around. But only slightly.


    His first round mage trial just concluded, and Wyn was more than happy to be done. Despite his class technically being a Magician at its core, he felt more like a warrior who had the ability to use some spells. Not a true Mage. He wanted to get to the trials that involved fighting and showing his physicality instead.


    As Sonya raised her hand and declared him the winner over his Wind Wizard opponent, Wyn was relieved. He had used almost all of his mana in that match between trying to block nearly invisible wind spells with his own Shield and recovering the damage that was done with Regen. It wasn¡¯t an efficient way to win by any means, but he didn¡¯t care. He overcame his opponent similar to winning a game at a pub - he read the other player and took a chance.


    Tasha was actually the first one to exploit the strategy, though Wyn had theorized it to her before. Most of the offensive Mages in these trials were playing the long game and saving their mana for the final round, opting to use only two or three spells to keep their mana cost low and mana pool high. Sensing his opponent was doing the same thing, Wyn gambled.


    Just like Tasha, he wasn¡¯t planning to win the entire Mage trials. But he wanted to at least get past the first round. So instead of saving his mana he used what was necessary to bolster enough a defense to win.


    He also knew that his mana regenerated far faster than most Climbers and could likely build back up enough to put up a good fight, but that was beside the point. Soon he¡¯d be outclassed and then he¡¯d for sure lose.


    But, his goal succeeded - he proved that even a lowly Ruby Magician class could be victorious.


    The crowd was slightly more cheerful than the first round of his combat trial showing, but it was still poor compared to others. He didn¡¯t mind. His friends waited for him in their seats with smiles and offers of congratulations, and that was more than enough for him.


    The next round started soon after, and Cedric was the first to participate. He took his place against a stout man who wore robes that covered his head like a clergyman, though his expression was nearly as serious as Cedric.


    ¡°Another Divine Wizard,¡± Marcy whispered. She sat beside Tasha behind Wyn and John, but leaned down so they could all hear. ¡°Some people like him believe that climbing is a spiritual experience. It¡¯s easy to tell from their hoods and clothes, like priests.¡±


    ¡°People believe all sorts of things,¡± Wyn said, whispering behind him to the Ranger. ¡°Just look at Lionel.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re crazy,¡± John said. His face was serious and focused on the match at center stage. ¡°All of them.¡±


    Sonya announced Cedric and his opponent before explaining the rules one more time to the crowd. When she was finished, she counted down the start of the match.


    As soon as the match began, both participants acted at the same time. The Divine Wizard, Patrick, cast what looked to be a multi-target Arcane Aura on all three of the dummies. The spell reminded Wyn of how Tasha was able to spread a support spell over several targets with her class upgrade. Cedric simultaneously cast one of his weaker lightning spells, but it was a wide area of effect spell that spread through monsters easily. Sparks and flashes of lightning shot out from Cedric¡¯s outstretched staff, and a wave of magical energy flowed to the dummies at the same as they were coated in protective magic.


    The hit of Cedric¡¯s spell caused a soft clap to resound through the hall like several people clapping their hands at the same time. The crowd grew louder with applause and cheers as the dummies¡¯ magical armor faltered and faded along with the remains of lightning.


    Cedric immediately prepared another spell while Patrick just stood unmoving. This time, a distinct line of lightning magic boomed across the stage faster than Wyn could blink, and it struck the middle dummy with enough force to cause the remaining armor to dissipate and the dummy to blacken. Immediately after it hit a large magical barrier appeared in the air, though it was completely ineffective.


    Wyn smiled. Cedric¡¯s lightning was too fast for Patrick to try and block with Shell, and everyone immediately came to that same conclusion. Cedric let loose a rare and confident smirk, while Patrick¡¯s stoic demeanor morphed into a scowl. The crowd clapped and cheered louder than before, impressed with the display of magic.


    The rest of the match wasn¡¯t as fast as Cedric¡¯s first bout, but it was far flashier and impressive. Patrick held out better than Wyn thought with some strategic support spells placed on the dummies to counter Cedric¡¯s destructive attacks, but in the end he still lost. Cedric¡¯s lightning attacks were strong enough to overcome the man¡¯s defenses, and he seemingly didn¡¯t hold back his stronger spells.


    ¡°At least one of us will make it to the last round,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Hopefully Cedric has enough mana for it.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be in the same boat as everyone else,¡± John said.


    As the mage trials continued during the day, both Wyn and Tasha had the outcome they expected - they both lost their next match. Tasha simply didn¡¯t have enough mana to properly support and heal the dummies, and Wyn didn¡¯t have enough spell options to counter his opponent. He only had the ability to heal and try to block with Shield, which wasn¡¯t enough against a strong Fire Wizard he was paired against. Similar to Cedric, the woman was simply too powerful to try and beat.


    Both of their consultation prizes were increased support from the crowd. Wyn was surprised that anyone cheered for him, but as Sonya announced his opponent won instead of him, the Fire Wizard shook his hand out of respect and several in the crowd clapped and cheered when Sonya encouraged the crowd to congratulate his efforts. Tasha received more applause after her loss but that was okay with Wyn. He had a feeling he¡¯d sway more people in the other trials.


    When the third and final round was preparing to be setup, the group was relaxing and talking in their seats in the hall. John went to the markets and got them some food due to the delay before the final round. It had been over an hour, despite being announced prior that the trials would lead straight into the finals. The crowd was getting restless, and some had even left. According to Cedric, there was supposed to be a surprise element to the last round. Wyn didn¡¯t fail to notice that the judges had all been gone during the delay since the previous round, and hadn¡¯t yet returned.


    Something was wrong. He didn¡¯t know exactly what, but he just knew.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing,¡± John said while his mouth was full of food. He bit off another slice of meat out of their filled basket.


    Tasha delicately grabbed a hunk of bread. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Sonya and the judges are still gone.¡±


    ¡°I noticed that, too,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense. Why would they leave right in the middle of their own trials? Shouldn¡¯t they have everything sorted out by now?¡±


    Marcy and Cedric were strangely quiet while they picked at their own plate of food. Wyn didn¡¯t want to bother asking them questions. Cedric was likely running through a hundred different scenarios in his mind about the delay and the final round, and Marcy was looking all around the training hall for any sign of what was going on out of paranoia.


    Suddenly Sonya burst into the training hall in a rush, the judges at her back. They quickly made their way to the center stage.


    Following behind the judges were about a dozen members of the primary guild in Alestead. They wore their familiar vests and uniforms with the stag emblem. Daniel had mentioned that they acted like both guards and city officials here, while the private guilds were collective groups that actually climbed the tower. It made sense to Wyn, but he didn¡¯t understand why both parties were called guilds.


    His thoughts were quickly interrupted from the man that loomed over all of them and walked to stand beside Sonya. He wasn¡¯t exactly taller than everyone else, but his presence was immediate and pronounced. He was a stout, well-groomed man with fine clothes and a sense of importance. Everyone in the training hall instantly quieted as he approached, and Wyn understood why.


    He was Tower Master Aureus.


    John dropped the last bite of meat from his fingers and it plopped back into the basket while his mouth hung open. Wyn silently waited for an explanation. Whatever this was, it was not good.


    Sonya cleared her throat and spoke clearly but quieter than Wyn had ever heard from her. No one in the hall dared make a sound, though, so her voice still easily carried. ¡°Excuse me, Climbers and spectators alike. We have an announcement to make. But please let me introduce Tower Master Aureus.¡± She held a hand towards Aureus and then stepped off to the side.


    Aureus looked around at everyone for an agonizing few seconds before speaking. ¡°Thank you, Sonya. First I want to extend congratulations to the Climbers participating here, seeking to grow themselves and be better. Guilds are vital to the success of Climbers, citizens, and tourists here in Alestead, and to be participating in the trials to become a member is a noble feat.¡±


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    He paused, expecting the crowd to clap or react in someway. No one even so much as breathed too loud.


    Aureus solemnly nodded and continued. ¡°Secondly, I want to thank the guilds and guild leaders themselves. Their organization and willingness to grow and take on new Climbers is commendable and I am grateful for their continued support within both Alistair and Alestead.¡±


    The man took a deep breath and looked throughout the room, his demeanor changing from positive to serious. It was a subtle shift, but noticeable. ¡°Having said that, I¡¯m afraid I must personally intervene on these trials. There will be a pause for the rest of today and tomorrow, and then will resume on Wursday. The guilds have agreed to assist with matters of upmost importance regarding Alistair, and they will be preoccupied with assisting me and the city officials.¡±


    Talk quickly picked up through the crowd like wildfire. Wyn looked to his group who all seemed just as confused as he was. Did this have something to do with Lionel¡¯s strange cult? Or was it a different matter entirely?


    Gregory stepped up beside Aureus and the two of them along with Sonya began talking. Wyn couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, of course, but it seemed like they weren¡¯t finished addressing the trial participants. If so, they would have left already. Soon the trio split, and Aureus cleared his throat. The crowd silenced quickly.


    ¡°As I was respectfully reminded, I need to be more forthcoming in sharing information.¡± He paused, taking a deep breath. ¡°A group of Climbers were killed this morning climbing the 9th floor.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s heart dropped in his chest. He knew the second tier was harder but didn¡¯t imagine it could wipe out an entire group. Just how more difficult were the higher floors?


    ¡°This season,¡± Aureus continued, ¡°the second tier has been notoriously difficult. Despite our warnings to provide extra caution in the middle floors, this group proceeded in the hopes of advancement. The sixth member just succumbed to their wounds in the infirmary. The guilds are assisting me with finding out exactly what happened and to see if there are ways to overcome this obstacle without further bloodshed, or to potentially stop climbing for the remainder of the month.¡±


    Wyn couldn¡¯t believe it. He knew Climbers died in the tower, and he was no stranger to death. But how serious was it if even the healers in the infirmary couldn¡¯t heal them? If that was the case, well¡­ there¡¯d be no climbing further in the second tier until the next season, whether they placed a ban on climbing or not. Wyn didn¡¯t want his group anywhere near that kind of danger.


    The rest of the announcements happened in a blur. Wyn just couldn¡¯t focus after the news, and he had a feeling not many else could either. From Sonya then announced, the rest of the mage trials were to be stopped, their final score calculated from their performance so far with leniency given under the circumstances. The next day would be a break, and like Aureus said, they¡¯d resume on Wursday, two days from now. There was going to be a temporary ban on climbing the second tier and above, restricted only for the guilds until further notice.


    Wyn met with his group after to discuss their own strategy. Despite the news, they were still Climbers. And they still had goals to accomplish. Tonight they¡¯d rest both physically and mentally, and tomorrow they¡¯d meet in the guild dining hall to figure out a plan for the day. They were all too emotional to discuss it now.


    Walking back towards his apartment, Wyn knew he wasn¡¯t going to be able to rest tonight. Not yet, at least.


    *****


    The tea cup felt warm and comforting in Wyn¡¯s hand. It wasn¡¯t bad, though he didn¡¯t have the same longing for it like Daniel. Ever since the older man quit drinking, he¡¯d picked up drinking tea like his life depended on it. Though, Wyn thought, in a way it likely did.


    The two had just finished having dinner and were sitting by Daniel¡¯s hearth, which was their usual routine. Wyn told Daniel the news about the climbing group at the end of dinner and the tone of the conversation shifted. He knew it was going to happen, but he didn¡¯t want to keep the man in the dark. He had shared so much of his past with him that he felt comfortable telling him everything. Plus, he was going to hear it eventually. Wyn wanted to be the one to tell him.


    His cup was almost gone, and they had been silently sitting by the fire since dinner. Wyn didn¡¯t mind it. The company was enough.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Wyn,¡± Daniel said, his voice soft. ¡°I haven¡¯t been as forthcoming as you have recently.¡±


    Wyn sat his cup on the saucer beside him. ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯ve been incredibly helpful ever since I came to Alestead.¡±


    ¡°No, not about being your mentor. About¡­ well, myself. You¡¯ve shared your time at war, your time at home. Your father. Your sister. But I¡¯ve shared nothing. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±


    Wyn paused for only a moment. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Daniel. I didn¡¯t want to force you to share.¡±


    Daniel huffed a laugh. ¡°I know. Which was very kind of you. But I need to share some. I¡¯ve been practicing with Wendy, and it¡¯s time.¡±


    Wyn sat back, then patted the man on the arm. Daniel smiled.


    ¡°When I first started climbing, Ruby Magicians weren¡¯t considered bad. This was years ago, mind you, but we were actually considered by most to be incredibly valuable. There was a time when it wasn¡¯t uncommon for a Climber to change their class to being a Ruby Magician instead of the other way around now. I found a group after a few seasons, and we worked well together. We climbed all the way to the third tier.¡±


    ¡°The third tier?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°That¡¯s incredible, Daniel!¡±


    Daniel nodded. ¡°It took nearly a year, but yes, eventually we made it. My class progression was Ruby Wizard in the second tier to Ruby Sage. I focused more on magic than combat, and while I wasn¡¯t as good as other Mages I was able to fulfill several roles at once. It allowed me to be useful in a pinch. Until I wasn¡¯t.¡±


    Wyn sensed there was more but he wasn¡¯t going to start prying. Daniel paused to stare at the smoldering fire, and Wyn thought about what he said. While he didn¡¯t want to be rude, he did want to know his class progression. Granted, he was on a completely new path established by the Avatar of Alistair, and anything going forward was completely new territory. Still, something made him wonder. Asking might give Daniel a break from the heavier topic.


    ¡°If you were a Ruby Sage, then why do you call yourself a Ruby Magician? If you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡± The moment he asked it Wyn cursed himself. It sounded like such a stupid question.


    Daniel blinked rapidly several times before pulling his gaze towards Wyn. ¡°Oh, yes, of course. It¡¯s just easier. To be simple. There are so many options of upgraded classes that it¡¯s far easier to say your class origin as a mentor. Unless you¡¯re one of the more popular classes that are well known.¡±


    That made sense. If Daniel would have said he was a Ruby Sage when they first met, then Wyn would have been even more confused than he already was. And might have thought he was crazier than he originally assumed.


    ¡°I understand, especially meeting so many Climbers in the second tier and beyond,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°Yes, I almost forgot to congratulate you on your guild trials! Only your second season and you¡¯re already looking to join a guild. I knew you were rushing things when I first met you, but this is something else!¡±


    Wyn chuckled. ¡°Well, after we met a guild while climbing John couldn¡¯t focus on anything else. When we noticed the flyers all around the city it only made his desire to be in a guild grow.¡±


    Daniel furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°You met a guild climbing?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you? I¡¯m sorry. Yes, we met the primary group that leads the Twilight Blades.¡±


    Daniel shook with surprise and nearly dropped the teacup in his hand. ¡°The Twilight Blades? And their primary group?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Apparently one of their members, a Druid, is friends with Marcy and Cedric. We climbed with them for part of the third floor and we were able to clear it together. But they were kind and understanding, and even invited us to participate in the trials. John was practically salivating at the thought.¡±


    Daniel sat the cup down on the saucer beside him. ¡°Wyn, if you all climbed together and they saw how you and your group performed, and invited you after seeing that, then there¡¯s a strong chance they¡¯ll invite you to join their guild. You know that, right?¡±


    Wyn sat further back into his chair. Of course he knew that, deep down. But he didn¡¯t want to admit it. He knew the dynamics of their group would completely change once they joined a guild. Twilight Blades or not.


    ¡°Of course you know,¡± Daniel said. ¡°You¡¯re just afraid of being split up.¡±


    Wyn silently nodded.


    ¡°I understand. I truly do. The group I climbed with, we forged a bond over months and months of climbing. Two years total. I would have gone to the ends of the world for them. They were my family.¡±


    Wyn saw pain in Daniel¡¯s eyes. He knew that pain intimately. He¡¯d felt it. Lived it. This man had listened to him for weeks and helped him grow past his personal experiences, and pushed him even when he didn¡¯t want to. Wyn knew he wasn¡¯t perfect, but he was better, and it was because Daniel cared enough to help him process.


    Wyn cared, too. Maybe not asking the hard questions wasn¡¯t right. Daniel needed guidance just like Wyn did.


    ¡°Family is everything,¡± Wyn said, his voice soft. ¡°It¡¯s what drives me. And I have a feeling it did for you too, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    Daniel stayed quiet for several seconds before responding. ¡°It¡¯s so important to have that support as a Climber. My group, they were perfect. Bickered like dogs at times, but family does that, don¡¯t they? They were actually the ones that were cautious. I wanted to climb, to reach that next floor or repeat that hard floor that gave that one item that doesn¡¯t even matter anymore.¡±


    Daniel leaned forward towards the fire, his eyes misty. ¡°One climb. Our last climb. It was a hard season, not unlike this one. The floors were tough - the monsters, traps, maze, all of it. We were climbing the 11th floor, and it was supposed to be fairly easy. We¡¯d climbed four different 11th floors at that point, all manageable. We were pinned down by a brute of a monster, this minotaur that was floors harder. Our healer, Beatrice, was busy protecting our two front line warriors. I was providing support where I could, but it was difficult. The monster was so fast, and so strong. Six on one, and we were still struggling. I¡­ I didn¡¯t see the second one until it was too late.¡±


    Wyn knew where this was going, but it didn¡¯t make it any easier.


    ¡°The second one tore through us. I burned through my mana faster than I ever had, and potions were too slow. I tried to save them, but¡­ I wasn¡¯t strong enough. Not enough mana. Or high enough spells. Roger, our ranged attacker, used a portal key to escape after taking a terrible blow. I was the only one who followed him. And then I was the only one who made it to the infirmary.¡±


    Daniel wiped at his eyes. ¡°After, I was a shell of my former self. I chose to stay in the city and eventually became a mentor. I couldn¡¯t climb anymore. At first it wasn¡¯t so bad. But over the years climbing changed. Evolved. Our class and a few others became less and less desired. I gained fewer students in time. One in particular, my last one, was frustrated with the class. Wanted to prove himself by trying the climb the tower alone. He¡­ he went in, but he never came out. I still don¡¯t know what happened to him. Ever since I¡¯ve either not had new Ruby Magicians or convinced them to do something else.¡±


    Wyn leaned over and placed his hand on Daniel¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Trust me when I say I understand what you¡¯ve been through. I know how hard it is. The guilt. The shame. Being here while they aren¡¯t. It¡¯s heavy.¡±


    Daniel patted Wyn¡¯s hand. ¡°I know. Thank you.¡±


    Wyn was grateful to finally know the truth. Despite it being a terrible experience and knowing how hard it was to talk about it, he could tell Daniel was already healing. His budding relationship with Wendy, being successful as a mentor with Wyn. In time, he¡¯d be alright.


    It didn¡¯t make the times right now any easier. Wyn understood that, too. But he was more than happy sharing in all of the experiences and the memories, the laughs and the heartache. It created a bond like no other.


    Daniel felt like a father, in a way. One Wyn never had. One Wyn wished he had. And as the night continued, both men enjoying another cup of tea and talking about much lighter topics of conversation, Wyn felt more at home. A home that was better. It was still missing his sister, but that would change soon. He couldn¡¯t explain how, but he knew deep down that he would see her one way or another.

 Book 2 - Chapter 25

    FLOOR 3


    Group: 5/5


    Quest: After finding an exit through the infested sewers more obstacles await. The city has succumbed to dark forces, but there is still hope. Some fight on and continue to try and protect the citizens from stronger, more numerous foes. Foes that have broken through their lines. Foes that stand in your way from the last line of defense at the city¡¯s walls.


    After meeting for breakfast, the group quickly decided to keep climbing. Despite the somber news of an entire group dying inside the tower, they didn¡¯t feel right piddling around the city. Tasha and Cedric argued that they could train and practice for the other trials in the training hall, but the other three argued they could do the same thing while facing monsters instead of dummies. Climbing meant they could earn rewards and improve their score in the trials, since their parchments were marked to track their climbs to add to an overall score.


    So, into the tower they went.


    Not being able to climb the second tier limited them. The second floor was immediately out, and the first floor was too easy. They¡¯d climbed the fourth so many times that they wanted a break, and their mood was already sour. Something different was not only more than welcome, it was needed.


    That left the third floor. It wasn¡¯t anything special, but it was different enough to be the floor of the day. And, as Wyn was quick to point out, the locked room was interesting enough to see again.


    Immediately after going through the portal Wyn adjusted his new gear. His helmet fit him just as easily as the Hat of the Magi, and he altered it to look like a Mage¡¯s hat. He wanted to grow accustomed to looking like a Ruby Magician. If he was going to embrace the class, he wanted to show it off.


    Daniel would be proud.


    Similar to before, the entrance of the floor was in a dungeon cell. It wasn¡¯t nearly as disgusting as the sewers on the second floor, but it was still musty and dark. Wyn shook the Mushroom Lantern on his belt, and the glow produced a dull red light like a bleeding, dying torch that extended farther out of the room.


    ¡°Trap formation?¡± Tasha asked. She raised her wand and cast Torchlight, giving more light for them to use. A ball of light brighter than a lantern hung above her head a couple of feet.


    Wyn started to respond but then looked down at his left forearm. His Ashen Gallidium Shield was in its dormant state, where it was smaller than a parrying buckler. The matching weapon in his right hand was currently a dagger.


    His equipment was different from before, which meant he was more flexible with his positioning.


    ¡°We might need to adjust our formations,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Now that I can be more defensive with John, we¡¯ll need to reorganize.¡±


    ¡°I still need to take the lead,¡± John said. ¡°Maybe instead of reorganizing we just add a formation? Since you can provide more protection now, you could guard the back alone. It¡¯s not much different than before.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Like a more defensive-oriented formation in case we need it. You can support John at the front while Marcy and I will bring up the rear and Tasha will stay in the middle.¡±


    Wyn agreed. It was a good idea, and their previous formations were still useful. They moved on in the trap formation they were used to, and Wyn told himself that depending on how it went with his new gear, they could always adjust later.


    Moving through the dungeon was straightforward. It was slow with Marcy checking for traps, and they surprisingly found more this climb than before. The first room they entered had a rockfall trap that Marcy disabled right away. Apparently if it was triggered, a load of heavy rocks would fall from the ceiling at the first half of the room. It could be deadly if a group was caught unaware. The second trap was a few rooms later, where the floor was a series of square stone tiles that hid a few triggered plates. Marcy showed which tiles to avoid, and they proceeded without issue. She didn¡¯t know what that trap did, but it certainly wouldn¡¯t be pleasant.


    Wyn knew they needed to find the room with a chest that contained a key to advance. The first part of the floor was confined and small but relatively simple. They backtracked a few times with rooms that held nothing, and his lantern showed no hidden passages or magic at all. After half an hour, they finally found the room, and it was guarded with three large Ashen Dogs.


    ¡°Enclosed attack formation,¡± Wyn called, and swapped places with Marcy. As the Ranger stepped back, she fired a magical arrow at the middle dog. It was completely blue, like the color of the deep ocean water. The arrow exploded in a small swirl of water, drenching the Dog and splattering on the other two. The water seemed to trap them in a vortex of water that was growing with each second.


    Before entering, Marcy restocked her supply of magical arrows. She was like Wyn with her class, where she could use some spells and had skills but not nearly as many as classes that primarily utilized one or the other. Instead, she had added flexibility of being able to use special arrows. She didn¡¯t have an unlimited supply and always kept a lookout for them in the trading hall. They were one of the more popular and simple items that could be crafted, and she found a batch of elemental arrows she found useful. Her quiver already made regular arrows at a steady rate, and having magical arrows afforded her more variability and attacking options.


    Wyn changed his dagger into a mace with only a thought and a sliver of mana. While he was more comfortable using blades, the Dogs had tougher hides similar to armor, and he thought a blunt weapon would be slightly more effective.


    John moved to the left and began hacking away at the Ashen Dog, while Wyn moved to the right. He immediately gripped his weapon with both hands and brought it down hard on the Dog¡¯s head, where it connected with a sickening thud. The Dog twitched and yelped in pain, though two more heavy swings silenced it.


    The middle Dog started to lose itself spinning around in a small cyclone of water, but was quickly silenced by an arcing bolt of lightning.


    In seconds all three monsters were dead, their bodies disappearing back into the tower. All that remained was the chest, which John opened without hesitation. Pulling out the key, he smiled and pocketed it.


    Finding the hallway only took a few more minutes as they worked through the dungeon. It was dimly lit, long, and narrow, just like before. Two doors were on either side of the hallway, and the winding staircase sat in a small alcove at the far end of the path.


    The group immediately walked up to the right door, where the wolf head symbol showed itself. It was three wolf heads staring directly at them with pointed ears and fangs from their top jaws. John found a large keyhole above the heads, and Wyn figured it would shift to the single wolf again. He walked back into the hall while John opened the door but stopped.


    The other door, which was dull and lifeless before, now shimmered with red magic that rivaled the portals at the end of the floors. The color was exactly like the color glimmering from Wyn¡¯s lantern, and the effect caught him heavily off guard.


    ¡°John, stop,¡± Wyn said.


    John pulled the key away before using it. ¡°What are you -¡± he started, before pausing. He stared at the other door. ¡°That didn¡¯t glow before.¡±


    ¡°No it did not,¡± Cedric said, walking up to it. He looked closer at the section of stone wall that met the door, and ran his fingers along small, indiscriminate arcane scripts while his scepter floated in the air beside him. ¡°Holy shit. It¡¯s just like before.¡±


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    The others ran up to the door to look closer. They all stared at in fascination before looking at each other. Then they started laughing.


    ¡°Another secret room!¡± Wyn said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡±


    ¡°This is incredible,¡± John said. He started bouncing on the balls of his feet. ¡°And on the third floor again. Maybe there¡¯s a connection?¡±


    Tasha pulled out a small book from a pocket and flipped it open. ¡°The last door was a different color. I believe it was green? We need to mark down what happens inside to really see if there¡¯s a pattern. This is something new that translates across seasons that hasn¡¯t been recorded before.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t telling anyone about it, though,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Who knows what could happen if we expose Wyn¡¯s lantern.¡±


    Wyn silently agreed. He didn¡¯t want to be questioned further about meeting the Avatar during his first climb, but more than that he didn¡¯t want to lose the item. A part of him believed it would be taken from him, possibly to study or even abuse.


    They all stood back while Tasha wrote some notes. Wyn checked his potion belt to prepare himself but also to steady his racing thoughts. He hadn¡¯t needed to use a single one during their climb, but now wondered if she should rearrange them. His belt allowed him to carry four potions, and he carried two mana and two health potions. Would it be better to add a mana potion instead? He could be more liberal with his magic, and saving the one health potion for emergencies might be helpful. They could always leave if it became too much.


    He sat down his backpack and started the exchange. ¡°Everyone get ready. We¡¯ll go in a few minutes.¡±


    John sat down his backpack and Marcy drew some more magical arrows from it, replacing standard ones from her quiver. Cedric and Tasha both pulled out a few mana potions to have in reserve.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s on the other side,¡± Wyn said when they all agreed they were ready. ¡°We could open the door and immediately be met with monsters. Tasha, be ready for a Calling depending on what we see. John, I¡¯m staying up front with you. Start an Aura the moment we see enemies and keep it up. Yell if you need mana.¡±


    After more agreements, Wyn opened the door.


    Similar to the last secret room, inside was dark but spacious like a slightly smaller training hall where the torches were unlit. Here, though, it was completely empty. Wyn¡¯s lantern made a large area around them glow in a strange hazy red that reminded him of the sky of the current season. Tasha cast another Torchlight and the space around them brightened, making it look a bit more normal.


    Fifty feet across the room was a red glowing crystal that hovered a few feet in the air. It looked almost the same as the last crystal, except this one was ominous with its color. The stone walls and floor looked like they were bleeding in an eerie effect.


    Wyn stepped forward beside John, blade in hand. He mentally commanded it to shift into a longsword, while at the same time expanding his shield. This was it. This was the test he¡¯d been waiting for for his new gear and set bonus. Excitement bubbled up within him and he took a few deep breaths to settle himself.


    The crystal seemed to sense their preparation and began glowing brighter. A red misty cloud formed behind the crystal and Ashen Dogs began to trot out of it. As they began to cross the large room, John activated his Squire Aura, coating himself and Wyn. Wyn then activated Speed Up and checked his mark. Hardly any mana was used. The added effects of his skills and items made activating the skill cost hardly anything, and he almost laughed at the revelation.


    He grew serious when he realized the Ashen Dogs were still being summoned. There were at least a dozen in the open room, and more kept stepping out of the mist, two and three at a time every few seconds.


    ¡°Horde formation,¡± Wyn said, practically yelling it. The first Ashen Dogs were nearly on them, and he and John moved forward to meet them. As they did, he saw Marcy and Cedric out of the corners of his eyes fan out and began peppering the freshly summoned monsters with attacks.


    The first Ashen Dog Wyn met expanded its jaws to bite him and raised a paw to slash at him at the same time. He raised his shield but felt the world slightly slow down. In his mind, he processed everything in his vision far faster than he was used to. It was as though time around him was slowing down, though he knew the opposite was true. The change nearly disoriented him, but he adjusted quickly. His shield felt secure as he swept the Dog to the side and stabbed at it with his sword, aiming at its chest. The sword pierced deep with his enhanced strength from John¡¯s Aura, and he felt the monster go slack as the weapon was buried deep in its body.


    Readying himself for the next monster, Wyn noticed several things at once, all because of his improved mental processing from his Speed Up skill. Combined with the new reduced cost of using the skill, he theorized he could activate it much more than before and still be efficient with his mana.


    It was perfect.


    He realized Marcy was now flying from her new cloak, raining down arrow after arrow on Ashen Dogs near the red crystal. Cedric was shooting lightning all throughout room, and his boots were glowing. He must have activated their effect to be ready to escape at a moment¡¯s notice. John was slashing through Dog after Dog with his sword socketed with an aquamarine gem, cutting them down like a farmer scythes wheat.


    They were fighting not just well, but excellently. Like a cohesive unit.


    All of this was happening around him while he moved to the next Dog. He lunged at it with a stab and pierced it while it feebly tried to raise a paw to attack. Another quick attack killed it. It was a slash that made the Dog¡¯s paw swipe look pitifully slow.


    Not only was he processing things quicker, but he was of course moving quicker, too. He didn¡¯t know by exactly how much, but this next advancement of Speed Up was incredible. It was as though he was fighting like a third-tier Climber.


    Over the course of a minute the Ashen Dogs finally started slowing down. They didn¡¯t give the group any difficulties as they appeared to be the same challenge as the ones from the first floor, but Wyn assumed there had to have been at least sixty or seventy of them. He stopped counting after the second dozen one he personally killed. When John toyed with the last one to give them time to recover, the rest of the group collected themselves similar to their strategy for last month¡¯s horde. Saving the last opponent meant the next wave of enemies would be delayed, giving the others time to catch their breath.


    As Wyn looked around the room, he realized that wouldn¡¯t be possible. Treasure drops littered the room, and he instantly saw at least three items that were glowing green. On a glance, he also noticed two dozen items scattered about. That wasn¡¯t even the piles of copper boots or silver cloaks that shone in the red light.


    All four of them began to pile up the items while John kept taunting the last Dog. Wyn stopped helping gather and then began scooping up as many items into his pack as he could fit. He counted four potions and over a dozen monster drops, as well as a dagger and belt.


    John killed the last Dog before long and ran over to scoop up most of the gear as his backpack was more suited to hold equipment. The moment the last monster died, the crystal dimmed to an almost imperceptible glow.


    ¡°Good start,¡± Cedric said, keeping his eyes on the crystal. ¡°I think we can handle horde waves.¡±


    In less than a minute the crystal began to brighten signaling the next wave. It was faster than the last room. John¡¯s Squire Aura was still active, as was Wyn¡¯s skill.


    Wyn stood and readied himself. ¡°Depending on what comes out, Tasha, bring in a Calling. Marcy, summon a Deathhawk if it¡¯s a serious enemy.¡±


    As the five Climbers took their positions, the crystal began pulsing in a red wave of light. The mist around it returned, and instead of Ashen Dogs emerging, three Ashen Warriors stepped out. They looked similar to the fourth floor setup, not as imposing or deadly as the sixth floor versions. Their lack of full body armor and variation of equipment reminded them of the first tier enemies.


    Behind the three opponents more walked out in a steady stream. Wyn stopped counting at a dozen. They had only ever faced up to nine of these enemies at a time on the fourth floor, and he was sure there would likely be twice that many here.


    ¡°Tasha,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°On it,¡± Tasha responded, as a large runic mark appeared under her feet.


    Marcy placed a trap on the ground towards the right side of their group, and Wyn overlaid it with a Wellspring. According to his mark, he still had over three quarters of his mana left. If he could fight a good number of enemies inside his trapped circle, there was a solid chance he could recover to full. Knowing that, he stepped forward with John and activated his new second tier spell he¡¯d been wanting to try - Decay. As his Ruby Magician runic circle appeared under his feet, a misty cloud appeared around him. He knew that the range of the spell was the cloud, and that any enemy inside it would deteriorate while he was healed. Due to his class upgrade, healing himself also meant his mana would regenerate, which was his primary goal. Knowing he was rapidly regaining his mana meant more spells to use.


    On the left side of their group, Cedric placed a large storm cloud in the area. The dark grey cloud hovered and began rumbling with thunder, ready to strike any enemy that ventured too close. The combination was their preferred setup for the Ashen Warriors they fought on the sixth floor, and it made a great funnel to keep enemies focused on Wyn and John while Cedric and Marcy attacked errant monsters or stragglers.


    The first three Ashen Warriors began trotting over, their swords and spears readied at their sides to attack.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pull up another Aura right away if it goes down,¡± John said. He took a deep breath as another, deeper red aura enveloped him. It was his Focus skill.


    This would be a serious fight. But Wyn expected it. He wanted it.


    Tasha¡¯s Arcane Aura spell finished and Wyn felt the magically protective aura coat his body. He looked past the closest monsters and saw nearly two dozen Ashen Warriors already in the room with more walking through the mist like a portal from hell.


    Wyn brought up his shield and readied his sword to the approaching enemies. It was time he put his equipment and skills to a real test.

 Book 2 - Chapter 26

    Wyn dodged a spear thrust by a hair¡¯s breadth, then blocked an incoming mace with his shield. The strength behind the hit was substantial, but not something that would overwhelm him. He then sidestepped a sword slash before returning his own attack with greater speed and strength, slicing a large gash out of the third Ashen Warrior he was facing. He kept the attention of four of them at a time. When one fell and turned to dust after he killed it, another would step up to face him.


    It was a quick but relentless fight. These Ashen Warriors were at the power of the enemies they regularly fought on the fourth floor, and Wyn was used to their strength, attack formations, and skills. Not only that, but the combination of magic that enveloped him made the fight easier. His own equipment aside, John¡¯s Squire Aura gave him enhanced endurance, strength, and energy, Tasha¡¯s Arcane Aura spell protected him on top of his own magical gear, and the Decay spell sapping the life and energy of all nearby Ashen Warriors made him a terror to fight.


    As he killed the fourth monster, he cast another Flash, blinding some of the Ashen Warriors. He took just a moment to check his mana and was shocked to find it was almost three quarters full. Decay worked to drain the life of nearby monsters, and with his upgraded Ruby Strategist class, any healing would also recover mana. Doubled with his Wellspring trap that was constantly draining life into mana for himself due to the sheer number of monsters in the wave, Wyn was gaining more mana than he was using, even with the often used support spell needed to manage the enemies. He blinded enemies, protected himself or John, or cast Regen when he thought the healing or mana boost was needed. He already had Chaincast activated once, doubling on a particularly well-timed Aqua Blast that obliterated the closest Warrior and knocked back several more, giving he and John some room to fight.


    A boom of thunder to Wyn¡¯s left pulled his attention. Three Ashen Warriors were stunned as lightning coursed over their bodies. They were past the storm cloud and approaching Cedric and Tasha, but the Wizard hit them with a strong blast of yellow-streaked magic. They weren¡¯t dead yet, and more were coming behind them.


    Wyn and John had held the middle of their funnel well, holding back the majority of approaching Ashen Warriors. The group¡¯s barrier traps on the right and left helped mitigate the enemies¡¯ advance, but it wasn¡¯t a perfect setup. The room was square and large, and they were unable to completely block off the sides to force the monsters one direction. Cedric and Marcy were dealing with the strays when they could, but the amount of damage needed to kill each one was becoming too much when two to three dozen were in the room at a time.


    ¡°Tasha, Baratheon,¡± Wyn said, stabbing another monster in the torso. He wanted the larger Calling to come and take his place so he could help protect the sides, though he didn¡¯t have time to tell his entire plan.


    The familiar, large rune appeared under Tasha¡¯s feet. It would take several seconds to Call the Celestial, and the monsters were closing in.


    ¡°I got it,¡± John yelled, slashing another monster. ¡°Go!¡± He stepped forward and stomped down, activating the Earthen Tremor spell from his boots, causing a rippling wave of stone to spread away towards the wave of monsters. The enemies tripped, fell, or were knocked back against the rumbling stone, buying them precious seconds.


    Wyn rushed over to Cedric¡¯s side where the Wizard had backpedaled against the back wall. He wasn¡¯t surrounded, but would be any second. The value of not having any enemies attack him from the back was great, and he was still more than pulling his weight.


    Reducing his shield to its dormant state, Wyn elongated his weapon to a spear with a slightly longer, curved blade, and immediately began twirling and slashing through the nearest Ashen Warriors. His speed combined with Decay decimated the monsters as he rushed them from the side. Cedric began blasting the rest with lightning as fast as he could cast.


    A loud thud hit the ground behind Wyn, and he looked back to see the Celestial Baratheon running up to John¡¯s side. The behemoth immediately began crushing and demolishing Warriors left and right, nearly rendering John useless. He wouldn¡¯t last long, but his presence was more than welcome.


    Marcy flew above the group, firing glowing arrow after glowing arrow into the depleting mass of enemies. Each hit either scored chunks of the monsters away or blasted them apart like one of Cedric¡¯s stronger spells. She looked like an angel of death with her flowing avian cloak and grim focus. She spared no spell as each arrow was magical.


    Wyn felt a club hit him in the leg and he faltered but stayed on his feet. There were still about five Ashen Warriors around him, though the number of monsters in the room had been culled tremendously. He¡¯d only taken hits at a glance once Tasha¡¯s Arcane Aura faded away, but that one felt like bone may have been broken. The only reason he was still standing was from his enhanced endurance thanks to John¡¯s Aura.


    He immediately cast Regen on himself and embraced the cooling effect of the healing spell while his leg reformed. He knew it would be a hard fight, but hoped they¡¯d escape without too major of injuries with all of their magic and gear.


    Over the next minute the monsters were steadily killed. The wave became easier once the Ashen Warriors stopped being formed from the crystal¡¯s mist, and they were able to regroup while fighting off the last few ones. Tasha called back Baratheon while John and Wyn took turns sparring with the last two monsters, then the last one, while everyone else gathered themselves and the dropped treasure.


    If the first wave had good rewards, then this one had great ones. There were seemingly twice as many component drops, a couple of blue rarity items Wyn saw glowing on the ground, and several more green rarity items that all went into John¡¯s backpack. Thankfully the magic pack could hold plenty of items, though Wyn wondered about its limit. At least John brought it in empty every time they climbed.


    As the final Warrior disappeared in ash, the five Climbers quickly gathered. The crystal dimmed again, giving a brief respite before the next wave.


    ¡°Alright, decision time,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Do we leave or stay?¡±


    ¡°I vote stay,¡± John said. ¡°That wave wasn¡¯t too bad. None of us got seriously injured, we¡¯re far stronger than last time, and we can handle at least one more. The rewards are too good.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Cedric and Marcy both said. Cedric held an uncorked mana potion in his hand while his scepter floated in the air beside him. Marcy¡¯s quiver was nearly full, restocked from John¡¯s backpack after the last wave. She began carrying reserves after their first and only climb through the second floor sewers where she needed to go back into the city to restock.


    ¡°You were the only one to take damage,¡± Tasha said, pointing at Wyn¡¯s leg. ¡°It¡¯ll be worse for another wave.¡±


    Wyn nodded and shook his leg. ¡°I¡¯m okay. I think I¡¯m going straight to the trading hall to get some decent pants after this, though.¡±


    Marcy laughed while placing another one of her traps on the ground.


    ¡°But let¡¯s bring the same strategy,¡± Wyn said, casting Wellspring again overlapping Marcy¡¯s trap. ¡°Top off your mana after we set up defenses. Zoraquin this time, though, then help defend with Shield and Shell as needed. Stay in the middle, yell if you need cover.¡±


    After placing down their magic traps again and casting their prepared spells and skills, the group all drank a mana potion. While they did, the crystal glowed with an even brighter red aura.


    The mist was at least twice as big as the first wave. Instead of slowly walking out, the monsters came out at a jog. The first half dozen were a mix of Ashen Warriors and Ashen Dogs, all larger and more menacing than the last two waves. The Warriors were more armored while the Dogs were redder like blood. If Wyn had to guess, they were likely the strength of the second tier enemies. They¡¯ve fought the stronger warriors on the sixth floor, but not any Dogs at that level.


    Wyn stood beside John with his shield expanded and blade in the form of a longsword. Despite being as ready as possible, he felt nervous. This would be their hardest fight yet. He mentally cast Elemental Weapon on his blade, coating it in a blue aura similar to John¡¯s sword. If the Dogs were still the fire element, then the water element would help give an edge.


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    Soon Zoraquin stood beside the two Climbers and the three of them formed a defensive line. It was needed when Wyn realized there were at least two dozen monsters now in the room, a combination of both monster types. Marcy flew overhead again and began peppering the crowded wave with magical arrows while lightning strikes started ripping through the oncoming monsters.


    The battle was hard-fought and relentless. Twice Wyn was knocked on his back, the first shattering the protective armor around him and the second making him cough up blood. He would have been seriously injured if not for Zoraquin and Tasha teaming up to take down a small group of Ashen Dogs who rushed him while he was down. Tasha kept two attacking spells, though her Holy Beam was really the only one she needed. After completely decimating an Ashen Warrior with the spell, she started being more liberal with using it. The spell only needed a few seconds on each Dog to kill them, and about twice as long per Warrior, but the effect was tremendous. It was stronger than Wyn¡¯s Aqua Blast by a good degree, and he assumed her Herald class gave her additional magic power to boost the spell¡¯s strength.


    The real turning point was Marcy¡¯s cloak. Not only did it let her fly around the room staying out of harm¡¯s reach, but she used its other effect to summon a Deathhawk to prevent monsters from completely surrounding them on the ground. The magical beast was an absolute terror. Marcy¡¯s previous description didn¡¯t do it justice, either. The beast was larger than a barrel, and its wings were at least ten feet wide when spread. After being summoned, it used its beak to puncture deep holes in the Warrior¡¯s armor and completely tore through the Dog¡¯s hides like they were made of paper. Its talons were like curved daggers, and it swooped over the heads of the monsters tearing them apart with frightening ease.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t a perfect outcome. John was beaten and bruised, requiring several healing spells over the course of the wave. He took more than his share of injuries, breaking several bones and receiving several gashes from both types of enemies. He was hit so much that his armor activated the stored energy effect to blast monsters away several times during the wave. Cedric had to use his circlet¡¯s ability to make copies of himself to avoid being hit, and Tasha¡¯s boots helped her avoid any damage similar to Cedric¡¯s circlet. Marcy fared the best, flying above the chaos never being touched. Wyn took a serious gash behind his knee from a Dog biting him, and it took a second circle cast of Cure from Tasha to heal it, and that was after Wyn used Regen on himself.


    Zoraquin took the worst of it, succumbing to his injuries and disappearing early after seemingly dying. Tasha said that Callings were magical copies only, so it wasn¡¯t a permanent fate, but Wyn still winced watching the being take so much damage before disappearing in a flash of light. He was just overwhelmed, and didn¡¯t have the same equipment like Wyn or John to protect himself.


    Still, the group was victorious as the final enemies were killed. The reward haul was even better than they could imagine, and John¡¯s backpack was finally filled to the brim. They stuffed what they could in Wyn¡¯s pack and carried the rest out of the door in their arms.


    Three waves were more than enough of a challenge for the five of them. If they had a sixth member and a Packer with them, then they might have reconsidered, but the experience was already more than fruitful.


    It felt good to be successful. More than good, even. Wyn figured with the amount of rewards they found, it was easily as much as what they could earn in a week. He would not only be able to put a serious dent in his debt, but he was potentially on track to get a month ahead. He already had this month covered. If he scored a good haul and sold them to Melvin, there was no telling how many crowns he could earn in the week and a half left of the month.


    After some time of laying on the floor with the others, Wyn sat up. His Mushroom Lantern was still glowing red, and he looked at the secret door curiously. The first room they found last month disappeared when they left, but this door was still there. It was there to begin with, to be fair, but the glow was as bright as when they first started.


    The only difference was the glow was orange instead of red. It looked strange from the lantern hanging on his belt, but it was unmistakable.


    ¡°Guys,¡± Wyn said. ¡°What¡¯s going on with the door?¡±


    Everyone sat up and stared at the door. Cedric leaped to his feet, causing the others to move a bit faster. He and Tasha studied the markings around the doorframe for a moment before he stepped back. ¡°Gods. They¡¯re different from before.¡±


    Tasha opened her small notebook and studied the two, her curls bouncing with each shift of her head. ¡°He¡¯s right! Does that mean the challenge reset?¡±


    Everyone looked at each other, stunned. Marcy pulled out a key and opened a portal. Wyn sat his backpack on the ground.


    ¡°John, you and I will take back all the rewards we collected,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Then come back with empty packs.¡±


    ¡°Bring a couple more, too,¡± Marcy said. ¡°We¡¯re going to need the room.¡±


    *****


    Wyn stumbled into his room and nearly collapsed onto the couch still dressed in his equipment. He was exhausted. After facing the wave challenge of the secret room, the group reentered with empty packs. To their astonishment, the room reset like Tasha assumed. The crystal still produced waves of enemies, though they were the Fallen creatures more prevalent on the first and third floors instead of Ashen Dogs and Warriors.


    After two waves, they decided to stop and left. Exhaustion had set in, and they were already doing far more than they expected. Then they saw the room had reset itself with a purple crystal. More waves of enemies came, but it was different elemental versions of the Dogs and Warriors.


    They never left that hallway and entered the room three more times before finishing out the floor.


    Five times in the secret room was the most Wyn had climbed over and over. The challenges felt like facing second tier monsters, but thankfully the reward was equally higher. They had enough potions to last for months, hundreds of monster components, and dozens of items. Wyn stopped counting the items after fifty. Strangely, not a single purple item dropped, and he wondered if it was because it was just too low of a challenge to drop a higher tier reward like that. There was over two dozen blue rarity items, though, and the rest green.


    His share was plenty to sell to Melvin, and that was after the group finished splitting the share. If the man couldn¡¯t buy them all at one time, which was likely, then Wyn could save them for a future meeting.


    After they climbed, they went to the trading district immediately to get items they needed. There were still some items the group could buy, and having a haul like that afforded them the opportunity. They each got a ring to complement their gear except for Wyn, who got both a pair of boots and pants. The others got backup items in case they needed them, which was fine by Wyn. They had more than enough gear to trade. Cedric set aside the rest of his share to sell to fund what was needed for his arm, and that was after he and Wyn sold items to merchants for gold. They both didn¡¯t get as much as they wanted but the economy of the city wasn¡¯t infinite. Selling the items would take time.


    Wyn sat up and looked down at his new items. They weren¡¯t exactly what he wanted, but they were far better than no item at all. If the group got into a guild, they could readjust. If not, over time he could replace items as needed. Still, his ITEMS sheet was more filled than ever.


    Silk Weaver¡¯s Pendant - Crafted from the obsidian eye stalk and webbing from the Silk Weaver, this pitch black pendant increases natural magic. Improves magic power and regeneration by a less than moderate amount, and grants the user the ability to cast Web twice a day.


    *Web - Cast a sticky netting in a large area that traps or greatly slows passage. Lasts for 10 minutes.


    Cuparo¡¯s Wool Trousers - Cuparos have a magically dense wool coat that protects them from the magical storms that surge in their natural habitat. These trousers provide moderate resistance to both physical and magical damage.


    Marcaroo Hide Boots - the Marcaroo is an agile creature that defends itself with its strong legs through combat or escape and thick hide for protection against predators. These boots provide a small passive bonus to strength and endurance as well as mild protection from physical damage.


    Wyn took off his equipment and laid them out to be used tomorrow. The others he placed in the magical chest he procured at the recommendation of Cedric and Marcy. Now that they were storing up a small hoard each, they all needed a magical chest that stored items they didn¡¯t need. The trunks were only a couple feet wide and tall, but could hold several dozen items while the trunk itself kept the same weight and was magically locked to the owner¡¯s parchment. They said all veteran climbers had one and it was time they did, too.


    For tomorrow, instead of climbing, it was back to the guild trials. The second round of the combat trials were in the morning, immediately followed by the individual trials the same day. It was a lot but nothing he couldn¡¯t handle.


    Wyn hoped the Marcaroo boots would give a set bonus with his bag, and he was a bit disappointed when it didn¡¯t. It was still a good item, though, even though it didn¡¯t offer the same mobility as Marcy¡¯s or Cedric¡¯s boots. Theirs were purple rarity and his blue, and apparently the higher rarity ones offered the mobile abilities. He was looking forward to testing the improved strength, and could already tell the effect made him feel stronger. A brief test in the training hall on the way back showed it improved his strength and speed, too, with his weapon swings and movements more explosive.


    The necklace was an easy decision, giving another helpful utility spell in addition to boosting his magical effects. The pants¡­ well, they were long overdue and spoke for themselves.


    Sitting on the edge of his bed, Wyn looked over at his small desk. He saw the small stack of papers and large sacks of coins sitting beside it. Thankfully he¡¯d earned his 12,000 gold needed for the month, and was already several thousand more into next month. He would¡¯ve had more but only made 600 gold from merchants after their mass treasure from the secret room. And that was only after selling two green items and a couple dozen monster drops. While the room gave great rewards it didn¡¯t offer much in the way of coins, and their overall reward total after clearing the third floor wasn¡¯t much higher than normal. Wyn hoped the next few weeks would be more productive, or that Melvin would pull through.


    Still, Wyn could see the end was in sight. Paying off his debt wasn¡¯t far out of reach. He still wanted to make sure Arabelle was safe, but soon they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the Assembly breathing down their necks.


    Wyn¡¯s worries quickly drifted away into the night¡¯s air, and he fell asleep almost immediately. Rest came easy.

 Book 2 - Chapter 27

    John took another bite of the sausage, his cheeks ballooning from the ungodly amount of food. Wyn wanted to laugh because he thought he looked like a squirrel hoarding nuts.


    Tasha scoffed. ¡°You really should learn to moderate yourself when you eat. That¡¯s just¡­ disgusting.¡±


    John shrugged before swallowing. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m nervous!¡± He immediately forked a piece of yellow fruit Tasha called pineapple, though Wyn hadn¡¯t seen it before. Apparently it was reserved for higher society or popular cities like Alestead. At no point in his military career did he ever come across it.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Wyn said. He took a sip of his water. He and Tasha already ate a moderate breakfast waiting on Cedric and Marcy. The pair said they were meeting Faye first thing that day but were now running late. The next part of the combat trials were supposed to start in half an hour, and Wyn was restless. They wouldn¡¯t be late or miss their slot as neither he or John were supposed to go for the first several matches, but he wanted to see the competition and mentally prepare himself. Getting a good seat with the group was important, too.


    During their breaks between runs of the secret room the day before, the group talked about their strategy for the last trials. The combat trials were straightforward, but the individual and group trials were a bit harder to predict. The layout was supposed to be each Climber showing off their skills against training dummies, but Wyn thought it would be hard to truly determine someone¡¯s abilities and a group¡¯s dynamic against stationary dummies. It was the safest way to show magic and lethal skills, but he still felt there was something missing.


    So, they discussed repeating their strategy from the secret room since their formations and preparations worked well, and Wyn and Tasha came up with an idea for the individual trials to make them more dynamic. The others questioned it, but by the end of the day they came around. It was certain to cause some heads to turn.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to put it into practice. If it worked well, which Wyn knew it would, it would make their group standout. As long as no one else had the same idea, of course. But the individual trials were laid out so group members would participate one after the other. It was designed that way so one member wouldn¡¯t go first in the trial and another towards the end, preventing them from climbing if they wanted. They would all go in a certain time block to have the opportunity to climb around the trial schedule.


    According to the notice they all received the night before, the day was going to be full from morning to night to make up for the lost day yesterday. The combat trials would be in the morning, followed by the individual and group trials for the rest of the day. Wyn had a feeling that they weren¡¯t going to be climbing today, but with how much they were able to repeat the secret room yesterday, he didn¡¯t mind at all.


    Wyn looked behind Tasha¡¯s shoulder and saw Marcy and Cedric enter the dining hall along with Faye. They spotted the trio at the table and Faye made a big gesture of waving, obviously excited to see them.


    ¡°Sorry we¡¯re a bit late,¡± Cedric said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we have plenty of time,¡± Wyn said. He passed around plates and started pouring water into their glasses while they began picking at the platter of food in the middle of the table. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind getting a good seat, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll miss our trials.¡±


    ¡°Ehh, the combat trials won¡¯t be too full,¡± Faye said. ¡°It¡¯s the individual and group trials that will be packed. Now those you¡¯ll want to be early for. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± John asked. He reached for another hunk of potato but Tasha gently smacked his hand.


    ¡°Those are the trials that really showcase how we collectively use the tower¡¯s magic. As a Climber, you see and use magic all the time. But think about the merchants or citizens of the city. They see all of us walking around with our big swords or scary looking armor, but don¡¯t really see what we see inside Alistair. Those two trials give a sneak peak at what Climbers can do, and there¡¯ll be more people watching those than any other trial. It¡¯ll be a spectacle!¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Wyn said. Those trials were going to be his time to prove himself once and for all.


    Faye smiled broadly at him. ¡°The rest of the Twilight Blades are especially curious to see how a Ruby Magician fights. I know some of us have already seen you climb, but the others haven¡¯t. And I have a feeling there¡¯s more you haven¡¯t showed yet.¡±


    Wyn shrugged. ¡°Maybe. I guess you¡¯ll just have to see.¡±


    Faye laughed and clapped her hands, startling the others. ¡°I love it! And that goes for the rest of you. We¡¯re really routing for you, you know.¡±


    John nearly choked on his water, and Marcy began hitting him on the back to help.


    ¡°Faye said they¡¯re looking for two groups this season,¡± Cedric said. ¡°If we perform well for the rest of the trials, there¡¯s a great chance we¡¯ll get an invite.¡±


    ¡°No pressure,¡± Marcy muttered under her breath.


    ¡°We have some tricks under our sleeves,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I feel confident that you and the other guilds will see our value.¡±


    Faye nodded seriously. ¡°Oh? What kind of tricks?¡±


    ¡°You and everyone else will just have to find out,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But trust me when I say it¡¯ll be memorable.¡±


    Faye clapped giddily. ¡°Fantastic! That means more money for me!¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t understand what she meant, but before he could ask Tasha timidly asked how the climb went yesterday.


    Faye¡¯s happy demeanor shifted to be more serious. She didn¡¯t look upset, but rather focused. Wyn recognized that look. It was the look of an officer having to give a grim report.


    ¡°About what you¡¯d expect,¡± Faye said. ¡°We didn¡¯t find much. We already knew the second tier was a difficult one, and anyone approaching the 9th floor was receiving personal letters from the city guild to provide extra caution. The group either didn¡¯t heed the warning or decided the risk was worth it. When the guilds repeated the 8th and 9th floors, we didn¡¯t find much variability.¡±


    ¡°Is that normal?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°I thought the floors always changed a fair amount.¡±


    ¡°Yes and no. Some floors change a lot, some only change a little. The higher floors usually only change their layout with more champions or harder enemies sprinkled in. It¡¯s the only way to make it through the third and fourth tiers. Sometimes though, floors will have multiple paths and puzzles that make it more difficult to predict.¡±


    Wyn thought about the third floor of last season. The temple had several options of progression, so he understood what she meant.


    ¡°And knowing what you¡¯re facing is how you make it through the higher floors,¡± Cedric said. ¡°It¡¯s why keys are so frequently used on the upper floors. You could spend several days just learning a somewhat predictable floor¡¯s layout before being able to safely finish it.¡±


    Wyn nodded along, understanding clicking in his mind. No wonder it took so long to climb the higher floors and why so few people regularly climbed in the third or fourth tier. A bad season meant an entire month of waiting before trying an easier path to the top. But a good season meant an easier path to the top, which likely pushed the guilds to climb more frequently and harder.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°But, business is back to normal,¡± Faye said. ¡°Well, sort of. Aureus plans to make a restriction on climbing the second tier for the remainder of the month. We don¡¯t know the details, but it¡¯s for the best.¡±


    ¡°Better to stay alive and climb another day,¡± Marcy said.


    *****


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. John¡¯s match was up, and his opponent was a Hunter. The man was tall and stout, similar to Bryce, the Barbarian that joined Devon¡¯s group. This hunter wasn¡¯t quite as a big as him, but still imposing. Coupled with the fact that he was a Hunter made him a serious threat, at least according to Marcy.


    Hunters focused more on agility and control, similar to the Duelist Wyn faced. Their abilities gave speed, reaction, endurance, and dexterity skills. When applied to a person who was already naturally strong and large, it made a great combination.


    Still, Wyn knew firsthand how strong and physical John was, not to mention trained. He was skilled long before he came to be a Climber, and had improved further since. When not climbing, he often joined Wyn to train, and he was a young but enthusiastic warrior.


    Standing on either end of the match arena, both combatants looked equally imposing. John looked more like a Knight than a Squire, despite his lack of knightly armor. His wooden sword and shield were somewhat imposing when he held them, and he was no slouch physically. The hunter, though, wore a sleeveless shirt, exposing thick arms and large hands that both gripped a great axe that was nearly as large as him. How a Hunter could wield and use such a large weapon was beyond Wyn. It looked to be a weapon more suited for the strength based classes that come from Fighters.


    Sonya soon called the start of the first round and both men exploded forward. The Hunter was definitely faster than John, and seemed stronger, too. The first swing of his axe connected with John¡¯s shield with a loud thud, knocking him back easily. John grunted and staggered, his face contorted in pain. Before he could recover, the large man was already on him, swinging again.


    John barely dodged the attack before swinging his sword in a sloppy slash. Wyn held his breath. John was just too caught off guard. The man didn¡¯t bother avoiding it, but rather used the butt end of his axe to knock the weapon aside.


    The round ended a few exchanges later with John losing. It wasn¡¯t pretty.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Wyn said. ¡°He¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Really good,¡± Tasha agreed.


    ¡°If he¡¯s not part of a group we should recruit him,¡± Marcy said.


    The others looked at her accusingly, but she only shrugged.


    The match continued for the next round, and Wyn saw a slight change with John. Instead of taking blows directly, he deflected the large axe swings with better control, positioning his body to be able to counter to the man¡¯s side or back. His movements were more fluid, his footwork better. Whatever he told himself mentally, it worked. The man was focused.


    The round lasted a bit longer, and eventually John made a solid enough hit for Sonya to grant him a point. The Hunter grunted in annoyance loud enough for the rest of the group in the stands to hear.


    The crowd let out loud claps with some cheers. Wyn breathed out a sigh of relief. There was hope yet.


    If John could use his Squire Aura, there¡¯d be no doubt he would win. But if active skills were allowed, then what did the Hunter have available? Likely some combination that would give him just as much of an edge. According to the others, their class didn¡¯t carry spells, only skills. Passive benefits were still allowed, of course, and Wyn wondered how many both of them had. John mentioned all of his skills, but he had nearly twenty of them. Wyn admittedly didn¡¯t remember them all on top of the rest of his group¡¯s. But, he didn¡¯t need to. He trusted John to be able to handle himself when climbing and he did.


    What Wyn did know, was that John had at least two passive skills that were always working. One gave him improved strength and endurance that made him stronger than any normal person could hope to achieve. The other improved his effectiveness with a shield when paired with a weapon. It was why he said he preferred to use one. Apparently the class upgrade also made his one-handed weapon more powerful, too. John mentioned he had more, but flippantly said them when climbing.


    They were enough to make Wyn jealous. Though John couldn¡¯t use spells, he at least had a nice arsenal of abilities to utilize when needed.


    Wyn had to admit that was a nice benefit. Still, these trials accounted for more than just tower-granted magic. Each person¡¯s non-magical skill in combat played a large role, and that was where John could be victorious if he concentrated. His time training before coming to Alestead was showing its worth.


    The match continued with John winning the next round but losing the fourth. Moving to the fifth and final round made the crowd fully engage, and they were clapping and cheering all throughout their fight. Some in the crowd were standing and yelling, with Wyn hearing calls of support or disdain for both Climbers.


    Sitting on the edge of his seat, Wyn could see both men still had plenty of energy left to fight. Their hits weren¡¯t slowed at all, their movements just as quick as when they started. The Hunter was faster and stronger than John, but his attacks were sloppy and disorganized. If he had any sort of training he¡¯d be an excellent combatant, but he seemed to only rely on his physicality. John, on the other hand, was far more skilled, and his sword and shield were more suited for sparring than a large axe.


    With a loud yell, the man swung down as though chopping a tree, and John leapt away from the weapon. He rolled on the ground and sliced at the man¡¯s knee, but he pulled it away in a flourish while hopping back. It was strange to see a man his size so nimble, so quick.


    John tossed his shield to the side and gripped his sword with both hands. The crowd reacted with louder applause while the man snarled in defiance. As he rushed forward to chop him down, John rolled to the side again, feigning another hit. The man dodged like before, expected John to slash at him. But there was no sword there to avoid. Instead, John waited a moment then sprang forward using his sword to stab the man directly in his chest. The wooden weapon connected with the Hunter¡¯s stomach, and Sonya threw a hand up to reward him the point.


    Wyn and the others stood and cheered along with the rest of the training hall. The match was certainly exciting, and Wyn was thankful his teammate and friend was victorious. On the other hand, it also meant there was a chance Wyn and John would have to fight each other, but that would be a worry for later.


    John received congratulations as he returned to the stands. Each of them in the group offered praise and he beamed with pride.


    The next few matches went without as much fanfare. Wyn did watch with extra interest as Bryce, the Barbarian in Devon¡¯s group, overwhelmed his Templar opponent. While she was a nimble and strong Climber herself, the man was exactly like the Hunter John faced - strong, large, but also quick. Whatever passive bonuses his class gave, he used them to great advantage. He also was skilled, too, and Wyn immediately wondered how much training he had before coming to the city, like John. He started the match wielding a mace that he was able to use either one-handed or two-handed, and consistently changed up his attacking speed and positions to keep the woman on the defensive. When she was finally able to score a point in the third round, Bryce changed weapons to two short swords. During the fourth and eventual final round, the man was a terror, whirling around as though he was made of wind.


    Needless to say, the match drew quite a bit of applause from the crowd. Wyn had to admit that the combat trials were quite the spectacle, and understood what Faye meant by saying it was more of a spectator¡¯s sport. If the crowd was this involved now, he wondered how much they would cheer for the individual and group trials. Wyn was certain the hall would be packed after lunch.


    Returning to the matches, he watched as more Climbers sparred. His match was towards the end, and the board had him down as facing a Warrior. From what John said about the class, they had the most skills out of any class, though their bonuses were a bit lackluster compared to others. That was unfortunate for Wyn, as it meant there was a possibility they had passive skills that would give them an advantage.


    Before his match started, Wyn walked over to the weapon rack. There were a few spears to choose, and he took his time inspecting them before making his choice. He heard his name called, and looked up in the stands to see Daniel and Wendy sitting together with a small basket of food in the woman¡¯s lap. They waved and smiled brightly at him.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but smile and wave back. It was heartwarming seeing them together, and encouraging that Daniel was wearing his red Ruby Magician robes. He wasn¡¯t wearing their signature hat, but Wyn assumed it was so people behind him could still see.


    Taking a deep breath, Wyn walked up to the match arena and waited for Sonya. One of the judges came up to the woman and spoke in her ear, and Wyn wondered if something was wrong.


    ¡°Welcome to our next match in the combat trials!¡± Sonya said, engaging the crowd. The people responded with claps and applause. ¡°We have a slight participation change but it won¡¯t affect the trials whatsoever!¡±


    Wyn cursed. What could they have possibly changed?


    ¡°Please welcome Wyn, the Ruby Strategist!¡± Sonya said, waving with her arm. The crowd was subdued but not as much as when he was first introduced. There was still time to win them over, at least.


    ¡°There was a last second change with his opponent, but fear not - here she is now!¡± Sonya said as she pointed to other side of the arena.


    Wyn clenched his jaw and felt his heart race. He subconsciously gripped his spear harder, anger rising. This wasn¡¯t minor. It was deliberate. And how it happened he had no idea.


    The other participant stepped up to the arena, axe in hand. Sonya continued with her introduction though Wyn barely heard her words. ¡°Please welcome Lucy, the Barbarian!"

 Book 2 - Chapter 28

    Wyn stepped into the arena, completely blocking out the noise of the crowd. The only thing he could focus on was his opponent.


    Lucy.


    The woman stood with wooden axe in hand, looking seriously at Wyn. She wore a sleeveless, cropped top that could barely be called a shirt. He had to admit, she definitely looked the part of being a Climber, as she was strong and confident. Wyn noticed other Barbarians and classes wore similarly exposed clothing or armor, and wondered why they would choose to be so exposed. Though he admitted to himself she didn¡¯t look angry or sad, just focused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Wyn. This wasn¡¯t my fault.¡±


    ¡°Liar,¡± Wyn said.


    Sonya raised her hand to start the match but paused. She lowered her voice so only Wyn and Lucy could hear her. ¡°Everything okay you two?¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine,¡± Lucy said. ¡°Just a bit of history.¡±


    ¡°Everything is not fine,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I was supposed to fight a Squire!¡±


    Sonya nodded. ¡°Yes, like I said, there was a last second change. Out of my hands, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Wyn looked to the announcer and took a deep breath. He couldn¡¯t lose his temper. Not now. He needed to stay calm and collected to come out ahead. Lucy wasn¡¯t a terrible fighter from what he remembered, and there was obviously a reason that she was shifted to be his opponent. Was it really not her fault? Did the Assembly have influence so deep into the city that they were able to change the setup of private guild trials?


    That would be another question for another day. One he would absolutely get answers to.


    Sonya quickly moved to start the match but neither combatant moved once it began. They just kept staring at each other.


    Finally Lucy spoke. ¡°Like I told you before, we¡¯re not so different. I¡¯m just as much a pawn as you.¡±


    Wyn shook his head. ¡°No. My father was a pawn. I¡¯m only doing what¡¯s necessary for you to leave me and my sister the hells alone.¡±


    Lucy sighed. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m¡­ look. Okay. Don¡¯t believe me? Fine. How about a bet since we¡¯re supposed to be fighting right now.¡±


    Wyn looked around. He could see confusion on just about everyone. The crowd, Sonya, the judges. She already called the match to start, and they were just standing there talking. He wanted to bring attention to himself and his class, but not this way.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I win, and you leave me alone.¡±


    Lucy smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you as much alone as I can. Instead, how about if you win, you get to ask me any question you want. Time and place. I win, you have to sit down, cordially, and hear me out. You can even bring your team along if you¡¯d like.¡±


    Wyn nodded. It seemed fair. She wasn¡¯t asking for too much, at least not compared to what the Assembly could demand. And his group would come along no matter who won, and she didn¡¯t say anything about stopping them from asking questions.


    The moment he agreed she took a prepared stance and crouched. Wyn took that as his cue that she was finally ready to spar, and he immediately rushed her. While he had a plan against a Squire, his overall strategy wasn¡¯t too different. He was quick and had more reach with his spear, which gave him an advantage. If he could pin Lucy into a corner and remove her ability to reposition, she wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid all of his attacks and he would eventually score a hit.


    Right before he closed the distance, Lucy rolled to the side gracefully and hopped towards Wyn. The move had her within striking distance right away, and she swung wide to try and hit him. He twisted out of the way before stabbing at her thigh, which she dodged without much effort. Wyn took a back step to give himself some room and began repeatedly stabbing at her, using his spear¡¯s reach to his advantage.


    To Lucy¡¯s credit, she either dodged or parried most of Wyn¡¯s attacks. He moved like a blur, using his training to either score a hit or forcefully reposition her with carefully guided attacks. He didn¡¯t need his speed skill. And saving his energy be damned. He wanted a hit on her, and he was pushing himself to score one. She couldn¡¯t move her axe quite as quickly as his spear thrusts, and eventually he made contact with her ribs.


    Sonya called the hit. Lucy sharply breathed in and rubbed her side. Wyn didn¡¯t hold back in his attacks, and even though the weapons were wooden he could still make a fair impact. A bruise was already starting to form on her exposed ribs.


    Lucy took her place at the edge of the arena and expanded her chest with a deep breath. ¡°You should know, Barbarians get better when they¡¯re injured.¡±


    Wyn¡¯s anger was rising again but he paused. Did his attack hurt her enough to cause some sort of ability to activate? What could she be talking about?


    After Sonya¡¯s hand flew down to start the second round, Lucy exploded forward. Wyn was caught off guard from her sudden move and instantly began to stab at her, but she easily dodged them with a grace that looked more like a Duelist or Hunter than a strength-based Barbarian.


    Was she holding back the first round? Or did that minor injury to her ribs actually activate a skill? She didn¡¯t have any aura about her, but maybe some passive skills didn¡¯t. John definitely didn¡¯t and Wyn knew he had several passive skills.


    Wyn found it was much harder to keep up with her, and his plan of keeping her on the defensive failed almost immediately. She ducked under one of his stabs and swung her axe at his stomach, and Wyn knew in that moment there was nothing he could do to avoid or block the hit. Lucy, to her credit, pulled back the hit the moment it made contact. It felt like nothing more than a light tap.


    ¡°Hit!¡± Sonya called. The crowd loudly cheered in response.


    Wyn took a step back, trying to reassess. Lucy was definitely good, he had to admit. Her moves were both fluid and controlled, backed by a strength that would make John envious. It was obvious in her speed and axe handling. That meant she had a good foundation that grew better with her activated skills. She nodded to him and returned to the side of the arena for the next round.


    Wyn walked over to the weapon rack and put the spear back. If she was going to be that fast, and his reach didn¡¯t give him as much of an advantage due to her speed and strength, then he needed something to be able to block. He grabbed a wooden shield and long sword and returned to the match.


    The start of the third round was similar to before with Lucy advancing quickly. Wyn decided to patiently wait this time. He couldn¡¯t match her physicality, but he was more technically skilled. It was obvious she had more training than most, but he was confident in his own abilities.


    As she chopped at him, he deflected the blow instead of choosing to completely absorb it. After watching John¡¯s match, he realized that trying to catch attacks from Climbers who were magically strong wasn¡¯t a good idea, especially since his own strength wasn¡¯t equally enhanced. Knocking her blow to the side, he struck out with his sword and almost hit her right away, though she lunged to the side at the last moment.


    Lucy retaliated with another chop straight down, but Wyn protected himself with his shield while he slashed at her. She ducked under it, which was exactly what he wanted. Stopping his momentum, he slashed down onto Lucy¡¯s back and made contact.


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    ¡°Point!¡±


    The crowd grew louder with their applause this time, the back and forth offering an engaging spectacle.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be able to move like that,¡± Lucy said. ¡°And staying so close to monsters without having any magical enhancements is a guaranteed way to get injured.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not fighting a monster,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And I have far more experience fighting people. I think I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    Lucy furrowed her eyebrows. Whatever she was expecting, it likely wasn¡¯t that.


    Before the fourth round started, Lucy walked over to the weapon rack and grabbed another axe. She eyed Wyn while she walked back, and the crowd started clapping in encouragement. Wyn looked over to Sonya but pointed at Lucy with his sword.


    ¡°Am I allowed another weapon, too?¡±


    ¡°With your sword and shield?¡± Sonya said. She hesitated then nodded. ¡°Participants are allowed a secondary weapon, yes.¡±


    Wyn mimicked Lucy by going back over to the weapon rack, this time grabbing a wooden dagger. He fitted it at the small of his back where he was used to having a backup weapon. He hadn¡¯t needed it in the tower, but while at war it was both a comfort and necessity.


    Lucy held her axes at the ready, one across her body and one raised over her head. Wyn took a deep breath. The woman was intimidating, and he had no doubt she was a fierce Climber. But he was also experienced, especially with spars.


    ¡°Begin!¡±


    Lucy sprang forward and began twirling, her axes a whirlwind of attacks. Wyn leaned into one hit with his shield to deflect it, but the second he did she was attacking him with her second weapon. He rolled out of the way but she was on top of him instantly, putting pressure on him relentlessly.


    Wyn gritted his teeth but knew he would lose. She was too fast. Too strong. And having two weapons gave her an advantage he couldn¡¯t overcome. He had one last trick, one that might afford him an opportunity. Reaching for the dagger at his back, he prepared the move. But before he could try it he was struck with an axe on his back.


    ¡°Hit!¡±


    Wyn ignored the crowd and slowly walked back to his starting position. Frustration was creeping up inside him but he forced it down. Losing focus would only guarantee he¡¯d lose the match. But everything he tried Lucy countered.


    It left one more option. All or nothing.


    The two combatants lined up and the crowd was on their feet. Wyn tuned them out. It was just him and Lucy. Right now, in the moment, nothing else mattered. He had to beat her. Had to prove himself and advance, and show her he wouldn¡¯t rollover and play so easily.


    He saw Sonya lower her hand and held his shield up. Lucy trotted forward, both axes wide beside her. She tried a cross slash, trying to hit Wyn from both sides. He stepped back just out of reach of the wooden axe heads, then quick stabbed forward. She twisted out of the weapon¡¯s reach.


    Wyn readied himself. This was it.


    Lucy let loose a guttural cry while swinging one of her axes straight down. Wyn sidestepped it while pushing the axe and her arm away with his shield. She was still moving faster, and he needed the shield to make up for the difference in speed. Otherwise she was bound to connect. As she started to chop with her other axe, Wyn dropped his shield and stepped into her swing.


    The change in position threw her off balance, and she lurched forward awkwardly. Wyn tried to stab at her with his sword but she was still faster and blocked it with her first axe. The move put her further in an awkward footing, though.


    Wyn then dropped his sword, wrapped a leg around her thigh, and grabbed her arm with both hands. He¡¯d need all the strength he could muster. She was stronger, and when needing to grapple a stronger opponent leverage and positioning was key. He then pushed off the ground to force them both into a tumble.


    Lucy¡¯s axes were useless while they were grappled, but Wyn wasn¡¯t defenseless. He rolled with her, pinning her down with a knee and drawing the dagger at his back, then put it against her throat in a swift motion. She still held both axes but was too caught off guard and too close to use them effectively.


    ¡°Point and winner!¡± Sonya yelled. The crowed erupted in a combination of cheers and applause, elated at the spar.


    Wyn ignored the noise. He stared at Lucy, who didn¡¯t look angry at all. Acceptance was all that was there. Whatever Wyn expected, it wasn¡¯t that.


    She continued to surprise him. Maybe she wasn¡¯t completely lying after all.


    ¡°Do I wanna know where you learned how to do that?¡± Lucy asked. Wyn still knelt on her, the wooden dagger loosely held to the side.


    Wyn shook his head as he took deep breaths. The match took more out of him than he thought. ¡°Why are you so insistent on talking to me?¡±


    Lucy cracked a smile. ¡°That¡¯s the question you want to ask me? You need to do better than that.¡±


    Wyn stood up, offering a hand. She took it and pulled and nearly pulled him down to the ground. He was thankful she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I have more than just one question,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°I know. And I¡¯ll answer them. Honest to gods¡¯ truth.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    Sonya walked over and took Wyn¡¯s hand, raising it in the air. ¡°Please give it up for Wyn, the Ruby Strategist, who will be moving on to the next round!¡± The crowd once again showed their support, far louder for Wyn than anytime before.


    Despite wanting to prove himself, he ignored them. He couldn¡¯t shake his thoughts about Lucy. The Assembly. All of it.


    What if she really wasn¡¯t the true enemy? If that was the case, she could be a valuable ally. Was his anger at his father blinding him from seeing reality? If she was in a similar position as him, being indebted to the Assembly, then she could have useful information. Information that could save him and his sister.


    Walking back to his group, Wyn accepted the pats and hugs of celebration from his friends. He wanted to talk it over with them. They¡¯d help him guide him.


    The rest of the morning continued in a haze. Wyn mostly thought about his situation and Lucy, and struggled watching the other matches. There were only a few left, and the winners moved on to what would be the semifinal round. There were eight participants left for the second tier group, and Wyn wasn¡¯t sure how the final round was going to have four Climbers but this wasn¡¯t his show. He just had to trust the process.


    Both Wyn and John beat their opponents in the next round to move to the finals. While John barely scraped by, Wyn found his opponent was far easier. He knew that Lucy had the ability to make it to the end as she was far more skilled than his Warrior opponent, but he didn¡¯t complain. Each victory only helped their chances of earning a spot in a guild. The only downside was that both he and John were now in the final round. It wouldn¡¯t be the worst thing if they had to fight each other, but it wouldn¡¯t be ideal, either.


    He and John walked down to the arena while Sonya and the judges were huddled together. The match was supposedly starting soon, but a few people were changing the barriers of the arena. Where simple lines in the training hall marked the previous boundaries, now they marked off a space over twice as big with ropes. The two other finalists, Elaine the Scout and Nicholas the Templar, were also standing around waiting. They looked equally as nervous and confused as them. The crowd was getting rowdy, too, impatiently wanting something to happen.


    Sonya stepped back into the middle of the arena once they finished the layout and raised her hands to address the crowd. ¡°Thank you everyone for your patience! Without further delay, welcome to the final round of the combat trials!¡±


    The crowd quieted at first but then roared again. They weren¡¯t just eager for the final match, they were hungry for it.


    ¡°We have a special treat for the finals that we are sure you¡¯ll enjoy! Instead of a singular match, it will be a four-way spar with all participants pitted against each other at the same time!¡±


    Wyn cursed while the audience clapped and cheered. A four-way spar would mean he and John would have to fight each other.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it will be incredibly exciting! The rules will be slightly different, however. What will stay the same is how a Climber earns a point and that they must stay inside the boundaries, which have conveniently been increased. What will be different is how the winner will be announced! For this final match, a timer will be set for five minutes. When someone scores a point, the round doesn¡¯t end. Instead, the Climber who lost that point will return to their starting side and wait on a 10 second delay before rejoining the match. The winner will be the Climber who accumulates the most points when time is up! Participants, please choose your equipment and pick a side!¡±


    Wyn looked over at John who just shrugged and offered a sad smile. He understood. It wasn¡¯t their fault they had to fight each other, and on one hand it was a good thing. It showed they were both good enough to make it to the final round, which would go a long way to the guilds inviting them to join. Wyn didn¡¯t enjoy the thought of sparring against his friend, but he would at least try to win.


    Unless they could team up and secure first and second place. The thought entered Wyn¡¯s mind like a flash.


    Wyn caught John before he walked over to his side. Elaine and Nicholas were already standing and waiting. ¡°What if we worked together? Guard each other¡¯s backs, score points on them. We could take the top two places!¡±


    John excitedly nodded his head. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! I¡¯m in!¡±


    They clasped forearms in agreement and took their places. Wyn felt far better, and relief calmed his nerves. At least he wasn¡¯t alone.


    Sonya took to the center of the arena while the four Climbers stood around her equally distanced. She smiled and raised her arm, then quickly lowered it. ¡°Oh, I nearly forgot! In addition, the winner will be given a private training lesson under Gregory, Knight and co-founder of the Twilight Blades, as an incentive to really go all out!¡±


    Wyn¡¯s relief vanished. He looked over at John whose eyes were nearly bulging out of his skull. Wyn knew that opportunity would be too good for him to not try and win. He adored Gregory and looked up to him.


    Honestly, it would be great for John to have that. He¡¯d be a better Climber getting a private lesson by someone of Gregory¡¯s caliber. And it would do wonders for boosting his confidence.


    Throwing the previous plan to the side, Wyn didn¡¯t care about second place. He now had a new objective - help John win no matter his own ranking.

 Book 2 - Chapter 29

    Sonya lowered her hand in a flourish, yelling at the same time. ¡°Begin!¡±


    Wyn cautiously stepped forward, spear at the ready. Both of his opponents were already advancing to the center of the arena, itching to fight. He didn¡¯t consider John an opponent as he was going to do everything he could to make sure he stayed in the arena to keep fighting. That also, unfortunately, meant taking a hit from him if needed. If John won, that would be favorable to him, their group, and would give him the chance to privately train with Gregory. It didn¡¯t matter if the Squire won a point on him. As long as John understood that, too.


    Strangely, Wyn felt peace about not wanting to be the final victor. His goal for the trials was to prove that his class wasn¡¯t completely useless, that being a Ruby Magician had benefits and could be great if utilized well. He hoped he was in the middle of proving that point, and making it to the finals helped that goal in his mind. There were still two trials left to show his value, too, and he had a feeling those were going to be the true tests to the crowds.


    Elaine, the Scout, made it to the center of the arena with just a few long strides. Wyn assumed she came from the Rogue class as she carried a short sword and a dagger, and her movements were smooth and precise. She likely had enough talent behind whatever passive skills that helped push her to the finals, and Wyn she would be a tough opponent. His advantage at scoring a point on her would be either the reach with his spear or catching her off guard. He had a feeling that if she saw his movements when he tried to attack, she¡¯d dodge his weapon without much trouble. Making it to the finals required a combination of luck, natural skill, and enough magic to close the gaps of disadvantages.


    Nicholas, the Templar, was a well-built man about Wyn¡¯s height, and he carried a shield and mace. He wasn¡¯t as looming as some of the other Climbers in the trials, but he seemed sure of himself without being overconfident. He met Elaine in the center of the arena and exchanged several quick blows, shocking Wyn with a quickness that seemed like he had a passive skill that boosted his speed more akin to the faster classes. The man likely also had enough natural talent that pushed him past his opponents, probably some history of sparring or fighting that gave him an edge.


    But neither of them faced only one opponent. There were four combatants, and that introduced enough chaos to make the match more than interesting. It made it more fair. And, coincidentally, it made it easier to manipulate.


    John hesitated, looking over at Wyn. Wyn nodded back to him. He understood the Squire¡¯s thoughts of not wanting to fight each other, but they still needed to gain points. And not look as though they were rigging the fight. Wyn moved forward to stab at John, but it was a weak attack and John easily blocked it.


    John struck back, his blow equally pitiful, and Wyn hopped back to avoid it.


    ¡°Do what you need to,¡± Wyn said quickly, keeping his voice low. ¡°Let¡¯s make sure you get that lesson.¡±


    John paused and smiled, realization dawning on him. He then gave a war cry and fought seriously, sparring like Wyn was any other opponent.


    Good. It would look better if he wasn¡¯t holding back.


    The exchange only lasted a couple of blows before they both moved on to the other two. There really wasn¡¯t a need for John and Wyn to spar each other, only to make it look like they were both serious. And now that John knew Wyn¡¯s intention, he was more focused than ever.


    Wyn quickly intercepted the spar between Nicholas and Elaine, and was closest to the Scout. She was fast but distracted, and he scored a hit on her back while Nicholas attacked her from the front. A deep, annoyed growl left her, and she stared daggers at Wyn while walking back to her side. She had to wait 10 seconds before being able to rejoin the spar, and Wyn knew she was going to come for him then.


    ¡°Point, Wyn!¡± Sonya yelled. A person to her side hurriedly marked on a small piece of paper. It was the first point of the match, and Wyn practically stole it.


    Nicholas immediately lunged for Wyn now that his opponent was gone, and Wyn was forced on the defensive. Blocking his mace was a bad move as Wyn stumbled backwards from the blow. There was so much force behind the hit that Wyn instantly knew the man was passively enhanced by a skill that boosted his strength. His arm was already sore, and the spar just started.


    John moved to Wyn¡¯s side and helped pin the Templar. After a few seconds, John was the one who was able to score the hit. Sonya announced the point, and then soon after Elaine darted back into the fray.


    Wyn knew that he and John¡¯s alliance was only going to go so far. After a few more rounds of points, both Elaine and Nicholas began working together, which made the match effectively a two on two fight. That wasn¡¯t what Wyn wanted as he was the weakest person there. The two Climbers had plenty of natural skills of their own, but their class abilities obviously pushed them past what Wyn could handle. John was doing well, too, but the current strategy wasn¡¯t going to work. Wyn was just dragging too far behind.


    Wyn mentally fortified himself and decided to start taking hits. That way John could stay in the match as Wyn took the focus of at least one of the other two.


    For the rest of the match, Wyn did his best to pay attention to who was scoring the most hits. So far, John and Elaine were at the top, while Nicholas wasn¡¯t called quite as much. Wyn only scored a handful of points until the final minute. Then, Sonya announced the standings, likely to encourage them to go all out at the end.


    John had 31 points, Elaine had 29, Nicholas had 27, and Wyn had 16.


    Wyn sighed. He had hoped to do a little better, but it was inevitable. He knew his own sparring skills and training but also knew he wasn¡¯t the best out there. When outclassed by magic too, well¡­ he just couldn¡¯t keep up in this specific trial.


    That was alright. John was ahead, and as long he scored a couple more points while Elaine was held back, then he¡¯d win.


    Wyn used the remaining minute to fight Elaine. He kept her focus while John scored a point on her, knocking her out for another 10 seconds. The crowd grew in applause and cheers for the final minute and were noticeably louder when John made the hit. He and Wyn used the remaining time to work together, and at the end, Wyn knew John had won.


    Sonya called the end of the match and John screamed in victory, matching the crowd¡¯s excitement. Wyn was excited, too. Even though he came in last place it didn¡¯t matter. Smiling, he waved at the audience while he walked back to the rest of his group. He had their attention now, but the next trial would capture their support.


    *****


    ¡°What in the hells!¡± Brett said, rocking back into his seat on the stands while covering his face. The other guild members around him were standing and cheering along with the rest of the training hall. The final match of the combat trials went better than expected.


    Not for Brett, though.


    Faye jumped up and down beside him, cheering for the Climbers. She was also happy about winning another bet.


    ¡°You chose this round as the one to bet on Wyn?¡± Nigel said, smiling and clapping in the row directly in front. His voice carried in order for him to be heard over the crowd.


    Brett pulled his hands away from his face and stared at the Climbers in the row in front of him. Nigel and the rest of his climbing group were cheering the finalists on, just as caught up in the excitement as the rest of the audience. ¡°He did well before! I thought it was finally time to bet on him!¡±


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    Nigel cocked his head head to the side, a smirk on his face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t take changing your bet to win. I learned my lesson and decided not to bet against Faye anymore. I consider it a small victory that I kept my mouth shut this time.¡±


    Faye leaned over and patted Nigel on the shoulder. ¡°Good man! Now do you believe me about them?¡±


    Nigel nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely want to meet John. I¡¯m curious about his Squire skillset. I wonder how different it is from mine.¡±


    ¡°Well, when Gregory has his little training session maybe you can go too? It¡¯d be good for him to meet you. Especially if he¡¯s going to be part of our next squad.¡±


    The others around turned to her then, ignoring the crowd. The applause began to die down but the Climbers around them weren¡¯t as interested in the procession. Faye had their immediate attention.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t decided on that, yet,¡± Brett said. ¡°Plus, what if they want to go to another guild? We can¡¯t stop them.¡±


    Faye crossed her arms and laughed. ¡°We¡¯re looking for two squads. Have you seen another group like them? I¡¯m more curious to know if we¡¯ll even extend an invitation to another group. But it feels like a guarantee Gregory will want to bring them in, as long as they don¡¯t screw up the other trials. Which I have a feeling they won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re good, but how well do they work together?¡± Nigel asked. The five Climbers around him looked just as confused, but they trusted their group leader to be the one to question Faye and Brett. Despite their relatively small guild, it was a still a large gap between the head group and one of their regular groups. They were still climbing the second tier, hoping to move on to the third tier any season now. Gregory and his group was in the same position, only an entire tier higher. The chasm between the two teams was incredibly wide.


    Faye looked over to Brett. She nudged him, urging him to speak. Brett tilted his head side to side, relenting. ¡°Well, for five of them, they certainly did fine on the third floor. Nothing extra special, though, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, this is only their second full season climbing together,¡± Faye said, resisting the urge to elbow Brett. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you rather have a group we can mold into being a solid, core group?¡±


    ¡°That is a good point,¡± Nigel said. ¡°That gives us plenty of time to show them what climbing really looks like. But I¡¯m still curious to see how they¡¯ll do in the next two events. No offense.¡±


    Faye shrugged. Nigel¡¯s curiosity made him a good, analytical Climber, not one who was skeptical to a fault. Like Brett. ¡°None taken. I guess a strong Lightning Wizard and the best archer here being part of their group isn¡¯t enticing enough for you. Not to mention a Herald! We could finally have a Summoner in the guild!¡±


    Nigel laughed. ¡°They¡¯re good, I just want to see their chemistry. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Caryn will want to have a say, too,¡± Brett said. ¡°Faye, you know my vote. I¡¯ll stand by you. But we still need to talk to the other leaders.¡±


    Faye sighed in agreement. The other leaders weren¡¯t as interested in watching the trials, despite Gregory encouraging them to watch. Prian, their other second tier group leader along with Nigel, was only going to watch the individual and group trials of the afternoon. Caryn, the leader of the other third tier group, didn¡¯t want to come at all. Faye had a feeling at least someone from his group would show up to watch, but she didn¡¯t have high hopes for the leader himself.


    Brett looked at Faye, who just smiled and winked. The man cursed under his breath before handing her a small sack of coins. ¡°Here. I¡¯m not betting this afternoon, though. You can forget it.¡±


    *****


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I won,¡± John said. He was walking in the middle of their group back to the guild hall. They had decided to take a lunch break before returning for the next trials in the afternoon. They weren¡¯t the only ones, either, as there were a good number of people walking their direction. Good matches meant hungry crowds in more ways than one.


    Marcy patted him on the shoulder. ¡°We had complete faith in you!¡±


    ¡°Was that before or after you realized what Wyn was doing?¡±


    Marcy opened her mouth to speak but paused, tightening her jaw. Then she patted him on the back again.


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure that one out.


    John just laughed. ¡°I¡¯m only poking fun. I don¡¯t blame you. Those two were strong. Really strong.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll definitely get bids for a guild,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Especially since they signed up without their teams.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I checked their name on the participant¡¯s list. It mentions group information or if they came alone.¡±


    ¡°Ahh.¡± That made sense. Wyn didn¡¯t really care too much about the other Climbers, but it was interesting that they signed up without their teams. Apparently judging Climbers in the trials included more than just seeing if they were worthy to join a guild. It also involved seeing who could potentially work well with other Climbers if they needed to pair them together.


    That thought made Wyn wonder. ¡°What did it say about Lucy?¡±


    Cedric smiled softly as though he knew the question was coming. ¡°She came alone.¡±


    Wyn nodded. He had a feeling Cedric would have checked on her. He didn¡¯t recall her working with a group but he still wanted to be sure. Having other contacts that knew her could verify some of the answers she was going to give him when they sat down together. But that was fine. He was still going to get answers one way or another.


    ¡°Wyn, you did well, too,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Don¡¯t let coming in fourth get to you.¡±


    ¡°He would have ranked higher if he had tried to win instead,¡± John said. ¡°I really only won because he helped push me there. I consider it a team effort!¡±


    Wyn smiled. It felt good to be appreciated by his team but he knew the truth. ¡°I know I¡¯m skilled in sparring but that only goes so far here. I don¡¯t have any passive skills and you three were too strong. Too fast. And still trained. You all were just¡­ better.¡±


    ¡°Well, they aren¡¯t necessarily better Climbers,¡± Marcy said. ¡°We¡¯ll prove that this afternoon.¡±


    They discussed more of their strategy for the other trials before making it to the guild hall. Waiting outside the door, Wyn felt some anxiety rise inside him. The place was absolutely packed. People stood outside the doors waiting to get in, and only were let through when someone left.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it this busy outside the end of month festival,¡± John said. He was nearly a head taller than most standing around outside, but still couldn¡¯t see the doors very well from the crowd.


    ¡°That¡¯s events for you,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I should have known. I vote we go grab food in the markets.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already here,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Let¡¯s order and take it back. We don¡¯t need to sit here.¡±


    Marcy tilted her head side to side. ¡°Fair point. Then let¡¯s just ask for a basket and some pitchers and take them back to eat.¡±


    The line moved quicker than Wyn thought, and they were inside in less than 10 minutes. All of the tables were full, and there were several groups of people standing around conversing with goblets or food in hand. A lot of them wore fine clothes with colors that stood out in the crowd or materials that looked far too expensive for a common person. Wyn immediately assumed they were either nobles or merchants visiting the city and stopping by for the trials, taking advantage of the crowds to network. Normally the citizens weren¡¯t as ostentatious, as the merchants were more subdued in their appearance. But if they were there to attract people who had money, then Wyn guessed they probably needed to look the part.


    Cedric and Marcy caught one of the waitresses and began an order while Wyn kept scanning the crowd. Something just didn¡¯t feel right. He knew the city was going to be bustling with activity but this was even more than he thought. It looked more like a noble¡¯s gathering than a guild hall in a city.


    ¡°Does it feel like the crowd is a bit.. wealthier than normal?¡± Wyn asked.


    Tasha slowly nodded as she looked around. ¡°There are definitely more merchants here than at the trials. A good number of people in the audience were citizens or tourists and didn¡¯t wear such fine clothes. Here it¡¯s like nearly all of them are.¡±


    John poked his head between Wyn and Marcy. ¡°Could be a caravan stopping by. I remember my parents and sister saying that they could always tell when one stopped in the city as the places were packed like this.¡±


    Wyn suddenly spotted Benedict sitting at a table. He was wearing similarly fine clothes as the rest of the crowd, almost as though he was dressing up for the day. At his table were two men Wyn didn¡¯t recognize and a young woman with straight black hair. Her back was to him so he couldn¡¯t see her face, but there was a familiar air about her.


    His heart skipped a beat. It couldn¡¯t be.


    Benedict caught Wyn¡¯s eye and the man went from laughing to serious. He abruptly stood up, then said something to the woman seated with him and urged her to turn around. The moment she did, Wyn felt a strong range of emotions flood his body.


    ¡°Wyn, what is it?¡± Tasha asked.


    Wyn ignored her. He only focused on the woman across the room. She immediately stood and began pushing through the crowd, tears forming on her face. Wyn ran to her, ignoring the complaints of people as he forced his way past them and pulled her into a tight embrace.


    They didn¡¯t say anything for several seconds. Wyn held her tighter when he felt her sobs, and she squeezed back feeling his. In that moment, together, he finally felt peace. He felt love and reassurance. He felt home.


    It was foolish of him to leave so suddenly before, but he wouldn¡¯t make that mistake. Now that she was here, he was going to stay by her side for as long as it took. Holding his sister gave him that clarity.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what happened to you,¡± Wyn said, still hugging her. ¡°I¡­ I was so worried.¡± There were so many things to say but the words were rushing through his head like a raging river.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Arabelle said, squeezing him even harder.


    Relief settled into Wyn like a warm blanket on a cool night. His sister was alive. She was safe. And she was with him. All of his worries and concerns were carried away from him in that moment as peace took their place. It was then he knew, deep in his heart, that everything would now be okay.

 Book 2 - Chapter 30

    Wyn didn¡¯t want to let go of Arabelle. It had been so long since they were together, and they had both been through so much. The comfort was more than welcome - it was needed.


    He had a feeling she felt the same way, too.


    Arabelle was the first to let go. She wiped her teary eyes and smiled, the former Wyn had seen her do far too often and the latter Wyn had seen her do far too little. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re here. I was afraid it was going to take me ages to find you in the city.¡±


    ¡°I had no idea you were so close! Your last letter was a bit vague. I was hoping you were coming to the city but I couldn¡¯t be sure. Then you didn¡¯t write back.¡±


    Arabelle hugged herself. ¡°I wasn¡¯t safe on the way here. I couldn¡¯t risk writing. I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Wyn hugged her again. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re safe and here now.¡±


    Arabelle gently let go of Wyn and backed up, clearing her throat. ¡°So, is this your group?¡±


    Wyn turned around to see his four teammates awkwardly trying not to impose. Seeing them so flustered made him chuckle. ¡°It is! Everyone, meet my sister Arabelle.¡±


    Like children being released to play, they all swarmed Arabelle, talking over each other.


    ¡°Was your trip here okay? I have some clothes and a place for you to sleep if you need it!¡±


    ¡°Has Wyn always been this uptight? How did you put up with him?¡±


    ¡°Do you need some a guide through the city? I¡¯d be happy to show you around!¡±


    Wyn held up his hands between them and his sister. ¡°Woah, woah, woah! Easy! Let her breathe!¡±


    The four Climbers all stepped back. ¡°That was rude of us,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Welcome to Alestead, Arabelle. We¡¯ve heard so many great things about you!¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ve read a lot about all of you,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°Though I have to admit the city is a bit intimidating.¡±


    Marcy stepped forward and patted her on the shoulder. ¡°That happens with everyone here. Let me tell you, I bet you¡¯re taking it far better than your brother did on his first day. Did he ever mention how lost and confused he looked?¡±


    Arabelle laughed. ¡°That sounds about right. But I¡¯ve had some help so far.¡±


    Wyn looked back at the table where Benedict and the two other men were. They were all seated now, watching them. ¡°Are you good?¡± Wyn asked, his voice low.


    Arabelle nodded. ¡°Yes, Wyn. They¡¯re okay. Really! I had a personal escort from the caravan leader and his head guard on my way in. They want to talk to you, too.¡±


    ¡°Good. I also want to talk to them.¡±


    Arabelle led them back over and introduced the men. Roscoe, the caravan leader, and Bartholomew, his guard. Roscoe looked as average as they come, except his clothes gave off the impression he had plenty of money. Wyn wanted to bet it was earned rather than given, but it was still obvious. Bartholomew was the opposite - he was dressed fairly average but looked like an older Climber with a stout frame and hard eyes. The man certainly seemed appropriate to be security.


    Wyn shook hands with both of them before moving to Benedict. ¡°Benedict, do you know them?¡±


    The owner of the Silver Step smiled devilishly. ¡°I was just telling them and your sister how small of a world we live in! They were asking me to help the sister of a Climber. I would have already said yes, but after meeting Arabelle and learning she was your sister, well¡­ how could I say no?¡± He wagged his eyebrows.


    Wyn had no idea what that meant, but such was Benedict. The man had mysterious bravado.


    ¡°Benedict here has already told us a little about you,¡± Roscoe said. He held a goblet in one hand and leaned back in his chair. ¡°He says you¡¯re a promising Climber who¡¯s shot up in the ranks. That true?¡±


    ¡°You could say that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°This is me and my group¡¯s second full season climbing and we ascended to the second tier at the end of last month.¡±


    Bartholomew paused before taking a bite out of a chunk of meat. ¡°I knew Climbers were more bold these days but that¡¯s certainly rare. What¡¯s your class?¡±


    Wyn smiled. ¡°Ruby Magician.¡±


    Roscoe let out a loud laugh. ¡°Of course you¡¯re a bloody Red Mage! Amazing! Well, congratulations, young man. I hope you and your group make it far safely and without issue. It seems the Climbers these days still have some ability after all.¡±


    Wyn slightly bowed his head. ¡°Thank you for the compliment. And thank you for bringing my sister here safely. I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s a debt I could easily repay.¡±


    Roscoe smiled. ¡°From what I hear, you already have a debt to repay. You don¡¯t need another. Although Arabelle and I did agree on an arrangement for safe passage.¡±


    Wyn looked at Arabelle who seemed to shrink into herself. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°25 crowns.¡±


    Wyn looked back at Roscoe. 25 crowns was nothing now, though to the average person that was a hefty sum. And their family was below average. To his sister, that would probably be months of work.


    Though that didn¡¯t matter now. He could make twice that in a few hours.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have my coin pouch on me but if you let me go up to my room, I can pay you now,¡± Wyn said.


    Arabelle looked at her brother and stood a little taller. ¡°No. This was my deal. I want to be the one to pay him. As he said, we don¡¯t need another debt to repay, and I¡¯ll be damned if I¡¯m going to let you pay in my place.¡±


    Wyn started to speak but stopped himself. She wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. The amount would be easy enough to repay, and Roscoe knew that. But to Arabelle, it was about more than the amount. It was the principle. Both of them were in debt from their father¡¯s mistakes, and Wyn understood not wanting to owe anything to anyone else. Plus, she was her own woman. If she wanted to be the one to repay them, he wouldn¡¯t interfere unless she asked. He was tired of making decisions without her. And he wouldn¡¯t turn into his father and control her, either.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Of course. I understand.¡±


    Arabelle relaxed a little, expecting an argument but finding none.


    ¡°But how will you pay for it?¡± Wyn continued.


    ¡°That¡¯s where I come in,¡± Benedict said. ¡°We agreed that she would be my new assistant! Her pay will be one crown a day which is standard here in the city for typical workers.¡±


    Wyn thought that was fair. And he trusted Benedict. The man hadn¡¯t let him down yet, and offered more than a fair share of advice to him since his very first climb. It would be good for Arabelle to work for someone he was familiar with. And having a similar wage compared to other workers in the city was nothing to be upset about.


    ¡°But we can figure out the specifics later, if you want,¡± Roscoe said. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving for a couple of weeks, so I¡¯ll be around. And from the talk I¡¯ve heard around here there¡¯s an exciting guild trial underway! Bartholomew and I were just talking about attending it.¡±


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    Wyn looked back to his group. Marcy and John were carrying their baskets of lunch, but they were patiently waiting for Wyn. This was a crucial time since he finally reunited with his sister, but they still had their own responsibilities. Wyn had a fleeting thought of abandoning the guild trials to go and sit down with his sister, but they had all evening and more to catch up. He still had obligations to his group. If Arabelle came along with Roscoe, Bartholomew, and Benedict, then they could keep her company. Which meant she would be safe.


    ¡°That would be good,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We were actually just about to return there. We need to eat and prepare.¡±


    Roscoe shared a look with Bartholomew, but it was Benedict who spoke first. ¡°You¡¯re participating? Wyn! That¡¯s marvelous! Why should I even be surprised, though. Of course you are.¡± He chuckled and stood, leaving some coins on the table.


    Arabelle walked beside Wyn as everyone left. She didn¡¯t say much, but Wyn appreciated her company. Just knowing she was here and safe was enough to fill him with endless relief. Now he could completely focus during the trials without a lingering worry for her in the back of his mind.


    As they walked, the group and Arabelle talked. John was the friendliest, of course, but it was obvious he wasn¡¯t flirting with her. He still teased Tasha enough to make it obvious where his romantic interests lie. But it was good to see that she didn¡¯t make a fuss about Cedric¡¯s missing arm, and wasn¡¯t surprised to hear that Wyn helped save him. She did thank them repeatedly for protecting Wyn, which made them all laugh. They had said it was usually the other way around, though Wyn was quick to correct them.


    ¡°Ive heard tower magic is really something,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°I guess I¡¯m finally going to see your class, then. Is it really as bad as you say?¡±


    ¡°Bad?¡± Roscoe said behind them. ¡°No tower magic is bad, my dear. Some of these young Climbers believe there are classes that can be better, but it really comes down to the individual and their choices. Back in my prime, all classes had value. And we were just as successful, if not more so than Climbers these days.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Tasha agreed. ¡°You¡¯ll see, Arabelle. You came at just the right time.¡±


    *****


    Wyn stood at the edge of the match arena along with his group. Since they all were going to be facing the training dummies one after the other, they decided to come down together for support. It wasn¡¯t like they were going to be able to sit still at the edge of the arena anyway.


    Watching the first tier Climbers participate was initially exciting, but Wyn couldn¡¯t help but feel like the excitement wore off far too soon. Over and over Climbers had three dummies they would utilize for their trial. The offensive Climbers would showcase their skills and spells in a large, roped off arena with either single target attacks or multi target attacks based on the Climber¡¯s abilities. The defensive Climbers would cast healing and protective abilities on the dummies, and while the effects weren¡¯t as drastic as the offensive Climbers, the magical auras they created captivated the audience just as well. Both types of Climbers were impressive, and Wyn quickly understood why it was such a spectacle. Seeing the various classes perform was also helpful to him understanding their differences and roles they played in the tower.


    Still, sparring with dummies just didn¡¯t carry the same weight as fighting enemies that were trying to kill you, or even opponents that could at least fight back. Watching the Climbers over and over gave Wyn some great ideas and insight, at least.


    For one, Wyn began to see a pattern with the styles of Climbers that could be categorized into just a few areas. For the offensive physical Climbers, they either focused on speed, control, or strength. The offensive magical Climbers mainly just blasted the dummies with whatever magic they possessed, relying on elemental advantages or brute magical force to overcome opponents. They weren¡¯t too broad with their focus and seemed a bit reckless.


    There were a few other additional abilities throw in here and there, too, but for the most part each participant stuck to one of those three focuses. It was likely a tactic mentors created to help give newer Climbers an area to really train, and Wyn had to admit it was effective. A Rogue with good control could execute precise hits on the dummy¡¯s vital areas repeatedly, while a Fighter focusing on strength could nearly hack the dummies in two with a swing of an axe or splinter them with a hammer. One hunter pinned dummies with arrows in specific shots, while another Rogue zipped through the arena with quick hops, slashing at the dummies with twin short swords.


    Their trials were effective but predictable. True to the popular thinking, they all fit a role so they could bring a specific element to a team. There wasn¡¯t much variability despite the people themselves being fun to watch. Since participants were able to use their standard gear, too, it made the showings that much more entertaining. Some Fighters looked like brutal warriors with large, spiky paldrons and thick armor, while the more dexterous Rogues or Hunters wore tight fitting leathers and lighter chain. All of the magical classes wore cloth robes and cloaks that billowed behind them with hats or circlets on their heads. They all had an assortment of fashion with varying colors or styles though most of it admittedly didn¡¯t match.


    Then the second tier Climbers started. It was immediately apparent how wide the gap between the two tiers were. These Climbers had armor and clothes that matched with set pieces or specific, intended abilities and colors, along with much more effective abilities. Bryce, the Barbarian from Devon¡¯s team, had to have his dummies replaced after each hit, as each strike from his axe nearly obliterated each one. The density of magical auras around him made him look nearly ethereal, and Wyn wondered just how many skills he was able to stack on himself.


    Each Climber kept the attention of the crowd, but it was the second tier Climbers that really captivated the audience. Each participant drew loud claps and cheers before, during, and after their round, and it felt like the crowd wouldn¡¯t ever stop or even slow down. Despite the three minutes per Climber, they were on a constant rotation, only slowing down for a minute so the assistants could reset the dummies to be smashed, cut, pierced, burned, and much more.


    The obvious exception was the support Climbers. Since they all produced barriers, supportive auras, and healing spells, their dummies remained intact. Wyn could tell the assistants appreciated the break each time a support Climber entered the arena. All of the dummies were coated in various colors and strength of auras, while the Climber announced what they were doing so the audience could understand. It didn¡¯t have the same effect as destruction, but it was magic. And magic was entertaining.


    Still, it was the same round one after the other. The Climber would pair with three dummies, perform their abilities, and stop when the time was up. Then the next person would do the same thing. Non-Climbers in the audience loved it, but Wyn had a feeling some of the veterans or guild members likely weren¡¯t as captivated. Sure, they were judging each person¡¯s chosen gear, setup, decisions and performance, but how well can you really see how someone performs against stationary dummies?


    It was why Wyn and his group had their secret plan. And it was finally time as they were up next.


    ¡°So who wants to go first?¡± Marcy asked.


    Everyone looked around at each other. Despite agreeing to the plan, it was still a bit risky. If they didn¡¯t perform well, they¡¯d flop more than fly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind starting us off,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I¡¯ll set the expectation and talk to Sonya. It shouldn¡¯t take much to convince her and the judges.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go after,¡± Marcy said. ¡°We¡¯re the least likely to screw this up. No offense.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the vote of confidence,¡± John said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It¡¯s any other fight. In the tower we take hits, so even if it happens you get back up and keep going. This is our chance to really show them how capable we are. Don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    John took a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re right. Then I¡¯ll go third and give them a good show!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go after,¡± Tasha said. ¡°You came up with this plan, Wyn. Be the big finale.¡±


    Sonya stepped into the middle of the arena as the assistants began setting up the three dummies. Cedric stepped inside to the cheers of the crowd and joined her. They talked for nearly a minute, and at first Wyn thought she wasn¡¯t going to agree to their idea. But then she turned to give new commands to the assistants.


    ¡°No turning back,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Remember - we prove ourselves, here and now. This is how we show them.¡± He looked into the crowd and saw his sister sitting beside Roscoe and Benedict. The men were laughing at something but Arabelle was staring back at him. Wyn smiled and nodded, and she did the same.


    He wouldn¡¯t just show the other Climbers and citizens. He¡¯d show his sister, too, what it meant to be a Climber. What it meant to be a Ruby Magician.


    Sonya raised her arms and was able to quiet the crowd. ¡°For the individual trials we will continue with our next group! There¡¯s been a slight change of setup, but fear not - we are placing extra Climbers at the barriers of the arena to make sure no magic escapes the boundary. We think you¡¯ll enjoy what this next group has to offer!¡±


    The crowd¡¯s noise rose again, and Sonya let them be boisterous for a few seconds before continuing. ¡°Participating first in our group of five is Cedric, the Lightning Wizard! Specializing in strong attacks and mobility, you¡¯ve seen some of his magic on display already as he was a finalist in the mage trials. So please direct your attention to him for the next three minutes as you witness the power of Alistair¡¯s magic!¡± She held her arms out to Cedric but quickly stepped out of the arena¡¯s bounds.


