《Dungeon Noble - Squire》


 Dungeon Noble 1 - Ascension

    Jake eyed the Triarchy guards controlling the flow of people outside the Ascension hall with distaste. Like so many others, Jake had turned eighteen last year, which meant that today, the first day of the new year, he could receive a Class.


    If the Gods willed it.


    For as long as history was recorded, Ascension Obelisks were found at the centre of any settlement larger than a village, placed by the Gods themselves.


    Those who were eighteen or older and touched an obelisk were judged by the Gods, and the worthy were granted a Class.


    Port Emerald was more than large enough to have such an obelisk, and today was Jake¡¯s day. He would be judged, and maybe, just maybe, he¡¯d be able to escape the downward spiral his life was doomed to follow.


    ¡°Wait,¡± the Triarchy guard at the head of their group barked crisply, holding them in place as a few pale-skinned Triarchy natives were escorted past Jake and the others.


    ¡°Fucking trikes,¡± someone behind Jake muttered, and he repressed the urge to nod and spit to one side. The guards around them were Classers, and from their pale skin and blue eyes, they were triarcheans as well.


    Jake had no idea what Classers could do, so he made sure to not even think of the derogatory term, not when he was this close to his own Class.


    Jake¡¯s line continued to wait as the children of the rich and powerful within the city were also escorted past them.


    No matter how influential their parents might be, those pretentious fucks were strovian, just like Jake, and that put their worth below even the lowliest of the triarcheans born in Jake¡¯s homeland.


    ¡°Forwards,¡± the guard stated, his gaze measuring them one by one as they started past him once more. ¡°Hold.¡±


    The guard¡¯s left hand came down behind Jake, stopping the next in line from advancing, while his right pushed Jake forwards, sending him stumbling inside a small waiting room.


    There were eleven other candidates alongside Jake inside the room, which held a single exit that was guarded by an imposing Triarchy guard.


    A glance at the others around him revealed a mix of social statuses were present, everyone from those just a little too poor to deserve the expedited entry to those in a similar ragged state as Jake.


    As a strovian orphan, Jake had been cared for by a Triarchy-funded orphanage until today. If he didn¡¯t gain a Class, he was on his own. This was the last stop before true poverty and starvation.


    There were opportunities for those like him, of course, but they were few and far between, and those that couldn¡¯t get them had to live on a knife¡¯s edge.


    The door in front of them opened after a few moments, a new guard beckoning them forward before turning and walking away.


    The small group followed the guard in silence down the short corridor, eventually emerging into a large room that held little more than the obelisk at its centre.


    The Obelisk was maybe seven or eight-foot tall and half as wide. Physically, its dimensions weren¡¯t that intimidating. What caught Jake¡¯s eye, however, were the glowing runes that ran along its surface. Each rune shed a pale grey nimbus of light that filled the room and presented an eerie atmosphere.


    "Step forward one at a time and touch the Obelisk. Once you have received your judgement, head to your left if you have a Class or to your right if you don¡¯t. Any attempts to deceive us will be treated as treasonous activity," a guard recited formally, not even a hint of emotion in his voice as he threatened them.


    The only crime worse than treason in the Triarchy was heresy, and both came with the death penalty.


    After some initial hesitation, they all took turns stepping forward and touching the Obelisk. Two of them were illuminated in a grey flash, but most of the others were ignored and then escorted away by the guards.


    Those that were illuminated seemed to be confused and abruptly tired after touching the Obelisk. Jake could only assume it was something to do with them gaining their Class.


    Stepping forward, Jake licked his suddenly dry lips as he reached out and gently touched the cool stone of the Obelisk.


    Grey light flashed once more, blinding Jake for a moment as he reeled back, feeling as though someone had reached into his head and scrambled his mind.


    Class Received, System activated.


    Greetings, Jake Khesh. Welcome to the System.


    Your soul is currently being merged with the Class you have received. You will be able to access its details once this is complete.


    Your Class has been determined by the Khesh bloodline, and you are now a Dungeon Noble. Your current status is a Tier I Dungeon Noble - Squire (I). Further information and Class benefits will be activated once the merge is complete.


    Good Luck.


    A foreign voice spoke to Jake in his mind, the intent of the message passed to him in the blink of an eye.


    As the voice faded, Jake felt his energy being sapped away by something, making him stumble a little as he tried to move away from the Obelisk.


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    It felt as though there was some void in the core of his being, sucking every bit of energy he had from his body.


    ¡°This way,¡± a guard muttered in Jake¡¯s ear, all but dragging him away somewhere. Disorientated and off-balance, Jake didn¡¯t follow what path they took, only getting his bearings once they were stopped.


    The guard had brought him to a different room where several tables were lined up. Numerous objects were scattered across the tables, but it was the blood on the floor that drew Jake¡¯s eyes. Fresh blood.


    ¡°Pick up the items, one by one, and hold them for at least three seconds each. Do not rush, and do not skip any items,¡± a new guard stepped into view, the three-circle symbol of the Triarchy emblazoned proudly on his clothing.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± Jake asked, stumbling over the words as his mind struggled to adjust.


    ¡°Start with the first item, please,¡± the official said, ignoring Jake completely.


    ¡°What¡­¡± Jake started to say, but the guard who¡¯d brought him gripped his shoulder tightly before pushing Jake forward.


    Grimacing and feeling like he was going to throw up from the abrupt motion, Jake reached out and touched the first item, a hammer bearing an odd mark.


    Picking the hammer up, Jake looked over to the official for guidance, but they waved for him to continue. Placing the hammer back down, Jake started to make his way through the other items.


    Weapons, tools, books, pendants, the range of items on display was vast, but each of them bore a symbol of some description, though no two symbols were the same.


    ¡°No reaction,¡± the official noted as Jake finished the first table of items. ¡°Moving onto the second batch of heretical artifacts.¡±


    The guard behind Jake pushed him forward to the next group of objects, ignoring Jake¡¯s harsh intake of breath as he realised what was happening.


    This was a test of his Class.


    The Triarchy forbade the worship of any gods other than the three they worshipped. Anyone with a Class linked to a god that wasn¡¯t one of those three would be killed out of hand.


    Jake reached out with trembling hands to lift the next item, a bowl filled to the brim with crystal-clear water. Despite his shaking hands, the water didn¡¯t spill at all. In fact, it didn¡¯t even move. Something about the lack of ripples within the water made Jake uncomfortable, and he placed the bowl back down as quickly as he could.


    Jake was finally starting to clear out the cobwebs in his mind; his thoughts weren¡¯t so sluggish or jumbled now. The voice that had spoken to him had said his Class was Dungeon Noble, which didn¡¯t sound religious on the face of it. It did sound strange, however, and was apparently linked to his bloodline.


    ¡°No further reactions. Take him through for secondary processing,¡± the official said in a disappointed tone, making Jake realise that he¡¯d finished trying all the objects. Placing the last one down, which was some sort of metal zig-zag shape that tingled against his skin, Jake obediently followed the guard out of the room.


    Jake was feeling almost himself again by the time they reached their destination; in fact, despite the lingering problems with focusing on anything, he felt physically better than ever.


    Conscious that he was being watched, Jake did his best not to let this revelation show to his escort. The Triarchy were ruthless when it came to anything religious, and Jake had no desire to draw their attention so soon after that test.


    For all he knew, some of those artifacts had a delayed reaction, and this was all still part of the test.


    ¡°Inside,¡± the guard growled as they reached a closed door, pushing it open with one hand while shoving Jake inside with the other.


    ¡°Greetings, Citizen, please, take a seat,¡± a new official wearing the insignia of the Triarchy said to Jake as he stumbled in. The official was sat at a table and gestured at an empty chair opposite him.


    Jake eyed the open book in front of the official and the quill that he held at the ready. He knew what was coming now. Resignation swept through him as he sat down where he was directed.


    ¡°Excellent, thank you. Now, congratulations on successfully Ascending and gaining a Class. I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t had the chance to integrate with it yet. However, that will finish soon enough. In the meantime, would you like to divulge the nature of your Class?¡± The official turned the page in his book and dipped his quill, tapping the excess ink off as he waited for Jake to respond.


    ¡°Erm, no, thank you,¡± Jake said, shifting uncomfortably at the frosty look that the official gave him.


    ¡°Very well, but please be aware that we are offering a modest congratulatory gift of a dozen Wyrdgeld to any Classer who discloses their Class,¡± the official said, putting a small pouch on the table next to his book and loosening the tie that held it shut.


    The glint of blood-red coins and the subtle scent of crisp, clear air grabbed Jake and dragged his attention to the pouch, though there was an odd metallic undertone to it as well.


    Wyrdgeld was the currency of Classers, which only made sense as it was drawn from the corpses of monsters by the Classers that killed them.


    Non-classers used ingar for their day-to-day transactions, so Jake could only imagine how much wealth such coins could bring.


    The lure of the money was strong, and if Jake had a straightforward starting Class, he would have taken it. He didn¡¯t, though. His Class was from his bloodline and had ¡®noble¡¯ in the name.


    Neither of which was good to reveal to the people that had conquered his country. Any chance of Jake either being killed or enslaved on the spot when they found out what his Class was meant that he had to resist.


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Jake repeated, more firmly this time.


    ¡°Very well, so be it,¡± the official sneered, whisking the money from the table and writing something in the notebook. ¡°Now. Name, place of residence and next of kin?¡±


    ¡°Jake Khesh, the Emerald Orphanage and no kin,¡± Jake replied, ignoring the heartache he felt from such a simple statement.


    ¡°Hmm, that will have to do,¡± the official said with a sniff of disdain. ¡°Now, the Triarchy is always keen to support new blood from the colonies. Accordingly, you have three choices. Military enlistment, a working bond or citizenship. Enlistment lasts for a minimum of ten years, the bond is for five years, and citizenship is one hundred Wyrdgeld a month for a tier one Classer. If you choose citizenship, you are given the rest of this month as a gesture of goodwill but will be required to pay the citizen tax on the first day of next month.¡±


    Jake stared at the official in something approaching disbelief. None of those options sounded good, but it wasn¡¯t like he had a choice.


    ¡°Citizenship, please,¡± Jake said eventually, having no desire to work in one of the camps or serve in the military.


    ¡°Very good. Please note you have until the first day of next month to pay one hundred Wyrdgeld to maintain your citizen status,¡± the official said with a nasty smile. ¡°Sign here.¡±


    Jake took the quill and read the declaration that the official had laid out, it seemed right, but he was a bit overwhelmed with all this.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t like he had any other option; a Classer had to be a citizen to live in the Triarchy, and non-citizens were exiled or killed.


    The moment that Jake finished signing, he felt a shiver run down his spine as the contract settled into place.


    Attention - You are now bound and marked as a Citizen of the Triarchy. You are contractually obliged to pay one hundred Wyrdgeld within thirty Days and then every month thereafter. Breaking this binding will remove the Citizen mark.


    The voice from before spoke into Jake¡¯s mind, making him wince in pain as he felt something new settle onto him. He¡¯d known this kind of heavy tax was coming, but it still felt like a chain around his neck.


    It wouldn¡¯t be so bad if Jake even had an idea of how much money he was going to be paying them. If a dozen was an incentive to give up information, then one hundred felt like it would be a problem.


    ¡°Thank you, please bear in mind that the System enforces signed contracts between Classers. When you need to pay the money, please visit your local Triarchy administration centre. Have a nice day,¡± the official said, donning a fake smile and ignoring Jake as he was escorted away.

 DN 2 - The Other Side

    Jake was escorted out from the Ascension hall, exiting on the far side from where he had first entered.


    A large group of people were waiting nearby to reunite with the candidates who¡¯d gone through, and Jake could see a number of other freshly Ascended Classers being congratulated by beaming parents.


    Looking away, Jake focused on the rest of his surroundings, which had an almost marketplace-like feel.


    A series of stalls were set up a short distance ahead, each with a banner across the top, advertising one or more of the Guilds that had a presence in Port Emerald.


    There was everything from prestigious Guilds like the Silver Spears or Golden Blades to more specialised Guilds like the Roamers.


    Guilds were collections of Classers working together as either hunters or delvers, but they were also sources of training and equipment.


    Well, according to the stories, anyway.


    Jake¡¯s gaze lingered on a few of the more impressive ones as he wondered if he¡¯d be able to get in. As a penniless orphan, he doubted he was their ideal candidate, but he had just as much potential as anyone else now that he had his Class.


    Taking a deep breath, Jake approached the Silver Spears stall and nodded tentatively to the woman working it. ¡°Erm, hi. I was hoping to ask about your Guild?¡±


    ¡°Of course, but please bear in mind that we have an entry requirement of rank nine,¡± the woman said, giving him a slightly apologetic look.


    ¡°Rank nine, but why are you here then?¡± Jake asked, confused as to how he could possibly be at the cusp of his tier when he¡¯d only just received his Class.


    ¡°For people like yourself, we are open to applications when you reach the valid rank. Our stall here is primarily for heritage Classers, those with parents or connections who will fund their immediate advancement to rank nine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Jake said, cursing himself for thinking that anything would be different on this side of the city. It always comes down to money.


    ¡°The two for you would be either the Roamers or the Delvers, depending on if you want to be a hunter or a delver, respectively.¡± The woman added, giving Jake a sympathetic look that only irritated him. He didn¡¯t need her pity.


    Turning quickly to hide his flushed cheeks, Jake hurried away from the stall, moving out of the way of a rich-looking father and son who were heading towards the stall he¡¯d been at.


    Focusing on what he¡¯d been told, Jake glanced between the Delver and Roamer guilds before deciding on the former. He didn¡¯t know much about his Class, but it had Dungeon in the name, so delving seemed the way to go.


    ¡°Hi there, looking to get some information?¡± The man at the Delvers stall said as Jake approached. ¡°First time this side of the Wall?¡±


    The Wall was the dividing line between the small part of the port that catered to the Ascended, and the rest, which was only for those without Classes.


    Truthfully, Jake hadn¡¯t even considered that he was on the other side until now, but a glance back at the Ascension hall showed that the exit he¡¯d come through was flush with the fifteen-foot stone barrier that he¡¯d often stared at.


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± Jake said, turning back to the other man with a slight shrug, not wanting to give away too much information.


    ¡°Not a problem. Most of the freshly Ascended have never been here before, but that¡¯s why we¡¯re here,¡± the man said, flashing Jake a friendly grin. ¡°My name is Brad, and I¡¯m a tier two Classer and part of the Delvers Guild.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Jake,¡± he reached out to shake the other man¡¯s hand, caught a little off guard by the pleasant reception.


    ¡°Good to meet you, Jake. So, are you interested in delving, hunting or both?¡±


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    ¡°Delving mainly.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re in the right place then,¡± Brad said with a chuckle before unrolling some parchment and weighing down the edges. ¡°So, this is the Ascended district of the city, and we¡¯re right here. Now, Triarchy rules are that normal folk aren¡¯t allowed in the Ascended district except when on a job, and the inverse applies to you.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so I can¡¯t go home?¡± Jake asked, mentally cursing the Triarchy.


    ¡°Not without a permit, and that takes Wyrdgeld, which you likely don¡¯t have. Don¡¯t worry, though. The Guild will put you up for the night and keep you fed if you sign on. It¡¯s a service we provide all the newbies.¡±


    Jake felt something settle within him and felt something appear within him, something that he could toggle if he wanted.


    Eager to experiment, Jake hurried through the rest of the recruiting spiel from Brad, memorised the map as best he could and went on his way.


    Jake had already decided to join the Guild, and that meant that food and shelter were taken care of, so he sought out somewhere relatively private and safe before interacting with whatever it was within him.


    Name - Jake Khesh


    Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon


    Class - Dungeon Noble - Squire


    Tier - I


    Rank - I


    Dungeon Network - 0


    Plexus Manifestations - 0/0


    Plexus Points - 0


    Traits


    Physical - Lesser Noble Constitution (I) - Rare- Descended from a Noble bloodline, you have a minor enhancement to physical characteristics.


    Skills


    Passive - Personal Plexus (I) - Very Rare - You gain the ability to bind Dungeons and form your own Plexus that may contain Dungeons of minor strength. Currently, Dungeons up to Tier I can be bound. Doubles the Wyrdgeld cost of advancing in Class Rank.


    Patron Gifts


    Passive - Agent of the Great Dungeon (I)  - Very Rare - You are bound to the Great Dungeon by blood. Other followers of the Great Dungeon will recognise you and aid you as they may.


    Passive - Sense Dungeon (I) - Rare - As an agent of the Great Dungeon, you are able to passively sense the location of nearby Dungeons in a meagre range.


    Deed requirement to increase Tier


    1 - 5 Tier I or higher Dungeons bound


    2 - Rank X


    Requirements to increase to Rank II


    1 - 40 Wyrdgeld


    ¡°What?¡± Jake whispered in mounting horror as the unseen voice spoke into his mind. Triggering the update again, Jake paled as he heard the same information again.


    He didn¡¯t even know what terrified him more, his Patron or the requirements to advance to the next rank.


    Jake felt nauseous as he realised how close he must have come to dying in the ascension hall. The three gods of the Triarchy were Manos, Disa and Dranys, not the Great Dungeon, whatever that was.


    Jake took a moment to breathe, reminding himself that there definitely hadn¡¯t been a relic of the Great Dungeon on those tables. If there had been, he¡¯d be dead now. In fact, if he¡¯d taken that deal and let them access his Class, he¡¯d also be dead now.


    Calming himself down, Jake triggered the update a third time, focusing on the rest of what it was telling him. The Noble Constitution trait explained why he felt physically more capable, which made him smile, even with everything happening.


    The smile didn¡¯t make it past the Patron gifts, though, as they were a problem. For that matter, the Patron itself was a problem. Having a Patron god in a country occupied by the Triarchy, which wasn¡¯t one of the triumvirate, was asking for a quick death.


    A hysterical laugh ripped from Jake¡¯s throat as he realised that even though he now had a Class, he was in more danger than before, despite having Ascended. Not to mention the fact that his Class effectively crippled itself. Personal Plexus was just another weight around his neck, maybe one too many.


    Jake had been eager to earn money and try to improve his life, but it felt like he¡¯d taken one step forward and four or five back.


    According to the System, Jake was descended from a noble bloodline, but he¡¯d never come across another Khesh, and he couldn¡¯t remember anything before the orphanage. Most of the other children there had been the sons and daughters of those that resisted the Triarchy, given over to the orphanages once the Triarchy established their rule.


    Jake, however, had been given directly to the orphanage by a dying man when he was just a few years old, so all he knew of his background was his name.


    Considering what he knew, Jake had a feeling that using his surname openly might be a risk. Thankfully, it never really came up at the orphanage, so using it at the Ascension hall was the first time he¡¯d given it in years.


    Jake sighed and leaned back, his head pressing against the cool stone of the building behind him as he wished he¡¯d just had an average Class.


    Jake¡®s Class had sections on his status for ¡®Dungeon Network¡¯ and ¡®Plexus Points¡¯. The System wasn¡¯t going to explain that for him, but both seemed to come from his Patron, and both were linked to Dungeons, so the Delvers Guild was definitely the right choice.


    Jake disliked feeling like he was being pushed into a decision or that his choices weren¡¯t his own, but for now, he¡¯d follow along with the path ahead and see what he could learn about this mysterious Patron.


    Calling Brad¡¯s map to mind, Jake came back out of the alley he¡¯d found and set off towards the Guild.


    He needed more information to understand how much danger this Class was putting him in.

 DN 3 - Delvers Guild

    The more permanent structures of the Guilds were located on what Brad had told him was called Dungeon Row, the final street leading to the Dungeon entrance.


    Jake had seen plenty of busy markets within Port Emerald, but none had quite the same chaotic air as what he saw before him.


    In the distance, he could see a walled-off section of the city with gated access. A queue of armed and armoured Classers stood outside, waiting for their turn to pay the toll and access what Jake assumed was the Dungeon.


    Between Jake and the queue was a long paved stretch of road that was filled with a bustling crowd and was lined with shops, taverns, inns and even a few temples.


    Jake¡¯s lip curled as he took in the three temples to the different Patrons of the Triarchy. He doubted they got many visitors from the locals.


    Quashing his anger, Jake ignored the temples and instead admired the array of weapons and armour on display amongst the other Classers.


    Anticipation burnt brightly in Jake¡¯s chest once more. He might have some problems, but this was still what he¡¯d wanted, and it was a damn sight better than being a Strovian orphan in a Triarchy-controlled city.


    Feeling a bit more positive about it all, Jake looked around until he saw the Delvers Guild building and made his way over.


    Heading over and walking in through the open double doors of the Guild building, Jake found himself in something equivalent to a tavern, not at all what he was expecting.


    A roaring fire sat in a large hearth, and a dozen or more tables were scattered around what felt like a normal taproom. Well, apart from how heavily armed all the patrons were.


    A few doors were scattered around the room, but this seemed to be the main area from the number of people present.


    A few people stood behind a combined bar and table at the room¡¯s rear. It was odd to see, but there was an obvious line where the bar stopped, and what Jake guessed was the admin area began.


    One of the workers he could see was taking drink orders while the other two seemed to be assisting with paperwork for a young-looking person that Jake recognised from the queue at the Ascension hall.


    Behind the admin side of the area was a framed job board, one that was littered with organised rows of notes. It was too far away from Jake for him to make out any details, but the amount of information there made him perk up.


    The Triarchy would be coming to tax him eventually, so he needed to identify sources of income where he could.


    Jake had no illusions about his combat potential, but there were always jobs that no one wanted to do, and he needed the money.


    Eagerly hurrying forward, Jake got in the queue for the closest of the administrators and tried to make himself look as presentable as possible.


    ¡°Hi, welcome to the Delvers Guild. How can I help?¡± The administrator, who seemed just a little older than Jake was, asked when Jake got to the front of the queue.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯ve recently gained my Class, and I¡¯m looking to join,¡± Jake said, surprising himself with how steady his tone was considering how his heart was pounding in his chest.


    So much had happened in the last few hours, but underneath it all, Jake was still struggling to accept the fact that he had a Class.


    ¡°Oh, congratulations!¡± The man said enthusiastically, flashing Jake a warm smile. ¡°Can I ask what sort of Class you have?¡±


    ¡°Combat,¡± Jake said, not entirely sure if he was lying or not. Dungeons seemed a big theme for his Class, and they were full of violence and death, so it sort of made sense.


    ¡°Fantastic, and why are you looking to join our Guild?¡± The man asked, pulling out a quill and ink pot before making a few notes.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m from an orphanage, so what you see is everything I have,¡± Jake said, flushing a little at admitting his lack of means.


    ¡°Not a problem; a lot of folks come to us for just that reason,¡± the other man said with a sympathetic smile. ¡°We can supply you with a sword and some clean clothes as part of signing you on, though.¡±


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    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jake said, relief sweeping through him at the mention of the free equipment. He¡¯d heard that the association did such things, but it was still a relief to actually have it happen.


    ¡°Not a problem,¡± the administrator said, pushing over a piece of paper to Jake. ¡°This is a membership form, we don¡¯t charge you upfront, but there is a monthly fee of twenty Wyrdgeld starting next month, payable at month¡¯s end.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it,¡± Jake said, signing his name and details onto the membership form. He hesitated a little at what name to use as he still felt somewhat wary after learning of his connection to a ¡°noble¡± bloodline, but Jake eventually settled on the surname Chant, as that had been the name of his favourite custodian.


    Attention - You are now bound as a member of the Delvers Guild. You are contractually obliged to pay twenty Wyrdgeld to them within 60 days and then every month thereafter. Failing to adhere to this contract will nullify your membership and remove your membership mark.


    Jake shivered at the icy feeling that ran down his spine, but he was already starting to get used to these strange announcements.


    Unlike last time, however, this message came with a pinching sensation on the back of his left hand. Glancing down, Jake saw a small tattoo-like mark had appeared on the back of his hand.


    ¡°Fantastic, that¡¯s all done for you. Don¡¯t worry about the mark; it¡¯s just to identify you as part of the Guild. Here, we still have a few rooms free; you can stay here tonight,¡± the man said, passing Jake a metallic token and a key with a wooden tag with the number fifteen. ¡°It¡¯s free for association members, but the rest of the new Classers will be here soon, so take it before we fill up.¡±


    Jake took the key gratefully, the part of him worrying about where he¡¯d sleep finally quieting down. Putting the member¡¯s token in his pocket, Jake waited as the administrator noted a few more things down before continuing to speak.


    ¡°Head over to the armoury tomorrow morning. The membership list will be updated by then. Show them your mark and explain the situation; they¡¯ll sort you out with equipment. In the meantime, speak with Ari, the big guy over there. He¡¯ll give you a brief introduction, and you can get a more complete one tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jake murmured, glancing over in the direction the administrator had pointed to see a big, muscular man sitting on his own in the corner.


    ¡°No problem. Come back if you need anything.¡± With a nod in Jake¡¯s direction, the man turned to the next in the queue, asking them about a job they were working on.


    ¡°Excuse me, are you Ari?¡± Jake asked, approaching the big man he¡¯d been pointed to somewhat cautiously.


    ¡°Ah, fresh blood,¡± the man said, looking over to Jake and giving him an appraising look. ¡°Not one of those rich dicks either. You look like a local.¡±


    ¡°So what if I am?¡± Jake asked, his eyes narrowing.


    ¡°Hah, relax, kid. No need to be so concerned,¡± Ari said, waving away Jake¡¯s question. ¡°Just nice to see a local is all. Take a seat, unwind. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s been a big day.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it has,¡± Jake said grudgingly admitted as he sat down. He¡¯d had to queue at the Ascension hall for at least an hour or two, so his feet were happy for the rest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, only a few hours to go,¡± Ari said with a laugh, gesturing at the dimming sunlight coming through the windows of the building. ¡°So, you already know my name. Guess that means you¡¯ve signed up, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got my tattoo,¡± Jake said, showing Ari the back of his hand.


    ¡°Good, good. Now, focus on the tattoo and command it to disappear.¡±


    Jake frowned before looking down at the mark and doing as he was told. Surprisingly, the mark did just that, seemingly sinking into his skin without a trace.


    ¡°Congratulations, you have command of your first soul mark,¡± Ari said with a slightly patronising smile. ¡°You can make it appear or disappear at will, but keep it hidden most of the time. Easier that way.¡±


    Jake nodded, not entirely sure what Ari was getting at but glad that he had control over whether or not the mark was shown.


    ¡°So, the admin guy said to talk to you. What now?¡±


    ¡°Hold that thought,¡± Ari said, holding up a finger as he got to his feet and strode over to the bar.


    Jake took the opportunity to lean back in his chair, enjoying the chance to have such comfortable furniture.


    ¡°Here,¡± Ari appeared by his side with a tankard of beer, sliding it in front of Jake before retaking his seat and slowly sipping a second tankard. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the stuff.¡±


    Jake waited for a moment, but Ari simply kicked his feet up onto a nearby chair and sipped his beer.


    ¡°You were going to tell me about what we do next?¡± Jake prompted eventually.


    ¡°Hmm, oh, forgot you were here,¡± Ari said before chuckling at Jake¡¯s expression. ¡°Relax, kid, just messing with you. So, what have they told you so far?¡±


    ¡°I get somewhere to sleep and some food. That¡¯s all, really.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the basics, but beyond that, we offer basic equipment, introductory training and a more experienced Classer to guide you and your group through completing your first Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Jake said, restraining his urge to grin at the talk of equipment and training.


    ¡°Yeah, good isn¡¯t it,¡± Ari said with a grin. ¡°The Guild also has control of a few lower-tier Dungeons, and you can delve them for free if you show your mark. We also act as brokers if you need to sell anything special. Beyond that, the main thing that jumps to mind is that being part of a Guild is having a support structure at your back, and none of the other Guilds are quite like this one.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean that the people here care, and that¡¯s rarer than you might think,¡± Ari said, his smile turning melancholic for a moment before he shook it off. ¡°Enough of that talk, though. You should go get some rest. We¡¯ll have a meeting in the morning with all the new Classers. You can learn more then.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe I should,¡± Jake said, Ari¡¯s words making him realise just how tired he felt. The Ascension process had really drained him. An early night would be more than welcome.


    Leaving Ari to his beer, Jake headed upstairs and found his room, the soft mattress of his bed lulling him to sleep almost as soon as he lay down on it.

 DN 4 - Guild Training I

    When Jake woke up, the light coming through the window of his room told him that it wasn¡¯t long after dawn. Apparently, he¡¯d fallen asleep on the bed and slept away the rest of the day and throughout the night.


    Having that long without being disturbed was rare in the orphanage. This was probably the longest Jake had slept in the last few years, and it felt good.


    He felt awake, aware and filled with energy in a way that was entirely new for him. No doubt part of that was his Class, as well.


    Heading downstairs, Jake followed his nose to a canteen of sorts. They¡¯d said that food was provided, but Jake wasn¡¯t sure how exactly that would work.


    Jake was hesitant to go in, but his stomach was empty, and hunger was gnawing at him as he looked at the array of people eating their breakfast.


    Giving in, Jake got a tray and joined the queue for service. Everyone seemed to receive the same selection, though they paid varying amounts and took different things.


    A slim, dark-eyed man paid for his small bowl of porridge with a small stack of Wyrdgeld, but the person after him passed over only a single of the blood-red coins.


    Jake¡¯s confusion must have been apparent, as the server gave him a warm smile when it was his turn to approach.


    ¡°Morning, are you one of the new members?¡± The server was a middle-aged man with a kind face who was effortlessly managing the replenishment of a dozen different dishes on display from what was being brought to him.


    ¡°I am, yes. How much does this cost?¡± Jake asked, cutting straight to the point as he motioned to the various dishes displayed in front of him. He was too hungry for pleasantries.


    ¡°In general, you¡¯re asked to pay what you can spare for meals here,¡± the cook said, pushing a plate at Jake and motioning for him to start loading it up. ¡°Today, however, there¡¯s no cost. New members get their first week of meals free."


    "Oh, okay!" Jake¡¯s eyes lit up as he realised he was eating for free. His stomach felt like it was curling up and dying inside him, so he was quick to start loading his plate up.


    Once he had as much as his plate could hold, Jake looked around the room and eventually settled on a table with someone who looked the same age as him. It felt weird to eat on his own, so Jake would rather share a table, even if they didn¡¯t know each other.


    "Hi, are you new here as well?" Jake asked as he slid his tray onto the table.


    "Yeah, I got my Class yesterday," Jake¡¯s chosen companion opposite answered, giving Jake an appraising look that he returned.


    Jake¡¯s breakfast companion was a muscular man with a chiselled jaw and biceps that looked like they could crush Jake¡¯s head. He was an imposing specimen of a human, for sure.


    "Excuse me," a soft voice came from behind Jake as they were joined by a third person. "I couldn¡¯t help but overhear, and I have recently received my Class as well."


    The newcomer was a slight woman with long ashen hair and piercing blue eyes that seemed to go straight through Jake. She gave them both a small smile before taking a seat and having a small bite from a piece of cornbread.


    "I wonder how many new people there are?" Jake asked aloud, considering how many people lived in Port Emerald and the surrounding area. He would expect dozens to have received their Class, and the Delvers Guild was well-known, so it should get a lot of attention.


    "At least ten from what I saw. I arrived just after a group of people who all came together," the woman said, turning her unsettling gaze Jake¡¯s way.


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    "I wonder if they¡¯ll make us do some sort of group training?" Jake wondered, thinking back to what they did when new orphans were delivered to the orphanage.


    "Attention!" A familiar voice boomed throughout the room as Ari¡¯s broad form filled the doorway. "All new guild members, please come with me. We¡¯re about to run your first training session. Miss it at your own peril.¡± Ari stepped back out of the doorway, vanishing from sight.


    ¡°Do we just go now?¡± The woman asked, glancing between the empty doorway and her food.


    ¡°I know I am,¡± Jake mumbled around a mouthful of food as he stuffed as much in as he could and ran after Ari. He had so many questions about Classes, and hopefully, this training would start answering them.


    Jake and the rest of the new Classers slowly filed into the front room of the Guild, forming a disorderly group under Ari¡¯s direction.


    Jake had gotten quite good at guessing how much money someone had by their clothing and how they held themselves, amongst other things. Looking over the others present, Jake could tell he wasn¡¯t the only one without funds, but that wasn¡¯t that surprising given what he¡¯d learned from his attempt at talking to another Guild.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s everyone. Newbies, follow me,¡± Ari said, his voice cutting through the idle chatter with ease.


    Drinking from a steaming mug of something hot, Ari led them deeper into the building, eventually coming out into a courtyard of sorts.


    A pair of older Classers were waiting for them, a woman in impressive armour and a man in robes that were covered with intricate designs.


    Ari had a quick conversation with the two while they waited for all the new Classers to filter out into the courtyard.


    ¡°Alright, Matthias, that¡¯s everyone,¡± Ari said to the robed Classer, who nodded and made a gesture with one hand that released a dome of grey energy, which quickly expanded to cover the whole courtyard.


    Ari nodded, and the other Classer didn¡¯t react, but Jake felt the small crowd he was in shift a little as everyone reacted to the unexpected use of magic.


    ¡°Okay, nobody get too concerned; that barrier is here to protect everything else from you, alright?¡± Ari said, raising a hand to placate them all and quiet them. ¡°Now, we¡¯re each going to give you a quick talk about your Class, then divide into groups to do some practice. Savenna, if you would?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the woman in armour said, giving Ari a friendly grin as she stepped forward and exuded a comforting presence. From one moment to the next, Jake abruptly felt as though he was being bathed in warm sunlight. ¡°What you are experiencing now is an aura that bolsters those I consider allies. This is one of the many abilities you can wield using your Wyrd. You will all have a single trait and skill given to you by Ascending, but in time you can learn almost anything, depending on your Class type.¡±


    ¡°Class type?¡± Jake echoed under his breath, unsure of what he was referring to. A few others seemed similarly confused, which was a little reassuring for Jake.


    ¡°I can see that not all of you know about this, don¡¯t worry. That is why we have these introductions. We unofficially split Classes into numerous types, but the most common are caster, combat and crafter. Your Deeds determine the traits you can unlock when you rank up, but your Class limits what you can choose. Skills are much the same, but your Class has less influence on them.¡±


    Excited murmurs ran through the group, but Jake found it difficult to join in. This was helpful information, but if his Class limited what he could get, Jake had the feeling he would get some odd choices.


    ¡°The System we are all part of is incredibly mutable. Two people with the same Class could take it to completely different results, and that¡¯s just for your primary Class. In the end, it¡¯s your choices that determine how your Class grows, and it¡¯s your Deeds that will allow you to progress. If you want an example of a Deed, look at your requirements to rank up or reach your next tier.¡±


    Jake did as she suggested and called his status forward mentally.


    Deed requirement to increase Tier


    1 - 5 Tier I or higher Dungeons bound


    2 - Rank X


    Requirements to increase to Rank II


    1 - 40 Wyrdgeld


    ¡°At this point, I should point out that we will not compel you to tell us your Class, but it would be helpful if you did so. We can help identify possible routes with your Class, whether it be something general, specific or even bloodline-linked,¡± Ari said with an encouraging tone, his words making a few of the others perk up.


    Jake would have loved to know more about his Class, but this reminded him too much of the interview with the Triarchy official. He wouldn¡¯t provide any details, no matter how tempted he was.


    ¡°For those of you already thinking of branching out, and there¡¯s always at least one of you, you can gain a second Class when you tier up,¡± Matthias said, adding to the conversation with a grin. ¡°This opens up more Skill slots and more Trait slots, but you are then only able to advance to a new tier if you advance both Classes at once. Two Classes is also your limit until you get them to tier ten, but that¡¯s a lifetime away, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Jake¡¯s eyes were wide as he drank in the information, already wondering what sort of abilities he would gain and how powerful he would be if he had a second Class.

 DN 5 - Guild Training II

    ¡°Right, enough theoretical stuff for now. Let¡¯s split into groups,¡± Ari called out, moving away from the other two and holding a hand up. ¡°Choose one of the three of us and split into roughly even groups.¡±


    Jake didn¡¯t hesitate before heading to Ari, wanting to stick with the person he was the most familiar with.


    There were around thirty of them in total, so each group was ten strong, allowing for a more direct conversation with the Classer leading them.


    Surprisingly, Jake found himself standing next to the muscular Classer from breakfast, and they shared a nod before turning their attention to Ari.


    ¡°Okay, so, first things first, Wyrdgeld.¡± Ari held up a hand, a single blood-red coin appearing between his fingers. ¡°Wyrdgeld is Wyrd made solid; it is pure magic, and it is the way you will advance your Classes and purchase things from other Classers. How do you gain Wyrdgeld?¡±


    ¡°Killing monsters?¡± One of the other Classers responded hesitantly.


    ¡°Good. Any other ideas?¡± Ari waited a moment before continuing. ¡°The other way to gain Wyrdgeld is to complete sections of a Dungeon. Challenge rooms and Guardian floors both provide reward chests from the Dungeon, which contain both Dungeonous materials and raw coinage. We¡¯ll go into all of that more when you start your actual delves, though.¡±


    Jake nodded, drinking in the information as best he could as he tried to picture what an actual Dungeon would look like.


    ¡°So, Wyrdgeld is solidified Wyrd, but what does that mean?¡± Ari asked rhetorically as he flicked the coin into the air before catching it. ¡°Wyrd is the power of the System. It is the fundamental energy of your magic, and without it, you are limited to your own strength. Who here has an active Skill?¡±


    The big man next to Jake raised his hand, as did most of the others, leaving Jake feeling somewhat left out.


    ¡°You, give us your name and read out your Skill for everyone,¡± Ari pointed at the man next to Jake. ¡°Oh, if it¡¯s something weird or dangerous to share, just say so. No need to give out secrets.¡±


    ¡°My name is Karl, and my Skill is called ¡®Weak Infused Hammer.¡¯ The description is, ¡®You are able to infuse your hammer with a minor amount of Wyrd, strengthening your blows and adding further weight to your strikes.¡¯ I haven¡¯t used it yet, though.¡±


    ¡°Good, a perfect example. As you heard, the Skill consumes a minor amount of Wyrd, which means you can only use it when you have Wyrd to spare, which you gain in one of three ways. Passive regeneration, killing monsters or consuming Wyrdgeld. The amount of Wyrd inside a single Wyrdgeld is minuscule in comparison to killing a monster, but it provides a potentially lifesaving option.¡±


    Jake lapsed into thought as a few other of the new Classers gave their Skills, each fitting a similar pattern to what Karl had shared.


    ¡°Alright, so we understand how Skills work. Now, let¡¯s talk about raw manipulation and gaining Skills.¡± Ari called out, bringing their attention back to him. ¡°You gain Skills by demonstrating sufficient skill or proficiency in something. The better you are, the better the Skill you could gain. The Skill won¡¯t be directly what you show, but it¡¯s always linked. One of the earliest Skills anyone can get is for infused blows, and all you need for that is to infuse your weapon with Wyrd manually and hit a monster.¡±


    Ari launched into a rough explanation of how to manipulate their Wyrd, which Jake followed absently, most of his focus on finding the well of power inside them that Ari was talking about.


    Surprisingly, it was easy enough to find the Wyrd stored within himself, and moving it around inside him was fairly straightforward as well.


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    None of them had weapons to hand, so practising their control was as much as they could do for now.


    ¡°Okay, I think you¡¯ve all got the hang of that, so what I want you to do now is to concentrate your Wyrd in your eyes, but without any  intent or desire behind it.¡±


    Jake frowned at the odd request but did as he was instructed, concentrating the amorphous energy inside him into his eyes.


    Nothing happened at first bar a slight itching feeling, one that abruptly intensified, making Jake wince at the pain. Thankfully, the sensation lasted only a moment, and what it revealed was more than enough to warrant the discomfort.


    The Classers around Jake looked the same as before, but there was now a slight translucency to them, and Jake could see a faint grey echo inside them that traced out their body.


    Looking over to Ari, Jake felt his eyes widen as he saw the same effect on the older man, but where Karl and the others had faint echoes, Ari was all but glowing with grey energy.


    ¡°Before all of you start panicking, what you¡¯re experiencing currently is the foundation of Skills to boost your vision, but it¡¯s primarily used to get an accurate understanding of how close someone is to death. The grey light you see inside us all is the manifestation of our souls. Monsters of a certain strength can damage your soul directly, to the point that not even a Dungeon can bring you back if your body dies. This technique lets you judge that, but we don¡¯t need to go into the details right now.¡±


    Jake and the others spent some time practising the technique, trying to get to the point that they could reliably activate it. While they worked, a few assistants brought in some tables and stacked them with various types of weapons.


    ¡°Alright, time for some more practical training,¡± Ari called out, clapping his hands with an eager grin that had a malicious air to it. ¡°Grab a weapon and try it out. Once you¡¯re satisfied with your choice, come back to your instructor, and we¡¯ll have a quick spar. Following that, you¡¯ll be assigned into groups for training. We intend a week of training here in the Guild. After that, we¡¯ll be heading to the Dungeons.¡±


    Jake tried to suppress his excitement as he hurried over to the tables, naturally moving over to where he saw a selection of small blades.


    Jake¡¯s years at the orphanage hadn¡¯t been the most peaceful, and he knew enough about knife fighting to keep himself alive. Picking up one that was close enough to what he was used to, Jake rolled the grip in his hands before putting it back down.


    He might know more about close and fast fighting like that, but it didn¡¯t feel right to be the weapon that he first used after his Ascension.


    This was a new life for him, an opportunity to move forward and make more of himself. If he was going to do it, he wanted to do it properly.


    Turning away from the table with the small blades, Jake looked over the rest, eyeing the array of hammers, maces, polearms and everything else that was there.


    The thought of fighting monsters made Jake consider the polearms or the spears, anything to give him more range and let him keep his distance.


    Logically, they made sense, but Jake¡¯s gaze kept coming to rest on the swords. Ari had said to pick what felt right for them, and when Jake considered going into a fight, he pictured himself with a blade.


    Jake was tall, but he lacked the muscle for something like a greatsword, even with his new Trait. He¡¯d already decided against small blades so that just left the swords.


    Picking out something that looked right, Jake took one of the sword belts available before returning to Ari.


    ¡°Sword user, is it?¡± Ari asked, eyeing the way that Jake was holding the blade and quirking a brow. ¡°You¡¯re holding that all wrong. You sure you don¡¯t want something smaller and nastier?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Jake said firmly, bringing his sword up into what he assumed was a guard stance.


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s put you to work,¡± Ari said as he grabbed a practice greatsword from where it was propped up against the wall.


    The spar that followed was eye-opening for Jake.


    Ari was faster, stronger and better trained than Jake, and despite the size and weight of his blade, he made it dance through the air and deliver hit after hit as he took Jake apart.


    Jake tried everything he knew, but Ari was simply on another level, and all Jake managed to do was get himself more thoroughly beaten down.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough of that, I think,¡± Ari said, waving for Jake to pick up his sword from where it had fallen after their last exchange. ¡°You¡¯ve been in a fight, but you¡¯ve got a lot to learn, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    -**-


    The training continued for the rest of the day, with the new Classers being split down into smaller groups based on their weapon of choice.


    Each group alternated between sparring with each other under the watchful eyes of Guild members and being instructed by them on how to improve.


    Surprisingly, Jake found himself enjoying the training, and despite not really knowing much about sword fighting, he started to pick up a few things.

 DN 6 - Guild Training III

    The rest of the week was spent running through an intensive training course as they were taught the fundamentals of how to fight.


    They weren¡¯t expected to be proficient by the end, or even good for that matter. This training was just setting the stage for them to learn more by delving into a Dungeon.


    Ari had promised that he¡¯d explain more about how Dungeons worked once they reached their first one, so Jake and the others kept their questions to a minimum. Well, they tried to anyway.


    Jake enjoyed the training, even the fitness parts, but his favourite thing about the week by far was the food they were given.


    Three meals a day, with whatever you wanted from the selection and large portions. The canteen was Jake¡¯s favourite part of the Guild for sure.


    Years of barely getting by weren¡¯t going to be undone by a single week of eating well, but between his new diet and the effect of his Class and Trait, Jake felt better than ever before.


    -**-


    The eighth day since Jake had Ascended saw them gathering together as a large group once more in the courtyard where they¡¯d first been brought together.


    ¡°Alright, everyone, we¡¯ve made it to the end of the training week,¡± Ari called out, the general chatter fading as they all gave Ari their attention. ¡°You know at least the very basics of what you¡¯re doing, but don¡¯t make the mistake of thinking that you¡¯re fully trained. Whoever you¡¯re assigned to will continue to work on your training, but it¡¯s time to get you into the Dungeons. We¡¯ve assigned you into groups, so form a line, and we¡¯ll get this organised.¡±


    Eager to move on to the next step of their training and, hopefully, start earning some money, Jake was quick to take his position in the rapidly forming line.


    The line progressed quickly, as the designations were little more than Ari telling them the person they were assigned to, and in short order, Jake was stepping forward for his assignment.


    ¡°Ah, Jake, you¡¯re with me. Get your stuff and be outside the Guild in an hour. We¡¯re leaving today.¡± Ari said, giving Jake a nod before ushering him on so he could speak to the next person.


    Ari was a powerful fighter, and though he seemed to prefer using greatswords rather than the sword and shield Jake had settled on, he was still a font of information and experience for Jake to draw on.


    Hurrying up to his room, Jake gathered what little he called his own, which amounted to a backpack of basic survival items, his sword, dagger and shield.


    Jake was still objectively better at fighting with his dagger than his sword, but the last week of combat drills had at least given him the start of his foundation for the sword.


    Heading back downstairs, Jake stepped outside and took a moment to take in the steady stream of Classers heading in and out of the Dungeon.


    ¡°Dreaming of making your fortune?¡± Ari asked, making Jake start in surprise as he realised the older Classer had joined him outside.


    ¡°Money, power, the freedom to do what I want,¡± Jake said, his hands curling into fists as he promised himself he¡¯d get it all.


    ¡°Take some advice and make sure you don¡¯t push too hard. That¡¯s how things go wrong. Tier one is pretty forgiving, but the further you go, the higher the chance of a true death or of burning out.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t spend money if I¡¯m dead,¡± Jake said, shaking his head slightly at Ari¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m no fool thinking I can cruise through this. It will be hard work, but I¡¯m no stranger to getting my hands dirty.¡±


    ¡°Good answer,¡± Ari said with a mirthless chuckle. ¡°Too many people get complacent. They forget that the Dungeon exists to kill them. Keep that attitude, kid. You might even get to be my tier someday.¡±


    ¡°What tier are you?¡± Jake asked curiously. He¡¯d been wondering since the first time he met Ari, but there was never a good moment to ask.


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    ¡°I¡¯m tier four, single Class, but keep that to yourself. It¡¯s not wise to give things like that away so easily,¡± Ari said softly, his tone more serious than normal.


    ¡°Then why tell me at all?¡± Jake asked, confused as to why Ari would give up such information if it were precious.


    ¡°Whimsy, gut instinct, call it whatever you want,¡± Ari said, waving away the question idly. ¡°You won¡¯t meet many people of my tier or higher in this Realm, so you should measure the strength of my soul and take note of who to avoid.¡±


    ¡°This Realm?¡± Jake cocked his head to one side, not sure what Ari meant.


    ¡°Hmm, we normally cover this later, but we¡¯re still waiting on the others, so why not. Consider reality as a woven layer that contains all of existence. This Realm, Vash, is the loosest weave, with everything nicely bundled together. There are four more Realms above this one, and each has more existence packed into it, so that weave gets tighter and tighter as it has to hold everything in place. Get it?¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Eh, me neither, but that¡¯s the way it was explained to me,¡± Ari said with a shrug. ¡°When you get to tier three or four, you¡¯ll move to Graldan, the next Realm. You¡¯ll understand it all then.¡±


    ¡°Why help us?¡± Jake asked, continuing when Ari simply raised a brow questioningly. ¡°You are three tiers above us and should be in a different Realm. Why spend time teaching freshly Ascended Classers who know nothing?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes, the best way to make a difference is to work within the systems you have. I might be unable to change how unfair things are between people like you and those with rich parents, but I can do my part to balance the scales.¡±


    The door to the Guild opened, halting any further questions that Jake might have had as Karl came striding out to join them.


    Jake had spent a little time with Karl during the week, so they were familiar enough that he was a welcome addition to whatever team Ari had arranged.


    Karl was carrying a warhammer and a shield, and Jake knew from experience that the big man could put both to effective use. He¡¯d clearly had training before he became a Classer.


    Rhew, the blue-eyed woman whom Jake had met in passing on that first day, was the next to join them, though, unlike Jake and Karl, she carried a wand made of white wood.


    The final one to join them was a short, thin man with a sallow complexion that somehow emphasised his bright green eyes, which were constantly on the move, watching and measuring everything around him.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re all here. Let¡¯s get introductions out of the way,¡± Ari drawled, gesturing for them to gather around. ¡°I want you to either tell us your Class or which grouping it¡¯s part of. Feel free to hide the specifics, but knowing what you can each do is the difference between a group of Classers and a team. You first.¡± Ari gestured at Karl before crossing his arms and leaning against the wall of the Guild.


    ¡°Karl Borvon, combat Classer, hammers specifically,¡± Karl said, giving each of them a firm but welcoming nod.


    ¡°Rhew Larian, caster Classer, ice variant,¡± the blue-eyed woman spoke next.


    ¡°Alan Teller, hybrid Classer, Scholar,¡± the short man said, surprising Jake by giving his Class as well as the type.


    ¡°Jake Chant, combat Classer,¡± Jake said in turn, hesitating slightly over the surname. It was safer than using his real name, though.


    ¡°Training to be a Battle-Scholar?¡± Ari asked, looking at Alan with a hint of interest.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I want to try it, and delving into a Dungeon is the safest way to do that,¡± Alan replied in a questioning tone, seeming to wonder how Ari knew.


    ¡°Safest, yes, but not without danger. You know that, right?¡± Ari questioned, stepping forward to loom over the shorter man.


    ¡°I do. I may not be delving forever, but I¡¯ll do what I need to,¡± Alan said, his worried look shifting to determination.


    ¡°Huh, you look just like your mother with that expression,¡± Ari said casually, turning away from the stunned Alan to grab his gear from where it was propped against the wall.


    ¡°You knew my mother?¡± Alan asked, wide-eyed and breathless.


    ¡°A lot of people knew your mother. Better get used to that now,¡± Ari said with a shrug as he hoisted his pack and picked up a sword that looked two or three times the size of Jake¡¯s. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    -**-


    The northern gate out of Port Emerald was guarded by mainly local guards, with a few Triarchy soldiers stationed nearby. The soldiers were ostensibly there to aid the Strovians, but Jake had doubts about that.


    Jake had left the city before, but the gate he used then was far smaller and had substantially fewer guards present. He supposed it made sense that the Triarchy would want to keep a closer watch on the Classers than the mundane folk.


    The Triarchy had already taken over Strovia when Jake was born, but there was still a clear divide between the locals and those who the Triarchy had sent as part of the occupation.


    Fortunately, the passage of Classers in and out of the city was commonplace, so Ari was able to lead them out without any questions from the guard.


    Once outside, Ari took them in a northeastern direction, explaining that this was the way to the closest Dungeon where the Delvers Guild had a presence, and they wouldn¡¯t be forced to pay for entry. As the first to leave, they also got the first choice of what Dungeon to pick.


    There were probably less than twenty Dungeons throughout Strovia; it was a relatively small region as things went, after all. Each of the Dungeons would likely be near a settlement of some sort, with the biggest being in or around cities.


    Regardless, they were out of the city now, and Jake was on his way to his first Dungeon delve.

 DN 7 - Travel

    ¡°So, where are we going?¡± Karl asked after a little while of walking. ¡°I know you said a nearby Dungeon, but which one?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one about one to two days from here, depending on how fast we move. That¡¯s around the minimum distance between Dungeons, by the way. We¡¯ll stop there and resupply, then you four will be running through the Dungeon until you get a few ranks higher.¡± Ari said, gesturing vaguely to the northeast.


    ¡°But what¡¯s it called?¡± Karl asked, brow furrowing a bit as he tried to visualise it.


    ¡°No idea,¡± Ari said with a shrug. ¡°This is my first time back in Vash for some time, and I¡¯ve been spending most of it at Moira¡¯s Peak. I got directions to the Dungeon from one of the others, though, so we should be fine.¡±


    Jake shared a concerned look with the others at Ari¡¯s carefree approach to travelling, but it wasn¡¯t like they could do much about it.


    -**-


    The first day of their travel passed with little conversation. They¡¯d learnt a lot since Ascending and had plenty more to reflect on.


    Jake was worried about all the extra problems that had fallen on him since he got his Class, but a part of him was still working through the fact that it had even happened. He¡¯d Ascended. It was mad to think about, and Jake could see some of his thoughts reflected in the faces of his companions.


    So far, their journey was just right for giving them time to think. The road was little more than a well-worn path, but it was used enough for an easy walk.


    Common wisdom held that the further from civilisation you were, the more monsters you encountered, but for whatever reason, they didn¡¯t come across anything for the entire day. Not that Jake was complaining.


    ¡°Right, evenings coming in. Time for some impromptu learning, kiddos. Make us a campsite here, by the road. I¡¯m happy to eat cold rations, so if you want a fire, make it yourself,¡± Ari said abruptly, heading off the road to plonk himself in front of a large tree.


    The four of them came to an uncertain stop, looking to each other for reassurance that Ari wasn¡¯t abandoning them to their own devices. The truth, however, was shown in the crunching sounds Ari made as he began to eat an apple, ignoring them completely.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never camped on the road when leaving the city,¡± Alan said, shrugging when they all turned to him. ¡°We either weren¡¯t going far enough or had horses.¡±


    Rhew looked as though she was going to ask some questions, but Jake quickly interrupted her. Now just wasn¡¯t the time. ¡°Karl and I can grab firewood while you two start setting up the camp here if that works?¡±


    ¡°Sure, we can do that,¡± Rhew said with a shrug as she dropped her pack to the ground and began to gather stones for a fire pit.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s see what we can find,¡± Jake said, dropping his own pack and his shield before heading away from the path, Karl following suit a moment later.


    They still had some daylight left, and there was no sign of any predators or monsters nearby, but Jake wasn¡¯t about to leave his sword behind and walk about unarmed.


    ¡°So why are you in the Guild?¡± Jake asked casually as they started to collect small pieces of wood for the fire.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Karl asked after a brief moment of silence.


    ¡°You¡¯re big, strong and good looking. I¡¯m sure you could get in with a fancier group or adventuring company, so why this one?¡± Jake explained, pausing in his work to look over at his muscular companion.


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    ¡°My aunt disapproved of all of this, she never wanted me to go down this route, but when I got my Class, I couldn¡¯t back down. So she kicked me out. All I have is what I¡¯m wearing and what the Delver¡¯s Guild has given me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rough. What about your parents?¡± Jake asked, shaking his head in disgust at the ease with which some people cast away their families.


    ¡°Dead.¡± Karl¡¯s voice was flat, and Jake heard some of the sticks in the big man¡¯s hands snap as his hands curled into fists.


    Knowing what was best for him, Jake dropped the subject and focused on gathering the wood they needed. There¡¯d be time enough to get to know each other on the rest of the journey.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Karl said when they were on the way back to the others. ¡°It¡¯s a sore subject, but I shouldn¡¯t have snapped like that.¡±


    ¡°No problem, I get it. I was raised in an orphanage,¡± Jake said with a shrug as he led the way back into the makeshift camp. Betrayal of all kinds was everywhere in a place like Port Emerald. Jake knew that as well as anyone. They said no more on the subject and soon returned to the impromptu camp.


    Fortunately, Rhew had cleared a space for the fire and had worked with Alan to bring over rocks to make a firepit while they¡¯d been gone.


    It wasn¡¯t the most comfortable Jake had been, but it was nice to have company.


    -**-


    ¡°Right, time to get up,¡± Ari¡¯s voice cut through Jake¡¯s sleep as the instructor rolled him over with his foot. ¡°First lesson of travelling on the road, set watches at night. If I hadn¡¯t stayed up to keep watch, you might not have woken up at all.¡±


    Jake groaned and winced, tired muscles complaining as he got his pack sorted and finished waking up, thankful the other three looked just as out of sorts as he felt.


    Ari looked entirely unbothered by the night of sleeping rough as he cajoled them up and onto the road, pressing a piece of hardtack into their hands as they started to walk.


    It wasn¡¯t much of a breakfast, but it was enough for Jake to wake up and pay more attention to his surroundings. It was nice to be out of the city, surrounded by patches of woodland and rolling hills covered in fields of crops.


    As Jake settled into the walk, he realised that he was in surprisingly good shape. Sure, he was tired and achy, but nowhere near as much as he should be.


    ¡°Confused?¡± Ari asked, slowing down to match Jake¡¯s pace at the rear of the group.


    ¡°I¡¯m just surprised with how well I¡¯m holding up. My feet hurt, but I feel like I could keep going all day again,¡± Jake said, frowning a little as he looked to Ari for answers.


    ¡°You said you were a combat Classer. So, your Ascension trait was likely a physical one. It¡¯s all down to the wording on your status; I¡¯m guessing at a minor enhancement to endurance or something similar?¡±


    ¡°It says a minor enhancement to physical characteristics, but how do I know what that covers?¡± Jake asked absently, only realising his mistake when he saw the surprise on Ari¡¯s face.


    ¡°Quick bit of advice, lad. Don¡¯t ever tell anyone your Skill description like that. There¡¯s no way for you to know, but many Traits just increase a few aspects of their category. Karl, for instance, likely has one improving either his strength, resilience or endurance, maybe even two. The higher the rarity of a Trait or Skill, the more it does. A Trait that improves all of a characteristic is at least Rare, maybe higher, and you don¡¯t want that information getting out, understood?¡±


    ¡°I got it,¡± Jake said, wincing a little as he realised how quickly he¡¯d given away one of his secrets. He might as well fish for more information, given that he had, though. ¡°It¡¯s not that much better to have all of a characteristic, is it?¡±


    "It depends, but usually, yes, it is,¡± Ari said firmly, catching Jake¡¯s gaze to ensure he understood. ¡°A Trait might improve something like your endurance, or maybe dexterity, both of which are generalised, but it can also do running speed, grip strength or something incredibly specialised. The more specific the bonus, the better it is in that situation, but a general one like you have would apply to everything equally. Get me?¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s a smaller bonus, but it applies to more things?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, and it will only get stronger as you rank the Trait up. You¡¯ll never be as good as someone with an equal rank skill that¡¯s specialised, but you¡¯ll balance that out by being better than them at everything else.¡±


    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s good,¡± Jake said, eyes wide as he realised how much of an impact the trait had.


    ¡°Now you get it,¡± Ari said, flashing him a broad grin that quickly faded. ¡°Right now, you¡¯re weak. No matter how strong you might be in the future, you¡¯re not there yet. Jealousy is the biggest killer of those with Classes that start with Rare Skills and Traits. Remember that.¡±


    Jake grunted, his attention turning inward as he considered Ari¡¯s words. He had started with a Rare Trait and a Very Rare Skill, even if the Skill was pointless right now, so his Class certainly had potential. That was a little reassuring, given his rocky start so far.

 DN 8 - Wyrdgeld

    The easygoing pace of their journey was broken up a few hours into the second day when Ari abruptly tossed his pack to Karl with orders to keep walking and dashed off into the woods to the side of the road.


    They exchanged concerned looks but did as they were told, grouping up a little tighter as they heard a distant roar of anger, one that was followed swiftly by a howl of pain.


    Several more roars came from the vague direction that Ari had gone before everything fell silent.


    To Jake¡¯s shock, Ari emerged only a few minutes after he¡¯d left, dragging along a boar that would have reached his shoulders when standing. Not that the creature would be doing anything of the like again, as a good portion of its head was simply missing.


    ¡°Right, quick lesson time,¡± Ari said as he waved them over and stopped dragging the corpse. ¡°This beast behind me was a fairly highly ranked Enhanced monster, which is the minimum tier of monster for earning Wyrdgeld outside a Dungeon. Hands up if you know the Skriva?¡±


    Jake shook his head as everyone else nodded, and he flushed, his cheeks colouring as they all looked at him in surprise.


    ¡°No worries, you¡¯ll learn more as you go, but I¡¯ll tell you the basics. There are six tiers of monsters. Beast, Enhanced, Awakened, Arcanous, Ancient, Celestial. There may be something beyond Celestial, but pray that you never encounter it.¡±


    ¡°What do the groups mean?¡± Jake asked, a chill running through him as Ari spoke. Jake had heard some of these terms before, but they had never been laid out quite like this.


    The education for the orphans had been what they could seize for themselves, and there were few opportunities to find.


    ¡°Each group is a new scale of difficulty, a new threshold for the creatures you fight. A Beast is little more than a stronger, improved version of an animal. Enhanced is more of the same, but to a greater degree, and they gain the ability to damage your soul directly. Awakened are sapient and intelligent. Arcanous brings magic into the mix, and Ancient deepens it, and everything else for that matter. Above them all stands Celestial, the first step to divinity itself.¡±


    ¡°That thing was only at the second tier,¡± Jake muttered, looking at the huge boar and wondering just how terrifying something of the Celestial tier would be.


    ¡°Yep, but that¡¯s enough of that. All of you, come here. Time to learn some practical magic.¡±


    The four of them clustered around the dead Enhanced boar under Ari¡¯s direction, their hands resting on its oddly warm flesh.


    ¡°You should feel something within it, something within grasping range. Don¡¯t touch it yet. I want all of you to feel it first.¡± Ari instructed as he cleaned his sword behind them.


    Jake held his hand on the dead beast and stretched out his mind as best he could. At first, he felt nothing, but he began to feel it after a few moments. It was right at the edge of his senses, lurking deep within the creature.


    ¡°Wyrdgeld can be stored inside of you until you need it, like so,¡± Ari said, grey light pooling in his hand to form a blood-red coin that gave off the same fresh smell with an odd iron undertone that Jake remembered.


    ¡°Rhew, go ahead and draw out the Wyrdgeld, then show us how much it had,¡± Ari said, nodding as wisps of grey gathered off the boar and were drawn into Rhew¡¯s outstretched hand.


    ¡°How do I¡­.¡± Rhew muttered, staring at her hand momentarily before a slight smile crept across her features. ¡°Got it, like this.¡± She turned her hand, a grey glow manifesting as seven red coins formed in her hand.


    ¡°Excellent work. Here, take this and add it to the others so you all have two each. An Enhanced beast like this would have up to ten Wyrdgeld if it were at the peak of its power. Let that guide you on what you¡¯ll be fighting to earn the real money.¡± Ari passed over the coin he¡¯d conjured for an example, letting Rhew pass out the spoils between them all.


    ¡°What do we do with the beast now?¡± Jake asked, instinctively sizing up the boar and wondering how much meat he could get off of it.


    ¡°Blaze boar is edible, but I don¡¯t want to spend the time you¡¯d need to butcher it here. The local wildlife will take care of it. The meat would earn you a fair few Wyrdgeld if you could get it to the right person, but we¡¯ve no way to transport it.¡±


    Jake warred with his natural urge to get the most money out of the situation before eventually giving in and leaving the blaze boar corpse to be eaten by scavengers.


    As they started off once more, Jake studied the coins in his hand. When he focused on them, he felt the impulse to draw them into him or, failing that, to consume them.


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    Jake remembered their training and how the instructor had eaten his coin. Apparently, it would replenish his Wyrd and give some general healing effects, but Jake needed neither right now.


    Calling up his status, Jake checked his requirements to rank up and sighed in mute despair. It would cost forty Wyrdgeld to get to the next rank, and he had barely a twentieth.


    Thinking of the power of that boar, Jake couldn¡¯t even imagine how he would get that much Wyrdgeld. The four of them together could maybe take one of those creatures, but it would be dangerous for sure.


    Still, he had a portion of what he needed for the Triarchy. So that was something.


    A flicker of reignited hope burnt in Jake¡¯s chest as he shouldered his pack and picked up his pace. If they could get this much money from just killing something, he could scarcely imagine what the Dungeon would give them.


    Sure, Ari had done the actual killing, but the principle was sound.


    ¡°I can do this. I can make it work,¡± Jake whispered as he clutched the Wyrdgeld tight and absorbed them back into himself.


    Mind full of possibilities and half-baked dreams, Jake barely noticed as the minutes swept by, only perking up when he felt an indistinct tugging sensation pulling him forward. It was an odd feeling, insubstantial and faint enough to feel like he imagined it, but there it was.


    Jake perked up and looked around them at where they were, noting that the woods on either side of the path they were following had become much deeper and thicker.


    ¡°Okay, everyone, we¡¯re here,¡± Ari called out as they turned a corner and came into sight of the camp.


    What lay before them was a cross between a small village and a trading outpost. There were barely a few dozen buildings of various sizes, and they were all arrayed around a single large stone entrance.


    The entrance was set into a small mound and must have stood fifteen to twenty feet high and just short of the same across. Even from this distance, it was an imposing structure. It also seemed to be the origin of that strange tugging sensation that Jake could feel within him.


    Intricately carved stone doors blocked the entrance, their surface covered with carved patterns and shapes that flowed into and through each other in a disconcerting way.


    It was almost as though the individual shapes didn¡¯t quite match the overall pattern and were different when he focused on one specific area instead of the whole thing.


    Shivering a little, Jake¡¯s gaze drifted to the top of the doors, where a series of runes were carved into the stone. He sensed a meaning behind them, but he couldn¡¯t quite understand what it was.


    Pulling his mind away from the Dungeon, for what else could it be, Jake¡¯s gaze gravitated to the building that was closest to the entrance. It was a small structure made of what looked like black metal and glass that had been interwoven to create a form of architecture that was as foreign to Jake as the designs on the Dungeon doors.


    ¡°Right, come on, it¡¯s still early, so you can get your first run at the Dungeon done today. I¡¯ll get us rooms at a tavern, but we need to head to Ivaldi¡¯s first.¡± Ari said, waiting impatiently for them to stop gawking.


    ¡°Ivaldi¡¯s?¡± Alan questioned, cocking his head to one side as he looked to Ari for an explanation.


    ¡°It¡¯s a store mixed with a bank. You¡¯ll understand when we go in. There¡¯s one at every Dungeon, and they¡¯re key to making it in the business, so don¡¯t piss off Ivaldi whatever you do, understood?¡± Ari gave them each a severe look that was unusual to see on the easygoing Classer¡¯s face.


    ¡°Understood, but you don¡¯t mean every Dungeon, just the ones in Strovia, right?¡± Alan asked, his brow furrowing as Ari simply shook his head with a chuckle.


    Jake listened in, but his attention was caught on several dozen Classers who were wandering around the impromptu Dungeon row.


    The gear on display varied enormously between them, and Jake saw everything from suits of heavy armour to magical staves that seemed to glow in their owner¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Busy this year, but I suppose that¡¯s to be expected this close to Port Emerald,¡± Ari remarked absently as he led them toward the building of metal and glass that Jake had seen earlier.


    Ari¡¯s comment made Jake look at the groups of Classers afresh. Years of watching the flow of people in the city helped Jake pick out those who knew where they were going and those who were following, much like they followed Ari.


    Looking again, Jake realised there weren¡¯t that many people moving with purpose, and each had a sense of solidity and strength to them, much like Ari did. Channelling his Wyrd to his eyes, Jake saw that he was right. The majority of the Classers were freshly Ascended.


    Bright and shining souls with power similar to Ari were scattered here and there, but they were thin on the ground.


    Jake sighed silently as he compared what he had to what was displayed around him. Even in this new world of Classers and Dungeons, he was at a disadvantage, but he wouldn¡¯t let that stop him.


    Since the day he¡¯d first managed to slip out of the orphanage and explore the city, Jake had learnt that he had to work hard for what he wanted. This would be no different.


    One look at the plump and well-fed faces of many of the Classers around him told Jake that they hadn¡¯t known much hardship.


    Of course, that wasn¡¯t true for all of them. Jake grudgingly admitted that some of them looked tough, even by his standards.


    ¡°Right, here we are, in you all go,¡± Ari said as they approached the strange building. Ari seemed oddly tense as they came closer, making Jake wonder who or what this Ivaldi was.


    Up close, the odd architecture was even more striking to Jake. He¡¯d seen his fair share of old or odd buildings and had to judge them quickly to know what was sturdy and what wasn¡¯t, but this was unlike any he¡¯d seen.


    As far as Jake could tell, the whole building¡¯s structure was made of metal, forming something like the outline of an ordinary townhouse. The expense alone would be ruinous unless the builder had a Class that allowed them to work with metal.


    Dark-tinted glass flowed organically back and forth between the solid pillars of the metal framework, moving in a sinuous curve around the framework. The whole thing was a strange design with a lesser version of the odd visual effect on the Dungeon entrance.


    The front door to the building was a single plane of glass with metallic fixings and a shaped depression where a metal handle sat. The metal flowed into and bonded with the glass seamlessly.


    Something about the odd design made Jake pause and look uncertainly back at the others, but Ari carried on past him and grabbed the metal handle, pushing the door open and stepping inside without hesitation. Karl, Rhew and Alan filed in after their instructor, each staring at the unusual building as they went inside.

 DN 9 - Ivaldis

    Curious, Jake stepped inside the building and eyed the interior with interest. They were all standing in the centre of a large room lined with all kinds of mundane and magical equipment, from potions and wands to swords and suits of armour.


    On the opposite side to where they entered was an exit leading into a dark-shrouded hallway. A waist-high table blocked off the entrance to the hallway.


    Strangely, the table sat snugly between the racks of items to either side, leaving nowhere for someone to try and pass by. Exactly how any of this worked, Jake wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Ivaldi, good to see you,¡± Ari called out casually as a man stepped out from the darkness of the far hallway.


    Ivaldi was huge, easily seven feet tall, with broad shoulders and arms the size of Karl¡¯s thighs. The man¡¯s sheer presence as he stepped into the room made Jake freeze in place, eyes wide as he stared.


    Ivaldi wore an outfit of a grey material that clung to him like a second skin without restricting his movement. The top left Ivaldi¡¯s arms bare, revealing dozens of burn scars covering his flesh.


    ¡°Ari Derth,¡± Ivaldi said, his deep voice reverberating in Jake¡¯s bones as he pulled a metallic chair out of the darkness behind him and seated himself behind the table. ¡°Be welcome in my domain.¡±


    Even sitting down, Ivaldi dominated the darkness-filled exit to the room and seemed to loom over them despite being seated on the other side of the room.


    Glancing over to his companions to see how they were doing, Jake watched with disbelief as they seemed to browse the shop''s wares, seemingly oblivious to Ivaldi¡¯s domineering presence.


    ¡°Good to be here,¡± Ari said, idly flicking a helmet on display as he gestured to Jake and the others. ¡°Got some new kids for you.¡±


    ¡°A new year, a new generation,¡± Ivaldi said, his gravelly voice thoughtful as he looked each of them up and down.


    ¡°Indeed, I¡¯ve come to honour the bargain the Guild made with you at its founding,¡± Ari said respectfully.


    ¡°And I shall honour my part with you,¡± Ivaldi said as he reached down to one side and began to pull out items that he laid out on the table in four groupings.


    Each pile gained two vials of reddish liquid, an oddly shaped belt, a satchel and a second weapon of the type they already carried. Two of the piles also gained a shield, at least one of which was for Karl, given the hammer it was paired with.


    ¡°Now, pay attention, you four,¡± Ari said as he walked over to Ivaldi. ¡°This is the basic equipment that you can requisition from Ivaldi as needed, but don¡¯t take the piss. This will be available to you for as long as you are at tier one. Understood?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s in those vials?¡± Rhew asked, peering at the vials on the table with interest.


    ¡°Minor Healing, enough to stop some bleeding,¡± Ivaldi said succinctly, tapping the top of a vial with one giant finger.


    ¡°So, these packs are only available to Guild members, but there are general options for the shop as well. Karl, explain how Dungeons work for me.¡± Ari pointed at Karl with one hand, and Jake suppressed a laugh at the panicked expression on Karl¡¯s face.


    ¡°Erm, we go in, fight monsters and earn Wyrdgeld?¡± Karl said, making his words more of a question than anything.


    ¡°And when you die?¡± Ari asked, arching one eyebrow at Karl.


    ¡°You come back?¡± Karl said, reaching up to rub the back of his head.


    ¡°Anyone else?¡± Ari sighed, rubbing his face before looking at the rest of them.


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    ¡°If you die with your soul intact, you are reborn at the start of the Dungeon, but your physicality is sapped, and you are weakened. However, if your soul is compromised, you can still die permanently.¡± Alan spoke up, Ari nodding along as the Scholar spoke.


    ¡°Good, now, I won¡¯t hold your lack of knowledge against you, but you need to learn as much as you can. Your first lesson with that in mind is that if you die in there, you are brought back with nothing. Your companions will carry your loot out for you if you''re lucky. If not, then you¡¯re left with nothing.¡± Ari explained bitterly, grimacing in a way that spoke of past frustration.


    ¡°Which is where I come in. You may store Wyrdgeld or items here for a fee. Other places offer a similar service, but they are not the same. I will store Wyrdgeld for you at the cost of ten percent of your deposit and keep it for as long as you like. Items may be stored at one Wyrdgeld each, or five for a satchel or container that can be carried.¡± Ivaldi¡¯s words seemed to echo within the building, setting up an odd reverberation that emphasised what he was saying.


    ¡°And that¡¯s the introduction to Ivaldi. Any questions?¡± Ari asked with a clap of his hands, waiting a few seconds before nodding and pointing to the packs on the table. ¡°Everyone grab a pack, introduce yourself and meet me outside. Time for your first run.¡± Ari stepped out the door as the four of them clustered in to gather their packs from Ivaldi.


    Anxious energy filled Jake as he waited his turn, his mind drifting to the upcoming venture into the Dungeon. This was it. This was his first real step on the path to glory. Absently, he heard the other three giving their names to Ivaldi as they took their packs and hurried out of the shop, leaving Jake alone with the imposing man.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± Ivaldi asked, beckoning Jake closer as he picked up the satchel and held it out for Jake to grab.


    ¡°Jake, I¡¯m from Port Emerald,¡± Jake said, licking his dry lips as he took the satchel. Ivaldi¡¯s dark eyes bore down on Jake as he slowly nodded.


    ¡°Very well, Jake Khesh. Come see me after you return from the Dungeon; we have much to talk about,¡± Ivaldi said, rising from his seat and grabbing it in one hand as he walked back into the darkness behind the table.


    Jake nodded mechanically and moved swiftly for the glass door, pushing it open and stepping outside to rejoin his companions.


    There was something disconcerting about Ivaldi, but Jake had felt no menace from him; it was more like the instinctual awareness that he was in the presence of someone far more powerful.


    It hadn¡¯t escaped his notice that the big man knew Jake¡¯s surname without being told, a surname that Jake had learned had some weight to it when he received his Class.


    As eager as Jake was for the Dungeon, he was just as interested in what Ivaldi might say when he returned.


    -**-


    ¡°Right, okay. Any last questions before I throw you all in there?¡± Ari asked as he gathered the four of them outside of Ivaldi¡¯s.


    ¡°How far do we go?¡± Karl asked, taking the words right out of Jake¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. I expect you to carry on until you either finish the whole Dungeon or die trying,¡± Ari said with a slightly menacing smile. ¡°You won¡¯t finish it this time unless you¡¯re a god reborn among us, so get it into your heads that you¡¯re going to die down there.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we only go a little bit in and practice first?¡± Jake asked, not entirely comfortable with going to his death, even if he knew he¡¯d come back.


    ¡°Once you¡¯re inside, the only way back is going through,¡± Ari said with a shake of his head. ¡°There are exits at every new tier, which is no more than five floors. However, this is a tier one Dungeon, so it only has five floors.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best,¡± Alan said, a determined look on his face as he gave a firm nod.


    ¡°Look, I know this is scary for you,¡± Ari said, his voice oddly gentle as he gestured to the Dungeon. ¡°It¡¯s going to be dangerous in there, and even in a tier one, there¡¯s a chance you¡¯ll die for real, but you won¡¯t be going that far today, so just give it your best, alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ari,¡± Jake chorused with the others, his heart pounding in nervous anticipation as his eyes drifted to the towering stone entrance of the Dungeon.


    Intellectually, Jake had known he would likely die in the Dungeon, but being told that he either had to defeat it as a rank one Classer or die trying made Jake sick to his stomach. He knew he wouldn¡¯t die permanently, but it was still scary.


    ¡°Good, now drop everything but what Ivaldi gave you. No sense in wasting anything you want to keep. The Dungeon will eat anything you leave behind.¡± Ari instructed, the gentle tone gone once more as he motioned for them to drop off their bedrolls and packs at his feet.


    Jake felt oddly reluctant to relinquish his precious few belongings, but he did so anyway, stacking them next to the others as Ari produced a small pouch and told them to hand over the Wyrdgeld they¡¯d received.


    On the one hand, it physically hurt Jake to conjure the two coins and pass them over, along with his handful of ingar, but he knew losing them to the Dungeon would be worse.


    ¡°Good,¡± Ari said as they finished handing over their belongings and money. ¡°Now, I know this has been a lot to take in, and you¡¯re still adjusting, but this is the best time to do your first Dungeon run. Guild policy means all that I can tell you is that it¡¯s a tier one Dungeon, so five floors or less, and it focuses on beasts and insects. Now get in there, and don¡¯t die too soon!¡±

 DN 10 - Delving I

    Ari gave them a moment to get ready before hustling them forward and into the Dungeon.


    Jake was second through the entrance, his eyes drifting along the carvings of the doors as he walked through. This close, the detail of the carvings was exquisite but no less confusing to the eye. Every shape he could discern seemed to shift and fade as soon as he stopped focusing on it, and then he couldn¡¯t find it again, no matter how he tried.


    The slight tugging sensation that Jake had felt since they arrived disappeared as soon as he crossed the threshold, which made sense, he supposed. Perhaps he¡¯d be able to control it more directly in the future.


    Focusing on his surroundings, Jake looked over the interior of the Dungeon, finding himself at a platform with two stairways leading down. Each set of stairs ended at a door, one of which was firmly closed.


    The other door stood open, revealing a shadowed interior that seemed to turn from worked stone to rough rock.


    The satchel from Ivaldi contained a few essentials alongside what they were shown, including a pair of torches each. Seeing the darkness ahead, the group quickly discussed who should carry the light, ending with Rhew and Alan drawing out their torches and lighting them.


    The flames illuminated the dim interior, casting sharper shadows around them and making the whole thing more ominous. Something about lighting the torches had made this real for Jake.


    They were going in.


    Jake wanted to have his own torch out and lit, but he and Karl used shields, so they needed both hands to fight, whereas Alan and Rhew could fight with just one hand; Rhew with her wand and Alan with his shortsword.


    Prepared as they were going to be, the foursome set off down the stairs and through the open doorway, the door slamming shut behind them with an echoing boom.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re in it now,¡± Jake muttered, looking at their new environment with wary concern, wondering where the first danger would be.


    From what he could tell, they were in a ten-foot wide tunnel, with the ceiling an easy fifteen feet above them in places. The walls were irregular, but thankfully, the floor was smooth from what he could see.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was expecting, but a tunnel wasn¡¯t it,¡± Karl said, poking the wall nearest him with his hammer before peering into the darkness.


    The light from the two torches illuminated the path for a short distance, but with Rhew and Alan standing behind them, it didn¡¯t go far.


    ¡°Come on, no point waiting here,¡± Jake said, taking a few steps forward with his shield held protectively in front of him. He was damned if he would let the Dungeon get in his head and scare him off before they¡¯d even started.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Karl muttered, adopting a similar post on Jake¡¯s right, the two advancing together in unison.


    A blur of motion from the left was all the warning Jake had as a small creature sprang from a hidden alcove in the tunnel wall. Fetid claws slashed out at Jake¡¯s leg, but he had just enough time to twist and get his shield in the way, blocking the attack.


    What had been a blur of movement turned out to be a rat the size of a small dog with short grey fur and nasty-looking long claws. The creature glared up at him with hateful red eyes as it bared its teeth and lunged forward, trying to bite at Jake¡¯s legs.


    ¡°Got it!¡± Karl barked as he came past Jake, hammer swinging down to catch the rat mid-lunge and send it into a nearby wall with a crunch.


    ¡°Thanks, Karl,¡± Jake said, giving the other Classer a nod.


    ¡°No problem, I hate rats,¡± Karl said, reaching out to reluctantly nudge the corpse with one foot to ensure it was dead before bending down and touching it with a grimace of distaste.


    Grey wisps swirled up from the rat¡¯s corpse and into Karl. A moment later, Karl opened his hand, a flicker of energy congealing into a single Wyrdgeld in his palm.


    ¡°Got to admit, that¡¯s satisfying,¡± Karl said, grinning at them as he absorbed the coin back into himself.


    ¡°What are we going to do about money?¡± Jake asked, gesturing to the dead rat and thinking of the loot its brethren would provide. ¡°We left the rest with Ari, so how do you want to split it?¡±


    ¡°A common practice is to split the loot once we leave so everyone gets some, even those who may have died. In our case, that¡¯s probably going to be all of us, so it doesn¡¯t matter anyway.¡± Alan said with a half-shrug that didn¡¯t quite match the nervous tremor in his voice or the way he was shifting from foot to foot.


    Jake had to wonder just who Alan was. Between Ari knowing his mother and his casual knowledge of how loot distribution was done, Alan seemed to have a closer tie to this life than Jake.


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    That wasn¡¯t a problem in Jake¡¯s mind, but he was wary of anyone whose motivation didn¡¯t make sense, and Jake couldn¡¯t figure out why Alan was in the Delvers Guild if he had connections to call on.


    Alan¡¯s mother might have been part of the Guild, and Alan was following in her footsteps, but why had he been surprised by Ari knowing her?


    Jake shook off the question, it was none of his business, and he had enough going on right now.


    ¡°I agree. That sounds reasonable, and this is our first attempt, after all, so we can¡¯t expect to get too far,¡± Rhew said, drawing Jake out of his thoughts and back to the matter at hand.


    They resumed their previous formation and continued onward, though both Jake and Karl were far warier of the tunnel¡¯s walls and what danger they might hold.


    Part of Jake¡¯s mind noted that the walls of the tunnel were craggy and filled with hiding spots, but the ceiling and floor were perfectly smooth. They still had some of the texture of a tunnel, but there was nothing present that could trip him up.


    Jake filed away the detail, unsure how it would help but certain that the more he could work out about the Dungeon, the better.


    The tunnel around them changed as they carried on, with more alcoves appearing and what seemed like small passages that ran for a short distance before rejoining the main tunnel. They were too small for any of them to use but were ideal for oversized creatures.


    ¡°Gods damned rats!¡± Karl cursed as two of the creatures came rushing out into the light, darting around a wild swing of his hammer and biting at his legs.


    Jake was slow to react, his distraction leaving Karl to fend for himself as the rats chittered and tried to swarm him.


    ¡°Stay calm. We can do this,¡± Rhew said steadily, a blast of blue energy catching one of the rats as it tried to get under Karl¡¯s shield.


    Cold energy sapped the strength and speed of the rat, allowing Karl to strike it with his hammer, crushing the side of its body with a powerful hit.


    The second rat took the opportunity to bite Karl in the leg, its oversized incisors sinking deep before Karl kicked it off him.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Alan shouted abruptly, stumbling past Jake with a third rat clinging to his leg and digging its claws into him.


    Jake¡¯s eyes went wide as he glanced behind them, but thankfully no more rats were trying to sneak up on them.


    Karl had thrown his rat into the wall and was stomping on its broken body while shouting angrily, so Jake moved to help Alan.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get a clear shot at it,¡± Rhew said in frustration, pointing her wand at the remaining rat, but it was on the far side of Alan and was keeping the Scholar between them.


    ¡°Get away from me!¡± Alan shouted, swinging wildly at the rat with his torch and clipping it slightly, knocking it off balance with a squeal of pain.


    Jake rushed forward while the creature was distracted and plunged his blade into it, ending the fight.


    There were a few moments of tense silence as they looked around at the poorly illuminated tunnel, watching for any sign of further rats coming their way.


    ¡°I hate rats,¡± Karl muttered, reaching down to withdraw the Wyrdgeld from his kill, Rhew doing the same for the rat she¡¯d shot with her wand.


    ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m beginning to see why,¡± Jake said, reaching down to pull the Wyrdgeld free from the rat he¡¯d skewered, drawing it into him for safekeeping.


    ¡°They¡¯re using the passages to get around us now. Am I the only one who finds that unsettling?¡± Alan¡¯s words hung in the air as they shared a grim look, each silently agreeing with him.


    ¡°Is there a limit to how long we can be down here?¡± Jake asked Alan as they bound their wounds.


    ¡°Not as such, but we aren¡¯t allowed to rest or take a break for too long. A short stop like this isn¡¯t an issue, but apparently, the Dungeon doesn¡¯t like it if we set up camp or start to take more extended periods of rest regularly. That¡¯s only in general, though. I don¡¯t know much about higher-tier Dungeons.¡±


    Jake shrugged, filing the information away as the group started forward once more.


    -**-


    They suffered two more ambushes from concealed rats before they reached the first true deviation in the tunnel¡¯s layout. With little warning, the tight confines opened into a reasonably sized cave with a familiar-looking door at the far side that was bracketed by a pair of flaming torches.


    Mounds of rock and stalagmites covered the ground between them and the exit, and Jake was sure that any of them would be a great hiding place for one of the giant rats they¡¯d been fighting so far.


    ¡°I¡¯m so done with these rats. Let¡¯s just fucking do this,¡± Karl said, hefting his hammer as he all but stormed into the area.


    Jake cursed as he hurried in after Karl, the other two stringing along behind him. ¡°Karl, wait!¡±


    The rats were quick to take advantage of their disordered advance, charging forth from concealment to throw themselves at the Classers.


    Jake was able to kill the two attacking him with only a few minor scrapes, but a gasp turned his attention to where Rhew had tripped and fallen, unleashing a spray of icicles as she fell.


    Most of the icicles hit the rat she was aiming at, skewering it in place, but two of them went off target and sunk into Alan¡¯s arm, making him miss his attack and take a nasty bite to the shin for his troubles.


    Karl was quick to return to them, and with the four working together, they dispatched the last couple of rats with ease.


    ¡°Shit, Alan, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Rhew said as she pulled the icicles free from Alan¡¯s arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, it was an accident,¡± Alan said, wincing as she bound the wound with a bandage from her pack.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone. I shouldn¡¯t have rushed us coming in like that,¡± Karl said, drawing out the Wyrdgeld of the rats and passing them out to those who got the kills.


    ¡°At least none of us died on the first floor; it could be worse,¡± Jake said with a shrug.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do better. I promise.¡±


    ¡°I know you will, and that¡¯s why we¡¯re doing this. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s only our first try,¡±


    ¡°Jake¡¯s right. This was bad, but we knew it was going to be,¡± Rhew said as she cleaned and bound a slight wound on her leg. ¡°The better way to look at all this is that we¡¯ve cleared the first floor, and we still have all our potions.¡±


    ¡°Besides, you did rush ahead, but at least you didn¡¯t shoot me,¡± Alan said as he gave Rhew a pointed look, making her flush bright red before shaking her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t even see you there,¡± Rhew said before pausing, the corner of her lips turning up a little. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to think that I¡¯d do something like that on purpose. I¡¯m not that cold-blooded.¡± She emphasised the last words with a growing smile, making all of them groan and roll their eyes at her.


    ¡°Well, everyone ready?¡± Jake asked, gesturing to the door out of the room, one that he guessed took them down to the second floor.


    ¡°Not at all, but there¡¯s no backing out now,¡± Alan said, chuckling mirthlessly as he took Karl¡¯s spare torch and ignited it before tossing his almost used-up original away. Rhew followed suit and nodded for them to proceed.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this.¡±

 DN 11 - Delving II

    The door to the second floor opened easily when they pulled on its handles, gliding effortlessly open to reveal a new tunnel with a pair of lit torches mounted on the walls.


    ¡°Another tunnel,¡± Rhew muttered with a sigh. ¡°I was hoping for something different.¡±


    ¡°You and me both,¡± Karl said in a resigned voice.


    ¡°You never know; it might not be rats,¡± Alan said with forced cheerfulness that faded when Karl gave him a flat look.


    ¡°Look, we got through the first floor okay. We can do this too,¡± Jake said, moving over to bump Karl with his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve got this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Karl sighed slightly before taking a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s get on with it.¡±


    Adopting the same formation as before, they started into the tunnel, warily watching the walls for any hidden rats that might be waiting for them.


    Almost immediately, they were able to see the difference between this floor and the last one. There were so many more side passages.


    As before, they were attacked by oversized rats, though as a group, they managed to fend them off far more easily.


    Still, a few minor wounds were taken here and there, especially with the creatures using the side passages and shadowy corners to their advantage.


    Thankfully, for all that the tunnels were dark and filled with hidden alcoves, the floor itself was unnaturally smooth and easy underfoot.


    With mounting confidence, they reached the end of the second floor in little time at all, the little training they¡¯d received being put to good use.


    ¡°This floor was a lot shorter than the first one,¡± Jake remarked as they reached a large cave filled with rocks and stalagmites. At the far side sat the exit door with two lit torches, the same as before.


    Unlike the rest of the floor, the final area was clustered with rocky obstacles, stalagmites and divots in the ground, making it far more difficult to move through.


    Taking a lesson from last time, Jake put Alan in second place while he went third, with Rhew a close fourth. If anything happened, Jake would protect Rhew as his priority. She was their only source of ranged attacks, and her magic seemed particularly effective against the giant rodents.


    Thankfully, the rats present on this floor were no more intelligent than the previous floor, and once Jake and the others were far enough in, the rats charged forth from their hidden spots.


    A total of six rodents descended on them from multiple sides, with Karl and Jake immediately moving to intercept and trying to tie up as many as they could.


    Rhew threw out liberal sprays of icicles, catching two of the rats on Jake¡¯s side with Wyrd-infused ice that penetrated their matted fur with ease.


    One particularly brave rat used a small boulder as a mount to jump at Jake¡¯s face, and though Jake was able to bat it away with his shield, his inexperience showed as he only made partial contact.


    Still, the strike was enough to stun the creature, giving Alan the chance to finish it before it could recover.


    Karl had been equally busy with his own group of rats, and Jake could see lingering energy clinging to the head of his hammer as he crushed the final rat with a powerful blow of his weapon.


    ¡°Everyone alright?¡± Jake asked, glancing between the others as they caught their breath.


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    ¡°One of the fuckers got me good,¡± Karl hobbled over to a nearby rock and put his hammer and shield down before exposing a nasty bite wound on the back of one leg. ¡°Gonna use a potion.¡±


    ¡°Pour part on the wound and drink the rest,¡± Alan offered as Karl hesitated.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Karl pulled out one of his potions and did as instructed, hissing as he poured it over the bite wound before grimacing at the taste of the rest.


    Thankfully, despite the apparent poor taste, Karl¡¯s leg was visibly healed by the potion, and Jake could see the big man relax as the potion got to work.


    ¡°Well, two down, we¡¯re almost halfway there,¡± Jake said, forcing a smile as Karl got back to his feet. While Karl had had the worst injury, they were all looking a little battered around the edges.


    Still, it was all good practice, and he took it as a good sign that they got this far on their first attempt.


    ¡°True enough, and we¡¯re done on this floor now. I really wouldn¡¯t say no to armour the next time we do this, though. It would make killing these rats a lot safer.¡± Karl laughed a little as he looked down at the tattered remnants of his trousers.


    ¡°Armour isn¡¯t part of our standard gear from Ivaldi, so that would get expensive quickly,¡± Rhew said, making Karl sigh and nod.


    ¡°Yeah, definitely can¡¯t afford that.¡±


    ¡°Look at it this way, once we can finish this place, we can buy armour and better weapons, making the whole thing easier to repeat.¡± Jake pointed out, not wanting Karl to get too down about the whole situation. ¡°We could stroll through and kill rats by the dozen at that point. It¡¯ll be easy money for sure.¡±


    ¡°That day can¡¯t come soon enough,¡± Karl sighed again before picking up his weapon and rolling his shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s get on with it.¡±


    They made their way to the next door, which swung open easily for them, revealing a fresh expanse of dark tunnel for them to explore.


    ¡°Yay, more tunnels,¡± Alan said flatly, summing up Jake¡¯s feelings on the matter nicely.


    ¡°Does it ever stop being tunnels?¡± Jake asked, looking over to Alan for an answer. As their resident expert on Dungeons, hopefully, the Scholar would know something.


    ¡°The environment is meant to change with each tier, I think. Most of them start as tunnels like this but become something more elaborate the further down you go.¡±


    ¡°Huh, so it¡¯s always going to be tunnels for this Dungeon, then. We¡¯d have to go elsewhere for something different?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± Alan said, patting Karl on the shoulder as the big man sighed heavily.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright; this is what delving is all about. I¡¯ll get past it,¡± Karl said, heading into the tunnel with Jake a few steps behind him.


    The tunnel began like the rest of what they¡¯d seen, but as soon as they rounded the first corner, it opened out into a large cave similar in size to what they had just left.


    The main difference, however, was that the ground was smooth, lacking the rocks and stalagmites of the other area. Instead, a singular pillar of rock in the cave¡¯s centre stretched up to the ceiling.


    The rocky pillar was oddly porous, with a number of holes the size of Jake¡¯s head throughout it.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t look good,¡± Alan said as they stopped at the edge of the cave.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not liking this at all,¡± Jake said, eyeing the holes suspiciously.


    ¡°Do you think there are rats hidden in there?¡± Karl asked, looking a little confused by their wariness. ¡°Isn¡¯t it good that they¡¯re all in one place?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is more rats,¡± Jake said, something in his gut telling him that this was something far worse.


    ¡°I mean, we¡¯ve not seen anything else down here. Maybe it¡¯s just messing with us,¡± Karl said, peering at the parts of the cave walls that they could see. ¡°There could be rats hidden in the wall, ready to attack when we¡¯re looking the other way.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Jake said, allowing that it could be possible, even if he was certain that it wasn¡¯t what was happening.


    ¡°Waiting here won¡¯t get us any further. Let¡¯s just get to it and see what happens,¡± Karl said impatiently, though Jake felt like a large part of that was the big man¡¯s nervousness.


    ¡°He¡¯s not wrong. Let¡¯s just go in carefully and see what happens,¡± Jake said, not entirely happy with the situation but aware that he could do little to change it.


    The others agreed, so Jake and Karl started into the cave, weapons at the ready. Jake wasn¡¯t sure whether to watch the pillar or the walls, but he was feeling more and more exposed by the moment.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move around it. I don¡¯t want to get too close,¡± Jake said, moving them more to the left so that they would circle around the ominous pillar of rock.


    The cave remained silent as they moved forward, the flickering torches they carried casting dark, shifting shadows inside the pillar.


    Jake had just reached the halfway point between the entrance and exit when a low drone filled the air, coming from within the stone pillar.


    ¡°Gods, what is that?¡± Rhew asked, quickly backing away from the pillar as the drone intensified, echoing loudly in the cave around them.


    The droning sound peaked as several shapes, each a little larger than the rats they¡¯d been fighting, appeared in the holes that they could see, multifaceted eyes glinting in the light.

 DN 12 - Delving III

    ¡°Get back!¡± Jake cried out as five dog-sized insects erupted from the stone pillar. Each insect had six spike-like legs, a pair of red-tinted eyes and a set of unfurled wings that were causing the droning sound.


    More concerning, however, was the pair of sharp mandibles and the dagger-sized proboscis each insect had.


    Rhew launched a spray of icicles up at the creatures, but they quickly moved out of the way, only one of them taking even a glancing hit from the attack.


    Jake cursed and dodged to one side as the creatures buzzed closer, swinging wildly to try and keep them at bay. The five insects split up, one going for each of them while the fifth doubled up on Rhew.


    A sharpened proboscis stabbed down at Jake as the creature fluttered closer, its sharp and pointed mandibles trying to catch him and pin him in place.


    Realising that full swings were giving it too much time to react and get out of the way, Jake changed to quick jabs of his sword, keeping it off-balance until it was in a bad position. However, he wasn¡¯t fighting just the one, as he¡¯d already had to block several attacks with his shield from the other creatures.


    The moment came when the giant insect didn¡¯t flutter back quite as high as it bobbed and swayed in the air, letting Jake feint with his sword and bash it with his shield. Carapace cracked, and blue blood oozed free from a broken leg as the insect fell awkwardly to the floor.


    Jake stabbed it with his sword, giving it no chance to recover and fight back. Pulling his blade free, Jake turned to see how the others were doing.


    Karl was doing the best of the three, the big man keeping his attacker at bay with tight swings of his hammer, but he looked tired already. Rhew was also doing alright for the moment, but Jake wasn¡¯t sure how long she would last. She was casting as quickly as she could with her wand while simultaneously warding them off with her torch, but it wouldn¡¯t last forever.


    Looking to the last of their group, Jake grimaced as he saw Alan bleeding from a nasty puncture wound in his shoulder, his sword slipping from limp fingers to clatter to the floor, leaving him with just the torch.


    Eyes wide, Jake rushed to Alan¡¯s aid, quickening his pace as the attacking bug dodged around Alan¡¯s latest attack and got close enough to sink all three appendages into the Scholar. The mandibles stabbed into Alan¡¯s shoulder and chest, pinning him in place as the proboscis struck deep into his neck.


    ¡°Alan!¡± Jake shouted, rushing forward to his comrade¡¯s side before backhanding the creature off Alan with his shield. Blood poured out from Alan¡¯s neck as the insect was ripped free, and Jake watched in horror as Alan clutched at his throat with a wet choking sound, blood bubbling up out of his mouth.


    ¡°Shit, Alan, no!¡± Jake hurriedly dropped his shield to free a hand before pulling one of Alan¡¯s potions from his belt. Before Jake could apply it, he heard a cry of pain from behind him and turned to see Rhew had one of the creatures on her back; its proboscis sunk deep into her.


    Making a snap decision, Jake pushed the potion into Alan¡¯s hand and pulled the cap off before gripping his sword tightly and racing towards Rhew to help her.


    It took Jake precious moments to reach Rhew, enough that the second insect had latched on and started to drink the blood from her body. Jake could almost see the blood being drained from Rhew, and he watched with horrid fascination as the abdomens of the two creatures started to inflate with stolen vitality.


    Jake gripped his sword with both hands and hacked through the proboscis of the one on her front before kicking the thing off her, its blue blood mixing with Rhew¡¯s as its mandibles were ripped free.


    Blood still seeped from the end of the proboscis inside Rhew, and Jake grimaced as he grabbed hold of the slick chitin to pull it free. This time, the exit wound was cleaner, but it was still bad.


    Wasting no time, Jake repeated the process on the other creature, rolling Rhew onto her front to get at it and crush it properly.


    There was so much blood, too much for her to make it without help.


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    Dropping his sword, Jake snatched Rhew¡¯s second potion from her belt and carefully poured a little on each of the two main wounds before forcing her mouth open and pouring the rest down her throat.


    The potion worked quickly to seal the wounds themselves and stop further blood loss, but it was too late.


    She was gone.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Jake grabbed his sword with shaking hands and pushed himself to his feet.


    Jake knew intellectually that she would be fine, that the Dungeon would bring her back, but right now, the guilt and anger swirling through his chest were enough to block everything else from his mind.


    ¡°Jake?¡± Karl called out in a strangled tone, and Jake looked over to see the big man standing over Alan with a wide-eyed look of horror. The potion that Jake had given the Scholar was still in his hand, its contents slowly spilling out over the rocky floor.


    Jake might have saved Alan if he hadn¡¯t rushed to Rhew¡¯s aid. A fact that hit all the harder as he¡¯d failed to save Rhew.


    ¡°I think I need a minute to get myself together before we go any further,¡± Karl said, looking down at Alan¡¯s body before shaking his head and rubbing his face. ¡°This place is fucked up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jake said, lighting his remaining torch on the guttering flames of the one Alan had been holding. ¡°It really is.¡±


    Karl lit his torch, and the two of them moved away from their fallen companions to take a minute to try and pull themselves together. It wasn¡¯t so simple a thing to do, but both knew there was no way out except going forward.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Karl asked eventually, hefting his hammer and getting to his feet, his shield sacrificed for the torch burning in his other hand.


    ¡°As I¡¯ll ever be,¡± Jake said, following suit and getting to his feet with his own torch. They both stood there for a moment, staring out into the dimly lit interior of the tunnel leading out from the cave.


    Letting out a breath, Jake started forward, holding his torch high to illuminate as much of the tunnel as he could. Surprisingly, they were out of the tunnel after only a tense minute of walking.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Karl said, breaking the silence as they stood at the end of the tunnel and looked out into a new cave.


    Like the previous one, this cave lacked any debris or cover on the ground, but unlike last time, it had two rocky pillars. The pillars were situated in the back half of the cave, bracketing the Dungeon exit that would take them down to the fourth floor.


    ¡°Two pillars this time,¡± Jake said, closing his eyes momentarily as he fought back the urge to throw up.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Gonna be more of them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I know we¡¯ve already said it,¡± Jake said, thinking of how much pain Rhew and Alan had been in when the bugs got them. ¡°But I hate this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Karl said again, his expression grim as he hefted his hammer and started forwards into the cave. ¡°Gonna kill as many of the fuckers as possible, though.¡±


    Jake squared his shoulders and mentally prepared himself for what was coming. Realistically, they¡¯d struggled with the five that had attacked them last time, and there was just him and Karl this time around.


    The droning began the moment they entered the area, making them both stop and lift their weapons, but no insects came buzzing out of the pillars.


    ¡°Damn, these things are messing with us, getting in our heads,¡± Karl growled, stomping forward angrily.


    The droning grew louder as they approached, eventually peaking when they were a good way into the cave. Glinting eyes reflected the light from their torches back at them as the giant insects began to fly out from the pillars.


    ¡°See you at the entrance,¡± Karl said, giving Jake a rictus smile before charging forward at the group of bugs that had come from the right-hand pillar.


    Each pillar had released four bugs, and the groups seemed to be working together, so Jake followed suit and moved towards the four on his side as they came fluttering towards him.


    Jake made broad, sweeping motions with his torch, keeping the bugs at bay as best he could while he tried to take out individuals with his sword. Their carapace was quite tough, however, and a glancing hit would do little to them. He needed to get them with a strong swing.


    Sweeping forward with his torch, Jake gasped in pain as a sharp mandible dug into his shoulder, and he quickly twisted to knock the bug away, sending it bobbing back through the air. Disgustingly, it seemed to be cleaning the blood off its mandible and eating it.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your food, you bastard,¡± Jake shouted, dashing forward to smash the creature with his torch before it could get any further away. The impact knocked the creature to the floor, and Jake hurriedly followed up by plunging his blade into its head.


    A small weight hit Jake from behind as he felt two more mandibles dig into his back, followed by a third, much larger stab of pain as the creature sank its proboscis into him.


    Panicking, Jake desperately tried to get the thing off of him while fending off the other two, but he could already feel himself weakening as it drained him dry.


    In the distance, Jake could see that Karl was in a similar position, but he had two dead bugs near him as he tried to get the two drinking his blood off of him.


    In desperation, Jake blindly stabbed behind himself with his torch, searing his back with the heat but successfully driving the bug attached to him away.


    A lucky swing of his sword was enough to bring down the bug before it got too far, but Jake couldn¡¯t react quickly enough to dodge as one of them came down at him from above.


    A cry of pain turned into a wet gurgle as the insect pierced his neck with its dagger-sized proboscis, its mandibles digging in around his neck to anchor it in place at the same time.


    Too weak to fight back, Jake distantly felt himself crumple to the ground as his body stopped obeying his commands. The last of his strength slowly draining out of him.

 DN 13 - Death

    Jake¡¯s awareness came back to him alongside the sensation of a part of him being pruned and eaten. It was hard to define exactly how he knew that¡¯s what he was feeling, but it didn¡¯t change how every part of him ached.


    It was the oddest feeling to have every part of him aching at once, and it was made all the worse by how stiff and uncomfortable he felt. Even simply sitting up and looking around him required significant effort.


    Jake rubbed his eyes and blinked furiously as he looked around him, but his vision was too blurry to make out any details.


    Thankfully, his vision slowly began to focus over the next minute, and eventually, Jake could see well enough to realise that he was sitting on a stone slab and was dressed in a grey tunic that was entirely unfamiliar to him.


    It was odd to see himself wearing different clothing than he remembered, all of it felt like it had been mere moments ago, and he should still be down there fighting.


    Jake fought off a shiver as his mind wrestled with the problem. It felt like there was a blank space in his memory, and he couldn¡¯t help but focus on it, which made his dissociation from his surroundings all the worse.


    Jake stopped and shook his head, wincing as the motion provoked a throbbing headache that seemed to go deep into his head. He¡¯d died. Those damn bugs had sucked enough blood out of him to kill him. He¡¯d known it was coming; he just needed to get his head around it.


    Taking a steadying breath, Jake pushed off the bed and got to his feet. He was unsteady, but he was mobile, and that was the important thing.


    The room around him was mainly featureless stone, the only exceptions being the slab he¡¯d woken up on and a wooden door.


    Opening the door and shuffling out through it, Jake found himself in the foyer of the Dungeon once more.


    The small amount of movement he¡¯d managed so far seemed to have helped with the aching in his body, and Jake was able to move more easily as he recovered.


    Feeling better by the moment, Jake headed toward the Dungeon¡¯s entrance, glancing back over his shoulder in time to see the door to the room he¡¯d woken up in swing shut and seemingly vanish into its surroundings.


    Feeling lost and exposed, Jake lingered at the entrance, unsure if he should leave or stay where he was for his companions. There was a chance they¡¯d already gone ahead, but Jake decided to wait, just in case.


    Fortunately, another hidden door opened shortly after Jake arrived, with a pale-faced Alan stumbling out. The Scholar looked relieved to see Jake and gave him a tired wave before heading his way.


    ¡°Anyone else, yet?¡± Alan asked in a raspy voice.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Jake said, clearing his dry throat and wishing for a drink, preferably something strong.


    Alan grunted and slid down the wall Jake was leaning on to sit on the floor, resting his head against the cool stone with a sigh.


    The next door opened before Jake could follow suit, and a knot of tension in him unravelled as he saw Rhew walk out. She looked as much a mess as the rest of them, but she was alive.


    Her death had been messy and painful, a good part of which Jake felt was his fault. When he saw how extensive her wounds were, he shouldn¡¯t have tried to keep her alive with the potion.


    Karl emerged mere moments later, and Jake pushed up from where he was sitting as they all started to head out of the Dungeon.


    ¡°Gods, I feel horrid,¡± Rhew said, her voice raw and strained as she rubbed her temples, Karl grunting something that sounded like agreement.


    ¡°How much further did you get?¡± Rhew asked as Jake pushed the doors open, revealing a scene not too different from what they¡¯d left behind when they went in. The sun was further through the sky, though. Jake judged that they¡¯d been gone for maybe three to four hours from its journey across the sky.


    ¡°Not much further, we killed those bugs and got to the next cave, but that was it,¡± Jake said as they headed outside, his gut clenching as he remembered the feeling of those giant insects landing on him.


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    ¡°So halfway through the third floor, not so bad for a first attempt,¡± Rhew said before wincing and pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°How are we going to get the Wyrdgeld we need, though?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jake said, frowning a little as he considered her words. She had a point, they wouldn¡¯t be able to improve themselves until they beat the Dungeon, but they had to beat it in order to earn the Wyrdgeld to improve themselves. ¡°Let¡¯s find Ari first, see what he says.¡±


    They lapsed into silence as they headed out of the Dungeon and back into the small settlement that had grown around it. They were all equally uncertain of what to do next, and Jake was about to suggest they head for one of the taverns to check for Ari when he spotted their instructor already heading toward them.


    ¡°Good job on not dying all the way,¡± Ari said in a cheerful tone, passing each of them a square of wrapped paper as he joined them. ¡°Eat this; it will help with the revival sickness.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Jake asked as he unwrapped the square, revealing a segmented white block of something.


    ¡°Moiran mint, it¡¯ll do the trick for you. Come on, walk while you eat,¡± Ari said, leading them toward one of the taverns they¡¯d passed on the way in.


    Jake bit into the white bar, his eyes going wide at how sweet the minty treat was. Despite being firm in his hand, the part Jake had bitten off melted in his mouth almost immediately, releasing a strong wave of peppermint and more sweetness.


    Something about the sweet-tasting food made Jake perk up a little, just as Ari had promised, and he quickly ate the other three segments of the square.


    ¡°That was delicious,¡± Karl said, looking a little more like himself now. ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡±


    ¡°Basically just sugar and peppermint oil, perfect for the recently dead,¡± Ari said, smiling slightly at how they reacted to his words.


    ¡°So, what now?¡± Jake asked as they reached the tavern that Ari had pointed out.


    ¡°Well, in the long term, I¡¯ve got us all rooms for the next couple of weeks on the Guild¡¯s credit, so we use that time to get you up to speed. In the short term, we get some food down you to help with the sickness. You¡¯ll feel rough for today and a lot of tomorrow this first time, but you¡¯ll learn to manage it better.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly an enticing prospect,¡± Jake said bitterly, remembering the feeling of the bugs draining his blood.


    ¡°Not at all, and that brings us to the next part of the conversation, but we need some privacy for that,¡± Ari said, leading them into the tavern and motioning for them to wait as he went and spoke with the owner.


    A few minutes later, they were all in a private room at the back of the tavern, bowls of stew with hot bread in front of all of them.


    ¡°Eat up. You must all still be feeling the effects quite strongly,¡± Ari said, motioning for them to get started as he tore off a piece of bread. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you go through all that alone, but it¡¯s the Guild¡¯s policy, and rightly so.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Alan asked, pausing eating only long enough to ask the question before returning to his stew.


    ¡°Simple, really,¡± Ari said with a sad smile. ¡°You can explain how dangerous Dungeons are and what it feels like to go through them, but you can¡¯t explain how it felt to die in there. Everyone dies in the Dungeon at some point, and not just anyone can accept that or have the resilience to deal with it.¡±


    ¡°So you make us experience it first to see if we have what it takes to keep going,¡± Rhew said, making it more of a statement than a question.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Ari said with a nod in Rhew¡¯s direction. ¡°We see if you have what it takes to keep going, and there¡¯s no judgement if you don¡¯t. Anyone who becomes a professional delver is a bit mad to start with, and dying multiple times doesn¡¯t help that.¡±


    ¡°I want to keep going,¡± Jake said firmly, his mind already made up. It wasn¡¯t just because of his Class either. It was because he wanted to beat the Dungeon. He wanted to finish all five floors and walk out victorious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make your decision now,¡± Ari said, holding a hand up to stop them before they all committed to delving. ¡°Take the rest of the day off, rest overnight, and then see how you feel. If you want to keep going, you¡¯ll head back inside in the next few days. If not, I¡¯ll arrange for you to be on the next trip back to Port Emerald, and you can transfer to one of the other areas for training.¡±


    ¡°But how are we going to make any Wyrdgeld? We¡¯ll just die again, won¡¯t we?¡± Jake asked, not looking forward to another run through the Dungeon without anything to show for it.


    Now they knew what they were doing, Jake was confident they could get further, but it wasn¡¯t going to be a pleasant experience, that was for sure.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Ari said, waving Jake¡¯s concern aside with one hand. ¡°We have a system to make sure tier one Classers still advance, but we¡¯ll discuss that if you decide to stay. For now, assume that you¡¯re going to die in there again.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± Jake muttered with a sigh, finishing off the last of his bread to mop up the stew¡¯s remnants. He still felt awful, but nothing like how he¡¯d felt when he first woke up.


    ¡°Well, take some time, finish your food and get some rest. I¡¯ll meet you in the tap room tomorrow morning. Oh, here are your keys as well,¡± Ari said, passing them each a key with a wooden tag with a number carved into it. ¡°Rest up, no heavy exertions, understood?¡±


    Ari waited just long enough for them to all nod that they understood before heading out, leaving the four of them alone with the last bit of their meal.


    ¡°I need to think. I¡¯ll see you all in the morning,¡± Alan said after a few minutes, the Scholar getting unsteadily to his feet and leaving the room.


    The others followed suit over the next few minutes, with Jake eventually doing the same. His key said that he was in room twelve, and a sign at the base of the stairs said that only rooms one to ten were inside the tavern. Jake was actually staying in a smaller building just behind the tavern.


    The building was divided into several sections, each with its own entrance. From what Jake could see, each section had five rooms, which matched the usual five-person delving teams that he¡¯d heard of.


    It was slightly interesting but not enough for Jake to stay awake for, so he found his room and immediately took advantage of its relatively soft bed to get some much-needed rest.

 DN 14 - Patrons

    Jake woke the following day feeling almost back to normal. He still felt a little achy in places, but it was nothing too bad.


    Regardless, it wasn¡¯t to the point that Jake felt he needed more rest. The twelve hours or so he¡¯d gotten since they¡¯d had the meal with Ari were more than enough.


    Jake laughed at his own thoughts as he considered the luxury of having that long to sleep and how normal it felt already.


    Jake didn¡¯t exactly have much in the way of luggage with him, so the grey death clothes went back on as he looked over his room. It was little more than a bed, a closet and a storage box, but it was nice to have something of his own.


    Ari had said to meet at the taproom in the main building, so Jake headed straight over, finding Ari in the corner of the room, feet up on a convenient box as he ate a breakfast sandwich.


    ¡°Jake?¡± Ari looked surprised when he saw Jake join him. ¡°You¡¯re up earlier than I expected. Everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I mean, I feel a little rough, but not too bad,¡± Jake said with an idle shrug, eyeing Ari¡¯s sandwich with interest and wondering if he could convince the other man to buy him breakfast.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Ari looked him over with a critical eye, putting his feet down and leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table. ¡°You don¡¯t look too bad either. That¡¯s got to be one of the quickest initial recoveries from revival sickness I¡¯ve seen.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Jake said, unsure of what to say to something like that. His initial guess would be his Class helping get past it, but there was no mention of that in the details it gave.


    ¡°You¡¯re just a bundle of surprises,¡± Ari said, giving up his study of Jake with a reluctant shake of his head. ¡°The others won¡¯t be up for a few hours yet, at least, so feel free to wander around the other shops. Your breakfast is on the association, but I can give you your Wyrdgeld if you want to spend any?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Jake said, his mind immediately going to his upcoming costs. Every ingar would matter if he intended to pay them off while increasing his rank; he couldn¡¯t afford to waste them on idle purchases.


    Maybe once Jake started earning Wyrdgeld, he¡¯d feel less pressured to save money, but Jake was still unsure when that would happen. Ari had been cagey about how exactly they¡¯d make their Wyrdgeld, which didn¡¯t fill him with confidence.


    Ari flagged down a server and ordered Jake a breakfast sandwich before asking Jake which part of Port Emerald he was from. They chatted idly as Jake¡¯s sandwich was delivered, and when the others hadn¡¯t arrived by the time he finished, Jake took up Ari on his suggestion of having a look around.


    They¡¯d talked a bit about the Guild and Port Emerald, but Ari had steered them around anything to do with their plan going forward, saying that it was for them to discuss as a group rather than individually.


    Leaving the tavern behind, Jake took a fresh look at the buildings around him. There were shops of multiple kinds, more taverns, and a few unmarked private buildings that he guessed belonged to some of the different Guilds.


    A lot were interesting, but none were of particular use right now. No, the only place that Jake was interested in was Ivaldi¡¯s store. The odd building with its metal and glass construction fascinated Jake, and Ivaldi had asked that Jake visit him once he¡¯d returned, so it was an easy choice to make.


    There were quite a few people around as Jake made his way over to Ivaldi''s; he could see Classers preparing for their next delve, whether by shopping for new equipment or training with each other.


    Heading into Ivaldi¡¯s, Jake saw that the single room of the store was just as heavily stocked as the last time Jake had been here, but somehow it was more imposing now that he was here alone.


    ¡°Jake Khesh, be welcome in my domain,¡± Ivaldi said as he stepped out of the darkness at the far side of the room and seated himself at the waist-high table that marked the transition from the shop area to the dark-shrouded hallway.


    ¡°You said I should come to talk to you when we¡¯d come out of the Dungeon,¡± Jake said, unsure how exactly to start the conversation.


    ¡°I did. Thank you for doing so,¡± Ivaldi said, his dark eyes unreadable as he turned his gaze to Jake. ¡°I wish to discuss your Class. I¡¯m sure you have many questions and not many ways of getting answers.¡±


    ¡°What do you know of my Class?¡± Jake asked as he froze in place, cold fear sinking into his stomach as he wondered how much Ivaldi knew.


    ¡°There is no need to fear me, there are many who would kill you for what you represent, but I am not one of them,¡± Ivaldi said, reaching off to one side before pulling out a small stool and setting it on Jake¡¯s side of the table. ¡°Please, seat yourself. You are a guest, not a customer.¡±


    ¡°Uh, thank you,¡± Jake said uncertainly, unsure why Ivaldi had made such a distinction between the two. He was feeling more out of his depth than ever in this conversation, and he felt that Ivaldi knew a lot more about all this than Jake did.


    Sitting on the stool, Jake shifted uncomfortably under Ivaldi¡¯s gaze until the big man turned to reach down into whatever storage was out of Jake¡¯s sight and withdraw a small box, a wax-sealed earthen jar and a mug.


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    ¡°Please, help yourself,¡± Ivaldi put both items on the table, opening the box to reveal what looked like dried rations and breaking the seal on the jar to let the scent of spiced honey and alcohol reach Jake. ¡°I will answer your questions to the extent that I can, but, unfortunately, some truths are outside your reach.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what that means,¡± Jake said, feeling obliged to pour some of the liquid in the jar out into the mug.


    ¡°Well, let us start at the beginning. This is a safe area for you, but I highly encourage you not to speak of your Class to anyone else. It is dangerous knowledge. Equally so your surname.¡±


    ¡°Because of the Triarchy?¡± Jake asked, sipping at the drink and making an appreciative noise before taking a larger sip. It was strong enough that he could taste the alcohol, but the honey and spices blended to send a relaxing warmth through him. It was just what he needed right now.


    ¡°Amongst other things,¡± Ivaldi said with a nod, smiling slightly at Jake¡¯s appreciation of the drink. ¡°You will have gifts from your Patron, one of these is a marker on your soul that helps connect to those of your Patron¡¯s pantheon. That marker is how I recognise you and how you recognise me, despite the effects of being within my domain.¡±


    ¡°So you work for the Great Dungeon as well?¡± Jake asked, eyes wide as he looked at the big man in a new light. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it before. What is it?¡±


    ¡°In a way, I do, yes,¡± Ivaldi said, his slight smile appearing once more. ¡°As for what it is, the Great Dungeon is a deity, a very old and powerful one. That is all I can share with you for the moment.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t really help,¡± Jake said, pouring himself a fresh mug of the delicious drink.


    ¡°I know. I would share more but now is not the time. You have yet to commit to the path ahead, and more knowledge would bring responsibility with it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand any of this. Why me? I¡¯m no one, and I didn¡¯t even know the Great Dungeon existed until a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°Your bloodline has been partnered with the Great Dungeon for a long time; that is why you have this Class. Normally, bloodline Classers are inducted into what they can expect by their family. However, I am aware of some of your history and why this is impossible for you. This conversation is a poor replacement, but I will do what I can.¡±


    ¡°Wait, do you know something about my family?¡± Jake asked, his heart skipping a beat as he focused on Ivaldi.


    ¡°Your bloodline is the concern of the Great Dungeon. I know only that your immediate family has perished, and you, as the only survivor, were passed on to the orphanage. You have my condolences for your loss.¡±


    ¡°Did they die because of the Great Dungeon, because they had a Patron?¡± Jake asked, his voice little more than a whisper.


    ¡°An unknown group has been hunting any Classers relating to the pantheon that the Great Dungeon leads, and the Triarchy has been equally intolerant in recent years. Both together caused the loss of your family.¡±


    ¡°What about if I don¡¯t want all this?¡± Jake asked abruptly, straightening his back and looking Ivaldi in the eyes. ¡°What about if I don¡¯t want double costs, if I don¡¯t want to be hunted by the Triarchy and killed like my family were? What then?¡±


    ¡°At the end of your first tier, you will be given a choice,¡± Ivaldi said after a few moments, his deep voice solemn and his words bearing a weight to them that made Jake shiver internally. ¡°You may continue with your Class, advancing to the next tier and solidifying your bond with your Patron, or you may choose to renounce them. You will lose your Patron¡¯s gifts, and your Class will become a non-aligned version, keeping all you have earned but setting you free from any responsibility to your Patron.¡±


    ¡°Just like that, when I tier up, I can go my own way?¡± Jake asked a little incredulously.


    ¡°Just like that,¡± Ivaldi said with a nod. ¡°Your Patron has no need of conscripts, only trusted agents that can carry out its will.¡±


    ¡°What is its will then?¡± Jake asked, increasingly frustrated by his lack of understanding. ¡°What does the Great Dungeon want? What cause would I be serving?¡±


    ¡°That is something you must determine for yourself. You are unlike the others who have come before you, and if you do decide to turn from the path ahead, any knowledge we give you now could be used against us,¡± Ivaldi said, a touch of sadness in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jake Khesh. I wish that the circumstances were different.¡±


    ¡°This is madness. You can¡¯t expect me to devote myself to a Patron that I know nothing about!¡± Jake argued loudly, his raised voice having no effect on the stoic merchant.


    ¡°I believe that you will see what the Great Dungeon stands for on your path to the next tier, and if you do not, then the choice is yours.¡± Ivaldi paused to collect his thoughts before continuing. ¡°Your Class is built around binding Dungeons. I can tell you that this is accomplished by completing a Dungeon in its entirety with a group of no more than five people, where the strongest person in the group is of the same tier as you. Do this, and you will understand.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense, thank you,¡± Jake said, relieved that he¡¯d gotten at least a small amount of direct information from the meeting. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for raising my voice before. This is all just so confusing for me.¡±


    ¡°While I might not understand, I do sympathise,¡± Ivaldi said, inclining his head slightly.


    ¡°Is there anything else you can tell me about my Class?¡± Jake asked hopefully.


    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the specifics, but in general, remember that your Skills and Traits will aid you, but the more work you put in, the higher the baseline they have to work from.¡± Ivaldi hesitated before continuing. ¡°You will also recover from revival sickness faster than your companions, thanks to your Class and Patron. My advice would be to spend this time working to improve yourself.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Jake said, part of him already thinking of how much extra time he might have to work on improving himself.


    ¡°I do have a warning for you, though. One of the roles of those with your Class is to give the Dungeons access to the System, allowing them to tier up. There hasn¡¯t been a tier up in Strovia for twenty years, and all this Dungeon requires is that bond with you.¡±


    ¡°So I should leave so people don¡¯t know that I¡®m responsible for it tiering up,¡± Jake said, gamely pushing on past the fact that he was somehow involved in tiering up Dungeons.


    ¡°The Patrons of the Triarchy are sworn not to interfere, but their mortal representatives are not,¡± Ivaldi said, a touch of weariness in his voice. ¡°They will hunt you from the moment they are aware of you, and that will not be long once Dungeons begin to tier up again. The same for the unknown group that also sought your family.¡±


    Jake closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to manage the panic that was immediately welling up in his gut. The thought that he was going to be hunted by the Triarchy was a terrifying one. There was one other problem as well.


    ¡°Ivaldi, you said that they hunted my family and that I shouldn¡¯t share my surname, and I haven¡¯t since I left the city, but I gave my name when I Ascended.¡±


    ¡°Did you provide it to the Guild?¡±


    ¡°No, not when I saw it was linked to nobility.¡±


    ¡°Good, a wise move,¡± Ivaldi said with a nod. ¡°You must assume that your pursuers are even now searching for your trail. A false name at the Guild will not forestall them forever. For all the risk it entails, you should attempt to finish the Dungeon as soon as possible.¡±


    Jake wanted to shout, to complain that none of this was fair, but he couldn¡¯t find it within himself. He just felt numb.

 DN 15 - Training I

    Ari was still lingering in the taproom when Jake returned, though this time, the Classer had a mug of ale in front of him and was idly chatting to a grizzled-looking older man with a number of scars and a missing left hand.


    Jake cautiously approached the pair, not wanting to interrupt them, and caught Ari¡¯s eye with a questioning gesture.


    ¡°Jake, come on over; this is Felix Drusus, an old friend of mine. Felix, this is Jake Chant, a freshly initiated Classer.¡± Ari introduced the two of them as Jake came over and took a seat at the table.


    "Good to meet you,¡± Jake said, wondering how the other man had come by his scars and missing hand.


    ¡°And you, I hope that Ari is teaching you well?¡± Felix said crisply, each word enunciated clearly and concisely.


    ¡°They went through the Dungeon for the first time yesterday, so the true training will begin tomorrow. Jake here has bounced back from the sickness with impressive speed, though,¡± Ari said, taking a sip of his drink as he leaned back in his chair.


    ¡°Impressive recovery, unless you¡¯d been in a Dungeon before?¡± Felix asked, turning to Jake with an interested look in his eyes.


    ¡°No, that was my first time,¡± Jake said, shifting in his seat under the weight of Felix¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Felix said, his gaze resting on Jake for another moment before glancing at Ari and getting to his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll get us some fresh drinks.¡±


    ¡°So, you look all but recovered now. How do you feel?¡±Ari asked as Felix headed over to the bar.


    ¡°Pretty much back to normal,¡± Jake said absently, his mind still on the revelations that Ivaldi had dropped onto him.


    ¡°Good, we can start your training today then,¡± Ari said with a malicious smile. ¡°You should be rewarded for your quick recovery, after all.¡±


    Jake was starting to feel a touch worried about what he was signing up for, but given the situation he was in, tough training was probably a good idea.


    ¡°I know that look anywhere,¡± Felix said, coming back to the table and nodding toward Ari. ¡°What has he bullied you into?¡±


    ¡°He said we could start training today as I¡¯m already recovered,¡± Jake said, hurrying to continue as he saw Felix frown and start to turn to Ari. ¡°That¡¯s good, though. I want more training, and I want to push myself.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Felix asked, his attention focusing on Jake once more.


    ¡°I want to have the power to make my own decisions, to do what I want and not be worried about other people. I want to be the one in control of my life, not other people.¡± Jake could see that his sincerity had gotten through to the two Classers, and Felix had a considering look on his face.


    ¡°Tell you what, I¡¯m here for a little while to catch up with Ari, and I¡¯ve forgotten more about training people than he¡¯ll ever know. Impress me, and I¡¯ll show you a few things.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t regret this,¡± Jake declared firmly, which made both Ari and Felix laugh and shake their heads.


    ¡°Trust me, Jake. It¡¯s you who¡¯ll be regretting it when Felix is done with you,¡± Ari said, grinning at the older man. ¡°Old Felix here was actually my teacher back in the day.¡±


    ¡°Right, we¡¯ll start with a daily run around the Dungeon, then,¡± Felix said, his tone abruptly serious as he gave both of them a stern look. ¡°Both of you will meet me here each morning at first light, revival sickness or no. Afterwards, we have a short break, then combat training for a few hours, and then you run the Dungeon. No shirking, no excuses, understood?¡±


    ¡°Wait, why am I getting roped into this?¡± Ari protested though Jake could see his shoulders slumping in defeat already.


    ¡°You¡¯re out of practice, and going through a tier one will do nothing for you, so I¡¯m going to put you to work.¡±


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    ¡°Damn it,¡± Ari muttered, leaning back in his chair and sighing heavily. ¡°I was looking forward to a relaxing holiday.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll never tier up with that attitude,¡± Felix said with a disapproving frown.


    Ari grumbled a bit more but clearly knew he was beaten and quickly changed the subject by producing a leather card holder and placing a pack of playing cards on the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m not starting any training until we¡¯ve checked in with the rest, so fancy a few hands?¡±


    Felix and Jake both agreed, and Ari grinned before reaching into a pocket and drawing out a pouch of wooden tokens for them to gamble with. Jake got the sense that the other two normally gambled for at least ingar, maybe even full Wyrdgeld, but it wasn¡¯t like Jake could participate in that.


    Sipping the ale that Felix had bought him, Jake couldn¡¯t help but find it weak and flavourless compared to the drink that Ivaldi had served him. Still, it was good enough to drink while they waited.


    -**-


    ¡°Ah, the dead rise again,¡± Ari joked an hour or two later as Jake¡¯s companions eventually joined them. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Rough,¡± Karl said, taking a seat at the table with a groan.


    ¡°How are you okay so quickly?¡± Alan asked, looking from Jake to Ari. ¡°Is there something we can take to get better faster?¡±


    ¡°Nope, time, rest and good food are the best cures,¡± Ari said cheerfully, dropping his cards on the table and looking mournfully at his empty cup. ¡°Some people just bounce back faster than others. Sadly for you lot, Jake¡¯s one of them.¡±


    ¡°Lucky,¡± Rhew said, giving Jake a half-hearted glare.


    ¡°Now, all that aside, this is Felix Drusus, an old friend of mine. Felix, this is Karl Borvon, Rhew Larian and Alan Teller,¡± Ari said, introducing each of them in turn.


    ¡°Borvon?¡± Felix asked, his gaze focusing as he looked over to Karl.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Karl said quietly, not meeting Felix¡¯s gaze as he looked away from them.


    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯ll be joining Jake and starting your training from tomorrow, understood?¡± Felix waited until Karl reluctantly nodded before looking at Alan and Rhew. ¡°You are welcome to come as well, and I would recommend you do so, but it is not mandatory.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll give it a miss,¡± Rhew said, looking a little green around the edges at the thought of a morning run.


    ¡°Hold fire there for a moment,¡± Ari said, holding a hand up to draw attention back to him. ¡°Before we get into who¡¯s doing what, you all need to answer my question from yesterday. Do any of you want to swap over and learn how to be a hunter or something else?¡±


    There was silence across the table in the wake of Ari¡¯s question, and Jake looked over at his companions, noting the determined look on each of their faces. None of them was going to back down from this.


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll take your silence as confirmation you¡¯re staying,¡± Ari said, flashing them a grin. ¡°Feel free to change your minds and come speak to me privately, though. For now, however, rest up for the rest of the day and get ready for your next delve tomorrow. We¡¯ll have the run with Felix in the morning and then head in an hour or two afterwards once the combat practice is over.¡±


    Jake nodded, eager to get started with the true training for how to delve. Yesterday had been eye-opening, and he was looking forward to tomorrow.


    ¡°Alright, you lot clear off. I need to talk with Ari,¡± Felix said, his tone brooking no argument as he waved them on their way and moved his chair closer to Ari¡¯s. ¡°Oh, Jake, meet us at the southern training fields in half an hour.¡±


    Jake nodded and slid his cards over to Ari before grabbing what was left of his drink and starting to get up.


    ¡°Oh, identify yourselves to the innkeeper and order some food. You get two meals a day on the Guild.¡± Ari called out as they walked away, making Karl perk up immediately.


    ¡°Jake, you were here before us. What do you know about this Felix guy?¡± Rhew asked as they made their way over to the innkeeper.


    ¡°He used to be Ari¡¯s teacher, apparently, and he said he¡¯d help train us if we could impress him,¡± Jake said, catching them up on what they¡¯d missed. ¡°He¡¯s quite intense.¡±


    ¡°Huh, what about you, Karl?¡± Rhew asked, turning to Karl with a questioning look. ¡°He seemed to recognise your surname from somewhere.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± Karl said quietly, not looking them in the eye as he shifted uncomfortably.


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Rhew said, eyes widening as she glanced between Alan and Jake, but they knew nothing more than she did.


    That wasn¡¯t entirely true, though. Jake recognised the look on Karl¡¯s face from the abortive conversation they¡¯d had on the way to the Dungeon. This was definitely something to do with his parents, but that wasn¡¯t something Jake felt comfortable sharing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s worry about that tomorrow. It sounds like Karl and I are going to be doing the morning runs with them. I think the two of you should also come,¡± Jake said, turning to Alan and Rhew as he spoke.


    ¡°What, why?¡± Rhew asked, frowning a little at Jake¡¯s statement.


    ¡°We need to improve, and quickly, so the best way to do it as a group is to all train together.¡±


    ¡°Did Ari say we were on a time limit of some sort?¡± Alan asked, looking a little concerned about potential time pressure.


    ¡°Not as such,¡± Jake said reluctantly. He didn¡¯t want to lie to them, but he also didn¡¯t want to tell the truth about Ivaldi¡¯s warnings.


    ¡°I mean, I understand it for fighters like the two of you, and maybe even Alan,¡± Rhew said after a few moments of thought. ¡°But I¡¯m a pure caster. Why do I need to be able to rush around like that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but then, we don¡¯t really have a lot of experience down there. Why not ask Ari and see what he thinks?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Rhew said, taking a sip of her drink with a thoughtful expression.


    Seeing that he¡¯d made as much progress as he could, Jake left them to get some food and headed off to find the training grounds that Felix had mentioned.

 DN 16 - Training II

    The southern training grounds were an expansive area that seemed to have been expanded somewhat haphazardly over the years. An obstacle course stretched down the centre that was made from shaped and compacted earth, with sparring rings on either side and a racing track around the whole lot.


    Surprisingly, only a few other Classers were present when Jake arrived, and they all seemed to be more than familiar with the area as they trained.


    Not really sure what to do, Jake wandered over to the obstacle course and took a closer look.


    There were walls to climb, ramps to run up, pits to swing over and trenches to crawl through. It looked pretty daunting to Jake¡¯s eyes.


    Jake was considering having a go, just to see how tough it actually was, when he noticed Felix and Ari approaching, both of whom were carrying their weapons.


    Felix had a longsword belted at the waist, whilst Ari was carrying a small satchel with a pair of familiar-looking training swords sticking out as well as his usual greatsword.


    Ari was a nightmare with his greatsword, so Jake was more than happy to be using wooden swords that would only bruise.


    ¡°So, a sword user,¡± Felix said as they drew close, gesturing with his hand at the sword on Jake¡¯s hip. ¡°Why?¡±


    "What do you mean?¡± Jake asked, somewhat taken aback by the question.


    ¡°Spears are easier to learn, hammers and maces are relatively straightforward, but swords require far more training to make you effective. So, why a sword?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It just felt like the right choice,¡± Jake said, shifting uncomfortably as he spoke. His reasoning was poor, even to his ears.


    ¡°Hmm, are you trying to emulate a hero you¡¯ve heard stories of, or were you drawn to the weapon?¡±


    ¡°The second, I wanted a blade, but I didn¡¯t want to use knives anymore,¡± Jake said, explaining a bit more than he originally intended.


    Felix simply nodded and waved towards Ari. ¡°Show me what you¡¯ve learned so far.¡±


    Ari tossed Jake one of the swords and gave him a moment to prepare before kicking things off.


    The clack of wooden swords was interspersed with Jake¡¯s grunts as Ari methodically took him apart, pushing him to do his best as Felix watched with an impassive expression.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Felix called out after a minute or two. ¡°You have picked up a few basic things, which is good, but your footwork is shocking, and your technique is poor. I can tell you used to use a dagger, but we¡¯ll focus on the sword for now.¡±


    Jake was given a minute to catch his breath before Ari began to show Jake a series of basic strikes and blocks and had him run them over and over.


    Felix looked on with an unreadable expression, pointing out flaws in Jake¡¯s stance and giving corrections where needed. Each time he did, Jake could almost feel the change that Felix wanted and was able to adjust accordingly in a way that he couldn¡¯t with Ari.


    Time passed with surprising speed, and by the end of the afternoon, Jake was covered in sweat and was sore from the irregular sparring sessions.


    ¡°A good first start,¡± Felix said, a slight smile appearing on his face. ¡°Now, go and get some rest, we¡¯ll be running in the morning before you delve, and I want to test Ari in the meantime.¡±


    Jake nodded, trying to hide his satisfaction at the praise from the older man and instead smirking at Ari¡¯s crestfallen expression.


    Jake lingered a moment to watch the beginning of their spar, his eyes wide as he watched Felix conjure a soft grey light that wrapped around Ari¡¯s greatsword and his own longsword, covering the blades entirely.


    Jake wasn¡¯t sure what he expected, but his breath still caught in his throat as Ari darted forwards and brought his greatsword across in a powerful swing that looked like it would bisect Felix.


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    Instead, the older Classer sprang away with surprising agility before unleashing an onslaught of attacks with his sword. Ari was moving with incredible speed as he blocked, dodged and counterattacked. Despite it all, when the two split apart, Ari had four glowing marks on his body where Felix had hit him, and Felix had none.


    Ari had seemed overpowering and incredibly powerful, so to watch him struggle like this was eye-opening for Jake.


    Having had their initial fight, the two were deep in conversation, so Jake carried on back to the inn, his mind filled with dreams of when he¡¯d be that skilled with a blade.


    -**-


    Jake woke the next morning, tired and aching but nowhere near as much as he¡¯d expected. Felix had worked him hard, and Jake had been dreading how he¡¯d feel after a night¡¯s rest, but it wasn¡¯t so bad.


    Pulling himself out of bed, Jake got dressed and headed down to where Felix had told them to meet him. He still felt half-asleep, but he wouldn¡¯t let that stop him.


    ¡°First to arrive, good,¡± Felix said as Jake reached where he and Ari were waiting outside the tavern.


    ¡°When did I start to not count as a person?¡± Ari asked with a dramatic scowl that made Jake chuckle under his breath.


    ¡°If you¡¯re ever not the first here, I¡¯ll be adding regular sparring bouts to your routine,¡± Felix said, giving Ari a pointed look.


    ¡°Consider me suitably threatened,¡± Ari said, rolling his eyes as he started to go through some stretches.


    ¡°Hmm, somehow I doubt that,¡± Felix said, the corner of his mouth quirking up as he turned back to Jake. ¡°Now, I recommend stretching. Follow along with Ari as best you can. Borvon is late, so I will retrieve him.¡±


    Jake nodded, wincing in sympathy for Karl as Felix strode off toward the building they were housed in. This was a good opportunity to ask some questions, though, so he headed over to join Ari, copying the other man¡¯s motions as best he could.


    Jake¡¯s initial attempts were a poor imitation in comparison, giving him a new appreciation for how limber Ari was.


    ¡°So, Felix said he knows a lot, and he certainly seemed strong yesterday, is his Class based on training?¡± Jake asked quietly as he stretched out his legs.


    "Yep, he¡¯s taught quite a few people in his day, including yours truly. I was already trying to talk him into working with you lot when you came back and started asking about training yourself. This is a bit earlier than I¡¯d normally start for fresh Classers, but once Felix decides you¡¯re worth training, there¡¯s no stopping him.¡±


    ¡°So, he thinks we¡¯re worth it?¡± Jake asked, proud that his determination had shown through enough to impress Felix so quickly.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Ari said, shaking his head with a snorted laugh. ¡°Not even close. Consider these fitness sessions as a test to see if you¡¯re worth his time, if you¡¯re Worthy.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by being Worthy? Is there something more to it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a standard term used by the System; its meaning can vary depending on the situation, but it usually has to do with something being fitting or impressive. Those rats in the Dungeon aren¡¯t a Worthy foe, but the Guardian at the end will be. The other side is that Felix could teach me to do a new technique, but it¡¯s not a Worthy application of his Class. Teaching a dedicated student from the ground up, however, would be. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Sort of,¡± Jake said, carefully mulling over Ari¡¯s words. ¡°It has to be something challenging or a good use of your Class.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll do as an understanding for the moment. You¡¯ll pick up the rest as you figure out your requirements to tier up,¡± Ari said, bouncing up to a standing position from his last stretch and grinning as Jake tried and failed to match the move.


    ¡°What do you mean about figuring out my requirements?¡± Jake asked, mentally poking the part of him that could display the information.


    Deed requirement to increase Tier


    1 - 5 Tier 1 or higher Dungeons bound


    2 - Rank X


    ¡°Wow, you just can¡¯t help but give away that your Class is an odd one, can you?¡± Ari laughed and shook his head at Jake¡¯s confused expression. ¡°Nearly all tier one combat Classes are required to defeat Worthy enemies in order to advance. Karl will likely need to defeat them with a hammer, while Rhew may have to use her wand or her skill, one of the two. Alan won¡¯t, but his Class is a non-combat one.¡±


    ¡°Ah, got it,¡± Jake said, wincing slightly as he realised his mistake. There was no way he could have known, though.


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m not in the habit of spilling secrets,¡± Ari said idly, waving away the issue with one hand. ¡°Just be careful what you tell the others, or anyone else for that matter.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Jake said solemnly, thankful that Ari wasn¡¯t bothered about his secrets.


    ¡°Good, now look sharp. Felix is back,¡± Ari said, nodding over to where Felix was leading a bedraggled-looking Karl to join them.


    ¡°Fortunately, Borvon had simply overslept, and I am an understanding man, so there will be no repercussions today. However, you have used up the only pass that either of you will get while working with me, understood?¡±


    ¡°Good, now, let¡¯s get to it. Borvon, set the pace, go,¡± Felix said, pointing off to their left with an expectant look in Karl¡¯s direction.


    Karl gave Jake a pleading look before setting off at a slow jog in the direction that Felix had pointed. While Jake commiserated, especially with Karl¡¯s lack of warmup, he couldn¡¯t do much in this situation.


    ¡°Jake, you¡¯re next. Get moving,¡± Felix said, gesturing with his stump for Jake to start jogging.


    ¡°I can do this,¡± Jake muttered, moving into a steady jog to follow Karl. It was just going to be an easy jog.


    It¡¯d be fine.

 DN 17 - Delver Harder I

    It wasn¡¯t fine.


    Jake lay on his back, staring at the sky as his chest heaved and he desperately tried to catch his breath. Things had started out okay, but Felix had decided to test them, and that hadn¡¯t gone well at all.


    Jake had almost folded after the first few sprints that Felix worked into the run, especially when he realised that both of the older Classers were pacing him and Karl with seemingly little effort.


    The true blow to his self-esteem came when they¡¯d returned after finishing their fifth lap, and Felix had told them to rest while he set off with Ari at a much quicker pace for a few more.


    ¡°You doing okay, Karl?¡± Jake asked, making sure to take deep breaths and try to get his pounding heart under control.


    ¡°No,¡± Karl said with a groan. ¡°I¡¯m built for short sprints, not long distances, and definitely not both at the same time.¡±


    Jake chuckled breathlessly, thankful that he hadn¡¯t had Felix¡¯s personal attention the way Karl had. Karl¡¯s self-appointed tormentor had been on his back the whole way, making him do additional work beyond what Jake was asked to do.


    ¡°See, this is why I didn¡¯t want to join you on your run,¡± Rhew said, coming into view as she walked over to where they lay. ¡°You both look like you¡¯ve been put through your paces, and we¡¯ve yet to even start the Dungeon. Are you going to be able to manage?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Just give me a few minutes,¡± Jake said with far more confidence than he felt.


    ¡°Was it that bad?¡± Alan asked, joining them with a concerned expression. ¡°Are you going to do it again?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and yes,¡± Jake said, his controlled breathing steadily bringing his racing pulse under control. This was the first time he¡¯d ever purposefully exercised, and it had been horrid, but it also underlined how much work he needed to do.


    Jake could sprint and scramble with the best of them, but that was about agility, not endurance. The route they¡¯d taken around the Dungeon hadn¡¯t been incredibly long, but it was still the furthest Jake had ever run or jogged without a break.


    ¡°What about you, Karl?¡± Alan asked, looking over to their red-faced companion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve got a choice,¡± Karl said bitterly. ¡°Felix made it an order, not a request.¡±


    ¡°You could always say no. He¡¯s not our instructor,¡± Rhew pointed out as she took a seat on the ground between them.


    ¡°Maybe, but he¡¯s right. We¡¯re not in the shape we need to be for the Dungeon, and this proved that. I thought I was training right with what I was doing, but if I can¡¯t even take this much, maybe I need to change what I¡¯m doing.¡± There was a level of resolve in Karl¡¯s voice that made Jake look over in surprise. From yesterday, Jake had thought that Karl wasn¡¯t interested at all.


    ¡°Well, just don¡¯t go getting yourselves exhausted before we head in; I don¡¯t want to be wasting our time in there,¡± Rhew said, getting to her feet and dusting herself off.


    Ari rejoined them inside a short time later, fresh-faced and looking ready for more.


    ¡°So what now?¡± Jake asked as Ari took a seat.


    ¡°Well, once you two are up to it, we¡¯re going delving,¡± Ari said, grinning as they all perked up at his words. ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited; you¡¯re all still going to die down there.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the point? How will we improve?¡± Jake asked, not particularly wanting to go in unless there was a chance of them making it through.


    ¡°Ah, well, that¡¯s because I¡¯m coming with you this time,¡± Ari said, raising a hand to stop them from asking questions. ¡°We¡¯ll go over the specifics once we¡¯re in there, but in short, I won¡¯t be helping you. I¡¯m there to watch what you¡¯re doing and make notes, but I¡¯ll also keep hold of the Wyrdgeld for you and divvy it up afterwards so you can start earning some money.¡±


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    ¡°Won¡¯t the Dungeon attack you, though?¡± Alan asked, cocking his head to one side questioningly.


    ¡°Not until you¡¯re all dead,¡± Ari said with a shrug and a grin. ¡°I¡¯ll identify as a temporary non-combatant to it, so the monsters will leave me alone, and before you ask, no, I don¡¯t know why that works. Also, yes, you can abuse it if you want, but then the Dungeon will remember you, so I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense, though. Why would it do that?¡± Jake asked, but Ari simply shrugged and spread his hands. Jake sighed and ran a hand through his hair, wishing he understood more about how the Dungeons worked.


    Allowing a temporary non-combatant status implied a level of intelligence to the Dungeon that surprised Jake. He¡¯d always assumed they were just a creation of the System to house monsters. That could still be the case, though. It could be that the System recognised them as a non-combatant.


    Jake¡¯s Patron was called the Great Dungeon, which Jake had assumed was a god in charge of the Dungeons, more like a title than anything. If Dungeons were more than he¡¯d thought, could it actually be one that had grown large enough to somehow ascend to godhood?


    Ari had led the group into the inn and ordered them all some food, so Jake set aside his worries for the moment. It wasn¡¯t like it made an immediate difference how aware the Dungeons were; his Patron would be problematic regardless.


    -**-


    After eating, they all made their way down to the Dungeon, stopping off at Ivaldi¡¯s on the way to equip themselves with the free gear that came from his agreement with the Guild.


    ¡°Okay, first tip of the day! The doors are open, which means at least one path is free, so let¡¯s get to it,¡± Ari called out as they exited the store, whistling merrily as he led the way through the enormous entrance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Let¡¯s go!¡± Ari called out as he carried on down to the door, only pausing once he was at the entrance to make sure the rest of them were still with him.


    Jake was the first to pass him, stepping back into the dark confines of the Dungeon¡¯s tunnels that were already far too familiar to him.


    ¡°Alright, next tip, prepare yourselves for the environment before you continue,¡± Ari said as the door to the Dungeon swung shut behind them with a resonating thud, and they were plunged into total darkness.


    ¡°Shit, I can¡¯t see anything,¡± Rhew cursed from off to one side, her words followed by the clatter of something hitting the floor.


    ¡°This is why you should have lit the torches before coming inside,¡± Ari said in a mournful tone.


    ¡°We would have done it if you weren¡¯t rushing us!¡± Rhew exclaimed angrily, making Jake shuffle away from her a little bit, just in case she mistook him for Ari.


    ¡°Life isn¡¯t going to let you prepare properly. You need to adjust and adapt on the fly. That includes situations like this.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Alan crowed, a shower of sparks erupting to Jake¡¯s left as Alan lit one of his torches.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯ve achieved basic visibility,¡± Ari said with a mocking grin. ¡°Ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rhew snapped, lighting her own torch from Alan¡¯s while glaring at Ari.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Ari said before clearing his throat and continuing in a more serious tone. ¡°Dungeon, my name is Ari Derth. I am here as a non-combatant to watch and train these four. Once they fall, I will continue on as a full combatant.¡±


    ¡°Does that really work, or is this all an elaborate joke?¡± Karl asked, eyeing Ari suspiciously.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see soon enough. Now, over to you. I¡¯m just here to watch,¡± Ari said, the poor lighting unable to disguise how much he was enjoying Karl¡¯s suspicion.


    ¡°Right, come on, let¡¯s get going,¡± Jake said, waving for them all to gather up and ignore Ari. ¡°Should we change how we move or stick to what we had before?¡±


    ¡°Stick to the same,¡± Karl said, motioning to the shields that he and Jake carried. ¡°We have the best protection; it makes sense for us to be at the front.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so, yeah,¡± Jake said, looking to Rhew or Alan for any other ideas they might have. Neither said anything, so Jake gestured for Karl to take the right-hand side of the tunnel as before.


    With previous experience of what they were doing, the four of them were confident as they moved into the tunnels, a confidence that only grew as they caught several hidden rats before they could strike.


    Their pace picked up as Rhew was better able to pick off the rats with her magic. Clumped bursts of icicles were intermixed with blasts from her wand to slow the rats down enough to be an easy target.


    The biggest issue came when one of the ambushes was right before the final room, in a spot that had previously been fine.


    ¡°Top Dungeon tip number three, while the general layout remains the same, things can and will change between delves. Complacency is lethal,¡± Ari called out, making Jake jump. He¡¯d forgotten that their instructor was trailing along behind them.


    With that reminder in mind, they carefully advanced into the final area of the floor and engaged the rats that were waiting in ambush.


    Unsurprisingly, the fight was shorter and much smoother than last time, and before they knew it, the final rat was dead, and they were stood before the door to the second floor.


    ¡°So,¡± Ari asked, walking forward to stand between them and the door. ¡°How do you think that went?¡±

 DN 18 - Delve Harder II

    ¡°I think we did well,¡± Jake said after a few beats of silence. ¡°It was much better than last time, that¡¯s for sure. No one was injured, and we finished the floor much more quickly.¡±


    ¡°Very good, I agree. Those are the main measures of a delve, but you should also note how much equipment was used. Torches have a limited duration, so you should also be mindful of how long you have left.¡± Ari said, his lips twisting into a slight smile as they all sighed in relief. ¡°That¡¯s not to say that you didn¡¯t make several glaring errors, so while I agree that it went well, there¡¯s a lot of room for improvement.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Rhew challenged, folding her arms and lifting her chin with a defiant look in her eyes.


    ¡°Well, the first thing is your Wyrdgeld,¡± Ari said, walking over to lean against the Dungeon wall as he spoke. ¡°I assume you¡¯ve already tried to rank up or improve your skills within the Dungeon and realised you can¡¯t. It all needs to come out with you to be of use, and you can¡¯t draw Wyrdgeld from dead people, only slain monsters. What would happen if Karl was killed mid-way through the Dungeon?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d lose the Wyrdgeld he was carrying,¡± Jake said, wincing a little at the fact that none of them had even considered pooling their money to rank up one of them last time. They wouldn¡¯t have been able to, but they still should have at least considered the idea.


    ¡°Precisely, which is why you always carry it within you when outside the Dungeon but on your person when inside the Dungeon. If you look in your packs from Ivaldi, you will find a small money pouch. I suggest you use it.¡±


    Jake pulled off his pack and rifled through it, finding the small money pouch Ari had said would be there. Calling the three Wyrdgeld he¡¯d harvested into his hand, Jake slipped them into the pouch and attached it to his belt.


    They couldn¡¯t afford to lose any Wyrdgeld.


    ¡°Good, now, that was the first thing. The second thing to talk about is you, Alan,¡± Ari said, turning to face the scholar. ¡°Why were you not using an active Skill?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Alan said, his brow furrowing as he shifted under Ari¡¯s regard. ¡°My Skill isn¡¯t relevant to all this.¡±


    ¡°Do me a favour and read out the wording if you would,¡± Ari said, idly waving away Alan¡¯s protest.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s called Weak Inquisitive Regard, an uncommon Skill, and it says, ¡®You channel a minor amount of Wyrd through your eyes, granting a minor enhancement to your ability to perceive.¡¯¡±


    ¡°I hoped it would be something like that,¡± Ari said with a satisfied nod. ¡°So, why aren¡¯t you using it?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s for helping you read faster and clearer, not for fighting,¡± Alan said with a confused expression. ¡°I read about it in a book on Skills.¡±


    ¡°True, and that¡¯s what it¡¯s used for, in most cases, by most Scholars. You, however, are not most Scholars, so tell me, what have you done that¡¯s helped the most on this delve so far.¡±


    ¡°I killed a pair of rats that were going to get Rhew,¡± Alan said in a questioning tone, glancing towards Jake and the others for support.


    ¡°Karl could have done that if he¡¯d moved a little faster and not been so flat-footed,¡± Ari said, shooting Karl a pointed look that made him wince and look a little sheepish.


    ¡°I spotted I helped spot the rats and where they were hiding,¡± Alan said, his eyes going wide before his gaze turned distant, and he seemed to read something they couldn¡¯t see. ¡°My Skill would let me spot hidden enemies more easily, wouldn¡¯t it.¡±


    ¡°Indeed it will, and it¡¯ll likely add to your Deed requirements for the next tier as well,¡± Ari said encouragingly.


    ¡°I never even considered this,¡± Alan said with a grin that quickly froze as he turned to the rest of them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t think of this sooner; it could have helped us get further on the last attempt.¡±


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    ¡°It¡¯s alright; it would have ended the same way regardless,¡± Jake said, waving away Alan¡¯s concern. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re all here to learn, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Jake,¡± Alan said, part of his smile returning at Jake¡¯s words.


    ¡°Alright, well biggest things are covered. Feel free to carry on,¡± Ari said, waving one hand toward the door to the next floor.


    -**-


    The second floor was much the same as the first, though with Alan using his Skill to actively pick out rats that were hiding or lying in ambush, Rhew was able to use her wand to pick off a number of them before they even knew they¡¯d been spotted.


    Ari kept quiet as they pushed onwards, only speaking up when he debriefed them at the end of the floor.


    ¡°I must admit, I¡¯m impressed by how quickly you adopted my advice,¡± Ari said with a nod to Alan before turning to Rhew. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°A little tired; that was a lot of wand work at the end there,¡± Rhew said, letting out a heavy breath as she put her wand away and rubbed her face.


    ¡°Exactly, which is my next bit of advice. Spot test, Karl. How do wands work?¡±


    ¡°Err, they throw magic?¡± Karl said, shifting uncomfortably under Ari¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just assume that I¡¯m looking for something a little more than that. What about you, Jake, Alan?¡± Ari looked to Jake first, who just shrugged and shook his head. Sighing, Ari turned to Alan with a raised brow and an expectant expression.


    ¡°They¡¯re items made by a Weaver that allow a Classer to perform a set action at a greatly reduced Wyrd cost,¡± Alan said, getting an approving smile from Ari.


    ¡°Exactly, and let¡¯s just focus on that last bit,¡± Ari said, pointing to the tired-looking Rhew once more. ¡°Rhew is now tired and strained from using her wand a lot in a short space of time, all the while casting it alongside her actual Skill. At the first rank of the first tier, you have only your basic Wyrd capacity, which isn¡¯t much. I imagine our caster has used up most of what she has, and pushing it further will only make it worse.¡±


    ¡°Wait, why wasn¡¯t this a problem last time?¡± Karl asked, glancing between Rhew and Ari.


    ¡°Because last time we were much slower, so I had more time to recover between fights,¡± Rhew said with a frustrated expression. ¡°I should have been using my wand less or asked if we could rest. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to get caught up in a delve,¡± Ari said in an almost gentle tone, giving Rhew a reassuring smile. ¡°The urge is to always push forward, which is why you should all be equally responsible for each other¡¯s health. The key to success in a Dungeon is always teamwork.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s take a few minutes and rest before we go down to the next floor,¡± Jake said, pulling his pack off and taking a seat on a nearby rock. Between their fast pace through the two floors and the morning run, he was feeling tired as well.


    Rations were broken out, and new torches lit as they made themselves as comfortable as possible in the rocky cave.


    It wasn¡¯t much of a rest, barely fifteen minutes in total, but it was enough to let them catch their breath and go into the third floor with their eyes open and their minds sharp.


    -**-


    They made their way into the third floor of the Dungeon warily, unable to forget how badly things had gone last time.


    ¡°Any ideas for what to do different?¡± Jake asked as they approached the first chamber.


    ¡°We should stick together more and maybe see if one person can draw them out so I can try and take some down from a distance if you think that could work?¡± Rhew said, lifting her wand with a slight shrug. ¡°I¡¯m feeling better than before, and there¡¯s no sense holding back here, so we might as well.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense to me. There weren¡¯t that many at the first one, right?¡± Karl asked, looking over to Jake, who shrugged, unsure of the answer. ¡°Either way, let¡¯s stick together and hold them off; they were only truly dangerous when we couldn¡¯t see them coming.¡±


    ¡°Good point,¡± Jake said, remembering the last moments of his previous try with a shiver. ¡°Who¡¯s going to go and try to draw them out, then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Alan said, his voice a little unsteady and his face pale but determined. ¡°You three get in position, and I¡¯ll come running back.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s do this,¡± Jake said, giving Alan a nod as they all moved into the cave and took up a defensive position.


    ¡°This might be the stupidest thing I¡¯ve ever done,¡± Alan muttered to himself as he slowly walked past them toward the centre of the cave, the light from his torch illuminating more of the open space around them.


    Much like last time, the area had no other defining features apart from the large column in the centre, giving it an ominous feel that was only intensified by Jake¡¯s knowledge of what it contained.


    Alan cautiously approached the column, and the tension in the air thickened as they waited for him to pass whatever invisible line existed through the cave.


    A familiar droning filled the room and sent ice-cold dread rushing through Jake as Alan reached what looked like the halfway point. As soon as the noise started, Alan turned on his heel and raced back towards them, five familiar winged shapes crawling out of the holes in the column and springing into the air to chase him.


    As before, even the smallest of the insects was slightly larger than the giant rats they¡¯d been fighting, and the droning of their wings became almost deafening as they drew closer.


    Alan was quick on his feet and thankfully faster than the flying bugs, but not by much. The Scholar barely had time to slip past Jake and Karl before the first bug reached them, its two elongated mandibles raised and ready to strike.

 DN 19 - Delve Harder III

    The first bug dove down toward Jake, stabbing out with its mandibles to try and impale Jake. Raising his shield to block it, Jake braced against the impact as he blindly thrust at the creature.


    Unsurprisingly, he missed, but it did force the creature back, giving Jake a moment to regain his balance before two more tried to fly past him.


    Bolts of blue energy raced up at the bugs as they went over Jake, one of them catching a bug in the wing and making it drop several feet before stabilising.


    The first bug was buzzing closer again, keeping Jake¡¯s attention locked onto it, leaving Alan to strike the one that had lost altitude, hammering it down to the ground with an overhead strike before stabbing it repeatedly.


    A spray of ichor struck Jake from his right, and he glanced over to see a fading pale nimbus of power around Karl¡¯s hammer and a pulverised bug on the floor.


    A sharp pain in his shoulder dragged Jake back to his own fight as the bug took advantage of his distraction to cling to his shield and sink one mandible past it into his shoulder while its proboscis shot down toward Jake¡¯s throat.


    Jake ducked down and lifted his shield, making the deadly attack miss but shifting the mandible in his shoulder at the same time.


    Grunting in pain, Jake did his best to stay calm as he stabbed around his shield, trying to force the bug off him without letting it get a clear shot at his face.


    Jake felt his blade hit something, but its chitin was tough, and he had the wrong angle to apply as much force as he wanted.


    The weight on his shield was growing more and more uncomfortable by the moment as Jake held it high and hacked at the creature.


    Twisting enough to make the mandible in his shoulder rub against bone, Jake hacked at the bug¡¯s upper legs. It wasn¡¯t elegant, but Jake managed to cut through, making the bug fall away, its mandible ripping out of his shoulder as it did.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Jake cursed, hissing through his teeth as he stabbed the creature before it could recover. The thing¡¯s chitin was still tough, but with all his weight behind it, his blade pierced it without too much issue, crunching through to end deep in the bug¡¯s thorax.


    ¡°You okay, Jake?¡± Karl asked, straightening up from where he¡¯d just crushed his second bug.


    ¡°Yeah, damn thing got me in the shoulder, though,¡± Jake said, looking around to make sure the bugs were all dead before removing his shield and relaxing his arm.


    ¡°Here, let me help bandage that up for you; I don¡¯t think it¡¯s deep enough to need a potion,¡± Alan said, sheathing his sword and pulling a bandage out.


    ¡°Thanks, Alan,¡± Jake said gratefully, moving to let Alan cover up the wound. ¡°At least that went better than last time.¡±


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Rhew said with a shaky smile, glancing down at the dead bugs around them. ¡°We have a problem, though. My ice can kill the rats easily enough, but it¡¯s not so good against the bugs. Their chitin deflects a lot, and it took several volleys to kill this one.¡±


    ¡°True, but Alan killed the one that you hit in the wings,¡± Jake said slowly, turning over the problem in his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not accurate enough to hit the wings every time,¡± Rhew said with a shake of her head as she bent down to harvest the Wyrdgeld from her kill.


    ¡°What about the wand? It slows things, right?¡± Karl asked abruptly, his expression thoughtful as he squatted over one of the dead bugs, turning over a Wyrdgeld in his hand.


    ¡°Yes, and so does the ice, just not as much. Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, it seems to me that I¡¯ve got the best weapon for killing these fuckers, especially if I use my Skill. The problem is that they¡¯re quite mobile, and I¡¯m not the fastest fighter. If you could slow them down, though, I can take them out.¡±


    ¡°That could work,¡± Jake said, trying to play it out in his head and liking the idea.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s worth a try,¡± Alan said as he finished securing Jake¡¯s bandage. ¡°I don¡¯t mind triggering them again, the same as we did here.¡±


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    ¡°Alright then, sounds like we have a plan of sorts,¡± Jake said, a smile spreading across his face as he picked up his shield once more. ¡°Let¡¯s get to it.¡±


    Leaving the dead bugs behind them, they carried on through the cave, into the short tunnel on the other side and in what felt like a matter of moments, they were at the second cave.


    Bright torches on the far wall bracketed the exit to floor four and highlighted two porous columns of rock that stood halfway between the entrance and exit. Jake shared an uneasy look with Karl, remembering the last time they¡¯d been here.


    ¡°Okay, same plan as last time,¡± Jake said, nodding to Alan and taking up his position to cover Karl¡¯s flank. ¡°This time, though, Rhew will focus on the bugs attacking Karl while Alan keeps them off her. Everyone ready?¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ll ever be,¡± Alan said, taking a deep breath before heading into the cave.


    As before, the bugs responded once Alan reached the midpoint of the cave, but the columns were further forward this time, so Alan was forced to pass directly between them to reach it.


    The droning came, Alan ran, and the bugs soared from their hives.


    Eight bugs emerged in total, four for each hive, and streamed towards them. Two of them seemed to focus on chasing down Alan, while the remaining six went straight for Karl and Jake.


    ¡°He¡¯s not going to make it,¡± Rhew whispered in horror as the bugs gained steadily on Alan. Lifting her wand, she fired off a series of blasts of cold energy, catching one of the bugs chasing Alan.


    The impact of the cold energy caused the bug¡¯s wings to slow, making it fall slightly and slow down, dropping it from the oncoming pack.


    The second bug chasing Alan was almost directly behind him and closing, stopping Rhew from getting a clear shot, forcing her to instead focus on the ones coming in to attack Jake and Karl.


    Two more bugs were slowed down, but the remaining four descended on Jake and Karl in a wave of unsettling droning, the sound pierced by Alan¡¯s cry as his chaser caught him moments before he rushed between the two of them.


    Jake¡¯s world quickly narrowed down to him doing his damnedest to stay alive as mandibles were stabbed out at him, and he dodged what he could, blocking the rest with shield or sword.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold them for long,¡± Jake shouted, unable to spare even an iota of attention for the others as he fought.


    One of the bugs climbed up in the air and tried to go overhead, but a bolt of blue smacked into it immediately, making it drop back down. Rhew seemed to be focusing on Karl¡¯s side, but she was still stopping them from just bypassing Jake altogether.


    That slight relief was enough to let Jake land a quick cut on the wings of the closest bug, making it drop to the ground awkwardly.


    Alan had managed to get free from his bug and joined Jake with a wild-eyed expression, sword in one hand and flaming torch in the other.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got your flank,¡± Alan said in a strained voice as he drove back one of the bugs, clipping it with the edge of his torch.


    Jake noted that the bug flew back much further from the flame than from his sword. It was a shame they didn¡¯t have more fire to use against them. He did consider swapping his shield for one of his torches, but doing that mid-fight would be difficult, and he needed his shield.


    The two of them worked together to cover each other, focusing on buying time more than doing damage to the bugs.


    The fight was all but over when Karl joined them, his hammer covered in ichor and his clothes bloodied here and there.


    With Rhew supporting them actively, the remaining bugs were swiftly dispatched, leaving them all to catch their breath and tend to their wounds.


    ¡°We actually did it,¡± Jake said, staring at the dead bugs in shock.


    ¡°Yeah, it was close, though,¡± Karl said as he drank one of his healing potions and let out a relieved sigh. ¡°Rhew saved me more than a few times there.¡±


    ¡°Me as well. That bug was about to stab me in the neck when you knocked it off my back,¡± Alan said, giving Rhew a grateful look.


    ¡°You all kept them off me; it was the least I could do,¡± Rhew protested, pointing to the blood-stained back of Alan¡¯s shirt. ¡°Alan did the hardest thing by starting the fight.¡±


    Satisfied with their progress, they quickly gathered the Wyrdgeld from their kills, counting the total up eagerly. They now had thirty-six between them.


    ¡°Enough to rank one of us up,¡± Alan muttered, eyeing one of the coins with a complicated expression as he rolled it over in his hand.


    Jake winced slightly and looked away to hide his expression. He didn¡¯t want to give anything away to the others; it was bad enough how much he¡¯d accidentally exposed to Ari.


    It was one thing to know that he had double the costs for increasing his rank when compared to the others, but it was another thing altogether to see what that meant in a practical way. Thirty-six Wyrdgeld wouldn¡¯t even get him his first rank, and they¡¯d cleared three floors of a Dungeon for that much.


    The thought somewhat ruined Jake¡¯s good mood from beating the floor, but he did his best to fake it as they bandaged up the wounds they¡¯d taken and made their way over to the floor¡¯s exit.


    ¡°Not a bad showing, not at all,¡± Ari said once they reached the door. ¡°Sticking together was a good plan, and I¡¯m impressed by the teamwork between Rhew and Karl. That¡¯s a good synergy of abilities. For the rest of it, I¡¯ve no specific advice, you all just need to get better, but that will come in time.¡±


    ¡°Should we take another rest?¡± Jake asked, looking to Rhew more than anything. She¡¯d used her wand a lot in that fight, and her eyes had a tired look.


    ¡°I can keep going,¡± Rhew said hesitantly, not looking happy about needing to rest again so soon but feeling tired all the same.


    ¡°Remember, just pace yourselves. You¡¯re over halfway there, but every floor has new challenges, and they only get harder,¡± Ari said with a pointed look in Rhew¡¯s direction. ¡°In an emergency, you can use Wyrdgeld to restore some of your Wyrd, but that eats straight into your share of the loot from the delve.¡±


    Rhew grudgingly nodded and agreed to rest for a short time. It wasn¡¯t much more than an opportunity to catch their breath and munch on some rations, but it was enough. In no time at all, though, they were getting themselves ready and heading through to the fourth floor.

 DN 20 - Delve Harder IV

    The fourth floor began much the same way as the others, with a dark tunnel stretching beyond the edge of their torchlight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch and shout out if I see anything,¡± Alan said, holding his torch high to illuminate what he could as they moved deeper into the tunnel.


    ¡°What do you think, more bugs or rats again?¡± Jake muttered to the others, trying to break the tension that was thick in the air.


    ¡°Please, not more rats. Two floors of them have been more than enough,¡± Karl said plaintively.


    ¡°At least we know how to deal with them now,¡± Jake pointed out, trying to see the bright side of the situation.


    ¡°Sorry, Karl, it looks like it might be rats,¡± Alan said, pointing to the side of the tunnel where some of the recessed side passages they¡¯d seen before were coming into view.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Karl muttered with a heavy exhale, his shoulders slumping slightly.


    ¡°Only way out is through,¡± Jake said quietly, bumping Karl with his shoulder to get his attention. ¡°You can do this.¡±


    ¡°I just hate the things, and I don¡¯t like being around them,¡± Karl said, taking a deep breath and squaring his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but if you want to talk about it afterwards, just let me know,¡± Jake said, not wanting to push Karl on it right this moment.


    Jake was fairly sure there was more going on with Karl and the rats than he¡¯d first assumed. Karl didn¡¯t seem scared or nervous; it was more like he was angry at them, though that anger was tinged with what Jake could only call disgust.


    Karl grunted noncommittally and started forward, ending the conversation and making Jake hurry to catch up with him.


    The floor quickly became more complicated than the last few, with winding tunnels, larger hiding spaces for the rats and even one particularly nasty room with both rats and bugs together.


    They left that fight with only minor injuries, thankfully, but it was a clear sign of how the Dungeon was getting tougher.


    Thankfully, the bugs were infrequent, and the droning of their wings was a quick giveaway of what was coming, but it added an extra layer to everything that was happening that helped crank up the tension.


    To make matters worse, each small injury used up some of their limited stock of bandages, and as they stacked up, they were forced to use potions as well.


    By the time they reached the end of the fourth floor, they¡¯d used five of their potions and were dangerously low on bandages.


    The damn rats started using the bug attacks as cover to get closer, letting them inflict a few small wounds.


    Grimacing at the mistakes he was sure they were making, Jake paused as he noticed something odd.


    The tunnel that made up the fourth floor had been consistent throughout, with only slight variations in direction or size.


    The final section of the floor was much the same, though the tunnel was wide enough to accommodate two doors, one that lay straight ahead with a familiar design and one that went to their left with a different set of engravings.


    Both doors had two torch sconces flanking them, each already filled with a burning torch, giving off enough light to make the small area relatively well-lit for a change.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Alan asked with clear fascination, moving past Jake to study the door more closely.


    ¡°Huh, not bad for your first time getting this far,¡± Ari said, moving out of the shadows to join them properly. ¡°That¡¯s a Challenge door. It leads to a sub-section of the Dungeon where you receive a floor-appropriate Challenge. The engravings tell you what it is if you look closely. I¡¯ll tell you what this is for free to save you some time. It¡¯s a Gauntlet.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s one of those?¡± Jake asked, fascinated by the intricate designs on the door. As far as he could tell, the door seemed to show a group of humans fighting against an onslaught of bugs and rats, with the humans standing within a small fortification.


    ¡°Simple. All you have to do is survive a series of attacks from Dungeon monsters, each increasing in intensity. Hard to do, but you get the Wyrdgeld from those you kill, and it¡¯s one of the few ways to be awarded a reward from the Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Wait, a reward?¡± Jake asked, turning back to face Ari with growing interest. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°There are several ways to get items or materials from the Dungeon, but the most straightforward, apart from harvesting Wyrdgeld, is the chests a Dungeon provides when a Guardian or Challenge has been completed.¡±


    Jake¡¯s eyes widened, and he shared an excited look with the others as he realised what Ari was saying. All the stories of legendary Classers involved them emerging from the Dungeon with rare and powerful materials used to forge the items and weapons they used to become famous.


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    ¡°How many of these Challenges are there?¡± Rhew asked eagerly, moving closer to examine the door.


    ¡°They don¡¯t always show on each run, and there¡¯s always a gap between them, but you can get several per Dungeon if you¡¯re lucky. I¡¯ll say now that if you go in there, I can¡¯t follow as a training guide, and I don¡¯t think the Dungeon will appreciate me basically doing it for you, so you¡¯ll be on your own.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we could make it?¡± Rhew asked absently, her gaze still on the door.


    ¡°I¡¯ve not done it, so I don¡¯t know,¡± Ari said with a slight shrug. ¡°Challenges are meant to be tough, though, so consider that before making rash decisions.¡±


    ¡°I think we should skip it,¡± Karl said firmly, shaking his head slightly as he looked at the door. ¡°We don¡¯t even know what the next floor is like, and we¡¯re already low on supplies. Let¡¯s make it through this first before we start trying to add in more fights. Besides, anything we kill and harvest on the next floor will still count, whereas we¡¯ll be alone in there.¡±


    ¡°Karl does have a point,¡± Alan said, one hand drifting down to rest on a nasty cut across his ribs that they¡¯d bandaged up.


    ¡°Fine, but if we see it again, we¡¯re trying it,¡± Rhew said, reluctantly turning from the Challenge door and joining them at the door to the final floor of the Dungeon.


    ¡°Alright, this is it, folks. Good luck in there. Remember, fight hard and die clean,¡± Ari said cheerfully as they opened the door and walked through.


    -**-


    With Ari¡¯s ominous words ringing in his head, Jake stepped through the door to the fifth floor and found himself walking straight out into a large cave, which looked much like the final areas on the first few floors.


    ¡°Wait, is that the door out?¡± Alan said, pointing at a distant pair of torches that were flanking a door on the far side of the cave. ¡°Is the entire floor just this one area?¡±


    The light from the torches drove back the darkness around them, but much of the cave was left either shadowed or completely shrouded. The little that they could see, however, was in the same style as the other caves, with a large number of boulders, stalagmites and areas of broken ground.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Jake said, straining his eyes to try and see what was out there. There just wasn¡¯t enough light.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad there wasn¡¯t a tunnel to get here, but being thrown straight in isn¡¯t the best feeling,¡± Karl said slowly, looking around them with a furrowed brow. ¡°I don¡¯t like this layout, not one bit.¡±


    ¡°Alan, what do your enhanced eyes see?¡± Jake asked, careful not to take his eyes off their surroundings as Alan activated his skill.


    ¡°There¡¯s one of those big bug hives in the centre,¡± Alan said after a moment, shaking his head slightly as he turned back to them. ¡°No sign of anything else that I can see, but even with my Skill, I can only see the first third or so of the cave. Anything could be hiding beyond that, and I wouldn¡¯t even have a chance of seeing it.¡±


    ¡°I agree with Karl. This sort of abrupt change in a pattern is never a good thing,¡± Rhew said worriedly, lifting her torch as high as she could and peering warily out into the darkness.


    ¡°I mean, this is the Guardian floor, right? We should expect it to be different,¡± Jake spoke as much to himself as anything. ¡°That probably means there¡¯s something nasty in here, though, so let¡¯s be careful and take things slowly.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe that hive is filled with way more bugs than normal, or a really big one,¡± Karl said in a hopeful tone.


    ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± Jake said, leading the way as they slowly advanced.


    ¡°Should we set up and draw them to us as usual?¡± Karl asked as they began to draw closer to the hive.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad plan, not at all,¡± Jake said, nodding along as he glanced over to Alan. ¡°I hate to ask it of you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Alan said, rolling his shoulders and taking a steadying breath before setting off carefully towards the hive.


    Everything seemed to happen at once.


    As Alan moved past a particularly large stalagmite, they heard the familiar droning once more and readied themselves for a fight.


    Alan had turned and begun to rush back to them, but a large dark shape bounded in from one side and pounced onto him, carrying them both out of view.


    Alan cried out in surprise but was cut off abruptly, leaving only the crackle of the burning flames and the droning of the bugs emerging from the hive.


    ¡°Alan!¡± Jake cried out, racing toward the stalagmite that Alan had been knocked behind. The creature had been hard to see, but it had been big and four-legged. It had almost looked like a wolf, but the shape was wrong.


    Whatever it was, it was significantly bigger than anything else they¡¯d fought.


    Rounding the stalagmite with Karl and Rhew only steps behind him, Jake found himself staring down at the bloody mess Alan had become. A series of wounds covered Alan¡¯s left side, but what drew Jake¡¯s eyes was where the creature had ripped Alan¡¯s throat out in what looked like a single large bite.


    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Karl all but hissed, eyeing their surroundings with wide eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s for later. Right now, the bugs are coming, and we have to focus. We¡¯ve got to get back to the fire. We can¡¯t fight both things at once out here.¡± Rhew lifted her wand and fired a pair of blasts at what Jake could now see was five of the bugs they¡¯d previously fought.


    ¡°Rhew¡¯s right. We¡¯ve got to go,¡± Jake said, his heart racing as he pulled his sword free and turned to face the others.


    Jake¡¯s gaze made contact with a pair of glinting red eyes, staring at them from the shadows of a nearby rock formation. Freezing in place at how close the creature was to them, Jake realised that it was looking between him and Rhew, seemingly deciding who to attack.


    Slowly, the creature inched out of the shadows, revealing itself to be an even larger version of the rats that they¡¯d fought throughout the Dungeon. There was something else to it, though. Its fur was a deep grey and bristly in a way that seemed unnatural in the brief moment that Jake had to study it before it began to charge at them.


    ¡°Shit, Rhew, watch out!¡± Jake pushed Rhew aside and put himself between the vulnerable caster and the beast, sweeping forward with his torch to drive it back.


    The creature aborted its charge and tried to get around Jake to attack the others, who had their hands full fighting the bugs from the hive as they tried to latch onto them.


    Jake kept his sword at the ready as he focused on keeping the huge rat at bay, though he had a feeling that the waist-high rat would take a lot to put down.


    A shocked cry from behind Jake broke his concentration as something attacked Rhew, giving the bugs the chance they needed to swarm Karl and start to drain his blood.


    Jake looked around wildly as he backed away from the creature, but he saw no sign of Rhew or the creature.


    Cursing, Jake rushed to help Karl, fighting alongside him to take down a trio of bugs.


    ¡°Where¡¯s...¡± Karl turned to ask before gasping with wide eyes as a heavy weight slammed into Jake¡¯s side, and burning pain raked across his back.


    Jake¡¯s head hit the floor hard, and his vision swam, but it was clear enough for him to see the descending incisors of the huge rat as it stood over him.

 DN 21 - Death Never Changes

    Jake gasped and clutched at his throat, sitting bolt upright on a familiar stone slab as he tried to catch his breath. He felt like he¡¯d been run over by a stampede of particularly overweight horses, different to the last time he¡¯d been here but just as bad.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Jake rasped, swinging his feet off the stone and taking a few deep breaths as his vision slowly cleared.


    The room he was in could very well be the same one he was in previously, or perhaps they all looked the same. Jake didn¡¯t know and was too mentally disoriented to really put any thought into it. What mattered was that the door out was in the same place as last time.


    Pushing to his feet, Jake slowly shuffled over and opened the door, revealing the familiar Dungeon foyer beyond.


    Blinking blearily, Jake scanned the area and sighed in relief as he saw Ari sitting against the wall near the entrance, his sword resting on top of his pack on the floor next to him.


    ¡°Jake, that was quick. I was expecting Alan to be out first,¡± Ari said, looking up with a surprised expression as Jake walked slowly over to join him.


    ¡°Good news for me. Means I get more time to recover before we leave,¡± Jake said, giving Ari a strained smile as he sank down to the floor next to him with a muffled groan.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good way to look at it,¡± Ari said, chuckling to himself as he pulled an apple out of his pack and bit into it with an audible crunch. ¡°May as well get comfy; this will take some time.¡±


    ¡°Did you manage to get our Wyrdgeld?¡± Jake asked, going straight to the important part of things.


    ¡°I did, but we¡¯ll discuss that once the rest of you are here,¡± Ari said, giving Jake a teasing smile before continuing to eat his apple.


    Jake hadn¡¯t known Ari long, but he knew the man well enough to know that there was no changing his mind when he got that mischievous glint in his eyes. Ari knew full well how much the money mattered to Jake, to all of them, and would enjoy keeping that knowledge to himself until they were all here.


    Alan joined them a minute or two later with a haunted look in his eyes. Jake noticed the Scholar kept reaching up to rub his neck, and when he spoke to them, his voice was hoarse and strained.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about your neck. I¡¯ll explain all that shortly,¡± Ari said before either of them could question him.


    Jake frowned, unsure why this specific injury would be enough to carry over when they were revived.


    Karl and Rhew joined them one after the other over the next few minutes, each looking somewhat haggard as they made their way over.


    ¡°Alright, now I have all four of you, let¡¯s talk about death a little more. Channel some Wyrd to your eyes for a moment and look at Alan,¡± Ari said, gesturing to the Scholar¡¯s throat.


    Jake did as he was told and could once again see the faint grey echo around the others. Karl and Rhew looked much the same as before, but Alan had a large section around his neck that was much thinner.


    ¡°During your training, you were told that monsters of a certain strength can damage your soul. The creatures you just fought were in the Enhanced category, giving them the power to damage your soul. Thankfully, they would need to do significant damage to outright kill you, but you¡¯ll find their wounds linger for a time after revival. Consider this good practice for fighting something of the Awakened category, which could very well kill you permanently.¡±


    ¡°Do higher tier Classers never revive then?¡± Alan asked, wincing as he spoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s a balancing act,¡± Ari said after a moment. ¡°The higher the tier of monster, the more soul damage it can do, but the higher the tier of the Classer, the more they can take. Not every hit will damage your soul as well. A stab or cut will do little, but something ripping out your throat and eating it¡­..¡±


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    Alan cleared his throat uncomfortably as they all turned to look at him once more.


    ¡°On that note,¡± Ari said, drawing their attention back to him. ¡°Right now, you use standard equipment with no extras, so all you lose is your life. Once you start going in with better gear, you can lose a lot more. No matter how good you are, the Dungeon will get you eventually, so we owe each other deaths.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Alan asked, looking interested despite how he felt.


    ¡°If someone owes you a death and you¡¯re delving together, they¡¯ll do their best to take your gear with them to the next exit point. If they succeed, then you owe them a death for when they next die. I owe Felix four deaths now; the obnoxious bastard is too honourable to leave anyone¡¯s gear behind.¡±


    ¡°What if someone owes you a death but doesn¡¯t bring your gear with them?¡± Alan asked with a concerned frown.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t delve with them again. These aren¡¯t hard and fast rules, just a code of honour between those of us who¡¯ve made a career of it. There will always be some who spit on that, but they quickly find themselves lacking in companions and goodwill.¡±


    Ari¡¯s words hung in the air as they made their way back out of the Dungeon, giving them all a brief insight into what life as a delver was like.


    Ari promised to divide the loot in the morning before paying for them all to get a hot meal and giving them the rest of the day off.


    -**-


    Jake managed to drag himself out of bed in time for the morning run the next day, but it was a close thing.


    Stepping out into the cool morning air, Jake spotted a bleary-eyed and equally rough-looking Karl outside the building they were staying in. Unsurprisingly, it didn¡¯t look like Alan or Rhew were joining them.


    Jake managed a grunt to greet his comrade, and the two of them trudged on together, finding Felix and Ari already waiting for them.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re both here,¡± Felix said tersely, eyeing them both with displeasure. ¡°Start stretching. You have two minutes.¡±


    Jake did his best to replicate what he¡¯d done with Ari the day before, and Karl followed suit, but Felix was watching Karl like a hawk, correcting everything he did with terse commands.


    In no time at all, Karl was leading the stretches as Jake tried to copy and follow the guidance that Felix was giving him. It was difficult to do, as Felix ignored Jake entirely and focused on Karl, but Jake did his best.


    ¡°Enough, that will do for now. I expect you to do a better job of stretching tomorrow, though,¡± Felix said abruptly, turning on one heel and setting off at a steady jog.


    ¡°Better hurry up, lads. He won¡¯t wait,¡± Ari said with a chuckle as he set off after Felix.


    Pushing off into a jog, Jake started off at a quick pace to catch up with Felix and then settled down into the steadier pace the older man was using.


    It was easy for Jake to let his attention drift as they kept going at an even pace, and he took a moment to admire the beauty of the trees and untouched grassland that lay outside of the Dungeon¡¯s immediate area.


    There were things that Jake missed about being in the city, but views like this were hard to come by.


    ¡°Warm up is over. Let¡¯s move,¡± Felix called out, moving to a fast jog even as he spoke.


    Jake pushed forward to pace Felix once more, doing his best to keep his breathing even and get a rhythm going.


    ¡°Sprint ten!¡± Felix bellowed, blurring forward at a speed that Jake couldn¡¯t match. Jake knew the command from the last run, so he began to sprint as fast as he could, counting down in his head and slowing to the previous fast jog after ten seconds.


    ¡°Did I say run, Borvon?¡± Felix demanded, sounding no more out of breath than he would on a casual walk as he dropped back to be level with Jake and Karl.


    ¡°No, Felix,¡± Karl panted, his eyes fixed on the ground ahead of them.


    ¡°Oh, so you just chose to ignore me then?¡±


    ¡°No, Felix.¡±


    ¡°Then that pathetic excuse for a sprint was the best you can do?¡± Felix demanded, his tone making Jake¡¯s heart sink; he knew what was coming next.


    ¡°Yes, Felix,¡± Karl said, ragged breaths coming between each word.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the best you can do, we may as well go back and have breakfast. So unless you want that, you damn well better make that your second-best effort, understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Felix.¡±


    ¡°Sprint ten, go!¡± Felix roared into Karl¡¯s ear, making them both race forward into a headlong sprint.


    Jake was faster than Karl and quickly pulled ahead, but Felix was faster again and outpaced both of them, catching up to Ari, who was well ahead of them.


    Jake and Karl put the work in to catch up to Felix and Ari, both of them sweating heavily now.


    ¡°Better, now you at least look like you¡¯re jogging. Let¡¯s see if you can get to running speed today. Sprint ten!¡±


    Cursing his own stubbornness, Jake put his head down and did as Felix commanded. The one-handed man never addressed him directly, but Jake wasn¡¯t going to let that stop him from getting the most out of this that he could.


    More sprints were dotted here and there through the run, which Jake was certain was more than last time, and the whole thing turned into a haze of running and burning muscles before ending abruptly as they came to the outside of the tavern.


    ¡°Walk it off, then get some food. I¡¯ll see you both tomorrow morning,¡± Felix said, looking as though he hadn¡¯t just had them sprinting up a hill a few minutes earlier.


    The two of them nodded, their chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath.


    Jake was certain that Felix¡¯s training would make them into powerful Classers, but a small voice inside was telling him this was only the beginning of what would be in store for them.

 DN 22 - Loot

    Jake and Karl eventually found the energy to make their way into the inn once more, where they found Ari, Alan and Rhew, each with a plate of hot food in front of them.


    ¡°Good work today, lads,¡± Ari called out as they came over. ¡°Keep putting in the effort like that, and he might even train you properly.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jake said, happy that at least someone was acknowledging his work. He didn¡¯t really understand why Felix was ignoring him and focusing on Karl, not when it had been Jake¡¯s idea to start the training. It didn¡¯t make sense to him, but it wasn¡¯t like he could do anything about it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you two can go run when you feel like this,¡± Alan said, shaking his head with a wince before rubbing at his temples.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy. I feel like absolute shit now,¡± Karl said, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his face.


    ¡°Ahh, memories,¡± Ari said, his eyes dancing with laughter as he pulled out two pouches, one that looked significantly more filled than the other. ¡°Here, this should make the whole thing more palatable.¡±


    The two pouches clinked as they hit the table, and Ari loosened their ties to let a familiar fresh and metallic scent emerge.


    ¡°How much do we have?¡± Jake asked eagerly, leaning in and fighting the urge just to grab the bigger of the two pouches.


    ¡°You have fifty Wyrdgeld to split between you from what you looted yourselves,¡± Ari said, pushing the larger pouch forward but raising a hand to stop them from immediately grabbing at it. ¡°I¡¯m impressed by how well you¡¯re doing so far, so I¡¯ll give you what I looted from the creatures in the final fight, which is another fifteen.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sixty-five, which is sixteen each and one left over,¡± Alan said excitedly.


    ¡°Not enough to rank up, though,¡± Rhew said with a grimace.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Jake muttered, leaning back and running a hand through his hair. Sixteen wasn¡¯t enough for them, so it wasn¡¯t even half of what he needed, and that was with Ari giving them the Wyrdgeld for those last kills.


    Their end haul was fifty, which was twelve each with two spare. That meant multiple Dungeon runs just for his first rank, let alone doing the rest of the tier.


    It was madness. This was more money than he¡¯d ever had, and it was so little compared to what he needed.


    ¡°I see some glazed expressions, which I¡¯m pretty sure means some of you are realising the maths involved here, so let me reassure you,¡± Ari said, leaning forward to tap the pouches of coins. ¡°This is nothing compared to what you can loot as you go deeper into Dungeons. This is a tier one Dungeon; you won¡¯t make a fortune here, that¡¯s for sure, but if you put the work in, you¡¯ll get what you need.¡±


    ¡°Do we pool Wyrdgeld to rank up three of us?¡± Alan asked the question they were all thinking about.


    ¡°What do we actually get for ranking up?¡± Karl asked, looking over to Ari questioningly.


    ¡°So, ranking up is meant to improve you physically; the System purifies your body a bit or something like that. You can also upgrade Skills or Traits with any Wyrdgeld you¡¯ve absorbed and have left, or buy new ones if you¡¯ve met the Deed requirements.¡±


    ¡°Damn, that sounds like something we need, but what are the costs for upgrading Skills or Traits?¡± Karl asked, a growing furrow building in his brow as he considered the issue.


    ¡°They both cost the same, but the costs increase with each level of rarity. Common ranked Skills or Traits cost ten Wyrdgeld per rank up to rank four, for instance. Buying new ones is exceptionally expensive, so don¡¯t even consider that yet.¡±


    ¡°Gods, why is everything so expensive!¡± Rhew exclaimed with disgust, glaring at Ari as though he was the source of the problem.


    ¡°It¡¯s the way it is,¡± Ari said with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s also why there aren¡¯t many high-tier Classers; the sheer amount of money needed is mind-boggling, and not everyone can stomach the costs of the later tier and ranks.¡±


    ¡°So if we don¡¯t split it but run it again, we can afford to rank up and increase a skill, right?¡± Alan asked, drumming his fingers on the table. ¡°We could do that or pool it now so three of us rank up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Jake said bitterly, hating his Class more than ever as he spoke. It wasn¡¯t like either option would let him rank up. ¡°Take that spare and eleven of mine, and the three of you rank up.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, Jake?¡± Ari asked softly.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jake said, letting out a heavy sigh as he made a decision. He couldn¡¯t keep this from them in the long run, so he may as well get it out there now. ¡°My Class needs twice as many Wyrdgeld to rank up.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Rhew looked over sharply, Alan and Karl joining her and giving him equally confused looks. ¡°Is that even a thing?¡±


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    ¡°Not all Classes are the same,¡± Ari said before Jake could respond. ¡°Ranking costs are usually standard, but there are a few with higher requirements, and it¡¯s no secret that they are usually quite powerful in later tiers. With that in mind, please respect the trust that Jake has shown telling you, understood?¡± Ari¡¯s tone was firm and lacked his usual flippant demeanour, driving home the severity of what he was saying.


    ¡°Understood,¡± the others chorused back, reacting instinctively to the change in Ari.


    ¡°Good, I¡¯d hate to be in charge of a bunch of blabbermouths,¡± Ari said, his mocking smile back in full force as he leaned back in his chair once more.


    ¡°So,¡± Alan started to say before pausing and seemingly gathering his thoughts. ¡°Forty, right? You said double?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right,¡± Jake said, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. He didn¡¯t like admitting to all this, but he didn¡¯t like the alternative either. If there was one thing that Jake had learned from all this delving, it was that teamwork was vital, and it didn¡¯t feel right to lie to them like this.


    ¡°Okay, so if you give up yours this time, we can all give up some of ours next time. We can get you to rank two that way. After that, well, really, the best thing to do is just go at our own rates, I think,¡± Alan said with a slightly apologetic smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s my burden to bear; I just wanted to let you know upfront,¡± Jake said with a shrug. ¡°Besides, we¡¯ve got the monthly fees to consider, so we can¡¯t spend everything on ranking up. Not to mention equipment that we might want to use.¡±


    ¡°Urgh, yeah, I¡¯d forgotten about that,¡± Rhew said with a slight grimace before sighing longingly at the pouches of Wyrdgeld. ¡°There¡¯s so much there, but it doesn¡¯t feel like half of what we need.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a feeling that won¡¯t go away,¡± Ari said, sipping on a mug of coffee that had just been delivered to him. ¡°Not as long as you keep ranking up, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s do what we can,¡± Jake said firmly with a gesture to the Wyrdgeld. ¡°Split it so they all have twenty, and I have the five at the end.¡±


    ¡°Alright, here we go,¡± Ari said, opening up the pouches and sliding Jake five Wyrdgeld before splitting what was left into three and dividing it between Karl, Alan and Rhew. ¡°Now, ranking up takes time, and the first one isn¡¯t pleasant, so my advice is to do it before you go to bed and sleep it off.¡±


    They all absorbed their relevant stacks of Wyrdgeld while Ari ordered a round of coffees for them all.


    ¡°So, after-action summary for the whole thing,¡± Ari said, sipping his fresh coffee. ¡°Not a bad showing, considering how fresh you all are. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re too far from being able to run it with only a few casualties, though you¡¯re still a ways from being able to run it with ease; you¡¯ll need a few more ranks each for that, I think.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re that far away,¡± Jake said, sharing a confused look with Karl. ¡°We got to the final floor this time, and now we know what¡¯s there, we can prepare better.¡±


    ¡°What actually was it? I didn¡¯t see what hit me,¡± Alan asked, subconsciously reaching for his throat again.


    ¡°Some sort of disgusting rat the size of a wolf with grey fur. I think there were two of them and five of the bugs,¡± Karl said, shuddering a little at the mention of the rats.


    ¡°Wait, two big rats and five bugs?¡± Alan echoed, frowning a little as he looked over to Ari. ¡°You said there was fifteen Wyrdgeld. Was there something else we missed?¡±


    ¡°No, that covers all the creatures down there,¡± Ari said, sipping his coffee with an amused expression.


    Jake¡¯s eyes narrowed as he saw the expression on Ari¡¯s face. There was something more going on here, and Ari was clearly enjoying himself, which meant they¡¯d missed something. Mulling it over as he tried his coffee, which was bitter but nicely warming.


    Ari seemed to want them to ask questions rather than just give them the answers, so Jake tried to think about what they weren¡¯t asking.


    ¡°Ari, could you tell us about the creatures we were fighting in there?¡± Jake asked, knowing immediately that he¡¯d hit the right question from the broad grin on Ari¡¯s face.


    ¡°Well, well, well, I thought for sure that Alan was going to be the one to finally ask,¡± Ari said, putting his mug down and shaking his head with exaggerated sadness at them. ¡°None of you have asked anything about the rats or ¡®bugs¡¯ as you call them. One of the first things you should do for any new Dungeon is research what¡¯s there. If you¡¯re in a town, the local branch of the Guild will have records and information about the Dungeon. ¡±


    ¡°So, as a member of the Guild, can you tell us something about them?¡± Rhew asked, all of them leaning in with interest.


    ¡°I can, yes,¡± Ari said, slowly lifting his coffee to take a long sip.


    ¡°Gods, you¡¯re so annoying,¡± Rhew muttered, dropping her face into one hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you get used to it,¡± Ari said, putting his mug back down before clearing his throat to get their attention back to him. ¡°So, we¡¯ll start from the top. The giant rats are called Murk Rats. They¡¯re in the beast category, which means they¡¯re worth a single Wyrdgeld each. Nothing particularly special about them. The bugs are called Krok Flies, beast category again. The only thing to note with these fuckers is their proboscis; they can drain you dry in no time at all.¡±


    ¡°Krok Flies, I think I¡¯ve read about them. I didn¡¯t realise that¡¯s what these were, though,¡± Alan said thoughtfully, his gaze going a little distant.


    ¡°Commonly called kroks, if that jogs your memory. The last thing down there, though, are Ironfur Murk Hounds. They¡¯re an enhanced category creature, which means between five and ten Wyrdgeld, depending on their strength. As you¡¯d expect from the name, their fur is like armour, so don¡¯t expect to cut through easily with your weapons. Rhew, your magic will still work as normal; it¡¯s more of a physical protection. For that matter, Karl, your Skill will bypass some of that as it¡¯s got Wyrd in it.¡±


    ¡°What about us?¡± Jake asked, glancing over at Alan, keenly aware that neither of them had a Skill like Karl.


    ¡°Practice your infusion. That will help in the short term and should unlock something for you to purchase if you want a more permanent solution.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Jake nodded, remembering the training they had on infusing Wyrd into their weapons.


    ¡°Good, good, now, consider this your rest day. We¡¯ll be running the Dungeon hard going forward, so take the chance to recover and maybe do some personal training.¡± Ari explained as he got to his feet. ¡°Leave word with the innkeeper if you need me.¡±


    The four of them were lost in thought for a short while after Ari had left.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about what Ari said,¡± Rhew broke the silence abruptly as she got to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m going to go get a new pack from Ivaldi¡¯s and do some training.¡±


    ¡°What about you, Jake?¡± Karl asked, looking over to Jake questioningly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I want to do something, to try and improve myself, but I¡¯m unsure how.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s that training field; we could go draw our packs, do some sparring, and see if we can figure a few things out?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea. What about you, Alan, fancy a spar?¡± Jake asked, getting to his feet as Alan tentatively nodded. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s all go get some equipment from Ivaldi.¡±

 DN 23 - Oddities

    They quickly made their way out of the inn and across to Ivaldi¡¯s, eager to get started now they knew more about what they were up against.


    ¡°Jake, be welcome in my domain,¡± Ivaldi¡¯s voice rumbled from the dark passageway that went off deeper into the building. A moment later, the man himself appeared, stepping out from the darkness with a stool in hand to sit down at the table where he conducted his transactions. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°We were looking to get a new batch of equipment to train with, if that¡¯s okay?¡± Jake asked, hiding his relief at Ivaldi not using his full name in front of the others.


    That was a conversation he didn¡¯t need right now.


    "That is not a problem. Do you wish to keep your standard loadouts, or are you looking to try something different?¡± Ivaldi asked, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table in front of him.


    ¡°What sort of options are there?¡± Alan asked with interest, tearing his eyes away from their surroundings.


    ¡°I have basic options for all Classes, so you may have what you wish, within reason. Most Classers dislike mixing between classes, such as a combat Classer using a wand, but it has been known. I have swords, axes, wands of different elements and more.¡±


    Karl perked up immediately and began to discuss his options with Ivaldi, eventually settling on a longer-handled version of what he already had.


    Jake was as happy with his weapons as he was going to be, so he took the same as last time. Alan, however, asked to try out a short bow in addition to his short sword.


    Sensing their curiosity, Alan tapped one finger at the corner of his eye. ¡°My Class improves my perception, so I thought a bow or something would work with that. Ari made me think of it when he talked about ways to use my Skill that aren¡¯t in the book. I don¡¯t think I have the strength for a longbow, though.¡±


    ¡°A wise decision on your part,¡± Ivaldi said as he produced a pack, a short sword and a short bow with a bundle of arrows and a quiver. ¡°My advice is to always use your Traits and Skills to the utmost. Here, I can provide twenty-five arrows as standard for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Ivaldi,¡± Alan said, eagerly taking the equipment and belting on the quiver before examining the short bow with a pleased expression.


    ¡°And for you, Rhew Larian?¡± Ivaldi said, turning to Rhew with a single raised brow.


    ¡°Would I be able to have more than one wand?¡± Rhew asked.


    ¡°Only one wand would be included in your equipment. I could also add a dagger or backup weapon of some sort, but another wand would be beyond that. Alternatively, you could purchase one for a single Wyrdgeld.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. Maybe another time,¡± Rhew said, shaking her head slightly.


    ¡°Very well, here is your equipment. Can I get anything else for any of you?¡± Ivaldi asked as he produced a pack and the relevant equipment for Rhew.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re good. Thanks, Ivaldi,¡± Jake said, adjusting his belt so that his sword hung correctly before waving goodbye to the tall merchant.


    -**-


    The training field looked much the same as the last time Jake was here, though there were slightly more people present throughout the different areas.


    Thankfully, there was still plenty of room for them to set up and get to work.


    Rhew and Alan went to a makeshift shooting range to practice their accuracy while Karl and Jake settled into a few practice spars.


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    Jake hadn¡¯t thought to get practice weapons, so their spars were done at a slow pace, more as a way to work on muscle memory than anything.


    ¡°How¡¯re you liking it?¡± Jake asked after their sparring came to an end.


    ¡°The longer haft gives me more reach and doesn¡¯t make me feel so restricted. It should help with those bugs, which is good,¡± Karl said, hefting his hammer in one hand thoughtfully.


    ¡°Good, what about you, Alan?¡± Jake turned to the Scholar as the other two rejoined them.


    ¡°A work in progress, but I like the idea.¡±


    ¡°Alan is overly modest. He was improving steadily,¡± Rhew said, shaking her head at Alan, who flushed and shrugged.


    Grabbing their things, the four of them headed back to the tavern to grab some food and turn in early. Jake could see the weariness in the eyes of his companions and didn¡¯t object when they left after they¡¯d eaten, leaving him alone at the table.


    There was still daylight left, and Jake didn¡¯t feel especially tired, so he decided to go for another run. He couldn¡¯t settle on what else to do, so he might as well spend the time productively.


    Leaving his pack in his room, Jake went through the usual stretching routine before setting off at a steady jog along the usual route.


    Jake considered doing his own version of the sprints and obstacles that Felix threw their way, but he also didn¡¯t want to tire himself out for when they had their regular run in the morning.


    Sticking to just a steady jog, Jake ran the full route and arrived back at the tavern red-faced and out of breath. He didn¡¯t feel as tired as he did after a run with Felix, so Jake did his usual walk to cool down.


    Oddly, despite the workout feeling a lot less than normal, Jake found that it took him longer to catch his breath and for his legs to stop aching. He¡¯d been running at his own pace, so maybe he¡¯d been going faster on average despite not doing the sprints.


    Jake shook his head with a frown, not happy with that particular answer but not sure what else it could be. Shrugging it off for the moment, Jake headed back inside and got into bed with a sigh of relief. Between the two runs and the training, he was tired enough to go straight to sleep.


    -**-


    Jake rose with the sun the next day, moving with growing familiarity to get dressed and head over to the tavern, meeting Karl on the way as he had the day before.


    ¡°I hate mornings,¡± Karl rumbled with an unhappy expression.


    ¡°You and me both,¡± Jake said with a yawn. ¡°Did you rank up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Karl said with a grimace that slowly morphed into a smile. ¡°It wasn¡¯t pleasant, but I feel better today, stronger as well.¡±


    ¡°Good, might be just what we need for the Dungeon,¡± Jake said, trying not to feel jealous of Karl ranking up before him.


    The run began in the same way as before, but the improvement in Karl¡¯s stamina was clear from the start.


    ¡°You seem marginally less incompetent this morning, Borvon. Did you rank up?¡± Felix asked a few minutes into the run.


    ¡°Yes, Felix, I¡¯m now rank two,¡± Karl said between breaths, his face flushed and covered in sweat.


    ¡°Good, it will refine your body over time, but you still need to work hard to get the best results,¡± Felix said approvingly, a rare smile touching his face for a moment before he lifted his hand and pointed to the top of a nearby hill. ¡°Run there and back, now!¡±


    Karl and Jake wasted no time answering and instead obeyed the order, picking up the pace and racing toward the hill. It wasn¡¯t a particularly big hill, but the extra incline made the experience particularly unpleasant.


    Gritting his teeth, Jake pushed on, doing his best to keep up with Karl as Felix pushed them hard.


    ¡°Wait, what the fuck is that?¡± Karl asked, skidding to a halt at the top of their latest run and pointing over to the north.


    Following Karl¡¯s finger, Jake spotted a damaged section of the forest where the trees had been torn and damaged. Oddly, it looked as though a mixed group of animals had been killed.


    Jake could see wolves, deer and what looked like a bear all mixed in together.


    ¡°Must be some of those hunters who are hanging around, though I expected them to be a bit cleaner about it all than this,¡± Jake said, eyeing the small battlefield with an appreciative eye for the amount of power it must have taken to do that much damage to the area.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± Karl said as they turned around and began to run back down the hill.


    ¡°Do you think that sprints are designed for you to have a chat halfway through?¡± Felix asked casually as they rejoined the group, the threat in his calm words sending a shiver down Jake¡¯s spine.


    Karl hurried to shake his head, eyes wide at the mere thought of punishment. ¡°No, Felix, it¡¯s just that we saw the remnants of a battle with a group of dead monsters, and it caught our eye.¡±


    Felix went still, and his eyes flicked between them as his hand dropped to the hilt of his sword. ¡°Wait here.¡±


    Jake barely had time to process Felix¡¯s words before the older man was gone, racing past them and up the hill they¡¯d struggled to climb with ease. Felix barely paused at the top before racing down the other side.


    They waited for a few minutes before Felix returned, and the run carried on as though nothing had happened.


    Felix and Ari left as soon as the run ended, leaving Jake and Karl to make their own way back to the tavern.


    Jake wasn¡¯t sure exactly what was happening, but something about all of this struck him as wrong.

 DN 24 - Progress

    ¡°Looks like he worked you guys hard today,¡± Alan said as Jake and Karl joined the others in the tavern.


    ¡°Yeah, but it was good. I can already feel the difference compared to yesterday,¡± Karl said as the three of them headed inside to get some food. ¡°What about you? How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°I feel good, really good,¡± Alan said, a guilty look crossing his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you had to miss out on this, Jake. I feel bad that we all got to rank up first.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It was my choice to make,¡± Jake said, waving away Alan¡¯s concern.


    ¡°I know, I just like things to be fair, to be even,¡± Alan said, shaking his head and looking around to see if anyone was nearby before continuing. ¡°The extra cost seems harsh, but I hope the Class is worth it.¡±


    ¡°So far, it isn¡¯t,¡± Jake said honestly, thinking of how much more effective the others were in the Dungeon. Sure, he could hold the front line with Karl, but he lacked the speciality that they all seemed to get from their Class. ¡°There¡¯s potential, though. We¡¯ll have to see.¡±


    -**-


    Ari rejoined them a short time later, and before they knew it, they were back in the Dungeon and pushing through the first floor.


    Karl and Alan had stuck with their new weapons, and both seemed to be finding them easier to use within the tight tunnels of the Dungeon.


    Karl¡¯s hammer was good, but Alan¡¯s new weapon had the potential to completely change things for them as a group. Twice as they went through the first floor, the Scholar was able to spot a hiding rat and shoot at it with his bow before it had a chance to move.


    While only one of those two shots hit, it was still enough for Jake to consider the prospects that lay ahead of them. Having Alan able to engage the creatures from further away took some of the pressure off of Rhew, letting her conserve her energy for the more intense fights.


    ¡°Not a bad showing, interesting change there, Alan,¡± Ari said as they reached the door down to the second floor. ¡°How are you finding the synergy between the bow and your Skill?¡±


    ¡°I think it can really work; I just need to get a bit better at using this thing,¡± Alan said with a pleased expression as he gathered his arrows.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯ve not got a traditional Class for scouting, but don¡¯t let that stop you if you feel that¡¯s the best place for you to make a difference. Your actions and Deeds will help develop future Skill and Class choices.¡±


    ¡°Is there a way to know what sort of things I¡¯d need to do?¡± Alan asked, giving his bow a thoughtful look.


    ¡°Yes and no. You can see Class choices and Skill choices with a description of the Deeds that got you them, but there aren¡¯t any specifics. There are lists of Skills and Classes that have been constructed over the years that can guide you into the sort of thing to aim for, but there is also a degree of personal variation. What you¡¯d need to do to unlock a Skill that lets you shoot with greater accuracy is different to someone with a dedicated archery Class.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s frustrating, but I get it,¡± Alan said, turning the bow over in his hands before nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll just try to use it as much as I can, and hopefully, I¡¯ll be able to get something that works for me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Ari said before pausing. ¡°Damn, with all the excitement, I completely forgot. Did the three of you rank up last night?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and it was unpleasant,¡± Rhew said, shivering in remembrance. Alan and Karl nodded as well, each with a distant look in their eyes.


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    ¡°Good, good, and did you look at what Skills you¡¯d become eligible for, if any?¡±


    ¡°Nothing for me,¡± Karl said, shaking his head.


    ¡°Nor me, but I haven¡¯t really done much,¡± Alan said with a shrug.


    ¡°Same,¡± Rhew said, looking over to Ari with a questioning expression. ¡°Is that normal, or are we falling behind?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s normal. You¡¯ve not really accomplished any Deeds yet, but I thought it was worth checking, just in case. Other than all that, I think you¡¯re all coming along nicely. Any questions for me?¡±


    Jake considered if there was anything he wanted to discuss but ultimately shook his head; he wanted to get moving with this delve and get to rank two as soon as he could.


    Ari gave them a moment to think before waving for them to continue down to the second floor.


    -**-


    With Alan providing additional ranged support, they found the next two floors much easier than usual. Thankfully, the Krok flies were slow and ungainly, making them easy targets for Rhew and Alan to focus on.


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s interesting,¡± Ari said as the group approached the two doors at the end of the floor. ¡°Challenge doors usually appear every few delves, so back-to-back like this is probably a good omen.¡±


    ¡°Should we try it?¡± Karl asked, looking over to the rest of them hesitantly. ¡°If it¡¯s rare, maybe we should?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but if we die in there, we lose out on Wyrdgeld,¡± Rhew said, shaking her head and gesturing to the door down to the fifth floor. ¡°I vote we carry on as normal. At least then, we¡¯re guaranteed a good amount. I know what I said last time, but we need every bit of Wyrdgeld we can get right now.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Maybe once we¡¯ve completed it, we could start running it with better gear and then do the challenge the next time it shows up?¡± Jake said, remembering how Ivaldi had told him that he¡¯d need to complete the challenges as well as the Dungeon proper if he wanted to ¡®bind¡¯ the Dungeon, whatever that meant.


    ¡°That makes the most sense to me,¡± Alan said, looking at the door to the Challenge with more than a bit of apprehension. ¡°We should focus on finishing it. Then we can look at the extras.¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Karl said, shrugging as he headed to the other door. ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ll ever be,¡± Jake said, the image of the murk hound as it loomed over him flickering through his mind. He knew this delve would be just as painful, but at least they had an idea of what was in there this time.


    Pushing the door open, Karl headed through, Rhew and Alan quickly following after him. This was the first time that Jake hadn¡¯t been first or second through the door, and he blinked in surprise as the shadowy interior of the passage beyond the door swallowed the others. Not even the light from Rhew¡¯s torch made it back to him.


    That made no sense.


    ¡°No deep thoughts right now. We¡¯ll talk about it later,¡± Ari said, standing next to Jake and gesturing towards the open door. ¡°Your companions are waiting for you.¡±


    Jake looked uncertainly between the door and Ari before stepping through. Immediately, Jake was in the familiar cavern of the fifth floor.


    Glancing over his shoulder, Jake saw Ari step out from the shadowed interior of the doorway, the door swinging soundlessly shut behind him.


    Rhew and Karl were already plotting out a new way for them to approach the fight. Now that they knew what was here, their plan was to skirt around the outside and draw the murk hounds to them without triggering that hive in the centre.


    It was as good an idea as they had, so they formed up with Alan and Rhew in the middle and started around the exterior of the cavern.


    The plan worked, to an extent, as when they reached the halfway point, the two murk hounds came charging at them. The first one came from the front, with the second attacking Jake at the rear a few moments later.


    The giant rat was faster than he¡¯d have thought, and only a few well-placed arrows from Alan kept the creature at bay long enough for Jake to land a solid hit.


    Unfortunately, both Jake¡¯s sword and Alan¡¯s arrows failed to do more than nick the creature.


    With their inability to fight it demonstrated, the murk hound darted past Jake, accepting a cut on its flank in the process. Alan did his best to hold the creature off, but the giant rat ran the Scholar down and ripped into him before attacking Rhew from behind.


    Karl had injured his opponent, but Rhew¡¯s scream distracted him long enough for the wounded creature to get its jaw around his arm and sever it at the elbow before clamping its jaws around Karl¡¯s neck.


    Less than a minute after striking the creature, Jake was all alone and facing both of the murk hounds with a blade that would do nothing to them.