    The crowd¡¯s cheers and applause spiked but then quieted as Cedric took to the center of the stage. Wyn felt his heart thump in his chest, and his first thought was that his plan was a bad idea. But then his rational mind took over. They were likely just confused at the sudden change in the trials.


    While everyone else faced three identical, plain wooden dummies, Cedric stood against four. And they weren¡¯t plain at all - two of them carried swords, one carried a spear, and one held a bow with a quiver of arrows at its back.


    Cedric drew his scepter from his belt with a flourish and focused. Wyn was eager for his friend to show his capability. It was time to show them just how powerful a Lightning Wizard could be.

 Book 2 - Chapter 31

    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be shitting me,¡± Brett said. He was sitting at the edge of his seat, intently focused on Cedric¡¯s individual trial.


    Beside him, Faye couldn¡¯t hold herself back from laughing. She knew their group was up to something, and at first found it frustrating that Cedric or Marcy wouldn¡¯t tell her what they planned. But now she realized their idea, and it was wonderful seeing the guild member¡¯s reactions.


    They weren¡¯t just facing dummies to use as target practice. They were using dummies that could fight back.


    It was a brilliant idea, she had to admit. Watching Climbers go after hunks of wood over and over was only a little entertaining, despite it being important to see how they used their abilities. But this was far better. Cedric and his group could show off reactions and combinations and defensive abilities in addition to their attacks. They likely set the dummies to be on par with the fourth or sixth floor, too, which made them far more capable than just wooden dummies that could swing a sword. No, they¡¯d give an actual fight.


    But, the strategy required the Climbers to actually be decent and able to hold their own. Otherwise they¡¯d look foolish being hit by dummies by biting off more than they could chew.


    Faye didn¡¯t think that would happen, but it was still important to note.


    ¡°He¡¯s a real life bolt of lightning,¡± Nigel said. ¡°Those have to be purple rarity Boots of Mobility or something similar. He¡¯s moving so fast!¡±


    Cedric was half way through his time and he was putting on an absolute show. He avoided arrow after arrow with careful positioning and quick hops, while blasting the other dummies apart with strong lightning spells. Once when he was almost cornered, his circlet glowed and created two copies of himself that spread out in different directions. It was a good defensive spell, and it got him out of being cornered.


    Then he waved his scepter with a flourish and caused a spell to lash out as a streak of ice instead, much to the crowd¡¯s delight. Faye knew his scepter could change his element, but seeing her guild member¡¯s faces light up in realization was just beautiful.


    By the time his match was over, the crowd was yelling and clapping louder than any other Climber, and the other guild members were also joining in.


    Faye¡¯s excitement then turned to concern. If they took that much notice of them, then they might also extend an invitation to their group. And she didn¡¯t want that. She wanted her friends to join her guild.


    But that was a worry for another day. For now, she sat back and enjoyed the show.


    *****


    ¡°I think the crowd was definitely receptive,¡± Cedric said, returning to the group. The four others all congratulated him while Wyn breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Glad that you warmed them up,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep them going.¡± She hopped out onto the stage, her Master Avian Cloak billowing behind her. Like before, Sonya announced her, then stepped away to let her begin her trial.


    Similar to Cedric, Marcy requested four dummies for her trial, all of them wielding weapons. They had the same weapon combination as well, except the spear dummy now carried a sword and shield.


    Immediately she laid down a trap that caught two of the dummies, lashing them to the ground in ropes of water. She started shooting the other dummies with arrows, firing one projectile after the other. Each one hit the dummy in a vital spot before they started dodging or blocking them. Once that happened, Marcy began backing up and firing magical shots. One exploded a dummy in a small fiery hit, while another caused a small whirlwind of magical wind to eviscerate it with dozens of small cuts. When it would be too damaged to continue, the dummy would fall to the ground before being magically regenerated from one of the assistants standing at the edge of the match. Each time the crowd would cheer louder, supporting Marcy as she ¡°killed¡± one of the dummies.


    The fight continued for another minute until the two dummies were freed from their trap. From there, it was a four on one match. The dummies closed in on Marcy and threatened her with their numbers advantage, but her ability to sense oncoming danger with her Extrasensory helped keep her safe. Firing arrows so close to their targets didn¡¯t allow her to use her magical effects as she could be caught in the blast, so instead she teleported away in a cloud then activated her cloak.


    Flying above the arena made the entire crowd stand and point. She started attacking the dummies in a similar fashion as before, similarly killing them nearly as fast as Cedric.


    Towards the end of her trial, she activated her Deathhawk and worked in tandem with the summoned beast to put on a grand finale. The large creature¡¯s talons completely shredded the dummies while Marcy continued to attack with elemental arrows. The combination killed several more dummies before her time was up, much to the crowd¡¯s delight.


    *****


    Following her, John stepped into the middle of the arena. He felt far more comfortable wearing his armor and equipment, but he still felt nervous. Cedric and Marcy really drew in the crowd with their trials, exciting them with their decision to face dummies that could actually fight back. Why the judges didn¡¯t think to do that to begin with was beyond him, as both Cedric and Marcy said they weren¡¯t difficult opponents and were easily dealt with. The flair of fighting something that could fight back was what was exciting.


    So John decided to make it even more exciting.


    Standing in the middle of the arena, he hoped it wasn¡¯t a bad idea. Every other person in the group was more flashy than him. They could all use spells or magical attacks to some degree, and John was stuck with skills that made him stronger or his sword more deadly. That wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing, but it didn¡¯t exactly make a good show. Not like he wanted for this event. In order to up the ante, he asked Sonya and the judges to increase the difficulty of the dummies to the strength of an enemy on the eighth floor. He still only faced four of them, but one was a ranged dummy and three were melee combatants. One held a sword and shield like him, another a large hammer, and the third an axe.


    John closed his eyes and focused his mind. He knew he could fight them, but he wanted to do it well. He had to show he wasn¡¯t an average Squire. He was someone who trained for years before coming. His parents and older sister were Climbers, and they ingrained in him hard truths and first hand experience that people rarely had. Not only that, but he nearly died from being too trusting during his very first climb.


    He wouldn¡¯t make that mistake again. And he was a better Climber for it.


    Activating his Squire Aura, he embraced the feeling that overcame him when his strength, endurance, and energy were amplified. Wyn always talked about how great it felt having his aura, but he only felt a little more than half of what John had. The Aura worked to give himself a large boost, while the benefits it shared with others were only less than moderate.


    Sonya started the match while John thought about Lionel. About his betrayal. He was potentially a friend and he literally stabbed him in the back. Then he took his sword, the very sword his sister gifted him to use. The sword that he couldn¡¯t bring himself to use again as it was tainted with the memory of that bastard.


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    Breathing out like a bull, John channeled his anger. He activated Focus in addition to his Aura and he shot forward with incredible speed. Before the three melee dummies could raise their weapons he already attacked one with two slashes, his sword faintly glowing blue from the aquamarine gemstone socketed in the hilt. The dummy faltered but didn¡¯t fall, its body and abilities enchanted to be similar to a monster beyond anything he¡¯d encountered so far.


    Except for Lionel. The true monster. He was the hardest opponent John ever had, but he held his own against the man for longer than this trial required.


    Filled with resolve, John pushed himself. He was a whirlwind with his sword, slicing, slashing, stabbing, and completely dismantling the dummies. When the ranged opponent would reposition to attack, John would dodge or block the arrow with his shield effortlessly, all while still dealing with three opponents at once. Some blows hit his armor, but he didn¡¯t feel any injuries. Instead, his chest piece was building up energy, exactly as he wanted.


    Eventually one dummy fell. Then a second. John rushed over and downed the ranged dummy, much to the crowd¡¯s delight. They were cheering even louder than Cedric and Marcy, on their feet admiring the warrior taking down his foes. Foes that moved faster, hit harder, and were overall more powerful than the dummies in the last two rounds.


    He then called out to Sonya. ¡°Add another!¡±


    The crowed roared in response while a fifth dummy joined the chaos. John¡¯s attacks were strong enough to stagger the dummies on each hit, and he held his footing with each block of his shield. Once he activated the Earthen Tremor in his boots to knock back the three melee dummies before jumping to the ranged enemy and bashing it to the ground in a hard hit, activated from his sword skill Bash.


    As the trial neared its end, John activated the stored energy in his chest armor and once again knocked back the closest dummies. He knocked each one to the ground one after the other, and as his time ran out each one was finished.


    Sonya stepped forward and called the match while the crowd went berserk. John raised his sword and shield in response, and they loved him for it.


    He stepped off the stage with a new appreciation for himself and his abilities. He was more than capable, even without the flashy effects of using spells and flying or teleporting around.


    Passing Tasha and Wyn, he nodded to them both in confidence.


    ¡°Keep it going,¡± John said. ¡°We¡¯ll show them how strong we really are.¡±


    *****


    Tasha took center stage and took a deep breath. This was her time. She felt confident, contagious from John, but also nervous. She had decided to have a slight change to her dummy configuration. Instead of only having dummies to attack her, she also had some dummies to defend. It was a bold move, but she felt confident in her strategy. Her setup was two dummies with weapons attacking her, and two stationary dummies she was supposed to defend. Not as extravagant as the others, but different enough to stand out.


    When Sonya called the match, Tasha immediately began calling Zoraquin. It was an easy decision to bring him as he was a fighter but also could last longer than Baratheon. The attacking dummies immediately closed in on the still dummies, but that was alright. She could heal them after a few attacks, as was their design.


    Zoraquin materialized before her a few seconds later, and then immediately rushed to begin attacking the dummies. Tasha healed both dummies then performed her Multi-target Arcane Aura around the defenseless dummies and Zoraquin. To her delight, Zoraquin was able to hold off both attacking dummies while taking sustainable damage to the magical armor. The crowd was delighted, too, based on their cheers and praise. She had a feeling he could last out the remainder of the time if she replenished his Arcane Aura once or twice more.


    But that meant she would do nothing. And she didn¡¯t want to do nothing.


    Instead, Tasha moved forward and aimed her Unicorn Horn at the dummies. She commanded Zoraquin to fall back, and the moment he stepped out of the way, she blasted both dummies with a Holy Beam. The spell powered through both in seconds, requiring assistants to come and repair them.


    After a few more seconds of magical repairs, the dummies returned to the fight. Tasha had Zoraquin fight with less intensity, and she activated her boots. Copies formed around her and spread out, confusing their opponents. Zoraquin took that time to dismantle both of them again.


    The crowd once again clapped in excitement. She may not be a primary attacker in her climbing style, but she had enough variety to keep things interesting.


    After another repair, Tasha then summoned the wings from her Unicorn Horn wand and flew up out of the dummy¡¯s reach, toying with them to the delight of the crowd.


    But she wasn¡¯t done. She dismissed Zoraquin and began another Calling. She had less than a minute remaining, but she wanted to show off. The dummies couldn¡¯t touch her while she flew, instead attacking the magically protected defenseless dummies. After a few seconds, though, her Calling came.


    Baratheon landed on the arena with a loud thump that made the crowd gasp. The Celestial was an angelic brute, nearly blinding white in appearance that was taller and more muscular than any man. It immediately began tearing into the dummies, smashing them to pieces in seconds.


    The summoned Calling dismantled the wooden enemies two more times before Tasha¡¯s time was up. She bowed to the roaring crowd and walked off smiling.


    Wyn caught her and gave her a quick hug. ¡°That was incredible! That¡¯s the loudest I¡¯ve heard them cheer yet!¡±


    Tasha¡¯s curls bounced along with her. ¡°You¡¯re just being nice. But I¡¯m just glad it went as well as it did!¡±


    ¡°I had no doubt. I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    Tasha gave him another hug, then spoke in his ear. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn. Show them why you¡¯re our leader.¡±


    *****


    Wyn let go of Tasha and focused.


    It was time.


    He walked up to the center stage and Sonya met him. ¡°So, let me guess - you want some dummies to fight you too?¡±


    Wyn softly smiled. ¡°Something like that.¡±


    Her face quickly went from a smirk to a frown once he told her what he wanted. After confirming what he said by asking him a second time, Sonya then instructed the assistants to ready the dummies with a judge¡¯s approval.


    ¡°Our final participant in this five-Climber group is one that you all should be familiar with by now,¡± Sonya said, controlling the crowd with her booming voice. ¡°He participated in the mage trials and made it to the second round, and participated in the combat trials and made it to the finals. No other Climber here today can say they participated in as many trials, and we still have another trial to go! Please welcome to the arena Wyn, the Ruby Strategist!¡±


    The crowd¡¯s cheers softened at his class, but not by much. Then they quieted more when the assistants finished setting up the dummies. It was the quietest they¡¯d been for all of the combat trials, but Wyn didn¡¯t mind. He was about to tune them out whether they were dead silent or as loud as the previous matches.


    He looked into the crowd one last time and saw Arabelle. She had a look of concern on her face. Wyn could understand why, but he didn¡¯t want to worry her. He wanted to reassure her.


    As Sonya motioned for the start of Wyn¡¯s match, he expanded his shield and lengthened his dagger to a long sword. He stared at his opponents and steeled himself. Now was when he was going to make them remember him.


    *****


    ¡°Gods, is he mad?¡± Nigel asked.


    Faye stood up, not caring if anyone behind her could see or not. She was far too invested and curious to watch sitting down. She and the others wanted to see Wyn¡¯s match, but this was excessive. He likely bit off more than he could chew, exactly as she feared.


    If he could pull it off, though¡­ well, that would be memorable, at the very least.


    A sly smile formed on her face. ¡°He¡¯s not mad. Just determined.¡±


    ¡°If he pulls this off¡­¡± Brett started, but trailed off as Wyn started using magic. He placed a large glyph on the ground, then he began glowing in a dense, bright green aura. An aura that none of them immediately recognized.


    Then more guild members around them stood. No one said a word, too focused on watching the Ruby Magician face eight dummies at once.


    *****


    Wyn placed a Wellspring to the left side of the arena and a charge of Web from his necklace directly over it. If he could lure half of the dummies inside, that would break up the enemies. He was curious to see if he¡¯d get any mana from them, too, from his skill.


    Sonya wasn¡¯t too pleased when Wyn said he wanted the dummies as strong as John¡¯s trial but asked for twice as many. She likely thought he was going to be injured, and he was fully preparing himself to be. It would help show off his healing and supportive ability on top of being able to actually fight. His diversity was his strength. While some saw that as a detriment, he wanted to show how beneficial it could be instead.


    After placing his traps, the dummies were equally prepared. They stood in two rows, looming over the arena like monsters waiting to pounce. They had a variety of weapons with three of them in the second row carrying ranged weapons.


    While Sonya readied the start of the trial the crowd was relatively quiet. It was the quietest they¡¯d been all afternoon. Were they expecting Wyn to fail and just waiting for him to be overtaken? Or were they hoping for Wyn to overcome them despite the odds?


    It didn¡¯t matter, of course. What mattered was accomplishing his goal. And to do that, he had to play all of his cards.


    No holding back now.


    As Sonya dropped her hand, Wyn ignored the outside of the arena and moved. It was time to act.

 Book 2 - Chapter 32

    Wyn¡¯s first move was to make sure he actually gained mana from the dummies. Based on the outcome, his strategy would go one of two ways. If he did recover mana, he¡¯d be far more generous using his skills and spells. If not, then he¡¯d need to ration his mana and use them in a specific order. No mana potions meant no immediate recovery.


    Moving to the side, three of the dummies were immediately caught in the trap - two melee dummies and one ranged one. Their movements slowed, they physically shrank and looked to be powered down. Wyn then quickly checked his mark. His mana was still about two thirds full as his two runic class circles were gray.


    The melee dummies were within striking distance and began fighting him right away. They were strong and fast, but he was holding his own. Each strike forced him to reposition while he waited a few more seconds. Despite them being on the level of mid second tier monsters, they had no magic or abilities. They were only physically enhanced, and still just wooden dummies. In that sense, they were still easier and more manageable than actual monsters he¡¯d find inside the tower.


    Another glance at his mark after some exchanging of blows told showed him that his inner runic circle was only halfway gray now, which was incredible. Wellspring was giving him mana.


    He immediately adjusted and cast Flash. The dummies staggered, letting Wyn follow up with several quick sword strikes. One of the enemies collapsed and he had to cast Shield to prevent an arrow from hitting him.


    It was chaos, and he wanted it to be manageable. So it was time to advance.


    He used Speed Up and felt the power wash over him as his surroundings slowed with his mental processing speeding up along with his body. He dashed around to the ranged dummies and took them down in seconds. When they were dismantled on the ground, he returned to the remaining combat-focused dummies. He decreased his shield to the dormant bracer size and adjusted his weapon to a spear, keeping some distance while handling them with quick but well-placed strikes.


    Another Shield spell prevented one of the dummies from a direct hit and made it stagger from the rebound. Wyn hoped his Chaincast would activate but couldn¡¯t control it either. Still, he could alternate his spells to help the chance.


    The dummies were noticeably slower while Wyn had his speed skill active. He almost didn¡¯t need the addition of his spells with the enhanced physicality. With three of them still trapped in the combined Wellspring and Web trap, the remaining dummies didn¡¯t take long to defeat.


    He still had time, though. It wouldn¡¯t do standing around.


    ¡°Two more,¡± Wyn said.


    Sonya looked at him in confusion.


    ¡°Activate two more melee dummies,¡± Wyn said.


    While they prepared two more dummies, the ones that were taken down were recovered from the assistants around the stage. As they approached, Wyn used another Shield to block two attacks and followed it with a Feeble on one of the dummies.


    His runic mark appeared under him and a second dummy was then hit with the spell as his Chaincast doubled it. The affected dummies had floating skulls above their heads and shrunk to a full head shorter than the rest. The audience had a mixture of gasps and cheers, but Wyn tuned them out. He was completely focused.


    Wyn continued his dismantling of the dummies but found it was predictably harder to manage them. Now that there were ranged dummies attacking him and four fighting him directly, even with his enhanced speed he was having to dodge or reposition far more than attack.


    So, the second part of his plan was up. He wasn¡¯t necessarily looking forward to it, despite it showing off more of his capability.


    Wyn cast Regen on himself, immediately followed by Flash. At least the spell would take some of the dummies¡¯ focus. He started attacking more than defending or dodging, and took several hits and arrows from the wooden enemies. None of them were enough to take him out of the fight, but Wyn felt each of them. His gear reduced a lot of the damage but without the equipment each one would make him flinch or hurt enough to need outside help. Instead, they only felt like bruises at most.


    His healing spell would make sure he was fine. And it would give him some more mana from his class upgrade, which was needed as the dummies finally broke out of his trap.


    That was when he activated Decay. The final stretch of his trial was upon him but he still wanted to show his class features. The spell made the dummies lethargic and weak similar to the Wellspring skill at the cost of needing to be near the enemy. But that weakness was covered with his Regen spell, and it continued to work as he ignored some hits so they could heal.


    He was a whirling dervish, sometimes changing his weapon to accommodate whatever his immediate opponent had. He mostly kept it in his spear form, but he would change it to a sword and expand his shield when needed, or change it to a mace and bash the dummies away when able. He had enough mana left to be able to make those small adjustments.


    As the final minute of his trial wore down Wyn asked for two additional dummies while continuing to tear through them. His speed combined with his weapon made the dummies look like stationary targets despite being second tier difficulty.


    When Sonya called the end of the trial, over half of the dummies were on the ground while he was still fighting three of them. In total, eleven dummies ended up in his match. Wyn took some hits from them but nothing his equipment or healing spell couldn¡¯t handle.


    He reduced his weapon to a dagger, sheathed it, and gave a bow to Sonya and the judges. The crowd was the quietest they had been all afternoon, though nearly all of them were standing on their feet.


    Wyn had a brief feeling they didn¡¯t like his trial but put that thought out of his mind. Maybe they were too surprised to react. Or maybe they just really didn¡¯t understand what he did or what happened.


    Regardless, he joined his group, who stood there equally quiet and stunned.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°I just¡­ we¡­ how?¡± John asked. He didn¡¯t look upset or even happy. Just confused.


    ¡°You all know how I can fight,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I just decided to push myself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Wyn, I don¡¯t think you know what you just did.¡±


    Wyn turned around and looked at the crowd. They stared at him, hundreds of eyes locked to him even off the stage.


    ¡°I hope I just proved a point,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°Yet another understatement,¡± Cedric said.


    *****


    Faye stood up and left the stands. She didn¡¯t even bother waiting for the others. Brett would likely have something snarky to say, and the others were likely just going to trip over themselves in questions. Wyn just finished with his trial, and boy was it a show.


    So, she decided to go straight to the source.


    Gregory was standing with the other judges close to the match arena, all intensely focused. They were scribbling down a page worth of notes as fast as their hands could write and the ink would let them.


    Faye snickered. They probably had quite a bit to note about Wyn.


    She walked up behind Gregory and tapped him on the shoulder. The man ignored her, continuing to write.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Gregory,¡± Faye said. ¡°Come on. Surely you can¡¯t have that many notes? You¡¯ve already seen him climb!¡±


    ¡°Not like that,¡± Gregory said. ¡°Do you know a Climber who could do that?¡±


    Faye started to speak but stopped herself. No, she said in her mind. There wasn¡¯t another Climber who could do that. Not even her. Though not everyone would see Wyn¡¯s class abilities as a boon, it was obvious he could fill just about any role a group needed. Not as good as others, of course, but his flexibility was impressive. In a world where flexibility was looked down on, he made it actually look desirable.


    Faye smiled. It was exactly what that crazy man wanted.


    ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re in, now?¡± Faye asked.


    Gregory paused his writing and looked back at her. He glanced to the judges beside him but they were still intently focused on making their own notes. Looking back to Faye, he gave a slight agreeing nod of his head.


    Faye felt a surprising wave of relief mixed with worry. She knew Gregory could be persuaded one way or another, but it was good to see him so convinced already.


    ¡°Make sure Prian and Caryn are also on board,¡± Gregory said.


    ¡°Prian was just as excited in the stands as the rest of us. I haven¡¯t seen Caryn¡¯s group, though. Is Bea here? Or maybe Oz?¡±


    ¡°Caryn is here himself. Find him and talk to him.¡± Gregory went back to his writing, obviously ending the conversation.


    Faye cursed. If Caryn personally showed up and saw Wyn¡¯s group perform then he would certainly have his own opinions. Which may not be bad, but the man was an enigma. Even she couldn¡¯t pin down what he liked or didn¡¯t like. But, if Gregory wanted her to talk to him, she would.


    She just had to make sure she didn¡¯t make a bet with him. She always lost those.


    *****


    Arabelle was frozen in the stands. The people around her were murmuring or talking about Wyn and his group, but she had a hard time focusing on them. All she could think about was how her brother fought. Was that the result of his years of military training? Hardening himself to fight so effectively? His opponents were just dummies, sure, but inside the tower he fought actual creatures. Creatures, she was told, that were scary and strong in their own right. But here was Wyn, wielding magic and gear that glowed in colors and strengths that her mind couldn¡¯t fully process.


    He was far too modest in his letters to her about climbing. After watching him fight, she knew the truth. And it made sense why he even considered becoming a Climber when everyone told him it was a fool¡¯s errand, a guaranteed death certificate.


    He was a warrior. A near terror with a weapon.


    ¡°He is an incredible Climber,¡± Roscoe said. ¡°I don¡¯t ever remember seeing Ruby Magicians fighting like that!¡±


    ¡°Nor I,¡± Bartholomew said. ¡°You¡¯re lucky, Arabelle. You have a strong brother to protect you.¡±


    Arabelle snapped out of her stunned state from the man¡¯s statement. Bartholomew wasn¡¯t wrong, but what he said irked her.


    ¡°I always knew he was special,¡± Benedict said, sitting on the other side of her. ¡°He has advanced incredibly fast for a new Climber, but he doesn¡¯t have a big ego like other skilled Climbers I¡¯ve seen. That¡¯s refreshing to see.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes you need an ego to really push yourself, though,¡± Roscoe said. ¡°Back when I was climbing, some bravado separated the weak from the strong. I sense some of that in Wyn, here, whether you see it or not.¡±


    Benedict smiled his sly smile. ¡°He has bravado, he just manages it far better than the boisterous youth that normally comes through those pillars at the front gates. I¡¯ll certainly keep supporting him, you can count on that.¡±


    Arabelle looked back at Wyn meeting up with his group. They all were strong in their own way. She had no idea the level of magic that was present here in the city, and seeing them fight was invigorating.


    But watching her brother do what he did was different. He didn¡¯t just wield magic, he controlled the fight from beginning to end. He wasn¡¯t afraid or tried to run away, and he didn¡¯t need someone else to protect him.


    Not like her. She was still afraid. And wanted to surround herself with people to protect her.


    A flame grew inside of Arabelle, something she long thought to be dormant. There was a spark that ignited when she chose to leave her home, and the flame grew with her decisions that led her to the city. A large part of her was afraid still, but deep down was a desire to survive and overcome.


    A desire that Wyn shared. She knew it in her soul. They were siblings, after all, with similar drives in different ways.


    It was that moment she knew what she needed to do. It wasn¡¯t to be an assistant to Benedict, despite him being an honest man. It was to be like her brother. To fan that flame of survival and perseverance.


    She would become a Climber.


    *****


    The combat trials soon ended, but Wyn didn¡¯t really pay attention. He was still recovering from his own trial and all of the reactions from it. There was mostly congratulations but also a fair amount of staring and avoidance. Wyn ignored them to focus for the remainder of the afternoon as the guild trials were nearly finished but an important, final trial remained.


    The group trials.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the training hall transitioned to the last set of trials. They were setup almost exactly like the individual trials, so the people working on the arena didn¡¯t have much to do. They were taking additional precautions, though, as the assistants setting up the stage were reinforcing the ground, adding magical barriers, and moving the stands back further than before. The arena was also larger, needing to accommodate the increased number of Climbers participating at one time. More people were crowding around on the ground instead, causing the audience to look more cramped than comfortable. But since the trial involved several Climbers slinging magic all around, additional steps needed to be taken.


    Wyn watched with his group as the first tier started. Their group numbers weren¡¯t as many as Wyn thought. There were only nine of them, and over half of the groups weren¡¯t even full. Wyn wondered just how many groups were splitting up because of the guild trials. It would definitely make climbing slower needing to find a new group, even for those in a guild. But figuring out group dynamics was a problem for the guilds. Hopefully it wouldn¡¯t be an issue for their group.


    As the trials started Wyn wasn¡¯t too impressed. Some groups fought dummies that fought back, and Wyn assumed they had a last minute decision to make themselves look better by fighting actual opponents similar to what he and his team chose to do. But those who ended up doing that looked disjointed and chaotic. The crowd loved it, of course, but Wyn could see through the magical appeal.


    A couple of the groups stood out as being better, as they worked together well through good communication. All of them had skills and spells, of course, but the groups that would likely get a guild invitation were those that looked more fluid. Devon¡¯s group actually impressed Wyn the most, and they fought against their dummies easily. They were the one group that decided to utilize dummies who could fight but handled them well. Bryce kept the dummies¡¯ attention while absorbing just about any hit, and Maven, their Divine Magician, kept an Arcane Aura up on him at first followed by Regen so he could heal from the damage he was obviously taking. From what he remembered with Lucy, Barbarians had skills that activated when damaged. It made sense to heal him to a point while letting him continue to be minimally hurt. It was a delicate balance but she was doing it well.


    They had certainly come a long way. Wyn wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they got an invitation for a guild, and he hoped they did. From where they started, they deserved it.


    The second tier groups continued immediately after, and like the individual trials the difference in quality was astounding. Each group went up against combat dummies and looked like cohesive units. Wyn was both impressed and concerned. He hoped that the average Climber wasn¡¯t just all show, but knew that they had to carry some skill to be able to successfully climb higher floors that were dangerous. His desire to change people¡¯s mindset about his class would be harder than he thought if the average Climber of higher tiers was that good.


    The one difference, though, was that the groups had little to no variability whatsoever.


    One after the other was the same setup - direct combatants would engage the dummies and fend off two or three of them each. Support Climbers would make sure their teammates in direct combat had defensive and healing spells on them, and the ranged Climbers shooting arrows or spells would systematically take down the dummies with strength and power.


    Wyn wondered if that was all there was to being a Climber? Sure, gear and select abilities that differed provided a bit of change, but for the most part they were the same. Some individuals were more skilled than the rest, of course, acting with more decisive movements or communicating better to the group. But was that it? Was it really boiled down to a specific makeup in order to be successful?


    Wyn sighed. On one hand, if the setup worked, it worked. Success couldn¡¯t be ignored. But his entire point here was proving that even classes that were considered subpar could not only bring something to the table, but had true value.


    And what about groups that wanted different dynamics than the typical two or three warriors, one support Climbers, and two or three ranged Climbers? Could a group of all Mages power their way through a floor? Or could an entire squad of Fighters hack and slash their way through?


    Wyn didn¡¯t know that answer. But he at least wanted to show that different didn¡¯t always mean bad. At that would be enough.


    Their group was slotted next to last, and the crowd was eager to watch them perform. They were either on their feet or cheering deafeningly loud as Wyn and his group walked up to the stage. When the dummies were prepared, the noise only rose.


    Where the other groups fought the same number of dummies or one or two more as their group, Wyn and the others had decided beforehand that they wanted to stand out. So, they had a dozen wooden dummies standing against them to fight. Compared to the secret room¡¯s wave of monsters, this would be nothing. But it dwarfed the other group¡¯s numbers.


    Their plan was the same as when they fought in the secret room, too, which was a modification of fighting the Ashen Warriors on the sixth floor. Marcy and Wyn would set up traps on one side while Cedric placed a storm cloud on the other, causing a funnel to meet John, Zoraquin, and Wyn in the middle, while they could adjust as needed.


    Wyn looked around one last time at the judges, the guild members watching them, and finally the crowd. They were all anxiously waiting for them to fight and show their ability to work together.


    For each of them, with various reasons, this was their moment to show the city they could overcome the odds. Cedric only having one arm. Marcy and Wyn having less than desirable classes. Tasha choosing a class that was considered difficult to manage. John nearly dying during his first climb and continuing on without fear or hesitation.


    No matter what, they stood together. Nothing would change that.


    ¡°Are we ready?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Ready,¡± they all said, taking their positions.


    Then, at once, they moved.

 Book 2 - Chapter 33

    Arabelle delicately held the teacup in her hand. It was still hot, and the warmth was comforting to her as she sipped on it. The taste and smell was foreign, but not unpleasant. Anything was better than the meager food she ate at home, and since she¡¯d arrived in Alestead she¡¯d been eating like a queen.


    Home. That damn farm and house was no longer her home. Her brother was her home, and he was here now. This was her new home.


    She took a deep breath and forced herself to relax into Wyn¡¯s couch. His apartment wasn¡¯t too big, but it was far nicer than what she was used to. When he told her the price she nearly spat out her drink, and she actually did when he told her how many crowns he was making per day now. He didn¡¯t mention how much money he was making in his letters, only that he had a plan to pay back the debt. Now she understood he was serious.


    That information was another point to her becoming a Climber. Not that she had to tell Wyn about it, yet. The gods only know how he was going to take it.


    Her brother came out of his bedroom wearing a set of clothes that looked clean. And expensive. Something like what Roscoe would wear, if not a bit more subtle. Still, it was a good look. His tunic and pants matched, and they looked comfortable.


    ¡°How much did that set you back?¡± Arabelle asked.


    Wyn chuckled as he poured himself a cup of tea. ¡°About thirty crowns. But that covered two sets of them and new boots, too.¡±


    Arabelle couldn¡¯t believe it. Thirty crowns for clothes. It wasn¡¯t that long ago when she was scrounging whatever coins she could just to escape her hell hole of a life, and her goal was half that sum.


    ¡°I could easily get you some if you want,¡± Wyn continued. ¡°Tasha already offered to take you shopping and pay for you but I won¡¯t let her do that. I can afford that much, at least.¡±


    ¡°She also said I could stay at her apartment. Apparently it¡¯s twice the size of here? How did she pull that off?¡±


    Wyn held his tea while it cooled, slowly smelling the fragrant leaves. ¡°Her name is Tasha St. Clair. She¡¯s a noble.¡±


    Arabelle paused right before her cup was to her lips. ¡°A noble? As a Climber?¡±


    ¡°Yea. Didn¡¯t I tell you that in my letters?¡±


    Arabelle shook her head no.


    ¡°Huh. Well, it¡¯s not my story to tell, but she wanted to escape her family¡¯s expectations and live her own life. So she came here.¡±


    ¡°I understand that. Though I think our backgrounds are¡­ a little different.¡±


    Wyn laughed causing Arabelle to smile. She hardly ever heard him laugh. It was nice to see him comfortable and not stressed.


    ¡°So what did you think of the trials?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°I know it was a lot, but hopefully it was entertaining, at least.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it. So you can just¡­ do magic? Just like that?¡± She snapped her fingers for emphasis.


    Wyn pulled up his sleeve and showed her his Ruby Magician mark. ¡°With this, yea. I have access to some skills and spells and have mana to use them. It¡¯s a bit more complicated but not nearly as complicated as magic outside the city.¡±


    ¡°Roscoe mentioned something about that. That the tower¡¯s magic fades the longer and farther it is from the tower and city, which is why all of the gear that leaves here doesn¡¯t last too long and isn¡¯t as powerful.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing. There¡¯s so much of it around here, it would completely change the world. You have no idea.¡±


    Not yet, Arabelle thought. ¡°I¡¯m sure. But you and your friends were really impressive. It was all impressive, to be honest. And I can see why you appreciate them so much. You work well together.¡±


    ¡°We do. I¡¯m very fortunate to have them.¡±


    Arabelle took a slow sip of her tea and Wyn did as well.


    Arabelle started to ask about the food in the city but stopped herself. That would be a stupid question. Wyn apparently had some reservations himself, as he kept fidgeting in his chair.


    Why was this so awkward? They were siblings. And the only family that each of them cared about. Had life for them really changed that much?


    ¡°So what do you -¡±


    ¡°How do you -¡±


    They both paused, waiting for the other to speak.


    Wyn sighed. ¡°Should I go get a piece of paper so we can actually communicate?¡±


    Arabelle spat out her tea at that. She cursed from burning her lip, but it only made Wyn laugh.


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny!¡± Arabelle said.


    Wyn laughed harder.


    The conversation eased after that. They felt more comfortable with each other, more relaxed and less formal. Despite desperately wanting to reunite they hadn¡¯t spent much time together in years. Wyn went to war quite some time ago, and only days after he returned he set off for Alestead. They communicated more in letters than in person. They were both different people, now.


    But that was alright. They could learn about each other in time.


    ¡°When are the others coming?¡± Arabelle asked.


    Wyn looked out the window. It was dark out, and the moon and stars were shining brightly in the sky. ¡°Should be any time. Thanks for staying, though. I really have missed you.¡±


    Arabelle softly smiled. ¡°I missed you, too. Though you know it wasn¡¯t easy being there alone. With him.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Arabelle took another sip of her tea. ¡°And not just when you came here, too. While you were at war. He wasn¡¯t as bad, then, but I could tell he was getting worse. Not that your time was any better. I know that.¡±


    Wyn sat down his teacup and ran his hands through his hair. ¡°Still, I shouldn¡¯t have left so suddenly when I came home. I¡¯m so sorry. I left without talking to you, I¡­ I didn¡¯t even discuss it with you. And you¡¯re more family than that bastard ever was.¡±


    Arabelle didn¡¯t know what to say. He was right, and she was still upset about him leaving. She never felt as though she had much say in anything. Not until she decided to leave, which was both exhilarating and frightening.


    But it was still a decision she made.


    ¡°What I mean to say is that it won¡¯t happen again,¡± Wyn continued. ¡°Now that we¡¯re together, we need to be honest. Open. Anything you want to ask, ask.¡±


    Arabelle didn¡¯t have to think too hard. ¡°What did you and father talk about that made you leave so suddenly? Was it only the debt? I know he messed up a lot, and I¡¯m sure it¡¯s no small amount since you left so fast and are working so hard to pay it back. But was that really it?¡±


    Wyn paused before answering. Arabelle could sense his hesitation. ¡°He wrote me while I was away about our debt, but it was manageable then. Some gambling losses here and there, nothing too life altering. But right before I came home, he told me we were in much more trouble than before. So I rushed back and he told me the amount had more than tripled.¡±


    Arabelle¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Tripled? How?¡±


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    ¡°Well, you know him. He made one bad decision after another. Some bad deals for the farm didn¡¯t go his way and he kept drinking whatever sense he had left. But it was a lot, Arabelle. 75,000 crowns.¡±


    ¡°75¡­ 75,000. Gods. It¡¯ll take years to pay that back!¡±


    Wyn chirped a laugh. ¡°They gave me until the end of the year. So no, I only have four months left.¡±


    ¡°We have four months left.¡± Arabelle put her hand on Wyn¡¯s arm. ¡°You¡¯re not alone in this. Not anymore.¡±


    Wyn patted her hand. ¡°You¡¯re right. We have four months left. But with how successful I¡¯ve been climbing it¡¯s actually feasible, believe it or not. And now that our father is dead, he can¡¯t make it any worse.¡±


    Arabelle sat back into the couch and hugged herself. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to have to shoulder that burden, though. Not alone. Surely I can help?¡±


    ¡°You can! Find work that¡¯s tolerable, even if it¡¯s not with Benedict. Though I do really like him. Learn, grow, figure yourself out. You¡¯re not under his thumb anymore. You¡¯re safe. Live your life.¡±


    Wyn was right. And Arabelle did want to do exactly that, but it was likely not how Wyn expected it.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve been thinking -¡±


    A knock at the door interrupted her. Wyn smiled at her and sat his teacup down. He then walked over and opened it, and his friends and group were standing in the hallway. They were all holding up folded pieces of paper. One of them - Marcy, Arabelle remembered - held out a sealed envelope to Wyn.


    ¡°This was outside your door,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s time we discussed our next move.¡±


    *****


    Ardwyn Thatcher,


    Congratulations on your success at the guild trials! You¡¯ve proven yourself to be not only a capable Climber but a potentially valued guild member. In your short time you have accomplished much, and your trials showed your potential. That, in of itself, is a feat worthy to be proud of.


    Without further ado, you have received formal invitations to the following guild(s):


    The Defenders


    Alistair Junkies


    Twilight Blades


    Because you have received more than one invite, you must attend the Guild¡¯s Gala, where you will choose your guild or decline all offers. A written letter expressing your desired guild is not enough as the guilds would like to interview you personally. Failure to attend will result in forfeiture of all guild invitations.


    The Gala will be in two days, Faesday, at 8pm. Please dress formally and expect to see other participants, guild members, and sponsors. It will be in The Defender¡¯s private guild hall outside the housing district. Directions are provided on the back of this letter. Dinner will be provided and served first followed by an evening of mingling and interviews. Attendants will direct you to individual rooms where you will privately discuss your possible guild choice.


    Again, congratulations, and we can¡¯t wait to see you!


    - Guild Hosts


    Wyn stared at the letter for a moment. He couldn¡¯t believe it. He had hoped for an invite but didn¡¯t expect to be invited into almost every guild that was participating in the trials. The fourth one, the Stair Chasers, was the newest guild and didn¡¯t extend an offer. Did the others really need members that badly or did they actually consider him that worthy? And why didn¡¯t the newest one, who presumably needs members more than any of them, not invite him?


    There were a lot of unknowns. But to Wyn that was alright. The fact that he was invited at all was fantastic.


    ¡°The letters came sooner than expected,¡± Wyn said. ¡°How did you all do?¡±


    Everyone was lounging around Wyn¡¯s apartment, all holding letters except Arabelle. She was still cradling her teacup in her hand like it was the most precious thing in the world. Wyn could tell she was nervous, and it was understandable. After everything she went through recently, she now sat around strange people who she just saw wield incredible magic. It would be pretty jarring.


    ¡°We all got multiple invites,¡± Cedric said. ¡°So that¡¯s a relief.¡±


    ¡°More importantly, we all got invites to the Twilight Blades,¡± John said. He was stretched out on the couch beside Tasha and Arabelle, both of whom looked more uncomfortable than him. ¡°Does it really matter who else?¡±


    ¡°Not if that¡¯s who we¡¯re choosing,¡± Marcy said. ¡°And it probably goes without saying, but we are choosing a guild, correct?¡±


    They all looked at each other before Wyn spoke. ¡°We came this far. And I think they would have the least likely chance to split us up. Though I won¡¯t know until we can talk to them.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully they¡¯ll take us all together,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We do work well as a group, and it would probably be more complicated to split us up to form new teams. But I¡¯m not a guild officer and don¡¯t know for certain. Every guild is different.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something we can talk about at the Gala,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Did Faye say anything to you two?¡±


    Marcy and Cedric exchanged a look.


    ¡°She was unusually cryptic,¡± Marcy said. ¡°But she didn¡¯t seem concerned about the possibility we would be split up. She did say they were looking for two groups, so if we all joined that¡¯s nearly one entire group right there. The odds of us staying together are higher. And at least most of us staying together are guaranteed. It¡¯s the other guilds that are wanting more members that could split us up.¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t like the sound of that. Even if some of them remained partnered up he wanted them all in his group. But surely the Twilight Blades wouldn¡¯t do that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to talk to the other guilds,¡± John said. ¡°I was only invited to the Stair Chasers and the Twilight Blades. But that¡¯s fine, it¡¯s less people I have to turn down!¡±


    ¡°The Stair Chasers are a newer guild,¡± Cedric said. ¡°They have the biggest stake here. Apparently they received some serious funding and are wanting to boost their numbers right away.¡±


    ¡°Is that bad?¡± Arabelle asked.


    ¡°Newer guilds are wild cards,¡± Marcy said. ¡°They don¡¯t have the reputation of more established guilds, though they usually have more upfront funding from sponsors that lets them spend money more loosely. But they also have a tendency to sputter out quicker with poor management. We¡¯ve seen it time and time again.¡±


    ¡°But that still leaves us with needing to know about if we can stay together,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Because if we get split up I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll want to join any group.¡±


    ¡°But Wyn, the Twilight Blades are small enough that even if we split up we¡¯d still be around each other all the time,¡± John said. ¡°We¡¯d move into the guild hall and interact together! Train together, eat together. I don¡¯t know about the rest of you, but I really want this. The opportunity is too great.¡±


    Wyn paused. He didn¡¯t expect John to want to join even if it meant their group split up. More so, he didn¡¯t expect to feel so hurt by it. The statement felt like a sting to his leadership and their friendship. But he knew this was coming. Ever since John brought up the fact that he wanted to join a guild he knew this conversation was going to happen.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯d rather go without a guild than us split up. Trust is not so easily gained, especially here. I know how well well climb together, and I wouldn¡¯t us to lose that benefit just to be in a guild.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you fully grasp how elevated you¡¯ll be in a guild,¡± John said. ¡°The benefits are far higher than climbing on our own. Sponsors! Information! Gear! Think of the training and resources!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of us.¡±


    The group sat in silence for a few moments. Wyn was trying to wrap his head around John preferring a guild over them. He took a deep breath and thought about when he confronted Cedric threatening to quit. It took courage to say what was needed. He thought he left behind his life of being a captain, but being this group¡¯s leader carried some weight of importance, too.


    ¡°John,¡± Wyn said, his voice low. ¡°You¡¯re valuing the guild over us. That¡¯s what it sounds like you¡¯re saying.¡±


    John scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. Come on, Wyn. You said it yourself you want to prove your worth as a Ruby Magician. Wouldn¡¯t being in one of the most respected guilds in Alestead show that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But ultimately I care more about us climbing well and successfully than proving my class.¡± He glanced over at Arabelle, who quietly watched their conversation. She didn¡¯t offer any sort of response.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be better in the guild. Do you not think they¡¯ll invite quality people? And this is all under the assumption they¡¯ll even separate us! We could likely stay together, and we¡¯ll be in the same guild anyway!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that,¡± Marcy said. ¡°It¡¯s the fact that you don¡¯t care and are placing us second.¡±


    John started to speak but paused and took a breath. ¡°I¡¯m trying to be rational.¡±


    ¡°I understand that,¡± Cedric said. ¡°But I also understand how much it hurts for your group to leave you behind. It¡¯s the principle.¡±


    John leaned back into the couch and ran his hands over his face. ¡°Yea, alright. I see your point. I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t want us to be split up, I just see us as still being together even in the same guild.¡±


    ¡°I see that, too,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But how about we wait until we talk to them in person. Maybe we don¡¯t even have to worry about it if they¡¯re going to keep us together. It could be something we negotiate, too, if other guilds want us.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll know they are our first pick,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Cedric and I have talked to Faye too much about joining to realistically pick another guild. But it¡¯s worth a shot.¡±


    ¡°That gives you all some time to think on it,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°Are you going to go back to climbing until then?¡±


    ¡°I think we should,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We have two days before the dinner, after all.¡±


    ¡°I vote we take some time off,¡± Tasha said. ¡°We¡¯ve been running ourselves ragged this week. I¡¯d like to take it easy.¡±


    ¡°I second that,¡± John said.


    Wyn wanted to argue but didn¡¯t want to push it. They had been incredibly successful when they found the secret room and cleared it over and over, easily making up two week¡¯s worth of rewards. Plus, with Arabelle now in the city, he could actually take some time with her.


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You¡¯re both right. Arabelle, when do you start with Benedict?¡±


    ¡°He said as early as I wanted,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°I could go by and ask to wait a few days, though?¡±


    Wyn smiled. ¡°That would be great. It would be nice to have some time off for a change.¡±


    Tasha leaned forward and clapped her hands together. ¡°There¡¯s a little cafe just outside the merchant district that has the best breakfast food. And beside it is a wonderful seamstress with absolutely stunning work. I¡¯ll make sure to get you some clothes first thing tomorrow!¡±


    Arabelle started to protest but Tasha abruptly stood up. ¡°First, though, we need to get cleaned up. It¡¯s getting late and this is your first night in the city, so you need to be welcomed properly. Wyn, meet us in front of the guild hall at eight o''clock sharp. Arabelle, let me show you to your room.¡±


    Wyn stood with Arabelle and walked both of them out along with John. The Squire said his goodbyes to Tasha while Wyn gave his sister a hug.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the morning,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It¡¯s great to have you here.¡±


    Arabelle and Tasha walked away while Wyn and John stood outside in the hall.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Marcy said from inside Wyn¡¯s room. ¡°Tasha will spoil her.¡±


    Wyn sighed. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m worried about.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 34

    The croissant melted in Arabelle¡¯s mouth, and she had to do everything in her power to stop herself from stuffing her face with the rest of it followed by six more. She never had food like this in her life, and it almost felt wrong to enjoy it.


    Tasha insisted on the cafe, though, and Wyn said the cost was nothing. Arabelle couldn¡¯t believe seven crowns for breakfast was nothing, which would have been used for enough food for weeks back at home. But this was a different lifestyle, and Wyn made more than money climbing than she could even comprehend.


    His new profession was exactly what she wanted. She just had to find the time and place to tell him. He likely wasn¡¯t going to take it well.


    Before taking another bite, she reached up to the necklace Wyn gave her. Apparently it was a magical necklace, able to use a healing spell once a day. Knowing she could use something like that freely was incredibly reassuring, and it was a stunning piece of jewelry too. Besides it being magic, it was absolutely breathtaking, and she nearly cried putting it on.


    The day went on without trouble, much to her relief. She wondered if Roscoe or Bartholomew would need to stay with her, but Wyn was more than enough. Everyone who even so much as offered a side glance noticed Wyn was a Climber right away and then gave them a wide berth. He wore casual clothes but included his coat and a sword on his hip. The weapon changed sizes, which was absolutely bizarre, and he normally carried it as a dagger but decided on a sword for intimidating effect. He offhandedly mentioned it was a ¡°normal thing¡± but Arabelle new the truth. Any would be attackers or thieves would be heavily dissuaded from doing anything to them knowing he was a Climber. They were treated by the citizens like they were either royalty who should be revered or a dangerous pariah who should be avoided.


    That was fine with Arabelle. She got to see the city while feeling far more comfortable with her brother. It was actually a pleasant day despite the late summer¡¯s heat, though enough cloud cover helped keep them shaded when not in shops or markets.


    Similar to the cafe, Tasha insisted on stopping at several shops for Arabelle to get clothes and basic supplies. She was desperate to help, and apparently needed to since Marcy refused more than once. So, the noble met them at some places and helped pick out new clothes, shoes, and home goods for her room. Arabelle was more appreciative after realizing she was missing so many things after traveling to the city, and having a personal guide who was kind and supportive made her feel loved.


    That was a feeling she hadn¡¯t felt in a long, long time. It was nice. She hoped it would happen more.


    In the late afternoon Wyn and Tasha left her at the Silver Step, Benedict¡¯s climbing shop. If Arabelle was overwhelmed before, she was nearly done in by all the gear and items inside. She didn¡¯t know what to do, where to go, or even what to look at.


    ¡°Hello again, dear,¡± Benedict said. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you in just a minute!¡± He was talking to some customers beside a tall glass case that held an entire suit of armor with a brilliant teal sheen. It looked incredibly strong. And expensive.


    Arabelle meandered around the shop, casually looking at the items. Some were in similar cases, protected from wandering hands or accidental touches, while others were out in the open. All of them had small plaques under them that gave the items name, brief description, and sell price. After the first few items she passed nearly made her pass out from their cost, she decided to keep her hands firmly at the small of her back. A small accident here would cost her far more than the 25 crowns she owed Roscoe.


    Before long Benedict finished talking with the customers and locked the door. The place was now empty, and Arabelle knew it wouldn¡¯t be for long. But whatever he needed to say to her was important, especially with it being her first time there.


    ¡°Welcome to the Silver Step!¡± Benedict said with a flourish of his arms. ¡°I have plenty of stock for Climbers ranging from the first tier to the third, with options of entire equipment sets down to select, individual items. I also carry mundane gear climbers could use like packs, survival and training items, and more. As well as the occasional, small crafting service.¡± He leaned on his counter and smiled while resting his face on his hands.


    Arabelle would have fallen for his charm if she wasn¡¯t so on edge. ¡°That¡¯s incredible, but all of it is lost on me. I have no idea how to use or how anyone would use a lot of this stuff.¡±


    Benedict chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s to be expected. I have a feeling you¡¯ll catch on quick.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. So do you want me to take inventory or stock? Like catalogue some items in the back or move boxes or something?¡±


    Benedict furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Why would I need you to do that? I have enchanted papers that take inventory, and I know exactly where everything is at all times.¡±


    ¡°Ahh. Well, that¡­ is both impressive and terrifying.¡±


    Benedict laughed, this time. It was hearty and rich. ¡°Thank you, dear. No, I have something else in mind for you. I want you to interact with customers, learn what they¡¯re looking for and convince them to purchase something. Help keep an eye on some while I fetch items, or draw in unsure Climbers to purchase something. You primarily worked in a tavern, so I imagine you had to deal with all manners of people?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did. And I still got tipped the best.¡±


    ¡°Perfect! So you¡¯re a people person when you need to be, able to read and possibly even predict people¡¯s needs. That¡¯s a useful trait. Not to mention having another pair of hands here I can trust is valuable in of itself. I can¡¯t be in two places at once!¡±


    Arabelle thought about that. That was pretty similar to her experience, though the clientele was different. But that could be overcome soon. If she was going to be a Climber, she needed to learn the ins and outs anyway. No better way than to interact with them on a daily basis.


    ¡°That sounds good,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°When do I start?¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± Benedict said, moving to the door. ¡°For today, just listen and help. Learn the sayings, the terms, and items. Be yourself, most importantly, and you¡¯ll do just fine.¡±


    Arabelle closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She thought of her time at the Pig Sty, putting on a smile and catering to the patrons. The people here shouldn¡¯t be as rowdy, but she still needed to be accommodating. If she was charming like Benedict, well, she¡¯d earn her pay.


    And learning more about climbing from actual Climbers was a great first step. The next would be finding out her class, according to conversation she overheard here and there. That would happen sooner rather than later. She just needed to figure out what to do.


    *****


    The night was warm but not uncomfortable, though Wyn didn¡¯t care to stand outside too long. His formal wear was a bit more restrictive than he liked, but Tasha insisted on it. If the guild interviews were going to be held at a Gala, he needed to present himself well.


    Of course she knew the exact shop that fitted him for noble¡¯s clothes at a comparatively reasonable price of 30 crowns for the entire outfit. They were fine clothes, of course, and he felt like the higher profile people that used to hire him for guard duty.


    Oh how times have changed.


    The others soon joined him, all looking equally elegant. Cedric wore an overcoat with a cinched sleeve that made his missing arm stand out but not distastefully. John wore similar clothes to Wyn, and both Marcy and Tasha wore dresses with bright colors adorned with jewelry though Marcy looked a bit more uncomfortable than Tasha.


    John couldn¡¯t keep his eyes off Tasha, much to Wyn¡¯s amusement. He¡¯d need to try if he wanted to work the room like he said.


    The Defender¡¯s guild house was far larger than Wyn imagined. It looked more like a mansion in his opinion, and it was strange finding it just outside the housing district. There were a few streets with multiple small plots of land that held these guild houses, and supposedly the upkeep for them was tremendous. It made sense now why the guild fees were so outrageous. But this side of being a Climber was a completely new experience, and Wyn had to admit he was curious.


    The building itself resembled a castle though wasn¡¯t quite as extravagant. Stone comprised the entire structure, with a few portcullises and towers here and there to add to the aesthetic. He assumed the building would probably be able to house forty or fifty people, if not more, depending on how they arranged the rooms. It was four stories tall and wider than any other residential building he passed on the way over, easily being the largest building around. It made sense, though, since the Defenders was the largest guild in the city. It needed to be big to hold everyone, as they had almost ten groups.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Wyn remembered the times he was hired for guard duty for nobles in their castles. It didn¡¯t happen often, but occasionally he and his company were brought in for a couple of weeks while on route to a new location in the war to provide protection. It was mostly for show and always political, as all the nobles ever did was throw parties with questionable guests while Wyn watched from afar. Now, though, he was on the other side. It was a strange feeling.


    The inside of the large hall matched the outside, with the entrance being a large room where attendants took coats, gear, and checked guests. After confirming their invitations, the five continued on further the mansion. It quickly opened up into a large ballroom where there already a large number of people standing and conversing while eating and drinking from platters and glasses that were being handed around by more attendants.


    ¡°Remember,¡± Tasha said, ¡°don¡¯t drink too much wine and don¡¯t eat too much. We need to be focused during the interviews to make a good impression.¡±


    ¡°And try to find each other after the interviews to let us know what to expect,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I¡¯d still prefer to stick together, somewhat.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Marcy said. She fidgeted in her dress, tugging at her waist and adjusting her bust. ¡°I can¡¯t stand wearing this.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be long,¡± Tasha said. ¡°And don¡¯t do that. It makes you look unrefined.¡±


    ¡°I am unrefined,¡± Marcy said, lowering her voice. She quickly smiled at an attendant and grabbed a glass of wine with a lace-gloved hand.


    Wyn shared a glance with John and Cedric. This was going to be an interesting night.


    The first thing Wyn wanted was something to hold. He felt awkward standing around with nothing as everyone else had either small plates with bites of food or wine glasses to drink. Each person that walked by holding a platter seemed to be on a mission, though, and he kept missing them.


    A man walked up beside Wyn and stopped one of the waiters. He grabbed a plate and drink and handed them out to Wyn. ¡°Care for one or the other?¡±


    ¡°Both, please,¡± Wyn said, graciously grabbing them. He took a drink of his wine and looked at his small plate of fruit before realizing his mistake.


    The man chuckled and took the plate from him. ¡°I could feed these to you one by one, if you want.¡±


    Wyn smiled awkwardly. ¡°I obviously didn¡¯t think that through. I guess I¡¯m nervous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. Look at everyone here. Does anyone look too comfortable?¡±


    Wyn looked around the room and realized the man was right. People grouped together to talk, but seemed nervous and awkward. Not everyone was dressed formally, either, with some wearing basic clothes or even some climbing gear.


    The man talking to Wyn was the worst of them. His white pants were hemmed just below his knee, laced sandals adorned his feet, and his tunic was brown. It was a chaotic mess of an outfit, and Wyn didn¡¯t need to know fashion like Tasha to see he was going to make a terrible impression. Still, he had a confident look in his eyes, and his physique looked to be every bit of a Climber.


    ¡°I guess not,¡± Wyn said.


    The man held Wyn¡¯s plate out and looked around the room. ¡°I watched your trials. You were¡­ eccentric, I¡¯d say. Made a lot of us look bad.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t my intention.¡±


    The man nodded. ¡°Maybe not. But what was your intention?¡±


    Wyn looked at him. The man seemed genuine enough, but he was just another Climber. Wyn didn¡¯t owe him anything.


    Or was this the exact type of situation Wyn hoped for?


    ¡°My intention was to prove my value.¡±


    ¡°Prove your value. Hmm. How so?¡±


    ¡°Well, just about everyone I¡¯ve met has either said directly to my face my class is bad or looked at me in pity after I told them. As far as I know, I¡¯m the only active Ruby Magician climbing. But I want people to see that our class choice doesn¡¯t define us. There¡¯s more to climbing than that. And even though my class doesn¡¯t fit an expected role in what people consider good, I can still be beneficial to my group. That¡¯s part of the goal, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The man ate one of the pieces of fruit from Wyn¡¯s plate. ¡°I like that. Well, you certainly put on a show. No one can deny that. Good luck tonight, Ardwyn, Ruby Strategist.¡± He handed Wyn the small plate of food and walked off further into the crowd.


    Wyn stood there in confusion. Whoever that man was, he was definitely strange.


    The night continued with some uncomfortable small talk and more awkward tension before dinner was officially served. It was an elegant meal in the far side of the large hall with enough tables and seating for everyone to have their own space. The five of them were able to sit together without anyone else join, though they didn¡¯t have much news to share.


    What they did say was that about a quarter of the participating Climbers in the trials were at the Gala, which was higher than expected. The new guild, the Stair Chasers, were wanting to fill their roster right away, and the other guilds had ample space, too. Devon and his group, with Maven, William, and the newer members, were all there to pick a guild, too. Wyn was ecstatic they were offered more than one guild choice, and knew they would do well wherever they went. If they chose Stair Chasers, he hoped the guild lasted long enough to give them additional resources and success. They deserved to be successful.


    In the middle of eating a steak that was the best seasoned and cooked steak Wyn ever had, Sonya walked out in the middle of the tables. The room instantly grew quiet seeing her, knowing there would be some announcement. John kept chewing beside Wyn, oblivious. His eyes were closed while he was mentally in a far away place with his dinner.


    ¡°Welcome, Climbers,¡± Sonya said, her voice more reserved than before. ¡°We¡¯re so glad you could make it to the Gala this evening. While you continue to enjoy your dinner, we will be finding you by name for your interviews. Attendants will escort you to the proper location and the interviews will have a maximum of five minutes for individuals and ten minutes for groups. While the interviews are being conducted, please continue to enjoy your meal and feel free to mingle or wait patiently until your interviews are concluded. If you don¡¯t inform the guild during your interview of your choice, you must notify a guild of your selection before leaving this evening or we will consider your silence a decline of all guilds. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°At least they¡¯ll go quick,¡± Marcy said.


    John finally stopped chewing. ¡°What will go quick?¡±


    Wyn sighed.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the interviews started, and watching others get up and leave gave Wyn anxiety. Some individuals stood from their tables and were led to other parts of the guild house, while an entire table stood with an attendant and walked in another direction.


    Wyn took a long drink of his wine. He was still on his first glass since he wanted to be mentally sharp for the interviews, but watching people leave was making him want another glass. Still, he held off, and decided to distract himself by talking to their group and finding Devon¡¯s group to talk to.


    When an attendant came over to them, John and Cedric were pulled by themselves. Wyn was nervous why they were invited alone but reminded himself they had invites to other guilds, and even Wyn had invites that all the others didn¡¯t.


    An attendant walked over to their group and asked for Wyn to follow him. He shared a look with Marcy and Tasha and walked away. ¡°Where am I headed?¡±


    ¡°To a private parlor,¡± the man said. ¡°The Defenders are wanting to interview you.¡±


    Wyn let out a long breath. This would be a good warm-up. He wasn¡¯t interested in their guild, but it would still go a long way to be cordial and honest.


    When he arrived in the room, it was relatively small but still elegant. Some lanterns and candles lit the space to provide a relaxing ambience, and there was a single wooden chair in the middle of the room while three people sat in similar chairs opposite it. One of them, a woman, stood up and smiled brightly at him.


    ¡°Hello, Ardwyn,¡± she said, and extended a hand in greeting. ¡°I¡¯m Mary. I¡¯m one of the lead Climbers of The Defenders. Welcome.¡±


    Wyn greeted each of them before sitting down in the empty chair. He didn¡¯t know what to expect, but decided to respond instead of talk too much. They could lead the conversation.


    The interview went about as he expected. They asked him a basic background question and then questions about his Climbing experience and class. His answer of being a captain in the military drew some surprised looks, while his answer on keeping his class and not choosing another drew equally inquisitive stares. Other questions came like why didn¡¯t he have a full group, and why did his group choose him as a leader. One question by a man who seemed to be already bored of the entire process was what was his favorite place in the city.


    The process felt trivial. Until they asked him why he wanted to be a Climber. He answered honestly, though kept some details private. They shifted uncomfortably and made small talk after until his time was up.


    Wyn was ushered back to the large ballroom, confused. Did he say something wrong? Once he returned, he realized they never even asked him if he wanted to join their guild. It was more than odd.


    The second interview with the Alistair Junkies was even worse. They didn¡¯t ask near as many questions, instead telling Wyn their rules to join and guidelines he would have to follow to remain a member. Their first point immediately put him off, as they said he¡¯d be placed in a group based on their own specific criteria. Then when they started going into increased fees for new members Wyn tuned them out.


    It was fine. They weren¡¯t his focus anyway.


    The last interview was with the Twilight Blades, and it didn¡¯t happen for some time. The rest of the group shared their own experiences as well. They had varied interviews so far, from awful to decent. And all of them said they still had the Twilight Blades last.


    Wyn knew what that meant. They¡¯d be interviewed together.


    When the attendant came, they were all swept away for the interview. A large part of Wyn was relieved that they¡¯d have the time to sit down and talk as a group, and he hoped the interview would go as well. The others weren¡¯t great, and this was their desired guild.


    When they entered the room, there were five chairs sat out and four people sitting across from them. Gregory was in the middle, dressed in fine clothes and looking every bit of the handsome Knight he was. The man to his left was shorter and average, though older and bald with a clean cut face and modest clothes. He looked to be at least in his thirty¡¯s. The person to his right was younger but tall and stout. He could have passed for Gregory¡¯s younger brother.


    The last man on the end was a familiar man that Wyn did not expect. He wore a strange outfit with laced sandals, short white hemmed pants, and a brown tunic. It was the same man who talked to him when he first arrived.


    ¡°Hello everyone,¡± Gregory said. ¡°Thank you for waiting so long.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Prian,¡± the older man sitting on Gregory¡¯s left said, giving a bow. ¡°I¡¯m a Diamond Wizard and leader of one of the second tier groups.¡±


    The man who looked like Gregory stepped forward and gave a quick and firm bow. ¡°Name¡¯s Nigel. I¡¯m a Squire and leader of the other second tier group."


    ¡°And I¡¯m Caryn,¡± the other man said, nodding his head while smirking. ¡°I¡¯m a Commander and leader of the other third tier group. I believe Wyn and I have already met.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 35

    ¡°First question¡¯s an easy one,¡± Nigel said. He leaned forward in his chair beside Gregory as though he was going to whisper to the group. ¡°Why did you want to be a Climber?¡±


    Wyn looked down at the others. He was on the far right sitting beside Marcy, and John was on the far left beside Tasha. Cedric was in the middle. They each looked around, unsure of who was supposed to start.


    Nigel pointed with his head to John. At least that made it easy.


    John shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to be a Climber for as long as I can remember. My parents and older sister climbed, and I used to hear stories of their adventures growing up. I couldn¡¯t think of anything else I wanted to do.¡±


    Nigel and Gregory nodded along though the other two men in the Twilight Blades, Prian and Caryn, remained still.


    Tasha cleared her throat and sat up straighter. ¡°My father wanted to send me to Keyworth¡¯s to become an official Wizard like him. I didn¡¯t want to be stuck in a school for years in something I didn¡¯t want to do. Magic still intrigued me, though, as did choosing my own path. So I came to Alestead to climb.¡±


    Prian perked up at the mention of Keyworth¡¯s, but he offered no other response. Wyn silently noted that. And he noted that Tasha was pretty forthcoming with her actual reason of becoming a Climber, though she left out her nobility. They likely could figure out for themselves that she was high class from the way she carried herself and the fact that her father was a classically trained Wizard, but Wyn understood her intent.


    Tell the truth. Mostly.


    ¡°I just wanted to see magic for myself,¡± Cedric said next. ¡°I heard stories about tower magic. How grand and wonderful it was. I decided to find out personally. I was lucky to get a purely magic class, and I¡¯ve never looked back.¡±


    There was a pause before Marcy spoke. ¡°Mine isn¡¯t as glamorous, but I¡¯ll be honest. I knew there was glory and riches becoming a Climber. So I came after months of training to prepare myself, ready to embrace whatever class I got. Lucky for me I was gifted a Hunter with ranged skills, just like I was used to. While I was still becoming accustomed to my class some more experienced Climbers were killed in the tower. One of them was a Hunter, and we had the same mentor. It sobered me up quick. I no longer wanted glory or riches. I just wanted to survive. Until whatever adventure in life comes next.¡±


    Wyn looked at Marcy, confused. She never mentioned anything like that before. Was that why she took bad news so seriously?


    ¡°And last but not least,¡± Caryn said with a smile. ¡°Our own Ruby Magician.¡±


    Wyn looked at the man. He didn¡¯t seem patronizing, just playful. At least he hoped. ¡°I was a captain in the military for two years and served five. Right before I came home, I found out my father accrued a massive amount of debt. Especially for a poor farming family like mine. So I left right away to come here. I knew of Climbers and how they could earn a lot of coin at the expense of danger. But I was trained. Skilled. I didn¡¯t care about the danger, I just wanted my sister safe. When I found out my class was a Ruby Magician, it didn¡¯t bother me. Whatever it took to be able to climb was what I was going to do. I¡¯ve been learning as I go, much to the annoyance of these four, I know. But I¡¯d do it again if I had the choice.¡±


    Nigel looked to the five Climbers and nodded his head in acceptance. ¡°Thank you for sharing.¡±


    ¡°My turn,¡± Prian said. ¡°Why did you decide on Wyn being your group leader?¡±


    Wyn wanted to answer but it seemed like the question was directed to the others. Prian wasn¡¯t even looking at him, he was eyeing the other four individually.


    ¡°After our first climb, it was pretty obvious the kind of climber he was,¡± John said. ¡°The kind of person he was. I knew I wanted to climb with him since then and that hasn¡¯t changed. Him being our leader felt natural. It was an easy decision for me.¡± He looked over at Wyn with an unusually serious expression. ¡°And I¡¯d want it to stay that way.¡±


    Wyn studied John for a second. Was that him apologizing for saying he prioritized being in a guild over the party staying together? It sure felt like it. He gave a small nod to the Squire who returned the gesture.


    ¡°What happened on your first climb?¡± Nigel asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t become sidetracked,¡± Prian said. ¡°I still want them to answer my question.¡±


    ¡°We can answer both,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Cedric and I were helping lead a group of rookies for their introductory climb. These three here all joined up in the same group along with one other.¡± Marcy paused, clenching and unclenching her first. ¡°That other one stabbed John in the back at the end of the floor and we tried to chase him down. He ran through the portal to the second floor.¡±


    Gregory and Nigel shared a look. The other two were listening intently.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t end up capturing him but we were forced to clear the second floor,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Me, Marcy, and Wyn.¡±


    ¡°Only two veterans and a rookie to clear the entire second floor?¡± Caryn asked.


    ¡°Two unequipped veterans who had climbed all day and a rookie without any special equipment,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We managed, up until the boss room.¡±


    ¡°It was harder than we remembered,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°Any floor is harder with half a group,¡± Nigel said. ¡°And without your equipment, at that.¡±


    ¡°True. But we made it.¡±


    ¡°Almost,¡± Cedric said, lifting up his armless shoulder. ¡°I would have lost more than my arm if Wyn hadn¡¯t intervened. He saved my life.¡±


    ¡°So the rumors were true,¡± Caryn said. ¡°I thought it was a bunch of shit. Hear that, Gregory?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Gregory said. ¡°At least it clears up why you went to the second floor. We thought if the rumor was true, the Climbers who went to the second floor on an introductory climb were foolishly seeking glory. But that provides some context.¡±


    ¡°When we came back, our group cast us out,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Cedric nearly left climbing but Wyn convinced him to stay.¡±


    ¡°How about you?¡± Prian asked, looking at Tasha. ¡°Where do you fit in all of this?¡±


    Tasha swallowed then took a breath. ¡°I healed John while they went to the second floor. Made sure he stayed alive. Seeing him like that with a knife in his back, all the blood¡­¡±


    ¡°Shit, he actually stabbed you in the back?¡± Caryn asked. ¡°I thought you meant figuratively!¡±


    John laughed. ¡°No. Still have a scar, even after the healing.¡±


    ¡°But after I really trusted the others,¡± Tasha continued. ¡°They were good people after that. And they are good people now. Wyn helped me focus on what kind of Climber I wanted to be since the beginning. He¡¯s a natural leader, and it only makes sense for him to lead. He cares. And he¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°He was a captain, after all,¡± Cedric said. ¡°He¡¯s more qualified than most.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Gregory said. ¡°That does give him a distinct advantage. But being in the military and climbing a tower is not the same.¡±


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Leading people is similar,¡± Wyn said. ¡°If anything, I know what I do well and what I don¡¯t. I¡¯ve seen poor leadership and I¡¯ve seen excellent examples, too. I led an entire company of dozens of men and women, with responsibilities that included organization, delegation, and training.¡± Wyn looked at the four men sitting across from him, studying them. They were leaders in different ways. But leaders nonetheless.


    It was time for him to sell himself.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made hard decisions and had hard conversations. As you all know, not everyone can do that. That¡¯s not to say I¡¯m perfect, because I¡¯m not. But I¡¯m better as a person and a Climber because of this group. Because of my mentor. I know I¡¯m not only fit to lead but I should lead, even with the class I am. And with this group, because they¡¯re people I trust.¡±


    Nigel gave a warm smile and nod of his head while Caryn relaxed in his chair. Prian sat stoically while Gregory seemed hesitant. Like an internal struggle was raging deep inside him.


    ¡°How about some lighter questions, now?¡± Caryn said. ¡°It¡¯s painfully obvious that Wyn is skilled, yada yada. Why did you all choose your class upgrades? That¡¯s always a fun question to ask.¡±


    The five looked at each other again, and Wyn cleared his throat. Caryn was throwing them a bone while Gregory mulled over their previous answers. At least this one was easy.


    ¡°I had a¡­ unique situation,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I had five class options when upgrading and chose one that fit our group the best.¡±


    ¡°Five?¡± Prian asked. ¡°Impossible. No class has five options.¡±


    ¡°We all saw his parchment,¡± Marcy said. ¡°It was possible, alright. Only two were really a solid upgrade, but yea. Five.¡±


    ¡°I wanted something that played to my strengths,¡± Wyn continued. ¡°My benefit is that I recover mana fast and I¡¯m a skilled combatant. I want abilities to help boost those and be a support role on my team. Some healing and defense here, some mobile attacking there. All while moving quickly and efficiently.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Caryn said.


    ¡°I had ranged skills and growth traits that leaned more towards being a Ranger despite the class not being one of the better picks as a Hunter,¡± Marcy said. ¡°It¡¯s worked out well for me, though. I can¡¯t complain.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to be a Knight,¡± John said. ¡°So Squire was an easy choice.¡±


    ¡°We share that sentiment,¡± Nigel said.


    John smiled in agreement.


    ¡°I wanted more power and damage as a Lightning Wizard,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Simple.¡±


    ¡°And I wanted something different,¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°Something different?¡± Prian asked.


    ¡°Yes. Almost everyone chooses Diamond Wizard no matter what growth traits they have. I didn¡¯t want to follow that same path.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because Diamond Wizards keep people alive,¡± Prian said. ¡°They have the most mana and strongest healing and support spells to ensure people won¡¯t perish. How is that a path to turn away?¡±


    ¡°Did you not remember what she said about why she came here?¡± Caryn asked. ¡°She was a rebel far before she became a Climber. Any mentor in their right mind would have been able to see that she was going to choose something else. I say good for you.¡±


    Tasha forced a smile. ¡°Thank you. But being a Herald affords me similar benefits as a Diamond Wizard while also being able to contribute to the group in other ways. Callings can help deal with other monsters with strength or magic, heal or defend us like Diamond Wizards. My contribution is still the same.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Prian said.


    ¡°What will you do once you¡¯re done here?¡± Gregory asked. He looked directly at Wyn, not bothering to meet the eyes of the other four.


    ¡°Tonight, you mean?¡±


    ¡°No, not tonight. As a Climber.¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t have to think about his answer. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought that far ahead. The only thing I¡¯ve been focusing on is making enough crowns to cover my family¡¯s debt. And it¡¯s a lot of crowns. Past that, I honestly don¡¯t know. My sister is in the city now, and she¡¯s the only family I have left. I have no intention of returning to the farm where my home was. Once the dust settles with my family affairs I¡¯ll have some breathing room to think about it. But not yet.¡±


    Gregory leaned forward and glanced at each of the other guild members. Wyn couldn¡¯t tell what they communicated in those moments, but it was clearly something. Gregory finally sat up straight again to address them. ¡°It appears our time has passed quicker than we hoped and there are still two things to address. One, we wanted to know what your climbing schedule has been this week.¡±


    Marcy shrugged. ¡°Nothing unusual. We haven¡¯t worked ourselves to the bone during the trials. Why does it matter?¡±


    Caryn laughed. ¡°Why does it matter, she says. Did you forget the last part of the trials? Even I remembered, and I was barely involved.¡±


    ¡°The climbing totals,¡± Cedric said. ¡°From our parchments.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± John said. ¡°Wait. Were we not good enough?¡±


    ¡°The opposite, actually,¡± Gregory said. ¡°You were far above the other climbing groups by a not insignificant margin. Some of the groups who ranked high climbing during the trials had worse showings in the other trials because they focused too much on climbing. Yet you all scored the highest but don¡¯t seem exhausted or stressed about time constraints at all. Why is that?¡±


    Wyn felt his stomach drop. He looked to the others who had differing expressions. Their reactions likely did not look good and made them look guilty.


    It was the secret room they found and climbed repeatedly. That was the only explanation. No other floor would have given them so many benefits.


    Since they all knew but didn¡¯t want to tell, the four guild members likely knew something was off. Which meant if they wanted to keep their possible invitation he needed to tell the truth.


    Most of it, at least.


    ¡°We got lucky, actually,¡± Wyn said. ¡°My intent for the week was to focus on the trials but still climb, of course, but to balance it. I didn¡¯t intend for us to try and be the best for the actual climbing rank. But we happened to find a secret room on the third floor that allowed us to repeat it without leaving the floor and clearing it again. So that¡¯s what we did on the day when we had a forced hiatus.¡±


    Caryn snapped his fingers. ¡°I fucking knew it! I told you they found some hidden room. Brett is going to shit his pants when he finds out how much he owes me, now!¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Nigel asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not important right now,¡± Gregory said. ¡°We only have a few minutes and we can ask them another time. We still need to discuss the second point.¡± He paused and stood up, folding his hands behind his back in a regal pose. ¡°We would like to formally offer you all a position in the guild. Of course you knew this since your invitation letter had our guild name on it. But we want to specifically offer a team position. Together.¡±


    Wyn felt hope rise within him but he needed to be sure. ¡°You mean you want us to join as a group? Not split us up?¡±


    ¡°Correct. You all would still climb together with a few stipulations.¡±


    Wyn felt all of his anxieties about joining a guild disappear in an instant. All of the arguments with John, the worries about if they would still be together... it was all for nothing.


    ¡°What are they?¡± Cedric asked.


    ¡°For the rest of the month Wyn will still be your leader. You¡¯ll climb floors at our direction and we¡¯ll review how you all do under more direct oversight. Then, next month we¡¯ll rotate leaders in your group to see if there are any additional leaders among you who hadn¡¯t had a chance to prove themselves yet.¡±


    Wyn thought about that. It made sense, though it still felt a bit offensive. Either they didn¡¯t trust his leading ability or they had ulterior motives. Were they wanting to see if someone else could lead another group, like shifting people around at a later time? Or did they genuinely believe someone else might be better at? Not that Wyn minded, after all. He wasn¡¯t the best leader in the world. Tasha had been doing great at communicating, Cedric was a great analyzer, and John had a knack for positioning himself in the right place without really needing direction. Even Marcy had a pension to guide and help others though Wyn didn¡¯t think she had a strong desire to lead a group. With some training any of them would be great group leaders.


    What bothered Wyn was that that possibility meant their group could be split up one day, if not right away. Gregory seemed to be selling the idea that they would keep the group together for now. It was clever, of course. Unfortunately some of his worries came back.


    But was Wyn being irrational wanting to keep them together for their entire climbing careers? Maybe John was right. If they joined a guild where they had plenty of people they trusted, changing their group might not be as bad as Wyn thought. The idea wasn¡¯t ideal, but Wyn didn¡¯t want to be the one to hold them back, either.


    ¡°As long as we can climb together and I can make the money my family needs,¡± Wyn said. ¡°That sounds fair.¡±


    Gregory smiled. ¡°Of course. The invitation is for each of you though if one of you leaves for whatever reason that doesn¡¯t mean the rest of you must leave, too. You¡¯ll be full Twilight Blades members. So, you will climb together, but to be truly successful you¡¯ll need a sixth member. I¡¯m sure you all know that and just haven¡¯t found someone that¡­ fits. Does that sound about right?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Marcy said.


    Caryn laughed. ¡°This will be fun.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ll be the one to decide who our sixth member will be?¡± Wyn asked.


    Gregory nodded. ¡°We have someone in mind. But it will be our say, yes.¡±


    ¡°Do you accept the offer?¡± Prian said. ¡°It¡¯s a packaged deal.¡±


    Wyn looked at his group. This was a pivotal moment. They needed to decide about joining or not. Though it felt like an easy decision, it was still an important one.


    Setting an example would be a good show of faith, especially as their leader. Well, their leader for now.


    ¡°I accept,¡± Wyn said.


    The others quickly followed, all agreeing to join.


    Gregory and Nigel looked relieved while Caryn was aloof and Prian as stoic as he''d been the entire interview.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Gregory said. ¡°Now, please enjoy the rest of the evening and we¡¯ll send letters as you leave for the next steps. We¡¯ll invite you to our guild house tomorrow where you¡¯ll meet the rest of the members, give you a tour, and explain what will happen next. Take time for yourselves for now. And thank you for deciding to join our guild. We believe good things will come.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 36

    Arabelle knocked on the door three times. The door was pitiful, but she was used to that. Her doors back in her old home were equally poor. Thankfully that life was behind her now. No point in looking back, either. It was time to look forward.


    The door knob turned, then the door opened. An older man stood in the room, confusion on his face. He had a speckled grey beard that was a few inches long and hair that was shaggy and unkempt. It would have been amusing if he didn¡¯t seem so haggard.


    ¡°May I help you?¡± The man asked.


    ¡°Are you Daniel?¡± Arabelle asked.


    The man opened the door further. ¡°You look familiar. Black hair, strong chin, fierce eyes. Gods, are you Arabelle?¡±


    Arabelle smiled. ¡°We resemble each other that much, huh?¡±


    Daniel laughed. ¡°And listening to him talk about you so much helps, too. Come on in.¡± He stepped behind the door and waved her inside.


    The apartment was tidy and put together, about what Arabelle expected of a wise mentor like Wyn called him. The layout was similar to Wyn¡¯s except there was a hearth in the den and a wall that separated it from the rest of the space. It looked to be more private. She wondered if there was more than one bedroom like Tasha¡¯s place.


    She huffed a laugh. No apartment was like Tasha¡¯s. Hers was ridiculous, fitting for a noble.


    ¡°Would you like some tea or some food?¡± Daniel asked. He stood by the wall that separated the den from the rest of the apartment, wearing a simple red robe over basic clothes. It was early evening, and he looked to be settled for a night in rather than going out. Arabelle saw a small table and chairs behind him.


    ¡°I¡¯d love some tea, thank you.¡± She sat on the couch and relaxed. It was comfortable and clean. The room smelled faintly of an herb Arabelle couldn¡¯t quite place, but it was pleasant and subtle. No wonder Wyn liked coming over here to talk.


    Daniel came out of the back with a kettle that was steaming. How he got the pot boiling so quickly was beyond her, but she figured there was likely magic involved. He sat it down on a small table along with two cups and saucers. Carefully pouring it, the tea was fragrant and inviting, the smell gently filling her nose.


    Wyn needed to take some tips from him for keeping a tidy and welcoming home.


    ¡°What brings you by?¡± Daniel asked. ¡°Not that I mind, of course. If you ever want to come by please don¡¯t hesitate.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°But I actually wanted some advice. And Wyn says you¡¯re the person he trusts for advice and that I should trust you, too.¡±


    Daniel smiled warmly. ¡°Yes, yes, he¡¯s quite the person, not to mention Climber. Those are kind words. I am a mentor, of course, but I can help with things outside climbing as well.¡±


    Arabelle took a deep breath and reached into her lapel. It was now or never. She then pulled out a piece of parchment that was folded neatly in half.


    Daniel¡¯s smile vanished as his face grew serious. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s a piece of tower parchment.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Is it Wyn¡¯s?¡±


    Arabelle shook her head no.


    ¡°Why do you¡­¡± he said, trailing off. His eyes went wide at the realization. ¡°It¡¯s what I think it is, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Arabelle held the paper out for Daniel to take. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking it¡¯s a class sheet, then yes. That¡¯s what it is.¡±


    Daniel slowly took the paper but kept it folded. ¡°Wyn never mentioned you wanted to become a Climber! Was this something you two decided?¡±


    Arabelle opened her mouth to speak but paused. Should she lie? Or tell the truth? Daniel was a trustworthy person, according to her brother. But how much did she want to keep to herself and how much did she want to share?


    Daniel scoffed at her. ¡°Your hesitation tells me everything. So he doesn¡¯t know.¡± Daniel looked at the folded parchment and took a deep breath. ¡°You have to tell him, Arabelle. Regardless of what this paper says. Becoming a Climber is no small decision. It¡¯s not only dangerous, but taxing. Physically and mentally.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s dangerous. But just because it¡¯s dangerous shouldn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have the right to decide for myself.¡±


    ¡°True, but you need training and time before you can jump into the tower.¡±


    ¡°Did Wyn take time?¡±


    Daniel smiled. ¡°No, he didn¡¯t. But he had years of military training that gave him skills to aid his climbing. Can you say the same?¡±


    Arabelle took a small sip of her tea. It was as delicious as it smelled. ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then. So, you approach it like the average person coming here to climb without any previous training. You talk to your mentor, practice and train with your class until they say you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°That sounds easy enough.¡±


    Daniel narrowed his eyes. ¡°Actually, why didn¡¯t you just go to your mentor for your class? They should have told you downstairs who it was.¡±


    Arabelle nodded. ¡°They did.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    Arabelle pointed to the parchment. ¡°Open it.¡±


    Daniel paused and then carefully opened the parchment. He scanned the text, his eyes widening after a few lines. ¡°You¡­ what? How?¡±


    Arabelle shrugged. ¡°Apparently it was the easiest class to change into. Something about growth traits being anything, so it didn¡¯t matter changing to the class unlike others who got that class and changed away from it. That¡¯s what the woman said, at least.¡±


    ¡°Arabelle, you chose to be a Ruby Magician? No one does that. Why?¡±


    ¡°Did you not see what Wyn did in those trials? That¡¯s why. It didn¡¯t matter what class I got. I knew I was going to that class. His class.¡±


    Daniel looked back at the parchment. He leaned his head side to side, then took a deep breath. ¡°Your skills are pretty good. Different from Wyn¡¯s, but good. At least there are some synergies there already. But you need time to practice with this.¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s a good thing my mentor is going to help guide me.¡±


    Daniel started to speak then paused. He chuckled, then laughed. Arabelle just smiled and sipped her tea.


    *****


    For the second time in as many days, Wyn found himself on the outskirts of the residential district. It was a pleasant day, at least, with the wind gently stirring up the dirt on the road and grass swaying in the fields around the large homes. The road itself was well-packed, and there wasn¡¯t much loose dirt at all. It was likely due to the carts and wagons that travelled as much as feet, which were consistently passing them on the road. At least the road itself was as wide as a normal, well traveled road where three wagons could ride side by side if needed.


    Faye walked with the group of five, and she explained during their leisure walk to the Twilight Blade¡¯s guild house that the main road was the primary means of connection between the guild houses and residential homes of the city¡¯s citizens. They lived further to the north of the city, around the grassy fields and where a small amount of farming took place though most of the land was empty and spacious. The primary means of economy in the city was trade, both in mundane and magical goods, not production. It made the city more prosperous as caravans and merchants often visited, allowing the borders of the main hub of the city to be as splendid as some very wealthy noble land.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Unfortunately it also meant the guild house was further than the typical Climber apartment where the five currently resided. Instead of taking around five minutes of a walk to the tower, a walk here meant took about half an hour. Faye explained that guilds typically used wagons for transport, as they didn¡¯t want to walk the entire way in their equipment. There was plenty of that inside the tower as it was.


    Still, the walk was pleasant, and before long they made it to the grounds of their new guild and home.


    The house itself was more of a small castle, but that was true for most of the guild houses. It wasn¡¯t quite like the Defender¡¯s large home, but they also held the most number of Climbers in their guild. This one looked more modest though was still impressive. It was two stories like most of the houses around but wide and long with likely many rooms and several wings. The front of the house held a large, open cobblestone area that was inviting if not plain. The entrance was a short ways away from the road, but the land around it was open with the back of the house completely open to a large grassy field. Similarly placed houses sat before and after the Twilight Blade¡¯s building, and Wyn assumed they had planned for the structures long ago. Each house neighbored another with only a short hedge fence separating the actual plots, though what land each house did have was still far more than needed.


    It wasn¡¯t a farm, but it was far better. It would do nicely.


    Gregory and Nigel stood at the entrance, looking down on them. Four wide stairs led up to the large and wide wooden door, and both men stood in front of it.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Gregory called as the group approached. ¡°I hope Faye didn¡¯t lead you astray too much.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It takes some time to get here, which will take some getting used to.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it fast when you see your wing,¡± Nigel said, a sly smile plastered on his face. ¡°It makes the trip to Alistair pretty mild in comparison to those slums you¡¯re in now.¡±


    ¡°Just get a covered wagon for bad weather days,¡± Faye said. ¡°Trust me.¡±


    ¡°Please come in,¡± Gregory said, opening the door behind him.


    Wyn let the others go first, taking a moment to look around. So this would be his new home. It was still surreal. He wondered if he could convince Gregory to let Arabelle stay with them.


    The entrance was a short breezeway, adorned with simple paintings on a stone wall. Wyn noticed they were basic art of battles and environments, and wondered if they were of historical significance or just creations of the artist. Just a few steps into the house and the space opened into a two story tall space with a grand staircase that led to the second floor by two paths of stairs, one right and one left. Before the staircase were two halls leading further into the house laid out exactly to the right or left like the stair path above it. And from what Wyn could tell, the only other way to go was a third hall beside the staircase that led straight back into the house.


    It was a beautifully built structure, enough that any noble would either be appreciative or jealous.


    Gregory and Nigel stood at the bottom of the grand staircase, letting the group take in the setting. They were joined by three people, two women and one man. They wore clothes similar to servants, likely the maids and manager of the house. The women were middle aged, while the man looked to be just a little older than Wyn.


    ¡°This is wonderful,¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°High praise from a St. Clair,¡± Nigel said.


    ¡°It¡¯ll do,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°Aaaaand that sounds about right,¡± Faye added.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go ahead and give you the tour,¡± Gregory said. ¡°You need to see where you¡¯ll be staying and we need to have our introductory meeting. Nigel and his group have the day off so they¡¯ll be joining us for the meeting, and my group is doing some of our responsibilities for the day. First, though, please meet the caretakers of the house. This is Martha, Patricia, and Justice. Martha and Patricia are the first floor maids while Justice is the house keeper.


    Justice stepped forward and gave a proper bow. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you all. If you need anything in the house, please find me or ask Martha or Patricia to summon me. I typically work in an office on this floor, and will take care of menial upkeep so that you all don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you all,¡± Tasha said. She stepped forward and bowed, which the maids immediately returned. ¡°Are there additional staff?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gregory said. ¡°There are two maids for the upstairs and two cooks. A portion of our fees contribute to their wages and they are considered to be members of the guild just like you.¡±


    Wyn thought that was more than generous. They likely made more than any caretakers working for nobles, and he could already tell they were treated well. It was relieving to know the guild seemed every bit respectable as he thought.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Tasha said, bowing again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you all to the tour and see you soon,¡± Nigel said. ¡°Justice, ladies.¡± He bowed to everyone and walked towards the hall leading right.


    Gregory then led them down the opposite hall to the left. He and Justice led the way while Faye stayed with their group, and Martha and Patricia parted ways.


    The wing had a small sitting room immediately upon entering, with several red cushioned chairs and small tables around a small bookshelf. It looked cozy and inviting.


    ¡°There are two halls of rooms in each residential wing of the first floor,¡± Gregory said. ¡°Both of our current groups are on the eastern wing, and you¡¯re the only group on the western. So you¡¯ll have the place to yourself.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were getting two groups?¡± Marcy asked.


    Gregory paused and slowly nodded his head. ¡°Yes, but the other group we wanted didn¡¯t quite work out.¡±


    ¡°And we aren¡¯t just gonna take whoever,¡± Faye said. ¡°We didn¡¯t have to take both, we just had the room. At least we got one group, though, right?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± John said. ¡°Their loss.¡±


    Gregory continued the tour, leading them down one of the halls there were six spacious bedrooms with dressers and trunks for clothes and items, as well as a small desk beside the bed. At the end of the hall was a huge bathroom with tubs and toilets with sections separated off for modesty. Faye quietly muttered that Marcy and Tasha could also use the other hall¡¯s bathroom for more privacy if they wanted.


    After finding his room, Wyn was told they had the day to settle in. They¡¯d be able to secure a wagon to transport their belongings over, and inform the city¡¯s guild that they were now member¡¯s of the Twilight Blades, so if they wanted to be reached they could send messengers or letters there.


    Seeing the rest of the house, Wyn was impressed. He didn¡¯t need to go upstairs, since that was the residence of the two third tour groups. But the primary hall past the grand staircase held the majority of the house. There was the dining hall that had rectangular, wooden tables and chairs that could fit an entire group, and a large hearth was situated on the side wall with a few items on plaques resting above it. The room was a fancier and cleaner version of the dining hall back at the primary guild.


    Gregory also showed them the training room, where two of Nigel¡¯s group members were training. He and Faye introduced them, though they quickly returned to sparring and exercises. They were Rollo, a Sapphire Wizard, and Jocelyn, a Templar. Rollo was quick and doing smaller sprints and running exercises, while Jocelyn was doing strength exercises. In the few minutes they watched while Gregory and Faye talked to them, Wyn could tell they were in peak shape. Jocelyn looked strong and capable, which was needed for her more direct class. That was the second tier class that became what Cal was - a Paladin - and was likely a frontline fighter like him.


    Moving on, they next stopped at another important room. The door was metal and large, with a wooden beam serving as a latch at the front reinforced with brackets. It was the most secure door Wyn had seen. It took both Gregory and Faye to use some unknown magic to open, then both were needed to remove the beam and open the door.


    Inside, though, was one of the most spectacular sights Wyn ever laid eyes on. The room was the size of a large storage closet, with shelves on the sides and racks on the back. But the contents were items. Dozens of items. Mostly glowing blue with some greens and purple in the mix along with a large sealed chest resting against the back wall.


    ¡°This is our vault,¡± Gregory said. ¡°This is where we keep our valuable items as a guild. You can all keep your own items, of course, but when you contribute to the guild and they¡¯re considered good enough to use later or for possible trades, they¡¯re stored here.¡±


    Wyn peered around the vault. The equipment was a combination of all types of weapons and armor, along with some jewelry on display, books, monster drops, potions, and stacks of paper.


    ¡°Are those what I think they are,¡± Cedric said, pointing to the papers.


    Gregory smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Tower-dropped spells. They¡¯re incredibly rare, and we have a mandate that any of them you find must be evaluated and stored here.¡±


    Wyn wondered about the possibility of obtaining more unique spells to use. He could really find his niche with that, but he pushed the thought away for now. They weren¡¯t going anywhere being in the vault, and he still wanted to see how his new style played out under the new direction of the guild.


    Gregory led them to their final stop, which was a large study. There was a long table set in the middle with shelves of books, papers, quills and ink, as well as a few chairs. The table was obviously meant for papers and standing room only. This was their version of a war room to discuss tactics.


    ¡°The last thing I¡¯ll leave you with will be your introductory fee and expectations while being a member. The upfront cost is 250 gold crowns, with a monthly expectation of 50 crowns per tier climbed.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯ll be paying 100 crowns a month,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°For now,¡± John whispered.


    Gregory nodded. ¡°It¡¯s to pay for upkeep here in the guild house and benefits you¡¯ll see soon. Also, you are expected to contribute five items per tier climbed to the benefit of the guild to be inspected for vault storage or to be sold and replaced back into the guild. Any items outside of that is yours. There are no rarity expectations.¡±


    Wyn quietly disagreed. He didn¡¯t see a single green item in the vault outside of the jewelry. But if they climbed in the second tier consistently, it wouldn¡¯t be too big of a problem.


    ¡°That¡¯s a steep price,¡± Cedric said.


    ¡°Not as steep as others, I assure you,¡± Gregory said. ¡°On the other hand, you all will have access to the vault to see if there are items that could better suite you than the ones you¡¯re currently using. Whatever you decide to take, though, needs to be exchanged evenly by rarity. You¡¯ll have trading hall priority for trades and item purchases or sells via the guild exchange, and we have a crafter on standby with some basic recipes to use monster drops for potions, keys, and some green rarity items. And the perks include meals, drink, information, and camaraderie.¡±


    ¡°That sounds wonderful,¡± John said, sitting in one of the seats.


    There was a knock at the door, and Nigel poked his head through the cracked opening. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Excellent timing,¡± Gregory said. ¡°Everyone, we finally have the time for you all to meet your sixth member.¡±


    Wyn and the others suddenly jerked their heads to the guild leader. Wyn was the first to speak. ¡°They¡¯re here already?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Please welcome her in, Nigel.¡±


    Nigel stepped inside the room and waved the Climber behind him inside. Tasha gasped and Wyn felt his heart drop.


    No. No, no, no. Wyn felt words trying to come out of his mouth but they were stuck in his throat, blocked by confusion, frustration, and hatred.


    ¡°Everyone,¡± Gregory continued, ¡°please welcome tier two Climber and Barbarian, Lucy.¡±

 Interlude - Lucy

    The late winter air was cool, the wind whipping in through the window. Lucy stirred in her bed, pulling her patchy covers over here. The holes didn¡¯t stop the bite of the wind, and her eyes slowly opened to look out her window. She cursed under her breath seeing it cracked open.


    Throwing the thin, patchy quilt off, she walked over to the window and sighed. A letter was wedged at the bottom of the window, crudely folded. She snatched it and shut the glass, rattling it in its frame.


    The letter was brief but specific. Another assignment in a place she desperately wanted to leave. She looked down at her exposed chest and cursed her mark covering her heart. The damned tattoo was a constant reminder of the death she faced here, adding to the already harrowing responsibility she carried.


    Tower magic was nothing she ever wanted. But when they called, she was forced to answer.


    She walked over to a half-burned candle and lit it. Setting the letter on fire, she slowly watched it burn while the meager flame warmed her fingers and hand. When the flaming licks got too close to her nails, she didn¡¯t shy away from the pain. She embraced it, focusing on what it meant to feel. Pain like that meant she was still alive. It meant she was human.


    A curse left her lips as the flames licked her a bit too hard even for her liking. She then stamped out the remaining ashes of the letter. No sense in starting a fire here, though there wasn¡¯t much to burn. She then grabbed her clothes, axe, and pack.


    It was, unfortunately, time to climb.


    The letter stated that she was to join a new group to climb for the week. That was usual. She had no group in Alestead and wasn¡¯t allowed to keep a group, either, so picking up new teammates temporarily was part of her role. But she wasn¡¯t going to lie to herself - it would be nice to have some consistent people around her. She only wished they weren¡¯t going to be assholes.


    After meeting them, she felt a small glimmer of hope. They were good people. Naive, young, inexperienced, but honest and direct. She respected that. Their leader, a Fighter, was a man who wanted them to go home at the end of the day rather than try and make it to the next floor for coin or gear. He climbed with his sister, their Divine Magician and healer, and a cousin who cracked jokes that wasn¡¯t inappropriate or demeaning. Maybe they were normal people, and this was an order to grow and improve instead of just another job.


    She savored each climb with them, dreading leaving the tower to return to her pitiful room. When she got there, she¡¯d lay out all her earnings for the day on her bed and sigh. This time, they did well. They cleared the second floor easily and progressed to the third, clearing that, too. Their group was cohesive and worked together well, and she was a good match. That was a rare bonus. But she had three large pouches of coins and two unidentified items on her pitiful quilt.


    She stared at the items and wondered the same thing she always did. Would they notice if she skimmed some of her earnings off the top? How would they find out? She could pocket some of the coins away here and there, stash them so she could finally escape. The items would be harder to fence. They have their hand in just about any major dealing in the country, one way or another. But if she quickly traded it off in the city and immediately ran away? It might work.


    But it wouldn¡¯t be worth it. Not again.


    Tears fell onto the sacks of coins as she remembered Rachel. Rachel was the only person in this world who ever gave two shits about her, and she was gone. Just like that. Now Lucy was alone, forced to make up for the debts that haunted her.


    A chill in the air caused her to shiver. She looked up and saw her window cracked again, a familiar piece of paper wedged between the glass pane and frame.


    ¡°Shit.¡± Not alone, then. Never alone.


    Reading the letter, she cursed again. Then yelled in frustration. Before she knew it, the pouches of coins on the bed were scattered and torn, thrown against the wall in a fit of rage. She grabbed the shimmering knife on the bed and stabbed her quilt once. Then twice. After her fourth strike, the weapon clanged against her wooden floor as she dropped onto the bed.


    The letter was crumpled beside her. She stared at it while slowing her breathing. Her primary form of communication to the people that essentially own her.


    The Assembly. Those bastards.


    The team she¡¯d been climbing with for four days had their own debts. Of fucking course they did. Everyone she interacted with did to some degree. Her next order was to separate the leader, Will, and threaten him to pay up. If he didn¡¯t, she was supposed to kill his cousin. Then his sister. Both were Climbers in the same group, and both of them Lucy liked.


    The letter finally burned, and she let her emotions burn with them. She ignored the pain when her finger tips started burning, too. It didn¡¯t matter. None of it mattered. It was just another job, after all.


    The only thing that mattered was Rachel, and she was gone.


    *****


    Getting Will to pay up was easy, as it normally was with Lucy. She had a way of convincing her targets that losing money was far more desirable than someone dying. The only catch was that he refused to let her climb with him again, and she understood. That was going to be the end result, anyway. Even though she dreaded that outcome she was used to it.


    Walking back to her room, she paused before opening her door. Her heart beat like a drum in her chest. The door was slightly open, a cool wind coming from the obviously open window in her room. Did she forget to close and lock it? Or did someone break in?


    Slowly opening the door, she had her answer.


    ¡°Hello, Lucy,¡± a man said, his back to her. He was staring out her open window. She couldn¡¯t make out anything about him, but he was bald. His overcoat was nearly to his boots, and it was completely black, masking his features.


    ¡°Do I know you?¡± Lucy asked.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± the man said. ¡°Please come in. And lock the door behind you.¡±


    Lucy slowly stepped inside, never taking her eyes off the man. He was grungy and looked every bit nasty from the front as from behind. She immediately had an idea of who he was. Or at least what organization he was with.


    ¡°How did you get in my room?¡± Lucy asked.


    The man huffed. ¡°That¡¯s a stupid question. Who do you think has the key?¡±


    Well, that answered it. She relaxed a little. He was likely here to talk, not hurt her.


    Lucy walked over and put her floor earnings on the bed. ¡°There you go. And it¡¯s done, by the way.¡±


    The man furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Done?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What you, or whoever, wrote on that letter. My task. It¡¯s done.¡±


    The man¡¯s lip curled in a wicked smile. It made Lucy¡¯s neck itch. ¡°I see. That¡¯s good.¡±


    Lucy sat down beside the pouches of coins. ¡°This is the first time someone¡¯s visited me in this damn city and you¡¯re just standing there like an oaf. What do you want?¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°My, my. So testy.¡± He walked over and picked up the sack of coins, clinging them all against each other in the pouch. He pulled it close to his face and listened closer to the noise, closing his eyes while the metal jingled.


    Lucy forced herself to pull her eyes away. What a fucking weird guy.


    ¡°Your status has been elevated since you finished this last task,¡± the man said.


    Lucy perked up. Who cares if he was weird, bringing news like that was always welcome. ¡°Does that mean I¡¯ll be reassigned?¡±


    ¡°In a way.¡±


    Her excitement morphed into worry. She didn¡¯t like that answer.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be expected to tier up,¡± the man continued. ¡°Climbing has the potential to be a good money maker, and you¡¯ve proven yourself. Get into a higher tier and make more money.¡±


    Lucy cursed. She didn¡¯t want to stay here. But she couldn¡¯t argue with him or question him, either. She knew those consequences. ¡°Alright. Anything else?¡±


    The man smiled again. ¡°I¡¯ll be your handler. Instead of letters, we¡¯ll be checking in in person to measure your progress. You need to be in tier two by the end of next month, and you¡¯ll have an expected amount per week to make. Starting then.¡±


    Lucy didn¡¯t like the sound of that. Was she stuck here forever? Of all the damned places in the world, she just had to end up in a city of death. She had to ask, consequences be damned. ¡°Will it take time off my sentence? Like a trade?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t exchange a life debt for coins, silly girl. That¡¯s not how it works! You should know that.¡± He chuckled and stuffed the pouch of coins into his obnoxiously large black overcoat.


    Lucy seethed but stayed silent. She wanted to rip that pouch from him and shove it down his throat. But then someone else would likely take his place, and she¡¯d be punished on top of it. At least he seemed more attracted to the coins than her.


    ¡°Be thankful you aren¡¯t in some backwater town doing work that¡¯s far less glamourous. At least here you can use magic instead of your body. That¡¯s something, girl. Don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    Lucy walked over to the window and stared out of it. A small bird flew by, bobbing up and down as its winged flapped in the air. Maybe one day she¡¯d be free, too.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in two weeks to make a plan for the next season,¡± the man said. ¡°We¡¯ll start using some of those items you find to better prepare you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a start,¡± Lucy said.


    The man snickered. ¡°Keep your head down and do as your told and you¡¯ll be just fine. There are worse ways to live.¡±


    Lucy, unfortunately, agreed. But there were also better ways.


    ¡°The name¡¯s Mathias,¡± the man said. ¡°If you need something, set a letter on your window addressing me and I¡¯ll find you.¡±


    Lucy set her head against the window and closed her eyes. ¡°Just like that?¡±


    ¡°Just like that.¡± Mathias walked out of the door, not bothering to close it.


    *****


    Lucy hoisted her pack over her shoulder, reading herself to leave. The summer air was hot, and she was ready to cool down for the evening. Still, her pack was lighter than she wanted. Mathias wouldn¡¯t be happy. Again.


    Despite getting a class upgrade and being able to climb in the second tier, finding a group to climb with her grew increasingly difficult. The first tier was easy, as newer Climbers wanted her experience and abilities to help in their group. But those who progressed to the second tier floors were either already in a full group or were in a cohesive enough group to not want another, unfamiliar member.


    The Assembly obviously didn¡¯t predict that possibility. But it didn¡¯t matter since Lucy would be the one to pay for it.


    She slowly walked back to her room, dreading her meeting with the coin-obsessed man. She was supposed to secure a group to climb into the second tier by the end of the week, and the group she was with seemed promising enough to advance. But then they turned crazy after an unexpected encounter, imploding as a group. One of them even died. She was forced to stay late and answer questions about the incident, further impeding her climbing. It was a certifiable shit show.


    At least there was another group to save them. It didn¡¯t happen often to find other groups in the tower, but she was glad in the moment. Maybe they needed a sixth member since there was only five of them. It was bad luck she didn¡¯t get their names. Her anger prevented her from being more rational, as the only thing she could think of was not murdering the rest of that pathetic group.


    One of the Climbers in the five-man team carried a spear, which was a bit unusual. But she could ask around and find them eventually. If even just to thank them.


    She adjusted the axe on her belt and started walking. No sense in delaying it.


    As she approached her room, she opened took a deep breath before opening her door. This was it. Inside, Mathias leaned against her window while staring at her. He looked as creepy as ever.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Mathias said, grunting the words.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault. A Climber in my group died and I was being questioned. It took too damn long.¡±


    He relaxed a bit. ¡°Hmm. Did you kill them?¡±


    Lucy laughed. ¡°Unfortunately no. That would be the monsters in the tower. The ones that spawn inside, at least.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Mathias walked over and held out his hand.


    At least he didn¡¯t raise his hand to her in punishment. Lucy took off her pack and gave it to him. ¡°It¡¯s all I have.¡±


    Mathias held it and scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s light. Too light. You need to climb higher.¡±


    ¡°Unless you want me to die, I need to climb what I can. Or find a group that will take me there.¡±


    Mathias sighed. ¡°I know. Plans are in the works to get you a group like that. Just¡­ keep doing what you can for now.¡±


    Lucy paused. That was uncharacteristically kind of him. Did she have a gold crown attached to her forehead or something?


    ¡°You have an additional task for the month, as well.¡±


    ¡°Fantastic.¡± Lucy started taking off her armor and putting it in a wooden trunk at the foot of her bed.


    ¡°There¡¯s a man here whose father owes us a considerable debt. He¡¯s agreed to take it on in his place, and we are the ones who will establish contact with him moving forward.¡±


    Lucy didn¡¯t bother stopping taking off her equipment. ¡°Which means I¡¯ll be talking to him. That¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Good. He¡¯s a Ruby Magician, if you can believe it.¡±


    Lucy held one of her boots in her hands, though didn¡¯t drop it in the trunk. ¡°Seriously? He¡¯ll get himself killed before he can pay it off.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard. Which means you need to find him sooner rather than later and remind him of his¡­ obligations.¡±


    ¡°All I need is a name.¡±


    Mathias walked to the door and opened it to leave. Then he stopped and turned his head. ¡°I¡¯ll say this once, and only once. Careful with this one. He¡¯s former military. He could be trouble, and we have contingencies just in case he is. But don¡¯t piss him off. You¡¯re valuable, and eventually he will be, too. As long as he doesn¡¯t die first.¡±


    Lucy felt a shiver run through her. So they had more plans for him, too, then. That wasn¡¯t good. For her or for him. If she was valuable now, she might not be as much if he was too much in the picture.


    Maybe she could convince him to get out before it was too late. Maybe he could take her with him? This wasn¡¯t any sort of life to live. She knew that all too well.


    *****


    Lucy cursed to herself while she walked back to her room. The pack on her back was far heavier than she expected, but it made sense with the amount of coins she was carrying.


    Wyn was smart enough to bring a magical pack, and that was going to be the very next item she¡¯d find.


    Wyn. She still could hardly believe the man that helped save her was the Ruby Magician Mathias warned her about. She could sense danger from him, that much was certain. But he was still naive. He wanted to help and be good, but that wasn¡¯t how the world worked. It was survive or die, and he was pushing towards the latter.


    If he was backed into a corner, though¡­ there would be problems. And she really didn¡¯t want another problem added to her list. She was in a decent place right now working with groups here and there without too much fuss from Mathias.


    Mathias was his usually gloomy and paranoid self but his attitude changed immensely once Lucy dropped the stacks of coins on the bed.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Mathias said. His eyes sparkled seeing the sacks.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying after carrying them on my back so far. Next time I¡¯m coming with a magical pouch to carry them easier.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Mathias reached down and picked up a sack, reaching inside to dig his hand through the coins.


    Lucy sighed. It was just another day. Another person paying their debts, and another day of hers wasted away. While Wyn had the chance of being free, she didn¡¯t. The thought always angered her, and she needed to push it out of her mind now to prevent that anger from boiling over like a heated pot with too much water.


    ¡°This is good,¡± Mathias said after a few seconds. ¡°Good work, Lucy.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean I can trade for the magical pouch? It¡¯ll make it easier to carry all those coins, after all.¡± Mathias didn¡¯t compliment her much, so she needed to take advantage of the situation. Talking about his favorite subject could only help matters.


    ¡°Hmm. Yes, I believe it will be helpful. But grab two so I can use one as well to transport each payment.¡±


    Lucy smiled. That was fine by her. She immediately started for the door, eager to leave Mathias to his weird behavior.


    ¡°Also grab whatever equipment you can secure to consistently climb in the second tier.¡±


    Lucy had her hand on the doorknob but stopped. ¡°Why is that?¡±


    Mathias bit on a gold crown before giving his disgustingly sly smile. ¡°Change is coming, Lucy. We have word that some guilds will be expected to take on some new members soon. Possibly even this coming month. And you¡¯re going to be a part of that group.¡±


    Lucy thought about what he just said. If she was going to join a guild, well¡­ that actually wouldn¡¯t be so bad. Having a community would be nice, and climbing with some consistent people would be a welcomed change.


    But what would it cost? And what would they do if they found out where her actual alliance lied? If there was a threat of being kicked out, then she wanted to avoid that. So keeping her lips shut and being a good little soldier was what she needed to do. It would come easy as unfortunately she was used to it.


    Lucy forced her way out of her own room. She needed to hit something, and things would get far worse if that something was Mathias.


    So much for no more problems.

 Book 2 - Chapter 37

    ¡°What the fuck are you doing,¡± John said, trying to keep his voice down. He was not succeeding.


    Tasha quickly shushed him and looked back out into the hallway. No one was there, at least.


    ¡°I¡¯m joining a guild just like all of you,¡± Lucy said, her voice low and words intentional.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be a coincidence,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯m trying to do my damndest to be rid of you and you keep showing up when I least want you to!¡±


    Lucy just shrugged.


    ¡°Surely the¡­ they don¡¯t have that kind of influence,¡± John said. He looked at everyone for support but found none.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you want me to answer that,¡± Lucy said.


    John¡¯s face relaxed in surprised understanding then squinted together in frustration. ¡°You¡¯re an asshole.¡±


    ¡°John,¡± Tasha said.


    Lucy sat down in one of the large, cushioned chairs in the shared sitting room. The six of them quickly made their way to the wing after Gregory introduced Lucy as their sixth member, and encouraged them to get to know each other until he could finish briefing them on the guild rules and expectations.


    Little did he know they already were acquainted.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Lucy said. ¡°Really. I get where you¡¯re coming from. But like I told Wyn, I¡¯m not the enemy here. I¡¯m in debt to them like Wyn and his sister. Worse, even.¡±


    ¡°My father¡¯s the one who accrued that debt, not us,¡± Wyn clarified.


    ¡°But you¡¯re the one who¡¯s paying for it now that he¡¯s dead. As I told you before, I know that situation all too well.¡±


    ¡°Explain,¡± Cedric said. He sat in an identical chair near Lucy, calmly watching her.


    ¡°Explain what?¡±


    ¡°Two things you said just now that carry more meaning than you¡¯re letting on. One, that you¡¯re in debt like Wyn, and two, that you know his situation ¡®all too well.¡¯¡±


    Lucy narrowed her eyes at the Lightning Wizard, leaning forward as though to reply. Instead, she hesitated. Cedric wasn¡¯t an idiot, nor was he bothered at her suspicion. Marcy didn¡¯t share the same patience, though.


    ¡°You think about trying something and you¡¯ll regret it,¡± Marcy said. She freely stood in the room, her gaze fixed on Lucy like a predator. She didn¡¯t have a bow or arrows equipped on her, but one of her kukris hung on her belt. Her hand was suspiciously close to the weapon.


    Lucy relaxed and raised both of her hands. Marcy¡¯s look was¡­ unsettling. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to rile anyone up. Never have, and don¡¯t want to start now. He just caught me off guard.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Now¡¯s as good a time as any to call in my reward, too.¡±


    ¡°Reward?¡± John asked. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°My reward from Lucy from beating her during the combat trials. It was a wager we made.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Lucy said. ¡°I¡¯ll hold my end of the bet. I said I¡¯d answer any question of his.¡±


    Wyn sat down beside Cedric and tried to mimic his calm posture. It felt more forced, but that was better than looking crazed or pacing the room. ¡°I want you to answer Cedric.¡±


    Lucy took a deep breath. It was never easy talking about herself, especially not to people who didn¡¯t exactly see her in the most favorable way. ¡°Alright. I can explain myself. Yes, I¡¯m indebted to the Assembly. No, I am not part of their organization. I¡¯m as involved with their activities as Wyn or his sister is. The only difference is that my debt isn¡¯t a coin debt. It¡¯s a life debt.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°I can take a guess, but I don¡¯t want to assume.¡±


    ¡°It means that the debt I¡¯m paying off is for a life. Not an amount of coins.¡±


    ¡°Your life or someone else¡¯s?¡± Wyn asked.


    Lucy smiled. ¡°My sister¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Lucy looked around the room. Was she really about to share her situation with them? She didn¡¯t technically owe them that much.


    But if she wanted to gain their trust and not be even more of a pariah in her own group, well¡­ she needed to gain some sympathy. And she didn¡¯t even need to embellish it. The truth was pitiful enough.


    ¡°My sister was in deep with the Assembly, not unlike your father. She was roped in young and manipulated, and I couldn¡¯t get her out despite trying over the years. One day she came to me asking for help, and I tried my best. But I failed. And then she was gone.¡±


    Lucy was gripping the armrest of the chair hard. Wyn thought it might snap. After a few seconds she noticed her temper, then relaxed and continued. ¡°The Assembly came to me after threatening me, saying that me trying to help my sister was an attack on them and their business. They forced me into servitude saying if I didn¡¯t take my sister¡¯s place they¡¯d kill the rest of our family. So I agreed.¡±


    Wyn sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. So Lucy really was in a shit position like him. Even worse, it sounded like. Maybe she could truly be an ally rather than an enemy after all. If he could use her to gain some insight into the Assembly maybe he could free himself and Arabelle. Maybe.


    ¡°How long is your life debt?¡± Tasha asked.


    Lucy shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a life debt. So until they dismiss me, which they won¡¯t do, or I die.¡±


    The silence that hung in the air was telling. She really was just a pawn in their game. How can anyone respond to that?


    ¡°So what now?¡± Marcy asked. ¡°If you really are taking orders for them, then you still answer to them above anyone else. Even us, the guild, the city. What¡¯s your goal here?¡±


    ¡°Right now my goal is just to climb. Apparently making money as a Climber can be lucrative, and having someone powerful with tower magic is an asset, according to my handler. Despite me telling them that power fades out of the city. But they don¡¯t really listen to much I say.¡±


    ¡°Are they wanting to try and do the same to me?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°If I pay off my father¡¯s debts, will they force me to keep climbing after since it benefits them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. While the Assembly has their hand in just about everything, they do keep their end of agreements. If there was a problem it would be with a person, not the organization. It¡¯s the only way they¡¯ve been successful for so long. In my time working for them I haven''t heard of them going back on their word.¡±


    ¡°Like organized crime?¡± John asked.


    ¡°In a way.¡±


    ¡°You said if there was a problem it would be with a person,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Does that mean you?¡±


    Lucy laughed. ¡°No. Not at all. I have no desire to cause any more problems. I just want to keep my head down and cause as little issue as possible.¡±


    Wyn tried to follow Lucy¡¯s words and logic but it was hard with his continuing anger for her. But he was starting to see it was misplaced. She really wasn¡¯t a member of the Assembly, or at least based on what she said so far. There was the possibility of her lying, of course, but he didn¡¯t get that impression from her. Not since she first revealed who she was really working for.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    But that still didn¡¯t give him much reassurance. If they saw climbing as a valuable means to obtain more money, then it would make sense for them to try and keep Wyn around if he was as successful as he¡¯s been. Whether that would be an underhanded play or legitimate one, he didn¡¯t know. But he wasn''t about to completely trust her statement on that subject. He still had ideas on how to get him and Arabelle out, and if it came down to it, blood would be shed. Even if it was his own. Just as long as it wasn''t Arabelle''s.


    ¡°I don¡¯t fully believe you when you say they won¡¯t try to keep me around after I pay off the debt,¡± Wyn said. ¡°If they see climbing as great as you say, what¡¯s to stop them from trying to force me to keep going?¡±


    ¡°I get where you¡¯re coming from,¡± Lucy said. She sat forward and leaned on her knees. ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with them for awhile now. If you get on their wrong side, they¡¯re the worst people imaginable to deal with. But upfront, they keep their promises. Surprisingly. If your father incurred the debt and you pay it off in his stead, it¡¯ll be considered clear and you¡¯ll have no more obligation to them at all. Though they will try to recruit you, I guarantee it.¡±


    ¡°How in the hells can we take your word for it?¡± John asked. "I don''t believe a damn thing you''ve said."


    Lucy smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve closed a fair number of debts in my servitude. They aren¡¯t even spoken about again. We leave them behind and that¡¯s that.¡±


    ¡°As far as you know,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°Maybe. But there are enough people out there that owe the Assembly. They aren¡¯t worried about the ones who actually paid up. Just the ones who haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯d bet your reputation on that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a reputation. But I do have a life debt. So, I guess I¡¯d bet my life on it.¡±


    Wyn sat back and processed his thoughts. Lucy seemed not only confident but completely sure of herself. Would they really leave him alone once his debt was paid? Living a life always looking over his shoulder sounded like a stressful one. But if what Lucy said was true, then he didn¡¯t need to worry.


    But it all came down to could she be trusted? She said the right things, at least. And the only part of her that pissed Wyn off was that her involvement with the Assembly reminded him of his father and his own situation. None of that was directly her fault, though. He very well could be sitting in her seat trying to reason with someone else.


    Maybe she deserved a chance. She was his new teammate, now. At the most basic of levels, he had to trust her in order to climb and feel safe while climbing. So her offering this information was a good show of faith that Wyn appreciated. He wanted to tell Gregory about her allegience but not yet. It was better to keep a close eye on her as a teammate than kicking a hornet''s nest and bringing negative attention to him, his sister, the rest of the group, and even the guild. There would be a time to tell them. But now wasn''t it.


    He just couldn''t shake the thought of her being part of the enemy no matter how much he wanted to. As he was once taught, sometimes it''s better to keep enemies close.


    For now.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Wyn said after a moment. ¡°I believe you.¡± He kept his face as emotionless as possible. If he wanted to sell himself, he needed to be convincing.


    ¡°Wait,¡± John said, jerking his head towards Wyn. ¡°Just like that?¡±


    ¡°Not just like that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Think about it. What she says makes some sense. She hasn¡¯t done anything to me personally, and I¡¯ve put my own feelings for the Assembly onto her instead of separating them. Which is my own fault.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I guess,¡± John said, deflating against the wall.


    ¡°And if she¡¯s going to be our teammate, we need to trust her. If we have any reason to believe what she¡¯s said otherwise, well¡­ we can address it then.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Lucy said. She slapped her knees and stood up. ¡°That¡¯s all I wanted to hear. So are we gonna go see what this lovely guild has to offer us, or what?¡±


    *****


    The rest of the day went by in a blur. Being introduced to the guild house and more members was overwhelming, and all he wanted to do was to center himself. He felt more out of sorts than ever, with the change of his new home, new team, discussion with Lucy, and Gregory¡¯s information about the guild.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was nervous or afraid, though. Change happened more than people realized or hoped, and it was best to embrace it. But having so much at one time was more jarring than he realized.


    Gregory finished their guild introduction by providing the rest of the guild rules. Or at least the rules they needed to know at this point. For one, they had a contact to go to for any issues or concerns relating to the guild. Theirs was Faye, to everyone¡¯s relief. Another rule was that they had dinner together twice a month - every second and fifth Solday of the month, marking the beginning and end of the climbing season. Wyn liked the thought of that, as it sounded more like a family.


    The rule that gave Wyn pause was that as the team¡¯s leader, he had weekly meetings with the other group leaders on Faesday. Gregory said they would discuss intricacies of the tower, strategies for their groups and guild as a whole, and any helpful information to the others. Wyn wasn¡¯t new to strategy meetings with other leaders, but he was still new to the tower. Despite making it to the second tier he didn¡¯t feel like a veteran. Magic, classes, climbing in general¡­ it was becoming familiar but he still felt like it was just out of reach. As though he needed a few more months under his climbing belt before he really could get hold his own as a true leader.


    But that was alright. He was the newer team leader in the guild, and they would likely go easy on him.


    At least he hoped.


    Following the guild house tour and introduction, the group worked on settling in their possessions and organizing their room. They had no expectation of climbing that day, only to join the guild for a special dinner to officially welcome them.


    Bringing all of his items was straight forward, if not a big slow and costly. 40 gold crowns and several hours later, Wyn¡¯s belongings were haphazardly stacked in his new room. He took some time to organize it while the others did the same thing. It was an easy, methodical task that helped calm Wyn¡¯s racing mind.


    After another hour, Wyn¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t as peaceful as he had hoped. He sat in the common room in their residential wing in one of the comfortable, plush chairs, unsure of what to do. There were still a few hours before dinner. He could review the items in the vault, but it didn¡¯t seem polite to put his nose in the guild¡¯s private stash so suddenly. Training was always an option, but he didn¡¯t want to interfere with anyone else who might already be training, and his energy for conversation with new people was running low.


    ¡°Bored, too?¡± Marcy said.


    Wyn quickly turned his head before relaxing. ¡°I didn¡¯t even hear you walk in.¡±


    ¡°No one can hear anything with John throwing his stuff around like he was mad at it.¡±


    Wyn laughed. He didn¡¯t hear the sounds before, but it was unmistakable now. ¡°No, I guess not.¡±


    Marcy sat in one of the chairs and slumped before resting one leg over the other. ¡°This feels so strange to me. Like I¡¯m dreaming or something.¡±


    ¡°I know. For some reason I honestly didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be in a place like this. Like being in a guild would split us up and I¡¯d be thrown away instead of invited.¡±


    ¡°Well, here you are.¡±


    Wyn sighed. ¡°Here I am.¡±


    Marcy put her leg down and stared at Wyn. ¡°You know, eventually you¡¯re going to need to accept that you¡¯re better than your class. That¡¯s not all there is to being a good Climber, you know.¡±


    Wyn shrugged. ¡°When I first came here that¡¯s all I was told. That I¡¯d never succeed by being a Ruby Magician.¡±


    ¡°And look at you now, sitting in a guild hall that invited you with your team that you lead.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. Look at me now.¡±


    Marcy sat forward and rubbed her neck. ¡°We don¡¯t have the most desirable classes out there, but we are good at climbing. You have to admit that.¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. How else would we be here?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Marcy said, pointing a finger at Wyn. ¡°I sense change is coming.¡±


    Wyn chuckled. ¡°It already has. Look around!¡±


    ¡°Not that. In climbing.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Hopefully.¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    Wyn looked at Marcy, and she was as sure as ever. Her face slowly morphed from serious to happy, to a full smile.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but return one. It wasn¡¯t often she offered such an emotion, but it was pleasant every time she did. Like being with a friend.


    Then a thought struck him.


    While the others were settling in, Wyn rounded them up. The only one who wasn¡¯t finished or close to being finished was Tasha, who had far more belongings than any of them. Wyn assumed it was likely going to take her days to be fully organized.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know, Wyn, but I have quite a few sets of clothes that still need to categorized.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But that sounds¡­ interesting?¡±


    ¡°No it doesn¡¯t,¡± John said.


    Tasha shot John a look. He smiled sheepishly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about all of you, but I¡¯m feeling a bit out of sorts,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± Lucy said. ¡°One day I¡¯m sleeping in a shack and now I¡¯m living like royalty. This is batshit.¡±


    Cedric cleared his throat. ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it.¡±


    ¡°What about some practice?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Practice?¡± John repeated.


    ¡°Yes. In Alistair.¡±


    John and Lucy stood up abruptly. They both looked at each other, then back at Wyn.


    ¡°That sounds like a welcomed activity,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°We just need to be back in time by dinner,¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°Then grab your gear,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Meet out front in ten minutes.¡±


    The group quickly went back to their room to change and prepare themselves. Cedric stuck around, watching them with Wyn.


    ¡°Are you sure about her?¡± Cedric said.


    ¡°Gregory and the Twilight Blades are even if they don''t actually know her. But she''s a capable Climber, at least. Why not give her a chance? What she said may not have been wrong, after all. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.¡±


    ¡°True. But better to keep an eye on her still. Who knows what will come from this. It¡¯s awfully suspicious she¡¯s our sixth member, of all people.¡±


    Wyn sighed. ¡°I know. I thought about that, too. But we can deal with it together.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    Wyn watched Cedric go back to his room. He thought about his arm and his plan to commission a replacement from Cara.


    That was something he wanted to follow-up on. He knew the Wizard wasn¡¯t the same without it. But no one would be, of course, after losing an entire arm.


    Wyn thought about why he and his friends were climbing, what their new goals were. Paying off his and his sister¡¯s debt. Getting Cedric his item and new arm. Making sure Arabelle was safe and secure. They had finally accomplished John¡¯s goal of being invited to a guild. Now there were other matters to work on.


    And they all started with climbing. Hopefully they didn''t end there, too.

 Book 2 - Chapter 38

    The pull of the portal was as familiar as ever, and Wyn immediately felt his feet go from the hard stone floor of the base in Alistair to the firm ground on the battlefield of the fourth floor. After clearing the floor over and over, it was almost second nature.


    But it would only be around for another week. Then it would be lost to the sands of time, marked in history as a month long environment in the tower while never to be seen again.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lucy asked. She stood to Wyn¡¯s left, twirling her axe in her hand. It was larger than a hand axe but smaller than a battle axe that was more commonly used two-handed. It looked like a woodsman axe with a larger head, carrying a more triangular shape than a rounded edge.


    Wyn had no idea why she only had one, but the handle was long enough to easily use two-handed. Maybe he¡¯d find out while he was still their leader in the next week.


    The rest of her equipment was the same gear she wore when they first met. Her armor was sleeveless but thicker covering her chest and torso, and was covered in a short hair fur that Wyn didn¡¯t recognize. Instead of pants she had a matching skirt extending to nearly her knees and leather boots that covered half of her lower leg. The equipment matched, but didn¡¯t look to be very protective as her arms, knees, and neck and head were exposed.


    ¡°Just waiting,¡± Wyn said. He drew his dagger and extended it to a spear. He didn¡¯t bother with his shield yet, as he knew the Ashen Warriors on this floor weren¡¯t too difficult to manage. Even before he had the Ashen Galladium equipment he was able to hold his own just fine.


    All around them was the same illusory fighting of a war, with people dressed in full armor fighting similar monsters like the Ashen Warriors and Dogs. The longer Wyn stared at them the easier it was to see that they weren¡¯t real.


    Well, they weren¡¯t real on this floor. That likely was different on the second and higher tiers. Something he¡¯d never find out.


    ¡°Here they come,¡± Marcy said, slowly drawing an arrow. She fired it ahead of the group where a mild fog clouded most of the area around them. Between the fog and the illusion of war, the path forward was hard to determine. But the arrow flew true and stopped with a thud and a grunt.


    Wyn wanted to give Lucy orders but he decided to wait. This was the perfect floor to see how she¡¯d do. Prior to entering and on the way over, they reviewed their most basic formations and strategies. Lucy mostly nodded along and said she understood, never questioning Wyn. She didn¡¯t even bother asking questions like where she should go in their formations, or what happens in certain scenarios.


    Wyn assumed her lack of response was either because she had enough experience fighting to be able to join their formations without much trouble, or because she didn¡¯t care about how they fought and was going to do whatever she wanted. He prepared some words just in case their first climb ended up with her being the latter. To his relief and budding curiosity, it was actually the former.


    Without hesitation, Lucy stepped forward with John and met the small group of Ashen Warriors head on. There was only four of them, as Marcy killed the fifth with a second arrow. The first projectile mostly slowed it down. Cedric and Tasha waited in case they were needed while Wyn wanted to see how Lucy fought alongside John.


    The fight couldn¡¯t even be called a fight. It looked more like a one-sided beating.


    Lucy immediately met one of the Warriors and dodged their sword slash while striking back with her axe. The weapon cleaved the monster so heavily it nearly split it in two before it started disappearing back into the tower. John kept the attention of the other three while Lucy hacked at them from the side or behind. In seconds all four of the monsters were killed, with Lucy doing most of the work while John served the role of distraction.


    ¡°That was easier than I remember,¡± John said. ¡°What rarity is that axe?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s blue,¡± Lucy said. She raised it and spun it around once to show off all of its sides. ¡°It¡¯s not incredibly special but it works well enough. Improves my strength by a small amount for one minute after I kill a monster with it, bypasses slashing resistance, and has the earth element. Oh, and if I use it two-handed the boosts are a bit better.¡±


    ¡°That sounds a lot better than not incredibly special,¡± Marcy said.


    Lucy shrugged. ¡°It works for me, I won¡¯t complain. Found it recently and it¡¯s been reliable.¡±


    ¡°What about your armor?¡± Cedric asked. ¡°You said on the way over it¡¯s straightforward. I¡¯m going to guess you also undersold that?¡±


    ¡°No, they really are straightforward.¡± Lucy patted her chest. ¡°My armor is blue rarity and lessens bleeding when I¡¯m injured while giving some minor defense and protection from magic. Same with the skirt. The boots are green rarity and just improve my endurance and let me jump higher and further. Pretty shitty effect if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t traded for anything better?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been allowed to,¡± Lucy said. ¡°All of my equipment had to be approved before I could use them, and I only traded for the armor. I had to find the rest, and thanked the gods I found the axe when I did. It¡¯s been a real bitch getting better equipment.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Wyn said. He didn¡¯t realize she was restricted that much. She wasn¡¯t lacking, by any means, but she could still use more items, especially if they were going to climb in the second tier more. Between the six of them, she clearly had the lowest amount of magical items, but even the rest of them could use some more to improve their setup.


    That would come in time, though. For now, they needed to learn how the climbed with Lucy. As long as they kept clearing floors, making money, and finding items, the rest would come.


    The next two Ashen Warrior groups came soon after, pinching their spot. Both groups had five enemies, and they immediately split as Wyn gave instructions. He told John to go right with Cedric, Lucy left with Tasha supporting, and Marcy picking off the ranged monsters or intervening when needed. Wyn activated Speed Up and his shield, forming it along with his spear. He rushed to the left with Lucy, catching an attack on his shield before stabbing back with a quick thrust. Lucy flashed out with her axe, hacking away at whatever she faced. Armor, shields, weapons blocking her, it didn¡¯t matter. She batted away defenses easily and made openings quick, openings that either she or Wyn took advantage of.


    After the fourth warrior fell, Wyn stepped back and looked to the other group. Tasha or Marcy never called for assistance, and John was handling himself fine. Still, three of them still stood, and Wyn rushed over to help. Soon both groups were dead and gone with only small piles of coins remaining.


    ¡°That was good,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You definitely have experience fighting alongside an ally.¡±


    ¡°No shit,¡± Lucy said. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be good to accidentally hit you. I only get a bit more wild when my primary skill activates, but I can still watch where I swing my axe. I¡¯m no slouch.¡±


    Wyn wanted to laugh out of absurdity. She couldn¡¯t even take a compliment. ¡°I know, but still good to see.¡±


    ¡°Your skill is Fury, right?¡± John said. ¡°Improves all your passive skills by one and a half and active skills by twice as much?¡±


    ¡°Yea, that¡¯s right. Wanted to be a Barbarian yourself?¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°No, I just remember it being powerful. Except for the part that you have to be injured to activate it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small price to pay for that power. I¡¯ve survived fine so far.¡±


    ¡°Heads up,¡± Marcy said. She loosed a glowing arrow that exploded about forty feet from them. A magical plume of water splashed around four Ashen Warriors, and Cedric followed the arrow with his own lighting strike.


    The floor continued on without issue, and before the six knew it they were at the portal. The boss was a group of six Ashen Warriors that were as strong as the sixth floor enemies, but they were quickly dealt with. After they fell, a potion and gemstone was all that was left. They didn¡¯t find any other items during the clear, but instead had a few piles of smaller coins. It was about average regarding rewards but nothing to be upset about.


    Returning to Alistair¡¯s base, Wyn looked around with his group. ¡°How long did that take?¡±


    Cedric pulled out one of his pieces of parchments while his scepter floated in the air beside him. ¡°It took¡­ about twenty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Gods,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Our fastest clear before was just over thirty minutes!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Lucy said. ¡°I have a feeling like we¡¯ll be doing just fine.¡±


    Wyn looked at her and the others and nodded. For the second time that day, he actually agreed with her.


    *****


    Wyn shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Despite everything he was taught and experienced he found it funny that he was still more comfortable fighting monsters in Alistair than he was sitting in the guild hall meeting his new guild mates. They were kind and inviting, but the focus being on him and his group was strange and awkward. John loved it, Tasha responded well, and Marcy and Cedric were respected for their experience, connection with Faye, and performance in the guild trials like the rest of them. Even Lucy had some people congratulating her on her trials and abilities.


    Then there was Wyn. People were cordial and polite, but didn¡¯t really ask much about him or his class. Either they were hesitant because he was a Ruby Magician or they avoided more conversation because they didn¡¯t know what to say. After he thought about it more, even that reason was likely because he was a Ruby Magician.


    The only ones who stayed and talked longer during the evening was Gregory, Faye, and Brett, who saw them climb, Nigel who seemed friendly, and Caryn who liked to ¡®stir the pot¡¯ as Faye put it. Prian avoided them, as did the rest of Caryn¡¯s team. The rest of the guild offered small talk only. Which was fine with Wyn. He was never socially strong.


    Prian¡¯s team, interestingly, were all middle-aged. Wyn was curious to know if they were all related or familiar with each other before becoming Climbers, or if the man somehow only recruited teammates that were around his age. They mostly kept to themselves, though they weren¡¯t rude. Just more reserved.


    Everyone else looked, for the most part, average. Seeing them all sitting at tables eating, conversing, laughing and generally having a good time reminded Wyn of his time out in the field at war. When they would eat in community tables like this when able, covered by large tents and forced in tight areas. The mood felt similar, too. The quality of food was far different, and the circumstances even more so - but it was a familiar enough scene to invoke a strong sense of nostalgia Wyn didn¡¯t realize he had.


    ¡°Everything okay?¡± Marcy said, elbowing Wyn¡¯s arm.


    Wyn snapped out of his thoughts and nodded. ¡°Yea. Sorry. Seeing everyone here just reminded me of another time, is all.¡±


    ¡°That happens a lot, huh?¡± Faye asked. She was sitting on the opposite side of Wyn beside Cedric, not eating. She was primarily visiting all of the other teams along with the rest of Gregory¡¯s group to talk.


    ¡°Not as much anymore,¡± John said. He cleaned another chicken bone and sat it on his plate, then wiped his hands with a napkin. A quick glance to Tasha was met with a small nod, then John delicately picked up a dinner role. ¡°He was pretty bad, at first.¡±


    ¡°Daniel¡¯s helped me with that,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°Are you just losing focus?¡± Faye asked.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s more that fighting in certain situations was reminding me of my time at war. And it was hard for me to mentally separate what was memories of the past and actual situations in the present.¡±


    Faye¡¯s face scrunched in concentration. ¡°That sounds difficult.¡±


    ¡°It was. It¡¯s better now.¡±


    ¡°Daniel¡¯s his mentor,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Smart guy. A bit bookish, though.¡±


    ¡°You say that like it¡¯s a bad thing,¡± Cedric said.


    Faye¡¯s face relaxed and she nudged Cedric. ¡°It¡¯s never a bad thing! Marcy¡¯s just jealous.¡±


    Marcy started to reply when Gregory stood on a bench beside the hearth on the left wall. The room quieted as people started to look towards their leader.


    Gregory cleared his throat and smiled at everyone. ¡°Thank you all for coming to a special end of month dinner. It¡¯s a great sight to see everyone here eating together and enjoying good company.¡± There were some cheers and laughs, along with fists pounding wooden tables in excitement.


    Gregory¡¯s smiled widened, then he raised his hands to attempt to quiet them. ¡°I know we¡¯re all excited for the change of the season, but more so than that is the addition to our guild!¡± The people clapped and cheered louder this time, turning to Wyn and their table.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone¡¯s had a chance to welcome them,¡± Gregory continued, ¡°but please make sure they feel right at home as they are our new brothers and sisters. I know they will bring even more value to the guild just as the rest of you do, and please continue to help them get used to being guild members over the next few months.¡±


    ¡°Here, here!¡± The crowd said in unison.


    ¡°Good, good. Now, that brings me to our usual manner of business. This month has been, as you all know, a bit of a challenge. The progression wasn¡¯t as smooth as other months and the difficulty spiked far greater than normal. But we still performed well and met our goals for the month, even if they changed half-way through.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s his way of saying this season sucked,¡± Faye whispered to the table.


    ¡°For this next month, there are a couple more points to add outside of your normal expectations. One, is that Nigel and his group are still wanting to break into the third tier. They are geared and ready and waiting for the right layout. Caryn, your team will not be taking point this month on information gathering. Instead, it will be my team.¡±


    Caryn¡¯s table nodded their head in approval, while Gregory¡¯s table had mixed reactions. They mostly sat there stoically though some sighed or shrugged. Wyn¡¯s table all turned to Faye in confusion who just smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll explain when he¡¯s done,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Next, is that we added to our vault with more blue rarity items but are lacking more purple ones. Caryn¡¯s group found two orange rarity items but after some deliberation it was decided they would better used for their kit than to be stored.¡±


    ¡°Orange?¡± Cedric mouthed to the table, his eyes wide in shock. John nearly spat out his drink when Gregory mentioned the rarity. Wyn knew it was the next color rarity up, but apparently couldn¡¯t grasp the significance of how rare or strong it was. He¡¯d find out soon, though, he hoped.


    ¡°So, we¡¯ll sell some of the blue items on the last day of the month and replace them with purple rarity items of value. The same rule applies that no set pieces will be sold, but still check the vault to see if there is something useful to you before we sell it off. See Brett if you have questions.¡±


    Gregory paused to let his words sink in with the rest of the guild before raising a mug. Everyone did the same. ¡°Last but not least, a toast to another month that we¡¯re all here. Despite the season being not what we wanted, the goal we all have is to return here at the end of the day and live to see another one. So a toast for the month behind us to prepare for the change of the season.¡± He smiled around the room before bringing the glass to his lips, and the guild gave a quick cheer before drinking.


    ¡°How long has Nigel been climbing?¡± John asked, once the crowd settled down. Faye was still sitting beside him. ¡°That¡¯s great he and his team are wanting to advance to the third tier.¡±


    Wyn knew what John meant by his question. He wanted to advance, too.


    ¡°He¡¯s been with us four months now,¡± Faye said. She speared a piece of fruit with a fork and held it out in front of her. ¡°He wanted to advance this month but it was honestly a really bad month for climbing. If next month is better he and his team will likely make it.¡±


    ¡°Is that the set amount of time before trying for the next tier? Three months?¡±


    Faye munched on the fruit and eyed John. ¡°There¡¯s no set amount of time. It¡¯s just when you¡¯re ready. Did you want to join just so you could advance as a guild member? Because you aren¡¯t ready.¡±


    John¡¯s smile morphed into confusion, but he quickly recovered. ¡°No, of course not! I mean, who doesn¡¯t want to advance. I was just curious.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want the other Squire to beat him is all,¡± Marcy said.


    Faye laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s room for all Knights. But you have to meet the requirements we have to progress to the third tier.¡±


    John stopped before taking another bite. ¡°What are those?¡±


    ¡°Easy. You need at least one blue set of items that gives a valuable set bonus to your abilities. It could be two items if its give the value. And then mostly blue items in your equipment, if not all of them. A purple item will balance out a green one if it works for you, but I suggest moving away from those.¡±


    ¡°Huh. I guess I know what my next goal is, then.¡±


    Faye laughed. ¡°You remind me of Nigel. He¡¯s eager like you. I think you two would get along.¡±


    ¡°Or hate each other,¡± Cedric said.


    Faye laughed again. ¡°Or that.¡±


    Wyn thought about his own set of items he just obtained. Technically they fit for him to be able to advance, but no one else had one. Not even Cedric or Marcy. And both of them had the best equipment in their group.


    Since the bonus from his weapon, shield, and helmet was enough to give him the set bonus, he didn¡¯t technically need the rest of the set, either, despite being curious about it. He liked his current gear list and figured he could help the others get what they needed. Any items he obtained could go towards his debt. For now, at least.


    Another month was coming, which meant a different environment, different enemies, and different rewards. But that wasn¡¯t a bad thing. In fact, for the first time in a long time, he looked forward to the change.

 Book 2 - Chapter 39

    The final week of the season was eventful, but mostly outside of Alistair. Inside, the group surprisingly fit together well. Wyn wasn¡¯t sure how Lucy would manage with them but she held her own far better than he expected. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good or a bad thing, but it at least meant they wouldn¡¯t have any major problems while climbing.


    At first Lucy had some difficulty getting used to the formations, and Wyn admitted that the formations were created for only five of them. But they didn¡¯t have any major setbacks on the floors they climbed. They stayed with the fourth and sixth floors, while changing to the third for variety a couple of times. Wyn made the decision not to push to climb higher since the next season was around the corner and they didn¡¯t need to climb higher anyway. They met nearly all of their goals for the month, and just needed to get acquainted with each other before the month change.


    Cedric was able to secure the remainder of his funds needed to pay Faye for the Nimbus Smoke monster drop needed for Cara to make his arm. The final week secured enough payments for the group to pitch in collectively, as well as selling some items the guild didn¡¯t want to keep to help pay for the items and to put forward to Cara¡¯s high fee. The Lightning Wizard was excited and relieved to know he was closer to having his arm back, even after Cara mentioned it would take nearly four weeks to craft and test the item to make sure it was properly functional. Cedric was more than happy to wait the better part of another month.


    For Wyn, the rest of the items and rewards secured over the week went towards his debt and contribution when meeting Melvin. He already secured what he needed for the month, but any additional funds would still help. Getting out of debt with the Assembly earlier than expected would be an incredible benefit to climbing as much as he has, and he could actually enjoy his time in the city with his friends, sister, and guild.


    The meeting with Melvin went exactly as Wyn expected. The man rented another large room to show off his status, and it was only the two of them at dinner. Wyn brought some items to trade that were on Melvin¡¯s list, though not the entire list. He was able to convince the merchant that he didn¡¯t completely fail since he was now part of a guild, now having even more access to items and support that he didn¡¯t have before. Melvin was disappointed Wyn didn¡¯t bring more, but he was willing to meet one more time as long as Wyn could bring at least most of the items on a new list procured from his clients.


    Wyn brought one blue item and six green items and made 5000 gold crowns, which he considered incredible. But Melvin threatening him with wanting more put a bad taste in Wyn¡¯s mouth. And the list was not small. The items were all blue rarity, too, which made Wyn doubt his ability to obtain them even over the course of an entire season, let alone two weeks like Melvin wanted. The Twilight Blades wouldn¡¯t let him keep that many items for himself, and there was still his entire team who needed equipment to trade or sell for their own gain.


    Wyn left the meeting cordially but also told Melvin he couldn¡¯t hold his end of the bargain. He wanted to be honest rather than disappoint the man later. Melvin wished him well, but told him he was no longer interested if Wyn couldn¡¯t provide what he wanted despite being in a guild.


    That sealed their short lived relationship. Wyn wasn¡¯t about to betray or ignore his new guild¡¯s rules for his own gain. But having someone to sell items to was a huge bonus he wanted to be able to get out of debt quicker. He thought about Benedict and wanted to ask him for some advice. Maybe there was another direction Wyn could take.


    Finally, the end of the month came, marked with Wyn¡¯s meeting with Lucy. They met in one of the available rooms in the empty guild hall on their wing. All of Wyn¡¯s gold crowns sat on the bed in large sacks while Lucy sat in a wooden chair.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe your father racked up that much gold,¡± Lucy said. ¡°How does a farmer do that, anyway?¡±


    Wyn sighed and leaned against the wall. ¡°Years of being a drunk and a bad gambler. He got mixed in with some bad debtors and just couldn¡¯t stop. He neglected the farm and was a shit farmer, making terrible decisions with bad purchases and the wrong people for years. He messed up both with our farm land and couldn¡¯t get away from drinking. A few thousand crowns over a season here, more over there. It added up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll do that. I¡¯ve seen worse, believe it or not.¡± Lucy grabbed one of the sacks and hoisted it over her shoulder, then did the same to another.


    ¡°Do you need a hand? I could take them for you, if you want.¡±


    Lucy laughed. ¡°You just want to meet my contact. Not a chance.¡±


    Wyn smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t meet him ever? Wouldn¡¯t hurt to know who¡¯s actually the one taking all this money.¡±


    ¡°You know who¡¯s taking all this money. Do they really need a face? Besides, I can¡¯t trust you won¡¯t stab him when you first meet him. That will go over as well as piss in a mug.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Then could you at least ask him if he¡¯d be willing to take more gold in advance to lessen future payments? The quicker I¡¯m done with this debt the better.¡±


    Lucy held the last sack in her hand and looked at Wyn. ¡°That would not be a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Think about it. You¡¯re already making an incredible amount of money climbing. More than even some nobles retain or make with their businesses and connections. What would it look like when you go and say you¡¯re making more than the amount that was already raised, because you¡¯re so successful?


    Wyn thought about it for a second and he realized her point. ¡°It would look like I¡¯m too valuable of an asset to let go so easily.¡±


    Lucy snapped her fingers on her free hand. ¡°Exactly. I know I said they would move on after your debt is done, but it doesn¡¯t mean that they wouldn¡¯t try to recruit you. And trust me, you don¡¯t want to go through that. So instead, just store up whatever you have left over and put it aside. Pay it off in your appointed time and keep what you have left over for yourself and your sister.¡±


    Wyn opened the door for Lucy and walked out with her. ¡°You¡¯re right. I know that. But I¡¯m just ready to be done with it all.¡±


    ¡°Unlike me, you eventually will be. So try and enjoy the time you have now with your sister, and maybe save some of those crowns for the both of you. Gods know you both could use some financial breathing room.¡±


    Wyn stopped and watched Lucy walk out of their residential wing while thinking about what she said. Her perspective was solid. And appreciated. Even though they left their farm and life behind, he and his sister needed to think about what their future held. Not fully living in, and paying off, the past. Wyn then walked to his room, opened his personal chest of items, and pulled out a green rarity belt he¡¯d set aside for trading or selling. The belt¡¯s effect had common enchantments of reducing the weight of pouches or items carried on it while magically securing them. It would be a great theft deterrent even without the weight reduction.


    He hadn¡¯t seen Arabelle in days. Maybe a surprise to see her would be exactly what they both needed.


    *****


    Lucy stared up at the dilapidated building she used to call a home. It wasn¡¯t more than a shack, but it was a roof with lockable doors. That was enough for the Assembly to stash her there.


    She spat on the ground in front of the door. Good riddance. Her new home was far, far nicer than anything she had before. Even though there were likely some strings behind the scenes that were pulled for her to join the Twilight Blades, she didn¡¯t care. She was in and had people she could rely on now that weren¡¯t duplicitous assholes. Her only concern was being able to stick around for awhile and actually enjoy it. Hopefully Mathias wouldn¡¯t make her do something stupid like steal from the guild or get her kicked out.


    Walking inside, she made her way to the bedroom, opened the cracked door, and dropped the sacks on the bed without even acknowledging the man skulking in the corner. He may have tried to look intimidating, but she faced monsters far more deadly than him. If anything the man just looked creepy in his floor length coat and wild eyes.


    Mathias reached into one of the sacks and pulled out a handful of crowns, holding them in his palm. ¡°My, my, what sweet gold. That Magician sure can make some money, don¡¯t you think?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Lucy shrugged. ¡°He can make what he owes. That¡¯s good enough for me.¡±


    Mathias laughed. ¡°That¡¯s more than some can say. Do you think he¡¯d be interested in a more¡­ rewarding position after his debt is paid?¡±


    Lucy sighed. That came up sooner than expected. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. How much more rewarding can you be from magical items and coins from Alistair?¡±


    ¡°Fair point. But we have our ways. The tower is mostly limited to the city. Our reach far extends that boundary. He could be quite something anywhere he wanted.¡±


    Lucy felt her anger rising. Why didn¡¯t they give her the option of being free like that? Wyn shows up with bags of coins and suddenly he¡¯s their godsdamned golden child.


    But she knew why. She was bound by something larger. Something worth more to them than coins, even by Mathias¡¯ standards.


    Her sister''s eventual betrayal, and Lucy being her now-proxy. The entire situation was fucked and Lucy hated thinking about it.


    ¡°He¡¯ll say no. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything you can say that will convince him.¡±


    Mathias bit one of the gold crowns before placing it back in the sack. ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll respond more to threats than rewards, then. That can be equally, or sometimes more, convincing.¡±


    Lucy laughed. ¡°It would be convincing in one way, alright. But who¡¯s to say he wouldn¡¯t try and kill you on the spot for doing something like that?¡±


    Mathias smirked. ¡°Well, that¡¯s why you¡¯ll be there to protect me. And kill him instead.¡±


    Lucy¡¯s smile vanished. ¡°He¡¯s my guildmate, now. My teammate.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t owe them allegiance. No, no, no. You know damn well where your orders actually come from. If I told you to stab him in his sleep tonight you¡¯d do it.¡±


    Lucy once again felt her anger reaching a tipping point. Not that Mathias was wrong. It was because he was right. They essentially owned her. If she didn¡¯t listen, they¡¯d kill her and what remained of her family. But how far would she go until that point? Was doing everything they told her worth the lives of her, her parents, her other siblings and their families?


    She didn¡¯t know that answer. How could anyone actually weigh one life compared to another. But she had to at least try and keep her family safe. While she did that, she could at least do her best to keep others safe, too. Arguing or pushing Mathias too far could mean nudging him in the direction Lucy didn¡¯t want to go. A direction that involved hurting others like she¡¯d done before. Except this time it would be people she was familiar with, people she started to trust and wanted to befriend.


    Lucy took a deep breath and did her best to let her anger go. It wasn¡¯t easy, and plenty of it still remained. But she had to try.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Lucy said, her voice calmer. ¡°But you won¡¯t have me stab him. Not if there¡¯s a chance he could at least hear you out.¡±


    Mathias smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right! Maybe he and I should meet during his next payment. Don¡¯t tell him now, of course, but wait until the very moment and invite him along. That way he doesn¡¯t plan anything before coming.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Lucy lied.


    ¡°Good. Now go back out there and make us some more money. We need to go over some particulars, so have a seat.¡±


    Lucy reluctantly sat on the bed. Maybe one day she¡¯d be able to escape this life and earn something for herself. Or maybe she¡¯d die and everyone else would be left alone, left out of harm¡¯s way and free from the threats that plagued her.


    One day she¡¯d be free. One way or another.


    *****


    Arabelle flopped down onto the floor like a fish needing water. She breathed heavily, her chest rising and falling quickly with her breath. The Ruby Magician robe layered on top of her clothes kept in her heat and sweat like a thick blanket.


    Daniel hated her. She knew it. Why else would he have her go through this?


    The older Ruby Magician stepped beside her and looked down at her on the floor. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Arabelle nodded with her head but couldn¡¯t find the words. Not yet. It took too much effort just to breath.


    ¡°Good! I was worried we might have overdone it there for a moment!¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Arabelle said, huffing the word. After a few more seconds her breathing relaxed enough for her to speak more clearly. ¡°I¡¯m the one on the floor, not you!¡±


    Daniel chuckled. ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m the one who¡¯s forcing you to train. And I¡¯ll be the one that will have to answer to your brother.¡±


    Arabelle sat up, resting on her hands behind her. She tilted her head back so her breaths were deeper. ¡°No, Daniel, that will still fall on me. I know I need to tell him. He won¡¯t blame you.¡±


    ¡°Have you met Wyn? Of course he¡¯ll still blame me! At the very least for encouraging you and allowing you to eventually climb!¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not his decision, is it?¡±


    Daniel smiled. ¡°No, my dear, it is not. And that¡¯s where the truth lies, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Arabelle stood up, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean that at the heart of the matter, it¡¯s your decision whether you want to be a Climber or not. But to get to that truth, you should be honest with him still. He might just be your biggest supporter, you know.¡±


    Just then, the doors to the training hall opened. Benedict came rushing inside while Wyn was right behind him.


    Arabelle cursed under her breath. Wyn did not look pleased.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, dear,¡± Benedict said, talking nearly as fast as he was walking. ¡°I only told him you were here, he assumed the rest!¡±


    Daniel stepped up beside Arabelle and whispered to her. ¡°I¡¯d recommend easing him in.¡±


    ¡°What in the hells, Arabelle?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°You¡¯re climbing? And you didn¡¯t talk to me first?¡±


    ¡°I was going to,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°But I was so excited to get started and was busy helping Benedict that I sort of... lost track of my days.¡±


    Daniel cleared his throat. ¡°Not exactly what I had in mind, Arabelle.¡±


    Wyn sighed and ran a hand over the back of his head. ¡°Would you just explain, please. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m that angry, I was just¡­ caught off guard.¡±


    ¡°Could have fooled me,¡± Benedict whispered.


    ¡°You¡¯re not too mad?¡± Arabelle asked.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m certainly not happy,¡± Wyn said.


    Arabelle narrowed her eyes. ¡°You were the one who left home to become a Climber! You can¡¯t tell me not to climb. I can make my own decisions!¡±


    ¡°Of course you can. That¡¯s not why I¡¯m mad.¡±


    Arabelle relaxed. ¡°It¡¯s not?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m mad because you didn¡¯t think to tell me first!¡±


    Arabelle felt a heavy sense of guilt and shame suddenly rest on her shoulders. He was right, of course. As was Daniel. She should have told her brother first and talked to him about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°I was¡­ afraid you were going to say no.¡±


    ¡°I thought we were going to stick together?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Tell each other everything.¡±


    Arabelle felt her breathing pick up again. Emotions started to swell within her but she quickly pushed them down with as much will as she could muster. The last thing she wanted to do now was to lose her composure.


    ¡°But it¡¯s fine,¡± Wyn continued, offering a smile. ¡°We can talk about it later. Why don¡¯t you tell me what you¡¯ve been doing so far?¡±


    Arabelle took a deep breath and pointed with her thumb at Daniel. ¡°This slaver has been pushing me to no end for days, now! I can¡¯t catch a break!¡±


    ¡°Has it impacted your work with Benedict?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Not that I¡¯ve noticed,¡± Benedict said. ¡°She¡¯s still been a great help, and she caught on very quick! Everyone who comes in just loves her!¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Wyn said. ¡°What have you been having her do, Daniel?¡±


    Daniel stood a little taller and put his hands behind his back. ¡°Just the basics. Laps, body exercises, and magic studies for breaks.¡±


    ¡°Basics,¡± Arabelle repeated. ¡°For Fighters or Rogues, maybe! But we¡¯re Magicians and can use magic. It doesn¡¯t need to be that intense!¡±


    The three men exchanged looks with each other, and Arabelle noticed immediately. ¡°What?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Did you not see the trials?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Of course I did. Watching you was what helped me decide to become a Climber.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so touching,¡± Benedict said, holding his hands to his chest.


    ¡°Did you see anyone get tired during the trials?¡± Wyn asked, ignoring Benedict.


    ¡°No,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°But that¡¯s because of magic, right?¡±


    ¡°Not always,¡± Daniel said. ¡°A good number of physical Climbers have abilities that improve their bodies, yes. But what about the Magicians? They don¡¯t have those.¡±


    ¡°Wyn does!¡±


    Wyn smiled. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    Arabelle furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Let me explain,¡± Daniel started.


    ¡°No,¡± Wyn said, cutting him off. ¡°Let me.¡±


    Daniel waved his hand forward like he was ushering Wyn through a door.


    ¡°Magicians are actually the ones who need physical training more,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We don¡¯t have the many kinds of passive skills that give us magically enhanced bodies. But everyone should be training at a minimum. The more combat-focused Climbers who have skills that enhance their bodies need to have a solid foundation to make those skills better. If a passive skill improves your strength, wouldn¡¯t it improve it more if you were already stronger without any magic?¡±


    Arabelle crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Well, yes. That makes sense.¡±


    ¡°And on top of that, you¡¯re going into a place that will require you to not just walk, but jog or run for miles and miles, for hours and hours, and fight for your life between all of that. Being lazy now and neglecting your training will guarantee a slip up or a mistake when you can¡¯t afford that.¡±


    Arabelle sighed. ¡°Okay, I see your point.¡±


    ¡°Good. And listen to Daniel. Do you really think he¡¯s going to steer you in the wrong direction like a drunken wagon driver?¡±


    Daniel chuckled. ¡°Not anymore. My drinking days are behind me!¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Wyn patted Daniel on the back. ¡°So what¡¯s your plan, then, Arabelle? And what are your skills?¡±


    Arabelle pulled out her parchment from under her robe and handed it to her brother. ¡°My plan is to train for a month and then climb in the guided rookie climb on the last day or so.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Daniel said. ¡°You need to get used to using magic, and your body needs to adjust to the training. That takes time. Plus, your skills lean more towards using magic than fighting in melee like your brother, so getting your body used to the physical toll of climbing is important, though using magic is equally so.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Wyn said. These skills are great! I might have some items for you to use, too, for your first climb. No sense going in without them.¡±


    Arabelle brightened at Wyn¡¯s offer. More so, she was happy of his support both for climbing and about her Ruby Magician skills. As Daniel told her before, every Ruby Magician is different, while some have better synergy than others. He told her that she had a solid magical synergy, and it made her that much more excited to train and test it out.


    ¡°First, though,¡± Daniel said, clapping his hands together. ¡°You have one more lap, then studying Divine Magician spells to find the ones that will suit you best!¡±


    Arabelle groaned. Wyn and Benedict just laughed.

 Book 2 - Chapter 40

    Wyn leaned his head against the wall in the base of Alistair. The day was young, and there were plenty of Climbers that wanted to get a solid start climbing.


    It made sense for the beginning of the month. Climbers were eager people, curious about the new environment, monsters, and overall challenge. Part of the appeal of their dangerous profession was having something new every month. Wyn didn¡¯t feel the exact same, preferring some kind of normalcy and consistency. But he couldn¡¯t argue that it was exciting. Just a bit.


    Some people on the wall near him shifted and shuffled, moving to get people¡¯s attention. They held large packs on their back or satchels of papers with quills and inks.


    Mappers and Packers. Wyn recognized them immediately. Non-Climbers hired to help groups carry items and map out the environment for more efficient climbing or research. Wyn knew that Mappers tended to work on the floors that are harder to navigate but recently learned that they were also hired by some groups to research the tower¡¯s floors and bring notes back to interested parties. Guilds hired them often, too, which was were Wyn learned about their extended use.


    Seeing them made him wonder about Cal. He left more abruptly than Wyn would have liked, but he was a kind and strong man both inside and out. He was likely fine. Wyn just hoped he was alright, both physically and mentally.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± a voice said.


    Wyn looked over to see a young woman looking at him, confusion on her face. She was likely around Arabelle¡¯s age, somewhere in her late teens or early twenties. Instead of armor she wore Magician¡¯s robes and carried a wooden staff that was gnarled at the end. The weapon reminded Wyn of Tasha¡¯s first staff and it made him smile.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Wyn asked. He knew what she wanted. Unfortunately he¡¯d been in the same situation before. ¡°I¡¯m not a Mapper or Packer, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I know that,¡± the woman said, nervously chuckling. ¡°You¡¯re the Ruby Magician, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s the second tier version of it,¡± a man said behind her. He looked to be part of her group as he stood with four others, all dressed in climbing gear. ¡°Or at least I think he is.¡±


    Wyn smiled. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. And my class upgrade is Ruby Strategist.¡±


    The Climber¡¯s all reacted in various degrees of surprise, with those in the back murmuring to themselves, the man looking proud as he guessed correctly, and the woman in front looking like Wyn just said he was the king of Jahnin.


    ¡°It¡¯s great to meet you in person,¡± the proud man said, pushing through his teammates and extending a hand. ¡°I¡¯m Deacon, and we¡¯re Climbers trying to push into the second tier.¡±


    Wyn shook his hand and just smiled along.


    The man nudged his teammate and the woman Magician shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she said, giving a small bow. ¡°We all saw your performance in the guild trials, and we just¡­ wanted to officially say hello and that your performance was really special!¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But I¡¯m far better with my team. It doesn¡¯t do much to climb alone, does it?¡±


    The group laughed, and Wyn suddenly felt uncomfortable. What he said wasn¡¯t very funny, but they were treating him far different than he was used to. It was¡­ strange.


    ¡°Wyn!¡± A voice said behind the Climbers. John waved his hand in the air, grabbing Wyn¡¯s attention.


    Wyn breathed a sigh of relief. He was not prepared to handle Climbers like that so early in the morning. Or ever, really.


    The rest of his group walked with John, all prepared to climb. They looked far more ready than the group talking to Wyn. But they were only first tier Climbers, and Wyn had a goal to get their group to the third floor today.


    The Climbers scurried away quickly when the others approached, and Wyn couldn¡¯t help but watch them leave in fascination.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Marcy asked.


    ¡°Some Climbers who recognized me,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to be so¡­ friendly?¡±


    John laughed while Tasha snickered.


    ¡°Do you want to go talk to your fans some more or climb?¡± Lucy asked.


    Wyn adjusted his pack¡¯s straps and walked further into Alistair¡¯s base without another word. He wanted to influence other Climbers but having them recognize and admire him to that extent was definitely unintended.


    The portal room was filling quickly as dozens of Climbers were being sucked into the magical environment. The group found a lone portal further into the room and paused, waiting for Wyn.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Wyn said, addressing them. ¡°Our goal is to complete the first two floors. If we need to break, we can reassess after the first floor depending on what we find.¡±


    ¡°I say we clear both floors this morning and the third this afternoon,¡± Lucy said. ¡°What else are we going to do, anyway? Go twiddle our thumbs?¡±


    The others looked confused but agreeable. Wyn thought the same thing. She¡­ wasn''t actually wrong. It likely wouldn¡¯t take too long to clear the earlier floors with six of them, and they could start into the second tier in half the time Wyn planned. He¡¯d been cautious before, but now they could afford some degree of boldness.


    It was time to push themselves.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Wyn said. ¡°You have a point.¡±


    ¡°No shit,¡± Lucy said. ¡°Let¡¯s just run it already.¡±


    ¡°If we find something interesting we can always rerun it,¡± Cedric said, twirling his scepter.


    ¡°We likely will anyway when Gregory has us repeating the floors for each of our turns as leader,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I¡¯m not particularly looking forward to that time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll do great,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Let¡¯s just see what¡¯s inside first, shall we? One step at a time.¡±


    With that, Wyn led them through the portal. And when the swirling sea of black and white sky stopped spinning around him, he settled on what was the most bizarre yet beautiful environment he¡¯d ever seen.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Wyn said, ignoring the others as they popped into the space around and behind him.


    The entire world around him was elegant, foreign, and magical. It was surreal.


    His boot crunched on familiar feeling dirt but that was all that was familiar. The ground was a light pink with no sense of civilization anywhere around. Instead of typical plants, bushes or trees, the vegetation in the area looked more like the colored mushrooms in the caves during Wyn¡¯s first climb. He walked over to what resembled a tall tree but was leafless, green, porous and hard, almost like hollow rock. Smaller plants around it were other shades of pink and blue, and looked more like bulbous mushrooms or single-leafed small trees.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    When he looked up, Wyn was further taken aback. The sky itself didn¡¯t resemble the familiar blue of day or black of night speckled with stars, but instead was wavy and murky with reflections of light in various areas. It looked stunningly wonderful and clear on the other side, as though he was looking through a ripple of water where clouds and the sun should be.


    In the air around them, ranging from ten feet above their heads all the way to high in the sky were various flying creatures. They didn¡¯t seem hostile, at least not right away. But they almost flightless, floating in the air slowly while moving around with slow beats of their strange wings or undulations of their body. All the creatures were of similar bright colors to the rest of the world, and all had varying types of bodies from thin and several feet long to wide and round like balls.


    ¡°I think this is like an underwater world,¡± Tasha said. She was bent over poking a mushroom-like plant beside the pink dirt road that swayed gently from her touch.


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Wyn asked. A spike of rear rushed through him thinking that they were going to traverse a world made of water.


    ¡°It¡¯s like the deep ocean I¡¯ve read about in some history books. It¡¯s very colorful with strange plants like these and fish that swim at different degrees of speed and height.¡±


    ¡°Like we¡¯re on the ocean floor,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I¡¯ve read about it, too. And it was my exact thought.¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t like the sound of being in a place that resembled water, but at least he could breath. If they really were underwater everyone would be drowning. But maybe it also meant the world didn¡¯t have a traditional ocean or source of water, and they wouldn¡¯t come across something like that while climbing?


    There were far too many questions right away, and the only way to find potential answers was to climb.


    Wyn started with taking out his parchment to see how the tower described the floor. He saw the others do the same while waiting to start.


    First Floor


    Group: 6/6


    Quest: The floating islands of Isoterra are both wondrous and strange. The people keep to their own islands at the core of the world while the outer islands hold both mystery and danger. Can you find a way out? The way back is ruined. But the way forward may not be as easy as you hope. Mind the heights.


    Wyn folded his parchment and placed it back into his coat. That was¡­ not the most reassuring description.


    Turning around, he almost gasped at what he saw. A large ship was crashed into the side of a tall pink rock with its ripped sails covering the area around it. The ship easily could have held a hundred people, and wood was splintered all over the area. Wyn didn¡¯t dare approach. Even if this place was magically created he didn¡¯t care to find dead people inside. Would they even look human?


    ¡°How could a ship even sail here?¡± John said. ¡°There¡¯s no water for it to use. It¡¯s just¡­ air.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s how,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Like an airship.¡±


    John laughed. ¡°You¡¯re funny, Marcy. Those don¡¯t exist!¡±


    Cedric chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re wearing magical equipment and can perform feats that most of the world would consider to be from the gods, and you think a ship that flies through the air isn¡¯t able to exist? Look around. I don¡¯t believe we¡¯re in Jahnin anymore.¡±


    John¡¯s smile vanished while he thought about what Cedric said. Tasha just patted him on the back for comfort.


    Wyn led the group along with Lucy and Marcy while the others lagged behind. They weren¡¯t overly concerned about their formations in the first tier, and especially on the first floor, no less. They simply wanted to explore and take in the area while advancing. At least that¡¯s how Wyn felt as he stretched his neck looking at all of his surroundings and noticed the others do the same. It wasn¡¯t every month when a new tower environment was as unusual and strange as this one.


    After some time traversing the pink path Wyn realized they weren¡¯t going to go through as quickly as they thought. It wasn¡¯t level and straightforward, but hilly, rocky, and curved. Even though he could tell they were moving in a straight direction along their massive island the path was not naturally straight. Large swaying green and orange leafless trees in the distance marked some kind of far off territory, and they were helpful to determine their path forward.


    All along the foreign road was various kinds of plant life that stumped Wyn, and even Tasha and Cedric. They only guessed that the vegetation was magical and otherworldly, and Cedric explained that sometimes that¡¯s just how some seasons were in Alistair. He didn¡¯t seem too bothered by the different flora, but Wyn felt uneasy watching them. Occasionally a small floating creature would wander too close to one and be snatched by hidden tentacles that looked like thin leaves or engulfed by the entire plant. One was yellow and cylindrical, and extended a couple of feet to catch a small brightly colored flying bird with four wings, no legs or arms, and a slender body.


    Wyn stopped to watch the event, surprised. If that was something on the first floor, what did the upper floors hold?


    Marcy slowed down and nocked an arrow she was holding. ¡°We got enemies.¡±


    The group stopped and readied their weapons. Cedric and Tasha waited to respond and Wyn kept his shield back but extended his weapon to a spear. The enemies likely weren¡¯t going to be difficult at all.


    A group of chittering creatures appeared around a bend from the pink dirt path, all a little bigger than a house cat. They had two arms and legs and stubby, wide tails with pointy heads settled on multicolored bodies. Despite their color, though, they blended into the background relatively easily, like natural camouflage.


    Wyn thought they looked like fish mixed with frogs. Except they were more nimble and moved like a pack of rats.


    Marcy immediately speared one with an arrow and it yelped as it died. So they were easy to kill, too. The only problem was that this group held a little over a dozen of them. Lucy and John stepped forward and cut through them like a farmer threshes wheat, Lucy with her axe and John with his sword boosted with a topaz in the hilt. It only took a few swings for all of the monsters to die.


    There weren¡¯t any drops from them, but at least they were easy monsters.


    The six Climbers continued along the path and found two more groups of walking fish monsters. They varied a bit with their colors, physical size, and group size, but overall were easy opponents. Cedric asked to take the last group and cast one of his lightning spells that caused an electric charge to spread through enemies, curious to see if the element was strong against them. John hadn¡¯t noticed a difference since each swing of a weapon killed them regardless, so the Lightning Wizard wanted more insight.


    His spell coursed through them like flames over dry grass. They screamed briefly before disappearing back to the tower from only one spell attack.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s pretty telling,¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°So water enemies, then,¡± John said.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I have a feeling we might encounter a few more elements here. There are plenty of flying creatures around to make me wonder it could be wind element, too.¡±


    The next time they found a group of enemies it was slightly different. The group of fish monsters were scattering from another creature, this one larger, like the size of a wolf. It stood on its thick, hind legs and held one of the fish monsters with shorter arms while it tore into it with an elongated mouth of sharp teeth. Yellow fur ran along its neck, contrasting its bright blue body.


    ¡°What in the hells?¡± John asked.


    The monster stopped eating it and roared at them, causing lightning to run along its neck and mouth as the hair on its neck stood on end, looking like an intimidating mane of hair.


    Wyn cursed. It was likely the lightning element. And the fact that that kind of variety showed up completely on the first floor wasn¡¯t a great sign for the higher floors he wanted them to climb.


    Marcy hit it with an arrow in the neck and the creature jerked back with a pained yelp. It flailed on the ground for a moment, dropping its meal. Lucy rushed forward and axed it in the body, then again. It stopped flailing as blue blood poured from its wounds.


    ¡°So much for your theory,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°Several elements at once is going to be a bit tougher for me,¡± Cedric said. ¡°But I¡¯ll manage.¡±


    ¡°And I will need to change Zoraquin to a different Calling,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Maybe something neutral?¡±


    ¡°Something we can look at when we break,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving. We can deal with the enemies on this floor no matter their element.¡±


    The rest of the floor was more consistent as they met mostly more of the small monster swarms and only two more of the larger lightning monsters. The second of the larger monsters dropped a talon, and their parchment called the monster a Ta-Yitz.


    Nearing what they felt was the end of the floor after more turns of the dirt road, they spotted the final challenge. The red portal was nestled between larger plants on the other side of a small but wide open area of more pink dirt that was at least flat terrain. The boss, though, wasn¡¯t what Wyn expected. A single Ta-Yitz was on the ground, flailing and tearing up the dirt with its talons as a small group of larger fish monsters stood over it. There were three of them, all the size of cows but identical to the smaller fish monsters they encountered throughout the floor. The fish were pounding on the lightning monster with strong stomps from large feet and snaps of their jaws from gnashing teeth.


    Before the Ta-Yitz succumbed to the group, one of the fish opened its mouth and fired a blast of water that hit the creature square in the body. It flattened it against the ground, effectively silencing it.


    So they had ranged attacks, too. And it was obviously somewhat strong as it was able to finish the monster despite the attack being at an elemental disadvantage. It was a close range hit, but likely still had an effective range similar to Cedric or Marcy at a minimum.


    When the monster was killed, the three fish monsters looked to the group and roared in a strangely high-pitched screech.


    Wyn stepped forward with John and Lucy and prepared to fight.

 Book 2 - Chapter 41

    The three Climbers fanned out to cover more ground. John stayed straight while Lucy and Wyn took the left and right respectively. They took to a slow jog, wanting to meet the three large fish monsters somewhere in the middle of the open space.


    Wyn felt confident. This was still the first floor despite the new environment and enemies. They should be able to handle themselves fine.


    And handle themselves they did.


    An arrow streaked by them and struck one of the enemies square in the chest. The projectile completely stopped its advance but it only squawked in anger and pain like a chicken.


    The noise was strange, nearly pulling Wyn out of his focus. But then again, the entire environment was strange. He needed to get used to it fast.


    John met the quickest of the three monsters and halted it with his shield before engaging in combat. It was bigger than John and carried its weight well, but John was a tier two Climber. He had plenty of his own strength and skills to not only match it but overcome the size difference. In seconds he was slashing at it with his sword making large gashes with each swing.


    Lucy equally worked her single opponent, dodging its big legs and chopping with her axe in retaliation. It wouldn¡¯t be long before both her and John ended their fight.


    Then there was Wyn. His opponent was further back, wounded from Marcy¡¯s arrow. It almost felt wrong, like putting down a rabid animal instead of killing a monster. The fish creature flailed and squirmed with the wooden arrow sticking out of its chest, trying to regain its composure. It faced Wyn and opened its wide mouth, sending a blob of bright blue water in his direction with a similar force to Marcy¡¯s arrow.


    The magical projectile was well off target and sailed harmlessly through the air.


    Wyn then promptly stabbed it before it could repeat that attack, then stabbed it several more times after until it stopped moving. It was one of the easier kills he experienced.


    ¡°Well that was anticlimactic,¡± Marcy said, walking up to the now-ended fight.


    ¡°At least there weren¡¯t any issues,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And the portal¡¯s clear so we can advance.¡±


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯ll be better rewards on the second floor,¡± John said.


    Unfortunately for him and the rest of the group, there weren¡¯t.


    The second floor was the exact same environment with them following a pink dirt road that wound around colored plants that resembled ocean vegetation and trees that looked like they belonged deep underwater. The only difference was that the road was a size and a half wider than the first floor and ridges of elevation changes with large cliffs and caves were immediately present around them. There was no way to climb the cliffs, though, except for potentially risking a regular climb or having some sort of climbing or flying item. Which Cedric, Marcy, and Tasha had, but they didn¡¯t want to split the group without good reason, either. Not when the path was laid out on the same level for them to explore.


    True to the second floor layout that Wyn experienced so far while Climbing, the path was a maze with plenty of wrong turns and dead ends. The environment was far more pleasant than the sewers of the last month, though, and if anything it was an exotic view no matter where they went. They didn¡¯t find any traps, too, which was a welcome change.


    In truth, Wyn didn¡¯t mind taking wrong turns. He just wanted to make sure they were on the right path so they could continue advancing. It was such a pleasant environment that Wyn even considered stopping to break a couple of times just to take in the scenery.


    The monsters they met were different, too, despite the environment being the same. Cedric assumed they were higher in elevation than the first floor, because the most common monster they faced was a flying creature called a Riock, and it was more of a pest than a danger. It was several feet long with a slender, long body like a snake with four long wings on its body like an insect. They came in all colors and launched elemental blasts from their mouths based on the color they were as their only means of attacking. Wyn thought that was strong for the second floor but each one died easily to physical attacks and their magical blasts weren¡¯t too strong to be dangerous. It seemed to even out with them having a strong and unique attack but weak defensively.


    That was, of course, unless they came in packs, which they often did. Packs of a half dozen to a full dozen. They also moved in the air like snakes, undulating with their bodies and wings at a consistent pace that made them easy targets for Marcy or Cedric to shoot with ranged attacks. That was the benefit of them being in packs, though without being careful a group could easily be overwhelmed.


    The other monster they faced was a lizard-like creature that crawled on the ground and cliff sides on four legs called a Zalman-do. It wasn¡¯t like the Lacerts from two seasons ago that looked like lizard humanoids, but actual monster ones the size of small dogs. They had sharp claws that they commonly used after rushing them, as well as a magical wind slice attack they launched from their unnaturally wide jaws. They came in pairs and small groups, never alone. Which made them a bit more formidable but still not overly difficult. Tough reptilian skin composed their hide but a strong attack or two easily killed them. Marcy¡¯s arrows didn¡¯t do much to pierce their hide but her attacks were still strong enough to bring one down with two regular arrows. Lucy¡¯s axe was enough to split them in half with one strike, similar to John¡¯s sword.


    Climbing on the second floor just wasn¡¯t as much of a challenge with the monsters as it was during their first month together. The only real obstacle they had was the environment itself that ate at their time.


    The group took an hour exploring and advancing before they found something more interesting on the floor. And it wasn¡¯t even from a monster drop, secret room, or chest. It was just part of the floor. After another seemingly dead end, something in the environment looked like it had an aura. It didn¡¯t stick out or appear out of the ordinary at all. It actually looked to be part of a medium-sized plant that came up to Wyn¡¯s waist but was as thick as a barrel. The overly large top had a triangular roof shape to it, and it was glowing with a strange gold aura.


    Everyone crowded around it and studied it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you know anything about that?¡± Wyn asked.


    Cedric shook his head no. ¡°Not that I¡¯m familiar with. The only items that don¡¯t follow the standard color schemes are rare growth items that have a gray aura.¡±


    ¡°Something new this season, then,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Is it just me or is that happening a lot lately?¡±


    The group all looked towards Wyn with a silent understanding. Everyone except Lucy, of course. She didn¡¯t know about Wyn¡¯s encounter with the Avatar of Alistair during his first climb, and Wyn wasn¡¯t planning on telling her about it anytime soon.


    ¡°Well no sense in standing around,¡± Lucy said, reaching forward and grabbing it. As she did, a third of the plant broke off, as though it was meant to be in thirds all along. The object was over twice the size of a shield, though from how Lucy handled it it didn¡¯t appear to be too heavy.Stolen novel; please report.


    She sat it down beside her and took out a piece of parchment from a pouch on her waist. It was crumpled and messy, and she flattened it against her leg. Wyn thought her class of Barbarian suited her.


    ¡°What does it say?¡± John asked.


    ¡°Weird,¡± Lucy said. ¡°It¡¯s called a Reef Glider. It says by catching special air currents it can be used to navigate the islands within Isoterra. It¡¯s category is Special Item. And that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°That is strange,¡± Cedric said. He plucked one of the other two Reef Gliders and held it with his arm with apparent ease. ¡°There¡¯s a natural handle on the underside. At least I can use it.¡±


    ¡°How in the hells are we supposed to use it to navigate air currents?¡± John asked. ¡°That doesn¡¯t even make sense. What are those, anyway?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find out,¡± Marcy said. She grabbed the last remaining item and held it. ¡°The better question is what are we supposed to do with these right now? They¡¯re huge!¡±


    John dropped his backpack and opened it. ¡°Is there a way to put it inside?¡±


    Cedric stepped forward and tried, but it was obvious the glider was far too large to fit inside the pack. Then, suddenly, the gray aura around the glider brightened and the item steadily shrunk to the size of a buckler. Cedric paused for a moment before storing it in the pack.


    ¡°That was unexpected,¡± Cedric said.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of new things to be learned about it, apparently,¡± Wyn said.


    Lucy and Marcy stored their respective gliders then the group continued. Tasha, being the group¡¯s temporary Mapper, led them out and back on what she assumed was a correct path.


    While they finished out the floor they completed the secondary quest they discovered along the way. It was a similar one to the two seasons ago, where they were tasked with finding flowers on the floor that they could keep.


    Secondary Quest: Trudging along the borders of what the locals call the Island of Shifting Cliffs, you find many odd peculiarities. One of those is the Drifting Bloom, an unrooted flower that floats along the air at this elevation and only blooms when the sun is at its peak in the sky. Recover enough of them to return to the locals to prove yourself worthy of exploring the island they deem dangerous.


    Drifting Blooms: 7/7


    Of course Marcy was the first to stop the flowers in the air, and after she did it was fairly easy to find them. Wyn wouldn¡¯t have believed they were actually flowers as they looked more like puff balls of cotton with blue leaves, but sure enough they would bloom and expand periodically into a beautiful array of colors. Each one they captured was as light as a feather, delicate, and wondrous. Wyn knew there would be plenty of noblewomen who would pay a hefty amount to have flowers like them floating around their mansions, and Tasha confirmed she knew of several families like that personally.


    They each found enough flowers to satisfy the quest as they worked their way through the maze, and Wyn even captured a few more. If they really would sell for a good price, it would be worth storing some up. Even if they couldn¡¯t sell them he was sure Arabelle would find them beautiful.


    Arabelle. Thinking about her climbing made Wyn¡¯s heart jump in fear. It wasn¡¯t his place to tell her what to do with her life, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel her decision was far too rash and sudden. She never mentioned becoming a Climber in their letters, only that she wanted to stay with Wyn and reunite so they wouldn¡¯t both be alone. He figured she would find some standard line of work until she met a man to marry, at which point her future would be her and her husband¡¯s responsibility to figure out.


    But Climbing? He never expected it. But when she mentioned watching his performance in the guild trials and how she pictured herself performing similar feats of magic, empowered with strength that she never had, he didn¡¯t blame her one bit. He was afraid of what might happen to her, sure, but he completely understood why she wanted to pursue climbing.


    It still didn¡¯t make the situation any easier.


    At least he was in a guild and could acquire her some equipment or other items before she found a group and earned her own. Having a good head start would go a long way.


    And then there was the matter of her choosing to become a Ruby Magician. At first Wyn thought it was a poor decision, but the more he thought about it the more he appreciated her changing her class. That was what he was hoping to do, after all - convince people that the class wasn¡¯t useless but actually held some value to be successful as a Climber. Arabelle¡¯s intent for picking the class wasn¡¯t the same reason he had in mind, but it was close enough.


    The strange part was how different her skills were to his, and Daniel only said that that¡¯s how unique each Ruby Magician was. That because they had so many options they had a wide range of potential skills to have, though they all had the ability to use spells and wear armor. That was their two guaranteed abilities. Past that, it was a toss up. For Wyn, he had his speed skill as his only physical skill and then two that helped with his mana recovery and magic use, Lucidity and now Chaincast, respectively. It was a bit spread out but manageable.


    Arabelle¡¯s skills weren¡¯t as spread as his. If anything, hers gave her more focus. Hers were directed more towards magic with a setup that favored using magic with the benefit of wearing armor and carrying weapons. If she was able to advance to the next tier or two she could have some seriously unique abilities that would give her a great skillset.


    Well, not if she was able to advance. It was more when. Wyn knew his sister, and she was as determined and headstrong as she was.


    Which brought his mind back to the task at hand. He stood to the side while the others cleared out another group of Zalman-dos, one of which dropped an item. It was a green aura leather jerkin, and they stored it right away. The guild had their quota of items for collection, so it would go into that fund. Splitting rewards was still well within their usual tasks, and Wyn had a feeling they were going to have a lot of rewards to split for the month after their payment to the guild.


    It took another half hour of traversing the floor, facing both the flying and crawling monsters before they found the final area. The creatures they found were obviously the bossed based on their size, open area of engagement, and the red portal nestled behind them.


    What was different was that there were multiple creatures split between the two types of monsters they faced on the floor - the Riocks and Zalman-dos. Only they were three times the size of the regular ones. Five massive Zalman-dos were spitting magic at four Riocks, and the moment the group entered the clearing all nine enemies turned their way.


    Lucy, John, and Wyn immediately started forward while Marcy and Cedric peppered the enemies with long range attacks. The Riocks tried dodging the arrows and lightning magic and some were successful, but a couple others were hit and damaged. John activated his Squire Aura while the three combatants ran forward, coating them in boosting magical energy. Wyn decided to wait on his Speed Up skill as he likely didn¡¯t need it, but kept it at the forefront of his mind just in case. Instead, he elongated his weapon to a spear so he could hit the Riocks better if needed.


    He didn¡¯t need to use Speed Up. John likely didn¡¯t need to use his Aura, either, but Wyn appreciated the enhancements it gave him. He was lying if he wasn¡¯t a little bit jealous of the natural boosts that John¡¯s Squire class and Lucy¡¯s Barbarian class gave them, and having a similar effect on him was borderline addictive. Even if it was temporary he relished in the feeling.


    Both types of enemies turned on the Climbers and ignored each other. Wyn wondered what kind of setup this was supposed to be in the floor with the two enemies. They were the only enemy types spread throughout the winding pink paths, and here they looked to be enemies themselves.


    But it didn¡¯t matter in the end. The magical attacks from the creatures were blocked with Shield by Wyn and Shell by Tasha, and weren¡¯t too strong or came too fast to bypass or overcome their barriers. Their physical attacks were managed as well, both with John¡¯s Aura and their own equipment being more than enough defense to prevent any actual injury.


    The fight itself only took a couple of minutes before the larger creatures were disappearing back into the void. They dropped more rewards than they found throughout the floor, with three small piles of coins, two potions, and one green aura cloth hat that looked like a hood. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was something, and about average for the second floor.


    The portal turned clear after the last Riock was blown from the sky by Cedric¡¯s magic, and the group collected their winnings before gathering themselves. The others collected the items while Wyn took one last look at the environment. He had a hunch the next floor would likely be similar, but it really was a beautiful landscape despite its strangeness. Letting them gather the items, he decided to be the first one to go through the portal.


    As he was carried through the familiar rush, the sensation of traveling through space tugged on him but he was used to it. Until light shone around him as the world opened up and he found that he was not standing on the ground, but falling in the sky, and the ground was approaching fast.

 Book 2 - Chapter 42

    Wyn felt the air leave his lungs as he fell in the sky. The now-familiar pink dirt quickly rushed towards him, and he flailed in the sky. He wasn¡¯t as high as he feared, but the fall was still like falling from a high window three or four stories tall. It was enough that he feared no amount of magical healing would help him since he''d just be dead. Especially if he fell on his head. He was directly facing the ground, which didn''t seem any better.


    Hopefully his gear could take most of the impact. That wasn''t enough to rely on, though.


    Wyn had only seconds. Casting Shield would hurt just as bad as slamming into the dirt, but maybe it would slow his fall. He tucked his torso and hip using his right arm and leg and tried to turn himself so at least he¡¯d hit his back. Then he cradled his head with both arms and cast Shield.


    The spell activated below him, and he pounded into it with enough force for his breath to leave his lungs. The barrier then shattered, not having enough power to completely stop his progress. He fell another ten feet before making a second impact with the ground.


    His entire side crumpled at the force and for a moment he thought he really was going to die from both hits. As he took a few breaths, though, he realized the shock of surprise faded quickly, and he wasn¡¯t as injured as he thought.


    His equipment likely took most of the damage, though he still felt a sting every time he tried to suck in a breath. There were likely ribs broken, and his left ankle had a sharp pain when he tried to put weight on it.


    At least he was alive. The Shield trick somehow worked.


    Instead of getting up right away, he laid back down and cast Regen on himself. The pain slowly went away as he felt his breathing ease over the next several seconds.


    A loud thud on his left made him bolt upright, and he looked over to see John facing away from him on the ground. The dirt around him splintered from his weight, and he wasn¡¯t moving.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Wyn said, and scrambled over to him. He immediately cast Regen on him before looking for any injuries. Fear took over and he was afraid John somehow started higher, or maybe his heavy armor made the force deadlier on the ground.


    As the healing spell took effect on John, Wyn turned him over to inspect him. John was smiling and chuckling, though he looked off-putting as he bled from his mouth and nose. His breathing was ragged.


    ¡°Gods, John,¡± Wyn said, and slapped him on his metal pauldron. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡±


    ¡°Because that was amazing!¡± John said, his breaths deepening and becoming more even. ¡°I knew one of you would heal me. It would take more than that to kill us.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Marcy said. ¡°You two okay?¡±


    Wyn looked around but didn¡¯t see her. He didn¡¯t see anyone else.


    ¡°Up here!¡±


    Wyn looked up and saw Marcy flying as her cloak billowed behind her, Tasha floating beside her on luminescent wings made of white and yellow magical light, and Cedric gently falling as his robe billowed from the wind.


    Lucy then crashed onto the pink dirt not far from John in a grunt and yell.


    "Damnit!"


    ¡°I got her,¡± Tasha said, pointing her wand at Lucy. Her Herald mark appeared under her feet in the air as her wand briefly glowed with the familiar white light of healing magic. Lucy then similarly glowed in a white aura as she rolled on the ground and pushed herself to stand up.


    ¡°What in the actual fuck was that,¡± Lucy said, getting up to her hands and knees. She didn¡¯t look seriously injured and her healing aura was already fading. Apparently hers and John''s passive skill enhancements were enough to keep them relatively safe.


    ¡°I think it was a floor feature,¡± Cedric said. He stood on the ground and looked around. ¡°I really hope groups have backup healers or enough fall prevention, or this is going to be a bad floor to enter.¡±


    Wyn helped John stand and they all gathered themselves. The initial surprise of starting the floor in the air lingered, and Wyn could tell it was grating on Lucy the most. John loved the experience and didn¡¯t seem to mind being hurt from it, but Wyn had a feeling he wouldn¡¯t want to experience it too many times.


    The area around them was clear and open, and it was obviously the same island they were on before. The difference was now they were on a higher cliff edge, and it was far more narrow and treacherous. Where the pink dirt road was wide before with excess plant life and area beyond the obvious path forward, this floor had a tall cliff edge to their left and a deep drop off to their right. Four people could comfortably walk side by side, but fighting any sort of monster would be difficult.


    The cliff¡¯s edge on their left wasn¡¯t just tall, either. It was a height Wyn only saw eclipsed by the tower itself back in the city. Clouds covered most of it, though, making the sky invisible, and the cliff was at least six or seven stories high under the hazy clouds. There was no reason to climb up them and no point in even trying.


    To the right, a similarly daunting view forced Wyn to keep from being too close to the cliff¡¯s edge. There was a steep drop without any sort of secondary platform or ledge below them that Wyn could see, and more cloud cover below them shrouded whatever could be in the space underneath. The distance was far less than the taller cliff side, though.


    A strange sense of claustrophobia enveloped Wyn, and he took some deep breaths to resettle himself on the path where they stood. Some more plant life and harmlessly floating creatures were still around them, but knowing they only had the singular path wedged between two sides was somehow frightening.


    Apparently the others felt the same because they huddled together in the middle of the pink road after taking in the surroundings.


    It would not be a fun floor.


    After a few minutes of deliberation they decided to advance in a formation with Lucy and Marcy at front, Wyn and Tasha in the middle, and Cedric and John at the back. Marcy would be their scout and spotter while Lucy could safely confront threats, Wyn and Tasha were flexible and could move as needed, while John and Cedric could easily hold their own if the group was flanked.


    Wyn pulled out his parchment as they started their walk.


    Floor 3


    Group: 6/6


    Quest: As you explore further into the Island of Shifting Cliffs, the elevated heights hold dangers unseen from the lower lands. Riocks are commonly found flying from cliff to cliff, keeping to themselves while maintaining the local ecosystem. Something has changed their habits, though, and the other wildlife has taken notice and acted accordingly. Can you find what¡¯s causing the Riocks to be so aggressive?


    Wyn wondered what Alistair meant with this floor and its quest. It was far more of a direct continuation than the past seasons, though it was a nice change of pace. Whatever the quest meant by finding out why the Riocks was direct and obvious. Their boss would be some sort of Riock boss, likely a variation or champion-like version.


    The group walked on, slow but steady. Marcy alerted them that monsters and traps both were around, and they stopped several times to check. Riocks were apparently flying in both the clouds above and below, and more Zalman-Dos climbed on the cliffs beside them and off the edge to their right.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Both types of monsters were bigger, faster, stronger, and overall just more of a challenge. They had improved elemental effects with actual elemental defenses, and stronger attacks that Wyn and Tasha needed to protect the group from with their barriers. It was still manageable, of course, being the third floor, but a slip up could mean a major setback for their progression.


    It made sense that the monsters were harder for being the next floor, but there wasn¡¯t much else variability with them. Both Cedric and Marcy said that happens during some seasons, where the progression with both the environment and monsters were more linear than sporadic like the couple of seasons before.


    Wyn knew there would be a change at some point during this season. And he imagined it was going to a big one.


    The traps Marcy found and helped to avoid were pit fall traps into a cloudy bottomless and a vine plant that ensnared and suffocated. Both seemed a bit harsh for the third floor to Wyn, but such was the tower. Danger was everywhere. First tier Climbers needed to be aware of such obstacles to avoid them, just like he did. Now, at least, they went past them without too much additional concern.


    Eventually they forged their way to the dead end, or at least what they thought was one. Tasha wasn¡¯t keeping as diligent notes due to the floor not traditionally being as difficult as the second floor, but she was confident they hadn¡¯t missed any branching paths at that point.


    As they stood around discussing it, a strong gust of air blew from what looked like an open-mouthed, wide but short porous yellow rock. The effect was so powerful it was visible, and it easily shot directly up into the air fifteen feet.


    Wyn looked up and saw that the tall cliff to their side extended into another area of the island further ahead, though it was at least twenty feet below them and likely thirty feet past them. While the cliff extended that far there was a large gap past their dead end path that was just air. It would have been near impossible to try and climb the rock wall or jump the distance but there was clearly a wide and flat space with a familiar pink dirt road that looked very similar to the one where they stood.


    The problem was that there was only air between the area where they group currently were and the area were it looked like they should go.


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯re supposed to go over there?¡± Wyn asked, pointing to the space ahead.


    Marcy focused ahead of them and nodded. ¡°It looks right. But it¡¯s too far to safely jump. And even if I could jump that far I wouldn¡¯t risk it with the alternative outcome being falling to my eventual death.¡±


    ¡°Subtle,¡± Cedric said, carefully peering over the side to study the area.


    ¡°We could try and go back?¡± John said. ¡°Maybe we missed some smaller path deeper into the cliff like a cave or grotto?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty confident this was the only path to take.¡±


    The geyser spewed its air again, catching them by surprise with the noise and rush of wind.


    ¡°Damnit!¡± Lucy said, kicking the rock. Nothing happened. ¡°I hate that.¡±


    Wyn thought about the geyser and the Reef Gliders they found on the last floor. From the description, they were used to catch air currents to be used to navigate the island. This was likely its use.


    He pulled his out of his pack and it expanded to its normal size. The others just stared at him.


    ¡°I think we have to use these with that air geyser,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll catch the glider and we use them to cross?¡±


    ¡°Fuck that,¡± Lucy said. ¡°You can fly up and away to your own death, but no way in any of the hells am I going to try that out.¡±


    Wyn stepped forward and stood directly in front of the geyser with the glider over his head. After an agonizing minute, it activated and spewed its air. The moment it did, Wyn reached the glider out and over it so it could catch the wind.


    The force yanked him up into the air as the glider¡¯s gray aura shone brightly. Wyn held tight to the handle underneath with both hands as he felt himself lift ten, twenty, then thirty feet into the air.


    When he stopped climbing, he began to slowly descend as though he was falling through syrup. He wasn¡¯t sure how to navigate using a glider, but if he didn¡¯t do anything he was just going to slowly fall back down to where he started. So, he tilted it forward and he began to fall forward.


    The feeling was intensely satisfying. He never experienced anything quite like it. Then again, he never had tower magic to use at his disposal.


    A sudden impulse to obtain an item to let him fly ran through him, but that would be something to look into for another day. For now, he needed to try and focus on not dying.


    Steadily he glided forward with his special item using the air current from the geyser. He wondered if the amount was enough to carry him the distance needed, but as he crept forward slowly he realized it was more than enough. Soon he crossed the distance and hovered over the cleared, flat area. He then settled the glider to where he didn¡¯t move in any direction and slowly floated down to the ground.


    Wyn laughed. Despite the danger, gliding on the air was thrilling. A flying item might not be a bad idea at some point.


    Lucy landed on the ground beside him and shrugged. ¡°I drew the short straw next.¡±


    Wyn looked back and saw the others floating in the air behind them, one after the other. Cedric seemed to be holding onto his glider just fine, and he was the only one of the group Wyn had concerns about. Seeing him use the item just as easily as the others gave him a sense of relief.


    ¡°Someone had to be the first one,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°Mark of a true leader, I guess,¡± Lucy said. She took her glider and stored it in a small pouch on her belt, the item shrinking effortlessly. ¡°I respect that.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be our leader for long. Everyone will get a chance to try it out. Even you.¡±


    Lucy chuckled. ¡°No thanks. They may want me to, but I¡¯m no leader. I take orders like I¡¯m supposed to and that¡¯s that.¡±


    Wyn wondered about something since Lucy joined with them, and it just crossed his mind to ask. ¡°And whose orders, exactly, are you taking?¡±


    Lucy sighed. ¡°I think you know the answer to that, Wyn. Don¡¯t push the issue.¡±


    Wyn felt his anger returning to him. Lucy took orders from the Assembly, of course, but if they were her ultimate source of instructions what did it matter if she was in a guild? Maybe she would listen to Gregory or the other senior members but if she ignored them to follow the Assembly¡¯s assignments it meant she wasn¡¯t trustworthy.


    And that was the exact situation he didn¡¯t want out of his sixth teammate. Someone he didn¡¯t trust.


    Lucy put a hand on Wyn¡¯s shoulder and spoke quietly. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. I¡¯m not going to betray the guild. I have orders to do the opposite, actually.¡±


    Wyn relaxed at her response. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ helpful. But only a little bit. Orders change.¡±


    Lucy laughed. ¡°I suppose they might. But coin is coin, and that rules the world.¡± She turned to the others landing around them and clapped her hands together. ¡°How was the flight? I knew you all couldn¡¯t wait to join us!¡±


    Wyn thought about Lucy¡¯s words. So she wouldn¡¯t betray the guild. At least not now. Of course orders changed. They did all the time. What if they changed later to something far more sinister?


    That was a situation he¡¯d discuss with the others privately. A situation that needed some preparation just in case. And if they never used it, all would be fine. But then they would at least be ready.


    The six Climbers kept on pace for the floor, swapping between avoiding traps and fighting the enhanced monsters. They found three other air geysers that needed to be used to continue advancing, and had no issues using their gliders. The elevation change was fascinating to Wyn, but then again the entire environment was otherworldly. He hoped the higher floors were equally as beautiful.


    After an hour and half total on the floor, the six Climbers finally found the boss area. Instead of the familiar pink dirt it was multicolored grass of yellows, greens, blues, and reds. The portal was nestled beside a large tree where a massive Riock was perched. It dwarfed all of the other flying monsters on the floor by several times, easily being the size of two wagons stacked on top of each other.


    The creature bellowed out a yell of defiance at the group before flapping its large wings, creating a wind storm that swayed the grass and forced the Climbers to cover their faces.


    When it stopped, it was soaring down at them at an impressive speed with front legs that held talons the size of swords.


    Wyn and Tasha both erected magical barriers to stop the Riock¡¯s attack when it came too close, then they all unleashed their conjoined attacked. Cedric and Marcy pelted its wings with magic and arrows, preventing it from taking to the sky. The only two advantages it had were its size and its flying ability, while the Climbers had several more advantages. They had magic, intelligence, and a greater force of numbers.


    It took just a few minutes of blasting the creature and striking it from below before it was dead. Where its body began to decay and disappear, a pile of items was left behind. Wyn could see there were coins, two potions, and an item he didn¡¯t care to make out. There was a green aura around it, so it was less useful to them anyway. The only use it had was to be sold for coin.


    The portal shifted to its clear state and Wyn was more than happy. They cleared the first three floors in a matter of hours on their first day, well ahead of their expected schedule. They gathered themselves and dropped items from the boss, returned to Alistair¡¯s base, and then received their rewards for clearing the first three floors along with secondary quest on the second floor. Wyn made nearly 350 gold for the morning and a green item reward for the secondary quest. It was a pair of blue heavy metal boots that improved physical defense by a moderate amount and was the water element. Not the best, and not something Arabelle could use. Selling it was always an option.


    Lunch came in the form of relaxing at the primary guild¡¯s dining hall instead of their own guild house. It was too far of a trek back to just get food, and they wanted to climb right after anyway. They decided when they went back to their new home, it would be for the rest of the day. So they opted to climb as much as possible before then.


    Wyn made the final decision. After lunch was the fourth floor, enjoying their spoils on the fifth floor, then repeating one of them for some extra coin. No one was upset about climbing so much, and Wyn was grateful. Making sure he had the coin needed to help pay off his debt and start saving for his and Arabelle¡¯s future required working harder and climbing more.


    This season, Wyn wanted the group to be pushed harder. They could take it. And frankly, they could use the challenge.


    It was time to really put his training and abilities to the test.

 Book 2 - Chapter 43

    John slid several feet back, his boots digging hard into the pink ground. His shield took most of the attack, while his armor thankfully took the rest. Growling in frustration, he activated his Squire Aura.


    Wyn was surprised he held out so long, but maybe he wanted to see how he fared against the fourth floor bosses without the additional class ability. He gave a valiant effort, but these enemies weren¡¯t easy enough for them to play around like the earlier floors. The fourth floor was typically just as hard, if not harder, than the sixth floor, and that was far as they¡¯ve climbed safely.


    They had Lucy now, though, and Wyn felt confident they could clear that floor and possibly the eighth with some practice, proper equipment, working together, and luck.


    But that was a problem for another day. For now, they were trying to clear the first tier in their first day of climbing. And of course, the boss wasn¡¯t just one boss, but three.


    The huge Riock flew up with quick flaps of its large, blue wings while squawking in anger. Lightning crashed into its body as it cleared about ten feet in the air, and it yelled in pain as it fell back to the ground.


    Cedric and Marcy were tasked with keeping it grounded, and they were doing their job well. The rest of the fight was too close for them to safely intervene, though Marcy had an easier job as the bosses were so large compared to the melee Climbers. Their bodies were easy targets, but hitting their vitals was another challenge.


    Lucy, John, and Wyn were all dealing with the bosses directly. The monster beside the Riock was another Zalman-dos that was blue and white with specks of ice covering its body. The entire floor was cold and snowy, and this variant was ice-based. It spewed wide ice shards as a magical attack and had sharp talons it used to great effect. John was protected, but Lucy was less careful about avoiding damage. Wyn used Regen on her after she took the magical hit directly to make sure she wasn¡¯t too injured, though to his surprise she mostly shrugged off the damage.


    The other monster was one that Wyn was the most shocked to see. It looked like a large beast with a long, powerful tail, a long neck and pointed face with a tall jaw with sharp teeth, and a strong hide coated with blue short hair. The most obvious and intimidating features, though, were its long, thin wings it had instead of front legs. They looked like oversized bat wings, though it didn¡¯t fly with them. It did use them to glide around the wide open area where they fought with ease, though, and was agile enough to mostly dodge Cedric¡¯s magic and some of Marcy¡¯s arrows. Those that hit it didn¡¯t seem to affect it much.


    Wyn knew the monster was strong and would be difficult to kill. Even without the other two monsters the lone beast was going to be a pain, but with all three of them together it was a true challenge. It didn¡¯t help that Lucy, John, and Wyn¡¯s focus were split on the enemies to make sure they didn¡¯t target the others. Once one monster fell, they could focus their attacks and make quick work of the other two.


    Wyn used Flash to blind the Zalman-dos that was about to him, and the monster squealed in annoyance. Not to do nothing, the monster lashed out with its wide ice breath, not caring what was around it. To its credit, everything there was its enemy, so even blinded it had a chance to hit something.


    Wyn cast another Shield to block the magical ice, protecting both him and John. John¡¯s Squire Aura was giving him enough of a boost to his physicality that he didn¡¯t feel the need to activate Speed Up to escape or dodge. Instead, he decided to activate Drain so he could be more aggressive.


    His class mark appeared under him as his Chaincast ability activated and Drain was duplicated. The effect latched over to John, and he looked demonic with his red Squire Aura under a black, pulsating aura from Wyn¡¯s spell.


    John hesitated for only a moment before realizing what happened and went more aggressive. He rushed the Zalman-dos and attacked it furiously, his red sword swinging with the fire element. Large slashes started appearing on the monster¡¯s hide, and it bellowed in pain. Every attack looked to be amplified as Drain siphoned its life over to John.


    Wyn began hitting the Zalman-dos from the other side while Lucy kept the third monster occupied. The Riock kept trying to fly but was getting peppered with attacks each time it did. A large beam of white magic hit it along with a fiery explosive arrow, as both Tasha and Marcy hit it with ranged magic. The monster fell to the pink ground in a pained and pitiful yowl. It laid still, dead.


    The Zalman-dos fell to both Climber¡¯s attacks and Drain, which worked nearly as effectively as their weapons. The moment it fell in a heap, they moved to help Lucy. The Barbarian had cuts and injuries all over her arms and legs, but otherwise she seemed okay. Wyn did note that she moved quicker and hit harder than she had before, obviously enhanced by her class ability of growing stronger as she was injured.


    The three of them surrounded and pounded the monster to death over the course of an agonizing, gruesome minute. The beast had a strong tail attack that Wyn narrowly dodged or blocked several times, but Lucy still took the worst of it. She blocked attacks with crossed arms that were gashed and bleeding heavily from the monster¡¯s lashing jaws.


    As the beast slowed, Lucy stepped back so Tasha could heal her. She didn¡¯t need to join anymore. John and Wyn kept the beast¡¯s attention while Marcy and Cedric steadily wore it down at range.


    Soon it was dead, and the six Climbers accomplished their goal.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Lucy said. She stood beside Tasha, still glowing white. She rubbed her arms as though she was fending off the cold. ¡°That bitch really had a strong bite to it. If we find more of them later, I vote John deals with it.¡±


    ¡°I hope we do,¡± Cedric said, holding a white and blue sword. It looked to be a short sword with an obvious ice element. Marcy stood next to him holding a piece of parchment.


    ¡°It¡¯s called a Frost Fang Shortsword,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Blue rarity. It has a strong ice element that can slow enemies with a passive Chill attack that could activate occasionally. It also improves the wielder¡¯s resistance to ice by a small amount and their speed and dexterity in snowy environments.¡±


    Wyn assumed the Chill ability was an ice-based effect that sounded as straightforward as Marcy said. But that sword also sounded like a Rogue¡¯s dream weapon for the month. He was sure the guild could find a use for it, and it would easily be one of their contributions for the month. And if the ice-monster dropped other items like it then this floor would be a solid one to repeat.


    ¡°That¡¯s a great find,¡± John said. ¡°That monster must have some good drops! It would make this floor worth repeating to see what else they have!¡±


    ¡°That was exactly what I¡¯m thinking,¡± Wyn said. ¡°What was that monster, anyway?¡±


    ¡°My parchment says it was a Frostmoore Wyvern,¡± Tasha said. ¡°It dropped two blue rarity ice feathers which I¡¯m sure crafters could use, too.¡±


    ¡°Even better. Lot¡¯s of promise this month.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± Lucy said. ¡°Maybe we get lucky and find tougher versions of it. Like actual dragons!¡±


    ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡± Marcy said. ¡°Dragons wipe teams more than any other monster type. And they¡¯re typically only on the third or fourth tier with Climbers who are strong enough to climb that high. They¡¯re ridiculously strong.¡±


    ¡°But they also give the best loot, don¡¯t they?¡± Lucy placed her axe on a metal ring on her belt loop and stretched. ¡°We¡¯re likely not ready for it this month. But you never know, could be a stronger Wyvern on the next tier. I¡¯d love some new equipment from some strong monsters.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll get some,¡± Wyn said. ¡°For now, how about we see what the fifth floor is like? We¡¯ve earned a break.¡±


    The others gathered the loot that dropped before heading to the portal. There were two piles of rewards from the three monsters that had some coins, two potions, monster drops, and a higher quality sapphire gem. John was using a garnet gem to have the fire element on his weapon, but he utilized any higher quality gem to socket into his sword. The lesser qualities he sold or gave back to the group.


    After a few minutes of collecting they moved through the portal. Wyn took a deep breath standing before the portal, hoping it didn¡¯t put him in the sky like the third floor. He doubted it since they were going to the rest floor, but the experience made him paranoid.


    When the world opened up, Wyn was relieved to find he was standing on solid ground. Then he was shocked to see where he stood. The environment was still snowy and white, with snow-capped mountains in the far distance and clouds covering the bright sky, but around him was a serene oasis landscape.


    While the last month had a desert escape under a large tent that was relaxing and pleasant, this month was visually stunning. Wyn could hardly believe what he saw. Everywhere he turned was something new and wonderful, and he felt his jaw opening several times in amazement.


    Immediately in front of the portal was a large open area with a dozen lagoons, each the size of a bedroom. Steam wafted from them into the sky, merging higher above with the misty clouds that made the sun light up the area but not be overwhelmingly bright. Around the lagoons were boulders that added to the ambience, as well as small bridges connecting all the pools. Bushes of various berries and fruits lined the area as well, and Wyn was more than curious to see what food that was created from Alistair tasted like.


    A group was currently lounging in one of the pools talking loudly and laughing. The moment Wyn and his group entered they quieted and waved in acknowledgement, but went back to their conversation in a more hushed volume.


    ¡°Looks like we weren¡¯t the first,¡± Lucy said.


    ¡°Never are,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Though we went pretty fast. I¡¯m still impressed.¡±


    ¡°So that means we¡¯re towards the top, then?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°If we¡¯re one of the first ones here that¡¯s great!¡±


    Marcy chuckled. ¡°Not exactly. The faster ones likely already went to the second tier. Faye their group are probably going to clear the second tier tonight or tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± John said. ¡°That fast?¡±


    ¡°That fast. If the higher tier Climbers want to climb consistently in the third or fourth tier, they need to get there as fast as possible. The first tier is trivial, and the second tier easy. So yea, that fast.¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡± John stepped forward and bent down to the first pool in front of the portal. The water was a bright blue, opaque, and completely still. He poked one finger in the water causing a series of ripples to form. ¡°It¡¯s warm!¡±


    Tasha gasped. ¡°Like a hot spring?¡±


    John laughed and flicked the water at her. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Tasha immediately began taking off her climbing equipment while everyone stood in shock. John fumbled back and fell on the ground, sputtering instead of speaking words.


    Tasha stripped down to a pair of cloth pants and an undershirt and eased into the pool. She moaned in delight as the water went up to her neck. ¡°This¡­ is magical.¡±


    Marcy began taking off her equipment following Tasha¡¯s lead. ¡°That¡¯s the point, St. Clair!¡±


    Lucy jumped into the water immediately after Marcy, and the three guys only stood dumbfounded.


    It wasn¡¯t long before they were all up to their chins in the water relaxing. Wyn thought the water was unlike anything he¡¯d experienced before - it was warm and soothing but also denser than normal water. As though there was some magical substance inside it that helped ease his muscles and calm his mind.


    He could sit there forever. And while he knew eventually they had to leave, this rest floor would make for an incredible spot to recover when they all needed it.


    John leaned back against the edge of the pool and let his arms rest on the smooth rocky barrier. He looked up into the sky and took a deep breath while closing his eyes. ¡°This is the most relaxed I¡¯ve felt in a long time. It¡¯s not just nice. It¡¯s needed.¡±


    Tasha slowly waded beside him and put a hand on his forearm. ¡°Something¡¯s on your mind. What is it?¡±


    John smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Tasha snickered. ¡°I think I¡¯ve grown to know you. You like food, climbing, and jokes. What is on your mind?¡±


    John¡¯s smile faded a bit. ¡°Nigel said he was planning to advance his group to the third tier this month. It¡¯s stupid, but I¡¯m jealous. He¡¯s a squire like me but he¡¯s good. Really good.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°I¡¯d put you up against any other Fighter class any day.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been training together in the evenings the past few days. His skill set is much more focused than me, his equipment is better. He¡¯ll likely be as good as Gregory when he becomes a Knight.¡±


    ¡°So be better,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Don¡¯t just be as good as Gregory.¡±


    John chuckled. ¡°Yea. Easier said than done!¡± He took another deep breath before grabbing Tasha¡¯s hand and holding it. ¡°But I am looking forward to the private lesson with Gregory at the end of the week. I think he¡¯ll teach me some great things about being a Squire and eventually a Knight. And being a better Climber.¡±


    ¡°So you have that to look forward to,¡± Tasha said with a smile.


    Cedric rose in the water, exposing the upper half of his torso. He rested his right arm on the barrier and slowly moved the remainder of his left arm and shoulder in the air. ¡°I also have a lot on my mind. Cara should be finishing my item in a few weeks, and I¡¯m excited about the potential of having an arm back. But it cost nearly all of my savings for both the materials and the work. And if it doesn¡¯t work¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll work,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Cara¡¯s an amazing crafter. Look at John¡¯s sword and my coat! And we will make that money back faster than you think. And then some.¡±


    Cedric nodded but didn¡¯t respond.


    Wyn knew how both of the men were feeling. This month had some exciting new things coming up, but it still brought on some anxiety, too. From what he learned with Daniel, sometimes it was best to just listen and support. And he could relate to their worries. He thought of Arabelle and her becoming a Climber. Her choosing her own path was great, and he knew she would work hard. But it also made him nervous thinking of her being a Climber.


    Was that how she felt all the time about him?


    ¡°Arabelle is going to climb,¡± Wyn said after stewing in his own thoughts.


    ¡°She chose a class?¡± Marcy said.


    Wyn slowly nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know what she got, but she changed it to Ruby Magician.¡±


    John laughed. ¡°Wanting to be just like her big brother! That¡¯s sweet. And Daniel will do right by her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s worried about her, you idiot,¡± Tasha said, smacking John on the arm. His smile wasn¡¯t affected.


    ¡°I meant it when I said I respect her choices,¡± Wyn said. ¡°If she wants to climb, I won¡¯t stop her. But yes I am worried. People get hurt. People die.¡±


    ¡°But people also end up being just fine,¡± Marcy said. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to climb as intensely as you. In fact, if she earns money, too, you can even calm down some. Your debt could be paid off early.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a fair point. And I¡¯ll make sure she has whatever gear she needs. But I¡¯m hoping she understands the risks.¡±


    ¡°She understood the risks when she fled your home to come here,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We all understand the risks we take in life. Supporting each other is the best thing we can do.¡±


    Wyn leaned back against the side of the pool and relaxed. The others were right. He knew she would be okay, even if climbing would be hard. She was a fighter. And she might even become a better Climber than himself.


    Talking to her and Daniel would set his mind at ease. And they could discuss a strategy for her to climb. Whatever items she needed he¡¯d find. As long as she was as prepared as she could be.


    *****


    Lucy sat in the lagoon with the water nearly up to her mouth. She decided to silently wait and listen to the rest of her group talk about everything that came to their mind. Their struggles, their hopes, their expectations for the month and beyond.


    It was aggravating.


    Lucy, not for the first time, was envious. Here was a group who got along, worked well together, and had great potential. It was obvious they would be able to accomplish whatever they wanted, and yet they still cared about and worried about the most mundane shit. Did they not remember she was basically a slave to the very organization that held Wyn and his sister at a debt so serious they could lose their health or life if they didn¡¯t follow through?


    But she didn¡¯t blame them. It was their life, and she was still a stranger. A recent enemy slowly - hopefully - becoming at the very least an ally. She doubted she could ever become their friend, but she could settle for being a trusted team mate.


    She stewed in the water because she didn¡¯t want to feel this way. They didn¡¯t do anything wrong by her, and they had every right to be upset at her being part of their group. But she wanted to be free like them. Free to worry about the mundane, the normalcy of a life without always looking over your shoulder in fear.


    One day she¡¯d have that freedom. Mathias wouldn¡¯t always be around, and she still held hope she could escape. Being around these five Climbers gave her that hope. There are still some good people out there. Maybe they¡¯d keep her around when she was free.


    A pang of longing for her sister hit her harder than any punch. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, forcing her emotions back down. She didn¡¯t want to cry. Not here. Not today.


    That would be for another time when she was alone. Like always. For now, she needed to show strength.


    She opened her eyes to see the others laughing and relaxing. Her shoulders eased down into the water and her breath slowed. It was¡­ nice.


    Maybe there was hope for her after all. Maybe these people could help her.


    Maybe she could be a friend to them and they¡¯d welcome her. The thought put a small smile on her face. It wouldn¡¯t be the same as having a sister, but it was a shining light of hope in a sea of black worries and fear.


    She didn¡¯t know much, but what she did know was that she would try to make them her friends.

 Book 2 - Chapter 44

    Faye skewered a third potato with her fork and bit off the side. She wasn¡¯t the most elegant eater, but she was far from the worst. Wyn thought she was similar to Marcy in that regard. And in others, too, if he was being honest.


    The group of six and their handler in the Twilight Blades guild, Faye, were sitting at a table in the guild¡¯s dining hall. It was Tulsday evening, and the group finished their third day of climbing before giving their report to Faye. The hall was empty except for them, but the hearth had a roaring fire that provided both warmth and comfort to them. Wyn appreciated it as the second tier in Alistair continued the winter environment theme, and despite his coat providing a magical comfort despite the weather, he was still grateful for the fire.


    ¡°I know you six are new, but it¡¯s still impressive,¡± Faye said, finishing chewing her food. ¡°Finishing out the first tier in one day, the sixth floor the next, and already working on the seventh floor where you were stumped before. That¡¯s damn good climbing.¡±


    ¡°Last month doesn¡¯t really compare, though,¡± Cedric said. ¡°It was a bust, remember? This season is far more linear. In a good way.¡±


    ¡°Even so, it¡¯s good work. I¡¯m happy with your performance so far and I know Gregory will be pleased.¡±


    John sat a little straighter as he grabbed a roll from the platter in the middle of the table. Wyn suppressed a smile.


    ¡°Just focus on working through the bottom of the second tier this week,¡± Faye said. ¡°Get the items you need for your guild fee, save up some coin, find some gear, and work together. Next week John will be your leader as you repeat the fourth, sixth, and likely seventh floor if you¡¯re able to complete that one this week.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± John asked. He stopped eating mid bite, holding half of a roll.