    Putting his back to the wall, Jake focused on Ari¡¯s lessons and channeled his Wyrd down into his sword, packing as much as he could into the blade.


    The rat that Jake had cut came racing at him right as Jake finished infusing his blade. The last thing Jake felt as it smashed into him was his sword sinking deep into the creature¡¯s side.

 DN 25 - Steady Income

    Jake woke up with a start, automatically beginning to sit up before groaning and lying back down on the familiar stone slab beneath him. He could almost feel the teeth touching the raw skin around his neck.


    As before, Jake was the first out, and he waited in silence with Ari until the rest had emerged.


    Heading back to the tavern as a group, they slumped into chairs at a table in the corner as Ari ordered some food.


    ¡°So, how are you all feeling?¡± Ari asked, his lips twitching into a smile at the dead-eyed glares he got back from them. ¡°Fine, fine, here, your loot for the delve.¡±


    Ari dropped a pouch onto the table that hit with a satisfactory thud, the slight jingle of coins within making Jake perk up as Ari started to stack the coins up.


    ¡°How much was it this time?¡± Alan asked, leaning forward to eye up the pile of money.


    ¡°Sixty-five again,¡± Ari said, sorting the stacks into four groupings. ¡°Enhanced creatures like the murk hounds can vary in strength, but they don¡¯t change between delves. A practical example would be that those two are at the weakest end of Enhanced, worth only five each, whereas one at the top end of Enhanced would be worth ten Wyrdgeld. With me?¡±


    ¡°Those are the weakest Enhanced get?¡± Jake asked, feeling nauseous at the idea of fighting a murk hound at the peak of Enhanced.


    ¡°Yep, that they were,¡± Ari said cheerfully. ¡°One of those same creatures at the peak of that tier would rip through all of you.¡±


    ¡°So, sixty-five Wyrdgeld, how are we splitting that?¡± Karl asked, glancing over at Jake meaningfully.


    ¡°Thirty-five for Jake,¡± Ari said, sliding a large chunk of the coins over to Jake. ¡°Then there¡¯s ten each, so a nice round number.¡±


    ¡°So, is it always set how much Wyrdgeld you¡¯ll make on a delve?¡± Jake asked Ari after he¡¯d passed out the last coin. ¡°Will we always get sixty-five every time we finish the Dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Ari said, leaning back in his chair and kicking his feet up onto a spare one next to him. ¡°Creatures within the Dungeon don¡¯t vary, so sixty-five is always the same for them, but the chests and harvestable materials vary considerably.¡±


    ¡°Chest and harvestable materials?¡± Rhew asked, frowning in Ari¡¯s direction. ¡°We didn¡¯t see anything like that. What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°So, chests are provided after each Guardian, and when a Challenge is completed, they provide anything from ingredients to materials or equipment. Harvestable materials would be more like butchering the creatures for meat or parts, picking fruit from trees, or anything else. The only parts of a Dungeon you should leave alone are the doors, any pre-placed torches and the walls themselves. The rest is up for grabs.¡±


    ¡°Fruit trees?¡± Alan echoed the confusion that Jake felt. How exactly would trees grow in those dark tunnels?


    ¡°There¡¯s a chest after the Guardian?¡± Rhew asked at the same time.


    ¡°Yes, and yes. Plant life is dependent on the Dungeon¡¯s environment, but you¡¯ll see more of that when we go through a bigger Dungeon. Chest-wise, there is one after the murk hounds and krok flies, but before you ask, no, I will not loot it for you as that would be disrespectful to the Dungeon. Killing and looting the last creatures is one thing, but taking the chest when I¡¯ve not delved into the Dungeon properly is frowned on.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose,¡± Rhew said reluctantly, though Jake could tell she was disappointed.


    ¡°Anyway, rest up, and we¡¯ll go back in tomorrow. Jake, ensure you rank up tonight, ready for training tomorrow.¡± Ari said, waving a dismissal to them.


    ¡°Are we going to keep going in each day?¡± Alan asked, making the rest of them pause and look to Ari for an answer.


    ¡°In the short term, yes,¡± Ari said, giving Alan a sympathetic look. ¡°A tier one Dungeon like this will make you feel like shit when you die, but a good night¡¯s sleep should be enough to clear it now you¡¯ve died a few times. The higher tier the Dungeon is, the worse the revival sickness will be, so bear that in mind for the future; it¡¯s one of the reasons why delvers quit or stop progressing.¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°It gets worse?¡± Alan asked plaintively, looking a little pale-faced at the thought. ¡°We did some training yesterday, and everything felt harder than normal. I can¡¯t imagine going for another day or two feeling like that.¡±


    ¡°Same for me; I felt like I was struggling just to spar,¡± Karl said, Rhew echoing the sentiment and Jake making a noncommittal noise as he nodded. He¡¯d felt fine by the time they got down to training.


    It was more evidence that he seemingly recovered from dying in the Dungeon faster than the others, but Jake wasn¡¯t quite sure what to do with that.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s rough, so keeping a steady pace now will help you prepare for later. It did for me, anyway,¡± Ari said, a distant look in his eye that he quickly shook off. ¡°Besides, once you start surviving your delve, it won¡¯t be so bad at all. I won¡¯t expect you to delve every day, though. We¡¯ll have days off here and there once you¡¯ve got your feet under you.¡±


    ¡°Not much point in a day off until we have money to spend,¡± Rhew said, looking over to Alan as she spoke. ¡°We have some now, but we¡¯ll need all that and more for the Triarchy and the Association. My requirement says it¡¯s forty Wyrdgeld to rank three, so I¡¯m going to save up for the tax first before going for that, and that¡¯s if I don¡¯t spend any on equipment.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, all this money and I still feel like I¡¯m drowning in costs,¡± Karl said with a heavy sigh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your income will go up a little when you start reliably clearing the place, so you just need to start surviving,¡± Ari said, chuckling at them before waving for them to go. ¡°Now go, rest up and be ready for tomorrow.¡±


    They all started to leave, but Jake hesitated at the door and went back to Ari, remembering that he¡¯d said to speak to him outside of the Dungeon.


    ¡°Everything okay, Jake?¡± Ari asked, raising a brow in Jake¡¯s direction as he sat back down.


    ¡°You said to speak to you after the Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, I remember,¡± Ari said, idly tapping his fingers on the table before nodding to himself. ¡°By your expression at the time, I guess you were questioning how the doors work?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I realised I couldn¡¯t see Rhew¡¯s torch, even though she was only just on the other side.¡±


    ¡°So, if you speak to some of the more learned Classers out there, you¡¯ll get a bunch of fancy terms to do with dimensions and spatial pockets, but the basis of it all is that the Dungeon is its own place. Once we go through the entrance, you¡¯re somewhere else entirely, and the only way back is victory or death. Well, or leaving at the end of a tier, but I¡¯ll call that victory.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the doors aren¡¯t really doors?¡± Jake asked, trying to get his head around what Ari was saying.


    ¡°Exactly, they are links to the other ¡®floors¡¯ of the Dungeon, which are their own area. Each new tier the Dungeon reaches allows for bigger floors with more things, to the point that they can be truly enormous by the higher tiers, or so I¡¯ve been told.¡±


    ¡°I think I understand,¡± Jake said slowly. Now he considered it; the floors all being physically connected made no sense. The area would be massive for the first five floors alone. Maybe if it went down each time, but the only stairs were at the beginning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel like you need to understand Dungeons completely,¡± Ari said after a moment. ¡°They are part of the System and are well outside our comprehension. The best we manage is understanding how they respond to specific events, not the reasoning behind that response.¡±


    ¡°That feels wrong, though,¡± Jake said, his brow furrowing in thought. ¡°The Dungeons are a huge part of our life. Why would we not learn more about them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not for lack of curiosity on our part, that¡¯s for sure. The problem is working out how exactly to find out more about them.¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Jake said begrudgingly.


    ¡°If you stumble on any nuggets of knowledge or want to discuss anything else you see, let me know, alright?¡±


    ¡°Will do,¡± Jake nodded before getting to his feet and heading up to his room.


    -**-


    After resting for a short while, Jake made his way down to Ivaldi¡¯s and checked out his usual gear.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Ivaldi asked as he passed Jake his gear.


    ¡°The armour and the weapons in here, how much are they?¡± Jake asked, looking around at the plethora of equipment that lined the walls


    ¡°A pack like this would be a single Wyrdgeld,¡± Ivaldi said, tapping the one that he¡¯d brought out for Jake. ¡°The sword and shield would be an additional Wyrdgeld each, as would any of the weapons here. Arrows in groups of twenty-five and items provided in bundles, such as a pair of potions, are a Wyrdgeld each as well.¡±


    ¡°What about armour?¡± Jake asked, eyeing some of the armour sets around the room. There were thick leathers, chainmail shirts and even a heavy-looking metal cuirass to pick from.


    ¡°Non-metal armours are twenty-five Wyrdgeld per piece, while metallic armour is fifty Wyrdgeld per piece.¡±


    ¡°Per piece?¡± Jake kept his voice somewhat even, but it was a close thing.


    ¡°Indeed, the cuirass would be fifty, as would a chainmail shirt or the metal gauntlets below it.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stick with the standard gear for now,¡± Jake said faintly, taking the equipment Ivaldi had provided as he tried to wrap his head around the rest of the costs.


    ¡°Of course, let me know if you need anything further,¡± Ivaldi said, a faint smile touching his face for a moment.


    Thanking Ivaldi again, Jake belted on his sword and shouldered his new pack before heading back to his room at the tavern. If the last two deaths were anything to go by, he¡¯d be feeling more like himself by mid-afternoon, but he didn¡¯t want to waste any time just standing around.


    All these opportunities to earn money and get stronger still felt surreal to Jake, and he had no intention of letting them slip or taking them for granted.


    The others hadn¡¯t seemed interested, and if what they said about feeling rough during training the day before was right, he doubted they would want to do anything too much before they¡¯d fully recovered.


    Still, Jake felt a little rough, so he decided to wander past the other stores, first of all, and take a look at what they sold.

 DN 26 - Ranking Up

    Jake grew increasingly confused by Ivaldi¡¯s prices as he looked over the other stores in the small settlement. There wasn¡¯t a huge selection available, but there was a blacksmith who dealt in weapons alongside general work, an armourer, a bowyer, an alchemist and a Trading Post.


    All the different stores were markedly more expensive than Ivaldi, some to a ridiculous degree. The blacksmith was selling swords for four Wyrdgeld each, with larger weapons costing more.


    The armourer¡¯s wares were even more expensive, with a leather chest piece costing a full seventy-five Wyrdgeld, as opposed to the twenty-five Ivaldi quoted.


    Even the potions were more expensive, with the minor healing ones that they got as part of their pack costing a Wyrdgeld per vial, whereas Ivaldid did two vials for a single Wyrdgeld.


    Beyond the prices, the real difference was that the merchants had a small selection of Woven weapons and armour. Anything that a Wyrdweaver had worked on was well outside Jake¡¯s budget. The one sword he looked at cost just over a hundred Wyrdgeld, enough to give Jake heart palpitations.


    Jake didn¡¯t know much about Woven gear. He knew Wyrdweavers made them, but that was about it. All the tales of heroic Classers hunting down creatures or delving deep into Dungeons portrayed them with Woven weapons and armour that were a large part of their personal strength.


    A hundred Wyrdgeld was a distressing amount for a single blade that he could lose the next time he failed a delve, but it wasn¡¯t completely out of reach for him. At their current payout from each delve, it was seven delves of Wyrdgeld, and Ari had mentioned the chests they could get as well.


    The Trading Post was something else entirely. It had its name hung outside on a large sign and, from Jake¡¯s brief investigation, didn¡¯t have anything obvious for sale. He mentally added it to the list to discuss with Ari before moving on.


    The possibilities felt like they were just out of reach at the moment, but they were there nonetheless, and Jake left the shops behind to head down to the training field with renewed determination.


    -**-


    A few of the local Classers were already running some training drills when Jake arrived, and to his surprise, they included him without question.


    The group were all tier two Classers belonging to the Guild, which was reflected in how easily they could outpace him through the obstacle course.


    Still, sparring with someone other than Karl was a useful experience, and when Jake returned to his room, he was in high spirits.


    Feeling sore and more than a bit tired, Jake got some food and turned in early, eager to increase his rank.


    Thankfully, the System seemed to be almost entirely based on intent, and the moment that Jake was settled and decided he wanted to do it, he felt something stir in the back of his mind.


    Sufficient Wyrdgeld is present, presenting ascension options for Tier I Rank II.


    You currently have two Trait slots available and two Skill slots available.


    At this time, you have unlocked one additional Skill that may be purchased.


    Minor Infused Strike - 100 Wyrdgeld


    At this time, you have unlocked no additional Traits that may be purchased.


    At this time, you have insufficient Wyrdgeld to upgrade the rank of any Skills.


    At this time, you have insufficient Wyrdgeld to upgrade the rank of any Traits.


    At this time, you have insufficient Wyrdgeld to purchase any available Skills.


    Would you like to continue with your ascension?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jake said, his head thrumming with a building headache as energy poured through him.


    There was a brief pause as something shifted within him, and Jake felt his breath hitch as his chest tightened.


    Congratulations, you have ascended to Tier I, Rank II. The expended Wyrdgeld shall be used to refine your physicality.


    Would you like to discard any Skills or Traits at this time?


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    ¡°No,¡± Jake said hoarsely, rubbing his chest at the constricting sensation that continued to worsen.


    The System said nothing further, but Jake felt the tightness in his chest build until it felt like his lungs were being turned to stone.


    Gasping for breath, Jake started to panic that something had gone wrong, that the System was killing him.


    All at once, the tightness in his chest eased as a pulse of searing heat spread out through his body, leaving trails of stinging fire everywhere it touched. For one brief, horrific second, Jake was aware of every inch of his muscles, bones and skin, and all of it was aflame with pain.


    The experience ended as swiftly as it started, leaving Jake on his back, staring up at the ceiling of his room and feeling as though he lacked the strength to do anything. It was almost similar to the revival sickness, but he felt exhausted instead of feeling drained and empty, as though he¡¯d just spent a week working with Felix non-stop.


    Exhausted and slipping into sleep already, Jake had just enough presence of mind to trigger his System status.


    Name - Jake Khesh


    Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon


    Class - Dungeon Noble - Squire


    Tier - I


    Rank - II


    Dungeon Network - 0


    Plexus Points - 0/0


    Advancement Points - 0


    Deed requirement to increase Tier


    1 - 5 Tier I or higher Dungeons bound


    2 - Rank X


    Requirements to increase to Rank III


    1 - 80 Wyrdgeld


    -**-


    Jake awoke the next day exactly where he¡¯d fallen, one leg hanging off the edge of the bed and the rest of him at an odd angle.


    Siting up gingerly, Jake eyed the faint light coming through the window and judged that he was still in time for Felix¡¯s run, which was a relief.


    Jake was careful getting to his feet and moving around. The abuse his body had been through the night before was still clear in his mind, but if anything, he felt better than normal.


    It wasn¡¯t much of an increase, but if he paid attention, Jake could feel that he was slightly stronger and faster than the day before. It was a small enough difference that part of him felt he was clutching at straws, but the easiest way to test it was by going on a run.


    Heading outside, Jake met up with Karl as usual and made their way over to where Felix was waiting. The older man gave Jake a searching look before nodding and waving for him to start stretching.


    Ari didn¡¯t join them in the end, which just left Jake and Karl under Felix¡¯s tender care.


    Any thoughts Jake had that his increase in rank would make the run easier were immediately banished as  Felix pushed them harder than ever.


    Despite that, Jake was certain that the minor improvement he¡¯d been able to sense was real, and he enjoyed the feeling of improvement as he bounded up the hills alongside Karl.


    -**-


    Ari had joined them at the Dungeon entrance with no explanation of his absence, instead congratulating Jake on making it to the second rank and having a Skill available.


    ¡°Weak Infused Strike is the most common Skill to be unlocked by melee fighters, as the requirements are fairly easy to reach. I wouldn¡¯t advise getting it for most people, but with your high costs, it might be worth it,¡± Ari explained when Jake asked about the Skill.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve used infused strikes, so why didn¡¯t I unlock it?¡± Karl asked, looking a little disappointed that he hadn¡¯t been offered a Skill.


    ¡°You¡¯re using a Skill, whereas Jake did it manually,¡± Ari pointed out, making Karl flush a little at the obvious answer. ¡°Now, come on, let¡¯s get to it.¡±


    Their run through the Dungeon went as usual, if not slightly easier, now that Jake had joined the rest at the second rank. They weren¡¯t at the point of breezing through without issue, but they were familiar with the enemy and had a working strategy.  The only problem now was the Enhanced murk hounds at the end.


    Jake could feel the tension build in the group as they came to the end of the fourth floor. They were all considering their chances with what lay ahead.


    ¡°Wait, is that the Challenge door again? I thought you said they were rare?¡± Rhew asked as they came into view of the end.


    ¡°They are,¡± Ari said, shrugging the question off. ¡°Take from that what you will.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s the third time it¡¯s been here, and I don¡¯t think we have the tactics or power to deal with the murk hounds yet, so should we go in?¡± Rhew asked the rest of the group, cocking an eyebrow their way.


    "I suppose we don¡¯t really lose anything, so why not?¡± Alan pointed out. ¡°We¡¯ll still get the Wyrdgeld from the fifth floor with what Ari gives us, after all.¡±


    ¡°About that,¡± Ari said, breaking into the conversation with an apologetic smile. ¡°I don¡¯t mind giving you the Wyrdgeld from a floor you¡¯ve already started; it helps you along and makes this easier. Completing the fifth floor without you and then giving you the Wyrdgeld for creatures you haven¡¯t even attempted to fight, however, goes against the spirit of the delve.¡±


    ¡°Does that all really matter?¡± Rhew asked, folding her arms and glaring at Ari. ¡°Do you really think the Dungeon cares?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Ari said with a slight shrug, unfazed by her stern expression. ¡°Dungeons are more than stories give them credit for. The longer you delve, the more you realise that.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Rhew said, scowling at Ari before turning back to the rest of them. ¡°I think we should try it this once and then judge from there. If we don¡¯t make it, we¡¯ve only lost the Wyrdgeld from the fifth floor, and if we do, we hopefully have a lot more.¡±


    ¡°I really want that Wyrdgeld, but I think it¡¯s worth a try as well,¡± Jake said, somewhat begrudgingly. It did make sense to try, but potentially missing out on all that Wyrdgeld hurt him.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m in,¡± Karl said, echoed a moment later by Alan.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll wait here for you. Don¡¯t forget to leave me your Wyrdgeld,¡± Ari said, holding a hand out for their coin pouches.


    They reluctantly passed over their loot from the delve so far before moving to the Challenge door and checking over their gear. They still had all their potions, Alan still had most of his arrows, and they had only used two of their eight torches. It was as good as it was going to get.


    Rhew grew impatient once they¡¯d checked over their gear and stepped forward to open the door, revealing a familiar shadowed interior that she walked straight into, not hesitating in the slightest.

 DN 27 - Risk

    ¡°Well, this is different,¡± Jake said, looking around them with surprise.


    The area they¡¯d emerged in was roughly twenty feet wide and half again as long, with a low ceiling that ended a few feet before the waist-high wall that sat at the far end from them. The wall had a gap in the centre that suggested a way forward, but Jake was more interested in their immediate area for now.


    Two torches were ensconced in the walls on either side towards the end, with two more bracketing the door they¡¯d come through, but they were cold and dark.


    What caught Jake¡¯s eye was the small pedestal that sat at the centre of the area, and he cautiously moved closer.


    ¡°Is that an hourglass?¡± Rhew asked, coming up beside Jake and gesturing to a small object that sat on the top of the pedestal.


    ¡°I think so, yeah,¡± Jake said, leaning down to examine the hand-sized hourglass without touching it.


    ¡°You should come and see this,¡± Alan called out from next to one of the braziers at the far end, waving them over.


    ¡°What have you got?¡±


    ¡°I think this is where we¡¯re meant to defend,¡± Alan said, moving over to the gap in the wall that sat between the two braziers. ¡°Take a look.¡±


    Jake looked out over the half-wall and let out a low whistle. The gap in the wall was the end of a ramp that stretched up to where they were, which was apparently the top of a cliff face that stood a good thirty feet tall.


    The ramp was a straight line up from the base of the large cavern they were in, and though two standing torches illuminated the bottom of the ramp, everything else was hidden in darkness.


    Staring out into the light-less cavern made Jake¡¯s skin crawl, and he silently gave thanks for the illumination that they did have.


    ¡°Should we explore?¡± Alan asked, eyeing the silent darkness with a worried expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jake said, unsure what this was about. ¡°It feels off that we¡¯d have all this up here to then just leave down the ramp.¡±


    ¡°Unless that¡¯s the point, Ari said that Dungeons are more than we give them credit for. Maybe this is a psychological thing?¡±


    ¡°Gods, I hope not,¡± Jake said, shifting uneasily as he imagined what could be lurking out there.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re meant to stay here, and they come to us,¡± Karl said, his words pulling Jake from his thoughts. ¡°Ari said survival is a key theme, and the depiction showed people fighting from a fort.¡±


    ¡°I agree, and the hourglass probably starts it,¡± Jake said, nodding along to Karl¡¯s logic. He¡¯d forgotten the imagery on the door, which really put things into perspective.


    ¡°Well, no time like the present,¡± Rhew said, joining them and making a show of stretching out the arm she used for her wand. ¡°Unless there are any preparations we could make?¡±


    ¡°Not that I can think of,¡± Jake said, glancing around them at the smooth stone and fixed sconces. The only thing that they could work with that Jake could see was the hourglass.


    ¡°Should I turn it?¡± Alan asked, taking a slight step towards the hourglass.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it; you might be able to get some early shots in with your bow that will make our life easier,¡± Jake said, waving Alan off and heading over to the pedestal himself. ¡°Ready?¡±


    Jake waited until the others were in position around the ramp before taking a deep breath and flipping over the hourglass.


    As Jake let go of the hourglass and the sand within began to fall, nothing seemed to happen.


    For a few heartbeats, Jake wondered if he¡¯d done something wrong or if his assumptions had been incorrect. Then, a familiar droning sound came, one that they¡¯d all learned to hate.


    ¡°Gods damn it,¡± Jake snarled, cursing himself as he raced back towards the ramp. He should have returned straight away, not dawdled there like an idiot.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see them. Where are they?¡± Alan called out, his bow at the ready as he peered out into the darkness.


    Karl inched forward and peered into the darkness, ¡°Wait, there¡¯s something down at the bottom of the ramp. I see movement at the edge of the light.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep the ramp clear,¡± Jake said, hurrying to stand beside Karl. The Krok flies were steadily getting louder, though Jake had yet to see any of them.


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    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of the bugs then,¡± Alan said, stepping to one side to give Jake plenty of room as he continued to look for the enemy.


    ¡°Shit, here they come,¡± Karl said as a large group of rats came charging out of the darkness and onto the ramp. The charge was accompanied by a wave of aggravated chittering, some of which was deeper than the rest.


    ¡°Murk hound,¡± Jake said, sharing a look with Karl. They¡¯d do their best to hold the tide of murk rats back, but the murk hound was another story.


    A spray of icicles and a few arrows fell among the charging rats, killing or wounding a few of their number but leaving at least a dozen to make it into the darker middle section of the ramp.


    ¡°Flies on the left!¡± Alan turned and loosed an arrow at something, but Jake only had eyes for the murk hound that had just reached the bottom of the ramp and was bounding up towards them.


    The ramp was wide enough for both of them to stand on but not to the point that the rats could easily get past them, giving Jake and Karl a chance to stem the attack and let Rhew and Alan focus on taking down the krok flies.


    With the rats coming up at them from a low angle, Jake made sure to lower himself slightly, dropping his shield to cover more of his lower body while he stabbed out with his sword.


    Jake¡¯s world descended into a chaotic melee as he stabbed and slashed with one hand while using his shield to knock off rats with the other. He could hear Karl¡¯s grunts of pain as he fought back and exclamations from Rhew and Alan, but it took all his attention not to let the rats knock him down or completely rip up his legs.


    The hound reached them a few moments later, slamming into Karl with a heavy impact that sent them both sliding across the stone as the giant rat ripped into Jake¡¯s friend.


    ¡°Bugs are done!¡± Alan shouted, an arrow whistling in to kill the last of the normal murk rats, freeing Jake to focus on the murk hound.


    ¡°Get to Rhew!¡± Jake shouted towards Alan, keeping his eyes on the hound as he moved to put himself between it and Rhew, who was already firing blasts of energy at it from her wand.


    The murk hound shook off the attack as it rose from Karl¡¯s body, blood dripping from its mouth as it turned to face them. A spray of ice made the creature dodge to one side, but Jake saw it favouring its left leg.


    The enormous rat gnashed its teeth as it dodged Rhew¡¯s attacks, keeping moving as it circled to try and get behind Jake, its attention focused solely on Rhew.


    Alan opened fire as soon as he joined them, timing his shots to be between Rhew¡¯s, giving the hound no time to think between attacks.


    Mistiming a dodge with its wounded leg, the murk hound was struck across the chest by a tight cluster of ice. The Wyrd-infused attack ripping into its flesh and drawing fresh blood.


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep this up for much longer,¡± Rhew said in a strained voice, a fresh blast of energy flying past Jake.


    ¡°We¡¯re whittling it down. Just keep going!¡± Jake hurriedly moved over as the hound darted to one side. Right now, the creature was skittish and reluctant to commit to an attack, but that would only last so long.


    ¡°Here, try this,¡± Alan called out as he tossed Rhew a pair of Wyrdgeld that he¡¯d pulled from two of the fallen rats.


    Rhew swallowed both coins and straightened, eyes wide as her cheeks flushed and a smile spread across her face. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good.¡±


    Her Wyrd reserves partially restored, Rhew started using her skill more, firing wide bursts of icicles that made it more likely for some of them to hit the hound, even if it dodged.


    The renewed assault seemed to be the final straw for the murk hound.


    Despite its slight limp, the hound was still fast enough that Jake barely had time to think between it starting to attack and when it was in his face and lunging at him.


    Wood splintered, and flesh tore as the hound slammed into Jake, sending them both down to the ground as it shattered his shield and tore deep into his chest.


    The hound¡¯s jaws opened, and its oversized incisors came down towards Jake, even as he desperately tried to fight it off, his awkward position making it impossible to get the leverage on his sword to break through its skin.


    A flash of cold was followed by the feeling of a dozen needles being jammed into the right side of his face and a stabbing pain in his eye as a burst of icicles struck both Jake and the hound.


    Blood poured down the side of Jake¡¯s face, and he gasped for breath as the hound pushed off him, its claws tearing into his flesh in the process.


    Jake managed to get a potion from his belt and poured it over his wounds, gasping at the stinging pain of the potion getting to work.


    The potion stung at his wounds but dulled the pain, letting Jake get unsteadily to his feet as he reached up and pulled the melting remnants of an icicle from his right eye.


    Jake could only see blurs from his right eye, but his left was fine, and the potion had stopped the bleeding, so he was as good as he was going to be.


    Even Jake¡¯s damaged vision was enough to show that Rhew was dead, her head twisted to a strange angle, and Alan was dying as the creature ripped into him.


    Jake gritted his teeth as he realised he couldn¡¯t stop it. Still, he had one last idea, even if it was a stupid one. Fumbling his last potion up, Jake drank it and cast the bottle aside.


    Grabbing Rhew¡¯s wand from where it lay on the ground, Jake turned to the creature as it feasted on his friend and channelled as much Wyrd into the wand as he could. ¡°Fuck you!¡±


    Cold energy manifested at the end of the wand and shot out, striking true on the murk hound and grabbing its attention as he began to infuse his Wyrd into his blade.


    The rat had abandoned Alan¡¯s body and was surging towards him, slowed only by the constant barrage of cold energy that Jake was striking it with.


    The rat was mere feet away when it pounced, and Jake was already bringing both his sword and the wand up high.


    Every time he¡¯d seen one of these hounds pounce, they¡¯d gone high, biting into shoulders and necks, and this time was no different.


    The heavy murk hound slammed into him, the Wyrd on Jake¡¯s blade helping it pierce deep into the creature¡¯s body. At the same time, he jammed his left arm into its mouth as it went to bite him, firing his wand directly into its throat as he did.


    The hound reared back and bit down instinctively, its sharp teeth digging deep into Jake¡¯s arm as he fired the wand a second time, the healing potion numbing the sensation of the hound¡¯s bite and how its claws were digging into him.


    The second ice blast to the back of its throat was enough to knock the giant rat off of Jake with a convulsive bite that crunched through the bones in his arm, ripping everything from his forearm down away as it fell back.


    Driven only by bloody-minded stubbornness, Jake clung to his sword as it moved, sliding the blade free before he began stabbing it again and again until it finally stopped moving.


    Jake was barely able to support his weight and collapsed with a groan; his lips twisted into a rictus grin as he stared at the dead murk hound.


    He¡¯d done it.

 DN 28 - Reward

    Blood-soaked and wracked with pain, Jake all but crawled over to Karl¡¯s body and fumbled one of his companion¡¯s healing potions out from his belt with shaking hands.


    The taste of victory was sweet, but survival was his main concern now.


    Tipping most of the potion over the stump of his left arm and the claw wounds that covered his body, Jake drank the final bit, sighing in relief as it dulled the pain somewhat.


    Jake wasn¡¯t sure if there was a limit to how many potions you could drink in a short space of time, but the third one seemed to have worked just as well as the first, so he was going to keep drinking them.


    Jake¡¯s right eye was damaged beyond what minor healing potions could solve, even several of them, but his left eye was working well enough to see that a brass-bound chest had joined the pedestal with the hourglass while the torches bracketing the door they¡¯d come through initially were now alight.


    Limping over to the pedestal first, Jake cautiously opened the chest, the lid rising smoothly to reveal a cloth sack and a branch.


    A little confused, Jake pulled out the cloth sack and looked inside to see a selection of fruit, ten in total. The fruit looked a little odd, however. Their colours were vibrant, and they were all in pristine condition, as though they were all perfect examples of what that fruit could be.


    Closing the sack, Jake put it to one side, fighting off the urge to eat one and see what it tasted like.


    Looking at the wood next, Jake examined the branch more closely. It was about the same length and thickness as his arm, with perfectly flat ends and no knots or odd kinks to it.


    Resolving to ask Ari about the odd rewards, Jake set about retrieving the Wyrdgeld from the fallen creatures, piling it all into a backpack alongside the bag of fruit.


    Once he was satisfied he had collected everything he could, Jake gathered his things and headed over to the door, which opened easily beneath his touch.


    Ari straightened in surprise as Jake came limping into view. ¡°You actually made it. Well done!¡±


    ¡°Only just,¡± Jake said, starting to reach up to rub his face with his left hand before grimacing as he stared down at the stump.


    ¡°Eh, nothing that won¡¯t be fixed in short order,¡± Ari said with a shrug, focusing instead on the branch that Jake was carrying. ¡°I see you got some loot. Nicely done indeed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and these as well,¡± Jake pulled off his backpack and passed everything over to Ari, the other Classer filling his own pack with it.


    ¡°Well, this is a nice little haul for you all,¡± Ari said as he poked through the fruit, eyeing the selection with interest. ¡°I¡¯ll buy these off you at the going rate if that works for you?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Jake was too exhausted to particularly care, and Ari had shown he was trustworthy with their money.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Ari pulled out a bright red apple and took a healthy bite, letting out a satisfied moan as he did. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the stuff. You should do that Challenge again!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you approve,¡± Jake gave Ari a withering look as he went to the door down to the Guardian floor. ¡°See you on the other side.¡±


    -**-


    Despite Jake dying last, he was still the first to revive and make his way out to Ari, who was waiting at the Dungeon¡¯s entrance as normal.


    Unsurprisingly, Jake¡¯s solo attempt at the final floor hadn¡¯t lasted long, but considering the state he¡¯d been in, dying and being reborn hadn¡¯t been a bad thing.


    Jake flexed his left hand subconsciously and rubbed at his wrist, the lingering sensation of losing his hand haunting his mind.


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    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually managed to kill the hound after it got us,¡± Rhew said as they entered the tavern and took their usual seats.


    ¡°It was a close thing, and there was only one of them,¡± Jake said, feeling a little uncomfortable with their praise. ¡°Two of them at the same time will be a problem.¡±


    ¡°True, but if we can take one down, then two is just a matter of getting better, right?¡± Alan had a hopeful look, but his eyes were tired.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Ari set down a tray of mugs and slid one to each of them.


    Grabbing the one Ari sent his way, Jake inhaled the heady aroma of strong coffee and wrapped his hands around the mug, appreciating the heat emanating from it.


    ¡°So, as I mentioned in passing on the way here, Jake managed to finish the Challenge,¡± Ari said, reaching down to where he¡¯d left the loot and placing it on the table. ¡°This meant he got some extra Wyrdgeld, this branch and this bag of fruit. I¡¯ve already said I¡¯ll buy the fruit at the going rate, but you still have to decide about the branch.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it worth?¡± Rhew asked, eyeing the branch with interest.


    ¡°Touch it and extend your senses into it; tell me what you feel,¡± Ari pushed the branch towards Rhew. ¡°You¡¯ve got the most Wyrd familiarity out of the four of you.¡±


    ¡°I feel a faint amount of power, but it¡¯s not flowing anywhere. It¡¯s just sat within it,¡± Rhew said after a moment, eyeing the branch with fresh curiosity.


    ¡°That¡¯s the feel of what we call basic dungeonous material. It¡¯s been created in the Dungeon, so it has an inherent amount of Wyrd within it, enough for a Weaver to work with, but not enough to make a true Woven item.¡±


    ¡°So if not a Woven weapon, then what?¡± Karl reached out to poke the branch as he spoke.


    ¡°We call them Infused items, and they¡¯re the halfway point between what you use now and what a Woven item is. Magical enough to be of use, but not enough that you can bind them like you can with something that¡¯s been Woven.¡±


    ¡°Is that what a wand is?¡± Alan asked abruptly, making Ari stop and give him an approving look.


    ¡°Excellent guess. Yes, a wand is technically an Infused item, but they¡¯re the most common you¡¯ll find. This branch might make two wands at most, but the material is only the start of the process, so while a wand might set you back at least thirty Wyrdgeld, the branch will only get you twenty.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to ask about that,¡± Jake said, glancing over to where Ari¡¯s huge sword was propped up against the wall. ¡°Why would anyone use Woven weapons or armour in the Dungeon if you just lose it when you die?¡±


    ¡°Well, there are two answers to that,¡± Ari took a sip of his drink with a thoughtful look. ¡°The first is that your companions bring your gear out for you, which comes back to owing each other deaths. The other is that anything Woven that you bind becomes linked to your soul, and so isn¡¯t destroyed by the Dungeon. It¡¯s one of the true advantages of having Woven gear, but your soul can only handle so many bindings, so you¡¯re always limited in what you can have.¡±


    ¡°That would change everything,¡± Jake muttered, thinking of how much easier things would be if he had a Woven sword.


    ¡°Very true, which is why a Woven weapon is usually one of the first expenditures any Classer makes. Bear in mind, though, that the gear won¡¯t grow with you, and you¡¯ll eventually need to break the bond and get something better.¡±


    ¡°Another expense,¡± Rhew sighed, her shoulders drooping a little.


    ¡°Yes, but let¡¯s cheer you up by dividing out the loot. Back to my original question, what¡¯s the plan with the branch? Are you thinking of selling it?¡±


    ¡°I vote we sell it. What do you all think?¡± Jake looked around at the others questioningly, getting a mix of shrugs and nods in return.


    ¡°Alright, well, we¡¯ll put that in your share. You can sell it to the Trading Post directly; it¡¯ll be good practice for you,¡± Ari said, sliding the branch over to Jake. ¡°As for the rest, you got the standard sixty-five Wyrdgeld from your delve, plus an additional twenty-seven from the Challenge room. That includes five for the fruit, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Jake let out a low whistle, only just realising quite how much they¡¯d come out with.


    ¡°That¡¯s a total of one hundred and twelve if you get twenty for the branch,¡± Alan said with a wide-eyed expression. ¡°That¡¯s twenty-eight each!¡±


    ¡°Exactly, so here¡¯s the rest of yours, Jake,¡± Ari said, passing Jake eight Wyrdgeld.


    It felt a little odd to be receiving a large branch as part of his loot division, but Jake rolled with it for now, happy to be making more money.


    ¡°Damn, one more delve, and we¡¯ll have enough for the Triarchy,¡± Rhew said as Ari passed over her share.


    ¡°Or rank three,¡± Karl said as he took his own share. ¡°A few hauls like this, and we¡¯ll be able to do both, for that matter.¡±


    ¡°So, you said the branch was good for making things, right?¡± Alan looked over to Ari and pointed to the bag of fruit. ¡°So what do we make with those?¡±


    ¡°A lovely jam if you get enough of them,¡± Ari said, grinning at Alan¡¯s sigh. ¡°In all seriousness, that¡¯s really all they¡¯re for. Any foodstuffs you bring out are just for eating or making into meals. Eating Wyrd-infused food restores your Wyrd and has health benefits, and it¡¯s very popular amongst those who have the money to afford it.¡±


    ¡°Interesting, but I think we should still sell any more we find,¡± Rhew said, idly playing with one of her Wyrdgeld. ¡°For now, anyway.¡±


    ¡°On that note, are you all feeling up to another delve tomorrow?¡± Ari¡¯s gaze lingered on Alan for a moment, but the Scholar straightened and nodded that he was good to carry on. ¡°Excellent. Take some time to relax, and I¡¯ll see you all in the morning.¡±

 DN 29 - Advice

    As much as Jake wanted to spend the time relaxing, he was eager to convert the wood into Wyrdgeld.


    Leaving the others to recuperate in their own way, Jake took his branch and headed over to the Trading Post near the centre of the settlement.


    The Trading Post had the least amount of foot traffic going in and out, but from the little Jake knew, that was to be expected at a low-tier Dungeon.


    The Trading Post itself was fairly squat and generic-looking, with a large sign hanging at the front of a set of scales. The only interesting thing about it from the exterior was the sizeable loading bay at the rear of the building.


    A bell jingled overhead as Jake opened the door, and a voice called out a greeting from somewhere in the rear of the store, giving Jake a moment to glance around at the interior.


    Unlike the other stores Jake had gone into, the Trading Post had nothing on display, instead having something more like a waiting room, with plenty of chairs along the wall and two doors, one opposite the entrance and one off to the right.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± an older man with short grey hair and a well-kept beard emerged through the door opposite the entrance. ¡°Welcome to the Trading Post. Can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was looking to sell this,¡± Jake held the branch up, feeling a little unsure of how exactly this worked.


    ¡°Ah, from the Dungeon?¡± the man asked, waiting for Jake¡¯s nod before motioning to the door on Jake¡¯s right. ¡°Let¡¯s take a closer look.¡±


    Jake followed the other man into a small room with two chairs and a simple wooden table, taking a seat opposite the older man and placing the branch on the table as he did.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± the man said, reaching out to rest a hand on the piece of wood before nodding slightly. ¡°A low level of Wyrd. I¡¯d judge this at the common rarity of Wyrd-infused wood. I can offer you twenty Wyrdgeld for it.¡±


    ¡°That works for me, thanks,¡± Jake said, his eyes widening slightly as the other man held out a hand and wisps of grey energy emerged to form a neat stack of Wyrdgeld.


    ¡°Twenty Wyrdgeld, as agreed,¡± the man waited for Jake to nod before taking the branch and moving it off to one side. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°Is it possible to deal in Ingar here?¡± Jake asked, more out of curiosity than anything. He still had a few of Ingar stashed in his room at the inn, but most Classers seemed to deal solely in Wyrdgeld.


    ¡°We can¡¯t accept other coinage, I¡¯m afraid,¡± the older man said with a shake of his head. ¡°It¡¯s illegal for the unascended to deal in Wyrdgeld, so it¡¯s our policy to not deal in Ingar to prevent any potential workarounds. Besides that, there¡¯s no set conversion rate, so this prevents any issues there.¡±


    ¡°Wait, does that mean everyone around here is a Classer?¡± Jake asked with a frown. All of the prices he¡¯d seen were in Wyrdgeld, after all.


    ¡°Not everyone, no. Most people are, though; it makes it easier on everyone involved. Most folks in settlements like this are retired Classers or those with non-combat Classes.¡±


    ¡°So, how do you know if someone can deal in Wyrdgeld or not?¡± Jake cocked his head to one side, thinking of the stores he¡¯d seen in the city. None of them had done anything to show they were run by a Classer, retired or not.


    ¡°You check the soul of anyone you trade with; that will show how strong they are, and that¡¯s an easy indicator.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, good point,¡± Jake said, flushing a little as he realised how obvious that was. ¡°What do you sell here, by the way?¡±


    ¡°Well, the Trading Post is a multinational organisation that buys and sells dungeonous materials, by which I mean anything gathered from within a Dungeon. Fruit, wood, metal, meat, hides, the lot.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t see any stock. How do people know what you have?¡± Jake frowned, trying to figure out how it would all work.


    ¡°In the last few years I¡¯ve been here, I¡¯ve not sold one item,¡± Sven said with a good-natured chuckle. ¡°Little places like this lack the crafters and Wyrdweavers that live in the cities. I could still order in for you, but most folk will head to the city to buy things.¡±


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    ¡°So you¡¯re just here to buy things from the Dungeon,¡± Jake said thoughtfully, nodding a little as he got a grasp of how it worked.


    ¡°Exactly, we¡¯re not quite as ubiquitous as Ivaldi, but he was the inspiration for what we do,¡± Sven said, chuckling a little as he mentioned Ivaldi.


    ¡°What do you mean about Ivaldi?¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course, you¡¯ve only been to the one Dungeon,¡± Sven said, tapping his fingers on the table before shrugging. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a secret, I suppose. Everywhere you find a Dungeon, you¡¯ll find Ivaldi¡¯s store outside it.¡±


    ¡°Like the Trading Post?¡±


    ¡°No, not really. When I say that you¡¯ll find his store there, that¡¯s what I mean. Every Dungeon has its own branch of Ivaldi¡¯s store, and he¡¯s in each and every one of them,¡± Sven said, his smile fading as he leaned in and continued in a softer tone. ¡°There are things out there that make little sense, and Ivaldi is one of them. My suggestion is to steer clear where possible. You shouldn¡¯t meddle in such things.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Jake muttered, trying to wrap his head around what Sven had told him. He¡¯d felt the power around Ivaldi when he first met him, and the strange architecture of the store put it apart from everything else, but it was a big jump from that to what Sven was describing.


    ¡°Perhaps I was hasty in explaining this,¡± Sven said, grimacing as he sighed and got to his feet. ¡°Apologies if I¡¯ve shaken your preconceptions. I¡¯ll leave you with your thoughts, but if you have anything else to sell or any other questions, please visit.¡±


    Jake felt a little dazed as he mechanically thanked the other Classer and left the store, trying in vain to work out how one person could be in so many places at once. The alternative, however, was even more concerning.


    Jake looked up a few minutes later and found himself outside Ivaldi¡¯s store, the gleaming metal and glass structure shining brightly in the midday sun.


    Curiosity quickly outweighed his hesitation, and Jake entered the store.


    ¡°Jake Khesh, be welcome in my domain,¡± Ivaldi said, emerging from the darkened passageway at the rear of the room to take his usual seat, one hand pulling the stool into sight from the darkness.


    Jake¡¯s new knowledge burnt into his mind as he saw everything Ivaldi did with a new light; memories surfaced of how the merchant was always able to simply pull whatever he needed from storage that was just out of Jake¡¯s eyeline.


    Ivaldi¡¯s dark eyes seemed to study Jake before the big man chuckled and reached down to produce a wax-sealed bottle and a wooden container. ¡°Please, join me as a guest.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the words were like dust in Jake¡¯s throat, but he walked over as Ivaldi placed a second stool on Jake¡¯s side of the table.


    Ivaldi took out two mugs and pushed one over to Jake, breaking the seal on the bottle and pouring out a familiar golden liquid. ¡°You seem ill at ease. Have you come for advice?¡±


    ¡°I had questions, actually,¡± Jake knocked back his drink in one, feeling the pleasant warmth flood through his body and give him the courage to ask his questions. ¡°About you, about your prices.¡±


    ¡°Ask your questions,¡± Ivaldi poured himself a measure and took a small sip. ¡°I promise no answers, though.¡±


    ¡°I was told that you have a store at every Dungeon. Is that true?¡± Jake went straight for the one that was messing with his head the most.


    ¡°To most, I would answer evasively, if at all. However, you are still adrift in this unfortunate situation, so I will be more specific. No, there is not a store at every Dungeon. What you will instead find is an entrance to my domain.¡±


    ¡°Like how the Dungeon moves you when you go through a door,¡± Jake said, glancing at the shrouded passage behind Ivaldi and realising how similar it looked to the interior of the doorways in the Dungeon.


    ¡°To an extent, yes,¡± Ivaldi said, inclining his head slightly with a small smile.


    ¡°But how are there no other people here then?¡±


    ¡°A larger question than you realise. Suffice it to say that you have just a small amount of my attention right now.¡±


    ¡°Are you even human?¡± Jake barely breathed the question.


    ¡°So few people ever find the nerve to outright ask me that,¡± Ivaldi laughed merrily, the shop echoing with his amusement. ¡°No, Jake Khesh, I am not human, nor have I ever been. It is a poorly held secret amongst those who have been delving for some time, but please do not spread this knowledge without thought.¡±


    ¡°So, what are you?¡±


    Ivaldi set down his cup and frowned at Jake, shaking his head a little. ¡°A rude question, one that I will forgive in this instance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it just caught me by surprise,¡± Jake apologised, not wanting to anger the person responsible for supplying all their gear.


    ¡°Your apology is accepted, though I would advise you to be more mindful of your questions when a guest within another¡¯s domain.¡± Ivaldi filled his cup and took a sip before motioning towards Jake. ¡°I am sure this is not why you came here, so please, ask your question.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to know why,¡± Jake said, trying to put all his confusion into a workable question. ¡°Why do all this, why sell this equipment, and why so cheap?¡± Jake asked, questioning how the store was run even more now that he knew that Ivaldi wasn¡¯t human.


    ¡°I have my reasons,¡± Ivaldi said, his mirth fading as he leaned forward to fix Jake with his gaze. ¡°You are a long way from being able to survive meddling in the business of Dungeons, though I know your Patron is pleased with your progress.¡±


    Jake wasn¡¯t sure quite how to react to that, so he simply nodded. It was more than a little confusing why Ivaldi would hide his reason for doing this, but not the fact that he wasn¡¯t human.


    Ivaldi refilled Jake¡¯s mug and wordlessly pulled out a fresh pack of gear for Jake, setting it on the table for him.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jake finished his drink and took his gear, his mind still awhirl with new information.

 DN 30 - Hard Work

    Jake left Ivaldi¡¯s after finishing his drink, still unsure how he felt about everything he¡¯d learned today.


    Deciding to get to work instead, Jake made his way down to the training field and found a few other new Classers training together. The group seemed to be an eclectic mix of people, and Jake was able to join without issue.


    Working with others helped push him forward and gave him some much-needed insight into how to better use his weapons.


    There was little else Jake could do to prepare for the next delve, so he wanted to make sure he put in as much work as possible.


    By this point, Jake was fairly confident that Felix had a Skill that boosted recovery because he never recovered as quickly when working on his own. He wasn¡¯t going to let that stop him, though.


    -**-


    The morning run with Felix was as hard as usual, but Jake could feel himself improving. He was running faster, his endurance was improving, and he was getting there.


    Felix even gave him an approving nod at the end of the run, which felt like reward enough by itself.


    The following delve into the Dungeon showed equal levels of improvement.


    Jake and the others took the Challenge option once again and defeated the murk hound, though Jake didn¡¯t see the end of the fight.


    Still, Jake lasted long enough that the group was able to manage victory, and that meant all the more Wyrdgeld for them.


    Unfortunately, it seemed that only Rhew and Alan survived the Challenge, which left them easy prey for the monsters on the final floor.


    They divided the Wyrdgeld over coffee at the tavern, and Jake added twenty-eight Wyrdgeld to his total, with Ari once again buying the fruits off of them directly.


    The latest payout was enough for the others to reach rank three, letting them once again push ahead while Jake did his best to save up what he could.


    Jake knew he¡¯d continue to fall behind as they advanced; he couldn¡¯t see any other way for things to go, but it was still demoralising to watch it happen.


    -**-


    The next day was much the same, and though Felix had yet to teach him much of anything, the improved recovery time that Jake had after running with Felix let him push himself to the limit and still be in good shape for the Dungeon


    Rhew and Alan were waiting for them as they stumbled up to the tavern, and after only a few minutes of rest, they were heading for their morning delve.


    The Challenge was there again, and the four of them took it on eagerly, ready to test themselves against the small horde that was brought against them.


    It was a close fight, and both Jake and Karl were badly injured by the end of it, but they were victorious, and none of them died.


    It felt like a momentous occasion for them to all make it through the Challenge alive, and to make it better, Rhew had been saving her Wyrd for the fight, so they didn¡¯t have to use a single one of the Wyrdgeld that they drew from the fallen monsters.


    Wounded as they were, they were in no shape to power through the final floor, but they gave it their all, injuring both murk hounds before they were taken out.


    It was another failure overall, but it was progress nonetheless.


    -**-


    The crushing defeat at the end of the delve couldn¡¯t take away from the pure joy Jake felt when his cut of the loot came to thirty Wyrdgeld.


    Jake¡¯s share was just enough to let him purchase rank three, which was enough to lift his spirits. It felt like he¡¯d barely just reached rank two, and he was already able to progress once more.


    The additional Wyrdgeld from the Challenge room was definitely making a difference.


    The reward from the Challenge this time had been a large amount of Wyrd-infused fruit. The total value was the same as if they were given the branch it often provided, meaning they had more fruit than they knew what to do with.


    Thankfully, Ari was quick to buy them all from them, meaning that Jake got his share as raw coin and could skip his visit to the Trading Post.


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    -**-


    Jake made his way down for his afternoon training as usual and found himself training with some of the older Classers that frequented the area.


    This particular group was led by a muscular Classer called Lokan, who seemed to have a preference for spears. Fighting someone with such a different weapon was good practice for Jake.


    ¡°Hi there, would you be Jake?¡± A tall, dark-haired woman in leather armour approached Jake with a friendly smile. She carried a spear in one hand, though Jake noticed that the haft of the weapon was shod in iron.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me,¡± Jake said, noting that Lokan and a couple of others had split off from the main group to carry on with the obstacle course.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Anna, Lokan¡¯s teammate. We¡¯re going to run a round-robin sparring competition if you¡¯re interested?¡±


    ¡°Sure, sounds good,¡± Jake said, happy to go along with whatever they had planned.


    ¡°Great!¡± Anna clapped her hands together, catching her spear in the crook of her arm as it fell. ¡°Another fighter means we can run all the fights at once. Lokan and the others prefer to run the course, you see, to try and get a Trait to do with agility.¡±


    ¡°Does that work like that?¡± Jake asked, intrigued by the concept.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, getting Traits, you mean?¡± Anna glanced back as she guided him over to where the others were waiting. ¡°It does, and it doesn¡¯t. The System takes everything into account, so the best advice you¡¯ll get is to do more of what you want to specialise in, but I doubt any of this would be enough on its own.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Jake nodded, thinking back to what Ari had told him about Deeds. Their training made sense in a way, but it also felt lacking somehow.


    ¡°Jake, this is Ricard. He¡¯ll be your first partner while I get Dom,¡± Anna said as she waved over two Classers.


    Ricard was a bald man with a heavy beard and a slender build, while Dom was one of the biggest men Jake had ever met, with a powerful frame and messy dark hair.


    ¡°Ah yeah, Lokan says you come training even after delving into the Dungeon, that right?¡± Ricard asked, idly twirling a pair of daggers in his hands as he eyed Jake.


    ¡°Well, I try to, yeah,¡± Jake said, shifting his weight as he glanced between the three Classers.


    ¡°Revival sickness is rough,¡± Dom¡¯s voice was a surprisingly melodic and cultured tenor that seemed out of place coming from the powerfully built Classer.


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± Jake said, a touch of weariness creeping into his voice as he thought of the last few days. Between the training, the delving and the recovering from dying, he never really recovered all the way.


    ¡°Have you been in today?¡± One of Dom¡¯s thick brows quirked up at Jake¡¯s tone.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jake felt a little hesitant to answer, knowing how different the experience was for him compared to the rest of his group. ¡°We¡¯re doing pretty well, but we¡¯re stuck on the last floor.¡±


    ¡°Damn, well, let¡¯s see what we can do to help with that,¡± Anna looked over to the others, and they seemed to have an unspoken conversation before Ricard motioned for Jake to follow him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get the first bout done, and then when this is over, I¡¯ll show you some stuff, alright?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Jake said with a grin, already eager to learn from the more experienced Classers.


    Anna called out the rules, which were quite straightforward, and the competition began with little fanfare.


    ¡°First to three touches, lad, you ready?¡± Ricard asked with a crooked smile.


    Jake simply nodded, holding his practice blade in a guard position as he watched the other Classer intently.


    Even with his eyes trained on the bald man, Jake almost missed the moment when Ricard attacked. In the blink of an eye, Ricard was already on him, a dagger flicking out to strike Jake on the arm and claim the first touch.


    Jake did his best to keep up with the smaller man, but Ricard¡¯s fighting style was very different to what Jake had experienced so far. The bald man was fast on his feet, and his strikes were difficult to follow, let alone dodge or parry.


    Ricard¡¯s daggers were blunted practice weapons, but Jake knew he¡¯d have some bruises in the morning regardless. The blade they gave Jake was also blunted, but it hardly felt like it mattered.


    Compared to Ricard, Jake felt like a clumsy fool and didn¡¯t even come close to hitting him before Ricard got his three hits.


    Jake congratulated Ricard and watched as his opponent went on to fight Anna before losing to her by a single point.


    ¡°So, no training?¡± Ricard asked as he came back over to Jake.


    ¡°Nothing worth mentioning. Most of my experience is in the Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°I can tell; you barely move your feet. I bet you¡¯re protecting someone in close quarters most of the time, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose,¡± Jake said, nodding as he considered how things normally went.


    ¡°Right, so you¡¯re getting used to planting your feet and not moving them until everything is dead. Look, let me show you.¡±


    Ricard got Jake into a stance and made him do some practice attacks, showing him how he was overreaching and how that was affecting his centre of balance.


    Jake missed the rest of the competition as he was too focused on what Ricard was showing him, but that felt like a good trade.


    -**-


    Jake sat heavily on his bed later that day and summoned the System to the fore.


    Sufficient Wyrdgeld is present, presenting ascension options for Tier I Rank III.


    You currently have two Trait slots available and two Skill slots available.


    At this time, you have unlocked one additional Skill that may be purchased.


    Minor Infused Strike - 100 Wyrdgeld


    At this time, you have unlocked no additional Traits that may be purchased.


    At this time, you have insufficient Wyrdgeld to upgrade the rank of any Skills.


    At this time, you have insufficient Wyrdgeld to upgrade the rank of any Traits.


    At this time, you have insufficient Wyrdgeld to purchase any available Skills.


    Would you like to continue with your ascension?


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Jake lay back on the bed, ready for the pain to come.


    Congratulations, you have ascended to Tier I, Rank III. The expended Wyrdgeld shall be used to refine your physicality.


    Would you like to discard any Skills or Traits at this time?


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Jake muttered, unsure why he was being polite to the System. He was fairly confident it had no way of knowing.


    Blooming heat in his chest made Jake forget any further questions he had about the System¡¯s intelligence as it worked to bring him to the third rank.

 DN 31 - Gone

    ¡°Faster, sprint, Borvon!¡± Felix roared as Jake and Karl struggled up a muddy hill, fighting to stay upright and keep moving at a good pace.


    It had rained heavily overnight, and though Jake felt buoyed by his increase in rank, the muddy ground was making everything worse for them.


    To make matters worse, Jake was still aching from his training yesterday.


    Felix shouted out a mix of encouragement and insults as they trudged up the next hill. Stopping at the top for a brief moment, Jake shared a weary look with Karl as he wondered how it was that despite getting stronger, this all felt harder.


    -**-


    The post-run delve went smoothly at first. The four of them progressed through the first four floors with practised ease, claiming the Wyrdgeld for the monsters they killed.


    Jake did his best to stay light on his feet when fighting, and he felt like it helped with the krok flies, if nothing else. It would take some getting used to, though.


    There was little surprise from the group when the Challenge room appeared, and they entered it without question, using what was quickly becoming their standard approach to the Challenge.


    The additional rank and Ricard¡¯s advice on how to move came together to give them their smoothest victory yet, and they moved on with high spirits.


    The final floor was also their best attempt yet, with Karl managing to take one of the hounds down with him.


    They still all died in the attempt, but it was a lot closer than their first few, and even the pain of being ripped apart by the hound couldn¡¯t take that from them.


    -**-


    ¡°So, another fairly substantial payout for you,¡± Ari said as he passed each of them their cut of the loot.


    They each had a mug of steaming coffee, but Ari didn¡¯t seem to be indulging like he would normally. Combined with what Jake had seen earlier, he was certain that something was going on.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to buy rank four tonight, then save up and pay my dues to the Triarchy and the Association,¡± Rhew said, tapping her Wyrdgeld with a thoughtful expression. ¡°I had my concerns, but we¡¯re doing pretty well so far.¡±


    ¡°The regular Challenge rooms have definitely helped,¡± Ari said, pausing for a moment before giving them all a meaningful look. ¡°Just a reminder to not spread that around too much; you¡¯ve definitely been lucky, and that sort of luck inspires jealousy.¡±


    ¡°We get almost as much from the Challenge as we do the rest of the Dungeon. There¡¯s no way we¡¯d advance this fast without it being there all the time,¡± Alan pointed out, absorbing his Wyrdgeld with a satisfied expression. ¡°I, for one, am quite thankful it shows up as regularly as it does, and I think we¡¯re best off keeping the whole thing to ourselves.¡±


    Karl and Rhew murmured their agreement, with Jake chiming in a little late, almost forgetting for a moment that they included him in the decision.


    ¡°Good, good, glad we¡¯re all on the same page,¡± Ari said, drumming his fingers on the table for a moment with a complicated expression. ¡°So, things have come up elsewhere, and I¡¯ll be heading off, along with a lot of the other Classers round here. It¡¯s nothing to be concerned about, but expect to have the next few days to yourself.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Rhew looked over to the rest of them, seemingly checking that she¡¯d heard Ari right.


    ¡°Look, I know it¡¯s not ideal, but once you¡¯ve completed the Dungeon a few times, you¡¯ll be on your own anyway, so best to get your head around it now. You¡¯re paid up for accommodation here for the next few days, and I¡¯ll leave a line of credit for you as well.¡±


    ¡°Should we keep delving?¡± Karl asked somewhat hesitantly.


    ¡°If you like, but I¡¯d probably recommend taking some time off and resting up. Once I¡¯m back, we¡¯ll carry on, okay?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how long you¡¯ll be gone?¡± Alan asked.


    Ari grimaced and gave a poor imitation of his normal smile. ¡°Well, it should only be a couple of days, but if I can¡¯t make it back for some reason, the Association will send someone else to sort you out.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you be able to make it back?¡± Rhew asked, looking increasingly worried.


    ¡°Well, things happen, and I might end up reassigned,¡± Ari said, his already strained smile wavering momentarily before being covered by Ari taking a drink. ¡°Look, it¡¯s nothing to be concerned about, alright?¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Then why not tell us more? Why be so evasive?¡± Jake asked, not liking the lack of answers Ari was giving them.


    ¡°We have some rules about what tier one Classers are told, more for your own safety than anything,¡± Ari said after a few moments, clearly reluctant to say anything further. ¡°This is one of them, but it¡¯s nothing you need to be concerned about.¡±


    Jake frowned but let it go, knowing that if Ari hadn¡¯t told them already, he likely wasn¡¯t going to.


    ¡°Well, a couple of days off might not be so bad. We can do some training and give it our all when Ari gets back,¡± Rhew said, seemingly coming around to the idea.


    ¡°See, you¡¯ll hardly know I¡¯m gone,¡± Ari said, waving aside the whole issue with one hand. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll be heading out with the others this afternoon, so you¡¯re on your own from tomorrow onwards. Don¡¯t get into any trouble, alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be fine; we¡¯ll just be relaxing until you get back,¡± Alan said, ignoring the concern in Ari¡¯s voice. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re in the middle of nowhere. What¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡±


    Silence stretched across the table for a long moment as the four of them stared at Alan in a mixture of disbelief and resignation.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s that then,¡± Ari said, shaking his head at the Scholar as he got to his feet. ¡°Try and keep the chaos to a minimum. I need to go make sure that everything is being taken care of.¡±


    Alan frowned as Ari walked away, chuckling as he went. ¡°What does he mean by that?¡±


    ¡°He means that you just jinxed us,¡± Jake said with disbelief.


    ¡°Surely you don¡¯t believe that?¡± Alan looked between them with an incredulous expression.


    ¡°Belief or not, I know better than to tempt fate,¡± Karl said, shaking his head disapprovingly.


    ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± Alan complained, leaning back in his chair with a scoff. ¡°Nothing will go wrong, you¡¯ll see.¡±


    Jake sighed wearily and went to go see how much credit Ari had left them with the tavern keeper. He needed a drink.


    -**-


    The four of them lingered in the tavern for a while before splitting up and going their separate ways, agreeing to meet back there later on to get their evening meal.


    Deciding to stick with his usual training routine, Jake made his way down to the field. There was no sign of Lokan or the others, which was a shame. He¡¯d found Ricard¡¯s lesson quite useful and had been hoping to get another from the bald dagger user.


    Still, it gave him the opportunity to have the obstacle course to himself and to test out the improvements he¡¯d got for ranking up. He wanted to see how much of a difference they made.


    Much like the last rank-up, Jake could feel a subtle but noticeable improvement in his physical capabilities. Combined with his steady effort to build his strength and endurance, Jake was confident that he had improved across the board in comparison to when he¡¯d first arrived.


    After dying so many times in the Dungeon, Jake knew that it only took him around six or so hours to be back in reasonable health, which was much faster than the others, who took maybe three times as long to recover. It wasn¡¯t a full recovery, though, which meant that this break had a silver lining to it.


    With a few days before Ari returned, they could completely recover, get some practice in as a team and plan for how they were going to finally beat the Dungeon.


    They¡¯d been close last time, and with an extra rank each, they might finally be able to handle both of the murk hounds on the final floor. The wolf-sized rats were fast and hard to hurt, but they could be brought down with good teamwork, and every time Jake and the others fought them, the rats had less of a physical advantage over them.


    Jake raced up a curved ramp of compacted earth and rock, jumping up to grab the lip and haul himself up to the top, twisting around to sit on the lip of the obstacle.


    It was one thing to want to push ahead so strongly, but Ivaldi¡¯s warning rang in Jake¡¯s ears. Once they finished the Dungeon, Jake would have to move on, and even that would likely not be enough in the long run.


    It wasn¡¯t like he had much of a choice, though. He couldn¡¯t get rid of the Class if he didn''t progress and rank up.


    Wiping the sweat from his brow, Jake rubbed his face before dropping down to the ground and moving to the next part of the course.


    All he could do was push forward and hope for the best.


    -**-


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you do it,¡± Karl said as he tucked into his stew, shaking his head at Jake¡¯s dishevelled appearance. ¡°I¡¯ve barely recovered from my revival sickness by the time we go on our morning run; I don¡¯t know how you can train in the afternoon as well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so bad once you get into a rhythm,¡± Jake said with a shrug, breaking off a piece of crusty bread to dip into his stew. ¡°I¡¯m used to it by now.¡±


    ¡°Rather you than me,¡± Rhew said with a shudder. ¡°I get headaches all day and can barely focus. I can¡¯t believe that it¡¯s going to get worse with the higher tier Dungeons.¡±


    ¡°I wonder how that works,¡± Alan wondered aloud, stirring his stew absently. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t die as often; there would be no point without someone like Ari to get the Wyrdgeld. But then, when you do die, it takes days to recover?¡±


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s down to the individual and how hard they want to push,¡± Jake said, trying to put himself in the position of someone like Ari when they were delving. ¡°I mean, what do higher-tier Dungeons look like? Is it just more of the same?¡±


    ¡°No, remember, Ari said they change a lot at tier two, let alone the higher ones,¡± Rhew shook her head before frowning in thought. ¡°He didn¡¯t say what that change would be, though.¡±


    ¡°Bigger tunnels? More creatures?¡± Jake guessed, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to imagine what it would be like.


    ¡°The accounts I read are pretty vague, but I think the first change is that there will be traps or more environmental problems,¡± Alan said, perking up a little at being able to share something he¡¯d read.


    ¡°None of that sounds pleasant,¡± Jake said, part of him wondering how many times he¡¯d die to traps in the higher-tier Dungeons. An unpleasant thought.


    ¡°What do you mean by environmental problems?¡± Karl asked, looking a little uneasy at the thought.


    ¡°Well, the tunnels are always flat and easy to move in, apart from the final rooms, right?¡± Alan waited for them to nod before spreading his hands with a shrug. ¡°It would be more like that, as well as genuinely dangerous things. I remember reading about a Dungeon that had poison in the air, so you were slowly dying from the moment you went in.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s horrid,¡± Rhew shuddered before pushing the last of her stew away. ¡°I¡¯ve lost my appetite.¡±


    Jake felt a little queasy at the thought as well, but he knew better than to discard food. He had Wyrdgeld to spend if needed, but old habits die slowly.


    They lapsed into their own thoughts for a time before eventually splitting up and heading back to their rooms.

 DN 32 - New Arrivals

    Jake woke with the dawn and made his way downstairs, moving by habit more than anything. It was only when he met up with Karl outside the building that his mind finally kicked in.


    ¡°Shit, Felix isn¡¯t going to be there,¡± Jake sighed and ran a hand through his hair, realising he¡¯d gotten up early for nothing.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Karl groaned, shooting a longing look over his shoulder at his room before letting out a heavy sigh of his own and trudging forward. ¡°Come on, might as well put the time to use.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose,¡± Jake said, reluctantly falling in next to Karl as they made their way around the tavern to the usual waiting spot.


    It felt odd to be the only people at the starting spot. They¡¯d gotten used to Felix¡¯s presence, and his absence made it all feel slightly off.


    Going through the usual set of stretches, the two of them set off on their normal route.


    The run wasn¡¯t up to their normal standards, but that didn¡¯t really surprise Jake, and he wasn¡¯t particularly bothered. He put enough effort in to leave him a sweaty mess by the end, so that would do for today.


    There was a small well at the rear of the tavern that they used to rinse themselves and cool down, but the two wagons that sat next to it weren¡¯t part of the usual decor.


    The tavern had a small stables area with a water trough, but it had been empty since Jake and the others arrived. Now, however, it held four horses and the two wagons were parked next to it.


    Jake shared a look with Karl at the sight of the wagons. ¡°Any idea what these are about?¡±


    ¡°No idea, maybe a delivery or something?¡±


    Heading into the tavern after they were done, Jake immediately noticed that there were a lot more people than usual present. In fact, the whole place had a busy atmosphere to it that caught Jake by surprise.


    ¡°Jake!¡± Alan called out, drawing their attention to a small table off to one side where he and Rhew were sitting. ¡°Over here.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are there so many people?¡± Jake asked as the three of them joined Alan and Rhew around the small table, which was only just large enough for all five of them.


    ¡°They all came in about half an hour ago; they said they¡¯d been travelling to a town north of where we are but were diverted here by a bunch of Classers. To make it weirder, the few Classers that were tier two or higher went with the others, leaving the rest to come here.¡±


    ¡°Whatever¡¯s going on, it¡¯s getting more concerning with each new thing we learn,¡± Rhew said, eyeing the busy room warily.


    ¡°So, are these all tier one like us then?¡±


    ¡°Seems that way. Apparently, the town they¡¯re heading to has a few Dungeons nearby, so it¡¯s a good spot once you¡¯ve got your feet under you. It doesn¡¯t sound like we¡¯ll get the same free ride we have here, though. I think this only lasts until we finish the Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to know there¡¯s somewhere to head next, at least,¡± Karl said, getting back to his feet with a wince. ¡°I¡¯m going to order some food and see if they have any coffee left.¡±


    ¡°A damn good idea,¡± Jake said, getting up and joining him.


    -**-


    Over the course of their breakfast, Jake counted the number of new people in the tavern. It seemed to be around two dozen, with a few more that came and went, so maybe thirty or so in total.


    It was quite the number, and they were comprised of a range of Classers, some more obvious than others.


    In keeping with Jake¡¯s experience so far, there was little in the way of armour on show amongst the newcomers. To Jake¡¯s mind, that only made sense considering how often they died in the Dungeon; it was just more practical to save their money for other things.


    Unsurprisingly, the opposite was true for weaponry, as it almost seemed that no two people had quite the same weapons. Jake wondered absently if that was Ivaldi¡¯s doing or if some of these Classers had deliberately asked for a shorter or longer weapon.


    For that matter, he could see that a good number of the Classers were part of the same guild as Jake, but there was a good number who weren¡¯t, so did they still get their weapons from Ivaldi?


    A woman near the front of the tavern was shouting something that Jake couldn¡¯t hear over the general hubbub, but it looked like she was looking for someone.


    ¡°So, what are we doing today?¡± Karl asked, bringing Jake¡¯s focus back to his companions as he pushed his empty plate away and took a sip of coffee.


    ¡°Not sure, I¡¯d say training, but I think it¡¯ll be good to relax as well,¡± Jake said, shrugging a little. They¡¯d not had a day off since they arrived, so he wasn¡¯t against a bit of relaxation.


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Karl said with a shrug as he finished his drink. ¡°There¡¯s a game going in the corner. Come get me if we¡¯re going to do something as a group.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go as well. There¡¯s a group of casters over there swapping tips that might be useful,¡± Rhew said, giving them an absent wave as she went on her way.


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    Jake got a drink and kicked back for a few minutes, unsure what to do. The only thing that came to mind was how nice the surrounding area was and how he¡¯d enjoyed the journey here.


    Unfortunately, he never got the chance to enjoy it during the morning run, as they were too focused on keeping moving.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m going to go for a walk. Want to come with?¡± Jake looked over to Alan questioningly.


    ¡°Yeah, why not? Not got anything better to do,¡± Alan said with a shrug, getting up from the table and stretching. ¡°Whereabouts did you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°North of town, I think. We saw some interesting stuff up there; it¡¯ll be worth a closer look,¡± Jake said, hesitating a little before continuing. ¡°We should arm ourselves, though. We won¡¯t see many creatures close to the Dungeon, but we should be careful anyway.¡±


    ¡°A good point,¡± Alan said with a nod before heading over toward Karl and Rhew. ¡°I¡¯ll let them know we¡¯re heading out. Meet you outside.¡±


    Jake nodded and took a moment to finish his drink before heading outside. It was shaping up to be a reasonable day, all the better for spending some time exploring the area.


    Once Alan joined him, the pair made their way over to Ivaldi¡¯s and armed themselves, picking out their usual gear from what Ivaldi offered. It felt a little odd to be getting their weapons for something other than going into the Dungeon, but it was exciting at the same time.


    There was a real chance they¡¯d encounter a wild monster if they went beyond the outskirts of the small settlement. Even the runs with Felix stayed reasonably close to the Dungeon, so the more that Jake thought about it, the more excited he got.


    Fighting in the Dungeon could only lead to one end as things currently stood, which brought a particularly fatalistic mindset with it, one that Jake was worried would be a problem in the future. Dying this many times and suffering no real consequences couldn¡¯t be good for him mentally.


    For now, he would do his best to stay alert and aware while making sure that he treated any potential fights like they were life-threatening.


    Besides, they had the option to run away out here, not like in the Dungeon.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m ready to go,¡± Alan said, hefting his strung bow and flashing Jake an excited grin. ¡°Which way?¡±


    ¡°This way,¡± Jake said, heading toward the start of the running route. If they were heading out, they might as well start with an area that he was at least a little familiar with.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been thinking about these runs that you and Karl go on,¡± Alan said as they left the town behind them.


    ¡°Yeah, thinking of joining?¡± Jake asked jokingly, his smile fading as he saw the expression on Alan¡¯s face.


    ¡°I am, yeah. I think I need to be more physically fit, you see,¡± Alan said before sighing heavily. ¡°I don¡¯t want to, don¡¯t get me wrong, but I have a feeling that things are only going to get more physically intensive with the Dungeon. Especially when we move to a higher tier.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know what you mean,¡± Jake said, nodding along as he eyed the surrounding undergrowth, enjoying the greenery on show. ¡°It¡¯ll be a lot of walking and running, if nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, which is why I¡­.¡± Alan paused and cocked his head to one side. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s what?¡± Jake followed Alan¡¯s gaze to a slightly crushed bush off to one side of the path. ¡°The bush?¡±


    ¡°No, this,¡± Alan walked over and pointed down at the ground on the other side of the bush. ¡°These look like drag marks.¡±


    Jake walked over to look, and sure enough, there were what looked like drag marks on the ground on the other side of the bush. ¡°Weird, what caused these?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m no tracker, but these look like footprints to me,¡± Alan said, gesturing at some impressions in the ground around the marks. Grey Wyrd flashed in Alan¡¯s eyes for a few moments as he looked over the scene. ¡°I think someone was knocked out and dragged off; these marks don¡¯t look right for it being an animal.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Jake glanced around them, a chill running down his spine as he considered the situation.


    ¡°Should we follow them?¡± Alan asked hesitantly, looking to Jake for guidance on what to do. ¡°I can track this easily enough, I think. It¡¯s not exactly hidden, after all.¡±


    Jake grimaced as he tried to convince himself it wasn¡¯t his problem and that they should leave well enough alone, but he couldn¡¯t do it. ¡°Fuck it, let¡¯s track them down and see what¡¯s going on. Do it carefully and quietly, though. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Alan said, drawing an arrow and nocking it before setting off by the side of the tracks.


    Jake muttered a few select curses as he drew his sword and did his best to move quietly through the undergrowth as he followed after Alan.


    This section of the running route bordered an area of light woodland. The trees weren¡¯t especially big, but there were plenty of them, making it a great area to hide things.


    The drag marks continued for a reasonable distance off the path, and though Jake occasionally lost track of them as they passed through areas that were rocky or were otherwise harder to track through, Alan was able to keep track.


    ¡°Wait, I see something,¡± Alan hissed, crouching down low and motioning for Jake to come up alongside him.


    ¡°What do you see?¡± Jake asked, carefully inching up next to Alan. Grey energy formed a halo around Alan¡¯s eyes as Jake watched, making him regret his lack of an active Skill once more.


    ¡°Gods, I can barely see it, and it¡¯s horrid,¡± Alan said, revulsion colouring his voice as he peered at something in the distance.


    ¡°What is it? What¡¯s happening?¡± Jake asked, looking between Alan and the direction he was staring, a cold knot forming in his gut.


    ¡°There¡¯s a clearing up ahead with a flat boulder, and there¡¯s someone on it,¡± Alan said somewhat shakily, looking over at Jake with a horrified expression. ¡°I can¡¯t see too much, but it looks like they¡¯re badly wounded.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Jake hissed, the knot of worry in his gut crystallising as his instincts told him that this was a bad situation. Yet, they couldn¡¯t just walk away, not if the person was still alive. ¡°Eyes and ears open. Let¡¯s see if they can be saved.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Alan nodded, his expression shifting as he gripped his bow firmly and lifted it slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll cover you.¡±


    Jake wet his lips nervously as he began to move forward, keeping low to the ground as he went. He could see the edge of the clearing ahead through the trees, and sure enough, he could see someone sprawled on a boulder towards the centre of the space.


    Looking around carefully, Jake saw no signs of movement or any hidden watchers that might be present. Inching out into the clearing, he glanced back to see that Alan had followed along behind him and had paused a few feet from the clearing.


    There was no immediate reaction to Jake stepping out into the clearing, so he moved forward to the boulder and checked on the person sprawled on it.


    Any doubt in Jake¡¯s mind about the state of the person was removed as he saw the gaping, bloody hole that had been carved into the chest of the dead man.


    ¡°Gods above,¡± Jake jerked back from the gruesome scene, eyes wide as he saw that a series of symbols had been painted onto the rock around the body using what looked like blood.


    ¡°Who are you, and what are you doing here?¡± A woman¡¯s voice rang out from behind him, making Jake whirl around, sword and shield rising defensively.


    Alan was standing with his hands raised, staring at Jake with fearful eyes, which wasn¡¯t surprising considering that there was a woman standing just behind him with a sword to his throat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only ask one more time,¡± the woman said in a cold tone, her brown eyes hard as she pressed the sword into Alan¡¯s throat. ¡°Who are you, and what are you doing here?¡±

 DN 33 - Secrets I

    ¡°Woah, okay, no need for any of this,¡± Jake said, his throat suddenly dry as his eyes flicked between her severe expression and the blade at his friend¡¯s throat.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t an answer.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, my name is Jake Chant, and this is Alan Teller. We¡¯re Classers with the Delvers Guild. We saw signs that someone had been dragged off the road and came to investigate. That¡¯s all, okay?¡±


    ¡°Prove it,¡± the woman said, her eyes narrowing at Jake¡¯s response.


    ¡°Here, see, my guild mark,¡± Jake said, willing the mark to be visible as he held his hand up for her to see.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± the woman made a noncommittal sound, but she did relax slightly when she saw the guild mark. ¡°What about you? Show me a mark or a Skill and make it quick.¡± The sword pressed threateningly against Alan¡¯s neck as she spoke to him, and the Scholar carefully lifted an arm to show his own mark.


    ¡°Here, please, we¡¯re telling the truth,¡± Alan said, his other hand subtly reaching for the blade at his hip.


    ¡°Very well, you¡¯re telling the truth,¡± the woman said, releasing Alan and taking a few quick steps back. ¡°Now leave. This is none of your business.¡±


    ¡°Did you kill him?¡± Jake asked, motioning to the dead man on the boulder.


    ¡°No, but his killer will return soon, and they are incredibly dangerous. You should leave,¡± the woman said, sheathing her sword and crossing her arms.


    Now that Jake had the chance to get a good look at her, he noticed that she had medium-length dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and a single braid hanging from the right side of her head down to her jaw.


    What caught Jake¡¯s eye, however, was the paired swords she carried, one of which was longer than the other. She had been using the shorter one to threaten Alan with, but somehow Jake was sure that they were meant to be wielded together.


    ¡°So, let me get this right,¡± Jake said, sheathing his sword for the moment to not escalate things any further. ¡°You sneak up on Alan, threaten his life and demand we prove ourselves before ordering us away with no evidence of your own?¡±


    Alan had reclaimed his bow and moved over to Jake while they had been talking, but he was currently giving Jake a meaningful look with motions to stop pushing.


    ¡°You raise a valid point,¡± the woman said, frowning a little before grimacing and shaking her head. ¡°I apologise. I thought you might have been Corrupters, but you clearly aren¡¯t. Still, you should leave.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what are Corrupters?¡± Jake asked, jumping on the unfamiliar word immediately.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know already, I¡¯m not allowed to talk about it,¡± she said, sighing a little as she looked between the two of them. ¡°You should leave. I¡¯m more than capable of dealing with one on my own, and if you interfere, they could escape, which is unacceptable.¡±


    ¡°Jake, we¡¯re in over our heads here,¡± Alan said, his eyes drifting to the body behind them. ¡°She¡¯s right, we should go.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Jake cursed, unhappy with this entire situation and with yet more things he wasn¡¯t allowed to know about. ¡°Fine, but if I find out you were bullshitting us, we¡¯ll be back.¡±


    ¡°You know full well that I could have killed your friend. What need have I to lie?¡± The woman shrugged a little, resting her hands on the hilts of her blades. ¡°You don¡¯t have to trust me. Just let me do my job.¡±


    Jake grunted, too annoyed and frustrated to give a proper answer. He wanted to stay, but he knew Alan wouldn¡¯t leave without him, and he couldn¡¯t in good conscience take that risk on Alan¡¯s behalf.


    Jake started walking back to the trail they¡¯d been following, taking a looping path that went around the woman so they wouldn¡¯t come too close. Something about her seemed trustworthy, but he couldn¡¯t ignore how close they¡¯d come to fighting each other.


    Alan looked more than a little relieved to be leaving the clearing, which only cemented Jake¡¯s choice. As much as he disliked everything going on here, he didn¡¯t want to drag Alan into danger just to satisfy his curiosity.


    ¡°That was crazy,¡± Alan said once they were back on the path, his eyes wide as he turned to Jake. ¡°Do you think those things she was talking about are real, or do you think she killed that man?¡±


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    ¡°I believe her, but I¡¯m not entirely sure why,¡± Jake said, looking back into the woods for a moment before shaking his head and starting back to town at a quick walk. ¡°We should see if we can find any higher-tier Classers that might have stayed behind.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay, that works,¡± Alan said as he took a few steadying breaths and seemed to get control of himself. ¡°I¡¯m with you. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They weren¡¯t too far down the path when they heard sounds of movement from up ahead. Sharing a look, they darted off the path and hid themselves.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the woman¡¯s warning about these Corrupters, Jake would have ignored the noises or not assumed the worst, but her words had got in his head, and from the look on Alan¡¯s face, he wasn¡¯t the only one.


    A few moments passed before a trio of Classers came walking around the bend, making Jake momentarily sigh in relief before taking in their postures and subtly motioning for Alan to stay still and not move.


    The trio was two women walking ahead while a man trailed behind slightly. One of the women looked worried and anxious, while the other seemed to be soothing her and reassuring her about something.


    Both of the women were armed but had their weapons sheathed, whereas the man was walking with his spear at the ready.


    Jake could have ignored that. After all, you couldn¡¯t exactly sheath a spear, but everything about the man¡¯s posture said that he was ready to fight and didn¡¯t match the front two at all.


    ¡°We¡¯ll turn off up here, and then he¡¯s just a short distance into the woods,¡± the reassuring woman said, pointing up ahead as she spoke.


    ¡°I hope he¡¯s okay. Did he say what he¡¯d injured?¡± The anxious woman replied, her voice making Jake realise that he¡¯d seen her earlier in the day; she¡¯d been calling out and asking if anyone had seen a missing Classer.


    ¡°I think he¡¯d hurt his leg; he just asked if we could go find you,¡± the first woman said, one hand on the other¡¯s back as she guided her forward.


    ¡°But why didn¡¯t he use his potions?¡± The anxious woman asked, frowning at her companion as she slowed down and asked the obvious question.


    ¡°I think he broke them in his fall,¡± the other woman said without missing a beat. ¡°We should hurry; he was in a lot of pain.¡±


    The anxious woman seemed to be stuck on what to do, whether to question the flimsy story she was being told or go to the aid of her friend. Ultimately, she decided to go with what they were saying, but Jake could see that the third member of the group had tensed when she¡¯d hesitated.


    There was nothing good about what he was seeing here; their story was full of holes, and the whole thing reminded him of a few scams he¡¯d seen back in the city.


    ¡°Did that seem a bit weird to you?¡± Alan asked softly once the trio were further away from them.


    ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s a setup for sure,¡± Jake said, gently pulling his shield out from where he¡¯d hidden it under a bush. ¡°The question is, a setup for what?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re getting her somewhere secluded to rob her?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Jake said, his eyes still on the trio as they continued further down the path. ¡°But my gut tells me it¡¯s worse than that.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t think¡­..¡± Alan¡¯s voice trailed off as he gave Jake a horrified look.


    ¡°Maybe, maybe not, but there¡¯s two of them, and that woman we met said she could confidently deal with one. Perhaps she can deal with a second, or perhaps they¡¯ve nothing to do with any of this. I just don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t leave it like this,¡± Alan said, a familiar determination settling onto his face as he gripped his bow tight.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t,¡± Jake said, knowing that he¡¯d never forgive himself if they walked away right now.


    There were two more bends in the path from where they were to the spot where they¡¯d entered the woods, and the trio they were watching had just gone around the first, but Jake gave them another few moments before getting to his feet and starting to follow after them.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Alan asked in a hushed voice once they were on the path.


    ¡°Follow them as carefully as we can, see where they go and then just go from there,¡± Jake said equally quietly. He¡¯d love a more detailed plan, but that was about the best they could do right now.


    Hopefully, this was a robbery, and he had it all wrong, in which case they could step in, help sort things out and maybe get a reward for their aid. If not, well, at least he¡¯d get some answers.


    -**-


    Jake and Alan weren¡¯t exactly the stealthiest of followers, but fortunately, they didn¡¯t have to be. The anxious friend was too busy worrying, and the other two were focused on keeping her moving towards whatever they had planned.


    To Jake¡¯s growing discomfort, the trio turned off the road just before the area where Jake and Alan had turned off themselves.


    ¡°Look, Jake,¡± Alan whispered, moving over to tap one of the trees next to the spot where the trio had turned.


    Jake looked over and saw that Alan was tapping on a symbol that had been carved into the tree. ¡°Damn, looks like they marked it to be easy to find the next time.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t get it,¡± Alan said, shaking his head repeatedly. ¡°That poor guy looked like he¡¯d been cut up open and savaged. Are they going to do that to her as well? Why?¡±


    ¡°I wish I knew,¡± Jake said, shivering a little as he remembered the state of the body they¡¯d seen. ¡°It was almost as though he¡¯d been butchered; it was so specific to just his chest.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this, not one bit.¡±


    ¡°Me neither, but I¡¯m not backing out now,¡± Jake said firmly, starting to head deeper into the woods before pausing and looking back to Alan. There was no need to drag the Scholar into Jake¡¯s obsessive need to understand what was going on. ¡°Maybe you should head back and try and get reinforcements or just let people know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no chance I¡¯m letting you head into all that on your own,¡± Alan said, his head lifting slightly as he made eye contact with Jake. ¡°I¡¯m with you here, and you need the backup.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong there,¡± the corner of Jake¡¯s mouth quirked into a smile at the determined look in Alan¡¯s eyes. The other man likely had no idea how much it meant to Jake that he was willing to back him up like this.


    Growing up without a family had taught Jake that true friends were hard to come by and that someone who braved danger to have his back was worth their weight in ingar.


    The two of them started forward once more, Jake carefully drawing his sword as they did. From this point on, anything could happen, and he needed to be ready.

 DN 34 - Secrets II

    The woods around the clearing were dense, and Jake was a little worried that they weren¡¯t heading in quite the right direction when he heard an anguished cry from up ahead, followed by what sounded like laughter.


    Cursing under his breath, Jake hurried forward, Alan rushing with him as they moved with a lot less care through the undergrowth.


    A shout of surprise cut off the laughter, which was followed in quick succession by a cry of pain and then sounds of battle, none of which filled Jake with confidence.


    ¡°I can see them. The woman they were with is down, but the two of them are fighting the one we met earlier. It doesn¡¯t look good,¡± Alan rattled off as the clearing became visible.


    Jake couldn¡¯t see with the kind of detail that Alan could, but he didn¡¯t need to. Blasts of energy flew out into the foliage, making the ongoing fight easy to see. The energy wasn¡¯t the pale grey of normal Wyrd. Instead, it was a dark, purplish colour that had thick black streaks flowing through it.


    The blasts ripped into the undergrowth indiscriminately, cutting through bushes and deep into trees.


    ¡°What in the name of the gods is that,¡± Jake breathed, watching as the odd energy seemed to cling to a tree it had hit, eating away at it for several more moments before dissipating.


    ¡°Nothing good,¡± Alan said, his eyes wreathed in Wyrd as he peered up ahead. ¡°They¡¯re moving out into the woods. She¡¯s struggling against the two of them, but she has some sort of shielding Skill that¡¯s keeping them at bay.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you take up a good position somewhere and see if you can take one of them out. We don¡¯t know for certain what¡¯s going on here, but whatever those blasts are, they don¡¯t look right, so don¡¯t hesitate, okay?¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Alan said, taking a deep breath before moving off to skirt around the clearing.


    The fighting was still going on, so Jake hurried out into the clearing, pausing only to check on the woman the two Corrupters had been bringing here. Well, he assumed that¡¯s what these two were, anyway.


    The woman had fallen on her side, so Jake rolled her onto her back before flinching away in disgust. One of the purplish bolts must have struck her, as most of her left side had been eaten away by something, leaving only a foul-looking mess in its place.


    Whatever these people were, they were using some nasty Skills and were clearly uncaring of the consequences for anyone in their way.


    Old anger bubbled up in Jake¡¯s core, and his doubts were burnt away as he got to his feet and started forward, rounding the boulder with his shield up as he looked around for the Corrupters.


    The area of the woods they were fighting in was being steadily ripped apart by the caustic nature of the Corrupter¡¯s Skills. The male Corrupter was fighting the woman directly, his spear striking out in a series of fast attacks that she danced around, both her blades constantly in motion.


    The female Corrupter, meanwhile, was circling the duel, a gathering mote of energy in her off-hand.


    Jake started towards her, trying to keep out of her line of sight until he was close enough to charge. Unfortunately, the lack of vegetation around the boulder meant that she saw him before he was even halfway, her head snapping around as she caught sight of him, the hand holding the energy swinging around to unleash a bolt in his direction.


    Jake dove to one side, his obstacle training proving its worth as he managed to dodge the attack entirely and not be left completely off balance.


    ¡°Fucking Inquisitors, worse than cockroaches!¡± The Corrupter snarled, a fresh ball mote of purple-black energy blossoming in her hand as she bared her teeth at Jake.


    Jake was about to dodge once more when an arrow sped in from the side, burying itself in her thigh and throwing her aim off enough to instead send the energy boring through an unfortunate tree.


    Taking the opportunity for what it was, Jake rushed forward as she cursed and stumbled away, putting some cover between her and Alan. Seeing Jake rush in, she conjured a fresh blast, but it looked weaker than the others, with a much paler colour.


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    Jake¡¯s mind raced as he took in the situation before snarling and lifting his shield, slamming straight into the blast as she fired it before powering out the other side and tackling her to the ground.


    The centre of Jake¡¯s shield had been dissolved, and he could feel the aftermath of the Skill burning into the flesh of his left arm, but Jake was no stranger to pain these days.


    Both their swords were lost in the impact as they went sprawling onto the floor in a tangle of limbs. What little was left of Jake¡¯s shield fractured and broke as they fell, wooden splinters digging into both of them as they struggled.


    The Corrupter went for a knife in her boot with one hand, the other trying to push Jake away, but he pushed through the pain to grapple her, slamming his forehead down into her nose to disorient her.


    Jake tried to twist the knife out of her hand, but his left arm was numb and slow to respond, so he repeated his headbutt, stunning her enough to let go with her right hand and let him throw a swift elbow into her temple.


    The Corrupter¡¯s eyes rolled back as she slumped limply to the ground, Jake rolling off her with a groan as he looked for his blade. A glance at his arm showed that it was missing large chunks of flesh. Fortunately, the same numbness that made it unwieldy also seemed to be blunting the pain.


    Reaching across to awkwardly grab the knife with his right hand, Jake dispatched the woman with a grunt of effort. It brought a certain finality to all this, but Jake wasn¡¯t one to do things by halves, and the dead woman in the clearing deserved vengeance.


    Leaving the knife where it was, Jake levered himself off the dead woman, the glint of steel bringing his eyes over to his sword, which lay just a few feet away from him.


    Getting to his feet with a wince, Jake froze as a shout of anger ripped through the air. Looking up from his sword, Jake saw the male Corrupter bearing down on him, his spear coated in that strange energy. Cold dread whipped through Jake as he imagined what being struck by that would do.


    Jake¡¯s sword was between him and the oncoming Corrupter, but the other man was moving too fast for Jake to get it and get out of the way, forcing him to instead back peddle and dodge to one side to avoid being skewered.


    Cold sweat dripped down Jake¡¯s face as he tried desperately to stay alive, using everything around him to stay ahead of the other man and away from his spear and the deadly energy it was dripping.


    For all his training, Jake just wasn¡¯t as fast as the Corrupter, and slowly but surely, the gap between them was closing despite Jake¡¯s best efforts.


    A mote of energy blossomed in the man¡¯s palm, and he thrust it forward, Jake throwing himself to one side in a wild dive to avoid the point-blank attack.


    Jake hit the ground hard, gasping in pain as he landed badly on his wounded arm.


    The Corrupter chuckled darkly as he stalked towards Jake, the unspent energy building in his palm as he aimed it at Jake once more with a malicious smile.


    Jake¡¯s mind whirled as he scrabbled for purchase to try and get out of the way, but the Corrupter was too close, and he was all but flat on his back.


    The purple-black energy shot forward, hurtling towards Jake¡¯s chest even as the Corrupter grunted in pain, a feathered shaft sprouting from his shoulder as Alan made his presence known.


    Pale grey energy snapped into place in the path of the incoming bolt, shattering under the impact but taking a lot of the volume and strength of the attack with it. The reduced attack struck Jake¡¯s chest like a hammer, making his heart stutter as numbness threaded itself through him, stealing his breath and leaving him gasping on the floor.


    An angry growl came from the Corrupter as he brought his spear down towards Jake, trying to finish the job.


    A shadow fell over Jake as a figure was abruptly standing over him, his sluggish vision barely coping as the figure and the Corrupter moved into a blistering exchange of attacks. The Corrupter continually tried to attack Jake but was unable to bypass Jake¡¯s defender.


    Limited by having to defend Jake, his defender, who he now saw was the dark-haired woman they¡¯d spoken to earlier, was caught in a stalemate with the Corrupter. He was unwilling to leave Jake alive, and she was unable to move away from Jake or be unable to protect him.


    The numbness that was gripping Jake began to slowly fade, but the outcome of the fight was already decided. The woman¡¯s blades danced around the Corrupter, keeping him locked in place as Alan delivered a second and third arrow into his back.


    For all that he was a detestable piece of shit, Jake had to admit that the Corrupter was tough. It was only when the third arrow made the man stagger that Jake¡¯s protector was able to bat his spear away with one sword and open his throat with the other.


    The Corrupter slumped to the ground. His eyes fixed hatefully on Jake until speeding steel separated his head from his shoulders and brought stillness back to the woods.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jake managed to rasp as he recovered enough to push himself up to a sitting position.


    ¡°It was foolish to involve yourselves,¡± the woman said, her stern gaze softening slightly as she saw the state of him. ¡°Your aid was well-timed, however. I doubt I could have taken them both, especially not a pair that has clearly been hunting together for some time. Long enough to make me think they worked like this before they became as they are.¡±


    ¡°So they were Corrupters then, they did that to the guy on the boulder?¡± Jake asked, filing away the way she referred to this as ¡®hunting¡¯.


    ¡°Yes, but we can talk of this more once you¡¯ve rested. I promise to answer your questions as best I can.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Jake gave as best a nod as he could before letting himself slump to the ground as he fumbled for one of his potions. One had been broken during the fighting, but the other was intact, and Jake eagerly drank it down.


    The numbness had faded, bringing with it fresh awareness of his wounds, awareness that the potion muted once more, much to Jake¡¯s relief. The potion wasn¡¯t strong enough to restore his missing flesh, but it would help seal the exposed wounds, which would do for now.

 DN 35 - Secrets III

    ¡°Gods above, are you alright, Jake?¡± Alan hurried over, fumbling a potion from his belt and pushing it into Jake¡¯s hands.


    ¡°No, but I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Jake said, ignoring the tremble to his left hand as he downed the second potion.


    ¡°Both of the Corrupters are dead, so my work here is almost done. I will stay behind and bury the bodies. You two should head back to the town,¡± the woman said, approaching them with a familiar-looking pack in hand. It seemed even she went to Ivaldi for her supplies.


    ¡°You better not skip out on us,¡± Jake said as Alan helped him to his feet. ¡°You owe us answers now.¡±


    ¡°Have no fear. I will join you later today, and we can discuss these matters further. As a gesture of goodwill, let me introduce myself. My name is Nepthys.¡± She inclined her head slightly to them.


    ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s nice to meet you, but this whole situation kind of ruins it,¡± Jake said drily, the corner of Nepthys¡¯s mouth twitching up into a smile at his words.


    ¡°Indeed, I hope our next meeting will be less eventful,¡± Nepthys said, her smile growing for a moment before fading as she looked over to the body of the male Corrupter. ¡°Now, I must attend to my duties and ensure that any lingering¡­.energy¡­ is purged.¡±


    Jake sighed at the obvious censorship of what she¡¯d been about to say, but she¡¯d already agreed to answer questions later, so there wasn¡¯t much else he could do about it now.


    ¡°Right, come on, Alan, we¡¯ve got places to be,¡± Jake said, taking a moment to get his bearings before heading back the way they¡¯d come.


    ¡°Are you okay to be walking?¡± Alan asked as they made their way back through the woods yet again. Jake was already sick of traipsing through the undergrowth, and the throbbing pain from his arm wasn¡¯t helping.


    ¡°Yeah, my legs are fine,¡± Jake said, ignoring the look Alan gave him in response. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not like we¡¯ve got many options, okay?¡±


    ¡°I suppose not,¡± Alan said reluctantly, a slightly guilty expression on his face. ¡°I just feel bad that you went through all that, and I was safe off in the woods.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think of it that way,¡± Jake shook his head firmly, not wanting Alan to start blaming himself for any of Jake¡¯s injuries. It probably didn¡¯t help that his arm looked a mess, though at least the potions had stopped the bleeding now. ¡°You were doing the right thing by your Class. It¡¯s not your fault that we went headlong into a dangerous situation. That¡¯s on me.¡±


    Calling the Corrupters dangerous was somewhat of an understatement on Jake¡¯s part. Whatever energy it was that the Corrupters were using, it was incredibly caustic, and even the heavily reduced shot that had hit his chest was enough to leave him with a hole in his tunic and a wide swathe of blistered skin.


    Alan grunted, not quite convinced but unwilling to argue about it any further, leaving them to walk back to town at a slow but steady pace.


    Thankfully, they didn¡¯t come across any other travellers, and before too long, they were coming to the outskirts of the settlement.


    ¡°So, where do we go first?¡± Alan asked, looking at Jake with a concerned expression. ¡°We¡¯ve got to report this, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but to whom?¡± Jake¡¯s mind went to Ari or Felix first of all, but they were off dealing with whatever was going on elsewhere.


    ¡°Maybe we should ask the others,¡± Alan offered hesitantly before glancing down at Jake¡¯s chest. ¡°For that matter, I still have one potion, but maybe we should go to Ivaldi and see if he can give you some more?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Jake said, balancing the need to tell someone about what had happened with the steady pain that his injuries were inflicting. It didn¡¯t help that the pain from his injuries was making it difficult to focus.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe that¡¯s where we start,¡± Alan said, casting his eyes over Jake before nodding and starting towards Ivaldi¡¯s.


    Quite a few of the new arrivals were out and about in the town, and those that were close enough to see Jake and Alan paid little heed to his injuries. It was odd to think that he could walk by all these people and have no one really care about it, but he supposed that exposure to the grim realities of the Dungeon would make such things feel commonplace.


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    Following that thought took Jake to a strange place as he realised how many times he¡¯d seen Alan get ripped apart by monsters, yet his friend was whole and hale right in front of him. That sort of odd contrast would no doubt get worse the longer he did this, making Jake wonder how the older Classers managed.


    ¡°Jake, we¡¯re here,¡± Alan nudged him with a concerned expression, breaking Jake from his thoughts as he realised they were outside Ivaldi¡¯s.


    ¡°Sorry, lost in my head,¡± Jake said, shaking his head and banishing the odd thoughts as he followed Alan inside.


    Ivaldi¡¯s store was the same as ever, and the storekeeper¡¯s familiar rumble came from further within the building as they stepped inside. ¡°Jake Chant, be welcome in my domain.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ivaldi,¡± Jake said, realising as he spoke that Alan didn¡¯t know as much about Ivaldi as he did. He¡¯d have to be careful not to let any hints slip. ¡°I was hoping I could get a fresh pack from you or refresh this one if possible?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ivaldi said as he stepped into view, setting his usual chair down before eyeing Jake¡¯s wounds critically. ¡°I see you¡¯ve been making new and unusual friends.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it,¡± Jake said, his lips quirking into a smile despite himself as Ivaldi pulled out three potions and sat them on the table.


    ¡°Here, the potions to replenish your equipment and a gift from me to help with your wardrobe malfunction,¡± Ivaldi said with the barest hint of a smile as he pulled out a fresh tunic, laying it alongside the pair of potions for Jake.


    ¡°Thanks, Ivaldi, that¡¯s most appreciated,¡± Jake said, putting his pack and shield down before pulling off what little was left of his existing top. Picking up a potion, he poured some on his wounds before drinking the rest, repeating the actions with the second potion.


    The extra two potions were enough to deal with the worst of Jake¡¯s wounds. They didn¡¯t regrow all of the flesh that had been lost, but enough that Jake¡¯s arm looked more like normal. Everything was sealed as well, and the pain was gone, which was a blessing in itself.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks,¡± Alan echoed as he took his replacement potion and put it into the pouch at his side.


    ¡°My pleasure,¡± Ivaldi said, his dark eyes glittering as he took the empty vials back from them. ¡°Please remember I can¡¯t provide additional potions for free beyond the two you receive as part of your pack, but you can replenish that pack as needed.¡±


    ¡°Ah, in that case, can you replenish my pack, please?¡± Jake asked with a sly smile that widened as Ivaldi produced a further pair of potions for him.


    ¡°Now, is there anything else you require?¡± Ivaldi looked between the two of them, inclining his head when they both said they were fine. ¡°Very well, good luck on your future delves.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Ivaldi,¡± Jake said as he moved to leave. A small gesture from the large shopkeeper made him pause, though. ¡°Actually, you go on ahead, Alan. I¡¯ll catch up.¡±


    Jake pretended to fumble with his potions until Alan had left, leaving him alone with Ivaldi. Turning to the big man with a questioning expression, Jake waited for him to explain why he¡¯d asked him to stay behind.


    ¡°I won¡¯t keep you for long, just long enough to deliver a warning,¡± Ivaldi said after a moment of thought, any trace of a smile long gone. ¡°I can sense the lingering taint of Skryx on your wounds. I hope for your sake that you dealt with whatever was wielding it as swiftly as possible. Those who wield such power are your greatest threat. Unfortunately, I am limited in what I know of the world beyond these walls, and I¡¯m equally limited in what assistance I can offer.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you know about Corrupters?¡± Jake asked eagerly, subconsciously taking a step towards Ivaldi in his desire to know more. ¡°What can you tell me about them?¡±


    ¡°I know of them, yes, but I can tell you little, not until you dedicate yourself to your Patron when you reach your next tier,¡± Ivaldi said, stonewalling Jake once more. This time, though, he looked genuinely frustrated at his inability to tell Jake more.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Jake said reluctantly, noting the extra information that Ivaldi had given him and thinking of how he could use that to lever more answers from Nepthys.


    ¡°Good, be careful,¡± Ivaldi said, rising from his chair and stepping back out of sight.


    Taking the dismissal for what it was, Jake turned and followed after Alan, his mind awhirl with questions he desperately wanted answers to.


    ¡°Everything okay?¡± Alan asked as Jake joined him outside.


    ¡°Yeah, everything is fine,¡± Jake said, waving off Alan¡¯s concern. Ivaldi¡¯s words had made him really consider their next steps, especially if these Corrupters were a specific threat to him due to his situation. ¡°I¡¯ve had a few thoughts, though.¡±


    The last thing Jake wanted was to out himself or to somehow make himself easier for them to target. There was also the potential issue of telling people that two Classers were dead and that Nepthys had buried them out in the woods.


    After all, anyone they told would only have their word that things had gone down the way they said. Jake was in no particular rush to be blamed for anything.


    No, now that his mind was clearer, Jake was certain that going straight to the rest of their group, or whoever else they might choose, with what had happened was a mistake.


    ¡°A few thoughts?¡± Alan echoed questioningly.


    ¡°I think we should hold off on talking about this any further with other people until we¡¯ve had a chance to speak with Nepthys. She said she¡¯d come to the tavern to meet us, and I think we should wait until she does and give her the opportunity to explain what¡¯s happened.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not comfortable with hiding this from people or lying about what has happened,¡± Alan said, pitching his voice low and glancing around despite the fact that there was no one nearby.


    ¡°Just give me the time to find out what¡¯s going on so we can make an informed decision. That¡¯s all I ask,¡± Jake said, reaching out to rest a hand on Alan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Please, trust me on this.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep quiet for now, but if she doesn¡¯t show by this evening, I¡¯m telling people what¡¯s happened.¡± Alan sounded reluctant, but Jake didn¡¯t need him to be enthusiastic about it all. He just needed Alan to follow his lead.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me, so come on, let¡¯s head back and get a drink, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay, but you¡¯re buying,¡± Alan gave him the barest hint of a smile, making Jake relax a little.

 DN 36 - Secrets IV

    Nepthys arrived an hour or two later, neither Jake nor Alan spotting her until she sat at the table with them, killing their conversation.


    ¡°Thanks for coming,¡± Jake said, breaking the tense silence.


    ¡°I promised you answers, but I would ask that we converse further in a more private setting,¡± Nepthys had an odd accent, one that Jake didn¡¯t recognise, and Port Emerald had a lot of foreigners come through.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Jake murmured, giving himself a shake as he gathered his thoughts. This wasn¡¯t the time for his mind to be wandering. ¡°Let me go request one of the back rooms.¡±


    Leaving Nepthys with a concerned-looking Alan, Jake arranged for one of the back rooms as well as for a fresh round of drinks for the three of them. Worst case scenario, Nepthys didn¡¯t like coffee, and her mug went to either him or Alan.


    Fortunately, with all the additional people in the tavern, no one took particular note of the three of them slipping away.


    ¡°So,¡± Jake said as Alan shut the door behind them. ¡°Where should we start?¡±


    ¡°I should perhaps explain what you encountered today,¡± Nepthys said as she took an exploratory sip of the coffee Jake had given her. ¡°I will say that this is not common knowledge and is restricted from non-Classers for both their safety and ours. Are you sure you wish to know more?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jake didn¡¯t hesitate before giving his answer, though the same couldn¡¯t be said for Alan. Eventually, though, the Scholar nodded for her to continue.