    ¡°You! After your lesson with Gregory, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll want to see how you do leading a group. Part of being a Knight is being able to command and give out abilities. Not that the expectation is that you have to lead a group, but you need to feel how it is to lead and take charge. Gregory will explain it better, though. He has this big speech and all. It¡¯s pretty lame.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll gladly do it. Thank you for letting me know ahead of time.¡±


    Faye smiled. ¡°For this month, some of you will try your hand at being a leader. Lucy already flat out refused and Marcy politely declined, so that leaves three of you. We already know Wyn can lead.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s the purpose, exactly?¡± Cedric said. ¡°We have a good dynamic with our group now. Why change it up?¡±


    Faye took a long drink of her mug before answering. ¡°We¡¯ve learned that what some Climbers think is a good dynamic isn¡¯t really that good. Granted you all are a bit different since Wyn actually had leadership experience, but Gregory made it a point when he first started the guild to do this practice for a group¡¯s first season after joining. It wouldn¡¯t look good if he stopped with all of you by showing favoritism. When we brought on Nigel and his group, they actually joined with another team and Nigel wasn¡¯t their leader. We learned quickly he was a better fit for being the head of a group and even mixed some of the Climbers around to make two far better groups.¡±


    ¡°Was that Prian¡¯s group?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°No, his group came together and stayed together. But the other group left at the beginning of last month. Which is part of why we were looking for some more members.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Marcy said. She carefully took a drink from her glass.


    ¡°Plus, we¡¯ll have more information about the first couple of tiers by next week,¡± Faye continued. ¡°I know you all are becoming more familiar with the layout and challenges, but we¡¯ll find out the drops that can be found, too.¡±


    ¡°How is that?¡± Wyn asked. If they knew which floors gave different rewards, that would definitely change how they should climb. Some floors would be far better to repeat than others if they wanted a specific item, like his own sword, shield, and helmet from last month.


    ¡°The Alistair Junkies always share the information they learn for a fee, and the guilds happily pay them. Knowing where we can find specific items is better than blindly searching, and we earn back the fee by the end of the month anyway. If there are item sets or valuable blue rarity items we need to farm them to use or sell.¡±


    ¡°We can do that,¡± John said. ¡°I was looking to upgrade some of my equipment, anyway. As long as the items are helpful.¡±


    ¡°Even if they aren¡¯t you can use them to trade for ones that are! And if you want to go into the third tier you¡¯ll need better equipment. We¡¯ll deliver the information to you next Solday that will explain more.¡±


    The rest of the dinner went with more small talk. It was mostly Faye asking personal questions about the group, which everyone was happy to answer. Everyone except Marcy, who seemed more flustered and uncharacteristically awkward with each question. Wyn had an idea why, but he didn¡¯t want to intrude and bring up that conversation.


    Still, it was nice to open up to someone outside their group. Faye was a trusted friend, and showed that the others in the Twilight Blades could be reliable and trusted friends, too. She talked just as much about her group and the others in the guild as she did about herself. There were a good amount of members that Wyn needed to meet, and he knew he would in time. There wasn¡¯t a rush, after all.


    Once dinner finished, Wyn took a few extra minutes to himself by the fire. He thought about the past few days climbing and being a guild member. There was a mansion that was his new home, full of people he could consider more than allies. A place to eat and commune, a place to rest his head and store his equipment, and a place to talk.


    It may not have been an official home, but it was his home.


    Part of being in a guild, though, required certain responsibilities. The fee was nominal, and he made up the payment in just a few climbs on their first day of the month. The item requirement was a bit more of a burden, but Wyn understood the reasoning and wasn¡¯t upset about it. He¡¯d gladly pay his share and enjoy his contributions to the rest of the guild. Hells, the vault even held some items he wanted to use, and he was sure the other guild members would find items that he or someone in his group could use.


    But all of that paled in comparison to the most important responsibility Wyn had - being a team leader. It wasn¡¯t easy making hard decisions, but he was used to it. He went through a trial by fire by being promoted to Captain in the military. In hindsight he realized it was all politics, but he still lived through it. He was too young, too inexperienced, too indecisive. With each training exercise and real engagement he became more accustomed to doing what was needed to be done, though. It didn¡¯t take long for him to be more understanding of what being a leader meant.


    The others would get a taste of that as they practiced being a leader for a week. They might like it, they might not. That was between them and Gregory, and if it went that far, it would be between them and Wyn, too.


    He took a deep breath, breathing in the smell of burning wood and comfort. It was time. And he didn¡¯t want to be late.


    He wasn¡¯t nervous, exactly. More curious to see what would happen. Though he¡¯d be lying to himself if he didn¡¯t admit how out of place he felt. Here he was, a Climber with only two months of experience under his belt, and he was going to the team leader meeting in a respected guild with people who have many more weeks and months of training and knowledge as him.


    It took only a few minutes to find the designated war room that Faye pointed out. He knocked three times on the wooden door and waited.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Come in,¡± a voice said right away.


    Wyn opened the door and found four people sitting around a round table - Prian, the Divine Wizard, Nigel, the Squire, Caryn, the Commander, and Gregory, the Knight. On the table was a platter of simple foods, pitchers of ale and water with cups and mugs, and stacks of papers with ink wells and quills.


    Just how long would this meeting take?


    ¡°Welcome, Wyn,¡± Gregory said. He stood and gave a small bow.


    Nigel rose from his seat and extended a hand for Wyn to shake. Caryn just nodded with a wide grin and Prian sat stoically without any sort of recognition.


    Wyn took the open seat and sat down. He wasn¡¯t sure the protocol of these meetings but had an idea that he would quickly learn. There were small plates in front of the others, and the moment sat Caryn and Nigel began to pick at the platter of food and pour drinks.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re all here, we can get started,¡± Gregory said, straightening a small stack of papers in front of him. ¡°Since you¡¯re new, Wyn, I¡¯ll explain a bit more as we go so you can catch up. The first meeting of the month is usually a bit more lax, anyway, since there isn¡¯t much information to review.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more of a preparatory meeting,¡± Nigel said, delicately holding a mug of frothy ale. ¡°But still valuable information to have.¡±


    Wyn relaxed a little. But only a little. He wanted to make a good impression, not come across as too nonchalant.


    ¡°First on the list is information from our groups,¡± Gregory said, holding the papers in front of him. ¡°It seems as though this season is a linear progression with the environment and challenges that changes each tier. The first tier has a mixture of weaker elements while the second tier is more ice-focused. The third tier seems to be a rare shift to earth and fire elements but we¡¯ve only made it to the 11th floor so far. We¡¯ll keep you updated accordingly.¡±


    Wyn was glad he wasn¡¯t taking a drink or he might have spit it out. They already climbed to the third tier in three days? How were they that fast? And was it Caryn¡¯s group or Gregory¡¯s? Or both?


    So many questions. But they could wait.


    ¡°For the first tier, nothing seems to be of major importance except for the new special items. These Reef Gliders. They are used all throughout the middle and upper floors, so be sure everyone in your group has one and stores them properly. Apparently they are locked to the individual who owns it, too, as some Climbers in the trading hall tried selling their and found they didn¡¯t change ownership on their parchments.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s new,¡± Nigel said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be a problem, though. We¡¯re good on our end.¡±


    ¡°As are we,¡± Prian said.


    Caryn nodded.


    Wyn stayed silent, but when the others looked at him he cleared his throat. ¡°Yes, everyone in our group has one, too. We¡¯ll keep them on our persons.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Gregory said. ¡°The previously new secondary quests are back, and they hold similar rewards as before. Completing them rewards a tiered-rarity item and coin. The secondary quest in the second tier is on the seventh floor, as I¡¯m sure you all don¡¯t care much for the first tier one.¡±


    Wyn waited for a response but no one asked. He was curious what the tiered-rarity meant, and decided it was best to ask. ¡°You said tiered-rarity. What is that?¡±


    Caryn snickered while Prian sighed. Nigel and Gregory both smiled before Nigel answered. ¡°Item rarity based on recommended tier. Green is first tier, blue second, purple third, orange fourth.¡±


    Wyn ignored the others. So the seventh floor had a secondary quest that offered a random blue-tier item as a reward. That was a great guarantee to get a good item, and he made a mental note to tell the others.


    ¡°The fourth floor has a wyvern that drops ice-element blue-rarity items mostly suited for Rogues or lightly armored Fighters. In the second tier, a stronger Wyvern is the boss on the sixth floor with similar item drops, and a young ice dragon is the ninth floor boss that drops purple rarity items as well as a set that seems to be for Mages, though we aren¡¯t sure of the exact benefits yet.¡±


    Wyn shared a similar look of surprise with Nigel and Prian. A dragon was the boss of one of the floors. An actual damn dragon. It was hard to think about realistically fighting a monster told in legends. But Wyn had magic. And a team to lead and fight alongside him. And the monster was part of the tier of an appropriate challenge, not in the third or fourth tier.


    Excitement began to replace his initial fear. He knew Nigel felt the same because he saw a glint of urgency in his eyes. Prian returned to his usual gloomy self, though Wyn knew his mind was racing. What he was thinking about, though, was a mystery.


    ¡°Fan-fucking-tastic,¡± Caryn said. He slapped his knee and smiled broadly. ¡°Finally a good challenge for the third tier!¡±


    Gregory smirked. ¡°Possibly. We¡¯ll know more next meeting once we climb a couple more floors. Unless your group beats us to fourteen?¡±


    Caryn winked. ¡°Wanna make a bet?¡±


    ¡°Oh no. I¡¯m done with those.¡±


    Caryn looked back to Wyn. ¡°How about you, Wyn? You and your team are second tier Climbers. Want to make a bet until our next meeting?¡±


    Wyn looked at the man. He was friendly, if not a bit crazy. It didn¡¯t mean he was malicious, though. Usually the others were the betting type, and he was completely turned off from anything that reminded him of gambling for obvious reasons.


    But it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try and make a good impression. Or more friends in high places.


    ¡°What¡¯s the bet?¡±


    Gregory sighed while Nigel snickered. Caryn rubbed his hands together as though he was forming a sinister plot. Prian ignored all of them.


    ¡°The bet,¡± Caryn started, ¡°is how fast you¡¯re able to get to the second tier compared to Nigel¡¯s and Prian¡¯s groups. Depending on where they are currently, I guess.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re at the sixth floor already,¡± Nigel said. He sat a little straighter in his chair. ¡°We pushed hard, but we were able to make it this morning. Didn¡¯t finish it, but we will tomorrow.¡±


    Prian scoffed. ¡°We just cleared the fourth floor. Taking our time, of course. As prudent Climbers do.¡±


    Wyn felt a sense of pride rise in him. So his group was doing well, comparatively.


    ¡°Wyn?¡± Gregory asked. ¡°How has your group done? We normally accept a little more formal report but this is fine, too. It would be good to know where you are all.¡±


    Wyn poured himself a cup of water and held it. He wasn¡¯t normally one for dramatic pauses but enjoyed seeing them wait for his answer. ¡°We finished the sixth floor on Moonday. Started the seventh floor yesterday after repeating the sixth in the morning, but are taking it a bit easy. Like you said, Prian, we¡¯re taking our time.¡±


    Caryn busted out laughing while Prian looked angry and Nigel shocked. Gregory only smiled.


    Wyn took a drink from his water. Even though he was a newer Climber and guild member, he had a feeling he was going to be just fine.


    *****


    Wyn walked out of the meeting room while the others waited.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Gregory asked. ¡°Now that we can speak freely.¡±


    ¡°I like him,¡± Caryn said. ¡°Handled himself just fine, as expected. And he doesn¡¯t have a big head like a bunch of shits out there. It¡¯s obvious he wants to succeed, too.¡±


    Gregory folded his fingers together on the table. ¡°He certainly seems to be proper leader quality, yes.¡±


    ¡°No shit,¡± Caryn said. ¡°The man led a company in the war effort! Even you can¡¯t claim that.¡±


    ¡°He was far too young to likely be any sort of actual leader,¡± Prian said. ¡°It¡¯s not like he was a Colonel or High Marshal.¡±


    ¡°And yet, here he is, walking among us. The man not only lived but then decided to do the next craziest thing in this world which was climb a damn magical tower. At least he has magic to use, now.¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s humble,¡± Nigel said. ¡°It¡¯s obvious he¡¯s skilled. We all saw what he did in the trials, both in the individual and group sets. It¡¯s no surprise he¡¯s climbed as he has so far in only a few days.¡±


    ¡°That debt of his also adds to the equation,¡± Caryn said. ¡°He¡¯s making a literal fortune for this damned organization while climbing since his life depends on it. No normal person is going to push themselves that much.¡±


    ¡°You push yourself that much,¡± Gregory said.


    Caryn smiled. ¡°I said no normal person.¡±


    ¡°How do you think he¡¯ll do when the others take turns leading their group?¡± Nigel asked.


    ¡°Better than you,¡± Caryn said.


    Nigel¡¯s smile faltered.


    ¡°I think he¡¯ll be fine,¡± Gregory said. ¡°I don¡¯t imagine anyone else will want to lead their group but it¡¯ll be good for them. And this is a good season for them to explore different climbing strategies. Maybe they¡¯ll get some better items and try to advance in the next month or two.¡±


    ¡°And if they get the items needed to advance this month?¡± Caryn asked. ¡°What if they want to advance now?¡±


    Gregory opened his mouth to speak but paused. He took a few seconds to think before answering. ¡°They only just advanced to the second tier. The newer Climbers with them have only climbed a few months. It¡¯s too early. They need some more experience before climbing further, even if they meet the other qualifications.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. We both made it to the third tier in about the same time.¡±


    Gregory smiled. ¡°Yes, but it was also a bit foolish. Don¡¯t you remember how much we struggled?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s part of it, Gregory. The struggle makes it worth it. I have a feeling they¡¯ll surprise you.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, they need to stay where they are.¡±


    Caryn stood and stretched, grabbing another handful of food before slowly walking towards the door. ¡°We¡¯ll see. I have a feeling they¡¯ll surprise you. There¡¯ll be some exciting things with them here, I can tell. Gentlemen.¡± Caryn nodded then left.


    Gregory sighed. He knew Caryn was right. Wyn shook up a lot of things with his trial performance, the least of which was the impression of his class. The other members were already talking about how a Ruby Magician could do what he did, and how they were excited to see how he climbed. When the leaders would tell them how well Wyn¡¯s group was already doing he was sure they were going to be some mixed reactions. Most of which would likely be positive, but some would be jealous. Still, from the other leader¡¯s reports and some talks from the other guilds, there was already discussions about how they looked forward to more Ruby Magicians climbing. They wanted to see how they contributed to their teams.


    Times were changing. Which wasn¡¯t a bad thing. But Gregory knew he needed to stay on top of his own guild. He could sense something in Wyn and his group¡¯s talents, and a small part of him wondered if they would be able to eclipse even him some day.

 Book 2 - Chapter 45

    Wyn cast Shield again, blocking another sharp slice of wind. The blob of enemies their group was currently fighting was a strange enemy that made him more annoyed than anything.


    The monsters were small, fluffy cloud-like creatures that didn¡¯t appear to have any defining features. They just floated in the air like miniature storm clouds, gray and dense, packed together like a swarm of rats but each the size of a bucket. There were at least two dozen of the monsters that formed one large pack though they acted like a singular unit. They were incredibly magic resistant but weak to physical attacks. The problem was that the melee Climbers couldn¡¯t get close enough to attack without suffering wind elemental damage. Lucy pushed through at first and took out several clouds with a couple of strong swings of her axe, but even she backed off afterwards. Every exposed piece of skin on her body was cut in what looked to be hundreds of small gashes, and she said it felt like standing in a storm of sharp blades.


    Even John¡¯s new equipment didn¡¯t seem to be helping much against them. His new chest piece and boots from the guild¡¯s vault had helped deal with the other ice elemental enemies easily since it was two pieces of a set of fire elemental armor. It was called Blacksmith¡¯s Brand, and it improved his overall strength and defense while providing a substantial fire and ice resistance. The boots gave him improved mobility in snowy environments as it melted the surrounding area with each step, and the set bonus gave him a heat aura that caused fire damage to enemies within a small radius around him. It was an excellent set of equipment for the tier, and it looked equally as intimidating. The chest piece was black and red with harsh jagged pauldrons and ribs, and the boots were mostly red with black trim. Wyn thought he looked like a fiery demon.


    Wyn extended his weapon longer than a standard spear to attack the enemies but it was a slow process to kill them. They still fought back, and their only active attack was firing small but fast moving wind slices. He wanted to have Tasha coat him and the others in Arcane Aura before wading in, and Wyn figured if that wasn¡¯t enough then another layer of Regen would keep the warriors healthy and healing if they became injured. He thought about using his Wellspring trap or even coating himself in Drain but theorized that since the enemies were resistant to magic they might be equally resistant to those effects. So, his next solution was protection while fighting them in direct combat. It was the next plan he came up with while keeping some distance from the monsters.


    The problem with that strategy was that John was leading the group this week, and Wyn knew he would be overstepping if he said the idea. He wasn¡¯t their current leader. John needed to have a chance to succeed.


    But John also needed to figure it out in his own or possibly one of the others could think of it. Wyn just didn¡¯t want it to come from him. It was John¡¯s third day of leading the group and this was his first real test as they hadn¡¯t encountered this enemy on the sixth floor before. So far he was doing okay, but it was obvious he easily became frustrated with himself when something didn¡¯t go exactly as planned. He tended to be slow to announce formations, make calls on the fly, and adjust as needed. John was a good Climber fighting monsters and keeping morale, but he was proving to not be the best leader.


    In the current engagement, his lack of coming up with an idea or trying something different meant they struggled. Marcy continued to shoot arrow after arrow at the group, slowly but surely taking down the individual clouds. She grumbled about her dwindling arrow count but mostly kept her thoughts to herself. Wyn figured she didn¡¯t want to add to John¡¯s stress.


    Lucy had no such reservations.


    As the mass of monsters thinned, she recklessly charged in with her axe, swinging it wildly with a yell of rage. Wyn could see visible cuts form on her legs, arms, neck and face, but the Barbarian pushed through. She started killing one monster with each swing, but then was able to killed multiple at a time as her strength and power increased. When the final one dissipated in a gray puff, she stood huffing as blood run down her body.


    Tasha promptly healed her but Lucy stomped over to John. Wyn could tell something was about to be said, and it wasn¡¯t going to be good. He moved to intercept her along with the others.


    ¡°What in the fuck are you doing,¡± Lucy said, holding her bloodstained arms out to the side. She looked like a bloody angelic tribal warrior due to the white aura coating her body from Tasha¡¯s healing.


    John stared at her but stayed silent. He looked like he was about to fight her.


    ¡°Calm down, Lucy,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Those enemies weren¡¯t here before. They were a new threat and unlike anything we¡¯ve faced before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the whole point of climbing! We find threats, and we kill them. Simple. You should have been able to manage those damn clouds better than me, too, with all your armor and your shield. And you!¡± She pointed a finger at Wyn. ¡°You should have healed us with your Regen spell or something so we could at least absorb the hits. Or you, Tasha, protect us with some of your defensive spells. ¡®Cause that shit hurt.¡±


    Wyn wanted to argue but kept his mouth closed and jaw clenched. Lucy was right and said what was on his mind. When he looked over at Tasha, he saw she had a pained look on her face. So she likely thought of the idea, too, but also didn¡¯t say anything.


    At this rate, if they advanced further into unknown territory they¡¯d be at a distinct disadvantage. John would either make the wrong call or no call at all, and Wyn would be forced to intervene in order to keep everyone safe. But that would cause a major rift in their group and he knew it.


    Was that the point of this exercise? To keep them checked on climbing further or risk the group becoming divisive?


    No. He didn¡¯t think Gregory and the others were that malicious. He took a deep breath and calmed down while Lucy vented with the others before stomping off on her own. The guild was going exactly as they said - they were taking the first month of a new group to get them sorted. Before, while having no one to keep them accountable, they had to make decisions as a group and trust each other. But that also meant if someone stepped up as a leader, either the rest of the group would trust them or rebel. They were lucky. Wyn knew that was not always the case.


    But having a guild enforce rules and direction helped. Maybe someone had better ideas than him. Maybe he was better taking direct orders than giving them. He certainly took his share of orders while in the military, so he was used to that much.


    The final conclusion was that it felt like a team-building exercise while becoming acquainted to new ways of climbing. The problem was that they were so used to climbing with Wyn giving orders, and only climbing with five of them. Having responsibility was hard, and that was obvious with John. And Lucy being a short-tempered new member was complicating it.


    But Wyn had faith. John was more resilient than that, and he could talk to Lucy to get her to calm down.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± John said, walking over beside Wyn. ¡°She¡¯s just angry about getting hurt like that.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We can do this. You can do this. Just keep your head up and be positive. Two things I know you can do easily.¡±


    John smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep trying. But I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t ready for this week to be done.¡±


    Wyn laughed, causing John to laugh, too.


    Tasha stepped up beside John and put a hand on his back. She walked off with him back to leading the way, encouraging him with each step.


    Wyn knew they would be okay. But it would be one hell of an experience in the meantime.Stolen novel; please report.


    The group continued on after Marcy recovered a blue rarity belt from the monsters. It was called a Storm Surge belt, and she went ahead and identified it. It was wide, looking more like a sash, with a dark gray buckle on the front and a lighter gray cloth-like material making up the rest of the piece. Marcy said it passively improved magic resistance and could activate a similar wind aura as the monsters that made a miniature storm that would slice and cut. It also provided a levitating effect where the wearer could hover and control their movement for up to one minute at a time for ten minutes total in a day.


    Cedric said the levitating effect alone was incredible, as the wearer could bypass traps or reposition themselves well, but the storm cloud effect didn¡¯t differentiate between friend or foe. It made it less desirable to use but still a worthy item. It would be a good one to donate to the guild¡¯s vault.


    The rest of the climb went better until the reached the boss. They had only finished the sixth floor twice before, and both times the floor was manageable if not challenging while the ice wyvern boss was difficult. Even only being one monster it was still hard - it had an aura effect that slowed the melee fighters around it along with minor ice damage, and was strong both physically and with magical attacks. The group had to work together well to overcome it with good strategy.


    Wyn was worried John¡¯s lack of decisiveness was going to be costly during the fight, but he hoped for the best.


    That hope was gone almost immediately.


    The moment the group stepped out into the snowy clearing where the boss was, something was different. The ice wyvern flew down from a tall, blue crystalline tree and landed with a crash, spewing up snow and cracked ice in all directions. It roared at them with a fierce yell, and snow and ice immediately began to swirl around it as its aura kicked on. From the deep recesses of the outer snowy barrier, though, more monsters slowly made their way into the area.


    Wyn cursed. It was normally a single monster fight. Now at least a half dozen monsters that looked like ice-elemental Zalman-dos were crawling quickly from the edges of the clearing, lashing out with blue tongues that cracked like whips in the air. Wyn hoped there wouldn¡¯t be more, but he was prepared for the worst.


    The group spread out a bit, ready to engage, though waiting on some direction. John stood there with his shield and sword ready, confusion plastered on his face. Wyn mentally yelled at him to act, to do something. Anything. But he stood there frozen as though he was trying to process the right course of action.


    If there was something Wyn learned being a leader, it was that often times it was better to act and do anything than nothing at all. Action that may not be the most optimal was still better than inaction, and experience and training usually helped that directed action to at least be somewhat effective. They had been climbing together for months and even previously cleared this floor. John should be able to put together a few basic instructions so they wouldn¡¯t be caught.


    Instead, everyone moved according to what they thought was best. Wyn thought not doing giving any type of order at all would be bad, and this was usually the consequence. He made a mental note that if their situation was going to go bad quickly he was going to take over.


    He desperately hoped that wouldn¡¯t be the case. The gods only knew how John would react to that.


    Lucy attacked the nearest Zalman-dos with a furious yell and axed a large gash in the monster¡¯s side. It was a sixth floor monster, though, and lashed out with its tongue at her in retaliation. She raised an arm to block but the hit cracked against her forearm with a small, faint plume of blue mist. Lucy immediately cried in pain and axed the creature again with one hand, nearly bisecting it as a deep, blood red aura of power surrounded her.


    Her left arm stayed curled against her fur-lined chest armor, now colored a deep blue from her elbow to her wrist.


    Tasha immediately cast Cure on her from a distance. Her arm slowly returned to a more normal color but remained bent and slightly blue. Wyn rushed to her side and blocked a last-ditch effort of the dying monster with his expanded shield, then watched as it slowly dissipated back to the tower.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get hit by their attacks!¡± Lucy called, backing away from the next Zalman-dos that was nearly in attacking range.


    ¡°Attack the wyvern!¡± John yelled. ¡°I¡¯ll join you with Cedric! Wyn, you take care of the Zalman-dos with Marcy!¡±


    Tasha immediately cast Arcane Aura that coated John, Lucy, and Wyn, then sent another cast of Cure onto Lucy as she ran away. Lucy, John, and Cedric all took off in a sprint directly at the wyvern, avoiding and rushing past the Zalman-dos. Which was easy for them as the creatures instead focused on the other three climbers.


    ¡°John needs to get his shit together,¡± Marcy said, immediately firing a glowing red-tipped arrow at the closest monster. The projectile exploded in a red puff, causing the monster to screech in pain as burn marks covered its entire body. It wasn¡¯t dead but stopped its advance, and Marcy already had another arrow nocked on her bow.


    ¡°Tasha, get a calling ready,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Fly up and support them if needed. Marcy and I can deal with the other monsters.¡±


    Tasha immediately began summoning her newest Calling. Zoraquin was useful last season but his water-element wasn¡¯t useful now. Instead, Tasha found a similar Calling who was called Infernadin. She was a more nimble melee Calling that emitted waves of embers in an area and fought with fiery punches and kicks.


    Marcy used her Inferno magical arrow to blast and stun another close Zalman-dos. Wyn activated his Speed Up skill and Decay spell. He was going to be the primary combatant here, and he didn¡¯t figure trapping some was worth the mana cost. These secondary monsters needed to die quickly so he could go and help the others with the wyvern, not be trapped to be dealt with later.


    Wyn activated his shield and changed his weapon to a short sword. He thought about using a spear but realized that the creatures had more of an advantage than him with their fierce tongues and magical damage. If he could get close to them, their tongues wouldn¡¯t be as useful, and he could protect himself from their claws while slashing them quickly with a short sword.


    The first creature he met tried to lash at him with a long blue tongue, but Wyn blocked it with his shield. The hit cracked with a small boom, but his shield was unaffected. Closing the distance, he stabbed and slashed at the monster three times before it recovered and struck back. Wyn then repositioned himself and made a large gash along its side, letting his Decay spell weaken the monster and kill it quicker.


    The monster quickly died and Wyn rushed the next one. His plan was working, though he needed to use a quick Shield spell to prevent a second Zalman-dos from hitting him from the side. There was a slim chance he could outright dodge or avoid their tongue attacks, even with his enhanced speed. So he opted to block them instead.


    Between Wyn and Marcy, the eight secondary monsters were killed in about a minute. They both didn¡¯t see any more coming, and followed the others to the ice wyvern. They ignored the small piles of treasure left behind. For now.


    Tasha already went on ahead to the true boss monster, and she was flying in the air on translucent wings sprouting from her back. Marcy soon joined her, activating her Master Avian Cloak and flying in the air to rain arrows from above. She launched another Inferno arrow that pelted the wyvern in the back, causing it to screech in pain.


    They learned on their first climb of the sixth floor that most of the ice creatures were both heavily damaged from the fire element and stunned from the small blast that Marcy¡¯s magical arrows caused. She needed to use two or three mana potions during the floor clear but it was worth it knowing how effective they were.


    Now, both Lucy and John tried to take advantage of the monster¡¯s distraction and attack it. Unfortunately they were on the same side of the large beast, and Lucy¡¯s wide axe swing nearly hit John¡¯s shield, causing him to stumble to the side and lose his momentum. He glared at her before stepping back and raising his shield as the wyvern¡¯s tail came swatting at him and Lucy. She threw herself to the ground but he absorbed the blow as it knocked him back several feet.


    Wyn rushed the other side of the monster and placed a Wellspring on the ground under its feet. It was so big its body was as large as the glyph on the ground, and Wyn could sense the draining effect in addition to his still-active Drain spell.


    The wyvern locked eyes with Wyn and roared in his face. Wyn was shocked to see it still moving, and more shocked when he saw a flurry of blue and white shards of ice fly from the creature¡¯s mouth all over Wyn. He threw up his shield in front of him in a desperate attempt to block it, and was too slow to activate Shield.


    His legs felt like weighted blocks, ignoring him when he told them to jump to the side to avoid the stream of ice. In what felt like an eternity, icy cold washed over him as the monster¡¯s magical attack completely surrounded and captured him. His Arcane Aura protection was reduced to nothing in seconds, though his own equipment and John¡¯s Squire Aura provided the only protection behind his shield.


    When he was able to muster up the strength, he eventually leapt out of the breath attack and fell to the ground. His entire body was numb, and he realized his vision was blurry. A cough escaped his lips and blood sprayed on the ground in front of him.


    He tried to wiggle his toes and fingers but wasn¡¯t successful. They were likely frozen. If they were even still attached or functional.


    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying not to panic. For the first time since that fateful climb in the second floor cave he feared he might not make it back home.

 Book 2 - Chapter 46

    Wyn¡¯s sight slowly returned as he blinked away the darkness in his peripheral vision. He could see the cloudy green-blue sky and a few large but distant creatures slowly floating like fish meandering in water. The most comforting sight, though, was the rest of his group surrounding him. Each of their faces and necks outlined his focused sight in a circle.


    ¡°Thank the gods,¡± Tasha said, closing her eyes and disappearing.


    ¡°Come on, Wyn,¡± Marcy said, helping him sit up.


    Wyn sat up while the others backed away to give him some space. The first thing he did was look at his hands and feet. His boots were off and his feet looked normal, while his hands were a bright red from his wrists to his finger tips. Flexing his fingers, hands, toes and ankles though, brought him immediate comfort, as well as realizing everything was still there. It was strange his boots were off, though.


    He suddenly had a very serious appreciation for what Cedric went through losing an entire arm. Of course Wyn knew how detrimental it was for him, but the sudden threat of losing parts of him weighed heavily on his consciousness.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Wyn asked.


    Lucy scoffed. ¡°You decided to go all hero trying to face an angry wyvern by yourself. Not the smartest move I¡¯ve ever seen, but a badass one, at least.¡±


    ¡°No, what happened after I went down?¡±


    ¡°Tasha and Marcy immediately healed you while the rest of us dealt with the wyvern,¡± Cedric said.


    Wyn looked over at Marcy. She held up a corked jar and wagged it in the air. It glowed a faint white aura with a small amount of a viscous substance inside. ¡°Remember this?¡±


    Wyn thought back to the burn he suffered in the second floor cave during his first climb. She used that same cream to ease his pain and wound. ¡°Yea, I do. That helps with frostbite, too?¡±


    ¡°Most secondary effects, yes. Tasha healed you but your hands were still gray and fingers black. Your boots protected your feet, but your hands were completely exposed. The balm helped but it took nearly the whole jar and about five minutes.¡±


    Wyn was out longer than he thought. Still, if Tasha wasn¡¯t able to heal that extent of frostbite, well¡­ it was a damn good thing Marcy had that jar.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that was a Ranger spell?¡± Wyn asked. He was genuinely curious about it, but he also wanted to talk about anything else besides him almost dying and losing his hands and feet.


    Marcy sat beside him and crossed her legs. ¡°Rangers have fairly straightforward magic when it comes to fighting, like my arrow effects or traps. But their support spells are a bit more odd. Like how a Druid''s magic works. It¡¯s not as cut and dry as a Wizard¡¯s.¡±


    Wyn then understood why she had a bit of a fascination with Faye. Or at least with her class. Liking her as a person was of another matter that Wyn had no business inquiring about.


    Lucy walked away from the group while John bent down on one knee beside Wyn. He looked somber and concerned.


    ¡°Wyn, I¡­¡± the Squire started. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Wyn snickered. ¡°How is it your fault? Did you make me attack that monster from the side and forget to better protect myself?¡±


    ¡°Well, no, but I didn¡¯t do a great job setting us up to fight it.¡±


    Wyn smiled softly. John wasn¡¯t wrong, but Wyn didn¡¯t want to point that out at the moment. He was obviously upset about Wyn being hurt. No need to make it worse.


    ¡°That¡­ can be fixed, though,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Choosing to act under stress isn¡¯t always easy, and telling others how to act is always harder. It just takes time and practice.¡±


    ¡°Two things not worth it if it means my friends almost dying.¡±


    ¡°Well, we know this floor, now. I¡¯ll be more ready next time. And now you have a better idea of positioning and what we need to do to fight that wyvern.¡±


    John sighed. ¡°I guess. Lucy¡¯s pissed, too. We kept getting in each other¡¯s way and were getting angry at each other. The wyvern could have been dead or nearly dead by the time you showed up if I had us in better positions.¡±


    Wyn looked over his shoulder and saw Lucy working her way through the piles of treasure left behind by the enemies. She was scowling while sifting through a handful of coins. Wyn couldn¡¯t tell if she was still angry or if that was just her usual expression. Either way, he felt like it was worth having a talk with her.


    But not today. Today, he was just glad he was alive. And he did not want to push his luck.


    ¡°Something to work on for next time,¡± Cedric said, patting John on the back.


    ¡°As in tomorrow,¡± Wyn said. ¡°No offense, but I think I might be done for today.¡±


    The others looked at Wyn with confused expressions. Except for Tasha, who sighed in relief.


    ¡°I agree with Wyn,¡± Tasha said. ¡°That was far too stressful. Not being able to recover your hands was a nightmare. I¡¯ll be scouring the trading district for an item or potion that can work like Marcy¡¯s salve. I can¡¯t focus on climbing more today.¡±


    John helped Wyn up and nodded. ¡°Okay. Again, I¡¯m¡­ sorry. I¡¯ll be better.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Wyn said, smiling. ¡°It¡¯s probably best if we all take the day and do what we want. Maybe reconvene tomorrow morning?¡±


    ¡°I think we can manage that,¡± Marcy said. She plucked the string on her bow before slinging it around her chest. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a night off.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be training for the day,¡± John said. ¡°If any of you need me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going through my fresh and very minuscule stash,¡± Cedric said, pointing to a pile of treasure that set on the ground. ¡°I need to get back to saving what I can. My personal account is almost gone.¡±


    ¡°Good thing these things are dropping coins like a cow drops shit,¡± Lucy said, walking by the group with a small pouch. She tossed it to Cedric who caught it awkwardly against his stomach. ¡°Most of it is silver cloaks but there¡¯s a good number of crowns, too.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Wyn asked.


    Lucy held up two bottles in one hand and a pair of gloves in the other. The gloves were glowing green. ¡°Two potions and a green item. Looks like there¡¯s another in the wyvern pile.¡±


    Marcy knelt down where the wyvern was killed and picked up a plan circlet. She held it in the air with a wide smile like a victor would hold a trophy. Wyn could see that the item was blue rarity.


    A blue item was a great find, but something that valuable from the boss monster was sure to be great. It would go well to the guild if none of them could use it.


    Gathering their rewards and leaving the tower, Wyn had some satisfaction slowly replace his anxiety. Despite nearly dying and losing his appendages, his pouch full of coins helped his mood. They cleared the fourth floor and the sixth floor over the course of the morning, and Wyn made over 400 crowns from the floor clears alone. He earned another 150 crowns from the treasure piles from killed monsters, and was more than satisfied with the day.


    He said his goodbyes to his team and walked with Tasha to the trading district. She wanted to look for an item to improve her healing ability while Wyn wanted to look for something to give to Arabelle. The items they found that day they would identify later and then see if they were useful, but he wanted something just for her to help her climb. And there wasn¡¯t much point to rushing identifying the items found while climbing. If one of them could use it, they¡¯d give an item to the guild and then replace it with what they found. If not, it would be the guild¡¯s.Stolen novel; please report.


    That was fine with Wyn. It was only the second week of climbing, and they already found a dozen green rarity items that the guild didn¡¯t need. Considering that they already were climbing in the second tier, it wouldn¡¯t be long before they¡¯d meet the guild¡¯s quota and then would start adding the magical items to their own personal stores. Wyn¡¯s stash was slowly increasing to help pay off their debt, and he was confident he would have at least six items to sell before the end of the month.


    Unfortunately since his business partnership with Melvin was over, he was missing a secure buyer. But he had an idea to make that up.


    And it involved Arabelle. His sister would be more than happy to be included. It was their debt to pay, after all, as she previously reminded him. He wasn¡¯t alone anymore. And neither was she.


    Walking up to the counter in the trading district, Wyn knew exactly what he wanted to get. He flipped open the large book and immediately began searching for the effect.


    *****


    A bluish white shard of ice smashed into the nearby dummy¡¯s mid section, coating it with ice and causing a sharp indent to appear on its wooden frame. Arabelle was standing ten feet away, holding a rod the size of her arm and pointing it at the wooden dummy.


    ¡°Good,¡± Daniel said. He stood a few feet behind her holding a book and a rune pen. ¡°A precise shot that was also well-timed. Now increase the range.¡±


    Arabelle took three large steps back and held out the rod in front of her. The dummy was as still as a statue, only serving as a man-shaped target.


    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± Daniel said.


    Arabelle took a deep breath and focused on her target. She held the rod in front of her and aimed for the dummy¡¯s chest. ¡°Ice Shard!¡± Her Ruby Magician mark appeared in front of the rod, but she ignored looking at it like she did at first. It only made her lose her focus and aim. Instead, she stayed locked in on the dummy and watched as a brick-sized slab of ice fired from her rod to the dummy.


    The projectile visibly shrunk before hitting the wooden body but still made contact at the last moment. Instead of a solid hit, it looked like it barely hit the dummy.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Daniel said, taking notes in his book.


    ¡°Excellent?¡± Arabelle repeated. ¡°It was so weak it barely did a thing!¡±


    ¡°True. But excellent in the sense that we now have an idea of your range! That¡¯s the point of these training exercises, remember?¡±


    Arabelle started to reply but stopped herself. He was right. She wasn¡¯t in a life or death situation. This was training. And they were testing her Ruby Magician abilities and use of magic, something she needed to feel comfortable with before attempting to climb.


    Wyn had a strong advantage over her with his background of weapons training and military experience. With magic, though, he was as new to the process as she was when he first started. And according to Daniel, he jumped head first into the tower without much practice.


    She wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake. By the end of the month, she¡¯d be ready.


    ¡°Well what¡¯s going on here?¡± A voice said, drawing Arabelle¡¯s attention.


    She looked over and smiled with excitement. ¡°Wyn!¡± Running over to him, she threw her arms around his waist in a hug. He embraced her warmly.


    ¡°Training almost every day, huh?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°You sure Daniel can take that?¡±


    Daniel chuckled, still writing in his book. ¡°I¡¯m doing just fine, Ardwyn. If you aren¡¯t careful, she¡¯ll be caught up to you before long.¡±


    ¡°That''s right,¡± Arabelle said, letting go of her brother. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be climbing right now anyway?¡±


    Wyn¡¯s smile dimmed a bit. ¡°We decided to take the rest of the day off. I thought I¡¯d come get you at work and go eat a late lunch, but Benedict said you were already done for the day. And I figured this would be the next best place to look.¡±


    Arabelle looked to Daniel but the man just shrugged and returned to his book, ignoring them. She didn''t miss Wyn''s reaction but apparently Daniel did.


    ¡°I already had lunch, but thank you,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to join, though, if you want?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but you¡¯re not dipping out on work to train, are you? Working for Benedict is still your job. Not being a Climber.¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Arabelle said. When she realized Wyn wasn¡¯t smiling, she scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he was the one who actually told me to leave for the day. I helped secure a good buy from a small group of first tier Climbers and they gave me five crowns as a tip! He told me to celebrate but I wanted to come train instead. And Daniel was happy to help.¡±


    Wyn looked at Daniel, who gave him a glance from the corner of his eye, but quickly returned to scribble something in his book with far more vigor than before.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you how to spend your day, just¡­ don¡¯t skip out on work.¡±


    Arabelle smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t do that. Benedict¡¯s been too nice to me. I plan to make him my exclusive buyer when I climb, including my group. So I would say it¡¯s mutually beneficial.¡±


    This time Wyn did smile. Arabelle liked seeing him in a good mood. It was far better than his typical serious self.


    ¡°What are you working on today?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Great you should ask!¡± Daniel said, slamming his book shut. ¡°Arabelle is practicing using magic with her Ruby Magician abilities. You know, something you should have done more than just a few hours before climbing Alistair.¡±


    Arabelle couldn¡¯t help but smirk. Daniel was feisty despite his typical jovial demeanor, and it was obvious he was comfortable enough with her and Wyn to share that side of him.


    ¡°Let me see your sheet,¡± Wyn asked, holding out a hand.


    Arabelle reached into a side pocket in her pants and pulled out her folded class parchment. She already knew it by heart and could recite it easily.


    ¡°Armored Spellcasting and Ruby Spellcasting is the same as mine,¡± Wyn said. ¡°So that¡¯s nothing new. Defense Up is interesting. A Fighter skill that improves defense for a time like my Speed Up skill. But Ruby Well and Arcane Strike?¡±


    Daniel smiled like a proud parent. ¡°That¡¯s right! Those make for a strong magical focus while emphasizing defense. They¡¯re a great combination!¡±


    Wyn narrowed his eyes at Daniel. ¡°And how would you rate mine?¡±


    Daniel opened his mouth to speak but paused. ¡°Yours is a bit more¡­ supportive? Not quite as focused as Arabelle¡¯s, but still has some uses.¡±


    Wyn leaned over to Arabelle. ¡°That means I got shit. Congratulations, I guess.¡±


    Arabelle snorted.


    Despite Wyn¡¯s joke, she was grateful for her own abilities. Wyn would be fine, of course. He already proved he could more than hold his own and he was already part of a guild. But for Arabelle, any leg up was more than helpful. It was almost necessary.


    Ruby Well was, according to Daniel, the Ruby Magician¡¯s version of an improved magical support ability like the Diamond or elemental Magicians¡¯ own Increased Mana Pool. It both increased her mana capacity and gave her one additional spell slot. Simple but valuable. Arcane Strike was¡­ different, but potentially incredible, as Daniel put it. Though the skill was a double edged sword. It reduced spell¡¯s mana cost by a small amount and increased their power by a small amount while reducing its effective range to ¡®close¡¯. For every one of her spells.


    Daniel explained to Wyn - and, to her benefit, Arabelle - that her maximum range was about fifteen feet. At that point, her spells were rapidly reduced to nothing, becoming nearly nonexistent. Which was unfortunate, because most mages preferred to stay far away from monsters since they couldn¡¯t wear armor or maneuver themselves as well as other melee Climbers. Arabelle didn¡¯t have that luxury as she needed to stay fairly close for her spells to be effective at all.


    What she did have, though, was a boon in her Defense Up skill she could use in a pinch, and the ability to use armor with her Armored Spellcasting. As she showed Wyn during training, her strategy was going to be using a shield with a simple weapon like a hammer or mace and be a close range mage that still focused on dealing damage with occasional support. Daniel had been helping her pick appropriate spells that best suited close fighting, like the standard elemental spells such as Ice Shard. Her ability made it to where the Ruby Magician''s normal deficit of having less mana and no support ability to improve the spell''s power less pronounced, and he said she would likely be similar to an elemental magician. Except she could have multiple elements, a few support spells, and be armored.


    The largest benefit, according to Daniel, was the skill''s progression when the class was upgraded. The effects increased while the range shortened, which didn''t seem nearly as great. But he said she would be able to cast spells through her weapons. She didn''t quite understand how that worked, but Daniel said it was something like she could empower a strike of her weapon with an actual spell for huge potential damage. And that it stacked with weapon effects. The thought made Arabelle giddy.


    Wyn was hesitant but supportive. Arabelle couldn¡¯t blame him, though. He was a protective older brother and only wanted her to be safe. Her style was going to be a bit more specific and not standard, but she enjoyed the challenge. Everything Daniel mentioned and helped prepare made sense. She was confident she would be fine and a good, contributing team member.


    But she wanted to prove that she was not only valuable, but capable. And she¡¯d use every advantage she had to be not just good, but great. Just like him.


    ¡°If you need a certain item let me know,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯ll gladly get you what you need. I want you as safe and prepared as possible.¡±


    Arabelle hugged him again before he let go and held out a belt. It was leather, wide, and had a silver buckle at the front with two loops equally spaced to the left and right of the buckle. There was a faint green glow to it that made it shimmer. In two of the loops were vials that Arabelle recognized as potions - one blue and one red, a mana and healing potion respectively.


    ¡°This is a Potion Belt,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It will magically hold and protect potions preventing them from falling or being damaged. I added some potions, too, for your first climb. Simple but valuable.¡±


    Arabelle stood in shock. She half expected him to lecture her, not give her a gift. She squeezed him in another hug, holding him close. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m always here for you,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But I have something else besides this, too.¡±


    Arabelle lifted her head. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Wyn smirked. ¡°A request. Didn¡¯t you say Roscoe was still in town?¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 47

    John hesitated to counter with his training sword, and Wyn punished him for it. A quick blow to the Squire¡¯s ribs reminded him that hesitation was costly. Despite his own weapon being a wooden sword, Wyn couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for John at both the implication and the actual hit.


    He wasn¡¯t fighting like himself. Hells, he wasn¡¯t even climbing like himself, and he had been that way all week. Something about leading the group completely turned John¡¯s personality upside down.


    ¡°Hit,¡± Tasha said, her face scrunching in sympathetic pain.


    ¡°Damnit!¡± John said. ¡°I saw you coming with your sword, too. What is wrong with me?¡± He threw his own wooden sword to the ground with a clatter, and grasped his shield like he wanted to squeeze it flat between both hands or throw it into the wall.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong with you,¡± Wyn said.


    John cursed under his breath. ¡°I¡¯ve been a horrible Climber all week. I haven¡¯t been sleeping well, I¡¯ve been stressed. What is going on?¡±


    Tasha walked over and comforted John, rubbing his back. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting her touch calm him down. He then put his arm around her and pulled her close to him for a hug.


    Wyn walked and patted him on his other shoulder before setting his wooden sword and shield on the nearby weapon rack. The rest of the training hall in the guild was empty, and the large space made every little noise echo.


    ¡°I think I have an idea, but you¡¯re not going to like what I have to say,¡± Wyn said after a few more lingering seconds of silence.


    John sighed. ¡°I need to hear it, though. Go ahead.¡±


    Wyn looked at his friend. He didn¡¯t seem mad, but rather melancholy. Like he was mentally in a rut and couldn¡¯t climb out to be his typical joyous self. And Wyn knew why. But the truth was going to sting. Though hearing it would help him eventually return to the man Wyn knew.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been having trouble this week leading the team,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It didn¡¯t start with me getting hurt on the sixth floor. It started from the beginning. Unfortunately that instance made it worse and you¡¯ve been struggling worse ever since.¡±


    John slowly nodded along while Tasha kept hugging him from the side.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to assume something and you can tell me if I¡¯m wrong, but I believe that you see Gregory as both the leader of his group and of this guild and you want to be like him. You want to be a Knight like him, be successful like him, and learn from him. Your personal training with him went well, and he probably said some very inspiring things and encouraging words, which is great. But you took them so seriously you pushed yourself too hard.¡±


    John opened his mouth to speak but stopped for a moment. ¡°Damn. Well¡­ yes. That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°You prepared yourself for the week, tried some ideas that Gregory showed you, but couldn¡¯t quite prepare for when things went wrong,¡± Wyn continued. ¡°You had too many choices running through your head when you needed to act, and instead stayed silent.¡±


    ¡°Wyn,¡± Tasha said. ¡°That¡¯s a bit harsh.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± John said. ¡°He¡¯s right. Annoyingly so.¡±


    Wyn sadly smiled. ¡°But it¡¯s okay, John. Despite what you think, it¡¯s all okay.¡±


    John furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. ¡°How do you figure?¡±


    ¡°How do you think I know all of that? I¡¯m not some tactical genius.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you were there, too,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Yea. Exactly. When I was first promoted to captain, I was an awful leader. Constantly second guessing myself, being questioned by soldiers, and berated by my superiors when the slightest thing went wrong. It took awhile for me to get confident leading other people, but I was not a good leader at first.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s both encouraging and sad,¡± John said. ¡°I only had a week and I failed.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. Remember why Gregory is having us do this to begin with.¡±


    ¡°Something I don¡¯t even understand,¡± Tasha said. ¡°And I¡¯m not looking forward to my turn, by the way. Thanks for that.¡±


    Wyn chuckled. ¡°I think the simplest explanation is the right one. He just wants to see if there¡¯s a potential for another leader in our group. Either for our group to be more efficient or to possibly lead another group if the opportunity comes.¡±


    ¡°But we already have you,¡± John said. ¡°And it was working out just fine before now.¡±


    ¡°True. But he doesn¡¯t know that. Not as well as we do, at least. He''s just doing his due diligence as a guild leader to make sure we can be the best version of ourselves. And you never know, maybe one day you might want to branch off and lead your own group or even your own guild. This experience will help shape you to do that and you¡¯ll be better for it.¡±


    John folded his arms and sighed. ¡°You really think so?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do! I know we all won¡¯t be Climbers forever. And I knew that before I wanted us to stay together, and I still want that. But times will change. And if you want to be a leader one day, it¡¯s very possible. You just need time and practice.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± John said. ¡°I wanted to lead a group or start my own guild ever since I learned about how my parents climbed. It was something I could say was my own, something they never did. But that doesn¡¯t mean I have to both lead a guild and a group. Truth be told, I was far happier and better when you take charge. I can plan ahead just fine without needing to make split second decisions that could seriously injure or kill someone.¡±


    Wyn wanted to reply that leading a guild carried a similar weight to leading a group, but he understood what John meant. He wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind or experience to want to lead a group, even if Gregory, his idol, was encouraging him to try or even presenting the opportunity. Making decisions at a moment¡¯s notice was a special skill that people either had or had to work incredibly hard to obtain.


    John could get there. But he wasn¡¯t there yet.


    ¡°You¡¯re exactly right,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I know you have what it takes, even if you don¡¯t think so right now. But know I support you. Including the others.¡±


    Wyn looked over at the pair. They hugged again, and Tasha¡¯s words and comfort not only calmed John but seemed to make him happy. Something was obviously developing between them, and it was nice to see. He only hoped they wouldn¡¯t be split up. He had no idea about how the guild saw intergroup relationships. It didn¡¯t matter to him, especially considering how well they both climbed and worked together. If anything he could see them being stronger because of their bond. But hopefully Gregory would see it that way, too.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing we¡¯re done for today, then?¡± Wyn asked. He could see both John and Tasha were distracted.


    ¡°I believe so,¡± John said. He extended a hand to Wyn in appreciation. ¡°I really needed this. Both the workout but also the talk. I¡¯ll be okay. Really. Thank you for your support.¡±


    Wyn took his forearm and clasped it. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for, remember? I¡¯m your support!¡±


    Tasha giggled while John shook his head. Wyn couldn¡¯t help but smile himself.


    ¡°Speaking of climbing, how do you think Cedric will do this week?¡± John asked. ¡°I know he¡¯s smart, but leading a group is completely different. I know that, now.¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s going to do really well,¡± Tasha said. ¡°He¡¯s been preparing non-stop all week. After your meeting yesterday, Wyn, he¡¯s been holding himself up in his room reviewing possibilities for the week.¡±


    ¡°That sounds a bit overboard, doesn¡¯t it?¡± John asked.


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We learned about the monsters and their possible drops in the first two tiers. That was a good bit of information. I¡¯m going to guess he¡¯s either going to want us to advance more or get more items.¡±


    ¡°And you have that multi-guild meeting next week, right?¡± John asked. ¡°I was really jealous you got the invite. I want to go so bad!¡±


    ¡°Technically Wyn is still our group leader,¡± Tasha said. ¡°It makes sense for him to go.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I won¡¯t be saying anything. Not according to Faye. It¡¯s just a meeting where the guilds come together and share any information if they want to, though it¡¯s mostly to gauge everyone¡¯s progress. She said it can light a fire under some guilds who are lagging behind, or to encourage some of the top guilds to make decisions about the season if it¡¯s too difficult. The Tower Master, Aureus, will be there, too.¡±


    John swallowed. ¡°On second thought, maybe I don¡¯t want to go. Good luck!¡±


    Wyn chuckled. He wasn¡¯t too worried about the meeting. What he was worried about at the moment was Cedric. He had no idea how serious he was taking the responsibility of leading the group. Could he do so well Gregory might reconsider their leadership?


    Only the week¡¯s outcome would tell. And if Wyn was being honest to himself, he wanted to keep being their leader.


    He wondered how the week¡¯s preparatory meeting tomorrow with Cedric with go. He suddenly had a pit in his stomach.


    *****


    Wyn stared at the paper in front of him. It wasn¡¯t too lengthy, but it was definitely detailed. And intimidating.


    The others in the war room also took some time to read their papers. Cedric stood at the end of the rectangular table, waiting for them all to finish. He had just gave a briefing on how he recorded his plan for the week for his time as their leader and their climbing schedule.


    Wyn didn¡¯t know whether he was impressed by Cedric''s commitment or scared for his position.


    The plan was straightforward but very detailed. And nearly half the page long. Essentially, Cedric wanted to accomplish both goals Wyn anticipated: advancing through the second tier as well as getting the items they need to give to the guild.


    The guild has a stipulation that they, as a group, have to contribute five magical items per tier they climb. Not a terribly steep price, but not insignificant, either. The first tier was easy - five green rarity items. They already fulfilled that requirement. The second tier was less easy being only blue rarity items. For that, they only had two items drops they considered giving to the guild. After killing the wyvern with John and Wyn being seriously injured, John refused to have them climb that far again and stayed in the first tier. But they still had two items drop during that fight. The green gloves they donated as their fifth item for the first tier requirement and the blue rarity circlet. They identified it and realized it was valuable, so that was their second item. The first was the blue short sword from the fourth floor boss during the first week.


    So, the first part of Cedric¡¯s strategy was for them to climb deeper in the second tier so obtain three more blue items in order for them to start building up their own personal collection of items. That was fine by Wyn. He needed more items to sell anyway, and now that they had Lucy in their group, they needed dozens of items for him to fairly claim them for his own gain. It wasn¡¯t right for him to keep asking the others to let him keep extra items to help pay off his debt, and now that Cedric cleaned out his savings to pay Cara for his new arm, he wanted more, too.


    The second part of Cedric¡¯s strategy was to make it to the eighth floor. Which was a big advancement for the group. Cedric¡¯s pitch was that they had a sixth member now and could handle themselves better, information on the floor¡¯s monsters to help prepare, and plenty of time to take it slow if needed. His reasoning was that if they wanted to advance to the third tier soon, they needed the equipment that Gregory required them to wear, which was a blue rarity set that improved their relevant abilities, and then mostly blue items for the rest of their equipment. It would take either climbing in the second tier exclusively or trading up with a stash of green rarity items to start improving their respective gear.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t argue with his logic, and he had excitement surge throughout his body. He was hoping to do something similar after realizing they could push themselves further, and apparently Cedric felt the same way.


    The final layout of the plan was simple. They would climb two to three floors in the first tier every morning to warm up, stashing any items they found to be traded up later, and then move to the second tier for the rest of the day. Cedric was their leader for the entire week, which meant six days of potential climbing, and he wanted to use all of them. Tasha was fine sacrificing her first day next week for them to rest, something they agreed on beforehand. The first day they¡¯d repeat the sixth floor twice, the second day they¡¯d progress to the seventh floor, and then go back to the sixth. His goal was to clear the seventh floor by Wursday, or the fourth day of the week. That gave them two more days of exploring the eighth floor or doing what they needed to get more items, depending on how the week went.


    At the very bottom of everyone¡¯s paper was a list of potential items and effects they could use. Lucy and John had the most available as there were so many options they could use, and they were the ones who needed upgrades the most. Tasha and Marcy had a fair number of items as well as they also needed to upgrade their equipment, much to Marcy¡¯s annoyance. But she also recognized that it was time to start upgrading her gear, something she realized after she obtained her new boots and cloak last month that gave her such an advantage.


    Wyn looked down at his paper and realized there wasn¡¯t much for him to possibly use. He already had upgraded equipment that could serve as useful for the next tier, except his pants, chest armor, and belt were green rarity. His overcoat, boots, and necklace were blue rarity, and his weapon, shield, and helmet were also blue. So he was mostly prepared, but had some areas of improvement. Still, Cedric had several items and effects Wyn could use to replace the green rarity items he currently was using, and Wyn was impressed the Wizard was so thorough.


    As they reviewed Cedric¡¯s plan, realization him them that they needed a lot of blue rarity and set items to round out their needed equipment. And by a lot, it was a lot. Two dozen items were needed between the six of them. A number that would be unheard of to obtain in a week, even if they found another secret room and exploited it.


    But it was a goal. A number to strive for. Cedric also pointed out that if they found half of that and distributed it, technically they would still fall within the requirements of needing ¡®most¡¯ of their equipment to be of second tier quality. And a dozen of those items was a much more reasonable expectation. Wyn figured they could even do that within the month, especially if Tasha pushes them to climb at a similar expectation that Cedric has planned.


    So with their new plan created, the group went to bed early for the night to rest for the coming week.


    And as the first few days of their climbing went exactly as planned, Wyn felt both impressed at the capability of climbing and worried that Cedric would want to take over as leader or Gregory would see how much he excelled and task him as leader. But that was a worry for another time. For now, Wyn only wanted to climb and continue pushing himself.


    And push himself he did.


    On their second day of Cedric¡¯s week they attempted the seventh floor but left early after being squeezed between a trap and a group of monsters that were difficult. Cedric made the call to reconvene then try again when the layout was better, especially since they knew the enemies they would face and the traps to find. The problem was knowing was only half the battle. It was a smart and proactive decision, and Wyn was thankful he didn¡¯t push them too hard or had the inability to decide like John.


    The fourth day of the week, Wursday, was the day they tried again. And Cedric told the group he was prepared to push them through to the eighth floor. Meeting in the portal room at the base of Alistair, the group mentally prepared themselves before entering the portal. They all held their gliders then stepped through into the seventh floor.

 Book 2 - Chapter 48

    Floor 7


    Group: 6/6


    Quest: The mountains of the remote island of Isoterra are treacherous, infested with deadly creatures, and inhospitable. Exploring them will all but ensure injury and death. But rumors of vast treasure around a nest of monstrously strong beasts still call to those explorers, including you. What will you find nestled between and in the mountains? Only time and blood will tell.


    Wyn gripped his Reef Glider tight in both hands. Transporting through the portal was nothing new, but holding an object while being transferred through space was definitely a strange experience. He never felt like it was in danger of being dropped during the few moments teleporting to the floor, but it did feel like it was both a new appendage but also separating entirely. The first time they went through he was afraid he actually did drop it, but going again the second time he realized how distorted his body actually became when being teleported.


    It was not something he looked forward to experiencing again, but when Gregory told them that the floor opened fifty feet above ground and to use their gliders, none of them hesitated. After an experienced Climber was nearly killed falling the height and was only saved by a well-timed use of an item from their teammate, a mandate was released shortly after to have gliders ready when entering all floors. All of the Climbers entering the portal looked like a small army of ants carrying leaves above their heads. If it wasn¡¯t so serious Wyn would have thought they looked funny.


    The Twilight Blades only knew about the seventh floor situation earlier because they climbed higher and faster than the average Climber. The difference in the guild knowing versus the climber nearly dying was only a few days, despite Gregory immediately telling Aureus and the other guilds. To Wyn, that was a valuable piece of information that deserved to be shared with everyone. Though he also knew how slow communication could be distributed.


    So, the start of the floor was now trivial instead of life-threatening. Each of the six Climbers slowly floated down through wispy gray clouds, looking like flowers caught in the wind. One by one they landed on the now-blue dirt path, ready to climb.


    ¡°New trap formation,¡± Cedric called, putting his glider away. His topaz-crested scepter floated beside him exactly where he left it.


    Similar to the last time they climbed, they immediately stashed their own gliders and moved to position. Cedric had some variations on Wyn¡¯s formations they were used to using, something that Wyn had already been working on. Since Lucy joined them they had to reorganize themselves. It wasn¡¯t a major difference, but it still needed to be done and practiced.


    Marcy and Lucy took the front, Tasha and John were in the middle, and Wyn and Cedric took the back. Marcy needed to find traps and alert them to dangers, while Lucy was a strong choice beside her. She was both a capable warrior and a good defender. If for some reason she was hurt by a surprise opponent, she would become more deadly and powerful. John had the bulk of their defense and could easily hold down several enemies, so him being in the middle meant he could move wherever was needed easiest. Tasha was their primary support, so she could protect or heal all around.


    Cedric wanted to be as far removed from the direct fight as possible, and Wyn could protect him at the back in case they were ambushed or hold an enemy long enough for Cedric to reposition.


    It was straightforward and similar to their previous setups. The only problem with the seventh floor, was that traps and monsters were constantly berating them, and they still had to navigate the maze-like floor despite so many obstacles. Nigel said during their last meeting it took them hours to traverse the floor, and after four grueling hours of fighting, avoiding traps, and dealing with the cold, his group quit to try again another day. Their hope was that they¡¯d get an easier layout on a separate day so they could move on to the next floor.


    Wyn¡¯s group met the same problem their first time in the floor. They quickly found a trapped area, and after avoiding it had to deal with one of the four monster types on the floor. An hour in the floor of constant fighting and stress, and Cedric had them leave to try again.


    Wyn could have kept going but realized the others weren¡¯t as used to pushing themselves. That was okay, though. If they took their time, he was confident they could make it through.


    After only a few minutes of walking they again found their first trap, but it was at least different than before. The environment on the floor was as breathtaking as the previous ones, but it did wind around a mountain with a narrow path similar to the sixth floor. They could walk it three people side by side comfortably, but felt like two at a time was a safer bet with needing to move and fight. Which was important, as the path felt even higher than before. The wind whipped around them stirring up light blue dust, clouding their vision past the already limited sight they had. The surrounding area was coated in a slow moving gray fog, as though the mountain they found themselves was nestled within a massive cloud.


    The edge of the cliff had no visibility past a few feet, and Wyn was afraid of what was beneath his line of sight. So, he felt far more comfortable staying a few feet from the edge. He had no means, mundane or magical, to be able to lift himself back up if he fell over.


    Not for the first time, the thought entered his mind that he should likely look into obtaining an item with a flying effect.


    The trap they stopped at was one they were briefed on but hadn¡¯t encountered yet. Two rock-like bushes sat like mounds on either side of the path, one at the edge of the cliff to their right and one at the edge of the mountain side on their left. Each pile was several feet high and large, easily a few feet wide. Per their report, they didn¡¯t yet have an identifiable name, but Faye referred to them as ¡°living rocks¡± since they activated and sprang to life when approached. Sturdy tendrils lashed out from the mounds and grabbed whatever was close, securing them in a trap while bashing them with other rock tentacles or throwing them around. The danger came in possibly being thrown over the cliff¡¯s edge, or being held and distracted if monsters also came to fight the group.


    A simple blast of wind would disrupt the traps and temporarily paralyze them, but the cost was an entire spell slot dedicated to using wind magic, something Wyn could¡¯t afford and Cedric couldn¡¯t do. Their solution was to have a green rarity wand that had a number of uses per day of first tier wind magic, a simple enough weapon that was easy to obtain. Both Wyn and Tasha had one that carried a dozen uses a day each, which they hoped would be plenty. Their backup plans were to have Cedric change his spell elemental type to wind, or for Wyn to cast Elemental Weapon either on his weapon or Marcy¡¯s bow to bypass the trap.


    After Tasha used her wand on both traps without issue, they continued on. Immediately after stepping past the traps, they met their first monsters of the floor - a pair of Riocks that cawed and swooped down on them from the clouded cover above. They were larger than the previous ones they faced, and had bluish-white glowing runes on their huge gray wings.


    ¡°Take them down quickly so the traps don¡¯t come back!¡± Cedric called, immediately charging a spell at one of the flying creatures.


    Marcy infused an arrow with Ignite before firing it at the furthest Riock, hitting its body. The creature bellowed in pain before crashing into the cliff wall to their side. The impact caused some chunks of rock and sheets of ice to fall into the group, and everyone scrambled and spread out to avoid them.


    ¡°Stay together!¡± Cedric called, firing his spell at the weakened Riock. The creature spasmed on the ground, sizzling from the fire and lighting, but still lived as it moaned in pain. ¡°Lucy, on the weaker one! John and Wyn, hold the other!¡±


    Wyn activated Speed Up and dashed forward along with John. He activated his Squire Aura and raised his shield, ready to defend. The healthy Riock yelled in anger when it saw the other monster on the ground writhing in pain, as though they shared some sort of bond. It elongated its body and stood up, spreading its wings out wide. The runes that spread across it glowed as it stood over ten feet tall.


    ¡°Tasha, Wyn!¡± Cedric yelled.


    Wyn didn¡¯t need to be told what to do, but he was impressed with Cedric¡¯s timed response. Both mages put up barriers between them and the monster, Tasha with her Improved Shell and Wyn with his Shield. Tasha¡¯s barrier was thicker and had a brighter aura than Wyn¡¯s, and he recognized it as her casting it with the power of a second tier spell.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    That was something that Wyn was again envious of as a deficit of his class and boon of the other second tier mage classes. While he did have a couple tier two spells, all of his magic was limited to their own tier. Cedric and Tasha could upscale their tier one spells, improving their effect at the cost of more mana.


    The Riock¡¯s attack fired almost immediately after the barriers went up. It created a large, barrel-thick white and blue magical beam from its beak directly at the group. Wyn¡¯s protective spell held for only a second before shattering, though Tasha¡¯s held longer as the beam collided with the curved barrier.


    Wyn immediately cast another directly in front of them as an emergency precaution. Right as it was formed, the beam broke through Tasha¡¯s spell and dwindled against Wyn¡¯s second Shield. The spell held this time, and the magical light reduced in size dramatically.


    Tasha still fled behind them right after casting her Improved Shell initially to be closer to Cedric, though Wyn stayed so he could cast his second Shield. They didn¡¯t have to stand still once the barriers were placed, but he did need the right angle so the barrier could stop the attack from hitting the group. Tasha could cast her spells from a distance but Wyn was far more limited.


    He extended his weapon into a spear and cast Wellspring. The beast was settled on the ground, and a huge part of its advantage was flying. It could either escape them to return later or attack them from the sky, a disadvantage he didn¡¯t want. The glyph activated right away being under the monster, and it glowed with a faint aura showing it was caught.


    Wyn then cast Feeble to reduce its strength, his last planned spell. He would let John¡¯s Squire Aura give him the physical boost along with Speed Up needed to relentlessly attack the creature. When Feeble was cast, though, his class mark appeared under him, and the spell duplicated. His Chaincast activated, and the second one latched onto the other Riock.


    It was a systematic fight from then on. The damaged monster was already hurt, but having its power dwindled further made it basically like attacking a stunned enemy. Lucy wailed on it until it perished, and the others moved to the second Riock. They overpowered it with their numbers, magic, and variability of attacks. Cedric unleashed several strong spells of lightning while John used his sword skills to increase his weapon¡¯s effectiveness. Marcy shot it with a couple standard arrows, but after realizing they hardly pierced the tough hide and dense feathers, she shot two magical fire arrows that were far more effective.


    In less than a minute it too was dead, and they were once again alone on the side of the mountain.


    After the fight, Cedric had them check in to see their current status. Lucy had some injuries to her arms but nothing outside of her normal. John took a few hits that his shield and armor mostly caught, but he winced when moving his sword arm, reporting either a bruised side or possible damaged rib. Tasha promptly healed them both.


    Wyn¡¯s mana was about half spent, but he would recover that relatively soon. Two mana potions rested on his belt, and he wanted to save them when needed in the middle of fights. He would recover a fair amount between engagements. The others also used a fair amount of mana, especially Cedric and Marcy. Her arrows weren¡¯t effective unless coated in magic, so each attack not considered useless required one of her Ranger spells. She had to drink a mana potion after the fight while Cedric said he could hold off until after their next fight being around half of his mana already.


    They were fine physically but already spent valuable resources, and they just started their climb. Faye told them that higher floor climbing meant resource allocation more than anything, and Wyn understood what she meant.


    The treasure piles left behind the two Riocks were nothing to complain about, though it was mostly silver cloaks. Two sapphire gems were nestled inside, both of which went to their collective pot to be distributed after. John already had enough gemstones for his sword. The most valuable reward, though, was a feather that was found in one of the piles. It glowed with a blue aura and was stark white and cold to the touch.


    Wyn remembered what Gregory reported about the floor¡¯s secondary quest in their most recent meeting. He pulled out his parchment and confirmed it.


    Secondary Quest: Dangerous monsters patrol the more rugged mountains of Isoterra, protecting or taking territory as they see fit. Proof of their defeat is a mark of a true warrior. Each component must be of a differing element.


    Riock feather: 0/2


    Ta-Yurk scales: 0/3


    From what Gregory and Faye confirmed, the items had to be different elements from each monster. The Riocks were of the wind and ice elements, while the Ta-Yurks came in any pack of water, ice, wind, or lightning. They were stronger and faster version of the first floor Ta-Yitz, smaller beasts called dinosaurs that looked like large and deadly chickens. The Ta-Yurks were the size of big dogs, and even faster with vicious melee attacks with their bites and claws and elemental attacks at range. According to their information, they had a mane of dense, brightly colored feathers that glowed when readying their elemental attacks, and tough scales that served as natural defense like metal armor.


    They had plans for all of the enemy types, but it would still be tough fights. Wyn hoped they wouldn¡¯t be too overwhelmed when the time came.


    Moving on, the winding path offered no reprieve from the winds or foggy clouds, making their trek slower than normal. Wyn even had a feeling the winds were picking up and fog growing more dense. Their blue dirt path was going slightly uphill, adding to their slow speed, though at least the width stayed the same. Tasha was continuing to map out their progress on a small piece of parchment, and so far they only had split paths to take that branched off in differing elevations. After about five minutes of walking and passing a second forked path, they found another set of rock traps that Cedric and Tasha disrupted. They waited for more monsters to show but nothing came.


    Another ten minutes of walking and a third forked road later, they came upon a three-way split, one of which was a cave alcove leading directly into the mountain.


    ¡°Thank the gods,¡± Marcy said, raising her voice over the whistling winds.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lucy asked, raising her axe.


    Marcy pointed with her head to the cave on their left. ¡°The cave. Finally.¡±


    Lucy narrowed her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    John sighed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you pay attention during the briefing?¡±


    ¡°John, I¡¯m honestly surprised you did,¡± Marcy said.


    John ignored the slight. ¡°The cave system is the second part of the floor. It traverses through the mountain and ends at a large plateau, which is the third and final part of the floor.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I was too busy focusing on all of the items that lightning boy came up for me,¡± Lucy said, nearly yelling so the rest of the group could hear.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t call me that,¡± Cedric said. ¡°And pay attention next time. It¡¯s valuable information we review.¡±


    Lucy raised her arms in surrender. ¡°Alright, alright. Cedric the Lightning God it is, then.¡±


    Cedric started to reply but paused. ¡°Actually, I quite like that.¡±


    ¡°Can we get into cover, please?¡± Tasha said, holding her raised hood to block out most of the wind. ¡°I can barely hear all of you!¡±


    The others quickly moved into the opening of the cave, and Wyn was startled at the sudden quiet. Outside back on the path, blue dirt was being blown about by the wind, a change that Wyn either failed to notice on their journey or a phenomenon that was so gradual he failed to realize it. The fog was already fairly dense, but in the relatively peaceful area of the cave it was much easier to see the contrast. The only downside was the cave was dark. It was impossible to see much further than a few feet past the entrance.


    ¡°That¡¯s much better,¡± Tasha said, using one hand to brush off dirt from her clothes. She then pulled up her wand and cast Torchlight above her, causing a small orange blob of light to float a foot above her head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re already in the second phase,¡± John said. ¡°Is it just me or did that go a little quick?¡±


    ¡°Either we were incredibly lucky or this is a false path,¡± Cedric said. He walked a feet into the cave and looked further inside. Their area was lit from Tasha¡¯s spell, but it wasn¡¯t a direct beam of light. It just covered a wide area around them.


    John walked up beside Cedric and pointed ahead. ¡°You know what they say! A wrong path means a right reward!¡±


    Wyn walked up beside them. ¡°No one says that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that. Just now.¡±


    Wyn just shook his head while John looked proud of his own joke.


    ¡°Either way, it¡¯ll be good to explore,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Any further out there and we¡¯d be next to useless the way that wind was picking up.¡±


    Wyn grabbed his Mushroom Lantern out of his backpack and started to attach it to his belt. He briefly thought about hiding it from Lucy but figured it would be fine to use. It was too valuable of an item not to use, and if they found a hidden room then so be it. He had a feeling she wasn¡¯t going to give them any trouble. Despite her allegiance to the Assembly she still climbed and fought alongside them, and did so relatively well. She was more rough around the edges than the others but she at least was a reliable teammate. And Wyn had a feeling she may have hated their mutual organization even more than he did.


    With a shake, the small mushrooms inside bounced around and began glowing a soft green light. The dim light extended further than Tasha¡¯s spell, and they could now see at least thirty feet into the cave. The space expanded into a larger room, and there didn¡¯t seem to be any immediate threats. The ceiling was generously tall and the walls thankfully wide, giving them plenty of room to move freely. It was likely a massive cave system if this was just the entrance.


    ¡°That¡¯s a creepy item you got there,¡± Lucy said.


    Wyn shrugged. ¡°It does what we need. Won¡¯t see me complaining about it.¡±


    A rumble ahead caused everyone to move in alarm. They all drew their equipment in anticipation.


    ¡°Wyn, Lucy, you lead with Marcy behind you,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Tasha in the middle behind her, then John with me.¡±


    Wyn took a deep breath as he moved forward with Lucy beside him. They exchanged a shared look of concern before heading further into the cave.

 Book 2 - Chapter 49

    The dim green light from Wyn¡¯s Mushroom Lantern made the cave seem eerie, as though a ghost or specter would rush through the walls at any given moment. It didn¡¯t help that the caves reminded him of when he first obtained the lantern and met the avatar of Alistair, in all of its intimidating glory.


    But Wyn needed to focus on the here and now.


    Stepping forward deeper into the mountain, the relatively small cave mouth opened up into a large room roughly the size of a guild hall. His lantern couldn¡¯t quite reach the edges or ceiling, but their surroundings in a wide circle were empty without any obvious traps or enemies. It was quiet, musty, and still dark despite both sources of light. Marcy didn¡¯t seem alerted, either, and she would likely be the first to recognize any danger.


    ¡°What in the hells caused that rumble?¡± Lucy asked, her voice soft and quiet, nearly a whisper.


    ¡°Who knows,¡± Wyn said. He expanded his shield to full size and weapon to a sword. If something did rush them suddenly he wanted to be ready to defend himself as needed.


    Another twenty feet inside the cave gave them their first full view of the cavern as Wyn¡¯s light finally revealed the far wall. Three archways set against the wall with paths deeper into the mountain under them. They appeared natural in the stone, not anything man or magic made. What did appear unnatural, though, was the soft glow of runes around the edge of the archways that lit with white lights under the lantern¡¯s green glow.


    ¡°Weird,¡± Lucy said. ¡°Your lantern must highlight some sort of markings here.¡±


    Wyn looked back at the others, and they all shared a collective look of concern while Lucy studied the archways. Wyn understood their unspoken communication. Do they tell Lucy about his lantern or keep it to themselves? If he¡¯s going to continue using it more secrets will likely be revealed at some point. Would it be better to tell her about it now, or pretend like it wasn¡¯t the item¡¯s magical effect? She hadn¡¯t shown any indication of betraying them. So far, at least.


    ¡°Has this happened before when using your lantern?¡± Lucy asked, not taking her eyes off the three archways.


    Wyn inwardly wrestled with his thoughts but knew he didn¡¯t want to outright lie. Trust was a two way road. If he wanted Lucy to be any sort of ally of theirs, even one kept at arm¡¯s length, he also needed to give some trust on his end as well.


    But maybe he could do exactly that - keep his trust at arm¡¯s length.


    ¡°Yes, actually,¡± Wyn said, trying to choose his words carefully. ¡°Two seasons ago we found similar markings on some walls and around pathways but couldn¡¯t determine what they meant. We figured it¡¯s likely some sort of magical language of the tower that was beyond our understanding and let it go.¡± That wasn¡¯t a lie at all. Just not the entire truth.


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Lucy said, moving to the far right path. ¡°I¡¯ve climbed with some other groups that had something similar with light sources that originated in the tower but nothing to this degree.¡±


    Wyn felt excitement grow within him. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yep. They just show some hidden runes here and there but no one knew the language, like you said. So they just ignored it and moved on, exactly as you did and exactly as I plan to do now.¡±


    Wyn breathed a sigh of relief. Lucy didn¡¯t appear as though she was going to inquire further about Wyn¡¯s lantern, and having some familiarity with something like it before pushed her off the trail of his special item. He had a feeling that whatever other items she saw wasn¡¯t quite like his own lantern hand gifted to him by the very avatar of Alistair. If it revealed a secret room, though, Lucy could potentially raise more questions. Though secret rooms were known to Climbers, they weren¡¯t easily found. Wyn planned to rely on the hope that Lucy wouldn¡¯t steal the item or betray them but that didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t keep an eye on her. She may not want to serve the Assembly, but if they told her to do something she would have to do it.


    ¡°So that leaves a decision, then,¡± Tasha said, walking a bit closer to the three paths with her own light.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with the far left,¡± Marcy said.


    Cedric barked a laugh. ¡°I remember your terrible luck! I vote the middle. And I¡¯m the leader, so my vote supersedes yours.¡±


    Marcy glared at him but relented. Wyn just smiled. Cedric only pulled the ¡°leader¡± card so far with Marcy, and never with the others. It was relieving to know he was just joking around, and that he wasn¡¯t actually the type of person to be proud enough to use his leadership as a way to get what he wanted. Wyn respected him for that. But it also solidified in his mind that Cedric had the qualities of a great leader and could very well replace him if Gregory wanted.


    Pushing the thought of being replaced out of his mind, Wyn continued to try and focus on the here and now. He and Lucy started down the middle tunnel, and it was as tight and restrictive as the mountain pass outside. The ceiling was likely ten feet tall and width fifteen feet wide, so two people could fight side by side comfortably without too much issue. They couldn¡¯t see too far down the tunnel as it was winding and curved, though at least it was better lit. Glowstones of green and white were periodically placed along the wall and ceiling, all giving off enough of a dim light that his lantern was hardly needed. The colors combined with Wyn¡¯s own green light that made it nearly useless, but he wanted the additional light source just in case.


    After a few minutes of walking they found their first obstacle. Three piles of rocks were stacked in the middle of the path a bit higher than hip height, each the width and size of a barrel. The rocks were mostly gray and black but some of the glowstones were nestled inside them, looking almost like a chunk of the wall was scooped out and placed on the ground.


    Wyn and Lucy stopped at the same time while the Marcy stepped between them. She knelt down and studied the piles for a few seconds before standing up. ¡°They are definitely either a monster or a trap.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Lucy said. ¡°You can¡¯t tell which one?¡±


    Marcy shook her head. ¡°No, just that I¡¯m getting an alert of danger. I can¡¯t differentiate past that, and we were warned that the rock trap and monsters in the tunnel looked identical.¡±


    Lucy sighed. ¡°The next time I¡¯m dozing off in the middle of a floor review, hit me.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± John said.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what they are,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Let¡¯s back up and activate them from a distance. Wyn raise a Shield just in case, and Tasha be ready to supplement that with your own barrier.¡±


    Wyn backed up with the others and readied himself to cast Shield when needed. From what the other leaders said about the rock monsters and traps, both were difficult to overcome but manageable with preparation. The monsters were like giant beetles with literal rock hard carapaces and bodies, highly resistant to attacks but slow to move. The traps were the opposite, in a way - they would explode with only a second¡¯s notice sending debris forcefully in all directions. It was nearly impossible to tell which was which as the traps activated when someone approached them, and determining a difference from further than five feet away was difficult.


    When the group was ready, Marcy shot one of her normal arrows at the furthest pile. It bounced off harmlessly but the mound of rocks began to rumble and shake. It was a similar noise to what Wyn heard earlier at the start of the cave, though on a smaller scale. The pile then shifted to an insect-like monster with a rocky shell, legs, and stubby head. The other two piles soon changed as well, and then the three creatures slowly started stepping towards them with low but intimidating growls.


    Wyn thought the monsters looked more like earth elemental turtles but he wasn¡¯t about to argue the details of something trying to kill him. Instead, he coated his weapon in the wind element using his Elemental Weapon spell and extended it to a spear. The mana cost to use the spell was not insignificant, but the resources spent by everyone else to try and take down high defensive monsters would be far worse. It was easier for Wyn to use the spell and kill the monsters then take a mana potion as needed.


    Stepping closer to the first monster, he stabbed it with his spear and felt the weapon bury itself a few inches into the monster¡¯s shell. It roared in anger and tried to approach him quicker but was still too slow. Wyn took aim and stabbed it under the shell where one of its legs were, and found the attack to be far more successful as the spear went fully into the monster. Two more attacks finished it off without so much of a retaliation.


    Wyn repeated the process with the other two, backing up at the same time to give himself some room over the course of a minute it took to finish them off.Stolen novel; please report.


    It didn¡¯t end up being difficult after all. If there was another trap or monster around, though, it would be far harder.


    The monsters didn¡¯t leave hardly any treasure, so the group continued on.


    Winding around the cave tunnel reminded Wyn of the mushroom cave during his first climb. The glowstones were colored differently and displayed different ambient lights, but the feeling of claustrophobia and dread filled him all the same. Several times he checked around corners as anxiety filled him, half expecting mushroom monsters to pop off from the walls or another bright light to teleport him to see the avatar.


    If any of the others noticed his hesitation, they didn¡¯t say anything. Wyn wondered if they had similar feelings traversing the path.


    Thirty minutes later, the tunnel came to a dead end. There weren¡¯t any branching paths, at least, but going so far only to realize it was the wrong way was still disheartening. Wyn reminded himself of a large positive - recouping his mana during the uneventful walk.


    ¡°At least we know which way not to go,¡± Tasha said at the halfway mark back to the large cave entrance.


    ¡°Your theory is debunked,¡± Marcy said while nudging Cedric in the side. ¡°Now we try the left tunnel.¡±


    Cedric nodded his head in reluctant agreement.


    Returning back to the room, the group shifted over to the left tunnel. It looked exactly the same as before except the glowstones were blue and yellow.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Cedric said, examining one of the stones. He tried to pry one off the wall while his scepter floated beside him, but was unsuccessful.


    Wyn caught on to what Cedric was curious about. The colors likely had to do with elements of monsters or traps that could be found. That piece of information wasn¡¯t included in the floor breakdown during the guild meeting, but the others might not have cared that much to notice or test it.


    As the first tunnel, another group of rocks were found in the tunnel. This time there were only two of them. Marcy once again shot one with an arrow while the group was standing back, and after the arrow bounced off the rocks it began to glow with a bright yellow light.


    Wyn activated his Shield while Tasha cast Shell right behind it. The two mounds of rocks then exploded in a shower of electricity. The closest pile went first, crackling against Wyn¡¯s barrier but not piercing through. The second pile exploded a moment later, obliterating Wyn¡¯s shield but stopping at Tasha¡¯s. Sparks of lightning coursed across the cave wall and ceiling for several seconds before dying out.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Wyn, how fast can you cast a second Shield?¡±


    Wyn thought for a moment. He never had to cast a second barrier in quick succession before, so he wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Try it.¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t see any harm in trying since he¡¯d recover the mana soon enough. Casting the spell once, the moment the barrier flickered into existence he mentally willed another behind it. The familiar runic makeup of the spell appeared under him and a second barrier formed after a few seconds.


    ¡°About three seconds,¡± Cedric said. ¡°So roughly average for a first tier spell.¡±


    Wyn made a mental note about that. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you want to know in case we have more explosions like that?¡±


    Cedric pointed ahead with his scepter. ¡°Exactly. You can stop one of those trapped rock piles but a second would blast through. Tasha¡¯s barrier, casting at the second tier, looks like it could stop two and still hold to mitigate a third. But casting a second tier version of that back to back would take too long if we find traps with more rock piles.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ll put a Shield in front, Tasha will place one behind mine, and then I¡¯ll put another behind hers to be able to stop up to five of them.¡±


    Cedric smiled. ¡°You caught on quick. I remember going down a particular tunnel similar to this while having to explain the basics to you. Oh how far you¡¯ve come.¡±


    Wyn chuckled along with the others but appreciated Cedric¡¯s insight. That information was helpful to know. His first Shield cast usually formed in less than a second, but the delay between the second cast could mean the difference between injury or safety.


    Climbing the first tier didn¡¯t seem to require as much specificity. But Wyn guessed that the second tier added such a difficulty as to require knowing his abilities inside and out, even in areas he hadn¡¯t tested before.


    He suddenly had an urge to replace his weaker gear with stronger pieces that had effects of reducing spell cast time or improving his magic power. At least Cedric had that same thought as there were several pieces with those very effects on his recommended list.


    Lucy abruptly stopped walking down Marcy¡¯s chosen tunnel, causing the others to stop. Wyn heard the noise but was surprised Lucy reacted first. Somewhere ahead of them came a high-pitched chirping sound followed by several more. The noise carried easily past the rocks and around the right turn in front of them, though Wyn wasn¡¯t sure exactly how far away the monsters were. The other monster found on the floor, the Ta-Yurks, reportedly made chirps to communicate. Caryn mentioned it sounded like a pack of wild dogs distorted barking and howling that could only be a tower created monster.


    ¡°Set up traps,¡± Cedric hurriedly whispered. ¡°We¡¯ll take them out as the round the corner.¡±


    Marcy laid down her restraining trap while Wyn placed a Wellspring glyph overlapping it. Together, they easily covered the width of the path. Wyn thought it was borderline cheating, as they would catch the monsters only for Cedric and Marcy to blast them away.


    As the chirps grew louder, Wyn extended his shield and made his weapon a spear. A long sword would be unwieldy in the relatively narrow passage, and he wanted the shield for a more defensive stance. He planned to stab at the monsters while protecting himself, and could change his weapon to a short sword if needed.


    Loud thuds on the rock floor quickly overtook the chirps, and Wyn¡¯s heart raced. He didn¡¯t want to be on the front line with Lucy, that was John¡¯s position. But the monsters were moving fast and would be here any moment. If the monsters really were bipedal, there were at least half a dozen of them. That or they moved so fast their collective steps sounded like more monsters. The first Ta-Yurk rounded the corner a second later, then was caught by both traps.


    Then the second was caught. The third jumped over the traps on the ground towards the wall, using two incredibly large and powerful legs to leap directly over the first two monsters.


    Wyn cursed to himself as he and Lucy were the first lines of defense, but felt emboldened when he realized John activated his Squire Aura behind him. He mentally willed Speed Up to activate and felt his surroundings slow a bit. Looking past the monster not ten feet in front of him, he saw two more Ta-Yurks leap over or around the trapped monsters to join the fight.


    They weren¡¯t just fast. These supposed beasts were smart, too.


    True to the report, the closest monster was a bit shorter than a person, stood on two thick hind legs, had a similarly thick tail behind it, had an elongated face with a wide jaw filled with pointed teeth, and a thick mane that was mostly white. The monster also appeared to have leathery skin, though Wyn knew it was tougher than any hide he was familiar with.


    He desperately cast Flash straight ahead and caught the two closest Ta-Yurks. They immediately chirped a pained yelp, then slid on the rocky ground while stopping their momentum. That was when a sharp crack of lightning hit the closest monster then arced to the ones behind it. A red-trailed arrow followed Cedric¡¯s attack and hit the second monster in the body, causing a small fiery blast to erupt around it.


    Lucy stepped forward and hacked at the first monster, cleaving a gash in its side. She quickly followed it up with another strike, pulling its attention to her as it raised its shorter arms to try and grab her. While the arms were shorter, they held long talons nearly dug into her shoulders. She ducked at the last minute and rolled back towards the group as Wyn stabbed deep into the monster¡¯s backside. He felt resistance on the monster¡¯s hide, but John¡¯s Aura gave him enough of a strength boost to still land a solid blow.


    That was when John stepped forward and took over fighting the bleeding monster. Wyn left them alone and moved back to the others, aiming to take care of them with Lucy. She was already engaged with the next monster, and they were exchanging blows fiercely. He could see she was dealing damage just as much as she was taking it, and cast Regen on her to make sure she wasn¡¯t too injured. They had already discussed the previous week how she preferred that healing spell to Cure, as it would heal her over time and not as much immediately, allowing her to continue a fight while being injured enough for her Fury class ability to be active.


    So, he focused on the third monster as his personal enemy. He cast Feeble on it and allowed the spell to take hold as the monster visibly shrunk a bit. It turned and lashed out with its tail trying to hit him, but he ducked the attack and protected his head with his expanded shield. The powerful tail glanced off of him, and he stabbed with his spear at the monster¡¯s hind leg in retaliation. It pierced deeply, and he was able to stab it once more before it completely turned around to face him again.


    When it did, it¡¯s mane began to glow a sharp white and blue, and Wyn braced himself with Shield. His class mark appeared under him as Chaincast activated, and two barriers were stacked between him and the monster.


    A crack resounded through the tunnel as a powerful chunk of ice shot from the monster¡¯s head. It flew in a white blur only a few feet before breaking Wyn¡¯s first barrier and colliding with his second. He had leapt to the side of the cave just in case they didn¡¯t hold, but was happy to see his second barrier hold just enough to shatter the ice projectile into hundreds of tiny shards. When he realized the back line of the group was in the path of the magical attack, his happiness vanished. They were about twenty feet away and his defense stopped the attack, but if it hadn¡¯t it would have sailed straight for them.


    His fighting strategy was to dodge and avoid attacks utilizing his speed, but realized not everyone had the same method. He needed to be more aware of his position and the rest of the group in the future.


    Angry at himself for his oversight, he charged the monster and began to kill it by means of a thousand cuts. Staying closer to it meant it didn¡¯t use another ranged attack, and he was able to avoid the monster¡¯s close range attacks due to his speed, the monster¡¯s weakened state, and his own skill.


    The Ta-Yurk died soon after after Wyn stabbed it a third time in the neck, and it bled out on the ground. Turning his attention to the two trapped creatures, he realized they were on the ground as well, blackened and charred.


    The sounds of fighting soon ended and everyone regrouped. No one was seriously injured, but John and Lucy took some hits that Tasha recovered. The rewards were better than the rock monsters at least, and they found three scaled to help with their secondary quest - two being ice element and one lightning.


    Just as they finished collecting, Tasha gasped, alerting Wyn to possible danger. She was at the end of the path where it curved, and he ran over beside her along with the others.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Wyn asked, raising his weapon.


    Tasha¡¯s surprised face changed to one of excitement as she pointed ahead, and Wyn¡¯s face soon matched hers. ¡°A treasure room!¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 50

    Calling the treasure room a room was generous, but Wyn didn¡¯t care. It was still a more than welcome sight. It barely could fit the contents and all six Climbers, but none of them argued when they stepped inside to inspect the large wooden chest glowing at the far wall. Cedric and Wyn decided to stay outside the room in case more monsters showed up or there was a trap while the others carefully walked inside the cave alcove.


    Hearing Tasha gasp and John laugh made Wyn smile subconsciously. He knew it was a good find, no matter what the reward would be. But knowing his friends were excited was extra special. He hoped it would be at least similarly rewarding as the chest they found on the last month¡¯s seventh floor.


    ¡°We found a blue helmet and a green necklace,¡± John said loudly. He was excited while rummaging through the chest which created a lot of clanging and jingling.


    ¡°And two sacks of coins mixed with gems,¡± Lucy said.


    Wyn¡¯s excitement dimmed a bit. It wasn¡¯t as great as when they found Marcy¡¯s cloak or Tasha¡¯s ring, but it was still magical gear that would be valuable.


    ¡°We¡¯ll identify the items back in the city,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Store them with the coins and gems in John¡¯s pack and we¡¯ll divvy them up evenly.¡±


    The four others came out of the small space with serious and confused expressions.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to at least see what the items are?¡± Marcy asked. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a small find.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not even wearing a necklace,¡± Lucy said. ¡°Anything it has could benefit me. And those coins were mostly crowns, which is a huge reward in of itself. We can¡¯t divide them here?¡±


    Cedric shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on finishing the floor. We still don¡¯t know if this is even the right way yet, and these second tier floors could take hours to finish. I¡¯d rather be done and then check them while relaxed.¡±


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be helpful -¡± John started, but was interrupted by a brief green glow and the plain necklace he was holding change to a simple white chain holding a small sapphire.


    The group looked at Lucy who held an identifying eyeglass over her left eye. ¡°What? Debate all you want, but it¡¯s identified now and I want to see what it does. Then we can carry on.¡± She held out a hand for the necklace but John continued to hold it.


    Wyn was about to say something then reminded himself he wasn¡¯t currently the group¡¯s leader. This was Cedric¡¯s problem to address.


    Cedric took a step towards Lucy, and the tension was palpable. No one else said a word. He paused before gathering his words. ¡°I understand why you did that and we do need to move on. John, go ahead and give her the necklace.¡±


    John hesitated, but then held out the item. Lucy delicately took it.


    ¡°But remember this, Lucy,¡± Cedric continued. ¡°If you don¡¯t agree on something, bring it up with me after. While we climb, though, you listen to the leader. And right now that¡¯s me. You should be good at taking orders, so you need to do the same here, too. Understand?¡±


    Wyn felt his heart skip a beat and saw Tasha tense. That¡­ was a bold thing to say. But Cedric didn¡¯t appear to be in as forgiving of a mood as Wyn initially thought. He definitely didn¡¯t shy away from saying what was needed, even with Lucy still being a wild card.


    Lucy returned his stare, then realized he wasn¡¯t backing down. She held the necklace in her hand but nodded to him. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We¡¯ve already stayed here too long and I want to keep moving. Finish out the cave tunnel and then maybe we can take a small break.¡±


    Lucy promptly put on the necklace and moved with Wyn to resume their formation. They continued down the tunnel as the others placed themselves equally behind them.


    Wyn was impressed with Cedric. If he wasn¡¯t the leader with his group before, then surely he must have been groomed to be the leader eventually. He¡¯s calculating, decisive, and firm. All qualities of a great leader.


    Despite wanting to continue being the head of their group, Wyn knew he wouldn¡¯t be upset if Cedric was called to lead them. And they would be in good hands, too.


    ¡°At least you weren¡¯t a hard ass,¡± Lucy whispered, still fingering the necklace as it draped over her chest.


    Wyn smirked. ¡°I can be given the circumstance. Cedric is the same way.¡±


    Lucy pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from her pouch and flattened it. Reading it for a few seconds, she then crumpled it again and returned it to her pouch. Wyn had no idea why she wouldn¡¯t just fold it like a normal person, but he wasn¡¯t about to tell her that.


    ¡°And?¡± Wyn asked.


    Lucy looked at him while they slowly kept walking down the tunnel. ¡°It gives me a small amount of ice resistance and increases my mana a bit, too.¡±


    ¡°Pretty good. I could have used that facing down that wyvern. Might not have had such a serious time with my fingers.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something. I won¡¯t complain.¡±


    The tunnel went on for another hour, with the group having to deal with two more sets of rock monsters. They were covered in yellow glow stones and lightning based, making Cedric¡¯s attacks less effective. Wyn still made short work of them with his Elemental Weapon spell, taking both fights slow but steady.


    The path was much further than the first one, which told the group they were likely going the right way. They had to back track a couple of times with more options to continue, eating up another hour.


    Soon, though, they were elated to find a source of additional light at the end of a long straight stretch of the path. Picking up their speed, they found the end, coming out of the mountain into a large quarry. It was difficult to tell if their elevation changed from the other side of the cave entrance, but it didn¡¯t matter in the end.


    They found the third phase of the seventh floor. It was the shortest but also the hardest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a small break,¡± Cedric said, pulling the others back inside the cave tunnel. ¡°Rest your legs, get some water, then we¡¯ll clear it out. Wyn, get me up in about an hour.¡± He then pulled out his pack and laid against the wall, covering himself to rest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget food,¡± John said, taking out a wrapped hunk of food. He had a glimmer of excitement in his eyes as he unwrapped a piece of bread and meat. He had no such qualms about mana recovery.


    ¡°How could we ever forget food with you around,¡± Tasha said, sitting against the cave wall.


    Wyn joined them and stretched his legs. They had spent an entire morning and midday climbing straight, and his body was tired. He could tell Tasha and Cedric were, too. Lucy and John had skills that improved their bodies to a point where exhaustion wasn¡¯t as easily noticeable, while Marcy either hid it well or was far more fit than Wyn gave her credit for.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Still, Wyn¡¯s mana was nearly at full due to all the downtime of walking, and he¡¯d recover the remainder easily before they moved on. But the physical rest was good so he¡¯d be in better shape to face the last portion of the floor.


    He joined John eating lunch and relaxing. Marcy kept a vigilant eye on the area outside the cave while Lucy laid down and closed her eyes.


    It was a surprisingly peaceful time. The mountain air was cold, but not biting or chilling to the bone. Wyn¡¯s coat kept him comfortable, and the others had enough gear on that they seemed fine. The quarry outside had patches of rolling fog move through, making the area occasionally obscured. The wind picked up mixed blue and pink dirt and swirled it around, making the area look like a whimsical desert more than mountain.


    Despite that, Wyn knew the dangers that still lurked in the space beyond and behind. The others soon rested, while Wyn stayed vigilant. He was used to keeping watch over his allies.


    Even with looking around, Wyn kept glancing back over at Lucy. She laid down almost immediately after Cedric, not bothering to talk to anyone or engage at all. Wyn understood why. She was still the group outcast, a pariah among friends.


    And she was still associated with the Assembly. Wyn couldn¡¯t shake that fact no matter how hard he tried. Over the past few weeks, she definitely helped them climb with her strength and skill. Wyn wouldn¡¯t argue that. She had a good compliment to their existing abilities, she carried herself well as a warrior, and she fought with conviction.


    The only problem - which was a big problem - was Wyn just could not trust her.


    In the back of his mind he had thoughts that if the Assembly wanted him to work for them, they would try any underhanded means to get him. Attack him or one of his friends. Threaten Benedict or Daniel. Or his sister. If what she said was true about her reason for being involved with them, then why would they stop at his debt being cleared if climbing was so lucrative? Recruiting Wyn made sense. At any means necessary.


    He was afraid they would give an order to harm him or others at his expense, and Lucy would be the one who had to carry it out. That fact gave a lingering sense of dread.


    But Wyn was fully prepared for that scenario. He knew her handler would push that far, and he had plans in place if they did.


    Gregory and the Twilight Blades had to know about Lucy¡¯s affairs, but he had a feeling they had someone pulling the strings inside the guild. He had no idea who it was, but it was the only thing that made sense. That, or there was an unknown sponsor outside of the guild members that dictated guild events. For that reason he didn¡¯t want to reveal her secret until the opportune time.


    At the end of the month, Wyn was expected to pay the next installment of his father¡¯s debt. But he would do much more than that. He was going to propose selling his family¡¯s farm to clear the remainder. Reviewing the idea with Arabelle and Daniel, he was confident in it¡¯s worth and potential future worth to an organization that has its hand in just about anything. A large plot of land that could be used for just about anything nefarious? Wyn had a pitch for his plan, and was confident they would take it. He was also confident they would try and recruit him after.


    If - and likely when - it came to that, blood would be shed. Wyn only hoped it wasn¡¯t his own.


    The rest of the break went by quickly as Wyn was lost in his thoughts. Soon they collected themselves and moved out of the mouth of the cave. They resumed their trap formation with Marcy and Lucy in the front, Tasha and John in the middle, and Wyn and Cedric in the back.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Marcy said, not two minutes after leaving the covered tunnel. She immediately nocked an arrow and stopped, causing the others to stop and ready their weapons, too.


    Wyn looked around but couldn¡¯t see anything past twenty or so feet though could hear roars, screeches, and sounds of fighting. He felt on edge and could tell the others were the same as Tasha shook holding her wand and John protectively pushed her behind him.


    Suddenly a large gust of wind pushed the nearby fog away, revealing two Riocks hovering overhead clashing with a group of Ta-Yurks. When the fog cleared, everyone hesitated to jump in. The fighting monsters kept their attention on each other, ignoring the Climbers. Wyn hadn¡¯t seen anything quite like it. Would they kill each other and completely ignore them? If they died from each other, would they drop rewards?


    One of the Riocks clawed a Ta-Yurk by swooping down into the group and slashing out with its dagger-like talons. The monster wailed in pain and laid on the ground unmoving while the others barked and screeched at the flying monster. One of the Ta-Yurks with a yellow mane glowed with magic, causing a large streak of lightning to flash into the sky. It grazed one of the Riocks but still damaged it quite a bit. The power in that attack rivaled one of Cedric¡¯s more powerful spells.


    ¡°Do we just wait it out?¡± Lucy asked.


    ¡°We could clean up when a few more of them die,¡± Marcy said, her bow half raised with an arrow ready to be drawn. ¡°Let them hurt each other some more then blast them to the hells.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m inclined to agree with Marcy,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of monsters attacking other monsters before. But I¡¯m afraid if we don¡¯t do anything we won¡¯t get any credit or rewards.¡±


    ¡°Maybe when one of the Riocks becomes grounded?¡± Wyn asked.


    Cedric nodded. ¡°That¡¯s as good a time as any. Marcy and I will attack them and the rest of you run in after. Tasha, give them some protection.¡±


    Wyn looked over at the Herald and saw her slowly morph from concerned to serious. The three melee fighters came closer together and Tasha began casting her Arcane Aura spell boosted by her own class ability for the spell to coat all three of them. Soon the spell took hold, and Wyn felt the familiar magical armor envelop him.


    Just how bad was this going to be?


    A few seconds later, one of the Ta-Yurks succumbed to a powerful beak attack by a Riock, in retaliation of the other monstrous bird being swarmed with attacks when it hovered just a few feet off the ground. It fell hard with a thud and was soon overtaken.


    Cedric began casting a spell, and Wyn could tell it was going to be a big one. The runic formation at the end of his staff was larger with more circles, and it took several seconds for him to fully form it. As he was still casting it, Marcy drew an arrow that was glowing blue.


    Wyn smiled. He knew exactly what they were planning.


    ¡°Drench!¡± Marcy said, and her arrow shot out at a blinding speed. It hit one of the Ta-Yurks and exploded in a wide cascade of water. The force knocked over several of the closest monsters entirely, while the others were simply knocked back a few feet. Even the flying Riock had water coat its feathers from the hit.


    The magical arrow didn¡¯t do too much overall damage, but that wasn¡¯t the point. Immediately after Cedric¡¯s spell was done, and a bright light flashed from the topaz at the end of his scepter.


    ¡°Chain Lightning!¡±


    A crack of thunder boomed around them as a powerful bolt of lightning slammed into one of the Ta-Yurks. It was knocked backwards several feet before the electric hit coursed through its body and scattered to the other monsters. Two of the Ta-Yurks didn¡¯t seem too affected by the spell as they were only stunned in place for a few moments, while the other monsters all reacted far harsher. The still flying Riock was paralyzed and crashed to the ground in a heap. The spell lingered on the group for several seconds, and Wyn knew it was because of the elemental interaction of the lightning hitting after Marcy¡¯s water arrow.


    John activated his Squire Aura and began running, his shield by his side and his sword glowing red. With his new armor, he looked like a demon knight in the snowy landscape of the mountain quarry. Wyn ran beside him while Lucy took off on his other side, the three of them rushing the enemies ahead. On the way, Wyn activated Speed Up to enhance himself further.


    If the monsters had the power of first tier enemies, it would have been a slaughter. But of course they were stronger, more durable, and overall more powerful. They still had a massive disadvantage, though, being attacked so ruthlessly from the spells, and didn¡¯t stand much of a chance once the three met them head on.


    Wyn took out two of the Ta-Yurks with slashes from his spear, then stabbed the Riock several times in quick succession. His strikes flashed from his heightened strength and speed, and in seconds the monsters were dissipating back to the tower.


    The other grouped up and collected the rewards that dropped from the monsters. Among them were more coins, a pair of green rarity boots, and enough of a variety of Riock feathers and Ta-Yurk scales to complete the secondary quest for two of them. They stashed the items before continuing.


    Wyn took five steps before the ground shook, causing all of them stop and Tasha to stumble to the ground. A large figure rose from the ground thirty feet in front of them, the ground cracking away like large sheets of ice. It was a monstrous creature, as big as the flying Riocks, and lumbered forward on four thick legs that held its wide but powerful frame. Its body was rounded and long with numerous large white scales that extended from its snout to the tip of its tail. They didn¡¯t sit evenly on the monster like a reptile, but rather stood off of it like thousands of spikes. It had a long neck with an imposing head, and dark blue eyes stared at the group before it roared in anger.


    The Climbers reviewed the monster before they climbed with limited information that the guild leaders shared with Wyn. The boss was a cousin of the wyvern and dragons, similarly strong and similarly smart. Its element was ice and it had a ranged magical attack where it shot out ice spikes similar to the Ice Shard spell, though up to a dozen at a time. Its scaly hide was durable, obviously weak to fire elemental attacks and resistant to blades. The only feature to exploit was that it was slow, though Wyn knew that if he or one of the others were directly hit by its attack they would be seriously injured even with their protective gear. The monster looked like it could flatten a wagon with ease.


    Wyn braced himself before Cedric started giving them orders for the fight.

 Book 2 - Chapter 51

    Marcy immediately activated her cloak to fly up in the air, followed by firing a fire coated arrow. The projectile smashed against its side causing a small blast but the creature didn¡¯t even acknowledge the hit. Some of the scales were blackened and more were red, but it started walking towards them with determination.


    ¡°Everyone, large boss formation!¡± Cedric yelled, immediately activating his circlet. Two other copies of himself appeared nearby, mimicking his actions as illusions.


    He wasn¡¯t taking any chances, and Wyn knew the others were prepared to do the same.


    The large boss formation was a standard strategy where an enhanced John would hold the enemy''s attention with Wyn supporting him using his bracer shield and casts of his Shield spell to make sure John wasn¡¯t hurt. Tasha would call Baratheon to come and either absorb damage or beat on the creature as much as possible, while Lucy attacked at any opening around the creature¡¯s flank. Marcy performed her role as expected, and soon another creature joined the fight with her using her cloak¡¯s other feature of summoning a deathhawk to help Lucy attack at whatever opening was available.


    Cedric changed his spell type to fire and blasted the creature in the face with a beam of fire before it met John in direct combat. The blast actually caused it to shake its head in recognition of being hit, though no obvious injury was shown. Wyn hoped more damage was done that wasn''t immediately obvious.


    Wyn placed a Wellspring on the ground directly in front of John before casting Feeble. The spell took effect as a skull appeared above it with a subtle black aura coating its body. He then cast Shield as the creature swiped at John, and was horrified to see it completely smash through the barrier. John¡¯s own shield held, though he was pushed back on the snowy ground.


    A second attack was similarly slowed by breaking Wyn¡¯s magical barrier and blocked with John¡¯s defense, though loud thumping steps made Wyn breathe easier. The large form of Baratheon then joined the fight, stepping on the other side of John and punching the monster in the side. The beast wailed as it was knocked to the ground, and Marcy, Cedric, Lucy, John, and the deathhawk took the opportunity to attack wherever there was an opening.


    Wyn didn¡¯t want to be the only one standing to the side, though he saw John¡¯s first strike only leave a small knick in the monster¡¯s crystalline body despite the weapon being imbued with the fire element. John then activated his Bash skill and hit the monster with far more effectiveness, leaving a smoking dent where he hit it as the monster thrashed on the ground.


    The weapon in Wyn¡¯s hand morphed into a mace with a thought, and Wyn proceeded to bash the monster as many times as he could manage. With his enhanced speed he hit much faster than the others, and with his increased strength from John''s aura he was able to break several of the crystal scales off.


    A few seconds later the Zalman-drake curled into a ball, and Cedric immediately yelled at everyone to get away. Wyn remembered the monster¡¯s ranged attack was wild but deadly, and he turned to sprint away. After crossing about twenty feet, he turned back to the monster, ready to cast Shield.


    A bright white and blue glow quickly gathered around the boss and Wyn cast Shield in front of him. He saw a larger barrier form in front of Lucy and John, and Baratheon just knelt to the ground and covered its head and chest with crossed arms.


    The light flashed as the monster yelled, causing a flurry of ice spikes to shoot in all directions. Wyn¡¯s barrier caught three of them, Tasha¡¯s caught more, and seemingly half of the projectiles flew out into the air harmlessly. One shard of ice embedded itself in Baratheon¡¯s arm, but the angelic behemoth didn¡¯t seem affected at all.


    Before the combatants could return to the fight, another pair of spells hit the drake, one a flaming, jagged line of magic from Cedric, and the other an exploding fire arrow from Marcy. As the remains of the spells burned, Wyn coated his weapon in fire using Elemental Weapon. Taking every advantage he had was needed to overcome such a resilient monster.


    To that end, he also cast Decay on himself while running forward to hit the beast in the nose. The monster recoiled in pain, damaged from the multitude of abilities being used against it. When it refocused back at Wyn, it swiped at him with a front leg with impressive speed.


    Wyn fell to the ground, rolling under and away from the attack. He popped to his feet right away and hit the monster in the leg twice while the others continued pummeling on it from all sides. Baratheon connected a punch on the monster¡¯s backside and sent it down to the ground again.


    The Climbers and their summons kept pummeling on the monster repeatedly, whittling it down slowly but surely. After several minutes of fighting it, it began to glow again, readying another attack.


    Wyn suddenly had an idea. He had another ability to use, one that didn¡¯t have a solid opportunity to be useful. His other class skill, Silence Attack, was an active skill that cost little mana but was only useful for one hit. It worked to reduce magical power on enemies and make them temporarily unable to use magic. Most of the first tier had a lack of enemies that used strong magic, but now in the second tier the monsters were becoming more prominent and the skill would be needed. This boss was the perfect example.


    His mace glowed blue on top of the red flaming aura, and Wyn struck the Zalman-drake on the leg with a relatively average hit. The blue glow transferred to the monster, though, and it was different than the usual ice-aspected elemental aura that it used when readying its ability. It suppressed the monster¡¯s own aura and snuffed it like a candle in the wind.


    The monster¡¯s ice scales flared but didn¡¯t budge. Wyn wanted to laugh at the skill¡¯s effectiveness and how well it just prevented a boss monster from using a strong attack. Instead, he settled on continuing his assault along with the others.


    Eventually the monster slowed to where its attacks were easier to avoid or block and it bled blood blue from its mouth and exposed wounds. Even with Baratheon there to punch and hit the monster with huge hits over and over, the monster displayed incredible endurance behind a ridiculous defense. Wyn started to wonder how they would have managed without the brutish Calling.


    When the monster finally succumbed to the Climber¡¯s attacks and fell without getting back up, Wyn wanted to fall over with it. His breathing was ragged, his arms as heavy as iron. He shrunk his mace back to a dagger and sheathed it, then reduced his shield to the dormant bracer. He went down to a knee in fatigue and watched the Zalman-drake slowly disappear into smoke leaving behind a huge pile of treasure.


    John and Lucy both collapsed on the other side of the treasure pile. Baratheon and the deathhawk had been gone at that point, and the last portion of the fight was only the Climbers. They pushed themselves past the point of exhaustion to beat down the defensive monster, despite their improved physical bodies.


    Cedric walked up to the melee fighters and knelt close to Wyn. ¡°Let¡¯s get our rewards and go home to rest. Congratulations, everyone. We finished the seventh floor.¡±


    Tasha came over to inspect the Climbers, taking her time with John. After a few minutes of recovery, they hugged when he sat up, and Wyn left them alone. Lucy rolled over and sat up, staring at the treasure pile where the monster was defeated. Wyn didn¡¯t blame her, as he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of it either.


    It was the largest pile of treasure he¡¯d ever seen.


    He imagined the amount would be comparable to what they found in chests in the second tier, except it was just lying there on the ground. There had to be thousands of coins, and Wyn noted it was mostly silver cloaks and gold crowns. At least a dozen gemstones that Wyn could see where in it, too, along with several corked potion bottles and a buried item that gave off a blue aura. A smaller green aura came off a glass vial on the edge of the pile as well. Wyn remembered that potions rarely had better magical effects and were considered magically tiered, which was likely what was in the pile.


    Marcy was kneeling near the pile and began to collect the treasure into her own pack. The others soon joined her. Silently they all pitched in to gather the treasure, even Lucy. Wyn watched her out of the corner of his eye but didn¡¯t notice anything underhanded. They would receive a total amount of rewards collected when they returned to the base, so it wasn¡¯t like they were stealing. Even if she kept whatever coins she was gathering it wouldn¡¯t likely be an equal share from the total haul.


    When they got to the item and potion, Marcy and John held them.


    ¡°The guild will probably want the potion,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Non mana or healing potions are more rare than magical items, and we could likely trade for a good item in the vault.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Cedric said. He pointed to the blue rarity chainmail shirt John was holding. ¡°And that should be a good item. We only have enough of the secondary quest for two of us, but I don¡¯t think we have the means to go hunting for the other requirements. I wanted to do another lower floor climb after dinner and we should rest until then.¡±


    ¡°And divvy up the rewards,¡± Lucy said. ¡°This was a serious haul.¡±


    ¡°Yes it was. After we get the floor rewards we can tally everything up back at the guild. Just hold onto them until then.¡±


    From there it was simple. They exited the floor, returned to the base in the tower, and met the guild attendant for their rewards.


    Wyn was happy to see another 360 gold crowns slide across the counter. Clearing the seventh floor wasn¡¯t easy, but the reward was worth it. And that was only the floor completion reward. He was confident he¡¯d make nearly twice as many crowns with his share, and they still had items to distribute. Not only that, but they made it out without major injury. Several of them used mana potions - Cedric and Tasha using multiple - but overall their resource management was decent. The two biggest factors they actually used were their time and energy. Wyn was told the higher floors would use those the most, and that climbing the third and fourth tiers would take all day with most layouts, and he could see why. Even just the seventh floor was long, and took hours to complete with fatigue easily setting in at the boss.


    Still, they completed it and lived to tell the rest of the guild about it. It was a good day.


    The two rewards they received from the Secondary Quest was more coins and two blue rarity items. They waited until they returned to the guild to identify them and fully separate the winnings, per Cedric¡¯s order. Wyn wasn¡¯t about to complain or argue. It would be good to review them while in their new home.


    The blue items they found were a helmet, chain mail, mace and cloak. The mace and cloak were from the reward chests while the others were found from monsters. The helmet was a Frost Giant¡¯s Headwrap, an item that improved overall strength and endurance when wielding an ice elemental weapon, and gave great resistance to ice elemental attacks. It wasn¡¯t a bad item at all, but not useful for anyone in the group since the condition involved using an ice elemental weapon.


    The mace and cloak were identified as Wood Thumper and Shadowed Garb respectively, and had effects more suited to different climbing styles. The cloak was obviously fit for a Rogue, though Marcy could have used it more than anyone else. Her current cloak was far better, though. The mace was an earth elemental weapon that had a good chance to create magical knock back hits on every strike, which was a strong effect. It just wasn¡¯t useful to the current season. They decided to both to the pile to trade.


    The item drop from the boss was the best. It was called Drake¡¯s Frozen Brand, and it was part of a set. It was blueish white with thick scales as the chain links, and improved the power of physical skills by a moderate amount, lessened mana for active skills, and provided elemental resistance. Lucy immediately asked to use it, and forfeited her other rewards for it. Wyn thought that was more than fair, since she also gave up her coins. She kept the necklace they found, and Cedric said it would be worth it to find the other pieces of the set for an improved bonus. She also agreed to give up any coins for the rest of the week as long as they would at least try to find the other pieces of the set, which impressed Wyn. It really did seem like she was trying to be fair in their group. Cedric reminded them that his other goal was to improve everyone¡¯s equipment anyway, and if that set gave her similarly beneficial bonuses than it was in her best interest to find them and use them.


    Everyone was in a good mood while they rested. Cedric said he wanted to climb a lower floor after dinner to hunt for more items, returning to the third floor for the secondary quest so they could exchange more green rarity items for some blue items on their lists.


    Wyn asked to meet at Alistair after dinner as he wanted to go visit Arabelle. They had their own dinner meeting to attend.


    *****


    The salted pork nearly melted in Arabelle¡¯s mouth, and she savored every bite. Ever since coming to Alestead she¡¯d been eating like a queen. She was lucky to eat two meals a day before, and even then they were pathetic. Now, she ate as often as she wanted, driven by a healthy wage from Benedict and being payed for by Wyn frequently. She was initially concerned about the large difference in quantity of food she was eating, but training so much with Daniel was keeping her fit and healthy.


    Now, though, the meal continued on, and her nerves were getting the better of her. That funny feeling in the pit of her stomach was stopping her from eating too much despite wanting to gorge on the food that was being covered by her brother.


    Their guests, though, were normally good company, but the expected conversation made her queasy.


    ¡°This is one of the finest places in the city,¡± Bartholomew said, his second plate already cleaned. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we¡¯ll be leaving in a few days!¡±


    ¡°One of the best despite not being the most expensive,¡± Roscoe added, dabbing at the corners of his mouth with a napkin. ¡°You¡¯ve certainly chosen well! I would have never tried it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to tell my friend you said that,¡± Wyn said, taking a sip of his wine. His plate was mostly clean, and it was only his first.


    Arabelle recognized how Wyn was likely as nervous as she was. If Wyn forgot to thank Tasha for the recommendation, she would definitely not forget. Both Roscoe and Bartholomew were in one of the best moods she¡¯d seen since knowing them.


    ¡°Please do,¡± Roscoe said. ¡°I know people who would pay good money for a curated list of places to visit here in the city. Something to remember, dear,¡± he said, pointing with a finger to Arabelle while the rest of his hand held a wine glass.


    ¡°Oh, Benedict has been too good to me to suddenly leave,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°Even when I start climbing I think I¡¯ll help him when I can.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a fantastic idea! Always good to keep your eyes open for business opportunities! Climbing isn¡¯t meant to be your life¡¯s end, after all.¡±


    Arabelle smiled and nodded in agreement. She then glanced at Wyn, who cleared his throat to speak. That was the perfect invitation for him to pitch their idea.


    ¡°That¡¯s a great point, Roscoe,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And has a lot to do with why we asked both of you to dinner tonight.¡±


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t just a friendly gathering?¡± Bartholomew asked, his lips curling into a smirk. ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°You mean, dear friend, that our new acquaintances are wanting to utilize our profession?¡± Roscoe asked. ¡°Say it isn¡¯t so!¡±


    The two men suddenly started chuckling and Arabelle felt her own lips creep into a smile. Surprisingly, it was relieving seeing them aware that she and her brother wanted to ask something of them.


    ¡°I guess we aren¡¯t very subtle,¡± Wyn said, looking to Arabelle.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Roscoe said. ¡°But that¡¯s alright. Before we get into details, Arabelle, dear. How has your payment been coming?¡±


    Araballe cleared her throat and put a small pouch on the table. She was prepared for this. ¡°I¡¯ve managed to secure half.¡±


    Roscoe smiled at her and took the pouch, examining the contents. He moved some coins around inside and nodded approvingly. ¡°You¡¯re too modest. It seems a bit more than half.¡±


    ¡°14 crowns, eight cloaks, and seven boots,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°I made a few tips here and there to make that up. It¡¯s what I¡¯ve been able to spare.¡±


    ¡°Spare?¡± Roscoe said. ¡°That¡¯s an impressive amount for just three weeks. You should be proud of yourself!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I told her,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And she adamantly refused any of my coin.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Roscoe said, pocketing the pouch. ¡°I understand you wanting to help your sister but it speaks volumes about her wanting to settle this on her own. Arabelle, I¡¯m glad we connected that dreadful day on the road. You¡¯ll go far. I know it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Arabelle said, steeling her resolve so she wouldn¡¯t cry. Her father never so much as spared a kind word to her, and yet this man, who¡¯s only known her for a short time, was both kind and fun.


    ¡°That¡¯s also part of our business proposition,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Arabelle plans to climb, and eventually we¡¯ll be free from our father¡¯s debt. We want to establish some long term opportunities, as you said. And a traveling merchant we trust is just who we¡¯re looking for.¡±


    Bartholomew filled his glass of wine and watched while Roscoe¡¯s face turned serious. Arabelle recognized that look. That was a look that meant business.


    ¡°Continue,¡± Roscoe said.


    Wyn looked to Arabelle. She only nodded.


    ¡°We obtain a fair number of magical items from the tower,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Those we don¡¯t use, we aim to sell rather than keep.¡±


    ¡°Why not use Benedict?¡± Bartholomew asked. ¡°He has a shop suited for exactly that.¡±


    ¡°I do use him,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But I tend to bring him more items than he can reasonably sell to customers here. I sought out a private buyer previously but it didn¡¯t work out. And we have an idea for Benedict with our current proposal.¡±


    ¡°A private buyer, huh?¡± Roscoe said. ¡°I take it they had specific demands for items?¡±


    Wyn narrowed his eyes. ¡°Yes. Exactly. I had a strange feeling about him, too. I couldn¡¯t fully trust him and decided to stop our business together during our second meeting.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of people out there who work for questionable clients,¡± Roscoe said. ¡°Who knows where those items will end up, and in whose pockets. I can¡¯t say it was a good idea to meet with them in the first place, but I understand your predicament. It was good you stopped.¡±


    Arabelle knew what Wyn was thinking because she thought the same thing. It was something they discussed before the dinner. Benedict was the one who originally mentioned the private buyer, and both of them decided it was best not to bring that up. The shop owner was eccentric and had networks in all places, but that wasn¡¯t the best avenue for both of them in the end. Roscoe would hopefully be far better. He visited Alestead once every month or two, and had consistent turn over with items and merchants.


    ¡°We are, too,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But now that leaves us with items we stand to sell now, and potential deals in the future as we keep climbing.¡±


    Roscoe leaned back and took a long drink of his wine. He then set it on the table, where Bartholomew quickly refilled it. ¡°I don¡¯t have a large clientele for tower items, but I do know of some buyers. For you two, I could sell about six items a month on average. At a lower price than your previous buyer, mind you, but consistent. From green rarity items up to purple at a fair price.¡±


    Arabelle felt her heart race. That wasn¡¯t just a decent offer, that was a promise of a lot of future wealth. If they could sell half a dozen items per month, they could easily net over a thousand crowns just from Roscoe, let alone whatever they earned in the tower.


    With that kind of money, they could start a new life anywhere after a few years climbing. Even climbing conservatively. In the right place, they could even establish themselves as lesser nobles after some time. Arabelle had trouble wrapping her mind around that kind of life.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t quite as much as you need now, though, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bartholomew asked.


    ¡°No, but we have a plan for that,¡± Arabelle said, refocusing to the conversation.


    ¡°Good,¡± Roscoe said. ¡°What¡¯s your plan for Benedict?¡±


    ¡°His shop is going to be Arabelle¡¯s exclusive supplier of items,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Hopefully her group moving forward, too. I¡¯m working on convincing my guild to use him as well, though they do have their own contacts. I¡¯ll continue using him as able myself.¡±


    Roscoe and Bartholomew exchanged a look, smiled, and then raised glasses. Arabelle quickly raised one herself after some looks of encouragement from the men, and Wyn joined, too. They finalized their deal with dessert, stories, and laughs.


    The dinner was easy from there. Wyn had to leave to meet with his group for another climb, and she enjoyed Roscoe and Bartholomew¡¯s company for likely the last time before the left the city. They promised to visit next month, at which point Arabelle would finish her payment to Roscoe for bringing her safely to the city.


    She never felt so happy paying someone than she did for Roscoe. The man not only saved her - with some great help from Bartholomew - but he gave her a chance at a new life with her brother. Something she¡¯d been wanting her whole life.


    Her excitement grew within her and she couldn¡¯t wait to tell Daniel about their deal and future.

 Special Announcement!

    Everyone,


    First off, thank you so much for reading The Ruby Magician. It''s been an absolute pleasure writing and sharing this story over the past year! I''ve learned a lot and hope to continue to grow a lot in my writing. I can hardly believe we''re over 440k words at this point.


    Second, I have a few updates for The Ruby Magician!


    1) I have signed a deal with Podium! The Ruby Magician will come to paperback, kindle unlimited, and audiobook formats in 2026! This has been a relatively new development, so we''re still early in the process. But I''ll have editing done, a new cover, will be picking a narrator this year, and book one will be out in 2026!


    2) I plan to take the rest of January off from the main story, and will substitute a short story/novella featuring a special cast. It is still very much in the same universe as the current story, and I''ll be uploading it here to make things easy. It''ll be 8 chapters and the main story will be picking back up February 4th. I want to do this so I don''t go on hiatus, to continue giving you chapters/content while letting me work on editing book one to submit to podium and help plan out the next book that is coming soon.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    3) Book 3, which will actually end up being book 5 once published, will be the final book here. Yes, this means that by signing with Podium the books that are currently listed here will be broken up. I''m editing them to help make them complete, but book 1 here will actually be books 1 and 2 published, and book 2 here will end up being books 3 and 4 published. In total they''ll be about 140k words, and I''m adding and changing some content to make them flow better. The story itself won''t change, but I want the story to be more cohesive with needing to make them shorter.


    I plan for book 3 to be about 45 chapters, give or take. Book 2 will end on Patreon in about 7 or 8 chapters, or 19 or 20 chapters here on royal road. So book 3 will start here in early April and the entirety of my planned Ruby Magician story will end late summer/early Fall, or likely somewhere around September.


    I may need to take an actual brief hiatus for the story to work on some editing for the other rough drafts for Podium, and don''t want to rush either the draft submission or my chapters here.


    Writing isn''t easy. And I find it hard to focus on more than one thing at a time, so to edit and get the drafts where they should be I want to take some time to do that!


    Though by doing this, it also means you''ll get a completed series before I''ll need to stub the story next year. That''s a positive!


    I never intended The Ruby Magician to be an infinitely ongoing series. I do have a very clear ending for our characters and story, and I know I''ll be able to reach that ending with the final book here. I have other stories and worlds I''m wanting to branch into and am ready for that once the Ruby Magician is done.


    Again, thank you all for your support by reading my story. It''s truly been a wonderful experience and will continue to be one as we reach the end of the story this year!

 Book 2 - Chapter 52

    Wyn kept stopping himself from fidgeting with the chain of his Mushroom Lantern. Despite not going into Alistair to climb, the other guild leaders told him to wear his best gear for the joined guilds meeting. They said it was all a presentation of power and prestige, and it was important to look the part.


    He felt out of place compared to Nigel, Gregory, and even Prian, but at least he could make his hat look like a proper captain¡¯s hat to match his jacket. Even the normally aloof Caryn looked intimidating, and nearly as audacious as Gregory. His Commander class was more direct than the Knight class, though still melee oriented. Where the Knight was more defensive, the Commander was offensive, with some obvious overlap between the two. His gear looked similar to Gregory and to an extension Nigel, but his cloak was tattered and equipment more black and green. He looked intimidating and fierce, where Gregory and Nigel looked regal in their silvers, golds, and white colors.


    Prian wore an elegant robe and carried a large, straight white staff. He looked like a high priest, both with his clothes and judgmental look. The five of them certainly looked powerful, if not a little cramped in the wagon while they rode to the meeting.


    The meeting was being held in the largest war room in the training hall outside Alistair, where all of the guilds of the city met to discuss the month¡¯s progress. Tower Master Aureus led the discussion, being a neutral party to everyone, to allow information to be shared so they all could have the best chance at succeeding inside the tower, including non-guild affiliated Climbers. All nine guilds would be present, with individual leaders from each group attending. Wyn didn¡¯t understand why more than just the individual guild leader couldn¡¯t attend, but Nigel mentioned it had to do with some displays of pride of each guild¡¯s power. Wyn just accepted it and moved on. He wasn¡¯t about to get involved with guild politics.


    Having some time to ride gave him time to reflect on Cedric¡¯s week leading the group. Overall, the Lightning Wizard did well as a leader. After completing the seventh floor, they returned to the lower floors for more items, then tried the eighth floor. A group of champions were the first enemy pack they found, and Cedric promptly used a key to escape after the fight wasn¡¯t going their way. They didn¡¯t necessarily have to push to the point of possible injury, and Faye mandated each of them carry a key both as an emergency and as a means to get out of unfinished floors. It was better to live to climb another day than to be seriously hurt or killed, and Cedric was a grim reminder of that.


    Still, they managed to secure ten blue items during the week and over a dozen green items, all to be traded for equipment upgrades. That was a fantastic result, and Wyn was happy to have more items to add to his stash to sell. He now personally had two blue and two green items. His plan was to sell what he could to round out the month, then keep some to upgrade depending on what was left. Having the new Ashen Gallidium set from last month gave him plenty of strength currently, while the others wanted better gear. He just needed the coin at the moment.


    Arriving at the training hall, there were already a few other guilds scattered in the large room. The room itself had four large tables, each big enough to hold a dozen people a fifth table sat perpendicular at the far end of the room with four seats on one side. The Tower Master sat in the middle of that table, going through stacks of papers with a person on either side of him pointing at the sheets and marking down their own notes with quills.


    Wyn took a quick stock of the guilds already present while Gregory led the group to an empty in the corner. He recognized their insignias after being educated on the other guilds and their members by Faye and Nigel. Five of the guilds were present, with one of them standing against the wall. He didn¡¯t need the education on three of them, as they were the other guilds that participated in the trials - the Alistair Junkies, Defenders, and Stair Chasers. He remembered the judges during the trials and the people who interviewed him and gave them a small nod of greeting. The other guilds present were the Jahnin Knights and Arcane Runners, the guilds comprised of melee oriented Climbers and Mage Climbers respectively. Nigel had mentioned they tended to work together a lot, but for some reason still separated themselves as different guilds.


    Each of the Climbers wore elaborate clothing and equipment, all slightly different. One Climber wore a large sword on their back that was nearly as tall as him, while what Wyn assumed to be was a female mage wore a sheer face covering over intricately woven black and silver robes with an emerald encrusted black staff. The others had similarly eccentric outfits, and Wyn sat mesmerized. They were a far cry from the standard Climbers he saw when going into the tower, and they all looked intimidating and capable.


    The doors behind them opened as two of the other groups entered. Wyn was wondering how they would look, and he wasn¡¯t disappointed. The first three Climbers wore matching cloaks that glowed a strong aura, and Wyn¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the leader. Her cloak had a strong orange glow, while the two men behind her only had purple cloaks. She wore the fourth tier item with confidence and grace, and everyone in the room stared at her in awe. Wyn didn¡¯t need to see their insignias to know they were the Shimmercloaks, one of the stronger guilds in the city. Their leadership was marked with powerful cloaks that gave off such a strong aura it was almost blinding. They confidently walked to the one of the tables closer to Aureus and sat, exchanging nods and waves to the others. Nigel mentioned that along with the strongest guild in the city, they were the only ones currently climbing in the fourth and final tier.


    Wyn could see Gregory and Caryn both eyeing the leader with jealousy obvious in their eyes.


    Soon after was the strongest guild in the city, and everyone stood when they walked in, including Aureus. The Order of the Scaled Dragons. It was a strange feeling but Wyn didn¡¯t question it. Four Climbers then entered the room, all wearing full sets of equipment that glowed strong auras. Where the Shimmercloaks only had single pieces that gave off auras, these Climbers each had entire sets. The two Climbers in the front, a man and a woman, both had an orange glow to them, showing how powerful they really were. They acknowledged everyone in the room, then sat at an empty table by themselves.


    ¡°They¡¯re expected to make it to the 20th floor soon,¡± Nigel said, whispering to Wyn. ¡°Even though we¡¯re the third strongest guild in the city, they are leagues above the rest of us. It would do you some good to be friendly with them.¡±


    Wyn nodded in acknowledgement and understood his reasoning. Being friends with strong people was just good sense.


    The noise in the room picked up and people started to talk to each other. Aureus then stood and waved, getting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Thank you all for joining. We¡¯re still waiting on the final guild before we officially begin.¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s them,¡± Caryn said, sighing. ¡°A bunch of damn freaks. Why do we have to wait on them anyway?¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re still technically a guild,¡± Gregory said. ¡°Just be patient.¡±


    Caryn snickered.


    Secretly, Wyn was wanting to see the final guild the most of all. He remembered Benedict mentioned them some time ago, and he only heard about them in rumors since. They were an enigma until Gregory gave more information about them. Their guild consisted entirely of their single group of four people, but they consistently climbed into the third tier. No one knew about their classes or even how they were so strong.


    Wyn felt a vibration from his Mushroom Lantern on his hip and it began to glow with its green aura while the mushrooms inside the jar began bouncing around as though he was shaking it to activate. A dim yellow glow then lit up around him, and the others at the table and nearby looked at him curiously. The glow wasn¡¯t terribly distracting since the room was well lit, but it was obvious it gave off a source of light as it bathed a good portion of the room in a soft yellow.


    He inspected the jar, wondering why in the world it activated on its own. That never happened before.


    Suddenly the doors opened and four masked and cloaked figures walked inside. Everyone in the room turned to watch them, including Wyn. Their cloaks looked ragged and dirty, and gave no sense of being magical at all, though their masks were an entirely different story. Each of them wore what looked to be animal masks that completely covered their faces and heads, and seemed to be made of dark brown wood with metal details. One of them was a bear of a man, easily a foot taller and wider than the average man, while the other three looked fairly average. A few seconds after they entered the room, each of their masks lit faintly with runes, small ones along the edges and large ones on the face. The four masked Climbers looked at each other, confused.


    Their masks were previously unassuming, but now they lit up with a resounding orange glow like the other fourth tier items in the room. Everyone noticed and watched with obvious curiosity.


    The four then slowed turned to Wyn, whose lantern was still glowing. One of them stepped closer, and Caryn abruptly stood up, causing the others to stand, too, including Wyn. He didn¡¯t want to do nothing but was stunned into inaction. What was going on? How did his lantern activate? And why were their masks reacting like the environment inside the tower?


    One of the members of the Faceless Four turned their head to each of the Twilight Blade members, then back to Wyn. Their mask looked like a dog, though the nose was elongated and the ears markedly pointed in a way that looked like a strange wolf. He wasn''t familiar with the animal. The runes on the mask were glowing a whitish blue, making a strange combination with the overwhelming orange emitted from the mask¡¯s rarity. The Climber pointed with a tanned hand at Wyn¡¯s lantern. ¡°Curious item you have there.¡± Their voice was muffled but deeper, obviously a man.


    ¡°We could say the same about your freakish masks,¡± Caryn said, stepping forward. ¡°What the fuck is happening to them, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Come on, Landon,¡± one of the other Faceless Four members said. Their voice was feminine, and their mask looked like some exotic bird. It had what looked like a plume of feathers where the forehead should be, and the runes on her mask glowed red. ¡°We don¡¯t need to be here.¡±


    The closest masked Climber - Landon - nodded slowly before pointing at Wyn again. ¡°If you ever want to rid yourself of that strange lantern, find me. Though even if you don''t, I have a feeling we¡¯ll be seeing each other again.¡± He then turned and walked out of the training hall with the other three.


    ¡°Fucking freaks,¡± Caryn said, then motioned for the others to return to their seats. ¡°Can we get on with it, then?¡±


    Aureus cleared his throat, then asked everyone to sit to start the meeting.


    ¡°Those four have never so much as sat down, let alone talked in these meetings,¡± Nigel whispered. ¡°What, exactly, is that lantern of yours?¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Wyn looked down at the Mushroom Lantern, the small mushrooms inside glowing yellow as the jar rested on his leg. He wanted to answer Nigel, but he honestly had no idea. The longer Wyn had and used the lantern the more questions came rather than answers.


    The meeting itself went on relatively smoothly after the situation with the Faceless Four. They discussed information that Wyn already knew, such as the early floor layouts, monsters, expected rewards and use of the new Reef Gliders. Some more specific information was given such as monster drops, elemental affinities, traps, and more for the first two tiers and part of the third. Sheets of parchment were passed out to everyone, and Wyn was impressed with the detail provided. Apparently it was all compiled from each guild¡¯s contribution, and would be given to information brokers in the following few days for non-guild Climbers to purchase.


    As the meeting grew more and more boring, Wyn couldn¡¯t help but think about the mysterious four Climbers, their masks, and his lantern. Just what, exactly, had he gotten himself into?


    *****


    Lucy stared at the four items on the bed, and she felt as happy as Mathias would be with a large pile of gold coins. The necklace and chain mail were great additions to her gear, while the other two items would be good trading material. Even when she was with the best group on her own she still didn¡¯t have as much success as she did the past three weeks. The guild took its cut first, of course, but then the six of them started distributing items evenly, and she¡¯d never been so excited. Cedric - gods bless him - even curated a list of items that would suit an axe-wielding Barbarian that met the requirements the guild had for advancing into the third tier.


    She picked up a green rarity bow and held it in her hands. This item, and the others on the bed, was hers. Mathias didn¡¯t need to know about them. Fuck him. Fuck the Assembly. She¡¯d gone too long not doing something for herself. Even the others were supporting her, both in her group and the guild.


    It was time she thought of herself. If she needed items to advance, then she¡¯d get them. It would be fairly easy to trade up for a couple of blue rarity items at the trading hall. She was used to putting pressure on people where it mattered. If she became stronger, even Mathias couldn¡¯t order her around. If her strength grew to the fourth tier, maybe she could challenge the Assembly and dare them to come after her family.


    Who knew if she could obtain that much power. But she sure as the hells was going to try.


    Lucy then picked up her items and left the guild, ready to trade and improve.


    *****


    Tasha stared with amazement at the contents of the guild vault. It was a true treasure trove of items.


    ¡°It really is something,¡± John said, stepping beside her.


    Tasha grabbed onto his arm and smiled broadly. ¡°How did you even settle on those items? There¡¯s so much in here!¡±


    ¡°Nigel gave me a big nudge, which was helpful. I would have been lost otherwise! But if you know what you¡¯re looking for, maybe I can help you find something?¡±


    Tasha stepped to the nearest shelf of blue rarity items and began searching. There was everything possible inside, but she had a clear goal. She unfolded a piece of parchment and held it out. ¡°From what Cedric listed, I¡¯m looking for something besides my boots, cloak, and wand. Those are great right now. My robe and belt are both green rarity and I don¡¯t have a hat or anything. Though that would mess up my hair.¡±


    John chuckled while looking through the items. There were brief descriptions of each beside them, making it easier to search. ¡°So a belt, robe, and circlet, then. Maybe there¡¯s a set in here with those items?¡±


    Tasha and John looked for several minutes before they found what seemed to be part of a set. It was a robe and circlet, both with effects fit for a support and healing mage. The robe was dark green with gold accents and trim, and a stunning piece. The circlet was thick and gold and relatively simple, with a diamond set in the front. Together they were two pieces of a four piece set, and with both of them they provided improved mana recovery, greatly reduced the cost of support spells, and put up a completely protective barrier around the wearer that protected from both magical and physical attacks for one minute once a day. Tasha loved the effect and defensive focus, which would allow her to use more Callings on average.


    ¡°This is perfect!¡± Tasha said, clutching the circlet. ¡°If a belt is one of the other set pieces and we could find it in the trading hall, it would be even better!¡±


    John held the robe up beside Tasha. ¡°You would look absolutely stunning in this, you know.¡±


    Tasha poked him in the ribs, but it only made him laugh.


    ¡°How about we go look for the other pieces, then?¡± John asked.


    Tasha agreed by giving him a kiss on the cheek. He smiled while his face flushed, causing Tasha to giggle. She then pulled her own robe out of her pack to be exchanged. They would mark down the trade with Faye, who was waiting for them to finish outside.


    ¡°How about you, though?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°Are you going to keep your new armor set? I have to say, you look very menacing.¡±


    ¡°I think I will for now,¡± John said. ¡°It¡¯s helpful for the month, and gives good bonuses. But I do think it¡¯s time to trade my sword and shield.¡±


    Tasha jerked upright. ¡°Really? You love that sword! And the shield is from your family!¡±


    John pulled out the items from his pack and sat them against the wall. ¡°Yes, but I knew I wouldn¡¯t keep them forever. Cedric had a great list of items to have and I want to improve. If I¡¯m going to be a Knight I need better equipment. So, it¡¯s time. And why not put them in a place they¡¯ll be secured and admired? My father said the shield was mine, and I¡¯d like to leave his legacy somewhere I respect. I don¡¯t see a better place.¡±


    Tasha held onto John¡¯s arm, and they held each other for a few seconds. Faye cleared her throat outside the vault, and the Climbers abruptly separated.


    ¡°Right,¡± John said, clapping his hands together. ¡°Supposedly there¡¯s part of good set for a Knight in here. Hopefully it won¡¯t take long to find them.¡±


    It only took a few minutes, and Tasha spotted the shield first. It was a fine kite shield, shaped like a teardrop and regal. It was mostly white and silver with red trim. A matching sheathed sword was nestled right beside it, with the blade being a true long sword. John held the weapon and appreciated its balance. It would take a few training sessions to get used to the difference but it was nothing he wasn¡¯t familiar with.


    John took the items and checked his parchment. They increased his endurance, the strength of his Aura by a large amount, the strength of his other skills by a small amount, and increased his strength and defense when in the close vicinity of allies. And that was only with the pair.


    They were perfect.


    After securing their items, the pair left the vault, informing Faye of their choices and exchanges. They walked to the trading hall to look for the other set pieces to both of their new sets, hand in hand.


    *****


    Cedric tried to sit stoically but found his nerves were getting the better of him. Cara¡¯s letter was clutched in his hand, and he kept looking at it over and over. She wrote to him the day prior, saying she finished his arm early and wanted to present it. A nudge from Marcy reminded him to keep his cool, but he was having a hard time.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help I¡¯m nervous,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Marcy said, her voice rising. ¡°I¡¯m nervous, too!¡±


    The pair were in a private war room in the training hall. Cara said she wanted Cedric to see and test the item, and they needed space and the protection of the training area. Which was fine with Cedric. He was just excited to have a working arm again.


    A knock at the door made both of them jump. Marcy rushed to it and opened the door.


    ¡°Hello there,¡± Cara said, stepping inside. ¡°Nice to see you.¡±


    ¡°Understatement of the year,¡± Marcy said.


    Cedric just stared at her. He couldn¡¯t find the words to say.


    Cara looked at him and smiled. ¡°I have to say, I was proud to be done a bit early. It wasn¡¯t easy work, but it was fascinating! The process is a bit labor intensive and the materials costly, but this could change so much. The academy wizards are going to be begging me for the recipe, and I¡¯ll practically make a fortune! What was really tricky -¡±


    ¡°Cara,¡± Marcy said, standing beside Cedric. He was just staring at her and holding his empty shoulder. ¡°Please.¡±


    Cara looked between both of the Climbers and slowly nodded her head. ¡°Right. Time and place. Okay. Sit down, please. I¡¯ll go over it with you.¡± She stepped over to the table in the middle of the room and pulled out a wrap. It was brown, folded, and ugly.


    Cara set the wrap on the table and delicately unfolded it. Cedric¡¯s eyes widened at the item she revealed. Not because it was stunning or breathtaking, though. In fact, it was a fairly basic dark grey sleeve that was rectangular, as though it was meant to be wrapped around a neck. The only part that stood out on the item was a series of clear stones set in a line.


    No, the reason why Cedric¡¯s eyes widened was because he was staring at his new arm. And he desperately wanted to have it.


    Cara picked up the item and opened one side. The opening wasn¡¯t complete, though. As Cedric looked at it closer, it resembled a large and wide sock.


    ¡°This sleeve will go over your arm and part of your shoulder.¡± Cara held it up for Cedric and Marcy to look closer. ¡°The stones I wove into it are mana stones.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of those before,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Are they like gemstones?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. They are great conduits of magic like gemstones, but they don¡¯t follow a particular element or branch of magic. They simply hold mana and naturally recover mana, too. They¡¯re popularly ground and used in items that have an effect that has a limited number of uses but allows for natural recovery.¡±


    ¡°Like once a day or something similar.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Here, you have six of them, and they¡¯re obviously complete. That heightens their effectiveness. The six stones allow the incorporeal arm to be used continuously for about two hours each, or half a day. Unfortunately the natural recovery takes a bit longer at about three fourths of a day, but you can also charge them yourself using your personal mana.¡±


    She held the sleeve in front of her and motioned for Cedric to come closer. He scooted closer to her, holding out his barren shoulder. He still had a few inches of arm past the shoulder, which Cara carefully stretched the sleeve over. It clung to Cedric¡¯s skin and stretched over his shoulder, nearly to his neck. The fit was so tight it looked like Cedric suddenly had dark grey skin.


    ¡°The item creates an incorporeal arm based on your intention. It may take some getting used to -¡±


    A blob suddenly formed at the end of Cedric¡¯s arm, causing him and Marcy to recoil in alarm. It looked like a formless mass a foot and a half long, without any other distinct features. It was the same dark grey color as the sleeve, though wispy like a dense cloud. One of the mana stones on the item began to softly glow.


    ¡°The color and makeup is from the Nimbus Cloud materials,¡± Cara said, shifting in her seat. ¡°Now hold out your right arm.¡± She held up her left arm in front of Cedric.


    Cedric faced her and did as she asked.


    ¡°Now bring your left arm beside it, and think about taking the same shape.¡± Cara held out her other arm to mirror Cedric.


    Cedric concentrated, imagining his left arm looking exactly like his right. The blob suddenly began to shift and coalesce, forming into a rough outline of an arm as though Cedric was molding it. It took several seconds but eventually an elbow, wrist, and fingers formed. Cedric laughed, causing Marcy to laugh. Even Cara smiled in delight seeing him create an arm with just a thought.


    ¡°Now hold that form and move it around,¡± Cara said.


    Cedric rotated the cloudy arm, moving the elbow, wrist, and fingers as though it was his actual arm. The moves looked jerky and sloppy, and sweat quickly formed on his forehead from focusing so hard.


    ¡°It will take some time, but you should have it down quickly with practice.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°It¡¯s pure magic,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how else to describe it! I feel like a kid seeing this for the first time!¡±


    Cara laughed. ¡°The real magic will be putting it to use! Your parchment will give the full effects, but its enchantments are fairy straightforward like we discussed. It can maintain its shape through quite a bit of outside force, far more than I expected. It will rival some first tier Fighters who have enhanced strength in its density.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re shitting me?¡± Marcy said. ¡°It''s that powerful?¡±


    Cara gave a wicked smile. ¡°That¡¯s not all! You can shape it freely, so it doesn¡¯t have to just be an arm. It can be a weapon, or a shield, or anything. You can elongate it or shorten it or mold it into whatever you want! The possibilities are only limited to your imagination. But the more you use it that way, the quicker the stones will eat up its mana. And they¡¯ll use mana especially fast if you¡¯re using it to perform feats greater than just an arm could do.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be mindful how I use it,¡± Cedric said. He stood and moved the arm around, practicing movements and directions. It felt¡­ strange. Like with his right arm, moving it barely took a conscious thought. He had intentions and it would easily move according to his will. But with the item¡¯s cloudy arm, it took far more focus and direction to even just be smooth and natural.


    It would take time to function as easily as a normal arm, if he could even get to that point. But it was far better than not having anything. He started laughing, then he couldn¡¯t stop, and laughed until he cried.


    Marcy started crying, too, but she wasn¡¯t laughing. She was just happy for her best friend.


    ¡°I hope the item serves you well,¡± Cara said after a few minutes. ¡°It¡¯s certainly helped my craft. So thank you.¡± She extended a hand to shake.


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Cedric said, shaking her hand.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Marcy said. ¡°What¡¯s the item¡¯s name?¡±


    Cara smirked as she headed for the door. ¡°I thought it should be something fitting for a Lightning Wizard. Hopefully you like it.¡± She then left without another word.


    Cedric and Marcy looked at each other, then Cedric pulled out his parchment. He smiled seeing the name.


    ¡°Well?¡± Marcy asked.


    ¡°Stormcloud''s Reach,¡± Cedric said.

 Faceless Four - Chapter 1

    The exposed skull of the animated skeleton completely imploded under the mighty swing of Corbyn¡¯s warhammer. What was intended to be a final blow ended up being unnecessarily excessive, even by his own outrageous standards. The weapon¡¯s swing carried him too far forward as well, the momentum unexpected. He stumbled instead of continuing his assault.


    An errant swipe across his back just below his shield annoyed him more than anything. Being injured never crossed his mind. He scoffed, frustrated at the attack from a lesser enemy and his exposed back.


    ¡°Damnit!¡± The Barbarian yelled, wildly swinging his hammer into the rib cage of the aggressor. The second skeleton was blasted into the air, bones flying and splintering across the stone floor. He used his anger to clear the other enemies around him, refusing to allow another attack to land.


    The remaining four skeletons were reduced to piles of bones in seconds.


    Corbyn took a deep breath. The second wave of enemies emerged exactly ten seconds after their failed attempt to finish the puzzle, at least according to Vi. The Cleric was likely right, and Corbyn wasn¡¯t about to question him. It wasn¡¯t like he was doing anything else right now, considering these trash monsters were too weak to truly hurt any of their group.


    The boss, though, might pose a threat. Might being the key word, however. In their dozens of interactions, it had only hurt Jane once, and that was when she was careless. He tried giving some tips to his sister, but she brushed him off, as usual. Landon was the only voice of reason she acknowledged, which was somewhat understandable. Their leader¡¯s words weren¡¯t exactly sugar coated, but he made sound decisions.


    ¡°That was pretty ugly,¡± Jane said. The Witch leaned against the stone wall casually, twirling her rod in one hand. ¡°I thought these mere ¡®sacks of bones¡¯ couldn¡¯t¡­ what did you say? ¡®Do a damned thing?¡¯¡±


    Corbyn snickered. ¡°Do you see a mark on me? These things are pathetic. I¡¯m not even wearing armor.¡±


    ¡°You never wear armor, you brute.¡±


    ¡°Knock it off,¡± Landon said. He didn¡¯t bother turning away from the large stone blocks set in the middle of the room. In total they were nearly thirty feet long and five feet wide,crammed together to remove any space between them. The entire collection resembled a noble¡¯s dining table in a great hall rather than a dungeon. ¡°Quit bickering and help find the right solution.¡±


    ¡°Solving this stupid puzzle is yours and Vi¡¯s job,¡± Corbyn said. ¡°Jane and me are supposed to deal with enemies. Your instructions, remember?¡±


    ¡°Jane and I,¡± Jane said. ¡°How many times -¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Landon said, his voice harsh and quick. ¡°Do you see any enemies? The faster we solve this, the faster we clear the floor.¡± He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. ¡°Octavius, your solution was wrong.¡±


    The Cleric stood up on the other side of the stone blocks, shaking his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense. I thought we lucked out since this was the exact formation we had a week ago, but the solution we used then obviously didn¡¯t work now.¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Jane said. She walked beside the Cleric and ran a hand over the rune-covered block of stone. ¡°The markings are slightly different than before. See this curved line? It¡¯s new.¡± She ran a finger along the glowing rune covering the single block in front of her.


    Octavius studied the stone for a few moments before realizing his error. Jane was right. How did he miss it? Apparently some fresh eyes were better. Being too focused and stressed wasn¡¯t helpful. He slumped onto the block in defeat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡­ didn¡¯t notice that before.¡±


    Landon rapped his knuckles on the magical stone. The move made Octavius flinch. ¡°Well, you know, now. Get to it. I¡¯m wanting to be done with this floor before lunch in case we need to run it more this afternoon.¡±


    Corbyn groaned. ¡°Landon, we all agreed we¡¯d take a break after this climb! We can¡¯t keep this pace up every day.¡±


    ¡°This is only our second climb of the morning. We¡¯ve easily done six in a day before! Are you saying you¡¯re too tired to keep going? Swinging that hammer around wearing you out?¡±


    Corbyn walked over to Landon and looked down at him, bending his waist to meet the man¡¯s eyes mere inches away. ¡°I could swing this hammer without end and not break a sweat. What I¡¯m saying is that you agreed we¡¯d take a break, and now you¡¯re going back on your word. I guess being a leader means making shit up to whatever suits you and lying to your teammates.¡±


    Landon folded his arms and squinted his eyes. ¡°I agreed to consider taking a break. If we don¡¯t find that third mask, I¡¯ll run this floor until the stroke of midnight and be back in before sunrise until the last possible day. Whatever it takes.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll do it alone. I won¡¯t sacrifice my sister¡¯s safety for your little fantasy, no matter how strong these masks are.¡±


    Landon gritted his teeth. ¡°Fantasy? You know these masks are relics! Do you not remember their descriptions, you damn oaf? The power we¡¯ll possess -¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Octavius said. ¡°Just need to rotate two blocks one time and three blocks twice!¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Jane walked over and patted Corbyn on the shoulder. She felt the tension underneath, and patted him a few more times until he started to relax. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Cor. Let¡¯s just hope we find the third mask and celebrate by taking the rest of the day off.¡± She smiled at Landon, her lips curt and tight. Her brother may be easily goaded, but she wasn¡¯t. And her methods of retaliation were far more sinister.


    The two men separated and began turning the stone blocks at Octavius¡¯ instruction. In minutes a new formation lined the tops of the stone, their runes glowing in a steady increase of light. Just before the group had to turn away their eyes from the brightness, a small flash of light filled the room followed by the stone runes completely dimming.


    The four Climbers looked at each other and around the room, waiting for any signs of a result. What felt like an eternity was only seconds. A large skeletal hand wrapped around the decrepit throne at the far end of the room. It was hardly noticeable except for the tapping of bone on stone. Four heads snapped to its direction.


    A figure was behind the throne, hidden and large, easily ten feet tall and wider than the stone seat. It pushed itself to the side and pulled its frayed hood back to reveal red glowing eyes in a bare skull.


    Landon growled. ¡°Damnit. Not a good sign.¡±


    ¡°It could still show,¡± Jane said. She raised her rod and pointed it at the looming monster. ¡°We don¡¯t know that it won¡¯t after we kill ole bag of bones, here.¡±


    The skeleton stepped closer towards them and ripped its cloak away, drawing a large axe nearly as tall as itself.


    ¡°Both times the room was revealed before this nuisance!¡± Landon yelled. He pointed at the skeleton with a curved sword as long as his arm. ¡°The tower may change, but the progression doesn¡¯t. We missed the room, yet again, and are back wasting our time with trash.¡±


    The skeletal giant lumbered forward, its axe raised over its head. It wasn¡¯t exactly close to the group, but with its long legs and large axe, only a few more steps were needed to close the gap for an attack.


    But the group was familiar with its movements, its attacks, its everything. This wasn¡¯t their first encounter with the monster, and now they realized it likely wouldn¡¯t be their last.


    Landon jolted forward in a flash, swiftly unsheathing the other sword strapped to his waist. Practiced movements flowed from him like a raging river. The Duelist rushed low, crouched with one sword forward and the other in a reverse grip beside his arm. The slow but mighty swing of the skeleton¡¯s axe looked unskilled and awkward as Landon sidestepped it by inches and retaliated with a frustrated grunt and practiced slash.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to run us into the dirt,¡± Corbyn said, twirling his hammer in his hand with ease. ¡°This damned search for masks that we don¡¯t even know will help us is foolish.¡±


    ¡°Remember the descriptions?¡± Jane said. ¡°Their boons are basically purple tier, negatives aside. And that¡¯s just with what we know, not even what¡¯s hidden. I can understand where he¡¯s coming from.¡±


    Sounds of battle echoed through the large throne room. Landon¡¯s swords were a poor match for the skeleton¡¯s bony body, but his augmented strikes and quick movements gave him an obvious advantage. The large monster was slowing and hurting with each passing second as chips of bone began spraying from it like blood.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want us to be killed in the meantime,¡± Corbyn said. ¡°Vi¡¯s alright, but he isn¡¯t a miracle worker.¡±


    ¡°I heard that,¡± Octavius said. ¡°I¡¯ve kept you all alive so far, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    Jane chuckled. ¡°Yes, Vi, you have. But do you know of a Climber that can raise the dead?¡±


    Octavius swallowed hard, then shook his head. He jumped from the sound of a loud clang across the room.


    ¡°About time,¡± Corbyn said. ¡°A bit reckless there at the end, though.¡±


    Landon sheathed both of his swords, his breathing labored. The skeleton laid on the ground in a pile of green glowing bones, its axe already beginning to dissolve into the tower. The only thing that remained was a small pile of glowing green treasure. Behind him, a large portal the size of Corbyn shifted in color from red to clear.


    He ignored the treasure and portal and walked back to the group, stopping directly in front of Corbyn.


    ¡°My patience is wearing thin,¡± Landon said. ¡°I don¡¯t care how many more times we run this floor. We will find that secret room and those other masks. We have to.¡±


    Corbyn looked Landon in the eyes and studied him for longer than he wanted, but he needed to be sure.


    The man didn¡¯t flinch. His eyes didn¡¯t so much as waver, and a vein bulged on his forehead. Hot breath left his mouth. It wasn¡¯t pleasant, similar to the rest of him.


    Corbyn knew he was serious. He always was. He cared more for his own goals and desires than the team¡¯s, and made it apparent more than once. The group¡¯s feelings didn¡¯t matter to him. Those eyes carried a singular vision.


    His sister wasn¡¯t wrong about the masks they already found. Their descriptions were impressive, especially for blue rarity items. But their curses had obvious drawbacks. Landon saw an opportunity for power, while the rest of them saw an opportunity for coin. Or at least he hoped his sister felt the way. From her most recent comments, Corbyn was afraid she was starting to see from Landon¡¯s power hungry point of view.


    His knuckles whitened from his grip on his war hammer. ¡°Landon -¡±


    ¡°One more time today,¡± Jane said, interrupting her brother. ¡°This was our third run already without a break in a week. I need to rest. Vi needs to rest. You two can duke it out if you want, but I¡¯m heading through that portal back to Alestead.¡±


    Landon shifted his gaze to Jane. He didn¡¯t respond.


    Jane stared back at her leader. ¡°What do you say, Octavius?¡±


    Octavius straightened and cleared his throat. ¡°I¡­ agree.¡±


    ¡°With whom?¡±


    ¡°With¡­ you. I¡­¡± Octavius rubbed his neck and averted his gaze. ¡°I¡¯m beat. And tired of taking mana potions. I could use some real food, not rations and stale bread.¡±


    ¡°Potions and rations are enough,¡± Landon said, nearly spitting the words out. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re doing much for us on this floor, anyway, Vi. We¡¯re barely touched by these shit creatures.¡±


    Octavius slumped, returning to his original posture.


    ¡°You know we need him, Landon,¡± Jane said. ¡°He¡¯s the best healer I know, and anyone can make a mistake. But he¡¯s coming with me, so unless you want to stop us yourself, we¡¯re heading back. Come on, Vi.¡±


    Jane turned her head to see Octavius slowly walking towards her. Corbyn stood unmoving, still locked in a staring contest of pride and ego. She then pushed her brother towards the portal with both hands. One wouldn¡¯t quite cut it due to the size of his physical stature.


    Landon growled in frustration. ¡°Fine. Have it your way. But you¡¯re buying my lunch, and I¡¯m ordering the most expensive thing on the menu.¡±


    Jane knelt down at the glowing pile of bones and picked up a small handful of treasures: two gemstones, some coins, and a single potion bottle containing a red swirling liquid the size of her palm. ¡°Easiest deal to date. You aren¡¯t very good at negotiating, Landon.¡±


    With a smile, Jane stepped backwards into the portal, disappearing.


    The others followed soon after, leaving Landon alone. He looked around, taking stock of the room one final time. It would be here again, and the layout would be the same for the rest of the day. But then it would change its formation and path and they would have to navigate it fresh just like the other days.


    Finding that third mask was paramount. They didn¡¯t just hold power. They held prestige. Respect. Renown. He¡¯d make false deals with the others if he had to. That was a last resort, of course, but if necessary he¡¯d do it.


    There was only so much time before the month was gone, and the masks would be lost to the history of the magical tower forever. Landon refused to let that happen. They were shown those masks for a reason. And he intended to find out why.


    The pull of the portal yanked him from this thoughts, but it wasn¡¯t near strong enough to dissuade him from his goal. He would find the other masks, and they¡¯d be the most powerful Climbers in all of Alestead.


    Whatever it took. Power was going to be his.

 Faceless Four - Chapter 2

    Octavius checked the runes covering the stone blocks a third time. He didn¡¯t want to make the same mistake as yesterday, accidentally choosing the wrong formation and being scolded for his carelessness. Landon was fierce in all aspects of the word. Octavius preferred to be behind him rather than facing him, but unfortunately the latter was happening more often.


    The runes lit up bright before completely diminishing. The group waited for a response from the tower. Not a single noise could be heard.


    Octavius¡¯s staff felt heavy in his hand. He felt a bead of sweat fall down his cheek. His initial response was to wipe it away, but he was frozen. Panic began to set in. It was one thing to be right and the boss to show, but it was another matter entirely for Landon to lose his composure if the secret room didn¡¯t appear instead of the giant skeletal boss.


    Jane jerked her head to the side. Octavius was always impressed at her awareness, even eclipsing Landon¡¯s impressive reflexes at times. She choked out a laugh and slapped her brother on the back beside her.


    The sound of stone grinding against stone was music to the group¡¯s ears. Octavius audibly laughed, and Corbyn stretched his arms in preparation. That unfamiliar sound was beautiful. A change in the floor, different from the normal climb.


    Exactly what they were looking for.


    ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± Octavius yelled. ¡°Gods, I can¡¯t believe it!¡±


    ¡°About time,¡± Landon said, drawing his swords. ¡°Took damn long enough.¡±


    ¡°You know what they say,¡± Jane said. ¡°Alistair makes its own path and can¡¯t be predicted.¡±


    ¡°But it can be overcome. Ready yourselves. This is no skeleton pushover.¡±


    Corbyn took the shield off his back and raised his war hammer. Jane twirled her rod and pointed an open palm towards the ceiling. A small runic circle appeared in the air above her hand, glowing faintly white. An orb the size of a large bowl appeared above her, shedding bright light in a wide berth around them. It hovered above her as she moved closer into position.


    Octavius clutched his staff close to his body. The challenge wouldn¡¯t be impossible, but was definitely on the difficulty level of the second tier, somewhere around the seventh or eighth floor. Not the third floor they were currently finishing. He needed to focus and stay vigilant.


    A strange tug from his pack diverted his attention. His heart raced from the sensation. It called to him, he could feel it. The pull of desire, greed, and power. It was loud in his mind, a force greater than Landon, more enticing and convincing. A magic artifact that hummed with near sentience, reaching for a host.


    The other beast mask that resided in his pack seemed to long to be reunited with its brethren. Octavius felt a chill run down his spine at the thought. Just how powerful were these masks? Were they something that would make them or break them?


    ¡°Vi,¡± Jane said, shaking the Cleric.


    Octavius shook his head. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Focus. We¡¯re about to enter.¡±


    Octavius nodded, doing his best to ignore the yearning call coming from his leather pack. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Beside the familiar throne and red portal was a new pathway, an opening in the wall that looked purposefully out of place. The skeleton giant didn¡¯t appear but that was normal when the secret room was opened. Their final challenge in the floor changed, a challenge worthy of its prize.


    Landon led the group while Corbyn protected their rear, keeping the two less combat focused Climbers in the middle. Jane¡¯s magical light was bright and lit up the space well, showing the new room for them to quickly analyze.


    The space was familiar but not exactly the same as before, like each new day inside the tower Alistair. The layout would be consistent only until midnight, at which point a new path was formed for Climbers to follow. But it always felt eerily similar, like a foggy memory of a place once visited though the details weren¡¯t right.


    Three flames lit up in braziers on the far wall in the wide room, each one large enough to resemble bonfires. One was colored red, another blue, and the third green. Jane cancelled her floating orb of light to be able to concentrate on other spells.


    ¡°That¡¯s new,¡± Jane said.


    ¡°Is it because another mask is waiting for us?¡± Corbyn asked.


    ¡°Who cares,¡± Landon said. ¡°We¡¯ll do whatever it takes to get it.¡±


    Corbyn scoffed while his knuckles went white gripping his warhammer. Landon was an asshole, but he wasn¡¯t necessarily wrong. They needed to defeat whatever was in their way. Whatever waited for them was going to be strong, especially if it was another masked monster.


    Which it was likely was. Secret rooms didn¡¯t tend to create simple challenges to overcome like regular floors. That was fine with Corbyn, though. He was in the mood to smash something durable since Landon¡¯s head wasn¡¯t an option.


    The red flames flickered and sparked as embers fell around the brazier. The fire grew from a small flame to a large one, then expanded to be larger than a person. It flashed, causing all of the Climbers to shield their eyes. As they blinked back the bright light, a figure stood just in front of the now-empty brazier. It was humanoid but also dog-like, like a wolf man hybrid. Dense grey fur covered its body like armor, while actual, intricate metal armor adorned its torso and thighs. It was easily over seven feet tall, and its legs were wrong with its knees bent backwards. Large feet were exposed with claws that appeared razor sharp.


    On its face was a simple, dark wooden mask that covered the top half of its face and had a long snout like a wolf. Two pointed ears came up from the sides. It was similar to the other beast masks though covered the monster¡¯s face less. While the others looked like jester masks, this one resembled a masquerade mask fit for a noble¡¯s ball. Underneath the mask were piercing yellow eyes that gave away its intelligence.


    What made Octavius back away, though, was the weapons it held. A large sickle was in each of its hands, the blades black as night. He knew just how deadly those weapons would be in a monster of this caliber. The other two bosses they killed to obtain the masks were equally terrifying, both representing their respective mask. This one would likely drop a dog or wolf mask.


    Landon took a step forward, slowly twirling his swords beside him. A faint green aura appeared around him, his Mobility skill that improved his dexterity and reflexes. Corbyn stepped beside him and activated his own skills, Focus and Strength Up. Both layers of aura surrounded him, and he looked demonic with the red and grey auras.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    The monster stepped forward and held the sickles to its side. Then it looked up to the ceiling and howled.


    Bright blue flames bellowed from the brazier beside it, creating two monsters. The brazier darkened as wolves as big as cattle appeared next to the boss monster, snarling and growling.


    The masked monster raised a sickle to the climbing group and the two monsters pounced from the order.


    The Climbers didn¡¯t hesitate. Jane immediately pointed her rod at the two wolves and fired an Arcane Blast, sending a wave of pure magical energy at the pair. The translucent spell washed over the monsters like a pounding wave, hitting both of them and stopping their advance. They briefly whined from the hit, stunned.


    Landon and Corbyn took the opportunity and rushed them. Landon, with his advanced speed, reached them first, instantly carving one of the wolves with large gashes from his curves swords. He moved like the rushing wind, fluid and quick, dancing more than fighting. The wolf he damaged tried to retaliate with a claw swipe but Landon skillfully ducked under it, rolling to the side while slashing and landing another hit.


    Corbyn, meanwhile, reached the second wolf just moments after. Landon might have been faster, but Corbyn was stronger, and his long, powerful strides easily carried him forward with a similarly enhanced speed. He used his shield to bash the other wolf, catching it further off guard while it yelped in a pained surprise. He then brought down his war hammer and smashed the front leg of the monster, completely shattering the limb as bones broke under the weapon.


    Jane carefully watched the boss monster, waiting for an opportunity to attack. But the monster stood still as though it expected the wolves to easily handle the Climbers.


    Or, rather, as it patiently waited its turn.


    She didn¡¯t bother attacking the boss but instead bided her time. She learned her lesson from the last boss fight. When she attacked the bull boss, a barrier formed around it completely rendering her spells ineffective. She wasted too much mana trying to harm it while the others dealt with the minions and the fight became far more difficult from her impatience.


    She wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake again. Instead, she decided to boost herself to make the most of the opportunity when it would arise while keeping a close eye on the wolf boss. It looked like it might follow the similar pattern from the first two but expectations killed Climbers. Weaving her hands and fingers in an intricate pattern while holding a green rarity monster claw in her free hand, she cast Witch¡¯s Boon to improve her magical abilities. A wavy blue aura settled around her as the spell began to form and the claw dissipated. The rod in her right hand glowed brightly with a magical, purple light.


    Her Witch class was the best advancement from the Sorcerer base class most people dismissed. She never understood why, though. The elemental Magicians were strong, but they were locked into a single element. Finding a monster that resisted it meant they were nearly useless. For her, all of her spells were neutral, being pure magic. She didn¡¯t have the same straightforward support skills, either, as hers often required components like monster drops or potions to use. Even some of her stronger spells required some form of item sacrifice in order to be cast. She didn¡¯t care about that, though. Spell for spell, she was far deadlier than upgraded Magicians.


    Octavius lifted his staff and began chanting his own support spell. Landon and Corbyn would be able to hold their own, and it looked like they would overcome the two wolves they faced. But that didn¡¯t mean it would be smooth. Hopefully he could help guide them to victory. His Cleric¡¯s ability to spread spells throughout the entire party was strong, even if it took more mana than normal. That didn¡¯t bother him too much. Potions helped ease that negative.


    In moments his spell took hold, settling in another layer of magical aura around each of the team members. A golden light covered all of them, protecting them from negative effects and harm until it expired in five minutes or was used. It was one of his strongest support spells, called Protector¡¯s Law, formed from his Protector¡¯s Domain. Being a Cleric was more involved and complicated than Divine Wizards, but the benefits they offered were more powerful. He found other Climbers never bothered to even consider it.


    The wolf Corbyn was facing went silent as he brained it for the third time, his war hammer finally hurting it enough to kill it. It was a strong enemy but he was stronger. In a one on one match up, he could handle nearly any non-magical enemy in the first and lower second tier, bosses included. He looked over to see Landon¡¯s wolf shredded from his twin swords, and knew they would be victorious soon.


    He moved to the wolf boss standing still twenty feet away. The monster raised a sickle and pointed it at the final brazier, causing the green flames to erupt. Two more monsters emerged, but instead of wolves they looked like decrepit humans. They both wore tattered robes that looked old and shredded, with bodies more skeletal than fleshy. Their eyes shown with a bright green light while they held weapons with shields. One carried a mace and the other a sword. They wore similar masks to the boss but theirs were less intricate, covering their entire faces while having shorter dog ears and snout.


    Corbyn immediately moved to attack them but stopped when the wolf boss howled once more. It raised its sickles in a cross above its head and began moving towards him.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Corbyn said, changing course to fight the boss. Landon would have to deal with the others.


    Landon¡¯s wolf was nearly dead but frustratingly was more resistant to his swords than he assumed. Its fur was dense, and glancing strikes only left minor wounds that didn¡¯t seem to effect it at all. They were better match ups for Corbyn, but that didn¡¯t deter him. Looking over to see the new enemies appear, he cursed and decided to be a bit more reckless. Vi could always heal him, and he didn¡¯t care about a few minor injuries.


    He shifted from a slash to a heavy stab, burying his sword into the side of the wolf before it could swipe at him. The monster went limp while still impaled and immediately started to disappear back to the tower. The two new monsters began to walk to him, and he met them with earnest.


    The first monster blocked Landon¡¯s sword with its shield and the monster held firm. Landon hoped the hit would have knocked it back, but it appeared to be strong. He swiped at its leg but his sword only grazed it. The monster dropped its sword quickly in an overhead slash, faster than expected. It connected with his side but the golden aura around him absorbed the hit and dissipated.


    Saying a silent thanks to Vi, he continued his assault with more dizzying attacks to try and overwhelm the monster. The second monster closed in on him but a blast of blue and grey magic in the size of a large ball hit it and knocked it back several steps, completely disintegrating the rest of its torn robes.


    Jane stepped forward and cast another spell at the monster, launching a straight line of pure energy. The monster raised its shield, causing the spell to flow around it in an ethereal wave.


    These monsters were definitely tier two strength. But that didn¡¯t mean it was impossible to defeat them. Together, Landon and Jane pressed against the minions, wearing them down with speed and brute magical force respectively.


    Across the room, Corbyn yelled in pain. His golden aura was already gone, and cuts appeared all across his body. Another one opened up from his shoulder to his hip, and the pain nearly brought him to his knees. But Octavius was there, chanting spell after spell to both heal and guard for Corbyn when able.


    The wolf boss wasn¡¯t as strong as the Barbarian but he was faster, had more of a reach, and had weapons that were deadlier. Each hit seemed to be just too fast, even when Corbyn could have sworn he was positioned to block it or moved enough to avoid a hit. As he took damage, though, his own strength increased, and the auras around him expanded as he continued to bleed.


    Landon screamed from a hit causing Octavius to turn his attention away from Corbyn and the boss. Landon¡¯s opponent was on the ground unmoving, but his left arm was hanging limply at his side. Octavius quickly chanted Cure and pointed his staff at the Duelist. As he recovered, he activated one of his staff¡¯s effects and caused a magical bubble to appear around their leader. It would block several strong hits, enough for him to overcome the monster.


    But that was also the last charge that he hoped to save for Corbyn.


    Jane realized Vi¡¯s move and left the minion to join her brother. She immediately began launching one spell after another, peppering the boss with smaller but effective hits given enough time.


    Corbyn took another slice across his stomach but he traded a blow with his war hammer, opting to take the damage in exchange for a solid hit. He connected with the boss¡¯s head, causing a loud crack to form as the tall monster was knocked to the side. It staggered before struggling to right itself.


    Jane pushed her hand forward, casting her Witch Whip. A line of magic formed in front of her and she grabbed it, then whipped it at the boss. It cracked with a resounding boom, hitting the boss with a magical force that knocked it back further. A white light enveloped Corbyn and his wound partially healed, enough to stop the blood flow but not enough to close the wound. Octavius pulled out a mana potion and popped the cork, ready to drink it.


    Enraged, Corbyn leapt forward and began attacking the boss while Jane continued to beat it with her magical whip. The monster recovered and began fighting back, though Octavius was quick with his short-chant protective barriers.


    Landon dashed across the room and joined Corbyn, and they all knew it was only a matter of time as they all focused on the boss. As it succumbed to sword slashes, hammer blows, and magical hits, it slowed and showed signs of defeat.


    Soon Landon roared in victory as the boss fell. Octavius dropped to his knees, fatigued both in body and mind after the ordeal. Corbyn had a few close calls, but thankfully they all pulled through.


    Landon walked over and picked up a wooden mask that resembled the minion¡¯s mask more so than the boss. But, there was no doubt about its authenticity. It looked similar to the two in their possession, too, except for one important difference.


    The Duelist turned and held out the mask for the others to see. They ignored the other piles of treasure to look at their main prize closer.


    It glowed with an obvious purple aura.


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Corbyn asked. ¡°Maybe this isn¡¯t part of the set?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jane said. ¡°It¡¯s in the exact same beast style as the others.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re blue rarity. Why is this one purple?¡±


    Jane just shook her head.


    Octavius ignored them as he felt a familiar tug from the pack on his back. Unlike before, though, this pull was stronger. And he didn¡¯t just feel it in his body. He felt it in his mind. As though it was trying to connect with him somehow.


    As though it was trying to speak to him.


    Octavius dropped his leather pack and reached inside for his mask. His heart thumped in his chest harder than when they faced the monsters as he saw it and held it in his hands. Pulling out the lion mask, he slowly showed the others.


    Jane gasped. Corbyn took a step back.


    ¡°What in all the hells is going on?¡± Octavius asked, holding the lion mask out for the others.


    The wooden lion mask shone with a similar purple aura where it previously held a blue aura.


    Everyone stared in fascination and horror at the masks, unsure at their power. Everyone except Landon. His eyes glittered with possibilities.

 Faceless Four - Chapter 3

    Mask of the Wolf - A wooden mask carved from a powerfully magical and unknown source in the shape of a wolf. Improves the wearer¡¯s overall passive dexterity, speed, and reflexes by a moderate amount. The wearer has improved eyesight and can see in darkness up to 60 feet. All skills improve by one stage. The wearer¡¯s movements become sharpened and use less energy by a small amount.


    *When under dim light, all mask effects are increased by a moderate amount.


    *Additional effect: ???


    *Cursed: Sunlight sensitivity - direct exposure to sunlight will physically harm the wearer.


    Additional cursed effect: ???


    This item is a soulbound item. Once donned, it cannot be used by another.


    This item is 1/4 of the God Beasts set. Collect all masks to unlock its true power.


    Mask of the Lion - A wooden mask carved from a powerfully magical and unknown source in the shape of a lion. Improves the wearer¡¯s overall mana regeneration and magical strength, and reduces spell cast time all by a moderate amount. The wearer has improved eyesight and can see in darkness up to 60 feet as well as magical effects with an inherent understanding of their function. All skills improve by one stage. The wearer¡¯s mind is sharpened and all spell cast times are reduced by a small amount.


    *When under the effect of a beneficial spell, all mask effects are increased by a moderate amount.


    *Additional effect: ???


    *Cursed: Magical blindness - when not wearing this mask, the wearer¡¯s eyesight is reduced by a small amount.


    Additional cursed effect: ???


    This item is a soulbound item. Once donned, it cannot be used by another.


    This item is 1/4 of the God Beasts set. Collect all masks to unlock its true power.


    Mask of the Bull - A wooden mask carved from a powerfully magical and unknown source in the shape of a bull. Improves the wearer¡¯s overall strength, endurance, and power by a moderate amount. The wearer is able to be healed by absorbing other¡¯s energies, whether through mana, life, blood, or other means. All skills improve by one stage. The wearer¡¯s body is improved with their skin toughening and being resistant to all damage by a small amount.


    *When enraged, all mask effects are increased by a small amount.


    *Additional effect: ???


    *Cursed: Hunger - you possess an unnatural hunger. If your hunger is not satiated, your life will be consumed instead.


    Additional cursed effect: ???


    This item is a soulbound item. Once donned, it cannot be used by another.


    This item is 1/4 of the God Beasts set. Collect all masks to unlock its true power.


    Landon found it difficult to tear his eyes away from the mask, but reading the Mask of the Wolf¡¯s description in his parchment gave him a new level of excitement. Each line made his desire to put it on right away grow, but he paused when he read the curse.


    He knew the masks had curses. They discovered that when they first found the Mask of the Bull, though most of its description was hidden. Just seeing one of its effects as being cursed is what them hesitate to use them to begin with. The wolf mask, though? Sunlight sensitivity didn¡¯t seem so bad. Why not just use a cloak or hood or something? Or just go out when it¡¯s not sunny. Easy solution. Then the mask would basically be used as a ridiculously powerful item with all of its other benefits.


    But Landon knew there was more to it. It was the only thing preventing him from turning it around in his hands and putting it on his face. Now that they had three of them, more of their effects were revealed, and they were truly powerful. Fitting for their title of God Beasts. Added with the fact that there were only four of them in the group? The masks were practically made for them. Once the group discovered the artifacts, Landon knew it was fate that they held and used them. There was no other explanation.


    As he stared at the mask, he felt a strange pull. It was alluring and fulfilling, like it pulled on his soul. He could sense the magic within the mask personally, as if it was an heirloom or a long lost artifact created specifically for him. Silent whispers breezed across his mind, begging him to just put it on. The power of the mask was tangible. Physical. Palpable.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Octavius said. He held the wooden lion mask in one hand and one of his parchment pieces in the other. He sat on the edge of his cushioned seat in Jane¡¯s apartment with the rest of the group. ¡°These effects are outrageous! How did they expand from before? There wasn¡¯t that much description before!¡±


    ¡°We found more of the set pieces,¡± Jane said. She stood beside her brother who held the bull mask. He was staring intently at it while she was studying the parchment that held the mask¡¯s description. ¡°Like other magical items, the more set pieces are equipped the more a set bonus is given.¡±


    ¡°Not this one, though. We haven¡¯t equipped them! And they don¡¯t have set bonuses, they have multiple lines of text of bonuses, like the mask itself grew with power! It doesn¡¯t make sense!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s likely from how they upgraded their rarity,¡± Jane added. ¡°Which also shouldn¡¯t happen. I haven¡¯t heard of it happening, at least. I wonder if we find the last one they¡¯ll upgrade to orange rarity?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    ¡°Of course it matters! Their power is easily orange rarity already, even with the curses. That¡¯s not something to ignore. I have a feeling it¡¯ll likely happen since it¡¯s already happened once.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that for sure. Like I said, it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to make sense,¡± Landon said. He continued staring at his mask as he talked. ¡°All I know is that we¡¯ll find out their true power once we find that fourth mask. All of this speculation now is just wasting time.¡±


    Octavius shared a look with Jane. She shrugged, and he felt his stomach churn. He hated conflict. But he also didn¡¯t know if he could keep his opinion to himself.


    Jane read him like a book and sighed. She knew Vi nearly as well as her brother.


    ¡°Landon,¡± Jane said, her voice low and flat. ¡°We nearly killed ourselves finding the third one. It¡¯s powerful. They all are. But the odds of us finding the fourth -¡±


    ¡°We have to find it,¡± Landon said, his voice ragged and distorted. He caressed the mask with his hand, closely examining and feeling every inch. ¡°It¡¯s our only purpose now.¡±


    Jane furrowed her eyebrows but didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°Whether true or not, it¡¯s an impossible task. Which is what I was going to say. There are four days left in the season and all we¡¯ve done for the past four weeks was look for those masks. Soon the tower will change, and then we¡¯ll lose every possibility of finding the fourth. It just isn¡¯t for us.¡±


    Landon finally looked away from the mask at the Witch. Anger rose inside him at first, but then it began to ease away. The whispers in his mind calmed as he lost his focus on the mask. He gently set it down and stood up, pacing the room.


    ¡°We have to at least try,¡± Landon said, his voice calmer. ¡°I¡¯ll never forgive myself if we don¡¯t give as much time as possible for at least that much.¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± Corbyn said. He felt power in his fingers while holding the bull mask, as though his hands could punch through stone. But the strange tug in his mind while he held the wooden item gave him worry. He sat it down and looked away. The tug eased. ¡°I can feel its power. But we¡¯ve been running ragged. I¡¯m exhausted. I can tell Jane and Vi are, too, and you¡¯re likely hiding how tired you really are. We¡¯ve never pushed this hard for anything.¡±


    Landon stopped pacing and nodded his head. ¡°I know. But the possibilities of wielding this power are too great! We could do whatever we wanted! We could likely get to the final tier with just us four. Maybe even complete the whole damn thing!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Octavius said. ¡°That¡¯s not what I signed up for. You know that. I don¡¯t want power, Landon. I want money.¡±


    ¡°Power nets us money, Vi,¡± Landon pleaded. ¡°Climbing the higher floors will give more money than your family would ever need. Your goal was enough that they never had to work again, right? All six of them? Imagine splitting the reward only four ways clearing out a floor in the third tier with the power from this mask. You could make enough money in one climb that one person in your family would make in an entire season! You could cover enough wealth for not just your family but your extended family! Your community! Your children and their children, too!¡±


    ¡°Not if I¡¯m dead, I won¡¯t. What if those curses are binding and last forever? What if the additional curse effect is something that will get me or one of us killed? This mask says the wearer will lose their sight. Their damn sight! That¡¯s insane!¡±


    ¡°And the entire point of why we shouldn¡¯t be using them just yet,¡± Jane added.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Landon walked over to Octavius and put a hand on his shoulder. Octavius slightly shied away, unsure of what he was going to do. But Landon only squeezed him gently, emphasizing his words.


    ¡°What would you do to ensure your family¡¯s wealth? Sacrifice your health? Risk your life? You¡¯re already doing that being a Climber. This would just expedite the process. Wouldn¡¯t that be for the benefit of your family and you?¡±


    Octavius shook his head. Landon wasn¡¯t exactly wrong, but he hated being manipulated. He wanted to climb on his own terms. Not be led into even more danger than he already was in every time he entered Alistair.


    ¡°And what if we sold the masks? There would likely be some very interested buyers and then I could earn that money right away. No harm done.¡±


    Landon¡¯s face grew hard, and his hand squeezed Octavius¡¯s shoulder much harder. Octavius batted it away and pushed him. The man barely moved.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even threaten that,¡± Landon said. ¡°Those masks are ours. We aren¡¯t selling them. And if you ever mention it again -¡±


    ¡°What, Landon?¡± Jane said, stepping beside him. ¡°It¡¯s a valid point. Back off.¡±


    Landon turned to her but Corbyn was suddenly standing beside him, too, his hand clenched into a fist. The three of them didn¡¯t budge. The tension was palpable. These moments were becoming more and more common, but this one seemed particularly bad. If no one intervented, someone would likely do something they''d regret.


    Octavius sighed loudly and stepped between all of them. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Really. I brought up my concerns, and Landon answered them. We don¡¯t have to sell them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up so quickly, Vi,¡± Jane said, not taking her eyes off Landon. ¡°You¡¯re better than that.¡±


    ¡°No, he just realized his own conclusion,¡± Landon said. ¡°He¡¯s smarter than you give him credit for.¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Octavius said. Complimenting him after threatening him was just too much. He was done with talking about the masks and Landon¡¯s obsessiveness. ¡°Just¡­ stop. We can find a compromise. Please, gods, find a compromise.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t stop,¡± Landon said. ¡°I can¡¯t. With or without all of you, I¡¯m going to look for the fourth one.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been over this,¡± Corbyn said with a bit of an edge to his voice. ¡°You can¡¯t keep ignoring us! You¡¯re supposed to be leading us but you¡¯re just a piece of shit who does what he wants!¡±


    Landon stepped up to Corbyn and pointed at his chest. ¡°What did you call me?¡±


    Octavius silently cursed. This was counterproductive.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this,¡± Jane said, stepping between both men. ¡°A compromise, then, like Vi said. We¡¯ll use the last few days of the month to look for the fourth mask. Then after, we focus on the second tier next season to make up for it. Vi will get a larger portion of the shares, too.¡±


    Landon and Corbyn both looked to Jane with questioning looks.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Corbyn asked. ¡°That¡¯s a big compromise.¡±


    ¡°Leaning heavily towards Vi,¡± Landon added.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been leaning heavily towards you all damn season,¡± Jane said, pointing at Landon. ¡°At the expense of Vi. That¡¯s more than fair and you damn well know it. Now be good little brats and make up.¡±


    Landon scowled but reluctantly nodded. Corbyn did the same before walking away.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Octavius said, his voice soft. He appreciated the deal in his favor but was more than ready to leave. He needed some time to himself. Some time to think. To relax.


    ¡°Tomorrow morning, then, bright and early,¡± Landon said. ¡°We have limited time to try again.¡± He looked to Octavius, hoping for the man¡¯s support. He didn¡¯t want to alienate him. Just prove his point. ¡°And we all need to be there. I... don''t want to do it alone.¡±


    Octavius sighed. ¡°Alright. I need some food and rest anyway. Thanks, I guess.¡± He promptly said his farewells and left.


    In the hallway, he took another deep breath and felt his hand shaking. He looked down at the lion mask in his hand. Those whispers in his mind, stronger than before, beckoned him to put the mask on and to find its brethren. The desire was far stronger than before and worrying about what would happen was Octavius¡¯s only defense. He shoved the feeling down and walked away back to his room.


    He wouldn¡¯t let the mask control him. Or Landon, for that matter. But every passing moment without wearing the mask felt pained. His was the first they found and he had carried it since. Would Corbyn be called to the bull mask soon since he''d been holding onto it? What would eventually happen to Landon since he was holding the new wolf mask?


    He constantly reminded himself of why he was here in the first place. Losing his sense of self would lead him down a road he didn¡¯t want to walk. Storing the mask in his room would likely be for the best. Some time just for him was what he needed.


    As made his way back to his room, the internal struggle continued. But he never put the mask back in his pack. As he mulled it over, he didn¡¯t quite want to be rid of it that soon. Landon was a prick, but he wasn¡¯t wrong. There truly was a strange power inside of these magical artifacts. A power that Octavius secretly wanted to see. The moment he wielded it, though, he feared he wouldn¡¯t be able to turn back.


    Walking away, he agreed that maybe finding the last mask wouldn''t be so bad. At least they could decide what to do having all of them and seeing their final effects. Maybe the mask''s lull would lessen, and maybe his mind would be less strained.


    Or, at least, he hoped that would be the case. All he knew was that the mask felt more secure in his possession. He could always hold onto it for a little bit longer.

 Faceless Four - Chapter 4

    Octavius stood before the final stone block to be activated. The formation was ready to be completed, and he desperately hoped the secret room showed again. They still hadn¡¯t found the fourth and final god beasts mask, and everyone was on edge. Especially Landon. He was so determined, so relentless in his pursuit to find the masks that he was walking a knife¡¯s edge with every word and step he took, both in and out of the tower. Octavius was scared of what might happen if they didn¡¯t find it.


    This was the last day of the month, and it was nearly midnight. They had ran the third floor over and over endlessly for the past four days. Every waking moment was spent climbing and repeating the third floor, except the typical eating and sleeping. Even then it was sometimes limited, but Landon was so volatile no one else argued. This was their final chance to find the room, and Octavius had a legitimate fear for his life if it didn¡¯t show up.


    He took a deep breath and nodded to Corbyn. The Barbarian likely felt a similar level of worry, as he shared a concerned look with Octavius. Working together, the stone block rotated one time on its side before settling into place. The runes on the stone blocks in the middle of the room flashed then dimmed.


    That was the final puzzle piece. It would all be over now, one way or another.


    Landon paced in front of the throne at the far end of the room. He twirled his swords, anxious and ready. Jane stood by the other two men, unsure of what was about to happen. She held onto her brother¡¯s arm for support.


    Landon stopped pacing as a skeletal hand reached around the throne, followed by a giant skeleton showing itself.


    Octavius felt a strange combination of fear and relief. It was over, now. The secret room didn¡¯t show up. But that meant Landon didn¡¯t get what he wanted. What was he about to do?


    A flash of green light lit up the throne and Landon blurred. He carved through the skeletal giant with a scream, making the others flinch. With reckless abandon he took down the skeletal boss, not bothering to dodge or avoid any blow at all.


    It didn¡¯t matter, though. The skeleton didn¡¯t have time to attack as it was reduced to a pile of bones in seconds. Landon stood over it and screamed, dropping his swords. The portal ahead of him turned clear, and he moved like he was going to attack it.


    Another yell of anger made Octavius close his eyes. Hopefully it was done. If Landon turned on them, he was prepared to leave and find another group. It would likely delay him for weeks or months, but it was better than climbing with someone as dangerous as the Duelist.


    Landon quieted then slowly walked over to pick up his swords. He sheathed them with care, then looked back at the others. His eyes weren¡¯t angry. They looked sad. Disappointed.


    ¡°I truly thought we were meant to have all four,¡± Landon said. ¡°I don¡¯t know where we went wrong.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± Jane said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t meant to be. I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s nothing we can do to change that.¡±


    ¡°We pushed ourselves past our limit,¡± Corbyn said. He looked to Jane for comfort but her look told him to be gentle. That didn¡¯t come naturally to him. ¡°I didn¡¯t think we could, but¡­ well, we managed. Despite the ridiculous schedule you put us through.¡±


    Jane smacked him on the arm. Corbyn silently raised his hands and shrugged in mock innocence.


    Octavius swallowed hard. He didn¡¯t want to say the wrong thing. ¡°I think what Corbyn is trying to say, is that we survived just fine. But it¡¯s a shame we didn¡¯t find it. I know it meant a lot to you.¡±


    Landon settled into the obnoxiously large throne, sitting on the edge. He ran his hands over his face and through his hair. ¡°I know what you really mean. Don¡¯t sugarcoat it. I¡¯ve asked a lot of the three of you in my own pursuit of finding the masks. I knew it was a fool¡¯s gamble but I wanted to roll the dice. Fucking hells I really thought it would turn up.¡±


    ¡°It was definitely a fool¡¯s gamble,¡± Corbyn said. Jane tried to hit him again but he stepped away just out of her reach. ¡°But isn¡¯t that what climbing is about? We¡¯re all fools to some degree. I don¡¯t blame you for wanting to try to obtain power. The masks really did have some incredible effects. And some strange draw from them. But like Jane said, it just wasn¡¯t meant to be.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± Landon said. He sighed and sat back into the throne, staring at the ceiling. ¡°I really thought they would completely change everything. The power they held. The power we could use. We would be as strong as most of the guilds here, and there¡¯s only four of us.¡±


    Jane laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t go comparing us to some of those guilds, now. We¡¯re just a simple group. We are still a group, I presume? We had a deal, after all.¡±


    Octavius opened his mouth but stopped. He wanted to smack Jane. Of all the times to bring that up, now seemed like the best one? What was she thinking?


    ¡°Gods, Jane,¡± Corbyn said. ¡°Can¡¯t we talk about that tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yea, the timing isn¡¯t all that great,¡± Octavius added. He was grateful Corbyn at least had the gumption to question his sister.


    ¡°I want to make sure there actually is a tomorrow for us,¡± Jane said. ¡°We climb well together. There¡¯s no denying that! We finish floors in the second tier that normally take full groups. Our teamwork can¡¯t be ignored, and I don¡¯t want to throw it away over this. I don¡¯t want anyone making any rash decisions.¡±


    Landon reached into his pack and pulled out the wolf mask. He looked at it and felt the same call he heard before. The whispers that seemed to breeze across his mind, mysterious but enticing. He didn¡¯t know if they were real or just his own desire in his mind wanting to put on the mask.


    ¡°I know these heavily influenced my judgment. Even now I swear I can hear it calling to me. Begging me to just put it on. I saw an opportunity for us that was far too good to overlook. But it came at the cost of potentially tearing us apart.¡± He took the mask and placed it back in his pack.


    ¡°I don¡¯t regret trying so hard to find them,¡± Landon continued. ¡°I knew we had the capability to push as hard as we did.¡± He stood up and joined the others. ¡°But it was wrong of me to demand all of you to join my crusade so urgently. I¡¯m sorry for that.¡±


    Octavius expected Landon to respond, but he never guessed a response like that. He was stunned silent.


    Jane wanted to reply but didn¡¯t know what to say. Landon wasn¡¯t one to be so forthcoming with his mistakes. Maybe he really was growing as a leader, after all.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, too,¡± Corbyn said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t myself. I kept being an ass and arguing when we needed to be agreeable.¡±


    Jane looked at her brother with confusion. ¡°Did you suddenly find masks that made you express your feelings? What in the hells is happening?¡±


    Octavius laughed. He couldn¡¯t help it. The others were acting so out of character that he thought something similar to Jane. Watching it unfold felt absurd.


    Seeing Octavius laugh made the others suddenly start laughing, too. Soon they were in tears as tension from weeks washed away and fatigue brought their guards down. It was nearly a full minute before they calmed down enough to coherently speak.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Landon wiped his eyes for the third time. ¡°Gods I needed that. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I never gave you anything,¡± Jane said with a laugh, sitting on the ground against her brother. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you lighten up. This past month has been a real chore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it. You¡¯re right, of course. We did have a deal. Let¡¯s move on next month. Maybe in a few weeks we can look into some buyers for the masks. Vi, you can have half my share of rewards next season. As an apology.¡±


    Octavius stopped laughing abruptly. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡±


    ¡°I am. I shouldn¡¯t have been so manipulating when you were trying to be the voice of reason. Which you normally are.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Jane asked. ¡°I presented an objective point of view, too! Where¡¯s my share?¡±


    ¡°Talk to your brother about that,¡± Landon said with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯m sure his apology will cover it.¡±


    ¡°You ass,¡± Corbyn said. ¡°Jane, I¡¯m not giving you shit.¡±


    Octavius started laughing again. It was good to see they were still themselves.


    *****


    Floor Six


    Group: 4/4


    Corbyn smashed another monster with a grimace. The creature gave off a foul stench when it shambled around, its body more dead than alive. But when it died, it let out a smell that nearly made him gag.


    Raising a hand to his nose, Corbyn ignored the nearby monster as Landon was moving in to attack it. ¡°What in the actual fuck are these things?¡±


    ¡°Rotters, apparently,¡± Octavius said, looking at his parchment. ¡°Apt name, it seems.¡±


    ¡°You can say that again! They smell like shit that died then had another shit!¡±


    ¡°Gods, Corbyn, you¡¯re so vulgar,¡± Jane said. She had a cloth around her face and quietly moved away from a nearby rotter that she killed. The stench was unlike anything she had smelled before, but she wasn¡¯t about to let the men know that.


    Landon carved his way through the rotter he intercepted before jumping away from the body. He cleared his throat and spit on the ground. ¡°They¡¯re definitely foul. At least they¡¯re easy, though. Maybe we should stick to having Jane kill them from a distance?¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Corbyn said. ¡°I¡¯ll even give you a mana potion if you promise to kill them before they get anywhere near me.¡±


    Jane laughed. ¡°Deal. But the wrap really does help keep the smell at bay. A little perfume in it helps, too. Just choose a scent you never want to use again, because I¡¯ll be damned if I ever remember this climb.¡±


    Octavius promptly pulled his cloak around his face and gave a thumbs up. He looked so ridiculous it made both Landon and Corbyn laugh.


    The next season had shown itself to be promising. While the enemies were tricky to deal with at times, the environment and puzzles were straightforward. The first tier was a large area of plains outside a castle, and the second tier started directly outside the castle. It was massive, easily the largest structure any of them had ever seen, and completely eerie. The sky above was a copper, cloudless grey, coating the environment in a strange brown hue. The enemies were equally disturbing, being deformed versions of other creatures from the outside world.


    They had reached the second tier after a week and a half, and were taking their time clearing the floors one by one. Everything was progressing well, and they were feeling like their old selves. No one in the group brought up the masks at all since the last day of the previous season, and slowly they began their return to normalcy.


    The four patiently waited for the stench to ease from the rotters before collecting their loot. It wasn¡¯t much, just some errant coins and a single health potion, but the group stored them before continuing. As Octavius placed his share of the coins in a small bag in his leather sack, he paused before taking a relieving sigh. There was no call from his bag, no whispers in his mind. The mask had no hold on him if it wasn¡¯t even there. Safely stowed away in his room, he wondered why he ever carried it with him to begin with.


    ¡°Heads up,¡± Landon said. ¡°I sense something strong.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t be the rotters, then,¡± Corbyn said.


    Landon shook his head. ¡°No. Look.¡± He pointed ahead with one of his curved swords at a group of enemies emerging from a shadow formed from a nearby crook at an outlying room of the castle. Three figured emerged, and they were more ethereal than solid. Their bodies were completely black and misty, though they looked humanoid from their shapes and by walking on two legs. Unnaturally long arms extended into four dagger-like claws, and harsh red eyes made them look demonic. Each one stood at an average man¡¯s height and immediately spotted the group.


    ¡°Champions,¡± Landon said.


    Moving into formation without another word, the Climbers quickly acted. Octavius cast protective barriers around Landon and Corbyn, both of whom moved forward with purpose while activating their skills to improve their speed and strength respectively. Jane fired off a quick spell of magic to distract and stop the enemies, an arcane bola shot that entangled two of the monsters and held them still. It wouldn¡¯t do much, but it could delay them for at least a few seconds.


    Landon met the first enemy and immediately began slashing into it. To his surprise, the monster was nearly as quick as him, avoiding several hits by moving its lanky body and counterattacking with surprising reach of its lengthy arm. Each swipe of its claws glanced off an incredibly dense aura around Landon¡¯s body, courtesy of Octavius¡¯s strong defensive spell.


    Corbyn didn¡¯t bother with the other one but instead smashed into the side of the monster trying to hit Landon. They learned that by focusing on one enemy, they could kill it faster and move on to another. While the champion was getting simultaneously cut and pummeled, the second monster that tried to engage them was being hit with a bombardment of magical shots. They didn¡¯t do much damage, and were more of an annoyance, but they were frequent enough to prevent the monster from blindsiding the two melee Climbers.


    Jane held her hands in front of her with her wrists held together as a ball of swirling purple and white quickly fired projectiles the size of a small piece of fruit. She was able to fire three shots in a second, and by continually feeding the larger, swirling ball mana she could keep the spell going as long as there was mana to fuel it. The monster raised its arms to protect itself at first, but then started ducking and dodging the hits while ignoring Landon and Corbyn and instead rushing to her.


    Jane smiled as the monster approached. Before it ever came close to her Corbyn was at its back smashing it to the ground with his hammer. The monster he and Landon dealt with was already dead, and the Duelist was moving to the first champion that started freeing itself from Jane¡¯s magical restraint.


    In less than two minutes the group stood over the final champion¡¯s dissipating body, proud of their teamwork and efforts.


    ¡°That went about as smooth as it could have gone,¡± Octavius said. ¡°It felt good.¡±


    ¡°No, it felt amazing,¡± Jane said. ¡°I miss how well we work together. And these floors actually give us a challenge, now!¡±


    ¡°Good work, everyone,¡± Landon said. He bent over to inspect the pile of loot that formed from one of the champion¡¯s body. ¡°I agree with Jane. That went about as well as it could have gone. Let¡¯s finish up and get home.¡±


    ¡°Look at that,¡± Jane said, nudging Corbyn in the ribs. ¡°He actually agrees with me!¡±


    ¡°Someone on this team has to,¡± Corbyn said, smirking.


    ¡°I typically do,¡± Octavius said.


    Jane smiled warmly at Octavius. ¡°And I¡¯m always grateful, Vi.¡±


    Landon sifted through the loot while the others talked. There were coins and gemstones, though they were mostly silver cloaks and decently valuable stones. A single mana potion wasn¡¯t bad, but it wasn¡¯t the best pile he¡¯d seen. Not by a long shot.


    Then his fingers stopped as he saw a purple aura reveal itself under some coins. Finding a purple item wasn¡¯t just rare on the sixth floor. It was unheard of. It was small, too. Was it a ring? Or a necklace?


    As his fingers moved more coins his heart nearly skipped a beat. He grabbed the item and stood, holding it in front of him. ¡°Everyone, come here. Take a look.¡±


    The others walked over and stared at the item in confusion. Jane reached out and grabbed it. ¡°A magical key? That¡¯s unusual. I¡¯ve never heard of that before.¡±


    ¡°Neither have I,¡± Octavius said. ¡°I don¡¯t remember passing a locked magical doorway, either.¡±


    Jane turned the key around before giving it back to Landon. Then she pulled out a portal key from her robes and compared them. Everyone looked at both keys for a few seconds, unsure of what they were seeing.


    Both of the keys looked nearly identical except for the size. Every unidentified magical item took on a general appearance before it was identified, but the key was different. It was large, like it should open a gate instead of a door, but not ornate or fancy except for its purely silver hue. The only difference was the portal key had a more gold tint, and of course their size. The portal key was the size of their hand while this one was the size of their forearm. Otherwise their shape looked the same.


    Landon shared a look with Jane, whose face went from confusion to disbelief.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way,¡± Jane said, her voice nearly a whisper.


    ¡°No way what?¡± Corbyn asked.


    Octavius grabbed the key and inspected it. ¡°Are you assuming what I think you¡¯re assuming?¡±


    ¡°What in the hells do you all think it is?¡± Corbyn asked.


    ¡°A portal key,¡± Jane said.


    ¡°Not just any portal key,¡± Landon added. ¡°A portal key to a hidden room. A particular hidden room that may or may not have a certain mask inside it.¡±


    ¡°Gods,¡± Octavius said. ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡±


    Landon gently took back the key. ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± He turned and placed the key in the air, acting as though he was slotting it into a keyhole before turning it.


    A magical shimmer formed in the air as a purple and black hole twice the size of a floor portal emerged directly in front of him. He backed up in awe before laughing.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s on the other side of that,¡± Octavius said, panic in his voice. ¡°It might not be one of the mask rooms!¡±


    ¡°Not a mask room,¡± Landon said. ¡°The mask room. The final one.¡±


    Jane patted Octavius¡¯s shoulder while drawing a mana potion from her potion belt. ¡°Potion up. I have a feeling we¡¯ll need it.¡±


    Preparing themselves, the four stepped through the portal when ready. As they emerged, a familiar set of braziers sat in the room glowing white, purple, and green.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Octavius said.


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Jane added.


    The purple brazier bellowed and formed into a large bipedal creature as the brazier went dark. The creature was as tall as the previous mask bosses, but had arms that were more like wings with purple hued feathers underneath and hands that were more talon-like. The wooden mask it wore resembled a bird with a beak-like nose and a small plume of feathers at the top.


    ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± Landon said in a whisper. ¡°Prepare yourselves. Whatever it takes, we will have that mask.¡±

 Faceless Four - Chapter 5

    The third of the damned minions finally went down, spiraling to the ground in a smoking heap. Jane internally celebrated in success but outwardly was looking for her next target. These enemies were far, far tougher than the ones in the other mask rooms. Was it because it was a room in the sixth floor? Or maybe because it was the final mask boss and the difficulty suddenly spiked? Jane wanted to lean towards the former but honestly didn¡¯t know. Which was infuriating. And not completely relevant.


    The four of them were struggling and she needed to focus.


    Both Landon and Corbyn were dealing with the bird boss, who was actually fighting them instead of standing back for the minions to attack first. That in itself was strange as the other trials had the bosses wait first. Maybe Alistair was testing them to see if theywere actually worthy of owning all four of the masks. If they weren¡¯t, they¡¯d die here. She had a strong feeling Landon wasn¡¯t just going to leave. If they were worthy, though, they¡¯d be successful and finally have the masks they were hoping to obtain for weeks.


    Both of the thoughts were frightening. Nearly as frightening as the current enemies Jane was trying to kill.


    Weaving her arm and hand with her rod to cast another spell, she stood alongside Octavius while trying to manage two more of the five total bird minions. Vi was doing a great job both distracting and supporting when possible, though he using far too much mana when he needed to save it for healing. Jane knew he¡¯d be needing it, especially after he already had to intervene on a particularly nasty hit Landon took from the boss. The four of them had breached the seventh floor, but haven¡¯t completed it yet. This felt just as strong, if not stronger.


    But it was a challenge, and Jane loved challenges like her brother. His approach to them was a bit more upfront than hers, while she appreciated a more tactful strategy. Unfortunately that was most thrown out the window when facing such strong opponents, but she was doing her best.


    Her spell formed into a rolling static swirl in her free hand and she launched it at the closest bird monster. It was called Arcane Paralysis, and worked similar to Lightning-focused mages. The ball smashed into the monster¡¯s side and engulfed it like an aura surrounding its body, but instead of a magical layer it was thousands upon thousands of tiny shocks that rapidly moved over its body. The monster looked like it turned purple from the magic encompassing it, and it was frozen in place while the magic took hold.


    A second monster moved beside it and the static jumped onto its body, similarly seizing it in place. Jane smiled seeing her intention take hold, but her smile quickly turned sour as she realized both monsters started to move despite the effect on their bodies. It was a strong spell, but each time it jumped to another being the original effect was weakened, as it only had a set amount of energy at the start that was shared to others. On lesser monsters it could hold about three or four of them easily before they started to resist the effects, but these clearly weren¡¯t lesser monsters. They began moving towards her with a slowly increasing speed, lumbering as though they were walking underwater.


    She mentally cursed their luck as she started an attacking spell. Restraining some of them while focusing on attacking others wasn¡¯t going to completely work on them. That meant valuable resources like mana and time were going to be spent while they tried to clear out the room.


    A flash of white appeared at her side and Jane jerked her head to see another bird minion with its winged arm pointing at her. An arrow black as night was on the ground beside her, and she knew Octavius put up a quick barrier to block the arrow from hitting her. She never even saw the damned thing. Their dark feathery bodies blended into the dim background far too well, and they were fast. And outnumbered.


    If they made it out, she was going to buy him a drink. Maybe even two.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jane said, repositioning herself to prevent another sneaky arrow from hitting her. ¡°There are too damn many to deal with on my own!¡±


    ¡°They can barely handle the boss,¡± Octavius said, pointing his staff at a group of minions and causing a flash of light to temporarily blind them. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure if it would work or not, but he desperately wanted to buy some time. ¡°If one of them pulls away, the other will go down!¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡± Jane knew they were in a nearly impossible spot. She didn¡¯t need to hear what Vi was going to finish saying. If she were to go and help them take down the boss, then the minions would pick them apart from the sides. And if they focused on the minions, then the boss would equally tear them apart.


    This was not looking good. Still, she wasn¡¯t about to give up. That was not who she was is. Her and her brother had that in common.


    Redoubling her focus on the minions, she readied another spell. She was ready to kill something.


    *****


    Corbyn stumbled back after blocking another magical hit from the bird-like boss. ¡°Godsdamnit!¡±


    ¡°Get your damn act together!¡± Landon barked, ducking an errant bolt.


    Corbyn growled, equally at Landon and their opponent. The monster was annoying but having Landon revert back to his asshole self was making matters worse. They had made such progress since the last mask room that Corbyn believed the man had finally learned.


    He was, unfortunately, wrong. Just like his sister loved to point out.


    Readying his hammer, he jumped forward and slammed into the masked monster again, once more hitting a magical barrier. A crack formed under his blow and he smiled in victory. They had a long way to go, but that was a huge step in their success.


    The boss was far more annoying than the previous bosses. It was the only one who could actually fly, which put both of the melee Climbers in a serious disadvantage. He¡¯d prefer to have Jane deal with it matching it in ranged combat, but it also had the ability to fly in close and attack with a strange weapon Corbyn had never seen before. It was like a metal claw that extended from its three fingered hand, possessing three slender but sharp blades all having a slightly hooked end. They were a perversion of actual weapons, though unfortunately the damned thing fought with it like a demon. It didn¡¯t help that it also used magic incredibly well, both offensively and defensively.


    Corbyn just wanted to smash things. Why did everything have to be so complicated?


    After the barrier cracked, the boss cawed in surprise like an actual damn bird and leapt back far out of reach. Just like it had done before. Corbyn knew what was next.


    ¡°Octavius!¡± Landon yelled, one step ahead of the Barbarian.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Landon was faster, but Corbyn tried to cut the distance to the boss in one powerful leap. He knew that once it landed, it would immediately start a magical attack that was very hard to avoid or defend against. He desperately hoped it would run out of mana soon, or they¡¯d be dead from a couple more hits by it. Or one really well placed hit.


    A thick layer of aura surrounded Corbyn and Landon after the boss landed but before its attack was ready. Octavius needed to be within a certain distance for his protective aura to coat them, but in their small space they had plenty of room. Both he and Landon weren¡¯t going to make the same mistake again of waiting for the protective spell to surround them before engaging with the boss.


    Meeting the boss face to face, Corbyn had his hammer up and ready to swing with a vengeful fury. Just as he started to bring it down, though, a terrible cry of pain caused him to completely lose his focus, and his hammer swung off course. Instead of hitting the monster in the chest it missed and hit its left arm, crumpling it. He ignored Landon¡¯s attack as he desperately looked behind him.


    He recognized that pained cry. That wasn¡¯t some monster. That was his sister.


    Looking back, he saw one of the bird minions ripping her stomach open with its claws like an animal would its prey. He watched in horror as her blood sprayed in all directions, and she fell to the ground with the monster on top of her. Octavius was there, then, and smacked the monster with his staff and knocked it to the side. He immediately began healing Jane but Corbyn couldn¡¯t tell how bad she was injured. And he saw that the minion was about to turn on Octavius, who was Jane¡¯s only hope at surviving.


    ¡°Fucking help me!¡± Landon yelled, slashing the boss a third time. The boss monster fell backwards from Landon¡¯s whirling attack, injured but still alive. ¡°This is our chance!¡±


    Corbyn wanted to scream. Landon was blinded by his own greed. This was his chance, but at what cost? Corbyn sure as shit wasn¡¯t about to sacrifice his own sister for something they agreed to leave behind. He had thought Landon left his desire to pursue the masks behind, but obviously that wasn''t true. He clearly just hid it well.


    In moments Corbyn realized what he still had in his backpack and a plan formed in his mind. It was beyond risky. Stupid, even. But his sister was on the verge of death, Octavius was about to be overrun, and he had an opportunity to save both of them. Though he would never hear the end of it from Jane. Of how dangerous it was to wear it, of him being an idiot to put it on without more discussion. He didn¡¯t care about that, though. Her yelling only meant she would be alive. And he¡¯d much rather be chewed out by his sister than not hear her voice at all.


    Landon be damned. He could face the boss on his own.


    Corbyn dropped his shield and hammer to the ground and pulled off his backpack, his hands working as fast as possible. It didn¡¯t take long to find what he was looking for. He pulled it out and held it for only a moment longer, staring into the wooden face in a desperate plea.


    The bull mask stared back at home, and in that moment Corbyn''s attention was solely rested on the strange and alluring wooden item he held. Something tugged at the back of his mind. Some force that fueled his drive. His wildness. His rage.


    He wanted the strength to keep his sister alive. No - he wanted the power.


    Placing the bull mask onto his face, Corbyn felt a jolt of magic rush through his body. The sensation felt like he was struck by lightning, paralyzed and unable to move. But instead of pain, the feeling was energy. Power flooded his entire being. Strength coursed through him. His skin prickled as it grew dense and tough.


    But a hunger also radiated deep in his sense of self. It was unlike anything he¡¯d ever felt before. It wasn¡¯t a hunger for food, or a desire for sleep or some object. It was a sort of primal feeling of necessity. He didn¡¯t just want to take the life of the monsters threatening his friends. He wanted to consume them.


    Corbyn picked up his hammer and left his shield. He wouldn¡¯t need it. Barreling towards Jane and Vi, each step felt like he was leaping as a new strength in his legs carried him forward several feet at a time. In seconds he was where he wanted to be, directly in the midst of the minions trying to kill the others. A single swipe of his hammer connected with the closest monster, and despite it blocking the attack with crossed arms it was still knocked back several feet onto the ground.


    A faint sensation crossed his back, though it wasn¡¯t completely pain. It felt more like brushing against a branch when walking through a dense forest. Then he felt it again. Turning around, Corbyn saw one of the bird monsters slashing at him with a clawed hand. He didn¡¯t bother blocking or avoiding it. It swept across his chest without even drawing blood. A smile crossed his face though he doubted the monster could see it since he was wearing the bull mask. The monster attacked again, then again, but Corbyn didn¡¯t bother moving.


    Just how strong did the mask make him?


    On the third hit, something akin to pain finally crossed his body. The monster¡¯s claws were slightly bloody, though it was more of a graze than an actual wound. But a deep red and black aura began swirling around Corbyn. It was his Fury skill that activated when he was injured. But this was far more effective, and activated with far less injury needed. The magic was thick, coating his body from head to toe while also seemingly permeating his skin and muscles.


    He didn¡¯t just feel stronger. He felt unstoppable. Like a beast charging forward unrestrained.


    Feeling rage brimming with him, Corbyn brought his hammer down on the monster. The bird crumpled onto the ground, its head and torso caved in from the hit. It then evaporated into nothing, not even bothering to slowly dissipate like most monsters when they died.


    Corbyn looked back at a bright light to see Octavius holding his staff at him, pointing it as though he was prepared to unleash a spell. The Cleric had fear in his eyes, but he started to relax when he realized who it was.


    ¡°Corbyn?¡± Octavius asked.


    ¡°Heal her,¡± Corbyn said, his voice muffled but deeper than before. It was distorted, strange. ¡°Make sure she lives.¡±


    Octavius¡¯s face returned to showing fear. He swallowed hard and moved to Jane. She lay still on the ground, unmoving. Her stomach wasn¡¯t pouring blood anymore, but there were still gashes all over her. A healing light emitted from Octavius¡¯s staff as Corbyn watched his sister¡¯s body slowly knit back together. Color returned to her skin, and he saw her chest slowly began to rise and fall.


    Good. She was breathing. She could rest, now. Though he had much more work to do.


    *****


    Jane woke to a dim room. She felt sore and tired, but hardly any pain. Raising her hands, she saw they were bloody but complete.


    Octavius wasn¡¯t just going to get a drink from her. He was going to get an entire carton of whatever he wanted.


    Smiling at being alive, she felt her stomach as she sat up. It didn¡¯t hurt, thank the gods. She was a bloody mess, but she was whole. The man must have spent an entire pool of mana to just heal her.


    She shivered thinking about the feeling of being flayed alive by those damned monsters. That was something she never wanted to experience again. No matter the cost, she wanted to find something to protect her body far better next time.


    Looking around, she spotted a few lights hovering in the air that lit their portion of the boss room. Octavius was beside her, leaning against the wall resting. Landon was across the room standing next to a figure that towered over him.


    Shooting up, she started to prepare a spell. Octavius wasn¡¯t sleeping. He had died. Now Landon was about to die from some new monster, some new threat they didn¡¯t anticipate.


    ¡°Jane,¡± Octavius said. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Jane turned to see the Cleric standing beside her with a hand on her shoulder. He looked exhausted but very much alive. She looked back to Landon and saw he wasn¡¯t fighting. He was just standing around. The figure he stood beside couldn¡¯t be Corbyn. He was too big. Too wide.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Jane asked.


    Landon and the other person turned to her. Landon said something she didn¡¯t hear before trotting over. ¡°Good to see you up. You passed out there for a bit. Octavius ran through a spare mana potion and even poured one over your stomach to get you healed.¡±


    ¡°No wonder I¡¯m in such good shape. Thank you, Vi.¡±


    Octavius smiled sheepishly, but glanced over to the other person in the room. Jane did the same.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Landon said. ¡°It¡¯s Corbyn.¡±


    Jane felt panic rise inside her. ¡°That¡¯s Corbyn? It doesn¡¯t look anything like him!¡±


    The person - Corbyn - started to walk over. He was now even more of a mountain of a man than before, easily a half foot taller and seemingly gained an impossible amount of muscle mass instantly. But as he walked closer, the most noticeable thing about him was that he was wearing the wooden bull mask. Small wooden horns jutted from the top slightly up and forward, and the nose was rectangular and long like a bull¡¯s. She originally thought it looked silly but seeing it now she knew better. It looked menacing. And he looked like an actual bull.


    Worst of all, she knew it was a cursed item like the others. What would happen to them now? What would happen to him?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Corbyn said. His voice was muffled from the mask and deep, like he was trying to be intimidating. Though he didn¡¯t need to try.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Jane asked. She put a hand on her brother¡¯s shoulder. It felt rough, like leather. It only looked like skin, and even that was a generous description.


    ¡°I feel¡­ different. But strong. Very strong.¡±


    Landon laughed beside them. ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing? You should have seen him! He was an absolute terror!¡±


    ¡°Still is,¡± Octavius said. ¡°No offense.¡±


    Corbyn shrugged and chuckled. It sounded like a demon bellowing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± Jane said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cor, but you look terrifying. And the enemies are dead, now. Thank you for saving me, but can you please take it off?¡±


    Landon dropped his smile and shared a look with Octavius. The Cleric averted his gaze.


    ¡°What?¡± Jane asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a problem,¡± Corbyn said. ¡°I¡¯ve tried. But I can¡¯t take it off.¡±

 Faceless Four - Chapter 6

    Jane took a deep breath before trying again. Grasping the bull mask on Corbyn¡¯s face, she pulled and pulled, using the wall behind him to provide more force with one leg as her arms violently shook. Still, the mask never so much as shifted. Corbyn oddly never budged during her multiple attempts. He just stood as still as a statue.


    ¡°I told you,¡± the masked Barbarian said. ¡°It won¡¯t come off. I¡¯m the owner and I can¡¯t even take it off.¡±


    ¡°That damn thing¡­ freaks me out,¡± Jane said, trying to breathe between her words.