    ¡°Very well. The two we fought today were Corrupters; they are non-Classers who have made a pact with dark entities to gain power. The power they wield is the antithesis of the System and Classers in general. We keep this a secret to limit the number of people who seek out this power and to limit the number of innocents who misunderstand what they are getting into.¡±


    ¡°They were non-Classers, incredible,¡± Alan murmured thoughtfully, a sentiment Jake could agree with. The blasts of power the two Corrupters had been throwing around were no joke, that was for sure.


    ¡°Exactly, many would see such power and ignore the obvious costs and downsides in favour of an alternative to Ascending.¡±


    ¡°So what was their plan today, then? What happened to that guy on the boulder?¡± Jake asked, trying to understand what they¡¯d stumbled into.


    ¡°Corrupters gain power through several methods, but one of the more direct methods is to sacrifice Classers in a ritualistic manner that involves extracting their organs. You can understand why we keep this from lower-tier Classers as a general rule.¡±


    ¡°Gods,¡± Alan looked pale but was hanging in there.


    ¡°That¡¯s horrid, and I can see why you keep this from being common knowledge. The idea of people hunting Classers is an uncomfortable one.¡±


    ¡°Just so,¡± Nepthys said with a nod, seemingly pleased that Jake was following the reasoning behind her actions. ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to discuss?¡±


    ¡°Actually, yes, there is,¡± Jake tapped a finger on the table before gesturing to her. ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned ¡®we¡¯ a few times. Are you part of a larger group? When the Corrupter saw us, he called us Inquisitors, whatever they are?¡±


    ¡°That is the name given to the Class chain I am on. He must have assumed you were with me,¡± Nepthys said, somewhat reluctant to talk but eventually continuing. ¡°We are a widespread group dedicated to rooting out and destroying any trace of Corrupters and the magics they use. Our Patron grants us abilities towards this end, but the current policy of the Triarchy means that most of us are kept out of Strovia and the Triarchy heartlands.¡±


    ¡°A brave stance to outright say that you have a Patron,¡± Jake said, leaning back in his chair thoughtfully.


    ¡°I will likely be leaving after our conversation, so it matters not,¡± Nepthys said, shrugging slightly.


    ¡°Well, hang on, I¡¯m not exactly going to be spreading this around, and I¡¯m sure Alan won¡¯t either, right?¡± Jake gave Alan an expectant look, prepared to argue with him if needed, but Alan was quick to agree.


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    ¡°I¡¯m no lover of the Triarchy or their rules. Your secret is safe with me,¡± Alan said, hesitating before getting to his feet. ¡°Thank you for explaining the situation. I¡¯m glad we acted to assist you, but I¡¯m sure that Jake has more questions, and frankly, I don¡¯t want to know more at this point. We¡¯re only tier one, and this is beyond what we should be dealing with.¡±


    Jake felt a little disappointed that Alan was leaving things there, but at the same time, it gave him a chance to press for more information. ¡°I do have a few more, but I¡¯ll come and find you when I¡¯m done, alright?¡±


    ¡°Alright, just be careful,¡± Alan said, taking his coffee with him as he slipped out of the room, leaving just Jake and Nepthys.


    ¡°What other questions did you have?¡± Nepthys asked, cocking her head slightly to one side.


    ¡°What is Skryx?¡± Jake went straight to the term that Ivaldi had used, hoping it was an important one.


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t know what Corrupters were, how could you have heard of Skryx?¡± Nepthys¡¯s eyes narrowed as she frowned at him. ¡°I dislike being treated like a fool. I think we¡¯re done here.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, I can explain,¡± Jake said hurriedly, motioning for her to stop before she could do more than get to her feet. ¡°I heard it in context to something else and assumed it was related. I can¡¯t explain more, but I promise that I¡¯m not playing you or trying to mislead you.¡±


    ¡°I find myself believing you, which is odd as it¡¯s such a stupid explanation. No one would casually use that term when talking with an average tier one Classer.¡± Nepthys regarded Jake curiously as she sat down once more. ¡°Unless you aren¡¯t, of course.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean,¡± Jake said, his mouth dry as she fixed him with a piercing gaze. He hadn¡¯t been expecting her to turn things around like this. It had caught him off guard.


    ¡°Let me fully introduce myself. My name is Nepthys Sek. I am a tier one Inquisitor Aspirant. My Patron Deity is The Watcher, and I serve them in maintaining the balance by hunting down Corrupters.¡± Nepthys leaned forward, her eyes gleaming as her gaze pinned Jake in place. ¡°Just who are you?¡±


    Jake was caught by indecision for several seconds as he tried to think of an angle that would work here before he eventually decided the best option was the truth.


    Nepthys was clearly far more informed than Jake, and though he hadn¡¯t heard of her Patron, he knew it wasn¡¯t part of the Triarchy.


    ¡°I¡¯ve not revealed my Class to anyone, but I¡¯m willing to do so on the understanding that you explain as much as you can.¡± Jake¡¯s heart was pounding, and he could feel himself sweating as adrenaline surged through him. It was such a small agreement, such a minor piece of information, but if he¡¯d misread Nepthys, it could get him killed.


    ¡°Agreed, and I swear by The Watcher to keep your Class a secret if doing so poses no threat of injury or damage to myself or those I associate with.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jake could already see a few ways to get around such an oath, but he hadn¡¯t asked for it, so he appreciated the intent behind it. ¡°Alright. My true name is Jake Khesh, and I am a tier one Dungeon Noble Squire. My Patron Deity is The Great Dungeon, but I have no idea what any of that means. I¡¯m feeling my way through this as best I can, but I feel like there¡¯s a lot going on that I don¡¯t know about.¡±


    ¡°A Dungeon Noble?¡± Nepthys¡¯s eyes were wide as she stared at him with a shocked expression. ¡°My father said that the Strovian family had been killed alongside the local Inquisitors. How many of you are left? How many Inquisitors are there?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was dropped off at an orphanage as a child, and I didn¡¯t know anything about any of this until I Ascended and got my Class.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that can¡¯t have been easy,¡± Nepthys said sympathetically, her piercing gaze replaced with one that was much softer.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t so bad until all this started. My Class directly referencing it has been driving home how little I know, though.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine, especially not if your Class is as¡­.unusual as my own.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have two Patron gifts, but the weird one is my Personal Plexus Skill. It allows me to ¡®bind¡¯ Dungeons, but I still don¡¯t know what that means.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s¡­.¡± Nepthys started to say before stopping mid-sentence. ¡°Of course, you¡¯ve had no one to explain these things to you. I think it¡¯s best that I start at the beginning. What do you know of The Great Dungeon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deity, that¡¯s pretty much it, oh, and that it¡¯s related to Dungeons somehow, but the name sort of gave that away,¡± Jake said with a crooked smile that made Nepthys chuckle.


    ¡°Well, obviously, I don¡¯t know everything either. I only Ascended last year, so I¡¯m still learning things. Beyond that, we don¡¯t understand everything about how things work. That¡¯s the domain of the gods. What we do know, however, is that The Watcher and The Great Dungeon are part of the same pantheon.¡±


    ¡°That means they¡¯re allies, right?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, they¡¯re allied and work together for common causes. That means we traditionally view Dungeon Nobles as our comrades, and Inquisitors are often found as part of their group. Corrupters will target you if they know what you are, and people like me are your best defence against that.¡±


    ¡°Why, though, what¡¯s even the point?¡±


    ¡°Because Dungeon Nobles are an integral part of how Dungeons work. Without you, they can¡¯t tier up, and lower-tier Dungeons are vulnerable to attack from Corrupters. There aren¡¯t many of you left, but you¡¯re an important part of the System.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so the Corrupters attack Dungeons as well?¡± Jake asked with a frown, baffled why anyone would want to destroy the Dungeons.


    ¡°Yes, some of them may not know it, but they serve the Shrouded,¡± Nepthys said gravely, her words sending a chill down Jake¡¯s spine.

 DN 37 - Revelation

    The Shrouded were a story told to naughty children. Stories of monsters living in the deepest shadows and beyond the sight of living things, always plotting how to steal the sun.


    ¡°The Shrouded are real?¡± Jake asked in a shaky voice. Stories of the Shrouded weren¡¯t that scary, but that was because you knew they weren¡¯t real.


    ¡°Yes, and the Corrupters try to bring them and their servants through via rips in reality that we call Rifts. There¡¯s one not far from here now that is being closed, but I went hunting the Corrupters that opened it rather than stay to fight it.¡±


    ¡°Wait, is that where all the higher tier Classers are?¡± Jake asked, sitting back in his chair as she nodded. It was all coming together now. ¡°So those Corrupters we killed were the ones who opened the Rift?¡±


    ¡°Some of them, yes,¡± Nepthys said with a nod. ¡°Any involved likely gained a boost in strength, so for them to only be as strong as they were, I think there were more present. They likely split up to avoid people like me.¡±


    ¡°This is so much to take in,¡± Jake rubbed his temples, trying to think if there was anything he hadn¡¯t asked about yet. ¡°Wait, so what is Skryx then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the name for the energy used by the Shrouded and their minions. It¡¯s also what the Corrupters use.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right, I probably could have figured that one out, really,¡± Jake said, remembering how Ivaldi had said it was lingering in his wounds. ¡°This will feel like a bit of a tangent, but how does Ivaldi fit into all this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. He¡¯s linked to our Patrons somehow. The fact that he¡¯s at every Dungeon gives that away, but if anyone knows more than that, they¡¯ve not shared it with me.¡±


    ¡°Okay, last question,¡± Jake said, making Nepthys smile slightly. ¡°Do you have to pay double for your ranks as well? Is that a thing for anyone with a Patron?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a complicated one,¡± Nepthys said, taking a moment to order her thoughts before continuing. ¡°In short, no, I don¡¯t have the higher cost I¡¯ve heard you have to pay. Patrons can bless specific bloodlines, which is why our Classes are bloodline-derived, and we start with specific Skills. The cost of doing so varies, and most gods tend not to, from what I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t pay double, but you still have some sort of cost?¡±


    ¡°Yes, those in the service of The Watcher are unable to gain active Skills. Instead, we gain Favour by acting in their service, and we use that to gain Sigils, which are similar to Skills in a way.¡±


    ¡°Like that shield, the one you used in the fight?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, it is known as Guardian¡¯s Shield. Our Sigils are shown here,¡± Nepyhys leaned in and turned her head slightly as she pointed to the corner of her eye.


    Peering at what he initially thought was a mole of some sort, Jake could actually see a small shield that had seemingly been tattooed there. It was incredibly intricate for how small it was and had a deep blue colour to it.


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s pretty amazing. Are you limited in how many you can have?¡± Jake asked before abruptly realising how close they were and quickly sitting back in his chair.


    ¡°One per tier, I believe, so while we are limited at first, we gain strength later. Such is the way of gifts like these. You will see when you start to earn your own.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully,¡± Jake said, sighing a little as he considered his own lacklustre abilities. Perhaps once he bound the Dungeon, he would start to see the full depth of his Class, but for now, it was frustrating, to say the least. ¡°So, what now?¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I intended to move on and continue my hunt elsewhere, but your presence complicates matters. How close are you to binding the Dungeon? What rank are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m rank three, and we¡¯re reasonably close. We¡¯re down to the final fight, but the enhanced murk hounds are a problem. We should be able to take them soon, though. We¡¯re getting steadily better.¡±


    ¡°I see. What sort of a group do you have?¡± Nepthys asked, tapping a finger against her lips in thought as she glanced at the closed door. ¡°I assume your companion Alan is part of it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he is,¡± Jake said before launching into a general assessment of their group and what general capabilities they had.


    ¡°I see, so both Alan and Rhew fight from afar, while both yourself and Karl are mainly defensive fighters?¡± Nepthys asked with a raised brow, one hand idly pulling at her braid.


    ¡°Yeah, I want to be a bit more mobile, but if I move too far from them, they¡¯re open to getting flanked or the like,¡± Jake said with a sigh that he couldn¡¯t quite hold back. It wasn¡¯t Alan¡¯s fault, but Jake did feel tied to him while they were in the Dungeon.


    ¡°I believe I can do much to assist here, and we are the same tier, so that should prove no issue for you binding the Dungeon. If you¡¯re willing, I will temporarily join your group and help protect you. If those Corrupters are in the area, they will seek you out if the Dungeon tiers up.¡±


    ¡°Ivaldi said it was ready to tier up. I just need to bind it, apparently.¡±


    ¡°Then this is even more relevant, but I won¡¯t force my presence on you if you¡¯d prefer to keep things as they are?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I have to run it by the group, but I think having you join would be great. This whole thing would be much easier for sure.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. I¡¯m going to go look at getting some lunch in the meantime and see about renting a room here as well, for that matter. Let me know what you decide,¡± Nepthys said, rising gracefully to her feet and heading out of the room.


    -**-


    It didn¡¯t take Jake too long to find the others after his conversation with Nepthys, and while Alan and Karl were onboard with her joining their group, Rhew was more problematic.


    ¡°The way I see it,¡± she said, folding her arms and lifting her chin with a defiant look. ¡°This is our opportunity to prove that we can run a Dungeon and manage on our own. If we bring in outside help like this woman, then we¡¯re not proving that at all.¡±


    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, but we¡¯ll still be getting stronger from having her on the team. We¡¯ll be ranking up and earning more money, after all,¡± Jake said, trying to appeal to Rhew¡¯s avaricious nature.


    ¡°Yes, but what if she leaves afterwards and Ari goes as well?¡± Rhew looked somewhat swayed for a moment but ultimately shook her head. ¡°No, we¡¯d risk being stuck, unable to finish the Dungeon. What are we meant to do then?¡±


    ¡°So, ultimately, it¡¯s the question of whether she¡¯ll stay past this Dungeon? Is it the long-term aspect you worry over?¡± Jake asked carefully, wanting to isolate exactly what Rhew was worried about.


    ¡°Well, yes, I suppose,¡± Rhew said after a moment. ¡°It¡¯s also about proving ourselves, but yes, it¡¯s the long-term part that worries me.¡±


    ¡°So if I get her to agree to stay with us for at least the next few Dungeons, would that settle it?¡± Jake asked, hurrying to keep going when he saw that she wasn¡¯t fully onboard. ¡°Just imagine how much more we¡¯ll make with the second chest from each run.¡±


    ¡°Yes, more Wyrdgeld that we also have to split five ways, not four,¡± Rhew retorted, making Jake realise just what was really bothering her.


    ¡°True, but with no rebirth sickness, we can run the Dungeon more and maybe even head somewhere with a tier two Dungeon we can start working on. A higher tier means more money from the number of monsters alone, never mind the additional chests!¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll go along with it,¡± Rhew said, throwing her hands in the air. ¡°She better be good, though, and she better stay for more than this Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure of it,¡± Jake said, trying to suppress his grin at Rhew folding. The lure of the next tier seemed to have been enough to get past her reluctance.


    -**-


    Jake arranged everything as best he could, and everyone agreed to spend the rest of the day relaxing.


    Well, everyone but Nepthys.


    Jake¡¯s new ally said she¡¯d be patrolling the area to keep watch for more Corrupters but that she¡¯d meet them at the agreed time outside the inn for a morning run.


    The idea that there were more Corrupters out there trying to get to the Dungeon sent a cold sweat down Jake¡¯s spine. There was still too much that he didn¡¯t fully understand about them, and their powers were terrifying.


    There was something viscerally unsettling about the magic they wielded, that was for sure. Still, he trusted that Nepthys would hunt down any she found. She certainly seemed dedicated enough.


    With so many pressures on them, resting was difficult for Jake, and he was tempted to keep training. In the end, however, Jake knew he needed a break from the Dungeon just as much as the rest of them.

 DN 38 - Outside Help

    Jake rose early the next day through sheer muscle memory. He was down the stairs and heading out the door before he was even fully awake.


    Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t the only one to fall into the routine, and Karl joined him only a minute or two later.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re making me do this when Felix isn¡¯t ever here,¡± Karl grumbled as he walked over to Jake, the two of them continuing on together to the usual meeting spot.


    ¡°Do you really think he¡¯d take that as a good excuse not to train?¡± Jake asked, hiding his smile at Karl¡¯s downcast expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m definitely not going to be pushing as hard today. We won¡¯t recover as fast as we do when Felix is here, after all.¡±


    ¡°True enough,¡± Karl nodded before cocking his head to one side in confusion as they came around the corner. ¡°Alan?¡±


    ¡°In the flesh,¡± the Scholar said with a grin that only looked a little forced. ¡°I said to Jake that I¡¯d start joining you.¡±


    Surprisingly, Nepthys was also waiting with Alan at the usual meeting spot, though she looked far less nervous than he did. Perhaps that was down to the fact that she was still armed, though.


    ¡°Huh, well, I think that¡¯s a great idea, really,¡± Karl said with a shrug before turning to Nepthys. ¡°You must be Nepthys. I¡¯m Karl. Good to meet you.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure. Jake has told me much about you already,¡± Nepthys said, her accent giving Karl pause for a moment before they shook hands.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that accent. Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°My family has moved around quite a bit. We call many places home these days,¡± Nepthys said somewhat evasively.


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s get into the stretches then, shall we?¡± Jake cut in before things could get more awkward, moving into the first of the stretches that Ari had shown them.


    Jake fully intended to tell Karl the full story at some point, but now was most definitely not the time.


    Karl took the time to show Alan what they were doing and helped him with his stretches. It had just been the two of them for a while, and Karl seemed excited that the Scholar would be joining them for the run.


    The four of them set off at an easy pace, though Jake noticed that Nepthys was clearly higher ranked than them, but not to the degree that he¡¯d think she was in the next tier.


    Karl and Jake had both improved considerably since Ascending, but it was humbling to see how much further they had to go. Not that it was a fair comparison, considering that Nepthys had been doing this a lot longer, but life wasn¡¯t fair.


    Looking over at Alan, Jake could tell that the Scholar was struggling a little, despite their slower pace, and looked exhausted already.


    ¡°How¡¯re you feeling?¡± Jake asked Alan softly, dropping back a little to let Karl and Nepthys take the lead.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just didn¡¯t sleep well. I kept playing the things we saw over and over in my head. Those poor people, Jake, they could have easily been us,¡± Alan said, looking over at Jake with wide eyes.


    ¡°But they weren¡¯t,¡± Jake said firmly, reaching out to nudge Alan and make sure he had his full attention. ¡°We couldn¡¯t save them, but we stopped those two from doing anything else, which is almost as good.¡±


    Alan nodded, but the silence stretched out between them for a minute or two, only broken by their breathing and the steady rhythm of their jog.


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    ¡°I hesitated, you know,¡± Alan said finally, his gaze firmly on the ground in front of them. ¡°I had a shot when she first attacked you. I could have stopped her. You might have been able to get close enough without her blasting through your shield. I just couldn¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°You did, though,¡± Jake said, remembering how an arrow had diverted the Corrupter, letting Jake focus on closing the distance.


    ¡°Only because I thought she¡¯d got you with that shot, the anger pulled me through,¡± Alan said, shaking his head before looking up at Jake once more with a guilty expression. ¡°I almost got you killed.¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t,¡± Jake said, pulling Alan to a stop and gripping his shoulder. ¡°Most people would hesitate in that situation. What matters is that you got through it and helped me.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hesitate, though. I saw you charge straight in at them.¡±


    ¡°Well, the stakes and the reasons were different, but it¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve dealt with something like that,¡± Jake said, memories of a dark alley and a bloodied knife coming back to him for a moment.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m just trying to get my head around everything,¡± Alan sighed, rubbing his face with one hand. ¡°They were still people, you know. I¡¯m trying to pretend it¡¯s the same as the Dungeon, but it¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Jake said, one hand rubbing an old scar along his left arm. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Hey, come on,¡± Karl called out from the top of the next hill, waving impatiently for them to catch up.


    ¡°Look, just take things a day at a time for now,¡± Jake said as they set off once more. ¡°We can talk things through if you need to, alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks, Jake,¡± Alan said, the ghost of a smile touching his face for a moment before they turned their focus back to their run.


    -**-


    They took some time to cool down and get some food after the run before stopping off at Ivaldi¡¯s to deposit their Wyrdged. It felt strange, and the ten percent fee hurt to pay, but if this all went wrong, it was worth it to have money to come back to.


    ¡°Are you not going to deposit your Wyrdgeld?¡± Jake asked after he noticed that Nepthys wasn¡¯t going to head inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m confident enough in my own abilities for a tier one Dungeon, especially being part of a supporting group,¡± Nepthys said with a laconic shrug, her hands resting on the hilts of her blades.


    ¡°A confidence I wish I shared,¡± Jake said with a grim laugh. ¡°This is one of the weakest Dungeons we¡¯ll ever face, and we can¡¯t even beat it without help.¡±


    ¡°A feeling that all delvers get at some point or another. The trick is to remember that you¡¯ll gain in strength too,¡± Nepthys said, giving Jake a meaningful look. ¡°Even if you fall in the fight today, we will simply finish it tomorrow. One way or another, we will complete this Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°This is it then,¡± Jake said, mostly to himself, as he looked over at the Dungeon.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too late. While we will most definitely win, we can wait for your mentors to return,¡± Nepthys said softly, leaning in to keep their words private.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t know how long I have until the Triarchy notices me or even how long until some Corrupters find me. No, I have to start pushing hard if I want to get to tier two and get a normal Class.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you want, to cast this aside?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jake said flatly, giving Nepthys a hard look. ¡°Right now, I have all the downsides and none of the benefits. People want to kill me for a Class I know nothing about. If I could trade it for a standard fighters Class, I would.¡±


    ¡°Even knowing what we discussed earlier?¡±


    Jake sighed and rubbed his face as he considered her words. ¡°It¡¯s hard for me to really take all that into consideration. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m making a difference or helping anyone anyway.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Nepthys said with a slow nod. ¡°All I ask then is that you keep an open mind as you progress towards your next tier.¡±


    ¡°I can do that much,¡± Jake said, pleased that she wasn¡¯t trying to force him to commit to the Class. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go find the others.¡±


    -**-


    Despite Rhew¡¯s reservations, they gathered outside the Dungeon, ready for their first delve without the watchful presence of Ari.


    It felt odd not to have the older Classer watching over them, but Jake could feel that they were ready to win this now. The murk hounds had been the final obstacle, but the Enhanced creatures were less problematic than they had once been, and Nepthys brought a lot of power and versatility to the team.


    Lighting their torches, they entered the first floor of the Dungeon, the close-in tunnels a familiar experience by this point for most of them.


    ¡°This is somewhat unfortunate,¡± Nepthys said as they moved through the first floor, dispatching the rats that attacked them with practised ease. ¡°My preferred fighting style is best with more room to work with. I¡¯ll stick to a single blade for now. Does it get any wider?¡±


    ¡°In places, mainly where the wasps or the final fights are,¡± Jake said as he flicked the blood from his sword and drew the Wyrdgeld from the rat he¡¯d killed.


    ¡°Very well, please don¡¯t judge my skills too harshly in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t,¡± Jake promised, shooting Rhew a warning look before she could do more than roll her eyes.

 DN 39 - Victory?

    The rest of the first floor swept by as they set what was easily a new record in completion time. Having an extra person just made everything easier, even more so when she was competent and quick to react.


    The second and third floors went much the same, with the krok flies being particularly vulnerable to Nepthys, their ungainly flight no match for her fast movements.


    By the time they had finished the fourth floor with no injuries, Jake could see that the group had accepted Nepthys, which was a relief. So far, they could have replicated this level of success without her, albeit not at this pace, but he hoped the Challenge was where she would demonstrate her true value to them.


    Jake had considered skipping the Challenge, but they¡¯d done it enough now that it wasn¡¯t the danger it had once been. There were still a lot of monsters attacking them, but a lot of it was quite static, so they were able to anticipate where and when they would arrive.


    Jake and Karl took up their usual spot at the top of the ramp, where their shields would be the most useful, while Alan and Rhew took up their own positions on either side.


    The initial attack of murk rats and krok flies was familiar enough by now that Jake was fairly sure that Alan shot the first one before it was even in sight.


    Under normal circumstances, Alan would pull back from the wall, shooting down the final few krok flies as he did, letting Rhew focus on the rats.


    This time, however, Alan switched focus to the rats as soon as the remaining handful of krok flies reached them, letting Nepthys slice them from the air one by one.


    The single attacker that did manage to get close to Alan slammed into the shield she could conjure, her blade bisecting it a heartbeat later.


    As expected, the early success carried over, causing fewer rats to reach them and allowing Jake and Karl to pull back in an orderly manner when the murk hound arrived.


    The wolf-sized rat bounded its way up the ramp, being peppered with arrows and Wyrd-conjured ice as it went. The thick hide and iron-like fur that the creature was named for prevented too much damage from being done, but it was bleeding freely from one side by the time it reached the top.


    Clearing the top of the ramp with a powerful jump, the murk hound skidded across the floor as it dodged the steady assault of arrows and ice.


    As always, the creature circled for openings first rather than committing to an outright attack, but when it did, it moved fast and went directly for Nepthys.


    While their newest companion lacked a physical shield, she was by no means defenceless, and the giant rat slammed into a pale grey barrier of Wyrd that Nepthys conjured with a quick motion of one hand.


    The shield was barely large enough to cover her torso, and it shattered under the weight of the Enhanced beast¡¯s attack, but the impact stunned the rat for a brief moment, which was all she needed.


    With unerring precision, Nepthys¡¯s two blades sought out the creature¡¯s eyes, blinding it without having to penetrate its tough hide or resilient fur.


    To Jake¡¯s surprise, Nepthys didn¡¯t press her attack, instead calmly taking several steps back and nodding to Karl, who came in with an empowered strike of his hammer that crushed the creature¡¯s skull.


    The Enhanced beast slumped to the floor and was eagerly looted by Karl, who beamed with happiness at their quick victory.


    At most, Karl and Jake had a few small scratches between them, which was nothing compared to what they sometimes took to bring down one of the Enhanced beasts.


    Even Rhew was grudgingly impressed by Nepthys¡¯s performance, and the utility of her shield Skill wasn¡¯t lost on any of them.


    Confident in their success, they finished drawing the remaining Wyrdgeld from the fallen beasts and collected their reward from the chest.


    ¡°Everyone ready? Any last-minute questions?¡± Jake asked as they gathered outside the door to the Guardian floor. His heart was pounding, and his palms were sweaty, but he wasn¡¯t sure if it was apprehension or anticipation.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s do this,¡± Karl said, hefting his hammer and grinning broadly at them.


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    Jake waited for a moment in case the others had anything else to add, but it seemed they were as ready as they were going to be. ¡°Alright then, on we go.¡±


    The familiar open cavern of the final fight was as intimidating as ever, but Jake pushed past his memories of the deaths he¡¯d suffered here and started along the outside of the area.


    They¡¯d experimented with a few methods of drawing out the murk hounds, and nothing worked quite so well as following the exterior of the room and forcing the hounds to come to them.


    Karl took the front, then Rhew, Nepthys, Alan and Jake at the rear. This way, Nepthys was perfectly positioned to help either of them in case of a sudden attack.


    It didn¡¯t feel great to have to rely on Nepthys for victory here, but she was at the peak of the first tier, and that didn¡¯t even touch the extra year of experience she had.


    Moving carefully along the wall, they watched the darkness warily, past experience telling them that the two murk hounds were there, just out of view, stalking them.


    The moment they were waiting for came swiftly, one of the murk hounds charging out of the darkness to leap at Jake, trying to get an easy hit in.


    Wary of just such an attack, Jake was able to quickly turn and get his shield into position to block the creature. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have to take the full hit himself as a flat plane of Wyrd shimmered into existence in front of him, taking the hit for him before shattering.


    The full charge had given the murk hound just enough force to carry over through Nepthys¡¯s shield but not enough to make contact with Jake, leaving it out of position and open to attack.


    Cutting at the creature¡¯s face, Jake did his best to stay out of the reach of its sharp claws while still keeping it focused on him.


    Rhew and Alan peppered the creature with attacks, though Rhew¡¯s ice was far more effective than Alan¡¯s arrows at digging into the creature¡¯s thick hide.


    A heavy hit on Jake¡¯s shield knocked him back for a moment, but he was just able to get out of its way before it could latch on, leaving a cut across its face in the process.


    A shouted exclamation from behind Jake told him that Karl was already engaging with the other rat, but Jake had no focus to spare as he desperately tried to keep one step ahead of the creature.


    The murk hound was unrelenting in its attempt to close in and attack him, which in turn made Jake¡¯s movements erratic and stopped Alan and Rhew from getting clear shots at it.


    A squeal of pain came from off to Jake¡¯s right, and he risked a glance to see that Karl had finished off the second hound with Nepthys¡¯s help.


    The rat Jake was fighting darted forward, punishing him for his lapse in concentration as it bore him to the ground, claws digging into the wood of his shield as it bit down, ripping the only protection he had apart.


    A concentrated clump of icicles slammed into the side of the creature¡¯s jaws as it bit down at Jake¡¯s head, knocking its aim off so that it bit deep into his shoulder instead.


    Jake cried out in pain as he tried his best to stab the creature, but between how it was biting down on his shoulder and the weight of it pressed against him, he just didn¡¯t have the leverage.


    An abrupt increase of pressure from the hound drove its teeth down further into Jake¡¯s flesh, and the creature itself went lax, slumping down on him and stifling his already laboured breathing.


    ¡°Quick, get it off him,¡± Alan said, his voice sounding distant to Jake as he struggled with the creature.


    What Jake could see told him that Karl had caved in the back of the hound¡¯s head, killing it, but in the worst way possible for Jake.


    ¡°The bugs are coming. I¡¯ll go help Nepthys!¡± Rhew called out, leaving Karl and Alan to lever the hound off Jake. As soon as it was off Jake, Alan grabbed his bow and hurried off to help the others, leaving Karl to help him.


    ¡°Fuck me, that was heavy,¡± Karl muttered as he pulled out a potion and liberally poured it over Jake¡¯s arm. ¡°You okay, Jake?¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Jake groaned, partially in relief as the potion reduced the pain.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Karl called out to the others before looking over to see how they were doing and shrugging. ¡°Well, the bugs are in hand. Rhew¡¯s going a bit crazy now that she doesn¡¯t need to conserve anything.¡±


    Karl helped Jake to his feet, the latter being careful not to do much with his arm. All the fighting and all the injuries he¡¯d taken in the last few weeks meant that he was coping with the wound a lot better than he once would have done.


    The wound wasn¡¯t Jake¡¯s concern now, though. His pain-addled mind had just caught up with what Karl had said.


    Grabbing his sword from where it had been knocked out of his hand as the murk hound was rolled off him, Jake cast his eyes across the sparsely illuminated battlefield and watched as Rhew slaughtered the remaining krok flies.


    There was a moment of silence as the final monster died, and they processed the fact that they¡¯d finally done it.


    They¡¯d completed the final floor of the Dungeon.


    The last few potions were handed out to bring everyone back to fighting condition, just in case, but Nepthys reassured them that the Dungeon was complete.


    Gathering at the far side of the cavern, Jake watched eagerly as Karl opened the chest, waiting for them.


    ¡°Huh, not what I was expecting, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Karl said as he pulled out a pair of the Wyrd-infused wooden branches they sometimes received.


    ¡°Damn, don¡¯t knock it. That¡¯s another forty Wyrdgeld to split,¡± Rhew said, her face lighting up as she saw their reward. ¡°That¡¯s thirty-two each split five ways.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wave my split for this delve and the next,¡± Nepthys said with an absent wave of one hand. ¡°Consider it my thanks for letting me join the group.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Rhew said with a bright smile. ¡°That¡¯s forty each, then.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the inn before we start splitting the loot,¡± Jake said, nodding to the door out, which was bracketed by two flaming torches.


    A nervous energy grew in Jake as he watched the rest of the group hurry out of the Dungeon.


    This was going to be the moment where it would all change, and that was terrifying.


    Taking a deep breath, Jake walked hurriedly into the unknown.

 DN 40 - Plexus

    Darkness overtook Jake for a brief moment; it was a similar sensation as he felt when moving through the Dungeon¡¯s doors, but it felt deeper somehow.


    Stepping out from the darkness, Jake found himself walking into a brightly lit chamber. The air was thick with power, to the point that Jake found it stifling.


    Brightly burning torches sat at each corner of the room, illuminating four empty pedestals in the centre and a throne at the far end.


    Congratulations, Jake Khesh, on completing your first Dungeon. Proceed to the Throne to claim this Dungeon for your Plexus.


    Jake¡¯s eyes went wide as he felt the System speak to him, and he found himself walking to the Throne in an almost fugue state.


    Up close, Jake could see that the Throne was formed of the same metal as Wyrdgeld, giving it a reddish-brown sheen as it glinted in the light.


    Sitting down on the metal Throne, Jake felt it shift and mould itself to his frame, curving around him in an almost possessive manner.


    Congratulations, Jake Khesh, you have bound the Dungeon Horlswar Murk. Choose from one of the four rewards the Dungeon has selected for you.


    As if prompted by the System¡¯s words, the four pedestals began to glow softly as an image appeared above each of them.


    Something told Jake that the binding process wasn¡¯t over, though, and he stayed where he was as the air seemed to thicken in the room.


    The Throne seemed to press in on Jake as it continued to mould to his form, with the barest touch of something other than the system brushing across his mind at the same time.


    The touch was so faint and gone so quickly that Jake questioned if he¡¯d felt anything at all.


    Before Jake could do anything else, he felt a wave of power rush into him from the Dungeon. The power flowed straight into Jake¡¯s soul and vanished without a trace.


    It almost felt like something rippled back out of Jake and into the Dungeon, but if so, it was too subtle for Jake to get a good sense of.


    Attention. Holrswar Murk, one of your bound Dungeons, is increasing its tier.


    Distantly, some part of Jake became aware that the Dungeon would be closing to complete its changes as soon as they left.


    Rising from the Throne, Jake took a moment to steady himself before moving closer to the pedestals and his reward.


    The first image was of a rat of some kind, though it looked sleeker and more dangerous than the ones he¡¯d seen within the Dungeon. Examining it closer, Jake felt something whisper the knowledge into his mind that this would be a creature he could conjure.


    The second was a sword that was dripping with green poisonous liquid. The whisper in the back of his mind told him this was a temporary enhancement he could apply to any weapon he was holding.


    The third image was of a long dagger with a slightly hooked blade that looked designed to do as much damage as possible. A line of liquid green ran through the fuller of the blade, though nowhere near as much as the sword.


    The whispers told Jake that he could use the dagger repeatedly for a single use of manifestation, not that he quite understood what that meant, but it was the weakest of the effects in a raw contest.


    Jake had chosen his sword to get away from his history with daggers, to try and start afresh in this new life. Despite that, the third one called to him in a way that neither of the others did.


    The fourth image was of a globe of grey Wyrd, the whispers telling Jake that he could choose raw Plexus power rather than a boon. While that was interesting, he needed something more tangible right now.


    Reaching out to grasp the third image, Jake felt the touch of steel against his skin for an instant before the energy in the pedestals was drawn into him.


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    Gasping at the sensation, Jake shivered and looked down at his empty hands with wonder. It was almost as though the dagger was right there, and all he had to do was reach out to grasp it.


    Doing just that, Jake felt a grin spread across his face as the long dagger shimmered into existence firmly in his grip. There was a sense of something being used up within him as he used the power, and he could sense the well of energy within the dagger.


    Time and experimentation would tell Jake exactly what he had, but for now, he dismissed it and triggered his status.


    Name - Jake Khesh


    Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon


    Class - Dungeon Noble - Squire


    Tier - I


    Rank - III


    Dungeon Network - 1


    Plexus Strength - Minor


    Plexus Manifestations - 0/1


    Plexus Points - 2


    Traits


    Physical - Lesser Noble Constitution (I) - Rare- Descended from a Noble bloodline, you have a minor enhancement to physical characteristics.


    Skills


    Passive - Personal Plexus (I) - Very Rare - You gain the ability to bind Dungeons and form your own Plexus that may contain Dungeons of minor strength. Currently, Dungeons up to Tier I can be bound. Doubles the Wyrdgeld cost of advancing in Class Rank.


    Patron Gifts


    Passive - Agent of the Great Dungeon (I) - Very Rare - You are bound to the Great Dungeon by blood. Other followers of the Great Dungeon will recognise you and aid you as they may.


    Passive - Sense Dungeon (I) - Rare - As an agent of the Great Dungeon, you are able to passively sense the location of nearby Dungeons in a meagre range.


    Plexus Boons


    Hidden Fang - I - Granted by the Holrswar Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a dagger with inherent poisonous properties. Using the dagger, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Deed requirement to increase Tier


    1 - 5 Tier I or higher Dungeons bound


    2 - Rank X


    Requirements to increase to Rank IV


    1 - 120 Wyrdgeld


    Jake took a moment to breathe as he considered the information he¡¯d been given. He understood the basics of how this Hidden Fang boon would work, but no doubt it would take practice to get the most use from it.


    With no further sign of activity from either the System or the Dungeon, Jake made his way back to the door and stepped into the darkness.


    -**-


    Jake walked out the door alongside his companions and blinked in surprise as he found himself in step with Nepthys and the rest, as though no time had passed at all.


    Fortunately, the whole group was a little disoriented, so no one seemed to notice.


    The Dungeon had brought them to a larger version of the revival rooms they used, complete with a selection of furniture they could use if they wanted to.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head back,¡± Rhew said, stepping forward to push open the exit from the room and lead them out into the Dungeon foyer.


    Jake followed the others out of the Dungeon and turned back to watch as the doors closed by themselves, sealing the Dungeon so it could make its changes.


    Jake was on a clock now. While delving was seemingly paused in the absence of the higher-tiered Classers, someone would notice eventually. When they did, word would spread quickly.


    The question now was how to deal with it.


    Jake¡¯s initial plan was to try and convince the rest of the group to head to a different Dungeon with him. Jake couldn¡¯t afford to still be here when the agents of the Triarchy came to figure out why the Dungeon had abruptly tiered up.


    Nepthys would come with him, that was for certain, but he had no idea what the others would do. They¡¯d been together for only a comparatively short amount of time, but that time had been spent fighting and dying together as they learned what it meant to be a Classer.


    Jake wouldn¡¯t put staying with them ahead of his own safety, but neither would he walk away if there was a chance the group could stay together.


    ¡°You okay, Jake?¡± Alan¡¯s voice brought Jake out of his thoughts, and he realised they were at the entrance to the inn already.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m alright,¡± Jake said with a slightly strained smile. ¡°Just been a lot today, is all.¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean. It feels incredible that we¡¯ve actually managed it. Rhew is going mad over the extra Wyrdgeld, but I can¡¯t blame her. We¡¯re halfway to the next rank off just that one delve.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and with none of the downsides,¡± Jake said, doing his best to suppress his envy. The three of them were almost at rank five already, while Jake was only just halfway to rank four.


    At least Jake had his first Boon to take the sting out of being left behind.


    -**-


    Rhew was quick to divide up their Wyrdgeld, with Jake volunteering to take the two branches to make life easier for everyone else.


    ¡°So, when do we want to next run the Dungeon?¡± Rhew asked once everything had been split up.


    ¡°We could go back in tomorrow?¡± Karl offered with a slight shrug. ¡°A good night¡¯s sleep would be nice. We healed up with potions, but I still feel a little battered.¡±


    ¡°About that,¡± Jake said, leaning in to get their attention. ¡°Now we¡¯ve completed the Dungeon. Would you all be open to moving on to the next one?¡±


    ¡°Why would we move on so soon?¡± Alan asked curiously. ¡°We¡¯ve only just managed to finish this one. Shouldn¡¯t we stay here for a while?¡±


    ¡°We could, but Ari is going to be stepping away from training us now that we¡¯ve finished a Dungeon. That means we need to be supporting ourselves and keep up the pressure. The town those other Classers were heading to isn¡¯t far from here, and it has three Dungeons nearby.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called Casthorpe. It has two Dungeons that are tier one nearby and is built around a tier two Dungeon. You won¡¯t find a better training area nearby,¡± Nepthys added, leaning back in her seat as she spoke.


    ¡°That does sound good, and more variety would be nice,¡± Alan said thoughtfully. ¡°A tier two Dungeon could be interesting as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in favour of it, as long as the new ones aren¡¯t based around rats?¡± Karl looked over to Nepthys, who nodded. ¡°Yeah, sounds good to me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not exactly attached to this place,¡± Rhew said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯d like to wait for Ari first, though.¡±


    The other two nodded their agreement, but that was fine by Jake. A day or two to wait for Ari would be as much as he was willing to take, but at least they¡¯d agreed to leave.

 DN 41 - Changed

    Thankfully, the first of the higher-tier Classers began to return that evening. Neither Ari nor Felix was among the first group to arrive, leaving Jake and the others at a loss for what to do.


    The arriving Classers gave no details of what they¡¯d been doing, but they did pass on that more people would be arriving the next day.


    With nothing he could do in the short term, Jake turned in for the evening, hoping that it wouldn¡¯t take too long for Ari or Felix to return.


    -**-


    Alan joined them again for their morning run the next day. The Scholar was putting in some decent work to his fitness now, which was encouraging.


    Jake would be trying to maintain a steady rate of delving when they reached this new town, so it was reassuring to see the others pushing themselves as well.


    With no sign of Ari or Felix, Alan and the others were keen to press on and run the Dungeon again, and Jake had no good reason to say no. They¡¯d already agreed to move on soon. Pushing for anything more would look suspicious.


    They gathered together and made a quick stop at Ivaldi¡¯s to deposit their Wyrdgeld. The tithe to do so cost Jake seven Wyrdgeld, which was painful, but it was better than risking losing all his progress.


    A few more runs with good payouts would let him get to the next rank, but the others would be reaching rank five after this run. That meant that Jake would be two full ranks behind them for the next dive, and it would only get worse in the future.


    Pushing it all aside for the moment, Jake focused on what mattered today. Testing his new ability.


    Triggering his status as they walked over to the Dungeon, Jake reread it one last time to make sure he was understanding everything correctly.


    Name - Jake Khesh


    Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon


    Class - Dungeon Noble - Squire


    Tier - I


    Rank - III


    Dungeon Network - 1


    Plexus Strength - Minor


    Plexus Manifestations - 1/1


    Plexus Points - 2


    Plexus Boons


    Hidden Fang - I - Granted by the Holrswar Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a dagger with inherent poisonous properties. Using the dagger, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    The manifestation point had come back overnight, which was a relief, so Jake felt free to experiment somewhat. Interestingly, there was a new attribute in his status for Plexus Strength, which had appeared since he bound the first Dungeon.


    Focusing on it gave Jake the sense that it represented how much power was held within his manifestations. He didn¡¯t really have a guide for how much his new boon used, but it was good to know the amount could increase.


    ¡°Does the Dungeon feel a little different today?¡± Alan asked as they made their way through the doors, bringing Jake¡¯s attention back to what they were doing.


    ¡°Not that I can tell,¡± Rhew said with a shrug. ¡°What about you, Jake?¡±


    ¡°Nope, seems perfectly normal to me,¡± Jake said tightly as he picked up the pace toward the stairs. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get started.¡±


    Thankfully, his poor attempt at acting normal was covered by their entrance to the first floor, and they quickly settled into their normal routine.


    Nepthys was able to work better with Jake and Karl now that they¡¯d had a chance to practice, and the group set what felt like a record pace through the first three floors.


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    The fourth floor was a touch slower as they dealt with all the hidden enemies, but in no time, they were stepping into the Challenge room once more.


    They all moved smoothly into place as Nepthys activated the Challenge, and the monsters emerged.


    There was some slight variation between attempts, but in general, the number of monsters and where they came from was the same.


    Knowing the rough idea of where the monsters would be let Alan use his enhanced perception to start picking off krok flies before Jake could even see them.


    The attacking wave of rats came as normal, with Jake, Karl and Nepthys pulling back from the ramp as the murk hound came bounding out of the darkness.


    With Nepthys¡¯s ability to create shields and Karl¡¯s empowered strikes, the huge rat was quickly beaten back, leaving Jake without the chance to test out his new boon.


    It was an oddly frustrating moment for Jake. He was pleased by how easily they were dealing with the Enhanced monster, but he was eager to test the dagger.


    With the murk hound dispatched, they gathered their loot and swiftly advanced to the fifth floor.


    ¡°Same as last time?¡± Karl asked as they emerged into the dark cavern.


    ¡°May as well, it worked well enough last time,¡± Rhew said, eyeing the darkness warily as she spoke.


    Copying the same formation as last time, they began to make their way through the cavern, slowing down and grouping up as they reached the halfway point.


    Mere moments later, the two murk hounds came charging out of the darkness, one at each end of the group.


    Eager to test his boon, Jake charged right at the rat that was coming his way, throwing his shield at its face as he did.


    The wooden shield thunked into the rat¡¯s head, distracting it just long enough for Jake to dart to one side and slash along its flank with his sword.


    The mundane steel sword did little to the hide of the murk hound, and was completely ineffectual at cutting its thick fur.


    The murk hound snapped at Jake but was moving too quickly to be able to catch him as it went past. Skidding to a halt, it turned and leapt back towards Jake with a snarl.


    Jake¡¯s new dagger took a few heartbeats to form when he called for it, so by the time the rat was pouncing at him, he was armed with both sword and dagger.


    Backpedalling from the Enhanced monster, Jake dodged a vicious swipe of its paw before darting in and striking out at its face with his sword.


    Instinctively, the murk hound lifted its snout to protect its eyes from his sword, the steel blade cutting slightly into the side of its jaw.


    Twisting and driving forward with his other hand, Jake drove the curved dagger up into the exposed underside of the murk hound¡¯s jaw.


    The Wyrd-conjured blade sank into the tough hide of the beast with ease, penetrating up through the jaw and into its skull. At the same time, Jake could see the flesh around the blade dying as the poisonous essence of the dagger went to work.


    Banishing the dagger with a flex of his will, Jake scampered back to avoid the death throws of the huge rat as blood gushed from the wound.


    A wild grin spread across Jake¡¯s face as he saw the proof of his new power in front of him. He might be falling behind in ranks, but boons like this would definitely help make up the difference.


    The manifestation Jake had used to create the Hidden Fang dagger still had power remaining, though Jake had used almost a third of what it held.


    Admittedly, he¡¯d needed a lucky hit to take down the murk hound, but he had a feeling that the poison it used would have been quite effective regardless.


    ¡°Jake!¡± Rhew called out, drawing his attention to where the others were fighting a small group of krok flies. ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good,¡± Jake called back as he jogged over, reaching them just moments after Alan picked off the last slow-moving bug.


    ¡°Good job with the murk hound,¡± Karl said, wiping some of the blood off his hammer as he gave Jake an impressed look. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to earn a striking Skill in no time at this rate.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, hopefully,¡± Jake said, letting some of his excitement bubble to the surface as they gathered themselves and went over to the end of the floor.


    ¡°Hang on, why are there two?¡± Alan asked as they came to where the door out should be.


    Unlike the last time they were here, there were now two doors side by side. The door on the left was a light grey and had etchings of a grassy plain on it, while the other was a darker grey with what looked like stalagmites carved into it.


    ¡°This has to be one going down, right?¡± Karl motioned to the darker door.


    ¡°The Dungeon seems to have tiered up. This would be the entrance to the sixth floor and the start of the next tier,¡± Nepthys said calmly, her face betraying none of her thoughts as Rhew, Karl and Alan began to excitedly talk amongst themselves.


    None of the three were determined to continue their delve, but Jake could tell that they were all considering it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should go any further,¡± Jake said, cutting into the discussion before it could go too far. ¡°We¡¯re barely managing this floor, and the next tier will likely be much harder. I¡¯d rather get out with my Wyrdgeld.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not rich enough that I can throw away this much Wyrdgeld, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Rhew said, moving over to stand next to the lighter-coloured door. ¡°I say we head back.¡±


    To Jake¡¯s relief, Karl and Alan were quick to agree, and they all made their way back out of the Dungeon.

 DN 42 - Return

    As was now traditional, they divided the loot between them once they were back at the tavern. Nepthys again waved off her share as she¡¯d promised, leaving one hundred and fifty-five to split between the rest of them.


    Jake took thirty-five this time, as he had forty the time before, bringing him to one hundred Wyrdgeld exactly. He was only twenty off getting to rank four, which was enough to make him want to run the Dungeon again straight away.


    Alan, Karl and Rhew each had just over eighty Wyrdgeld, so they would be reaching rank five overnight, but Jake consoled himself that he¡¯d catch up soon enough.


    Jake needed a calendar to know for certain, but he was fairly sure they had over a week to get together the funds for the Triarchy, which wasn¡¯t a problem now they could finish the Dungeon.


    Three delves would give them enough to pay for the month. It was hardly the insurmountable issue it had felt like just a few weeks ago.


    Shaking his head at how quickly things had changed for them all, Jake had a coffee with Alan before setting off for his daily training.


    With the return of the higher-ranked Classers, the training fields were already busy by the time Jake got there.


    Lokan and the rest of his group were present as well, so Jake made his way over to see what he could find out about their time away.


    Anna and Ricard were talking quietly off to one side, so Jake went to speak with the two of them first. Anna noticed him walking over and gave him a strained smile. ¡°Hi, Jake. Good to see you again.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Jake noticed some tension in Ricard¡¯s posture as well and looked between the two of them with growing concern.


    ¡°We lost some friends recently,¡± Anna said, her smile fading completely as she reached out to grasp Ricard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s only thanks to Ricard that I didn¡¯t join them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not allowed to discuss it with tier one Classers,¡± Ricard said, giving Anna a stern look before turning to Jake. ¡°Ari Derth was looking after you and your group, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Is he okay?¡±


    Ricard laughed mirthlessly as he shook his head. ¡°A lot more of us would have died if it weren¡¯t for Ari and that one-handed Classer he brought with him. Ari¡¯s tough, but the other guy was unstoppable.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s called Felix. Ari said he¡¯s a high-tier instructor,¡± Jake said, feeling more than a little relieved that the two of them were okay.


    ¡°They talk about the tyranny of rank, but then you see someone like him in action and understand just what they mean,¡± Ricard said in little more than a whisper.


    ¡°If he hadn¡¯t been there,¡± Anna said, shivering slightly as she shared a haunted look with Ricard.


    ¡°What were you fighting?¡± Jake asked, curious if they would give him any information. Nepthys had told him about Rifts and the Shrouded, so he knew the idea of what they had been doing but not the reality.


    ¡°Sorry, Jake. It¡¯s dangerous knowledge for someone of your tier,¡± Anna said, shaking her head and sighing slightly. ¡°You¡¯ll be doing your part in time. For now, just focus on getting stronger.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of, let¡¯s get some work done. I need to clear my mind,¡± Ricard said, moving over to where their equipment was and throwing Jake a practice sword. ¡°Time to dance.¡±


    -**-


    There was a subdued air to the training that they managed, one that Jake saw across all of the Classers who¡¯d returned from the battle at the Rift.


    Unsurprisingly, they finished early for the day, with Ricard finishing things off by giving Jake a few exercises he could practice on his own.


    Without the drain of recovering from the revival, Jake still had plenty of energy to spare, so he set about training with his dagger.


    Striking something with it would drain the manifestation, but once it was summoned, the drain on the manifestation was negligible.


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    Jake had been focused on the sword since he¡¯d arrived, and he¡¯d had no formal training in fighting with small blades. Thankfully, Ricard¡¯s exercises were about agility and staying mobile, so they worked for what Jake needed.


    Once Jake was done for the day, he dismissed the blade before resummoning it later in the evening.


    If the dagger carried over to the new day, that would be an interesting way to give him more options on future delves.


    -**-


    Jake woke early the next day and eagerly checked under his pillow for the Hidden Fang dagger, grinning as he felt its handle slip into his hand.


    Name - Jake Khesh


    Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon


    Class - Dungeon Noble - Squire


    Tier - I


    Rank - III


    Dungeon Network - 1


    Plexus Strength - Minor


    Plexus Manifestations - 1/1


    Plexus Points - 2


    Examining his status, Jake could feel that he had a fresh manifestation to use, but there was still a slight link to the old one.


    Jake hesitated for only a moment before expending his new manifestation point to summon a second dagger, this one with a new link to him.


    With the two side by side, Jake could feel that his link to the first one was changed somehow. It almost felt fractured in some manner.


    Dismissing the older dagger, Jake grunted in surprise as the remaining energy in the manifestation poured into the new dagger he¡¯d summoned.


    The slight amount that had been used to summon the new dagger was restored, and the remaining energy was lost to the world around him.


    ¡°So, I can have multiples, but only one active?¡± Jake muttered, trying to figure out the rules for how these boons would work.


    Still, even if that were the case, he could use up any spare manifestation points the night before a delve and prepare himself.


    The Hidden Fang dagger was deadly when used on Enhanced creatures, so Jake could only imagine what it would do to the standard monsters they fought.


    Dismissing the dagger, Jake hurried out of his room and down to meet Karl for their run.


    ¡°Morning, Jake,¡± Karl called out as he came jogging over to their usual meeting spot. Karl was never a morning person, so the broad grin on his face was telling.


    ¡°Rank five?¡± Jake asked, taking in the spring in Karl¡¯s step with an amused smile.


    ¡°Yeah, and it feels good,¡± Karl grinned as he flexed and showed off for a moment. ¡°How close are you to your next one?¡±


    ¡°One more delve is all I need,¡± Jake said, trying to keep the longing from his voice as best he could.


    Part of Jake wanted to push on and get through it today. His concern, though, was that the news of the Dungeon tiering up would be spreading, and that would bring scrutiny.


    Walking with Karl to where they normally started, Jake completely lost his train of thought as he saw Felix and Ari waiting for them.


    Both of the older Classers looked tired but unharmed, which was a relief after what Anna and Ricard had been saying.


    ¡°Good to see you two are still going for runs in the morning. How¡¯s everyone doing?¡± Ari called out as Karl and Jake rushed over.


    ¡°We¡¯re all good. We¡¯ve beaten the Dungeon twice now,¡± Karl said proudly. ¡°Alan and Nepthys are joining us on our runs now, as well.¡±


    Alan walked around the corner as if summoned by his name, his face lighting up as he saw Ari and Felix.


    ¡°Good to see you¡¯re committing to this properly,¡± Ari said with a nod to Alan as he joined them. ¡°Who¡¯s Nepthys?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s this other Classer that Jake met. She¡¯s joined our group as she¡¯s tier one. Really, having her is how we¡¯ve beaten the Guardian floor.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Ari looked over to Jake with a raised brow before turning back to Karl. ¡°Give me the run-through then. How did that first clear go?¡±


    ¡°Start stretching while you talk. There¡¯s work to be done,¡± Felix said as Karl began to recount their first successful clear.


    Nepthys joined them partway through the stretches, introducing herself to both of the older Classers with a respectful bow.


    From the look Felix gave her when he saw Nepthys¡¯s braid, he knew what she was, but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°So yeah, then we cleared it again, but this time it was tier two!¡± Karl finished off his recounting proudly, not seeming to notice how both Felix and Ari went still.


    ¡°Tiered up?¡± Ari echoed the words with disbelief. ¡°Are you sure?


    ¡°Yeah, there was a new door going down and everything,¡± Karl said, frowning as he looked between Ari and Felix. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not discussing it right now. You will all be running with me. Ari, check the Dungeon. Confirm it,¡± Felix said in a tone that brooked no argument.


    Ari was moving before Felix finished speaking, racing toward the Dungeon with all the speed of a higher-tier Classer.


    Jake shared an uncomfortable look with Nepthys as they set off. This was the part he¡¯d been looking forward to the least.


    ¡°You three, sprint to the top of that hill and back. Nepthys, stay with me, please,¡± Felix called out as they reached the first of the good hills for sprinting.


    Jake and the others did as they were told, leaving Nepthys behind to have a quiet conversation with Felix.


    By the time Jake got back to them, Nepthys looked as stoic as ever, while Felix looked frustrated. Given what Nepthys knew, that was probably a good thing.


    Despite everything happening, Felix didn¡¯t let them slack off or give anything less than their best effort, and they were soon sprinting up another hill.


    Ari had returned by the time they were back, looking slightly winded and with a few scratch wounds and rips in his clothing.


    Neither Felix nor Ari remarked on anything to do with the Dungeon for the rest of their run, and in no time at all, they were back at the tavern.


    Jake could feel the difference in his recovery as soon as the run came to an end. It really was a lot easier working with Felix here.


    ¡°Jake, Nepthys, a moment, please,¡± Felix called out, motioning for the two of them to come closer. ¡°Alan and Karl, good work, both of you.¡±


    Karl looked over with a worried expression, but Jake waved him off with a shaky smile.


    Jake was fairly sure that Ari and Felix wouldn¡¯t turn him in, but this conversation could still go quite badly.

 DN 43 - Moving On

    ¡°This way,¡± Felix waved for Jake and Nepthys to follow him as he walked back out from the town, Ari trailing along behind him.


    They went far enough out from the town to ensure that no one would be able to overhear before Felix came to a halt and turned to face them. ¡°I¡¯m going to assume that Chant isn¡¯t your real surname?¡±


    Jake gave real consideration to lying or trying to bluff his way past Felix, but after a moment, he shook his head. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡±


    As scared as Jake was to share what was really going on with other people, part of him was hoping that Felix would know more about what was going on.


    ¡°Which family were you part of, or are you from a different kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Khesh. My true name is Jake Khesh.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I hadn¡¯t thought that any of them had survived the invasion,¡± Felix looked hopeful for a moment before noticing Jake¡¯s expression.


    ¡°I was abandoned at an orphanage in Port Emerald. I had no idea about any of this until I got my Class.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not ideal. You¡¯re lucky you¡¯ve made it this far,¡± Felix said, rubbing his face with his hand. ¡°You¡¯ve spoken with Ivaldi?¡±


    ¡°I have. He¡¯s told me some of the basics of this, as has Nepthys.¡±


    ¡°Good, good,¡± Felix said before falling silent for a few moments. ¡°What they likely haven¡¯t told you is that the Classers with Patrons from that Pantheon are rare. Ari here only knows of Dungeon Nobles from my teachings, for instance.¡±


    ¡°True enough, I¡¯ve never met an Inquisitor either,¡± Ari said, giving Nepthys an appraising look before shrugging. ¡°Fortunately, the Triarchy is strict on worship, so you won¡¯t meet any worshippers here.¡±


    ¡°Worshippers?¡± Jake asked, getting a sinking feeling in his gut.


    ¡°Those that worship the Dungeons or The Great Dungeon if they know of it. They aren¡¯t the most prevalent, and they¡¯re usually obsessed with delving, which can be problematic.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand what you mean,¡± Jake¡¯s brow furrowed as he considered Felix¡¯s words. Delving was a huge part of his life right now, so a slight obsession with it seemed only reasonable.


    ¡°A conversation for another time. What matters right now is that we need to leave. There will be hunters coming for you from the Triarchy.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Jake echoed, looking between the two of them with growing hope.


    ¡°You are Strovia¡¯s last Dungeon Noble,¡± Felix said flatly, giving Jake a stern look. ¡°I will be training you going forward. I have seen no sign of any others of your ilk since the invasion, so we must assume that you are alone in Strovia.¡±


    ¡°How many are there outside of Strovia?¡±


    ¡°Not many. Dungeon Nobles are bloodline-linked, from what I know, so your numbers grow slowly, if at all. You will need to grow stronger before seeking them out, or you will bring your own hunters down on you.¡±


    Jake sighed before nodding reluctantly. In his heart, he¡¯d known it would be a long time before he met any other Dungeon Nobles. This just drove it home.


    ¡°So what do we do next?¡± Ari asked, taking the focus off of Jake for the moment.


    ¡°We will leave and head to Casthorpe. At this time of year, there will be enough people there for us to hide with ease, and the three Dungeons give them more options. That is if Jake is willing to take my advice?¡±


    Jake laughed mirthlessly at the thought of him going all this alone and shook his head. ¡°Please advise away. I have no idea what I¡¯m doing right now.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Felix gave Jake an approving look. ¡°Then Casthorpe, clear each Dungeon, but don¡¯t finish them. Once you have gained a few more ranks, you can clear each one in quick succession, and we move on to somewhere else. That will give little for your hunters to follow.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned them a few times,¡± Jake said as he folded his arms and gave Felix a level stare. ¡°Who exactly is hunting me?¡±


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    ¡°The Triarchy for definite, though specifically it will be their branch that hunts heretics. Beyond that, I don¡¯t know. All of our Dungeon Nobles and Inquisitors died during the invasion, but the Triarchy seemed as surprised by that as we were. It could have been unintentional, or it could have been someone else choosing to act in the chaos.¡±


    ¡°My family suspects a third party,¡± Nepthys said softly, giving Jake a sympathetic look. ¡°We don¡¯t know who, though.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± Jake asked in an exasperated tone. ¡°Why target Dungeon Nobles? If we¡¯re the only ones who can tier up Dungeons, shouldn¡¯t the Triarchy want us?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t speak to any of the unknown groups, but I believe that politics is the answer for the Triarchy,¡± Felix said in a heavy tone. ¡°If the Dungeons in Strovia become static and do not advance, then the Triarchy will remain more powerful than us, and their occupation will be easier.¡±


    ¡°A short-sighted approach,¡± Nepthys said with a sorrowful shake of her head. ¡°Keeping Strovia from growing leaves it open to other dangers.¡±


    ¡°All this is great, and I love giving him some context, but shouldn¡¯t we be running?¡± Ari asked, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Felix shook his head. ¡°We need to avoid drawing attention to ourselves. Gather the others and check us out of the inn, but do it as casually as you can. We will leave at a sedate pace and speed up once there are no witnesses.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll start rounding up the others and checking us out,¡± Ari said as he headed off toward the tavern.


    ¡°Do you have any other questions for me?¡± Felix asked, turning back to Jake. ¡°I might not have the answers, but you can ask.¡±


    ¡°Would you have trained me if it wasn¡¯t for my Class?¡± Jake lifted his chin and met Felix¡¯s gaze with a stubborn expression.


    ¡°You¡¯ve taken to everything with admirable dedication, so yes. The Class simply pushes up the timetable I already had in mind.¡±


    Jake froze, unsure how to react to the unexpected compliment. Given how Felix always focused on Karl, Jake had assumed he wasn¡¯t making the cut.


    Felix chuckled and patted Jake on the shoulder as he walked past him. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s help Ari get everything moving. I want to be on the road by nightfall.¡±


    -**-


    The other three were surprised by the abrupt decision to move on, but fortunately, Jake had already put the idea in their mind previously, so it wasn¡¯t too bad.


    Unfortunately, their quick departure meant that they had no time to source any transport, meaning they would be walking to the new town.


    It would take the best part of a week for them to get there, but that included Felix taking them on a circuitous route to avoid attention.


    If it took the full seven days, it would only leave a few for them to get enough Wyrdgeld together to pay for the Triarchy fees.


    The last thing they needed was more attention from the Triarchy, but at the same time, they needed to leave as soon as they could.


    ¡°A hundred Wyrdgeld will be easy enough to gather now that you can complete a tier one Dungeon,¡± Felix explained when Jake voiced his concerns. ¡°Expect a similar payout to what you get at the moment, but you have the potential to run both of the tier one Dungeons each day.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, as long as you¡¯re willing to put the work in, it¡¯ll be easy enough,¡± Ari said, waving aside the issue blithely.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Jake said, sharing an uneasy look with Rhew before focusing back on the path ahead of them.


    They had left the tavern now and were already on the road north, though they would be turning off soon, according to Felix.


    Ari had sourced the gear they would need to travel with, as well as enough supplies to last them until they reached their destination. Unfortunately, Felix had decided that Jake and Karl would be carrying most of it as part of their training.


    The positive was that whatever effect Felix had on people he was training also carried over to travelling like this. Both Karl and Jake were exhausted by the end of the day, but once they stopped to make camp, they could already feel the benefits.


    ¡°Those of you who wish to commit to my training, you have ten minutes before I expect you back outside,¡± Felix¡¯s voice cut through any conversations they were having as they settled in at the small cave that Ari had found.


    Jake repressed a sigh as he sat down next to the weighty pack he¡¯d been carrying the whole afternoon and did his best to focus on his recovery.


    To Jake¡¯s surprise, even Rhew came out to join them for Felix¡¯s additional training, and the five of them were soon arrayed in front of the cave.


    ¡°I have decided to take you all on as students, but I will not abide anything less than your full effort. In return, you will get my full attention, and I promise that you will grow in strength. We will begin with sparring this evening, and then tomorrow, we will start travelling at a jog in the morning. Karl, you¡¯re first.¡±


    Ari appeared next to Karl with his gear, passing it over as he gestured for the rest of them to go and equip themselves.


    While Jake and the others got ready, Felix walked over to tap Karl¡¯s hammer, causing a dull shell of grey energy to coat it. Stepping away, Felix drew his sword, with the same effect happening to his own weapon.


    ¡°No active Skills, no infusions, but otherwise, use what you wish. Begin whenever you are ready,¡± Felix said, motioning with his sword for Karl to begin.


    Karl advanced uncertainly but committed as best he could to hitting Felix. Unsurprisingly, the older Classer was able to dodge with ease, his own blade flashing up to strike Karl in his exposed shoulder.


    Fortunately, the energy sheathing their weapons seemed to prevent any lasting damage from the hit, though Jake winced at the pained look on Karl¡¯s face. Something told him they were all waking up with bruises tomorrow.


    The following few minutes were painful to watch as Felix took apart Karl¡¯s entire fighting style piece by piece while giving him corrections and advice.


    By the time Felix was done, Karl was a sweating mess, but he was no longer making quite as many mistakes as he had at the beginning.


    ¡°Next,¡± Felix called out, beckoning to Alan.

 DN 44 - Hollow

    One by one, they all took their turn sparring with Felix. Nepthys was tested in the same manner as Karl, while Rhew and Alan had to work on dodging and precision.


    Jake was left to last, but it gave him more time to watch the others and understand the aim of what Felix was doing.


    Sadly, understanding Felix¡¯s methods did nothing to save his pride when Felix was able to easily avoid his attacks and punish every mistake he made.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been training with someone else,¡± Felix remarked after calling the spar to an end. It felt like Felix had pushed Jake for longer than the others, but it was hard to tell.


    Jake nodded, too out of breath to be able to form a coherent response.


    ¡°They were on the right track with your footwork, but I want you to practice these forms as well. Mimic me,¡± Felix ordered as he assumed a stance.


    Jake did his best to copy and memorise what Felix was showing him, but he was sure he got at least half of it wrong.


    Once they were through the forms, Felix instructed him to make sure he practiced every day before dismissing him to get some rest.


    Jake¡¯s legs were a little shaky as he made his way over to the others. Ari had taken pity on them and was already in the process of making a hot meal, so Jake took a seat against the mouth of the cave and rested his head against the cool stone.


    After a brief moment of hesitation, Jake conjured his Boon dagger before tucking it away. He doubted he¡¯d need it, but it was better to get some use from the manifestation than just let it go to waste.


    Something told him this trip was going to be a lot of work.


    -**-


    Jake woke up with surprisingly few aches the next day, making him more thankful than ever for the effect of Felix¡¯s Skills.


    Taking a moment to wake up properly, Jake levered himself to his feet and began to get ready for his morning run when Felix spoke up from the cave¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°No need for that today. You¡¯ll be wanting your strength later.¡±


    Jake stopped his preparations and awkwardly joined Felix at the entrance. Looking back, he could see the other four members of his group were still asleep, but there was no sign of Ari.


    ¡°Here, have some of this,¡± Felix turned and held out a pouch of hard tack for Jake to take a piece.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jake eagerly bit into the dense chunk, hungry enough that the dry texture didn¡¯t put him off. ¡°Where¡¯s Ari?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s finding our route for the day,¡± Felix said, a slight smile touching his lips as he put the pouch down and took out a piece of his own.


    Jake happily chewed on his hardtack as they waited for the others to wake up. He was pretty sure that Felix had planned out their route in advance, so this felt like something to do with their training, but that was a problem for later.


    The others woke up one by one, but Felix waved off any questions about what to do next, so they set about packing up their camp. While they had everything they needed, the camp was also quite basic, and it didn¡¯t take them long to be ready to move.


    Jake¡¯s nostrils flared as he caught the scent of something metallic in the air. The smell had reminded Jake of Wyrdgeld, but a lot stronger. Turning to follow the scent, Jake saw Felix get to his feet and gesture for them all to follow him.


    Emerging from the mouth of the cave, Jake saw Ari returning to them with a broad smile and a mischievous glint in his eyes.


    The two older Classers had a brief conversation before they all set off as a group once more. As Felix promised the day before, they started at a steady jog.


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    The pace was slower than what Felix usually set during their morning runs, but the weight of his pack more than made up the difference.


    The area they were passing through was thick with sprawling woodlands and grassy hills, so the landscape was at least pleasant to look at. Jake had grown used to being out of the city by now, but he still wasn¡¯t quite used to the quiet beauty of nature.


    -**-


    They alternated between jogging and walking for at least an hour before Ari gave Felix a signal, and they came to a stop.


    ¡°Take a minute and catch your breath,¡± Felix called out as he walked over to speak with Ari. ¡°Get your gear on once you¡¯re ready. We¡¯re doing some training.¡±


    Once they were all ready, Felix led them off the dirt path they¡¯d been following and into a large patch of woodland. ¡°Who knows what a Hollow is?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the source of wandering monsters,¡± Alan answered the question without difficulty, which was good, as Jake had no idea.


    ¡°Very good,¡± Felix gave Alan an approving look. ¡°What are the main differences between a Hollow and a Dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Dungeons are self-contained, and their monsters never leave. Hollows are part of their surroundings and are smaller than a Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°A reasonable explanation,¡± Felix said, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword. ¡°Hollows are found in the areas around Dungeons, but never close to them. They are the source of wandering monsters, as Alan said, but the exact method of that is up for debate. They will develop a reward for completion over time, but there¡¯s no way to know in advance if it¡¯s there. More importantly, there will always be a Guardian defending them. In this Realm, that will be an Enhanced monster of some form.¡±


    Jake perked up at the mention of realms, hoping that Felix would say more. It was the first time that he¡¯d heard mention of them since Ari had given him a quick summary back at the Guild.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, all together or split up?¡± Ari called out, looking over to Felix as he spoke.


    ¡°All together, let¡¯s take it easy for now.¡±


    ¡°Alright, listen up then. There¡¯s a Hollow up ahead. I want you to take out the Guardian and any other monsters around it. This is not a Dungeon. Death is permanent, and so are any injuries. Understood?¡±


    Jake drew his sword and gave Ari a nod, hearing his companions likewise arm themselves. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ari and Felix retreat slightly, leaving the five of them to take point.


    ¡°Alan, any sign of anything?¡± Jake asked as they moved into their normal formation. Karl took the centre with Alan and Rhew behind him, while Jake and Nepthys took the flanks.


    ¡°I can see what looks like a particularly large tree up ahead. It would be a good landmark if nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± Jake nodded to Karl before putting his attention back on the flank he was covering.


    Jake wasn¡¯t entirely sure why everyone was listening to him for things like this, but as long as they all acted together, it didn¡¯t really matter.


    With Karl leading the way, they continued into the woods at an easy pace, looking out for whatever monsters might be nearby.


    The woodland around them was thick with undergrowth, but Jake carefully eyed all spots of shadow and darkness.


    ¡°We¡¯re coming close to the tree now. The woods are thickest around it, though,¡± Alan called out, Jake turning instinctively to look ahead of them.


    As Jake turned, he saw what he had thought to be part of a tree move as three small figures rushed out to attack Karl from the side.


    Each creature was humanoid in form, with the tallest standing at barely three feet tall and made of twisted and knotting roots. The only spot of colour amid the twisting roots was a sphere of bright green within their chest.


    ¡°Karl!¡± Jake cried out as he rushed forward to try and intercept the strange monsters.


    ¡°What the fuck!¡± Karl exclaimed as the closest of the creatures leapt off the ground, its hands coiling into spikes of twisted root that it stabbed at him.


    An arrow from Alan knocked the creature off course, but one of its spikes still managed to cut across Karl¡¯s cheek.


    Jake had no more time to see what was happening as his own two attackers were rushing at him, one jumping into the air as the other attacked his legs.


    Jake reversed direction and dodged to one side, mentally thanking Ricard for his help in keeping him light on his feet. The jumping creature missed completely, but the other kept pace with him, its hands untangling into a mass of root-like tendrils that tried to grab Jake¡¯s legs.


    Jake hacked down at the creature¡¯s arms, breathing a mental sigh of relief as his sword cut through the tendrils without too much difficulty. The roots the creatures were made of seemed to be dry and brittle, which made them vulnerable.


    Taking a moment to aim, Jake plunged his sword into the chest of the creature, piercing its odd heart. This close, Jake could see that the core of the creature looked more like an oversized and misshapen apple than anything.


    Thankfully, piercing it with his blade was enough to kill the creature, and Jake could turn his attention to the other one.


    Frost covered the other monster, which explained why Jake had had the time to fully deal with the first one, and before Jake could close with it, an arrow flashed past him to pierce its green heart.


    ¡°Everyone okay?¡± Jake called out as he looked over to see Karl¡¯s attacker had become a pulped mess.


    ¡°Yeah, just caught me by surprise,¡± Karl said, reaching up to wipe away the blood on his cheek. ¡°What sort of shroud-damned monsters were they?¡±


    Jake looked to Nepthys, who shrugged before turning to Alan, who shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t recognise them.¡±


    ¡°Freaky is what they are,¡± Rhew said as she came over to study one a little closer. ¡°My cold was somewhat effective against them, so at least that¡¯s something.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jake shivered as he thought of those grasping tendrils. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s push on and kill this Guardian.¡±

 DN 45 - Guardian

    There was a brief moment of excitement as they went to draw the Wyrdgeld from the monsters, but nothing happened.


    ¡°These must be at the Beast tier of monsters, which would explain why they were so easy to kill,¡± Alan said, frowning down at one of the disanimated clumps of roots.


    ¡°True, but they still drew blood, so we need to be careful. Neither of them is going to stop us from getting injured,¡± Jake said, gesturing back to where Ari and Felix were watching them with neutral expressions.


    ¡°I¡¯m already going to have nightmares about those root tendrils getting under my skin, so let¡¯s deal with this fast, okay?¡± Karl shuddered and hefted his hammer as he urged them on.


    They continued on into the thicker section of woods that Alan had spotted, though this time with more care and attention to their surroundings.


    Jake had thought he was doing it right the first time, but now he realised he¡¯d been just looking for the spots the rats liked to hide in.


    These root creatures, whatever they were, instead liked to hide amongst the trees and undergrowth in small clusters. Often enough, they were hidden in plain sight.


    Now that they were past the initial surprise, Alan was using his Skill to spot any hidden creatures, rendering their camouflage ineffective.


    Six more of the creatures were spotted and killed by the time they entered the thicker woods and saw the tree that Alan had spotted earlier.


    All the trees around them were big, but this one was twice as wide and half again as tall, making it loom over the others and spread its canopy far and wide.


    The base of the tree was a thick network of exposed roots with a dark nook at their core.


    ¡°That¡¯s got to be it, right?¡± Karl asked in a hushed tone as they all took in the large tree.


    ¡°It is,¡± Jake said, knowing with surprising confidence that he was right. There was something about this tree now that he was looking at it, something familiar.


    It reminded Jake of the sensation of when he first saw the Dungeon and his Sense Dungeon Skill activated. After spending some time around the Dungeon, the Skill had faded, but it was flaring up again now.


    Calling up the Skill, Jake read the description again.


    Passive - Sense Dungeon (I) - Rare - As an agent of the Great Dungeon, you are able to passively sense the location of nearby Dungeons in a meagre range.


    There was nothing about Hollows in there, which meant that either the System classed them as Dungeons or the System descriptions of their Skills weren¡¯t complete.


    Either answer was interesting, but Jake pushed it all aside as he saw a cluster of the root creatures emerge from the base of the tree. Jake counted five of them as they spread out from the tree.


    Alan wasted no time in firing at them, catching one of the creatures in its shoulder.


    Seemingly, in response to the attack, the large root system visibly shifted to one side as a larger monster emerged.


    Humanoid in form but standing at about five feet, the new monster was made of the same framework of roots but with stems and leaves intertwined throughout. The leaves hung vertically on its body like some sort of armour, but Jake was far more concerned about the amount of roots in its arms.


    The smaller creatures had only a limited reach, but with its larger size and dense build, this new creature could be a problem.


    ¡°Focus on the Guardian. We¡¯ll take care of the smaller monsters!¡± Jake shouted as the five root creatures charged their lines. The new type of monster had to be the Guardian, from what Ari had said, making it the biggest threat by far.


    If the scale of difficulty from murk rat to murk hound was anything to go by, this new enemy would be a lot stronger.


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    Arrows and ice magic flew past Jake to hit the Guardian as he moved to intercept the smaller creatures.


    Nepthys conjured two shields in quick succession in front of a pair of the creatures, knocking them off their feet and leaving them easy prey for her blades.


    The Guardian¡¯s right arm unfurled into a long spike that it used to stab at Nepthys, forcing her to conjure a third shield.


    The three remaining root creatures dashed around Karl and tried to run for Alan and Rhew, but Jake was able to smash one aside with a backhand from his shield.


    Karl slammed his hammer down onto the fallen monster, crushing it easily before rushing to help Nepthys.


    Alan managed to get a shot off that slipped straight through the roots to pierce the heart of one of the two remaining root monsters, but the other slammed into him a moment later.


    Jake dropped his shield as he rushed over to grab the creature and tear it off of Alan, who was screaming in pain.


    Blood sprayed up out of the Scholar as the root monster came free. The creature had stabbed Alan with one hand while the other had turned into tendrils that had started to burrow through his skin.


    The wounds all seemed superficial, if painful, so Jake focused on destroying the creature before rushing to help Karl and Nepthys.


    In the short time that Jake had taken his eyes off the other two, Karl and Nepthys had split up to flank the guardian. Blasts of ice magic from Rhew still periodically struck the creature but seemed to have little to no effect on it.


    Seeing what needed to be done, Jake drew the Hidden Fang and circled the creature warily, waiting for an opportunity.


    ¡°This thing hits hard. I can only keep blocking it for so long,¡± Nepthys called out in a strained voice as she harried the Guardian.


    ¡°Give me an opening, and I can do some real damage,¡± Jake called back, infusing his sword with Wyrd as he spoke to maximise the potential damage he could cause.


    ¡°There¡¯s a weak spot on its side where Karl hit it!¡± Alan shouted from where he was getting to his feet and nocking an arrow once more.


    ¡°Okay, Karl, we attack on three, ready?¡±


    ¡°Ready.¡±


    Jake watched as Karl and Nepthys attacked as one, leaping forward to strike at the Guardian. Karl¡¯s hammer glowed with a grey light as it swung down at the creature¡¯s head while Nepthys focused on hitting the already weakened spot on its side.


    Both of the Guardian¡¯s arms exploded into masses of tendrils as Jake¡¯s companions sprang forward. Unlike the smaller creatures, however, the Guardian reformed its arms into something akin to a pair of shields that blocked both attacks.


    Nepthys¡¯s sword skittered off the tough roots with little impact, but Karl¡¯s hammer shattered a good portion of the shield on his side.


    Despite blocking both attacks, the Guardian seized up as Jake slipped in behind it and rammed the Hidden Fang into its back.


    Black necrosis rippled out from where Jake had plunged the dagger, turning nearby leaves into shrivelled grey pieces of rot that quickly fell to the ground.


    The remaining power in that Manifestation was quickly depleted, causing the dagger to swiftly break down, but leaving a hole in the leaf armour that let Jake see a glowing green sphere in the core of the Guardian¡¯s chest cavity.


    Multiple healthy stems linked the sphere to the Guardian¡¯s body, but without the outer layer of tough leaves, it was surprisingly exposed.


    The brief paralysis the dagger had caused was already beginning to fade, the roots that made up the creature¡¯s arms changing shape as it began to turn to Jake.


    Jake¡¯s sword plunged toward the opening in its back, but the slight movement was just enough to throw the attack off. The Wyrd infusing the blade let him cut through some of the roots that made up its frame, but it was far from a lethal blow.


    Scrambling back from the creature as tendrils of roots entwined together to shoot out at him like spears, Jake was forced entirely on the back foot.


    A pale grey barrier shimmered into existence in front of Jake¡¯s face in time to catch a root spear before it went through his eye, giving Jake just enough time to get far enough away to be safe.


    The Guardian made it another two steps after him, its roots angrily trying to reach out and seize him, when it staggered and crashed to one knee.


    A shudder went through the terrifying monster¡¯s body before it collapsed to the ground, revealing an arrow that had threaded the path through the roots of its back to pierce the sphere within.


    Jake let out a heavy sigh of relief and looked up to lock eyes with Alan in the distance before giving him a nod.


    That had been close.


    Turning back to the fallen Guardian, Jake waited just long enough to make sure it was dead before approaching it alongside his companions.


    Every bit of greenery on the body was rapidly decomposing, revealing the green orb in its interior more clearly. As with the smaller root creatures, the orb looked more like a strange sort of fruit than anything.


    ¡°Should we draw the Wyrdgeld?¡± Karl asked, eyeing the dead Guardian warily as he rubbed at his ribs.


    ¡°Yeah, and then we split it best we can,¡± Jake said before nodding to Karl¡¯s ribs. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, fine, it just packed a big hit, is all.¡± Karl grimaced and rolled his shoulder before waving away Jake¡¯s concern. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Here, four Wyrdgeld from the Guardian,¡± Nepthys said, passing Jake four Wyrdgeld before heading over to the tree. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re in luck. There¡¯s one of those infused branches here as well.¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s about twenty-four Wyrdgeld total, not bad for such a short fight,¡± Jake muttered to himself, taking the branch as Nepthys passed it over.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take four, and then you four can split the twenty,¡± Nepthys said, gesturing to the coins in Jake¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Karl said from over by the rapidly decomposing body of the Guardian. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here as well. This thing unnerves me.¡±

 DN 46 - Casthorpe

    Thankfully, the worst injury they sustained as a group was Alan¡¯s stab wound, which Ari instructed them to bind with a bandage rather than use a potion.


    ¡°Not a bad showing from you all for your first Hollow,¡± Felix said while Jake applied the dressing to Alan¡¯s wounds. ¡°A lot of work to be done yet, but we will work on that as we travel. Ari will purchase that branch from you for twenty Wyrdgeld and do the same for any other items we find.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we keep it to see if we get a better price in Casthorpe?¡± Rhew asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.


    ¡°Casthorpe has little in the way of crafting occurring within it. If anything, the price would be lower as they have three Dungeons to draw on. The choice is ultimately yours, however.¡±


    ¡°I think we may as well pass it on for the moment. We need the raw Wyrdgeld more than anything,¡± Jake pointed out, thinking of how close he was to ranking up.


    Rhew nodded a moment later, so Jake passed over the branch and took the coins that Ari conjured before splitting them out between them all.


    ¡°Good, now, let¡¯s get moving. We have a lot of ground to cover and more training opportunities to take advantage of,¡± Felix turned and started back to the trail, Ari meandering along behind him.


    ¡°At least this sort of training gets us Wyrdgeld,¡± Rhew muttered, seemingly more to herself than anything.


    Jake found it hard to sympathise with Rhew¡¯s distaste for the training they were doing, but he knew that was mainly because he was fully aware of the stakes of what was happening.


    The more they trained now, the less they would bleed later. It was an old adage, but one that Jake felt was oddly apt for their current circumstance.


    ¡°Come on, standing around won¡¯t get anything done,¡± Jake started after the other two Classers, ready to put enough work in that he wouldn¡¯t need to bleed at all.


    -**-


    The rest of their journey was both harrowing and uneventful in equal measure, which somehow made it worse.


    They encountered no other travellers on their way to Casthorpe, which meant that there were no witnesses to their presence, but it also gave Felix plenty of time to plan out their training.


    The journey took a further four days from their first Hollow, and they had a new encounter on each day.


    Ari was tasked by Felix to find what could be useful in the area each morning, meaning that their training for the day varied each time.


    Whether another Hollow or a cluster of wandering monsters, Ari led them to each one before he and Felix stood back and judged their approach to dealing with it.


    Thankfully, the rest of the Hollows and monsters they fought were less disconcerting than the plant creatures, which Jake learned were called Widurn. Overall, that meant that Jake gained enough Wyrdgeld to rank up on the final day of their travel.


    Casthorpe was a reasonably sized town built around a tier two Dungeon, so it was many times the size of the settlement they¡¯d come from but nowhere near the size of Port Emerald.


    With the presence of three nearby Dungeons, Casthorpe had a bustling atmosphere and a vibrant energy to it that Jake found almost intoxicating.


    He could almost taste the desire of all the Classers present to delve into the Dungeons and earn more Wyrdgeld.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get some rooms for the night and run through the tier two Dungeon at first light. That should give us a good understanding of where you all currently are,¡± Felix said as they walked through the open gates of the town. ¡°This place has little in common with the city you are familiar with, so be careful of who you talk to and who you trust. Understood?¡±


    Jake nodded, but his attention was mainly on the busy streets of the town. They were late enough that a lot of the delvers had already come back, but there were still quite a few armed and armoured Classers wandering the town.


    Felix seemed to know where he was going, so Jake and the others settled for following after him as he led them to a run-down inn on the outskirts of town.


    An old and creaking sign of a rust-coloured duck in a pond hung over the entrance, with the words ¡®Rusty Duck¡¯ underneath.


    Even by Jake¡¯s low standards, it didn¡¯t look great.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s nothing much to look at, but it¡¯s discreet and out of the way,¡± Felix said, shooting Ari a glare as the other Classer sighed heavily.


    Ari rolled his eyes at the glare and shrugged away Felix¡¯s displeasure. ¡°Yeah, sure, this is fine, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Get a table. I¡¯ll arrange the rooms,¡± Felix instructed, giving Ari one last stern look before pushing open the doors of the inn and heading inside.


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    For all that the exterior was old and dingy, the warmth and inviting smells that spilt out from the open doors were enough to get Jake inside.


    The interior of the Rusty Duck felt more well-lived and well-used rather than old and worn, giving the taproom an almost homely feel.


    There were only a few other people inside, including the older woman behind the bar at the far end of the room, so they had their pick of seats.


    Somewhat predictably, Ari took the largest table in the corner, leaned his sword and pack against the wall and slumped into his chair, propping his feet up next to him.


    ¡°Well, this is different,¡± Alan said, somewhat uncomfortably, as he looked at the room around them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that too loud. This isn¡¯t some shitty inn in the city. The owner is likely tier two or three,¡± Ari said, chuckling at the look on their faces.


    Tier threes were Classers who¡¯d worked hard and chased their dreams, enough to tier up twice and survive countless dangers in the world.


    To think that one of them was running a dingy place like this was baffling to Jake.


    ¡°I¡¯ve ordered food and drink, and I¡¯ve opened a tab for while we¡¯re here. I¡¯ll be paying for everything for now, but I expect you to sweat every coin you spend during training, understood?¡±


    Jake exchanged a surprised look with the others before nodding. He hadn¡¯t expected Felix to go this far, but then he supposed that the cost of doing all this was minor for someone at his tier.


    Jake couldn¡¯t even imagine what the rewards from a high-tier Dungeon would be, were they just more of the same, or did it get more varied?


    Felix had said they¡¯d be starting with the tier two Dungeon, which meant greater rewards, as well as stronger enemies. Hopefully, the first would be enough to warrant the second.


    With the intense week of training lying heavy on them, there was little talk around the table until the food arrived.


    The same older woman who¡¯d been behind the bar brought the food out, putting a bowl of thick stew, a hunk of crusty bread and a small glass of juice in front of each of them.


    ¡°Damn, I wasn¡¯t expecting this,¡± Ari said, eagerly grabbing his glass and knocking it back with a satisfied sound. ¡°Nice.¡±


    Intrigued, Jake picked up his own glass and tentatively sniffed it before giving the glass a second look. Whatever was in there, it smelled really good.


    ¡°No need to look too shocked. I know my business,¡± the woman grumbled as she deposited the last of the food. ¡°I¡¯ll start your food when you come back from the Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Alma,¡± Felix said with a respectful nod as he sipped his own drink.


    ¡°It¡¯s like fruit juice, but better,¡± Karl said, knocking back the dregs of his drink eagerly.


    ¡°Wyrdfruit juice, but with some extra bits in there to bring out the flavour. Like she said, she knows her business,¡± Felix said, the corner of his lips curving up slightly as he watched them enjoy their drinks.


    If the juice had been good, the stew was even better, with the meat all but melting in Jake¡¯s mouth and bursting with flavour.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate a non-combat Class. Alma has a Class that lets her properly prepare and use the meat from Dungeon monsters. Harvesting the bodies of the monsters you fight can be quite profitable, depending on what they are.¡± Felix explained as he dipped some of his bread into his stew.


    Sadly, the bread was ordinary, so it didn¡¯t have quite the same impact as the stew and juice, but that wasn¡¯t to say it was anything less than delicious.


    Jake was more than a bit confused about why such a terribly preserved inn had such good food, but he wasn¡¯t going to question it.


    Once they¡¯d finished eating, they were all given the keys to their rooms and told to meet back downstairs at dawn the next day.


    Jake felt invigorated from the filling meal, but even so, he was quick to head straight to his room.


    Their new accommodations were actually quite nice, and Jake had a little more room than before, but he paid it all little attention.


    It was time to rank up.


    Sufficient Wyrdgeld is present, presenting ascension options for Tier I Rank IV.


    You currently have two Trait slots available and two Skill slots available.


    At this time, you have unlocked one additional Skill that may be purchased.


    Minor Infused Strike - 100 Wyrdgeld


    At this time, you have insufficient Wyrdgeld to make any upgrades or purchases.


    At this time, you have two available Plexus Points.


    Boons available to be upgraded


    Hidden Fang - 2 Plexus Points


    Would you like to upgrade one of your Boons?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jake breathed eagerly, excited to finally see what the Plexus Points could do.


    There was a brief moment of something querying his mind and seeing what his intent was before something shifted deep within him.


    Upgrade completed, continuing with Ascension.


    Congratulations, you have ascended to Tier I, Rank IV. The expended Wyrdgeld shall be used to refine your physicality.


    Would you like to discard any Skills or Traits at this time?


    ¡°No,¡± Jake said hoarsely, his body tensing as the full impact of the changes flowed through him.


    Thankfully, it didn¡¯t take long, leaving Jake free to summon his new status.


    Name - Jake Khesh


    Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon


    Class - Dungeon Noble - Squire


    Tier - I


    Rank - IV


    Dungeon Network - 1


    Plexus Strength - Minor


    Plexus Manifestations - 1/1


    Plexus Points - 0


    Traits


    Physical - Lesser Noble Constitution (I) - Rare- Descended from a Noble bloodline, you have a minor enhancement to physical characteristics.


    Skills


    Passive - Personal Plexus (I) - Very Rare - You gain the ability to bind Dungeons and form your own Plexus that may contain Dungeons of minor strength. Currently, Dungeons up to Tier I can be bound. Doubles the Wyrdgeld cost of advancing in Class Rank.


    Patron Gifts


    Passive - Agent of the Great Dungeon (I) - Very Rare - You are bound to the Great Dungeon by blood. Other followers of the Great Dungeon will recognise you and aid you as they may.


    Passive - Sense Dungeon (I) - Rare - As an agent of the Great Dungeon, you are able to passively sense the location of nearby Dungeons in a meagre range.


    Plexus Boons


    Hidden Fang - II - Granted by the Holrswar Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a dagger with inherent poisonous properties. Using the dagger, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Deed requirement to increase Tier


    1 - 5 Tier I or higher Dungeons bound


    2 - Rank X


    Requirements to increase to Rank V


    1 - 160 Wyrdgeld

 DN 47 - New Dungeon

    What felt like endless weeks of morning runs had trained Jake¡¯s body to the point that waking early was a regular habit. Even with the relative comfort of a bed, that habit kicked in, and Jake was downstairs with plenty of time for their deadline.


    Somehow, Jake wasn¡¯t surprised to see that Felix was already awake, and so was the old woman who seemed to run the inn. The woman shared a look with Felix before heading into the back and leaving the two of them alone.


    ¡°Take a seat, we¡¯ll eat and then head down to the Dungeon,¡± Felix said, waving for Jake to pick a chair. ¡°I can see a settling in your soul. Did you rank up?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Jake said with a barely restrained grin.


    ¡°Good. Don¡¯t spend anything else until you¡¯ve paid your tax, though. We don¡¯t need any reasons for the Triarchy to come looking for you,¡± Felix said, gracing Jake with the smallest hint of an approving smile.


    Jake stiffened and looked uncertainly to the door the innkeeper had left through when Jake entered. ¡°Should we be discussing that?¡±


    ¡°Anywhere else, no. This is as safe a place as you¡¯ll find, though,¡± Felix said, his expression hardening as he stared off into the distance. ¡°It hurts me to admit that many of our fellow Strovians would turn you in, but don¡¯t think that that means you are without allies.¡±


    Bizarre ideas of the innkeeper being some sort of revolutionary working against the Triarchy flitted through Jake¡¯s mind before he shook them off. Whatever was happening here, it wasn¡¯t his business.


    ¡°Were you able to increase the strength of your boon?¡± Felix asked, bringing the topic back to Jake¡¯s rank up.


    ¡°Yes, it took both the points I had, though. Should I summon it?¡± Jake had lost his active copy of the Boon when he ranked up, so it would just be the one summoning of the dagger today. Still, it wouldn¡¯t cost much to bring it out for Felix to see.


    ¡°No need, I¡¯m simply glad to know you¡¯re increasing in strength,¡± Felix said, opening his mouth to say more before cutting off as Alan joined them, and the innkeeper brought out a cooked breakfast for each of them.


    Everyone else but Ari joined them over the next ten minutes, each being served hot food on their arrival.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to go,¡± Felix said once they were all done, rising from the table and heading to the door. ¡°I want to get this done early enough that you can be in good shape for tomorrow. No need to fetch any equipment, either.¡±


    ¡°What does he mean by that?¡± Alan asked quietly, looking over to Jake for an answer.


    ¡°He said we were going to the tier two Dungeon today, so I guess it means we¡¯ll end up dying, and then he wants to make sure we can hit it again tomorrow.¡± Jake shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s only a guess, I don¡¯t really know.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± Rhew interjected as they all followed after Felix. ¡°We probably need to finish both the other Dungeons tomorrow to make sure we have Wyrdgeld spare for the tax.¡±


    ¡°Will that be enough?¡± Jake mentally checked how much he had and winced; after ranking up, he had just ten Wyrdgeld stored.


    ¡°We have four more full days after today, and we got an average of around thirty Wyrdgeld per run, so yes, we should be fine. If we can hit both of the tier-one Dungeons on the same day, then we¡¯ll have even more time to spare.¡±


    Jake nodded, feeling a little more reassured with Rhew talking it through. Felix had encouraged him to rank up when he could, and the older Classer had clearly been aware of their tax burden, so Jake could only assume he had a plan of some sort.


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    With his thoughts circling Wyrdgeld and how to best eke out as much from the Dungeon as he could, Jake followed alongside the others as Felix led them to the northern side of the town.


    ¡°Casthorpe is at the entrance of a tier two Dungeon, but also has two tier one Dungeons nearby, as you already know. You¡¯ve not had the opportunity to do your own research, so I will let you know that the tier two, which we are approaching now, is mainly based around fire. The initial monsters will be fire lizards and juvenile fire serpents.¡±


    ¡°Will my cold be more or less effective against them?¡± Rhew asked in a worried tone.


    ¡°A good question,¡± Felix looked back to give Rhew an approving nod. ¡°The initial monsters will be vulnerable to an extent, but the stronger the monsters get, the less effect you will have. It will also depend on the magic you use, but I will let you learn that organically.¡±


    Rhew sighed, but Jake gave her little attention, his eyes instead on the gates that had now come into view at the edge of the town. The gates were of a similar design to those in Port Emerald, no doubt marking the start of the local Dungeon Row and where any tolls would be applied.


    A few Classers were present, even this early into the day, but they barely had to wait before they were let through, a flash of Felix¡¯s association mark avoiding any tolls.


    The Patron Gift that let Jake sense Dungeons was tingling as they walked through the gates, letting Jake know that they were close despite it being out of sight.


    The town¡¯s Dungeon Row was considerably less extensive than the one in Port Emerald but was a lot more organised than the small settlement that they had all just come from.


    Felix ignored it all, however, and followed the road past all the shops, inns and association buildings until he came to a stop at a familiar building of metal and glass.


    As before, Ivaldi¡¯s store was the final one before the looming stone doors of the Dungeon, and both structures still felt slightly distorted to Jake when he focused on them.


    ¡°Please rearm yourselves from Ivaldi¡¯s stock, then we will begin our first delve,¡± Felix instructed, gesturing for them to carry on without him.


    More than familiar with the process, Jake led the way into Ivaldi¡¯s store without a second thought.


    Despite being told that Ivaldi was at every Dungeon entrance, it was still somewhat of a shock for Jake that the interior he entered was exactly the same as the last he¡¯d used.


    ¡°Jake Khesh, be welcome in my Domain,¡± Ivaldi¡¯s deep voice rumbled through the store as Jake entered, the man himself emerging from the darkness to take his usual seat a moment later. ¡°It is good to see that you have moved to a new Dungeon safely.¡±


    ¡°Wow, it really is the same,¡± Alan murmured as he entered the store, leaving Jake to simply nod in response to Ivaldi. They would have time to talk later when the others weren¡¯t present.


    ¡°Will it be your usual equipment?¡± Ivaldi asked once the five of them were all present.


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Jake was the first to answer as he moved over to where Ivaldi was sitting. As usual, Ivaldi reached out of sight to pull each piece of Jake¡¯s gear into view before setting them on the table. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure,¡± Ivaldi said, hesitating for a moment before continuing in little more than a whisper. ¡°Return later. There is someone you should meet.¡±


    Jake gave the barest of nods before taking his gear and heading back out of the store. He had no idea who Ivaldi might be referring to, but he would definitely be back later to find out.


    Felix waited until they¡¯d all come back outside before starting toward the doors of the Dungeon. ¡°As a note, I shall do as Ari has been doing and collect Wyrdgeld for you. I will complete any floor that you make it more than halfway through and add that to the total as well.¡±


    Jake could almost see Rhew perk up at that announcement, and he felt much the same. He hadn¡¯t been sure that Felix would follow the same approach as Ari.


    The foyer of the Dungeon was much the same as the last one that they had been in, but this time, there were four paths for them to take.


    Two of the four were already in use, so they hurried over to the closest of the others.


    ¡°Dungeon, my name is Felix Drusus. I am here as a non-combatant to watch and train these five. Once they fall, I will continue on as a full combatant.¡± Felix¡¯s voice was respectful as he spoke to the Dungeon.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this,¡± Jake gave the others an encouraging look as they descended down to the entrance for their path through the Dungeon.


    Shifting his shield onto his back for the moment, Jake pulled out one of his torches and set it alight, Rhew doing the same with one of hers.


    That done, they got into their usual formation, with Karl taking the central position. There was a brief pause where they all took a deep breath to ready themselves, and then they stepped into the darkness.

 DN 48 - Fire & Scale I

    The heat was the first thing Jake felt as he stepped into the Dungeon. It wasn¡¯t too bad, but it was a fair bit higher than outside, and once they started exerting themselves, it would be rough.


    Casting his gaze around their surroundings, Jake was relieved to see no obvious signs of any monsters in their immediate area.


    It would be good to get a feel for this new environment before they started fighting.


    The environment itself was very similar to the last Dungeon, with them standing in a tunnel of a similar size. Unlike before, however, there were a number of rocks scattered around the surface of the tunnel that glowed with a dim red light.


    Combined with their torches, it was enough to make everything a bit easier to see, which was definitely a good thing.


    ¡°Gods, I¡¯m almost overheating already,¡± Karl sighed as he took in their surroundings. ¡°This is going to be exhausting, isn''t it?¡±


    ¡°I might struggle with this one,¡± Rhew said with clear reluctance. She looked particularly unhappy with the heat, and her pale features were already flushed from just this short amount of exposure.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a hot summer, right? We can cope with this,¡± Alan said with forced cheerfulness.


    ¡°It will likely be hotter on the lower floors, from what I¡¯ve seen before,¡± Nepthys said, giving Rhew an apologetic shrug as the ashen-haired Caster slumped and sighed.


    ¡°Well, the sooner we start, the sooner it¡¯s over,¡± Jake said, taking a few steps forward to peer down the tunnel.


    ¡°Agreed, let¡¯s go,¡± Karl said as he took the lead while Jake and Nepthys fell in just behind him.


    For his part, Jake was careful to keep a close watch on the tunnel walls for any hidden creatures that might be lying in ambush. He was sure Alan was already doing so, but it didn¡¯t hurt to be safe.


    Passing near one of the glowing rocks, Jake felt the oppressive heat of the tunnel grow slightly stronger for a moment.


    Stepping back and holding a hand near the stone, Jake winced before pulling away. ¡°The stones are adding to the heat, so it might be a little better when we¡¯re in a larger space.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s movement up ahead,¡± Karl called back, bringing everyone¡¯s attention to the front as a large lizard stepped into view.


    The lizard was a bright and vivid red colour with ridges running down from the back of its head to the base of its tail. The whole creature was about five to six feet long, with a third of that being its tail.


    The creature¡¯s jaws were wide and thickly built, so Jake had no illusions that tangling up close with it would lead to some nasty bite wounds.


    ¡°That¡¯s a big lizard. Alan, do you want to try?¡± Jake asked, looking over to their archer questioningly.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Alan drew an arrow, his eyes flashing with a hint of grey as he took his shot. With a slow-moving target out in the open at a short range, it was no surprise that Alan was able to catch the creature in its eye, ending the fight before it could begin.


    ¡°Nice shot, Alan!¡± Jake gave the Scholar a nod as they all approached the fallen beast.


    ¡°Those scales look tough. They might get annoying,¡± Karl said as he crouched down over the creature and looked it over before drawing its Wyrdgeld.


    ¡°They don¡¯t look too bad. Besides, it seemed quite slow. I think we¡¯ll find this Dungeon fairly straightforward,¡± Alan said, reclaiming his arrow as he spoke. ¡°I mean, we could kill quite a few of these lizards without too much issue.¡±


    Silence answered Alan¡¯s comment as they all stopped and stared at the Scholar. Even Felix seemed incredulous at such a cavalier statement.


    ¡°Gods damn it, Alan,¡± Jake shook his head in a mixture of disbelief and exasperation. ¡°You need to stop.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, that¡¯s just superstition. We¡¯re going to be fine,¡± Alan waved away Jake¡¯s words, just as he¡¯d done in the past.


    Jake groaned and looked to the rest of the team for support, but no one seemed willing to argue with the Scholar.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move on; this heat is horrid,¡± Rhew said, wiping her brow as she grew increasingly more red-faced.


    Nodding, Karl took the lead once more, and they pushed deeper into the tunnel.


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    The environment didn¡¯t change as they progressed, the only change being the lizards they came across. Oddly, the lizards seemed quite reactive in nature, and Alan was able to pick them off without issue.


    The final area of the first floor was a larger open space with numerous glowing hot rocks around to make sure they were careful where they stepped.


    The lizards were waiting out in the open, but once Alan took down the first, the rest exploded into motion. The big lizards moved with surprising speed as they sprinted to the party.


    Thankfully, they¡¯d been expecting just this reaction, so a hail of ice caught one in the face, a temporary shield from Nepthys blocked another, and the third ran directly into Karl¡¯s infused strike.


    Jake had infused his blade when the charge began and was quick to rush forward and plunge it into the dazed lizard that Nepthys had blocked.


    ¡°Not too bad; they¡¯re far less aggressive than the rats, though,¡± Jake said as he drew out the Wyrdgeld from the creature he¡¯d killed.


    ¡°Yeah, I wonder if that will be the same all the way through?¡± Alan pulled his arrow free and checked to see if it was usable before casting it aside. ¡°Or will things change later?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve not been through many Dungeons, but the ones I have are consistent. Monster behaviour doesn¡¯t abruptly change, but neither does it carry between types. What these lizards are like will have no impact on anything else down here.¡± Nepthys explained softly as they moved over to the exit to the second floor.


    It was rare to get information from Nepthys from her time before joining them. Jake got the impression that Inquisitors spent a lot less time in Dungeons than most Classers.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be careful then. Things might change soon, like when we encounter the krok flies,¡± Jake said, somewhat concerned that their confidence might stray too far and become arrogance. He¡¯d had enough good days be utterly ruined to be wary of feeling too secure.


    Grouping at the entrance, they turned back to Felix expectantly, but the older Classer waved for them to continue. ¡°I will provide any feedback at the end.¡±


    Sharing a concerned look with the rest of the team, Jake pushed open the door to the second floor and walked into the darkness.


    -**-


    The second floor was much of the same, though it featured more of the wider spaces.


    The second floor was also the first time that Alan missed a shot at a fire lizard¡¯s head. The arrow instead struck its flank at an oblique angle before skittering across the scales.


    The mostly uninjured fire lizard hissed at them before sprinting forward with surprising speed in response, only to receive a face full of ice from Rhew.


    ¡°Definitely tougher than they seem. Looks like having a good archer is a hard counter, though,¡± Karl said, giving Alan an approving look as the Scholar claimed the Wyrdgeld from the fallen monster.


    ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll be as tough as those murk hounds, so we should still be effective against them without using any Wyrd,¡± Jake said, testing the point of his sword against the scales of the creature before nodding. ¡°Tougher than the rats, weaker than the murk hounds.¡±


    ¡°Thick scales won¡¯t protect them from heavy impacts,¡± Karl said, hefting his hammer with a grin. ¡°Sounds like a problem for you stabby people.¡±


    Jake rolled his eyes at Karl before motioning for them to continue. ¡°Come on, I feel like we¡¯re going to melt down here at this rate.¡±


    Gathering together, they pushed on to the end of the second floor, finishing off with a fight very similar to that of the first floor, but with a few more of the lizards.


    Looking at everything from an impartial point of view, Jake was fairly confident that this Dungeon was slightly harder than the other. If they were coming into this blind, then he had a feeling these lizards would be more of a challenge.