    Corbyn growled. ¡°Stop saying that. It¡¯s just a mask! I¡¯m not some monster!¡±


    Jane recoiled at her brother¡¯s words, taking several steps back. She knew he was right, but his voice sounded like he was possessed. He was built like a bear, too. In a way he was a monster. But she was not about to say that out loud. Corbyn was known to get angry pretty easily, but since he put the mask on it was far easier for him to get riled up. Jane did not like that.


    Corbyn took a deep breath. It sounded like a fire being stoked with the rumble in his chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jane. I know you¡¯re just trying to help. But ever since I put it on¡­ I don¡¯t know. The smallest thing can set me off. Like a skill activating without me even wanting it to. I''m just... so hungry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not that different from before,¡± Landon said, sitting on the couch in the apartment.


    Jane glared at him. Landon only smirked and shrugged.


    ¡°We still don¡¯t know the full extent of all of the masks,¡± Octavius said. He was sitting beside Landon, intently staring at the three other masks on the small table in front of them. Since they cleared out the final boss room, they finally obtained the fourth mask. It was a falcon, according to Jane¡¯s parchment, and by having the fourth one each of the others suddenly changed.


    When they discovered the wolf mask, all three masks changed to purple rarity. Now having all four, they changed again, but this time became orange. Seeing them give off a faint orange glow completely blew Octavius away. Between their group they previously only had one purple rarity item - Landon¡¯s mobility boots - and now they had not one, but four items of the highest possible rarity a Climber could have.


    Their negatives heavily tipped the scales back towards being too risky to use, however. At least according to Octavius. Landon still wanted to use them but Jane sided with himself on waiting to discuss them. After reading their new descriptions, Octavius was more afraid than ever.


    Mask of the Wolf - A wooden mask carved from a powerfully magical and unknown source in the shape of a wolf. Improves the wearer¡¯s overall passive dexterity, speed, reflexes, and mental processing by a major amount. The wearer has improved eyesight and can see in complete darkness. All skills improve by one stage and have a reduced cost by a small amount. The wearer¡¯s movements become sharpened and use less energy by a moderate amount.


    *When under dim light or darkness, all mask effects are increased by a moderate amount.


    *You may spend a small amount of mana to create magical claws on your hands and/or feet that extend up to three inches. This effect can be created over material such as gloves or shoes.


    *Cursed: Sunlight sensitivity - direct exposure to sunlight will physically harm the wearer. If exposed too long, may result in permanent effects that can not be healed by magical means.


    Additional cursed effect: ???


    This item is a soulbound item. Once donned, it cannot be used by another.


    This item is 1/4 of the God Beasts set. Collect all masks to unlock its true power.


    Mask of the Lion - A wooden mask carved from a powerfully magical and unknown source in the shape of a lion. Improves the wearer¡¯s overall mana regeneration and magical strength, and reduces spell cast time all by a major amount. The wearer has true sight, which allows them to see in darkness, magical effects with an inherent understanding of their function, and invisibility effects, all within a sphere of 120 feet. All skills improve by one stage and have a reduced cost by a small amount. The wearer¡¯s mind is sharpened and all mental processing and spell cast times are reduced by a moderate amount.


    *When under the effect of a beneficial ability, all mask effects are increased by a moderate amount.


    *You may spend a moderate amount of mana to create a flexible, magical barrier that can be reshaped and moved up to ten feet away. This barrier is moderately resistant to physical and magical damage and lasts up to fifteen minutes or until dismissed or destroyed.


    *Cursed: Magical blindness - when not wearing this mask, the wearer¡¯s eyesight is reduced by a major amount.


    Additional cursed effect: ???


    This item is a soulbound item. Once donned, it cannot be used by another.


    This item is 1/4 of the God Beasts set. Collect all masks to unlock its true power.


    Mask of the Bull - A wooden mask carved from a powerfully magical and unknown source in the shape of a bull. Improves the wearer¡¯s overall strength, endurance, toughness, and power by a major amount. The wearer is able to be healed and recover mana by absorbing other¡¯s energies, whether through mana, life, blood, or other means. All skills improve by one stage and have a reduced cost by a small amount. The wearer¡¯s body is improved with their skin toughening and being resistant to all damage by a moderate amount.


    *When enraged, all mask effects are increased by a moderate amount.


    *You may spend a moderate amount of mana to coat your body in a thick hide that provides an additional moderate amount of protection from both physical and magical sources in addition to the other benefits from this mask. This effect lasts for fifteen minutes or until dismissed.


    *Cursed: Hunger - you possess an unnatural hunger. If your hunger is not satiated, your life will be consumed instead. Not satisfying your hunger may result in permanent effects that can not be healed by magical means.


    Additional cursed effect: ???


    This item is a soulbound item. Once donned, it cannot be used by another.


    This item is 1/4 of the God Beasts set. Collect all masks to unlock its true power.


    Mask of the Falcon - A wooden mask carved from a powerfully magical and unknown source in the shape of a falcon. Improves the wearer¡¯s overall mana capacity, and magical strength, and reduces spell cast time all by a major amount. The wearer has improved magical capabilities and all magical damage dealt is converted to healing energies that replenishes your physical self as well as mana. All skills improve by one stage and all mental processing and spell cast times are reduced by a moderate amount.


    *For one minute after damaging an enemy, all mask effects are increased by a moderate amount.


    *You may spend a moderate amount of mana to create magical, ethereal wings on your back that will allow you to fly. The wings can be created over material such as clothing. This effect lasts for two hours or until dismissed.


    *Cursed: Corrupted lifeforce - you can not be healed by items, including potions, elixirs, remedies, and traditional medicine.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Additional cursed effect: ???


    This item is a soulbound item. Once donned, it cannot be used by another.


    This item is 1/4 of the God Beasts set. Collect all masks to unlock its true power.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how four masks can be part of a set,¡± Octavius said, setting his parchment back down. ¡°I¡¯m sure it has to do with each of them being worn by different people, but it doesn¡¯t make sense. What other set do you know out there does that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s part of what makes them so special and powerful,¡± Landon said. He still held the wolf mask in his hands, staring it at with an extreme infatuation. ¡°And think, we¡¯re perfect! There are four masks and four of us! We have to wear them!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so rash,¡± Jane said. ¡°Do you not see the curses listed those? And there¡¯s still a curse we don¡¯t even know about, yet. Do you think that outweighs the benefits?¡±


    ¡°Are you blind?¡± Landon said. ¡°Sure there are some drawbacks, but look at the benefits! I¡¯ve never even heard of orange rarity items having as many benefits, and they¡¯re supposed to be the best!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not blind, but I would be if I put that mask on,¡± Octavius muttered.


    Landon shot him a look that could kill and Octavius nervously avoided his gaze.


    Jane was only halfway listening as she was still eyeing her brother worriedly. He was pacing the room, his footsteps thumping the floor as though he weighed as much as a horse. She was concerned. Her problem wasn¡¯t necessarily with the masks being good or bad. Her main problem was that Corbyn wasn¡¯t able to take his off. Was that the other, hidden curse that was associated with all of the items? The inability to be taken off once donned? If that was the case, he was doomed the moment he did.


    Even though he saved her life because of the power the mask gave him. If he didn¡¯t use it, she would likely be dead. Maybe even Vi and Landon, too. And he was her brother. They¡¯ve always been together, no matter what. They came to Alestead as one, looking to be a part of a group but knowing they would always be together.


    She wouldn¡¯t abandon him so easily. And if the roles were reversed, she would have equipped the mask, too.


    A thought suddenly occurred to her. If Corbyn couldn¡¯t take it off, but they had all of the masks in their possession, maybe there was a way to be able to remove it, after all.


    ¡°What I¡¯m saying, is that I think there¡¯s an easy solution,¡± Landon said.


    Jane paid more attention to the other two men arguing. Though it was more of Landon berating Vi, per usual. ¡°And what solution are you referring to?¡±


    Landon held up the wolf mask and pointed to Corbyn. ¡°The solution of getting Corbyn¡¯s mask off! Haven¡¯t you been listening?¡±


    Jane wanted to say no, of course not, that she didn¡¯t have time to listen to a self righteous prick prattle on, but that would likely cause more issues than it would prevent. Instead she sighed and slowly nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. No. I was thinking about how to help Corbyn.¡±


    ¡°As am I, but Octavius is too worried about his own skin.¡±


    ¡°I am not!¡± Octavius replied. ¡°I¡¯m worried about all of us!¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Jane said. ¡°Like dealing with children.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°Landon, what is your solution?¡±


    Landon smiled a wicked smile. ¡°Easy. We all put on a mask.¡±


    Jane barked a laugh. Vi nodded in agreement. ¡°Exactly how I feel,¡± he said, agreeing with Jane¡¯s response.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t disagreeing,¡± Jane said. ¡°I laughed because I thought the same thing.¡±


    Landon¡¯s smile grew wider while Octavius¡¯s jaw dropped.


    ¡°Now hold on a minute,¡± Octavius started. ¡°We still don¡¯t know exactly what they will do!¡±


    A green light flashed in the room as Landon began convulsing. Jane and Octavius stepped away from him as he grunted from the magical effect taking over his body. Corbyn stood nearby, as still as before. The wolf mask rested on Landon¡¯s face, and it glowed a nearly sickening green underneath, completely obscuring his head.


    ¡°Gods,¡± Octavius breathed, unable to look away.


    Landon¡¯s body relaxed and he stood in the middle of the room. He looked leaner but more muscular. He looked at his hands and body through the mask, and then started to laugh. It wasn¡¯t much different than his regular voice, but still muffled like Corbyn¡¯s.


    ¡°No, Octavius,¡± Landon said. ¡°Not just any gods. The God Beasts. And their power is everything.¡±


    Corbyn walked over beside Landon and they studied each other. Jane watched in fascination. It was like they knew of one another but were seeing each other for the first time. Did the masks carry some sense of the God Beasts themselves and transfer that to the person? Was that fully still her brother under there? Or was there some newfound respect now that they each wore a mask? There were just so many unknowns.


    ¡°Landon?¡± Jane asked. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m excellent!¡± Landon replied. He moved his hands in front of his body in some familiar martial techniques. They blurred in the air, moving so fast that they were hardly noticeable.


    Landon laughed again.


    ¡°Try to take off the mask,¡± Jane said.


    Landon looked at her. ¡°Now would I do that?¡±


    Jane kept his gaze, unafraid. ¡°Because we need to see if either of you can remove it.¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t,¡± Corbyn said. ¡°Though my hunger lessened. Like Landon putting on his mask made mine... relieved? I don''t know how to explain it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, great,¡± Octavius said. ¡°Now you¡¯re referring to them as people?¡±


    ¡°Not a person, no. But there¡¯s definitely some spirit inside. It¡¯s stronger, now. I could sense it before but now it feels more friendly.¡±


    Octavius felt a pull to the lion mask sitting on the table. He understood what Corbyn meant about a sense of the mask. Now that he said it, the lion mask felt even more irresistible. It was not pleasant. Octavius knew that he did not want that mask on his face even though a part of him did. A part that was growing.


    Jane walked up to Corbyn and put a hand on his neck. ¡°Do you feel more¡­ you? More than before?¡±


    Corbyn nodded. ¡°I do. It¡¯s hard to describe, but I do feel more myself.¡±


    Jane smiled. She hoped he was smiling back at her underneath. Instead, Corbyn put his large hand on her face and caressed her.


    That was enough for her.


    Jane walked over to the falcon mask and studied it. She couldn¡¯t explain why there was a tug at the back of her mind with the wooden item, but it was pronounced. Almost visceral. She knew it was supposed to be hers. She slowly lifted the mask to her face and put it on.


    A nearly overwhelming power flooded her mind and body, as though she was filled with Octavius¡¯s strongest healing magic and her own damaging spell combined. She didn¡¯t fight it, though. She let it wash over her like a piping hot shower. Purple light filled her vision and mind before returning to normal. Her body then felt more refined. Not as drastic as Corbyn or Landon, but it was obvious. She felt strong. And good. But the most noticeable was that her mind felt sharp and ready, like a predator¡¯s gaze eyeing its prey.


    No. Like a falcon locked onto a field mouse, ready to strike any second. Like her mind was processing a dozen different scenarios and possible alternatives, all possible and clear with her fully in control of each of them.


    It was power. And she relished it.


    Octavius stared at his teammates, his supposed friends, in shock. They gave in to power so easily. He wasn¡¯t there for that. He just wanted some success and money for his family. He didn¡¯t care to have all the power, the glory. That was Landon¡¯s dream. But seeing Jane with her brother, and knowing he couldn¡¯t take the mask off, he knew she was going to risk herself for his sake. He did save her life but putting on the bull mask without thinking of his own consequences.


    And, though Octavius hated to admit it, Corbyn had saved his own life, too. There was no way he was going to be able to fend off the bird monsters on his own while still trying to keep Jane or himself alive. That was a selfless act. Though it was still very risky.


    Looking at the three Climbers wearing the wooden masks, Octavius thought they looked ridiculous. But he also had to admit they had a definite sense of power to them. It was unmistakable. Jane¡¯s wasn¡¯t as obvious, but he could feel her magic and it was far stronger than before. Like her skin radiated electricity.


    Part of him wanted it. But another part of him was afraid of it. A now smaller part.


    Still, he knew there was a way to take off the masks. And Landon was likely right. It was probably when they were all wearing them. The lion mask¡¯s curse involved not wearing the mask, so he knew it was possible. But it was also terrifying to think his vision would be affected. Even though it was the only mask that called to him, and the benefits aligned with him perfectly, he was afraid.


    The others walked closer to him, and Octavius took a step back. Would they hurt him and force him to put on the mask? He wouldn¡¯t be able to stop them. Those thoughts scared him almost as much.


    Landon held out the lion mask and Octavius felt a strange sense of relief.


    ¡°Take it,¡± Landon said. ¡°Put it on. Together, we¡¯ll change everything.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to change everything,¡± Octavius said. He glanced at the mask.


    ¡°Think of your family,¡± Jane said. ¡°Like I thought of mine. What would you trade to give them enough wealth to last lifetimes?¡±


    Octavius now held the lion mask in his hands. She wasn¡¯t wrong. And the mask felt so strong in his hands. So much power at his fingertips.


    ¡°Whatever it takes,¡± Landon said. ¡°Make your family proud.¡±


    Octavius felt the wood on his skin as he placed it on his face, and then blue light poured through his vision and mind as power overtook him.


    When Octavius placed the mask on his face, the others had similar instances of additional magic overtake their bodies. Colors flooded them again - red under Corbyn''s mask, green under Landon''s, and purple under Jane''s. As though a select part of each of the wooden items were waiting for them all to be worn. All to be reunited.


    They all passed out on the floor and lay unmoving.


    The masks remained.

 Faceless Four - Chapter 7

    Octavius awoke some time later in the night. He sat up and gently rubbed his head. His hands stopped when they felt something. It was wooden and around his face. Suddenly he remembered he put on the lion mask and felt its power consume him. After, he seemingly passed out. Looking around the room, he saw the others lying on the floor and realized they must have passed out, too.


    His head throbbed. What was that about? Weren¡¯t the masks supposed to give power, not pain?


    He nudged Jane and she stirred. Then she shot up straight, grabbing his hand. She looked strange wearing the falcon mask. But he didn¡¯t sense any malice under her grip. Or fear. He only sensed control.


    Then she groaned.


    ¡°Damnit,¡± Jane said. ¡°Why does my head hurt?¡±


    ¡°You too, then?¡± Octavius asked. ¡°I¡¯m glad it¡¯s not just me.¡±


    Jane nodded slowly before rubbing her temples. ¡°I think it¡¯s easing up, at least. That was bizarre. But at least we¡¯re alive.¡±


    Octavius had a pang of worry. His head wasn¡¯t easing up. If anything it was getting worse. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Jane stood up and nudged Landon and Corbyn, who both started to move. ¡°After you put your mask on, the three of us had another flash of magic. It felt like I was being stabbed in the head over and over. Then I passed out.¡±


    Octavius swallowed hard. That didn¡¯t sound good.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Corbyn said. ¡°That was weird.¡± He sat up on the floor and rubbed his neck.


    ¡°At least you¡¯re alive,¡± Jane said. ¡°How do you feel now that we¡¯re all wearing the masks?¡±


    ¡°Better. More myself. I don¡¯t know how to explain it, but it was like a serious longing when it was just me wearing a mask. Something like being alone. Or like it wanted the others to be worn.¡±


    Octavius shuttered, though the smallest movement hurt his head further. ¡°I hate the sound of that.¡±


    ¡°At least you¡¯re better,¡± Jane said. ¡°That¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    ¡°Well it also matters about what happens now,¡± Octavius said. ¡°Now that we¡¯re all wearing them.¡±


    ¡°Now that all of them are worn,¡± Landon said, standing up. His wolf mask had a distinct green tint underneath it, like his face was glowing and the mask was hiding it. ¡°That¡¯s a crucial difference.¡±


    Corbyn suddenly doubled over, holding his stomach. He groaned. Jane rushed to his side and put a hand on his back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Cor?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ starving.¡± He put a hand on his mask and lifted it. It came off easily as he held it in his hand.


    Jane gasped. Then she laughed. ¡°It worked! You can take it off!¡± She cautiously lifted her own mask and it came off easily in her hands.


    Octavius fell to his knees from the throbbing pain in his head. It felt like he was being stabbed in the skull and the knife was being twisted and turned. What in the hells was happening?


    Cor suddenly gasped like he was starving for air. Then he floundered to the floor. He was scratching at his neck and jaw, and Octavius nearly forgot about the pain in his head watching him. Was he possessed? It was horrifying. Octavius felt fear grip him like a vice.


    Then Jane fell to the ground and moaned in pain. She grabbed her head and winced, and Octavius wondered if she was feeling something similar to him.


    ¡°What the fuck is happening?¡± Landon asked. He still wore the wolf mask, and looked at each of the others in shock.


    Corbyn crawled to the kitchen and began tossing everything on the counter as though he was frantically searching for something. He grabbed a loaf of bread and began to gnaw on it like a rabid animal. He seemed to calm down a bit after, but then moved to another plate of food and began shoving it into his mouth. It was their leftovers from dinner earlier that evening, likely cold and stale, but he didn¡¯t care.


    Octavius could barely think from the throb in his head. ¡°Gods, my head! What is happening!¡±


    Jane started wheezing lying on the ground, her body shaking as she tried pushing herself to no avail. Both Landon and Octavius watched in horror as her body started to shrivel, as though her skin was dehydrated and she was drying out rapidly. Landon ran to the parchments laid out on the table and started to read them.


    A lump formed in his throat reading the mask¡¯s final descriptions. Nothing had changed except for the final curses. He paused on his own, but ignored it and read Jane¡¯s. He flinched at what he saw but moved towards the ailing woman and put her mask back on. She seemed to calm down from that, and her body stopped deteriorating. But she still was on the ground and looked like a far older woman with pale and wrinkled skin.


    ¡°Attack me,¡± Landon said. ¡°Cast a spell on me, Jane. Hurry!¡±


    Jane didn¡¯t question him. She raised a hand as a dull rune formed at the end of it, then a small bolt of magic hit Landon square in the chest. He stumbled back from the hit and rubbed his chest, but it didn¡¯t penetrate or do any major damage. He was just surprised at the intensity despite its small and pathetic appearance.


    Jane immediately sat up and looked at her hands. They were a bit more normal, now, far less shriveled than before. Instead of looking like a hag, she looked like she had only aged a decade. She looked at him with confusion, though it was hard to tell with her mask on. ¡°What in the fuck was that?¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Landon said. He moved to Octavius and knelt beside him, getting as close as possible. ¡°Cast a protective spell on yourself. A weak one that lasts awhile.¡±


    Octavius was breathing heavily but put a hand on his chest and cast Aura Skin. It was a simple protective spell that boosted magical abilities by a small amount and lasted an hour. It usually wasn¡¯t worth casting as it cost more mana than to heal someone or use another type of spell, but it was one he liked having in case the situation ever called for it. A very faint aura settled around his body and he immediately calmed down.


    His headache was suddenly gone, like a fire being snuffed out. It came on suddenly and worsened, but the relief was instant from his spell. Why was that the case? He looked at Landon in confusion. And how did he know it would help?


    Landon moved to Corbyn and gave him the bull mask. Corbyn stared at it with half of a turkey leg falling out of his mouth, then he reached out and put it on. Instantly he gathered himself and looked at the others.


    ¡°We all need to sit down,¡± Landon said. He pointed at the couch. ¡°The curses are worse than I thought.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    *****


    Three Climbers sat in disbelief, each of them holding their parchments with the description of their masks. Landon was pacing the room. All of them wore their masks, hiding their expressions.


    ¡°We need to keep the masks on for now,¡± Landon said. ¡°None of the curses that are active while wearing them harm us that bad.¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Corbyn said. ¡°How the fuck am I supposed to take something¡¯s life force? Do I have to drink your blood or something?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± Landon said. ¡°But we likely will be able to use monsters. That¡¯s what the masks are for, right? To be used in Alistair?¡±


    Corbyn didn¡¯t answer. He just stared at his parchment. The expanded hunger curse was bad enough, stating if he didn¡¯t satisfy his hunger than his own life would be consumed instead. That thought terrified him. But it was the additional curse that happened when he took off his mask that concerned him. When he wasn¡¯t wearing it, the description stated the hunger curse would be exponentially worse, and his body would physically hurt and be injured while he ate anything as the only thing he could focus on was consumption. What kind of life was that?


    ¡°It¡¯s all I can do, now,¡± Jane said. She threw her parchment down. ¡°Fuck! What kind of damned objects are these? We¡¯re so fucked!¡±


    Her curse that happened when her mask was off, the witch¡¯s curse, caused her to rapidly age to the point where she could die if left without her mask too long. She didn¡¯t know if it was a play on her class or fate that that was the mask she equipped. But she also wasn¡¯t able to focus or keep her composure so any rational thought was gone.


    ¡°There has to be a way to manage them,¡± Landon said. ¡°We¡¯ll make do.¡±


    ¡°Make do?¡± Jane said. ¡°Make do? You were the one who insisted on having them! You were the one who pressed us to wear them and use their power!¡±


    ¡°I put the first one on, Jane,¡± Corbyn said.


    Jane scoffed. ¡°Godsdamnit!¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t the only ones who have awful curses,¡± Landon said. ¡°If I take mine off, my skin and flesh will start burning, and if I leave it off long enough it will eventually kill me.¡±


    The others looked at him. Everyone was silent. No one knew what to say or what to think.


    ¡°Mine¡¯s worse,¡± Octavius said after a few agonizing seconds. ¡°I have two negative effects.¡±


    ¡°We all do,¡± Jane said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean yours is worse.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it doesn¡¯t? Really? If I don¡¯t have a protective spell on me I¡¯ll get headaches that can cripple me or give me permanent mental damage, eventually killing me. How can that even be calculated? That¡¯s terrifying! And that''s wearing the damn mask! And, if I take my mask off, I¡¯ll lose my sight and my eyes! My fucking eyes!¡±


    Jane opened her mouth to respond but then closed it. She put her head down in her lap and held herself protectively. Octavius took that as a sign he was right. That never happened before. And Jane wasn¡¯t normally one to give in so easily.


    ¡°The drawbacks aren¡¯t great,¡± Landon said. ¡°But the benefits are phenomenal. None of you can deny that. We¡¯re likely the strongest four Climbers in the city!¡±


    ¡°And how does that matter when they¡¯re eventually going to kill us?¡± Octavius asked.


    ¡°It matters because we have power now! How many Climbers die or lose themselves here, anyway? More than anyone would like to admit. We can push to the top with these masks and gain all the treasure and glory we want along the way!¡±


    Octavius laughed. ¡°Typical. All you think about is power and glory. Fuck off, Landon. We¡¯re talking about how our lives will never be the same and you¡¯re still stuck on the same damn thing.¡±


    ¡°Get a hold of yourself, Vi. You wanted this power just as much as me. Otherwise why put the mask on at all?¡±


    Octavius stood up and pointed at Landon. ¡°I used to be so afraid of standing up to you. Not anymore. Not since I have power now to actually put you in your place.¡±


    Landon laughed. ¡°Go on, then! Show me! I¡¯ll slit your throat before you even get a spell off.¡±


    ¡°Fucking stop,¡± Jane said, her voice cracking. ¡°This isn¡¯t productive. We need to work together, remember?¡±


    Landon didn¡¯t move but Octavius nodded in agreement. Corbyn laughed and pointed to the other men. ¡°See, Jane? It¡¯s not just me.¡±


    ¡°Imbeciles,¡± Jane whispered. ¡°But you said something interesting, there, Landon. Climbing our way to the top?¡±


    ¡°Yea,¡± Landon said. ¡°Even with just four of us we are likely the strongest Climbers here. Soon we¡¯ll get better items to further increase our abilities, then class upgrades when we reach the next tier -¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that. I mean making it to the top. The literal top. The 20th floor.¡±


    Landon¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Why? That¡¯s not something we¡¯ve mentioned before. Wasn¡¯t your goal always to make a fortune and obtain nobility? Why aim for the final floor?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in trying for nobility if I have to wear this mask for the rest of my life. A short life, most likely.¡±


    ¡°But still, why the last floor?¡±


    ¡°Because of the reward,¡± Octavius said. ¡°Holy shit.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Jane said. ¡°It¡¯s well documented that reaching the final floor gives a magical reward on the level of gods in the form of a request or wish. So we get there and then our reward is to remove the masks! Curses and all!¡±


    Landon stared at Jane for several long moments. He looked strange wearing his mask and it was impossible to see his exact expression but Jane understood he was thinking of her proposal. She¡¯d have to get used to reading more body language than facial cues from the others now that they were going to be wearing their masks nearly all the time.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± Landon finally said. ¡°While I have to admit that it pains me to think the first goal after finally having and wearing the masks is trying to be rid of them, it makes sense. We can achieve glory by completing the tower and living to tell the tale.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention earn a damn fortune along the way,¡± Octavius said. ¡°Jane, you¡¯re a genius! It¡¯s the perfect solution!¡±


    Jane bowed in thanks. If they couldn¡¯t see her face, she had to be more obvious about her responses.


    Landon snickered. ¡°Don¡¯t get a big head. It¡¯ll still be a challenge getting there. First we need to practice using the masks then start climbing. Items, gear, the entire process. And I believe we¡¯ve finally earned it.¡±


    ¡°Earned what?¡± Corbyn asked.


    ¡°A guild title. So let¡¯s get started.¡±


    *****


    Landon sheathed his swords with practiced ease. The three monsters behind him, Spitters as they were called, all went up in smoke as they died.


    He laughed. It was such an easy move to slice them to ribbons it felt trivial. The mask¡¯s benefits were so tremendous he felt unstoppable with his swords. And they weren¡¯t even magical! He thought what would happen once he obtained better gear. Or even a set of items.


    Behind him, Corbyn rolled through more of the Spitters, dispatching a monster per swing of his hammer that was so easy he might as well have been swatting flys with a wooden spoon. None of their attacks could even scratch his browned, tough skin. And after each one died, he focused on their bodies. They didn¡¯t disappear like normal. Instead, they turned to magical smoke that wafted through the air towards him, coating his body as he absorbed each one. Each bit of magical essence felt like a long drink of cold water after having been in a desert, or eating a steak after living off stale bread for weeks.


    He felt more at peace after each kill as his hunger was satisfied.


    As Corbyn smacked another monster and then consumed its life, he ignored a rushing monster at his side. It reached back with a hand to attack him but was blasted with a purple sphere as big as its head that completely obliterated it. Jane stepped forward near her brother and raised her rod at another monster. With a simple gesture of her free hand, she formed a large purple ball and shot it towards the monster as fast as an arrow. It once again destroyed the monster without issue.


    Jane smiled under her mask. That was one of her weaker first tier spells, something more fit for a monster for the first or second floor. It used to be monsters in the third sixth resisted it fairly easily, but now they were killed completely in only one hit.


    In her celebration she missed a monster that shot a glob of acidic spit at her, and she lurched forward. It hissed and sizzled against her shoulder, eating through her simple robe. She gritted her teeth against the pain before turning and blasting the monster with a spell.


    Pulling out a healing potion, she stopped herself. Those wouldn¡¯t work anymore. As she paused, she realized her shoulder wasn¡¯t hurting nearly as much. Looking at it closer, the wound was nearly gone, as her shoulder was glowing a faint purple light and her flesh was knitting together as she stared at it curiously. Then she remembered her mask¡¯s benefit. Using damading spells on others healed her body. Turning to another monster, she prepared another sphere with a hidden smile on her face.


    Octavius watched in equal parts fascination and horror. His three teammates were completely annihilating the sixth floor monsters with such ease it was like they were back at the first floor. There was a pack of over a dozen monsters they met, and they were torn through in seconds. The only one of them who possibly needed help was Jane, but he watched as her injury healed itself in seconds as she killed more monsters.


    This was their new power, then. Despite the mask¡¯s negatives he had to admit they could run through enemies like never before.


    Sensing his protective aura was growing faint, he cast another spell on himself to make sure he was protected. He couldn¡¯t afford to lose focus and gain another headache. While the others were figuring out new ways to kill monsters, his new goal was learning how to manage his mana to balance being able to keep himself mentally ready and having enough in his mana pool to support the team. It would be tricky, but not impossible. And some pieces of equipment he already knew about would certainly help keep that balance in check to improve his mana efficiency.


    A ping in his mind alerted him to a new monster group behind and to his left, away from the remains of the pack the others just killed. His true sight ability gave him an incredible awareness of a large area that he felt he could see all and never be surprised. Gone were the days when he was afraid of looking over his shoulder. No more blind spots or hidden areas if they were within 120 feet of him.


    ¡°More behind us,¡± Octavius said, turning from the group. ¡°Appears to be five of them.¡±


    ¡°Enough for me, then,¡± Corbyn said, rushing forward to greet them the only way a Barbarian knows how.


    ¡°This is going to be far too easy, now,¡± Landon said, stepping beside Octavius as Corbyn smashed through the monsters.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see you complaining about that fact,¡± Jane said, standing with the two men.


    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m encouraged, actually. We should progress to the third tier this month. I have a feeling that will be more of an appropriate challenge for us.¡±


    ¡°I see no problem with that,¡± Jane said, raising her rod to inspect it as though she were bored. ¡°But maybe we should pick up some more items along the way to complete our equipment.¡±


    Octavius expanded his sphere of perception but wasn¡¯t alerted to anything else. It was just them, now. ¡°Agreed. We can handle it. This is too easy for us, now.¡±


    Landon laughed again before running his fingers over his wolf mask, relishing the very item that fueled his new power. He felt right at home.

 Faceless Four - Chapter 8

    The 10th floor wasn¡¯t as glamorous as other rest floors, but the group admittedly hadn¡¯t experienced very many of them. While the second tier had a more city-focused castle theme, the rest floor was set in a sprawling dining hall filled with open seating at large banquet tables, stone pillars and statues resembling various classes of Climbers, and large braziers on either side along with torches on the wall to provide enough light and ambience that it felt homey and restful.


    Not to mention this was their first time resting on the 10th floor. They had cleared the second tier in only two weeks, completely powering through the floors with only the four of them. Even the ninth floor being the most difficult was manageable with their new abilities and strength, along with items they picked up or traded for along the way.


    Together they sat at a table alone, quietly reading their parchments and discussing their next steps. Landon had a cloak covering his body and thin gloves on his hands. It was a precaution he took after he learned that even bright lights from braziers were harmful to his body.


    It didn¡¯t take them long to decide on what their class upgrades would be for the third tier. Corbyn upgraded to a Berserker, which gave him more benefits coinciding with his mask and reckless fighting style. It was a fairly common option from Barbarian though normally less attractive due to being less careful. He didn¡¯t care about that, though.


    Jane settled on an easy upgrade to Mystic, which was a simple enough expansion of her Witch abilities but gave her even more raw power. That was her intent, after all. It was simple enough. Landon had a similar goal and chose Stalker, which gave him more benefits while fighting under dim light or darkness, just like his mask encouraged. As long as it wasn¡¯t sunny or bright, he was a one man assassin.


    Octavius chose a less forward approach but was still satisfied with Oracle. It was a class built around more protection than outright healing, and gave a benefit where he could provide a small bonus to a near-constant protective field in the form of a shallow but sturdy aura. It was what he needed to keep the headaches away. And he still had healing, of course, though the others were more suited to needing more protection than healing as they learned in the two weeks with the masks.


    Still, that was nothing compared to the true change they discovered after advancing. After reading their parchments, they studied one another closely.


    ¡°Do you know what this could mean?¡± Corbyn asked. His voice was more normal than before, but still muffled from wearing the mask. It was a clearer tone and not nearly as deep.


    Jane shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ve already been in unknown territory having the masks,¡± Jane said. She ran a hand up to her mask and felt it. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if anyone will know.¡±


    ¡°The fourth tier is going to be a bit more of a problem than we thought,¡± Octavius said. ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡±


    Landon nodded. ¡°None of us do, but we¡¯ll manage. We always do. With change comes greater power. At least that much has proven true.¡±


    The others remained silent, and whether they agreed or not they didn¡¯t share. There was far too much change recently for them to grasp. Too many unknowns. Too much at stake.


    Their masks had changed. It wasn¡¯t the aura, but rather the actual masks themselves. Even the names changed along with their descriptions. The benefits didn¡¯t increase, but the curses did. Much to their concern.


    Landon¡¯s mask became the Mask of the Jackal, and its features grew more like the actual boss they faced, something all of the masks had in common. The ears were more pointy, the nose less pronounced but regal, and the face more angular with a near black color. His curse grew more intense, too, which explained why he needed to be covered even under the light of braziers and torches. Jane¡¯s became the Mask of the Phoenix, growing a large plume off the top of the purple-hued mask with a more focused beak. Corbyn¡¯s was now the Mask of the Minotaur, and it was even more intimidating than before. The horns were more pronounced, the nose more blocky, and there was even a wooden ring set between both nostrils. His body changed from the effect, taking on a seemingly permanent shade of dark brown with a leathery skin that made him look more bovine than human.


    Octavius had it worst of all, just like he claimed before. He had the misfortune of taking off his mask to examine it, and in the few seconds he did he felt such an intense pain in his head and behind his eyes that he dropped his mask and fell to the ground. Jane helped him put the mask back on, but not before noticing his eyes were completely gone. All that was left were empty voids, filled with small magical orbs that slowly swirled and glowed in a multitude of colors. She couldn¡¯t help but be transfixed in the moments before his new Mask of the Sphinx was reequipped. He asked if anything was wrong, and she didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him. At least he said his perception ability was still as powerful as before. Jane didn¡¯t know if it was worth it to lose your eyes like that.


    They were discussing how to move forward with their class and mask upgrades. It hadn¡¯t been an easy discussion so far. They mostly sat in silence while the few other Climbers in the rest floor walked past them or avoided them altogether.


    ¡°I say we take our time for now,¡± Corbyn said. He poked and played with the skin on the back of his left forearm. ¡°These are a lot of changes all of a sudden.¡±


    ¡°I can sense everyone in this room,¡± Octavius said. He was looking around the room like a new Climber looked at Alistair for the first time. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ overwhelming.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it is,¡± Jane said. ¡°And yes, there were a lot of changes. It would be good to take our time.¡±


    ¡°For now,¡± Landon agreed. ¡°Maybe so. We need to find solutions to our drawbacks and make sure they¡¯re covered. If even one of them is exposed while we¡¯re climbing that could put us in serious trouble.¡±


    ¡°We need items. Weapons, armor, potions, better gear overall. It will help complement our masks. Like how Vi did with his class upgrade.¡±


    ¡°I know we do. That will come in time. We don¡¯t have to rush now that we have the masks.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t rush,¡± Octavius said. ¡°We honestly pushed too hard to get to the second tier as it is. That was reckless.¡±


    ¡°It was fine,¡± Corbyn said. ¡°Couldn¡¯t really call it a challenge until the eighth floor, and then it actually felt like we were Climbers again. Not just monster slayers.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still monster slayers,¡± Jane said, tilting her head at him and tapping him on the shoulder. His entire body shook slightly from him chuckling.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how easy it was, what matters is that we don¡¯t know the full limitations to our curses yet. Or even our boons, for that matter!¡±


    Jane sighed and nodded slightly. ¡°I concede that you have a point. We do need to a get not just a better grasp on our masks full capabilities, but a complete one. And covering ourselves with weaknesses and strengths would make us that much stronger. With only four of us the third and fourth tiers are already going to be much more difficult.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing each of us are worth multiple Climbers, then,¡± Corbyn said.


    Landon smirked. ¡°I have to agree with the big man. As long as we get our affairs in order we can make it. I know we can. Maybe not next month or the month after, but eventually we will.¡±


    ¡°We have to,¡± Octavius said.


    ¡°We have to,¡± Jane agreed, as she rested her hand on her brother¡¯s shoulder. He grabbed it softly and nodded.


    ¡°And we will,¡± Landon said.


    He trusted the mask¡¯s power. They were the key to surviving the rest of the tower, and his ticket to greatness. The curse didn¡¯t bother him nearly as much as the others. His death wouldn¡¯t even bother him. What mattered was having his name written in history, because then he could live on forever.


    The other three were strong, but they were means to an end. They were his allies but most importantly they were vessels to hold the masks, which were true sources of power and strength. Alistair was letting them wield artifacts unlike anything he¡¯d ever seen or heard about. Classes were marvels unto themselves, bestowing magic to people that completely altered their reality. But having an item that held enough power to rival most sets of items and even some classes seemed almost too good to be true.


    Power and glory would be his, and now he had a path to obtain them. Climbing to the 20th floor would allow him to achieve something very few ever did. And he¡¯d do whatever it took to get there. Even if it meant leaving the others behind. They were still weak minded wanting to use Alistair¡¯s most prestigious reward to remove the masks and curses. Why? After all their work to obtain them they just wanted to cast them to the side in the end?


    No. That wouldn¡¯t happen. Landon wouldn¡¯t let that result come to pass. When he ascended to the 20th floor, he¡¯d merge with the masks to become something new. Something godly. And the other three would either bow before him or be stepping stones for him to achieve that result.


    Because, no matter what, he was going to be victorious. He just needed to be patient, now. All in due time.


    *****


    The four of them then finalized their strategy for the rest of the month and carried it out to great effect. The masks truly did offer them great power at the expense of needing to consider how their curses affected them. Over the weeks and months, the changing of seasons and environments, they slowly grew more and more powerful, finding items to round out their gear and renown in the city that inspired both admiration and fear. Some Climbers avoided them outright while others wanted to be like them, finding powerful artifacts to increase their climbing potential.


    But no other Climbers found such artifacts. Whether they had the same drive as Landon and the others or not was unknown, but it was obvious that most who succeeded did so while relying on their class abilities and support of others. The four of them, calling themselves the Faceless Four, continued on their path forward and up through Alistair following their original goal. They pushed deep into the upper floors, staying in the third tier while finding the threshold of reaching the fourth tier incredibly difficult even with their advantages. The seasons became slightly harder each month with new aspects and challenges that kept them from reaching that elusive final tier of floors. They became less and less patient while going through the motions more and more, stuck in a vicious cycle of mediocrity.


    One month one of them became so badly injured by the second tier boss that they had to take a break from climbing and it nearly cost them their sanity. Despite normally clearing the second tier easily the boss of that floor during the month, a witch in her hut, was stronger than anything they encountered before. They reevaluated their approach but continued to climb, still aiming for that final floor. All while no other Climber or item seemed any more or less interesting to them. Everyone else blurred together, whether they were of the finest guilds or rookies on their first climb. Nothing else in the city was interesting except for the tower itself.


    Until one seemingly random guild meeting when a suspicious light from a strange lantern made their masks glow with such an intensity even Octavius was perplexed. His confusion made the others concerned. The masks normally had strong auras with runes showing their makeup that only he could read with his abnormally strong magical vision, but when the light revealed their true nature the others quickly surmised the light was of a similar magical level to their own. The item might not be strong but it was powerful. Powerful enough to warrant their attention. And that was something new since they had discovered and worn the masks themselves.


    During the brief interaction each of the four members of the Faceless Four mentally noted the Climber that possessed the lantern. He was obviously part of a guild being involved in the meeting, and it wasn¡¯t a pushover guild, either. It was the Twilight Blades, and they were one of the top guilds.


    Well, besides themselves, of course.


    After leaving the meeting, the four quickly left and went into Alistair. It was the one place they felt the most comfortable and safe. They hurried into the portal room and one after another went to the tenth floor.


    Stepping into the mountainous temple, they found a secluded table and sat overlooking the nearby horizon. Various creatures floated and flew in the air away from them further out of reach, creating a relaxing ambience.


    But the four Climbers were anything but relaxed.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Octavius asked. ¡°How did that lantern light up the runes on our masks? Some of them I couldn¡¯t even see before and still can¡¯t. That shouldn¡¯t be the case.¡±


    ¡°It has to be another artifact,¡± Landon said. He was the only one not sitting, instead pacing the area around them. ¡°It¡¯s the only explanation. How else would it have reacted like that?¡±


    ¡°That could be the case,¡± Octavius said. ¡°Maybe my magical sight is limited with the masks themselves but I can see plenty of other magical secrets? We still don¡¯t know much about these masks and it¡¯s been months.¡±


    ¡°What else is there to know?¡± Jane said while shrugging. She looked around the temple but saw no other group near them. She still kept her voice low. ¡°They¡¯re powerful and cursed, and we keep the curses in check while exploiting the strengths. Easy.¡±


    Octavius shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s so much that¡¯s still a mystery. Why we had the opportunity to find all four of them. Why they showed up now when there¡¯s no record of other items like them in the library. How they were able to tier up seemingly on their own and their magical abilities expanded. Should I go on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t,¡± Corbyn said. ¡°I¡¯m getting hungry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always hungry, Corbyn.¡±


    ¡°Hungry means I¡¯m going to be listening less and less soon. I need to kill something.¡±


    ¡°You need to eat something. There¡¯s a clear difference.¡±


    ¡°Not for me, you damn mage. You know that.¡±


    Octavius started to speak but stopped himself. Talking to Corbyn, especially when it had been a good amount of time since they hadn¡¯t killed monsters, was like arguing with a wall. A very large, menacing one.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Landon said, ignoring the others. ¡°You could spend your entire life trying to figure out Alistair¡¯s secrets and fail. Plenty of others have, and there are a lot of texts supporting that fact in the library. Are there not?¡±


    Octavius sighed. ¡°There are.¡±


    ¡°So they why¡¯s and how¡¯s don¡¯t matter. We have the masks. How we got them is largely irrelevant at this point. What is relevant is that another item of possibly equal value just revealed itself.¡±


    ¡°And what do you plan to do about that?¡± Jane asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem all that special even if it is a unique item. It¡¯s just a lantern that creates light. I admit it was strange it showed our mask¡¯s runes, but that doesn¡¯t concern us. It doesn¡¯t seem like it poses a threat.¡±


    Landon stopped pacing and pointed a gloved hand at his mask. ¡°Don¡¯t you realize what it actually does? It doesn¡¯t just show the mask¡¯s runes. Even Vi can see them with his magical sight. It allowed other people to see them, too. And did you see the jar was composed of small objects? Like rocks that glow or something.¡±


    ¡°Mushrooms,¡± Octavius said. ¡°Weird, yes, but they were multicolored mushrooms and only the yellow ones were lit up when it activated.¡±


    Landon huffed. ¡°Which further emphasizes my point! There are other colored mushrooms in the lantern? So it¡¯s possible that other colors of light can be produced by it?¡±


    ¡°Possibly?¡± Octavius said. ¡°We can¡¯t know for certain unless we ask or that Climber shows us.¡±


    ¡°Though it would make sense that it would,¡± Jane said. She put a hand to her chin as she spoke. ¡°If there were other colors then it would stand to reason it could create different lights.¡±


    ¡°Which might give off different effects,¡± Landon said. ¡°Which further proves my point! What if the lantern shows even more than Vi¡¯s sight? What if together they could reveal more of Alistair¡¯s secrets?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we just agree that secrets don¡¯t matter?¡± Corbyn asked. ¡°Because the tower will always have them?¡±


    ¡°But it could mean we find more artifacts that have an equal level of power like that lantern or our masks,¡± Octavius said. ¡°Holy shit.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit is right,¡± Landon said. ¡°We get that lantern and combine it with your magical sight to find items most Climbers haven¡¯t even dreamed of! We won¡¯t just become rich. We¡¯ll have an untold amount of power! The masks were a stepping stone. What if there are armor sets like them? Or weapons?¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯d be like gods,¡± Corbyn said.


    ¡°Even more so than we already are,¡± Landon said, his arms out wide.


    ¡°And we¡¯d be able to easily push to the 20th floor!¡± Octavius added, pounding a fist on the table.


    Landon slightly bowed. ¡°Yes¡­ we could do that as well.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that Climber realizes just how powerful that lantern is,¡± Jane said.


    ¡°So we take it from him?¡± Corbyn said. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be too hard, guild or not.¡±


    ¡°Not so fast,¡± Landon said. ¡°We don¡¯t need to be making enemies so abruptly. Let¡¯s try and see if we can work together first.¡±


    ¡°And if he doesn¡¯t work with us?¡± Octavius asked.


    Landon sat at the table with them and lowered his voice. ¡°Then we¡¯ll take the lantern the way we know how.¡±


    The others nodded their agreement. Landon smiled under his mask. He had no actual intention of working with the Climber. At least not in the long term.


    His goal remained the same. Everyone else was simply a means to an end, even the very Climbers sitting at the table with him.

 Book 2 - Chapter 53

    ¡°Holy shit that¡¯s wild,¡± John said, staring in amazement at Cedric. He was standing with over a dozen others around a table in the guild¡¯s dining hall watching Cedric practice with his new arm. Basic dining items were on the table, and Cedric was concentrating on using his magic arm to interact with them.


    Cedric slowly picked up a plate with both hands, but it wobbled slightly as the incorporeal, dark grey appendage trembled. The plate started to slip and fall but Cedric easily caught the plate with his right hand. He sighed in frustration while the people standing around had various reactions.


    ¡°Amazing!¡±


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    ¡°He was so close!¡±


    Wyn couldn¡¯t hold back seeing a smile. Cedric finally had his magical arm, and he was getting used to it incredibly fast. He told the group about Cara¡¯s instructions and guidance the day she gave it to him, which was only two days ago. Apparently he¡¯d been practicing with it constantly, working it all day and most of the night. When it lost the mana needed to use it, he just used his own. Initially Wyn was concerned about him but he understood Cedric¡¯s desire to return to some kind of normalcy. It was the group¡¯s transition to Tasha leading them anyway, and they were set to review the week after dinner. They collectively agreed to take another day off to give Cedric more time and for the others to practice with their new equipment.


    During their training session the day before, John seemed more confident than he did the week he led the group. A lot more confident. Removing the added stress of making decisions as well as adding his new gear both seemed to lighten his shoulders and make him seem far more sure of himself. His new sword and shield were both powerful, too, and Wyn knew he would make a strong defender.


    Tasha¡¯s gear made her appear like the noble she was, and Wyn was excited to see her new benefits in action. She was also supporting John far more than before, and Wyn didn¡¯t miss the glances they gave each other all day. He was sure if they hadn¡¯t already committed to being a romantic couple, they would soon. Which was great for them. They seemed happy and in a good place.


    Even Lucy took her share of the items and got a new pair of boots and helmet. The helmet made her look intimidating as it was a metal helmet with bull horns coming off the sides and protected her forehead and eyes, covering half of her head. The boots matched but wasn¡¯t part of a set, though Lucy said she didn¡¯t care. They both gave benefits to her Barbarian class, improving her strength and greatly increasing her defense after being injured. Apparently that effect was one Cedric found, and Wyn had to admit it fit her well. A good portion of her power came after she was hurt, but lessening the chance of being further injured was a great effect.


    The only ones that didn¡¯t get upgrades were himself, Marcy, and Cedric, though Cedric¡¯s arm did technically count as a new item. Wyn could see the potential once Cedric became more familiar with it, though it would likely take weeks or months to be beneficial while climbing. He was already getting a fair grasp on small tasks, and in just a day and a half he was able to make it look like a regular arm without much mental effort, according to him. His arm looked completely normal when he wore his usual climbing robe, save for the gray hand that hung from the sleeve. And, it was great to see him so happy and passionate about working towards something.


    Him and Marcy still needed to upgrade some of their equipment. Her especially. She had mentioned wanting a new weapon set similar to the others, but she was being supportive of Cedric and helping the others train that she wasn¡¯t focusing on herself. Wyn wanted to make sure she had what she needed. His next focus would be them two. Marcy deserved it.


    Sitting by Cedric, Wyn could see that she was happy for her friend. She didn¡¯t care that much about equipment or classes at the end of the day. Not like John with equipment or Tasha with magic. Marcy just wanted the people she considered friends to be happy and successful. That was something Wyn greatly admired. And something he wanted to possess.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you had a crafter make that,¡± Gregory said, standing behind Cedric. He leaned forward and looked closer at Cedric¡¯s shoulder while the Lightning Wizard held it up to see closer. ¡°It really is amazing!¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should see about using this Crafter for the guild,¡± Brett said, standing across the table. ¡°Our other one hasn¡¯t really produced much lately.¡±


    ¡°Or anything at all,¡± Nigel said, standing at the end of the table. ¡°And never something to this caliber! Imagine what else she could make!¡±


    ¡°She made Wyn¡¯s overcoat,¡± John said, pointing to Wyn. ¡°And my last sword. I used it for awhile and it was a great help! She is absolutely talented.¡±


    Faye leaned over and examined Wyn¡¯s coat. ¡°Blue rarity. Fantastic craftsmanship, magical effects aside. What was her class before Crafter?¡±


    ¡°I believe she said she was a Sorcerer,¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Faye said.


    ¡°Why does it make sense?¡± Wyn asked.


    ¡°Well, typically Sorcerers have a ceiling of power with their class upgrades. Their second tier upgrades aren¡¯t bad, but usually their third tier ones are just flat out weaker than the offensive, elemental Magician class upgrades. So quite a few either stay in the second tier and retire there, and move to more support classes. Crafter is the most common by far.¡±


    ¡°There are others, like Enchanter and Alchemist, but no one ever picks those. They take a ton of money and time to utilize well, and they just haven¡¯t been popular. I haven¡¯t heard of one being in the city in years. Even for Crafters there are only a handful of them.¡±


    Wyn nodded along, absorbing the information. Would a Ruby Magician be able to upgrade to that? Or did someone have to meet select criteria with their class growth options? Having more support classes like that would be a huge boon to other Climbers and guilds. Cara already showed her worth, and that was only with three items the group utilized. Who knew how many countless more she made that benefited people.


    ¡°I can send some letters and see if she¡¯d be interested in a meeting,¡± Gregory said. ¡°If anything, a word of thanks is in order. That really is a one of a kind item there, Cedric. I¡¯m excited to both see the possibilities and that you have an arm once again.¡±


    Cedric nodded to the guild leader. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be sure to continue making the guild proud.¡±


    The crowd soon dispersed after that, going to their tables for dinner. Wyn thought about mentioning his experience with the other guilds and the Faceless Four, but decided that would be a conversation better suited to a bit more privacy. Tasha was set to lead the group for the week, and she was going to give her first meeting after dinner. That would be a good opportunity to share and gauge the other¡¯s reactions.


    Wyn only hoped that group wasn¡¯t a threat. Though he did have a feeling he would be seeing them again.


    *****


    Floor 8Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Group: 6/6


    Quest: Isoterra¡¯s secrets are boundless, and you¡¯ve stumbled upon one of them deep in the outer mountains. Many structures and magical outposts have been found around Istoerra - similar to what lies before you. Should you explore deeper? Treasure is bound to be discovered, as is peril.


    Wyn pulled his coat tighter against him. Despite the enchantments to keep him comfortable in all environments, the weather was worse, and his face was being pelted despite the piece of cloth he brought to cover up. It was utterly useless. An icy breeze cut his field of vision and stung against his face through the wrapped material. The roar of the wind was nearly deafening, and it blew directly into them with the floor portal at their back. The only time they previously stepped into the floor they left almost immediately, and the wind wasn¡¯t nearly as violent. It was also at their backs, where as now it was blowing into them with the portal behind them. It wasn¡¯t clear which way was forward, though, but Wyn could see the sky above the freezing wind. Two large mountains were in front of the group, and the entrance portal was directly between them. Wyn couldn¡¯t see anything behind the portal.


    Marcy pointed ahead, gesturing frantically. If she was saying something, Wyn couldn¡¯t hear her at all due to the wind. She wore several layers of cloth wrapped around her face covering everything except her eyes. Tasha and Cedric used their robe hoods to cover themselves, while John and Lucy simply shielded their faces with their arms. At least they did at first. John quickly raised his shield and blocked the wind, taking the lead beside Marcy to help navigate and protect. Everyone huddled up behind the pair before they lined up single file. John¡¯s shield help keep a good portion of the wind at bay.


    Wyn opened his own shield and mimicked John, though his shield covered a bit less area. He sent a small amount of mana into it and caused it to expand to easily cover his body. It was a bit unwieldy but thankfully not very heavy. It would be completely impractical in a fight but useful for blocking the wind.


    A tap at his shoulder pulled Wyn¡¯s attention, and he looked over to see Tasha lean into his shoulder. She had to nearly yell for him to hear, and she was only a few inches from his ear. And that was after he blocked the wind. ¡°Move up and take the lead with Marcy, tell John to walk with you. We¡¯ll advance two at a time!¡±


    Wyn nodded and moved ahead of the group, relaying the message to John. He positioned himself beside Wyn and leaned into his own shield. They covered a fair area, and Wyn saw the others fall in behind them. It was Marcy and Tasha, then Cedric and Lucy in the back.


    At least Tasha organized them well so far. But they needed to get to cover fast, or any traps or monsters would easily catch them by surprise.


    Marcy put a hand on Wyn¡¯s shoulder, then her voice came soon after, yelling like Tasha. ¡°Just move forward! I can sense a break ahead! If I sense something I¡¯ll hit you to stop.¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t exactly love Marcy¡¯s proposed signal, but he understood. He likely wouldn¡¯t feel something more subtle. She leaned to John and likely told him the same thing. Wyn didn¡¯t know exactly, though, as he couldn¡¯t hear her.


    The new several minutes were some of the most stressful. Wyn had no idea how reliant he was on his senses, and taking them away on a higher floor was just cruel. He was normally alerted to his surroundings but now he felt as though he couldn¡¯t afford to lose his focus for even a second.


    The path ahead started relatively easy but the wind carried snow that was piling up. His boots barely made an indention at first, but soon he was more than ankle deep in soft snow. That would make any maneuvering incredibly difficult. He paused for a second to look back, and saw Cedric nearly a foot taller than he was before. Sure enough, his boots were letting him levitate on the soft snow, and he had no problem advancing while the others laboriously forged ahead. Everyone except Marcy, of course. She had her own Boots of Mobility, and she seemed to be navigating the snow just fine.


    Another five minutes passed that was absolute torture. Wyn desperately hoped they¡¯d be free soon, as he expected enemies to come any second. They were already passed the point of their first time on the floor when they met a group of champions, and the thought of facing them again now made Wyn¡¯s worry spike. They¡¯d be dead if the same monsters came again.


    A punch in his side alerted him, and he simultaneously drew his dagger and elongated it to a long sword. He couldn¡¯t see anything around him, but when he looked back he saw Marcy signaling him that there wasn¡¯t a threat. She had an open palm and was waving it back and forth at the ground as though saying to get down.


    Marcy then stepped forward to talk. ¡°There¡¯s a gap in the wind ahead, about fifty feet! We just need to push a bit harder!¡±


    Wyn wanted to tell her that was easier said than done, but he and John immediately picked up their pace. Now the wind was at a force similar to a strong gale, like something in a storm. Wyn immediately assumed this was the blizzard in the floor, which was part of the information they collected during the guild meeting. He assumed it was just the floor since they started in it, but now it was more obvious. The blizzard trap was a long section of harsh wind that carried soft but copious snow. It wasn¡¯t necessarily dangerous in of itself, but added with monsters around it or poor navigation and it was a serious hindrance.


    Knowing what they were dealing with, Wyn¡¯s confidence grew, and soon they were through the mountain path and past the wind. It was a startling feeling when they past the threshold, as the wind and snow died down immediately. It felt like a door was closed after leaving a blizzard.


    ¡°Thank the gods,¡± Tasha said, brushing off the snow on her cloak. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we started the floor right in the middle of that trap.¡±


    ¡°At least it¡¯s done,¡± Marcy said. ¡°We still have a ways until we get to the outer temple. We need to keep moving. This snow will be difficult to fight in.¡±


    Tasha had the group continue in their usual formation of John and Lucy leading, herself and Marcy in the middle, and Cedric and Wyn in the back.


    Now that the environmental trap was behind them, it was far easier to see. The floor started in a narrow mountain pass about thirty feet wide, traversing steep, snowy terrain until coming across a large courtyard of a temple. The information parchments given from the guild meetings gave detailed information on the rest of the second tier, and provided the group a good means to prepare. The courtyard was large and deadly, with abundant traps and a constant barrage of monster groups. But once they got there, it was a shorter distance to the boss at the temple¡¯s entrance.


    The floor continued the theme of multiple elemental enemies, too, including dinosaurs they¡¯ve been facing as well as a new, more human enemy type. It was called a Fodo-ka, and was very formidable. They had a few variations, including one that could fly on insect-like wings, and an armored one akin to bulky metal armor. They were insect people with tough armor plating and weapons of all types. The magic users were the most dangerous ones, though, and the group was told to treat the enemies like other Climbers with enhanced abilities and magic.


    After about ten minutes of climbing a hilly and snowy incline, Marcy drew an arrow and alerted to them to danger. A sharp yelp pierced then pierced the air, and four monsters appeared from the side of one of the mountains. They were crawling down the rocks on four legs, and were each the size of wolves.White densely bristling fur coated their bodies, all except their head which was grey and leathery. Two of them stopped on the cliffside and opened theirs mouths at them, causing balls of blue magic to form.


    These enemies were called Cliff Geckas, and could be any element except fire. Their fur and leathery bodies were most susceptible to bladed weapons, and they were moderately resistant to magic. Strong legs and quick movements made them powerful enemies, but they could be dealt with as long the group wasn¡¯t overwhelmed with numbers.


    Wyn and Tasha both put up magical barriers, stopping the incoming attack. A torrent of water slammed against their defenses and cascaded around them like a waterfall.


    Cedric caused a surge of lightning to hit one of them, and the spell boomed in the air. The Gecka screamed in pain, stunned, but stayed on the cliff. Two of the monsters kept crawling down, descending fast, the rushed across the snow easily on wide feet.


    John and Lucy met the enemies first, and John¡¯s Squire Aura was already active. He looked like a fire demon incarnate, and immediately engaged and held one of the monsters on his own. Lucy began to fight the other when Wyn joined her. Marcy held down the other Gecka on the mountain with arrows, more distracting it than hurting, but keeping its focus helped prevent it from joining the other monsters.


    Lucy dodged a large swipe from their monster and axed it in the side, causing a large gash. The monster howled in pain. Wyn pinched it and pierced its other side with a spear, stabbing it three times quickly before it turned its attention back to him. The monster clawed at him but he dove to the ground to avoid it. The snow didn¡¯t offer any relief with movement, and he knew if he relied too much on his speed or footing he¡¯d fail at some point by slipping or being caught in the deep snow. So, he rolled on the ground away from the monster to give him a moment to stand up.


    That was when an arrow pierced the monster in the cheek, and blood instantly sprayed out from the critical hit. The monster reared back on its hind legs and clawed at the protruding arrow to try and remove it. Lucy furiously attacked its softer underbelly, hacking it with a large slash and driving her axe deep into it with a final blow.


    Wyn then moved to help John, who was more than managing on his own. The monster¡¯s hits bounced off his shield harmlessly while each swing of his sword caused deep gashes to bleed on the monster. Wyn thought he looked more like a Knight than ever, and knew that soon he¡¯d kill the Gecka on his own.


    The fight lasted a short time after, as the two injured monsters from the cliff joined the combatants and were taken down without much more effort. The group collected the small piles of treasure and returned to their formation.


    ¡°That was great,¡± Tasha said. ¡°No other enemies around, and you all handled yourselves well!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll feel better when we get out of this damn snow,¡± Lucy said. ¡°I can¡¯t get a good foothold anywhere.¡±


    ¡°The outer temple will be better,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°And as long as we don¡¯t meet more than one group of monsters at a time,¡± Cedric said. ¡°If we do, well¡­¡±


    Tasha held up a key in her free hand. ¡°If we do, I¡¯m ready. But I believe we can make it today. Focus on the positive!¡±


    Cedric nodded in agreement and Wyn felt a surge of confidence. Tasha¡¯s positivity was appreciated, and he could tell she was being a bit over the top while being their leader. But that was fine with Wyn. Keeping morale up was an important quality of a leader.


    As the group turned to continue up the mountain pass, a loud roar pierced the sky above them. They all readied their weapons and defenses and looked up to the cloudy grey sky. High above them, well out of reach, flew a monster that Wyn never thought he would see. It was long, using two powerful wings to beat the air, and flew gracefully like a fish swam through water. Another roar bellowed from its mouth, and a flash of blue icy wind separated the clouds in front of it. The monster flew their same direction, heading to where the temple should be.


    The Climbers all looked at each other, shocked. Tasha¡¯s eyes were wide and her previously positive attitude seemed to be gone. Even the others paused to process what they just saw.


    Wyn knew why, too. Seeing a dragon would make anyone afraid.

 Book 2 - Chapter 54

    A quick Shield blocked another elemental attack, but Wyn felt trapped. The Cliff Gecka on his left wasn¡¯t particularly strong, but it was annoyingly attacking everyone in the group at range. It was of the ice element and felt like concentrated blasts from the floor rather than a monster. To his right, his current opponent swiped at him with a strong foreleg, and Wyn couldn¡¯t move his shield fast enough to block it despite having Speed Up active. He rolled into the hit and was knocked onto his back in the snow.


    Nothing felt broken, but definitely bruised. Though it would be worse if he just laid on the ground.


    The foot-high snow was hindering the group both with advancing in the floor and fighting. His speed skill hardly mattered to be able to reposition, as every step required extra energy to force his boots through the snow. The only benefits his skill offered was his increased reaction time and mental processing. And only his upper body moved faster, though with multiple enemies around it wasn¡¯t fast enough.


    At the start of the fight when he realized how dangerous the enemies were going to be, he used nearly all of his resources to try and mitigate their advance - placing a Wellspring along with Web in an area to hold them back, as well as Feeble and Decay. The Feeble activated his Chaincast and doubled, though even that wasn¡¯t enough with nine strong enemies. The traps didn¡¯t work too well on the snow, either, though any advantage was helpful.


    The Cliff Geckas themselves weren¡¯t overly difficult but they currently faced nine of them in a large pack, with three different elements. Tasha was busy working constantly to block what magical attacks she could, flying just above the fighting group so she could maneuver herself where she wanted, but even she couldn¡¯t cast Shell in quick succession to protect everyone. Her neutral Calling, called Darb-Aki, was in the mix of the others helping to fight off the group of Geckas. The creature was more of a fighting combatant similar to a Rogue or Duelist. It was a human-like being average height, bald, and having two arms and legs, but had green skin, sharply pointed ears, and large yellow eyes too big for its face. It also wore thin armor that looked like leather, though Wyn honestly couldn¡¯t tell the exact material. When it fought it was incredibly fast, wielding two magical curved swords that it slashed with ease.


    The only problem was that the summoned creature had the same issue as the rest of them. The snow made footing near impossible, making movement difficult and decreasing their attacking power. Not being able to pivot lessened how much power someone had to strike out with a weapon.


    Everyone had trouble except for Lucy, who was having less trouble. Since her class was designed to be more powerful as she got hurt, she quickly became both their main damage dealer and front line defender. The Geckas shredded her arms and legs, and occasionally hit her so hard she would cough blood, but both Wyn and Tasha healed her enough to keep her on her feet while still being injured.


    Wyn initially felt bad but then realized that was just her class feature. If she was used to it, then that was enough.


    Marcy was flying overhead near Tasha and doing the most damage along with Lucy. She imbued each arrow with an elemental spell, hitting the Cliff Geckas with strong attacks when they weren¡¯t in close proximity to an ally. She took down two of the Geckas herself before disaster struck.


    Wyn was heavily relying on John¡¯s aura to boost his physicality, and was just barely managing the Gecka he was engaged with. Cedric suddenly called out he needed help as two Geckas pushed past the others and rushed him. Wyn ran as fast as he could through the snow, suddenly wishing he had a teleport ability, when he was slammed in the side with a crack of lightning.


    His vision blurred while he froze in place, stunned from the magical hit. His gear protected him from a fair amount of damage but he still felt the effect throughout his body. It was as though all control over his muscles ceased and he locked in place. He couldn¡¯t even call for help.


    One of the Geckas veered off course and ran to him, though Cedric realized what was happening and intercepted it with a blast of lightning. He ignored the other enemy closing in on him to try and hit the monster going for Wyn. Thankfully, for Wyn¡¯s sake, he succeeded. The monster was blown to the side while yellow lightning visibly coursed over its hide. Unfortunately for Cedric, he was left exposed.


    The Wizard activated his circlet, creating three copies of himself. The Gecka tackled one of them, causing it to dissipate. Cedric began to run back towards the group along with the other illusory copy of himself, yelling for help. Before anyone could react, the Gecka bounded across the snow and knocked the real Cedric down. It was an unlucky hit for Cedric that it chose right, and the monster had the Wizard pinned to the ground. It raked its front paw across Cedric once, causing him to howl in pain.


    Wyn was horrified to watch his friend be attacked by the monster, though he could feel his body start to listen to him again. His movements were slow and jerky, and he still couldn¡¯t react quick enough to do anything.


    A beam of white light from the sky pulled his attention, slamming into the Gecka that was attacking Cedric. The light wasn¡¯t like the snow, but rather ethereal and pure magic, glowing with an aura that was thick and dense. The creature howled at the hit but stayed on its legs, turning its attention up while the beam continued its assault. The monster cried and fell to the ground as the beam bore a hole through its body.


    Tasha flew down close to the monster and kept her wand pointing at it as the beam of divine magic dwindled and stopped. She then hovered above Cedric and started to heal him while having him drink a healing potion.


    Wyn calmed down and began moving again. At least Cedric would be healed. He turned back to the main fight to help them before a Gecka smacked him across the head. The world turned upside down as the snowy landscape turned to the grey sky, and once again his vision was shaken.


    Jerking his head up, he realized the same Gecka Cedric hit was recovered enough to keep attacking, though barely. It was bleeding heavily from a large shallow hole on its side that slowed it down but didn¡¯t kill it. Wyn had no idea just how resilient these monsters were, but he wouldn¡¯t take them for granted again. He pointed his sword at the monster and decided to finish it off.


    ¡°Fire Blast.¡±


    The monster melted under the magical attack, giving one final moan of pain before going silent and dying. Wyn kept the attack going a few more seconds to be sure, then stopped it with a huff.


    He had traded out his one attacking spell with something possibly more beneficial, and was glad he did. The Aqua Blast he had before wouldn¡¯t be as helpful with the elements more commonly found. So changing it was an earlier priority.


    As the Cliff Geckas started to die, the balance of the fight slowly shifted to the group¡¯s favor. They were able to kill the last of the enemies, but it required serious effort. Lucy was still battered, John was spent on mana and fatigued, Marcy used nearly half of her arrows, Tasha used two mana potions on herself and a healing potion on Cedric, Cedric used a mana potion and Wyn was nearly spent of mana, too, deciding to drink a potion after the fight. That didn¡¯t factor in the resources spent on item charges they typically tried to save for bosses or champion groups.


    ¡°Maybe we should take a few minutes to rest,¡± John said. ¡°That was brutal.¡±


    ¡°It was for me,¡± Lucy said. ¡°You stood there all stoic in your fancy armor and shield while I was tossed around like a wolf pack¡¯s fresh kill. Though, yea¡­ I wouldn¡¯t mind a breather.¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t the only one injured,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Cedric, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± Cedric said. He moved his magical left arm in tandem with his right, rotating it and flexing his wrists and fingers while his scepter floated in the air beside him. ¡°I¡¯m healed. As much as I can be.¡± He put his hands on his hips and took deep breaths while looking at the sky, trying to calm himself.


    ¡°Let¡¯s rest when we get to the temple,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I want out of this snow and we need better footing. The information parchment said the temple had better grounds to move about, so we¡¯ll be better off than fighting here again. We¡¯ll move quickly.¡±


    John had a look of concern on his face but Wyn was more agreeable. Tasha wasn¡¯t wrong. If anything, it was more impressive she was being so bold making a decision and sticking to it despite her disagreeing with the others. Especially John. But no one argued with her, and they soon returned to their formation.


    Whether they wanted to hear it or not, Tasha was right. So onward they continued.


    The valley stretched up and onward, and the snow felt less deep every few minutes they ascended. They encountered another blizzard trap, though it was strange, coming from the side to push them to the mountain at their right. Because of the angle it made for a tough and heavy but temporary passage, without any monsters seemingly around. John and Wyn each escorted one of the others across it using their shields to block whatever of the icy wind possible, which meant they had to traverse the section three times each. It was only about fifty feet wide, but Wyn was exhausted at the end of it.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Still, he pushed on. There was no stopping now. They had a goal, and he wanted to help accomplish it.


    Thankfully the journey lasted only a half hour more, as large rock structures connecting the two mountains and adorning the area in various monuments and structures began to appear.


    ¡°Thank the gods,¡± John said. He stepped over to the left mountain and sat underneath a large rocky overhang. It looked like a frame for a doorway directly into the mountain. He immediately dropped his shield and rummaged through his pack, likely looking for food and water.


    ¡°Yes, now we can take our break,¡± Tasha said. She moved beside John and sat next to him. She stared at the ground before closing her eyes.


    Wyn understood that look. That emotional heightening and return to normal when resting, and the exhaustion that comes along with it. He¡¯d experienced many times. Still, he was proud of Tasha¡¯s leadership. She¡¯d been doing an excellent job, and this was only her first climb. Prior to the week she expressed how anxious she was about the responsibility of leading them, but Wyn knew she would do well. There was a drive inside her that pushed her to be great, even if she didn¡¯t realize it.


    Marcy and Lucy stood watch while Wyn took the chance to follow John¡¯s lead to drink some water and eat a little food. His mana was in good shape. It was his body that was already tired.


    He was instantly jealous of not having any physical enhancements like the other melee-focused classes. Maybe there was a solution outside of naturally improving his body with training. But if there was, he didn¡¯t know about it. Not yet, at least.


    After twenty minutes of rest, the group was ready to continue. Marcy warned them that the new, stronger enemies of the floor had been patrolling and within her vision, but never came close enough to warrant an action. They were called Fodakas, and Wyn was strangely looking forward to seeing and fighting them. They were humanoid and deadly, similar to the Ashen Warriors from last month. Except more powerful in almost every way. Their magic was stronger, physically they were bigger, they had better senses, were faster, and their weapons deadlier. They were also far more durable, as their skin was more like hide and they had a mild regenerative ability that kept them fighting when a normal creature would be slowed down dying.


    Since the guild trials, though, Wyn wanted to push himself. He realized how conservative he was being and knew he and the group could handle themselves with a higher challenge. This was the opportunity to prove that.


    Together they moved to the nearest entrance of the temple courtyard. It was still cold and the sky grey, but the ground only had the slightest layer of snow still lightly falling from the sky. Wyn¡¯s footing was far better, and he felt more secure on the cold but firm ground.


    A long but thin rock wall lined the temple grounds, being about waist high and seemed to be in decent condition. It was a stark contrast from the snowy, uphill mountain valley to the flat and spacious temple area. Wyn could tell there were plenty of potential trapped paths or areas where enemies could hide. They¡¯d need to progress cautiously.


    The group went mostly single file to try and stay hidden. Some of the guilds reported it was entirely possible to sneak past the area all the way to the boss, but they didn¡¯t think they could avoid every obstacle in their way. Marcy would try and avoid some if possible, but they¡¯d engage as needed.


    Marcy abruptly stopped and held a hand out for the others to stop, then ducked close to the outer wall immediately after passing it. The others did the same, hoping to stay hidden. A series of clicks and clacks came from a path ahead of them. This part of the floor was quieter than the loud arctic wind, and the environmental sounds were picked up far easier.


    The clicks grew louder and Wyn¡¯s heart raced. Was that the Fodakas communicating together? It was a strange and eerie sound.


    Suddenly Marcy stepped out and fired an arrow ahead of them. ¡°We¡¯ve been spotted!¡±


    John stepped beside Marcy, raising his shield and sword to fight. Wyn elongated his weapon to a spear and gave himself some room. They were nestled near the entrance where there was plenty of room to move, with the outer rock wall on their right and taller stone walls with open corners and crevices to their left.


    Marcy backpedaled as she shot another arrow, and Lucy replaced her. One of the Fodakas rushed John and slammed into his shield with a forceful swing of a one handed axe. The weapon bounced off harmlessly but John needed a second to recover from the hit, knocking him back to his heels. He had to take a step back to regain his footing.


    Another of the creatures flew forward and barreled into Lucy as she was thrown to the ground in a tackle. She grunted and let out a war cry as she started uselessly punching the creature from the ground. The monster was taller, bigger, and more muscled than her, and held her down in place with a knee while it raised a large hammer to strike her.


    A blast of lightning knocked it off of her, and Lucy stood up to fight it on equal footing. A third Fodakas flew overhead on slim, translucent wings, and it held a gnarled and short stick in its hand that it pointed at their back line.


    A large circle of magic formed in front of the wand and Wyn leaped back and threw up a Shield over him. A swirling ball of multicolored magic fired as fast as an arrow and slammed into Wyn¡¯s barrier, both shattering and dissipating.


    ¡°Go, Wyn!¡± Tasha said, suddenly behind him. ¡°We can handle this one!¡±


    Wyn looked ahead and saw that John and Lucy were actually struggling against their enemies. Despite their information parchments stating these monsters were strong tier two enemies, they felt more like what a tier three monster might be. And they weren¡¯t even bosses or champions. John had his Focus skill active but not his Squire Aura, and Lucy was already injured enough to activate her Fury skill.


    Mentally using Speed Up, Wyn bolted forward and decided to help Lucy. John could defensively hold his own, but Lucy was a bit more reckless. He used Flash as he got close, and the monster blinked its large, yellow eyes quickly, grunting in pain. Lucy and Wyn used the opportunity to slash and stab the monster respectively, landing several critical hits on its torso and assumed vitals.


    The hits caused black blood to flow from the wounds, but not nearly as bad as Wyn assumed. The monster recovered quickly but stumbled, nearly losing its footing. It then chirped a high pitch noise that was deafening up close.


    Lucy silenced it not long after, but the call was made. It didn¡¯t even resist her attacks, and it still took her several empowered swings of her axe to bring it down.


    Wyn moved to John¡¯s opponent and helped fight him while numerous, loud clicks were coming from deeper towards the temple. That sound was some sort of alarm, and reinforcements were coming. He stole a glance to the sky and saw a half dozen enemies flying towards them. The gods only knew how many more were on the ground.


    This climb was finished. They¡¯d be dead if a dozen of those enemies came, and it seemed like there were more than that.


    ¡°We need to move!¡± Marcy said, firing another arrow at the flying Fodakas that struck its wing, causing it to fall to the ground in a heap. Charred black spots covered it, and it still twitched on the ground.


    ¡°Too late!¡± Wyn yelled. ¡°I can see more flying towards us!¡± He stabbed the Fodakas in the side with his spear, the blade going several inches deep. Multiple wounds covered its torso and neck, but it was only just starting to slow down. The damn things were tough and difficult to kill.


    ¡°Retreat!¡± Tasha called, pulling out a key from her robes. ¡°We¡¯ll try again!¡±


    The portal formed soon after she turned the key in the air while she kept yelling at them to move. No one moved, though. John¡¯s opponent was still alive, though he and Wyn were slowly wearing it down. If they retreated for the portal, the monster would catch them in the back.


    In seconds more monsters would be on them, and they¡¯d be in serious trouble. Wyn concentrated on an area behind the Fodakas and cast Web, his last charge for the day. The spell took hold and caught the creature, its ankles snaring in the thread-like trap.


    ¡°Run!¡± Wyn said, pushing John back to the group. He could easily outrun John and Lucy but he would never leave a teammate behind. The Fodakas were nearly on them, and the one trapped was already stretching the limit of the Web trap. It was amazing what they could do. If one of them was a mage, Wyn had no doubt they could easily free the trapped creature.


    The clicking sound picked up, and Wyn knew if they could attack from a distance they were likely close to attacking range. Tasha was watching them, though, and she could protect them if needed. Wyn focused on running with John and Lucy.


    Lucy, to her credit, ran alongside the two men, looking back nearly the whole time. ¡°We¡¯re not going to make it!¡±


    Wyn cursed. ¡°Go! We¡¯ll make it!¡±


    Lucy rushed ahead while Wyn watched Cedric prepare a spell. He then shot lightning behind them towards the sky, and Wyn heard the crack of the spell hitting something followed by a loud thud. Quickly looking back, Wyn saw a group of Fodakas both on the ground and flying in the sky. There were at least a dozen, and that was only what he could see. Several of them were preparing spells or attacks to hit them from range.


    Wyn cast Shield behind him as Tasha did the same, putting a barrier behind the rushing group. Marcy joined Cedric to attack the group to try and distract the enemies when possible. It was an ugly, disjointed mess.


    Lucy reached the portal, paused, and looked around. ¡°Fucking get inside!¡±


    Wyn and John were almost there. Only ten more feet.


    The sound of shattering barriers echoed behind Wyn. Tasha was already creating another one, and Wyn did the same. Footsteps beat against the ground like war drums. They were so close.


    Wyn felt something hit his back but his equipment stopped it from hurting him too seriously. It made him lurch forward, though, and he nearly lost his footing. John fell to the ground beside him with a cry of pain.


    No, no, no. This couldn¡¯t be happening. Not again.


    Thoughts of the the mushroom cave entered Wyn¡¯s mind. Being overwhelmed, afraid to die. Cedric losing his arm. He suddenly remembered Daniel and the last time he climbed, his entire party dying. Trying to escape but not making it.


    Cedric started another spell but Lucy grabbed him and flung him into the portal, much to his and Marcy¡¯s shock. Then she jumped inside. Marcy summoned a deathhawk then followed her. The large bird cawed and flew forward, attacking the first enemy it found.


    Wyn started to haul John to his feet while ducking a magical blast that sailed over his head, and watched as another of his barriers shattered. The Fodakas were right behind them, splitting their focus between the summoned bird and the final three of their group. Wyn could outrun them, but John was heavy and just to his knees.


    Arrows plinked and stuck into the ground all around them, several bouncing off Wyn¡¯s and John¡¯s armor. Magical blasts kicked up snow and chunks of the ground in their vicinity.


    Tasha was suddenly on John¡¯s other side, grabbing him with a grunt. ¡°Come on!¡±


    A terrible sound of a bird¡¯s squeal made Wyn turn back, and he saw the deathhawk on the ground, disappearing into mist like monsters did when they died. The Fodakas were there. It was too late for another Shield. Wyn expanded his bracer and activated its Empower ability that greatly resisted all damage types. It nearly covered his entire body, but he couldn¡¯t protect all three of them. They only needed a few more steps before they could touch the portal.


    Wyn pushed the other two forward, deciding to be the last. His shield could at least hold off further attacks.


    Tasha suddenly cried from an arrow piercing her leg, and she fell. John turned to raise his shield but was knocked backwards with a large blast of magic, sprawling across the ground while kicking up a flurry of snow. Tasha and Wyn were also tossed around, and Wyn felt the air leave him in a rush as he hit the ground. John was thrown back directly into the portal and disappeared. Wyn and Tasha weren¡¯t as lucky.


    Tasha cried in pain. Wyn looked over to see two more arrows sticking out of her, one in her stomach and the other in her side. She was trying to crawl back to the portal while blood pooled on the ground around her. Despite having magical equipment, she wasn¡¯t as armored as the rest of them.


    Another blast hit her, followed immediately by a third. A strange white glow enveloped her as she tumbled into the portal from the force of the hit. Wyn felt several blows of weapons on his shield, but they were mitigated. One of the monsters then tackled him, knocking him to the side, directly into the portal. The last thing he heard was the group of Fodakas clicking, a wretched symphony of war cries.


    The portal pulled him back to the base of Alistair. Back to safety. Away from death.


    He rolled out into the portal room in a heap as a large pressure pressed into his side. Ash swirled around him, blinding him for a moment. He put a hand against the left side of his stomach then pulled it away, looking at it. It was coated in blood. Wyn groaned in pain, but ignored it, instead of focusing on John¡¯s scream. A scream he¡¯d never forget.


    ¡°Tasha!¡± John cried. ¡°Tasha, please! Gods!¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 55

    Wyn jumped to his feet but a sharp pain made him double over. One of the Fodakas came through the portal with him, he was sure of it. But now it was gone. All that remained around him was the familiar magical essence of a monster that dies, and he wondered if that was what happened to monsters if they tried to return to the city.


    He then fell to one knee. The group was crowded around a large, milky white rounded egg that glowed heavily with magic. John had several arrows sticking out of him but he was on his knees intensely inspecting the object as though he was spying on someone through a keyhole. The others stood around, too, though Wyn didn¡¯t notice what they were doing. He was just focusing on not passing out.


    The healing potion on his belt trembled in his hands, though it was relatively easy to pop the cork. Wyn drank it swiftly and without hesitation. He felt the magical effect take hold immediately as a warm, welcoming comfort took over his body. He had no idea exactly how serious his injuries were, but the potion would make sure he would be fine. If not, he could always heal himself.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Tasha?¡± Wyn called after a few seconds, allowing the potion to heal him without any additional strain of moving around.


    Lucy pointed to the large egg-shaped object that John was obsessing over. ¡°In there.¡±


    Wyn walked over to join the others. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s her cloak,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Its effect was activated. She was nearly killed and it protected her. She should be healing now.¡±


    Wyn remembered when Tasha traded for that cloak in the Silver Step. Benedict had said it was a powerful effect but one time use. It protected her and cast Greater Cure, effectively healing even a near-lethal attack. But the cloak was spent after, all of its magic gone.


    That was well worth it if it meant she was alive. He breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Come on, John,¡± Marcy said. She walked over to the Squire and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°She¡¯ll be okay. If she still needs healing when she comes out we can take care of her. But right now you¡¯re the one who needs some help.¡±


    Wyn saw several small splotches of blood around John, dripping from parts of his armor. Somehow he must have been hurt enough that the armor didn¡¯t stop everything. He cast Regen to help him. He¡¯d likely need more help but that would do for now.


    John looked down at himself, glowing with white light, then up at Wyn. He nodded and sat on the floor. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, she just¡­ she was ghostly white and bleeding out. The last time I saw someone like that they ended up dying. I forgot about the cloak for a minute there.¡±


    ¡°You were just concerned about her,¡± Marcy said. ¡°We get it. Just take a rest. It shouldn¡¯t take long.¡±


    While they sat around waiting for Tasha to emerge he wondered where they went wrong. Their strategy was solid. Tasha did nothing wrong. Were the enemies just that strong? The information provided to them stated they were powerful, basically low tier three instead of tier two.


    No. It wasn¡¯t that they did anything wrong. They just had a bad climb, and they weren¡¯t fully prepared. It was a sobering realization.


    *****


    ¡°Hit,¡± Faye said, furrowing her eyebrows. ¡°Come on, now. Where was all that bravado? You¡¯re already done?¡±


    Nigel took a deep breath and waved his wooden long sword around in circles. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand it.¡±


    Wyn walked back to the starting position and assumed a ready stance with his long sword held in both hands. ¡°What¡¯s there to not understand? You hit me, you score a point. Easy.¡±


    Gregory, standing beside Faye, only nodded in agreement, while the Druid had to force herself to suppress a laugh. Caryn, however, had no such reservations. He barked a short laugh while lounging in a chair against the training room wall. A tray of fruit and drinks sat next to him on a small table, and he began picking at them.


    ¡°Again,¡± Nigel said, readying himself. His casual demeanor was gone, replaced with an intensity few carried.


    Wyn scored his second point to Nigel''s one. He obviously wasn''t taking it well.


    ¡°Match point,¡± Faye said, eyeing both of the participants. ¡°Begin!¡±


    Nigel yelled in fury as he stepped forward vigorously, slashing horizontally with his sword. Wyn nimbly stepped back to avoid it then lunged forward with a stab, extending his reach and body to gain more distance. The sword nearly connected with Nigel¡¯s chest, but he leaned to the side to avoid the blow. Wyn hop stepped forward and lunged again, then a third time after Nigel kept dodging the attacks. Nigel was being pushed into a corner, and everyone realized it.


    The Squire blocked a sword strike easily then swung back with enough force that Wyn¡¯s own defensive block did nothing despite intercepting the weapon. The wooden sword smacked Wyn¡¯s shoulder and he jerked back in response. The sting was uncomfortable but not detrimental.


    ¡°Hit,¡± Faye said. ¡°Though only because of your enhanced strength. Technically that would have been a block.¡±


    Wyn rubbed his shoulder, ignoring the others. Nigel wasn¡¯t just strong. He was insanely strong. While he considered John a more defensive-oriented Climber, Nigel was definitely a more offensive one. He moved and fought like someone out to kill, and never held back. Based on the man¡¯s personality he would have never guessed he had so much ferocity inside of him.


    ¡°Technically he would have been dead,¡± Nigel said. ¡°In a real match I would have lopped off his arm.¡±


    ¡°In a real match you would have magical equipment, skills, and spells, and Wyn likely would still win,¡± Gregory said.


    Nigel started to speak but then paused. His gaze kept moving from Wyn back to Gregory. ¡°Why you do you say that?¡±


    ¡°Yea, why do you say that?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°Nigel has more experience climbing than me. He¡¯s stronger, more resilient, and has more skills. I¡¯m not quite sure I would win.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on, Wyn,¡± Caryn said, crossing his ankles in his chair while holding a glass of wine. ¡°You have more experience fighting, though. And have fought and killed people. Nigel, have you done the same?¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Nigel slowly shook his head. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. Just monsters.¡±


    Caryn pointed with a finger and smiled. ¡°Well there you go.¡±


    Wyn looked over to Caryn and wondered if he was trying to imply anything deeper. There really was no telling with him. The more he talked to him, the more questions came to his mind. The man truly was an enigma and impossible to predict. He wondered how he was as a Climber.


    His thoughts brought him to Tasha. She was shaken up after they attempted the eighth floor, but physically she was healed and recovered like the rest of them. Mentally, though, she likely wasn¡¯t doing well. She asked for the rest of the day off and the next morning, which brought Wyn to train with the others. He didn¡¯t blame her, though. Nearly dying would be difficult to deal with for anyone.


    ¡°Wyn?¡± Faye asked. ¡°Are you listening?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Wyn said, looking around. He smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, no. I was thinking about Tasha.¡±


    Faye nodded in understanding. ¡°She¡¯ll be okay. That would be tough for anyone. Rest assured because she''s resilient.¡±


    ¡°That she is,¡± Gregory said. ¡°It was why I wanted to give her a chance to lead the group, after all. She has a lot of potential.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And she did an incredible job the entire time, even when we were pinned down. She stayed behind to make sure we all made it, like a true leader should. She made hard, unpopular decisions that was for the group¡¯s best interest, too.¡±


    ¡°All in one day?¡± Faye asked.


    Wyn chuckled. ¡°All in one day.¡±


    ¡°The eighth floor was especially difficult,¡± Nigel said. ¡°We only just completed it last week, and that was after trying four times. She shouldn¡¯t be too hard on herself. At least you¡¯re all still here.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Gregory said. ¡°You can always try another day, as long as you make it back. Just be patient.¡±


    ¡°Or be better,¡± Caryn said. ¡°That works, too.¡±


    ¡°Caryn,¡± Gregory sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not helpful.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And he¡¯s right. We will be better. I feel confident about that.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Caryn said, biting another grape. ¡°Now take that confidence and whip your group into shape. We need another tier three group in here to put those weird Faceless Freaks in their place.¡±


    ¡°That was a strange reaction with their masks and your lantern, Wyn,¡± Gregory said. ¡°Do you know why that would have happened?¡±


    Wyn thought about telling them the truth for a moment. But did they have to know? Them knowing how Wyn obtained the lantern and how it revealed secret rooms would likely cause far more issues than it would solve. But if they could help in any way, that would be a huge benefit. He only hoped they wouldn¡¯t take drastic measures, like kick him out of the guild.


    ¡°My lantern is a bit of a¡­ unique item,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It¡¯s been able to reveal hidden secrets in Alistair. Not all the time, though.¡±


    ¡°The secret room?¡± Nigel said. ¡°How you did so well as a group in the trials? It was because of the lantern, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Wyn slowly nodded. ¡°Yes. It revealed a series of runes around on a wall that exposed a room. We were able to enter and clear it by repeatedly facing monster.¡±


    ¡°Runes like the ones that lit up on the Faceless Four¡¯s masks?¡± Caryn asked.


    Wyn nodded again. ¡°Somehow my lantern activated from their masks. I have no idea what that means. It¡¯s never happened before.¡±


    ¡°A lot of people have speculated on their masks but no one has ever gotten close enough to the group to study them further,¡± Faye said. ¡°They¡¯re a complete mystery. Strong as the hells, though.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about it,¡± Caryn said. ¡°If it gives you an advantage, great! Use it. If those fuckers come around again we¡¯ll deal with them. Until then, get stronger. Simple as that.¡±


    Simple as that, Wyn thought. Caryn made it sound easy. But if that was what they wanted him to do, then he would.


    Wyn called for Faye to start the next round of their duel. This time, he was the one who didn¡¯t hold back.


    *****


    The crate of clothes was relatively light, which Arabelle was thankful for. She¡¯d had a long day helping Benedict with some enthusiastic Climbers wanting to try on just about every green and blue rarity item he had in the Silver Step. Thankfully they settled on something and bought several pairs, and tipped Arabelle. Her body was sore but her coin pouch was full. It was a good feeling before she would leave and train for the evening.


    The doorbell above the door ringing made her sigh. ¡°We¡¯re closed, sorry. Come back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Even for us?¡± A familiar voice called.


    Arabelle nearly dropped the crate and stepped out to see Tasha and John, both standing at the entrance. He was smiling his usual charming smile while Tasha seemed a bit more reserved. That was unlike her. She was usually polite and welcoming.


    ¡°Always for you!¡± Benedict said, suddenly coming up to join them. ¡°Anything for my future partners!¡± His smile faded when he saw Tasha. ¡°My dear. Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Tasha said.


    Twenty minutes later, Arabelle was resting her head against the wall, seated on a stool. She could hardly believe her brother¡¯s group had so much trouble on a floor to the point where they were injured that much. She remembered how they performed in the guild trials. They weren¡¯t just strong. They were powerful. And on the eighth floor, which was still considered one of the middle floors regarding difficulty in the entirety of the tower. Was Alistair really that strong? It suddenly made sense why so many climbed in the first tier only. A quickly growing sense of dread filled her as she then felt far less ready for her first climb, which was only a week and a half away.


    But that was part of climbing, wasn¡¯t it? Arabelle came to that understanding when she decided to become a Ruby Magician. Her resolve was more than that. And she had a feeling Tasha¡¯s was, too, despite her setback.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I need a new cloak,¡± Tasha said, finishing her story.


    Benedict gave a long sigh. ¡°I¡¯m so terribly sorry that happened to you. Though I am grateful that cloak saved your life. I¡¯m glad its purpose was fulfilled, in a way.¡±


    ¡°We are, too,¡± John said, putting an arm around Tasha. ¡°I wish it wouldn¡¯t have happened that way. But Tasha helped save me. Again.¡±


    ¡°That seems to be a bit of a habit,¡± Benedict said, a slight smirk on his face.


    Tasha smiled. It was the first time she showed any positive emotion since stepping foot into the store, and Arabelle was happy to see it. She hoped the experience didn¡¯t weight too heavily on her. She knew how much those experiences affected Wyn. She didn¡¯t wish for that on anyone.


    ¡°She really did do an amazing job leading us,¡± John said. ¡°Far better than me. I just don¡¯t know if we¡¯re cut out to progress past the second tier, yet.¡±


    ¡°I think we have what it takes,¡± Tasha said. ¡°That was just a bad time. They won¡¯t all be that way.¡±


    ¡°Yea, because we¡¯ll be injured bad enough or worse.¡±


    Tasha took a long breathe. Arabelle watched her go from distraught to serious in that moment. She¡¯d seen that before. With Wyn.


    ¡°John, I know you want to protect me. Protect us. But this won¡¯t stop me from trying again. I know we can do it! I know we have the strength to progress!¡±


    John met her gaze with his own worried look. ¡°But is it worth it?¡±


    Tasha smiled softly. ¡°Sometimes in life, we have challenges that seem far too risky. That the reward isn¡¯t worth the struggle. But I¡¯ve grown to know that that isn¡¯t true. That it¡¯s all worth struggling, because that¡¯s when we actually improve. We see our path and it helps push us forward. We become better. And we aren¡¯t alone, after all. Just like you weren¡¯t against Lionel. We¡¯re here together.¡± Tasha had tears running down her cheeks, but she didn¡¯t seem sad. She seemed hopeful.


    John started to speak but stopped. He turned his head and wiped at his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Tasha embraced him, hugging him tight. Arabelle heard Benedict sniffle, and turned to see him admiring the two Climbers. He then stepped away to give them some time alone.


    She¡­ didn¡¯t have the same emotional connection. She was happy for them, of course. And Tasha was right. Struggle gave clarity. Arabelle was very familiar with that.


    Tasha opened her eyes to see Arabelle trying her best to look away. She then let go of John in a rush and cleared her throat. He followed her lead.


    ¡°But, yes, that brings me to needing a new cloak,¡± Tasha said, repeating herself. ¡°Umm¡­ Benedict?¡±


    ¡°Yes, dear!¡± Benedict said, walking quickly back to the conversation. ¡°I grabbed a couple of blue rarity ones you might like!¡± He set down two cloaks on the glass display case, and Arabelle recognized them. They both were more defensive oriented for mage classes, offering benefits to mana and magic power and giving abilities that supported them.


    As Benedict told Tasha about them, she watched with curiosity. Tasha inspected both of them closely and began to negotiate, offering items of similar rarity. Hers seemed to be of more use than the cloaks, but Arabelle wasn¡¯t about to say that. Benedict was still her boss, after all. If anything, the man would likely sweeten the deal with a kind word and some potions.


    In the end, Tasha chose the Cloak of the Three Stars. It was a cloak Arabelle fawned after many times. The item was pitch black with three large stars that seemed to glow, adorned with silver trim that really made it stand out as a basically royal item. It was beautiful, and Tasha seemed to think so, too. Its effect was to improve the wearer¡¯s mana pool by a smaller amount, improve the strength of defensive spells by a moderate amount, and provide the ability to cast Dome, which was a fully encompassing protective barrier around the caster for up to one minute three times a day.


    Tasha seemed more than happy while accepting the extra potions, saying she would tell everyone where she found the cloak who asked. Arabelle thought that was a gesture that heavily favored Benedict, because she knew plenty of people would ask.


    Arabelle could also tell Benedict thought was thinking along the same lines as his eyes sparkled.


    As the pair left, Arabelle picked up the other cloak to put away. Benedict told her she was done for the day, and Arabelle hurriedly finished to go train.


    Soon she would be going into Alistair herself. And she was damn certain she was going to more than prepared.

 Book 2 - Chapter 56

    The harsh wind stopped as soon as the group left the mountain valley of the eighth floor. Like the first day Tasha led them, it was a hard, treacherous climb, avoiding traps and fighting the Cliff Geckas that loomed around every corner and on both mountains. Unlike then, though, they now had a resolve to push past their previous failure and overcome the Fodakas that patrolled and guarded the temple entrance and end of the floor.


    It was two days later and the third day of the week. Tulsday. They still had the rest of the week, but Tasha convinced them to return right away after a day off to mentally and physically prepare themselves. She wanted to approach but not finish the final floor, then coast on some easier floors for more rewards. Wyn didn¡¯t mind that idea. He would be the one to lead for the final week, and they could try for the ninth floor then. He almost had his monthly quota of gold crowns, too, so he was feeling confident they would succeed in Tasha''s plan.


    The one thing that currently stood in their way was pushing past this section of the eighth floor.


    They had a brief recovery period outside the temple courtyard like before. Marcy continued to vigilantly keep watch, making sure no Fodaka grouped up on them like before. Her new quiver hung on her side, and she held her new bow, too, while the antler crown sat on her head to form her new set. During her day off, she decided to upgrade her equipment with Cedric¡¯s help.


    It was called the Night Huntress set, and Wyn was thankful she only had three pieces of the six item set. Otherwise she would look too much like some forest assassin. Each item except for the antlered crown was black, and even then the crown¡¯s base was black. It was leather was four brownish white horns on either side of her head, and made from a similar dark leather as the quiver. The bow was from a black wood with a string that seemed to glow a dull grey. Per Marcy, the set gave incredible benefits to her movement, making her quieter while using less energy and further improving her senses. Her Extrasensory ability increased by a full stage, making her have what she called something like a sixth-sense of danger and awareness. Not to mention her actual senses being heightened. In addition to that, the bow made every arrow magical, and when she applied a Ranger spell to them their effect was increased by a moderate amount while lessening the mana needed to cast them. The quiver magically stored arrows so she held several dozen easily, while also storing the bow plus another weapon she could magically summon at will. The bow increased her arrow¡¯s piercing effect and damage, while the crown gave the awareness benefit and physical improvement.


    Overall, it was an incredible boost to her abilities, and she was now easily one of the strongest of the group. She took down Geckas nearly by herself, and they breezed through the first half of the floor easily identifying traps and avoiding any surprise encounters with the monsters. The set took nearly every spare item she had in trades, but to Wyn it seemed well worth it.


    She was like a new Climber, and Wyn was jealous. While she was formidable before, she was terrifying now. Wyn felt behind seeing his friends upgrade their gear and becoming stronger. But he was determined he would catch up soon.


    ¡°The patrolling duo just moved out of sight,¡± Marcy said, an arrow nocked on her faintly glowing bowstring. ¡°Time to move.¡± She stepped forward with nearly silent steps, not even leaving footprints in the shallow snow.


    Tasha had the group move in a similar formation before, but her strategy was different. It was something she came up with Cedric and John. She told everyone during their briefing before the climb she was going to rely on her strengths and support them better than before. All they needed to do was push forward and focus on attacking their enemies and she would protect them and do the rest.


    Wyn admitted he was a bit excited to see Tasha¡¯s new strategy. He knew it would pay off, he just didn¡¯t know exactly how. Though he had an idea. Since he was a hybrid Climber with varying means of attack and support, Tasha told him she wanted him to focus on attacking and debuffing the enemy when possible. He would be a mixed attacker, whittling down opponents and making them less effective while she focused on healing and defense. In a pinch he could support or heal, but she wanted to push herself to do as much on her own as possible.


    Wyn wasn¡¯t going to argue with her. He initially had the strategy of being secondary support but could see her point. He would help the team by debuffing the enemies with his health siphoning abilities of Wellspring and Decay, blinding them with Flash, and using Feeble to further reduce tough monsters.


    He wouldn¡¯t have Chaincast activate as much if he didn¡¯t use an alternate spell type at least once, but he trusted Tasha. Shield was now a cheap spell to use and was still beneficial, which would make the possibility of activating it easier. He just needed to focus on wearing down enemies instead as his primary means of support.


    Moving as a group as quietly as possible, Wyn soon had his first chance. Marcy had everyone hide while another patrolling group of Fodakas walked by, everyone on edge against a stone wall that barely hid them. No one made a sound or moved an inch. The moment they were passed, the Ranger sprung out and launched an arrow at one that hit it in the torso. It was a brown glowing arrow that instantly caused a series of vines to wrap around the Fodaka and restrain it, covering it from its lower stomach to half of its head. Muffled cries could be heard while the other lunged to the group to attack.


    The restraint effectively took that monster out of the fight while silencing it, preventing it from alerting others. Wyn didn''t know why Marcy hadn''t used it as much before, but it was a well-timed use in their situation. Apparently she had more at her disposal than just attacking spells. It was good to see her change some form of her strategy to adapt, and Wyn was happy to learn that from her. Improving meant occasionally changing strategy to overcome obstacles, after all.


    John and Lucy met the other Fodaka and engaged it in combat, and Wyn knew that together they could handle it without major issue. One on one may be a challenge but together they had the upper hand. So, he moved to the downed monster and stabbed it in the gut with his spear. The monster thrashed and kicked, obviously still alive.


    Wyn hesitated for only a moment. The monster was more humanlike than most others, except for the Ashen Warriors last season. It felt strange attacking something that wasn¡¯t able to fight back. Right now it was kill or be killed.


    He promptly stabbed it again, and a third time to make sure it was dead. While it felt strange, they were still monsters, after all. These weren¡¯t people. And they nearly killed him and Tasha just two days prior.


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    The group collected the small piles of loot and continued through the temple courtyard. It was similar to a maze but manageable. The temple entrance wasn¡¯t too far ahead, and they could see where the mountains converged together several hundred feet past their location. That was the temple entrance according to the floor information, and where the boss waited for them.


    Or rather bosses. Wyn wasn¡¯t looking forward to facing them. But it was inevitable if they wanted to proceed. It would be a tough battle that everyone wanted as many resources to utilize.


    Marcy slowly led them past corners and traps, avoiding them or disarming with relative ease. The traps here were older, familiar ones of pitfalls into spikes, holes in the ground covered by snow, and some traps that would ensnare them with heavy metal teeth similar to hunting traps. They weren¡¯t meant to kill them, but rather distract or delay when they needed to fight the Fodakas. Wyn could see how the traps would slow them down or make the limited space tight enough to be even more difficult.


    Another group of monsters fell while Marcy quietly continued. The progress was slow but it was safer than before. Far safer.


    A half hour later, they were halfway through the area and most of the way through the floor. Unfortunately the Fodakas weren¡¯t patrolling here, but rather stationed periodically to be guaranteed fights. They eliminated nearly a dozen so far, dealing with small groups of two or three, advancing with better efficiency than last time.


    When they met a small wall of six of the creatures standing at the entrance of a large, open space that led into the second, deeper portion of the temple grounds, they prepared themselves for a more serious fight. Wyn was afraid they would have difficulty similar to last time, especially if one of the monsters decided to call for reinforcements.


    That wouldn¡¯t matter if they killed them fast enough. It was time to push themselves.


    The monsters were in two rows of three, with the front row having various melee weapons, the two on the outside back row holding bows, and the one in the middle of the back row held a large, light brown staff. The front row slowly stepped forward, their weapons raised, while the mage raised its staff and covered the others in an aura.


    Wyn had no idea what that effect did. Their information was limited in that capacity. The mages could have cast either a protective ability or an enhancing ability. They had the ability to magically attack from afar and defend as well, while casting faster and having stronger spells.


    They were hard opponents. But not impossible.


    Tasha immediately cast Arcane Aura enhanced with her ability to triple the spell, each one coating the melee combatants. Wyn saw that the glowing armor around him was denser than before. It may have been the reflection from the snow, but the aura seemed brighter, too.


    No. It was from her new equipment. She told them all during her briefing that it improved her defensive spells, which made Arcane Aura more effective, as well as others.


    John, Lucy, and Wyn moved forward together to meet the three combatants. Wyn first cast Flash, hoping to catch them off guard, and it worked on two of them. One somehow resisted the effect and trudged forward like it never happened. John met that one in combat, absorbing a mace attack on his shield, while Lucy attacked that same monster from the side. That was their strategy now. When John kept one enemy¡¯s focus, Lucy would flank them, and together they would pin the enemy down while killing it relatively fast.


    It was a solid strategy. The only problem was the other five monsters around them.


    Two of them were briefly stunned, which left the others who were all some form of ranged opponents. The two archers immediately started firing arrows, and Wyn cast Shield to protect himself and John and Lucy. The spell held against one arrow, then another, but the mage sent a green ball of magic flying forward that completely shattered the barrier.


    In response, Cedric and Marcy both attacked them, causing far more damage. Marcy hit the mage with a Drench infused arrow, splashing all three monsters with water and knocking the mage back several feet. Cedric followed that with Chain Lightning, which cracked loudly in the still air and flashed in a yellow light at the left archer.


    The lightning traveled between all three, and each of them froze in place while spasms took over their bodies. Marcy began peppering them with arrows, though each one was magically enhanced from her new equipment, making them hit harder.


    As the two melee Fodakas that Wyn blinded gained some sight back, he was waiting for them. He had his weapon in the form of a spear, with Wellspring already placed underneath them. The two monsters moved as though walking through water, and Wyn felt their life-force being transferred to himself. He didn¡¯t need the healing, but healing himself also meant recovering his mana, which he gladly welcomed. The ability also weakened them, and fighting them became easier.


    He wasn¡¯t able to kill them, but he did keep them busy and distracted until Lucy barreled in, swinging her axe like a monster herself and nearly cleaving one of the Fodakas in two. That made the fight considerably easier, and after a few more exchanges the fight was over.


    Snow slowly drifted down from the grey sky, and a light breeze swirled it around their small area of death. The Climbers were fine. Great, even. None of them were so much as injured, and the expense of mana for spells and abilities was an afterthought.


    They quietly collected the dropped piles of loot - finding more coins with a few gemstones, two potions, and a green rarity bow - and continued on.


    Bosses waited for them at the end. And they were determined to make it.


    The next two larger groups of Fodakas fell just like the first, though the group began to show signs of fatigue. Their attacks were getting a bit more sloppy, their formations less precise, and they were taking longer each encounter to finish the enemies. They had been climbing nearly three hours at that point, so it wasn¡¯t surprising. But they needed to be at a better condition for the boss.


    Marcy led them to a small alcove free from the gently falling snow where they took a short rest. They were nearly at the end of the floor, but it felt like the biggest hurdle of all still remained.


    Quietly they ate, drank, and rested their bodies to ready themselves for what was likely only the bosses left. According to Nigel, it was one of the hardest fights his group had so far. It was also the highest they¡¯d climbed so far, so that information was taken with a grain of salt. But Wyn still appreciated the warning. He hoped they were ready.


    He also wanted to be the one to lead them, but was still impressed with Tasha¡¯s leadership ability so far. There was always next week, at least. He¡¯d get them to the ninth floor and see how they would manage. He had a feeling they could do it.


    After another half hour the group prepared themselves. Tasha once again reiterated their plan, which basically was to unleash everything they had. No sparing resources at the boss, since it meant they accomplished another floor. They had potions in reserve as needed. Marcy¡¯s quiver was stacked. Everyone¡¯s mana was full. They were better rested and as ready as they could be.


    But when they approached the temple gate in a sprawling, long and wide brown stone entrance, they stood with caution. Wyn felt anxiety creep up in his chest. He may have been excited before, but now that excitement was gone, replaced with hesitation.


    The temple gate was a pair of massive double doors, easily twenty feet high and ten feet wide. The entrance was set in a large alcove between the two mountains, with the ceiling easily being fifty feet high and twice as long. The snow didn¡¯t drift inside as the area was mostly protected from the weather. Even sand stone butted up to the doors, making the entire space easily traversable with plenty of room to engage the bosses.


    The bosses that currently stood guard, waiting for the group to inch closer. Three Fodakas stood like giants, likely ten feet tall and twice as wide as the most stout Climber. They looked similar to the other monsters except for their size and armor that adorned their body. While the other monsters had standard armor, these monsters wore more intricate pieces that covered more of their bodies and seemed to be thick and durable.


    One of them carried a large shield in one hand and a mace in the other. The shield was huge, easily the size of a door, while the mace was as tall as a person. The head was as large as a bucket, and Wyn shuttered to think what would happen if it connected with one of them. No amount of healing would work if you died outright.


    The second boss carried a sword that was taller than himself and several feet wide. It was so big it had to hold it with both hands. The final boss was obviously a magic user, as it wielded a large, metal staff that held a blue glowing gem the size of a man¡¯s fist.


    Both sides waited, unmoving.


    Wyn took a deep breath. This was it. Their true test of progression for the month.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Tasha said under her breath, then began casting a spell.

 Book 2 - Chapter 57

    Tasha acted first, casting Arcane Aura again on John, Lucy, and Wyn. The moment her mark appeared under her as she started the spell, the bosses acted. The staff-wielding boss lifted it high in the air and caused an aura of white to envelop the other two monsters.


    Wyn¡¯s initial excitement completely dwindled as he realized they had a similar protective spell like him. It wasn¡¯t magic armor like he now wore, but he could tell based on the dense white aura that it was some form of support magic. Potentially like Arcane Aura or even like Regen in preparation for battle.


    Everyone began activating their own abilities to bring out all of their strengths. Marcy flew above the group after summoning her deathhawk, and immediately began to fire arrow after arrow at the bosses. John¡¯s Squire Aura pulsed around him and the others but he activated more of his skills before fully engaging. Several layers of magical energy now enveloped him, and he looked as bright as Wyn had ever seen him.


    Lucy prepared her new abilities, too, and Wyn was curious to see them in action. She looked more protected from the Drake¡¯s Frozen Brand chainmail they found from the fourth floor boss, and she traded some items to obtain the helmet that matched it. It was a strange looking helmet with a bluish white horn on each side that curved out and up like a bull, along with black metal that covered her entire head with a nose guard. It was intimidating but also beneficial as it improved her Barbarian skills by one stage and her attack power by a large amount. She was easily their strongest Climber now, while John was still their most protected. She began to glow in a swirling black and red aura that enveloped her like a demonic cloud.


    Wyn and Cedric started their own abilities, and they formed a slightly new strategy. Cedric added a spell to his list that was in the same line of thinking as a trap spell to help along with Wyn and Marcy''s traps. It was unconventional to use as most offensive Wizards primarily used attacking spells, but he wanted to see how beneficial it would be. When he finished casting it, a large area of visibly static lightning formed on the ground in front of and to the left of the Climbers. When the bosses stepped into it, they¡¯d be temporarily stunned and damaged. If allies stepped into it, they weren¡¯t harmed, but it did slow down movement from the dense magic. It was called Static Field. Wyn placed a Wellspring in front of and to the right of their group, hoping to force the bosses directly in the middle. They were told that these Fodakas were smart, and wouldn¡¯t just mindlessly run into danger. So they wanted to force their plays.


    The bosses then moved, and they moved quicker than Wyn imagined for their size. They started straight for them, taking care to avoid the traps on either side. John met them first, his shield raised to defend a blow from the boss carrying the large sword. As the boss swung down, Wyn felt a sensation of danger from the attack. Not something magical but a feeling deep down. Something he hadn''t experienced in some time.


    Worry. And fear.


    He honestly didn¡¯t know if John could completely block a weapon of that size or an attack that powerful.


    That was when a small but dense barrier formed in front of and just above John, about his height and curved like a half-dome. The barrier completely blocked the attack and the sword bounced off with the boss recoiling from the ineffective hit. John then swung his sword through the magical shield, hitting the boss in the waist with a slash as though the barrier wasn''t even there.


    Wyn was confused. Did John have an ability he didn¡¯t know about?


    Wyn looked back to see Tasha hovering just above them, flying with translucent wings. Beneath her on the ground floated her healing and support Calling, Mongano. Wyn wasn¡¯t sure why she brought him out first, instead of one of her others who were more suited to fighting. But the creature had a bright green glow around it, and Wyn saw another shield pop in front of Lucy when she was fighting the second Fodakas boss. Again, the monster¡¯s weapon bounced right off of it, and Lucy swung her axe with such force against the monster¡¯s shield that it caused the creature to stumble backwards and lose its footing.


    Meanwhile, Mongano was still floating, and more magical energy was permeating off of it as though its entire being was pure magic. Wyn didn¡¯t know exactly how the Callings worked, but it appeared to be even stronger than before. He wondered if it was from Tasha¡¯s equipment or if she was utilizing more of its potential abilities.


    Seeing that they would be better protected, Wyn activated Speed Up and rushed forward to help. The bosses were incredibly durable, but they could still be killed. It would take great effort, however. He moved to help Lucy while Marcy¡¯s summoned deathhawk helped John, squawking in a deep voice and slashing with dagger-like talons against the massive sword-wielding boss. Wyn hoped to distract the sword and shield boss enough with Lucy to be able to pin it down well.


    As he stabbed into the boss monster¡¯s thigh, another thick shield formed around him. But the boss swung and missed on Lucy, not even noticing Wyn. Then a loud crack hit the shield and dissipated, leaving it splintered from the damage. Wyn looked over to see the mage boss pointing its staff at him with a magical circle on the ground underneath its feet. A glow began to form at the tip of its staff, coalescing into a small but dense ball of green and blue magic.


    Wyn left Lucy and their boss and focused on the mage Fodaka. As he started to run towards it, the ball of magic stopped growing in intensity and left the staff with a sharp crack, flying towards him like an arrow at top speed. He mentally registered that the boss was focusing on him, and changed course to run sideways instead. With his enhanced speed, he avoided the path of the magical attack, and was relieved to find it didn¡¯t change course. Instead it missed and kept flying out of the temple¡¯s entrance before exploding against a rock wall in the distance, completely obliterating it.


    The mage began to gather energy for another attack. This one looked different, though, being blue and white, and instead formed a misty aura that enveloped the two other Fodaka bosses. It overlapped their already dense white auras in a swirling white and blue, moving far quicker and faster than the static aura of protection. It reminded Wyn of how John stacked his aura skills one after another.


    Wyn didn¡¯t remember this magic being in the information provided about the bosses. The information was limited, but Nigel had said it mostly attacked them with magic or protected itself, and the other guilds reported the same. Why was this encounter suddenly different and harder?


    The bosses began to move quicker, their bodies avoiding blows easier and their feet moving faster on the smooth stone. One of them even had shallow cuts and bruises heal in moments. John and Lucy were starting to get pushed back as well, though Mongano continued to protect them with summoned shields. Marcy and Cedric were primarily focusing their attacks on the combative bosses to ease the burden on John and Lucy, and even their attacks were getting dodged or shrugged off relatively easily.


    Wyn understood what was happening. The magic wielding boss was enhancing and healing the others. It would be a tough fight if it continued, which would make essentially any progress at killing the others moot if they were healed enough. They might have to leave again if even one of them were injured enough to be removed from the fight, too. If that happened, they might not make it out completely unscathed this time.


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    ¡°Take out the mage!¡± Wyn yelled, before adjusting himself. It would be his new target.


    Marcy flew over him and shot an arrow at the mage who raised its staff and blocked it with a well-timed barrier. It then raised a circular protective dome around it, which continued to block more arrows. As it was protected a new magical formation appeared under its feet, and it began to verbally speak in a language Wyn didn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Marcy said, flying low close to Wyn. ¡°It¡¯s chanting a spell! We need to stop it!¡± She pulled back another arrow that was glowing red, her Ignite spell. It flew in a red line to the boss and exploded against the magical shield, but it held firm. The attack didn¡¯t even appear to have left a mark.


    ¡°How is it that strong?¡± Marcy asked, drawing another arrow.


    Wyn looked at the barrier. It didn¡¯t seem much different, but as he focused he could sense a familiarity. Something similar to Tasha¡¯s Shell spell rather than his own Shield spell, like the aura being denser and more translucent.


    A thought struck him. The barrier protected against magic, which was why it held so well against Marcy¡¯s attack and her arrows. They were now completely magical from her new equipment. It likely wouldn¡¯t fare as well against physical, non-magical attacks. Or at least he hoped.


    It was worth a try.


    Wyn changed his weapon to a warhammer while running at the boss and swung at the protected mage. The weapon hit with a satisfying crack, confirming Wyn¡¯s theory. The mage stopped its chant and growled a deep, primal sound that sounded more animalistic than human. It was a stark reminder that these were monsters. Nothing more.


    Wyn promptly hit the barrier again, and again, and then a fourth time, smashing it as it broke into magical pieces that dissipated in the air. Not a second later a glowing arrow pierced the mage as small, precise and visible curves of air erupted from the arrow and slashed the mage all over its body. They only left shallow cuts but left dozens of them as the boss cried in pain.


    Changing his weapon back to a spear, Wyn mentally activated his Silence Attack skill. He hadn¡¯t had too many opportunities to use it as most of the monsters on the lower floors didn¡¯t use magic, but he felt a deep satisfaction watching the orange aura from his weapon transfer to the mage as he stabbed it in the thigh. When the mage raised its staff and pointed it at Wyn, its face morphed from anger to fear as nothing happened.


    Wyn didn¡¯t want to squander the opportunity and kept pressure on the large boss, stabbing and slashing at it with his weapon while Marcy simultaneously peppered it with arrows. Each of her projectiles sunk into the monster nearly halfway up the arrow shaft, showing that the mage wasn¡¯t nearly as dense as the others. It didn¡¯t have the same protective aura, either. Wyn activated Flash to blind it, then continued his attacks while the monster covered its face and stumbled.


    ¡°Go help the others!¡± Tasha said, flying towards Wyn and Marcy. ¡°Cedric, on the mage!¡±


    Wyn turned back to see that John and Lucy were struggling to deal with the two physically stronger bosses. The deathhawk was already gone, likely suffering too much damage and being unsummoned. Cedric had activated his illusory ability to project copies of himself, while Lucy was knocked back several feet, rolling on the ground. She quickly stood to return to the fight, yelling in anger while raising her axe to fight. Her magical armor from Tasha was gone, and blood sprayed from her mouth as she yelled.


    John surprisingly looked fine, but Wyn figured it was the multiple layers of auras that continued to surround him, as well as the magical armor that coated him. If Tasha was protecting one of them continuously, Wyn was happy it was John. The Squire was currently trading blow for blow with the large sword boss and somehow standing his ground. The monster was over twice as tall as John, and far bulkier with a sword that was at least John¡¯s size, but John was better protected. Despite looking only like a human, he was absorbing hits on his shield and striking back with his sword with a strength that was seemingly god-like.


    Wyn sprinted forward to help. While looking powerful, John wasn¡¯t a god. He was still a human. And he could be injured and die like one.


    He mentally activated Feeble on the monster, though cursed when he saw the spell fail to take effect. The skull appeared briefly above the monster but then faded as quickly as it appeared. As it did, the blueish white aura around the monster faded as well.


    Was that from his failed spell? Did Feeble somehow remove the beneficial effect instead of reducing the monster¡¯s power? Or did the aura have a function that protected the boss against magical effects like Wyn¡¯s spell, and it merely served its purpose?


    Wyn didn¡¯t have time to think about it. Nor did he care in the moment. It happened, and that was that.


    If he couldn¡¯t affect the monster, then he could at least affect himself. He cast Decay and shortened his spear to a short sword. Then he ran to the monster¡¯s legs and started slashing. While John kept distracting the boss, Wyn focused on damaging it as much as he could. He noticed his attacks landed heavier and cut deeper as John¡¯s Squire Aura improved his physicality, and his movements were sharper and more precise. Still under the effect of his speed skill, he attacked as fast as possible, slashing and stabbing furiously. In seconds he landed several hits that brought the monster down to one knee, where he and John ramped up their assault to try and hurt the boss as much as possible.


    Suddenly Lucy grunted in pain, and Wyn looked over to see her rolling on the stone, leaving a not insignificant trail of blood. He was about to leave and heal her when a white aura fell upon her, thick and dense. Mongano remained floating in the air where he was first summoned as magical runes formed on the ground beneath him showing he was still casting his healing and supportive magic. It wouldn¡¯t last much longer, though, as the visible aura around the creature was nearly spent, being far more dull than the original bright light.


    This fight needed to be over sooner rather than later.


    Wyn decided Lucy could manage on her own. She was resilient, strong, and scrappy. Plus, the more she was injured, the stronger she became. Which afforded her an advantage against a more powerful opponent that John didn¡¯t have.


    Currently, the best strategy was to kill one boss then move to another rather than slowly kill each one separately. So, Wyn stayed with John. Soon the mage boss would be killed from the combination of Marcy and Cedric, and then they would join, too.


    Which was exactly what happened less than a minute later. Wyn knew the mage boss was killed both from Marcy and Tasha flying overhead, as well as from the two remaining bosses angrily roaring in response.


    The fight turned for the better, then. Tasha instructed Wyn to help Lucy, who was struggling against her opponent, then ordered the others to focus on John¡¯s opponent. They systematically and quickly killed the monster, connecting attack after attack of sword strikes, spells, and arrows. The magical protection the boss had faded quickly, and though its armor and naturally tough body were impressive, they couldn¡¯t match against three Climbers beating it down.


    While that boss was handled, Wyn mostly helped Lucy by protecting her, not bothering to heal her. Physically she was better in just about every area besides speed, and even then Wyn could tell she was impressively fast. Her arms and legs were cut and bruised, and blood dripped from her face with each step, but it seemed as though her power grew the more she became injured. It was a strange dynamic but he didn¡¯t question it. She handled it well, and even reminded him several times when they weren¡¯t climbing to wait on healing her unless absolutely necessary. Instead, his focus was on Shields and well-timed uses of Flash.


    He recovered a fair amount of mana using Decay, and kept focusing on swapping spells to try and activate Chaincast. The fight neared its end as the ability activated when he tried another Feeble, and the spell doubled against the boss. It shrank several inches and slowed drastically, becoming far easier of a fight.


    Soon the others joined them as a bolt of lightning blasted into the monster¡¯s back. That was the heavy, final blow as the boss fell to both knees. A few more hits and one final chop from Lucy¡¯s axe sealed the monster¡¯s fate.


    After ten minutes of fighting, everyone paused and rested. No one said a word. They looked at each other, then at the piles of treasure that laid at their feet.


    Lucy was the first to smile and laugh, which made the others do the same. Their cries of victory echoed out of the temple entrance but no other monster was around to hear it.


    They¡¯d done it. Together, they defeated the bosses of the eighth floor.


    Tasha stood before them while they basked in their success, staring ahead.


    Wyn knew that look. He¡¯d seen it before, on their first full month of climbing. It was the look of determination. Of resolve.


    He knew exactly what she was thinking, and what she was about to say. Apparently the others didn¡¯t, however, as they were still celebrating their victory and admiring the spoils.


    After they collected their rewards, they wouldn¡¯t use the floor portal to return to the base. Tasha wanted to step inside the ninth floor.

 Book 2 - Chapter 58

    Wyn held his pack alongside John¡¯s, sweating with effort. This was not the kind of work he enjoyed. Fighting monsters wasn¡¯t exactly the safest or easiest job either, but it was better than the mindless task of raking gold into pouches and bags. Still, it was mostly gold crowns they earned from the bosses, and he wasn¡¯t going to complain about his share. It reminded him of harvesting crops and putting them in torn sacks to be stored or sold.


    On second thought, this was far, far better than farming. And it was literal gold they were collecting. Wyn chastised himself for his negative outlook.


    Beside him, John might as well be a child picking out candy where his parent¡¯s told him he could have whatever he wanted. The man scooped and stored handfuls and armfuls of coins like they might disappear any second if they weren¡¯t claimed.


    Wyn thought it was funny seeing John so excited. He never lost his excitement as a Climber no matter what challenge they faced, which was admirable. It was a good trait that deserved to be recognized.


    All in, their haul had to be thousands of coins with over a dozen impressively large and clear gemstones of varying elements. That alone was a great reward, though the other items they found were just as welcome. They found several mana and healing potions, which would help offset what the group used to clear the floor. But they also found two magical potions that were more rare, and typically only found on the second tier and higher. Cedric was curious and immediately identified both of them.


    The first was a Reflex Elixir, which boosted the Climber¡¯s reflexes and dexterity by a moderate amount for five minutes. According to Cedric and Marcy, rare potions varied with their boosts of ability and times based on their color rarities. This one was a blue rarity potion, and was on the higher end of both values. As well as being quite valuable monetarily. They all agreed to keep it, though, with John wanting to use it. The two veteran Climbers mentioned that dexterity enhancing effects were favorites of Rogues or Fighters who wanted to round out their physical buffs. John didn¡¯t have any skills that improved his speed or dexterity, and wanted it just in case.


    The other potion was a Mana Recovery Potion, which worked similar to the Regen spell. It recovered mana over time at a greatly increased rate, and the potion they found was green rarity that recovered one and a half times the Climber¡¯s full mana pool. It was even better and more valuable than the elixir despite its green rarity, which was odd. But apparently items could be like that. They agreed to give it to Tasha, though Wyn had a feeling she would be giving it back to Cedric, as the look in his eyes was pure, envious desire. And she was too nice not to let him have it.


    Outside of coins, gems, and potions, the bosses dropped items that were the best haul. One was a blue pair of heavy boots. The unidentified pair was boring leather with metal tipped toes and heels, but it was obvious what the pair was without even needing to identify it. They were told there was a fair chance of at least one of the bosses dropping another of the Frost Giant¡¯s set, and the boots were likely one of them. While it was good finding another rare item in the set, it didn¡¯t benefit any of them directly. The two Climbers who could possibly use it were Lucy and John, and both of them were aiming to have different kinds of equipment. So, they decided to keep the item to be traded. If they could manage to compile more of the Frost Giant¡¯s set, it would be a solid trade option for more gear that Cedric listed for them.


    Wyn thought about his own equipment list and figured he and Cedric were the ones still needing to actually upgrade their equipment. The others already added at least two or three items each, and their power was already growing. Cedric gained his arm, though, and while he didn¡¯t have enough of a grasp on it to be useful while fighting Monsters, Wyn had no doubt in the coming weeks and months he¡¯d be able to utilize its effect more strategically. For himself, he could stand to upgrade a couple of items to be ready for the third tier like the others. He didn¡¯t want to be the one holding the others back, after all.


    In addition to the blue rarity boots, they also found a blue rarity shield and four blue rarity monster components. They wouldn¡¯t be directly helpful, but their value was high. It would be worth taking them to Cara or the guild¡¯s crafter to exchange it or use it for a custom item.


    All in, it was a great reward for a hard fought battle. The group thankfully didn¡¯t have any setbacks like the last time they entered the floor. Wyn wondered several times while collecting the rewards why that was. Was their last climb a fluke? Maybe it was bad luck finding the Fodakas patrol and having multiple groups of enemies find them. Maybe their equipment being better now gave them more strength to be able to clear the enemies better, giving them an edge that was needed to tip the balance their way. Maybe Tasha¡¯s new strategy of focusing on defense let the others focus on attacking without being hurt too badly, so climbing with a new plan made the experience better.


    At the end of the day, Wyn didn¡¯t know the answer. What he did know was that it would be more common to have bad experiences the higher they climbed, so he needed to get used to it. Others in the guild warned them that the high second tier and third tier were difficult enough that they could be possible to clear but the layout and challenges needed to be a certain type of path to be easier, and that was mostly luck. So Wyn and the others each had two keys on them at all times just in case.


    Standing in the front of the floor portal, Wyn acknowledged the challenge of the eighth floor and respected it. Every new floor added another layer of obstacle to overcome and planning to make sure they left the tower intact. For today, they succeeded. Not every climb would be that way. But it was important to take the victories when earned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want us to return to Alestead yet,¡± Tasha said, stepping out in front of the group. She was only a few feet from the portal, turned to face them. ¡°I want to go to the ninth floor and see the next challenge that awaits us.¡±


    Several of them tried to talk at once, and Tasha merely raised a hand to try and restore some order. Everyone listened except Lucy.


    ¡°We already know what¡¯s on the ninth floor,¡± Lucy said, pointing at the portal with her axe. ¡°That information parchment told us. It¡¯s the outer chamber and entrance to a temple. Filled with monsters even stronger than the ones we just faced.¡±


    ¡°With a dragon,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that very important detail.¡±


    Lucy waved her free hand at Cedric and nodded enthusiastically.


    ¡°But seeing is different than knowing,¡± John said. ¡°We can learn about it from others all day long, but actually feeling it and seeing it for ourselves would be beneficial. I¡¯m with Tasha.¡±


    ¡°No surprise there,¡± Lucy said, her voice low.


    ¡°I¡¯m with Tasha, too,¡± Marcy said.


    The others looked at her questioningly.


    ¡°Really?¡± Cedric asked. ¡°Why waste a key?¡±


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    ¡°Because I want to see, too,¡± Marcy said. ¡°We won¡¯t finish today. But maybe we can feel out just the first one? I think we can do it.¡±


    ¡°We absolutely can,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Remember, I¡¯ll protect you! And we all still have charges on our equipment to facd at least one monster group. But I want to step foot in there. That¡¯s better than knowing what¡¯s inside. Actually being on the floor.¡±


    Wyn understood her. It would be a large confidence boost to him, too, saying that they were able to step inside the ninth floor already. They wouldn¡¯t finish it, and they might not even finish it this month. But he wanted to try once or twice next week when he would be their leader again, at least. The temptation was just too high and they had proven that it was at least possible.


    The problem with the ninth floor was that it was designed to be a test of both power and resolve. They had the resolve, but Wyn was afraid they didn¡¯t quite have the power. The floor design was a long, large hallway that was supposed to be the temple entrance hall, with the dragon guarding the inner chamber. Before that, though, were waves of enemies, in a space that was nearly the size of the several city blocks wide and over a mile long. None of the other guilds or Twilight Blade groups reported any traps, at least.


    ¡°I say we go,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Tasha, you¡¯re a natural leader. Lead on.¡±


    The others hesitated but didn¡¯t argue further. Tasha nodded in agreement, took a deep breath, then stepped into the portal. The rest of the group followed in short order.


    Floor Nine


    Group: 6/6


    Quest: This temple deep in the mountains of Isoterra was once home to an entire civilization of mountain dwellers. The massive halls spread out like open roads of a city, both in size and breadth and with the number of footsteps traveled. Unfortunately the citizens met an unknown fate, but a guardian continues to stand their ground just before the inner temple chambers. What will you find in the other temple? Or rather, what will find you?


    Wyn slowly closed his parchment while taking in the environment. Or at least observing and studying what his mind was trying to register as being the environment.


    The description and information didn''t do it justice. The temple was flat out massive.


    Standing in what felt like an endless sea of darkness, the only source of orientation was brightly glowing orange crystals spread throughout the area. There was one just above them about twenty feet in the air, lighting a large area of about fifty feet in all directions, including above. Past that, however, was more darkness. To their left, another crystal could be seen in the distance, maybe three hundred feet away. Wyn¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t process further than four crystals, where the fourth was a small orange speck in the distance. The same could be said about the right direction of their location.


    Directly in front was a similar layout but instead of the orange glowing crystals guiding their way, a singular, large yellow glow shone like a beacon, calling them to venture forth straight ahead. It was like a miniature sun, extending its light far and wide. And yet it was still strange, too. It wasn¡¯t bright like the sun to light up the area or be too intense to stare at. Instead, it cast a deep, dull glow that somehow reached even their position, though barely lighting the environment around it to be seen.


    The effect reminded Wyn of his lantern, of how it cast a similarly dull glow further than a torch but not nearly as bright. The comparison made Wyn shiver. What exactly did that mean?


    As the six Climbers looked around, not a single sound could be heard. Their breaths were all that Wyn could focus on. There was no sound of movement, no water, no footsteps on stone, no growls or whines in the dark. It was an empty, infinite void.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Lucy said, her voice soft. It did not echo, but instead sounded confined as though they were in an enclosed chamber rather than a large, city-sized room.


    ¡°At least the layout is easy,¡± Marcy said. She pointed forward with an arrow. ¡°We go to the middle and ignore the sides. Don''t let the sides disorient you.¡±


    ¡°That has to be thousands of feet away,¡± John said. ¡°Just how big is this place?¡±


    ¡°The report noted it was likely bigger than Alestead,¡± Cedric said. ¡°But no group has taken the chance to explore it fully. They all said to just go to the middle to progress.¡±


    ¡°Past wave after wave of monsters,¡± Tasha said, holding her wand in front of her. ¡°We¡¯ve overcome that challenge before. It¡¯s possible for us to do it again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I believe you¡¯re right,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But likely when we start fresh. Not today.¡± He couldn''t shake the foreboding feeling that was taking hold of his body. He was so confident about stepping inside, but he slowly started regretting his decision to support Tasha. It felt wrong being inside the floor.


    ¡°Not today,¡± Tasha echoed. She turned to the group and talked while waving her wand for emphasis. ¡°But do you feel that under your feet? Do you see those crystals and the path before us? It¡¯s possible! Others have overcome this challenge and we can too! Believe in yourself and in us and we''ll be able to eventually cross that disatnce. I just know it!¡±


    A deep, guttural growl came in the direction of the large glowing yellow light. All six Climbers turned as one, equipment raised ready to fight. Tasha immediately began casting a spell, and when the familiar Arcane Armor covered Cedric, Wyn, and Marcy, another, closer growl came from the darkness outside their crystal¡¯s orange light.


    Then a second growl joined the first, immediately followed by several more.


    ¡°Can you see them?¡± Lucy asked. Her voice trembled.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Marcy said, pulling back an arrow on her bowstring. The arrowhead glowed red with the magic of her Ignite spell, and she loosed it in front of them. The projectile lit up a small area around it as it flew, like a small, precise bolt of fire. It struck something not ten feet outside their lit area, where the arrow exploded in a shower of flames. Flames that caused a small swarm of strange looking monsters to scurry about trying to avoid the spell¡¯s impact and damage.


    In that moment of exposed light, there were easily thirty monsters that moved like ants covering fruit dropped on the ground. It wasn''t easy to see their exact form, but it was obvious they were fast and numerous. They eerily made no noise except for their growls, and when the flames died down moments after impact, the noise stopped.


    Then the growls grew in intensity.


    ¡°Fuck this,¡± Lucy said. She reached into a pouch at her belt and pulled out a key. As she raised it, she fumbled the large item and dropped it, cursing again.


    Monsters clawed their way into the orange glow of their area, clambering over each other to get to them. The light finally illuminated them. They crawled on four legs with oversized paws bearing long claws, with skin a mottled grey and a body and head that resembled a dying wolf. Each of them were large, easily the size of a cow or small horse.


    There were so many of them and they moved so fast. Wyn couldn¡¯t even remember the parchment¡¯s description of the monsters on this floor in that moment. He did remember that the monsters that could appear were all beast-like with a half-dozen types, none of which had a certain element but all were physically strong.


    Cedric immediately began a spell while Tasha started another one. Marcy started and continued to rain arrows on the monsters, and each one seemed to knock one to the side from their fast approach. It wasn''t clear if they were dying or not from her arrows, but Wyn wasn''t that hopeful. John stood ready to engage while Wyn used his last Web charge to create a trap on the left side to slow them down. Then he waited beside John while the monsters barreled towards them.


    The Fodakas on the previous floor were difficult opponents, but waiting on the beast horde to approach felt more terrifying. There, holding the front line with John, Wyn felt his heart race. Could they actually progress on this floor? Was it even possible?


    A crack of lightning pierced the front line and nearly a half dozen of the beasts fell right then, their bodies charred and smoking. Another red arrow hit and blew apart a monster, then caused those around it to catch on fire. Those running down the left side were caught in the sticky trap and slowed to a stop, growling in anger. Monsters on the right side began to close the distance but a sudden beam of white magical energy hit and knocked back another three of them, and continued its assault as Tasha flew overhead with her wand pointed at the enemies.


    Wyn activated Speed Up and formed his spear. When the beasts finally came, John¡¯s Squire Aura was already around him and together they held the brunt of the attack. But not before Wyn cast a well-timed Flash. The spell caught about a dozen of them, and they cried as one in a strange whine. They stumbled while the monsters who weren¡¯t affected advanced, and John and Wyn met them with a clash.


    With Wyn¡¯s speed and John¡¯s Aura, it was surprisingly manageable to heavily damage and kill the monsters. Soon Lucy joined them, and together the group cleared the monsters without significant effort.


    ¡°That looked worse than it was,¡± Lucy said.


    A familiar growl came from behind them this time. The portal that previously floated in the air was gone, and more darkness was all that remained.


    ¡°Already?¡± Wyn asked. Just how quickly did the monster waves come? They barely even registered the disappearing smoke and fallen loot from the now-dead bodies.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Tasha said, standing beside a fresh portal. The large key in her hand dissolved, and she pointed to their escape. ¡°I got what I wanted.¡±


    None of them argued this time. Jogging to the portal, Wyn took one last look at the floor. If they wanted to progress, they¡¯d need to overcome this challenge. It wasn¡¯t impossible. Others had done it, of course. And they had faced monster waves in the past.


    But this was a devoted floor, not a secret room. The path was long, dark, and fairly unknown. It would be a difficult climb stressing their endurance, teamwork, and overall power.


    It was a perfect capstone to progressing to the third tier, and a perfect example of how each of them have arrived at this point. To Wyn, this was their next true test as Climbers. They would finish this floor, defeat the dragon, and advance.


    As the portal overtook him, Wyn made an inward vow to accomplish that goal for himself and his teammates.

 Book 2 - Chapter 59

    Wyn slumped down into the water, allowing his body to completely submerge. He may have hated water, but he didn''t mind this. In fact, he quickly grew to love it. The hot springs of the fifth floor were more than just relaxing. They were also invigorating, both to his mind and spirit.


    Magical healing was wonderful, but magical hot springs were extraordinary.


    Slowly resurfacing, Wyn gently meandered to the edge beside John and Cedric, keeping his body under the water except for his head. John was lounging with his arms spread wide over the smooth rock edge, his eyes closed. Cedric wasn¡¯t as restful. He was focusing on his ethereal left arm, playing with the shape and control and how it interacted with the water. It kept its arm-like appearance consistently, or at least as much as Wyn noticed. Even moving about through the water its magical shape remained. When Cedric would try and flex parts of it and wade around, though, faint portions of the object became distorted and strange. Still, it was a lot of progress in a relatively short amount of time.


    ¡°Your control is already amazing,¡± Wyn said.


    Cedric leaned back against the side of the hot spring and took a deep breath. His left arm now looked like a perfect copy of his right, except for the grey color. ¡°I¡¯m happy with how intuitive it is to manipulate. It¡¯s certainly become easier the more I practice and focus. But the finer control and specific interactions, like with water, give me more trouble.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll get better. You¡¯ve come a long way in such a short time. I imagine it¡¯ll be second nature in a month.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the hope.¡±


    ¡°And then you can start practicing to use it beneficially while climbing,¡± Marcy said. She was across from the three men, lounging beside Lucy and Tasha. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you have your arm back, but I can¡¯t hide my excitement about how you will use it against monsters.¡±


    ¡°I have some ideas,¡± Cedric said, raising the arm to the sky.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you do.¡± Marcy tilted her head back to rest against the edge, wearing a playful smile.


    All of them wore simple clothes made for communal swimming for modesty¡¯s sake at the insistence of Tasha. Just about all of the other Climbers present also wore some type of clothing, evident as they walked from one hot spring to the next. Lucy wanted to go completely bare, but then decided against it as she would have been the only one. A few Climbers also had no reservations about modesty, drawing many curious glances.


    The group decided to return to the rest floor after Tasha finished her week of being the group¡¯s leader. It was Torsday, and they had only one more day of the week to go. She made the decision not to climb that day but instead to report to Faye about the group¡¯s performance under her leadership on the last day while the others did what they wanted. Wyn didn¡¯t mind as he was still being invited to the guild¡¯s weekly leadership meetings, which would occupy a fair chunk of his day both physically and mentally. He wanted to know what he could about the ninth floor before the final week of the month came so he could give a final push to progress.


    Throughout the month Wyn had some reservations that he would be replaced as the team leader, but his continued invites to the leadership meeting gave him some reassurance. The others also continuously stated they didn¡¯t want to lead, despite Gregory mandating that they be given the opportunity. When they asked Faye about it, she said that it was more of a formality but still an opportunity to see if anyone showed promise in the role. John hated doing it and was honestly not that great at it, while Cedric and Tasha performed better. Cedric didn¡¯t like the responsibility in the end while Tasha felt the same. She told the group she planned to tell Faye and Gregory she wanted to relinquish the position back to Wyn as Cedric had done the week before.


    After the group cleared the eighth floor a few days prior, they received their rewards and praise from the guild before returning to climb lower floors. Tasha met her progressive goal of stepping foot into the ninth floor, and then continued their overall goal of obtaining more items. Wyn gathered enough coins climbing mostly in the second tier to combine with the leftover coins from last month to nearly meet the required 12,500 gold needed for his debt payment, and the excess items he received helped make up the difference and then some. He only had a few items to his name after selling the rest, but there was still an entire week of climbing to help gather more items so he could improve his gear.


    And there was the matter of his idea to completely erase his debt in one swift motion.


    He had been putting off telling the others about his idea to sell the farm but figured now was as good a time as any. Opening his eyes, he realized he missed some conversation lost in his own thoughts.


    ¡°But you still did an incredible job,¡± Marcy said. ¡°You¡¯re a natural.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± John said, lowering himself down until the water was right under his chin. ¡°I was, admittedly, not. And I¡¯m okay with that. But you were great! You got us past the eighth floor, after all!¡±


    ¡°Cedric came up with our equipment lists and helped us even get to the eighth floor, though,¡± Tasha said.


    ¡°I enjoy reviewing magic items and learning,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Leading was far too stressful. At most I¡¯d rather be an assistant or something similar. I¡¯ve particularly enjoyed reviewing the information we receive about the floors from our guild and the others, and have a few thoughts about how they could improve.¡±


    ¡°Of course you do,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I never want to lead, so the only competition you have is Wyn.¡±


    ¡°And I won¡¯t try to take his position,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I appreciate having the chance, and maybe one day I could lead a group. But for now I¡¯d rather us keep what we know works. And that¡¯s Wyn being at the front. I am grateful for the exercise in expanding my tactical mindset, though. That was a welcomed improvement I hope to continue.¡±


    There was a brief lull as everyone continued to soak in the magical waters. Lucy was the one to break silence. ¡°I¡¯m just happy to be in a good group for a change.¡±


    The others looked at her in confusion.


    Lucy stared at the misty grey sky above them while continuing. ¡°I¡¯ve been in groups before, of course. But they always end one way or another. Usually it¡¯s because one of them was a mark of the Assembly. Sometimes it was because they just meshed better together and moved on. I hoped I could make the best of this shitty situation of being forced to climb by at least climbing with capable people I could trust to have my back. I know I still have a long way to go but it looks like I finally have that.¡±


    Wyn wondered what would happen to Lucy after his debt was cleared. Would she stay in the guild or be sent somewhere else? It was impossible to know. He appreciated her skills but still considered her a liability. He¡¯d never be able to fully trust her, whether he wanted to or not.


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re open and honest with us, we¡¯ll be open and honest with you,¡± John said.


    Lucy nodded, closing her eyes.


    ¡°That reminds me of something I wanted to bring up,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I may have a way to quickly clear my debt.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Marcy asked. ¡°How?¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sell my family farm to the Assembly to cover the remainder.¡±


    No one responded, which made Wyn wonder if his idea was bad.


    ¡°You think it¡¯s worth that much?¡± Cedric asked.


    ¡°I think it has the potential to be worth a lot,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Having a legitimate property with a lot of land should be interesting to them. It could be worth a lot if it¡¯s farmed correctly, and it would be a consistent income.¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be what they use it for,¡± Lucy said. ¡°You think the Assembly would actually have a farm with cows and crops and shit like that?¡±


    Wyn shrugged. ¡°Why not?¡±


    Lucy chuckled. ¡°I like the idea, though they wouldn¡¯t use it for that. They could use it to grow¡­ certain plants with a popular underground market. Or a front for other activities.There are definitely some possibilities there. And yea, even just the land would be interesting. It¡¯s worth a pitch.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± John asked. ¡°Just like that?¡±


    ¡°Just like that,¡± Lucy said, her eyes closed.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I thought you¡¯d give me a harder time. Like, tell me to stick to the debt schedule or something like that.¡±


    Lucy shrugged, her shoulders just cresting the top of the water. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s worth asking. The worst thing they¡¯ll say is no.¡±


    ¡°The worst thing they¡¯ll say is that the debt would go up,¡± Wyn said. ¡° I have no idea who your contact is. He could also threaten me or my sister.¡±


    Lucy sighed. ¡°I''ve already told you he wouldn''t do that. If it makes you feel better, I could be there, too, to help smooth over the plan.¡±


    Wyn felt hope rise inside him for the first time with a solid chance of it working. His idea had only been that, so far. An idea. There wasn¡¯t any assurances tied to it at all. But now that Lucy was more supportive, it seemed plausible. He only hoped it wasn¡¯t the relaxing hot springs that swayed Lucy¡¯s words.


    ¡°I say we all be there,¡± Marcy said. ¡°That way he¡¯ll be dissuaded from trying anything.¡±


    Lucy opened her eyes and sat up, paying more attention than before. ¡°That would not be smart. You want to get involved with them, too?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already involved,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Whatever happens to one of us happens to all of us.¡±


    Lucy looked at each of them, and Wyn wondered what was going through her head. Was she impressed at their bond or mentally calling them idiots?


    ¡°Then wait outside, at least,¡± Lucy said after a few moments.


    Wyn nodded his approval. ¡°Good. Maybe we can meet in a few days? I want to be done with this sooner rather than later. I already have the month¡¯s payment, too.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll get it arranged for Moonsday.¡±


    The six relaxed after, letting the warm water contrasted with the cool air soothe their bodies and minds.


    ¡°You know,¡± Lucy said, quietly, ¡°if there¡¯s a way to speed up your freedom of course I¡¯d help. Get what you and your sister deserve. To be free.¡±


    Wyn thought about his sister. She never deserved any of this. Their father, a right bastard by any means, was the cause of their problems. Wyn hated how they were in this position but relished the thought of moving forward with their own goals free from the chains of familial debt.


    Then he thought about Lucy. She could never attain what he and his sister would eventually have. She was still helping them, too, despite her position. It was admirable.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Wyn said. He didn¡¯t know what else to say, though knew it wasn¡¯t enough.


    *****


    The wooden training shield strapped to Arabelle¡¯s left arm wasn¡¯t overly heavy, but she knew after the training session she¡¯d be sore. It had only been half an hour and she was already slowing down drastically. Thankfully she had healing magic, and it was enough to remove the soreness. Despite training for weeks on end and her body being in incredible shape both physically in strength and endurance, she wasn¡¯t as skilled as the others. They literally had skills to boost their physicality, making her question her choice of using a shield. What good would it be if she couldn¡¯t raise it after an hour while still clearing out a floor?


    Her training partner¡¯s sword hit her on the shoulder when she tried to lift the shield to block. Unfortunately she raised it too slow, and his weapon easily struck her.


    ¡°Hit,¡± Daniel said, marking something on his notepad. ¡°That¡¯s the match.¡±


    ¡°Damnit,¡± Arabelle said, her left arm hanging by her side. She dropped her own mace and started undoing the straps on the wooden shield. ¡°I didn¡¯t even score a hit!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not using magic, to be fair,¡± Adam said.


    ¡°Yes you are. What do you think skills are?¡±


    Adam paused. ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. But I¡¯m not using active ones!¡±


    Arabelle sighed. Adam obtained his class this month just like her and was also still getting used to having magic. He was a broad, stocky man, but short, and a little older than her. His brown curly hair made him look more inviting as his size was so intimidating. Apparently he worked as a smith¡¯s apprentice, and his frame reflected the work. He hoped to eventually become a crafter but ended up getting the Fighter class. Arabelle didn¡¯t fully understand why he was upset about that as he was well built for the role. His weapon training was decent, too, being familiar with handling different tools, weapons included. There was still some serious training he needed to be good, but he was better than her. He didn¡¯t have to worry about using spells, either.


    Arabelle understood why the split difference between having access to magical spells and having skills that correlated with using weapons and armor was troublesome to the average person. It would likely take her months to be sufficient with using a weapon at a caliber that could be considered good, and far longer to be great. She hoped with her class leaning more towards a magical focus that would advance quicker.


    It made sense how Wyn was able to go directly into the tower to climb with years of weapons training in the military.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, you brute,¡± Brianna said, playfully smacking Adam on the arm. ¡°You¡¯re still stronger and faster from your passive skills!¡±


    Brianna was another Fighter, though her skills leaned more towards mobility and dexterity similar to a Duelist. She had the body to match, too, being lean but muscular. Her short hair that came down to her chin wasn¡¯t common in Jahnin, and her olive skin further marked her as being from out of the country. She said she was from the border city of Fyrewatch, which neighbored the neutral country of Derkin.


    Arabelle didn¡¯t know much about her now, but she would before long. Both Adam and Brianna joined her to train at the insistence of their mentor. Word apparently spread that a new Ruby Magician was training to enter the tower, and after further rumors were confirmed that the new Climber was related to the Ruby Magician that made such an impression at the guild trials, people were interested in possibly creating a team.


    That was further confirmed when Daniel informed Arabelle other mentors were asking to join training sessions to see if they could be good fits to create a group. She didn¡¯t think much of it, but Daniel was giddy. He said that hadn¡¯t happened in over a year, and that Wyn really started a change on the current class outlook.


    ¡°Let me take a look at your shoulder,¡± Oren said. He stood beside Arabelle and raised his staff, casting Cure on her.


    The third and final Climber to join them for training was Oren, a Diamond Magician. He had a look that resembled a Fighter even more than Adam, being tall, well-built, and handsome with kind features and a warm smile. He came to Alestead in the hopes of having a combat class but ended up becoming a Diamond Magician. Hoping to make the best of his decided class, he leaned into magical study and has been in the city for over a month learning magic and readying himself to climb.


    ¡°You know it¡¯s fine,¡± Arabelle said, accepting the white healing aura that coated her body for a few seconds. ¡°They weren¡¯t hard hits.¡±


    ¡°It lets me practice my own way, though,¡± Oren said. ¡°I need to get used to healing all of you when you take real injuries.¡±


    Arabelle couldn¡¯t argue with that logic. She nodded in reluctant, and slightly embarrassed, agreement.


    ¡°Arabelle, take your three laps with Brianna,¡± Daniel said, still writing in his notebook. ¡°And if you don¡¯t keep an appropriate pace with her, you¡¯ll go directly back to another set of exercises.¡±


    Arabelle took a deep breath in preparation and mentally prepared herself. She was used to Daniel pushing her recently. The rookie climb was in a week, and he wanted her to be as prepared as possible. If she was being truthful, she also enjoyed the intensity as the payoff was well worth it. She could already tell her body was strong. Far stronger than the stringy woman she was before coming to the city.


    The others hadn¡¯t realized how hard Arabelle had been training as they all shared surprised looks.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit harsh?¡± Brianna asked. ¡°I have passive skills that improve my speed and endurance. And her trying to keep up without the same skills and sparring with us for half an hour?¡±


    Daniel closed his notebook and looked at each of them. He just nodded to Arabelle, who spoke for him. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I need to push myself. I don¡¯t have your skills for mobility or Adam¡¯s for strength. I need to be able to hold my own without magic, which means working harder.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Daniel said. ¡°Now, please, Brianna, go ahead and start.¡±


    Brianna gave Arabelle a sympathetic look before jogging to the side wall of the training hall. Arabelle followed her, and the two women started running.


    Arabelle knew this was for her own good. She wasn¡¯t going to complain. After the physical training, she would do some magical training with Oren, who was gracious enough to wait. He mentioned wanting to see the others for himself and said several times he was impressed with their abilities and work ethic, especially Arabelle¡¯s.


    Arabelle knew Daniel had a hidden motive with this training meet, too, thanks to Wyn. The elder mentor wanted to show how hard of a worker she was and convince her potential teammates that she was not only worth having in their group, but that they didn¡¯t need to slack off around her. If they saw her working hard, hopefully it would encourage them to work hard, too. Most Climbers in the city tended to over rely on their magical abilities, and neglected their regular, non-magical potential.


    She didn''t want to be a regular Climber. She wanted to be better.


    During their second lap, both Adam and Oren joined the women for their run.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch,¡± Adam said, his curls bouncing with every step.


    ¡°And I won¡¯t be the one to fall behind physically, either,¡± Oren said. Arabelle wanted to say that he was likely the fittest one of all four of them when magic wasn''t involved, but decided to keep that to herself.


    Passing Daniel, she swore she saw a smirk on the man¡¯s face. The man knew what he was doing, that much was sure. She felt lucky to have him.


    As the evening went on, the four confirmed they wanted to climb together. They also agreed to set out to find one or two more complimenting members.


    All in all, Arabelle couldn¡¯t have been happier. Soon she was going to enter Alistair for herself, and then her real journey would begin.

 Book 2 - Chapter 60

    Wyn held up his lantern, the soft yellow light lighting the caves of the seventh floor. He had only just regained leadership of the team and planned to take them through some of the lower floors for easy rewards, items, and practice before trying to go to the ninth floor. They had all week left to clear it, and they had a good idea of what they could find between their own personal experience and the information collected from the guilds. For now, Wyn wanted to push them to regain his footing leading them, collect items to potentially improve his own equipment, and gather more stock for future item trades.


    That brought them to the seventh floor, where the secondary quest of collecting monster drops was found. It was far more difficult than the first tier secondary quest, and the rewards were better. Having to fight different monsters that gave better piles of loot was a large bonus, too. Wyn hoped to clear the quest at least two times before moving on. They had also decided to stick with using Wyn¡¯s lantern as a light source, hoping that it would reveal another secret room while they climbed.


    Secondary Quest: Dangerous monsters patrol the more rugged mountains of Isoterra, protecting or taking territory as they see fit. Proof of their defeat is a mark of a true warrior. Each component must be of a differing element.


    Riock feather: 2/2


    Ta-Yurk scales: 1/3


    Traversing the caves was a necessary part of the floor, and once out on the other side it would be easier to find other Ta-Yurk scales. They had already been in the floor for hours and found plenty of monster groups that they handled without major difficulty. Compared to a couple of weeks ago when Cedric led them and the eighth floor they just cleared, this climb felt much more manageable.


    A collection of rock monsters fell and rolled from the walls, and Wyn set about the task of killing them again. Like before, it was a fairly trivial job as long as he focused on what he was doing. He noted what colors the glowstones nestled in their bodies produced, and adjusted his Elemental Weapon spell to accommodate. For these, they seemed to be of the water element, and instead of using his weapon he activated his shield and backed up.


    ¡°Cedric,¡± Wyn said, not needing to say another word.


    Cedric promptly attacked the three rocks with Spark, cast at a higher tier. The spell washed over the rocky trio like a thundering shower and they froze, stunned and damaged. Another spell let loose from Cedric¡¯s topaz staff, and the rocks dissipated back into the tower.


    A small pile of rewards dropped from the monsters, some of which was glowing blue. Curious, Wyn stepped forward, hoping for an item. Instead, a half-moon shaped smooth but spongy rock was there instead. It was a monster drop and not particularly interesting, outside of its strange weight and feel. They had found several before, though this was the first one that was of the lightning element.


    At least, it wasn¡¯t very interesting until Wyn¡¯s lantern began glowing with a more intense light as Wyn held the item in his hand. Fear coursed through him as he thought something was wrong, then it worsened as the item began shaking in his hand. The smooth rock then flew at the lantern on his hip, disappearing in a small shower of magic.


    ¡°What in the hells was that?¡± John asked, standing beside Wyn.


    Wyn had no idea, and was too stunned to answer. The lantern¡¯s normally green magical glow intensified, and the yellow light that lit up the cave began to grow. As quick as it happened, the light then went out, and the group was cast in darkness.


    A quick word from Tasha caused a large glowing orb of white light to hover above them just below the cave ceiling. Everyone was staring at Wyn and his lantern.


    His lantern that now gave off a blue aura with some hints of light grey shining within.


    Wondering what was happening, Wyn pulled out his item parchment and went to the ITEMS page.


    Mushroom Lantern - A handful of rare, luminescent mushrooms reside within this magical jar. When shaken, the mushrooms activate, shining bright in their own colors. Provides dim light up to 60 feet. Will stay active for one hour, may be shaken again immediately. Colors can change with each activation.


    Suddenly the text was gone, and in its place was a new sentence.


    Updating. Upgrade component utilized, growth criteria met.


    Mushroom Lantern - A handful of rare, luminescent mushrooms reside within this magical jar. When shaken, the mushrooms activate, shining bright in a color of your choosing. Can choose dim or bright light. Dim light is expanded to 120 feet, while bright light shines at 60 feet with dim light expanded an additional 60 feet. Will stay active for two hours, may be shaken again immediately. The owner has an inherent understanding of text read when using the light of this lantern.


    Wyn read the effect out loud to the others as the parchment magically replaced the previous description. Wyn¡¯s hands shook while holding the paper, unsure of how or why it happened.


    ¡°How can that happen?¡± Cedric asked, looking at the parchment over Wyn¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of an item improving on its own like that.¡±


    ¡°So the criteria was just one of those rocks in order to change like that?¡± Tasha asked. ¡°We¡¯ve found a few before. Did the lantern absorb those, too?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I don¡¯t remember. The last few times I just put the rocks in my bag. Or at least I thought I did.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worth looking into,¡± Cedric said. ¡°And if I¡¯m understanding that description correctly, that lantern received a massive upgrade by allowing you to understand any text read under its light. That¡¯s a ridiculous effect!¡±


    ¡°If we happen to come across another secret room, we¡¯ll actually know what it says now,¡± Marcy said. ¡°That¡¯s huge.¡±


    ¡°Huge doesn¡¯t even begin to describe it,¡± Cedric said. ¡°If I''m interpreting it correctly, you could theoretically ready any language and understand it. People would kill for an effect like that.¡±


    ¡°Best keep it to yourself, then,¡± Lucy said. ¡°Maybe only show it here in the tower, or else someone might want to take it from you.¡±


    The others glanced at Lucy but agreed. Wyn did, too. A sense of concern grew within him as he thought about the Faceless Four. They knew he had the lantern, and now the Twilight Blade¡¯s leaders did, too.


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    The masked Climbers threatened him before during the guilds meeting, and it was obvious his lantern and their masks had a connection. Could they see the lantern¡¯s true power and worth? Did their masks give them some kind of power that no one else knew? For that matter, were their masks similar to the lantern, being able to upgrade while giving a great power?


    Wyn suddenly wondered what their masks said, and now realized his lantern would tell him what the runes on each of them meant. That was a dangerous realization. If the masks and the lantern weren¡¯t connected, then they had to share some sort of special property. The only problem was that Wyn was given the lantern, and it was obviously special as it was given by the Avatar of Alistair.


    Maybe their masks were also given to them in some way?


    More questions came than answers, though Wyn was grateful he could trust his team with keeping the lantern a secret. At least for now. Letting the guild leaders know probably was a good idea. It may possess a power too great for Wyn to safely have in his possession.


    All Wyn knew was that he needed to be cautious moving forward. Dangerous times were ahead, and he wanted to be ready.


    *****


    The ale was stout and delicious, and Wyn savored every gulp. The rest of the guild wasn¡¯t as reserved, but he didn¡¯t blame them. It wasn¡¯t every day they were able to celebrate to this degree. The rest of his group also watched how much they drank since Wyn told them they were on a specific climbing schedule, and he didn¡¯t want any of them too drunk to climb tomorrow. Healing magic worked wonders, but it didn¡¯t cure hangovers.


    Marcy was his biggest concern but she was appropriately holding back. It likely helped that she was talking to Faye, who was very openly and obviously flirting with her. Marcy took the chance in stride and focused on them instead of the ruckus.


    Nigel and his team had just finished the ninth floor, and Gregory made the announcement to have a celebration. They would be upgrading their classes over the next couple of days, followed by rounding out the week and month by practicing with their upgrades before starting it all again for a new season.


    Wyn remembered when he and his friends completed the fourth floor and upgraded their class. It wasn¡¯t as momentous as a time like this, but it was still memorable. He¡¯d be lying if he didn¡¯t say he was a little jealous, too, since he wanted his team to be the ones celebrated for advancing to the third tier and upgrading their classes.


    He took a deep breath and another drink of his ale. Their time would come. Hopefully within the week, too.


    Looking around at their table, Wyn noticed how everyone was taking the news and dinner. Marcy couldn¡¯t care less, and was completely engrossed in her conversation with Faye. Tasha seemed to be comforting John, who put on warm smiles when congratulating Nigel and his group but had an obvious look of disappointment now sitting at the table. Wyn understood his desire to be Gregory¡¯s pupil, and had a bit of a friendly rivalry with Nigel. Seeing him advance first stung.


    Cedric, like Marcy, also didn¡¯t seem too interested about celebrating the team, as he was busy practicing with his magical arm. He still had food on his plate as he was forcing his cloudy hand to grasp the utensils, which was a slow and laborious process. Wyn also noticed he decided against trying to hold a cup with his arm as apparently he wasn¡¯t quite that skilled with the item yet. Still, being able to have the dexterity and strength to successfully use forks and knives was a triumph, even if the process took him longer than the others.


    Then there was Lucy. She was quietly sitting towards the end of the table watching the others in the room. Her plate was picked clean, and she sipped at her cup. It was painfully obvious she wanted more to drink but was pacing herself. She looked out of place, awkward, and uncomfortable.


    In a lot of ways, she was. She didn¡¯t earn her guild spot like the others. The Assembly snaked their way into having her join, and she was an outcast compared to everyone else. A woman who didn¡¯t even want to climb but was forced to out of indenture.


    But, there was a small part of her that still belonged. Wyn reluctantly acknowledged that fact. She still climbed with them, put her life on the line for them, and fought monsters alongside them. Most would call her a black sheep, and by all accounts that would be true. But in a strange way, Wyn was thankful for her. Others in her position as being a part of the Assembly might exploit him and his sister, but she hated the organization just as much as he did. Everything she pointed out she would do she did, and she held her word despite what the others might have thought about her. She proved herself over and over, and it was Wyn¡¯s own biases and mistrust that prevented him from truly letting her in as a friend.


    Though a large part of him knew that would never happen. Despite her words and actions of trust she was still tainted by her affiliation. Wyn wasn¡¯t perfect, either, and wanted to keep her at arm¡¯s reach. For his sake, and his sister¡¯s.


    His mind then wandered back to his plan of selling the farm to finally remove their father¡¯s debt. He hoped it would work. There was nothing but bad memories there, and he would be happy to leave it behind. But the threat of the Assembly trying something against him and his sister gave him hesitation.


    ¡°Wyn,¡± Marcy said, her voice rising above the commotion of the dining hall.


    A small chicken bone hit Wyn in the arm, making some people at the table chuckle. Wyn looked over at Marcy, who had a look of frustration on her face.


    ¡°What?¡± Wyn asked.


    Marcy groaned while the others laughed harder. ¡°Your mind was adrift again. I¡¯ve been trying to talk to you!¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Wyn said sheepishly. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Forget it,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Are you alright? You seem distant.¡±


    ¡°Just thinking about the plan for my debt. Really, though, what were you wanting?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not important. What about your debt?¡±


    Wyn looked around and saw the others were curious, too, including Lucy. Faye was gone, returned to the head table where her team sat with Nigel¡¯s team.


    ¡°Just some hesitation, is all. I really want the plan to work. I¡¯m so tired of this looming debt, especially now with Arabelle here wanting to climb. I¡¯d rather focus on us climbing and helping to keep her safe.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll work out. Have some faith.¡±


    Wyn huffed a laugh. ¡°How can you be so sure?¡±


    ¡°Because you have us,¡± John said. ¡°You¡¯re not alone, you know. Arabelle, too.¡±


    Wyn smiled at his friends and took another deep breath. John was right. He wasn¡¯t alone. Though that still didn¡¯t remove his worries, he did feel better knowing his friends were by his side.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you on what you need to say,¡± Lucy said. She took a larger gulp of her ale before continuing. ¡°My handler, Mathias, is a right creep and piece of shit, but he can be manipulated just like any of us can. I can help with what exactly you need to say to help your chances at him agreeing.¡±


    Wyn was about to respond when Faye stood up on the head table, waving a sloshing mug. The room then started to quiet down.


    ¡°Fellow Blade members,¡± Faye said, her words slurred. Some of the others laughed, which made Faye¡¯s lips curl in a grin. ¡°We¡¯re here to celebrate Nigel and his team on their dashing performance in Alistair finishing the eighth floor!¡±


    ¡°Ninth floor,¡± Brett said, his hands covering his face embarrassment.


    ¡°Ninth floor!¡± Faye corrected. ¡°Nigel has, apparently, prepared something to say. Please come up and speak!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Nigel, please go up and speak!¡± Caryn boomed, causing the room to erupt in laughter.


    Nigel stepped up onto the table, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. He didn¡¯t appear as inebriated as Faye, and seemed even slightly nervous. He cleared his throat while the room hushed again.


    ¡°Thank you, Faye, Caryn. Brett, too.¡± More laughs populated the room, though they were more subdued. ¡°I didn¡¯t really have much to say, but did want to say a little something on behalf of my team. When this season started, we knew we were ready to try to finish the ninth floor. All we needed was a good season to test ourselves. Seeing the environment, it was beautiful and magical, a stark reminder at why we climb. Of what we find inside Alistair, the magic and wonder.¡±


    The room was completely silent now, hanging on Nigel¡¯s every word.


    ¡°After hearing that dragons were enemies inside, and that a true dragon was the boss of the ninth floor, we were more determined than ever. It was the challenge we were looking for, one that was honorable, difficult, and noteworthy. Who could argue about our strength after facing and defeating a dragon?¡±


    People clinked their mugs and cheered, encouraging the Squire. Wyn wondered if the man really didn¡¯t have a speech prepared, or if he was just that charismatic of a person. Nigel then smiled broadly and raised his arms before continuing.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! No one can! The floors fought back, of course, as they always do. Several times we weren¡¯t sure if this was actually our time. But we persevered. We believed in ourselves as individuals, and our collective power as a team! There was doubt, of course, but we pushed through. We trusted ourselves. We trusted each other. We trusted our abilities, our guts, and our determination to make us and all of you proud! And we did it! We advanced!¡±


    The room erupted in cheers and applause, everyone standing from their seats. Nigel had them captured, completely charmed under his words.


    Wyn, too, stood, along with his table. Even Lucy was standing and cheering, caught by the infectious mood and inspiring words. Wyn looked to them, to her, and saw them shout and cheer in support of Nigel and his team at their victory. Their success.


    Pausing from his clapping, Wyn had a bolster of confidence with his own determination. He and their team may not have completed the ninth floor as soon as Nigel and his group, but they were equally committed with a fierce passion and desire to lift one another up.


    Wyn walked over to Lucy. ¡°I want you to arrange a meeting,¡± Wyn said, nearly shouting the words to be heard over the rowdy room.


    ¡°I already told you I would,¡± Lucy responded. ¡°Our current meeting is scheduled for Torday, right before the season ends.¡±


    ¡°No. Move it up. I want it for tomorrow.¡±

 Book 2 - Interlude - Lucy 2

    ¡°Calm down,¡± Wyn said, his voice uncharacteristically sharp. ¡°Cooler heads prevail.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly known for having a cool head,¡± Lucy said, pacing around the narrow alley. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn¡¯t be still. Moving helped her think and be calm, and she needed to do both.


    Looking at Wyn¡¯s relaxed face and posture, she stopped walking around the small overgrown patch of grass. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself and think.


    For all his damn confidence and leadership, Wyn was annoyingly good and helpful. Lucy hadn¡¯t known him very long, of course, but she could see why the others liked him so much. He supported everyone, was capable, and often took the blame when he didn¡¯t need to. All marks of being a solid and true leader. All marks that were the opposite of what she was used to. The difference was strange, and Lucy wasn¡¯t accustomed to it.


    She had no idea why Mathias chose this particular spot rather than their usual place in the dilapidated shack. At least that place had a roof. It wasn¡¯t much, and the rest of the pitiful house was falling apart, but it was better than their current spot. The two stood at a dead end alley, where there was simply a small patch of grass and a small tree without leaves. It was unsettling, like someone plucked an outside sitting area and placed it in an alley in the city. A lone street lamp lit the entrance and most of the alley, though deeper towards the end with the tree was more hidden. It wasn¡¯t impossible to see, just shrouded in dim light. The evening sky, just after sunset, made sure of that. It did make it to where someone couldn¡¯t approach unseen, though.


    The rest of the team said they wanted to be nearby, but there really wasn¡¯t a great spot since they were surrounded by buildings and only had one exit and entrance. So, they all decided to wait just one block over, positioned in spots so they could at least see when someone came near. They had no means of actually communicating, but they agreed on a signal: if Wyn whistled with a long, single note, they¡¯d come by to support. If he gave two whistles, then it meant to run to help.


    Lucy desperately wished Mathias wasn¡¯t going to be pushy. She did not want the group to come running to help. That would likely end up with at least one of them injured and likely Mathias dying. That would mean Lucy would be as good as dead, too, even if she didn¡¯t mind watching the cretin¡¯s life seep away.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lucy said, her voice more even. ¡°I can try. I¡¯m just damn nervous.¡±


    ¡°I know, but we went over this. It¡¯ll be alright. Nothing will happen to you, after all.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that. If he gets too pissed, too suspicious, this could be the start of something very bad for me.¡±


    Wyn looked around before walking to the tree and leaning against it. ¡°I won¡¯t antagonize him like you suggested. I¡¯ll be firm. Trust it will go well.¡±


    Lucy barked a laugh. This meeting was just as influential with her future dealings with Mathias as it was about Wyn¡¯s and his sister¡¯s. Hopefully Wyn was right, though. Two nights ago, after the guild¡¯s celebration for Nigel and his team, Wyn was so adamant about meeting Mathias that she arranged a quick meeting. It made Mathias suspicious but curious, and she hoped that curiosity was the prevailing mood. Last night, Wyn and the rest of the team sat down with her and reviewed what to say during the conversation to help make it go as smoothly as possible. They decided on ways to be supportive and gathered enough leverage to make it worthwhile.


    Now, all that was left was actually carrying it through and seeing if Mathias accepted.


    As if on cue, a hooded figure began walking into the alley. Wyn noticed them first as he was on the lookout, and he stepped away from the tree while trying to look relaxed. It wasn¡¯t working. Lucy sent one last prayer of hope while Mathias walked to them. She hoped her sister was listening.


    Mathias walked to the pair and slowly removed his hood. Lucy knew what he looked like, and he looked his usual slimy self. He lacked his usual sinister smile.


    All business, then.


    ¡°Ardwyn,¡± Mathias said, his voice rough and grating. ¡°We finally meet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to put a face to the organization,¡± Wyn said. He was as expressionless as Mathias.


    Mathias glanced at Lucy. She felt a shiver run through her. ¡°Lucy here tells me you wanted to meet in person but offered no other information. Before we get to actual business, I believe you have something for me.¡±


    Wyn unslung his pack and reached inside, his arm going all the way to his shoulder. He pulled out a large sack and dropped it on the ground. Then an identical sack plopped beside it.


    Lucy could tell Mathias was spending a lot of energy to restrain himself as he stood still. He eyed the sacks, though, like a predator watching their prey.


    ¡°I have the payment for the month,¡± Wyn said. ¡°But I have an additional offer along with the crowns.¡±


    ¡°Is that right? I was going to present the same thing.¡±


    Wyn smiled but it didn¡¯t meet his eyes. ¡°I want to settle my debt here and now.¡±


    Mathias chuckled. ¡°You have three more months of payment. Unless you have a half dozen more sacks in that bag, I doubt you have an offer that I¡¯d listen to.¡±


    This was it. Lucy prepped Wyn on how the conversation would likely go. She only hoped Wyn stuck to the plan and that Mathias was still as coin hungry as he always was.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anymore sacks of money,¡± Wyn replied. ¡°But I do have an interesting offer that could be worth far more than just three more direct payments.¡±


    ¡°And that is?¡±


    Wyn settled himself and took a deep breath. Lucy¡¯s heart felt like it was going to beat right out of her chest. She desperately hoped he took the bait.


    ¡°My home and farmland. The deed of property ownership in a legitimate transaction along with one month¡¯s worth of payment.¡±


    When they discussed the plan, Lucy told Wyn that it was important he mention the handoff of his land would be legitimate, as that would solidify them owning it without any question. She also said that sweetening the deal with extra coins would likely help Mathias agree though too many would make getting rid of the farm pointless. Wyn replied that he didn¡¯t care, since getting rid of the plot was in his interest anyway. Lucy had a feeling if it came down to it, Wyn would likely pay someone to take it off his hands.


    Mathias knitted his eyebrows and took a few seconds before responding. ¡°So you¡¯re saying your farm is worth that much? We have no interest in farming, Ardwyn.¡±


    ¡°But you do have an interest in ownership. Who says you have to farm? You could do whatever you wanted there and no one would look twice since you owned it fair and square. Grow whatever you want. Store what you want. Make it a safe house or a privy, I don¡¯t care. The point is that it¡¯ll be yours.¡±


    Mathias smiled his typical sly smile. Lucy calmed a bit. He was relaxed, and interested. That was good.


    ¡°How much land do you have, and what is the status of the house?¡±


    ¡°The land is nearly forty acres of farmable land, and forty acres in total. It butts up to a forest and a neighboring farm, while being just off a branching road from the main road through the town. There¡¯s a typical barn with some old tools, no animals. The house could use some work, as I was told it was left with my rotting father inside. But I¡¯m sure you have people who could clean that up.¡±


    Mathias laughed. ¡°That we do. It¡¯s certainly an interesting offer. You have no appraisal of what the land is likely worth?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. I¡¯ve been a bit busy.¡±


    ¡°Take a guess.¡±


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    Wyn took a deep breath and looked up into the starry sky. He continued after a few seconds. ¡°I¡¯m sure any amount of land is worth something. It¡¯s in a smaller town but within a day¡¯s journey of Moorhead, which is where we sold most of our crops. Selling the farm to a neighbor would likely be at a similar price as I''m offering now.¡±


    ¡°Then why not do that? Sell the farm to someone else and then give us the money. Why bring it to me in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Consider it a sign of goodwill that I wanted to give your organization the chance first. If you aren¡¯t interested, I can certainly do that. But you might miss out on an opportunity you otherwise would find hard to get.¡±


    Lucy¡¯s nerves crept back. They had discussed Mathias bringing this up during their preparation, and Wyn¡¯s answer was solid. Presenting it to them first showed he was willing to be compliant, which was important with the Assembly.


    It did bring up a couple of problems, though. One was that it still gave a fair amount of power back to Mathias. Wyn¡¯s argument was that he had the power anyway, and he didn¡¯t care since he just wanted to be done with it all. Another problem was that it could potentially show Mathias that Wyn wanted to be a part of the Assembly. If he offered the farm and land, then Mathias might see the gesture as Wyn wanting to be included. Both Lucy and Wyn hoped that he wouldn¡¯t take it that way, instead wishing he saw it as Wyn just being subservient. Deep down, Lucy knew better. But this was Wyn¡¯s deal. She could only mention possibilities.


    Mathias relaxed and walked around their small area. Wyn watched him like a hawk, constantly alert. He didn¡¯t have any reason to be afraid, though. His magical abilities still worked here, while Mathias didn¡¯t have any.


    A sudden thought struck Lucy. Did Mathias have any magic? She never thought to ask or wonder. A sudden pang of fear resonated through her like a bell.


    ¡°I¡¯m inclined to accept your deal,¡± Mathias said, finally stopping to speak. ¡°You brought forth a considerate offer, and you made valid points. Now let me counter it with one of my own. I¡¯ll agree to your terms if you work for us for one year.¡±


    Wyn seemed to let out a breath of failure, his body relaxing as though he knew Mathias was going to ask this all along. Lucy tensed.


    ¡°How could you possibly expect me to agree to be in your organization after what¡¯s happened to my family?¡±


    Mathias snickered. ¡°That was your father. He wasn¡¯t in our organization, he just treated us like a bank, which was wrong. No, boy, you would be a partner. With a higher status than even Lucy, here. And what would change? You would continue to climb as I imagine you will continue to do anyway. The only change would be bringing magic items to us, in exchange for payment, of course. We would be no different than a local merchant, except our prices would be far more attractive.¡±


    Lucy felt anger replace her fear. She inwardly cursed at herself. She knew Mathias would make a play, but she didn¡¯t anticipate it would be as good as that. Wyn previously had someone he sold magic items to to make money, so he wasn¡¯t against having a buyer like that. Still, she couldn¡¯t imagine he would accept. Not that he needed all that money after this, anyway. Hopefully Mathias wouldn¡¯t make it worse.


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice counter but I have no need for that much money,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Not anymore, at least.¡±


    Mathias smiled. ¡°Come, now. We could all use a little more money. Wouldn¡¯t it be wonderful for that sister of yours to have a secure future along with a little spending money?¡±


    Lucy balled her hands into fists. Damn him for bringing up Arabelle. She glanced at Wyn and saw his jaw clench. He needed to gain control of the conversation or this would turn sour fast.


    ¡°She can take care of herself just fine, as can I. I¡¯m sorry, but I am not interested in a partnership. Only the sell of my farm and land.¡±


    Mathias nodded along as if he knew Wyn¡¯s answer. ¡°Such a shame. Well, I won¡¯t lie. The Assembly would definitely be interested in buying it from you.¡± Mathias¡¯s face shifted, morphing from a sly businessman to a snake. ¡°But I am not. Not without my version of the deal.¡±


    ¡°Fucking hells, Mathias,¡± Lucy said, unable to control her anger. ¡°Why can¡¯t you be reasonable for once?¡±


    Mathias turned his sneer to Lucy. ¡°You have no place in this conversation, girl. Let the men do the talking while you keep that mouth of yours shut.¡±


    Lucy felt her anger boil to rage. Her teeth felt like they were going to break she was clenching her jaw so hard, but it was better than the rest of her body moving. If she did, she might attack him. Every breath was a reminder to herself to not do something she would regret.


    ¡°She¡¯s not wrong,¡± Wyn said. ¡°This is more than reasonable. Paying my debt means we¡¯re done. I don¡¯t want any affiliation with you or the Assembly afterwards. Is there someone else I can make the offer to?¡±


    Mathias laughed. ¡°There¡¯s no one else. I am the contact here in Alestead, and whatever I say goes.¡±


    Lucy stepped towards him but Wyn put an arm out in front of her. She never took her eyes off Mathias, whose wicked smile locked onto her like a wolf settling on a rabbit.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Deals off, then. Take this months payment and go. Forget I said anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t forget. Why don¡¯t you want a position beside us? I¡¯ll even reduce it to half a year. That¡¯s only four months!¡±


    Lucy couldn¡¯t think straight. Mathias was purposefully ignoring her. She barely registered what he said, but heard he was still trying to recruit Wyn. Why? Why couldn¡¯t the rat bastard just leave him and go? Her heart stammered in her chest and rose to her head and ears. She could barely focus. She was losing control.


    ¡°I said no.¡± Wyn put a hand on Lucy¡¯s shoulder and squeezed. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to pull her attention. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate being told no,¡± Mathias said, his voice serious. ¡°You came to talk, then let¡¯s talk. Or do you really give up that easily just like your sister?¡±


    Wyn was leading Lucy away but stopped. ¡°Leave my sister out of this.¡±


    Lucy¡¯s mind whirled. Was Mathias talking about her sister? No, Lucy told herself. He was talking to Wyn. Hearing him say it, though, made her think of her sister, the injustice she was dealt and her suffering. She wanted to attack him. She wanted to kill him.


    ¡°She¡¯s just as much as a part of this as you are," Mathias said. "This is her debt as much as it is yours. Maybe I should go pay her a visit and see if she would feel differently?¡±


    Suddenly, in that moment, Lucy felt her vision blur. The anger, the hatred, the despair over her situation and what happened to her own sister bubbled over uncontrollably. Hearing Mathias say those words, threatening Wyn¡¯s sister, opened something deep inside her she sealed away long ago. Something she wanted to stay hidden for fear of her losing control.


    It was an unending desire to avenge her sister. To do what she should have done so long ago.


    Lucy¡¯s body seemingly moved on its own, led by something that wasn¡¯t entirely herself. Or maybe it was? She was lost in the moment, blinded and in a stupor. She heard a shout. A scream. Wyn yelled something but her ears weren¡¯t registering it properly. The only thing she heard was her own heart beat in her ear, so strong and loud from rage it deafened most things around her.


    Something sprayed against her face and neck, and her hands suddenly hurt. A force tugged on her wrists, then another pulled on her shoulders. Her world came into focus and she looked down to see Mathias desperately grabbing at her wrists, his face covered in shock and surprise. His lips were pale and turning blue, and blood ran from his nose, mouth, and left eye.


    Lucy¡¯s hands were around his neck, strangling him with the force of a magically enhanced Climber. They were both on the ground, her over him in complete control. Wyn tried to pull her off of him but he wasn¡¯t as strong as she was. Not with her enhanced Barbarian body.


    Mathias let go of her wrists and reached into his black robes. He pulled out a dagger, and shoved it at Lucy. She was faster than him, stronger than him. But that close she couldn¡¯t do anything, and the pierce of the dagger into her side made her loosen her grip. The man stabbed at her arms and she let him go to avoid being hit again. She put a hand on her side, then pulled it away to see it coated in blood.


    A white aura surrounded her as Wyn began to heal her, and immediately the wound started to close. Mathias was choking, scrambling on the ground to get away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you,¡± Lucy said, her voice low.


    Mathias dropped his predatory facade and pulled out something else from under his robes. It was a potion. He uncorked it and drank. As he finished the bottle, he disappeared in the blink of an eye, as though he was never there.


    Lucy sprang to her feet and stood up. ¡°Where¡¯d you go you piece of shit? You bastard! You coward!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Was that a teleporting potion? That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    Lucy paced the area, her breathing ragged. Consequences be damned, she wanted Mathias dead.


    A rustle of grass with a thud behind them made them both turn abruptly. Nothing was there, but the sound was unmistakable. It sounded like someone falling on the ground.


    ¡°It was an invisibility potion,¡± Wyn said, trotting over towards the exit of the alley. He knelt down to the ground. A small patch was dark and wet, and he felt something far too familiar. ¡°Blood! He¡¯s running!¡±


    Wyn loudly whistled twice, calling for the others. Lucy ran to the edge of the street. There were splatters of blood, and they were leading away.


    She wasn¡¯t going to let him get far. A dagger appeared in her hand, pulled from her belt.


    Lucy ignored the footsteps of the others behind her as she quickly followed the blood trail. It led to Alistair, to the entrance. Whatever Mathias was doing was stupid. He likely wasn¡¯t thinking straight, though, maybe hoping they wouldn¡¯t follow him into the base of the tower. But Lucy was a hound on the scent, and she wanted more blood.


    She rushed into Alistair¡¯s entrance, noting more drops of blood leading to the portal room. While she chased him, her mind eased and focused. Her anger remained, but it was more subdued to allow clarity to enter. That made her realize three things while running after him. One was that he was far more injured than she realized. Her strength truly was frighteningly strong. The second was that he had no means to heal himself, as the blood trail was increasing in amount and frequency.


    The final thing, and the one that gave her the most satisfaction, was that he was afraid. The trail was sporadic, and he was obviously not thinking clearly. He hoped for some unknown escape in the portal room instead of hiding somewhere, but it was clear he was wounded prey running for his life.


    There were some lingering Climbers going the opposite direction, and one of them stumbled back with a surprised yelp. Mathias must have pushed them, as another thud hit the ground along with a larger smack of blood on the ground. Lucy rushed forward, hoping to catch him but only grabbed air. She growled in anger.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you eventually, you rat.¡±


    ¡°Lucy, stop!¡± Wyn yelled behind her.


    ¡°No!¡± Lucy said, ignoring the looks from others. ¡°I won¡¯t let him get away!¡±


    The rest of the group ran up to her as they all entered the portal room. Lucy was almost on him, she could feel it. But suddenly the trail stopped. Mathias appeared as suddenly as he vanished, standing beside a portal. He looked pale and scared, still clutching the dagger in his hand.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never find me if I go into this portal,¡± Mathias said, pointing behind him.


    Lucy crept forward like a prowling cat. ¡°And you¡¯ll never leave if you do. Pick your fate.¡±


    ¡°Stop, Lucy,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Wait a minute and think this through!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Mathias said, his eyes frantic. ¡°Think what will happen if I die! Heal me and we can talk this out!¡±


    Lucy was only a few feet away from him. One large step was all she needed.


    ¡°Lucy, let him go,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Mathias, just step away and put down the dagger.¡±


    Lucy looked back to the rest of the group, confusion plastered on their faces. They could stop her if they wanted. But they didn¡¯t want to interfere. Wyn could stop her, too, but he was too afraid of the consequences. Afraid like Mathias, though in a completely different way. Afraid of what would happen to him if Mathias died. Of what would happen to his sister.


    Another life ruined. Another sister who would be owned by the Assembly.


    Anger was replaced with a strange sense of peace. A feeling she hadn¡¯t felt in some time. Not since her sister was here.


    But maybe she was. A smile formed on Lucy¡¯s face while her heart was filled with understanding. Her sister answered her prayer after all. She needed conviction. She needed courage.


    ¡°No,¡± Lucy said.


    She rushed Mathias, grabbed his dagger and stabbed him with it in the chest in one quick move. His gasps were melodious. The feeling of freedom was indescribable.


    Voices and noises erupted around her, but she ignored them. She held on to Mathias¡¯s body and pushed him into the portal, disappearing back into the tower. Mentally she thought of the best floor to go. The only one worth visiting for what she wanted next.


    She had no intention of leaving. Only of experiencing her freedom one last time. Then on to finally see her sister once again.

 Book 2 - Chapter 61

    Wyn fell to his knees in the portal room, hope drained from him. His and Arabelle¡¯s chance of getting out from their debt early was gone. Lucy couldn¡¯t keep her anger under control and attacked Mathias.


    No. She killed him. A member of the Assembly. She was as good as dead, but so was he and his sister now that they were caught up in it. He was so stupid to trust her. Anger was her driving force, and she showed her hand again and again that she was too volatile.


    ¡°Why did she do that?¡± Tasha asked.


    ¡°Years of pent up anger unleashed at the worst possible time,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Gods. They¡¯re going to kill her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be dead before then,¡± Marcy said. ¡°She went in basically alone and the day is going to change in a few hours. I doubt she has a key on her, either.¡±


    ¡°We have our equipment still,¡± John said. ¡°Maybe she has one we didn¡¯t know about?¡±


    Wyn looked at the blood stain on the floor in front of the portal. His mind raced with the consequences of Lucy¡¯s actions. If she died, would he and his sister be free? He doubted it. The Assembly would probably come for them after their contact and Lucy disappeared. The truth, though, is that he had nothing to do with it. It was all Lucy. Would they believe him? Was that a risk he was willing to take?


    ¡°Damnit,¡± Wyn said. He stood up and took a deep breath.


    It wasn¡¯t worth risking his sister¡¯s life. Not again. The Assembly would get their money and answers somehow, and he didn¡¯t want to find out the hard way.


    Which left one option.


    ¡°We need to go get her.¡±


    ¡°Wyn, are you crazy?¡± John said. ¡°Just let her go! Honestly, this might work out for the best!¡±


    ¡°John!¡± Tasha said, surprised. ¡°How can you say that?¡±


    ¡°Because then his problems just¡­ go away? Right?¡±


    ¡°You know they won¡¯t, John,¡± Wyn said. ¡°If Lucy and Mathias don¡¯t report back, they¡¯ll be presumed to have run away or be missing. The Assembly will show up here for answers. And come to me and Arabelle first.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Marcy said. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. Which is why we have to go get Lucy. We have keys, we can get her and convince her to come back.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t convince her to do anything,¡± John said. ¡°She¡¯s crazier than you!¡±


    Cedric pulled out his parchment. ¡°Then we beat her down until she agrees or is unconscious and we drag her out. But we need to go now.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± John asked.


    Cedric held up his parchment. ¡°We can see where party members are on our parchments. And she¡¯s on the ninth floor.¡±


    *****


    To his credit, Mathias was a tough son of a bitch. He was still alive, despite having a dagger sticking out of his chest. Lucy was easily dragging him away from the portal in the massive temple. He wasn¡¯t putting up a fight being dead weight, and her enhanced strength made it easy to move him.


    Soon he¡¯d be completely dead. And then so would she. She had no armor, no weapons, no desire to leave. Her miserable time was ready for its end. At least she¡¯d see her sister soon.


    She looked down at Mathias, who was sweating and white as a sheet. His breaths were slow and pitiful. He blinked slowly, and that was all he did. No words. No movements.


    Lucy set him on the ground and stared at him. She wanted to be sure. She had to be.


    A few seconds later, she took a deep breath after he took his last.


    She was alone, now. Closing her eyes, she was ready for the end. It would be soon.


    There was a soft whoosh behind her followed by footsteps. ¡°Lucy,¡± a voice said.


    ¡°Godsdamnit,¡± Lucy whispered. She wanted to go on her terms. Why? Why did they have to interfere?


    *****


    ¡°Come on,¡± Wyn said, stepping forward. ¡°He¡¯s gone. We can still leave.¡±


    ¡°I came here so I could leave,¡± Lucy said. ¡°The way I want. On my terms, for once.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want that. You¡¯re done with him, now. We can get you free of them, too.¡±


    Lucy laughed. ¡°You¡¯re never really free from them, Wyn. Not for someone like me. You, maybe, since this was never your mess to begin with. But my life is forfeit.¡±


    ¡°This will be my mess if you don¡¯t come back and explain what happened,¡± Wyn said. ¡°If both you and Mathias disappear, me and my sister are next on their list to question. Do you think they¡¯ll go easy on us? Or be thorough?¡±


    Lucy paused, looking at him. Before she had the look of absolute conviction and pure terror. Wyn knew there was no stopping her. Now, though? Now she looked tired. Scared, even.


    ¡°We have to hurry,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Monsters are constant on this floor, remember?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s why I came here,¡± Lucy said. ¡°I¡¯m tired of running away. I want to face the rest of my short life head on. I¡¯m sorry, Wyn, but this is my choice.¡±


    Tasha stepped forward, a key in her hand. Her climbing gear was on her, and her wand was in her other hand. ¡°This choice doesn¡¯t just affect you, so you can¡¯t make it out of pure emotion. Come back, settle down, then we can figure it out. But we¡¯re not leaving here without you. One way or another.¡±


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    Lucy stood, defiant. Her usual angry demeanor showed itself for a moment, then slipped away again. She took a deep breath. ¡°What happens if you carry me out, huh? Kill me and take my body? They¡¯ll still want answers. Not for me, but for him. He wasn¡¯t a slave like me. Mathias had value.¡±


    ¡°Come on, this isn¡¯t the right time or place to be figuring this out,¡± John said. His shield was up and sword out.


    ¡°What would your sister want?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°For you to condemn what¡¯s left of another family? That¡¯s what you¡¯re doing now. Not helping us but slowly killing us.¡±


    A tear fell down Lucy¡¯s cheek. She looked remorseful. Still, though, she stood her ground.


    ¡°Last chance,¡± Marcy said. She half drew an arrow nocked on her bow. ¡°I sense a small pack of monsters coming.¡±


    The others spread out, readying themselves to fight. Each of them started their magical preparations - John with his Squire Aura, Tasha with Arcane Aura, and Marcy and Cedric with spells.


    Wyn, however, kept his focus on Lucy. He stared at her and saw what he wanted to see in himself. Conviction. An absolute desire to do whatever it took to accomplish your goals. He felt strongly about his own sense of beliefs before, but now he was looking at a wall. Someone trapped who saw only one way out, and would push through whatever or whoever was in their way to escape. To be free.


    He''s been in that position only time before, and it was what brought him to Alestead to be a Climber. His road wasn''t as trecherous as hers, though. She stood just as tall as he did, maybe even more so. Part of him envied her. But most of him pitied her.


    It was then he realized no amount of talking would persuade Lucy. Not in the short time they had, at least. Whatever barrier was inside her shattered, and she was taking advantage of the opportunity. She was someone who respected actions. Not words. Over their time climbing together Wyn realized that, slowly, she was starting to see the rest of them for their true character based on how they acted, not what they said.


    Above all, though, she was right. The Assembly would come for Wyn and Arabelle for the simple reason that Mathias was dead. That was the bottom line. Lucy had to come back. Alive. If she wanted to come to the ninth floor to meet her fate, well, then maybe she would.


    Wyn hoped that her fate didn¡¯t end here, though. For better or worse, she was entangled with him and his sister. And he was damn sure he wouldn¡¯t go down without a fight.


    He threw his pack at Lucy and extended his bracer to a shield. ¡°You came here because you thought it was the end. It¡¯s not. Not yet. You want to see your sister soon? Fine. I¡¯ll kill you myself, if you want. But not until we clear up this mess with the Assembly because I''ll be damned to let my sister down. So do one last good thing with your life and help me.¡±


    Lucy opened the pack and then back at Wyn. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡±


    ¡°Damn straight. We made a deal during the trials. How about we make another?¡±


    Cedric launched a ball of electricity at snarling monsters that showed up on their right. The four quickly met them in combat, and Wyn was prepared to join them in a few seconds.


    ¡°We climb this floor as a team as we have the past month,¡± Wyn continued. ¡°We get cornered or start losing, we¡¯ll key out. You can come or not.¡±


    ¡°And if we don¡¯t?¡± Lucy asked.


    ¡°If we make it to the end and finish, then you come back willingly and save me and my sister.¡± Wyn extended his dagger to a sword and moved to help John.


    Lucy caught his arm as he stepped past her. His eyes shone with determination. A goal. One to succeed, to keep his sister safe and alive no matter the cost. To keep the rest of them safe and alive no matter the cost.


    Lucy felt her own conviction waver in that moment pierced by the eyes of someone who had something to lose. Everything to lose.


    She¡¯d been there before. Her sister had been there before.


    Maybe... maybe she could wait just a little longer if fate had different plans.


    ¡°Alright. Deal.¡±


    *****


    John stabbed another of the horrific monsters in the side, killing it. It was a smaller but quick beast, like a large black fox with a slender body and three bushy tails. Its long jaw was oddly filled with two rows jagged teeth and its paws had claws hooked like a bird¡¯s talon. The monsters weren¡¯t overly tough, at least not compared to other tier two monsters, but they were incredibly dangerous. They were quick, hitting fast and constantly, and came in a pack of over two dozen. John¡¯s armor and shield held against them decently well, but he was concerned about the others.


    He looked over to see Lucy carving through them like a woodsman hacking through paper logs. Each swing nearly bisected the monster she attacked, and she took out three in the time that John stood gawking. Beside her, Wyn was equally destructive, though in a different way. While Lucy showed incredible brute force he showed incredible speed. His weapon was currently a short sword, and he wielded it with precision and in quick strikes. The monsters were fast, but Wyn was able to dodge and roll around them without obvious difficulty.


    Soon the pack was dead, their bodies rapidly decaying into black smoke.


    ¡°What now?¡± Cedric asked. He looked at Lucy and Wyn, who weren¡¯t speaking. ¡°Are you coming back with us or not?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s to be determined,¡± Wyn said. ¡°We made a deal.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡± Marcy asked.


    ¡°All or nothing. We clear the floor, she comes back with us. We don¡¯t, needing to leave and key out, well¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I stay,¡± Lucy said. ¡°Which I¡¯m okay with.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fucked up,¡± John said.


    Tasha hit John on the arm. ¡°Don¡¯t say that!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, though! Who wants to do something like that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to understand,¡± Lucy said. ¡°And frankly I don¡¯t care. I need to keep going. I have more things to kill.¡± She started walking with purpose towards the orange glowing light at the far end of the outer temple.


    Cedric looked around at the few piles of treasure dropped from the monsters. ¡°Are you sure about this, Wyn?¡±


    Wyn shook his lantern. The mushrooms inside bounced around before glowing a bright green. The effect was far more effective than before it was upgraded, and it lit up their area easily while not being too bright to be a distraction.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure about needing her back. The last thing I want is to have the Assembly come interrogating me or Arabelle, and we need to figure out what to do. But we can¡¯t do that unless she¡¯s willingly with us. Alive.¡±


    ¡°Then we need to keep up,¡± Marcy said.


    ¡°And we will,¡± Wyn said. ¡°No holding back. I can¡¯t accept failure as an option.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t fail,¡± Tasha said. ¡°And John, you can¡¯t loot everything. We have to move.¡±


    John was bending down holding a handful of coins. ¡°Well, shit.¡±


    The group jogged to catch up to Lucy, who moved from a walk to a slow trot. It wouldn¡¯t be long before another monster group found them and they needed to fight together.


    Wyn was done holding back. Each step was a reminder of his situation. Lucy not returning would likely be disastrous. No matter what, he had to see the floor through.


    They had the strength. They had the teamwork, skills, and ability. They just needed the confidence to push themselves.


    Wyn mentally reviewed the types of monsters that showed up on the floor. They were all beast-like that attacked in packs, ranging from smaller in size with larger numbers - like the foxes - to larger sizes and less numbers like the deranged wolves they faced the first time they entered. None of them had an element or used magic, but they came in such relentless waves that the challenge was an endurance and resource management test. The further into the floor towards the end, the less time between waves. Nigel and his team mentioned that there was a stretch where there was no time between monster packs, and that they had to continue advancing while fighting the monsters until the boss. If they stood in one spot, it was a constant, unending flow of monsters that would cause either the climbers to break or the tower.


    And the tower never broke.


    The next wave came quickly, and this was another of the six possible types. It was a mixture of two types, one of which was a dozen flying creatures that looked like flying bat demons with pale skin, large ears, four legs and translucent wings. Their legs were disjointed and wrong, ending with hook claws the size of Wyn¡¯s hands. The second type was huge scaly monsters that dwarfed bears, bulky and slow but carried powerful steps on each of its four legs. They had long faces and armored brown scales, with enough force behind their clawed paws to even knockback John on a direct hit. When they attacked, they stood on their hind legs and swiped with a ferocious force.


    The new monsters required the group¡¯s coordinated efforts immediately, but they fell into a familiar rhythm. Abilities and spells were quickly used, mostly focused on outright power rather than survival. Wyn avoided using his Wellspring and instead used Drain and Speed Up when able. Combined with John¡¯s Aura, he was just as capable as the Squire. He decided to channel his same mindset he used when facing the individual portion of the guild trials, keeping Regen on himself to heal when needed while choosing to be less careful. His potential to kill the beast monsters increased as he ignored glancing blows and less serious hits though still dodged and rolled away from attacks when possible using his speed as an advantage.


    Cedric and Marcy also pushed themselves, deciding to match Wyn''s ferocity and not hold back. They had mana potions to replenish what they lost, and with Marcy¡¯s new equipment mostly using magical arrows and upgraded spells, her effectiveness was better while she was using mana at a rate similar to Cedric.


    Tasha continued her role from when she led the group, supporting the others as her primary objective while centering herself in the midst of the chaos. She blocked monsters when able with Shield and covered them during their rare moments of rest with Arcane Aura. She didn¡¯t want to use a Calling until it was absolutely needed, and knew she needed to save at least one for the dragon boss at the end of the floor.


    As they tore through another group of monsters, Wyn realized this was not going to be the same type of climb they previously experienced. Lucy was covered in blood, some hers and most not. As the monsters disappeared so did their blood, leaving some stains and streaks behind. Since her strength grew with her injuries, she was easily the most deadly in the group. Especially since she wasn¡¯t trying to protect herself at all. Tasha started to heal her but a quick, harsh glance from Lucy stopped her.


    The Barbarian turned towards the orange glowing light and began to run. The others reluctantly followed.


    As they continued, a strange shimmer of magic towards the ceiling drew Wyn¡¯s attention. His lantern continued coating the area in green light, and he stopped to look closer. There was a pocket of space about twenty feet high that shimmered with a brief appearance of runes but then disappeared nearly as fast as it came. Wyn wondered what kind of secrets the floor held that his lantern could show. Apparently these were too strong to be fully revealed.


    ¡°Come on,¡± John said, pulling Wyn.


    Wyn paused for only a moment, hoping to see something else but nothing came. Whatever it was was now gone.


    Wyn mentally righted himself and focused. He had work to do. And it was only going to get harder.

 Book 2 - Chapter 62

    Wyn willed himself to stay on his feet, breathing heavily. He didn¡¯t expect to push himself so hard, but it was necessary. A quick Regen on himself helped his bruised thigh and likely broken left forearm. He contemplated using another mana potion but decided to wait until after the next fight. Based on his mark, he still had just under half remaining. With his class ability to regain mana while also being healed, his Regen spell cast on himself cost him next to nothing. He would likely be close to half by the next monster wave, which was enough before needing another potion. Digging through his bag, his arm screamed in agony but he pushed through. He pulled out another mana potion to replace the one missing on his belt in case he needed it in a pinch.


    ¡°I have a third of my mana left,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Who needs healing before I use another potion?¡±


    John stepped forward along with Cedric, both stumbling. Their climb had been about an hour, but they already swept through eight groups of monsters, each one progressively more difficult. The past two waves came less than five minutes apart, while the first few were nearly twice that.


    ¡°Hurry,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Take a minute to catch your breath then we need to keep going.¡±He saw Marcy sweeping between the loot piles picking out anything that looked interesting. She didn¡¯t bother with the coins or gemstones, instead only picking up monster drops and items. They were on a time crunch but still wanted to secure at least some of their rewards. As long as they weren''t in danger, which were few and far between. There were at least a half dozen green rarity items behind them sitting unclaimed.


    The most recent wave was the less amount of monsters but also the hardest by a wide margin. It was a champion group of four beasts that were large and durable with thick leathery hides but also quick with their movements. It was a rough combination that required Tasha to bring a Calling to help manage. Still, they overcame, but Cedric and Marcy both used a mana potion due to the amount of spells they were using.


    Once the two men drank their own potions, they continued on. Marcy stowed away several items, though Wyn didn¡¯t stop to see what they were. It wouldn¡¯t be worth identifying them since they were pressed for time. But they made for something to look forward to after they cleared the floor. The thought of finishing and being free was the little bit of hope he clung to.


    Wyn felt fatigue wanting to settle in but he shoved down the discomfort. It was mostly a mental battle anyway, something he learned while in the military. The body could endure quite a bit more than the mind thought possible, and now with their bodies soaked in magic that was even more true. Wyn only hoped the others felt the same. They quietly advanced without much discussion, jogging towards the orange glowing light in the distance. It was closer, but they still had some ways to go. Wyn assumed they were nearly three quarters of the way there.


    A few minutes later, Marcy slowed down to draw an arrow and fire it behind them. ¡°Behind us!¡±


    Wyn had an idea to gain some ground. At this rate, the final leg of the floor would be a constant stream of monsters, something Wyn wanted to avoid.


    ¡°Keep running!¡± Wyn said. ¡°Marcy, trap the area behind us to buy us some time and distance!¡± He turned and saw the monsters were about forty yards away but barreling towards them. They were the wolf-like variety that were mid size and nimble but not overly strong. Unfortunately there were over a dozen of them.


    Wyn placed a Web charge from his necklace behind them and to the left, then a Wellspring glyph towards the right side and away from them. He hoped that by staggering the trapped areas it would cover more ground and catch more of the monsters. He had no expectations to hurt them. The idea was only to slow them down enough for the team to gain a little more ground before they engaged.


    Thankfully, Marcy picked up on the plan and placed one of her chain traps on the ground closer to them but still staggered from Wyn¡¯s traps. The monsters quickly ran over them and were restrained.


    Wyn started jogging back with the group while Marcy fired another arrow. This one was one of her new effects, and was perfect. It was more of a utility spell and didn¡¯t damage at all, but rather hit and exploded in vines that lashed and twisted in a good radius. It caught several more of the monsters and made them trip and fall to the ground. All of the monsters were effectively caught, much to Wyn¡¯s relief. But he knew it would be seconds before they broke through and continued their advance.


    That was fine with Wyn. The group continued to run to the end and he was gaining both health and mana from the monsters caught in his Wellspring. It was enough for him to cast Speed Up and easily catch back up to the group while Marcy sprinted behind him. Her Boots of Striding already gave her an increased speed, and she had the teleporting effect of Cloud Jump to use if she needed. The goal was just to gain more ground.


    It didn¡¯t take the monsters much longer to catch up but the group had ran another couple hundred feet before they felt comfortable to stop and fight. As their normal strategy, Tasha protected them while the melee Climbers stood their ground. The fight was easier than the previous champion group, and they were able to escape mostly unscathed save for some minor injuries. The few piles of loot littered the ground, and Wyn spotted another blue rarity item in one of them and a potion in another.


    ¡°Everyone go ahead,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I¡¯ll collect the better items and catch up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help,¡± Marcy said.


    Wyn nodded. With her boots, she could easily catch up to them. She wasn¡¯t as fast as Wyn¡¯s speed boost but it was a constant effect of her gear, and it made her faster on average.


    The item was a belt made of black cloth, thin without any buckle or loop. It was foreign but Wyn couldn¡¯t tell what other kind of item it could be. Marcy carried several potions in her hands and they quickly put them in Wyn¡¯s pack while the others ran ahead.


    The group continued their advance, facing another three groups while getting ever so closer to the end. The orange glow beckoned them like a warm reprieve, calling for them to kill faster and run harder so they could reap the rewards of their efforts. Each step forward was agonizing, both in the sense that it brought them closer to the end but also closer to the next guaranteed monster wave. It was a strange, nearly disheartening feeling. The light started to feel almost divine in nature, as though Wyn was inching closer to the end of his life each time he focused on it though welcoming the sweet embrace of rest and peace.


    But he ultimately knew the truth. It only signaled the final boss area, which was likely going to be a greater challenge than killing all the beasts combined.


    The orange glow truthfully served the Climbers beneficially in two ways. One was that it was a guiding beacon showing them the correct way forward. With how expansive the floor looked with the temple looking to be the size of a city, it was nearly impossible to determine which way was which in the sense of classic directions. The intermittent glow of lanterns helped to see just how large the area was, but they gave no other sense past light. Wyn didn¡¯t like staring at them too long, either, as a sense of dread and vastness creeped up within him and he hated that feeling. Plus, it was far too much of a distraction.


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    The other benefit of the orange glow was that it was an actual magical barrier. When the group would get close to the final area, it was unique in the sense that the dragon was literally separated from the rest of the monsters by that orange magic. Per the information of the floor, the barrier would only drop when no monster was around it. So they had to clear whatever last wave of beasts came. Then it would open to reveal the final fight of the dragon.


    During their current beast wave, Wyn was handling the final large beast while the others caught their breath and looted what was valuable. Wyn was nearly at a point where he was ready to leave everything behind, as his movements became sluggish. John¡¯s Aura had disappeared as he bent over onto his knees to catch his breath. They had been running or fighting for the better part of two hours. Or at least that¡¯s how long Wyn thought it was. His sense of time had been skewed a few monster waves ago.


    He cast a Shield to block another hit, not trusting his body to dodge. He¡¯d be able to recover his mana with a potion once the beast was dead. Survive was the only thing running through his mind.


    Still, he could see the magical barrier in front of them. It unfortunately blocked any sight or sense from penetrating it, and Marcy had told them she couldn¡¯t sense anything past it. But it was a mere twenty yards ahead.


    The others were equally fatigued except for John and Lucy. They were the only ones not chugging water from their water skins. Lucy continued forward, not waiting for the others to catch up. She dropped the cork to a mana potion, drank it, and then dropped the vial. It clanked against the stone floor and rolled harmlessly away.


    ¡°Potion up,¡± Wyn said, backing away from the hulking beast towards the end. ¡°Run to the barrier and go inside! Hopefully this is the last wave!¡±


    ¡°Bring it closer!¡± Marcy called, shooting the monster with an arrow. It distracted it enough for it to completely miss a large claw strike, and Wyn stabbed it in the side again, forming another hole to go with the other half dozen. The beast gave a pained cry and stumbled, though it wasn¡¯t dead.


    Wyn started trotting to the end. He couldn¡¯t hear any other monsters, and desperately hoped the only fight left was the dragon. At this point, though, he didn¡¯t know how they were going to fight it being as tired as they were.


    But he had some ideas. And he planned to use every one of them to their advantage.


    Marcy was right behind Wyn, slowly shooting arrows into the final beast as it nearly crawled to them. It was right on the brink of death. The delay, though, was giving them time to make it to the end.


    The others drank mana potions except for Cedric. He pulled out a vial that held a blue shimmer. It was the Mana Recovery Potion. ¡°I¡¯ll drink this once we¡¯re inside. I¡¯ll try and overwhelm the dragon with as much lightning as it can handle.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Tasha, Marcy, set up the usual boss opener. Then start flying to take the advantage.¡± It didn¡¯t need to be said that the dragon could also fly, but also having them in the air gave them a bit of a fair chance.


    A few seconds later, everyone was standing in front of the barrier, including Lucy. She held a hand out and touched it but couldn¡¯t progress.


    Marcy shot one more arrow before turning and joining them. ¡°Should be any second.¡±


    There was a brief shimmer in the barrier and Lucy¡¯s hand fell through, followed by the rest of her. The others quickly joined her.


    Wyn blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted. The area was large and spacious in all directions. Not nearly as big as the floor itself, but far bigger than any other single area he¡¯d visited in Alistair. There was no ceiling he could see but was able to see by floating orbs of orange light about twenty feet in the air spread evenly roughly thirty yards in all directions. On the other side of their entrance was a stone arch that was wide enough to easily fit ten people walking side by side and tall enough that the floating orbs still hovered below the top. The familiar floating red portal was nestled inside.


    In front of the arch, though, about fifty yards away, was their final enemy. It was a dragon. Currently it looked harmless, curled up under translucent wings as though it was napping while waiting for them. But Wyn knew the power and danger that the monster contained.


    From the information on the floor, it was a wind and ice dragon. It was supposedly an adolescent, but even then was still the size of a carriage. Wyn did not have the desire to see what an adult dragon looked like. This one attacked using its dagger-long claws and bit with razor sharp teeth, while its tail could swipe or slam as strong as a tier three Fighter. It was almost entirely magical, though most of its magic was in increasing the durability of its scales and strength. Its defensive capabilities were fitting for a boss, as it majorly resisted all magical attacks and had an incredibly durable hide that mostly shrugged off physical attacks. The only magical attack it possessed was blasting wind and ice shards from its maw like a powerful, miniature hailstorm.


    Overall, it would be a powerful foe. The strongest one the group faced yet. Despite having resistances to pretty much everything, it was still able to be killed. Though attacks wouldn¡¯t do as much damage as normal they would still hurt the monster. That much was certain.


    Wyn tried to swallow his rising fear. Seeing it in person made his legs tremble.


    John stepped forward, his face a strange mixture of hesitation but determination. He pulled out a blue rarity potion and drank it. Wyn recognized it as the other potion they found, the Reflex Elixir. He then immediately cast several skills in quick succession while Tasha started her own spells.


    Marcy summoned her deathhawk and then quietly jogged ahead of them. The dragon was still sleeping, but they all knew it was only a matter of time before it would wake up. She knelt down halfway between the dragon and placed a trap. Wyn followed her and placed a Wellspring glyph on top of his last Web charge overlapping behind Marcy¡¯s so that the dragon would first enter both placed spells then be trapped in Marcy¡¯s spell.


    When John¡¯s Squire Aura coated his body on top of four other shimmering auras of his skills, Tasha¡¯s Arcane Aura coated him in a final, magical set of armor. It also coated Lucy and Wyn as they each readied themselves to fight, though they both didn¡¯t have the same dramatic effect as John. He looked like a shining otherworldly entity with how many effects he had on himself. Though Wyn knew it was needed. He was their primary defender, and the dragon was in a league all on its own. Wyn knew Tasha would be guarding John like his own heavenly angel to make sure nothing happened to him, too. As long as he kept the dragon¡¯s attention on himself and she kept him supported, they had a far better chance.


    Cedric began their final test by starting his own spell, and Tasha started on a Calling after placing the armor. Their preparations were nearly done, and the fight would soon start.


    The boss tactic was to have Tasha summon Baratheon and be a defender alongside John while Tasha remained their primary support. Keeping both of them healthy and strong made sure the boss had two opponents to focus on, which already put the enemy at a disadvantage. The rest of them would focus on dealing as much damage as possible to make sure the battle wasn¡¯t one of attrition. If John or Baratheon went down too early, the plan could fail. Everyone else had their own strengths and means to hurt their opponent, and for the most part it was straightforward.


    Except for Wyn. With Tasha being their main support, Wyn was able to provide detrimental statuses to enemies to keep them weaker. When everything was combined, the scales should be tipped heavily in the Climber¡¯s favor.


    He only hoped those very scales still applied to a damn dragon. One way or another, they were about to find out.


    Cedric pointed his rod at the dragon and launched a powerful beam of lightning that struck the dragon on one of its wings. Static quickly washed over the monster like a wave, and the hit boomed in the area. Wyn raised a hand to cast Feeble so they could truly begin as Cedric downed the recovery potion and started his next spell.


    The dragon huffed while the remnants of Cedric¡¯s lightning dissipated. It slowly unfurled its wings as though waking from a deep slumber, not as though it just took a hard hit from Cedric¡¯s spell. Or really any hit at all. The wings and scales weren¡¯t so much as blemished as its body shone with a brilliance that struck Wyn in both beauty and terror. The dragon beat them towards the ground, kicking up dust all around it.


    The fact that Cedric¡¯s spell seemingly did nothing against the dragon filled Wyn with a deep sense of fear. But he continued to cast Feeble, hoping to rectify that.


    A familiar skull appeared above the dragon for a moment then vanished as soon as it appeared. Wyn cursed seeing the spell fail. The dragon then breathed in heavily, looked up to the ceiling and bellowed a roar that rattled Wyn¡¯s teeth. The others felt it, too, as they all flinched from the sound. It was unlike anything Wyn heard, sounding both beastly and majestic at once.


    He needed to move to engage the monster but found his legs were frozen.


    Not John, though. He stepped forward and pointed his sword at the dragon. His confidence was admirable, and it gave Wyn hope. The dragon lowered its head and stared at John with two large, catlike blue eyes, snarling in defiance. It was easy to see even from their current distance.


    This was Wyn¡¯s last obstacle. They needed to kill a seemingly impossible monster. And more than that, Lucy needed to survive. She was his and Arabelle¡¯s means of escaping from the Assembly¡¯s burden once and for all.


    A loud thud rocked the stone floor and Wyn looked over to see Baratheon beside him, standing stoically. John was soon with the angelic Calling and the two stood to meet the dragon in the traps.


    The dragon walked forward and into the traps, momentarily pausing from the Web and Wellspring effects but then pushed through them from sheer strength. It then activated Marcy¡¯s trap as stone chains flew from the ground and wrapped around the dragon¡¯s legs.


    The monster continued its stalk, snapping the chains and ignoring Wyn¡¯s traps as easily as it would walk through ankle deep water.


    Wyn felt his heart fall in his chest. ¡°Shit.¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 63

    The dragon moved to attack the team, grossly outnumbered but also grossly more powerful than each of them. Combined, though, their strength was impressive. Wyn knew they had the capability to beat this monster and progress.


    But what would be their cost at victory?


    Wyn was prepared to risk his life to make sure Lucy stayed alive. She was crucial to ensuring Arabelle¡¯s safety after her insanely stupid move of killing her handler Mathias. Wyn couldn¡¯t stomach the thought of the Assembly taking further action against him and his sister. Not when they were so close to ridding themselves of their father¡¯s debt. If Lucy wanted to atone for her actions, then it would have to be outside the tower. Getting her out was going to require some finesse, especially if she wasn¡¯t going to be careful against the dragon.


    The others obviously supported Wyn, but he still didn¡¯t want them to be so brazen with their lives. Their actions weren¡¯t his responsibility, though. If they wanted to push themselves to help defeat the dragon and prove their own strengths, then that was their choice. Daniel had helped Wyn come to the realization that he wasn¡¯t in control of how others acted, which brought him peace. If the roles were reversed he would try his absolute hardest to make sure any of his four friends were successful and push past his own limits if needed. That¡¯s what made the five of them have a special bond. That¡¯s what made them friends.


    Knowing that dynamic didn¡¯t make it any easier watching them fall.


    John moved to defend against the dragon, and he put up a mighty defense. The dragon immediately swiped with a front claw that was the size of a man¡¯s torso, with claws the size of daggers. John raised his shield in front of him, and his multiple layers of magical auras under his Arcane Aura shone like a bright rainbow. He was majestic, powerful, and radiated authority.


    But the dragon was still a dragon.


    As the claw came down in a mighty rush, Wyn put a Shield directly in front of John to help mitigate damage. Though he might as well have put a piece of paper in front of him, because the barrier shattered as the claw pushed through it without so much as slowing down or flinching. The attacked slammed into John¡¯s shield with a boom, and he was knocked back off of his feet, landing on the ground on his back in a heap.


    Fear gripped Wyn, paralysis taking over as though he was magically stunned. All the monster did was swipe at John, and it hit him with enough force to completely knock him off his feet. Anyone else in the group could be killed instantly from an attack like that.


    To his credit, John was on his feet in seconds, yelling a warrior¡¯s cry in retaliation. He met the dragon again, who moved to swipe with its other claw. This time, John ducked the attack, moving his shield over his head in a surprisingly graceful move, allowing the claws to glance off the shield and harmlessly pass over him.


    Wyn willed his body to move. John was prepared to meet an enemy this powerful. His entire climbing style was suited to being a defender, and Wyn needed to trust him to perform. He wouldn¡¯t be able to completely support him as much as he wanted, but once Tasha brought her Calling forth, she could provide the support needed.


    Wyn raced forward to position himself at the dragon¡¯s back left side. Lucy was already on the other side along with the deathhawk, both of them hacking away at the dragon¡¯s haunch. The large black bird both pecked and clawed with its own talons, though the scrapes weren¡¯t nearly as effective against the monster¡¯s scales that were magically harder than stone. Lucy was screaming in rage beside the summoned ally, hacking away at the dragon with her axe while being slightly more successful at hurting it. Each hit caused a shallow cut, but further slashes on the same mark carved chunks of icy scales away. It would be an endurance battle as she continued to chop away at the monster.


    Arrows also plinked off the magical hide with Marcy flying just above the creature. Each one carried a fiery explosive effect, though, as she cast her attacking spells with each projectile. She was able to score hits on the dragon¡¯s head and neck with relative ease as its size made it an easy target, and she tried to time each attack to distract it enough to miss or lose focus by possibly hitting John. She was successful several times, and each hit caused burn marks to score the dragon¡¯s scales.


    On the other side of the dragon, Wyn was repeatedly hitting the same spot on the back leg with a large hammer. He figured the scales would be more resistant to bladed weapons and that the scales could be damaged more from blunt force. The information provided from the guild wasn¡¯t that specific, but Wyn hoped the theory panned out. With his improved speed, he could land three or four tough hits on the dragon before needing to hop back from the monster repositioning itself or swatting at him with its tail. Even minor movements could knock him down, while the tail could easily break bones if it connected. Each time he moved away from his spot, a bolt of lighting crashed into the monster¡¯s side as Cedric attacked it as well. Similar to Marcy¡¯s arrows, each hit blackened a spot of scales but didn¡¯t penetrate much further. Wyn started using the spots as targets, and felt less resistance with each hit but knew it would take some time before he found any soft flesh. If he did at all.


    The one factor that was yet to be displayed was the dragon¡¯s wings that nestled tucked just above its body. They seemed as resilient as its scales, and Wyn knew that a single flap could easily swat him away.