    It would be interesting to find out if that was because this Dungeon was a higher tier or if it was just that Alan had let them avoid most of the problems with the rats.


    They had a short break to drink some water and rest for a few minutes, but with the heat being what it was, they soon pushed on to the third floor.


    The immediate change that Jake noticed was that where the first two floors had been a hot and dry heat, this new floor was cooler but particularly humid.


    ¡°Oh damn, that¡¯s much better,¡± Rhew commented as soon as they stepped into the third floor. ¡°Could do without that humidity, though. Feels like I¡¯m walking through soup.¡±


    ¡°Looks like those hot stones are gone from this floor,¡± Jake commented as he eyed the short tunnel ahead of them that opened up into a larger area. ¡°That makes it a lot darker, though, we should be careful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out,¡± Alan said, his eyes flashing grey as he swept his gaze over their surroundings. ¡°Nothing right here. We¡¯re good to advance.¡±


    ¡°Is the third floor where we first encountered the krok flies?¡± Karl asked as he led them out into the larger cave-like area.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, so it might be something new here as well,¡± Jake said, noticing that the terrain around them was slightly different.


    Unlike the previous floor, the area here was still rocky and heated, but there was a pool of water in the centre, as well as numerous smaller patches scattered around the exterior.


    The water itself was steaming slightly, which Jake guessed was the source of the humidity on this floor. The steam also gave some of the area some slight concealment, but there were no monsters that Jake could see.


    ¡°Anyone see anything?¡± Jake asked, starting to feel an itch on the back of his neck as he looked around the room. This was feeling more and more like a trap.


    ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s nothing in the first area to let us get used to this new environment?¡± Karl offered hesitantly as he slowly advanced forward, his hammer at the ready.


    Jake grunted, not believing that there was nothing here with them for a second. More and more, he was becoming certain that whatever monsters were in here were hidden.


    They reached the centre of the room and moved around the large pool carefully, with Nepthys falling back to cover the rear of the group as Karl pushed on ahead.


    A flicker of movement to Jake¡¯s right brought his eyes round to the pool of steaming water, and he caught a brief shimmer of something darker within it.


    Frowning, Jake took a half-step closer and held his torch closer, trying to see what had caught his eye.


    ¡°Jake, what is it?¡± Alan asked, stopping next to him and looking over to the pool as he used his Skill. ¡°Shit!¡±


    Alan dove to one side as the pool exploded outwards, scalding water spraying over them as a pair of dark shapes erupted out.


    One snapped out to strike Alan¡¯s ankle, while the other went straight for Jake¡¯s throat.

 DN 49 - Fire & Scale II

    Jake jerked back away from the sudden movement as fast as he could, hot breath washing over him as a fang sliced across the very edge of his neck.


    Backpedalling from the water, Jake dropped his torch as a heavy weight fell onto him and immediately began to wrap around his leg.


    Scalding hot water was liberally soaking Jake¡¯s clothes as his mind caught up enough to see a snake that was as thick as his arm rearing back to strike at his neck once more.


    An attempt at batting the snake back stopped it from striking at his neck, but instead, a pair of fangs sunk into the flesh of his hand as the snake tightened its grip on him.


    Gritting his teeth against the pain, Jake twisted his hand to grab the snake¡¯s head as best he could, feeling the fangs dig in as blood poured out of its mouth.


    Dropping the unwieldy sword in his right hand, Jake conjured his dagger and stabbed it into the snake just behind its head.


    The snake convulsed violently as the poison in Jake¡¯s dagger went to work, swiftly killing it but doing further damage to his hand in the process.


    Dismissing his dagger once more, Jake pried the snake¡¯s jaw open, hissing in pain as some of its blood dripped onto him and burnt his hand.


    The snake¡¯s blood was even hotter than the water around them; he could already feel the skin on his right hand blistering.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Jake all but threw the snake away as he shook his hand and hissed in pain. ¡°Watch out for their blood!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got it,¡± Nepthys said, her long blade flicking out to stab the remaining snake before it could finish readying for a new strike. Thick blood oozed out of the snake and sizzled against Nepthys¡¯s sword, but a flick away from the rest of them cleared it off.


    ¡°Damn, those are nasty,¡± Rhew said, moving closer to eye the dead snakes. ¡°Knowing they were hiding in the water makes my skin crawl.¡±


    ¡°At least they¡¯re not rats,¡± Karl muttered to himself before looking over to Alan and Jake. ¡°You two okay?¡±


    ¡°It was close, but I¡¯m fine, just some burns and a couple of holes,¡± Jake said, looking down at the reddened part of his hand and wincing a little as he saw where the fangs had dug into him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine as well. I caught them right as they moved, so the initial attack missed,¡± Alan said, looking over to Jake with a guilty expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t see them sooner.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. We know where to look for them now,¡± Jake said, looking over at the remaining patches of water in the room. ¡°Can you check those as well, make sure we got them all?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, give me a moment,¡± Alan moved a little closer to the other, smaller pools and used his Skill, staring into each of them in turn. ¡°I think we¡¯re clear.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not certain?¡± Karl asked, his brows furrowing as he looked around them.


    ¡°I think I didn¡¯t see those ones as I was focusing on the walls and any nooks something could hide in, like we¡¯ve seen before. I don¡¯t know for sure, though, as I didn¡¯t see anything until they were attacking.¡± Alan seemed to hunch in on himself before he began to edge closer to the nearest body of water.


    Nepthys held up a hand to stop Alan and waved for him to step back. ¡°I¡¯ll test them. My shield will give me some protection if there are more.¡±


    Alan nodded thankfully, and they watched as Nepthys checked each section of water before eventually confirming that the room was clear.


    ¡°Let¡¯s test the next area and see if that¡¯s the case. If it is, we¡¯ll deal with it,¡± Jake said, walking over to pat Alan on the shoulder with his good hand. ¡°This is a learning experience; don¡¯t let it get to you.¡±


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    ¡°Thanks, Jake,¡± Alan said, letting out a sigh before looking over and noticing the puncture wound and burns on Jake¡¯s hand. ¡°Are you not going to drink a potion for that?¡±


    Jake began to shake his head before pausing and considering if he should. He¡¯d been planning to push through the pain and save the potions for something nastier,  but his hand felt tight and swollen, which wasn¡¯t great.


    Grimacing to himself, Jake took one of his two potions and poured some over the burn before drinking the rest. At least this way, he¡¯d be going into the rest of the floor in good condition.


    Jake¡¯s torch had guttered out on the damp stone, so he lit his second and reclaimed his sword, dismissing his dagger once more as he did.


    ¡°So, is that dagger some sort of Skill?¡± Karl asked as they moved out of the humid room and into a curved tunnel.


    ¡°Yeah, sort of,¡± Jake said, somewhat awkwardly. He wasn¡¯t foolish enough to think that no one would question the dagger, but he still didn¡¯t want to try and explain it.


    ¡°Looks powerful; what did you do to earn it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s, erm, related to my Class. I don¡¯t think you could earn it.¡± Jake abruptly found himself thankful for the humid air in the Dungeon; it gave a perfect excuse for the flush in his cheeks.


    ¡°Fair enough, not sure it¡¯s really my style anyway,¡± Karl said with a shrug, being careful to keep his eyes on the tunnel ahead of them.


    Jake nodded, letting out a subtle sigh of relief that Karl had dropped the subject so easily. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re coming to another open space. Alan, do you want to take a look first?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let me get a bit closer,¡± Alan came forward to stand next to them as they reached the entrance of another cave. This particular one had far more of the smaller pools, as well as angular boulders concealing some parts of the room from them.


    ¡°Anything?¡± Jake looked over at the Scholar questioningly, relaxing a little as he saw the hint of a relieved smile on Alan¡¯s face.


    ¡°There and there, I can just about see the snakes. They blend in really well, but now I know what I¡¯m looking for. It¡¯s not too bad.¡±


    ¡°Think you can take them out?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got this,¡± Alan said with surprising confidence as he drew an arrow and lined up the first shot. ¡°Just need to correct for the water, which puts it about right there.¡± Alan loosed the arrow, and they watched intently as it plunged into the pool and disappeared from sight.


    Alan didn¡¯t wait to see the result of the first shot, instead turning and firing at the second snake, catching it right as it began to surge out of the water.


    ¡°Looks like hitting one brings them all out to play,¡± Jake said, reaching out to stop Alan from moving forward. ¡°Give it a moment.¡±


    Alan looked confused until two more snakes slithered around from behind one of the boulders and began to rapidly close with them.


    As surprisingly quick as they were, the snakes were easily picked off before they got even halfway to the group, and they were able to pick over the rest of the room at their leisure.


    With Alan¡¯s perceptive Skill and growing experience with a bow, they were able to repeat the same approach twice more, bringing them to the end of the third floor, having suffered only the initial burns to Jake.


    Finishing the final room, they were in the process of sweeping it for anything interesting when Rhew stopped in her tracks. ¡°Wait, is that what I think that is?¡±


    Looking over, Jake immediately saw what had caught Rhew¡¯s eye. The door to the fourth floor was there, as expected, but there was a Challenge door as well.


    Satisfied that there were no remaining snakes, Jake hurried over to join Rhew as she looked over the carvings on the door.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really get it.¡± Rhew turned to Jake with a slightly perplexed expression. ¡°What¡¯s it meant to be?¡±


    The carvings showed a few generic delvers scattered around an area, all seemingly looking for something. An hourglass and a hand were carved above it all, but the only monster that Jake could see in the carving was a snake that was next to one of the delvers but was beneath a rock and not attacking them.


    ¡°Is it a hunt?¡± Jake pointed to the rock and the hidden snake. ¡°We have to find a snake or something?¡±


    ¡°That hourglass means we¡¯re timed as well,¡± Nepthys said with a heavy sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve done one of these before. That hand at the top means that¡¯s what we¡¯re wagering.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Jake stopped examining the carvings and turned to Nepthys with a shocked expression. ¡°Did you say we¡¯re wagering a hand?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nepthys gave them a grim nod. ¡°If we fail the Challenge, someone has to give up one of their hands for us to be able to leave. You won¡¯t bleed out or be injured beyond that, but losing it this way will damage your soul. You won¡¯t lose it permanently, though.¡±


    ¡°I think we should do it,¡± Karl said with a determined expression. ¡°I can lose a hand and still manage if needed, but it¡¯s a chance for more rewards, and our tax is due soon.¡±


    ¡°I hate to agree, but I can¡¯t argue with that,¡± Jake said tiredly, already dreading doing this Challenge again in the future.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done one of these before, and the group I was with failed, but we lacked someone like you, Alan. Your Skill will be invaluable here.¡±


    Jake could see the panic building in Alan¡¯s eyes at the pressure that was abruptly dropped on him, and he quickly spoke up before Nepthys could continue. ¡°We¡¯re still all going to give it our all, though. It would be stupid to put this all on Alan.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, we need this,¡± Rhew said, eyeing the Challenge door hungrily.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait here for you. Good luck,¡± Felix said, moving over to lean against a nearby wall with an impassive look on his face.


    ¡°Alright, here we go,¡± Jake whispered to himself as he opened the door to the Challenge and stepped inside.

 DN 50 - Needing a Hand

    Jake stepped out into what seemed to be very similar to the area they¡¯d seen for the last Challenge. There were a few differences to match this new Dungeon, but functionally, it was the same.


    ¡°So, I know that it¡¯s too late,¡± Karl said, clearing his throat awkwardly. ¡°But are we definitely, absolutely certain that we don¡¯t lose anything permanently?¡±


    ¡°I lost once, and I still have both hands,¡± Nepthys said with a shrug. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate how bad it is, though. Soul damage is nothing to shrug off.¡±


    ¡°I can handle pain,¡± Karl said in a dark tone before looking over to the end of the area where the ramp had been last time. ¡°Huh, this bit¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I hadn¡¯t noticed that yet,¡± Jake said, looking over to where the previous ramp and battlements had been replaced by a wall of dark stone. In the centre of the wall was a raised section, which was about the right size and shape for a door.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯ll open once we start things off,¡± Karl said, glancing over to the hourglass that sat prominently in the centre of the space.


    ¡°Let¡¯s all wait down there while someone turns it. That way, we can get straight to it,¡± Rhew said as she put action to words and started over to the far end.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. You all get into position,¡± Jake said, moving over to the pedestal that held the hourglass. He waited for a few moments while the others got into position before reaching out and turning the hourglass over.


    A slight rumble rocked the room as the raised section of wall lowered into the ground, revealing a poorly lit cavern awash with steam.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find this snake!¡± Rhew called out excitedly as she dashed into the new area, the others fanning out behind her as Jake hurried over.


    Alan and Rhew had gone left, while Nepthys and Karl had gone right, so Jake went straight down the centre of the cavern, looking for anything that was out of place.


    Fortunately, there were no pools of water for a snake to hide in, so it seemed to simply be a case of locating whatever nook or cranny the monster had hidden itself in.


    Despite the lack of water, the amount of steam in the air was surprisingly high, though that question was answered when Jake saw a crack in the wall up above them give out a gout of steam.


    ¡°Where is the damn thing,¡± Nepthys grumbled off to Jake¡¯s right as she overturned a rock.


    ¡°How long do we even have?¡± Rhew called as they searched, getting only a tense silence in response.


    Their search only grew more frantic as the snake continued to elude them, even with Alan using his Skill as often as he could.


    Jake felt sweat dripping down his face as he dragged a rock to one side to look into a small hole it had been mostly blocking. There were just too many places to hide, and the oppressive heat was really starting to get to them all.


    A feeling of pressure started to build in the air around them as they carried on searching. It almost reminded Jake of the feeling of a thunderstorm approaching but inverted.


    ¡°That¡¯s the signal that we¡¯re running out of time,¡± Nepthys called out in a breathy voice as she retraced her steps.


    Jake grimaced and pushed himself to move faster, trying to think of the places they hadn¡¯t looked yet. They just hadn¡¯t been organised enough for that, though, and for all he knew, he was checking over something that had already been done.


    The pressure steadily grew as their time ran out until it vanished altogether.


    ¡°There it is, got it!¡± Karl shouted, lunging forward to crush the skull of a snake that was emerging from a hole a few feet off the ground on the left side.


    ¡°Too late, we failed the Challenge,¡± Nepthys said, panting heavily as she tried to catch her breath. ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Silence fell across them all as they took in Nepthys¡¯s words and realised what their failure entailed.


    Jake closed his eyes as he felt cold nausea roil in his gut. He¡¯d been riding high on their string of successes and hadn¡¯t really considered what failure would mean.


    Slowly, they all gathered at the door they¡¯d entered through, which now had the symbol of a hand on it, with a circular opening below.


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    ¡°I feel sick,¡± Rhew muttered, turning away from the door with a pale expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I took on the wager. I¡¯ll do it,¡± Karl said firmly as he walked up to the door and took a deep breath to steady himself before placing his left hand into the hole.


    Jake¡¯s respect and admiration for Karl went up at the unflinching way his fellow Classer stood up to the mark. For all the fear and worry in his eyes, Karl¡¯s hand was steady as it went into the darkness.


    Karl ended up with everything from his elbow down within the dark interior, the big man sharing a worried look with Jake before his eyes went wide, and he yanked his arm back out with a cry of pain.


    Karl¡¯s hand was gone, his arm ending in a stump of bloodied flesh just before his wrist. Blood was streaming from the wound, and Karl¡¯s already pale expression turned strained as he staggered backwards.


    ¡°Hold him,¡± Nepthys snapped, already moving to Karl with a potion in hand, pouring part over the stump before giving the rest to Karl to drink. ¡°There, that will numb the worst of it.¡±


    ¡°Gods damn it,¡± Karl gasped, his chest heaving as he grabbed his wrist with his hand and stared down at the stump. For all that the blood had been pouring out, the actual wound was quite clean and had already begun to heal, thanks to the potion. ¡°It felt like something ripped it clean off. Thanks for the potion, Nepthys.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possibly one of the worst experiences of my life,¡± Nepthys said with a shudder, giving Karl¡¯s shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. ¡°Thankfully, I don¡¯t spend much time in Dungeons usually, so it¡¯s only been the once.¡±


    A deep grinding sound came from the door as it slowly lowered into the ground. Its payment received.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get out of here and take a rest,¡± Jake said, eyeing Karl¡¯s missing hand. The Dungeon¡¯s method of taking it had been both better and worse than Jake had expected.


    Karl nodded absently with a glazed look in his eyes that worried Jake more than the blood had.


    ¡°Come on, Karl,¡± Rhew said softly, taking Karl by the elbow and leading him through the dark portal that had replaced the stone door.


    Sharing a concerned look with Alan and Nepthys, Jake followed through after them, emerging back in the corridor with Felix.


    Karl was already sitting against the far wall, staring down at his stump with a distant expression, while Rhew hovered over him uncertainly.


    ¡°Take a rest,¡± Felix said, motioning subtly towards Karl. ¡°Losing a limb in combat is one thing, but losing it like this can often be worse mentally.¡±


    ¡°A rest would be good,¡± Alan said faintly, rubbing his temples as he took a seat against the warm rock. ¡°I used my Skill too much there. I didn¡¯t want to say anything, not with what Karl had to do, but a rest would be good.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was a lot,¡± Jake said, groaning slightly as he took a seat on the hard rock. He was pretty sure he¡¯d pulled a muscle while shifting a heavy rock during their frenetic searching. ¡°A few minutes will do us good.¡±


    -**-


    The few minutes turned into almost thirty in the end, but by that point, Karl had gotten himself back together. He still seemed somewhat disorientated by his missing hand, but he was in good enough shape to continue, which was what mattered right now.


    Nepthys did make sure to reassure Karl that his hand would come back once he died in the Dungeon. While that was no doubt good for Karl to hear, it did make Jake wonder how many Classers deliberately died to heal any disfiguring wounds they took during their delve.


    The more Jake knew about delving, the more he was shocked that any of the high-tier Classers were still sane.


    Shaking off his musings, Jake focused on the Dungeon as they moved onto the fourth floor. Karl wasn¡¯t going to be at his peak, so Jake needed to step up.


    Thankfully, the fourth floor seemed to be a fairly straightforward mix of the second and third floors.


    Dark obsidian spikes dominated each of the three areas within the floor, with pools of steaming water around the exterior. The lizards they¡¯d already seen clustered around the obsidian, while snakes were hidden within the water.


    Engaging any of them brought all the attackers to them, so invariably, they began with Alan and Rhew attacking the lizards to whittle down their numbers.


    Jake did his best to shoulder the majority of the close-in fighting that happened on the floor, but Karl still had to step in to help once or twice.


    Thankfully, a little bit of fighting seemed to help Karl come back to himself, and by the time they moved to the fifth floor, he was close to his normal self.


    -**-


    The uncomfortable heat of the first four floors was intensified on the fifth floor, making it truly oppressive. Unlike the last few floors, however, it was a dry heat coming from a series of burning rocks scattered throughout the cavern before them.


    As they¡¯d seen in the last Dungeon, the first Guardian floor was a single large space. Unlike the last one, however, the burning rocks illuminated everything with flickering lights.


    ¡°While I¡¯m glad for the illumination, somehow this is worse,¡± Alan muttered, his eyes locked on the centre of the cavern.


    A huge slab of dark-colour rock sat proudly on display, with a dozen or more chunks of obsidian scattered around it and several of the burning rocks.


    As impressive as all that was, what was catching Alan¡¯s eye was the creature sunning itself atop the rock.


    The monster was clearly kin to the lizards they¡¯d been fighting, but where they were bright red, it was a shade or two darker. The creature was also at least ten feet from nose to tail, with its tail being just a third of that. It was double the size of what they¡¯d seen so far, and much of that increase went to thicker scales and a beefier body.


    ¡°There¡¯s something about its claws. They look darker than the others,¡± Alan murmured, his eyes glinting with grey energy as he used his Skill. ¡°There¡¯s two more hidden within the burning rocks as well, though they are curled up tightly. Not quite as large as the first, but still much bigger than the others.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to assume they¡¯re on the same level of toughness as a murk hound,¡± Jake said slowly, his gaze not leaving the huge lizard that was sleeping soundly on the rock. ¡°I can likely kill one with my dagger if I can get a hit somewhere sensitive, but otherwise, this will be tough.¡±


    ¡°I could land a shot at its eye while it sleeps. We¡¯re a good distance away, but I¡¯ve been practising,¡± Alan said, drawing an arrow from his quiver as he spoke.


    Jake took a breath, part of him absently noticing how they all turned to him for the final verdict. ¡°Do it.¡±

 DN 51 - Fire & Scale III

    Alan¡¯s arrow flew straight and true, finding its mark in the eye of the sleeping monster.


    The screeching of agony filled the cavern as the Enhanced monster reared back, blood flowing from its eye, though far less than Jake would have hoped for.


    ¡°There were scales over its eyes while it slept. From how little penetration my arrow got, I think they are the same as murk hound fur,¡± Alan said quickly, a second arrow leaving his bow a moment later as the three monsters bounded clear of their resting places and began to charge directly at them.


    Jake, Karl and Nepthys moved forward to intercept the lizards as arrows and ice flew past them, striking the largest of the monsters and digging into damage on its face.


    Alan seemed to have been right about the scales, as more than one of his arrows skittered harmlessly across them to no effect. Rhew was having just as hard a time with her magic, but Jake had a feeling that was more due to this Dungeon than their scales.


    Having an ice Caster in a fire Dungeon was tough, but at least she wasn¡¯t a fire Caster. Jake doubted fire would do anything to these creatures, and losing half of their ranged attackers would be bad.


    The three lizards seemed to content to take them on individually, which Jake had a feeling was both good and bad.


    Jake had already cast aside his torch; there was no need for it in here, after all. Instead, he manifested his dagger in his free hand and met the large lizard head-on.


    While the lizard was long and powerfully built, it lacked the reach Jake had with his sword, letting him control the first few moments of combat by cutting at its eyes.


    The monster ducked its head, retreating slightly and hissing as it did. Oddly, the ridges running down its spine seemed to be glowing slightly, but Jake was already committed to his follow-up.


    Moving in with a jab at the monster¡¯s face, Jake slid around to the creature¡¯s flank and tried to get in closer to use his dagger. To his surprise, however, the lizard merely closed its eyes to protect them before opening its mouth, hissing angrily as flames shot out.


    Jake¡¯s eyes went wide as a gout of flames enveloped his right leg, burning away his clothing and searing him badly as he got out of the way. Thankfully, he¡¯d already been moving in that direction. Otherwise, it would have been far worse.


    Knowing that he¡¯d been lucky was a cold comfort to Jake as he bit back a cry of pain, forcing his protesting leg to keep moving as the lizard whipped around to rush for him.


    Pushing his Wyrd down into his sword, Jake infused his blade with power, realising that he was moving too slowly to keep away from the monster for much longer.


    The lizard¡¯s spinal ridge had gone dark when it breathed flame but was starting to glow once more, which meant that Jake was out of time.


    Moving forward instead of back, Jake slashed down at the creature¡¯s head, this time cutting deep into its neck as the Wyrd in his blade let him cut through its scales.


    The monster writhed and shook in pain, knocking Jake¡¯s blade from his hand before lunging up at him.


    Jake tried to dodge to one side, but his badly burnt leg gave way, and he was forced down under the weight of the beast as its jaws snapped down towards his head.


    Pushing up with all his strength, Jake was just able to keep the jaws from snapping shut on his face while he plunged his dagger up into the soft scales of its belly.


    Since his injury during the fight with the Corrupters, Jake had been struggling to regain the muscle strength in his left arm. Thankfully, however, the weight of the monster helped the poisoned dagger drive deep into its body, where it did its work.


    Blood was steaming from the creature¡¯s neck as it struggled with him, one of its forelegs striking his side as it tried to get away from the dagger. Even with an offhand strike, the dark claws of the monster tore right through Jake¡¯s flesh with ease, making him gasp in pain and almost slip on his hold.


    In the end, though, the wounds that Jake had dealt were too much for the lizard, and he rolled its body off of him before fumbling a potion up to his mouth.


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    Lying back, Jake let the potion numb the pain and get to work healing the worst of the damage. He¡¯d lost a lot of blood to the wound in his side as well, so he was feeling a little lightheaded.


    ¡°Jake, are you okay?¡± Alan called out, making Jake look over to see that the other two lizards had likewise been dispatched.


    Nepthys seemed unharmed but winded, while Karl had a number of deep gouges in his leg that Rhew was binding as he drank a potion.


    They were nearing the end of their potion supply, but that wasn¡¯t too surprising. Jake was happy enough that they made it this far while being unfamiliar with the Dungeon.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be okay,¡± Jake called back after a moment before dropping his head back once more. ¡°Those things were damn tough.¡±


    ¡°Not as fast as a murk hound, and not as strong either, but with other benefits to balance that,¡± Nepthys said thoughtfully as she inspected the corpse of the largest of the three.


    ¡°That¡¯s putting it lightly,¡± Jake said with a laugh that turned into a pained grunt. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting flaming breath, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°Be thankful that they seemed limited on how often they can use that,¡± Nepthys said, coming over and wincing at the burns on Jake¡¯s leg. ¡°This will likely not heal until we finish the Dungeon.¡±


    Jake snorted as he levered himself up to a sitting position. ¡°A polite way of saying until we¡¯re all dead.¡±


    ¡°Well, I was trying to put a good spin on it,¡± Nepthys said, rolling her eyes as she reached down and helped Jake to his feet. ¡°Do you need another potion?¡±


    ¡°How many do we have left?¡± Jake winced as he put weight on his burnt leg; it seemed that most of the potion had gone to healing his side.


    ¡°Not many, but I think they¡¯d be better spent preparing us for the next floor than being held in reserve.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, not a bad point,¡± Jake said, taking a potion from Nepthys and knocking it back with a sigh of relief.


    Fortunately, Karl and Jake were the only two to be injured fighting the Enhanced lizards, so they drew the Wyrdgeld from them before moving on to the chest that held the rewards for completing the tier.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what we have,¡± Alan said eagerly as he opened the chest, letting out a low whistle as he pulled out several cloth sacks. ¡°Looks like twenty Wyrdgeld in coins and two sacks of ten individually wrapped cuts of meat. They look kind of familiar as well.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jake asked, taking the coins from Alan and adding them to his belt.


    ¡°Last night¡¯s stew, looks like we know where the meat comes from,¡± Alan said, pulling out a wrapped steak to show them before dropping it back in.


    ¡°Makes sense, I suppose,¡± Jake said, thinking back on how good the Wyrdfruit were. It did make him wonder what else the Dungeon would give out, though.


    ¡°Will those go bad?¡± Rhew asked, frowning a little at the bag Alan passed her.


    ¡°Any rewards or resources you have harvested will degrade as normal when taken,¡± Felix said, coming forward to look at the reward before nodding to himself. ¡°The normal speed of spoilage for anything infused with Wyrd is quite slow, however, so it won¡¯t be an issue for this delve.¡±


    ¡°Good to know,¡± Jake murmured as they secured their rewards before heading over to the door down to the next floor. As good as this was, he was itching to move forward.


    This would be Jake¡¯s first time going past the first five floors of a Dungeon, and he was both excited and more than a little nervous. Nepthys had said that floor six was a jump in difficulty, but he didn¡¯t know how much of a jump.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we beat the first tier Guardian floor; that means something,¡± Alan said as they gathered around the door down to the next floor. ¡°We might not be ready to finish the next set of floors completely, but we can definitely do the first few. I mean, how much worse can it get?¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Alan.¡± Jake sighed and walked down to the doors, pushing them open and stepping through as Alan asked Rhew why she was glaring at him.


    -**-


    Jake was the first out onto the new floor, giving him a moment to wipe his brow and take a sip of water. The heat was a step down from the Guardian floor, but it was by no means comfortable.


    Floor six began with a short tunnel that curved sharply to the right, so Jake waited patiently for the rest of his group to arrive before moving forward. After coming this far, it would be frustrating to die in an ambush, after all.


    ¡°Well, I probably should have expected that,¡± Alan said as they rounded the corner and saw what lay in wait.


    A large stone with a flat top jutted out of the ground in the centre of a cavern filled with all manner of rocks and boulders. One of the giant lizards was stretched out atop the large stone as though basking, as they¡¯d seen before.


    Ten of the smaller lizards were lying around the base of the rock, intermixed with chunks of obsidian, much like on the previous floor.


    This fight was objectively easier, but Jake could see an opening on the far side where the floor continued, so this was far from all they would be dealing with.


    Getting ready, they kicked things off with a synchronised assault from Rhew and Alan on the sleeping monster, wounding it badly. The two of them then kept the pressure on it as it tried to reach them, eventually bringing it down just before it got halfway to them.


    At the same time, Jake, Karl and Nepthys dealt with the ten normal lizards that charged straight at them.


    Fortunately, a few shields from Nepthys staggered their arrival, and a single blow from an infused attack was enough to kill one.


    Nepthys took the brunt of the attack for them, using the benefits of her higher rank to move faster and react quicker than her foes. Both of her blades were constantly in motion as she reaped the attacking lizards while dancing past their clumsy bites.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Jake said under his breath, looking at Nepthys in a new light as she slipped past the last lizard and beheaded it with a flick of her wrist.


    Alan turned to Jake with a smile, starting to say something before pausing as Jake glared at him. ¡°Just don¡¯t, Alan. Don¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Superstitious nonsense,¡± Alan muttered, rolling his eyes as he went to gather as many arrows as could be salvaged from the body of the Enhanced lizard.


    Shaking his head, Jake went to gather the Wyrdgeld from the nearby lizards.

 DN 52 - Fire & Scale IV

    Once they were prepared, they moved on as a group, Felix trailing slightly behind them with a neutral expression.


    The opening Jake had seen led them through an area that was almost a replica of the first, with the same number and type of monsters present.


    Using the same tactics as before, they were able to clear the room without too much incident. The need for Rhew and Alan to focus down the Enhanced lizard was starting to eat into their reserves, though.


    Alan was down to half his arrows, while Rhew was starting to look a little strained, even with her taking it easier at the beginning.


    The third cavern was exactly the same again, and though that was good for their Wyrdgeld, Jake was starting to get worried.


    The fourth floor held roughly fourteen monsters in total, whereas there were over thirty on this floor. Not to mention that three of them were Enhanced.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the Enhanced this time,¡± Jake said, drawing his dagger and nodding to Alan to kick things off.


    It was time to mix things up a bit.


    Alan hesitated slightly at Jake¡¯s declaration before nodding and taking his shot, his eyes glinting with Wyrd as he sent an arrow flashing through the air to strike the monster in the side of the head.


    As before, the response from the monsters was unanimous and direct, but this time, the smaller lizards were immediately under fire from Alan and Rhew.


    Jake had swapped his dagger to his right hand in preparation for the charge, not wanting to risk using his weaker arm. He¡¯d noticed that all of the lizards had a tendency to dip their heads and protect their eyes but otherwise didn¡¯t dodge ranged attacks.


    Cocking his arm back, Jake waited until the creature was almost on top of him before throwing his dagger, planting it right at the base of the lizard¡¯s neck.


    The Hidden Fang dagger cut through the scales with a burst of power, digging in deep enough to pump its poisonous energy into the monster.


    Dismissing the dagger, Jake resummoned it and threw it again. Lots of practice meant that Jake could place the dagger exactly where he wanted to, so this time, he aimed for a weak spot beneath a joint.


    Despite not being a throwing knife, the dagger was perfectly balanced for what Jake needed, and as the monster reeled back from the first hit, the second sank home.


    Swapping his sword back to his right hand, Jake turned his focus to the smaller lizards attacking them as the Enhanced slowly sank to the floor.


    The dagger had been strong from the start, but adding that extra rank to the Boon had definitely helped strengthen the poison.


    Without the Enhanced supporting them, the remaining lizards were taken down with little issue. The few that came close to landing a hit were blocked by one of Nepthys¡¯s shields, though she was running out of Wyrd for them.


    ¡°So much Wyrdgeld,¡± Rhew said, grinning to herself as she hurried between the fallen monsters, drawing out the Wyrdgeld from them. ¡°I wonder how much more the Guardian floor gives on this tier.¡±


    ¡°Somehow, I doubt we¡¯ll be finding that out for a little while,¡± Jake muttered as he eyed their bedraggled state. They¡¯d all taken minor injuries at one point or another, and while Jake¡¯s clothes were in the worst state, Karl wasn¡¯t much better.


    For a first attempt, he felt they¡¯d done well, and he knew they¡¯d do better next time, but this floor was tough. Each of the three fights was manageable on its own, but there were too many monsters for them to manage without Skills.


    ¡°Everyone ready?¡± Jake called out as he moved to the door down to the next floor.


    ¡°Could we take ten minutes so I can rest?¡± Rhew asked hopefully.


    Felix cleared his throat to get their attention, making Jake start a little in surprise. ¡°Knowing how long you can rest before the Dungeon deems it too long is an art, so I won¡¯t judge you on this. I believe you could take ten minutes or so now, but that would be all for the next floor or two.¡±


    ¡°I think we should take it now, or we might not get that chance later,¡± Nepthys said with a slight shrug. ¡°I could use a few minutes as well.¡±


    ¡°Rest it is,¡± Jake said, drinking deep from his water flask before taking a seat on the warm rocks. He was down to half his water already, so he could only imagine how important logistics became when delving into higher tier Dungeons.


    The meat they¡¯d been given could be cooked up if they had the right supplies, but that would be a much longer rest, and that didn¡¯t seem to be allowed at this point.


    Jake wasn¡¯t the only one struggling with the heat; everyone had their water flasks out as soon as they sat down. Between all the fighting and the heat, none of them were in particularly good shape, though Nepthys seemed the best of all of them.


    Considering that Felix looked perfectly fine in the heat, Jake could only guess that more ranks would give more resistance to issues like this.


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    ¡°I¡¯m running low on Wyrd. How are all of you doing?¡± Rhew asked after a minute of catching their breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright for the moment,¡± Jake said, turning his focus inwards as he tried to judge how much Wyrd was left within him. It was a bit of guesswork at the best of times, but he could at least get the right idea.


    ¡°I¡¯ve used up just under a third of what I have,¡± Nepthys said, shrugging a little at the surprised looks they gave her. ¡°I¡¯m a higher rank, and my shield is quite efficient if I use it in short bursts.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m under half,¡± Karl said a moment later with a heavy frown. ¡°My Skill is quite intensive, so using it on those Enhanced has brought me down a lot.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s powerful, though.¡± Jake was quick to reassure Karl, not wanting him to underestimate how much help he provided. ¡°We couldn¡¯t have done so well without you.¡±


    Karl nodded his thanks and gave Jake a small smile as he perked up a little at the praise.


    Alan was next to speak, but the Scholar didn¡¯t look happy about his answer. ¡°I¡¯m basically out as well. I¡¯ve been using my Skill as much as I can. I¡¯ve been thinking, though. Should we use some of our Wyrdgeld to recover? It might help us make it further?¡±


    They all fell silent as they considered Alan¡¯s question. It was a tough one, as every Wyrdgeld was needed for their tax, but more progress did mean a bigger reward.


    Their biggest challenge to improve their delves was gaining either the Wyrd reserves to push on for longer or the power to get further without needing to use their Wyrd. Consuming some of their rewards would help with that first option.


    Thankfully, Jake¡¯s Boon didn¡¯t take Wyrd; it was all included in those Manifestations. So, while his dagger was all but used up, Jake had enough Wyrd to infuse his blade at least once or twice for the next few fights.


    ¡°You know how I feel about it,¡± Rhew said, shaking her head immediately. ¡°I need every coin, so unless I know for sure it will help us get further, I¡¯m keeping them.¡±


    ¡°I think if anyone were to do it, it would be one of you two,¡± Jake said, gesturing between Alan and Rhew. ¡°The three of us use Wyrd, but not as regularly as you. If you want to restore some now, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    ¡°Not this time,¡± Alan said eventually. ¡°I think we should consider it for the future, though.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Jake said, the others, even Rhew, nodding as well.


    With the decision made, they lapsed into a companionable silence for a time.


    What felt like barely a minute later, all four of Jake¡¯s companions flinched at the same time and grabbed their weapons, with Jake following suit a moment later, unsure of what was happening.


    ¡°That pressure you¡¯re feeling is a warning from the Dungeon. I¡¯d suggest you move on,¡± Felix said, his gaze coming to rest on Jake as a small smile tugged at his lips.


    Jake quickly wiped his confused expression from his face and got to his feet, eyeing the others carefully as they hurriedly began to head to the door down to the next floor.


    It was only once they were all through the door and on the other side that the others all sighed with relief, making comments to each other about how uncomfortable that had been.


    Jake did his best not to stand out, assuming that this was another facet of his Class and an interesting one at that. Depending on how much longer he had per tier, that could be very useful.


    The new floor started off as a long and winding tunnel, one that was twice as wide as the others they¡¯d seen but with large pockets of steaming water along the sides. There were quite a few deeper holes along the walls as well, giving lots of options for concealment.


    To make matters worse, there were pools of steaming water across their path as well, so they¡¯d have to be careful to navigate them.


    ¡°There¡¯s snakes in there for sure,¡± Karl said with a sigh. ¡°I hate hidden enemies. They¡¯re almost as bad as rats.¡±


    ¡°I can see a few from here, but I don¡¯t really want to get close enough to do a full count,¡± Alan said, frowning as he looked along the winding tunnel. ¡°They¡¯re pretty scattered, it seems, but there are a lot of them. There¡¯s something up ahead as well, but I can¡¯t quite see it from here. The steam is too thick.¡±


    ¡°Is it a monster?¡±


    ¡°No, the tunnel changes. It looks like it either widens or links to a cavern. That¡¯s all I can tell from here, though.¡±


    ¡°Do we take the snakes here or push on and see what that is?¡± Jake asked, looking to the others for their thoughts.


    ¡°We¡¯ve never seen a benefit from ignoring them, so I vote we start killing them now,¡± Karl said, his gaze lingering uncomfortably on the steaming water. ¡°I don¡¯t like this setup at all.¡±


    After a quick discussion, they settled on engaging the closest snake and seeing how the rest reacted.


    Rhew¡¯s magic would likely fail to overpower the steam, so Alan moved closer to one of the first stretches of water and lined up a shot.


    The moment the arrow hit the water, Jake knew they¡¯d fucked up somehow.


    It was almost like the pressure he¡¯d felt in the Challenge, but this time, instead of a growing weight, it felt like a pair of eyes watching him.


    There was an element of anticipation, of hunger, to the attention that made Jake¡¯s skin crawl, and he adopted a ready stance as he looked around for the source.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Alan said, turning back before frowning as he took in Jake¡¯s posture. ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡­¡±


    Water thrashed across the path as patches of water all along the tunnel shifted violently. At the same time, a snake launched itself from the water toward Alan¡¯s back, its jaws snapping down on one of Nepthys¡¯s shields mere inches from his neck.


    ¡°Back!¡± Nepthys cried out as she grabbed Alan and pulled him away with one hand while cutting deep into the thick neck of the snake with the other as it fell to the ground.


    The water continued to bubble and boil as more snakes came racing out, and it wasn¡¯t just that patch. Jake saw a dozen or more snakes emerge from the nearby sections of water, all of them moving swiftly across the slick stone toward them.


    Jake had started to move up to help Nepthys when he saw four more snakes emerge from the pool. Caught out of position, he froze with indecision before cursing and backpedalling to put himself between the snakes and Alan.


    ¡°Fucking hidden snakes!¡± Karl growled angrily as he batted one of the monsters aside as it tried to strike up at him.


    Jake dodged a few strikes of his own, infusing his sword with Wyrd and beheading each snake as it fell heavily to the ground.


    Ice sprayed past Jake, striking a number of snakes that were just emerging from the water, but it had little effect. The amount of movement within the pools had sent steaming hot water everywhere, and it was interfering with Rhew¡¯s magic.


    Alan¡¯s arrows were having more of an impact, with him firing as quickly as he could while Jake and the other two fighters did their best to keep the snakes at bay.


    A dozen or more snakes had already died to Jake and Karl, with a similar number in front of Nepthys, but there was another score or more closing rapidly with them.


    Inevitably, one of them didn¡¯t manage to dodge a strike, and Karl cried out as one bit deep into his ankle.


    Distracted, Jake misjudged the cut on his next attack, getting boiling blood across his hand and making him recoil away.


    Karl was brought down first, his missing hand leaving his left side exposed to attacks. Rhew was second, the resistance to her magic leaving her unable to fight off the snakes that came for her.


    One by one, they fell until the snakes turned their attention to Felix.


    The last thing that Jake saw was Felix calmly grabbing a snake mid-strike with his hand and using it to bat aside another before throwing it into a wall and drawing his sword.

 DN 53 - Support

    Jake¡¯s eyes opened to the usual nondescript room he was taken to after dying in the Dungeon. Normally, he¡¯d feel drained and exhausted, but otherwise, he was in good health.


    This time, however, Jake could feel lingering pain in his right leg. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was sensitive and felt like a mostly healed burn was covering everything from ankle to thigh.


    Hiking up his clothing to get a look, Jake couldn¡¯t see any lingering damage to the area, but it was sensitive to the touch, and the pain wasn¡¯t fading.


    Taking a moment to get his bearings and settle himself, Jake pushed himself up and left the room, heading over to where Felix was waiting for them.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re suffering from that burn,¡± Felix said, looking slightly amused by Jake¡¯s limp as he walked over.


    Jake grunted and resisted the urge to glare at the older Classer. ¡°How long will it take to heal?¡±


    ¡°Enhanced monsters deal minimal soul damage. You¡¯ll likely recover in the next day or so, less if you spend the time relaxing and taking care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°So I shouldn¡¯t be training?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you should train through the pain. It will be a good learning experience for you,¡± Felix said, his amusement taking on a malicious undertone as he cocked his head to one side. ¡°Unless a lingering burn is too much for you?¡±


    Jake gave Felix the closest he could manage to a withering look, but the older Classer just chuckled.


    The other four joined them one by one, though only Karl was having the same issues as Jake, though in his case, it was his hand.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡± Jake nodded to Karl¡¯s left hand, which he was holding tight to his body.


    ¡°Really strange, it feels distant and almost disconnected from the rest of me,¡± Karl said, looking down at his hand as he slowly made a fist. ¡°It almost feels like it¡¯s someone else¡¯s hand.¡±


    ¡°That sounds pretty bad,¡± Rhew said with a concerned expression before looking uncertainly over to Nepthys. ¡°Are you sure it will be healed up, right?¡±


    ¡°Definitely, it¡¯s happened to me before, and I¡¯m fine,¡± Nepthys said, giving Rhew a reassuring nod. ¡°I think some rest is what we all need after that.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, let¡¯s head back to the inn so I can pass out your earnings,¡± Felix said, hefting a small sack that had been sitting off to one side before leading them back out of the Dungeon.


    There was a group of delvers waiting in the area around the entrance when they came outside. Interestingly, the group looked to be marginally better equipped than Jake¡¯s group despite there being only four of them.


    Felix gave the group a nod as they went past, and the group of four headed into the Dungeon to take their slot.


    Considering that there were several paths to take within the Dungeon, it did drive home just how many other delvers there were within the town if some groups had to queue.


    -**-


    ¡°So, which would you like first,¡± Felix asked once they were back at the inn and sat at the same table where they¡¯d had their breakfast. ¡°The money or the feedback?¡±


    ¡°The money,¡± Rhew answered before the rest of them could even open their mouths, making Jake chuckle and shake his head. Their Caster was single-minded when it came to making Wyrdgeld.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Felix said, the corner of his mouth twisting into a slight smile. ¡°You reached the seventh floor of the Dungeon, so I¡¯ve included all the Wyrdgeld to that point. That means the total in raw coins is one hundred and ninety Wyrdgeld. The cuts of meat you found are worth about a Wyrdgeld each as well, so that brings you to two hundred and ten. I¡¯ve already made a deal with our proprietor to take any steaks you wish to sell.¡±


    ¡°I say we sell them all,¡± Rhew said, looking to the rest of them for confirmation before nodding. ¡°An even split works for me for the rest.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Felix began to portion out piles of Wyrdgeld, passing each of them forty-two Wyrdgeld. ¡°Please remember that it is only due to my intervention that you have any of this. The day will soon come when you will have no safety net to gather Wyrdgeld for you.¡±


    ¡°Once we pay this tax, I¡¯m going to give some to Ivaldi to store in the long term,¡± Jake said, more to himself than anything. ¡°That way, I can always have some as an emergency to buy supplies with.¡±


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    ¡°A wise preparation to make, and one that I recommend the rest of you follow suit with.¡± Felix gave Rhew a particularly hard look, making the Caster shift uncomfortably as she absorbed her Wyrdgeld.


    ¡°Are we going to be delving tomorrow?¡± Alan asked, looking between Felix and the rest of them.


    ¡°I doubt you¡¯ll feel up to it,¡± Felix said with a shake of his head. ¡°This was a tier two Dungeon, which means that it takes longer to heal from soul damage it deals. That also includes revival sickness.¡±


    ¡°How much longer will it take?¡± Karl looked a little worried as he idly rubbed at the hand he¡¯d lost.


    ¡°It¡¯s been quite a while since I was in your shoes,¡± Felix said, leaning back as he frowned in thought. ¡°I seem to remember that just short of a day would be enough for tier one, whereas tier two was a day and a half.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have long left. Will that be enough?¡± Alan looked a little pale as he turned to Rhew questioningly.


    ¡°Yes, if we do one of those tier-one Dungeons twice, we should have enough,¡± Rhew said after a few moments of thought. ¡°What about you, Jake?¡±


    ¡°I think it will be the same for me,¡± Jake said, wondering silently how much quicker he would recover. As it was, he was usually fine by mid to late afternoon.


    ¡°There are two Dungeons in the area that are tier one,¡± Felix interjected, drawing their attention back to him. ¡°I believe you can do both in one day or the same one several times. If you are delving into the same Dungeon several times, it¡¯s considered polite to leave a short gap between runs. That way, a Dungeon won¡¯t be dominated by just a few groups.¡±


    ¡°Good, that will sort that, then,¡± Rhew said, some tension leaving her posture as she sank back into her chair and rubbed her head. ¡°Stressing about all this while recovering from the Dungeon is more than I need.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of recovering,¡± Felix said, leaning in with a malicious glint in his eye. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about where you all fucked up.¡±


    -**-


    An hour later, Jake was finally free to head back to Ivaldi¡¯s. Felix had run them through the entire delve, giving observations on everything they¡¯d done wrong.


    Some of it, like poor footwork or a shaky attack, was easy enough to resolve. Other parts, like the best way to handle Enhanced creatures or an adverse environment, were a bit tougher.


    Thankfully, the environmental problem was Rhew¡¯s headache, not his, so Jake didn¡¯t have to worry about that right now.


    Still, Felix had given them more advice than they knew what to do with. In time, hopefully, they would put it all to good use.


    For now, though, Jake was interested in meeting whoever Ivaldi had spoken of earlier.


    Making his way over to the odd-looking store, Jake stepped inside, blinking in surprise as he found someone else already present and sitting with Ivaldi.


    ¡°Jake Khesh, be welcome in my Domain,¡± Ivaldi said, inclining his head to Jake as he gestured to the other side of his table, where an empty stool was waiting. ¡°This is Varin Droth.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure to meet you,¡± Varin said in a hushed voice, seeming to unfold himself as he rose from the chair to shake Jake¡¯s hand.


    Varin was a few inches taller than Jake but was almost unhealthily thin, with a gaunt face and pale skin. His eyes were a particularly pale grey, far more so than Jake¡¯s, and his dark hair hung languidly down to his jaw.


    Jake gave a slightly strained smile as he took Varin¡¯s hand, not wanting to offend the other man but still feeling strained from the Dungeon.


    ¡°Varin is who I wanted you to meet,¡± Ivaldi said as the two of them took their seats. With a look at Jake¡¯s tired expression, Ivaldi grabbed a sealed vessel of mead and poured them all a mug. ¡°He will be acting as support for you but not helping within the Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°What sort of support do you mean?¡± Jake asked curiously as he sipped at the delicious drink.


    ¡°I have a non-combat crafting Class,¡± Varin said, his voice coming across as a loud whisper more than anything. ¡°I will be able to help you strengthen yourselves with items, but you will need to supply me with Wyrdgeld and materials.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Jake blinked, momentarily caught off guard. ¡°Do you have a Patron, too?¡±


    ¡°I serve the Woven Artificer,¡± Varin said in a reverent tone. ¡°My Class is the Novice variant of Weaver of Crafts.¡±


    ¡°The Artificer is part of the same pantheon as the Great Dungeon and the Watcher,¡± Ivaldi said with what Jake almost thought was an undercurrent of amusement.


    ¡°I see,¡± Jake said, gathering his thoughts as he focused on the immediate concerns. ¡°What tier and rank are you, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±


    ¡°I am at rank ten in the first tier. All I need is to create more worthy items, but I need materials for that, and dealing with normal Classers has been dangerous.¡±


    ¡°That I can understand,¡± Jake said with a soft sigh, regretting how easy his life would have been without his Patron. ¡°Okay, so what sort of thing would you need for an example?¡±


    ¡°For a Woven item, I would need the item itself and one hundred Wyrdgeld. If it is a mundane item, I would need suitable dungeonous material as well.¡± Varin paused to smile sadly at the shocked look on Jake¡¯s face. ¡°For an Infused item, I would need only the material you wish me to use and the base item.¡±


    ¡°So, there¡¯s no cost to Infused items?¡±


    ¡°Not beyond the materials used in their creation.¡± Varin shrugged slightly and spread his hands. ¡°I lack the skills to harvest the materials myself, but bring me what you can, and I will create something for you.¡±


    ¡°To check I understand this, you will be travelling with us as a supporting crafter. Making items and equipment for us as we complete Dungeons?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you get out of this?¡±


    Varin cocked a single brow in surprise at Jake¡¯s question. ¡°Protection, resources and the chance to aid those working to the same ends as my Patron.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Jake said, shrugging slightly as he turned over the offer in his head and found nothing too offensive about it. ¡°Well, welcome to the team. Do you want to meet everyone now?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps once I¡¯ve made the first item for you,¡± Varin said, looking a little apprehensive at meeting the full team. ¡°I find that proof of my Class goes a long way to ease any concerns.¡±


    ¡°Alright, well, how do I reach you?¡±


    ¡°I have a room at one of the inns.¡± Varin gave Jake directions to where he was staying, which was apparently only a few minutes from the inn Jake was at.


    Finishing his drink, Jake got wearily back to his feet and bid the two goodbye.


    As much as he hated it, he needed to get his daily training in.

 DN 54 - Dark & Deep I

    Jake trained for a little while, doing his best to ignore the pain from his leg as best he could.


    There was likely a training field or something similar nearby, but Jake hadn¡¯t found it yet. Instead, Jake resorted to a jog around the city and some basic exercises in the storage area behind the inn.


    Usually, Jake would be back to feeling normal by this point, which gave credence to Felix¡¯s warning about it taking longer to recover from higher-tier Dungeons.


    The inn¡¯s cook used the meat they¡¯d brought back from the Dungeon for dinner that evening, which seemed to perk them all up.


    The effect reminded Jake of the mead and food that Ivaldi shared with him when he visited, which made him wonder if it was the Wyrd content within them that made the difference. Could a wealthier Classer simply buy their way out of revival sickness?


    Jake asked Felix once he¡¯d finished eating, but the older Classer laughed and shook his head.


    ¡°The Wyrd doesn¡¯t actually speed up the process; it simply alleviates the symptoms somewhat. I don¡¯t know if you can consume enough to have no symptoms at all, but eating food like this is a good way to help with it.¡±


    Jake nodded and thanked Felix before slowing down how fast he was eating. He was hungry, but Felix¡¯s answer made him wonder if it would be better to have small amounts over a longer period.


    The others were already deep into their meals, even Nepthys, who was usually the most reserved of the group, so Jake didn¡¯t say anything. Better to test it himself and then see from there.


    The rest of his group finished their meals one by one before heading off to rest. Eventually, it was just Jake and Felix at the table, as Ari had yet to appear.


    ¡°What are your plans for tomorrow?¡± Felix asked, fixing Jake with an inscrutable look.


    ¡°Well, if I¡¯d recovered, I was going to focus on getting back into my training regime,¡± Jake said hesitantly.


    ¡°A good idea, but I have a better one. Rest and follow your normal routine, but don¡¯t do anything strenuous. You need to be in good shape.¡± Felix left the room on that ominous comment, leaving Jake wondering what he had planned.


    -**-


    Jake woke up feeling refreshed and fully recovered the next day. Part of him had been worrying about just how long the recovery would take, so it was a relief that it was done.


    The other good news was that his leg had stopped hurting overnight, so that seemed to be tied to the revival sickness.


    Unfortunately, the other four were still struggling with their revival sickness and were in no shape to do anything more than some light training.


    Felix had clearly planned for this, however, as Ari was back with them at breakfast, and once they were done, he led them off for some dedicated training of their own.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going with them?¡± Jake asked as Felix asked him to wait behind.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re going to be doing something a little more strenuous,¡± Felix said with a slight smile that sent a shiver down Jake¡¯s spine. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Casting a final look in the direction the others had gone, Jake followed after Felix, who led him through the town and out into the surrounding countryside.


    Oddly, they were roughly retracing their steps to where they¡¯d entered the town, but that only lasted for a few minutes before Felix turned off the original path and led them on one that ran deeper into the woods.


    Shortly after the turn, Jake felt a familiar tingling sensation and looked over at Felix in surprise. ¡°We¡¯re going to a Dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s time for you to do some solo delving,¡± Felix said casually, paying no heed to Jake¡¯s shocked expression.


    ¡°Wait, hang on,¡± Jake called out as he scrambled to catch up with Felix. ¡°What do you mean by solo delving?¡±


    ¡°Is it not obvious?¡± Felix asked, gesturing forward as they rounded a thick copse of trees. ¡°You¡¯ll be delving into that tier one Dungeon, but without support.¡±


    Jake looked over to see a Dungeon entrance with a large amount of trees growing around it. Ivaldi¡¯s store sat a short distance away, as usual, but other than that, there were no permanent structures.


    A few spaces had been cleared, and benches had been set for waiting Classers, but with the town so close by, there was clearly little need for much more than that.


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    ¡°Is that even possible for someone like me?¡± Jake asked, wondering if this was some elaborate punishment.


    ¡°Someone like you?¡±


    ¡°A tier one Classer at a low rank. Someone who can only just take on a single Enhanced monster, let alone more than that.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think that question is one that only you can answer,¡± Felix said as he covered the last few steps to Ivaldi¡¯s and pushed open the door. ¡°Come, let¡¯s get you equipped.¡±


    More than a little confused by it all, Jake went through the motions of getting his usual equipment while Ivaldi provided Felix with a heavy satchel.


    The clinking of glass gave Jake a good idea as to what was in the satchel, and Jake felt a growing sense of worry as Felix took the lead into the Dungeon.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s time to set expectations,¡± Felix said once the two of them were at the door leading into the Dungeon. ¡°There¡¯s no need for a torch here, so you¡¯ll be fine on that front. I do expect you to take the Challenge room on if it appears. You will collect and store all your Wyrdgeld in your pouch in case of an accident. I will do my best to keep you alive and keep you moving. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Felix,¡± Jake said, feeling the blood drain from his face as he understood exactly how bad this was going to be.


    ¡°Good,¡± Felix gave Jake a broad smile before pushing the door open and stepping into the Dungeon.


    -**-


    The interior of the Dungeon was entirely unlike the other two that Jake had been to. The door that he stepped out of was framed in an archway of twisted branches, and it lay in the centre of a forest path.


    To Jake¡¯s left and right was only thick undergrowth, thicker than anything he¡¯d ever seen before. Jake hesitantly reached out to rest a hand on one of the trees.


    The reality of the Dungeon wasn¡¯t that different, but the trees around him really drove home that they weren¡¯t just walking below ground.


    Looking up, Jake saw that the trees stretched over the path, forming a thick canopy overhead. Sunlight was coming through, but there were patches of light shadow here and there where the canopy was thicker.


    The presence of the sunlight begged the question of whether there was actually a sun up there or if that was being created by the Dungeon, too. Was this just a different part of the same world, or was it something else entirely?


    Jake took a moment to let it all wash over him before pushing the questions aside and focusing on the task at hand. Right this moment, it didn¡¯t matter what those answers were.


    Felix had been muttering under his breath while Jake was distracted and was waiting patiently when Jake turned back to him.


    ¡°So, do I just start?¡± Jake asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready. Take it steadily, and make sure to conserve energy. You¡¯ve got a lot to do.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I can do this,¡± Jake said, taking a deep breath before setting off down the forest path.


    Quite quickly, the path cut to one side, opening up into what looked like a small glade dominated by a single huge tree.


    The roots of the tree were partially excavated, and Jake¡¯s eyes narrowed as he moved closer.


    This felt familiar.


    Jake got within a few feet of the tree before four small figures darted out from where they¡¯d been hidden amongst the roots.


    The figures were small and humanoid, though they were made up almost entirely of roots, with a green mass of plant matter where their heart would be, just like the ones at the Hollow.


    Jake had been expecting the ambush, so he was able to dodge away from them while still managing to cut one of them in half with a heavy swing of his sword.


    The remaining three tried to get close enough to get their roots into Jake¡¯s skin, but he was careful to maintain his distance.


    Eventually, the last of the creatures fell, and Jake drew out their Wyrdgeld before turning to Felix.


    ¡°I never got the chance to look them up. What are those things called?¡±


    ¡°Rootlings, from the Widurn family. The bigger one you fought at the Hollow was a Tenebrae.¡±


    Filing the information away, Jake carried on out of the clearing, certain that more rootlings would be waiting.


    -**-


    ¡°Good, good, you¡¯re doing well,¡± Felix said, tossing Jake a healing potion as he took a break at the end of the second floor.


    It was the second potion Jake had drunk, and Jake felt it wouldn¡¯t be the last.


    The rootlings weren¡¯t that dangerous, but in larger numbers, they were hard to evade, and he¡¯d picked up a few injuries here and there.


    It was a lot slower by himself than with the group, if for no other reason than him needing to be much more careful.


    Felix seemed happy for Jake to go at his own pace, so they took a few minutes before pushing onto the third floor.


    The path was much the same as before, so Jake started forward, expecting a glade or other clearing to come up quite quickly.


    Instead, Jake found a waist-high flower with leaves that were dark blue and seemed to shimmer slightly. The flower itself was a bright yellow and was quite tight, with a deep interior.


    ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± Jake muttered, walking close to the plant, his shield held protectively in front of him. He hadn¡¯t seen any plant life like this before. So far, the small bits he¡¯d seen were all grass or small shrubs.


    As Jake approached the plant, the yellow-rimmed flower turned to face him and swelled up, prompting him to lift his shield slightly higher.


    The flower contracted in on itself rapidly, shooting out a spray of thick green liquid that splattered all across Jake. Most of it was thankfully caught by his shield, but more than a bit went over it and struck his face.


    White hot pain stabbed into Jake as the sap began to burn and blister his face.


    Acting purely on instinct, Jake staggered forward and cut through the plant¡¯s stalk, killing it in a single blow.


    As soon as he caught sight of the plant falling, Jake dropped everything and tried to wipe the horrible sap from his face.


    A firm hand took Jake by the shoulder as Felix turned him around. ¡°Stay still!¡±


    Going as still as he could with his face blistering, Jake felt a soothing liquid splash over him, numbing the pain and washing away the sap on his face.


    ¡°There, it¡¯s all gone. Drink this,¡± Felix pulled another healing potion from the heavy satchel at his side and pressed it into Jake¡¯s hands.


    Jake did as he was told before probing gently at his face, sighing in relief as he felt no lingering damage from the sap.


    ¡°What sort of foul monster was that?¡± Jake demanded, glaring down at the dead plant.


    ¡°Spite Flower, nasty things. Best dealt with at range or by holding your shield up high enough,¡± Felix said, resealing his satchel before waving to the plant. ¡°Gather your Wyrdgeld, and let us continue.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Jake shook his head, stepping away from Felix as he picked up his sword and shield from where they¡¯d fallen. ¡°Not until you give me some answers.¡±

 DN 55 - Dark & Deep II

    ¡°Answers?¡± Felix turned a curious look toward Jake. ¡°Have I not been clear?¡±


    ¡°No, you haven¡¯t,¡± Jake all but growled in frustration. ¡°Your instruction has been great. I¡¯ve learned a lot already, and I can¡¯t thank you enough. This is too far, though. What point is there to delving alone, to subjecting myself to enough injuries that I¡¯ve already used four potions!¡±


    ¡°What point is there?¡± Felix echoed before shaking his head. ¡°Have you forgotten your own history so soon?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I haven¡¯t,¡± Jake said through gritted teeth, trying to keep a leash on his anger.


    ¡°Then you should understand why we¡¯re doing this. You are a Dungeon Noble; you will grow more slowly than the others unless you can clear Dungeons. I know enough to know that for sure. Your Class gets stronger the more Dungeons you defeat, which makes each new one a reward for you. An incentive to explore which your friends lack.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying I should delve without them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that you might have to,¡± Felix said, his tone softening as he gave Jake a sympathetic look. ¡°Time is not our friend, so we need to make you as strong as we can, as fast as we can.¡±


    ¡°What then?¡± Jake asked in a subdued tone, playing out his future in his mind. ¡°I rank up, and I gain boons from Dungeons, but then what?¡±


    ¡°You continue to use your Class as it was intended.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Jake¡¯s voice was flat as he met Felix¡¯s eye. ¡°Why not give it up at the end of this tier? Why take it further?¡±


    ¡°Dungeon Nobles are powerful. It is a strong Class, a rare Class,¡± Felix said, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.


    ¡°I would trade it away in a heartbeat for a normal life with my friends. For the chance to seek that power on my terms, not someone else¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Felix said after a long pause. ¡°I thought that the power of your Class was enough to drive you forward. I didn¡¯t realise you felt this way.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve not exactly had the chance for many discussions on the matter,¡± Jake said in a dry tone.


    ¡°True enough.¡± Felix flashed Jake a slight smile before his expression turned serious. ¡°I¡¯m not the one to guide you in your Class. I know little about your Patron and the purpose it strives toward. That being said, even if you change your Class for the next tier, it won¡¯t protect you now.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you suggest?¡±


    ¡°Work with me. I will train you as hard as I can, and you will help tier up the Dungeons in Strovia. At the end of it, you will be strong, regardless of your choice, and the Triarchy will be left with a black eye.¡±


    Jake took a few moments to consider Felix¡¯s offer. Training from such a powerful instructor was worthwhile itself, and being able to weaken the grasp of the Triarchy was enticing.


    The problem Jake had with his Class was that he was binding his fate to the goals of a Patron he knew nothing about.


    What Felix said was true, though. He needed strength to survive, and working with his Class was the best way to get there in the short term.


    That meant gaining Boons, and that meant doing all the Dungeons he could, not just the ones that were easy or nearby.


    ¡°What do you get out of this?¡± Jake addressed what he¡¯d been thinking since Felix took over their training.


    ¡°I know Ari explained how I need Worthy students. My hope is that both you and Karl will count toward that.¡± Felix paused before letting out a heavy exhale and carrying on. ¡°Beyond that, I dislike the Triarchy and the events here in recent years worry me. It costs me dearly to be here, but something is happening within Strovia, and I like none of what I see.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jake had a feeling that Felix meant more than just the usual Triarchy problems.


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    ¡°Strovia is the only region within Vash without any Dungeon Noble or Inquisitor activity. Your friend is the only Inquisitor I¡¯ve come across in the last two years of roaming the country. Despite that, Corrupter activity is less than I¡¯d expect. Most see that as a good thing, but it worries me.¡±


    ¡°Are others with my Class really so common elsewhere?¡± Jake asked, trying to wrap his head around how something that was so problematic here could be fine outside of Strovia.


    ¡°Common, no, not at all,¡± Felix laughed, waving his hand to forestall Jake¡¯s indignant expression. ¡°I¡¯m not laughing at you, more at my own poor explanation. There are many Dungeon Noble bloodlines, but I have met a mere handful of you in all my years. Most of what I know is hearsay from older Classers.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Jake said, trying to hide his disappointment.


    ¡°Any other questions?¡± Felix asked, turning his hand palm up.


    Jake gave it a moment before shaking his head, satisfied with what he now knew. ¡°No, nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Good, we can start again whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± Felix said, gesturing to the trail ahead of them. ¡°The last thing I¡¯ll say on all this is that other Patrons grant their Classers power to help spread their influence. Yet, from what I¡¯ve seen, only those whose Patrons are part of The First actually seek to build and improve for all.¡±


    Jake had been about to start forward, but he turned back to Felix with a frown. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®The First¡¯? Who are they?¡±


    ¡°They are the first pantheon, the oldest of the gods. The Great Dungeon, The Woven Artificer and The Watcher. Even the Triarchy don¡¯t act against their interests, or at least, they never used to.¡±


    ¡°All three of them are here now,¡± Jake said, sighing a little at Felix¡¯s curious expression. ¡°A crafter of the Woven Artificer wants to join our group. Between the three of us, that¡¯s one for each god in that pantheon.¡±


    ¡°It seems that the First Ones have taken an interest here after all. There are not many who follow the Woven Artificer, and they are always in high demand.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can see how he¡¯ll be useful,¡± Jake said, trying his best to look on the bright side of it all. The problem was that Felix was right; this was clearly outside manipulation. Three of them, all tier one still, being brought together like this was too much of a coincidence for it not to be.


    The worst part was that Jake knew there was no way he could say no to Varin joining them. The potential benefits were just too large.


    Turning away from Felix, Jake started down the path once more, gripping his sword tight. He hated this influence in his life, the way he was being moved around according to someone else¡¯s plans. He couldn¡¯t do anything about it right now, though.


    Maybe killing some of these stupid flowers would help him work out his frustrations.


    -**-


    ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck,¡± Jake hissed as he limped away from the small patch of spite flowers, trying to scrape off the sap he had gotten on himself while not getting any on the bag of Wyrdfruit he was holding. ¡°Fucking stupid Challenges.¡±


    Pressure began to build as Jake hobbled back to the starting point of the Challenge, where a set of scales was waiting for him. He¡¯d cut it close.


    The Challenge had been a timed one, where he had to find as many apples as he could, which would then be weighed on the scales.


    Similar to the one in the firey Dungeon, this Challenge had a wager of the little finger on Jake¡¯s left hand, so he hoped all the blisters and burns he had gotten were not for nothing.


    Dropping the sack of apples on the scales, Jake let out a silent prayer of relief as it very slightly tipped in his favour. The numerous ways that Jake had died had left him somewhat resistant to the worry of losing a finger, but he¡¯d by no means been looking forward to it.


    The door out of the Challenge lowered, presenting a small alcove where a good-sized sack of Wyrdfruit was waiting for Jake.


    Adding the two bags together came to forty of the Wyrd-infused apples that the Dungeon seemed to favour.


    Ignoring the pain from his blistered skin and the burns that went up one arm, Jake sheathed his sword and hefted up the sack before heading back through to the Dungeon.


    Felix was waiting with a potion in hand when Jake stepped through. Jake eagerly took it and poured it over his many burns with a groan of relief.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve yet to learn how to best dodge the stationary flowers,¡± Felix commented with a quirk of his lips that only grew at the glower that Jake gave him.


    ¡°Now I know where Ari gets it from,¡± Jake muttered, unable to be too irritated with Felix while so much pain was being taken away. He¡¯d gone in with the last of the potions he¡¯d brought but had been forced to use it quite quickly, leaving him to push through the pain for the rest of the Challenge.


    ¡°I find that a balance is needed for the best results, something my old student tends to wilfully ignore.¡± Felix¡¯s amused expression fell away as he looked over the bag that Jake had emerged with. ¡°Good, these will be useful shortly. Are you ready for the next floor?¡±


    ¡°Give me five minutes,¡± Jake said as he sat on the dirt and leaned back against one of the trees that bordered the path.


    They were at the end of the fourth floor now, and Jake was feeling exhausted. Each floor took a lot longer on his own, and without Felix there to pull him away when he got injured, he¡¯d have died a while back.


    At this point, this was more an exercise in endurance and pain tolerance than anything.


    The minutes quickly slipped by until Felix shifted a little and got to his feet. ¡°That¡¯s the sign for us to keep going.¡±


    Jake wearily got to his feet and stretched before picking up his gear. He still wasn¡¯t feeling the pressure that Felix mentioned, but he also wasn¡¯t in the mood for further discussion.


    Taking a deep breath, Jake got himself into the right frame of mind and walked through the archway to the Guardian floor.

 DN 56 - Darker & Deeper I

    The fifth floor turned out to be a single, large grove of apple trees, with five rootlings, one of the tendrae that Jake had fought in the past, and a larger version of the spite flowers.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Malignant Tender. Use that information as you will,¡± Felix said from behind Jake as they took a moment to look over the grove.


    The Malignant Tender was a foot or two taller than Jake, with two yellow-rimmed flowers hanging from it. The base of the plant was raised, and a dozen or so thick roots spread out from it in a way that Jake found suspicious.


    The tendrae and the rootlings were on the far side of the tender from Jake, which meant that he had two options. Either he looped around to deal with them first or tried to take out this tender before they could react. Either choice came with risks.


    Jake looked down at his burnt and partially dissolved shield; the sap those flowers could use was nasty stuff. While the tender didn¡¯t look mobile, Jake was leaning toward taking it out first anyway. The last thing he wanted was to be shot from behind.


    Starting forward steadily, Jake got halfway to the tender before he saw the flowers begin to shift and the closest roots lift from the ground.


    Breaking out into a run, Jake brought his shield up high and tucked behind it, making his profile as small as possible.


    The two sprays of sap struck Jake¡¯s shield almost simultaneously, with globules of the caustic liquid landing on the dirt around him as he threw the smoking shield aside.


    Two roots the size of Jake¡¯s wrist darted up to try to ensnare him, but he had enough speed that he was able to dance around them as he summoned the Hidden Fang to his free hand.


    Jake had seen before how effective his Boon was against plants, so he plunged the dagger straight into the stem of the huge plant and left it there.


    The two flowers were already swelling with a fresh load of sap, so Jake infused his sword with Wyrd and sliced them both away before dismissing his dagger.


    Jake¡¯s control of the Boon was improving steadily, so he was able to dismiss it without actually touching the dagger, giving him just enough time to land a final strike on the plant¡¯s stem before the roots arrived.


    The grasping roots sluggishly tried to take hold of Jake as he moved away from the dying plant, noting the dark lines of poison spreading through it.


    Even if it survived, the tender was far less of a problem without its flowers, so Jake got far enough away that its roots could no longer follow before turning his attention to the tendrae and its escorts.


    The fight that followed pushed Jake¡¯s agility to the very edge of what he could do, but even so, he was bloody and raw by the time he finally put his sword through the heart of the tendrae.


    A dozen or more pieces of root were sticking out of Jake¡¯s body where either the tendrae or the rootlings had gotten hold of him and burrowed into his flesh.


    Yanking the offending pieces of plant free one by one, Jake looked over as Felix walked over to present him with a potion.


    ¡°Not bad. Not bad at all.¡± Felix gave Jake an approving nod before patting his satchel. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have done it without these potions, but that¡¯s a matter of funding. This was very close to a solo clear.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jake said, revelling in the blissful muffling of his pain that the potion provided. At this point, even with the potions, most of his body was aching. ¡°What now?¡±


    Felix looked around the room thoughtfully before turning back to Jake with a malicious glint in his eye. ¡°Now we get your loot, and then you do it all again.¡±


    -**-


    Fortunately, Felix wasn¡¯t actually cruel enough to send Jake straight through the Dungeon again. Instead, Jake was given a few hours to recover and free reign on the Wyrdfruit he¡¯d been awarded.


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    Jake wanted to do nothing more than collapse and rest, but he made himself stumble over to Ivaldi¡¯s when they were back outside.


    ¡°Ivaldi, please give this to Varin with my compliments,¡± Jake said, passing over a branch of Wyrd-infused wood that had come with his reward for completion. ¡°He¡¯s welcome to travel with me. I just need to confirm with my friends.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Jake Khesh. I will let him know your words and pass on your gift,¡± Ivaldi said, inclining his head as he tucked away the length of wood. ¡°Here, a fresh batch of your normal equipment. I wish you luck with your next delve.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Ivaldi,¡± Jake said, passing over his battered gear and taking the pristine set that Ivaldi had given him. Buckling on the sword sheath and potion belt, Jake grabbed his shield before turning to leave.


    ¡°As a word of advice, Jake Khesh,¡± Ivaldi said before Jake could leave. ¡°Neither of the tier one Dungeons are ready to tier up, but they are close. If you bind them both within the next few days, you will have a few weeks before they reach tier two.¡±


    Jake nodded slowly, considering how that information might change his plans. ¡°Thank you, Ivaldi.¡±


    The powerfully built shopkeeper inclined his head slightly but said nothing else, so Jake continued back outside.


    Jake considered whether or not to speak to Felix about his relationship with Ivaldi. The shopkeeper had been dependable and helpful from the very beginning, and while Felix was helping them, Jake did feel that he had his own agenda.


    That wasn¡¯t to say that Jake thought Felix wasn¡¯t on their side, but he had a feeling that Ivaldi wasn¡¯t this way with everyone, and he didn¡¯t want the extra attention on him.


    No, Jake would share the information but not the source of it.


    Looking around, Jake saw that Felix was waiting at one of the benches he had noticed before, the sack of apples by his side.


    ¡°Sit, eat, recover,¡± Felix said, tossing Jake an apple as he approached. ¡°We¡¯ll run the Dungeon again in a few hours. Tell me, though, can you use that dagger of yours more today?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got a few more hits with it,¡± Jake said, biting down on one of the apples and letting out an appreciative sound. Wyrd-infused food was delicious as well as good for you.


    ¡°Good, save them for the Guardian again. The poison it contains was perfect for dealing with the malignant tender. Without it, that last fight would be a lot harder.¡±


    Jake considered how much worse the fight with the tendrae would have been if he had been periodically dodging caustic sap or avoiding grasping roots the entire time.


    The giant lizards in the fire Dungeon were a nastier fight, mainly due to their tough scales and fire breath. They were daunting, to say the least.


    Still, Jake could see how this particular fight could be bad as well, especially without his dagger.


    ¡°Alright, you look like you¡¯ve perked up a bit,¡± Felix said, gesturing to the apple that Jake had rapidly devoured. ¡°So let¡¯s talk tactics for the next attempt.¡±


    -**-


    Several hours later, Jake found himself going through the Dungeon again, though this time he knew what was coming.


    Rootlings were tough to kill, but were easy to knock around, and their heart was an obvious vulnerability. It took a bit of practice, but with so many to kill, Jake eventually got the timing down on being able to backhand them out of the air with his shield.


    A heavy impact like that would nearly always incapacitate them for a moment, allowing Jake to plunge his blade into their heart and finish the job.


    In some ways, dealing with the spite flowers was actually more straightforward. Their flowers tracked motion first and then focused on any living creature within a certain distance.


    By throwing his shield past the flower, Jake could ensure that it rotated to face the wrong way, giving him time to close the distance and bisect it.


    Felix was a silent observer for it all, only passing Jake a potion or two when he was too slow or misjudged some timings.


    The biggest issue posed by the first four floors was the Challenge room, but only because there was a time limit. He couldn¡¯t spare the time to do his trick with the shield, so he finished with one moderate and several minor sap burns on his legs.


    Felix gave Jake an approving nod when he emerged. ¡°An impressive improvement. From how you¡¯ve done today, you¡¯re only a few ranks away from being able to run this Dungeon by yourself with ease.¡±


    ¡°Rationally, I know you¡¯re right,¡± Jake said, taking a potion from Felix and wincing as he poured a bit on his burns before drinking the rest. ¡°But it feels like I¡¯ve only just started on this journey, and a solo delve feels beyond me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re still early on, but you¡¯ve worked hard these last few weeks. Between that and the powerful Skills and Traits you no doubt hold, including this dagger you can summon, you are stronger than your rank suggests.¡±


    ¡°How much stronger?¡± Jake asked, mentally comparing himself to the others in his group.


    ¡°At this point, a rank or two easily. Once you¡¯ve bound a few more Dungeons, it will be more than that.¡± Felix paused before gesturing to the archway through to the Guardian floor. ¡°Do you know if binding these Dungeons will cause them to tier up?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and it won¡¯t. At least, not for a couple of weeks,¡± Jake said, repeating what Ivaldi had told him earlier.


    ¡°Excellent. We¡¯ll have you and the rest of your group run both Dungeons tomorrow. It should be interesting to see what rewards you get.¡±


    Jake blinked in surprise, caught a little flat-footed by Felix¡¯s declaration. Really, now he was thinking about it, clearing both Dungeons made sense as a way for Jake to advance.


    After all, if he could do it with just a small amount of help from Felix, he could definitely do it with the rest of his group.


    Standing tall, Jake took a deep breath before pushing through the archway to the Guardian floor.

 DN 57 - Dark & Deeper II

    Jake¡¯s second attempt at the Guardians of the Dungeon wasn¡¯t quite as successful as the first.


    The first issue came when a grasping root tripped him on the way in, forcing Jake to use his dagger to kill the first two rootlings to reach him.


    The second issue was that the delay meant that the malignant tender had the chance to shower him with sap.


    Thankfully, Jake managed to cover his face with his shield at the last moment, but he screamed in pain as the sap stuck to him and burnt into his body.


    Gritting his teeth, Jake threw his shield at the nearest rootling, knocking it back, before pulling out one of his potions and pouring it over the sap.


    The potion didn¡¯t do much for the damage the sap had already done, but it helped wash off what was there and prevent it from worsening.


    The root that had tripped Jake was now at his shoulder, and two more were trying to bind around his legs. The thick roots were too dense for his sword to cut through quickly, and Jake was running out of time, so he dropped his shield in favour of his dagger.


    Three quick cuts left poison flowing up the plant¡¯s roots to the stem, giving Jake enough freedom to scramble away.


    Only a sliver of power was left in the Manifestation, so Jake threw the dagger, pinning one of the flowers to the side of the stem.


    The dagger lasted just long enough to pump its poison into the plant before breaking apart.


    Infusing his Wyrd into his sword, Jake turned his attention to the remaining rootlings and the tendrae. It would be tough, but he could do this.


    -**-


    Jake groaned in pain as Felix pulled out a piece of root that had gotten several inches into the back of his thigh. Thankfully, it was the only one that had managed it, but the pain as it came out was intense.


    ¡°There, now drink this,¡± Felix said, throwing the bloody root aside before passing Jake a potion. ¡°You¡¯ve gone through most of the supply I brought, but I¡¯m impressed nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°Yay,¡± Jake said, closing his eyes and letting his head fall back onto the firm dirt. ¡°Are we done for the day?¡±


    ¡°I think so, yes,¡± Felix said before gesturing to Jake¡¯s reward pile. ¡°Would you like me to purchase the Wyrdfruit and the branch?¡±


    ¡°No, I think I¡¯ll keep them all,¡± Jake said, thinking back on how useful the Wyrd-infused apples had been earlier.


    Felix shrugged, clearly unbothered, before tossing Jake a pouch bulging with Wyrdgeld. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard today. Here are your spoils.¡±


    As battered, aching and weary as he was, Jake couldn¡¯t help but stare in disbelief at the pouch in his hands. From the thick scent of Wyrdgeld, he knew it had to be a lot, and a quick glance inside showed that some of the coins were of a higher denomination than usual.


    ¡°How many are there?¡± Jake was proud of how steady his voice was despite how his eyes were locked onto the wealth of coins.


    ¡°Around a hundred and eighty, I believe, a good amount in raw coinage.¡±


    Jake wasted no time in absorbing all the coins, noticing a certain weight develop within him as he absorbed enough for him to rank up.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Ivaldi¡¯s, then I¡¯m going to pay my tax,¡± Jake said, getting to his feet and gathering his things. ¡°Well, this has been horrible, and I¡¯m never looking at plants the same way again. Even so, thank you for your help today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve trained quite a few Classers in my time, and I think you¡¯re the first to thank me for something like this,¡± Felix said with a touch of amusement that quickly faded as he gave Jake a serious look. ¡°Do you think you could clear this Dungeon tomorrow without Karl?¡±


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    ¡°If I had the other three, yes, easily,¡± Jake said without hesitation. Just Alan¡¯s ability to attack at range or Nepthys¡¯s shields would make a lot of the issues here easier to deal with.


    ¡°Good, he¡¯ll be doing this tomorrow then,¡± Felix said with a nod as the two of them left the Dungeon. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you until you pay your tax. I doubt there will be an issue, but I wish to be sure.¡±


    Jake nodded, a little relieved that Felix would be accompanying him. It wasn¡¯t that Jake expected there to be a problem; it was just that the idea of dealing with the Triarchy directly once more made him uncomfortable.


    Putting that aside for the moment, Jake stepped into Ivaldi¡¯s and paid five Wyrdgeld to store the large sack of Wyrdfruit until he next needed it. Jake wasn¡¯t sure exactly what he¡¯d use all the fruit for, but it felt good to have something in reserve.


    That done, Jake passed the wood he was carrying over to Ivaldi, asking him to pass it on to Varin when he could.


    With two pieces to work with, Jake was hoping Varin could produce something interesting for them to use. He didn¡¯t know what the crafter¡¯s capabilities would be, but he was hopeful.


    With that done, they made their way into the centre of Casthorpe, where the Triarchy had an administration centre.


    Felix had explained on the journey to Casthorpe that administration centres were set up in all the cities of Strovia and several of its towns. Due to its three Dungeons, Casthorpe was one of the few granted such a dubious honour.


    ¡°Strange,¡± Felix muttered as they turned a corner and came into view of the admin centre.


    The centre was a blocky building that was out of place with its surroundings. It was larger than the other buildings around it and was obviously newer, making Jake wonder what had been there before the Triarchy arrived.


    A pair of pale-skinned triarchean guards stood outside the doors of the admin centre, and as the two of them approached, three more emerged and went off on patrol.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Jake asked, his eyes not leaving the pale-skinned guards.


    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be a posted guard in a town like this, or if there were, it would be only one person. We should be careful.¡± Felix had a worried look that he quickly smoothed away before they got too close.


    Doing his best to do the same, Jake followed Felix past the guards, who ignored them, and into the building.


    The interior was a waiting room of sorts, with seating for Classers while they waited. At the far end of the room was a pale-skinned clerk with a desk who was speaking with someone.


    Felix led them over to take a seat, and a few moments later, the other Classer left. There weren¡¯t any others waiting, so Felix motioned Jake forward.


    ¡°Advancement to declare?¡± The Clerk¡¯s eyes flicked up at Jake as he approached before going back down to the paperwork they were completing.


    ¡°No,¡± Jake said, hating the slight questioning tone it came out with.


    The clerk¡¯s cold eyes returned to rest on Jake for a long moment before softening slightly. ¡°First time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sorry.¡± Jake hated to apologise to a triarchean, but he had to play the part.


    ¡°Place the Wyrdgeld here,¡± the clerk said, tapping a square container on one side of the desk. ¡°Then push some Wyrd into it. It will confirm the amount and mark you as paid within our records. When you reach tier two, report it on arrival, and we will update your agreement.¡±


    Jake nodded jerkily as he conjured the Wyrdgeld, doing his best to compress it so that he only had ten coins worth ten each. Dropping them in, he pushed some Wyrd into the container and watched sadly as the Wyrdgeld was absorbed into it.


    A hundred Wyrdgeld, gone just like that.


    The clerk glanced up and motioned for Jake to be on his way before dismissing him and returning to their work.


    Jake felt like a pressure was lifted from him the moment they stepped out of the admin centre, but Felix was quick to keep him moving.


    ¡°I was expecting something more,¡± Jake said once they were far enough away from the guards.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for it,¡± Felix said heatedly. ¡°They take our Wyrdgeld and funnel it to their own ends, never taking enough to provoke matters. Those with the power to change things must move on, and the rest are constantly leeched to fund the growth of the Triarchy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that much, though, not for established Classers?¡± Jake frowned as he considered that he¡¯d made more than he needed in one day. He had no doubt he could do even better in a few ranks if he put some effort in.


    ¡°For every Classer that advances, there is another who lingers in their tier, unwilling to push themselves,¡± Felix said bitterly, his hand tightening around the hilt of his blade. ¡°By only taking a small amount, they are never pushed to move on, but consider how much Wyrdgeld they gather. There are thousands of Classers in Strovia, giving them hundreds of thousands of Wyrdgeld.¡±


    ¡°Thousands¡­¡± Jake¡¯s eyes were wide as he considered what he could do with so much Wyrdgeld. He could advance directly to rank ten, letting him focus on tiering up rather than making money to live.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it bother you right now,¡± Felix said, his shoulders slumping as his anger seeped away. ¡°Allowing the Dungeons to grow once more will help more than anything else. Besides, my main concern was if they had marked you, but it seems they don¡¯t know your identity yet.¡±


    ¡°What if they had?¡± Jake asked, not realising that Felix had considered that a risk.


    ¡°Then I would have killed them all, and we would have left town,¡± Felix said simply, giving Jake a look that told him he was being deadly serious.

 DN 58 - Beyond the Pale I

    After Felix¡¯s chilling statement, they made their way back to the inn where they were staying, rejoining with everyone else.


    Jake felt battered and exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep it all off, but even so, he felt like he was in better shape than his friends.


    Nepthys looked the best off, and she even managed a small smile as she saw Jake walk in. In contrast, Rhew looked the worst, her skin being so pale that Jake was concerned she was bleeding out even as he watched.


    Ari was sitting with them, feet up on a chair as he munched on a sandwich, with a familiar satchel placed next to him.


    ¡°How¡¯d they do?¡± Felix asked as he and Jake joined the group.


    ¡°Two complete runs. I had to step in a couple of times each run, and we ran out of potions, but otherwise, not too bad.¡± Ari gave Jake a measuring look as Felix shrugged his satchel off and placed it on the floor, the remaining potions clinking together loudly. ¡°How about you?¡±


    ¡°Two runs, better than expected. I¡¯ll take Borvon through the forest tomorrow. The rest of them will do a run to completion for both the others.¡± Felix paused, his eyes flicking around the table before he nodded to the kitchen. ¡°Things are growing complex. We need to speak privately.¡±


    Ari nodded and followed Felix through to the kitchen, presumably to be updated on what they¡¯d been doing during the day.


    ¡°So, was your day as rough as ours?¡± Alan asked with a tired laugh.


    ¡°It was pretty tough, but it was worth it,¡± Jake said, thinking of the Wyrdgeld he¡¯d gained and the conversation with Felix. ¡°Felix had me delving on my own. All he did was give me potions when I needed them.¡±


    ¡°Same for us, though we were working as a team. I can¡¯t even imagine going through one of these alone,¡± Alan said with a slight shiver.


    ¡°Is that what he¡¯s going to have me doing tomorrow, do you think?¡± Karl slumped slightly as Jake nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not looking forward to that, not at all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worth a lot of Wyrdgeld, though,¡± Jake said, a genuine smile crossing his face. ¡°Enough that I paid my Triarchy tax already.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s almost enough to make me want to do it,¡± Rhew said with a forlorn expression. ¡°But I don¡¯t hate myself like you two, so I¡¯m fine with our normal delves.¡±


    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see the day you turned down the chance for more Wyrdgeld.¡± Jake gave the ice mage a surprised look, well aware of how eager she was to earn more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I think it would be great, but I¡¯m a caster. My skill set isn¡¯t exactly tailored to fighting alone.¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but give it time,¡± Nepthys said, a hint of a smile quirking her lips at Rhew¡¯s surprised expression. ¡°A few ranks and a few Skills and these Dungeons will be entirely possible for you to complete alone. Not easy, but possible.¡±


    Rhew fell silent as she considered Nepthys¡¯s words, with both Alan and Karl looking thoughtful as they sipped their drinks.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Jake said, clearing his throat to get their attention. ¡°I met a crafter Classer today, and he¡¯s asked if he can stick with us. We¡¯ll give him some of the materials we find, and he¡¯ll make us items we can use. There¡¯ll be Wyrdgeld costs to some of it, but no doubt he¡¯ll be cheaper than buying things.¡±


    ¡°A crafter just for us?¡± Nepthys echoed with evident surprise. ¡°That¡¯s not something we should turn down. Not at all.¡±


    ¡°Are they that rare?¡± Alan asked, a familiar look of curiosity in his eyes.


    ¡°There are far less of them than combat Classers. It does balance out by them having a far lower mortality rate in each tier, but even so, they¡¯re hard to find.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a good deal to me,¡± Karl said with a slight shrug. ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±


    ¡°Varin. I sent him some of the wood I got from my delve, so we¡¯ll see what he can do with that. I wanted to get your okay before accepting his offer, though.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got my approval,¡± Rhew said, somewhat reluctantly. ¡°As much as I don¡¯t want to give away resources, a crafter will be incredibly useful. Especially when we want to start getting better equipment.¡±


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    Ari and Felix took that moment to come back into the room, cutting off any further discussion. The two older Classers had little to discuss, however, and sent them off to rest, ready for a day of delving.


    -**-


    Jake woke early the next day, eager to get to grips with the third Dungeon and bind it. The Boon he had already was powerful, so the opportunity to claim a new one had him impatient to get started.


    Part of Jake warned that he had to be cautious and careful, but at the same time, he knew that if his friends had completed the Dungeon already. That meant it was doable, and his experience with the damned flowers had taught him not to underestimate his own power.


    Karl was equally conflicted, albeit for different reasons, about his own agenda for the day. Thankfully, the lingering injury from the fire Dungeon had faded overnight, along with his revival sickness, so Karl was in as good a shape as he was going to be.


    Felix wasted no time in taking Karl away for his specialised training as soon as they finished breakfast, leaving Jake and the others to follow a whistling Ari to their own Dungeon. Ari would be staying outside, so that this delve counted for Jake, but he would be holding onto their Wyrdgeld to keep it safe.


    ¡°So, what can you tell me about this one?¡± Jake asked as they left Casthorpe, heading in the opposite direction to the plant-themed Dungeon. He posed the question to his companions in general, knowing that they¡¯d all likely have different takes on things.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not what we expected at all,¡± Rhew said, seemingly hesitating for a moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s an urban environment that seems to focus on the undead, the Velj in specific,¡± Nepthys said, taking over from Rhew.


    ¡°Undead?¡± Jake echoed with surprise. He¡¯d been expecting something elemental in nature after the first two they¡¯d encountered here, definitely not urban undead, whatever that would look like.


    ¡°Mostly Velj, like Nepthys said. Ari called the Enhanced creatures we fought Empty Ones,¡± Alan said, nodding towards their guide, who was studiously ignoring them.


    ¡°Never thought we¡¯d be fighting undead,¡± Jake muttered to himself with a slight shiver. The Velj were essentially zombies, animated corpses that served more powerful undead. The stories called them lingering souls that wouldn¡¯t pass on from this life.


    Jake had little in the way of formal education, but even he had heard of these creatures, which made the idea of fighting them so strange.


    ¡°So, what do I need to know to fight these things?¡± Jake asked, deciding to actively take advantage of the fact that his friends had already fought their way through this Dungeon before.


    ¡°Well, the zombies are easy enough once you get used to them,¡± Alan said with a slight shrug. ¡°The main issue is that they don¡¯t feel pain, so they just don¡¯t stop unless you make them. The magic animating them seems to be concentrated in the head and heart, so we target those and hope for the best.¡±


    ¡°Empty Ones are tougher. They¡¯re fast, aggressive and relentless. We beat them by focusing on them immediately and ignoring the zombies. Zombies are slow, so as long as we react quickly, it¡¯s manageable.¡± Nepthys took over the explanation before carrying on to discuss the strategies they¡¯d employed.


    It turned out that the others hadn¡¯t encountered the Challenge room on either of their delves, which wasn¡¯t ideal. They all knew varying amounts of how different Jake¡¯s Class was, but exposure to how things were different when he wasn¡¯t there would highlight that.


    Since binding his first Dungeon, Jake had more of a grip on what his Class was, and he knew with a surprising amount of confidence that the Challenge rooms would always appear for him.


    Turning back to Nepthys, Jake focused on her words and learning as much as he could about this new Dungeon. He¡¯d deal with the rest as it became an issue.


    -**-


    ¡°I know you said urban, but this is still weird,¡± Jake said, looking around the interior of the first floor of the Dungeon with wide eyes.


    In some ways, the closest of the other Dungeons to this was the plant-based one with its forests, though this was quite different to that.


    For all intents and purposes, the interior of this Dungeon was a city.


    The door that Jake and the others had entered through was a large and ornate set of double doors leading into an elaborate-looking building. The path ahead of them was a cobbled street, and though it was the widest path he¡¯d seen yet, the edges were bounded by tall stone buildings.


    Port Emerald was an old city, which meant that sections of it were particularly cramped, thanks to generations of new constructions. The worst of those sections felt similar to what Jake was now looking at.


    There were no gaps between the buildings, just a long line of grey stone structures with little variation between them.


    Jake could imagine that the line ran unbroken for miles ahead of them, but his view was obstructed by a light fog that hung over everything. It was nighttime wherever they were, so the fog was slightly illuminated by the moon, but visibility wasn¡¯t great.


    ¡°Ready, Jake?¡± Nepthys asked softly, waiting for him to gather himself and nod before leading the way down the street.


    The first zombie was a dark shape looming in the fog ahead of them, its uneven gait bringing it closer to them as Alan took a shot at its head and missed.


    The zombie got close enough that Jake could make out more of what it looked like. The monster had the form of an average-looking man, wearing labourers¡¯ clothes that had numerous rips and tears.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve got it,¡± Nepthys said as Alan cursed and drew a new arrow.


    For all that Alan was putting the training in and using his Skill, he was still relatively new to using a bow, and the distance to the zombie was twice that of the lizards they¡¯d fought.


    The shambling corpse adjusted itself as Nepthys approached, ignoring the blades in her hands as it tried to seize her.


    The wet thud of the zombie¡¯s head hitting the floor set the tone for the first of the floor as the four of them worked steadily through the zombies.


    Despite the mist and the unnerving environment, it was the smoothest start to a Dungeon that Jake had had. Unlike Alan, however, he wasn¡¯t fool enough to say something like that out loud.

 DN 59 - Beyond the Pale II

    The second floor of the Dungeon was much the same as the first. A long mist-filled city street with wandering zombies stretched out ahead of them. This time, though, several piles of ash surrounded burnt wooden poles scattered here and there along the street.


    Nepthys had prewarned Jake about the ash, so he wasn¡¯t surprised when Alan put an arrow into the first one they saw, causing a zombie to stand up and come staggering towards them.


    Jake gave the undead the finishing blow this time, his blade carving into dead flesh with ease. Unnervingly, the zombie continued toward him even as his blade was cutting through its neck.


    The moment Jake¡¯s sword finished cutting through its neck, the zombie dropped like a puppet with its string cut.


    ¡°Unpleasant, aren¡¯t they,¡± Nepthys said, coming over to Jake as he drew the Wyrdgeld from the fallen zombie. ¡°It¡¯s the lack of reaction to being hit that gets me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t quite understand what you meant earlier, but I do now,¡± Jake said, some of her earlier explanations suddenly making more sense. ¡°Stronger versions of creatures like this will be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Too true,¡± Nepthys said, glancing back to check where the others were before lowering her voice and continuing. ¡°Any idea what Boon you might get from a place like this?¡±


    Jake grimaced in distaste before shaking his head slightly. ¡°No idea. Nothing good would be my guess. Still, beggars can¡¯t be choosers, and I need more Dungeons bound to me.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get to it, shall we?¡± Nepthys¡¯s eyes glinted as she raised a brow his way and spun the short of her swords. ¡°Show me what you learned yesterday with Felix.¡±


    A smile tugged at Jake¡¯s lips as he flourished his sword in a gesture for her to lead the way. ¡°After you, you¡¯ll need the head start.¡±


    Nepthys laughed throatily as she walked into the mist, a grinning Jake following along in her wake.


    With Alan and Rhew working to draw out any hidden enemies, they quickly made their way through the second floor and were soon at the entrance to the third.


    Stepping through, Jake eyed his new surroundings with surprise. The others had explained that the third floor took them indoors, but it felt like he¡¯d just walked into a building of some sort.


    Their entry point was the foyer of a mansion, with destroyed stairs leading up and a single door ahead of them.


    Unlike the streets, there was no lighting here, so Jake and Rhew took out and lit their torches, giving them enough visibility to work with.


    Jake contemplated trying to get up to the next floor, but he remembered Ari¡¯s explanation about not pushing the boundaries of the Dungeon and left it alone.


    ¡°There is an Empty One deep within the mansion, with one or two rooms before that,¡± Alan said, nocking an arrow in preparation as Nepthys moved forward and opened the door to the next room.


    An eerie groan rang out as Nepthys moved into the room, with Jake and the others quickly following through as they set upon the three zombies within.


    The new room was a reception area that had been partially burnt out and wrecked, leaving behind small piles of destroyed furnishings to impede them.


    A thin layer of ash coated everything, and more was kicked up as the four of them swiftly took down the zombies.


    ¡°For all that this is creepy and uncomfortable, fighting zombies has been the easiest thing so far,¡± Alan said with a cheerful smile as he reclaimed an arrow from the side of a zombie¡¯s head.


    Jake rolled his eyes and shared a long-suffering look with Nepthys but otherwise didn¡¯t comment. Instead, he led the way over to the next door.


    It felt somewhat strange to have these extra doors within the Dungeon, but it did add to the ambience of the floor, and that felt meaningful somehow.


    Once everyone was ready, Jake opened the door and moved swiftly into a heavily ransacked kitchen with his torch held high.


    Four zombies were present, though rather than the generic clothing of the others, they were wearing white jackets and were dressed for kitchen work.


    It was the first time that Jake had seen any variation in monsters like this, and once the zombies were dealt with, he took a moment to look them over.


    Each of the four was dressed almost identically and yet completely differently from the rest of the zombies they¡¯d seen. Surely there was no gain to the Dungeon for giving them different clothing?


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    A frown settled on Jake¡¯s face as he considered how little he still knew about the purpose of Dungeons. He was starting to understand more about their function and how they worked, but this small detail was undercutting everything he knew.


    ¡°Is it the clothes?¡± Nepthys asked, coming over to see what Jake was looking at.


    ¡°Yeah, I just don¡¯t understand why?¡±


    ¡°At this point, you likely know just as much about the nature of Dungeons as I do. The only thing I have is more experience dealing with them.¡± Nepthys shrugged slightly before nudging Jake. ¡°Leave it alone for now. I think it¡¯s the Empty One next.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Jake took a moment to drag his focus back to the present before heading back over to the other two with Nepthys. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°We block it, Rhew slows it, and Alan shoots it in the head,¡± Nepthys said, shrugging her shoulders when Jake gave her a look. ¡°It¡¯s simple and to the point. Rhew¡¯s ice will still slow it, even if it doesn¡¯t cause any pain, and that will help Alan get a hit.¡±


    Jake didn¡¯t really have any better ideas, so he followed Nepthys¡¯s lead, and they burst through the door into the last room of the floor.


    The final area was a long dining room with a smashed table set in the centre and a thick layer of ash in the air. A hunched figure was perched on part of the ruined table at the far end, its grey skin almost blending into the ash.


    Alan and Rhew wasted no time in opening fire, causing the figure to leap to its feet and dodge with surprising nimbleness.


    The Empty One was a grey humanoid with an emaciated frame that hung tight over sharply angular bones. It had long, swept-back ears pointing out from its head, while large white eyes filled the deep hollow of its eye sockets.


    The Empty One sprang forward, racing towards them with blistering speed that even the murk hounds couldn¡¯t match.


    One of Nepthys¡¯s shields popped into existence in front of the creature, and for the first time, Jake watched in shock as something avoided the dependable trick.


    Thankfully, despite keeping its feet, the Empty One had to slow down, and a blast of cold magic caught its shoulder, slowing it further as Rhew¡¯s magic got to work.


    Nepthys stepped up to meet the monster in direct combat, her higher rank giving her the edge in speed she needed to keep up with the creature.


    Jake did what he could to cover Nepthys¡¯s flank, using both his torch and sword to menace the undead creature.


    Despite its speed and strength, the Empty One seemed unthinking in its savagery, and as soon as it settled into a fight with Nepthys, Alan put an arrow in its leg.


    Nepthys put the shorter of her two blades through the creature¡¯s heart a few moments after Alan wounded it, making Jake realise that the Empty One had reacted to the pain of the shot.


    It seemed that whatever it was, it was still living enough to feel pain.


    ¡°Look, that must be the Challenge room,¡± Rhew called out as Nepthys drew the Wyrdgeld from the fallen creature.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go for it,¡± Jake quickly declared before anyone could consider skipping over it. If he was going to bind this Dungeon, he needed to complete all of it.


    ¡°Sounds good to me. Let¡¯s take five minutes first, though,¡± Alan said, pulling out the waterskin from his bag and taking a drink. ¡°The damn ash irritates my throat going through here.¡±


    Jake propped his torch up in some wreckage before following suit. They¡¯d made good time so far, but a few minutes would be good.


    -**-


    Jake examined the door to the Challenge room once they finished resting, deciding that it was a survival Challenge, much like the first they¡¯d done.


    With no wager needed, the four of them readied their weapons and stepped inside, finding themselves in a warmly lit room with only one other exit.


    ¡°For a survival Challenge, I was expecting this to be less homely,¡± Jake said, eyeing their new surroundings with surprise.


    ¡°I doubt it will last once we open that door,¡± Rhew said with a sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s just get on with it.¡±


    They¡¯d already pre-lit new torches before coming through to the Challenge, so after a brief moment to organise themselves, they opened the door and started the Challenge.


    The door led them through to a large foyer, much like the one they¡¯d seen earlier. This time, however, the doors at the entrance were gone, and there were two breaches in the walls, one on either side of the room.


    Jake couldn¡¯t see any monsters initially, but he did notice that both breaches opened out onto a city street and were large enough for him to walk through.


    ¡°Movement!¡± Alan called out, pointing out the front door.


    ¡°Same over here,¡± Jake called out as he saw a number of dark figures coming down the street.


    ¡°Over here as well,¡± Nepthys called out from the opposite side to Jake.


    ¡°Alan, Rhew, get firing at the doorway. Nepthys and I will hold the breaches for as long as we can.¡± Jake shouted as he counted the figures coming his way. ¡°I¡¯ve got ten of them here.¡±


    The others reported similar numbers at their sides, making Jake curse under his breath before advancing out through his breach.


    Infusing his sword with Wyrd, Jake harried the front zombies, taking advantage of their slow speed to engage them one at a time.


    There wasn¡¯t much space and even less time, but by using up his Wyrd, Jake could make sure that his sword carved through the zombie no matter where he struck.


    Things got tense as the last few forced their way through the breach, and Jake abruptly understood the true problem with zombies.


    They weren¡¯t that dangerous on their own, but as a group, they were difficult to deal with in close quarters.


    Fortunately, Jake only had to stall the zombies while his companions dealt with their own groups. Once Nepthys had dealt with her group, she judiciously used her shields to block and separate out the zombies, letting the two of them swiftly cut down the remaining few.


    ¡°Damn, that was intense,¡± Alan said once the last zombie had fallen. ¡°I¡¯m down to half my arrows now. I lost a couple here.¡±


    ¡°I used a lot of Wyrd as well,¡± Nepthys said tiredly. ¡°Doing this with only four of us was tough.¡±


    ¡°On the upside, this is a nice chunk of Wyrdgeld,¡± Jake pointed out, making them all perk up slightly. ¡°Plus, we¡¯ve got the reward for finishing as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it!¡± Rhew called out as she hurried back to the room they¡¯d entered through, emerging a few moments later with a bulging pouch. ¡°Just coins. It looks like twenty total, which makes this whole thing worth fifty.¡±


    ¡°I say we head back, take fifteen minutes to rest and then keep going,¡± Jake said, finishing drawing the Wyrdgeld from the last of his zombies.


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Nepthys said as she cleaned off her swords before sheathing them. ¡°Let me go over what you need to expect from the next two floors.¡±

 DN 60 - Growth I

    The next floor of the undead Dungeon was a mix of the second and third, with them beginning in a burned-out building and progressing out onto the street, where small groups of zombies were waiting.


    Without the numbers needed to swarm them, the zombies were quickly dealt with, and the group pushed onto the Guardian floor and the end of the Dungeon.


    The final floor was an inversion of the fourth, with them exiting out into a mist-filled street and entering a palatial mansion through a broken wall.


    Jake couldn¡¯t help but notice again how much more was happening in this Dungeon compared to the others. He¡¯d been wondering if the locations they went to were created by Dungeons or somewhere in the world.


    Now that Jake had experienced this Dungeon, he was leaning toward the former opinion more than ever. The featureless buildings blocking their path elsewhere were just too at odds with the ones that they went into.


    ¡°Okay, through here is the ballroom. There are five zombies dressed as nobles, but once we fight them, two Empty Ones will  come out of hiding.¡± Nepthys explained, having seemingly taken on the role of passing their experience on to Jake.


    ¡°Right, so what¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°We try to kill as many of the zombies at the same time as we can. That¡¯ll wake up the Empty Ones, so we pull back, deal with them, and then finish off the zombies. The room is lit as well, so there is no need for the torches.¡±


    Jake gladly dropped his torch off to one side and unslung his shield. He kept it loose on his arm, as he expected to cast it aside for his dagger at some point, but it was useful to have.


    Nepthys opened the door and led them into what was the most intact room they¡¯d seen so far. Burning torches sat in sconces around the edge of the room while a chandelier hung in the centre, casting its light over the ash-covered furnishings.


    Five zombies were scrabbling through the broken remnants of a massive table, one of two that had once stood in the room.


    At their entrance, the five undead slowly turned to face them before beginning their shambling advance. Thankfully, the room was big enough that Jake and the others had plenty of time to get into position.


    Four of the five zombies fell at the same time as they all attacked at point-blank range, the fifth dropping a moment later as Nepthys put her off-hand sword through its heart.