    Baratheon soon lumbered into the fight and helped John take some of the brunt force of the dragon. Its own gigantic body was a good matchup, and a single punch from the Calling knocked the dragon to the side while cracking and even breaking some of its scales. It was resilient, though, and not easily taken down. After the second punch it suffered, the dragon turned and swiped all around it with its tail, trying to clear the Climbers away. Baratheon guarded itself against the monstrous strength, though no one else was that resilient. Wyn jumped back out of the way and both Lucy and John dove backwards to avoid the hit. The deathhawk tried to fly above it though its legs were caught in a grazing hit. It spun head over feet and tumbled away, crashing to the ground away from the melee. The summoned bird rolled around on the ground and fluttered its wings to stand up but was having trouble as one seemed broken.


    Wyn knew it was basically done. Even if it did come back it would likely be taken out. But he never got the chance to find out.


    The dragon immediately unfurled and flapped its wings, causing a small wind gust to kick up around it. Everyone stepped further back to avoid being caught, though took only a few steps before the dragon lifted into the air. Marcy flew back towards Tasha, both staring in amazement at the monster. The Ranger tried to fire an arrow but the projectile was shifted off course by the gust stirred up from the heavily beating wings.


    The dragon craned its neck back as though it was preparing to snap out with a bite, but instead it opened its maw as a runic circle appeared in front of its face. Wyn immediately erected a Shield as the circle was the most complicated formation he had ever seen, and he couldn¡¯t count the number of circles the glyph held in the brief moment he looked. Tasha cast a Shell in front of Wyn¡¯s own barrier, though most of the Climbers were scattered and seemingly out of harm¡¯s way. Wyn was already backpedaling to avoid the breath attack if at all possible.


    Then the monster unleashed its attack in a furious storm of ice and wind that was as deafening as it was fear inducing. The wide attack completely obscured the beast as it focused on John and Baratheon first, then began to turn to try and hit everyone around it. Large crystalline shards of blue ice mixed with foggy grey wind flew in all directions, spewing like a cloud of ice blades that shot with enough speed and force to pierce the stone floor. The magically wide beam didn¡¯t just hit the surrounding area where the melee combatants were, but ran far enough to completely envelope Cedric¡¯s position as well as high enough to possibly hit Marcy and Tasha.


    Wyn could likely avoid the attack if he ran directly away from the dragon far enough. It wouldn¡¯t take much with his improved speed, but what about the others? Were they able to avoid it? Marcy and Tasha had means to avoid being hit, but the others didn¡¯t. They¡¯d have to either try and escape or possibly bear the attack and hope for the best.


    That wasn¡¯t a great option, but Wyn saw no other choice. It would be foolish to stay in the attack¡¯s area and getting out was the obvious move. If the others didn¡¯t escape, he¡¯d do his absolute hardest to make sure he could help as able.


    Both his and Tasha¡¯s spells were broken right away, and cries of fear and pain were drowned out in the room by the spell¡¯s overwhelming and lasting gales. Wyn could still hear them initially, though, and he cursed their luck. He was able to run past the beam¡¯s reach but turned and watched the storm helplessly.


    Wyn¡¯s mind raced faster than his body. He saw firsthand the destructive power of the dragon, and that was before the magical attack. Now, he desperately hoped no one was caught directly in the magical beam and at least mostly escaped. If ot, they might already be dead before he or Tasha could possibly help them. What could he do, then? He could cast Regen after the fact, or quickly give a healing potion if it was worse. Dragging them away from the fight was viable as well, though only John or Lucy possibly had the vitality and defense to survive an attack as powerful as what he just witnessed.


    The lingering storm continued to obfuscate the battlefield as the wing beats began to overtake the storm¡¯s echoes. Wyn saw Tasha and Marcy flying overhead. Marcy had likely used her boot¡¯s ability to teleport away, while Tasha had a circular magical barrier completely enveloping her. It was far denser than her Shell and seemed to work to hold off the storm. Baratheon¡¯s head was poking through the middle of the winds, and Wyn wondered how damaged the angelic Calling was. Hopefully it was healthy enough to continue to hold the dragon¡¯s attention while he checked on the others.


    Cedric stumbled from the storm with chunks of ice coating his body, and he promptly fell to the ground in a heap. Tasha and Marcy flew down, Tasha immediately healing Cedric while Marcy talked to Wyn.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°John and Lucy are down,¡± Marcy said, her voice nearly a yell over the storm. ¡°I can barely see through the storm but they¡¯re both not moving!¡±


    Wyn cursed. He really wished he had a teleport ability, now.


    ¡°Check on Lucy!¡± Wyn yelled. ¡°Pull her out while Tasha heals you both! I¡¯ll get John!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s close to the edge but still inside! Hurry!¡±


    Both women flew around the storm, Marcy leading. Cedric was starting to get to his feet, and he pulled out a red vial to drink. Either Tasha¡¯s healing wasn¡¯t enough, or she saved her mana for the others. At least he was out of the storm and alive.


    Moving forward, Wyn had a vague idea of where John was standing before the blast but didn¡¯t know his exact location. Wading into the storm seemed trivial to make sure his friend stayed alive. It would hurt, but he¡¯d experienced pain before. Physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional pain of loss.


    He ran around the storm towards where he assumed John was lying while activating two effects. One was his shield¡¯s Empower ability, which gave it a major resistance to all damage types. He planned to expand the size to completely cover his frame to hide from as much of the icy storm as possible. It would be unwieldy and difficult to maneuver, but he only needed it to both minimize being distracted and hit from the storm and to reduce the healing from Regen, which was his second effect on himself. He was going to be hurt but at least he¡¯d be healed at the same time.


    The dragon roared into the ceiling, beating its wings as it hovered just above the ground. Baratheon was still being pelted by the windstorm but seemed to have some fight left, and punched the dragon hard enough to cause it to twist sideways in the air.


    Holding his large shield in front of him, Wyn focused on his own objective. Once the glow of his healing spell covered his body he pushed into the slowly disappearing storm. Shards of ice pelted the bottom of his boots, but it didn¡¯t stop his advance. The storm seemed to be swirling and only coming from one direction, and his shield blocked nearly all of the ice and wind against him. The gale was strong, though, and he sheathed his weapon to help hold the shield as he leaned into the storm to walk forward.


    Walking was a strong term as Wyn mostly stumbled his way around. The one thing he failed to account for was just how dense the magical attack was, and he found it hard to see further than a few feet around him. He tried to circle around the area to see if he could spot John, all while listening to Baratheon continue to berate the dragon.


    Suddenly he spotted John crawling on the ground only a few feet from the edge of the storm. His auras were completely gone and a small blood trail followed his left leg that was bent awkwardly to the side. Shards of ice protruded from his body, sticking out of his legs, torso, and arms.


    That could be healed. At least he was still alive.


    Wyn ran to him and cast Regen while he knelt down to grab him. He tried to expand his shield wider but found that even the shape changing properties had limits, and instead focused on getting John out of the constant barrage. Lowering his shield, he ignored the stings of piercing ice as he hauled John the final few feet out of the storm.


    Wyn began grabbing and pulling the largest ice chunks that remained as John coughed up more blood. He only paused to give John a healing potion, helping him drink it as his hands and head shook. Instantly his pale face began to regain some color, and some of the smaller ice shards clanged to the ground from being pushed out of his healing body. His left leg was still bent awkwardly.


    John pointed to his leg and nodded in silent agreement. Wyn gritted his teeth, knowing what had to be done. He then straightened his leg as John yelled in pain. The amount of healing coursing through his body would make sure whatever left over damage was improved, though a visit to the infirmary after might be prudent. If they made it out, at least.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± John said, his voice coarse. ¡°I¡¯ll manage, now. How are the others?¡±


    Wyn pulled another healing potion and put it in John¡¯s hands. ¡°Just have to check on Lucy. Stay down until you¡¯re healed more.¡± Wyn gave John one last check, then left once he saw he was at least stable.


    His right leg gave out on a hard step, and he realized a chunk of ice was completely through it. A quick yank and a pained groan later, he continued on around the storm. Regen continued healing him, though he couldn¡¯t tell if anything was majorly injured. The storm was over halfway gone now, and he saw the women on the other side of the dragon.


    Running to them, he saw Lucy on the ground in a pool of blood with Tasha knelt beside her and Marcy standing firing arrow after arrow at the dragon. Lucy wasn¡¯t moving and Tasha looked frightened while frantically adjusting something on or with Lucy.


    Wyn suddenly remembered Daniel¡¯s story about the last time he climbed. How his entire group was killed and he barely made it out. Was this the end? Did his own haste and desire to save his sister cost the rest of his group their lives?


    He saw the fierce determination in Marcy¡¯s eyes with each arrow that she shot. A blast pulled his attention to the dragon and he looked over to see it staggered back as lightning coursed over its body. Cedric was standing near them, funneling lightning into the dragon with a spell Wyn never saw before. Taking a closer look at Tasha, it wasn¡¯t fear in her eyes or on her face. It was resolve. Confidence.


    Wyn swallowed his own self doubt. Daniel had helped him push past his own reservations and grow. He was a better person. He was a better Climber.


    Checking his mark, his mana was low. He pulled a mana potion from his belt and uncorked it, drinking its pungent contents. The dragon was weaker now as Baratheon beat it down, though the Calling looked as though it was ready to disappear any moment with patches of wounds on its body and lethargy settling in. If Cedric and Marcy were slowly whittling away its life, then he could join them.


    Wyn ran over beside Lucy and knelt down beside her and Tasha. Lucy was covered in blood and her stomach had large gashes that seemed to be slowly regrowing as Tasha''s healing aura washed over her. It did nothing for her left arm or leg, though, both of which were just... empty. ¡°Fuck,¡± was all Wyn could muster.


    ¡°She''s still breathing,¡± Tasha said, holding a healing potion. She then uncorked it and poured it over Lucy¡¯s stomach and left side of her body. ¡°This isn¡¯t efficient but I can¡¯t get her to drink anything right now. The potion should help reform her stomach but I can''t do anything about her arm or leg.¡±


    ¡°Good enough. You need to bring another Calling in while I rush the dragon.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t summon Baratheon again so soon after he¡¯s defeated. It¡¯ll have to be Infernadin to try and counter the dragon¡¯s ice element.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Focus on support and bring out Mongano. If John is able to fight, we¡¯ll both need the help. Marcy and Cedric can keep attacking it while we distract it.¡±


    Wyn didn¡¯t wait for a confirmation. He changed his weapon to a mace and slowly moved towards the dragon. Baratheon was on one knee and ragged, nearly spent. The dragon whipped its head around and bit on the giant Calling¡¯s torso as it cried and started to vanish.


    Looking over at John, Wyn saw that he was sitting up and was holding another healing potion. He wasn¡¯t quite in the shape to fight just yet. Which meant it was only him to face the massive monster.


    A suit of magical armor formed around him as the dragon changed its focus. Large cat like eyes stared at him, and a fierce growl rumbled through the room. The dragon itself was covered in black spots all over its body, some of which had cracked and splintered scales underneath them. It looked more beastly and spotted rather than magical and radiant. At least its durability was finally weakening.


    This was Wyn¡¯s final test. How long could he hold off a dragon?


    Mentally activating Speed Up, he sprinted to the dragon¡¯s front left side and hit it in a blackened spot that cracked under the hit. It wasn¡¯t as strong as when he was empowered by John¡¯s Squire Aura, but with his enhanced speed there was still an impressive amount of force behind the hit. The dragon moved to try and swipe at Wyn, but he hopped and ran further towards its tail. If he could stay towards its back, maybe he could avoid its front claws and bite. He preferred to try and avoid its tail rather than piercing teeth and sharp claws.


    Another blast echoed through the room as a fiery arrow hit the dragon on the top of the head. Marcy was flying overhead, hitting the dragon with mostly normal arrows but occasionally firing spells with Inferno. Wyn kept his own assault up, hitting the side of the dragon in one particular spot with his mace. After the third hit, scales busted and fell from the hide, revealing a pinkish white bit of flesh underneath. Striking again, the mace hit with much more effectiveness, and the dragon flinched from the hit.


    Unfortunately it also whipped its tail in response, and was far faster than Wyn anticipated. He tried to duck and roll but the tail was huge and still smacked him across the back. Rolling along the floor, he bounced several times before righting himself.


    Silently thanking the gods, Wyn realized nothing was injured as his jacket and armor absorbed the hit.


    Mongano floated beside Lucy who was still on the ground while Tasha was nowhere to be seen. Cedric was near them, now, and aimed his scepter at the dragon. Another large arc of lightning erupted from his scepter and hit the dragon¡¯s front leg where Wyn damaged it, crumpling it further.


    Wyn acted quickly knowing this was their shot. He activated Decay to sap as much life as possible, then imbued his weapon with Silence Attack before hitting it again. The skill worked, knocking off far more scales than a regular attack did as the aura developed the dragon. It was a weak and dull aura, but the monster was huge. It would take more to have a better effect.


    Thankfully, Wyn had plenty more to use.


    He added the skill to his weapon as often as possible, which to his relief was much faster than spells. Every swing was coated in the magically nullifying aura, and the dragon was being weakened considerably. Seeing Wyn¡¯s effectiveness, it again tried to swipe at him, though Wyn lunged under the dragon to avoid the hit and ran across to the other side. The dragon might not have been as fast as he was, but it was still quick, whipping its head around to bite at him. He narrowly hopped out of the way but was a hair too slow as the dragon¡¯s mighty jaw enclosed around his left leg.


    Teeth never made contact as instead of meeting flesh it met two magical barriers. Mongano placed one of the defensive structures while Tasha, flying overhead, placed the other, completely blocking the dragon¡¯s attack.


    That was the turn of the battle as a warrior¡¯s cry nearly as fierce as the dragon¡¯s caught everyone¡¯s attention. Wyn looked over to see John running towards the boss, coated in a similar amount of auras as when he started the fight. He lunged and stabbed at the dragon¡¯s chest, making contact and actually sinking past the scales several inches.


    Seeing his friend gave Wyn the fuel he needed to relentlessly assault the dragon, hitting as fast as possible. Each strike not only chipped away scales but completely cracked and dislodged them, and soon entire patches were gone from the monster.


    The beast furiously whipped around, not taking the damage lightly. John was hit by the tail and flew backwards, landing on the ground with a loud thud. The magical protection around him vanished as white healing light covered him. Wyn learned that the dragon whipped its tail at around his torso¡¯s height, and he simply ducked and put his body on the ground. The move allowed him to completely avoid the hit, but it didn¡¯t allow him to avoid the stomp that came next.


    Trying to roll out of the way, Wyn was still caught by a massive leg though most of the damage was mitigated by his own protections from his gear and support from Tasha and Mongano. He screamed as his left arm was still crushed, feeling like a boulder was dropped onto him.


    When the dragon staggered to the side from a hit, Wyn looked over to see his arm was a bloodied mess. Strangely, he was relieved seeing it. It was still intact, after all, and the healing aura that surrounded him was already healing the injury.


    The dragon bellowed a pained cry and Wyn knew it was nearly dead. Mustering up as much grit as he could, he pushed himself to his feet and changed his weapon to a short sword. His left arm hung at his side, still healing but not fully useful, so he wanted something easily manageable one handed.


    Wyn gave a war cry and stabbed into the dragon¡¯s neck as it toppled fully onto its side. The boss thrashed and kicked on the ground, but he continued stabbing it in places that were devoid of scales.


    After the fifth stab, the dragon tried to stand up, but Wyn stood over it, screaming as he brought down his weapon morphed into an axe. The weapon completely tore through the dragon¡¯s neck, decapitating it in one fell swoop.


    Breathing heavily, Wyn felt the axe clang onto the stone floor and then dropped to a knee. He tried to stabilize himself with his left arm but it was still mostly useless at his side. Flexing his wrist, he smiled before fully falling to the ground. At least he could feel it and move his fingers.


    Looking over to Lucy, he saw her cough as Tasha comforted her.


    They were alive. And that meant he and his sister were free.


    Wyn smiled at their victory, then passed out.

 Book 2 - Chapter 64

    Wyn jolted awake. The others were standing over him, though Marcy was the closest, bent over with her hands on his face. She slapped him one more time.


    ¡°Time to wake up, Wyn,¡± she said, then started pushing him up.


    Wyn looked around. They were still in Alistair, and the familiar grey and clear colored portal hung in the air beside them. It was the floor portal. The floor portal for the ninth floor.


    He breathed a sigh of relief. They had done it. The dragon was dead and Lucy was still alive. She sat near the portal, away from the others. Her right knee was pulled into her and her right arm wrapped around herself, as though she was cold. Or afraid. She stared at the floor and her left side where she was missing her arm and leg. She didn¡¯t look his way despite the others moving and talking over him.


    He didn''t mind her ignoring him considering the cost she paid. Would she resent him for being a cripple, now? She wanted to die, after all. Maybe she thought some life was better than none? There was no way to know what she was thinking, now. They had plenty of time to talk later. At least they were all alive.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we killed the damn thing!¡± John said. He was bobbing up and down beside Tasha, elated.


    ¡°I can¡¯t, either,¡± Cedric said. ¡°I was sure more than one of us was going to be more injured. But we made it, and with time to spare.¡±


    ¡°It was too close for my liking,¡± Tasha said. ¡°I went through two mana potions and all of my callings. I hate seeing any of you incapacitated like that, and I hate that I couldn''t do anything for Lucy.¡±


    John put an arm around her and pulled her close. She leaned into his embrace and accepted it. No one else seemed to mind.


    ¡°I don¡¯t plan on us taking another risk like that,¡± Wyn said.


    Marcy barked a laugh. ¡°You say that like you don¡¯t know any of us at all!¡±


    Wyn chuckled. She had a point. Trouble seemed to follow them. But hopefully the mess with the Assembly would be over soon.


    ¡°At least we¡¯ll be stronger,¡± Cedric added. ¡°We can advance to the third tier, now. We have classes to upgrade.¡±


    The others paused at that realization. Wyn was so caught up with solving his own debt problem that he almost forgot this was the boss floor. Cedric was right. Now they had time to progress to the tenth floor to upgrade, and would undoubtedly have an easier time ahead of them for future climbs.


    Except for Lucy, of course. Her fate and decisions remained to be seen.


    ¡°And loot to go through,¡± John said, interrupting Wyn''s thoughts. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that!¡±


    Wyn looked around. The dragon was long gone, its body already faded back to the tower. When he passed out he must have missed the treasure that dropped from the dragon.


    ¡°What did you collect?¡± Wyn asked.


    John¡¯s face turned into a grin. He held out a war hammer that shimmered purple. It was still unidentified as it was simple with a smooth metallic handle and plain blocky head, but it was likely something great if it dropped from a floor boss.


    ¡°It should be part of the same Frost Giant¡¯s set,¡± Cedric said. ¡°If not, it¡¯ll still be a great value trade for some gear. The rest was the typical coins, gemstones, and potions.¡±


    ¡°But a lot of coins, gemstones, and potions,¡± Marcy said. ¡°A half dozen potions alone. And hundreds of crowns worth of the others.¡±


    ¡°Maybe more if we sell the gemstones,¡± Tasha said. ¡°Which we absolutely can do if you need the money, Wyn.¡±


    Wyn was grateful for the offer but he hoped his previous plan was still good. He looked over to Lucy who hadn¡¯t moved.


    Slowly he walked over towards her and sat in front of her. He leaned towards her and waited. When she finally looked at him, he smiled softly but stayed silent.


    She was not the same person he knew. That much was clear. Whatever part of her escaped from the ordeal with Mathias left her into something¡­ else. Someone changed. Whether that was for the better or not, Wyn wasn¡¯t sure. But at least they had some time to figure it out.


    ¡°I¡¯m as good as dead,¡± Lucy said, her voice soft. ¡°Killing Mathias pretty much secured my fate. And now I''m a fucking cripple. I wanted to die, to be reunited with my sister. You didn¡¯t even let me accomplish that.¡±


    Wyn took a deep breath. He didn¡¯t want to insult Lucy, but he wanted to be careful with how he talked to her. ¡°One day you¡¯ll see her again. We don¡¯t live forever, after all. And I won''t stop you from coming in here later on. But you still have a chance to do some good before then.¡±


    ¡°Like what? The moment the Assembly finds out I killed Mathias I¡¯ll be killed, too. Along with the rest of my family just for being related to me. Do you think I can run away?¡±


    Wyn looked around. The others were giving them space, but seemed to be antsy. Cedric kept checking his parchment and they were staring at the portal. Soon the floor would collapse and they needed to at least be back in Alistair¡¯s base before then.


    A thought struck Wyn. ¡°Why does the Assembly have to find out you killed Mathias?¡±


    Lucy huffed a laugh. ¡°What other kind of explanation would there be? He won¡¯t report back to them and then they¡¯ll investigate. It¡¯ll come up eventually.¡±


    ¡°Will it, though? His body is here in the tower. Soon the floor will change and then it¡¯ll be gone. There won¡¯t be any evidence. Who¡¯s to say he didn¡¯t run away with my gold?¡±


    Lucy scrunched her face in thought. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t just run away like that. No one who¡¯s part of the Assembly at his level just leaves.¡±


    ¡°There are always exceptions. They won¡¯t find a body, that¡¯s an absolute fact. Whoever he reported to will likely ask questions, yes, but the only person he was managing was you, right? So when that happens, tell them you hadn¡¯t heard from him after we met tonight. That he took my gold and offer and disappeared, and you hadn¡¯t been able to reach him.¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°That¡¯s a damn pitiful plan. Relying on me lying? And hoping they take the bait?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve lied before. This could be the last lie you ever tell for them. I¡¯d help, too, since I was the other party involved tonight. Maybe there¡¯s someone else I can tell about selling my farm to get out of this mess.¡±


    Lucy remained quiet. Wyn could tell she was thinking about his idea as she returned to staring at the floor. But the look on her face wasn¡¯t one of sadness anymore. It was contemplation. She was likely going through the scenario¡¯s possible outcomes, weighing the options in her mind.


    ¡°The alternative you could do is to look over your shoulder for the rest of your life,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Try to escape them so you don¡¯t get caught. What kind of life is that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll probably need to do that anyway,¡± Lucy agreed. ¡°Fuck''s sake, look at me. But even if we can convince them that Mathias ran off with your gold, they¡¯ll just reassign me. It will never end.¡±


    Wyn grit his teeth. ¡°And there¡¯s no way to buy out your debt? Not even the tiniest chance?¡±


    Lucy shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s called a life debt for a reason. I¡¯m in it until the end.¡±


    ¡°Then you should fake your death,¡± Cedric said. He sat down near them but not too close, looking at both her and Wyn. He offered a rare sympathetic smile. ¡°How much does the Assembly know about the tower¡¯s magic?¡±


    Lucy straightened up. ¡°They seem to know everything, but I don¡¯t know exactly. Mathias was ignorant on some parts, like thinking that the coins found inside the tower were somehow better than coins in the rest of the country. He thought they were magical or carried some sort of divinity.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the first I¡¯ve ever heard of that,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°Yea, because he was full of shit. He also thought that when someone gained a class they could never leave the city or they¡¯d die along with the magic. Someone once told him that magic gets weaker the longer it¡¯s away from Alestead and the tower, and he thought that also meant people. Like the magic gained from classes causes us to die. It¡¯s why he never gained a class and only forced me to. He took bits and pieces of information, rather right or wrong, and mixed them together to create some ridiculous belief in his head.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s useful,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We could take his ignorance and use it for own advantage.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Lucy asked.


    ¡°He likely told his own superiors the same things. Unless someone was knowledgeable about tower magic, there¡¯s a strong chance they took his word for it. You said before he was looking to start increasing the Assembly¡¯s reach into Alestead? That means they haven¡¯t been here before. So taking his incorrect conclusions he reported means we can abuse them. They don¡¯t know the extent of the magic here.¡±


    ¡°Like healing magic,¡± Lucy whispered. She looked to her mostly missing left side.


    ¡°Or really any magic,¡± Cedric added. ¡°It might sound brutal, but come up with a plan where they think you¡¯re dead, too. That¡¯ll end your sentence with them and make them believe you¡¯ve paid your lift debt. Then heal up the best you can or escape or however you decide to weasel your way away from them and go be with your family.¡±


    Tears started streaming down Lucy¡¯s face. Wyn could tell she believed Cedric, and that his suggestion could work. He had to admit, it was a good one, too. A large part of him wondered if Cedric hadn¡¯t come up with that before tonight as a possibility of her escape. Wyn wouldn¡¯t be surprised if so. The man thought ahead often. Since their time in the caves and him losing his arm, it seemed like he hadn¡¯t taken his life for granted.


    Or maybe that was his plan in those days when he threatened to leave the city? Wyn had convinced him to stay back then. Maybe this had been born long ago.


    ¡°We can work out the details later,¡± Tasha said, sitting beside Wyn and Cedric. ¡°We¡¯ll help you, too. You¡¯re a part of this team, after all.¡±


    Lucy wiped her eyes. ¡°Even after all the shit you went through because of me?¡±


    ¡°Not because of you,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I was wrong at first. You¡¯re just as much of a victim of them as me. Even more of one, actually. If we can both find a way to leave them in the past I¡¯m for it.¡±


    Lucy nodded. ¡°Okay. I think I need some rest first. Not sure how much of a life I have missing an arm and a leg but I''ll think on it.¡±


    Wyn breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°At least it''s still a life.¡±


    Together, the six of them stepped through the floor portal back to the base of Alistair, Lucy propped up between John and Wyn. John had already secured the available treasure and Marcy agreed to split it that evening. Most of it they skipped while rushing to get to the boss, but they still picked up several items as well as the small hoard from the dragon boss. It wasn¡¯t nothing. Their rewards from clearing the floor were obtained, too, and Wyn was happy to see his reward of over 500 gold crowns.


    They couldn¡¯t find a cart to take them back to the guild house so late at night, so they walked in mostly silence while Tasha kept a light above their head and Wyn and John alternated carrying Lucy on their backs. It was a small price to pay for her sacrifice. No one bothered them, and it was mostly a quiet chilly night as the windy fall air swirled around them.


    Eventually they made it to the guild grounds and were greeted by Faye. She was sitting on the front steps along with Brett, another member of her team. When the six of them walked up, Brett stood up while Faye just leaned back on the entry stairs. She seemed relieved to see them while Brett looked angry, though both of them grew concerned seeing Lucy.


    ¡°Damnit!¡± Brett yelled. ¡°What in the hells happened!¡±


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Marcy asked. "Why are you two out here on the steps?"


    ¡°I thought all of you were going to be gone well into tomorrow morning,¡± Brett said. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going out to celebrate or something? Why in the hells are you carrying Lucy!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Faye asked, and she looked to be a mixutre of angry and shocked. ¡°You¡¯re all wearing your climbing gear. I thought you were going to dinner and having a party?¡±


    ¡°We never said we were going to a party,¡± Marcy said. ¡°We said we were going out for a night together as a team.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯ve had a long night,¡± Cedric said. ¡°We just want to come in and go to bed and Lucy needs rest.¡±


    "Lucy needs the damn infirmary," Faye said, walking up to Lucy, who was still on John''s back. "Gods, what the fuck happened?"


    Wyn knew he needed to be the one to answer. He was their leader, after all. Lying was going to be the last thing he wanted to do, but he hoped he would at least have had some rest before having this conversation.


    ¡°It''s a long story,¡± Wyn said. He regretted it immediately.


    Brett cursed while Faye glared at him.


    ¡°A long story?¡± Faye repeated.


    Wyn sighed. ¡°Well, some events happened, and then, well¡­ we ended up climbing. It didn''t go as planned.¡±


    ¡°No fucking kidding," Brett said. "And why climb so late?¡±


    ¡°Marcy,¡± Faye said. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Marcy crossed her arms. ¡°Can we just explain in the morning? I want to sleep. I¡¯m exhausted.¡±


    ¡°How many floors did you clear? Or try to clear?¡±


    Marcy opened her mouth but then stopped. Wyn cut her off. ¡°Just one. Can we please do this tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°It already is tomorrow,¡± Brett said.


    ¡°You¡¯re hiding something,¡± Faye said. ¡°Spill it.¡±


    ¡°Faye,¡± Marcy said.


    Faye raised a hand. ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t push, but a member of your team is injured to the point of never climbing again. Tell me what happened.¡±


    The others looked at each other and Wyn sighed. Apparently there was no avoiding it. But maybe he could hold off talking about the Assembly for a bit longer, and hopefully completely.


    ¡°We climbed the ninth floor,¡± Wyn said.


    Brett¡¯s face fell while Faye stood up, and they both spoke together. ¡°What?¡±


    Wyn shrugged. ¡°We went inside once before but I wanted another go. It¡¯s on me.¡±


    ¡°Was it worth it?¡± Brett asked. "Trying to clear it and failing and still having a member of your team injured?"


    ¡°Specifically after we said you all weren¡¯t ready?¡± Faye added.


    Wyn slowly nodded. Hearing them chastise him was like a punch in the gut. He knew it was coming and he still felt shame rise within him.


    ¡°Godsdamnit,¡± Faye said. ¡°We have rules in place about that! There¡¯s a reason why we restrict teams to certain tiers! You weren¡¯t prepared!¡±


    ¡°We made it, still,¡± John said. ¡°We didn''t leave. We cleared it. Though that dragon was a real terror.¡±


    ¡°No shit!¡± Brett said. ¡°I¡¯m a third tier Climber and even our group had trouble with it! Gods, how did you manage that? Rollo, in Nigel¡¯s group, nearly died, and they''re more experienced than all of you!¡±


    ¡°We definitely had some trouble,¡± John said.


    Marcy hit him on the arm, which made him flinch. She shot him a look that could kill and he realized his error too late.


    Brett sighed. ¡°Just when I was starting to like you guys.¡±


    ¡°Tell me everything,¡± Faye said. ¡°If you¡¯re lucky, we can catch Gregory in a good mood. Maybe the punishment will be light and you won''t be kicked from the guild.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say I¡¯m not in one,¡± a voice said, and everyone turned to see Gregory standing off to the side of the guild¡¯s entrance, standing with his arms folded. He was wearing simple clothes along with a serious expression that Wyn recognized.


    It was the same look superior officers had when their soldiers messed up. Wyn knew they had, of course, but the reason was sound.


    Wyn clenched his jaw. Unfortunately the reason meant spilling the truth about everything.


    ¡°Wyn¡¯s just protecting me,¡± Lucy said. "It''s actually my fault."


    Everyone turned to her. It was the first time she had spoken since they left Alistair. She tapped John''s shoulder who let her down, and she stood with his help. Defiantly, she didn¡¯t take her eyes off of their leader.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Gregory asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m the reason we climbed the ninth floor," Lucy continued. "It¡¯s all my fault. Me being here, them, us being a team. Every part of tonight, including my own injuries.¡±


    ¡°Lucy,¡± Wyn said.


    ¡°No, Wyn. It¡¯s time I told the truth. It¡¯s going to come out before long, anyway.¡±


    ¡°What in the hells is going on?¡± Brett asked.


    Lucy ignored him, returning her gaze back to Gregory. ¡°Have you heard of the Assembly?¡±

 Book 2 - Chapter 65

    Wyn studied the new page to his parchment with a mug of ale. He originally opted to drink water so he could have a clear head, but quickly decided against it the more he thought about his new page. His life was becoming one strange occurrence after another.


    Everyone else was already one mug deep, too, except for Tasha. Wyn had no idea how she refrained from drinking after their revelation. Maybe she drank in private, or maybe she was just that stoic. She stopped John from drinking too much, but couldn¡¯t stop Marcy. She was drinking enough for the both of them.


    Sitting in the guild¡¯s war room, they all had their new parchments from their class upgrades. After Lucy had informed Gregory and the other guild leaders about her role with the Assembly and the events of the night they cleared the ninth floor, they took a couple of days to relax while she formed a plan about what to do next. True to her nature, she didn''t share much with the others, though she decide to return home to her family. On the second day, Gregory, Caryn, and Faye met them and told them what was going to happen.


    The group of five had to triple their fees for the next three months and remain in the second tier only while getting used to their third tier classes. They also were forced to assist the city guild with rookie climbs over that timeframe. None of them complained really at all, as at least they were still in the guild. And climbing in the second tier was still going to provide plenty of rewards and experience for all of them. They also had to cover the costs of guild dinners and take last pick of vault items, which only John was really upset about. Wyn thought that portion was hardly a punishment.


    Regarding Lucy, they had told her she was no longer welcome in the guild, though she was already planning to leave. It came out that the Assembly practically bought her way into the Twilight Blades, and Gregory and Nigel were mostly upset that the organization was somehow feeding their sponsors. Whether it was directly or indirectly they weren¡¯t sure, but Wyn could tell it bothered them. Faye told them separately that they immediately petitioned an investigation into their few sponsors to try and root them out, which could eventually impact the guild negatively. None of the leaders were agreeing much on how to handle the situation and it seemed to disturb them a lot that they were so easily bought.


    Wyn didn¡¯t blame them. That was a hard revelation to face. He hoped they pulled through, but only time would tell.


    For now, though, they focused on the present. Gregory still told them to advance their class since they cleared the second tier and ninth floor, and they had entered the tenth floor to find out their options. After discovering them and seeing the pages with information, they came together at the guild hall to discuss as a team per Wyn¡¯s request. If they needed, he wanted to be near some of the more experienced Climbers for input.


    But they wouldn¡¯t help. Not after seeing everyone¡¯s parchments. And now he wished they were somewhere else to keep what they had private.


    ¡°I¡¯m so confused,¡± John finally said, breaking the silence. ¡°How is this even possible?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Marcy said, pouring her fourth mug of ale. Cedric promptly snatched it from her and she looked at him with disgust.


    ¡°We can¡¯t discuss things if you¡¯re drunk,¡± Cedric said.


    Marcy laughed. ¡°It would take another pitcher to get me there. I¡¯m... mostly fine.¡±


    Tasha set her parchment down on the table gently. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how it¡¯s possible but it¡¯s quite clear it¡¯s real. Look at all of our parchments! That¡¯s not a coincidence!¡±


    Wyn stared down at his own parchment. He expected his class upgrade. He didn¡¯t know the name, of course, and he was only given one option. But it was how he figured - a clear upgrade from Ruby Strategist. There was only one option to upgrade but that didn¡¯t bother him. It was a great class and had great features. His only decision was for new spells and a skill option from a very limited list.


    The strange part was everyone else also had odd upgrade choices.


    John had been mentally preparing to become a Knight for weeks, if not longer. Wyn knew that when they met Gregory it was already a clear upgrade path in John¡¯s mind, and it was only solidified when they joined the Twilight Blades. But now, on John¡¯s parchment, he had three options. Normally a class had two options for a tier three class, which made everyone curious. Worse, the third class option wasn¡¯t even a known class.


    He had Knight and Defender as the standard upgrade options. The third was called Sword Saint. The features were impressive, though a bit abstract from a typical Knight. John had said that Knights had skills like Fighters that could be shared to allies, and while they all varied based on the individual Climber¡¯s skills they essentially boiled down to being strongest when fighting alongside an ally.


    The Sword Saint was different, though. The description stated that what was his Squire Aura became his Saint Aura, a similar effect though worse than the Knight¡¯s version with a smaller area of effect and less effective sharing to others. The benefit, though, was that it wasn¡¯t its own ability, but instead John could put any of his skills to project as an aura, including two at a time. That made it far more versatile and possibly even useful as John could pick the skill for the situation at hand. The other major change for the class was that a portion of his skills changed to Sword Skills, where they infused his weapon with aura and were far better than their current state, lasting longer and hitting harder. The skills all had secondary effects, like a life draining one similar to Wyn¡¯s Wellspring ability and other debuffing spells in the form of skills.


    The other¡¯s parchments also provided a third, unique class option that wasn''t known, and while Marcy¡¯s and Cedric¡¯s were more aligned with their current classes, Tasha¡¯s was a complete class change similar to John¡¯s.


    Her originally intended class upgrade was Summoner, but she was actually leaning towards her special class after reading the benefits. It was called Invoker, and gave her abilities of her summons to be able to use personally in addition to the summons still having great magical powers. Like sharing them together in some sort of magical bond. Her spellcasting would also shift focus slightly, edging more towards having some offensive capability as well as she gained an ability called Invoker¡¯s Might. It seemed to infuse her spells to have an affinity to holy and fire, which was unheard of. She could both heal the group and damage enemies with the same spells, as they gave secondary effects depending on who the spell was cast on. The only caveat was that it worked on area of effect spells or non-targeted spells, but she could simultaneously heal and protect the team while hurting enemies as they fought without any negative consequence for them.


    Wyn could tell it was a strong class. She would lose summoning strength but her Callings would still be powerful with some key upgraded effects. They were still called Summons like the Summoner class, but reading the difference between the two it was clear they would be weaker overall. The difference was the Invoker class gave Tasha more power overall. Which was something she was very interested in. It only took her a few minutes talking about the class when she expressed her desire to take it.


    Hearing Tasha be so adamant about her upgrade made Marcy reconsider. She was shying away from her third option because she hadn¡¯t heard of it before, though after reviewing it with the others - and sobering up some - she was starting to see the benefits. She originally planned for Mystic Hunter, as it gave her more magical ranged abilities, but her new class was even more enticing. It was called Arcane Archer of the Hunt, and it still offered powerful effects. Once she started talking about it out loud she recognized its potential and was easily convinced to pick it.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    The class gave everything she wanted, and even some things she needed. Some of her equipment would even be redundant, allowing her to pick other items and beneficial effects. But the class allowed her to become more magical, something similar to Wyn with being able to use spells while still giving skills akin to combat. She was obviously more ranged, and could cast ranged spells through her bow while also making every arrow magical with certain effects. Her primary ability was called the Hunter¡¯s Gaze, which replaced her Extrasensory as being more attuned to her surroundings and giving her an additional ability to mark a target. The marked target had a similar effect to Wyn¡¯s Feeble spell, and she had increased damage against it. In addition, she was given overall magic power and mana boosts, making the class downright incredible.


    Cedric¡¯s class made everyone truly question what was happening. It was called Storm Sage, and gave him access to wind and water elemental spells, something that just wasn''t present with higher tier classes. Normally an elemental Wizard would upgrade to their elemental Sage, not obtain more elements. He was also granted an ability that let him change or combine his spell¡¯s elements at the cost of mana, as well as the usual increases of magic efficiency and power. It was even more absurd than Marcy''s class as he would have the ability to select spells from three elemental classes.


    Reading his class made the others wonder if there was outside influence to their upgrade options, and Wyn didn¡¯t blame them. Storm Sage was too tailored to his current style as a Climber. Like Marcy, it made some of his equipment less useful, meaning he could find others to be even more powerful.


    As their discussion continued, they felt like they needed to tell the others in the guild about their new classes. They would find out eventually, and maybe they had some insight as to what was happening. Plus, Wyn decided that he didn¡¯t want to keep anymore secrets from the guild. Being open and honest was far better.


    After reviewing everyone¡¯s class choices, Wyn was a bit disappointed about his expected class upgrade and not another unique one like everyone else. Was that a function of his class upgrades already being unique? Or was it something else? There were so many questions and he had no idea who to ask or how to find them out for himself.


    Still, he was determined to be the best leader for the group as possible. Now that they only had five members again, it was likely for the best that they would be staying in the second tier for the months to come. They needed to get a handle on their classes and find some other items to be more efficient, too.


    It would be a good time to refocus and be better. The only problem was finalizing his debt to the Assembly now that Mathias was dead. But he had an idea with that that he already discussed with Lucy. He offered his plan to rid himself of debt before, and he¡¯d do it again to someone else in the organization. If they wouldn¡¯t take it, well, he¡¯d patiently pay out the remaining amount and sell off the farm anyway.


    It was time to move on. And he planned to do just that.


    Rounding out the classes, he reviewed his parchment one last time during their discussion.


    Congratulations, Ardwyn Thatcher, on your success. You have completed the second tier and continue to traverse Alistair¡¯s challenges. As a reward, your abilities will upgrade. You have one class upgrade option.


    Skill upgrades:


    Lucidity: Allows passive recovery of mana. Your mark will show the current status of mana and is a guide to your expected amount of recovery time from empty to full. When your mark fully glows you are empty and currently recovering. When your mark is dull and grey you are full. Current time to fully recover: 1 hour (thirty minutes). While recovering mana, spells and skills have a moderately reduced mana cost and your endurance and strength are slightly increased.


    *Chaincast becomes Ability Link.


    Ability Link: When alternating spells or skills in quick succession, this skill activates. You may choose to either double the effect with a second activation or double the effect¡¯s power.


    *Speed Up becomes Sprint.


    Sprint: Increases your speed by a moderate amount for a moderate amount of time. Slightly improves mental processing speed. Speak the skill or mentally will it to activate. Ending the skill early allows you to teleport up to fifteen feet away. Costs a smaller amount of mana.


    Spellcasting (Ruby): Allows the use of spells. Ruby spells are selected from other classes at the cost of a lowered amount of spells, slightly higher mana consumption, and decreased overall mana capacity. You may select spells from the Sapphire, Garnet, Topaz, Amethyst, Emerald, Diamond, and Aquamarine Magician list only. Your mana pool has increased a moderate amount and you have gained a small amount of magical power.


    *Wellspring becomes Siphon.


    Siphon: Lay down a large glyph that covers a twenty foot area. This glyph converts health of enemy creatures into health and mana recovery for you within the glyph¡¯s area while not affecting allies of the caster. You do not have to be inside it to obtain the converted health and mana from the inhabitants of the glyph. The glyph lasts 15 minutes. Costs a less than moderate amount of mana to use.


    Improved Silence Attack: Apply a lingering aura on your weapon. When a creature is hit with the aura-coated weapon, part of the aura is transferred to them, silencing them and not allowing them to cast spells for a small amount of time. Lasts five minutes or when used up to three times.


    Improved Tower¡¯s Blessing: A gift from the Avatar of Alistair. Provides four additional spell slots that may be used from any Magician class. Two spell slots may be a second tier spell and one spell slot may be a third tier spell.


    Class option: Ruby Tactician


    Flexibility is the Ruby Magician¡¯s greatest asset. Some see it as a weakness, but its potential to be useful in all situations is unparalleled. The Ruby Tactician takes this belief and advances it further than the Strategist, addressing problems at hand swiftly as prudence is their power.


    Gain the unique Ability Link skill that replaces Chaincast. Description located in skills.


    Gain 2 additional spell slots.


    Gain 1 skill from a list of 2.


    *Ruby variation: healing spells also recover mana. Defensive spells now defend against both magical and physical attacks if their original description called for only one. All spells now have a secondary effect listed in their description, with offensive spells having a detrimental effect and defensive spells having a positive effect.


    List of available skill choices:


    Guard Up


    Weapon Bond


    Wyn was happy to see Weapon Bond was still a skill option, and decided to choose it. He didn¡¯t regret his choice of picking Silence Attack before, but knew that the other skill was a close second as it provided additional utility. He hoped obtaining it at third tier would provide a nice upgrade, too, but he needed to ask Daniel or research it in some books first. Still, John had enough defensive ability and now could share it that made Guard Up seem more redundant, so it was an easy choice between the two.


    Noting the improvement to his mana recovery was a huge boon, too. With his currently equipped items, he had a total time of thirty minutes of full mana recovery. If he obtained more items - especially set items - that improved it more, he could reduce that to such a short time he might not even need mana potions anymore.


    While the group wound down their shock over their class options they started settling into a familiar rhythm of friendly planning and ideas about how to progress. Cedric continued to provide possible item changes for everyone, saying how his previous recommendations would need to be altered from the unexpected classes, but still had the same overall idea. Everyone¡¯s roles were practically the same. The only real change was how they performed those roles and the benefits they had from their classes and equipment combined.


    Wyn originally had the idea he would be a dual fast damaging and support role, as he was the only other person besides Tasha who could heal or protect. Marcy and Cedric easily had the damaging roles covered, and John was always their defender. Lucy filled the sixth spot nicely with being another tough front line defender beside John, but now that she was gone the role fell solely back to John.


    Seeing his class effects, though, Wyn reconsidered his plan. Why did he need to only stick with damaging and support? Could he support the others by killing enemies faster? Maybe he needed to add being a sort of debuffer to his roles, too, if his spells all had secondary effects. Damaging spells likely had helpful ones to keep enemies at bay, and preventing damage was just as effective as healing it, even if the prevention was from focusing on enemies instead of allies.


    Tasha gained some damaging elements to her new class, which broadened her climbing scope. Couldn¡¯t Wyn do the same? John also had some more options, gaining more offensive and even some healing with the Sword Saint class. One of his skills allowed him to heal and share that healing similar to a Paladin, giving him even more support. Couldn¡¯t Wyn also look to pick up a couple of damaging spells with helpful secondary effects to round out the group? If versatility was his boon, then he wanted to embrace it.


    He settled on the fact that he needed to practice with the others and critique his spells and gear as needed. That was something he likely needed to do since the beginning, but they had been thrown into one situation after another and he never quite felt like he had room to slow down. Now, with Mathias gone and Lucy promising to help him, he oddly felt more at ease than ever.


    Arabelle deserved to have some updates on the next steps. Wyn had already told her about the meeting but she needed to know the outcome. The very different, unexpected outcome.


    As the night wore on, the five continued to drink, the tone shifting from confusion, to surprise, to acceptance, then eagerness and ending with excitement. Their new options gave them all new opportunities to be better, to contribute more to the group, and to show everyone else how great of Climbers they truly were.


    Interesting times awaited them. But Wyn was ready. More ready than he had been in some time.

 Book 2 - Chapter 66

    Arabelle shifted uncomfortably in her Ruby Magician robe. She had trained with it for weeks, but it still felt funny wearing it while holding a shield and her mace. Every other rookie Climber in the base of Alistair was clearly marked with their class so she didn''t feel quite as out of place, though it wasn''t ideal. Magicians wore robes or light clothing since they couldn¡¯t wear armor, and carried wands, rods, or staves. Some even had packs and extra equipment on them. The combat-focused Climbers all had varying types of armor, ranging from light leathers to heavy chain and thick metal. Not one other Climber she could see had the combination like hers, however.


    It made her stand out, but such was being a Ruby Magician. She honestly didn¡¯t care what they thought, though. Her only thought was how the robe could impede her ability to fight monsters. The clothing had proven its effectiveness during training but that was training. She was about to step into the tower and face actual, real monsters.


    A soft nudge at her side pulled her from her thoughts. ¡°Come on,¡± Brianna said, flashing her typical grin. ¡°It¡¯s about to be our first climb! Look excited!¡±


    Arabelle gave a big, fake grin that just made Brianna laugh. The olive-skinned Fighter drew some glances their way, but she never cared about how others viewed her. It was something Arabelle admired and appreciated.


    The rest of their team were close, and both Oren and Adam were already drawing in other rookies with their charm and attractive features. Arabelle was thankful that both men were cordial, as each of them had mentioned multiple times about wanting the other¡¯s class. Oren was a classically handsome man, tall and well built though was given the Diamond Magician class. Adam was the opposite with being shorter and stocky, but his kind face and curly black hair had its own charm. He wanted to eventually be a crafter but ended up as a Fighter. Normally it was Sorcerers or Magicians that had a crafting option as a later upgrade, but he was making the best of it.


    On the other side were the last two members of their group. Lydia, a Sapphire Magician, stood nervously while fidgeting with the hem of her robe. She had her bright blue robe¡¯s hood up, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. Which was a shame, according to Arabelle, because the woman had beautifully thick auburn hair she kept in braids that made Arabelle jealous. Still, she was the least confident member of their group as she was still getting a grasp on her ice spells.


    Beside her stood Penny, their final member and third Fighter. She was nearly as impressive as Oren, standing tall, broad shouldered, and quite muscular for a woman. She was able to keep most people away from her just from her stern gaze, but the glaive she held with one hand completed the look of fierce warrior.


    Lydia liked standing beside her because the Fighter gave off a sense of security that even Adam was jealous of. And Penny liked Lydia nearby because the mousy woman presented the look of a damsel in distress.


    It was an interesting group structure, but Daniel said they would climb well together. And Arabelle trusted him. After training together for nearly two weeks, she believed him, too.


    Now it was the next to last day of the month, and it was their turn to prove they could finish the first floor.


    After one of the veteran Climbers announced to the group of likely thirty or so rookies the rules and expectations for the climb, Arabelle grew more anxious. It didn¡¯t help that Brianna soon disappeared from her side, and then the other members in the group separated as per their usual demeanors.


    Brianna quickly returned, pulling a familiar Climber behind her. ¡°Everyone,¡± Brianna said, her characteristic smile wide on her face. ¡°I snagged a veteran to lead us!¡±


    The others crowded around as the veteran Climber laughed. ¡°Hello, Arabelle. Good to see your team!¡±


    Arabelle breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Marcy! I didn¡¯t know you were planning to help the rookie climb?¡±


    Marcy shrugged. ¡°I actually like doing it. I wasn¡¯t planning to this month but after the debacle of¡­ well, you know¡­ part of our discipline was to help with the rookie climbs in the coming months. So here I am!¡±


    ¡°Your gear,¡± Adam said, practically ignoring her. ¡°It¡¯s incredible! So intricate and amazing!¡±


    ¡°More like powerful,¡± Penny said, nodding her head in a bow. ¡°It seems you could likely clear the floor yourself. We¡¯d be honored to have you guide us.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how do you know each other?¡± Oren asked.


    Marcy smiled. ¡°Arabelle is a friend. Though, I''m sorry to say I actually won¡¯t be the one leading you. This one grabbed me before I could object.¡±


    Brianna¡¯s smile faltered a bit but she offered an apologetic smile.


    ¡°Who will, then?¡± Arabelle asked.


    Marcy smiled and pointed.


    Behind the group, everyone turned, and Arabelle launched herself onto the newcomer.


    ¡°Is that who I think it is?¡± Lydia asked, her voice soft.


    Brianna nodded. ¡°Yep.¡±


    Arabelle let go of her brother and he stepped beside her, clearing his throat. ¡°I¡¯ve met most of you, but I¡¯ll reintroduce myself. I¡¯m Wyn. I¡¯ll be the one leading you today.¡±


    *****


    Standing in front of a portal along with the rest of the group made Arabelle¡¯s heart race. The only thing stopping her from having second thoughts was her brother, who was still talking to the others. He had met everyone except for Penny and Lydia, the two newest members to their group. The others he had seen in training and had witnessed first hand how they fought. She had told him several times how capable all of them were in the days leading up to the rookie climb, and he responded by saying he was relieved she had found a full group to start her climbing journey and that they all trained together several times first.


    She knew the story of his first climb, and absolutely did not want to repeat it. He didn¡¯t either, obviously, and was dressed as though this wasn¡¯t just a climb through the first floor and instead was taking on the hardest floor possible. His jacket made him look like a proper officer, though his complimenting tricorn hat was admittedly a bit ridiculous. He still looked very much like a mage, which apparently the look he was going for. She knew he could change the hat¡¯s appearance at will, and normally wasn¡¯t one to attract attention, but something in him changed to where he didn¡¯t seem to mind looks from other people.


    The truth of the matter was that the looks weren¡¯t from judgment. Not anymore. They were of curiosity and respect. He made a name for himself during the guild trials a month ago, and being a part of one of the best guilds in the city only made his renown grow. The others in her group all talked about him like some sort of amazing Climber, which he was. But he was still Wyn her brother. Someone who annoyingly tussled her hair when he made a joke or asked to grab dinner or breakfast nearly every day, lost in his thoughts too much.


    ¡°Are you not carrying a weapon, then?¡± Adam asked. ¡°You¡¯ve seen us train before but I still don¡¯t know what you use. And Arabelle won¡¯t tell us.¡±


    Wyn chuckled. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, you won¡¯t see me use it all. But my weapon changes shape to whatever I want.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡± Brianna said. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get a magical weapon.¡±


    ¡°Be patient. It¡¯ll come sooner than you think.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Arabelle said, checking her strapped shield and the mace attached to her side one last time. ¡°Are we ready to go?¡±


    ¡°So eager,¡± Oren said, flashing a smile. He cleared his throat and held his wooden staff by his side, standing stoically. ¡°Who wants to go first?¡±


    All of the rookies looked at each other while Wyn just chuckled. Arabelle saw him laughing and felt her pride hurt. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± She stepped forward and paused just before the portal.


    ¡°It¡¯s as easy as stepping through a door,¡± Wyn said.


    She took a deep breath, nodded, then walked through.


    The world around her warped and twisted, and her focus was lost as her body felt weightless in a void. The sensation only lasted a moment, and after a single blink she was standing in another, strange world.


    But she didn¡¯t have time to register the world around her as she immediately stepped to the side and threw up.


    Arabelle ignored the sounds of her teammates coming out of the portal and stepping onto the odd ground around her. Lydia and Adam both joined her by losing their dinner, while the others seemed to reign in their stomachs.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Wyn,¡± Arabelle said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. ¡°You didn¡¯t think to warn me about that?¡±


    Wyn smirked and shrugged. ¡°I warned them, at least!¡±


    Arabelle glared at him. ¡°I might just kill you in here, you know.¡±


    Wyn laughed.


    ¡°Take a few minutes and regroup,¡± Oren said, while looking all around. ¡°I have a feeling we need it for more than just our stomachs.¡±


    Arabelle realized what Oren meant as she took in the environment. It was¡­ an odd mixture of more disorientation and wonder. The ground was pink, the air looked like water, and the sun glazed the world around them as though seen through water. In fact, the entire surrounding looked like they were standing in a pool of water and was further emphasized with creatures floating in the air both tiny and large as though swimming in air.


    ¡°The first lesson you should learn about climbing is that even the environment can distract you,¡± Wyn said.


    Everyone looked at him with varied expressions, though mostly confusion.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Adam asked.


    ¡°I mean, the tower is wonderful. The first thing you do when climbing is teleport to a massive location completely different from the world we know. It¡¯s strange. Beautiful. Magical. It¡¯s good to recognize that and appreciate it but you also need to ground yourself. What if you¡¯re fighting a monster and get distracted because of a plant that starts moving like an animal?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be more focused when a fight comes than you think,¡± Penny said.


    ¡°Probably so. But still good to know. And also know that the environment is often your enemy, too. So be on guard.¡±


    Arabelle unfastened her mace from her belt and squeezed the handle. Oren was calling them to move, and she needed to be ready.


    Based on their training, the Diamond Magician was acting as their leader, and by all intents and purposes he was. They had mutually decided before that they would let him lead as he was both the current oldest and had been the most level headed during training. When they started climbing, he was the one to suggest that if someone else showed some display of leadership more capable, then they should give a try at being the group¡¯s leader and he would step down.


    It was a gesture that further solidified his mark as a leader, at least in her mind. She was sure the others felt the same.


    So, they walked together in a practiced formation based on Daniel¡¯s recommendation. Penny and herself led the group, Oren and Lydia were the two mages in the middle, and the other two Fighters made up the back line. Brianna was quick and could reposition herself if needed, while Arabelle carried a shield and could protect herself in a pinch. The other¡¯s positions just made the most sense.


    Wyn followed along just behind everyone, occasionally giving hints on where to move forward or how to navigate. He didn¡¯t outright tell them where to go, but it was appreciated having a general sense of direction. The environment was disorienting at times, and it took about fifteen minutes or so of travel before they were able to start following what appeared to be a path.


    That was also the time when they encountered their first challenge.


    Penny spotted the enemies first, much to Arabelle¡¯s annoyance. She stopped her walk and readied her glaive, raising it from her previous use of a large walking stick. Arabelle followed her lead and raised her shield with a few spells ready to cast depending on what they found.


    An odd chittering was the first sign of an enemy. The noise was quickly followed by a pack of a half dozen small monsters, all a bit smaller than a dog. Arabelle thought they looked like strange fish with reflective scales of multiple colors, all natural camouflage blending into the background.


    Penny stepped forward with a grunt as a red aura enveloped her. Arabelle recognized that as her Defense Up skill, the same one she possessed. That skill was what pushed her to use a stronger weapon with more of a reach instead of something more defensive, and Penny showed that combination well in training.


    Arabelle didn¡¯t have that confidence or desire to be so direct in combat, and was more than happy to carry a shield. Soon she¡¯d be getting some armor, too, but the shield was enough for now.


    Keeping true to her practice, Penny stepped forward and swept the front line of enemies, knocking down three of them in one swing. While the weapon was strong, it was slow, and the other half of monsters were moving in before Penny could reposition her weapon.


    Arabelle stepped forward and bashed the closest monster with her shield before mentally casting Spark while swinging her mace. The weapon came down on the second monster while also shooting off a shower of yellow magical lightning. The spell stunned the monster just before it was flattened and then continued on to briefly distract the third. That was when Penny recovered and gorged the small monster. It was a much faster disposal than Arabelle, who took two more swings on the first creature to kill it.


    The first three monsters were dispatched by the others, with Brianna and Adam moving in to make quick work of them though they were mostly dead from Penny.


    ¡°Good work,¡± Oren said. ¡°Penny, that was probably too much with your skill but good thinking. And Arabelle, that spell was well-timed!¡±


    Arabelle took a couple deep breaths to settle herself. Her arms were shaking and she barely heard what Oren said. She had just killed two creatures. They were monsters, sure, but they still died at her hand.


    ¡°Arabelle,¡± Brianna said. ¡°You good?¡±


    Arabelle blinked several times, trying to refocus. She nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Nice hits,¡± Penny said. ¡°Next time try it with... less though, yea?¡±


    Arabelle snorted a laugh. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    Wyn stayed back and quiet, and Arabelle saw him give a smile and slight bow of his head in approval. He didn¡¯t even have his weapon drawn. Apparently he thought they were capable of handling the monsters on their own, which was reassuring. And respectful that he let them climb on their own.


    The group continued on before finding another pack of monsters. This time they approached from the side, and there were nearly a dozen of them in total. Lydia joined the fray this time launching several ice spells, though most of them were from places of fear and trepidation. She was a strong mage, but her hesitation was her biggest flaw. It was something even Arabelle noticed during training, and she wasn¡¯t quite as perceptive as the others.


    The monsters weren¡¯t overly strong, but there were a lot of them. Oren was working hard casting several supportive spells during the engagement, blocking the monsters with Shield often and calling out more enemies as a second pack descended on them. The fight then grew from manageable to chaotic.


    Arabelle noticed Wyn watching them carefully, though never helping, choosing to avoid the monsters while they rushed the rookies. What if one of the monsters broke through? Or another monster ambushed them? She bashed another odd creature, causing it to yelp in pain and fall to the ground. Another two hits from her mace finished it off.


    ¡°Arabelle!¡± Oren said.


    Arabelle turned to see a monster standing right in front of her, its unnaturally wide jaw open with drool falling from a row of sharp teeth. It was still and unmoving. The closer Arabelle looked, the more she realized it wasn¡¯t drool but blue blood, and it wasn¡¯t just teeth in its mouth. Half a foot of metal poked through it as Adam stood behind it, holding it aloft with his longsword he wielded with two hands.


    Another monster was now rushing at Adam, and Arabelle stepped to the side before casting Shield. The spell wasn¡¯t timed well, and the monster was already past the magical barrier lunging for Adam. He turned just in time for the monster to latch onto his chest, and he screamed.


    Arabelle knocked the monster off her teammate and hit it several times on the ground, grunting with effort. She wanted to make sure it was dead. Turning to see Adam, he was inspecting his side, and pulled his hand away to find blood.


    ¡°Oren!¡± Arabelle yelled.


    The Diamond Magician was on them quickly, and began healing Adam right away. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It was my fault,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°I didn¡¯t time my spell well at all.¡±


    ¡°No, the fault is on me,¡± Adam said. ¡°I left my back unprotected.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the reason, then that¡¯s also my fault since you saved me first.¡±


    Adam opened his mouth to speak but stopped. ¡°Yea, I guess so. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Oren huffed a laugh. ¡°You¡¯re injured and you¡¯re the one apologizing. You¡¯ll be fine, but this wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± He looked over at Arabelle and gave her a disappointed look.


    Arabelle cursed. She knew she had a lot to learn, but she hoped that the first climb would have started better than that.


    The fight was over, and everyone was gathering themselves and checking on each other.


    ¡°Everyone alright?¡± Wyn asked as he approached the group.


    ¡°We will be,¡± Oren said. ¡°Just caught us by surprise with the numbers, is all.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be watching out for us?¡± Penny asked. ¡°You¡¯re the guide, right? Where was the help?¡±


    ¡°Penny,¡± Brianna said, the tone in her voice scolding.


    Wyn raised a hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m supposed to guide you, yes, but I¡¯m not here to climb for you. You need to understanding climbing isn¡¯t just killing monsters. Sometimes you fail. How you handle that failure is what really makes you a better Climber, not how you succeed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really agree,¡± Penny said, shrugging. ¡°But that¡¯s fine. More things for me to kill.¡±


    ¡°We should be grateful for the words of a more experienced Climber,¡± Adam said. ¡°I¡¯m really fine. Honest!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And you have a very capable healer and a secondary healer, too. You won¡¯t face anything that could threaten your lives. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°We know,¡± Oren said, giving Penny a lingering look. ¡°Thank you. Let¡¯s collect what treasure there is and move on, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Lydia said, clapping her hands together. She immediately started bending down and picking up copper coins.


    The group started to collect the few treasure piles from the monsters when an unfamiliar growl came from the other side. A different monster, this one larger and standing on two legs with a yellow mane of dense hair, stared down the group. Similar to Arabelle''s Spark spell, electric jolts of magical energy ran along its mane.


    Arabelle felt a pang of fear. That monster wielded magic. That was rare for the first floor.


    Worse, it wasn¡¯t alone. Two more similar creatures stood on either side of it.


    Lydia pointed her wand and cast Ice Shard, launching a large slab of ice the size of a bucket. The monster nimbly ducked under it, skirting to the side and rushing the group. The two beside it also moved, and Arabelle saw the rest of her team scramble to gather their weapons. The problem was that most of them had sheathed or put them away to gather the treasure, and they were caught off guard.


    She looked to Wyn and saw him eye the monsters, then crouch as a dense red aura enveloped him, one far greater than the rest of her team could produce. He then took one step before disappearing in a blur of red. Pink dust was then kicked up in the path in front of them, caused by Wyn moving so fast Arabelle could barely process his body. The only thing she saw was a red magical streak moving directly towards the monsters.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Brianna asked, panic in her voice.


    Oren raised his staff, confusion obvious on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t know! Another monster, maybe?¡±


    The sounds of metal cutting through flesh and pained cries made Arabelle tense and Lydia chirp in fear. She was sure the others were also tense, though they all waited to see what was happening while huddling together in a defensive formation. The dust settled quickly, and the bodies of three monsters lay in pieces on the ground not far from where they first announced their presence. Wyn stood over them, holding a spear in his hand with that same red aura coating him that was dense and thick. A familiar but slightly different Ruby Magician symbol appeared beside the weapon he was holding for only a second before the spear disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    The entire experience didn¡¯t last but a few seconds.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Adam asked.


    Wyn walked over to the group, his red aura still covering his body. ¡°Monsters. Who caught you when your guard was down.¡±


    ¡°We all stopped to gather the loot and no one kept an eye out,¡± Oren said, shaking his head. ¡°Damnit.¡±


    ¡°Worse than that,¡± Wyn said. ¡°No one kept their equipment ready in case of a sudden attack. Except for Lydia, so good job.¡±


    The Sapphire Magician blushed and looked away, covering her face. She really wasn¡¯t used to praise or even being acknowledged.


    Arabelle wanted to both punch Wyn in the arm and give him a hug. He had saved them, and at least he wasn¡¯t being smug about it. At least not too much. It was annoying they needed to be saved, and she was sure he was going to critique them more later, but having him as their guide gave her more confidence than she realized she lacked.


    ¡°I had wondered all those times you watched us train how good you were,¡± Brianna said. "But I didn''t imagine you were that fast."


    ¡°Don¡¯t give him a big head,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°Not anymore than he already has.¡±


    Wyn snorted a laugh.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to be that strong,¡± Adam said. ¡°It¡¯s amazing what better equipment and a class upgrade will do!¡±


    Arabelle looked at Wyn pleadingly. He returned her look, then shrugged. At least he didn¡¯t correct her teammate. She really didn¡¯t want them fawning over him anymore than they already were.


    ¡°So what are you now?¡± Penny asked. ¡°Ruby Runner or something like that?¡±


    Wyn tilted his head to the side. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a bit complicated.¡±


    ¡°Oh, just spill it already,¡± Arebelle said with a sigh. She knew the others were going to learn sooner or later. Might as well get it over with.


    Wyn smiled. ¡°I¡¯m actually a tier three Climber, now. Ruby Tactician."


    Arabelle had to admit, the looks on her group¡¯s faces were priceless.

 Book 2 - Epilogue

    Elik¡¯yar, the Avatar of Alistair, hovered in the air at will. The past month had been a rather enjoyable season as they took on the form of a great dragon, a beautiful one with reflective green, blue, and purple scales. Only a few climbing teams met them at their usual position on the 14th floor, but each one turned and fled as they realized the true danger they were in. The last one had been a week ago, and the floor had been quiet since.


    Such was another season where no one advanced.


    Elik¡¯yar didn¡¯t mind the loneliness. They had multiple millennia of existence, and patience was something they knew very well.


    Still, during seasons like this one, they enjoyed silently visiting the lower floors to keep an eye on Climbers. Sometimes they made themselves known. Mostly they just observed.


    Their current experience was a special observation. They had orders directly from Aliyar to watch, and they immediately understood why.


    The lord¡¯s interested Climber, Ardwyn Thatcher, had just entered the ninth floor with his team. That wasn¡¯t particularly interesting, they had to admit. But what was interesting was that he was chasing a member of his group. Someone who had just killed a person.


    A person who was a non-Climber. A civilian.


    Floating high towards the temple¡¯s ceiling, Elik¡¯yar easily kept themselves hidden from the Climber¡¯s sights and senses. It wasn¡¯t too difficult when the Climbers all were only tier two classes, and their equipment borrowed average power from Alistair. They weren''t quite at the power needed to recognize such a hidden aura.


    A presence shifted in the air beside them and Elik¡¯yar craned their neck in bowed reverence.


    ¡°Hello, Creator.¡±


    Aliyar stood in the air beside the large draconic form of the Avatar as easily as standing on a firm piece of stone. His hands were neatly resting on the small of his back as he looked down at the group of Climbers huddling together and talking.


    He stared and watched silently for several minutes. Aliyar then smiled and nodded to the group. ¡°Fascinating, aren¡¯t they? Despite the dangers ahead of them they continue to persist. Enemies, power, time are all working against them but they are choosing to advance. To challenge their preconceived notions about what it means to be weak and push past their own barriers in the hope of coming out the other side better. And stronger.¡±


    Elik¡¯yar remained silent as they surveyed the group. They knew it was best to let their Lord speak unimpeded, even if it was more reminiscing and hope-filled than commanding or informative. Despite their long existence there was still much to learn, and Aliyar was the source of all knowledge and power in and around Alistair. Though, they had to admit, any amount of time in his presence was time worth spending.


    ¡°Yes, Lord,¡± Elik¡¯yar agreed. ¡°They are an interesting bunch to follow.¡±


    As the two observed, the Climbers below began fighting. Initially they didn¡¯t move, but soon started following the Climber that killed the civilian. They were faring decently well, albeit not as impressively as others they¡¯d witnessed in times past for the ninth floor. This particular season was a stout one, full of powerful enemies and challenges that the current generation of Climbers struggled to combat.


    Elik¡¯yar paused their musings when they noticed the climbing group wasn¡¯t stopping to collect their earned treasure from the fallen monsters and instead continued to advance in the floor. That was interesting. Did they not care about their winnings? What an usual choice. They could always leave after several batches of monsters. Typical Climbers did not tend to treat Alistair that way.


    Unless¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re starting to see it,¡± Aliyar said. A playful smile adorned his ethereal face.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t here for items,¡± Elik¡¯yar said. ¡°They¡¯re here to clear the floor?¡±


    ¡°In a way. Come.¡±


    A flash of magical light engulfed the pair as the environment shifted further down the huge temple¡¯s space. They were moved along the floor¡¯s directed path from this portal¡¯s starting point, ahead of the Climber¡¯s current position. Elik¡¯yar could still see them fighting as their strategy morphed into one that involved them moving ahead faster.


    The Avatar let loose a deep and loud rumble in its long draconic neck. ¡°They truly are bold to think they can easily advance through this floor.¡±


    ¡°Not quite. Though they are bold.¡±


    The large dragon¡¯s head tilted to the side in an almost amusing fashion, as though thinking on the Creator¡¯s words.


    Aliyar continued. ¡°They didn¡¯t enter wanting to clear the floor. In fact, they didn¡¯t want to enter at all. The Climber ahead of the others, the Barbarian, was seeking personal retribution and is using the unique properties of Alistair to do so.¡±


    Elik¡¯yar growled, their wings unfurling as though threatened. ¡°She dares to make a mockery of the challenge?¡±


    ¡°Again, your assumption is close, but not quite exact. She is seeking a warrior¡¯s death through the challenge of the highest floor she¡¯s yet to clear and was told was too difficult for her and her group.¡±


    The Avatar¡¯s wings relaxed, and they lowered their head. But they did not speak to interrupt.


    ¡°That was the original intent after killing the civilian, at least,¡± Aliyar continued. ¡°But then their leader, the Ruby Magician, offered a choice. A deal. To clear the floor together and keep her alive to help him and his sister. His offer was to not force her out of Alistair and for her to help them if they lived. If they failed to finish, he would allow her original desire to come to fruition.¡±


    Elik''yar was surprised. Something that is rare for them. ¡°A sacrificial climb? I don¡¯t recall one happening for some time. It has been for treasure or advancement for over a decade. Not one of more complicated purposes.¡±


    ¡°Ahh! Now that is not true. Remember the Ruby Magician¡¯s first climb. The first time you met him.¡±


    Elik¡¯yar thought back to Ardwyn¡¯s meeting. When Aliyar gave the order to leave their post and meet him in the second floor. The Climber didn¡¯t enter the floor for more typical reasons. It was to chase after the false follower, the one who betrayed his teammate. He advanced for answers. For justice.


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    ¡°This Climber is more than unusual,¡± Elik¡¯yar said. ¡°You knew this would happen, too.¡±


    Aliyar smiled again. ¡°Eventually, yes. It was in his nature. But once the pieces were laid out, it was easy to put together.¡±


    Together the pair watched the group progress to the end, moving to fight the boss. Watching, waiting, processing the events the only way two unending beings could.


    The dragon bristled in the air above as the Climbers recovered and regrouped after defeating the floor boss. There were stronger Climbers, yes, but this particular group¡¯s progress and successes were noteworthy. The Avatar understood that, now.


    ¡°They succeeded,¡± Elik¡¯yar said. ¡°And now have the opportunity to advance. With such young connections to Alistair, too.¡±


    Aliyar pulled the two back to the entrance, back away from the eyes of the Climbers. He lowered himself to the ground and the Avatar followed. Lying on the ground before them, still in death, was the body of the civilian.


    The Avatar¡¯s draconic form craned their neck down and sniffed the body. They unfurled their wings and huffed. ¡°This person¡­ I recognize their scent.¡±


    Aliyar stretched out a hand and the magical representation of the person¡¯s soul floated above their body, appearing like a small, slowly circulating cloud. It was speckled dark grey, nearly black, like ash thrown into the night sky.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Aliyar said. ¡°This person was briefly part of Zarath¡¯s flock. His true allegiance was to another organization, though it appears he tried to infiltrate Zarath''s company. He was not part of the following that was removed. And his soul is deeply corrupted.¡±


    Flicking the soul away like it was dirty, Aliyar regarded it no longer as it dissipated into nothing, its energy absorbed into Alistair like the many cycles of monsters and other creatures within the tower.


    Elik¡¯yar bowed deeply, their chest meeting the stone floor in reverence. It was not often to bear witness to a person¡¯s soul, and then for that very soul to have judgment passed on to it. Whether good or bad, it was a rare occurrence that the Avatar was humbled to witness so soon.


    Aliyar began to walk away from the man¡¯s lifeless body. ¡°We must continue our objective, Elik¡¯yar. The time has come.¡±


    The draconic Avatar slowly walked behind the Creator who was taking his time meandering through the floor. ¡°Yes, Creator. What shall be the next move?¡±


    Aliyar smiled. ¡°That seed that was planted within Ardwyn. It has begun to sprout. His sister has taken on the mantle of Ruby Magician despite being offered another class. That pleases me, as I was hoping she would follow his path despite being shown another way. It is time for others to also be given alternate paths.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my Lord. What other offerings should we provide? The other towers can be stingy on their paths.¡±


    ¡°Quite right! But we all share a common collective that transcends all of the tower¡¯s individual, unique magic. The time has come to share that with the Climbers. I believe you know what to do.¡±


    Elik¡¯yar bowed once more. They did know what needed to be done. They would never question the Creator¡¯s command, but they did wonder what would happen once the magic connections between the towers were no longer hidden. It would be a large, complicated process that would take decades to fully integrate, but as the Lord so eloquently put it the seed was beginning to sprout. So Elik¡¯yar needed to help water the seedling for proper growth.


    Flying ahead to the end of the floor, the Avatar dove through the portal back to their home that resided within Alistair¡¯s inner domain. The class connection needed to be established. There were offerings to be made, discussions to be had, and magical roots to be planted that required all of their effort.


    Then, slowly but surely, the Climbers of the wondrous city of Alestead would be grateful for the assistance personally bestowed upon them by the Lord himself. For soon they¡¯ll start to see just how diverse climbing was intended to be.


    *****


    William yawned again while ignoring the uncomfortable seat of his large pack. The sun hadn¡¯t even rose over the horizon, but he was glad he made the decision to come out early. There were already three people behind him, and the official wasn¡¯t even set to come until daybreak.


    The early bird gets the worm, as his father would say. He never understood the sentiment as a child but now as an adult, it¡¯s paid off more times than not for him.


    Ever since coming to the famed tower city he felt like he was always behind. Others his age were coming to climb, taking a chance on their life and limb for power, fortune, and prestige. Following that idea was too risky for his tastes, but he respected their dedication. He enjoyed being a tailor¡¯s assistant while earning a respectable wage in the comfort of indoors, helping the owner and customers of all backgrounds. Working with his hands gave him great pride, and his efforts were often fruitful with praise from the owner. Still, most of their clients were Climbers, and William wasn¡¯t oblivious to the stray judgmental look they would cast his way for working with clothes rather than fighting monsters.


    He didn¡¯t mind, though. That life suited him just fine.


    Until it didn¡¯t.


    When the owner failed to come to work a few days ago William found himself out of a job. It was the strangest thing, too, as the man just never appeared. He went by his known residence and it was trashed, as though a thief came in and tossed the place. He reported the disappearance to the city guild who then seized the store. That was when reality dawned on him that he wasn¡¯t employed.


    So, several days of searching followed by begging led him to do the unthinkable - obtain a class and become a Climber. He came to the conclusion that the change of employment might not be a bad thing, especially if he could earn some decent coin. If it didn¡¯t work in the first few times, well, then he could always pursue being a Mapper or Packer. They were protected by the city guild and given a less, albeit fair, wage.


    Another yawn drew his attention back to the stand directly in front of him. The sooner the official would come, the sooner he could find out just exactly what the tower Alistair destined him to become.


    It wasn¡¯t long after he wrestled with his internal musings that the official showed up, the sun just starting to crest over the distant mountains. Most of the people in line clapped and cheered in a very lackadaisical, lethargic way. Like everyone had rolled out of bed and decided to obtain a class at the same late witching hour.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± William said, trying to sound chipper in the hopes of convincing his body to wake up.


    The official smiled as he sat out a few objects on the wooden table. ¡°Good morning! I see we have some early birds this morning coming to get their worms! We can go ahead and get started when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    William returned the man¡¯s smile and stretched while standing. It was nice to see the man was both in a good mood and understanding of their time.


    The official walked William through the relatively simple process of obtaining a class by means of pointing out a few strange items settled on the desk. He handed William a palm sized opaque orb, which he grabbed and held without issue. Back on the desk was a large, open box of grey colored sand. The man said all he needed to do was hold the orb and the box would show what class was chosen.


    William thought the process was a bit odd but was soon lost in wonder as the orb¡¯s cloudy appearance began to shift and swirl. It was beautiful, like a small magical cloud resting in his palm changing into various symbols and magical runes. He glanced at the box of sand and noticed that the shifting was being mimicked so the official could see and record the results.


    ¡°Huh,¡± the man said, squinting his eyes and leaning down towards the sand.


    ¡°What?¡± William asked. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    The man didn¡¯t answer, just kept staring at the constantly morphing sand. He quickly opened a book also sitting on the table and began rapidly looking between the box of sand and the book as he flipped through pages.


    William didn¡¯t know what was going on. He wasn¡¯t being hurt, though, so he decided to just let it play out. He was too tired to put up much of a fuss. Whatever his class would end up being was fine with him. He wasn¡¯t too picky.


    Finally the sand stopped moving, though the official kept turning page after page in his book. William looked into the orb in his hand and saw a strange symbol on it. It was two fists wrapped in linen in a sort of cross formation with a series of small runes set in a circle behind it.


    William quickly woke up looking at the symbol. The symbol of a magical class. His magical class.


    As he looked closer and thought harder, he didn¡¯t recognize the runic sign. He knew what Fighters and Rogues mostly looked like, which would likely be the class involving two fists. That wasn¡¯t one of the Magicians or Sorcerer classes, either, since theirs were mostly staves or wands or elemental symbols. A Hunter also was obviously out. Those typically had bows or more woodland images like leaves or axes.


    So what in the hells was his?


    ¡°Uhh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± William said. ¡°Do you know what my class is?¡±


    The official was still rifling through his book, urgently scanning the pages. The person behind William sighed and muttered something under her breath but he ignored her.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± William repeated.


    The man flinched and stared at William. He looked¡­ afraid?


    William had a sinking feeling in his stomach something was wrong.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the official said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this before.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Please tell me!¡±


    The man worked his mouth but didn¡¯t speak. He then shrugged. ¡°It doesn''t make any sense! It follows none of the prepared classes, and there is no recorded runic symbol for this class!¡±


    William took a deep breath. He wasn¡¯t sure if his mind was still half asleep or not, but he wasn¡¯t fully understanding what the man said. ¡°That¡¯s normal though, right? Every person¡¯s symbol is different.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but the runes should have a foundation that is clearly one of the starting classes! Your runes are¡­ unclear! And do you see this symbol? Made up of crossed fists? I¡¯ve never seen or heard of anyone having that! Fighters or Rogues or anything!¡±


    William felt like the man slapped him in the face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is all pretty new to me. What do you mean unknown? And that you¡¯ve never seen this before?¡±


    The man started to panic as he ran a hand through his hair while his other one was used to point to the grey sand. It slowly morphed again, and then the book he was referencing began to softly glow. The official slowly grabbed it and read it with shaky hands. ¡°The description states that you have a class called Monk! Which shouldn''t be possible, considering... well, considering it means that you have a brand new base class!¡±

 Book 3 - Prologue

    The frost tipped grass crunched under Wyn¡¯s boots with every step. The sun was starting to rise and the sky cloudless, and that warmth just kept the cold at bay. He shivered, then crossed his arms together while trying to warm up more. Despite wearing his magical jacket that kept him comfortable in all weather conditions, the enchantment faded the further and longer he was away from Alestead. Coupled with his own personal diminished magical abilities it was even less pleasant than he remembered. The chill in the air was lingering, but he knew it would be better soon. Winter was nearly gone and spring was soon to arrive.


    ¡°Wyn?¡± Arabelle asked. She walked up beside him, leaning into his side. She wore a thick wool coat that draped to her ankles.


    Wyn looked around, not wanting to ignore or shy away from the memories. Both the good and bad. Running and laughing with his sister through the fields. Eating a warm meal while teasing Arabelle, then being teased back before the night was over. Harvesting a good yield and knowing it would cover the family for the winter. Waking up in the middle of the night to his father drunkenly stumble inside and demand to be fed and cared for. Hiding Arabelle so she wouldn¡¯t have to run the risk of facing their father. Leaving her alone with him.


    ¡°Yea,¡± Wyn said, not taking his eyes off the farm. Their farm. Their home.


    Arabelle grabbed his arm and held him. ¡°I¡¯m ready to be done. Fuck this place.¡±


    Wyn nodded. ¡°Fuck this place.¡±


    They turned together back to the farm house where the others waited. Tasha and Cedric were talking and standing at the edge of the house while Marcy was leaning against the side on the lookout. John and Daniel stood at the front door, talking quietly.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± John asked. He pointed inside the house. ¡°It smells terrible inside. I actually don¡¯t mind waiting out here.¡±


    Daniel shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve seen worse, believe it or not. But I don¡¯t particularly care for the cold, and the ride over here was brutal on these old bones.¡±


    John patted the older man on the back. ¡°Go for it. If you can stand walking past that, you¡¯re a better man than me.¡± He walked away to join Tasha and Cedric.


    Daniel leaned in through the front door but didn¡¯t step inside. He sighed and walked away.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s rough,¡± Wyn said, joining everyone. ¡°No one¡¯s been over here since Arabelle left.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t exactly care to clean it, either,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°It can rot away for all I care.¡±


    ¡°Yep, sure, that¡¯s perfectly fine,¡± John said, pulling his black fur coat snug around his torso. ¡°This is your house, after all.¡± He looked back at the front door and scrunched his face together in disgust.


    Tasha smacked him on the arm with a gloved hand, making a hollow whomp.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Wyn said. ¡°It won¡¯t be any of our problems for long.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯ll be ours,¡± a new voice said.


    Everyone turned abruptly to see a man walk out from behind the large oak tree on the other side of the house. Two more men were with him, and they all were bundled up in black hats and coats. The first man who spoke was older, maybe in his mid-forties, while the two in the back were tall and broad shouldered.


    ¡°Well shit,¡± Marcy said. ¡°I really hate not having my abilities.¡±


    ¡°I assume you¡¯re Mr. Evanson?¡± Wyn asked.


    The man bowed while sweeping his arm to the side. ¡°That I am. Thank you for meeting us. I do apologize it¡¯s taken so long for this to happen.¡±


    ¡°Five months is a long time,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°I thought you all were punctual. At least you were when collecting our debt.¡±


    Mr. Evanson smiled broadly. ¡°True, though this required some delicate touches. Bankers, tax collectors, a few government officials to sign off on the required documents were all needed for this transaction, as per your request to keep it legal and binding. Since it was an agreed upon deal, this was the fastest we could muster it, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Wyn could tell Arabelle was about to give some snarky reply and grabbed her arm gently. He felt her tense body relax a bit. ¡°And we¡¯re happy to finally sign the deal. Should we head inside?¡±


    The man gestured to his bodyguards who stepped towards the front door of the farm house. The rest of Wyn¡¯s group moved out of their way, except for John and Marcy who watched them carefully. There was a brief standoff between the four people before the mysterious men stepped around them. They each eyed the blood stains that coated the entrance of the house for a brief second. After sharing a look, one of the men stepped inside and the other stood at the doorway facing everyone.


    Wyn and Arabelle followed Mr. Evanson, who didn¡¯t bother stopping at the sight of the blood-stained floor. Instead, he just stepped over and around it, continuing his stride inside to sit at the rickety and small wooden table. He brushed the top of the table off with a ragged cloth from the nearby counter and did the same to the chair before sitting down.


    ¡°Remember,¡± Wyn said, leaning in to John¡¯s ear. ¡°We¡¯re not here to cause trouble. Hopefully it won¡¯t take long.¡±


    John nodded, not taking his eyes off the man standing at the doorway. ¡°We¡¯ll be right here.¡±


    Wyn patted his friend on the shoulder before making his way inside. The blood loomed in his vision as he and his sister paused at the entryway. That was his father¡¯s blood. His dead father. The cause of all of this. Becoming a Climber, leaving his sister, dealing with the Assembly and their threats. Arabelle was also dragged into it, being a target of the organization and in relatively more danger than himself.


    He didn¡¯t bother stepping around it. Arabelle spat on it as she walked by.


    Both of the Thatchers joined Mr. Evanson at the table, not bothering to wipe off the dust accumulated from months of neglect.


    Mr. Evanson carefully opened a leather-bound folder of sorts, filled with papers and documents. He pulled a small stack of sheets along with a quill and tiny inkwell. It was glass with a glass stopper, slightly larger than a fingertip. The quill was not magical, but a regular, mundane quill that the man carefully set on the table. He then turned the papers around and slid them for Wyn and Arabelle to read. The paper on top wasn¡¯t too difficult to read, and clearly at the top it read Deed of Sale.


    ¡°These are the standard documents for deed transactions,¡± Mr. Evanson said. ¡°They are eight papers in total and the owner of the home will need to sign the last two. One for each of us, which will be submitted to the local governmental body to be copied and recorded. I can show you where you will need to sign.¡±


    Wyn picked up the papers and looked them over. There were indeed two copies, which was helpful so Arabelle could read them, too. He separated the stack and handed her the papers. ¡°Our father was the owner of the home. He¡¯s¡­ well, you know.¡±


    ¡°Good and dead,¡± Arabelle said.


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    Wyn gave his sister a look. Even if he wanted the transition to go as smooth as possible it seemed Arabelle didn¡¯t feel the same way.


    He inwardly sighed.


    ¡°Since your father is no longer with us, the oldest child is the heir of property by law,¡± Mr. Evanson said.


    Wyn nodded. That made it easier, then. He stayed silent while he reviewed the papers with Arabelle, who was also quiet and reading.


    It wasn¡¯t the most exciting material he¡¯d ever read, but at least the message was mostly clear. It was a straightforward deed transfer with the local magistrate¡¯s name attached to it as well as the baron of the region. Both would eventually need to be signed for the transfer to be official, but the magistrate¡¯s office took care of the leg work. All Wyn needed to do was sign it along with Mr. Evanson then deliver it to their office. He wanted to do it himself just to make sure he wouldn¡¯t be responsible for any foul play in the future.


    After a half hour of reviewing the papers both Wyn and Arabelle were satisfied. There wasn¡¯t anything in them that seemed suspect and it truly did appear to be legitimate, which were the terms of their deal.


    Wyn took the quill and ink but waited on signing it. ¡°Last step is the payment.¡±


    Mr. Evanson snapped his fingers and the bodyguard inside left. It took a few more minutes but he returned with a large leather sack. Setting it down on the floor beside Wyn, it jingled with the familiar sound of coins rattling together.


    ¡°I do hope you¡¯ll believe me when I say that the entirety of the agreed upon payment is present,¡± Mr. Evanson said. ¡°Sitting here waiting while you count out thousands of crowns doesn¡¯t seem like the best use of either of our time.¡±


    Wyn smiled as he grabbed the bag, then hoisted it up. It definitely felt heavy, but he agreed that he did not want to wait around and count coins.


    Instead, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. It was slightly yellowed and thick, and as he unfolded it, he smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s all there. Thank you for upholding your end of the deal.¡±


    Mr. Evanson furrowed his eyebrows and watched in confusion as Wyn signed the necessary papers, handing one set back to him.


    Wyn left with his copy of the sale in one hand and hugging Arabelle with the other. He joined the others patiently waiting, then looked to his sister. ¡°It¡¯s done. We¡¯re free.¡±


    A tear fell down his sister¡¯s cheek as she embraced him in a hug.


    Since Lucy left the city and they finalized working out a deal with the Assembly, Wyn came to the conclusion that it didn''t end up being about the money. He could have taken the last several months to climb and pay off their debt without much issue. But there was always the lingering thought that they would be back for him or Arabelle to establish some sort of partnership. Something Wyn wanted to avoid.


    He had met a new contact and came to the final conclusion. He paid off the remainder of the debt, but sold the farm and farm house as a promise to be done. They agreed to leave him and his sister alone after obtaining the land legally, and Wyn felt far better about the situation. Their debt was paid. Their farm and bad memories gone. And they were together, safe, and free.


    Wyn breathed the chilly air deeply, ignoring the sting of his lungs. He gave one final look around. The farm house. The farm itself. The barn. So many memories. Both good and bad.


    At least those memories would remain exactly that, forever left alone in the past as he and his sister left their home to never look back. Walking away not alone, but with friends they considered family by their side. Family who they chose and chose them.


    The cold never felt better.


    *****


    Wyn cursed as another bump caused him to briefly lift off the wagon¡¯s bench seat. It didn¡¯t hurt, but it wasn¡¯t comfortable. The wagon creaked and moaned as the wheels found every divot in the questionably smooth dirt road.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I just walk beside it like the others?¡± Wyn asked. ¡°I can already feel my magic returning. I could likely walk the rest of the way and be fine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point,¡± Arabelle said, smoothing out her linen vest under her large coat with both hands. The thick garment kept bunching her other clothes that she was constantly adjusting. ¡°We¡¯re meeting with a potential partner once we hit Rockford, and we won¡¯t have time to be more presentable. So you need to keep your boots and jacket clean. Being muddy isn¡¯t a good look.¡±


    Wyn sighed. His sister had become more fastidious than he could have predicted. Ever since learning about business under Benedict and Roscoe and gaining her confidence as a Climber, she was quickly gaining skills he never imagined. He always knew she had the potential to be great, but didn¡¯t realize just how much she was being held back while at home under the care of their worthless father. Left to her own ambitions she proved to work just as hard as he did. Often even harder. He was incredibly happy watching her success blossom, and even more so that he was able to be with her as it happened.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, of course,¡± Wyn said. ¡°I still think I¡¯ll let you do most of the talking.¡±


    ¡°That will likely still be Roscoe. You know how he can be. But I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll still want to talk to the famed Ruby Magician that Roscoe keeps bragging about.¡±


    Wyn laughed. ¡°Soon enough that¡¯ll be you. I imagine you¡¯ll pass me, and probably sooner rather than later at your rate.¡±


    Anabelle smirked. ¡°Just because I hit the second tier last month doesn¡¯t mean much. You know the gap to the next is even wider.¡±


    ¡°For some reason I doubt that with you.¡±


    Two knocks on the side of the wagon pulled them away from their conversation. They both looked over to see Bartholomew, the caravan¡¯s lead security and Roscoe¡¯s personal bodyguard. The man was dressed similar to Arabelle with wearing a large coat, except his was a brown fur. ¡°Should be arriving at the destination in another hour or so. Roscoe wanted me to tell you that when we arrive, you¡¯re to join him right away at the meeting spot. We¡¯re running late.¡±


    Wyn looked up and noticed that the sun still had a few hours in the sky until it was dusk. It would be an early dinner, then. Or possibly a long one that was just starting early to make sure it didn¡¯t go long in the night. Wyn wasn¡¯t as privy to those subtle nuances. Arabelle likely knew, though.


    ¡°Thank you, Bartholomew,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°The others should help the caravan settle in and then secure rooms for the night. Should we send a runner ahead to make sure there¡¯s room for all of us in one inn?¡±


    Bartholomew smiled. ¡°Already done, my dear. You¡¯ve picked up quickly.¡± The man tapped the side of the wagon again and moved to the next one in line.


    The other members of their personal group were in the wagon behind them, though they often took shifts walking or running beside the caravan when not working. John in particular took the opportunity to continue his training. The active Climbers were on guard duty, and despite not being actual guards they were as good as any. Especially since the caravan¡¯s destination was Alestead and being only a few days away meant they all had about half of their normal magical strength back. They hadn¡¯t had any issue during the caravan¡¯s voyage, though even if they did Marcy likely could have taken care of it alone.


    Settling into Rockford was an easy process as Wyn and Arabelle left everyone behind to go to their meeting. Roscoe and Bartholomew walked with them, filling them in on the way. Their contact was Mariah Valega, a businesswoman from outside Fyrewatch on the other side of the country who specialized in dealing with nobles and wealthy merchants. She frequently utilized caravans to move pricy goods like spices, cloths, and furniture, and Roscoe was a regular customer. They were wanting to seal the deal to make themselves an official partner, which required some negotiation and tact.


    Wyn, admittedly, did not have that. Arabelle did, though. And he was happy to support her as she easily joined the other¡¯s discussion at dinner without looking at out of place at all.


    The dinner took place in a private booth at a high-end restaurant, which Wyn was not upset about. Especially after being on the road for nearly an entire month. The dinner was five courses, with tasty cheeses, fruits, nuts, and breads for the first course, a delicious herb and meat soup for the second, and then what was called a chef¡¯s special for the third that Wyn was curious about. They were deep in business discussion while waiting for that to arrive.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Mariah said, gesturing with her goblet of wine at Roscoe. ¡°I don¡¯t have any Climbers I use regularly, and having one with some business acumen would be a great selling point.¡±


    Roscoe smiled broadly. ¡°Arabelle and her brother here are excellent Climbers! Two of the finest I¡¯ve met, and I¡¯ve met plenty. She is already climbing in the second tier while Wyn here is in the third. Have you heard of any guilds in Alestead?¡±


    Mariah took a small sip of her glass. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of a select few. Only the most well-known, of course, that are brought up by my social circles.¡±


    ¡°Has the Twilight Blades crossed your ears?¡±


    Mariah smirked. ¡°That¡¯s the one with the stoic and handsome Knight for a leader, right?¡±


    ¡°Gregory,¡± Wyn said. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s as friendly as he is charming.¡±


    Everyone chuckled, though Mariah gave Wyn an assessing look. ¡°And here I thought you were just the brother of Arabelle, not someone actually privy to the city¡¯s top guilds.¡±


    Roscoe chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s in that guild, Mariah.¡±


    The woman¡¯s face fell into shocked surprise. Wyn tried to hold back a smirk by taking a quick drink of wine. They quickly fell back into business as Wyn enjoyed the company.


    Soon the third course was brought out, and Wyn nearly spat out his drink. Well-dressed waiters and waitresses each sat down a plate before the diners, with the chef¡¯s special featured on the white plates. Each dish was a single, hand-sized folded and cooked portion of a plump ball of bread obviously filled with something.


    ¡°Wyn,¡± Arabelle whispered. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Wyn nodded as one of the waitresses explained the dish. ¡°This is our famous chef¡¯s special, popularized by our creative and renowned head chef! It¡¯s a slightly cooked breading around a well-seasoned filling of local vegetables and ground meat made from prime cuts of beef.¡± She leaned down to the table and dropped her voice to a low whisper. ¡°While the name is currently called the chef¡¯s special, it¡¯s popularly known as -¡±


    ¡°A meat pocket,¡± Wyn interrupted.


    The waitress smiled. ¡°So, you¡¯ve heard of them! Wonderful. Please enjoy!¡±


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re quite well-traveled, Ardwyn,¡± Mariah commented while cutting into the steaming dish.


    Wyn ignored her and gently caught the leaving waitress¡¯s arm. ¡°Your head chef. Is he here tonight?¡±


    The woman smiled. ¡°He is, but I¡¯m afraid he doesn¡¯t see the guests.¡±


    ¡°Wyn,¡± Arabelle said, her voice louder. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Wyn thought for a moment. ¡°Would you tell him that the Ruby Magician sends his thanks, especially for being able to eat his food again. And that he¡¯s finally free.¡±


    The woman paused then nodded before walking away.


    ¡°That was¡­ odd,¡± Roscoe said. ¡°Wyn, are you trying to establish another business partner?¡±


    The others laughed and Wyn joined them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. No. But I believe the chef is an old friend.¡±


    A loud clang came from the kitchen, pulling the table¡¯s attention as well as a good number of other patrons in the restaurant. Then a large man dressed in a white outfit covered in a dirty apron stormed out of the kitchen, looking around the restaurant.


    Wyn stood up, and the man¡¯s face broadened into a wide grin.


    ¡°Wyn,¡± the chef said, walking over to the table. His large strides cleared the distance quickly, and he embraced Wyn in a warm and nearly suffocating hug.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Bartholomew said. ¡°Are you the¡­ head chef?¡±


    The man pulled away from Wyn and turned to the others at the table. He cleared his throat and gave a small bow. ¡°Yes, sir. Pardon my interruption, but I just realized I had a friend in my restaurant and in your company. Please, continue to enjoy the meal. It¡¯s on me, and I¡¯ll bring out more wine as well.¡±


    Roscoe clapped his hands together. ¡°Splendid! What fortune we have tonight! Arabelle, you never mentioned Wyn frequented the finer establishments outside Alestead!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t,¡± Arabelle said. ¡°Wyn, what is going on?¡±


    Wyn looked at the others at the table, confusion obvious on their face. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Everyone, this is Caloman. Goes by Cal. We climbed together only briefly but forged a bond in our time in Alestead.¡±


    Cal squeezed Wyn¡¯s shoulder in a friendly gesture. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you.¡±


    ¡°You as well! There¡¯s a lot to catch you up on! I see you¡¯ve been doing well.¡±


    ¡°I have! I¡¯ve done a lot to better myself. I¡¯m in a much better place than when we last saw each other.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m so happy about that.¡±


    Cal smiled broadly. ¡°Please, go back to your dinner. Maybe after we can grab a drink?¡±


    ¡°The others will want to join. They¡¯re all here!¡±


    Cal laughed. ¡°That would be excellent. I want to hear what¡¯s been going on with all of you.¡±


    Wyn shrugged. ¡°We might need a few drinks for that, but I¡¯d be more than happy to. There are quite a few stories to tell.¡±

 Book 3 - Chapter 1

    Wyn marveled at the magical city of Alestead. He had spent an entire year there climbing the tower, but it never ceased to amaze him how wondrous the place truly was. The massive front gates welcomed all travelers, from horses and wagons to donkeys and carts, to single travelers or groups of people on foot. It was still as busy as ever with people coming and going, packs full with items to help them climb or trade or leaving the city with new goods and securities.


    ¡°Welcome home,¡± Arabelle said, giving Wyn a hug.


    His sister was right. This was their new home, now. Their farm was gone. In the past. The foul memories of their father and their debt was no longer part of their future. The Assembly promised them no contact in the future, and while he was skeptical of exactly how true that was, he was also hopeful they would keep their promise. He and his sister had no qualms with them. That was their father, who was good and dead.


    Or Lucy. But she was on the run, gone from Alestead to who knows where. The last time they spoke, they had concocted a plan to help her return to her family and see them again, with possibilities of changing her identity as well as theirs. Whether she actually followed through with any of it was another matter. Or if she made it there alive without the Assembly catching wind of her.


    As their caravan stopped outside the city and people began to unload their goods, Wyn couldn¡¯t help but hope Lucy was safe. In the end she did help Wyn and Arabelle, and he didn¡¯t want her to die for it. Though there wasn¡¯t anything else he could do for her now. While he wished her no ill will, she was part of that same past Wyn wanted to leave behind. And there was a future ahead that he and Arabelle were trying to secure.


    Daniel walked up to the siblings while adjusting his pack straps, somehow balancing the smaller bag in his hands. He kindly left the city to travel with them, but was bringing back some gifts for Wendy, the waitress in the guild hall who was his romantic partner. He planned to ask her to marry him and had brought back gifts for her, including a spectacular engagement ring. Arabelle helped him pick it out and also covered the cost with Wyn. The elder Ruby Magician had done so much for both of them it was only right to repay him in some way, and money was no longer much of an issue for them as they were gearing up to return climbing.


    The other members of their group ¨C the rest of Wyn¡¯s climbing team ¨C were also gathering their things to come back to the city when Roscoe and Bartholomew walked up to the side of the wagon. The caravan owner and wealthy merchant was giddy with childlike glee, and the imposing head guard was his serious self. Wyn had an inkling that he was also excited, but the large man didn¡¯t show much emotion.


    ¡°Ahh, back in the city,¡± Roscoe said, clapping his hands together. He then rubbed them as though washing them. ¡°So much I want to do here but so little time, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not staying?¡± Arabelle asked. ¡°We just secured our deal with Mariah. That¡¯s a reason enough to celebrate!¡±


    ¡°My dear, we already celebrated. It¡¯s time to work, now. I only wish I could explore the shops and new stock as spring approaches!¡±


    After the dinner that was primarily meant to establish a new partnership with Mariah Valega, the wealthy merchant Roscoe set up for Arabelle and Wyn, they had decided to stay at the restaurant to celebrate with drinks and dessert. Everyone except for Wyn, who left with the head chef to go and do his own celebrations. The head chef being Cal, the Paladin Climber and former teammate, who had previously left for personal reasons. They met up with the others in their group and had a damn good night of drinking, stories, and general merriment.


    Arabelle sighed. ¡°Fine, fine. Back to work, then. I can come along and help before I see my group. I want to see if they¡¯ve made any progress since we¡¯ve been gone.¡±


    ¡°Probably not much,¡± Bartholomew said. ¡°If it was anything like back in my day, we just drank and messed around until the whole group was back together. Those are the best times of being a Climber, after all.¡± He grinned, looking off at Alistair in the distance as some memory likely came to his mind.


    Arabelle threw her pack onto her shoulders with a huff. ¡°Great. Missed out on all the fun.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think our trip was fun?¡± John said, nudging her in the side.


    ¡°Any trip that involved that gods forsaken farm is a trip I¡¯d rather leave behind.¡±


    John¡¯s smirk turned somber and Tasha patted him on the shoulder for comfort. Marcy smacked him on his other shoulder, then shot him a look that said ¡®you just had to bring that up¡¯.


    ¡°At least it¡¯s done,¡± Wyn said. ¡°And that was the last time we will ever be going back. It was a good trip, though. Seeing Cal again was an amazing treat, and our new deal was worth it.¡±


    ¡°It absolutely was,¡± Roscoe agreed. ¡°And Arabelle, we could use your help at Benedict¡¯s. We need to load up the first shipment. The caravan will be pulling out bright and early in two days and I want those crates already packed!¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Arabelle relented. ¡°I need to talk to Benedict anyway. Daniel, I¡¯ll see you tonight. I need to get my own affairs in order before I go out and climb this season. My team said they¡¯d leave some notes for me to read.¡±


    Daniel beamed with pride. ¡°Of course, dear. I¡¯m here to help! I do plan to see Wendy today and I know she¡¯ll want to come over, but I doubt she¡¯ll mind the company.¡±


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be long. I got her a little gift, too. So it¡¯ll be nice to see her!¡±


    Daniel started to respond but then stopped, looking like a fish out of water. Arabelle just smirked and left with Roscoe and Bartholomew, saying her goodbyes to everyone else.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t help but feel some sense of appreciation both for how much Arabelle looked up to Daniel and for how he and Wendy both cared for his sister. They were practically family now. And with Wyn and Arabelle only having each other, it was more than welcome. As he and Daniel continued to have tea and enjoy each other¡¯s company several times a week, the older Ruby Magician felt more like a father than his actual father. He was happy to see Arabelle had a similar connection.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to go with them, Wyn?¡± Daniel asked.


    Wyn continued to watch his sister leave with the two men. ¡°She¡¯s more than capable of handling the business on her own. Honestly, I don¡¯t even think she needs me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t sell yourself short. She needs you in many ways, though I tend to agree that a business equal is one of the last ones on the list.¡±


    Wyn smiled. Arabelle really was making her own journey in Alestead. Not just as a Climber, either. It was an amazing sight to watch her grow.


    ¡°Well, she might need us gathering items for them,¡± John said, putting his arm around Wyn. ¡°Her team is pretty good, but they can¡¯t get that many rewards on their own.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Wyn said. And that was the one concern he had about the partnership with Mariah. If he could recruit the rest of the Twilight Blades, it would have been an easy sell. They could have doubled their agreed upon quota, too. But their partnership was ensuring their own future, outside of any guild obligations. Plus, the rest of the Twilight Blades would have had to agree on it with her being a new sponsor, and that just wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    For months their guild had been going through a downward spiral that didn¡¯t seem like it was going to end well. Since Lucy revealed that she was part of the Assembly and the organization practically bought her way into the guild, they started unraveling. The leaders fought constantly. Prian and his entire team left almost right away, which Wyn brought up was suspicious but his opinion was drowned out in the ensuing chaos. They continued to climb and keep their obligations, but the guild hadn¡¯t felt the same since that first month. And everyone could tell, even John. He was the most excited about being part of the guild but was the one who suggested everyone go on the trip with Wyn and Arabelle. Apparently even he needed some time away.


    ¡°It would be hard for most teams to keep up with our pace,¡± Cedric said. ¡°Admittedly we slowed down after Lucy left, but we still do quite well comparatively.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± John said. ¡°I¡¯m nearly at my parent¡¯s progress as Climbers, and I¡¯ve only been here a year!¡±


    ¡°Speaking of, we need to head back and plan for the month,¡± Tasha said. ¡°There¡¯s only a few weeks left and we need to get back to climbing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m heading to the training hall,¡± Marcy said. ¡°Daniel, would you mind introducing me to the class recruiters? I might as well go ahead and meet them.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Daniel exclaimed. ¡°I need to ask about my new students, anyway!¡±


    Right before they left with the caravan, Marcy had been sent a letter that the city guild was wanting her to become a mentor for new Archers and similar classes. They had been having an influx of new climbing classes, and many of the existing mentors already had their hands full with training unknown classes with new skills. It initially caused climbing to slow considerably as people were trying to figure out their new classes, and the city guild was scrambling to both find out the reason and to accommodate the change. It affected the local economy in several ways, too, and they were doing anything possible to get people climbing again. One of those solutions was new mentors, and Marcy was selected for new ranged classes. She took the trip to think about her decision, but ultimately decided to help.


    Daniel, meanwhile, had a couple of problems of his own. He was asked to take on the few strange classes that didn¡¯t fit any specific category. Being a Ruby Magician meant having a lot of options and differing skills, and he had great insight that helped. There was also the fact that several new Climbers actually stuck with the Ruby Magician class in the last several months, and Daniel was taking on new students more than he had in years. He agreed to mentor them and had been working with six Climbers regularly, being as busy as ever but thriving.


    Wyn was happy to see him doing so well with it, and the older man handled the new responsibility with respect and fervor. He no longer drank alcohol, was level headed, and supplied an endless amount of advice to both Wyn and Arabelle. The few times he needed to express his own difficulties Wyn was more than happy to provide his own listening ear, too.


    It was still strange knowing new classes were now popping up all over the city, but Wyn was used to strange. Since their entire group had new class upgrade options for the third tier new classes had been showing up regularly. The base classes had a half dozen more options, which was a change that had never happened before since records started being kept about Alistair. And that was only the first tier options for new Climbers. Second and third tier classes had three or four times that amount. It was both exciting and mysteriously terrifying.


    Wyn couldn¡¯t wait to see what other types of magic were out there. It would certainly help knock the thought of needing to only pick specific classes to do well, which was a good thing. Climbers needed more variety. That was part of his goal as a Ruby Magician, and he thought things had already been changing for the better. Their group¡¯s showing at the guild trial helped show that, and now with new classes hopefully the coming months and years would support that, too.


    With the group splitting off, Wyn walked mostly in silence as he listened to the others and took in the city. It was as bustling as ever, despite the slight chill in the air. It would be busier soon as spring fully took over and the weather was more cooperative, but he mostly kept to other areas than the populace as it was.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll be a string of underground caverns this time,¡± John said, holding Tasha¡¯s hand as they walked down the street. ¡°With some colorful glowstones or fireflies.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping for open air,¡± Tasha said. ¡°A large, open space with nice green plains and a warm sunny sky sounds lovely.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not face whatever monsters are out on open plains,¡± Cedric added. ¡°And I believe I¡¯m done with underground caverns, thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°Fair point,¡± John conceded. ¡°What¡¯s the plan for this month, Wyn?¡±


    Wyn thought about it for a moment while trying to look for a cart to take them to their guild house. ¡°Nothing major, really. There¡¯s no point trying to push high since we¡¯re already over half way through the month. I¡¯d like to see how many gemstones we can find or possibly trade for as an estimate for future negotiations. Arabelle and her team are going to be working the first tier a lot, and I want to see how the second tier holds up. Of course any items will be split but I want to log it all. If Arabelle can stay in the first tier that would be my preference, but we might need her to go into the second if we get behind.¡±


    As he waved down a cart, something caught his eye in the far off crowd on the other side of the street. While most everyone was walking side to side, and some were standing around talking to each other, one figure was facing him. They were cloaked in a ragged cloth, their face covered by a strange mask. No one else around them seemed to notice them or mind their presence.


    Seeing them made a chill run across Wyn¡¯s body. Their mask was of a dog-like creature, and Wyn recognized them.


    One of the members of the Faceless Four.


    A cart pulled across his vision, stopping to allow the four of them to enter. Wyn looked around it to see the person gone.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time he noticed their presence in the past several months, and he had a strong feeling it wouldn¡¯t be the last.


    ¡°You know she¡¯s going to want to get into the second tier anyway,¡± Cedric said, settling in beside Wyn. He was shaping and reshaping his left arm constantly as its strength fully returned after coming back to Alestead. ¡°There¡¯s no sense in hoping she stays on the first floors. You know that.¡±


    Wyn tried to focus while looking out the side of the cart as they passed the city. He knew Cedric was right. And he didn¡¯t really want to hold Arabelle back. The dangers of climbing grew so much for the next tiers, though, and he only wanted her to be safe. But she was her own woman, and her own Climber. She would make her own decisions and her group collectively would agree on what was best for them. Wyn was simply happy her group was solid and worked well together.


    The four Climbers continued their ride back to their guild house, with Wyn mostly observing the city, Cedric refamiliarizing himself with his magical arm, and John and Tasha talking to themselves.


    When they arrived, they all stopped at the front entrance with their bags at their feet. On the front door at the top of the steps were three nailed papers. Two were more weathered and the third looked cleaner. In big, bold letters on all three of them was the heading ¡®EVICTION NOTICE¡¯.


    ¡°Well, shit,¡± Wyn muttered.