    ¡°Well, that went better than expected,¡± Alan said as two of the grey-skinned Empty Ones burst out of hiding and began to sprint toward them. ¡°Going for left!¡±


    Rhew and Nepthys joined Alan in focusing on a single one of the creatures, leaving Jake to hold off the other until they were done.


    Thankfully, while the gaunt creatures were fast and strong, they lacked anything like the iron fur of the hounds or the scales of the lizards.


    Shifting his grip on his shield, Jake waited until the monster was almost on him before throwing it at its face.


    Unsurprisingly, the Empty One swayed out of the way of the impromptu projectile and dodged Jake¡¯s sword, but his dagger slid home.


    The monster snarled in pain before throwing Jake away from it, leaving a deep wound down his arm in the process.


    Black lines of poison were spreading out from the wound in the creature¡¯s chest, but they didn¡¯t go far, and they were fading even as Jake watched.


    The shock of his dagger failing to kill something almost lost Jake his life as the Empty One rushed him, the edge of its talon-like nails catching his neck and slicing through with ease.


    Throwing himself backwards, Jake launched the dagger in his hand at the creature to distract it.


    The fast-moving monster slid around the attack and was on Jake a moment later, giving him no time to think, no time to catch his breath.


    Repeated training allowed Jake to dismiss his dagger as sharp nails cut into the flesh of his arms, and a wrench of his wrist made him release his sword.


    A pale grey barrier sprang into existence, blocking the creature¡¯s next attack and giving Jake the moment he needed to conjure his dagger and slash the monster¡¯s throat.


    The poison within the dagger might do little to harm the monster, but it was enough to stagger it for a moment.


    An arrow and a cluster of icicles struck the creature a bare moment later, knocking it from its feet as Jake retrieved his sword.


    Nepthys reached the fallen monster before Jake, piercing its heart with her longer blade and ending the fight.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Nepthys turned to Jake with a concerned expression.


    ¡°Nothing a potion can¡¯t fix,¡± Jake said, sheathing his sword and dismissing his dagger before pulling out a potion. ¡°You made fighting one of them look a lot easier when you did it.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°The advantage of being several ranks higher than you,¡± Nepthys said with a pleased smile. ¡°You seemed to have a plan, though. What happened?¡±


    ¡°My poison didn¡¯t work on it to the same degree as usual,¡± Jake said, sighing as the potion got to work, healing the damage the monster had done. ¡°Which makes sense, now I think about it. The bloody things are undead, after all.¡±


    Nepthys¡¯s eyes sparkled with restrained laughter as she cleaned off her swords and sheathed them. ¡°A learning experience, I¡¯m sure. Now, let¡¯s get all this done so you can claim your reward.¡± Nepthys gave Jake a subtle wink before turning to draw the Wyrdgeld from the dead monster.


    The emphasis the Inquisitor put on the last word briefly made Jake¡¯s eyes widen before he realised she meant the Boon from binding the Dungeon. Thankfully, she¡¯d already turned away and missed the slight flush on his cheeks.


    The reward for the end of the Dungeon was just additional coins, matching the one for the Challenge, and just a few minutes later, Jake was walking through the final exit.


    -**-


    The darkness of passing through one of the Dungeon¡¯s true doors lasted for a few heartbeats longer than usual before Jake emerged.


    As before, Jake found himself in a brightly lit chamber, though it didn¡¯t feel quite as thick with power.


    Four empty pedestals sat in the centre of the room, with the metallic Throne waiting on the far side. The reddish-brown metal glinted enticingly in the torchlight, and Jake eagerly made his way over to take his new seat.


    The cold metal was briefly hard and unyielding, but as before, Jake felt it shift and mould itself to his frame, curving around him in an almost possessive manner.


    Congratulations, Jake Khesh, you have bound the Dungeon Haugask Deja. Choose from one of the four rewards the Dungeon has selected for you.


    The four pedestals began to glow, an image forming over each of them as the air in the room thickened and pressed down on Jake.


    This time, Jake was ready and focused his attention internally, letting him feel the distinct touch of something foreign brushing against his mind.


    As before, the touch vanished as quickly as it came, and power flowed into Jake from the Dungeon, moving through his body to vanish into his soul.


    The power flow was significantly less this time, and Jake waited a moment before sighing in relief as no notification of an increase in tier came.


    Rising from the Throne, Jake stepped down to the pedestals, feeling energised and invigorated by the power that had flowed through him.


    The first image was of a zombie rising from the ground, and the whispers in Jake¡¯s mind told him that it would allow him to animate the bodies of those he slew.


    The second image was of his own face, bloody-mouthed and grinning wildly. A chill went down Jake¡¯s spine even as the whispers told him that it would allow him to feast on the blood of the enemy, healing himself.


    The third image was of his hands, though his nails were elongated and thickened, becoming talons. The whispers called it a temporary enhancement he could apply to himself.


    The fourth image was the same as last time. A globe of grey Wyrd filled with potential. The whispers told Jake that he could choose raw Plexus power rather than a boon.


    Jake wasn''t entirely sure what that fourth option meant, but he had a rough idea. The unknown aspect wasn¡¯t great, but he didn¡¯t want any of the first three, either.


    The Triarchy were already going to be trying to kill him, but at least he had allies. If he started eating monsters, summoning the dead to his aid, or gods know what else, those allies might fall away.


    It wasn¡¯t worth it, and Jake wasn¡¯t that interested in any of them to risk it.


    Deciding to take the Plexus power, Jake triggered his status so he could compare it afterwards and see the effect.


    Name - Jake Khesh


    Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon


    Class - Dungeon Noble - Squire


    Tier - I


    Rank - IV


    Dungeon Network - 2


    Plexus Strength - Minor


    Plexus Manifestations - 0/1


    Plexus Points - 1


    Traits


    Physical - Lesser Noble Constitution (I) - Rare- Descended from a Noble bloodline, you have a minor enhancement to physical characteristics.


    Skills


    Passive - Personal Plexus (I) - Very Rare - You gain the ability to bind Dungeons and form your own Plexus that may contain Dungeons of minor strength. Currently, Dungeons up to Tier I can be bound. Doubles the Wyrdgeld cost of advancing in Class Rank.


    Patron Gifts


    Passive - Agent of the Great Dungeon (I)  - Very Rare - You are bound to the Great Dungeon by blood. Other followers of the Great Dungeon will recognise you and aid you as they may.


    Passive - Sense Dungeon (I) - Rare - As an agent of the Great Dungeon, you are able to passively sense the location of nearby Dungeons in a meagre range.


    Plexus Boons


    Hidden Fang - II - Granted by the Holrswar Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a dagger with inherent poisonous properties. Using the dagger, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Deed requirement to increase Tier


    1 - 5 Tier I or higher Dungeons bound


    2 - Rank X


    Requirements to increase to Rank V


    1 - 160 Wyrdgeld


    ¡°Huh,¡± Jake muttered as he examined his status, noting that he¡¯d gained a Plexus Point and his Dungeon Network had increased. Plexus Strength and Plexus Manifestations had remained the same, though.


    Reaching out to take the Boon, Jake felt the energy flow into him, banishing all of his lingering aches and pains. Unlike with the dagger, there was no new knowledge that abruptly came to him with this Boon, so Jake triggered his status again.


    Name - Jake Khesh


    Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon


    Class - Dungeon Noble - Squire


    Tier - I


    Rank - IV


    Dungeon Network - 2


    Plexus Strength - Minor


    Plexus Manifestations - 1/2


    Plexus Points - 1


    Plexus Boons


    Hidden Fang - II - Granted by the Holrswar Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a dagger with inherent poisonous properties. Using the dagger, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Plexus Development - I - This Boon may only be increased in rank by choosing it at additional Dungeons, but it has no cap on its rank level. Increases Manifestations available by one per rank. Granted by the Haugask Deja Dungeon.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Jake said softly, taking in the new information with a growing smile. The increase in his Manifestations would be incredibly useful.


    It was a shame about the Boons here not being to his liking, but hopefully, the other Dungeon would provide something more in his style.


    Taking a last look at the Throne, Jake turned and left the way he¡¯d entered.

 DN 61 - Growth II

    Once they were out of the Dungeon, they decided to head back to the inn and split the Wyrdgeld they¡¯d gathered.


    Ari had held onto their Wyrdgeld while they were inside the Dungeon, so it was easy enough to retrieve their pouches before splitting the loot.


    They ended up with an odd amount, so Nepthys took the lower number, leaving Jake and the other two with thirty-nine Wyrdgeld each.


    Unlike other Dungeons they¡¯d run, the undead one had just given Wyrdgeld out, nothing else, so the raw amount of coinage seemed to be higher.


    Jake had enough now to rank up this evening, and they were going to head to the forest Dungeon after lunch, which would hopefully net him another Boon.


    It all felt like it was coming together.


    -**-


    It was Jake¡¯s turn to lay out everything he knew about the Dungeon as they made their way out to it, Ari once again accompanying them to the Dungeon. The older Classer would wait outside as he had before, saving them the cost of using Ivaldi¡¯s services.


    Jake had thought it a waste of Ari¡¯s time at first, but there was a surprisingly serious expression on their instructor¡¯s face. Jake had also noticed that Ari had tensed when they saw a pair of patrolling triarchean guards on the way to the Dungeon, which he hadn¡¯t done in the past.


    Felix had said that the guards were unusual, but perhaps it was more of an issue than Jake had expected.


    Thankfully, they had no issues heading over to the Dungeon and in short order, they were entering the first floor.


    The familiar forest path stretched out ahead of them, and Jake¡¯s lips twitched into a slight smile as the other three looked around in surprise.


    After his own shock at the environment of the undead Dungeon, it was nice to have it the other way around.


    The rootlings on the first two floors were little impediment to the group, especially when Jake could remember where they were roughly located. There was some variance from delve to delve, but the Dungeon floors weren¡¯t big enough that it was too noticeable.


    The third floor was just as straightforward for them despite the appearance of the Spite Flowers.


    After how much sap Jake had endured during his solo delves, it was satisfying to watch Alan put an arrow through the first flower they saw, killing it without needing to risk anyone getting injured.


    Sadly, not all of the flowers could be dealt with like that; they were positioned in such a way that it wasn¡¯t possible to see them before you were already in their spitting range.


    Nepthys did offer to use her shield Skill to block the sap and allow them to take the flowers out without any risk, but Jake didn¡¯t want to waste the Wyrd.


    They were already on the third floor, so he doubted that Nepthys would run out with a few breaks for her to catch her breath, but that wasn¡¯t the point.


    Solo delving with Felix had reignited Jake¡¯s desire to push himself to be the best he could be, and that meant treating these Dungeons as learning opportunities. Yes, Nepthys could remove the danger, but there would come a time when she wouldn¡¯t be able to.


    There was a risk of injury doing it this way, but they had healing available, and Jake had plenty of practice already.


    Nepthys took turns with Jake once she realised his intent, using her higher-ranked speed and agility to outpace the slowly turning flowers.


    The fourth floor was slightly more complex, but the return to clearings meant that Alan and Rhew focused on any flowers present while Jake and Nepthys dealt with the rootlings.


    The Challenge room was much easier with more of them able to search, and they ended up splitting into pairs, letting them finish with plenty of time remaining.


    The Guardian floor had been the worst for Jake; the two Enhanced creatures had stretched him to his limit. Now, however, he had a lot more support and was able to charge straight at the Malignant Tender while Nepthys, Rhew and Alan focused on the rootlings and the tendrae.


    Jake didn¡¯t waste any time in using his Hidden Fang Boon to stab the giant plant, leaving the dagger in place to continually pump poison into it before dodging around its questing roots and out to safety.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    All of the energy contained in that Manifestation of his Boon was expended as it steadily poisoned the tender, but Jake considered it a worthy exchange.


    With the tender dealt with, they were able to take down the remaining monsters with only a few minor wounds between them. The worst was taken by Nepthys when a rootling got onto her leg and left several tendrils in the back of her thigh when it was ripped away.


    With the monsters dead, Jake took a few moments to dig out the pieces of root from Nepthys¡¯s leg. The wound was in an awkward position, and Jake had to all but crouch down behind her with her trousers hiked up as far as they would go.


    ¡°Got it, all done,¡± Jake said, tossing aside the slivers of wood with disgust before gently applying some healing potion to the puncture wounds. As soon as they started healing, he got back to his feet and passed the rest of the vial to Nepthys.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Nepthys said in a soft tone, downing the rest of the vial to help with a few other scratches and cuts she¡¯d picked up.


    For a moment, Jake thought that there was a red tinge to Nepthys¡¯s cheeks, but she was quick to turn and head over to where Rhew and Alan were examining their reward.


    Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Jake followed suit, noting that, once again, the Dungeon had given Wyrd-infused wood as part of the final reward.


    The Challenge room had given them a cloth bag of Wyrdfruit once again, standing in stark contrast to the undead Dungeon, which had only given coins.


    With Varin lending them his services, the materials were perhaps more valuable than the coins now, so Jake took them as his share. It did mean that he had more Wyrdfruit than he knew what to do with, but Jake was sure he¡¯d find some use for them.


    With the division of the rewards agreed on, the others left the Dungeon, and Jake went to claim his next Boon.


    The Dungeon¡¯s Throne was cold yet comforting as Jake took his seat.


    Congratulations, Jake Khesh, you have bound the Dungeon Aptofir Veranis. Choose from one of the four rewards the Dungeon has selected for you.


    As normal, the pedestals within the room began to glow, highlighting the options as Jake felt a familiar presence touch his mind. Forcing himself to relax, Jake felt the rush of power course from the Dungeon through to his soul and breathed out shakily.


    Feeling so much power move through him was always invigorating, and Jake pushed himself to his feet with a grin before stepping down to see what Boons were available.


    The first was an image of a bleeding arm, but the blood was tinged green. Whispers in his mind told him that the Boon would let him make his blood grow slightly caustic to others for a time, giving him a defence against invasive creatures.


    The second was of Jake, but his skin had a rough, wooden texture to it. Unsurprisingly, the whispers spoke of a Boon that would let him turn his skin into tough bark, protecting him from being cut.


    The third Boon was of an apple, bright and red with a healthy sheen that went beyond even the Wyrdfruit that Jake had seen. He half-expected it to be filled with poison or something, but the whispers told him that it would nourish and heal the person who ate it.


    As always, the fourth Boon was an offering of raw energy, which Jake now knew would increase the number of Manifestations he had available.


    While it was tempting to take the energy, Jake wanted a second Boon that he could actually use directly. The blood and the bark Boons were out; they were far too blatant a change for his taste.


    Perhaps in the future, he¡¯d take something like that, but for now, it seemed foolish.


    The apple Boon was intriguing, though. A source of food that could never be taken away from him was valuable all on its own, but the healing part of it was what really caught his eye.


    Healing potions were finite and could be damaged, so a backup like this had the potential to save a life in the right situation.


    Nodding to himself, Jake took the Boon, feeling the brief taste of apple bloom in his mouth before quickly fading.


    A grin spread across Jake¡¯s face as he triggered his status once more.


    Name - Jake Khesh


    Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon


    Class - Dungeon Noble - Squire


    Tier - I


    Rank - IV


    Dungeon Network - 3


    Plexus Strength - Minor


    Plexus Manifestations - 0/2


    Plexus Points - 2


    Traits


    Physical - Lesser Noble Constitution (I) - Rare- Descended from a Noble bloodline, you have a minor enhancement to physical characteristics.


    Skills


    Passive - Personal Plexus (I) - Very Rare - You gain the ability to bind Dungeons and form your own Plexus that may contain Dungeons of minor strength. Currently, Dungeons up to Tier I can be bound. Doubles the Wyrdgeld cost of advancing in Class Rank.


    Patron Gifts


    Passive - Agent of the Great Dungeon (I) - Very Rare - You are bound to the Great Dungeon by blood. Other followers of the Great Dungeon will recognise you and aid you as they may.


    Passive - Sense Dungeon (I) - Rare - As an agent of the Great Dungeon, you are able to passively sense the location of nearby Dungeons in a meagre range.


    Plexus Boons


    Hidden Fang - II - Granted by the Holrswar Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a dagger with inherent poisonous properties. Using the dagger, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Orchard¡¯s Gift - I - Granted by the Aptofir Veranis Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest an apple infused with vitality. Ingesting the apple transfers this vitality, healing and sating the hunger of its consumer.


    Plexus Development - I - This Boon may only be increased in rank by choosing it at additional Dungeons, but it has no cap on its rank level. Increases Manifestations available by one per rank. Granted by the Haugask Deja Dungeon.


    Deed requirement to increase Tier


    1 - 5 Tier I or higher Dungeons bound


    2 - Rank X


    Requirements to increase to Rank V


    1 - 160 Wyrdgeld


    Jake read the information on his new Boon, his grin growing as he dismissed his status and headed towards the exit.


    This was a solid increase in versatility for him, and while it was limiting right now, he was starting to see how quickly he could grow.

 DN 62 - Growth III

    Jake emerged from the Dungeon alongside the others, taking a moment to drop off his loot with Ivaldi before reclaiming his Wyrdgeld from Ari.


    ¡°I know that it¡¯s only natural as we get more experience and become a higher rank, but that was really satisfying,¡± Rhew said as she absorbed her Wyrdgeld.


    ¡°I know what you mean. It was tough still, but it felt within our capabilities,¡± Alan said, his expression turning thoughtful as he continued. ¡°I¡¯m still improving with my accuracy, but I feel like I should be doing more now. My Skill is useful, but if we¡¯re going to start pushing into the tier-two Dungeons, I¡¯ll need to do more.¡±


    ¡°Skills are earned, right?¡± Jake gave Alan a reassuring pat on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve put a lot of work in, and that¡¯ll pay off eventually.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not wrong,¡± Ari said, chipping in from where he was leading the way over to the seating area Jake had used the day before. ¡°I¡¯d expect you to be offered some Common Skills for your bow soon. You can either take them then and work your way through ranking them up, or you can wait in case you earn something more substantial.¡±


    ¡°Is one way better than the other?¡± Alan asked a little uncertainly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep waiting and fall behind everyone else.¡±


    ¡°It is a risk,¡± Ari said, nodding slightly before shrugging. ¡°It¡¯s just one that you have to think is worth it. At my tier, it¡¯s less problematic to wait and earn something from your Deeds, but that¡¯s because we spend less time constantly delving.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve wondered about that,¡± Rhew said, fixing Ari with a thoughtful look. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you off delving in one of the other Realms? Not that I don¡¯t appreciate you being here with us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Ari said, his lips twitching into a smile that was swiftly replaced by a darker expression. ¡°My party ran into some issues, and we lost some people. The Guild always needs teachers and mentors, so I took them up on the offer and came back here. Really, I¡¯d have already moved on by this point if Felix hadn¡¯t taken a shine to all of you.¡±


    ¡°About that,¡± Rhew said as they claimed an empty table and took a seat. ¡°Why is Felix helping us? I know about the Worthy student thing, but why come back to this Realm to do it?¡±


    Jake frowned, thinking back on his previous conversations with Felix and realising that he didn¡¯t know either. They¡¯d talked about Jake¡¯s motivations and what he intended to do, but only briefly about Felix.


    Ari was silent for a few moments as he considered Rhew¡¯s question, eventually nodding to himself and rubbing his jaw before speaking. ¡°It takes a lot to reach tier two, with Classers often stalling at the Deed requirements for a time. Felix likes to take his students earlier in their careers to train them the right way from the very start. For someone like him, having two new students he considers Worthy is more important than spending this time delving.¡±


    Jake relaxed slightly as Ari¡¯s explanation matched up with his own understanding of their instructor¡¯s motives. He was sure there was more to it, even beyond what he knew about the political issues that Felix had mentioned, but it wasn¡¯t really his business.


    ¡°I see, thank you,¡± Rhew said with a slow nod and a thoughtful expression.


    ¡°So, what now?¡± Alan asked, glancing around between them.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s down to you four,¡± Ari said with a shrug. ¡°You can call it there, or you can delve again. Either way, you¡¯ve made good progress today.¡±


    Jake did his best to hide his grin as he considered his new Boon. His grin faltered a little, though, as he realised he wouldn¡¯t be able to use either of his Boons if they went on another delve.


    Stolen story; please report.


    More Boons were good, but expanding the amount of Manifestations he had would be vital.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling a bit worn out, but some food and a bit of a rest will be enough for me to go again. What about you three?¡± Rhew asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t use my dagger again, but I can still infuse my sword, so I¡¯m good to go,¡± Jake said, relaxing a little as no one questioned him on the statement about the dagger.


    After a bit more discussion, they agreed on another delve, but with a couple of hours for them to rest first.


    -**-


    The second delve went smoother than the first for most of the Dungeon, the previous experience with its oddities minimising a few of the threats involved.


    The Guardian floor was a bit more of a problem, though, as Jake couldn¡¯t just jam his Hidden Fang dagger into the malignant tender and let the poison kill it. Instead, they stuck together as a group and kept moving, circling the room as they dealt with the other monsters before focusing on the giant plant at the centre.


    The attrition strategy was successful, but they finished the fight with far more burns and minor injuries spread out among them. The tender had been all too happy to spit its sap at them no matter where they had been in the room, and it was hard to dodge when fighting something else.


    Thankfully, they hadn¡¯t used their potions before the Guardian floor, so they had enough on them to make sure that everyone was fully healed before they took the reward and left.


    Without his Boon, Jake had been infusing his blade to give him some extra impact against the monsters, and that left him almost completely out of Wyrd as they tiredly made their way out to where Ari was waiting.


    ¡°Good job, but let¡¯s get you moving,¡± Ari said, walking over to them as soon as they were outside and tossing them back their pouches of Wyrdgeld.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Jake caught his pouch and absorbed the Wyrdgeld inside it, smiling slightly as he felt how much he now had. He¡¯d be ranking up tonight.


    Jake went to share the good news with the others but paused as he saw the tension on Ari¡¯s face. Looking back toward the Dungeon, Jake saw a couple of triarchean guards on patrol.


    Ari and Felix seemed uncomfortable around the patrolling guards, but the way Ari was acting now took it a little further than that.


    Thankfully, whatever had worried Ari didn¡¯t cause them any issues, and they had an uneventful trip back to the Rusty Duck Inn.


    Karl and Felix were already back, and though Karl looked utterly exhausted, there was also a hint of pride to how he sat, which Jake hoped meant that he¡¯d done well.


    Ari muttered something about them doing a good job before heading straight for Felix and having a brief whispered conversation that ended with both of them heading off into the back of the inn.


    ¡°What do you think that¡¯s all about?¡± Rhew asked as they joined Karl at their usual table.


    ¡°Not sure, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing to do with us,¡± Alan said blithely as he dropped his pack off to one side and sat down with a sigh. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s nice.¡±


    Jake¡¯s smile was brittle as he followed suit, his mind racing as he thought of all the things that might be wrong.


    ¡°Hey, Jake, do you have any advice on infusing Wyrd into your weapons?¡± Alan asked, bringing Jake out of his thoughts. ¡°Rhew uses her wand, and Karl uses his Skill, so it¡¯s really just you who does it out of the four of us.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so; I hadn¡¯t really thought about it. Why, what are you thinking?¡± Jake asked curiously.


    ¡°Well, I tried infusing into my bow, but that didn¡¯t do anything, and then I tried with my arrows, but it faded once they were shot. It feels like I should be able to, but I just can¡¯t quite figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, I¡¯ve not tried it myself, so I¡¯m not sure,¡± Jake said slowly, shaking his head as he tried to imagine how it would work. ¡°Maybe ask Ari or Felix. They might know more?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably a good idea. Thanks, Jake,¡± Alan said with a slight sigh.


    Jake was about to say more when Felix and Ari returned, their carefully neutral expressions reinforcing Jake¡¯s worries.


    ¡°Tomorrow will be driven by the five of you,¡± Felix said as he walked up to the table. ¡°Ari will be heading out for a time, but I¡¯ll be here if you wish to discuss any aspect of your training. I¡¯d suggest delving the two Dungeons you¡¯ve completed a few more times and gathering your strength before we move on, but your decisions are your own.¡±


    Jake nodded thoughtfully, wondering what would be best for him to do next. More delving was likely the best use of his time, but some more time working on his fighting with Felix would also be good.


    ¡°We¡¯ll actually be heading out to a meeting now,¡± Ari said, grabbing their attention once more. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving afterwards, but I¡¯ll be back in a few days, so don¡¯t get into any trouble until then, alright?¡± Ari¡¯s usual grin was back in full force as he gave them a wink before heading outside with Felix.

 DN 63 - Small Steps

    ¡°So, what do we do tomorrow, then?¡± Jake asked into the silence following the exit of the two older Classers.


    ¡°I¡¯m paying my tax tomorrow before anything else,¡± Rhew said with a grimace of distaste that was echoed, though to a lesser extent, by Alan and Karl. ¡°I¡¯ve got enough after today, so it¡¯d be good to get that weight off my mind. After that, I¡¯d want to do a delve, maybe of the forest Dungeon?¡±


    ¡°That works for me. I¡¯ll have my dagger back by then, so the tender won¡¯t be an issue,¡± Jake said, immediately cringing internally as he realised what he¡¯d said. He was tired, but that was no reason to slip up like that.


    ¡°Speaking of, what¡¯s the deal with the dagger you summon? You can only use it a few times a day?¡± Rhew asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked over at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t think Skills worked like that.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, it¡¯s a Class thing,¡± Jake said, stammering slightly as he flushed under the others¡¯ regard and cursed himself internally. What he¡¯d said was technically the truth, but he didn¡¯t want to get into that any more than he already had.


    There was a somewhat awkward pause as the others waited for him to say more before realising that was as much as he¡¯d reveal.


    ¡°Right, well, I¡¯m going to go order some food,¡± Karl said, heaving himself to his feet with a grunt. ¡°Anyone else want anything?¡±


    Jake hurriedly went with Karl to find the innkeeper, and the two of them ordered enough food for the whole group before heading back to the table at a slow walk.


    ¡°You know, I have my own secrets, my own things I don¡¯t want to talk about,¡± Karl said quietly, pausing just out of sight of their table. ¡°So I get it. It¡¯s tough to share things with others. We¡¯ve not even known each other that long, but I like to think we¡¯ve made a good group, and I want us to all stay together. That said, I think you¡¯re hiding a lot more than anyone else, and none of us are blind to what¡¯s going on with Felix and Ari.¡±


    Jake paled a little, caught by surprise and not entirely sure what to say. ¡°I hear you, and I wish I could tell you more, but I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s safe to.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I had a feeling that was the case,¡± Karl said, shaking his head slightly before shrugging. ¡°The only thing I ask is that you tell us before it bites us all in the ass.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Jake said, meeting Karl¡¯s gaze and giving him a firm nod. For all that he wanted to keep things secret and not let on about what was happening, he didn¡¯t want anyone else to suffer for his problems.


    If the worst happened, Jake would explain everything and leave. Nepthys would come with him so he wouldn¡¯t be alone, but the thought of leaving the others behind made his chest tight.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I ask,¡± Karl said, giving Jake a friendly nudge before returning to the table.


    Jake took a moment to gather himself before following suit.


    -**-


    Jake made his way to bed a few hours later, stuffed full of lizard steak and feeling relaxed after an evening with his friends.


    They spent so much time training and preparing that sometimes it was easy to forget how good it was to take some time off and relax. Even Nepthys had loosened up after a while, telling them some stories of the other delves she¡¯d been on before meeting them.


    Those stories of monsters and the Skills of other Classers were still ringing in Jake¡¯s ears as he lay down and triggered his rank up.


    Sufficient Wyrdgeld is present, presenting ascension options for Tier I Rank V.


    You currently have two Trait slots available and two Skill slots available.


    At this time, you have unlocked one additional Skill that may be purchased.


    Minor Infused Strike - Common - 100 Wyrdgeld


    At this time, you have unlocked one additional Traits that may be purchased.


    Lesser Endurance - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    At this time, you have insufficient Wyrdgeld to make any upgrades or purchases.


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    At this time, you have two available Plexus Points.


    Boons available to be upgraded


    Orchard¡¯s Gift - 2 Plexus Points


    Would you like to upgrade one of your Boons?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jake said after a moment of thought. It seemed that the cost to upgrade the Boons rose with each rank, and part of him was tempted to save up for the next rank with the Hidden Fang, but in the end, he decided against it.


    Upgrade completed, continuing with Ascension.


    Congratulations, you have ascended to Tier I, Rank V. The expended Wyrdgeld shall be used to refine your physicality.


    Would you like to discard any Skills or Traits at this time?


    ¡°No,¡± Jake said hoarsely, his body tensing as he felt energy flow out from his soul and patches of intense heat bloomed around his body. His skin itched in the wake of the heat, but Jake ignored it as best he could and summoned his new status.


    Name - Jake Khesh


    Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon


    Class - Dungeon Noble - Squire


    Tier - I


    Rank - V


    Dungeon Network - 3


    Plexus Strength - Minor


    Plexus Manifestations - 0/2


    Plexus Points - 0


    Traits


    Physical - Lesser Noble Constitution (I) - Rare- Descended from a Noble bloodline, you have a minor enhancement to physical characteristics.


    Skills


    Passive - Personal Plexus (I) - Very Rare - You gain the ability to bind Dungeons and form your own Plexus that may contain Dungeons of minor strength. Currently, Dungeons up to Tier I can be bound. Doubles the Wyrdgeld cost of advancing in Class Rank.


    Patron Gifts


    Passive - Agent of the Great Dungeon (I)  - Very Rare - You are bound to the Great Dungeon by blood. Other followers of the Great Dungeon will recognise you and aid you as they may.


    Passive - Sense Dungeon (I) - Rare - As an agent of the Great Dungeon, you are able to passively sense the location of nearby Dungeons in a meagre range.


    Plexus Boons


    Hidden Fang - II - Granted by the Holrswar Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a dagger with inherent poisonous properties. Using the dagger, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Orchard¡¯s Gift - II - Granted by the Aptofir Veranis Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest an apple infused with vitality. Ingesting the apple transfers this vitality, healing and sating the hunger of its consumer.


    Plexus Development - I - This Boon may only be increased in rank by choosing it at additional Dungeons, but it has no cap on its rank level. Increases Manifestations available by one per rank. Granted by the Haugask Deja Dungeon.


    Deed requirement to increase Tier


    1 - 5 Tier I or higher Dungeons bound


    2 - Rank X


    Requirements to increase to Rank VI


    1 - 200 Wyrdgeld


    Jake grinned to himself as he looked over his new status, though his excitement faded as he saw the Wyrdgeld cost for the next rank.


    These Dungeons were giving at most forty to fifty Wyrdgeld, which meant that his next rank would need four complete delves, but that was only if he didn¡¯t want to have enough for anything else.


    The new Trait he¡¯d had available was a surprise but a welcome one. Jake guessed it was from his work with Felix and all the time he¡¯d spent in the Dungeon.


    Jake had pushed himself to the brink with that, and some recognition for it felt good.


    Jake did his best to come up with a good plan of what to do next, eventually deciding he was too tired and deciding to speak with Felix about it in the morning.


    -**-


    Jake was the first to get up the next day, but he started things off with a morning run so he could test out his new rank.


    As with previous ranks, the difference wasn¡¯t that big, but it was enough that Jake could notice it. Adjusting to his new physique didn¡¯t take long, and by the time Jake was back with the others, he was ready for what the day might bring.


    The rest of the group had gotten up while Jake was off, and breakfast was being served when Jake joined everyone after washing up.


    Jake announced the good news that he¡¯d ranked up and was happily surprised when Karl said that he had as well. It seemed that the solo delving session had been enough to give Karl enough to both rank up and pay his tax, which was impressive.


    Jake glanced over to Alan and Rhew, concerned that some jealousy might be building, but neither of them seemed bothered by the news. It probably helped that Nepthys was at the peak of their tier, but still, it was a relief to see.


    Both of them were still a rank ahead of Jake anyway, but that was to be expected considering his extra costs.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m done, so I¡¯m going to head down to pay my tax,¡± Rhew announced once they¡¯d finished off everything that had been served.


    Alan and Karl both reluctantly nodded and got to their feet while Rhew gave Jake and Nepthys a curious look.


    ¡°I paid mine when I did my solo training,¡± Jake said with a shrug.


    ¡°I don¡¯t pay the Triarchy any tax,¡± Nepthys said, holding up a hand as she saw them all frown. ¡°I¡¯m not from Strovia. They have no official way in which to tax me.¡±


    ¡°If only,¡± Rhew muttered with a forlorn look before heading out with Karl and Alan.


    Jake was just starting to think of what to do next when Felix got up and locked the front door of the inn before coming back to their table.


    ¡°Felix?¡± Jake asked hesitantly, glancing over to Nepthys to see if she knew anything, but she seemed just as confused as he was.


    ¡°We need to have a bit of a talk, the three of us, and I don¡¯t want anyone wandering in or overhearing us,¡± Felix said as he took a seat, the innkeeper coming over to deliver them all a cup of coffee. ¡°Thank you, Alma.¡±


    ¡°Call me if you need anything else,¡± Alma said, favouring Felix with a warm smile before heading off and leaving them alone.

 DN 64 - Pantheons

    Jake stared blankly at Felix, trying to figure out why he would declare that they needed such privacy right in front of the innkeeper.


    For his part, Felix took a moment to sip his coffee before focusing on them with a serious expression. ¡°Let¡¯s get right to it. Are you aware of the Seekers?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nepthys said grimly, making Jake give her a surprised look before shaking his head.


    ¡°Ah, I should have expected that they would be outside your experiences, Jake,¡± Felix said, pausing for a moment before continuing with a look of distaste. ¡°The Seekers are one of the branches of the Triarchy church. They were created to hunt down the agents of other gods, to keep the lands of the Triarchy safe. Over time, that has turned into them capturing anyone who follows a god on their forbidden list.¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯re the ones hunting for us?¡± Jake asked, a little surprised when Felix shook his head.


    ¡°No, until now, it has been less of a hunt and more of a note to be on the lookout. With the tiering up of the other Dungeon, however, a detachment of Seekers have been sent to investigate.¡±


    ¡°That comes dangerously close to admitting that all of this was deliberate,¡± Nepthys said in a voice filled with cold anger.


    ¡°Officially, they are coming because of the rise in Corrupter activity,¡± Felix said with a scoff of disbelief. ¡°We shall see how long that lasts.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I don¡¯t understand. Are they not after me?¡± Jake asked, wondering why something like the Triarchy would need an excuse.


    ¡°No, the Seekers are coming specifically for you; the talk of Corrupters is just to placate those beyond the borders. The Triarchy has always maintained that it is not responsible for the loss of the Dungeon Nobles and Inquisitors within Strovia.¡±


    ¡°And people believe them?¡± Jake asked incredulously.


    ¡°It becomes complicated when you know that Maddir, the home of the Triarchy, has not experienced a similar purge.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I don¡¯t understand,¡± Jake said, blinking and shaking his head as he processed the new information. ¡°It¡¯s just Strovia that has had this happen?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Felix said, nodding slightly. ¡°That thin layer of deniability is the only reason there hasn¡¯t been a response.¡±


    ¡°I know that most of my family believe they are at fault, but some think there is something more to it,¡± Nepthys said, her tone making it clear what she thought of the alternative.


    ¡°So, doesn¡¯t that mean they won¡¯t chase me?¡±


    ¡°No, if they can, they¡¯ll catch you and likely execute you. Afterwards, they¡¯ll claim they didn¡¯t realise which god you serve. It might work, or it might be the final straw.¡±


    ¡°So, they are hunting people like me but pretending not to, as it would cause them problems?¡± Jake summarised as best he could.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. They can¡¯t be seen as targeting you. That¡¯s why there was no test for any of your Patron¡¯s Pantheon when you Ascended.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I¡¯d wondered about that,¡± Jake said, thinking back to the tables covered with religious items. ¡°So, what I don¡¯t get is why my Patron matters when the followers of so many other gods are just killed out of hand.¡±


    ¡°It is because our Patrons are older, much older,¡± Nepthys said, taking over from Felix. "They are collectively known as the First Pantheon: The Great Dungeon, The Woven Artificer, and The Watcher.¡±


    ¡°I remember Felix telling me that, but I don¡¯t understand why that makes such a difference?¡±


    Nepthys frowned in thought for a few moments before responding. ¡°The First are incredibly powerful gods, but they are disinterested in the politics of the other gods, focusing instead on what keeps everything running. The Great Dungeon is the source of all Dungeons, The Weaver created the System, and The Watcher keeps things like the Shrouded from consuming us all. The wrath of beings like that is something that even gods fear.¡±


    Jake stared at Nepthys in growing horror. He¡¯d known that The Great Dungeon was powerful and that it was linked to Dungeons, that much was obvious. What she was saying took things a step further, though, and cast his experiences in a new light.


    Just what did it mean to be a Dungeon Noble?


    Felix coughed slightly to catch their attention. ¡°We¡¯re straying off topic now. The immediate problem is that Seekers are coming. If we flee, we will likely be spotted at some point, and that will bring them right onto our trail. If we wait, however, we can buy some time for you to all grow in strength.¡±


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    ¡°Wait, do you mean they¡¯re specifically coming here?¡± Jake asked, a chill running down his spine.


    ¡°Some of them may be, yes. A detachment has been sent, but they will likely split up to cover the most populous areas. As a popular Dungeon town, Casthorpe may well be included in that.¡±


    ¡°So, those guards you were concerned about, are they related to that?¡± Jake asked, thinking back to Felix¡¯s reaction when he went to pay his tax.


    ¡°No, I believe they¡¯re here for something else that isn¡¯t related to you. Unfortunately, just because they aren¡¯t here for you doesn¡¯t mean they aren¡¯t an additional risk.¡± Felix looked a little uncomfortable with his answer, but Jake decided not to push him on it.


    He believed the older Classer when he said they were here for something else, which meant it wasn¡¯t as important right now. Not when they needed to get ready for these Seekers.


    ¡°So, what do you want us to do?¡± Jake asked, leaning forward intently. ¡°You said wait here, but what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means that you keep delving, keep growing in strength, and act as normal as you can. If the Seekers come, we¡¯ll try to escape their notice. If that fails, we¡¯ll run.¡±


    ¡°Is there nothing we can do to prepare?¡± Jake asked, his brow furrowing in frustration. He hated the idea of just waiting for the Seekers.


    ¡°There are precautions we can take, yes. I¡¯m looking into those for us now, so all you need to do is act normal and not draw attention to yourself. The guards won¡¯t be looking for younger classers like you lot, so that will work to our advantage in the short term.¡±


    ¡°I agree with acting as normal, but I also want to walk a patrol of the area,¡± Nepthys said, distracting Jake before he could ask more. ¡°Whenever there is a breach and a portal, the chance of classers succumbing to temptation grows, after all.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean by that?¡± Jake asked, looking between the other two.


    Felix motioned for Jake to wait before turning to Nepthys. ¡°I agree, a patrol may reveal some hidden issues that we should be aware of. I¡¯ll send Ari with you. He will be able to get you both away if you encounter any Seekers.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m glad that you take your responsibility seriously,¡± Felix said, giving Nepthys a respectful nod before looking over to Jake. ¡°Normally, this sort of information is restricted from anyone in the first tier, but given the situation, I think the risk is minimal. What do you know about Corrupters?¡±


    ¡°Well, only what Nepthys told me,¡± Jake said, blinking a little as he tried to remember everything she¡¯d said. ¡°They are servants of the Shrouded, which are apparently real. They use Skryx and try to open Rifts to bring in monsters.¡±


    ¡°While that is true, a key distinction is that what comes through those Rifts is not a ¡®monster¡¯ as we would understand it. They contain no Wyrd, no energy for us to use. They are creatures of darkness and the void outside of reality, and they feast on anything and everything that they can. Their abhorrent nature is why monsters and animals alike will attack them on sight.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Jake said in a hushed tone, wondering what such a thing would look like. ¡°But, what do you mean about temptation?¡±


    ¡°The Corrupters that we fought were just normal people. They hadn¡¯t Ascended to be touched by the System as we have,¡± Nepthys said with a grim expression. ¡°While they are dangerous, it takes them a long time to become a threat beyond what classers in the first tier can deal with.¡±


    Jake nodded slowly, thinking back on the fight and the powers the Corrupters had shown. They had been dangerous, yes, but what Nepthys said made sense.


    The look on their faces told Jake that there was more to all this, however, and he paled as he made the connection. ¡°Is it worse when a classer becomes one?¡±


    ¡°Much worse,¡± Felix said, pausing to check they were still alone before continuing. ¡°All the Skills and Traits they gained as part of their Class are removed, but the taint of the Shrouded grows into the space they occupied. The result is that they have similar abilities but use Skryx rather than Wyrd. They also gain new abilities as part of the ritual, making them much more powerful.¡±


    ¡°Which I can imagine is terrible, but how often do classers actually become Corrupters?¡± Jake asked with a frown.


    ¡°Often enough that measures were taken to restrict information,¡± Felix said, hesitating briefly before continuing. ¡°Not everyone makes it out of the first tier, or the second tier for that matter. It takes dedication and stubbornness to keep going, as well as mental fortitude to cope. Those that fail to progress settle into the realm they were in, forming a permanent population.¡±


    ¡°Like the people living here and at the previous Dungeon,¡± Jake said, nodding along.


    ¡°Exactly. The reasons they settle vary, but though some will still eventually move forward, many will be stuck. Those stuck, especially in the first tier, become desperate and feel left behind. We do not know how the Shrouded contact them, but it is from this desperation that powerful new Corrupters are born.¡±


    ¡°My father explained it by saying that after the first tier, you have enough personal power to feel like you still have a way forward,¡± Nepthys said, a flicker of sadness crossing her features before she schooled her expression.


    ¡°An interesting way of putting it,¡± Felix said thoughtfully. ¡°Regardless, that is why information is restricted to those in the first tier. We¡¯ve strayed outside of what I wanted to discuss, though. Do you have any final questions?¡±


    ¡°No, I understand what we need to do,¡± Jake said, trying to internalise all the information Felix and Nepthys had just revealed. ¡°What are we doing when the others get back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to delve the undead Dungeon again. That one was interesting,¡± Nepthys said, tapping one finger on her jaw in thought.


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Jake said, starting to get to his feet before Felix motioned for him to wait.


    ¡°A last bit of a warning from me,¡± Felix said, looking over to Nepthys before continuing. ¡°Have you ever finished a tier two Dungeon?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve gotten no further than the eighth floor.¡±


    ¡°Then let me reinforce to both of you how much of a step up each new tier is, especially going from the first to the second. There¡¯s a reason why classers struggle to make it past this realm, after all. Normally, I¡¯d let you discover that the hard way, but right now, you can¡¯t afford the time to recover.¡±


    Jake considered the seemingly endless numbers of fire-blooded snakes they¡¯d fought in the fire Dungeon with growing concern. That fight had been bad enough, but Felix was definitely making it sound like there was worse to come.


    Clearly, they had a lot of work to do.

 DN 65 - Grindstone I

    Rhew, Karl and Alan returned from their tax trip a few minutes later, and after a brief discussion, they decided on the undead Dungeon.


    With Karl reaching rank seven and both Alan and Rhew being firmly into rank six, they were growing fast as a group. To the point that Jake was confident that they would find little issue completing the Dungeon.


    The fast-moving empty ones would still pose a threat, of course, but with all five of them present, it would be far more manageable.


    Felix¡¯s warning rang in Jake¡¯s mind as they crossed the town and made their way out to the Dungeon, but thankfully, they saw nothing unusual.


    They already had their main equipment from the delves the day before, but they still made their way to Ivaldi¡¯s first to stock up on things like potions and arrows.


    ¡°Jake, welcome to my domain,¡± Ivaldi said, emerging from the rear of the store to take his usual seat as they entered. ¡°Varin has left your requested item with me, if now is a good time?¡±


    It took Jake a moment to realise what Ivaldi meant. His thoughts were still full of everything that Felix had explained earlier. ¡°If you have it, that would be good.¡±


    ¡°Of course, here it is,¡± Ivaldi said, reaching down to pick up something from out of Jake¡¯s view before extending it out to him.


    As Jake had asked, Varin had made a wand out of the Wyrd-infused wood that he¡¯d given him. It looked very similar to the ones that Ivaldi provided as part of Rhew¡¯s normal equipment, though perhaps slightly rougher in design.


    ¡°So, what sort of wand is it?¡± Jake asked, taking it from Ivaldi and turning it over in his hand.


    ¡°This particular one creates Wyrd-enhanced thorns that are fired out from the tip. A more physical effect than most wands, but that makes it all the more useful in the right situation.¡±


    ¡°Right, I can see that,¡± Jake said, thinking about how little impact Rhew¡¯s ice magic had on some of the enemies in the fire Dungeon. Hopefully, the thorns were similar to the size of the icicles her wand created. If so, then Jake might have a new way to deal with zombies.


    ¡°Do you intend to use this yourself?¡± Ivaldi asked, his expression inscrutable as he regarded Jake with a level gaze.


    ¡°Yeah, I like the idea of having more options.¡±


    ¡°Very well, pass me back your belt,¡± Ivaldi said, holding a hand out. ¡°Keep your sword, though.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure.¡± Jake awkwardly shifted his things around so he could unbuckle the belt and pass it over. It felt a little odd to be standing with naked steel in the store, but thankfully, the others were too busy considering their own equipment to take notice.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ivaldi deposited the belt out of Jake¡¯s eyeline before picking up a new one and passing it over. Functionally, it was almost exactly the same as the one Jake had returned. The difference was that where Jake¡¯s old belt had an attached sword sheath, this new one also had a wand holster on the opposite hip.


    ¡°Here, let me help,¡± Nepthys said, coming over to take some of Jake¡¯s burden so he could buckle on his new belt.


    ¡°Thanks for that. What do you think?¡± Jake asked, stepping back and sliding the wand into the holster before spreading his hands with a grin. Having another weapon to use if needed felt good; the slight weight on his hip was comforting.


    ¡°It looks good. Having both seems to suit you,¡± Nepthys said, giving Jake a smile that made him want to preen a little.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit that I¡¯m a little jealous, how did you get a new one?¡± Rhew asked, coming over to examine the wand a little closer.


    ¡°Varin, that crafter I mentioned, made it for me using some of the wood we get given as rewards. Speaking of which, could you give him that other piece that I stored with you, Ivaldi?¡±


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    ¡°Of course, I will make sure it reaches him,¡± Ivaldi said, inclining his head slightly.


    ¡°Speaking of which, will it be the same type, or will it be different?¡±


    ¡°The end result is dictated by the Wyrd within the item as I understand things,¡± Ivaldi said, the corner of his mouth briefly curling up at Jake¡¯s blank look. ¡°Yes, it will be similar, as long as the wood came from the same place. Similar does not mean identical, though.¡±


    ¡°Right, got it,¡± Jake said, giving everything a final once over before turning to the others. ¡°Shall we get to it then?¡±


    -**-


    The holster for Jake¡¯s wand was on his right hip, which meant that drawing it required either his left hand or an awkward twist with his right. Getting used to fighting with a wand was going to take a lot of practice, that was for sure.


    Jake considered what was best to begin with as they made their way into the Dungeon, eventually deciding to head in with the wand in hand rather than his sword.


    It felt odd, to say the least, but when the first zombie came lumbering out of the mist, Jake channelled his Wyrd into the wand and put a six-inch thorn into its shoulder.


    ¡°That¡¯s nasty, but you might need to work on your aim,¡± Alan said, smirking a little as he smoothly nocked an arrow and put it through the zombie¡¯s left eye.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Jake said with a rueful grin. Moving over to the zombie, he made sure it was truly dead before examining the thorn in its shoulder a bit closer.


    Testing the exposed tip, Jake let out a low whistle as he felt how sharp it was. He wouldn¡¯t get through armour with this, but with its magical nature, he had a feeling it would do more than he had first assumed. The cost of firing the wand wasn¡¯t that high either, so he could keep going for a while.


    ¡°If you¡¯re done playing, shall we take this seriously?¡± Rhew called out with a mock serious frown and a dramatic roll of her eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ready,¡± Jake said as he straightened up, spinning the wand idly in one hand as he did and almost dropping it onto the zombie.


    Another thing to work on.


    -**-


    With all five of them present, they cut through the Dungeon quickly, familiar with its layout and the challenges it presented. It helped that Jake and the others had ranked up in the meantime as well, increasing their advantage over the zombies and closing the gap between them and the empty ones.


    Unsurprisingly, the Challenge room was waiting for them when they reached the end of the third floor. At this point, the lack of curious looks in Jake¡¯s direction was enough to tell him that even though the others might not know what was happening, they knew who was responsible.


    Defending their position was much easier with a third close-combat fighter and though it was close a few times, they got through the whole thing without anyone being injured.


    With the Challenge behind them, the rest of the Dungeon sped by, and soon enough, Jake found himself beheading the final enemy and completing their delve.


    Just over thirty Wyrdgeld was divided between them, and they still had all the potions they had started with. Two bandages had been used for minor scrapes, but it was by far the best delve they¡¯d had to date.


    Unsurprisingly, that left them all in a positive frame of mind, and they decided on a few hours of rest before doing the same with the forest-themed Dungeon.


    The Dungeon had seating outside for classers who were waiting, so Jake suggested they take some food with them and have their lunch while they waited.


    The others hesitated a little, but eventually, they ended up doing just that. Ari and Felix weren¡¯t with them, so they had to pay for their own meals, but a few Wyrdgeld each didn¡¯t feel like much anymore.


    Karl ended up with a basket full of food that he carried out to the Dungeon, letting them divvy up what they wanted once they¡¯d taken a seat.


    All the food they¡¯d got was from shopkeepers in town, who Jake now realised were classers in the first two tiers who¡¯d never progressed to the next realm. Knowing they were classers was one thing, but Jake had imagined them to be old and retired, with secret strength, not this.


    Jake didn¡¯t think he could ever understand simply giving up on pushing forward, but perhaps that was part of the difference between them.


    ¡°Does this make us come across as arrogant do you think?¡± Alan asked as he bit into a savoury pasty that he¡¯d chosen eagerly.


    Jake chuckled to himself as Alan devoured the pasty with several rapid bites. All of the locals used dungeonous materials in their food where possible, and that seemed to add something to their flavour that was so moreish.


    ¡°I think they¡¯re just jealous they didn¡¯t think of it first.¡± Rhew said primly, a slight smile touching her lips as she picked out a piece of Wyrdfruit.


    Jake nodded, eyeing the other classers around the Dungeon as he did and noting the looks they were getting. Most of them seemed confused more than anything.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that most of the more experienced classers are in town at the fire Dungeon,¡± Nepthys said, giving Alan a reassuring look. ¡°We¡¯re making good progress, but not everyone is, and those that aren¡¯t will have neither the funds nor the inclination for this.¡±


    Nepthys¡¯s words seemed to remind everyone of how recently they¡¯d begun to gain traction on the Dungeons. It all still felt quite new and fragile, as though they were in danger of it all falling apart.


    Eventually, the good cheer of their morning success resurfaced once more, and by the time they were ready to go back into the Dungeon, Jake¡¯s face hurt from how much he¡¯d been smiling.

 DN 66 - Grindstone II

    Despite his lingering good mood, Jake found part of what Nepthys had said lingering in his mind.


    They were progressing as a group right now, but sooner rather than later, they would hit a stumbling block. When that happened, he was worried that the party would have to split up in order for them to keep pushing forward.


    Nepthys was rank ten, she needed only to meet her requirements to reach the next tier, and from what Jake could tell, she¡¯d been working on that for quite some time.


    The good side of that was that she might be able to advance soon. The bad side was that Jake didn¡¯t have a good measuring stick of how long it would take for the other three.


    Jake¡¯s requirement wasn¡¯t that hard now that they had some experience. He needed five tier one Dungeons bound to him, and he already had three. He could get two more in the next fortnight if he left Casthorpe.


    No, for Jake, the real limiter was the speed with which he could get to rank ten, but even that wasn¡¯t as big of a problem anymore.


    With how they were ripping through the first floor of this Dungeon, Jake expected them to manage it with the same ease as the previous one. That meant that earning enough Wyrdgeld was now a matter of time and effort.


    Jake had the time and effort, but he had a feeling that he would get to rank ten well before the others were ready to advance to the next tier. He didn¡¯t want to split the group up, but he wasn¡¯t sure he could afford to slow down for them either, not with everything that was going on.


    Shaking his head, Jake focused back on the matter at hand. They would deal with problems like that when they got there. For now, he just needed to get to rank ten.


    -**-


    The rewards from the forest Dungeon came to thirty Wyrdgeld for Jake, bringing him over halfway to the next rank. Of course, the same increase meant that Alan and Rhew had been only a handful away each.


    Rhew had announced the fact after counting out everything she had, and to everyone¡¯s surprise, Nepthys had given them what they needed from her cut.


    ¡°I already have quite a bit saved up. It¡¯s no great hardship.¡± Nepthys had answered when Rhew had questioned her on it, leaving Rhew speechless.


    That sight alone would have been worth the dozen Wyrdgeld, but Jake kept such dangerous thoughts to himself.


    ¡°So, do we delve again?¡± Alan asked, bringing Jake back to the present as the Scholar squinted up at the sky with one hand shading his eyes. ¡°Looks like we have a couple of hours of light left. I feel a little tired after all that, but I could do more.¡±


    ¡°We could do that, but it¡¯s probably better to stick to two per day,¡± Nepthys said, rolling her shoulders and rubbing at a bruise on her arm. ¡°A routine is what we need, and this way, we have time to relax and do other things.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, let¡¯s take it easy this evening and go again tomorrow,¡± Jake said, thinking about an idea he¡¯d had earlier.


    The idea of deliberately choosing to take some time off felt wrong for them as a group, but that was probably why they needed it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you all later. I¡¯m going to have a quick talk with Ivaldi,¡± Jake said, waving for them to be on their way as he turned back to the Dungeon. They hadn¡¯t gone far, so it was quick enough for Jake to get back to the store.


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    ¡°Jake Khesh, welcome to my domain. I hadn¡¯t expected you to be back so soon,¡± Ivaldi said, emerging from the darkness to take his seat.


    ¡°Well, I had some questions, and I was hoping you could help?¡±


    ¡°I will answer what I can. Please, take a seat,¡± Ivaldi said, passing Jake a stool before pulling out a familiar-looking container and two mugs. ¡°You seemed to enjoy this one last time.¡±


    Jake eagerly took a drink once Ivaldi had filled his mug and sighed as he felt a pleasant warmth flow through him. Now that he had more experience with Wyrd in food, Jake could tell that there was a lot packed into the drink.


    ¡°So, I think the first thing I wanted to ask about is my Patron and the other gods in the pantheon.¡± Jake reluctantly put his empty mug to one side, instead focusing on Ivaldi as the other man frowned in thought.


    ¡°A difficult subject for me, but I will do what I can,¡± Ivaldi said after a few moments, motioning for Jake to continue.


    ¡°Well, I understand more about who they are now. Felix and Nepthys explained a few things that have made everything a bit clearer. I¡¯ve been set on removing my Class as soon as I reach the next tier, but now that I¡¯m making real progress, I want to know more. I want to know why it was given to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that you are making progress,¡± Ivaldi said, his dark eyes seeming to peer right through Jake in a way that sent a shiver down his spine. ¡°The choice to remove your Class remains in your hands, but I approve of you attempting to learn more. That being said, there isn¡¯t much more I can tell you. Your Class was assigned based on your bloodline.¡±


    ¡°Right, exactly, that¡¯s what I want to know more about,¡± Jake said, leaning forward intently. ¡°Do all gods have their own bloodlines they draw from?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ivaldi said slowly, seeming to consider his words carefully. ¡°Only the three gods you are referring to use this method.¡±


    ¡°Why, what makes us so special?¡±


    ¡°You push at the very edge of what I can tell you,¡± Ivaldi said, his eyes narrowing slightly. ¡°I do appreciate your assistance with Varin Droth, however, so I will answer. I will explain what I can, and you will not question me on it further until you have reached the next tier, understood?¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Jake said firmly, his heart pounding as he wondered just what Ivaldi was about to share.


    ¡°The bloodlines that you refer to are special because they go all the way back to the founding of this reality. Each of the gods you mentioned made a sacred covenant with their followers, granting them power in exchange for service. It was the first seeds of what would become the System. Such knowledge is lost to the modern age, and I will be disappointed if you spread it.¡±


    ¡°From before the System?¡± Jake echoed in shock, somehow knowing that Ivaldi was telling him the truth, even if it went against Jake¡¯s understanding of everything.


    Ivaldi regarded Jake silently, saying nothing further as he waited for him to process his shock.


    ¡°That¡¯s why our Classes are different. It¡¯s because they are based on something from before the System,¡± Jake said, more to himself than anything, though his eyes were on Ivaldi. The huge shopkeeper went perfectly still at Jake¡¯s words, giving no sign that could be construed as confirmation.


    ¡°Was there anything else you wished to discuss,¡± Ivaldi asked softly, making Jake realise he¡¯d fallen silent in thought.


    ¡°I wanted to meet up with Varin and talk through his thoughts on his Class. Could you tell me where he¡¯s staying?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ivaldi said, giving Jake directions to the inn that Varin was staying at.


    Thanking Ivaldi, Jake got to his feet and bid him goodbye before stepping out of the shop and starting to walk back to town. That had not gone the way he¡¯d thought it would.


    Jake had thought that Ivaldi would refuse to answer his questions, to skirt around what he wanted to discuss. Jake had had a few leading questions to try and dig in at the truth a little. The idea that Ivaldi would just answer him hadn¡¯t even crossed Jake¡¯s mind.


    Jake had left Ivaldi¡¯s intending to head over and find Varin now, to ask him about his experiences with a Patron. By the time he¡¯d gotten back to Casthorpe, though, he¡¯d turned more introspective.


    Between the conversation with Felix and now what Ivaldi had revealed, Jake had a lot to process. He had a feeling he¡¯d get more out of the talk with Varin if he took some time to mull over everything.


    Felix¡¯s plan had them staying here for a few days, so Jake would simply get in touch with the crafter tomorrow after they¡¯d done their delves for the day.


    Besides, Jake was looking forward to spending some time relaxing with the others. Even with how well their delves had gone today, they were still a stressful experience, so some downtime would be good.

 DN 67 - Grindstone III

    The following day, they all met outside the inn early in the morning, ready for a run. The difference this time, though, was that Rhew had finally decided to start coming with them.


    Rhew had held out on the idea of additional physical training for a while, but when she realised that she was the only one not doing it, she caved and joined in.


    They¡¯d had a relaxing evening of light-hearted games the night before, and it felt right that they were then all going on this run together after that.


    Thankfully, Felix and Ari had joined them on the run as well, which meant that whatever Skill or Trait Felix had went to work as soon as they stopped. It felt almost like cheating to recover so fast from exerting themselves, but Jake wasn¡¯t exactly going to argue.


    To save on travel times and on converting rewards into raw Wyrdgeld, they decided to delve a single Dungeon twice instead of doing both of them once.


    There wasn¡¯t too much of a difference between the two Dungeons, but the convenience of the rewards being mostly Wyrdgeld in the undead Dungeon and the ease with which they could take down the zombies sealed the deal.


    Splitting the reward between them netted just short of seventy Wyrdgeld per person, bringing Jake to just thirty Wyrdgeld from what he needed to rank up.


    Today was also a full month since their Ascension, which seemed surreal to Jake. So much had happened in the last few weeks. He¡¯d learned much about his Class and how the world really worked.


    His thoughts on his Class had changed quite a bit as well.


    At first, it had felt like one more way for something else or someone else to take control of his life, to take away what few choices he had left. It had felt like he¡¯d escaped a slow death in the city just to find a quick death at the hands of the Triarchy.


    Now, though, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this was the way to find out more about his family. They¡¯d all been Dungeon Nobles, and while he could never meet them, he could at least carry on their legacy.


    Jake shook his head at his own thoughts. He¡¯d never even known his parents, and he was already willing to base his whole life on what they would have wanted for him.


    ¡°Jake, are you alright?¡± Alan asked with a concerned expression. ¡°Do you need a moment to rest?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Alan. Thanks, though, I appreciate it,¡± Jake said softly, managing a smile for the Scholar as he fought to get his emotions back under control.


    Alan clearly didn¡¯t believe him, but neither did he push it. Instead, he gave Jake the space he needed to work things through.


    Try as he might, Jake couldn¡¯t quite shake the mood that had overtaken him as they made their way back through the town.


    It was only when Jake was sitting at a table with his friends and a hot drink in hand that he began to feel a bit more like himself.


    After a hard morning of zombie killing, this was just what he needed.


    -**-


    By unspoken agreement, they all went their separate ways after lunch. Rhew and Alan both had a brief conversation with Felix about how to train toward a Skill they were interested in before heading off with determined expressions.


    While they were talking with Felix, Nepthys had set out on a patrol with Ari around the town, which would no doubt take all afternoon.


    ¡°What about you, Karl?¡± Jake asked, looking over with a raised brow. ¡°Any plans for this afternoon?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get some training done, I think,¡± Karl said, finishing his drink before getting to his feet. ¡°I want to push myself. I keep thinking about that fight with those snakes and how long it would take to get through the floor. I¡¯m our frontline; I need to be able to keep going for as long as we need.¡±


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    Jake nodded, remembering the dozens of monsters that had poured out of the pools. Karl definitely had a point, and Jake was tempted to ask to go with him, but his priority was finding Varin.


    Jake had spoken with Nepthys about how she felt toward her Class, but he wanted to get Varin¡¯s opinion as well.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll probably join you next time. We all need a bit more of a workout,¡± Jake said as he got up as well, and the two of them headed out of the inn.


    ¡°Will do. See you later, Jake,¡± Karl called over as he started off toward one of the gates.


    Jake gave a casual wave as he went his own way, doing his best to follow Ivaldi¡¯s directions to where Varin was staying.


    The inn wasn¡¯t that difficult to find and was relatively close to the Rusty Duck, where Jake and the others were staying, so he found himself outside it just a few minutes later.


    Unlike the Rusty Duck, this place had quite a few classers present, with a few small knots of armed people seated in the common room.


    Jake drew some attention as he entered, but it quickly faded as he moved over to the bar and asked about Varin.


    The innkeeper gave Jake a surprised look before directing him to a small annexe behind the inn, saying that Varin had hired it out while he was in town.


    Jake thanked the innkeeper and headed out to the back of the building, where he found a small loading area and what looked like an old converted stable.


    ¡°Varin?¡± Jake called out, knocking lightly on the large doors of the annexe.


    A few beats of silence passed before the door creaked open, revealing a somewhat surprised-looking Varin. ¡°Jake, it¡¯s good to see you, but how did you find me?¡±


    ¡°Ivaldi told me where you were staying,¡± Jake said with a slight shrug, peering past the gaunt Classer into the interior of the small building.


    Any doubt that this was a converted stable vanished as Jake saw that parts of the stalls were still in place, though Varin seemed to be using them to segregate the space.


    ¡°I see. Well, what can I help you with?¡± Varin asked, cocking his head to one side slightly. ¡°Your second wand isn¡¯t quite ready yet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I actually wanted to talk to you about your Class,¡± Jake said before glancing around and shaking his head slightly. ¡°Is there somewhere more private we can talk?¡±


    ¡°My Class?¡± Varin echoed thoughtfully before nodding. ¡°I know just the place. Come with me.¡±


    To Jake¡¯s surprise, Varin simply shut the door behind him and set off, seemingly unconcerned with anything he might be leaving behind.


    The tall crafter said little as he led Jake down the side alleys of Casthorpe, but it didn¡¯t take long for Jake to figure out where they were heading. There was only one landmark in this direction, the fire Dungeon.


    ¡°Why here?¡± Jake asked as they reached the Dungeon.


    ¡°I find it relaxing, and I like to study the designs,¡± Varin said with a slight shrug as he walked over to one of the benches near the Dungeon and took a seat. ¡°Besides, most delves are in the morning, so there won¡¯t be many people around.¡±


    ¡°True enough,¡± Jake said, looking around at the mostly empty area. There were a few other people scattered around, but they were keeping to themselves for the most part. ¡°So, what do you mean about studying designs? What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°The Dungeon and Ivaldi¡¯s store, of course,¡± Varin said, giving Jake a confused look before motioning to the Dungeon¡¯s entrance. ¡°It fades away from our perception quickly, but if you focus, you can feel it again.¡±


    Jake hesitated a moment before shrugging and doing as Varin asked, looking over to the Dungeon entrance. Like the others he¡¯d seen, it was a stone entryway built into a hillock of stone and earth that stood around fifteen feet tall and had thick, imposing stone doors.


    Jake found himself frowning as he remembered the first time he saw the Dungeon. What he was seeing now didn¡¯t line up with the feeling he¡¯d gotten back then.


    As though that doubt was all that was needed, Jake found himself tracing the outline of the countless intricate designs etched onto the stone. Each looping design seemed more and more detailed the longer Jake looked at them. Even the shapes that formed them were different with each blink.


    The longer he stared, the more Jake felt his mind strain to comprehend what he was looking at. A dull ache began to build behind his eyes, throbbing in time with his heartbeat.


    The runes at the top of the door were filled with meaning, but it was just out of his reach. Straining to understand them, Jake could almost feel the shape of the words on the tip of his tongue as the throbbing behind his eyes intensified.


    Biting down on that shape somehow, Jake found the words slipping from his mouth. ¡°Lognir Infernis.¡±


    As abruptly as he was caught up in it all, Jake tore his gaze away from the entrance, swaying in place slightly as he clutched his head and endured the pounding headache that had built.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be able to read it,¡± Varin said with a mixture of surprise and respect. ¡°I can feel that there are words in there, but not what they are.¡±


    ¡°Lucky you,¡± Jake said, groaning a little as he rubbed at his temples. The headache was already starting to fade, which was something at least. ¡°What do they even mean?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Varin said cheerfully, his broad smile looking almost odd on his sallow features.


    ¡°Great, all that for something I don¡¯t even understand,¡± Jake said, sighing a little as he worked his fingers into the bridge of his nose.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Varin said with a slight shrug before turning back to the Dungeon. ¡°There is beauty in it, for all that it hurts me to look for too long.¡±


    ¡°Should you really be doing that?¡± Jake asked, carefully not looking in that direction.


    ¡°Probably not.¡± Varin shrugged and turned back to Jake. ¡°Enough of that, though, you wanted to talk about my Class?¡±

 DN 68 - Attention

    ¡°Yes, yours is a bloodline Class as well, right?¡± Jake asked, doing his best to remember what he had been about to talk about.


    His headache was fading rapidly, but that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t distracting.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, my family serve The Woven Artificer. We¡¯re somewhat different from the other two families, though. We take more of a supportive route rather than a combative one.¡±


    ¡°So why come to Strovia?¡± Jake asked curiously. ¡°Surely that is opening you up to conflict?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m a Strovian, born and bred. While we were also hunted when the Triarchy arrived, it was never to the same degree as your family or those serving the Watcher. Still, we have taken great pains to keep our whereabouts a secret.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ll freely admit that to someone you barely know?¡± Jake asked incredulously, thinking of what Felix had told him about the Triarchy and the Seekers.


    ¡°You serve The Great Dungeon. We are very much on the same side,¡± Varin said with a slight shrug. ¡°Besides, our presence is already known. Whoever targeted the Dungeon Nobles and the Inquisitors clearly judged us to be less of a threat. We¡¯ve prepared and taken some precautions, but that¡¯s as much as we can do.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Jake said, not completely sure that he agreed with that logic but fully aware that it wasn¡¯t his decision. ¡°What I actually wanted to discuss, though, was if you¡¯ve ever questioned following your Class?¡±


    Varin blinked in surprise before shaking his head. ¡°Honestly, no, I haven¡¯t. It isn¡¯t the sort of Class that brings fame and makes you a hero in stories, but we work hard, and what we do makes a difference.¡±


    ¡°When you put it like that, it sounds simple.¡± Jake gave a wry smile as he compared that straightforward answer to his own agonising.


    ¡°That¡¯s because it is,¡± Varin said with a soft chuckle. ¡°Our Classes are around for a reason, and we help keep people safe. There¡¯s something so satisfying in knowing that what you¡¯ve worked on will be used to protect people and fight evil.¡±


    Jake fell silent as he considered Varin¡¯s words. There was something to what he said, yet it wasn¡¯t quite as simple for Jake. The labour he did wasn¡¯t as tangible as making a magical item, but perhaps it was no less important.


    Helping Dungeons reach new tiers felt like it was important to society as a whole, not just to Jake and his friends.


    Turning his focus inwards, Jake questioned his own motivations, his reasons for doubt.


    When he had first Ascended, Jake had dreamed of the power that being a Classer could bring, and while his current path did do just that, it wasn¡¯t quite the same.


    His idea of power had always been the ability to do what he wanted, to be the master of his own destiny. Everything that had happened with his Class was exactly the opposite of that.


    Jake was being hunted for something he¡¯d had no part in. That was what truly grated on him, and it had made him so angry to begin with.


    Since Jake had come to know more about his Patron and everything his Class was about, that anger had faded.


    ¡°I wish there was a way to understand my Patron more, to know what I was getting myself into,¡± Jake said, being careful to make sure they weren¡¯t being overheard. This was exactly the sort of conversation that could cause them all trouble.


    ¡°Well, you could always pray to them,¡± Varin said with a shrug, his eyes not leaving the Dungeon. ¡°The Weaver sometimes grants me insights. That¡¯s how I knew to come here, after all.¡±


    Jake stared at Varin for a long moment before slumping back in his chair and rubbing his face. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t think of that.¡±


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    ¡°Glad I could help,¡± Varin said with a soft chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it, but I hope you find the answers you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    Jake bid the gaunt crafter goodbye but didn¡¯t head back just yet. Instead, he let his gaze settle on the shifting runes of the Dungeon once more.


    Varin was right; there was something relaxing about watching them.


    -**-


    Jake and his friends regrouped at the Rusty Duck later in the day, some of them having had more success than others.


    Rhew, in particular, had a broad smile on her face as she recounted her experiments with manipulating ice and creating it without using her Skill.


    Felix seemed reasonably pleased with her progress, which to Jake¡¯s mind, meant that it was pretty damn impressive.


    Alan hadn¡¯t quite done as well, but he felt that he was on the right track for infusing his arrows, which was good to hear.


    Karl and Nepthys had little to say about their own afternoons, and Jake didn¡¯t particularly want to share his, so they circled the topic of Skills for a time.


    Jake had a few Skills and Traits he could pick up, and with the rising cost of his rank ups, he was leaning toward saving up for them before reaching the next rank.


    Lesser Endurance was one that Jake had his eye on to buy in the near future. It would depend on what precisely the Trait did, but even if it didn¡¯t end up being a good long-term pick, it would be quite useful for the moment.


    Eventually, they drifted off to their rooms, with the plan of another morning of delving, followed by working on the Skills they wanted again in the afternoon.


    Usually, Jake would climb into bed and savour his rest, but this time, he sat cross-legged on his bed and considered how to pray to his Patron.


    The Triarchy used specific rituals and words with their followers, but that didn¡¯t quite feel right for The Great Dungeon. No, it was more result-oriented in what it did.


    Jake wasn¡¯t quite sure where he¡¯d gotten that feeling from, but he decided to go with his gut.


    Closing his eyes and reaching out with his mind, Jake muttered a prayer for guidance as he tried to find some link between him and his Patron.


    His questing grasp found nothing initially, but Jake frowned and redoubled his efforts, trying to find a link between him and something, anything.


    Frustrated, Jake began to withdraw before pausing and turning his focus inwards, to the point within him where the power from the Dungeons fed into.


    There was something there, and though Jake instinctively knew it wasn¡¯t his Patron, he could feel gossamer strands of power radiate off of it that he could follow.


    The strands went out in countless directions, and though Jake lacked the ability to truly follow them, his attempt garnered the slightest fragment of attention from something vast.


    Jake felt cold sweat pour down his face as he made contact with The Great Dungeon. He knew now why he¡¯d failed to find it. He¡¯d been looking for it above and apart from them.


    He¡¯d pictured the gods as being distant things, far removed from the world that Jake lived in.


    The reality that he was now seeing was that The Great Dungeon was all around them, its essence flowing along the boundary between what was real and what lay beyond.


    Jake felt small and insignificant against the scale of what he was beholding. His worries and concerns suddenly felt pointless and paltry in comparison.


    Jake wasn¡¯t entirely sure how he¡¯d forged this connection, but something told him that it would fail the moment he stopped holding it together.


    With every moment being precious, Jake cast his mind around, seeking some sort of guidance or glimpse of knowledge that could help him.


    Instead, Jake found himself focusing on the boundary that he¡¯d noticed before. Beyond the boundary lay a formless wasteland, endless and ever-changing.


    It also held unknowable entities in a myriad of forms. There were gigantic ones, large beyond comprehension, who circled reality like hungry sharks, waiting for any sign of weakness to strike.


    Those behemoths were kept at bay by the boundary, but Jake could see that there was an endless tide of smaller things trying to wiggle their way through.


    The idea of such things managing to breach the boundary filled Jake with disgust and horror in equal measure, and he felt those emotions slip across the thread that had formed between Jake and his Patron.


    Approval flowed back in response to Jake¡¯s disgust, but it was distant, directed less at him than at the concept of his growing anger towards those being of nothingness.


    A pulse of something flashed across the connection between them, burning it away as the impact broke Jake¡¯s focus on keeping it in place. A spot of burning heat formed where the pulse had struck Jake, and he gasped, his eyes flying open as he was forcefully ejected from his meditative state.


    Greetings, Jake Khesh.


    A Patron Gift has been directly imprinted on your soul. Please refrain from any strenuous activity while it is merged with the System and your Class.


    ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± Jake gasped as his heart began to pound, and the sweat that had been pouring from him earlier redoubled as his body grew hotter and hotter.


    There was no pain; it was instead like his body was just failing, and he was falling apart.


    Jake drew in a ragged breath, his chest tight enough that barely anything got through, and his need for air only grew.


    The corners of Jake¡¯s vision turned colourless as he clawed his way out of bed, managing to get to his feet as his vision narrowed down to a single speck, and he felt himself fall backwards as he lost consciousness.

 DN 69 - Weal & Woe

    Jake woke up to a steady knocking on his door before Alan¡¯s voice came from the hall. ¡°Jake, are you alright?¡±


    Jake sat up groggily, the room shifting a little as it took an extra second for his eyes to bring everything into focus. He felt unsettled like he was somehow disjointed and jumbled up.


    ¡°Jake?¡± Alan called again, knocking louder this time.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Jake called back before rubbing his face and getting to his feet.


    The strange feeling he¡¯d had when he first woke up was already fading, and Jake was feeling more like himself.


    ¡°Alright, well, we¡¯ve already eaten, so we can go whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± Alan called through hesitantly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be down soon,¡± Jake said, getting changed into some clean clothes before taking a seat at the end of the bed as he heard Alan head back downstairs.


    The vision he¡¯d had of The Great Dungeon and the things beyond the boundary of reality was foggy, yet the parts that he could remember were burnt into his memory in a way that left him with no uncertainty over the nightmares he¡¯d be having.


    Jake shivered as his memory touched on those colossal things that he¡¯d seen. Even the hazy parts that he recalled threatened to give him a headache if he focused on them too hard.


    Such things were not meant for the mortal mind to comprehend, and even trying to do so would be a foolish endeavour.


    Turning his focus away with an act of will, Jake remembered the message from the System and called his status to mind, focusing on the Patron section.


    Patron Gifts


    Passive - Agent of the Great Dungeon (II)  - Very Rare - You are bound to the Great Dungeon by blood. Other followers of the Great Dungeon will recognise you and aid you as they may.


    Passive - Sense Dungeon (II) - Rare - As an agent of the Great Dungeon, you are able to passively sense the location of nearby Dungeons in a meagre range.


    Passive - Authority of The Great Dungeon (I) - Very Rare - You have the approval of The Great Dungeon and may enact rituals in its name. You gain the knowledge of the Ritual of Castigation. Misuse of this authority may result in its removal.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Jake said, letting out a low whistle as he read through what was now available. Both of his other gifts had increased in rank, which was unexpected, but this new gift was completely different.


    Closing his eyes, Jake tried to think of the Ritual of Castigation and immediately felt the knowledge pour into his mind. It was like he¡¯d always known it and had just forgotten it until now.


    Normally, Jake didn¡¯t question the System or the changes it wrought, but there was something about the seamless way he had learned this that unnerved him. Rubbing his arms, Jake focused on the Ritual, learning what it did.


    The Ritual of Castigation was an easy enough one to complete; it took only the blood of a classer from one of the bloodlines that served the First Pantheon and a healthy dose of Wyrd.


    The reward for providing both those things was a summoning of any and all nearby monsters and beasts. They would flock to the site of the Ritual and attempt to destroy anything not native to their reality or influenced by such a thing.


    It was easy enough to understand that this Ritual was designed for managing Rifts, but it would also serve as a way to kill Corrupters. Of course, once the creatures were brought together, they were in no way compelled to act in a certain way, so a bloodbath was all but guaranteed.


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    If Jake ever found himself near a rift, this would give him a simple way to buy time enough to try and close it, which made it invaluable. Then again, considering that he had no idea how to go about closing one, it was more of a way to cover his escape as it stood.


    Putting the Ritual aside for the moment, Jake finished getting ready before heading downstairs. He¡¯d overslept a little, but there wasn¡¯t any urgency, so the others gave him time to eat before they set off for the Dungeon.


    Rhew and Alan were both eager to try and further their experimentation with what they¡¯d been working on and were discussing their methods to try and earn their respective Skill as they made their way through the town.


    ¡°Find anything on your patrol yesterday?¡± Jake dropped back a bit from the group to walk alongside Nepthys.


    ¡°Nothing worth following up,¡± Nepthys said with a slight frown, pausing to check they weren¡¯t being overheard before continuing. ¡°I expected a lot more activity in the wake of the rift that Felix helped deal with. Especially considering the lack of Inquisitors to hunt down any Corrupted.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose that¡¯s a bit weird,¡± Jake said, his brow furrowing as he considered what she was saying. ¡°Maybe all the Seekers in the area have helped keep things calm?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Nepthys said, though her expression made it clear that she didn¡¯t think that was the case. ¡°I¡¯ll range out further tomorrow, see if I can sense any use of Skryx that might give them away. Any Corrupters in Strovia won¡¯t be expecting an Inquisitor to be nearby, which might make them careless.¡±


    Jake nodded and went to ask a question when he noticed Karl and the others step aside. Looking over, Jake saw a Triarchy patrol coming down the street, though this one was different.


    Usually, two or three guards were in each patrol, and they would go past the classers with little interest. Today, however, there were a full six guards, and they were following behind a tall, pale-skinned man with grey eyes and close-cropped dark hair.


    The tall man was wearing a heavy overcoat of a style that was common for those who had recently arrived in Strovia, which was warmer than Maddir, the home of the Triarchy.


    Between the overcoat and the way the guards deferred to him, Jake had the sickening feeling that this was one of the Seekers that Felix had warned them about.


    Jake was almost overcome with the urge to push Nepthys down a nearby side alley, but he knew that doing so would draw attention to them. Caught indecisively, Jake stumbled slightly, drawing the Seeker¡¯s attention.


    The man¡¯s piercing grey eyes studied Jake for a moment before dismissing him, his attention starting to move away before snapping back, passing over Jake and focusing on Nepthys.


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting hairstyle you wear,¡± the Seeker called out, stepping into their path as his guards fanned out. ¡°Not a common one in this area at all. Where did you pick it up?¡±


    ¡°I saw it on a traveller one time and liked it well enough that they taught me how to do it. Not that it¡¯s any business of yours,¡± Nepthys said in a cool tone, her eyes flicking between the Seeker and his guards.


    ¡°Ah, of course, I should have guessed,¡± the Seeker said with a mirthless smile, his eyes cold as he stepped closer and gestured towards Nepthys¡¯s face. ¡°I can¡¯t see the detail from here, but I can see the blue in the corner of your eye. I know what you are, Inquisitor. Come quietly, and we won¡¯t have a problem.¡±


    The air thrummed with tension, and Jake could see the others turning to see what was happening, but any help from them would be far too late to make a difference.


    ¡°You have to run, Jake,¡± Nepthys said softly, her words pitched low enough to be only for his ears. ¡°There is no winning this here, and we can¡¯t let them take both of us. I¡¯ll make a distraction, you run.¡±


    Jake wanted to argue, wanted to declare their victory, but they were outnumbered and had little more than their blades, whereas the guards were all wearing armour.


    Nepthys took Jake¡¯s indecisive silence as agreement as she reached over and pulled him past her, pushing him toward the nearby alley he¡¯d looked at earlier. ¡°Go!¡±


    ¡°Secure the area. Catch the runner!¡± The Seeker¡¯s voice thundered out as Nepthys drew both her swords and immediately dove to one side to avoid a blast of bright energy.


    Jake drew his sword and was about to rush back to help Nepthys when two of the guards pushed their way into the alley, levelling spears at him that were sheathed in a thick layer of Wyrd.


    A cry of pain from beyond the two guards was enough to set Jake¡¯s mind, and he turned to run, praying that he was fast enough to keep ahead of them.


    Nepthys was losing her fight against the Seeker, and Jake knew he was no match for six armoured guards on his own. No, the only way they were getting out of this one was if they got outside help.


    Skidding around a corner, Jake¡¯s eyes went wide as he collided with one of the other guards, who must have been trying to flank around to catch him.


    Jake recovered first and did the only thing that made sense, his forehead colliding with the guard¡¯s nose a moment later.


    ¡°You fucker!¡± The guard stumbled back, clutching his face and making an awkward stab at Jake that he deftly slid past.


    Despite the broken nose, the guard¡¯s speed and strength reminded Jake that his pursuers were likely at the peak of the first tier.


    There would be no room for mistakes here.

 DN 70 - Seeking

    Jake raced through the tight corners and back alleys of Casthorpe, using every little bit of advantage that he could to try and get ahead and away from the Triarchy guards chasing him.


    Weeks of hard work and practice at running in the worst of conditions helped Jake keep moving at a good speed. His pursuers were wearing metal armour, which would slow and tire them swiftly. He just needed to keep ahead long enough.


    Unfortunately, they were out of the part of Casthorpe that Jake knew now, and it wasn¡¯t a big town, which meant he was running out of room. Casting aside his shield and pack to lighten the load, Jake put on some speed, trying to get just a little more distance from them.


    Risking a glance over his shoulder, Jake took in the distance from him to his chasers and decided it was enough to risk something different.


    Taking a hard turn, Jake ducked into a shadowed alcove and kept as still and silent as possible. Moments later, two of the guards went sprinting past in a thunder of clanking metal.


    The echoes of their movements rang out loudly in the alley, masking any other sounds, so Jake gave it a moment longer before cautiously emerging and peering in the direction the guards had gone.


    ¡°I had a feeling you¡¯d pulled a trick,¡± a nasal voice came from behind Jake, and he threw himself to one side right as a spear flashed through the space he¡¯d been standing at heart height.


    Rolling to his feet, Jake looked back to see the guard whose nose he¡¯d broken glaring at him with a bloody smile. ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for what you did, Strovian scum, and then I¡¯m going to make your pretty little friend scream.¡±


    ¡°Trike bastard,¡± Jake snarled, his sword held tight in his hand as his anger flared and overrode any thought of trying to run. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you before you touch her!¡±


    The guard grinned maniacally, the smeared blood on his mouth a stark contrast to his pale skin. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to try.¡±


    Jake poured Wyrd into his sword, waiting until it was filled with power before darting forward and thrusting straight at the guard.


    The guard moved with surprising grace, sliding around Jake¡¯s attack before driving him back with a few swift stabs of his spear. ¡°I deem you a threat to the town and a lawbreaker. Your attack against me is the evidence I need.¡±


    Jake frowned in confusion; he didn¡¯t feel as though the guard was speaking to him, which made no sense. It was only when the guard moved forward and thrust his spear out much faster than the time before that Jake realised what was happening. The guard had some Trait or Skill that boosted him in specific circumstances.


    Pain flared from Jake¡¯s shoulder as he failed to dodge completely out of the way of the next thrust, and he felt blood start to flow down his arm and soak his tunic.


    Jake had little experience against a spear and was struggling to get close enough to engage the guard without being stabbed in the gut.


    The broad smile on the guard¡¯s face did little to help the growing frustration Jake felt as he was slowly being cut to pieces. The hard truth was that he was outclassed; he needed to take some risks, or he was done for.


    The next thrust came right for Jake¡¯s heart, and as he twisted out of the way, he struck at the spear, knocking it wide. Taking advantage of the opening, Jake rushed the guard, bringing things into a grapple.


    The guard was stronger, but this was where he was less experienced, and Jake threw his sword at the other man¡¯s face, distracting him long enough for Jake to rip the spear away and conjure his dagger.


    Jake¡¯s dagger formed mid-strike, plunging down at the guard¡¯s neck before halting just shy of his skin as the guard seized Jake¡¯s wrist in an iron grip and twisted it nastily, forcing Jake to drop the dagger.


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    ¡°Think I¡¯ve never seen someone hide a dagger up their sleeve before,¡± the guard scoffed as he rammed a knee into Jake¡¯s ribs and threw him backwards, catching the falling dagger by the hilt with his free hand. ¡°Something so satisfying about killing a man with his own blade.¡±


    Jake felt his eyes go wide as he realised that the guard had been looking away when Jake conjured the dagger. That was exactly the advantage that Jake needed right now.


    Setting his stance and letting the pain in his side show through, Jake allowed his fear for Nepthys and uncertainty about this fight to play across his face.


    The guard smirked as he took in Jake¡¯s expression before lunging forward, bringing Jake¡¯s dagger down in a vicious chop right toward Jake¡¯s chest.


    The smirk quickly faded to confusion as Jake lunged right back at him, the dagger disappearing from the guard¡¯s hand to reappear in Jake¡¯s as he rammed it right into the guard¡¯s gut, pouring his Wyrd in as he did.


    The chainmail resisted the strike, but the infusion of Wyrd Jake had given it let the dagger pierce through and sink deep into the flesh beneath.


    The two of them slammed together forcefully, driving the dagger in deeper and making the guard gasp in pain, his eyes wide as he recoiled, a wild punch catching Jake and sending him tumbling to the ground.


    Jake had the presence of mind to dismiss the dagger as he rolled into the fall, rising and turning to see the guard clutching his stomach as he went for the spear.


    Cursing silently, Jake spat out the blood in his mouth and rushed after the guard, tackling him from behind and taking them both to the ground. The other man¡¯s stomach was bleeding badly, and a knee to the gut winded him and gave Jake the chance to return the hit to the face with interest.


    Black veins of poison were creeping up the guard¡¯s body, but Jake could hear the distant clamour of other guards approaching them. He couldn¡¯t risk them saving the guard and revealing anything about him.


    Conjuring his dagger once more and sheathing it with Wyrd, Jake stabbed down into the guard¡¯s chest, delivering a lethal dose of poison right to his heart.


    Pushing off of the dying man, Jake dismissed his dagger, part of him noting that he had a mere sliver of power left within that manifestation.


    Jake had thought he¡¯d seen enough death recently to desensitise him, but there was something about the desperate look in the guard¡¯s eyes as he choked on his own blood that struck a chord with Jake.


    Thoughts of his dead family and of the butchery and death that the Triarchy had brought to Strovia rose up within Jake, and his eyes were cold as he turned away and retrieved his sword.


    They¡¯d made their choice a long time ago. This was simply a consequence of that.


    Belting his sword back on, Jake channelled his Wyrd into his eyes and glanced back at the guard, noting the man¡¯s soul had moved on.


    The hue and cry of the pursuit was drawing close once more, so Jake expended a second manifestation to conjure an Orchard¡¯s Gift as he swiftly left the scene.


    A bright red apple formed in Jake¡¯s hand, looking almost exactly like a Wyrdfruit at a casual glance. Taking a bite of it, Jake immediately felt a wave of energy flow down into his core and then out into his body, healing his wounds and revitalising him.


    A single bite did little, but it was enough to get Jake going, and he swiftly devoured the whole apple. The energy built up in his core with each bite, flowing slowly out to heal him over time.


    Already, Jake could feel the injuries the guard had inflicted on him starting to heal from the influence of the Boon, letting him move faster.


    Picking up some speed and leaving that section of the town behind, Jake took the long way back to the inn, doing his best not to be seen.


    The last thing he needed was to lead any issues back to the others.


    Arriving at the rear of the inn, Jake carefully made his way inside, keeping his eyes open for any sign of the Triarchy having gotten here first.


    Jake had no idea what sort of Skills the Seeker might have to extract information. This whole thing could be burnt already.


    To Jake¡¯s relief, however, he found Ari and Felix sat at a table with steaming mugs of tea, discussing something in soft tones.


    ¡°Felix, Ari!¡± Jake hurried forward, making both of them start in surprise. ¡°The Seeker is here, and he¡¯s captured Nepthys!¡±


    Silence reigned through the taproom for a long moment as both classers looked at Jake in surprise before Felix¡¯s eyes sharpened, and he started snapping out questions. ¡°Where was this? How many guards did they have, and how many seekers? Were the others compromised?¡±


    ¡°On the way to the Dungeon, near where the fire one is, six guards and the Seeker, but I took one out. The others saw, but they weren¡¯t included in the commands, so I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Ari, find them, get them back here,¡± Felix said curtly as he got to his feet and loosened the sword at his waist. ¡°I¡¯ll secure our exit.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Ari nodded, his expression grim as he grabbed his blade and rushed out the front of the inn.


    Felix started towards the inn¡¯s kitchen, beckoning for Jake to follow. ¡°Come with me. We need to make preparations.¡±

 DN 71 - Resistance

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Jake called out as he hurried after Felix. ¡°We need to get out there and rescue Nepthys!¡±


    ¡°There is nothing we can do at this moment, we need to focus on making sure that the situation is in hand and that more people aren¡¯t in danger,¡± Felix said in a tight voice as he pushed open the doors of the kitchen and strode inside without hesitation.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just leave her!¡± Jake shouted, rushing in front of Felix angrily and standing in his way.


    For a moment, Jake thought that Felix would push him aside, but the older classer simply exhaled and met Jake¡¯s eyes. ¡°The only thing we could do for her now would be if I personally went and retrieved her. Even then, we¡¯re assuming that they have no one capable of taking me on. If they don¡¯t, I could cut a bloody path to her and bring her out, but what then?¡±


    ¡°Then we get the fuck out of here,¡± Jake growled, but he could feel his anger turning cold as what Felix was saying got through to him.


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯d run, and then the Triarchy would come down on the town like a hammer, crushing everyone, irrespective of their involvement with what happened. They could afford nothing less against what would look like open rebellion.¡±


    Jake started to say something several times before eventually slumping down and grimacing. ¡°Damn them. There must be something we can do, though?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too soon to know,¡± Felix said gently, reaching out to rest his hand on Jake¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We need to get you out of here first of all, then I can reach out to the resistance and see what they know.¡±


    Jake¡¯s eyes went wide at the mention of the resistance, but he moved aside, following Felix over to a trapdoor which led down to the inn¡¯s cellar. Felix took a lantern from where it hung on the wall and lit it before leading the way down the stairs.


    The cellar was filled with all the mundane and everyday supplies that the inn would need, making it look entirely innocuous at first glance. Looking over it all, Jake began to turn to Felix with a question on his lips, before watching incredulously as the other man opened a hidden door set into the wall.


    Felix¡¯s lips curved into a slight smile as he held the door open and motioned for Jake to head through, offering him the lantern as he did. ¡°This will close behind you, sealing you out. All you need to do is follow the tunnel and pull the lever when you reach the far end. It will let you into a small hut outside of town. Stay there and wait for us, got it?¡±


    Jake nodded mechanically, looking between Felix and the door with something akin to wonder. This raised so many questions, not the least of which was if Felix was working with the resistance.


    ¡°I will answer your questions later,¡± Felix said as Jake hesitated. ¡°We don¡¯t have the time right now.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, I¡¯m going to hold you to that,¡± Jake said, starting to step forward before pausing, his eyes going wide. ¡°Shit. What about Varin, the crafter I¡¯ve gone to see?¡±


    ¡°Was he there when the Seeker saw you?¡±


    ¡°No, it was just the five of us.¡±


    ¡°Then he¡¯ll be fine in the short term. I¡¯ll get a message sent to him, though. He can take whatever steps he needs to from there.¡±


    ¡°Right. Damn it, I just feel so useless,¡± Jake said, his hands curling into fists before he made himself relax. All he was doing was slowing Felix down now.


    Taking the lantern before he could change his mind, Jake headed down into the darkness beyond the door, stooping a little as he entered.


    The tunnel leading from the cellar was slightly too small to be comfortable, but Felix had already shut the door behind him with a firm thud, sealing Jake in.


    The walls of the tunnel seemed to close in on Jake as he started walking, it reminded him of the first Dungeon in the worst ways, and he half expected a rat to come jumping out of the darkness at him.


    Jake gripped the lantern tighter as he grit his teeth and got his thoughts under control. He¡¯d been in smaller places than this before, and without a light.


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    After what felt like an eternity of slightly stooped walking, Jake saw the glint of metal up ahead and quickened his pace. Crossing the last section in a jog, Jake found himself facing a stone doorway, with a lever set to one side.


    Doing as Felix had told him, Jake pulled the lever, causing the door to creak open slightly. Pushing it the rest of the way open, Jake stepped out into a cellar that was smaller version of the one he¡¯d come from.


    After a brief moment of hesitation, Jake closed the door behind him, comitting to staying where he was. Not that he could really go back, but it was still hard to do.


    Leaving like this went against everything Jake wanted, but his struggle against the trike guard had driven home how powerless he was in the grand scheme of things.


    If it wasn¡¯t for his Boons, he¡¯d have died in that alley. It was a cold, sobering thought, and one that brought to mind the vision he¡¯d had of the wider world.


    Jake was insignificant, he was a speck of dust to the eyes of the gods, but he had a path forward. He had a path to the power to choose his own destiny.


    It would require him binding himself to a greater power, but everything had a price.


    Resolve filled Jake as he made his choice. It wouldn¡¯t be set in stone until he¡¯d bound two more Dungeons, but he wasn¡¯t one to change his mind from a course of action once he¡¯d decided.


    Jake began to head for the stairs out of the cellar before pausing and hesitantly muttering a prayer. ¡°Great Dungeon, please watch over Nepthys and help us find a way to rescue her.¡±


    Jake stretched his senses for any sign of a reply or acknowledgement from his Patron, but only silence answered him.


    Feeling foolish, Jake took the stairs up from the cellar and extinguished his latern before hanging it on a nearby hook.


    He¡¯d seen what the Great Dungeon had to deal with, why would he think it would care for his petty issues?


    Rubbing a hand over his face, Jake set about exploring the cottage he found himself in. It seemed reasonably well stocked with dried foods and the like, but none of it looked like it had been sat for a long time.


    Most importantly, however, was that the cottage was in the woods outside of Casthorpe. Given that there was a secret tunnel running out to it, Jake was confident that this belonged to the resistance.


    With yet more questions for Felix, Jake did his best to wait patiently for the others to arrive.


    -**-


    Jake was pacing back and forth when the door to the cottage finally opened and Ari walked in, swiftly followed by Rhew, Karl and Alan.


    ¡°Jake, thank the gods you¡¯re okay!¡± Alan exclaimed, his expression swiftly falling as he looked around the cottage. ¡°Where¡¯s Felix, and did you manage to get Nepthys out?¡±


    Karl and Rhew paused in their own greeting, looking to Jake as they waited for him to answer the Scholar.


    ¡°Felix sent me straight here, I don¡¯t know where he is,¡± Jake said, his throat tightening as he looked away. ¡°He said we couldn¡¯t risk getting Nepthys back, that it would cause a response from the Triarchy.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not wrong, we need to tread carefully,¡± Ari said with a serious expression. ¡°The Triarchy is not known for its restraint. Felix will tell us more once he¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°So there will be a chance to rescue her then?¡± Rhew asked hopefully, before scowling as Ari shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, we can only wait and see.¡±


    ¡°Why did they even take her?¡± Karl asked, looking to Jake questioningly. ¡°You were there, Jake, what did you hear?¡±


    Jake froze, unsure what to say as he was put on the spot. It hadn¡¯t even occured to him that the others wouldn¡¯t know why Nepthys would be wanted by the Seekers.


    Jake looked over to Ari for advice, but the other classer had deliberately moved away, leaving Jake to deal with the situation.


    Really, there was only one way to deal with this. Perhaps they could have continued as they were, but not now that they had clashed with the Triarchy.


    ¡°They took her because of her Patron,¡± Jake said, his mouth dry as he saw his friends¡¯ eyes widen.


    ¡°Nepthys had a Patron?¡± Rhew echoed in surprise before giving Jake a curious look. ¡°Wait how do you know?¡±


    ¡°I know because I have a Patron as well, and they¡¯re linked,¡± Jake said, his heart pounding as he took in their shocked expressions. This could be the moment where they cast him aside, when they decided he wasn¡¯t worth the risk.


    After everything they¡¯d been through, Jake didn¡¯t want to see their group broken up, especially not because of this.


    ¡°Is that why your Class is so strange?¡± Alan asked curiously, which wasn¡¯t exactly surprising. There was a reason why he had the Scholar Class, after all.


    ¡°Yes, my Class is linked to my Patron; The Great Dungeon.¡±


    Alan perked up and looked like he was going to ask more questions but Rhew beat him to it. ¡°What about Nepthys?¡±


    ¡°She serves The Watcher, who is part of the same pantheon as my Patron.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either of those gods,¡± Rhew said, her brow furrowing as she considered his words. ¡°Are we in danger from merely associating with you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so?¡± Jake hedged, hoping that it wasn¡¯t the case but not really knowing for sure.


    ¡°I knew that there was something odd about your Class, but this is something else,¡± Rhew said, rubbing her temples wearily.


    ¡°I know, and I wish I could have told all of you in a better situation, but with what¡¯s happening, I couldn¡¯t keep it to myself.¡±


    The door to the cottage opened before Jake could say anymore, revealing Felix and a short woman who Jake didn¡¯t recognise.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re all here,¡± Felix said as he came inside, the woman trailing along behind him. ¡°First things first, I need to know how you all stand on the Triarchy. If you leave now, you will be safe from reprisal and can carry on in whatever manner you prefer.¡±


    ¡°And if we stay?¡± Karl asked, lifting his chin slightly.


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll be helping us plan how to fight back and rescue Nepthys.¡± Felix said evenly, motioning to the open door. ¡°Make your choice.¡±

 DN 72 - Cant Stop I

    Nobody said anything for a few tense seconds, and Felix looked at each of them in turn, his expression impassive as he seemed to judge their commitment.


    Eventually, Felix nodded and shut the door before gesturing to the woman who¡¯d entered with him. ¡°This is Michelle. She is my contact in the area for the resistance. We¡¯ve worked together in the past when I¡¯ve been able to return to this Realm. She will be making inquiries into the situation with Nepthys.¡±


    ¡°I wish I were meeting you all under better circumstances,¡± Michelle said with a terse nod. ¡°We all know the pain of living under the rule of the Triarchy, but we also know their methods. They will want to interrogate your friend, which means they will hold her for several days while an escort is sent over. They will then travel towards either Port Emerald or another coastal city.¡±


    ¡°Which is when we will strike,¡± Felix said, smoothly taking over the thread of conversation. ¡°They will be prepared for something, but we have little choice. If she reaches the city, she is lost to us. We will be training hard over the next few days to prepare. I want each of you to think of one thing you wish to develop more than anything else. Ari and I will work to help it become a reality.¡±


    ¡°If there is anything we can do to assist, let us know. For now, though, I need to get back and see what the situation is,¡± Michelle said, clasping arms with Felix and giving the rest of them a nod before hurrying back out of the cottage.


    ¡°Felix,¡± Jake said, deciding to speak up before they got any further. ¡°I¡¯ve told them about my Class. Not the specifics, but they know about my Patron.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Felix said in a way that made it clear that he didn¡¯t fully approve. ¡°And there are no objections to this? You are all still in favour of working with us to rescue Nepthys?¡±


    ¡°To this, yes,¡± Rhew said, shifting a little before giving Jake an apologetic look. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about after this is done. I hate the Triarchy for my own reasons, and I¡¯m grateful to Nepthys, but I can¡¯t risk being caught up in this.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ve only recently come to terms with it myself,¡± Jake said with a slight shrug, noting the sharp look that Felix gave him. He¡¯d have to update Felix on his decision after this. ¡°What about you, Karl? Or you, Alan?¡±


    ¡°The Triarchy killed my father,¡± Karl said heatedly. ¡°I will take any opportunity to pay them back for that. I¡¯m not sure about the gods, though.¡±


    They turned to Alan next, who was frowning in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t hate the Triarchy the same way as the rest of you. I dislike it, but not so personally. That being said, I will happily help rescue Nepthys. Beyond that, I¡¯m not sure. I won¡¯t commit to staying with you, but I¡¯m not leaving for definite either.¡±


    Jake nodded, unable to quite keep his disappointment from showing. He¡¯d been hoping that they could all carry on as they were, but he could understand why that wasn¡¯t possible.


    It wasn¡¯t like the Triarchy would forget about Jake or Nepthys after this; they would be hunted even more diligently than now. He couldn¡¯t blame the others for not wanting to get involved in that.


    ¡°Regardless of the future, you should all take your chance to rest now. We set off within the hour toward another Dungeon. We will need to move fast to get to both it and one of the other choices with enough time to return when they move Nepthys.¡±


    ¡°Wait, new Dungeons?¡± Alan asked, cocking his head to one side. ¡°Would it not be safer to stay here and be surreptitious rather than risk travelling to somewhere new and drawing attention?¡±


    ¡°Usually, yes,¡± Felix said, glancing over to Jake before continuing. ¡°However, Jake¡¯s Class progresses with each new Dungeon completed. The rest of you will only be able to advance to the peak of the first tier, but Jake could make it to tier two in time for the rescue.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I think I understand more now,¡± Alan said, nodding to himself. ¡°That¡¯s why we came here to begin with. For the new Dungeons.¡±


    Felix nodded and quickly carried on before Alan could ask anything else. ¡°Go now, rest and think on what you wish aid with. We will work you hard in the Dungeons and push you as far as you can.¡±


    ¡°Will you give us the Wyrdgeld we need to advance quickly?¡± Rhew asked before Felix could do more than start to turn.


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    ¡°No.¡± Felix¡¯s tone was hard as he turned back to the ice mage. ¡°You are still new to this life, but it is frowned upon for those of a higher tier to give such aid. It weakens you and undermines your will to push on.¡±


    ¡°Surely it can¡¯t make that much of a difference?¡± Rhew challenged, folding her arms as she faced off with Felix. ¡°Our lives will be on the line doing this. We should be as strong as possible!¡±


    ¡°Then you need to push yourself to prepare for it,¡± Felix said flatly, unmoved by her display. ¡°I have seen what happens when you pave the way for new classers. The best intentions can cripple their future. I¡¯ve seen promising youngsters fail to reach tier two when their rank outpaced their skill, and I¡¯ve seen those who were helped falter in the face of the higher realms. Pain and struggle now prepares you for the challenges of the future.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all well and good¡­¡± Rhew began to argue before Karl put a hand on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear, making her deflate slightly. ¡°Fine.¡±


    As if Rhew¡¯s acceptance was a signal, everyone began to drift out of the cottage¡¯s living room, with Jake leading the way to the kitchen.


    If they were going to be travelling, he wanted to be sure he was doing it on a full stomach.


    -**-


    True to his word, Felix had them on the march within the hour, waiting just long enough for them to catch their breath and eat some food.


    Thankfully, the cottage had supplies for travel as well, with tents and bedrolls on hand for those in need. Considering how they¡¯d all rushed out of Casthorpe, small amenities like that were well appreciated.


    The first hour or two of their march north passed in relative silence, with them all lost in their own thoughts. For Jake, he was worrying about Nepthys, both for what might be happening now and what would happen if they failed to get her out.


    Realising his mind was going in circles, Jake kicked up his pace to approach Felix at the front of the group. ¡°So, what Dungeon are we going to?¡±


    It felt like a trite question, but Jake needed something to occupy his mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s one quite similar to your first, based around insects and tight caves. Your familiarity with it should let you cut through without too much issue,¡± Felix said, looking over to Jake consideringly. ¡°Have you considered what you wish my aid with?¡±


    ¡°I have. I want your help in improving one of the Skills I have available,¡± Jake said, tapping his sword on the hilt. ¡°Manually infusing my sword has given me an option, but I want something better.¡±


    ¡°I see. Are you sure this is what you would like?¡± Felix asked, giving no sign of whether he judged it a good use of his time or not.


    ¡°I am,¡± Jake said firmly. ¡°I want to be able to do more when I¡¯m fighting things which can ignore mundane attacks. I could get the one I have, but I remember you mentioning that you can improve the offering if you do better.¡±


    Felix considered Jake¡¯s words for a few moments before nodding slightly. ¡°Very well, we¡¯ll spend some time working on it this evening. In the meantime, consider how you would go about doing this yourself.¡±


    With that, the older classer dropped back to have similar conversations with the others, seeing what they wanted assistance with.


    Part of Jake wanted to chastise them all for how eagerly they were taking up Felix¡¯s offer when one of them had been captured, but he knew that was just his frustration talking.


    Deciding to channel it to something worth doing, Jake focused on what Felix had asked him. The obvious answer was to simply do it better, which would hopefully prompt the System to award him a better variant of the Skill.


    That seemed an underwhelming answer, though. Surely, there was more to Skills than simply doing something better. But, then again, what even was a Skill?


    Jake hadn¡¯t bought any beyond those he¡¯d been granted, so he had no idea how much difference there was between what he did now and what he¡¯d do if he bought that Minor Infused Strike Skill.


    Jake¡¯s thoughts tumbled over each other as they carried on, and by the time they set up camp for the evening, he found that he had no real answer.


    ¡°So, did you think about my question earlier?¡± Felix asked as he took him aside as the others set about making the evening meal.


    ¡°Yes, but I feel like I¡¯m missing something. It seems like it should be that I just improve my current way of doing it, but that feels too simple.¡±


    ¡°And yet, it¡¯s the truth,¡± Felix said, a slight smile touching his lips for a moment. ¡°Do you know what the difference would be between you performing a strike manually and using a Skill for it?¡±


    ¡°The Skill is better?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but why?¡± Felix waited a moment for Jake to shake his head before explaining. ¡°A Skill comes with knowledge from the System. Knowledge on how to do something better, how to do it more efficiently. It takes the raw basics you create and polishes it to be something better. Often, it improves it, adding in parts you never considered before.¡±


    ¡°What about if you discard the Skill?¡± Jake asked, not sure how he felt about something messing with what he did or didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Then you lose most of that extra knowledge. You still keep a glimmer of it, though. There are some Classers that change Skills regularly to learn new things and improve their foundation. Do not underestimate them. They are often the most efficient Wyrd users out there.¡±


    ¡°I think I understand.¡± Jake frowned in thought as he reframed everything he knew about Skills. ¡°What about Traits, then?¡±


    ¡°Traits are a catalogue and measure of your Deeds. They represent a certain weight behind what you do, one that causes ripples with every action you take. Enough on that for now, though. Show me your infusion technique.¡±


    Jake blinked, confused by Felix¡¯s explanation of Traits. He sort of understood, but not really. Shrugging it aside, he did as Felix asked and infused his blade.


    ¡°Passable, but your control is poor. Explain your technique to me as you do it again.¡± Felix motioned for Jake to continue, in what was no doubt the first of many repeats.

 DN 73 - Cant Stop II

    Jake was exhausted when he finally crawled into his bedroll. Felix had made him infuse his sword again and again, making him describe what he was doing and why as he did.


    The most annoying part was that it had actually helped.


    Jake wasn¡¯t foolish enough to think he¡¯d made any breakthroughs in one session, but he could understand what he was doing wrong, and that was a good step in doing it better.


    Felix had likened his current technique to someone watering a field by pouring all the water in one corner and letting it spread naturally. It might do something, but it was a pale imitation of what it could be.


    Waking up early the next day, they set off as soon as they were all ready. Surprisingly, Felix walked at the rear of the group, conversing quietly with Rhew.


    Jake imagined that it was to do with Rhew¡¯s request for help, so he focused on practicing his infusing. It was a waste of Wyrd in some ways, but Jake didn¡¯t intend to use it any other way, so he might as well get some practice in.


    Besides, he had a feeling that Felix was going to work them to the bone when they got to the Dungeon, so this might be the only chance he had to really practice.


    Part of him wondered just how Felix thought Jake could make it to tier two in the next few days. Whatever it was that needed doing, though, Jake would do it gladly. He owed that much to Nepthys.


    Still, if the ranks continued as they were, he needed over a thousand more Wyrdgeld, which frankly seemed impossible. Especially as Felix had already discounted just giving it to them.


    Putting it aside for the moment, Jake focused on his practice and keeping a good pace. Felix had said they¡¯d be there by midmorning if they pushed.


    -**-


    True to Felix¡¯s estimation, they arrived in good time, finding a settlement built up around the Dungeon entrance. It was quite reminiscent of the first one they¡¯d gone to, but was a lot larger.


    Unlike the first, this one was bounded by a palisade wall, though it looked neglected. Nor was it the only thing that had seen better days. A good half of the settlement looked to be abandoned.


    There was still a decent amount of activity around the entrance to the Dungeon, though, which didn¡¯t quite seem to make sense with the abandoned buildings.


    Jake considered it as they approached the outskirts of the settlement, eventually turning and asking Ari about it.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯ll be because this used to be a tier two Dungeon,¡± Ari said with a sage nod as though that explained everything.


    ¡°Wait, so Dungeons can go down a tier?¡± Jake asked in surprise.


    ¡°Yeah, they go from one to two and then eventually reset back down to one. I don¡¯t know why. That¡¯s the sort of thing you¡¯ll probably have to learn from other followers of your Patron.¡±


    Jake nodded, casting one last glance at the abandoned buildings in the distance before focusing on the Dungeon.


    Felix had wasted no time in getting them over to the entrance. ¡°Right, we¡¯re lucky enough to be able to head straight in, so go as soon as you¡¯re ready. This is training for the higher tier Dungeons, so take it seriously.¡±


    Jake cocked his head to the side, wondering why the wording of that had sounded somewhat strange. It didn¡¯t really matter, though.


    It was time to get started on binding a new Dungeon.


    -**-


    Jake rammed his sword down into the large beetle that was trying to clamp onto his leg, crunching through its carapace and out through its weak underbelly.


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    ¡°Jake, dodge!¡± Alan¡¯s voice called out, sending Jake diving to one side as a spurt of caustic acid shot through the air where he¡¯d been standing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡± Rhew shouted, throwing a dense cluster of sharp icicles at the beetle who¡¯d attacked Jake. ¡°I think that¡¯s the last acid spitter.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s the last krok fly,¡± Karl called out as he swatted one of the irritating bugs from the air with his hammer.


    ¡°Well, that was different,¡± Jake said, eyeing the various pools of acid scattered around the area warily. The Guardian floor had been difficult, but they had managed it without any serious injuries.


    The new Dungeon had started out almost the same as the first one, though with beetles rather than rats. That similarity was underlined when the second type of monster was Krok Flies once again.


    Instead of giant rats with armour-like fur, though, this Dungeon had beetles that spat acid. To make matters worse, they looked almost identical to the normal ones until they attacked.


    Each of them had taken a potion at one point or another to heal an acid burn, but even so, they¡¯d managed to complete the Dungeon quickly. The Challenge room had also been quite fast, which certainly helped.


    The format here had been different to the others they¡¯d seen, with the Dungeon making them split up and individually fighting five beetles. Once they killed their five, they could move to assist their friends, but not until then.


    The beetles were tough and hardy but also very slow, which meant Alan and Rhew had been able to keep away long enough for Jake or Karl to come and help them.


    ¡°So, how does this work with your Class?¡± Rhew asked as they made their way over to gather the reward for finishing the Dungeon. ¡°Do you have to do something special?¡±


    ¡°Actually, no, we just leave as normal and¡­. Well, it just happens,¡± Jake said with a wan smile, deciding at the last moment to not reveal the exact manner of the binding.


    As much as he disliked it, he knew that they were going to split off from him when this was done, and that meant he needed to be careful with what he told them. He doubted that this particular piece of information was worth anything, but it was best to be careful.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Alan said as he opened the reward chest and began to pass out the Wyrdgeld it held. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I was expecting, but that¡¯s not it. I mean, I know I¡¯ve not seen you do anything special in the past, but I think I¡¯d built it up in my mind a bit.¡±


    Jake shrugged, not liking how he wasn¡¯t being totally honest with them. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s weird. Let¡¯s get moving, though. I think Felix wants us to go again.¡±


    Nodding, Alan got to his feet and led the way over to the exit, stepping through without hesitation.


    -**-


    Congratulations, Jake Khesh, you have bound the Dungeon Wilfek Murk. Choose from one of the four rewards the Dungeon has selected for you.


    Jake felt the flow of power from the binding run through him, invigorating him and providing clarity to his thoughts as he rose from the Throne and stepped down to see the rewards the Dungeon offered.


    They weren¡¯t ideal.


    Maybe someone else would look at them and see how useful they could be or otherwise be interested in what they could achieve, but not Jake. Each one came with a change to his body, the worst being the ability to spit acid in the same manner as the beetles.


    Jake could only imagine how that would taste, not to mention what the Boon would do to his mouth and throat to make it safe.


    No, none of these worked for him. Fortunately, however, he could take the fourth option again, increasing his Manifestations. Doing just that, Jake triggered his status to check the status.


    Name - Jake Khesh


    Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon


    Class - Dungeon Noble - Squire


    Tier - I


    Rank - V


    Dungeon Network - 4


    Plexus Strength - Minor


    Plexus Manifestations - 2/3


    Plexus Points - 1


    Plexus Boons


    Plexus Development - II - This Boon may only be increased in rank by choosing it at additional Dungeons, but it has no cap on its rank level. Increases Manifestations available by one per rank. Granted by the Haugask Deja and Wilfek Murk Dungeons.


    Jake nodded in satisfaction as he read through his status. Things were progressing nicely, and that third use of his Boons was more than welcome. Ideally, the next Dungeon that Felix took them to would have a Boon he could take, but even if it didn¡¯t, more Manifestations were hardly a bad thing.


    Nodding to himself, Jake left the way he¡¯d arrived, rejoining his companions as they all exited the Dungeon. As usual, none of them seemed to be aware of the time when Jake had been absent.


    The Dungeon¡¯s ability to do that did raise some alarming questions about how much time Jake was potentially missing each time he went through a doorway, but he didn¡¯t dwell on them. The amount couldn¡¯t be too large, or they would notice when they left, and anything less than that he could accept as the cost of using the Dungeons.


    Felix was waiting for them as they left the Dungeon, his eyes narrowing as he took in their appearance. ¡°Good, you seem to have done well. Rest for half an hour and then run it again, it should take you around two hours per completion. That means we can fit several completions in per day, with short rest breaks.¡±


    ¡°Only half an hour?¡± Karl asked with a touch of disbelief.


    ¡°If you worked hard, then you should only need that much,¡± Felix said before motioning toward the nearby benches. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when it¡¯s time to go back in.¡±


    Jake shared a tired look with the others before shrugging and leading the way. Felix did have a point. They could get a lot done here, they just needed to put the work in.

 DN 74 - Next Steps I

    They ran the Dungeon twice more with a short break in between, bringing their total Wyrdgeld earned for the day up to over a hundred each. It was so much, and yet it felt like so little compared to what they needed.


    Surprisingly, each of those short breaks was enough to revitalise them. However, by the third delve, they were consistently running low on Wyrd. The short breaks weren¡¯t long enough, and consuming Wyrdgeld to top them up would be counterproductive to what they wanted to do.


    Felix had reinforced the concept that these were training sessions after each delve, which was enough for Jake to realise what he was doing. He¡¯d long since worked out that Felix had some Skill or Trait that boosted the recovery of his students, but this was the most direct and deliberate use of it that he¡¯d seen.


    Jake knew they would have done much less without it, especially after spending a few hours marching hard to get here.


    ¡°Are we going again?¡± Jake asked, looking around at the others as they finished their break after the last run.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the Wyrd to carry on,¡± Rhew said reluctantly, looking down at her wand with a slight glare. ¡°We would probably be best to start again in the morning.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll push on to the next Dungeon tomorrow,¡± Felix said, his tone carefully neutral. ¡°If you¡¯ve hit your limit for the day, then it would be best for you to rest and be ready to do it again when we arrive. Ari has booked us into an inn. He can show you the way.


    Jake frowned unhappily but couldn¡¯t think of a good argument to make the others stay. He knew that rest was important, but he felt like he had more to give.


    ¡°I think that would be best,¡± Rhew said, getting to her feet and rubbing her face. ¡°We¡¯ll work the next one hard instead.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get back then. I want a coffee,¡± Ari said, rising smoothly to his feet as he started walking off at a relaxed pace.


    ¡°Jake, wait a moment if you would,¡± Felix said as the others followed after Ari. ¡°You don¡¯t look satisfied with finishing here.¡±


    ¡°I think I can do more,¡± Jake said honestly. ¡°This wasn¡¯t enough either, not if we just have one more full day of delving ahead of us. I¡¯ll be able to rank up tonight and likely again tomorrow, but that leaves me at the seventh rank.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have more than that,¡± Felix said, gesturing for Jake to sit with him. ¡°The three days for arrival timeframe was a worst-case scenario. We likely have one or two more than that. I¡¯ll get a message from Michelle when she knows more. The important part was that you all started strong.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that five days would be enough for me to reach rank ten,¡± Jake said, working the numbers out in his mind.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be, not unless you¡¯re willing to show me your true mettle.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Jake said slowly, not sure where Felix was going with this.


    ¡°We can run this Dungeon as we did the ones in the past,¡± Felix said, pulling a satchel up from where it had sat out of sight on the ground and placing it atop the table with a loud clink of glass. ¡°I won¡¯t give you the Wyrdgeld, but I will help keep you going while you earn it yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jake answered before he even finished processing what Felix was offering. He¡¯d take any path forward that would be offered.


    ¡°Very well, there is more to explain, but let us do that within the Dungeon,¡± Felix said, rising to his feet and gesturing for Jake to lead the way as he shrugged on the strap of the satchel.


    -**-


    The dark, dank tunnels of the Dungeon seemed far more foreboding now that Jake was taking them on without his companions. Thankfully, Felix had lit a torch and was helping illuminate everything, but it wasn¡¯t quite the same.


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    The first beetle emerged from the darkness before long, scuttling forward to try to clamp its mandibles on Jake¡¯s leg.


    Infusing his sword took a good amount of Wyrd, so Jake drew his wand and sent a Wyrd-conjured thorn into its head. The thorn easily breached the monster''s thick carapace, killing it before it could get close enough to pose a threat.


    While this method was wasteful on the Beast-ranked beetles, it was proof of concept for Jake and would be how he planned to deal with the acid-spitting Enhanced beetles that were deeper in the Dungeon.


    ¡°You said there was more to explain?¡± Jake asked as he drew the Wyrdgeld from the dead monster and dropped it into his pouch before continuing onward.


    ¡°Yes, regarding the Trait that I¡¯ve been using to help you all recover. I will share how it works so you can understand the situation,¡± Felix said, smiling slightly at the shocked expression on Jake¡¯s face.


    Sharing Skills was the height of trust, and Jake almost missed his strike on the next beetle as he tried to process the implications of Felix offering it to him.


    Hurriedly recovering and finishing off his opponent, Jake checked for any other monsters before moving to take the hand that Felix was holding out.


    Sharing Trait details from Felix Drusus


    Train Hard, Fight Hard (IX) - Rare - When performing a training exercise, all involved recover at a moderately increased speed once the training is completed. This speed is further increased individually by the effort expended.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can see the implications,¡± Felix said, his eyes twinkling with amusement despite the situation as Jake rocked back on his heels.


    ¡°But, how can this work with delves? They aren¡¯t training situations, right?¡± Jake asked, confused by how the Trait could work like this.


    ¡°I consider them training for the future, and by telling you that, you¡¯ve all been considering them training to enough of a degree that it can function,¡± Felix said, gesturing for Jake to take a seat. ¡°The System doesn¡¯t care what mental gymnastics we do to make our Skills and Traits work. There is no oversight there.¡±


    ¡°But doesn¡¯t that mean that any Skill can apply to any situation if you can convince yourself?¡± Jake rubbed his face, trying to make it all make sense.


    ¡°Yes, as long as you can convince yourself it¡¯s true,¡± Felix said with a slight shrug. ¡°I know people who make some very strange mental adjustments to help their Skills work, but there is always a cost.¡±


    ¡°A cost?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You see, you can¡¯t just tell yourself it''s true and then it will work; you have to believe it. I know that this is training for you, and by telling you it repeatedly, it has taken enough of a hold on you to work. Forcing that kind of understanding on yourself for something less workable can leave you disjointed. There¡¯s a reason why higher-tier classers are often strange.¡±


    Jake considered forcing himself to believe something was true just to gain a Skill or Trait benefit and shuddered. That sounded like an easy way to send yourself insane.


    ¡°Okay, I think I understand,¡± Jake said after another minute of thought. Calling the description of Felix¡¯s Trait back to mind, he ran through it again, understanding now what Felix had wanted him to see. ¡°The recovery speed is based on how much I push myself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and you need it to be high,¡± Felix said, his smile fading as his expression grew serious. ¡°Physical recuperation is easy enough, but regaining your focus takes longer, and anything less than the full effect of my Trait won¡¯t be enough for you to get as much done as you need to.¡±


    Jake nodded, taking a deep breath before getting to his feet. ¡°Then I need to make sure I push as hard as I can.¡±


    -**-


    Jake dodged to the side, his thoughts sluggish as he mechanically stabbed a krok fly that was trying to latch onto him before drawing his wand and firing it at the closest of the acid beetles, or at least, he tried to.


    A sensation like forcefully poking a bruise came as Jake tried to use the wand, and he winced as he realised he was out of Wyrd. His Boons were long since used up as well.


    Jake hesitated, his mind sluggishly trying to think of an alternative, as the beetle spat out a thin stream of acid that caught him on the side as he tried to dodge.


    Fresh adrenaline crashed into Jake as pain stabbed into him, bringing clarity with it as the mental fog he¡¯d been struggling with was ripped away along with the flesh on his shoulder.


    This was the third delve since the others had left, and while Jake felt only mildly tired in a physical sense, his mental fatigue had continued to grow. There was an odd dissonance now between his mind and body, but at least he had the presence of mind to get out of the beetle¡¯s line of sight.


    Hunkering down behind a stalagmite, Jake grabbed the frayed ends of his focus and forced himself to be present in the moment as he surged around the far side and dodged a blast of acid.


    Eschewing any fanciness, Jake bodily slammed into the beetle, knocking it off balance before he got his free hand under it and heaved it onto its back. A weak spurt of acid caught him on the neck, taking his breath away, but he had enough presence of mind to put his weight behind his sword as he fell, embedding it in the beetle.


    Blissful coolness came a moment later as Felix reached his side and poured a potion over the injuries on Jake¡¯s neck and shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well, Jake. That¡¯s all for today; get your reward, and then you can rest.¡±

 DN 75 - Next Steps II

    Jake managed to just about stumble through the process of getting his reward and claiming his Wyrdgeld from the dead monsters, barely even paying attention to what he got as he put the coins in his pouch.


    Thankfully, Felix¡¯s Trait started to kick in as soon as they were out of the Dungeon, and by the time they got to the inn that Ari had found, Jake was in better shape.


    That wasn¡¯t to say that he was in any good shape to hold a conversation or focus on anything, but Felix had no expectations of him doing anything but resting, so that didn¡¯t really matter.


    Jake gladly went straight up to the room he¡¯d been assigned to and beelined for the bed, collapsing down into it with barely enough thought left in him to trigger his rank up.


    Sufficient Wyrdgeld is present, presenting ascension options for Tier I Rank VI.


    You have sufficient Wyrdgeld to achieve Rank VII. Would you like to proceed to that Rank?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jake said, his eyes closed as he kept a firm grip on his mind. He would be awake and aware exactly as long as he needed to be for this.


    Confirmed.


    You currently have two Trait slots available and two Skill slots available.


    At this time, you have unlocked the following Skills and Traits that may be purchased.


    Skill - Infused Strike - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    Trait - Lesser Endurance - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    At this time, you have sufficient Wyrdgeld to upgrade the following Skills and Traits.


    Skill - Personal Plexus (I) - Very Rare - 80 Wyrdgeld


    Trait - Lesser Noble Constitution (I) - Rare - 40 Wyrdgeld


    At this time, you have insufficient Plexus Points to make any upgrades.


    Would you like to purchase or upgrade a Skill or Trait?


    ¡°No.¡±


    Congratulations, you have ascended to Tier I, Rank VII. The expended Wyrdgeld shall be used to refine your physicality.


    Would you like to discard any Skills or Traits at this time?


    ¡°No,¡± Jake said for the final time, his exhausted mind slipping into sleep before the changes could begin.


    -**-


    Jake woke early the next morning feeling completely rested, which was somewhat of a shock. He¡¯d pushed hard the day before, and yet he felt like he was waking from a long sleep after a relaxing weekend.


    Felix¡¯s Trait was the only thing that Jake could think of that could account for it, and he supposed that he had gone almost directly to bed after finishing the final bout of training. There must be a timelimit for recovery after the training, but clearly, it worked well with sleeping.


    Then again, Jake had been giving it everything he had, especially during that last delve, so perhaps it was that effort part of the Trait that was aiding him?


    Regardless, Jake quickly dressed and made his way down to the inn¡¯s common room. Ari and Felix were already present and speaking with a scruffy-looking man, who quickly left after he saw Jake approaching.


    ¡°Jake, we have good news,¡± Felix said as Jake sat at the table with them. ¡°Our friend just passed on a message from Michelle. She¡¯s confirmed that we have at least another three days to get back. That means we march east today to get to the other Dungeon, and then we spend all of tomorrow there as well. After that, we cut back to the south and will be on the correct side of Casthorpe for when matters develop further.¡±


    ¡°How long will it take us to get to the next Dungeon?¡± Jake asked, trying to work out how many delves he had and if he could manage it all.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there by noon. I expect to manage three delves with all of you, and then we can push on just the two of us if you are willing.¡±


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    Jake did his best to work out how much he¡¯d get from all that and nodded. ¡°I think I¡¯ll need to.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Felix said, starting to get up and head to the bar before pausing and looking back to Jake. ¡°I should mention that even by Dungeon standards, this one is odd, but I¡¯ll continue to buy everything any rewards you get for their base rate in Wyrdgeld.¡±


    Jake nodded his thanks but felt a little confused. Just how odd was this Dungeon that Felix felt he needed to warn him in advance?


    -**-


    Barely an hour from when Jake woke up, they were all on the road, giving Jake the chance to stretch his legs and get used to his new rank. Jumping up two ranks was a little disconcerting, to say the least, but he was already starting to settle into it.


    Felix had them doing short runs, both to quicken their pace and as endurance training. Given what Jake knew about Felix¡¯s Trait, he made sure to push himself, trusting in its power to help him recover for the next one.


    Between runs, Jake considered his options from the night before and how the Skill he¡¯d been offered had changed. Last time, it had been Minor Infused Strike, a Common Skill. This time, it had been Infused Strike, an uncommon Skill.


    It was a small, subtle difference, but it meant that his work to improve what he was doing had paid off. He wasn¡¯t at the end of his potential improvements either, which was interesting. There was still work to do in shaping the Wyrd he was infusing and making sure that he was getting the most out of every strike.


    Sadly, Felix¡¯s Trait functioned mainly on the physical, so Jake refrained from practising his infusing. He¡¯d need every drop of Wyrd for later.


    -**-


    ¡°Huh, I was expecting another settlement,¡± Rhew said as they emerged from a section of woodland and saw their destination.


    Rather than a village or town, the Dungeon had nothing more than a few houses and Ivaldi¡¯s shop. Even then, the houses were currently cold and dark, albeit in good condition.


    ¡°This particular Dungeon isn¡¯t popular with delvers despite the interesting rewards it can offer,¡± Felix said, making Ari chuckle.


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement,¡± Ari said, grinning at the other man before gesturing to the empty houses. ¡°People will come for the odd delve or two, but no one would want to stay here. Some Dungeons are like this, though, where they are more migratory.¡±


    ¡°Just so,¡± Felix said with a nod, leading the way to the house closest to the Dungeon. ¡°The upside, however, is that accommodation is both close to the Dungeon and free. Anyone is free to use these houses, providing they leave them in the condition they were found in.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s so different about this Dungeon, then?¡± Alan asked, his growing interest apparent as he looked between the two older classers.


    ¡°Well, it is perhaps best for you to see yourself,¡± Felix said, motioning to Ivaldi¡¯s store. ¡°Gather any replacement equipment you need, and then proceed as you will. This Dungeon will be excellent training for you.¡±


    Jake was more than happy to lead the way over to Ivaldi¡¯s, taking the time to get replacements for his equipment as well as update Ivaldi on everything that had been happening.


    He¡¯d been too focused on delving at the previous Dungeon, but now that they were making progress, he was starting to think beyond earning more Wyrdgeld.


    ¡°I am sad to hear that your pursuers have caught up with you,¡± Ivaldi said once the others had left. ¡°Varin has also explained the situation after he received a message from your trainer. Rest your mind that he was able to leave Casthorpe without issue.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± Jake said with a slight sigh of relief. ¡°What of Nepthys? Is there anything you can do?¡±


    Ivaldi shook his head and gave Jake a sympathetic look. ¡°My hands are tied, and I am bound to my Domain. You have made strong progress, if you keep driving forward, you can surmount these troubles.¡±


    Jake nodded unhappily, thankful for the encouragement but wishing that Ivaldi was free to do more to help them.


    The big man was right, though, Jake had made good progress, and it was time to get in there and keep going.


    -**-


    ¡°Well, this is not what I was expecting,¡± Alan said, breaking the stunned silence that had fallen as soon as they¡¯d entered the Dungeon.


    ¡°Yeah, won¡¯t be needing this. That¡¯s for sure,¡± Rhew said, tossing her torch aside, her eyes not leaving the vista before them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not dreaming, right?¡± Karl glanced over to Jake with a pleading look in his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s definitely a pond with ducks on it over there, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s a duck pond, alright,¡± Jake said, restraining the urge to laugh as one of the ducks let out a loud quack.


    ¡°Okay, so glossing over all of¡­that,¡± Alan said, waving his hand at the pond and the serenely swimming ducks. ¡°Where are the monsters?¡±


    Jake started to answer before pausing and frowning as he looked over their surroundings once more. They were at the entrance to a sunny and well-maintained garden, with the outer edges bounded by a thick hedge wall.


    Right in the centre of the area was a decent-sized pond and three blue-feathered ducks, who were happily swimming back and forth, occasionally letting out a quack or two.


    Jake took a few cautious steps forward, eyeing the hedges for any sign of hidden enemies. The ground was grassy but cut short, so there was nowhere to hide than he could see.


    That meant that either the monsters were somehow invisible, or they were right there in plain sight.


    As if catching his thoughts, one of the ducks turned through a patch of brighter light, which glinted off of the blue feathers on its back in a manner that reminded Jake more of metal than anything.


    Karl had also moved forward for a better look, and as he took a further step past Jake, the closest duck paused its swimming and turned to face them, letting out a deeper quack.


    Jake watched in growing disbelief as the other two ducks stopped dead in the water, their heads snapping around to stare at Karl.


    Jake had just enough time to draw his sword before all three ducks took off, wings flapping madly as they flew straight for Karl.

 DN 76 - Next Steps III

    Fortunately, though the ducks did turn out to have metallic feathers, they were little more than baseline Beasts, allowing Jake and the others to dispatch them in short order.


    Pushing on, they found the rest of the Dungeon to be of a similar theme, with the first two floors being entirely made up of a hedge maze with ponds. The doors between floors were wooden and covered with ivy, fitting the theme of what they¡¯d seen so far.


    The third floor introduced a change in terrain and a new monster, the first being patches of thick reeds within the ponds and the latter being geese.


    To Jake¡¯s mounting horror, the Geese had a pronounced bill, with a thickened section where it met the head, that allowed them to produce a honk far louder than anything a mundane goose could manage.


    To make matters worse, the honks had some sort of magical effect to them, causing anyone within a few feet of them to lose their balance and become disorientated.


    By the time they cleared the fourth floor, each of them had ended up falling in a pond at least once, and their waterlogged clothes did nothing to improve their mood.


    Jake wanted to ignore the Challenge, but he knew better and spent a few minutes cajoling the others into going along with him. It wasn¡¯t that this Dungeon was difficult; it was just annoying and bizarre.


    The Challenge was simple. All they had to do was kill all five ducks before the timer ran out. The problem was that the ducks were actively avoiding them by diving down into the pond and then hiding among patches of reeds.


    In the end, Jake and Karl had to jump bodily into the pond to get the final duck, earning themselves several nasty cuts from its metal wings.


    ¡°I hate this place,¡± Karl said as he drank one of his potions. They hadn¡¯t needed any others getting this far, so even if the cuts didn¡¯t quite warrant the potion, they had enough to warrant it.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Jake said, drinking a potion of his own as his gaze fell on the reward chest for the Challenge. ¡°But it¡¯ll be worth it when we get the Wyrdgeld.¡±


    Rhew had already hurried over to the chest and quickly opened it before staring at the interior with a look of disbelief.


    ¡°Rhew?¡± Jake quickly moved to join her, looking into the chest with growing concern. ¡°Fuck.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Alan called over from where he was harvesting the Wyrdgeld from the dead ducks.


    ¡°Well, the reward isn¡¯t quite what we were hoping for,¡± Jake said, his mind searching for a way to break the news.


    ¡°It¡¯s fish. We did all that, and the reward is four packets of fucking fish,¡± Rhew said bluntly before storming away angrily, muttering under her breath.


    ¡°At least they¡¯re a good size,¡± Jake said with a sigh, reaching into the chest and pulling out the top pack. As far as he could tell, it was some sort of large plant leaf that had been wrapped around a pair of fish fillets. The tail ends of the fillets poked out, revealing what they were but not what sort of fish they were.


    Remembering Felix¡¯s promise to buy the rewards, Jake stowed the fillets away for later. It did raise the question of whether they should be butchering the ducks and geese they killed; Wyrdmeat from Dungeon monsters wasn¡¯t cheap, after all.


    Jake considered it for a moment before shaking his head. Right now, it was quicker and easier to finish the Dungeon and run it again. Perhaps with larger and higher tier Dungeons, it would be worth their while to spend the time.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s just get this Dungeon done,¡± Rhew said, walking past Jake to the exit.


    Sharing a look with the other two, Jake shrugged and followed after her. They were in good shape overall, so there was no reason to wait before challenging the Guardian floor.


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    With the practice of repeat delves, they gathered outside the ivy-covered door and moved through to the final floor of the Dungeon.


    As before, the final floor was a single large room, which in this case was a wide open area bounded by tall hedges and dominated by a huge pond. The only dry spots were the edges, the entrance and the exit.


    An assorted group of ducks and geese were swimming around the pond while a new monster stood in the centre atop a small rock that jutted out from the water.


    Jake wasn¡¯t sure what sort of bird it was, but it was clearly another type of waterfowl. The creature stood almost four feet tall, with short legs, a stocky body and a long neck that was covered in brightly coloured ruff.


    A black feathered plume stood out from the top of the creature¡¯s head as well, contrasting heavily to the bright orange and red of the ruff.


    ¡°Is that some sort of grebe?¡± Alan asked, eyeing the large bird with interest.


    ¡°Never heard of them, sorry,¡± Jake said with a shrug. It wasn¡¯t like he got to see much wildlife living in the city. The only reason he knew what ducks and geese looked like was from one of his trips outside the city.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what it is,¡± Rhew said flatly, still seething from the lack of Wyrdgeld in their reward. ¡°It must be the Enhanced monster, so let¡¯s target it first.¡±


    Jake hesitated before shrugging and nodding; she did have a point. If they could bring it down quickly, the rest would be easy enough.


    Drawing his wand, Jake waited for Rhew¡¯s count before the three of them attacked as one, sending a small barrage of arrows, ice and thorns at the creature.


    The aggressive action caused a chorus of quacks and honks from the other monsters, and Karl moved to the edge of the water to intercept the oncoming attackers.


    Jake waited long enough to make sure the grebe, or whatever it was, had been hit by their attacks before moving to join Karl, holstering his wand as he went. He wouldn¡¯t need any more Wyrd for this fight.


    Arrows and icicles flew past them as Rhew and Alan kept up the attacks, picking off several of the birds that were heading for them.


    The first duck to reach them was knocked out of the air by Karl¡¯s hammer, but it was swiftly followed by a goose that let out a disorientating honk right into their faces.


    The world tilted as Jake staggered to one side, narrowly avoiding an attempt to peck out his eye before another honk sent him reeling even further.


    Nausea built as Jake fought to clear his head and catch his balance once more. Thankfully, the geese couldn¡¯t use whatever magic that was too often, so while he and Karl were suffering, Rhew and Alan were putting in the work.


    ¡°Jake, look out!¡± Alan shouted out as Jake realised that he had ended up knee-deep in the water. Not a problem in itself, but the grebe had erupted out of the pond and was right in front of him.


    The Enhanced monster was bleeding from several places and looked badly injured, but it was healthy enough to start swaying side to side, its neck undulating back and forth as its ruff splayed out in a bright display of vibrant colour.


    Jake began to reel back, but there was something about the pattern within the ruff. The intricate weaving of orange into red as they traced around the grebe¡¯s neck, drawing the eye and holding it fast.


    Jake dimly felt himself imitating the swaying motion of the grebe as it slowly moved toward him, his gaze locked into the infinite swirling patterns held within its feathers.


    Someone was shouting Jake¡¯s name, but it felt distant and removed from everything. All that he could think of was following those colours, which was much easier now that the grebe was so close to him.


    Something heavy slammed into Jake, knocking him over right as the grebe¡¯s head darted forward, its long bill ripping into his arm rather than his chest.


    Pain stabbed into Jake¡¯s mind as he hit the ground, his head smacking into something hard while the rest of him went into the water.


    ¡°Jake!¡± Alan was above him, but he was wavy and indistinct. ¡°Shit, he¡¯s got blood in his hair. I¡¯m going to give him a potion.¡±


    A cool liquid was poured into Jake¡¯s mouth, banishing much of the pain he¡¯d been feeling, leaving just the lingering effects of whatever the grebe had done.


    Jake could feel his mind clearing, but he still felt jumbled up, and it hurt to focus too much on anything.


    ¡°Damn this Dungeon!¡± Rhew shouted from the far side of the pond, kicking the reward chest angrily. ¡°More fish!¡±


    Karl and Alan exchanged a look before Alan turned back to Jake, leaving the big fighter to go try and calm Rhew down.


    ¡°How¡¯re you feeling, Jake?¡± Alan asked, peering into Jake¡¯s eyes with concern.


    ¡°Better,¡± Jake said roughly, taking Alan¡¯s hand and getting unsteadily to his feet. ¡°Whatever that was, it really knocked me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was pretty scary, to be honest,¡± Alan said as the two of them made their way around the pond at a slow walk, giving Jake time to get his balance back. ¡°It was just swaying side to side, and you were standing there as it came closer. Karl only just got to you in time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was the colours in its ruff. I just couldn¡¯t look away,¡± Jake said with a shiver. He hadn¡¯t liked that experience at all. He especially didn¡¯t like how it was lingering on him.


    Rubbing his face, Jake took a few deep breaths before grabbing the packets of fish that Rhew had stormed away from and tucking them in his pouch. It seemed he had his balance back, but everything felt a bit foggy.


    Rhew was already waiting by the exit with Karl, so Jake hurried over, sharing an exasperated look with Alan as Rhew led the way out of the Dungeon and Jake moved to claim his own rewards.

 DN 77 - Next Steps IV

    Jake stepped out into the heart of the Dungeon. A statement that rang true in his mind as soon as he thought it.


    For all that his mind felt cloudly, Jake had done this part enough to know his role by rote.


    The Dungeon¡¯s Throne was a welcome comfort as Jake rested the back of his head against the cool metal, part of him absently feeling it mould itself to his shape and support his weight.


    Congratulations, Jake Khesh, you have bound the Dungeon Engans Deja. Choose from one of the four rewards the Dungeon has selected for you.


    The four pedestals glowed with potential, their promise enough to tempt Jake out of the cool embrace of the Throne as the normal rush of power flowed through him.


    Starting at the left, Jake made his way along the row, examining each one and getting a rough understanding of what was on offer. Unsurprisingly, each was based around ducks and other waterfowl but varied heavily in how useful they were.


    Jake tried to consider the options logically, but his mind was foggy, and he was struggling. He needed some time out of the Dungeon and some coffee.


    None of the three seemed that great, and Jake found himself leaning more and more toward taking the increase of power that would allow him to manifest his Boons more often.


    Reaching out to that pedestal, Jake paused as the middle option began to glow more brightly. It wasn¡¯t much, but it had never happened before.


    Going back to it, Jake felt the whispers in his mind speak of summoning an ally, one like those he¡¯d already fought but stronger. The image was of a duck standing in a pool of shadow, which didn¡¯t exactly sell it to him, but there was something odd here.


    The whispers were normally distant and unfeeling, but this time, they felt excited to tell him about this Boon.


    ¡°Dungeon?¡± Jake asked aloud, his voice echoing strangely in the room before fading to silence.


    Jake waited a moment longer before shaking his head, he was sure that this was the Dungeon talking to him, but clearly they couldn¡¯t communicate so directly.


    ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing,¡± Jake muttered, not sure if he was talking to himself or the Dungeon as he reached out and claimed the summoning Boon.


    A distant melodious quack echoed in Jake¡¯s mind as he took the Boon, and he quickly conjured his status to examine what it did.


    Plexus Boons


    Hidden Fang - II - Granted by the Holrswar Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a dagger with inherent poisonous properties. Using the dagger, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Orchard¡¯s Gift - II - Granted by the Aptofir Veranis Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest an apple infused with vitality. Ingesting the apple transfers this vitality, healing and sating the hunger of its consumer.


    The Mighty Drake - I - Granted by the Engans Deja Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest Moby, a mighty drake, to aid you. The Manifestation is consumed in maintaining Moby¡¯s presence, not his actions.


    Plexus Development - II - This Boon may only be increased in rank by choosing it at additional Dungeons, but it has no cap on its rank level. Increases Manifestations available by one per rank. Granted by the Haugask Deja and Wilfek Murk Dungeons.


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


    ¡°It summons a duck,¡± Jake said flatly, rubbing his face again as he held a sigh in. He¡¯d been hoping that the glow had meant that the Boon was better than it had seemed.


    Feeling somewhat cheated, Jake shook his head and left. They still had to run this Dungeon several more times today, and he wanted every minute of rest he could to do it.


    -**-


    To Jake¡¯s relief, Felix¡¯s Trait helped clear out any lingering issues from the geese and the grebe. He also managed to avoid discussing the Boon he got, and he wasn¡¯t sure which of the two was more of a relief.


    Once they were ready, they attempted the Dungeon once more. Prepared and forewarned, they sailed through the first few floors without issue. While irritating, the monsters within the Dungeon were far less dangerous than others they¡¯d fought.


    Jake used his wand almost as much as his sword, doing his best to target any geese that he saw as a priority. They had a tendency to dip under the water to hide if they weren¡¯t already moving, which Jake found incredibly frustrating.


    Alan could use his perception Skill to pick them out, but Jake only had the soul sight they¡¯d been shown how to use, and monsters had no souls.


    When they got to the Guardian floor, they did the same as last time, but this time, Alan kept his focus on the grebe and picked it off before it could ensnare any of them.


    It was a solid improvement on the last time, and with Felix¡¯s reassurance that he would purchase all the fish, Rhew wasn¡¯t as frustrated with it.


    Jake didn¡¯t know why Rhew got so fixated on money, but considering his own secrets and how they were impacting everyone, he didn¡¯t feel like he was in a position to push.


    -**-


    ¡°Guys, do you mind if I try something with the grebe?¡± Alan asked as they reached the Guardian floor at the end of their third delve.


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± Jake asked, leaning against the surprisingly comfortable hedge wall as he took the opportunity to rest a little. While this Dungeon wasn¡¯t as demanding as the last one, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be stopping with the others and would need every last bit of effort that he could find to make it to the end.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been practising what Felix explained, and I think I can finally make an infused attack with my bow,¡± Alan said, somewhat hesitantly, blushing slightly as they all praised his efforts.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Alan. Well done!¡± Rhew enthused, clapping her hands together excitedly. ¡°How do you do it?¡±


    ¡°Well, Felix told me about how the Wyrd needs to be stable in the object you infuse, and I think I¡¯ve come up with something that works. I want to test it on the grebe, and see what happens. If that¡¯s okay?¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Jake said with a slight shrug, the sentiment echoed by both Karl and Rhew. They knew they could deal with the grebe normally if it didn¡¯t work, so there wasn¡¯t much risk involved.


    Alan perked up and hurried through the ivy door to the final floor of the Dungeon, drawing an arrow as he went.


    Following the excited Scholar, the rest of them moved to their usual positions and waited patiently as Alan focused on the arrow he¡¯d drawn before eventually nocking it and letting out a steadying breath.


    Jake was expecting some sort of comment or warning from Alan, but he simply took aim and released in one smooth motion.


    Grey energy played along the arrow as it cut through the air, and Alan let out a shout of victory as it plunged into the grebe¡¯s chest, going deep enough that only its tail feathers were visible.


    Enhanced or not, the grebe was not a tough combat monster, and a strike like that was simply too much for it.


    With the main threat dealt with, they defeated the rest of the monsters in record time, Alan¡¯s success buoying their spirits and giving them fresh energy.


    That energy kept them going into a fourth joint delve, but that was where the other three bowed out, leaving just Jake to carry on with Felix.


    Thankfully, Felix didn¡¯t push Jake on what reward he¡¯d gotten from the Dungeon, so he didn¡¯t have to own up to his new ability to summon a duck. Even thinking about it made Jake scowl in annoyance; he felt like the Dungeon had cheated him out of a more useful increase in his Manifestations.


    Eventually, he¡¯d conjure it, just to confirm the truth with his own eyes, if nothing else, but right now, he had a better use for his Manifestations, his dagger was the only way he could reliably kill the grebe when working alone.


    Infusing his sword would work, but the dagger had a good chance of killing the grebe no matter where it struck. Besides, he needed all his Wyrd for his wand.


    This Dungeon was the toughest for a solo delver of the ones Jake had tried, but he imagined that higher-tier classers had ways to protect themselves against things like the honking of the goose or the grebe¡¯s hypnotic ruff.


    Sadly, Jake lacked any of those protections, which made each delve an exercise in frustration. Thankfully, though, he had plenty of targets on which to work out that frustration.


    After the third solo delve, Jake had used up his Manifestations in daggers and apples, so he called an end to it. He had no desire to experience the humiliation of being killed by a bunch of waterfowl.

 DN 78 - Commitment

    Jake managed to amass hundreds of Wyrdgeld over the seven delves, allowing him to reach rank nine overnight. His friends managed the same, though their requirement to reach the peak of the first tier was one hundred and eighty Wyrdgeld, whereas his was three hundred and sixty.


    The double cost had never felt so imposing as considering those two numbers, especially as their parity had only come from Jake working himself to the bone for the last two days.


    Alan was quick to report that he now had an option for a new Skill that allowed him to infuse arrows, but he was pushing for rank ten first. While that was good for Alan, it also meant that his ideas around stabilising the Wyrd within the weapon were sound.


    Now wasn¡¯t the time, but Jake made a note to speak to him about it when they were next on the move, to try and put that knowledge towards improving his own Skills.


    ¡°I have news for you all,¡± Felix said as they started over to the Dungeon for their full day of delving. ¡°We have been able to determine where they are taking Nepthys, and it isn¡¯t back to one of the cities. Instead, she is being taken west to a small outpost that maintains a skeleton garrison.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Jake frowned, surprise warring with worry as he processed what Felix had said. ¡°Are they sure?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve been able to confirm it independently. That is as close to sure as we¡¯ll get until they actually leave in that direction,¡± Felix said, turning one hand palm up as he met Jake¡¯s eyes. ¡°Our source might have been turned, but if so, I don¡¯t see what this would get them.¡±


    ¡°Could it be an effort to get us to go to the wrong place?¡± Alan asked hesitantly, his brow furrowed in thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± Felix said with a reluctant nod. ¡°Which is why we¡¯ll stick to our current schedule for the moment but head back to Casthorpe rather than directly to the ambush point. If they stick to the original route, then we can get there before them if we move swiftly, and if they pick the new route, we can reassess our plan.¡±


    Jake frowned as he tried to think of why the Triarchy would change their plan like this, it just didn¡¯t make sense to him. ¡°Do you know anything about the outpost they mentioned?¡±


    ¡°Not much,¡± Felix said, shaking his head as they reached the doors of the Dungeon. ¡°It¡¯s an older one from the early days of the occupation. The note I was sent said that it has a skeleton garrison and isn¡¯t known to be an active site for the Triarchy. Really, we just don¡¯t know why they are thinking of using it. Assuming that the change of route isn¡¯t an effort to shake us off, as Alan mentioned.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± Jake said before sighing slightly and looking over to Felix. ¡°But I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s anything we can do, is there?¡±


    ¡°No, there isn¡¯t,¡± Felix said, not unkindly.


    ¡°Alright, then we best get delving,¡± Jake said, looking around at the others to make sure they were all ready before heading inside the Dungeon.


    -**-


    Thankfully, the seemingly endless practice of the day before meant that they were able to breeze through the first delve, using Alan¡¯s new ability to its full extent against the grebe at the end of the Dungeon.


    Considering how useful it was now, Jake was looking forward to when Alan had enough Wyrdgeld saved up to purchase the Skill.


    With Alan¡¯s example to draw on, Jake did his best to refine his technique for infusing his sword with Wyrd to mixed results. By the time they were on their fourth delve of the day, he felt like he was achieving a much better flow of Wyrd, but it still wasn¡¯t perfect.


    Jake already had the Skill available, but he felt the temptation to push further, to do as much as he could himself. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was pride or enjoying the challenge, but there was something satisfying about putting the work in and seeing it improve.


    In total, they did six delves as a group before others decided to prioritise training their Skills over more Wyrdgeld. Jake didn¡¯t have that same luxury, however, and pushed on with Felix¡¯s assistance for another three.


    Nine delves in one day left Jake weary to the bone despite the quickened recovery times from Felix¡¯s Trait. He was done; he¡¯d found his limit.


    Slumping down at one of the benches outside the Dungeon, Jake passed over the small mound of fish fillets that he¡¯d gotten from the Dungeon to Felix. ¡°If I never see another one of those damn fillets or hear a bloody goose honk, I¡¯ll be a happy man.¡±


    ¡°A sentiment I think you¡¯ve earned,¡± Felix said, placing the pile of fish to one side and producing the requisite Wyrdgeld for Jake. ¡°Here, five Wyrdgeld per pack, as usual.¡±


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    Jake absorbed the Wyrdgeld Felix had given him, as well as everything in his pouch, a small smile touching his lips as he felt something shift within him. He had enough to rank up, which meant he had enough to get to the second tier.


    It was a scary proposition, not only because he¡¯d be taking a step further into the world of being a classer but because this was his last chance to turn away from being a Dungeon Noble, to renounce his Class.


    Despite his heavy limbs and burgeoning headache, Jake had a question he needed to ask, one that had been burning within him for the last two days. ¡°Felix, we¡¯ve gotten almost ninety packs of fish fillets today, and you¡¯ve bought them all. What are you even going to do with all that?¡±


    ¡°I wondered if you¡¯d ever question it,¡± Felix murmured with an amused smile. ¡°I¡¯ll store them with Ivaldi for now, but I may sell them to a restaurant in a higher Realm or simply eat them myself.¡±


    Jake went to ask how Felix intended to eat that many fillets himself before they went bad but stopped and considered what the older man was saying. Jake already knew that Ivaldi was more than he seemed, and he¡¯d had food and drink from him before, all of which was perfectly fresh and preserved.


    Jake had assumed that the apples he¡¯d stored would last for a while, but this changed things. He¡¯d have to ask Ivaldi about some of the details when they next spoke, but at the very least, he wouldn¡¯t need to worry about feeding himself if they went to some Dungeon out in the wilderness.


    It would cost Wyrdgeld to store and retrieve things, of course, but with the hundreds flowing through his hands like water at the moment, that hardly felt like an issue.


    Rubbing his face, Jake decided he was too tired to consider the implications any further. What little mental capacity he had left he wanted to use to reach rank ten and consider what, if any, options he had.


    They would be heading back to Casthorpe tomorrow, which put them on a direct course to fighting the Triarchy, and Jake wanted every scrap of power that he could get before that happened.


    If that meant buying or upgrading Skills now rather than waiting for better options, then so be it.


    Getting to his feet, Jake left Felix to store his fish and made his way back to where they were staying.


    -**-


    Sufficient Wyrdgeld is present, presenting ascension options for Tier I Rank X.


    You currently have two Trait slots available and two Skill slots available.


    At this time, you have unlocked the following Skills and Traits that may be purchased.


    Skill - Infused Strike - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    Trait - Lesser Endurance - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    Trait - Improved Recovery - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    At this time, you have sufficient Wyrdgeld to upgrade the following Skills and Traits.


    Skill - Personal Plexus (I) - Very Rare - 80 Wyrdgeld


    Trait - Lesser Noble Constitution (I) - Rare - 40 Wyrdgeld


    At this time, you have two available Plexus Points.


    Boons available to be upgraded


    The Mighty Drake - 2 Plexus Points


    Would you like to purchase or upgrade a Skill, Trait or Boon?


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Confirmed. Please state the desired changes.


    Jake winced as he felt a wave of information flow through his mind, detailing what he could get and the combinations of things available to him. It was a touch overwhelming at first, but he quickly filtered it down to what he wanted. ¡°I¡¯d like to purchase Infused Strike and upgrade Lesser Noble Constitution by three ranks.¡±


    Purchase and upgrade completed, continuing with Ascension.


    Congratulations, you have ascended to Tier I, Rank X. The expended Wyrdgeld shall be used to refine your physicality.


    Would you like to discard any Skills or Traits at this time?


    ¡°No,¡± Jake said, bracing himself for the process to begin, only for his eyes to widen as the System continued past the usual point.


    Congratulations, you have fulfilled the requirements for ascending to the next tier.


    Would you like to renounce your Patron, The Great Dungeon?


    Jake hesitated. Even knowing what he wanted, he still found it difficult to say the word. In the end, though, he needed power, he needed strength, and the path before him was the way to get those ¡°No.¡±


    Would you like to Advance, Alter or Augment?


    Jake felt the System feed him information once more, detailing the options he had.


    Advancement was progressing his current Class to tier two, as he had intended, and was the option he would go for.


    Alter seemed to be resetting his progress at this tier but changing his Class, which would be what Ivaldi had referred to when explaining Jake¡¯s options.


    Augment was the third and most tempting option, as it allowed for a new Class to be added. Jake¡¯s impression of the option was that the options it gave were determined by the Deeds he¡¯d done. As both Classes then had to be increased at the same time, it made sense to push forward with one for now and then get a better second Class in the future.


    Well, Jake hoped that made sense anyway; he was mostly shooting blind here.


    ¡°Advance, please,¡± Jake said eagerly. Now that he was past the choice of committing to The Great Dungeon, he was more than ready to see what the next tier would bring.


    Confirmed. Advancing Dungeon Noble Class.


    Please choose between advancing a Class Ability and purchasing a Class Ability.


    Jake perked up as he read through the prompt and further understanding was passed through to him. He could either advance one of the Class Abilities, so his Skill or Trait, by one rank, or he could get a new one of a rarity linked to his tier.


    As he was going into tier two, he could only get a common Ability, but a single rank in one of the others wasn¡¯t really that useful right now. If he had one at rank ten, he felt like this could advance the Ability, but without that, he might as well get a new one.


    Jake went through the list for a few minutes before making his choice. ¡°Purchase Lesser Delver¡¯s Will.¡±


    Congratulations, you have ascended to Tier II, Rank I. Your soul has been purified and refined.


    Jake had barely a moment to understand the final message before energy surged through him, and he was dragged down into unconsciousness.

 DN 79 - Awry I

    Jake woke early the next day feeling far more rested than he had any right to, especially considering the relentless delving of the day before.


    Rising smoothly to his feet, Jake rolled his shoulders and bounced on his toes, feeling a greater level of strength flowing through him than he¡¯d expect from a single rank up.


    Jake had gotten used to the slight increases in physical strength, but this felt different. It was more like all of him had been improved a little.


    Calling up his status, Jake took in the changes with pride.


    Name - Jake Khesh


    Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon


    Class - Dungeon Noble - Knight


    Tier - II


    Rank - I


    Dungeon Network - 5


    Plexus Strength - Minor


    Plexus Manifestations - 3/3


    Plexus Points - 2


    Traits


    Physical - Lesser Noble Constitution (IV) - Rare - Descended from a Noble bloodline, you have a medium enhancement to physical characteristics.


    Mental - Lesser Delver¡¯s Will (I) - Common - Gird your will, advance endlessly. Provides a minor bonus to willpower when delving Dungeons.


    Skills


    Passive - Personal Plexus (I) - Very Rare - You gain the ability to bind Dungeons and form your own Plexus that may contain Dungeons of minor strength. Currently, Dungeons up to Tier I can be bound. Doubles the Wyrdgeld cost of advancing in Class Rank.


    Active - Infused Strike (I) - Uncommon - You are able to infuse your weapon with a minor amount of Wyrd, strengthening your blows and sharpening the edges of your weapon.


    Patron Gifts


    Passive - Agent of the Great Dungeon (II) - Very Rare - You are bound to the Great Dungeon by blood. Other followers of the Great Dungeon will recognise you and aid you as they may.


    Passive - Sense Dungeon (II) - Rare - As an agent of the Great Dungeon, you are able to passively sense the location of nearby Dungeons in a meagre range.


    Passive - Authority of The Great Dungeon (I) - Very Rare - You have the approval of The Great Dungeon and may enact rituals in its name. You gain the knowledge of the Ritual of Castigation. Misuse of this authority may result in its removal.


    Plexus Boons


    Hidden Fang - (II) - Granted by the Holrswar Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a dagger with inherent poisonous properties. Using the dagger, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Orchard¡¯s Gift - (II) - Granted by the Aptofir Veranis Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest an apple infused with vitality. Ingesting the apple transfers this vitality, healing and sating the hunger of its consumer.


    The Mighty Drake - (I) - Granted by the Engans Deja Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest Moby, a mighty drake, to aid you. The Manifestation is consumed in maintaining Moby¡¯s presence, not his actions.


    Plexus Development - (II) - This Boon may only be increased in rank by choosing it at additional Dungeons, but it has no cap on its rank level. Increases Manifestations available by one per rank. Granted by the Haugask Deja and Wilfek Murk Dungeons.


    Deed requirement to increase Tier


    1 - 5 Tier II or higher Dungeons bound


    2 - Rank X


    Requirements to increase to Rank II


    1 - 440 Wyrdgeld


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    The Delver¡¯s Will Trait was new, but he had high hopes for what more willpower would help him achieve in the future. These solo delves had been tough, both physically and mentally, and his hope was that the new Trait would help with that.


    Infused Strike was also new, though that was more of an extension of what he already knew. Still, it would be interesting to compare the difference between what he did and the Skill.


    Beyond the new Abilities, Jake was most interested in his new Class name. He was apparently a Knight now, which was both amusing and satisfying in equal measure.


    Reading through the rest, Jake realised that the wording of his Noble Constitution Trait had changed, with the benefit going from ¡®meagre¡¯ to ¡®medium¡¯, which might well explain how he was feeling this morning.


    Thinking back on Ari¡¯s initial explanations, Jake realised that the trait would also improve his physical recovery, and it would synergise well with Felix¡¯s Trait.


    The question then was what reaching the next tier had done for Jake. The System had spoken about his Soul, but exactly what that equated to, he didn¡¯t know.


    Jake went to use the only method he had that touched on his Soul and began to channel his Wyrd into his eyes before pausing as he felt the amount of Wyrd he could draw on.


    It wasn¡¯t double what he had previously, but it was pretty damn close, and that was a terrifying prospect. If a single tier more gave this kind of increase, just what did a fourth or fifth-tier classer have access to?


    -**-


    With their tight schedule, Jake was only able to revel in the congratulations of the others for a few minutes before they had to get moving. They were all at the peak of the first tier now and only needed to complete their Deeds to be able to ascend to the next tier as Jake had.


    Exactly how long that would take, none of them knew, but it was clear that Jake would be getting ahead of them, at least for the moment. To reach the third tier, he needed five Dungeons at tier two bound to him, and as he¡¯d yet to even come close to completing one, that felt like quite the task.


    Such problems were for the future, however, as their main concern now was rescuing Nepthys.


    Felix had explained that the average Triarchy guard was at the peak of the first tier, in the same position as Jake¡¯s friends. While most guards would have had time to buy new Abilities and rank them up, they were no longer well beyond their capabilities.


    While they had spent around ten hours of travel to get to where they were, a direct line back to Casthorpe took more like eight, especially with their improved physiques.


    Those eight hours passed slowly, with each of them lost in their own thoughts and worries. What they¡¯d done so far was one thing, but what they were planning was taking things to a whole new level.


    If they did this, the Triarchy would never let it go.


    Jake was ready to accept that for himself, but the fact that he was also bringing his friends into it weighed heavily on him.


    Soon enough, the cabin they¡¯d stayed at previously came into sight, and after a cautious check from Ari, they all made their way inside.


    ¡°We¡¯ll head into Casthorpe and get an update on the situation,¡± Felix said once they were all safely inside. ¡°Wait here for the moment and take some time to relax and recover. You¡¯ve all pushed hard for the last few days, and you¡¯ll need to be in good form for what comes next.¡±


    Jake barely had the chance to nod before Felix was back out of the door, Ari following swiftly after him and leaving the rest of them to drop their packs and rest their feet.


    ¡°I wish there was an easy way to see how close we are to completing our Deeds,¡± Alan said after a few minutes, sighing heavily before continuing. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard for yours, Jake, so I don¡¯t begrudge you, but it would be nice to know how far away mine is.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can second that,¡± Karl said with a laugh. ¡°I didn¡¯t quite understand the problem with ¡®worthy¡¯ enemies when Ari first explained, but I do now. I think once this is done, we need to try another second-tier Dungeon and see if that can help push us forward.¡±


    Karl¡¯s tone had been light, but they all knew that it wasn¡¯t as easy as that. There was a real chance that not all of them were coming back from this, which was unsettling.


    Jake had seen his friends die many times, sometimes more brutally than others, so death had taken this strange amorphous nature for them. His fight with the Triarchy guard had undone a lot of that, but he was still struggling to align their delving experiences with the rest of reality.


    No doubt it only got worse, and Jake felt a shiver run down his spine as he wondered just how many classers had died permanently due to reckless behaviour they¡¯d picked up from delving.


    -**-


    Felix and Ari returned within the hour, both of them wearing serious expressions as they entered the cabin.


    ¡°The Triarchy guards arrived early, and the Seeker had them move out immediately. They are almost a full day ahead of us, making it almost impossible to catch them,¡± Felix said, his eyes seeking out Jake¡¯s as he spoke. ¡°The good news is that they¡¯re heading for the outpost, not for Port Emerald, so we still have a chance to pull this off.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jake asked, still reeling a little from the revelation that they¡¯d taken too long at the Dungeons.


    ¡°The outpost is old and has a small garrison. Ambushing them on the road would have been best, but we can go in after her. This is guesswork right now, and we have no idea what the defences will look like, but it¡¯s an option.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Jake said without hesitation. This was his fault, which made it his responsibility, and as far as he was concerned, the change in target made no difference.


    The others hesitated for a moment before nodding, and despite the pause, Jake could see the determination in their eyes.


    ¡°Very well then, take these and get your packs ready,¡± Felix said, tossing them each a small pack of dried food and a canteen of water. ¡°We need to move quickly, and once we¡¯ve won free, we¡¯ll need to avoid any nearby settlements.¡±

 DN 80 - Awry II

    They set out as soon as they¡¯d finished stowing their supplies, the tight time frame meaning that there was no time to waste setting off for the outpost.


    Thankfully, Felix explained that one of the reasons the outpost was still garrisoned at all was that it was on a major road heading east. A road that went through Casthorpe and was no doubt how the Triarchy had transported Nepthys there.


    While it wasn¡¯t a heavily patrolled road, they still had to be careful of the immediate area around Casthorpe, so they spent the rest of the day hiking, with the intent to link up with the road the next day.


    -**-


    Jake found fresh appreciation for his improvement in his Trait and his higher rank overnight, as Felix kept them moving for as long as was safe before pitching camp and setting them to take turns standing watch.


    All of that together, especially after the days of hard delving, should have been enough to all but cripple Jake. Instead, he found it all quite manageable. He still felt it all, but it was diminished and distant.


    As they weren¡¯t close to the road, a fire was allowed for a hot breakfast, but the atmosphere was tense. Even Ari looked pensive and was wearing a frown, which looked entirely out of place on the carefree classer¡¯s face.


    Little was said as they ate and got underway once more, this time heading cautiously onto the road to help quicken their pace. Felix didn¡¯t seem happy about the choice, but from the short explanation he gave, the lack of sense to what the Triarchy was doing had unsettled him.


    There was no real reason to bring Nepthys this way that they could think of. That meant one of two things as far as Jake was concerned. Either it was a trap, or there was some benefit that they didn¡¯t know about.


    The Triarchy knew about Jake, and they knew someone had been with Nepthys when they caught her, so the trap was more likely, which likely explained the worried look in Felix¡¯s eyes.


    -**-


    ¡°I don¡¯t like any of this,¡± Ari muttered as they set up their camp for the evening. They¡¯d gone a distance away from the road for safety, but even so, they were careful to keep their fire low and shielded from the road.


    ¡°Agreed, something is going on,¡± Felix said thoughtfully before noticing Jake¡¯s curious expression. ¡°We didn¡¯t expect to see much in the way of patrols, but it seems strange that we¡¯ve not seen any for a full day. Especially given the situation. It isn¡¯t clear evidence of foul play, but in concert with the other oddities, it¡¯s concerning.¡±


    ¡°What he¡¯s saying is that the chances of this being a trap are only going up,¡± Ari said with a snort, rolling his eyes at the look Felix gave him.


    ¡°Is there anything we can do?¡± Jake looked between the two of them with growing concern.


    ¡°We¡¯ll arrive just after noon tomorrow if we maintain our pace,¡± Felix said, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. ¡°We don¡¯t know what they have planned; that¡¯s our largest issue at the moment. However, we can work on the assumption that they will either move on to somewhere else or will otherwise take further steps.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Ari said with a nod. Noticing the concerned look on Jake¡¯s face, he leaned over slightly and explained in a softer voice. ¡°If they just wanted to kill her, they¡¯d have done it in Casthorpe.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, so we¡¯ll use the initial time after we arrive to scout out their defences and see what we¡¯re working with. If it looks like they will be moving on, or there are clear advantages to acting soon, we will strike that evening. If not, we will plan accordingly.¡±


    Jake felt a chill run down his spine as he realised that this time, tomorrow, he could be raiding a Triarchy outpost.


    The other two classers went on to discuss potential plans, and Jake listened carefully, intent on picking up as much as he could.


    -**-


    They set off early the next morning with little fanfare. Felix had ensured that everyone understood the general plan of what they wanted to achieve and that knowledge brought on a sombre atmosphere.


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    Much like the day before, they saw no Triarchy guards patrolling the road and precious few other travellers as well.


    Each time Felix saw someone else approaching, they all swiftly moved to one side and got out of sight, but they had all seemed to be simple travellers.


    With how prevalent the patrols around Casthorpe had been, it grew increasingly unlikely that they would meet not a single one when travelling this way.


    For all that the lack of patrols was concerning; it also let them make good time, and they were able to reach the outpost by late morning.


    The Triarchy fortification was not at all what Jake had been picturing when Felix told them about the outpost. He¡¯d thought it would be something akin to a small fortress, a redoubt to house the trikes when they were travelling through Strovia.


    Instead, it was closer to a hamlet, with a pair of central buildings and a few smaller ones clustered around them. The whole thing was bounded by a low wall and was built in a clearing amid thick woodland.


    The road they¡¯d been following went right past the gates of the outpost, and there was a space on the opposite side of the road that looked like a permanent spot for wagons and travellers to camp.


    Jake and the others were as far away as they could manage while still being close enough to make out details. Felix had led them in and tasked them to wait while he and Ari got a little closer.


    Jake didn¡¯t take it personally that Felix wasn¡¯t going to trust their talent at sneaking. He was pretty sure he didn¡¯t trust himself not to fuck it up, either.


    ¡°So, what do you see?¡± Jake asked in a soft whisper, glancing over to Alan, who was peering out into the distance.


    ¡°There¡¯s a pair of Triarchy guards at the gate, two walking the walls and another two sets of three walking a patrol around the clearing. Can¡¯t tell what¡¯s going on inside right now, but they all look pretty serious.¡± Alan pointed out the closest of the patrols, and Jake nodded thoughtfully.


    Felix had said the outpost was lightly garrisoned, but it seemed they¡¯d kicked it up a bit since the Seeker arrived.


    Channelling his Wyrd to his eyes, Jake tried to see if he could sense the strength of the guards via their soul, but he was too far away. That was for the best, though, as anything he could do to them, they could do to him.


    Settling in for a wait, Jake found himself wishing that he had a Boon that could let him get closer.


    In fact, he¡¯d been just following Felix¡¯s lead for Dungeons so far, and while that had worked reasonably well, the duck Boon was proof that it wouldn¡¯t always be the case.


    Perhaps it was time for Jake to start taking a more active part in choosing where to go next. They¡¯d not really interacted with the Delver¡¯s Guild that much, but he could probably get some sort of rundown on the Dungeons in Strovia and what sort of monsters they had.


    Thinking of the monster types made Jake wonder if there were any commonalities between Dungeons that he could follow. He got their names when he bound them, and he¡¯d thought there was a pattern there until the duck Dungeon.


    Holrswar Murk had been the first they completed, and Jake doubted it was a coincidence that there were murk hounds within it. Wilfek Murk had been a similar style, but with less rats and more bugs. Close enough for Jake, though, and he had begun to think that the second name was a grouping.


    Haugask Deja and Engans Deja made no sense as a grouping, though. Undead and waterfowls didn¡¯t go together, no matter how hard Jake tried to make them.


    Realising that his mind had wandered, Jake banished his musings on Dungeons and focused back on what they were doing. Now wasn¡¯t the time to get distracted.


    Alan stiffened next to him and looked to their right, giving Jake a bare second of warning before Felix moved into view, followed shortly after by Ari.


    The two classers moved silently into concealed spots of their own before Felix made a slight motion to catch all their attention and spoke up softly. ¡°We¡¯ve identified two classers of a higher tier. I think they are a pair of Seekers, but we won¡¯t know for sure until we lay eyes on them.¡±


    Jake paled and shared a worried look with his friends before whispering back. ¡°How are we going to deal with them? Just how high a tier are they?¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t get close enough to find their tier, but they¡¯re high enough to be suppressed while here, which means at least third tier.¡±


    ¡°Suppressed?¡± Alan echoed, almost visibly perking up in interest.


    ¡°Classers beyond certain thresholds of strength are weakened in lower Realms. Which is why you don¡¯t see higher tier classers commonly. Ari and I are currently only slightly stronger than a peak tier two classer, in raw terms anyway. Experience and breadth of Abilities also give us an advantage.¡±


    ¡°Which is great, but even with that, we can¡¯t take on classers like that,¡± Rhew said with a grimace. ¡°As much as I¡¯d hate to admit it, they¡¯d walk all over us.¡±


    ¡°Which is why Ari and I will draw both of them and their strongest guards out and keep them occupied,¡± Felix said, ignoring the wolfish grin that crossed Ari¡¯s face. ¡°While we do so, you will all attack from the rear and attempt to extract Nepthys. It isn¡¯t ideal, but it¡¯s all we can work with.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯ll be just the two of you against who knows how many,¡± Rhew said before pausing and gesturing uncomfortably to Felix¡¯s missing hand. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be able to manage them?¡±


    Ari stirred and frowned, but Felix quelled him with a look before answering softly. ¡°You¡¯re right to be concerned, and against someone of a similar advancement in a higher Realm, I¡¯d struggle. As it is, I¡¯m confident we can prevail.¡±


    Rhew nodded, seemingly willing to take Felix¡¯s words at face value. ¡°Alright, then, when do we do this?¡±


    ¡°Tonight,¡± Felix said with a tight smile that didn¡¯t touch his eyes. ¡°We have no reinforcements, and the longer we wait, the worse the situation may become. Our best option is to act decisively.¡±

 DN 81 - Assault

    Ari waited to keep watch over the outpost as the rest of them withdrew to a safe distance. They didn¡¯t set up camp; it was too risky, but they settled in to wait as the afternoon slowly crept by.


    Jake had done a lot of waiting, but the anticipation of what was coming left a chunk of ice in his gut, and he found himself mulling over the same few details almost obsessively.


    The plan was simple, as they knew too little for anything more complex, but that wasn¡¯t necessarily good.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Felix said, getting to his feet and moving his pack into a nearby bush. ¡°Leave everything not essential here. If you get the chance, return this way once you have Nepthys. All being well, Ari and I will meet you here and move on as a group.¡±


    They all nodded and followed suit, leaving behind everything that they wouldn¡¯t need to fight.


    ¡°When should we move in?¡± Jake asked as he ensured his wand and sword sat properly in their sheaths.


    ¡°When Ari and I engage their heavy hitters,¡± Felix said with the ghost of a smile on his lips. ¡°You will know when it happens if Ari has anything to do with it.¡±


    ¡°Understood, we¡¯ll be ready,¡± Jake said with far more confidence than he felt.


    ¡°Of that, I have no doubt,¡± Felix said, sweeping his gaze over them one last time before giving an approving nod and setting off into the woods at a steady lope.


    ¡°Well, I suppose we better get moving then,¡± Jake said into the tense silence that followed Felix¡¯s exit. ¡°If this is going to work, we¡¯ll need to act quickly.¡±


    To Jake¡¯s surprise, the other three nodded and followed his lead, looking reassured by his words. He¡¯d been taking the lead with their positioning and how to tackle the various fights in the Dungeons, but that felt a long way from what they were doing now.


    Part of Jake wanted to confess that, to say that he had no more of a clue of what to do than they did, but he dared not. Even his rudimentary understanding of tactics told him that doing that without cause was stupid.


    Taking control of his thoughts with an iron grip, Jake led the way carefully and quietly through the woods, circling around to the rear of the outpost. They were committed now. It was time to see this through.


    -**-


    Dusk was well and truly upon them when the diversion began. A shout of alarm came on the wind from the front of the outpost, followed by a scream and the tortured cry of metal being rent asunder.


    Jake and his friends were waiting just back from the edge of the tree line, as hidden as they could be with what little preparation they had. As soon as they heard the diversion begin, they started forward.


    One of the patrols had been nearby and was already racing to the front of the outpost, and thankfully, there was no sign of the two guards walking the walls. It was the perfect opportunity, and Jake was eager to take it.


    The wall around the outpost was about head height, so Jake took a knee and boosted the others up and over before Karl helped him clamber over.


    For all their efforts at stealth, they made more noise than Jake would have liked, but thankfully, the growing clamour of battle seemed to have masked it.


    A small raised path ran around the interior of the wall, with a ramp leading down only a few feet away. The ramp would put them behind what looked like the storage depot of the outpost, which was only two buildings away from their target.


    According to Felix, the holding cells in a Triarchy outpost were kept separate from everything else, and he¡¯d pointed out the likely building to them. They¡¯d picked their entry point based on that, so Jake could only hope that Felix was right.


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    ¡°Come on, this way,¡± Jake moved quickly down the ramp from the walkway and over to the rear of the large supply depot. ¡°Alan, any sight of the patrols?¡±


    ¡°Nothing yet,¡± the Scholar said in a voice tight with tension. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know as soon as I do.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get closer and see what we can find,¡± Jake said, gripping the hilt of his sword tight as he crept up to the edge of the building. He hadn¡¯t drawn his blade yet for fear of moonlight hitting it and giving them away, but he was poised and ready if something happened.


    Reaching the corner, Jake peered around to see the centre of the outpost, his eyes going wide as he saw the wreckage of the gate that had stood at the front. That metal sound they heard earlier must have been either Ari or Felix breaking it down.


    The centre of the camp was a bustling mess of activity, with guards rushing around in response to the attack, but none of their attention seemed focused their way.


    Waving for the others to follow, Jake crossed the gap to the next building and repeated the move, peering around the corner to see the doors of their target unguarded.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Alan said abruptly, gripping Jake¡¯s arm before nodding to a pool of shadow next to the walkway. ¡°There¡¯s something there. It almost looks like a person?¡±


    Jake began to shake Alan off; they were too close now to get distracted, but as the Scholar¡¯s words sank in, he felt his gut twist.


    Something was wrong here. They should have seen the guards patrolling the interior by now, and he knew that Ari and Felix hadn¡¯t intended to take them out.


    Jake had been working on the assumption that they¡¯d been near the gate and just swept up in the diversion, but as he peered at the shape hidden in the shadows, he grew increasingly convinced that that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°Both of you should wait here, I think something¡¯s wrong,¡± Jake said, glancing back to Karl and Rhew before tapping Alan on the shoulder. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s take a look.¡±


    The two of them stole across to the pool of shadows that Alan had noticed, and sure enough, they found a Triarchy guard stuffed into the corner with his throat slit.


    ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡± Jake whispered as he eyed their surroundings.


    ¡°Jake, the blood is still wet,¡± Alan said hoarsely as he half-raised his bow and his eyes flashed with Wyrd. ¡°I don¡¯t see any sign of the killers, but I don¡¯t like this.¡±


    ¡°Me neither,¡± Jake said, drawing his sword despite his worry over being spotted. His gut was telling him that they were in danger and every moment could matter. ¡°Let¡¯s push on. I want to get out of here as fast as we can.¡±


    Karl and Rhew watched with concerned expressions as Jake and Alan hurried back and explained what they¡¯d seen. None of them knew what exactly was happening, but anything out of the ordinary was likely related to Nepthys, which meant they had to hurry.


    Moving down to the entrance of their potential target, Jake felt his heart pound as he waited for any of the guards in the distance to look their way. If they did, this whole thing was about to get a lot more interesting.


    Thankfully, whatever Ari and Felix were doing outside was enough to hold the attention of all the guards, and Jake was able to open the door and rush inside.


    Jake had been prepared for a few guards and was poised to infuse his blade, but instead, he felt himself pass through a bubble of foreign Wyrd with little resistance.


    As soon as he did, a wall of sound washed over Jake, and the air was filled with grunts, curses, and cries for help. At the same time, Jake stared in surprise at the battle he¡¯d just walked into.


    Four guards lay motionless on the floor, their blood pooling beneath them, while two more still stood and fought against a single intruder wearing a white mask with a black design. Both guards were bloodied but were fighting hard, yet it was clear they were losing.


    The masked classer was clad in dark clothes and wore no armour, but despite that, they seemed mostly uninjured. The reason why was clear as they darted in, the two bloody daggers they wielded darting out to slice and cut.


    Spotting Jake, the masked fighter leapt back from the guards and glanced over to assess Jake and his friends. ¡°Where does Fate lead us?¡±


    Jake hesitated, caught by surprise by the question. As soon as Jake didn¡¯t immediately answer, the attacker flicked a dagger at him before engaging the guards once more with increased ferocity.


    Hours of practice dodging acid spit let Jake twist out of the way, but Karl grunted in pain as he came in behind him and caught the dagger in his shoulder.


    One of the Triarchy guards fell, clutching his throat and gurgling, while the other backed away and hacked at his comrade¡¯s killer. Any attempt at technique was gone as the guard¡¯s sword glowed with Wyrd, and he tried desperately to keep the masked classer at bay.


    Alan had an arrow nocked, and Rhew had raised her wand, but there was a slight moment of hesitation that any Strovian would feel before coming to the aid of a trike.


    Still, the guard wasn¡¯t the greatest threat right now, and the masked classer had made his position clear.


    Hefting his shield and activating his Skill to infuse his sword, Jake charged forward to save the guard.

 DN 82 - Masks

    The masked classer turned their head slightly as Jake raced in, Karl mere steps behind him. One dagger flicked up to bat Alan¡¯s arrow aside, whilst the other gleamed with Wyrd as they parried the guard¡¯s wild swing.


    The guard¡¯s sword swung wide, leaving him exposed, but Jake was there before the attacker could capitalise on it, thrusting and slashing with tight swings.


    The masked fighter parried, dodged, and avoided every strike and attack coming their way from the five of them for a period that Jake found terrifying.


    Eventually, though, one of Rhew¡¯s blasts of ice caught their arm, slowing their parry slightly and letting Karl get a solid hit in with his hammer.


    Karl hadn¡¯t been expecting to actually hit them, so his hammer wasn¡¯t infused, but it was still enough to knock the classer off-balance and let Jake¡¯s blade come within inches of their mask.


    Reversing his swing, Jake pushed to land a hit on his opponent, knowing that weakening them further was critical. As it was, it was taking all five of them to simply keep up with them.


    Wyrd flared around one of the attacker¡¯s spare daggers, and it shot up in a blur to block Jake¡¯s attack, knocking his sword aside. Surprised, Jake wasn¡¯t able to react fast enough to ignore the dagger that plunged into his gut like a spike of burning hot pain.


    ¡°Jake!¡± Karl was there a moment later, catching a second attack on his shield before lashing out at the attacker as Jake fell to one knee and put pressure on the bleeding wound in his stomach.


    Dropping his shield and fumbling a potion free, Jake poured some into the wound and swallowed the rest, the pain fading to a more manageable level as the potion got to work and numbed the wound.


    Staggering back to his feet, Jake was just in time to watch the masked classer fake towards Rhew, drawing Karl that way, before moving with Wyrd-enhanced speed to overwhelm the last guard.


    ¡°Hit them with everything you¡¯ve got!¡± Jake called out as he moved forward, his initial awkward gait clearing up as the potion kept working.


    Karl interposed himself between the masked classer and the other two, doing his best to keep them at bay while Alan and Rhew kept up a steady stream of attacks.


    Rejoining the fight, Jake did his best to cover Karl¡¯s flank, but he was keenly aware that the only thing keeping them alive was that there were four of them.


    Even so, the loss of the guard was enough that they were struggling to keep up, but at the same time, the masked classer didn¡¯t have the chance to stop and take a healing potion.


    Not that Karl¡¯s blow seemed to have done any major damage to the masked classer, but they were favouring that side ever so slightly.


    Another dagger flicked from the attacker¡¯s belt to intercept an arrow, as the attacker infused their dagger with Wyrd and cut through Karl¡¯s shield, hacking off a large portion.


    Karl stumbled back with wide eyes, but Rhew used her wand and her Skill simultaneously to drive the masked classer back with a flurry of magic, giving Karl the space to recover.


    Jake did his best to press the masked fighter and keep the pressure up, but he just wasn¡¯t quick enough to keep up.


    ¡°Fate isn¡¯t with you today; give up, and I will make it painless,¡± the masked classer said, their voice harsh but distorted by the mask as they effortlessly slid past Jake¡¯s sword and slashed down his arm while using him as a shield from Alan and Rhew.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± Jake snarled before hissing in pain as a gesture sent a dagger flying from the masked classer¡¯s belt to just narrowly miss Jake¡¯s eye and instead slice across his cheek.


    Karl rushed in to attack, and the classer slid away, managing to cut Karl in the process.


    This wasn¡¯t working. The enemy was adapting to them, finding their rhythm.


    Charging forward, Jake swung wildly in with his sword and stretched out with his other hand. A dagger flicked up from the classer¡¯s belt to deflect Jake¡¯s sword, but Jake¡¯s opponent was focused on the attacks from Alan and Rhew, leaving the dagger to fend off Jake.


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    Grinning savagely, Jake twisted with the forceful hit and activated his Boon. In an instant, the Hidden Fang formed in his outstretched hand as he plunged it into the classer¡¯s side, burying it to the hilt.


    Jake barely had time to enjoy his success before he was launched backwards as the classer spun and planted a dagger in his chest.


    Lying on the floor and gasping as he tried to get his breath back, Jake fumbled his last potion out and uncorked it with shaking hands, pouring it into the wound as he withdrew the dagger.


    Jake¡¯s breathing cleared up quickly, and he watched with gleaming eyes as the poison running through the masked fighter¡¯s body weakened them enough that they could no longer dodge all three of his friends.


    An arrow to the knee was the first strike to land true, and it signalled the swift end for their enemy. Daggers coated in Wyrd went shooting out at them, but their aim was off, and they lacked the force of the earlier attacks.


    Their other weapons spent, the masked classer pulled Jake¡¯s dagger from their side and leapt at Karl, trying to get one last strike in. Jake¡¯s smile grew as he dismissed the Boon, leaving the unarmed classer to catch an infused strike from Karl¡¯s hammer to the side of the head.


    The crack of the classer¡¯s neck snapping rang loud in Jake¡¯s ears as the mask shattered and the classer hit the floor limply.


    ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± Jake called out before coughing some blood up onto the floor next to him.


    ¡°Mostly, damn daggers were coming from everywhere it felt like,¡± Alan said, touching a cut on his face with a wince before frowning. ¡°Weird, I thought that the Wyrd bubble holding the sound in would dissipate once they died.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it will happen slowly?¡± Rhew looked tired but was making sure that Karl had a potion and was healing from the countless small cuts he had before taking one herself.


    Looking down at himself, Jake noted that there were far more cuts than he remembered taking. It had all happened so fast it was hard to keep track, and he knew they¡¯d been damn lucky.


    If the classer had been able to react in time to block Jake¡¯s dagger, things would have been dire for them.


    That fight had almost been as bad as sparring with Felix, and though Jake hadn¡¯t had the chance to judge the strength of their soul, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the masked fighter had been higher than tier two.


    ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± Alan was crouched over the dead classer and had rolled them onto their back, revealing their face.


    Jake moved closer and saw the source of Alan¡¯s surprise. The man¡¯s eyes had a black iris and a silver pupil, giving them an eerie and otherworldly look. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen eyes like those before.¡±


    ¡°Me neither, and look here,¡± Alan said, pointing out a small tattoo of a set of scales beneath the right eye in what looked like silver ink.


    The only other person that Jake had seen with a tattoo next to their eye like that was Nepthys, and that marked her as an Inquisitor. ¡°Just who is this guy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t think we should linger,¡± Alan said, quickly checking how many arrows he had left before drawing a fresh one. ¡°Let¡¯s go get Nepthys and get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Jake said as he got back to his feet. ¡°Does anyone have any potions left?¡±


    ¡°I have both of mine still,¡± Alan said, starting to reach for his belt before freezing as the door to the room swung open violently.


    ¡°¡­.under attack!¡± A Triarchy guard shouted as he raced into the room, his eyes going wide as he took in the blood-soaked floor and the bodies everywhere.


    Alan¡¯s arrow caught the guard in the throat before anyone else could react, the guard gurgling and falling to the floor as he clutched at the arrow, eyes wide in shock and terror.


    Jake relaxed slightly before noticing a slight tremble in Alan¡¯s hands as the Scholar lowered his bow. Moving closer, Jake pitched his voice low to keep his words between the two of them. ¡°He would have killed us in a heartbeat. You did the right thing.¡±


    Alan took a shaky breath and nodded. ¡°Yeah, I know. It¡¯s just the first time where we¡¯ve not been in a fight, and I fired before even really seeing him. What if that had been one of you?¡±


    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t, and you did the right thing,¡± Jake said, reaching up to grab Alan¡¯s shoulder and give him a reassuring squeeze. ¡°I trust you, Alan. Now, you just need to trust yourself.¡±


    ¡°Fuck me, it¡¯s absolute chaos out there,¡± Karl said, stepping back from the door the guard had come through. ¡°There¡¯s a few more of those masked fucks, and they¡¯re fighting all the guards. I think I saw Ari fighting one just past the gate as well.¡±


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Jake muttered, giving Alan¡¯s shoulder a last squeeze before letting go. ¡°More of them might come in here looking for reinforcements. We better hurry.¡±


    ¡°You go get her. We should stay here in case more come; we don¡¯t want to get trapped down there,¡± Rhew said as she helped Karl move the guard¡¯s body off to one side and took a healing potion from his belt. ¡°Here, take this, just in case she needs it.¡±


    ¡°Got it, thanks, Rhew,¡± Jake said, tucking the potion away before heading out the only other door in the room.


    Thankfully, the bloodbath seemed to have been contained to that initial guard room, so while Jake was tracking bloody footprints in with him, the rest was in quite good shape.


    At least, that was until Jake made his way through to where the door down to the holding cells was set. Two more Triarchy guards had been on duty here, and both had been butchered in a similar manner to those in the first room.


    Some distant part of Jake¡¯s mind remarked that the cuts weren¡¯t as clean as the others he¡¯d seen, but it was quickly overwhelmed by adrenaline as he realised what this meant.


    The reason why the Wyrd bubble of silence hadn¡¯t fallen was because it had been made by a different person, who was still alive and seemed to be heading down into the holding cells as well.


    Cursing himself for not moving quicker, Jake pushed through the partially open door to the stairs and hurried down them, praying that he wasn¡¯t too late.

 DN 83 - Savior

    The sound of metal shrieking echoed up the stairwell to Jake as he all but flew down the steps.


    The sound came again as Jake reached the bottom of the stairs and saw its source.


    The holding cell area had an open design based around a central table and eight surrounding cells. The table had a dead Triarchy guard slumped over it, and of the two occupied cells, one of them had been broken into and its inhabitant eviscerated.


    Jake¡¯s heart skipped a beat until he saw Nepthys standing in the other cell, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at him. Thankfully, she looked uninjured, if a little rough around the edges.


    A masked classer was currently cutting his way into her cell with a Wyrd-covered dagger, but Nepthys¡¯s reaction must have given Jake away as they stopped and whirled around to face him.


    ¡°Where does fate lead us?¡± The classer asked, their voice slightly distorted by the mask but filled with tension as they drew a second dagger.


    Jake didn¡¯t even try to answer and instead charged forward, intending to defeat this one in the same way as the first.


    Lunging forward, Jake stabbed with his sword before summoning the Hidden Fang and trying to ram it into the classer¡¯s ribs.


    As Jake expected, his opponent parried his sword, but without other people to distract them, they realised what he was doing and were able to use their off-hand to knock Jake¡¯s other hand just far enough away that he couldn¡¯t connect.


    Fortunately for Jake, the masked classer pulled back several steps after their brief exchange and regarded him with what looked like wariness.


    With his dagger already summoned, Jake¡¯s best chance at surprising the enemy was gone, and with it, he could feel his odds of surviving this fight plummeting quickly.


    Keeping his breathing steady, Jake went with a plan he¡¯d been working on since he¡¯d gotten his wand and threw his dagger at his opponent¡¯s face.


    The other classer dodged aside, only to find Jake had quick-drawn his wand and was firing a hail of oversized thorns their way as he closed the distance.


    Sword clashed with dagger, and thorns stabbed into dark cloth as the two fought, Jake using his wand by instinct more than anything and scoring minor wounds as he kept up the pressure.


    The clash ended as a dagger cut across Jake¡¯s wrist, and his wand flew out of his hand to go skittering up against one of the cells. At the same time, however, Jake¡¯s sword slashed across the classer¡¯s right thigh, causing them both to stumble backwards.


    Blood streaming from a half-dozen minor cuts, Jake realised he was ever so slightly in better shape than his opponent. That had mainly been down to the initial spray of thorns, though, which had caught them by surprise.


    He could summon his dagger back, but he knew that meeting the masked fighter blade-to-blade was a bad idea. They were nowhere near as fast or agile as the one that Jake had fought upstairs, but a quick flash of Wyrd through his eyes confirmed his suspicion.


    Whoever they were, they were approaching the peak of the second tier.


    If Jake was going to win this, he needed some sort of edge. A surprise or a distraction would work. He just needed to wound them enough to balance the difference in their ranks.


    They circled each other warily, both eyeing their opponent for signs of weakness that could be exploited. As they did, Jake noted that the lock holding Nepthys¡¯s cell shut was almost broken.


    Felix had told him that holding cells for the Ascended were different from their mundane counterparts. Weavers were involved in their creation and ensured that anyone within the cell could not use their Wyrd.


    If Jake could finish what the masked classer had started, Nepthys could take an active part in her own rescue, and that would give Jake the edge he needed.


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    He just needed a distraction, something large enough to buy him several seconds and completely consume his opponent¡¯s attention.


    Jake almost missed a step as he realised what he needed to do, shame curdling in his guts from even considering it.


    Something changed in the stance of the other classer, and Jake knew that they were about to commit to the final clash. If he was going to do anything, this was the moment.


    Steeling himself, Jake reached to that ephemeral part of himself where his Boons existed and called forth The Mighty Drake.


    Unsure of how this would work, Jake approached the Boon the same way he would the Hidden Fang, which meant that a ripple of shadows appeared in the space above Jake¡¯s free hand.


    A deep, raspy quack rumbled free from the shadows as a large duck seemingly stepped through. Its shimmering feathers seemed to shift between midnight blue and a kind of black edged with iridescent green as its wings snapped open while it dropped to Jake¡¯s hand.


    Jake grunted with surprise at the weight of the duck as it dropped onto his hand, but he didn¡¯t hesitate and hefted the duck up before launching it right at the face of the masked classer.


    For a brief moment, Jake wasn¡¯t sure who was more surprised, his enemy or the duck being launched at his face.


    Surprisingly, the duck recovered first. Its large wings flared out to control its flight as its feet came up and latched onto the classer¡¯s mask.


    Jake missed whatever happened next as he was already racing to Nepthys¡¯s cell, triggering his infusion Skill as he went and pouring as much Wyrd in as he could.


    Jake hadn¡¯t had much chance to really examine what his Skill was doing, but he knew enough to realise that what Felix had told him about the efficiency of the Wyrd used was key.


    Normally, that meant that he could use the Skill with less Wyrd but the same effect, whereas now, it meant that he could use far more Wyrd without it breaking down.


    Bringing his sword down with both hands, Jake felt the metal shift and part with a tortured scream, the vibrations of the impact sweeping up his arms.


    Jake¡¯s sword had a solid dent in its edge, but he was almost through; just one more hit was all he needed.


    A dagger bounced off the edge of the cell next to Jake¡¯s head, making him curse and dodge to the side. Glancing back, Jake saw that the classer had momentarily won free and was raising their hand to throw another dagger when the duck flew into their side, giving Jake the time he needed.


    Turning and activating the Skill, Jake struck the metal again and carved right through.


    Without the bolt holding the door shut, Jake swung it open and tossed Nepthys the sword he was holding. Even as badly damaged as it was, it was better than nothing.


    Grabbing the dagger that had missed him, Jake took a moment to appreciate its balance before he and Nepthys charged the classer, who had finally managed to throw the duck into the wall of a nearby cell.


    Jake winced internally as he saw the duck hit the bars awkwardly before falling and landing hard on the ground. It looked like one of its wings was broken.


    Still, it had done its job, and the classer¡¯s upper body was a mess of cuts and scratches from their tussle with it.


    Off-balance and already wounded, the masked classer was no match for the two of them working together. Nepthys¡¯s shields blocked any dangerous attacks from the classer, while Jake used his Boon to retrieve his Hidden Fang and deliver a fatal dose of poison.


    Silence stretched over the room as the classer collapsed, and Jake turned to Nepthys, unsure of what to say. Neither of them had spoken yet, and suddenly, the silence in the room began to feel oppressive.


    ¡°Nepthys, I¡­¡± Jake trailed off as he became acutely aware of how close they were standing to each other.


    ¡°Thank you for coming for me,¡± Nepthys said, her gaze searching for something in his eyes.


    ¡°Always,¡± Jake said, his throat dry as he found his own gaze lost in her eyes. He¡¯d never noticed until now that they were brown on the outside, but the very core was a warm amber.


    A disgruntled rasp from the injured duck broke the moment, and Jake quickly stepped away, his cheeks flushing as he thought of how stupid he must have sounded.


    ¡°I guess I should thank you as well,¡± Nepthys said, her voice somewhat husky as she moved over to gather the duck up into the crook of her left arm. An awkward process, given its size and injured wing. ¡°Is he one of yours? Does he have a name?¡±


    ¡°Yes, from a Boon I got,¡± Jake said, trying and failing not to be a little irritated by how pleased the duck looked by her holding it. ¡°The Boon says his name is Moby.¡±


    ¡°An adorable name, and he¡¯s beautiful as well. I¡¯ve never seen feathers like this before,¡± Nepthys said, admiring the iridescent green that outlined the darker feathers. ¡°Do you have anything that can heal his wing?¡±


    Jake considered the question for a moment before using his third Manifestation to conjure an apple from the Orchard¡¯s Gift. Nepthys had a few bruises and was limping slightly, so it would be good for her as well.


    Splitting it in two was surprisingly easy, and Jake quickly ate his half while passing the other to Nepthys. Closing his eyes to revel in the brief absence of pain, Jake murmured a soft prayer of thanks for this particular Boon.


    While Jake set off to gather any useful supplies in the room, Nepthys took her half of the apple and split it again, feeding a portion to the duck, who gobbled it down almost daintily.


    Moby¡¯s wing immediately looked much better, and Jake could have sworn he gave him a smug look as Nepthys gently lowered him to the ground.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the situation?¡± Nepthys asked, a serious expression settling onto her face.


    ¡°Not great,¡± Jake said, putting everything aside for the moment to focus on the task at hand. They still needed to get out of here alive.

 DN 84 - Flight

    Jake and Nepthys hurried back up the stairs, Moby hopping along behind them to find the other three in a pitched fight with another two masked classers.


    Jake had learned his lesson from the previous two fights about judging the strength of the enemy and swiftly channelled Wyrd to his eyes, revealing that the enemy were both only at the peak of the first tier.


    The main issue that his friends were having was that both of the masked fighters used melee weapons, and Karl was trying to keep both of them from closing with Alan or Rhew.


    Moby rasped out a quack and took to the air, diving down to distract one of the masked classers and stop them from dodging Alan¡¯s next arrow.


    At the same time, Jake and Nepthys focused on the other attacker, working in synchrony to rip through their defence and let Jake slit their throat with a dagger he¡¯d claimed from the previous fight.


    Karl and Rhew were quick to take down the second enemy, leaving them to eye Moby suspiciously.


    ¡°Is that a duck? What¡¯s it doing here?¡± Rhew asked suspiciously, her wand not quite lowering.


    Nepthys looked a little confused by the question, so Jake stepped in. ¡°That¡¯s Moby; I got him from the duck Dungeon. Not important now, though. We need to get out of here before someone else comes.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Rhew said, giving Moby one last look before turning to Nepthys. ¡°Are you alright? Do you need a potion?¡±


    Nepthys shook her head before gesturing to the fallen classers. ¡°Who are these people? The one downstairs didn¡¯t say much.¡±


    ¡°No idea, but the first one we fought must have been at least in the third tier. It took all of us and a good bit of luck to bring him down.¡± Rhew spread her hands in frustration.


    Karl had moved over to the door while they spoke and peered outside. ¡°There¡¯s still a battle out there, but the guards are losing fast. If we¡¯re going, it needs to be now.¡±


    The Wyrd bubble must have failed with the second classer Jake had fought, as he could hear the muted sounds of battle outside. Some even sounded like they were just outside, which wasn¡¯t ideal. They didn¡¯t exactly have many options, though.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± Jake said, putting his dagger in his belt and grabbing a sword and shield from one of the fallen classers. ¡°Back over the wall and retrace our steps.¡±


    They took a moment to ready themselves, and Moby waddled over to stand by Jake. Glancing around to ensure no one else was listening, Jake crouched down and looked the creature in the eye. ¡°If you¡¯re coming with us, you need to be silent and do your best to look after Rhew and Alan, okay?¡±


    Moby gave a deep, almost sub-audible quack before moving over to Rhew, who seemed just as impressed by his colourful feathers as Nepthys had been.


    Jake would have preferred to simply dismiss Moby, but his instincts told him that if he did, that was the end of this Manifestation. It wasn¡¯t like the Hidden Fang, where he could call it back at will.


    The sounds outside were drawing closer by the moment, so Jake wasted no more time and opened the door, moving out with his shield at the ready.


    The dim light and tense atmosphere from earlier were long gone as Jake moved out into the night, replaced by flickering lights from several fires and the clamour of battle.


    A small group of guards was fighting a trio of masked classers not far from them, but the clash was intense enough that no one noticed as Jake and his companions left the building and moved quickly to the rear wall.


    ¡°Up and over, go quickly,¡± Jake said, interlocking his fingers to form a support and boosting Karl up onto the wall, who then helped get everyone else over.


    Moby flew over at the same time as Rhew, and Jake¡¯s eyes narrowed as he noted that the duck¡¯s wings made no sound as they flapped. He distinctly remembered hearing him fly around while fighting that classer just a few minutes ago.


    Shaking off the questions bubbling up in his head, Jake grabbed Karl¡¯s hand and swung himself up over the wall, dropping down into a crouch on the far side.


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    As soon as Jake landed, they began to hurry across the open expanse between the wall and the woods, walking a fine line between stealth and speed.


    Jake felt an itching on the back of his neck the entire time, but thankfully, there was no sign of anyone watching them when he looked back.


    Once in the trees, they made their way back to their temporary camp, a tense silence holding among them as they waited for masked attackers to come jumping out of the darkness.


    They had set their camp a good distance from the outpost, but even so, it felt like an eternity before Jake saw some familiar landmarks and knew they were close.


    Some of the tension left Jake¡¯s posture as their temporary camp came into view. Everything was how they¡¯d left it, but there was no sign of Felix or Ari.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s take a break,¡± Jake said as he all but collapsed down next to his pack. ¡°Hopefully, Ari and Felix will be here soon.¡±


    The others followed suit, but Jake saw the worry in their eyes. The presence of unknown but powerful classers had turned this situation completely around. Did their initial plans even matter anymore?


    -**-


    ¡°Gather your things. We need to go,¡± Jake said, breaking the silence that had been stretching over them.


    It had been almost an hour since they got back to the meeting point, with no sign of either Felix or Ari. Considering what else had gone wrong, Jake wasn¡¯t willing to wait any further.


    "Shouldn¡¯t we wait a few more minutes?¡± Alan asked, glancing in the direction of the outpost.


    ¡°No, we¡¯ve waited too long as it is,¡± Jake said with a shake of his head. This close to the outpost, they ran a real risk of being found by whoever won between the Triarchy and the mysterious attackers. ¡°We need to go.¡±


    Unsurprisingly, none of the others were particularly enthused with the idea, but they understood what Jake was saying and the very real threat of discovery.


    Hiking his pack onto his back, Jake turned to see where Moby was before sighing as he saw the duck perched on Nepthys¡¯s shoulder with what Jake could have sworn was a smug expression.


    Moby was big for a duck, but he wasn¡¯t especially heavy, and Nepthys was at the peak of the first tier, so a little extra weight wouldn¡¯t bother her.


    Smothering his frown, Jake started off in the opposite direction from the outpost. He¡¯d head south for now before cutting to the east, away from anywhere else they¡¯d been.


    Jake wasn¡¯t quite sure what to do from there, but it was better than sitting still and waiting to be found.


    -**-


    ¡°Jake, wake up,¡± Alan whispered, shaking Jake awake and putting a hand over his mouth to keep him quiet. ¡°I hear something coming this way.¡±


    Alan¡¯s words hit Jake like a bucket of ice water, and he sat up as Alan removed his hand. Taking a breath to centre himself, Jake replied in a matching whisper. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°From the north,¡± Alan murmured grimly. ¡°I¡¯ll wake the others.¡±


    Jake nodded and carefully grabbed his sword before moving to the edge of their camp and peering out into the woods.


    They¡¯d kept moving for almost the entire night before finding a suitable camping spot in a large ditch that would conceal them from casual observation. If someone was walking this way, though, then all bets were off.


    Thankfully, Alan had been on watch, and they had some notice to get ready.


    After a few moments, Jake caught sight of the approaching people that Alan had spotted and sighed in relief, his shoulders slumping as he sagged momentarily down to the ground.


    Turning back to the others, Jake motioned for them to relax with a growing smile despite how tired he was. ¡°It¡¯s Felix and Ari.¡±


    Chuckling at the relief on their faces, Jake pushed up from the ditch and raised a hand to catch the attention of the other two. They hadn¡¯t quite been heading for them, but they were close enough to spot Jake.


    Jake¡¯s smile faded as Felix and Ari came closer, and he could see them more clearly. Both of the other classers looked exhausted, and Ari¡¯s clothes were in a bad way.


    Jake could see fresh, pinkish skin under the holes in Ari¡¯s tunic, a clear giveaway of recent healing.


    ¡°Jake, good to see you¡¯re in one piece. Is everyone else with you?¡± Felix called out as they approached. While not as bad as Ari, Felix looked somewhat ragged as well, which was a frightening prospect.


    ¡°They are. We got Nepthys out as well,¡± Jake said with a motion down into the ditch.


    ¡°Good, that makes all of this worthwhile,¡± Felix said, nodding a greeting to the others before easing himself down to sit on the lip of the ditch. ¡°Smart move on setting off, whichever one of you decided it was time. The whole area will be buzzing with Triarchy patrols in no time at all.¡±


    ¡°It was Jake¡¯s idea,¡± Karl said, giving Jake an encouraging look.


    ¡°It seemed like the right thing to do,¡± Jake said, shifting uncomfortably at the praise. ¡°More importantly, though, who were those masked classers?¡±


    Felix¡¯s expression tightened, and he shared a look with Ari before shaking his head. ¡°We don¡¯t know. Neither of us has met someone with one of those masks before. Their Abilities varied but seemed focused around those an assassin would prize.¡±


    ¡°Were they there for me?¡± Nepthys asked hesitantly, but Felix could only shake his head.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know, but there was nothing else of note at the outpost that I¡¯m aware of. Either they were coming for you, or we were incredibly unlucky with our timing.¡±


    ¡°Could it be linked?¡± Alan muttered with a frown before looking up at them with a concerned expression. ¡°We never knew why Nepthys was there, could it be linked somehow to these masked classers?¡±


    ¡°That is something Ari and I have considered,¡± Felix said with a slight nod of approval to Alan. ¡°We need more information before we act any further. That much is clear.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so what do we do now?¡± Jake asked, thinking back to their original plans.


    ¡°We head east, away from Casthorpe and away from anywhere you¡¯ve been spotted. I know a place where we can lay low for a time while we see what the response is to all this.¡± Felix paused for a moment before looking between Alan, Rhew and Karl. ¡°Nepthys is safe. If the three of you want to leave, now is the time.¡±

 DN 85 - Parting

    Silence stretched over them for a few long moments as the others gave Felix¡¯s question the thought it deserved.


    Part of Jake would have preferred an instant response that they¡¯d stay, but he knew that it was better they consider it fully and come to a true decision.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jake,¡± Karl said, lifting his head with a guilty expression. ¡°I want to, and if we¡¯d been exposed, I would have. As it is, though, I need to step away. I haven¡¯t really talked about my life before Ascending, but my father was a classer and fought in the war against the Triarchy. He died during the final invasion, but one of his comrades declared that he betrayed us and helped the Triarchy.¡±


    ¡°Your father would never have done that,¡± Felix said, his words making Karl start in surprise. A slight smile touched Felix¡¯s lips as he continued with a distant look in his eyes. ¡°I helped train him, and you are the spitting image of him when I first met him. That is why I agreed to first train you. Kristoff was a Worthy student of mine, one of the first.¡±


    ¡°I never realised¡­¡± Karl looked shaken by the revelation but eventually pulled himself back together. ¡°You¡¯re right, though. He never would have betrayed us. I mean to prove that and find out who framed him. To do so, I¡¯ll need to stay here for a while, and you¡¯re already at the next tier. I can¡¯t hold you back, and I won¡¯t give up on this.¡±


    Jake met Karl¡¯s gaze and nodded before walking over and holding out his hand. ¡°I understand, and I can only thank you for coming as far as you have.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Jake, I appreciate it,¡± Karl said, getting up and taking Jake¡¯s hand. ¡°If you need me, just send word, and I¡¯ll do what I can.¡±


    Jake gave his big friend a slight smile before letting go and turning to Rhew. He¡¯d already noticed how she¡¯d been shifting uncomfortably and knew what was coming.


    ¡°Guess I was obvious, huh?¡± Rhew asked with a shake of her head as she looked up at him.


    ¡°We¡¯ve spent enough time together that I know when your heart isn¡¯t in it anymore,¡± Jake said with a shrug. ¡°Besides, I know you and Karl were thinking of continuing together.¡±


    The two blushed at Jake¡¯s words, but neither denied it. Rhew stood up to shake Jake¡¯s hand as well. ¡°Like Karl said, send word if you need help with anything. My story is less noble than his, but there¡¯s no need to burden you with it at this point.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear it,¡± Jake said softly as he went back to where he¡¯d been sitting, giving Rhew some space. ¡°Who knows, I might be able to help somehow.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Rhew got a distant look in her eyes for a few moments before shaking it off. ¡°I¡¯m the only current classer in my family, but the Triarchy claimed that my grandfather stole from them. Until we pay back what they say he stole, they take twice as much tax on everything we make. My parents have lived with it their whole life and have barely even made a dent.¡±


    Jake nodded, things making a lot more sense to him now about how Rhew acted with money. ¡°How much is left?¡±


    ¡°Just over ten thousand Wyrdgeld, and starting this month, I¡¯ll be forced to pay double the tax as well. I was lucky they gave me this first month at the normal rate,¡± Rhew said with a look of distaste at even coming close to thanking the Triarchy.


    ¡°Just what exactly did they say he stole?¡± Ari asked with a look of disbelief.


    ¡°They won¡¯t say. I used to think the bastards made it up, but I¡¯m not so sure now. Regardless, if you meet a classer called Ghent Larian, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could put me in contact with him. I want some answers.¡±


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    Jake nodded absently, still stunned by the amount the Triarchy held over Rhew and her family. How could they expect her family to even come close to paying that off without a classer?


    Mentally shaking himself, Jake promised that he¡¯d keep an eye out for Rhew¡¯s grandfather before looking over to Alan questioningly.


    The Scholar had been quiet so far, and he¡¯d had a thoughtful expression since Felix posed the question, but Jake wasn¡¯t sure if that was an indicator that he was coming with them or not.


    ¡°Alan?¡± Jake spoke up, a feeling of dread building in his gut as he waited for a response. He wasn¡¯t losing Karl and Rhew permanently, but this felt like the nearest thing, and he could already feel the hole in the party that their absence would bring.


    ¡°I think that in any other situation, I¡¯d leave as well,¡± Alan said eventually as he let out a heavy breath. ¡°The Triarchy is huge and terrifying. Fighting back against them feels like an impossibility, and the more time we spend as classers, the less it feels like they will matter.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± Jake said, thinking back on how insurmountable that hundred Wyrdgeld had felt when he first went to the Dungeon. Now, it was just three delves, and that could be done in a day.


    ¡°Which is why I thought I¡¯d just go my own way, but I don¡¯t think I can. Things are wrong here, and whatever your Patron has you doing, I think it will try to fix that. I¡¯m not brave or strong, but I don¡¯t think I can walk away from that.¡±


    ¡°Just like your mother,¡± Ari said with a wink and a grin, some of his usual cheer starting to return now that he¡¯d had a chance to rest a little.


    Alan flushed bright red but didn¡¯t argue the point, instead lifting his chin a little.


    ¡°Well, I know I¡¯ll be glad to have you along, Alan,¡± Jake said, grinning at the Scholar as he felt a surge of relief that someone was staying with them.


    Karl looked uncomfortable following Alan¡¯s speech, but Jake made sure to reassure him that he thought no less of him for not staying.


    After listening to Karl and Rhew talk about what was driving them, Jake understood why they wanted to avoid the attention of the Triarchy if possible.


    ¡°Very good. Now that we¡¯ve established who¡¯s doing what, we should get moving and put some more distance between us and the outpost,¡± Felix said with a gesture over his shoulder. ¡°Then tomorrow, we split up and go in different directions.¡±


    ¡°Where should we go?¡± Karl asked as they gathered their things and began trudging south once more.


    ¡°Back west, I¡¯d say, but somewhere that has a branch of the Association. Check in with them when you arrived and say you split off from us in Casthorpe after the Seeker incident as you didn¡¯t want to be involved.¡±


    Jake listened as Felix ran through the options that Rhew and Karl had, feeling thankful that they had this opportunity to get clear.


    With these masked classers being involved, everything felt far more complex now, and only time would tell what consequences this battle would have for them.


    -**-


    Rhew and Karl split off from the group the next day, heading west to a town with a branch of the Association and a popular first tier Dungeon.


    Karl made Jake promise to send them word if he needed anything, and Rhew seemed equally determined to help.


    What exactly they could do, Jake wasn¡¯t sure, but he appreciated the sentiment.


    ¡°So,¡± Jake said, turning to look at Felix. ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°We head north-east, there¡¯s a resistance hideaway we can use while gathering information about what¡¯s going on. I¡¯ll reach out to some friends and contacts, both about the Triarchy and those masked classers.¡±


    ¡°And in the meantime,¡± Ari said, a menacing smile slipping over his face. ¡°We¡¯ll be doing some training to make sure you¡¯re ready for whatever comes next.¡±


    Jake exchanged a worried look with Nepthys and Alan; any training that Ari seemed this excited about was probably going to be bad.


    Still, that wasn¡¯t quite what Jake meant. ¡°Okay, but what about overall? I mean, I¡¯ve reached the second tier now.¡±


    ¡°Well, the way I see it, we have two real options,¡± Felix said thoughtfully. ¡°You can either travel to the next Realm, which would mean going into the heart of the Triarchy presence in Strovia, or you can leave Strovia and escape the Triarchy that way.¡±


    ¡°Leaving Strovia sounds the easier of the two,¡± Nepthys said, but Jake and Alan were both shaking their heads.


    ¡°You came by ship, didn¡¯t you,¡± Jake said, making the question into more of a statement.


    Nepthys nodded with a slightly confused expression, so Alan took over the explanation. ¡°Strovia is bound by the ocean to the west and south, the mountains to the north and the Viridian Expanse to the east.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not wrong; any of those options will be difficult, but with adequate preparation, anything is doable,¡± Felix said, motioning for them to start walking. ¡°For now, though, let¡¯s get to a secure location and start planning.¡±

 DN 86 - Plans

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get a chance to ask you before, but are you okay?¡± Jake asked Nepthys as they walked along behind Felix.


    ¡°More or less,¡± Nepthys said, giving Jake a somewhat strained smile. ¡°I¡¯d more or less accepted what was going to happen when that classer got through to me when you arrived. A few more minutes, and it would have been a very different situation.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s been on my mind as well,¡± Jake said softly, thinking of how close he¡¯d been to being too late. He didn¡¯t even want to consider how he¡¯d have reacted if that had been the case.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t, and that¡¯s what matters,¡± Nepthys said firmly, taking a breath and seemingly pushing past the negative thoughts. ¡°Actually, I meant to say earlier that things were odd while they were moving me. The Seeker and his people barely interacted with me, but only the Seeker seemed to know why they were heading to that outpost.¡±


    ¡°That confused us as well. Did he give any hint as to why?¡±


    ¡°No, and he came down hard on anyone questioning it as well. I assumed it was some sort of secret order.¡±


    Jake nodded slightly before looking back to Ari, who was walking behind them with Alan. ¡°Hey, Ari. What happened to the Seeker?¡±


    ¡°Felix took care of him before those masked folks arrived,¡± Ari said, the corner of his mouth curling into a smirk. ¡°Arrogant bastard thought I was the real threat. With the main threat dealt with, we kept the rest busy until shit got too chaotic and then pulled out as best we could.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if any of the Triarchy guards survived, then,¡± Jake said, his brow furrowing as he considered what the official response would be to everything that had happened.


    ¡°Doubtful,¡± Ari said with an idle shrug. ¡°There weren¡¯t that many, to begin with, and only a few of the stronger masked classers went after us when we pulled out. Any guards left would have been cut down easily when they got back.¡±


    Jake nodded as the group lapsed into silence once more, each of them considering the uncertain future they faced.


    -**-


    Attention - Your status as a Citizen of the Triarchy has been revoked. Any obligations derived from this status are no longer enforced.


    Jake froze mid-bite of his rations, his eyes going wide as he read the update. It had been four days since they had parted with Karl and Rhew, and they¡¯d spent that time reaching the safehouse that Felix had known of.


    Felix had already reached out to his contacts to gain more information about what the Triarchy was doing. They¡¯d yet to hear back, but this made the Triarchy¡¯s initial response clear.


    -**-


    ¡°It¡¯s been confirmed,¡± Felix said, closing the door to the cabin behind him and heading over to take a seat near the fire. ¡°My contacts just reported in on the Triarchy.¡±


    It had been a further three days since the update from the System, and Jake had spent the whole time worrying about Karl and Rhew.


    It wasn¡¯t a big jump to go from him to them, after all, and the Triarchy wasn¡¯t known for moderate responses.


    ¡°What did they say?¡± Nepthys asked from where she was sat sharpening her swords. They weren¡¯t exactly like those she¡¯d had when they first met, but Felix¡¯s contacts had managed to get something reasonably similar.


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    ¡°Jake is being blamed for the massacre at the outpost,¡± Felix said with a grave expression. ¡°He has been declared an enemy of the Triarchy. Thankfully, there is nothing they can do via the System, but they are hunting for you even more fervently now.¡±


    ¡°What about Karl and Rhew?¡± Jake asked, ignoring the ball of gnawing cold that was building in his gut.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been ignored for now; the focus is on the two of you. Even Ari hasn¡¯t been called out officially, which is odd. There was no mention of any masked classers either, which perhaps means that they cleaned up the area after we left.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, these fuckers are sounding more and more organised as time goes on. I don¡¯t like it,¡± Ari said with distaste from where he was pouring himself a cup of coffee. ¡°Nice as this place is, though, we can¡¯t stay here forever.¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t,¡± Felix said, a tired look crossing his expression for a brief moment. ¡°We¡¯ll start planning out our next moves tomorrow. It looks like you¡¯ll need to leave sooner than expected, though. Staying here will be a death sentence.¡±


    Jake nodded in agreement before calling up his status.


    Name - Jake Khesh


    Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon


    Class - Dungeon Noble - Knight


    Tier - II


    Rank - I


    Dungeon Network - 5


    Plexus Strength - Minor


    Plexus Manifestations - 3/3


    Plexus Points - 2


    Traits


    Physical - Lesser Noble Constitution (IV) - Rare - Descended from a Noble bloodline, you have a medium enhancement to physical characteristics.


    Mental - Lesser Delver¡¯s Will (I) - Common - Gird your will, advance endlessly. Provides a minor bonus to willpower when delving Dungeons.


    Skills


    Passive - Personal Plexus (I) - Very Rare - You gain the ability to bind Dungeons and form your own Plexus that may contain Dungeons of minor strength. Currently, Dungeons up to Tier I can be bound. Doubles the Wyrdgeld cost of advancing in Class Rank.


    Active - Infused Strike (I) - Uncommon - You are able to infuse your weapon with a minor amount of Wyrd, strengthening your blows and sharpening the edges of your weapon.


    Patron Gifts


    Passive - Agent of the Great Dungeon (II) - Very Rare - You are bound to the Great Dungeon by blood. Other followers of the Great Dungeon will recognise you and aid you as they may.


    Passive - Sense Dungeon (II) - Rare - As an agent of the Great Dungeon, you are able to passively sense the location of nearby Dungeons in a meagre range.


    Passive - Authority of The Great Dungeon (I) - Very Rare - You have the approval of The Great Dungeon and may enact rituals in its name. You gain the knowledge of the Ritual of Castigation. Misuse of this authority may result in its removal.


    Plexus Boons


    Hidden Fang -(II)- Granted by the Holrswar Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a dagger with inherent poisonous properties. Using the dagger, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Orchard¡¯s Gift -(II)- Granted by the Aptofir Veranis Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest an apple infused with vitality. Ingesting the apple transfers this vitality, healing and sating the hunger of its consumer.


    The Mighty Drake - (I) - Granted by the Engans Deja Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest Moby, a mighty drake, to aid you. The Manifestation is consumed in maintaining Moby¡¯s presence, not his actions.


    Plexus Development -(II)- This Boon may only be increased in rank by choosing it at additional Dungeons, but it has no cap on its rank level. Increases Manifestations available by one per rank. Granted by the Haugask Deja and Wilfek Murk Dungeons.


    Deed requirement to increase Tier


    1 - 5 Tier II or higher Dungeons bound


    2 - Rank X


    Requirements to increase to Rank II


    1 - 440 Wyrdgeld


    He¡¯d come a long way in the last month and a half, but he still had a long way to go, and Strovia was only becoming more dangerous for him.


    Jake muttered a prayer to the Great Dungeon, but he knew that he was the ultimate arbiter of his own fate right now.


    If he¡¯d learned one thing since Ascending, it was that the more work he put in, the faster and farther he advanced. That meant the solution to all this was simple. Jake just had to be willing to work harder and risk more than those trying to find him.


    Jake had dreamed of becoming powerful, of being someone who caused change. He¡¯d had his first taste of that, but his vision of The Great Dungeon had shown him just how far he had to go to truly reach the top.


    Perhaps it was impossible for someone like him to reach those heights, but he¡¯d be damned if he let anything stop him from trying.

 Dungeon Noble - Knight - Chapter 1 - Foreboding

    Jake Khesh, Dungeon Noble and follower of The Great Dungeon, cursed as he hit the ground hard for what felt like the hundredth time this morning.


    It had been two days since the strovian resistance had passed the word that Jake was being blamed for the attack on the Triarchy outpost, and they¡¯d been training hard since then.


    Exactly how the Triarchy knew that Jake had been involved, no one was quite sure. What official reports the resistance had gotten access to had stated that all the Triarchy guards had died in the assault.


    The fact of the matter was that Jake had been there, along with his friends, but they¡¯d been there to rescue Nepthys. Most of the guards had been killed by the mysterious masked assailants who had descended on the outpost.


    Jake felt a slight shiver run down his spine as he remembered the first one they¡¯d fought. It had taken all of them to bring down the dagger-wielding classer, and even then, it had been close.


    In the end, though, they¡¯d gotten Nepthys out of there, and none of them had died in the process, which was a win in Jake¡¯s book.


    ¡°You¡¯re making progress, Jake,¡± Felix said, plunging his blade into the ground before holding his hand out to help Jake up to his feet.


    Felix Drusus was Jake¡¯s self-appointed trainer and their contact to the resistance, as well as the strongest member of their group, despite his missing left hand.


    Felix¡¯s pale blue eyes regarded Jake levelly as he helped him up before he nodded slightly and drew his sword from the ground. ¡°Again.¡±


    A slight sheen of grey Wyrd covered their weapons, an effect from one of Felix¡¯s Skills that let them use real blades without killing each other. Jake couldn¡¯t use a Skill with his sword while it was active, but that was a small price to pay.


    Lunging forward and feinting low before whipping his sword up high, Jake did his level best to land a solid hit on his teacher. He was better with a blade than he¡¯d used to be, a fact that he was proud of, but he was still well short of Felix¡¯s level.


    The dull thud of their blades striking filled the air as they continued their spar, with Felix steadily increasing the pressure.


    Jake was just over six feet tall, and though his wiry frame had filled out since he¡¯d Ascended and gained his Class, he was both slightly shorter and far less powerfully built than his opponent.


    Although Felix¡¯s dark hair was speckled with grey, his wide shoulders and thick muscles showed no signs of age. One of the many benefits of being a classer.


    Of course, even if Felix had been shorter and smaller than Jake, his higher tier would likely have allowed him to still overpower Jake with ease. As it was, the bigger frame and higher tier together meant that Felix could rip Jake apart if he wanted to.


    While Jake was being put through his paces, Alan was off to one side, working on his accuracy with his bow. Once Jake was done, they¡¯d swap over, and Jake was looking forward to the break.


    Jake wouldn¡¯t be using a bow for his part; he¡¯d instead be throwing daggers, but it was close enough.


    -**-


    ¡°You¡¯re both improving nicely,¡± Felix said once they¡¯d wrapped up for the day. ¡°Alan, you¡¯ve taken to archery particularly well, but you need to work with your sword more. Not all fights will let you stay at a distance.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Felix,¡± Alan said, bobbing his head in acknowledgement. Alan was the only one of Jake¡¯s companions still with him at this point, and Jake was thankful for the short Scholar¡¯s presence.


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    Alan was a fair bit shorter than Jake and quite thin to boot, with mousy brown hair and watchful eyes. To be fair, though, Alan had put a good bit of muscle on in the last month or so and looked more the part of a combat classer now.


    Alan had initially started using the bow to try and make use of the Abilities he¡¯d received with the Scholar Class, but he¡¯d become more than proficient in Jake¡¯s eyes, and the two of them worked well together.


    Alan was also the one who spotted hidden monsters when they delved Dungeons, something that had proved useful time and time again.


    Rhew and Karl, the caster and main frontline fighter of their party respectively, had left them not so long ago to try and avoid fallout from the Triarchy.


    Considering that he was now being blamed for it all, Jake couldn¡¯t help but feel that they made the right choice, and he also worried about what that meant for Alan. For now, the Triarchy was showing no sign of trying to put any blame on Jake¡¯s companions, but he had no idea how long that would last.


    ¡°Alright, get some rest. We¡¯re going to set out tomorrow,¡± Felix said, pushing himself up from where he¡¯d been sitting. ¡°I¡¯ll go secure us some supplies in the meantime, but expect us to be travelling for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Where are we heading?¡± Jake asked quickly, perking up a little at the thought of doing something more than training.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading to a small and underused Dungeon. We¡¯ll be meeting two other classers there, who will hopefully be joining your group for the time being.¡±


    Jake and Alan exchanged surprised looks, but Felix waved off any further questions, saying that he¡¯d explain the rest on the way.


    ¡°Wonder if we¡¯ll be meeting Nepthys there,¡± Alan said as he put some wood in the stove and began to boil a pot of water for some tea.


    ¡°Maybe, but I¡¯d be surprised if they¡¯d found that many Corrupters in such a short space of time,¡± Jake said, leaning back in his chair and kicking his feet up with a sigh.


    When Felix had gotten the word about Jake being blamed by the Triarchy, he¡¯d also gotten word of a surge in Corrupter activity south of Port Emerald.


    Nepthys needed to hunt down several more of those insane cultists in order to advance her tier, so she¡¯d left with Ari to do just that. That had left Alan and Jake to Felix¡¯s tender ministrations, but Jake couldn¡¯t really complain.


    It felt like it had been a while since he¡¯d gotten some one-on-one training in with Felix, and hew knew for a fact that Alan had taken full advantage of this opportunity.


    No, the only thing Jake was concerned about was who they¡¯d be adding to their party. Rhew and Karl had left, so it made sense to replace them, even if it felt wrong.


    The best replacement would be classers of a similar skill set, so another caster and another frontliner.


    Taking a cup of steaming tea from Alan, Jake decided to wait for Felix to explain more. In the meantime, he was going to talk through the infusion process that Alan used.


    Jake had bought a Skill to infuse his sword, but he knew that it was far from perfect. Understanding what Alan did, and why he did it, would be the next step on the road to him improving his Skill further.


    -**-


    Later, after a surprisingly productive discussion with Alan, Jake took the time to pray before turning in for the day.


    It felt odd for him to pray, and he still hadn¡¯t gotten into a regular habit of it quite yet. Growing up, Jake had had nothing but bad experiences with gods and their followers.


    Admittedly, those experiences had been primarily with the Triarchy, but Jake had blamed other gods for not stopping them.


    When Jake had linked with his Patron in Casthrope, his perspective had changed fundamentally. Beholding The Great Dungeon, feeling how vast it was, had changed Jake.


    Jake had prayed sporadically since then, but it was only since reaching this hideout that he¡¯d tried to do so daily. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure what his prayers accomplished, assuming they did anything at all.


    Still, Jake felt like something happened with each prayer, but only when he was earnest in his feelings. Lip service did nothing; even Jake could tell that much.


    Turning his attention inward, Jake delved into his soul as he whispered a prayer for The Great Dungeon to watch over Rhew and Karl, to keep them separate from everything that was happening.


    Usually, that was where things ended, but today, Jake felt something stir in response.


    It was nothing like his previous interaction with The Great Dungeon; there was no mind-bending vision of reality, no existential revelations.


    Instead, Jake felt a sense of danger from the link they shared. It wasn¡¯t an immediate danger, more the warning of something that was coming, but it was coupled with the feeling of loss.


    Jake tried to understand what he was being told, but he couldn¡¯t parse it any more clearly than that.


    Troubled by what he¡¯d experienced, Jake finished his nightly routine before climbing into bed. If it wasn¡¯t an immediate danger, it could wait until he¡¯d had time to get some sleep.

 DN2 2 - Secrecy

    The three of them were on the road early the next day. Jake made sure to mention the warning he¡¯d received with Felix before they left as well. After talking it through with the older classer, they both agreed that there was nothing to be done right now.


    Jake would try to narrow down the feeling of danger and loss with subsequent prayers, and hopefully, they¡¯d figure out what it all meant soon enough.


    In the meantime, however, they were pushing forward with Felix¡¯s plan and heading for a Dungeon that saw little to no traffic with most classers.


    To do so, they¡¯d be heading south towards the coast and the least developed part of Strovia.


    Strovia¡¯s eastern border was dominated by the Viridian Expanse, a veritable sea of trees that stretched from Strovia to its neighbours. Before the Triarchy came, Strovia had been slowly expanding into that area, but no longer.


    Strovia¡¯s north was likewise bounded by a large group of mountains that were all but impassable, while the western and southern borders hit the ocean. The western coastline had several ports and cities, such as Port Emerald, but the southern coast was rocky and ill-suited to shipping.


    Accordingly, there was little down there to draw people, and that seemed to have extended to classers as well.


    Moira¡¯s Hollow was the southernmost city of Strovia, and even it was a fair distance north of the coast. Eventually, Jake was hoping they¡¯d head there, as he knew the city had two Dungeons in the second tier, but right now, that would be almost suicidal.


    No, their current plan was to head to a small village south of Moira¡¯s Hollow called Restern. The Dungeon they were looking for was near Restern, but between its ill favour with the classer community and how remote it was, the village had almost no classers present.


    According to Felix¡¯s contacts, the only protection the village had from monsters or other threats beyond those of normal guards was a group of retired classers who¡¯d dropped out at the peak of the first tier.


    The lack of Triarchy presence would hopefully mean that they could operate without too many issues. Well, that was the plan, anyway.


    The three of them would be taking a circuitous route to the village, avoiding all the larger population centres and as many settlements as they could get away with.


    The fewer opportunities for them to be spotted, the smoother this would go.


    -**-


    They settled into a steady routine easily enough, spending most of the day walking through barely-used and even less maintained trails before setting up camp and getting some training done during the evening.


    Despite Jake¡¯s reluctance, or perhaps because of it, Felix insisted that they run through several exercises regarding working with familiars. The older classer didn¡¯t have one himself, but he¡¯d worked with classers who did in the past and knew some of the principles of how they worked.


    In theory, Jake had no issue with the training. After all, The Mighty Drake was one of his Boons, and Jake wasn¡¯t so spoilt for choice that he would ignore that. Still, it was embarrassing.


    Moby, the vividly coloured duck that Jake could summon, didn¡¯t help matters either. The duck was intelligent enough to pick up on Jake¡¯s reluctance to use him and took offence at that.


    Despite performing perfectly for whatever Felix wanted, Moby was far from as helpful to Jake and exemplified the tenets of malicious compliance.


    ¡°As your familiar, he will perform to his highest standards during combat,¡± Felix said with barely concealed amusement once they¡¯d covered everything and Jake had dismissed Moby once more. ¡°However, I would recommend you resolve whatever issue the two of you have before you rely on him out of combat.¡±


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    ¡°Well, that¡¯s something at least,¡± Jake muttered, resisting the urge to protest that it wasn¡¯t his fault.


    One of the first things that Felix had taught them was that Jake shared a bond of sorts with his familiar, which allowed them to communicate. Unfortunately, Jake had realised that the same bond had passed on to Moby how he felt about the Boon.


    Exactly how Jake would get past this issue, he wasn¡¯t sure. Still, he didn¡¯t intend to be using Moby for anything except combat any time soon, so it wasn¡¯t a critical issue.


    Rubbing his face tiredly, Jake took a bowl of stew from Alan and swapped over so that the Scholar could get some archery practice under Felix¡¯s supervision.


    They¡¯d decided to alternate like this to give them both a chance to take advantage of Felix¡¯s knowledge.


    -**-


    The third and fourth days of their travel saw a slight shift in this routine as they came across a series of Hollows.


    Hollows were small nests of monsters with a reward at their core and were the source of wandering monsters in a region. Both of the ones they encountered held bestial monsters and were well-established with plenty of protectors.


    The majority of the monsters belonged to the Beast category, the weakest of the ratings within the Skriva. Outside of a Dungeon, these creatures gave no Wyrdgeld, so Jake was tempted to try and ignore them.


    Such creatures would be death to any normal person who crossed their path, though, however unlikely that might be. That made it their duty as Ascended to deal with those they could find.


    Jake was under no illusion that all classers would think that way, but his responsibility was to his own actions.


    Dealing with both Hollows but them behind on their schedule, but it did net Alan and Jake several dozen Wyrdgeld each. Alan had yet to get to the second tier, but considering how expensive it was looking, starting to save Wyrdgeld now was a good idea.


    Jake was into his second tier, but he needed almost another hundred for his next rank. He¡¯d come into this tier with several hundred Wyrdgled from the hard work he¡¯d done before they¡¯d set out to rescue Nepthys, but higher ranks were getting more and more expensive.


    Accordingly, the small amount of additional Wyrdgeld was appreciated, if not as impactful as it would have been a few months ago.


    -**-


    Midway through the fifth day, they arrived at the outskirts of Moira¡¯s Hollow, and despite some minor protests, Alan was sent in to gather provisions for them.


    Jake was being hunted, and Felix was quite recognisable from his higher tier and missing hand, which had just left their resident Scholar.


    To make things a little safer, Felix made sure to supply Alan with a pouch of ingars from his own supply. That would let Alan stick to the classless part of the city and out of the local Dungeon Row.


    Waiting for Alan to get their supplies was a tense affair, but Jake did his best to remember that there was no one looking for Alan right now, so he should be safe.


    It wasn¡¯t all that reassuring, but it was the best Jake could do at the moment.


    Deciding to do something productive with his time rather than sit and worry, Jake began to practice infusing his blade with Wyrd. After talking with Alan and a few comments from Felix, he was beginning to get better control over the process.


    The Wyrd needed to be stable, and Alan managed that by creating a pattern within the arrow, allowing it to maintain its effect after leaving the bow. Jake didn¡¯t need that same effect, but he could tell that Alan¡¯s infusion was doing more than that.


    Ideally, by copying Alan¡¯s process, Jake would be able to figure out some new ways to apply his own technique. The problem, however, was figuring out how to make a pattern inside his sword.


    He was making progress, that much was sure, but without a firm end goal in mind, he was struggling. Alan had tried to explain the pattern he used to help with that but to no avail.


    Jake kept on trying and experimenting as they waited, only putting his sword away when Felix announced that Alan was approaching.


    ¡°Any issues?¡± Felix asked as Alan came trotting into their camp with a bulging pack.


    ¡°Nothing worth mentioning,¡± Alan said with a shrug. ¡°The guards clocked me as a classer when I entered, but they didn¡¯t question me wanting to buy supplies from classless traders.¡±


    ¡°I imagine it¡¯s quite a common practice around here,¡± Felix said as he packed up his gear. ¡°Though, most folk would be heading north, not south. Still, let¡¯s be careful and put a couple of hours between us and the city, just in case.¡±


    -**-


    Two more days passed as they continued south from Moira¡¯s Hollow. With the last city behind them, Felix felt comfortable for them to take the main roads, such as they were.


    The Triarchy¡¯s influence was hard to see this far south, but Jake supposed that made sense. There was little to draw them here, not when other parts of Strovia needed their attention.


    Perhaps in time, there would be Triarchy outposts down here. For now, however, it was a nice change to be able to not worry about patrols.


    ¡°Here we are,¡± Felix said as they came to the end of the second day from leaving the city and reached a fast-flowing river that the road ran alongside. ¡°Restern is only an hour away if memory serves. We¡¯ll be there tonight.¡±

 DN2 3 - Restern

    It was getting dim when they reached the outskirts of Restern, and a torch-bearing guard was just about to close them when they came into view.


    ¡°Awful late for folks to be out and about,¡± the guard called out, resting one hand on his club as they came closer. ¡°What brings you three all the way out here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here visiting Arnold,¡± Felix said as he gave the guard a friendly nod. ¡°Sorry, we¡¯re a bit late. We got somewhat turned around. He should have already set aside some rooms for us, though, so I wanted to avoid another night on the road.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I think I remember him mentioning that there¡¯d be a couple more folk coming his way,¡± the guard said, relaxing and waving them through. ¡°Just be careful travelling around here this late. There¡¯s not much going on, but that means that any Hollows are usually full to the brim."


    ¡°A good point, thanks for the warning,¡± Felix said with a warm smile as he led them through into the village while the guard set about closing the gate behind them.


    Thankfully, despite the dim light, Felix seemed to know where he was going. It was good, really, as there was very little in the way of lighting within the village.


    The houses along their path had lights shining from within as the people of Restern went about their normal routine, but it did little to drive away the darkness.


    ¡°Here we are,¡± Felix said as they drew up to a larger building in the centre of the village. Dropping his voice, he continued in a low tone. ¡°Be careful with your words for the time being. Loose lips cost lives in these situations.¡±


    Jake and Alan nodded before sharing a concerned look as they followed Felix up to the entrance. That wasn¡¯t exactly an encouraging statement.


    Felix pushed open the door to the inn, letting light and warmth flood out into the slight chill of the evening, before walking in and calling out a greeting. ¡°Arnold, good to see you again!¡±


    Following Felix inside, Jake saw a portly, middle-aged man with a greying beard manning the bar inside the inn¡¯s taproom, a great grin spreading across his face as he saw them enter.


    ¡°Felix!¡± Arnold called out in a surprisingly smooth and deep voice, waving for him to come closer. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you for another few days yet.¡±


    ¡°We made good time,¡± Felix said before turning and waving Jake and Alan closer. ¡°These are my students, there should be two others meeting them here to potentially join their group?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re here, but I¡¯m not sure they¡¯ll do well in a group together,¡± Arnold said with a slightly hesitant expression.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, they seem to have a lot of arguments, though I don¡¯t know about what. I asked about it in case there was some issue, but they were reluctant to discuss anything about it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Felix¡¯s smile turned a touch brittle before he nodded sharply. ¡°Thanks for letting me know. I¡¯ll deal with it from here. We¡¯ll have a group meeting in the morning and talk things through.¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Arnold said, reaching below the counter and rummaging around before producing three sets of keys. ¡°Here, these are for your rooms. I¡¯ll let the other two know you¡¯re here when I next see them.¡±


    ¡°My thanks,¡± Felix said, taking the keys and passing them out between the three of them. ¡°Any other word from our friends?¡±


    Jake heard the slight emphasis on the last word and resisted the urge to look around the taproom and see who else was listening. He was new to this side of things, of subtlety and working from the shadows, and he wasn¡¯t sure he liked it.


    There had been a certain thrill to it at first, that much Jake would admit. The idea of clandestine meetings with the resistance and its members had been exciting, but that excitement had soon faded.


    In its place was left the worry, the doubt and the fear that the Triarchy would learn what they were doing. Even this simple meeting could have turned into a bloodbath if their plans had been discovered.


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    Rather than arriving to warm food and a dry bed, they¡¯d have found a contingent of Triarchy guards waiting for them, and Jake wasn¡¯t sure that even Felix could deal with those odds.


    ¡°Nothing of note,¡± the innkeeper shrugged idly, his posture relaxed and at ease. There was a certain amount of tension in his eyes, though, that made Jake pay attention as he continued. ¡°Some of my cousins of fallen ill, though. I¡¯ve warned them about living too far north in the past, we¡¯re simple folk and not meant for city living.¡±


    ¡°Anything serious?¡± Felix asked softly, and Arnold shrugged with apparent disinterest.


    ¡°No way of knowing for now. We¡¯ll see once the doctor has been to them.¡±


    ¡°I hope everything turns out well for them,¡± Felix said, sharing a final look with Arnold before turning to Jake and Alan. ¡°Let¡¯s get settled in.¡±


    Following Felix upstairs, the three of them stepped into the first of the rooms they¡¯d been given, Felix motioning for them to be quiet until he¡¯d shut the door.


    Felix¡¯s room was twice the size of the one Jake had had in Casthorpe, but then the inn itself was a lot bigger. He¡¯d assumed that just meant more rooms, not bigger ones, but he was pleasantly surprised.


    Taking a seat on one of the two chairs in the room, Jake waited as Felix came over and sat on the edge of the bed, with Alan taking the other chair.


    ¡°So, what did all that mean?¡± Alan asked in a hushed tone, casting a concerned glance at the closed door. It was all the precaution they could take, but it wouldn¡¯t actually do very much.


    ¡°It means that we¡¯ve had people go missing in some of the other resistance cells,¡± Felix said softly, his voice pitched barely above a whisper. ¡°Assistance has been sent, but we won¡¯t know how bad things are until we hear back from them.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯ll be a problem here?¡± Jake asked, matching Felix¡¯s volume despite his growing worry.


    ¡°No, Arnold said it was for places further north. We should be fine here for the time being. Still, it means that the Triarchy might be cracking down on the resistance as part of all this. We¡¯ll be in the area for a little while, so hopefully, we¡¯ll know more before moving on.¡±


    ¡°What about the part about the other two classers arguing, was that code as well?¡± Alan asked hopefully.


    ¡°Unfortunately, no, it wasn¡¯t,¡± Felix said, idly rubbing his jaw with his hand. ¡°We¡¯ll run this Dungeon together regardless, but we may have to look further afield for new party members. That¡¯s a problem for tomorrow, though. Go get settled in. We¡¯ll head to the Dungeon first thing in the morning.¡±


    Jake nodded and left Felix to his thoughts, heading back out of the room and following the numbering system to find his room. He was only a little down the corridor from Felix, and Alan was opposite him.


    Heading into his room, Jake found a copy of the one that Felix had, which was more than enough space for him. Shrugging his pack onto the floor, Jake flopped onto the bed and enjoyed the softness of something other than his bedroll.


    -**-


    Jake made his way downstairs early the next day, drawn by the enticing aroma of bacon, eggs and fresh bread.


    Arnold served up a breakfast sandwich with a wink and a wave of the hand when Jake tried to pay. ¡°First one is free, young man. It¡¯ll be two Wyrdgeld each after that!¡±


    Jake blinked in surprise at the fresh reminder that this was a village of classers, not of ordinary folk. Of course, the costs would be in Wyrdgeld.


    It also had an implication about the food he was about to eat, and Jake hurriedly bit into the bacon and egg sandwich, almost groaning in delight at the depth of rich flavour it held.


    This was definitely Wyrdmeat, though he wasn¡¯t sure if that was the right word for the eggs. He could feel a slight tingle as he digested the Wyrd of the food, and it got to work dealing with the aches and pains of travel.


    ¡°Enjoying that?¡± Felix asked with an amused expression as he sat down opposite Jake and signalled Arnold.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we eat like this every day?¡± Jake asked plaintively, forcing himself to pause between bites to savour the taste. The Wyrdfruit were good, but this was on another level.


    ¡°Because Arnold is a non-combat classer, he¡¯s got some cooking Abilities that let him bring all of this together. You¡¯ll see more of his kind in the higher Realms, and non-combatants in general, for that matter.¡±


    ¡°Really, why?¡± Jake asked, absently nodding to Alan as he joined them.


    ¡°The Deeds needed to reach the next tier are very different for non-combatant classers. Often, they¡¯re around making Worthy creations, which, while difficult, requires only dedication. Succeeding as a combat classer requires that same dedication, but also a similarly dedicated team, and the mental fortitude to cope with the Dungeons.¡±


    ¡°So, what, combat classers trail behind while the rest soar through the tiers?¡± Jake asked, finishing the last of his sandwich with a regretful sigh.


    ¡°To begin with, yes,¡± Felix said, smiling broadly as Arnold delivered him a plate with a cut up sandwich that the instructor could manage with just one hand. ¡°In the end, there are always those who struggle for how to push forward, to hit the limits of their talent and resolve. It is just that without the pressure of death, the first and second tiers are far easier for them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think I understand,¡± Jake said, remembering that Alan, Karl and Rhew were all still struggling to get into the second tier. He was the odd one out with his more straight forward requirements.


    In some ways, he reflected, his Class was more like that of a crafter. He had to do a set number of things, and that was that.


    ¡°Ah, looks like we have our two new prospects,¡± Felix said, motioning slightly to the stairs, where Arnold was speaking to a pair of classers.

 DN2 4 - Fire & Flame

    The two classers that Felix pointed out came over to join them at the table, eyeing each other warily as they did.


    The first was a willowy, thin man with sunken cheeks, but his bright hazel eyes were alert and inquisitive as he cast his gaze across each of them in turn.


    ¡°Gargan Thul,¡± the man said in a soft voice before taking a seat at the table. ¡°Peak second tier caster specialising in fire.¡±


    ¡°Aspen Dedric,¡± the other man said as he took a seat on the opposite side of the table from Gargan. ¡°Peak second tier close combat fighter specialising in flames.¡±


    Aspen was a tall, muscular man with a similar physical presence as Karl, so his role wasn¡¯t that much of a surprise for Jake. Aspen wasn¡¯t as bulky as Karl, however, and looked more like a cross between him and Nepthys in physique.


    ¡°Both fire specialists?¡± Alan asked, glancing between the two questioningly.


    ¡°Yes, but with a different approach,¡± Gargan said evenly, though Jake noted Aspen looked less happy about that.


    ¡°Felix Drusus, I¡¯ll be evaluating you for training, and I¡¯m the mentor of this group,¡± Felix said before giving Alan and Jake a pointed look.


    ¡°Alan Teller, first tier Scholar. I focus on ranged support and observation.¡±


    ¡°Jake, second tier close-combat, no speciality,¡± Jake said, omitting his surname altogether. He had no idea if either of the ones he¡¯d used would be a problem here, but there was no point in taking the risk.


    ¡°Good. Now that we know each other, let¡¯s get to the heart of things. I¡¯ve been briefed on your general capabilities, but we need to know more,¡± Felix said, pushing his plate aside as he leaned forward. I think you¡¯ll be a good fit for the group, so we¡¯ll be heading down to the Dungeon to give that a test. Gather your things and meet me outside. Pack for a full day away. We¡¯ll move as soon as we¡¯re ready.¡±


    Jake nodded and wasted no time in doing just that, heading up to his room to grab his things. He was still using the same gear loadout that Ivaldi had provided him with at the first Dungeon, though he supplemented it with the Hidden Fang dagger from his Boon.


    The wand and the belt to go with it were new as well, and Jake was more than pleased with their addition to his arsenal. He¡¯d have to keep his eyes open for any more weapon-based Boons at this next Dungeon; the versatility of his dagger was incredibly useful, after all.


    In truth, the biggest thing that Jake was missing now was armour. Healing potions and his shield were keeping up with what the Dungeons were throwing his way, but those fights were at least somewhat even.


    Fighting the Triarchy, or those masked classers, was never going to be even, and Jake would need every bit of protection he could get. Still, he wasn¡¯t sure how useful mundane armour would be, not against other classers.


    That meant he needed something infused or maybe even Woven, but that felt like it was out of his reach at the moment. For now, it would be better to focus on getting enough Wyrdgeld to progress through this tier.


    The new strength that he received at each rank would be his best defence for the time being.


    Felix and Alan were waiting outside when Jake left the inn, talking softly about something while pointing at an arrow that Alan was holding. Jake couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying, but Alan nodded thoughtfully and gave the arrow a contemplative look.


    ¡°Ah, Jake, good, we¡¯re just waiting on our two new companions,¡± Felix said as Jake joined them.


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    ¡°While we wait, do you know much about this dungeon?¡± Jake asked, taking advantage of the temporary lull before the others arrived.


    ¡°In passing, it was different when I went through myself,¡± Felix said, his smile fading for a moment before he shook himself. ¡°I¡¯ve asked around in preparation, though, and it seems to be an interesting one.¡±


    ¡°Interesting?¡± Jake echoed with a sinking feeling in his gut.


    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Felix said, his smile turning more natural, if a little malicious. ¡°How do you feel about heights?¡±


    Jake resisted the urge to sigh and was about to ask more when their two new companions emerged from the inn. Both were equipped for a delve, and Jake could immediately see the difference between him and these classers who¡¯d been in the second tier for some time.


    Aspen had a spear resting against his shoulder and a straight sword at his hip, but it was the dark red leather armour he was wearing that really drove home the difference. Jake had the feeling that the armour was an infused item, which meant that it no doubt cost a significant amount of Wyrdgeld.


    By contrast, Gargan was wearing the same sort of clothing as Alan and Jake; serviceable and loose enough to move in but with little protection against anything.


    Gargan also wore a similar belt to Jake, and had two wands at the ready. Jake could only see their hilt, but the one on his left looked similar to the one that Rhew used, while the one on the right seemed to be made from some sort of dark crystal.


    Given Aspen¡¯s armour, Jake had a feeling that Gargan¡¯s second wand was also something special. It did make sense, really; after all, they¡¯d seen how tough second tier Dungeons were.


    If Jake was going to try and take one on, he¡¯d want better equipment as well.


    ¡°Everyone ready?¡± Felix asked, looking between them all before nodding and hiking his pack up onto his shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving, then.¡±


    -**-


    Felix led the way to the Dungeon at a steady jog, a pace that Jake would have struggled to keep going at one point but was now as familiar as a brisk walk.


    The Dungeon was about a six hour walk away, but Felix got them there in just over two hours. Despite the easy beginning, Jake was feeling the pain by the end, and Alan wasn¡¯t much better.


    Jake still went running on a regular basis, but rarely for this long. He hadn¡¯t really considered needing this much endurance, but then, the Dungeons were only getting longer, so it did make sense.


    Making a note to extend his morning runs, Jake checked how the two newcomers were doing.


    Gargan looked a little better than Jake, but that made sense as he understood things. Gargan likely lacked a physical-boosting Trait but was at the peak of their tier. If Jake could improve his Trait and continue his more mundane improvements, he would be able to outperform Gargan in no time.


    Aspen, however, was a different situation. The big man had a runner¡¯s physique, and whatever Abilities he had boosting his physicality were enough to make a several-hour jog beneath his notice.


    Turning his attention to the Dungeon, Jake realised that it was a very similar setup to that of Egans Deja, the duck Dungeon where he¡¯d got Moby. The difference, however, was that this Dungeon seemed to still see some traffic, though not very much.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be staying at the inn rather than out here,¡± Felix said as he saw Jake looking at some of the temporary housing. ¡°We¡¯re less likely to run into any other classers that way, or into anyone checking locations like this.¡±


    The look that Felix gave him made it clear that the second consideration was far more important than the first.


    ¡°Are you coming in with us?¡± Aspen asked as they readied themselves to head inside.


    ¡°No, this one is just for all of you. Be careful, work together, and don¡¯t push into the second tier. This is about seeing how you all mesh, and Alan is still in the first tier.¡±


    It took Jake a moment to catch the implications of that statement; this was a second tier Dungeon. It was only the second of its kind that he¡¯d delved into, even if they weren¡¯t going as far today.


    Jake felt a grin spread across his face as he contemplated the opportunity that lay before him. Aspen and Gargan were both at the peak of the second tier, and Jake was a lot stronger than he¡¯d been the last time he tried one of these.


    If they could get Alan and Nepthys into the second tier, they stood a good shot of actually being able to do this. Of course, Jake would have to increase the rank of his Skill to be able to do this, but that wasn¡¯t an issue.


    Time and Wyrdgeld would solve most of the problems he had, and that just meant they needed to get some good delves under their belt.


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s be about it then,¡± Aspen said, rolling his shoulders before hefting his spear and starting off toward the Dungeon.


    Jake and Alan shared a look before following after Aspen, with Gargan following quietly in their wake.


    Aspen didn¡¯t seem particularly engaged with their group dynamic, though Jake could hardly blame him; it wasn¡¯t as though they¡¯d known each other for long.


    Hopefully, they¡¯d come out of this as something closer to an actual team.

 DN2 5 - Sky High I

    Aspen led the way through the first door of the Dungeon, with Jake coming in a step behind him, shield up and sword unsheathed.


    They¡¯d never been attacked at the entrance to a floor, but that didn¡¯t mean it couldn¡¯t happen, and Jake was going to be careful.


    ¡°Careful,¡± Aspen called out as Jake stepped through, the bright light of the Dungeon blinding him momentarily. ¡°Don¡¯t want to step blindly here.¡±


    Jake blinked rapidly as he adjusted to his new environment, his eyes widening as he took in their surroundings. Aspen gave the same warning to Alan and Gargan as they joined them, but Jake¡¯s attention was elsewhere.


    The four of them stood on a small plateau in a mountain, with sheer rock at their backs and an open sky ahead of them.


    Moving to the edge, Jake peered over to see the steep drop disappear down into a light fog, concealing just how high up they were. That fog could well be clouds, though, which told him just how bad it would be if they fell.


    ¡°This is crazy,¡± Jake murmured, staring around them at the endless blue sky. ¡°Is all of this really here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll kill you, and that¡¯s real enough for me,¡± Aspen said with a laconic shrug. ¡°Not sure about the theory, but believe me, you fall off the edge here, and it¡¯ll be a long way down.¡±


    Jake looked at the impressive drop with a dry mouth, wondering how many others had fallen to their deaths here.


    ¡°Well, at least our path ahead is obvious,¡± Alan said with forced cheer, pointing over to the far side of their little area, where a rocky bridge connected them to another peak.


    At the far end of that bridge, Jake could see a handful of rocky structures stretching up around the path before it carried on out of sight, hidden by a light fog.


    ¡°Those would be where we¡¯ll fight the first group of monsters,¡± Aspen said confidently before hefting his spear and setting off towards the path.


    Gargan seemed content to go at their speed, but Jake didn¡¯t want Aspen to go on ahead too much and so quickly hurried after him, followed by Alan and their new caster.


    The rocky bridge had a slight arch to it and was wide enough for the four of them to walk abreast if needed, which was a good job. Even stepping out onto it was enough to make Jake feel anxious, and despite himself, his pace was slower than usual.


    Despite his initial disregard for staying as a group, Aspen didn¡¯t pull too far ahead and instead moved on slowly until Jake caught up.


    ¡°I¡¯d have thought you¡¯d have gone ahead and dealt with whatever monsters are there on your own,¡± Jake said as he caught up to the other classer.


    ¡°I might be a touch impatient,¡± Aspen said, a slight smile touching his features for a moment. ¡°But I¡¯m not a fool. Even Beasts can overwhelm a strong classer in the right situation. Besides, we¡¯re here to see how we function as a team, and we can¡¯t do that if I slaughter everything.¡±


    Jake gave the muscular man an appraising look, mentally revising some of his initial impressions. The way that Aspen had been bulling forward had been a bit concerning, but at least he seemed aware of the problems that could cause.


    That didn¡¯t necessarily mean that Aspen would do anything to curtail that impatience, but it was something at least.


    With them all moving as a group once more, they began to draw close to the second peak and those rock formations that Jake had spotted earlier.


    ¡°Wait, I see something,¡± Alan called out sharply. The rest of them stopped immediately and took ready positions, but Jake saw no immediate threat. ¡°There¡¯s something on those rocks; I think it¡¯s watching us but hiding.¡±


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    ¡°What is it?¡± Jake asked, peering ahead to try and see what had caught Alan¡¯s eye.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell. Something colourful caught my eye, but it moved too far back before I could make it out clearly. Using my Skill, I can see the edge of its snout but little else.¡±


    ¡°Likely the first example of the monsters we¡¯ll encounter within,¡± Aspen said, glancing down at Jake with a raised brow. ¡°Want me to deal with it?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a shot at it?¡± Jake asked, looking over to Alan, who shook his head. ¡°Then yes, you go first, and I¡¯ll support. Alan and Gargan, you stay here and watch for anything else.¡±


    To Jake¡¯s surprise, no one argued or questioned his orders. He¡¯d half been expecting Aspen to try and take charge, but the big man had simply nodded and waited for Jake to make ready before leading the way.


    Putting aside the almost contradictory behaviour from Aspen, Jake focused on what they were doing as they closed in with the second peak.


    The rocky bridge led them directly to a rocky shelf where a corner of the mountainous peak had been eroded away. The rocky structures were remnants of this, as though they were a hard core that had persisted after the softer rock had been washed away.


    Irregular and uneven, these columns of old rock were perfect for things to hide behind, and Jake was struck by the similarity between this and the way the rats had hidden themselves back in the first Dungeon.


    ¡°On the left, top of the rock,¡± Aspen snapped out in a clipped tone, giving Jake just enough time to look over as something pounced down from above.


    The creature was reptilian in nature and stood about two feet tall, with grey scales lining most of its body that would blend in with the rock around it. This camouflage was somewhat undone by a streak of scales that ran from its head down its back to the tail, which was brilliant crimson.


    Despite the lizard-like appearance, the creature had a long, feathered tail and two wings, which had both scales and feathers.


    Both wings snapped out as the creature descended, letting it adjust its pounce to angle more toward Jake, but that was as much as it managed.


    Aspen¡¯s spear cut through the air to catch the creature mid-attack, swatting it from the air with ease and sending it flying back into the rocky column it had leapt from.


    ¡°Well, that answers that,¡± Aspen said as he walked over and retrieved both his spear and the creature¡¯s Wyrdgeld. ¡°Looks like it¡¯ll be Ekhos up here.¡±


    ¡°Ekhos?¡± Jake repeated, hating that he knew so much less than the other man but eager to learn more.


    ¡°A grouping of feather lizards,¡± Gargan answered as he and Alan joined them. ¡°From the look of it, this is a Lesser Raptor, the weakest of the lineage.¡±


    ¡°What else should we expect then?¡± Alan asked, moving over to examine the Lesser Raptor with interest.


    ¡°For the first five floors, we won¡¯t see anything above Enhanced in strength. For the Ekho lineage, that means more of these,¡± Gargan said, pointing at the dead monster. ¡°As well as the Enhanced version, called Raptors. They look similar but are a bit over twice as tall and run on their hind legs more easily.¡±


    ¡°They also get bone armour in places and are faster than a lot of Enhanced,¡± Aspen said with a frown.


    ¡°Faster than an Ironfur Murk Hound?¡± Jake asked, sighing in relief as both the other classers shook their heads.


    ¡°No, about the same. Bigger and stronger, but easier to hurt,¡± Aspen said, Gargan nodding a moment later.


    ¡°Understood. Thanks for sharing that; it¡¯ll make this much easier,¡± Jake said gratefully.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised you didn¡¯t recognise them. They¡¯re not that common,¡± Aspen said with a shrug before pausing. ¡°Just how many Dungeons have you delved, though?¡±


    ¡°This will be our seventh,¡± Jake said, unsure of if that was a good number or not. Fortunately, it seemed that it was, as both Aspen and Gargan looked faintly relieved. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°About the same for me, maybe a few more,¡± Aspen said with a shrug and a wave of his spear at their surroundings. ¡°Some people find one they like and just stay there, but I find the best training comes with variety, and I like to switch it up regularly.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, we tend to delve repeatedly until we complete it at least once with everything, and then move on,¡± Jake said, mentally revising Aspen¡¯s suitability up slightly once again. That desire to keep moving to new Dungeons would work well with Jake¡¯s need to do exactly that.


    ¡°What about you, Gargan?¡± Alan asked, looking over to the taciturn caster.


    ¡°Ten Dungeons, this is my eleventh. I also keep moving, but that¡¯s because I don¡¯t want the Triarchy to find me. My Patron is outlawed by the Triarchy in Strovia.¡±


    Gargan¡¯s statement fell heavily into the conversation, and Jake blinked in surprise, shocked that someone would casually admit to having a Patron like that. Then again, he¡¯d known coming into this that they both had Patrons; that¡¯s why they were working with the Resistance.


    ¡°Fucking Triarchy,¡± Aspen muttered with distaste. ¡°So, guess we should do the whole Patron introduction thing, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather wait until we see if we can work together first before sharing mine,¡± Jake said before either of them could continue. ¡°I mean no offence, but we barely know each other.¡±


    ¡°None taken,¡± Aspen said with a wave of one hand before pointing to the next rocky bridge that carried onward. ¡°Shall we?¡±

 DN2 6 - Sky High II

    They moved on as a group, and Jake couldn¡¯t help but feel that there was more of a sense of teamwork now that they¡¯d had even that short conversation. It was still new, and there were still miscommunications, but it was getting there.


    It took three more long rocky bridges for them to reach the end of the floor, each one ending in a shattered mountain peak with Lesser Raptors hidden around them.


    Aspen was able to take the first one down in each engagement in the same manner as the first time, and then he and Jake took the rest with swords while Alan and Gargan supported from the rear.


    Despite lacking experience as a group, they faced each ambush head-on and cut down every monster with comparative ease. The Lesser Raptors were fast, but they couldn¡¯t keep up with a second-tier classer, and both Jake and Aspen exploited that ruthlessly.


    The final bridge led them to a replica of their starting point, albeit with more floor space and the usual rocky columns for the raptors to attack from.


    With more open space to use, Alan and Gargan were finally able to shine, and Jake couldn¡¯t help but be proud of Alan¡¯s progress as the Scholar picked off a pair of raptors with rapid shots.


    They¡¯d all progressed such a long way from where they¡¯d started, and Jake almost laughed as he compared the Alan at his back to the one that he¡¯d met just a few months ago.


    Constant training, the threat of painful deaths and the will to improve could do a lot in a short space of time.


    Jake¡¯s cheer faded a little as he considered that it was just the two of them left out of the original four, but he still hoped that they could delve together again one day.


    A blast of flame struck the final raptor, killing it and burning away the feathers of one wing. It was a powerful hit, and it hit a lot harder than Jake had seen any other wand-conjured attack manage, but that only made sense.


    Jake¡¯s thorn wand was a serviceable and useful length of wood that Varin had infused for him. Gargan¡¯s wand, however, was a length of what Jake could only describe as crystallised flames that had been shaped into a long and tight spiral.


    When Gargan used the wand it flared brightly, and Jake felt like he could almost see the flame burning within the wand before it shot forward.


    It was impressive, damn impressive, and it made Jake yearn for a better wand of his own. Once they were done, he¡¯d try to find out how much Gargan had paid for his, both in Wyrdgeld and in materials.


    He doubted he could afford one, but it would be worth knowing more.


    It also made Jake all the more eager to stop off at Ivaldi¡¯s on the way out and see if he could get some answers about where Varin was. There hadn¡¯t been a way for him to contact Ivaldi since they rescued Nepthys, and he was worried about the crafter.


    Felix had said that he¡¯d gotten out of Casthorpe, but that had been a while ago now, and it wasn¡¯t like Varin could protect himself in the way that Jake and Nepthys could.


    With the last raptor dead, the others were already moving to the door to the next floor, so Jake hurried over to join them. This floor had been quite easy, but it would get harder soon enough.


    -**-


    As in the other Dungeons that Jake had delved, the second floor was more of the same, just with more monsters. That wasn¡¯t exactly a problem for them, not when Gargan could kill one with a single blast from his wand, and Aspen could pick them out of the air with a spear throw.


    With each short fight, Jake could feel them starting to work together a little bit better. It would take time to get anywhere significant with it, but this was a good start.


    Gathering their Wyrdgeld, they took a few minute¡¯s break before pushing onto the third floor. This would be where the new monster lineage, as Aspen and Gargan called it, would be introduced


    Jake understood why Ari and Felix hadn¡¯t used all the technical terms from the beginning, but it still made him feel like an amateur when he found out a new one.


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    Some of the changes to the third floor were immediately obvious, as the rocky bridges between larger areas now had more of an arched shape, and the peaks they were moving between were varying in height.


    The first bridge they were crossing was a steady incline, taking them up to a peak that was high enough that they couldn¡¯t see what was waiting for them.


    Moving carefully over the apex of the bridge, they advanced steadily into the first plateau. As before, a pair of raptors leapt out to attack them, and Aspen plucked the first from the air with his spear while Alan shot the second a moment later.


    Aspen turned to give Alan a respectful nod before reclaiming his spear. Alan followed suit to draw out his Wyrdgeld from the dead raptor, and they pushed on, this time descending slightly.


    They were halfway across the bridge when they were attacked by two fast-moving creatures stooping down from above to crash into Alan and Gargan.


    At first, Jake thought they were birds of some kind, but as he turned to try and help Alan, he realised they were actually snakes, but with feathered wings stretching out from them, and had wrapped themselves around their targets.


    The snake on Gargan screamed in pain and fell away with its belly scales burnt through, and after a brief struggle, Alan was able to hold the snake¡¯s head still long enough for Jake to cut through.


    The unfortunate Scholar was drenched in blood and bore a nasty bite on his shoulder but was otherwise alright. His bow had gotten in the way when the snake wrapped around him, making its bite miss his neck and catch his shoulder instead.


    ¡°Well shit,¡± Aspen said simply, poking the charred corpse of the first snake with his spear. ¡°This is a bad mix for a Dungeon like this. Bad for us, that is.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what these are, then?¡± Alan asked, looking up from where he was inspecting the wound on his shoulder.


    ¡°I think this is the Quetzan lineage, but only from what I¡¯ve read,¡± Aspen said with a shrug. ¡°What about you, Gargan?¡±


    ¡°The same. I agree with them being Quetzan, though. There aren¡¯t many other contenders for feathered serpents, after all.¡± The caster spoke thoughtfully as he crouched down and examined the dead snake more closely. ¡°These are Gust Serpents, if I remember rightly.¡±


    Jake did the same for the one he¡¯d killed, taking the time to look it over and understand what he¡¯d be fighting. The Gust Serpent was a few feet long with a substantial wingspan, though the wings seemed able to be tucked in along its body when needed.


    The serpent itself had sky-blue scales, and its feathered wings were a touch lighter but close enough to have the same effect.  It would make spotting these creatures difficult, to say the least.


    ¡°So, anything we should know about them in specific?¡± Alan asked as he finished tending to the bite wound and knelt down for a closer look.


    ¡°The Enhanced monsters of this lineage are called Wind Serpents; they¡¯re bigger and stronger versions of these, but that¡¯s about it,¡± Gargan said softly, taking a last look at the creature before turning away. ¡°We should keep moving.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Jake said, getting to his feet before looking over to Aspen as they started forward once more. ¡°What did you mean about it being bad for us?¡±


    ¡°Well, these snake fuckers will be hard to spot, and it looks like they strike fast as well. That means we need to watch for them constantly,¡± Aspen said, doing just that as he scanned the open sky around them. ¡°The raptors, though, are just as fast and are opportunistic bastards. That means we¡¯ve got to watch for them jumping out of nowhere as well.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s split that up then,¡± Jake said, looking back to Alan and Gargan. ¡°You two watch the skies while Aspen and I watch for raptors, sound good?¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Alan said simply, his eyes already bearing a slight grey film as he used his Skill to search for the creatures.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Gargan said simply, dropping back a little so he was at the rear of the group before taking out his wand once more.


    Jake turned back to see Aspen looking at him thoughtfully, but the big man said nothing and instead picked up the pace as they walked down to the next plateau.


    -**-


    Jake¡¯s delegation of duty worked well enough for the rest of the floor, with Alan and Gargan picking off all of the feathered serpents before they could get close enough.


    Sometimes, the serpents got a little closer than Jake would like, but he understood why.


    It seemed that when the serpents stooped in to attack, they folded their wings along their body, presenting a narrow and fast-moving target for any attackers. Thankfully, they still had to flare their wings at the last moment to slow down enough to engage properly, which was the perfect time to take them down.


    Jake didn¡¯t exactly like leaving it to the last moment, but neither had they suffered any more injuries, so he left it to Gargan and Alan.


    Thankfully, the raptors hadn¡¯t been too much of an issue either, but it definitely helped that they seemed restricted to the plateaus, which gave Aspen and Jake the advantage of knowing when they¡¯d attack, if not where from.


    With a routine developing, it took no time for them to reach the end of the floor, which bore the usual exit, as well as a doorway for a Challenge.


    Jake and Alan both knew that every Challenge would be available to them thanks to Jake¡¯s Class, but Aspen and Gargan were pleasantly surprised.


    Jake considered explaining, but it was a bit early for that yet.


    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯re heading in?¡± Alan asked after a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯d call you crazy if you didn¡¯t want to,¡± Aspen said with a laugh, moving closer to look over the images carved into the door. ¡°Looks like a physical Challenge, running and jumping mainly.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get to it then,¡± Jake said with a grin, stepping up next to Aspen and pushing the door open.

 DN2 7 - Sky High III

    As Aspen had guessed, the Challenge was a physical one. Namely, one where they had to run and jump between columns of rock that rose up from a pool of icy water.


    Literal chunks of ice were floating down there, and Jake had no desire to fall in and find out first-hand just how cold it really was.


    Thankfully, this was the Challenge for the first tier, which meant it was tailored to first-tier classers, so all of them had the capability to complete it with ease.


    Alan struggled the most; his lack of a physical boosting Ability and lower rank worked against him, but he was still advanced enough to outperform the average mid-tier classer.


    Clearing the last of the columns, Jake took a deep breath and shook his head. That wasn¡¯t the worst Challenge he¡¯d done, but it was just difficult enough to be tiring and a bit of a pain.


    ¡°Reward looks like twenty Wrydgeld apiece,¡± Aspen called over once Alan had completed the course and they gained access to the chest. ¡°Divide at the end?¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Jake said, taking a sip of water before offering the flask to Alan, who took it with a grateful smile.


    Aspen nodded and added the coins to his pouch before they all moved on.


    -**-


    The fourth floor of the Dungeon took the premise of the third and expanded it with larger arches and plateaus, keeping them on their toes the entire time as they watched for attacks.


    Fortunately, the monsters were too spread out to overwhelm them, but it was still a tiring process staying alert for so long. To make matters worse, the wind was picking up as well, making the walk along the rock bridges feel a lot more perilous than before.


    To everyone¡¯s relief, the wind didn¡¯t grow strong enough to cause a real issue, and after taking a few moments to adjust, they were able to push on as normal.


    ¡°Break for ten minutes?¡± Aspen said as they reached the end of the floor. ¡°Then blitz the Guardian floor?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Jake said, dropping his pack against the rock and slumping down to a seated position. He wasn¡¯t actually that tired, but it was good to take a few minutes to rest and make sure that they went into the final fight in the best shape they could.


    There was no doubt in his mind that they¡¯d win, not with three of them in the second tier, but it made sense to build good habits.


    There was a companionable air to the group as they took a rest, but before long, they were back on their feet and ready to move on.


    Stepping through to the Guardian floor with his sword at the ready, Jake took a moment to make sure that there were no immediate threats before turning his attention to the area as a whole.


    The Dungeon had brought them to a wide open space, much like the ones they¡¯d started each floor from, with a single straight path leading up to the shattered top of a mountain.


    Ragged clouds were wrapped around the mountain, passing just below the bridge, and its top was a mess of rocky columns and spikes that were thrust up into the air at odd angles.


    What looked like smaller versions of the rock bridge formed a lattice over the top of it all, which he had a feeling would be used to great effect by the feathered serpents.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s quite the dramatic Guardian floor,¡± Aspen said with a chuckle. ¡°Chances are, the one for the next tier is even fancier, though. I don¡¯t suppose you two have ever gotten that far, though, have you?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Jake said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve only been in this tier for a short amount of time, so the furthest we¡¯ve done is the seventh floor.¡±


    ¡°In which Dungeon?¡± Aspen asked.


    ¡°The fire one in Casthorpe,¡± Jake said, mentally vowing that one day, he¡¯d go back and complete it. The Boon from a place like that would be powerful. He could feel it.


    ¡°Ahh, I know that one. Is that the floor with the river of lava you have to cross?¡± Aspen asked, making Jake stare back at him with poorly disguised horror.


    The steaming water had been bad enough; there was actually lava down there as well?


    ¡°No, that¡¯s floor nine,¡± Gargan said before Jake could say anything. ¡°Floor seven is the one with the ridiculous number of snakes.¡±


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    ¡°Got it, yeah, not surprised that is where you struggled. Floor seven is where you really get into the second tier of a Dungeon, after all.¡±


    Jake nodded, filing that information away for the future as he did. From what he remembered, there certainly had been a jump in difficulty between the sixth and seventh.


    The more he spoke with Aspen and Gargan, the more Jake was realising that there was a structure to the Dungeons. They varied massively, the stark contrast between the rat Dungeon and this one, for instance, but they had specific rules they followed.


    It was interesting, and Jake found himself genuinely looking forward to learning more.


    ¡°Anyway, we should crack on with this,¡± Aspen said, waving a hand in the vague direction of the shattered mountaintop. ¡°Any thoughts on tactics and the like?¡±


    ¡°I think the same as we did for the last floor will be fine,¡± Jake said after a moment of thought. ¡°You and I will focus on threats on the ground while Gargan and Alan take out any fliers.¡±


    All three of the others nodded, and the group¡¯s casual atmosphere faded as they began to walk up the long bridge to their next fight.


    As they drew closer, Jake saw flickers of movement among the rocky lattice, confirming his earlier fears. Glancing back at Alan, he saw the familiar signs of the Scholar using his perception Skill, his gaze also on the distant lattice.


    ¡°I¡¯m seeing just the one serpent up there, but it¡¯s bigger than the others we¡¯ve seen. Twice the size, at least. My guess is that it¡¯s a Wind Serpent based on the description of the Lineage from earlier.¡± Alan rattled off the information as they neared the end of the bridge.


    ¡°I¡¯ll prioritise the big one,¡± Gargan said with calm confidence. ¡°You deal with any smaller ones that are hidden.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Alan said, nocking an arrow as they reached the edge of the shattered mountain peak and slowly made their way onto it.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s definitely just the one up there,¡± Aspen called back as they caught sight of the waiting raptors in the centre of the plateau.


    Five of the Lesser Raptors were clinging to rocky columns, watching them carefully, but Jake¡¯s focus was on the sixth one. Over twice as tall as the rest, the Enhanced Raptor stood on two powerful back legs, its long feathered tail lazily swaying from side to side.


    Unlike the Lesser Raptors, the Enhanced had both wings and two forelegs, which ended in large claws. A thick layer of bone, almost like an exoskeleton, formed armour around the creature¡¯s chest and head, protecting its vitals but leaving the large, tooth-filled snout exposed.


    No doubt that bone armour was going to be difficult to get through, but it had limited coverage, leaving a lot for Jake to target if needed.


    The Raptor had risen from where it had been lying on the ground when it saw them, its wings unfurling slightly before folding in tight against its flanks. At full height, the creature was just over five feet tall, but it was powerfully built and likely weighed more than either of them individually.


    ¡°Let¡¯s deal with the big boy first, then mop up the rest. Any Abilities I should know about for this?¡± Aspen asked as the two of them approached the creature directly.


    Alan and Gargan slowed down to wait near the edge; their attention focused on the threat above them. Thankfully, none of the raptors seemed to pay much attention to either of them, instead focusing on Jake and Aspen.


    ¡°Poison dagger that I can conjure and a standard infusion,¡± Jake said in a low tone as they approached the Raptor.


    ¡°Alright, well, let me take this opportunity to show you some of what I can do,¡± Aspen said, a grin spreading across his face as grey Wyrd wrapped around the head of his spear.


    Flames licked up from the spearhead as the Wyrd washed over it, starting as little more than embers but growing until it was enveloped in flames before shrinking down to become a concentrated shroud around the edges of the spearhead.


    Jake could feel the heat coming from the spear as the flames grew in strength, but Aspen seemed unbothered by such things and simply charged straight at the Raptor.


    The Enhanced monster saw Aspen coming and growled before surging into motion and racing to meet him.


    The Raptor was fast, very fast, but as the two clashed, it was left with a burning rent down its flank while Aspen was untouched.


    Crimson feathers smouldered and burnt from where the spear had struck the creature, giving off an acrid smell that mixed with the stench of burnt flesh.


    The Raptor started to turn back to Aspen before seeing Jake and racing toward him instead. The monster¡¯s powerful legs were a blur as it sped towards him, its wings whipping out at the last moment as it jumped.


    Jake threw himself sideways, narrowly avoiding the dagger-like claws of the creature¡¯s hind legs as it landed where he¡¯d been standing.


    Aspen came rushing in, grey Wyrd trailing off of him as he shoulder-barged the creature and knocked it off balance.


    Rolling to his feet, Jake moved to the creature¡¯s far side as Aspen cut it again with his spear. The Raptor seemed unsure of how to deal with the flames so instead threw itself at Jake, claws raking at his face.


    Ready for the attack, Jake moved back just far enough to dodge the vicious swipe, his infused riposte catching a forelimb and cleaving right through with a spray of blood.


    Blood sprayed over Jake as Aspen impaled the creature from behind a moment later, his spear puncturing all the way through its chest and bone armour.


    A shrieking hiss came from above as the Raptor slumped forward, its eyes glazing over. Taking no chances, Jake infused his sword with fresh Wyrd before hacking through its neck and finishing the creature.


    Moments later, a burning feathered serpent that must have been six or seven feet long struck the ground with a wet thud. The monster¡¯s face was a scorched ruin, and it had four arrows sticking out of it, two of which had been set on fire at some point.


    The five Lesser Raptors came swarming in at them, darting forward to strike at Jake and Aspen as they recovered from the fight with the Enhanced Raptor.


    An arrow caught one, and a flaming projectile crisped a second, leaving only three for the two fighters, which was hardly a challenge at this point.


    If the Raptor had wounded them, the situation would have been different, but as it was, they cut down the three Beasts in a flurry of attacks.


    ¡°Well, that was fun,¡± Aspen declared as he pulled his spear from a dead monster, the flames wrapped around its head fading as he did. ¡°Time to see what rewards we get.¡±

 DN2 8 - Tentative

    The reward for the first tier turned out to be a pouch of coins and a stack of wrapped cuts of meat.


    ¡°Lizard steak, good for your muscles,¡± Aspen said approvingly as he caught sight of the meat. ¡°I¡¯ll buy it all at the going rate unless anyone else wants any?¡±


    Jake was tempted, but in the end, he decided he wanted the raw Wyrdgeld more and let Aspen take it all. That left the other three with just over thirty Wyrdgeld each.


    ¡°I remember when this felt like so much,¡± Jake said with a sigh, absorbing his Wyrdgeld and mentally assessing how much he now held. The second rank of this tier would cost him four hundred and forty Wyrdgeld, and he had just under four hundred.


    Two more delves as a group or a single solo delve, and he would be able to advance.


    ¡°Yeah, and it only gets worse,¡± Aspen said with a chuckle before leaning in and whispering loudly. ¡°Rank ten cost five hundred and forty, so look forward to that!¡±


    Jake went pale, and the big classer laughed as he gathered up his stack of steaks before heading for the exit.


    Aspen¡¯s Class had normal Wyrdgeld costs, which meant that for that same rank, Jake would need over a thousand Wyrdgeld.


    ¡°You okay, Jake?¡± Alan asked as he took his own share of what they¡¯d divided up.


    ¡°Yeah, just realising how far I have to go,¡± Jake said with a sickly smile. It was so much Wyrdgeld, and it wasn¡¯t like these numbers would go down.


    If the second tier was this expensive, how bad would the third or fourth be?


    Then again, he was judging this from the earnings of just the first tier. That tidal wave of serpents they¡¯d fought back in the fire Dungeon would have been worth a heap of Wyrdgeld, and that was just the one floor.


    Clutching hard to that idea, Jake pushed his worries down for the moment and followed the others out of the Dungeon.


    ¡°Well, how did it go?¡± Felix asked as they emerged, his eyes scanning over them all before he nodded approvingly. ¡°I see you managed to emerge relatively unscathed. That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°It went well. I¡¯d work with these two again,¡± Aspen said, flashing Jake a grin. ¡°Gargan seems to hold his own as well, so I¡¯d work with him despite his lunacy.¡±


    ¡°Likewise, this group suits me, even with Aspen¡¯s denial of the truth,¡± Gargan said with a sigh. ¡°We should discuss Patrons before doing anything further as a group, though.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Felix said evenly before nodding over to one of the tables set up in front of the Dungeon. ¡°If the two of you take a seat, I¡¯ll catch up with them, and then we can talk it all through.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Aspen said before pausing and rubbing his jaw consideringly. ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s a grill in some of those temporary houses that¡¯s in good condition.¡±


    Jake smothered a laugh as the big man took off at a jog, clutching his pack of steaks like they were precious cargo.


    ¡°So, what did you think?¡± Felix asked, looking between Jake and Alan questioningly.


    ¡°I struggled to get a good read on Aspen,¡± Jake said with a frown. ¡°He was impatient and pushy, to begin with, but then was careful and communicative once things kicked off.¡±


    ¡°He changed once you gave orders,¡± Alan said thoughtfully. ¡°Maybe he just wanted to see that we took it seriously?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Jake said, not quite convinced but willing to take that explanation for now. ¡°We need that conversation about Patrons, but otherwise, I¡¯ve got no issues.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, I had high hopes for him,¡± Felix murmured, a slight smile touching his lips for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell sometimes, as people act differently around a higher tier classer. That¡¯s why I sent you in alone. Now, what about Gargan?¡±


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    ¡°You spent more time with him, Alan. What do you think?¡± Jake asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s quiet, intense and capable,¡± Alan said, shrugging slightly. ¡°He went along with everything we asked, and he seems to know just as much as Aspen about Dungeons, if not more. I liked him, and it helps that he¡¯s damn strong.¡±


    ¡°That wand probably helps,¡± Jake said, but Alan¡¯s point was well taken. ¡°He was impressive, though.¡±


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s have some lunch and talk about Patrons,¡± Felix said, turning away with a satisfied expression to lead them over to the table.


    Aspen had left his spear leaning against the corner and was currently in a nearby house, grilling steaks.


    They had some rations and dried food with them, but the smell wafting out of the open door made Jake¡¯s mouth water.


    Felix produced a small bushel of apple Wyrdfruits from his pack and passed them out while they waited. Jake had a feeling that these were the ones he¡¯d gotten from the Dungeon and sold to Felix, but that only made them sweeter.


    Aspen emerged with plates a few minutes later and snagged a Wyrdfruit on his way back to make more, leaving them a juicy steak sandwich each.


    ¡°Here,¡± Gargan said, opening his pack and pulling out a bottle of something and some stacked metal tumblers wrapped in cloth. Passing a tumbler to each person, he poured out a measure of clear liquid before knocking it back in one.


    Jake followed suit and grimaced as the strong alcohol burned the back of his throat. His eyes watered a little as he felt the liquid fire flow down his throat, but it was mixed with a fruity flavour that more than made up for the heat.


    ¡°More,¡± Gargan said, hefting the bottle and doling out another measure each before knocking his back with a casual motion.


    Aspen had a double measure in his tumbler when he came out to join them, and the big classer knocked it back thoughtlessly before gasping and staring at the tumbler incredulously. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s the good stuff.¡±


    The corner of Gargan¡¯s mouth stretched up into a small smile, and he judged how much was left in the bottle before putting it away. ¡°Now, we talk Patrons.¡±


    ¡°Should I be here for this?¡± Alan asked, his cheeks bearing a touch of red from the two shots of strong liquor.


    ¡°If we¡¯re all going to work together, there needs to be no secrets,¡± Aspen said firmly before considering his words and qualifying. ¡°Well, no secrets about capabilities and threats anyway. I don¡¯t give a shit about your personal stuff, as long as it doesn¡¯t come round and fuck me.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Gargan said simply, and Jake echoed him a moment later.


    ¡°Good. Now, my Patron is Kalinkos, part of the Unaligned Pantheon. He is the Patron of Fire and Dedication. Of using that burning core within you and forging it within the heat of battle.¡± Aspen¡¯s eyes were lit with the passion of a true believer, and Jake listened intently as he described his god.


    ¡°So, what does that mean in a practical sense?¡± Jake asked, wanting to compare their Patron Gifts.


    ¡°It means that I have protection from fire, but in the future, I will have Abilities that help me prosper in combat.¡±


    Jake nodded, wondering just what those Abilities would look like. ¡°What about you Gargan?¡±


    ¡°I serve Napthir, also of the Unaligned Pantheon. She is the Patron of Cleansing and Rebirth.¡± Gargan seemed to ignore the pointed look that he got from Aspen, instead calmly waiting for questions from Alan and Jake.


    ¡°So, do you get a similar Gift as Aspen, then?¡± Jake asked, noting the almost malicious gleam in Gargan¡¯s eyes as he realised what the question was.


    ¡°No, one of my Class Abilities gives me resistance to flames. My Patron Gift is far more useful,¡± Gargan said, carefully not looking at the outraged Aspen. ¡°I am able to infuse my fire with a purifying aspect, which allows me to gain the basis of control around what is burnt and what isn¡¯t. Unclean or impure things are also more easily burned by my flames.¡±


    Jake was well aware of how the views of the classer could affect how their abilities functioned, but he also remembered the warning about not taking it that far.


    Gargan¡¯s Gift was a good example of that it seemed, especially if he could mark his allies as being ¡®pure¡¯, as what then happened if someone did something that he subconsciously viewed as impure?


    How would he react to monsters if he always regarded them as impure?


    Jake had concerns, but Gargan had been nothing but a boon to them so far, even with his small jabs at Aspen.


    ¡°One question before I talk about mine,¡± Jake said after a few moments of thought. ¡°Can you tell me about the Unaligned Pantheon?¡±


    Both of the other classers looked surprised at the question and exchanged a thoughtful look before Gargan spoke up. ¡°It is a neutral Pantheon, one that exists outside of those like the Triarchy. It gives our Patrons allies, and those of us with Patrons who share a Pantheon are encouraged to work together for the common good.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Jake said, wishing that they all shared a Pantheon, that would have made things much easier. ¡°In that case, my Patron is The Great Dungeon, a member of The First Pantheon. I¡¯m still new to this, so I don¡¯t really know the principles it stands for.¡±


    Even as he spoke, Jake remembered his vision and the things waiting just outside the thin layer of protection that surrounded their reality. He wasn¡¯t sure that sharing such knowledge was really for the best, though.


    ¡°Are you being serious?¡± Aspen asked in a strangled voice, his eyes wide with shock.

 DN2 9 - Advancing

    It occurred to Jake a moment too late that his introduction to gods had been somewhat skewed. The issue for him had always been about having a Patron at all, and The Great Dungeon was as bizarre and foreign to him as any other god.


    Since then, he¡¯d met followers of both of the other gods within that Pantheon, so he hadn¡¯t really considered how that would come across to someone with a Patron from a different Pantheon.


    Both Aspen and Gargan looked shocked by his declaration, and Jake wondered how they¡¯d react when meeting Nepthys and Varin. Best to get all that out of the way now.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m serious, and another member of our party has The Watcher as a Patron. I work with a crafter who follows The Woven Artificer as well.¡± Jake took perverse pleasure in leaving the two classers too stunned to speak.


    It was a nice change that he wasn¡¯t the one dealing with all the surprises.


    Aspen went to speak several times, but each time, he frowned and shook his head. Eventually, he took a breath and met Jake¡¯s eyes with a serious expression. ¡°I understand why you¡¯ve been careful about this, and I was already on board just to fuck over the Triarchy, but this is so much more.¡±


    ¡°If you want to back out, none of us will think any less of you,¡± Jake said, his heart sinking a little as he remembered the same conversation with Karl and Rhew.


    ¡°Back out?¡± Aspen echoed with a laugh, the seriousness fading away to be replaced by an almost manic look of anticipation. ¡°To follow Kalinkos is to seek refinement of yourself through battle, and the hotter the flames, the better the result. This kind of insanity is rare to find; you couldn¡¯t keep me away if you tried.¡±


    Jake was caught flat-footed by the abrupt intensity in Aspen¡¯s manner and struggled to think of how to answer for a few moments. In the end, though, as concerning as that was, Jake had few options.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re in. Gargan, what about you?¡± Jake turned to the other classer, almost breathing a sigh of relief as he saw Gargan was as stoic as normal.


    ¡°Little had changed for me. I¡¯m surprised by your Patron, but that changes nothing,¡± Gargan said with a slight shrug of one shoulder. ¡°I have few options for how to proceed right now, after all. Opposing the Triarchy is important, but I do not pointlessly seek confrontation like Aspen.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re willing to join us,¡± Jake said quickly before Aspen could retort. ¡°The fifth member of our group is busy trying to fulfil her requirement for tier two currently, but once she¡¯s done, she¡¯ll join us.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I suggest we do the same for Alan,¡± Gargan said, nodding to the Scholar, who had been watching them with quiet consideration.


    ¡°Me?¡± Alan echoed with a look of surprise.


    ¡°Not a bad point, actually,¡± Jake said, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. ¡°What do you need to tier up, Alan?¡±


    ¡°I need to find more secret things,¡± Alan said, looking a little uncomfortable at being the centre of attention. ¡°I¡¯ve made good progress, especially with the ducks, but I¡¯m short for about twenty.¡±


    ¡°Hidden creatures count for you, then?¡± Gargan asked, a small smile touching the corners of his mouth as Alan nodded. ¡°Then it¡¯s simple; we just need to run the Dungeon again. The raptors like to hide, so you can lead from the front and spot them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I like it,¡± Jake said with a firm nod. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break, then get back to it.¡±


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    Running a Dungeon multiple times was nothing new to any of them, and Gargan¡¯s point about Alan was a good one. If they could get the Scholar to advance to the next tier, it would be just a matter of time and effort until they could manage the tier two Dungeons.


    It was frustrating that attempting the second tier of the Dungeon was an all-or-nothing proposition right now. Jake would love to get a good idea of just how close they were to being able to succeed.


    ¡°Well, you all seem to be on the same page,¡± Felix said, getting to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m going to head back and send some messages. I¡¯ll meet you all in the inn later.¡±


    -**-


    The second run through the Dungeon started off a lot slower, with Alan and Jake leading the way, followed by Aspen and Gargan.


    Without Aspen¡¯s ability to pick the raptors out of the air, Alan was taking things more slowly and using his Skill to pick them out at a distance.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Alan cursed as his arrow caught a raptor and knocked it clean off the platform it had been hiding on. ¡°Sorry, everyone, I didn¡¯t think it would go that far back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. The Wyrdgeld will be waiting at the end of the floor,¡± Aspen said, waving away Alan¡¯s apology. ¡°If we miss any, then that¡¯s on us, but the ones we can¡¯t get to are provided at the end.¡±


    ¡°Huh, interesting,¡± Jake said, more to himself than anything. He knew the Dungeons were at least somewhat aware and watching, but he hadn¡¯t realised that they could manipulate things like that.


    The more Jake learned about Dungeons, the more he was confused by them and how they functioned. For that matter, he was questioning why they even existed to begin with, and the same with Hollows, for that matter.


    He assumed his Patron was involved somehow, but Jake was a long way from being able to get those kinds of answers.


    Shaking the thoughts off and focusing back on the matter at hand, Jake followed Alan onto the next narrow section of rock and watched for any feathered serpents that might lurk nearby.


    -**-


    They finished the Dungeon without much issue, and after a moment of introspection, Alan announced he was close, very close, to meeting the requirements for his next tier.


    While Alan had spotted far more raptors than he needed, they¡¯d hit a slight snag; the raptors weren¡¯t that good at hiding.


    It was the Worthy aspect of the requirement coming back to bite them on this. Spotting a half-hidden raptor gave Alan nothing; they needed to be truly hidden in ambush for the System to give him credit for it.


    Jake called for a break before they went back in to give them a chance to take a drink and unwind, if nothing else.


    Realistically, they didn¡¯t need the break, but there was no pressing need for them to push themselves right now. It was better that they took a steady pace and maintained it.


    To Jake¡¯s surprise, both Aspen and Gargan had forfeited their share of the Wyrdgeld from the last delve. Instead, Alan and Jake split the whole thing, giving Jake enough to rank up once they were done for the day.


    ¡°It¡¯s better spent letting you two catch up,¡± Aspen said with a half-shrug when Jake asked why. ¡°The big earner is the second tier, and we¡¯re both at the top of the tier, anyway. More Wyrdgeld is only useful for gear at this point until we can fulfil our requirements to reach the third tier.¡±


    ¡°Which is why you both have Infused items. You¡¯ve spent that extra on your armour, and Gargan spent his on his wand,¡± Jake said with a nod, understanding why Aspen was so easygoing about it.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Aspen said with a short bark of laughter. ¡°My armour, sure, but Gargan¡¯s wand is Woven. I don¡¯t know how much he paid for that, but it was probably hundreds of Wyrdgeld.¡±


    ¡°No wonder it¡¯s so powerful,¡± Jake said, glancing over to where Gargan was talking with Alan.


    ¡°Yeah, and before you go getting ideas, you need materials as well as Wyrdgeld to make one. It¡¯s a lot more involved than making a standard infused item, as well, so you can¡¯t just rock up with any old thing and make it work.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll link back up with Varin eventually. I¡¯ll ask him about it then,¡± Jake said thoughtfully before glancing over to Ivaldi¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m going to get my gear topped up, and we¡¯ll crack on when I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Aspen said, leaning back in his chair and getting comfy as Jake stood up.


    Leaving the others to relax, Jake made his way over to the familiar glass and metal shape of Ivaldi¡¯s store. He hadn¡¯t spoken with the odd shopkeeper since he reached the second tier, and while he was looking forward to that and finding out more about Varin, he was nervous.


    Ivaldi knew a lot, both about the world in general and about Jake specifically. By contrast, Jake knew almost nothing about Ivaldi. He wasn¡¯t human; that much was obvious. Unfortunately, that brought Jake no closer to figuring out what he actually was.


    Regardless, Ivaldi had promised he¡¯d explain more once Jake was committed, and there was no more committed than where he was at right now.


    Laughing at himself, Jake shook off his unease, pushed open the door and walked inside.

 DN2 10 - Ivaldi

    ¡°Jake Khesh, be welcome in my domain,¡± Ivaldi said, his bass voice echoing out into the room a moment before he emerged from the darkened passageway at the rear of the room to take his usual seat, one hand pulling a second stool into sight from the darkness. ¡°It is good to see you again. Join me as a guest¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be glad to,¡± Jake said, walking over to sit on the stool opposite the big shopkeeper. ¡°A lot has happened since we last spoke. How much are you aware of?¡±


    ¡°Too much and yet far too little for my liking,¡± Ivaldi said, pulling out a wax-sealed container and two mugs. ¡°I know that congratulations are in order, Knight Khesh.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jake said, waiting for Ivaldi to pour out a measure of rich amber liquid into his mug before taking it and sipping on the deliciously warm drink. The drink that Gargan had shared with them earlier was nice, but it was a pale shadow of this.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you decided to commit to your Patron. What convinced you?¡± Ivaldi asked as he sipped at his drink.


    ¡°I had some sort of vision where I connected to it,¡± Jake said, thinking back to the experience and what he¡¯d seen. ¡°It helped me realise that there is so much more going on than all of this. That perspective let me see that my problem wasn¡¯t with the Patron but with the lack of choice.¡±


    ¡°That did seem to be the crux of what you disliked about it all,¡± Ivaldi said with a nod, motioning for Jake to continue.


    ¡°Yeah, and once I understood that, I was able to see things more clearly. I¡¯ll never be happy with how I was thrown into everything with no warning, but I¡¯ve always wanted the strength to make a difference, and this Class is my path to that.¡±


    ¡°The Dungeon Noble Class has one of the highest potentials for growth out of all of them; you simply need time and dedication to see it through. I believe you can see that already with the Boons you¡¯ve accumulated.¡±


    Jake nodded, thinking of the range of Abilities he could call on with his Boons. The Hidden Fang, in particular, had served him well, as had Moby, as much as Jake didn¡¯t want to admit it.


    ¡°I have, and without all of them, I would have died rescuing Nepthys, and so would have my friends. Even so, we were lucky that we could fight the masked classers one at a time.¡±


    ¡°Masked classers?¡± Ivaldi echoed with a frown before raising a finger. ¡°Wait, before we discuss that, I have this for you.¡±


    Reaching just out of sight, Ivaldi produced a wand, one that looked almost identical to the one that Varin had made for him. ¡°Here, Varin gave me this to pass on to you. Would you like to take it, or shall I hold onto it for you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll take it for now, thank you,¡± Jake said, taking the wand and slipping it into his pack. He¡¯d forgotten that he¡¯d commissioned a second wand, but this was good timing.


    He was still experimenting with combining the sword and wand together, and while he didn¡¯t really need the second one, he wanted to try and use two at once and see what that felt like.


    There were no real limitations on what he could or couldn¡¯t use in a Dungeon, just what he could get replaced if it was lost. With that in mind, Jake would prefer to have a varied arsenal rather than stick to just one thing.


    ¡°So, what was this about masked classers?¡± Ivaldi asked, bringing Jake back from a daydream of slaughtering rats with twin thorn wands.


    ¡°They attacked the outpost where they were holding Nepthys. Two of them had gotten into the prison and slaughtered most of the guards when we arrived. They had black and white masks, and when we first arrived, they asked us about fate or something.¡±


    Ivaldi sat back with a concerned look, his gaze turning distant for a moment before he grimaced and he refocused on Jake. ¡°Have you seen any sign of these classers since then?¡±


    ¡°No, I only saw the two of them and killed them both,¡± Jake said slowly, a knot of worry forming in his gut as Ivaldi¡¯s concerned expression didn¡¯t ease. ¡°Why, who are they?¡±


    ¡°I know little, far too little, but I can tell you we have fragmentary reports of them being involved in the purge that happened when the Triarchy first arrived.¡±


    ¡°You mean they¡¯re who killed my family?¡± Jake asked numbly, his heart skipping a beat as Ivaldi nodded.


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    ¡°All I really know is that they were involved somehow and that they call themselves the Fatesworne. We believe they have a Patron of some kind who is obfuscating them, and while we have our suspicions, there is nothing we can do at this moment.¡±


    ¡°Fatesworne,¡± Jake said, tasting the word as he silently pledged to kill the next ones he came across. He might never have known his family, but these bastards were the ones that robbed him of that, and for that, they¡¯d pay.


    ¡°You should tell Felix that they are involved; he might have come across the name himself.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Jake said, curious to see if the older classer had heard of them despite not recognising them. Felix was quite knowledgeable, after all. ¡°Wait, you told me it was an unknown group when we first met. Why did you keep this from me?¡±


    ¡°You had yet to commit to your Patron,¡± Ivaldi said with a slight shrug, his dark eyes unreadable as he poured another measure for them both. ¡°Besides, the name is all we have. I won¡¯t share that with just anyone without cause.¡±


    ¡°You keep saying ¡®we¡¯. Who are you including in that?¡± Jake asked, but Ivaldi simply laughed and shook his head.


    ¡°There are some truths you¡¯re not ready for, Jake,¡± Ivaldi said, waving aside the question. ¡°It would be best for you to focus on the things that matter right now. Getting stronger and getting out of the Triarchy.¡±


    Jake considered arguing for a moment, but he had a strong feeling that it would get him nowhere fast. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. It just feels endless. I get stronger, but I¡¯m still not strong enough to make a difference.¡±


    ¡°A feeling that will likely persist in one form or another up until the very end,¡± Ivaldi said, not unkindly. ¡°You have made great progress, but you are still at the very start of your journey. Focus on that if you must.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± Jake said, knocking back his drink and starting to rise before pausing. ¡°You mentioned Varin earlier. Is he alright?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine, but he¡¯s in hiding right now. Would you like me to share your location with him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, go ahead,¡± Jake said, thinking about how useful it would be to have a crafter with them. ¡°See if you can get an idea of how long he¡¯ll be as well. We¡¯re waiting for Nepthys, but it won¡¯t be forever.¡±


    ¡°I will do. Check in with me in a few days, and I should have some answers for you,¡± Ivaldi said as he put away the empty container and mugs. ¡°It was good to see you, Jake. If you¡¯re willing to take some advice, I¡¯d say that you shouldn¡¯t attempt a full tier two Dungeon until you and Alan are halfway to the third rank and have at least one active Ability to attack with each.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually quite helpful, thanks,¡± Jake said honestly as he got up. Just having some sort of mark to measure by would be incredibly useful when they tried it.


    The last thing they needed was to try and fail; their deaths would no doubt be painful. Not to mention that they¡¯d lose their gear as well, which would be all the worse.


    Actually, Jake seemed to remember something about Woven items surviving when Infused ones didn¡¯t, but the details didn¡¯t matter right now.


    Bidding Ivaldi goodbye, Jake made his way back out to the group and gathered them together for their next delve. Alan would have the requirement for tier two from this, so then all he would need is the Wyrdgeld.


    Jake didn¡¯t know how much Alan had, but it was still early afternoon, so they had time for one more after this one and still make it back for a decent hour.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be about it then,¡± Jake said, shooting the others an eager grin as they reached the steps down to the first floor of the Dungeon.


    -**-


    ¡°Yes!¡± Alan whooped in joy about halfway through the Dungeon, his cry disturbing a raptor which had been about to pounce on them.


    ¡°Was that the last one?¡± Gargan asked, his wand flicking out almost lazily to send a tight spiral of flames blazing over to immolate the unfortunate monster.


    ¡°Yes, I just need a bit more Wyrdgeld, and I can finally tier up,¡± Alan said, his gaze focusing on them as he finished checking.


    ¡°Well, in that case,¡± Aspen said, hefting his spear with a malicious smile. ¡°Let¡¯s try a change of pace.¡±


    -**-


    In the end, they finished their third delve much faster than the second as Aspen tore through each floor, butchering the raptors with comparative ease.


    If the Dungeon had been designed around larger fights they would have struggled more, but as it was, Aspen was just too quick for the raptors to properly ambush them.


    The Guardian floor was the only one where Aspen even bothered to set his spear aflame, and the fight was over just as quickly as last time.


    Jake and Alan split the Wyrdgeld equally once again, which Alan said left him just short of what he needed.


    They were all a bit tired after three delves, but Jake kept them all on task and after a short break, they were back in for the fourth.


    As soon as he entered, Jake felt his mind sharpen; no, it wasn¡¯t that. It was more like he gained a slight clarity of purpose. It was enough to help him stay on task and keep pushing forward, so it was more than welcome.


    Considering it as they paused at the end of the first floor for a drink, Jake put it down to his Lesser Delver¡¯s Will Trait. He hadn¡¯t noticed it earlier, as the effect was barely noticeable, but now that he was tired, it was more apparent.


    Regardless, it was good to get a sense of what it did, and he knew it would come in handy for any future solo delves he wanted to do.


    -**-


    They finished their last delve of the day with a somewhat anti-climactic fight where Jake buried his Hidden Fang into the Enhanced Raptor¡¯s eye, effectively injecting poison directly into its brain.


    It was the first time that they¡¯d won their fight before Gargan and Allan won theirs and was a good note to end on.


    ¡°Alright, good work today, everyone,¡± Jake said, feeling a little awkward but wanting to express how proud he was of their group. They were new to each other, and this Dungeon, but they¡¯d come together and worked hard.


    Aspen and Gargan both seemed to be deferring to Jake, and Alan already followed his lead, so it looked like he was going to be the leader, but that was fine by Jake.


    He might not have that much experience, and things like praising everyone felt stilted and awkward, but any measure of control over his life was something he could get behind.

 DN2 11 - Scholarly Pursuit

    Alan was almost buzzing with excitement on their way back to the inn, but Jake couldn¡¯t really blame him. He¡¯d not gotten too worked up over his own advancement, but it had also been after a gruelling period of seemingly endless delving.


    Hopefully, when he eventually managed to reach the third tier, he¡¯d be able to appreciate the process a bit more.


    Putting Alan¡¯s excitement aside, Jake considered the big question he needed to answer before they got back. Should he advance now, or should he wait and advance with enough Wyrdgeld to upgrade or purchase some more Abilities?


    It was frustrating that the changes could only happen when he ranked up, as that usually consumed the vast portion of Jake¡¯s Wyrdgeld. For that matter, the strengthening of his body that the process entailed had been worth more than spending his hard-earned Wyrdgeld on an Ability.


    Now, however, there was less pressure to reach the next tier, and Jake had his Infused Strike and Lesser Delver¡¯s Will Abilities that he could increase. His Constitution Trait might be worth increasing again as well.


    The problem was that all of this rushing had left Jake with a somewhat haphazard understanding of the costs of being a classer, and he had no idea how much all that would cost.


    Jake eyed Aspen and Gargan, knowing that both of them would have a far better understanding than he did. Gargan was busy speaking softly with Alan, so that just left Aspen.


    Swallowing down his pride, Jake moved over to the other classer and cleared his throat. ¡°We¡¯re still quite new to all this, so do you mind if I ask you a question or two?¡±


    ¡°Ah, rushed through the first tier and still figuring things out?¡± Aspen asked, chuckling as Jake nodded. ¡°Sure, go ahead. Can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll know the answers, though.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about Abilities. I¡¯m thinking of ranking up the ones I have, but I¡¯ve only ever increased one. I know they vary cost by rarity, but do you know by how much?¡±


    ¡°Huh, not a question I was expecting,¡± Aspen said, rubbing the corner of his left eye in a thoughtful gesture. ¡°Pretty straightforward solution, though. If you summon your System and mentally focus on the Skill or Trait, you¡¯ll know the cost to increase.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Jake said, his cheeks warming a little. He really could have figured it out for himself. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t realise.¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve been doing this for a lot longer than you,¡± Aspen said with an easy laugh, displaying none of the focus and borderline bloodthirst that came out in the Dungeon. ¡°On the subject, you know how rarities work, right?¡±


    ¡°The higher the rarity, the stronger the Skill?¡± The statement somehow came out as more of a question despite Jake¡¯s best efforts.


    ¡°Not quite. One of my favourite facts is that a rank one Mythical Skill has just as much raw power as a rank one Common Skill,¡± Aspen said, grinning at the confused look on Jake¡¯s face. ¡°I know, crazy isn¡¯t it.¡±


    ¡°But, higher rarity Skills do more, right?¡± Jake asked, thinking back to when Ari had gone through how his Lesser Noble Constitution Trait had worked.


    ¡°Yeah, often the wording gives them far more depth, but the size of the increase they apply is the same. Common might increase your endurance, whereas uncommon increases endurance and stamina, but they both increase your endurance by the same amount at rank one.¡±


    ¡°So what does rarity do then?¡± Jake asked, considering the wording of his own Traits.


    ¡°It lifts the cap of how strong an Ability can become,¡± Aspen said, an almost maniacal gleam entering his eyes. ¡°Common caps out at the first rank, so even if you get it to rank ten, it still gives a minor increase. Uncommon goes to small, which is for rank two. Rare to medium, for rank three. Very Rare goes to large at rank five, and then legendary gets great at seven, and mythical and unique can both go all the way to tremendous at rank ten.¡±


    Jake¡¯s eyes went wide, and he remembered how the wording of his Trait had changed when he increased it. That all checked out, but it meant that the only Ability he had that could improve its power was Infused Strike, which was an uncommon Skill at the first rank.


    ¡°So, once you reach that cap on strength, the only way to improve an Ability is to get it to rank ten and then upgrade it?¡± Jake asked, sighing heavily at Aspen¡¯s nod. That was a lot of Wyrdgeld he was going to have to spend, and it wasn¡¯t as if he didn¡¯t already need every last bit.


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    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s about the speed of it,¡± Aspen said with a slight shrug. ¡°It doesn¡¯t help that you have to have the right Deeds to improve it as well. Some folk push to the cap with their Abilities and then only go the rest of the way when they¡¯re focusing on upgrading it.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Jake asked, sensing that it wasn¡¯t a point of view that Aspen agreed with.


    ¡°I prefer to get everything to the highest rank, and then when I do demonstrate my worth, I can reap the rewards immediately,¡± Aspen said, flashing Jake a quick smile. ¡°I know in my heart that I¡¯ll upgrade all of them, after all, so why waste time not knowing if I can upgrade something?¡±


    It was a valid point, and Jake had the feeling that Aspen¡¯s approach was one he was going to share.


    Turning his focus inwards, Jake summoned his System and examined each Ability in turn until he had a list of the costs. Unfortunately, it looked like the cost hiked at rank five, and though his Constitution Trait had cost forty Wyrdgeld to rank up before, it was two hundred now.


    That wasn¡¯t an amount he was willing to spend, especially not without any benefit. If the same pattern held true for the others, though, he would have enough to bring both his Strike Skill and Delver¡¯s Will to rank four and still afford his rank up.


    Nodding to himself, Jake decided to do just that. He¡¯d focus on his ranks for now, but he felt that he¡¯d reach rank ten before he could Ascend to the next tier. At that point, he could start in on the Abilities and catch them up.


    Satisfied with the plan and with learning more about how everything worked, Jake settled back and let himself enjoy the hike back to the inn.


    -**-


    Jake was stretching for a run the next morning when Alan and Felix joined him. The Scholar was telling Felix about his advancement with clear excitement and flashed Jake a wide grin when he saw him.


    ¡°So, what did you pick?¡± Jake asked, remembering the options he¡¯d been given when he did it himself.


    ¡°Well, I had the option of staying as a pure Scholar, and surprisingly, there was a Class about archery as well. I chose to become an Inquisitive Scholar instead, though,¡± Alan said, his infectious grin making Jake smile in return despite his confusion.


    Felix saw Jake¡¯s expression and cleared his throat. ¡°Non-Patron Classes have multiple choices for how to progress. Your path is set by your Patron.¡±


    Jake nodded in understanding, though he did feel a small flash of envy that Alan had such control over his Class. Jake appreciated the power of the Dungeon Noble Class, and he did have control over what Boons he chose, but it sounded like Alan¡¯s control was so much greater.


    Jake had chosen to rank up overnight as well. He¡¯d spent almost every Wyrdgeld he had, but he¡¯d been able to increase the rank of some of his Skills as well. Calling up his status, he looked it over with pride. He¡¯d worked hard for this.


    Name - Jake Khesh


    Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon


    Class - Dungeon Noble - Knight


    Tier - II


    Rank - II


    Dungeon Network - 5


    Plexus Strength - Minor


    Plexus Manifestations - 3/3


    Plexus Points - 2


    Traits


    Physical - Lesser Noble Constitution (IV) - Rare - Descended from a Noble bloodline, you have a medium enhancement to physical characteristics.


    Mental - Lesser Delver¡¯s Will (IV) - Common - Gird your will, advance endlessly. Provides a minor bonus to willpower when delving Dungeons.


    Skills


    Passive - Personal Plexus (II) - Very Rare - You gain the ability to bind Dungeons and form your own Plexus, with a small increase to the strength of Dungeons that may be bound. Currently, Dungeons up to Tier II can be bound. Doubles the Wyrdgeld cost of advancing in Class Rank.


    Active - Infused Strike (II) - Uncommon - You are able to infuse your weapon with a small amount of Wyrd, strengthening your blows and sharpening the edges of your weapon.


    Patron Gifts


    Passive - Agent of the Great Dungeon (II)  - Very Rare - You are bound to the Great Dungeon by blood. Other followers of the Great Dungeon will recognise you and aid you as they may.


    Passive - Sense Dungeon (II) - Rare - As an agent of the Great Dungeon, you are able to passively sense the location of nearby Dungeons in a meagre range.


    Passive - Authority of The Great Dungeon (I) - Very Rare - You have the approval of The Great Dungeon and may enact rituals in its name. You gain the knowledge of the Ritual of Castigation. Misuse of this authority may result in its removal.


    Plexus Boons


    Hidden Fang -(II)- Granted by the Holrswar Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a dagger with inherent poisonous properties. Using the dagger, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Orchard¡¯s Gift -(II)- Granted by the Aptofir Veranis Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest an apple infused with vitality. Ingesting the apple transfers this vitality, healing and sating the hunger of its consumer.


    The Mighty Drake - (I) - Granted by the Engans Deja Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest Moby, a mighty drake, to aid you. The Manifestation is consumed in maintaining Moby¡¯s presence, not his actions.


    Plexus Development -(II)- This Boon may only be increased in rank by choosing it at additional Dungeons, but it has no cap on its rank level. Increases Manifestations available by one per rank. Granted by the Haugask Deja and Wilfek Murk Dungeons.


    Deed requirement to increase Tier


    1 - 5 Tier II or higher Dungeons bound


    2 - Rank X


    Requirements to increase to Rank III


    1 - 520 Wyrdgeld

 DN2 12 - Escalation

    ¡°Felix, do you have a moment?¡± Jake asked once they¡¯d finished their run. He¡¯d let Alan get the excitement out of his system first, but he needed to discuss his conversation with Ivaldi.


    ¡°Of course, what do you need?¡± Felix asked, quirking an eyebrow questioningly.


    ¡°I had a talk with Ivaldi about those masked classers,¡± Jake said, pausing as Felix held a hand up and gestured for him to follow.


    They¡¯d been outside the inn, but Felix led him inside and up to his room. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in here. We want to keep things like this as quiet as we can. So, what did he tell you?¡±


    ¡°That the masked classers are called Fatesworne. He said that they were involved in the purging of Strovia when my family died,¡± Jake said, his voice tight with emotion as he said the words aloud.


    ¡°Gods protect us,¡± Felix said, running his hand through his short hair before letting out a heavy sigh. ¡°I wish he¡¯d shared such information with me. We¡¯ve wondered for years who was behind the parts that couldn¡¯t have been the Triarchy. For that matter, we¡¯ve wondered who was behind this attitude of the local Triarchy authorities.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean about the local Triarchy?¡± Jake asked.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve mentioned in the past that the Triarchy as a whole isn¡¯t as intolerant as it is in Strovia, right?¡± Felix asked, waiting for Jake to nod before continuing. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve never been able to pinpoint exactly why they¡¯re like this. The Triarchy homeland is quite insular, but nothing like we see here, and we don¡¯t know why.¡±


    ¡°Does it matter? We know the Triarchy are our enemies, after all,¡± Jake said with a shrug, uncaring of the deeper reasons.


    ¡°Yes, because while the Triarchy may be acting as our enemy, someone has turned it to that purpose. We must be careful, Jake. We don¡¯t understand the situation well enough.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so,¡± Jake said, not sure he entirely agreed with Felix. The Triarchy had been his enemy since he was a child, and he¡¯d seen how they treated people.


    ¡°Good. Anything else we need to discuss?¡±


    ¡°Well, the part I don¡¯t understand is why me?¡± Jake asked, waving a hand to himself at Felix¡¯s questioning look and explaining. ¡°Why tell me, and why not tell you?¡±


    ¡°Ivaldi is a rule unto himself,¡± Felix said with a shrug. ¡°He¡¯s powerful, very powerful, but he never steps outside of his role, or at least, I never thought he did. If he¡¯s giving you information, then I¡¯d be inclined to take it very seriously.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t tell me why he¡¯s doing it, though,¡± Jake said, some of his frustration bleeding through into his voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s a question only he can answer,¡± Felix said with a shrug. ¡°Thank you for telling me about the Fatesworne, though. I should be getting a report in a few days. Once I do, I¡¯ll pass it on to the resistance as a whole and see what we can learn. Giving them a name is a good step forward; we may be able to find out more.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯re looking for us?¡± Jake asked quietly, wondering if the same people who¡¯d killed his parents were now hunting him.


    ¡°I think we should work under the assumption that they are,¡± Felix said in an almost gentle tone. ¡°We¡¯ve beaten them once, Jake. That means we can do it again as long as we put the work in.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± Jake said, getting to his feet and leaving the room. It was time for them to start delving.


    Killing a few raptors would help take his mind off things.


    -**-


    They spent that day and the next in Restern, working the Dungeon as a group and learning more about how they would function as a team. With three delves each day, they had plenty of time to learn, and it was a steady income of Wyrdgeld for them.


    They did split the Wyrdgeld for these particular delves, but Aspen continued to buy up all steaks they recovered with a cheerful disregard for the cost. Exactly what he intended to do with so many, Jake had no idea.


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    They did end up eating a few each day for their lunch, but it wasn¡¯t even half of what they were gathering. Aspen was storing the rest with Ivaldi, much like Jake had with his Wyrdfruit, so Jake left him to it.


    If that was what Aspen would rather get out of the Dungeon, that was fine by Jake.


    On the third day, they rose and were running through their morning exercises when Felix waved them down.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got good news and bad news,¡± Felix said, leading them to a secluded corner of the inn. ¡°The bad news is that a Triarchy Seeker had come down from another realm for some reason and, after hearing about the attack at the outpost, has taken over the hunt for Jake. His name is Kirn Valnacht; he¡¯s a fourth-tier classer.¡±


    Jake stared at Felix in horror. The normal Seekers had been bad enough, but the knowledge that a fourth-tier classer was looking specifically for him sent ice down his spine.


    ¡°You can fight him, though, right?¡± Alan asked, looking to Felix hopefully.


    ¡°He should be about as powerful as Ari in raw terms,¡± Felix said with a slight nod. ¡°That means I can hold him off, but if it gets to that point, we¡¯ve already lost.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jake asked, relaxing slightly at the reminder that Felix could stop someone from just swooping in and slaughtering them.


    ¡°His combat capability is a secondary problem compared to his tracking Abilities. We need to be exceedingly careful. If we give him any sort of lead to follow, he¡¯ll run us down before we know it.¡±


    ¡°Well, you certainly don¡¯t disappoint on how dangerous this is,¡± Aspen said, shaking his head with a half-smile. ¡°What¡¯s the good news?¡±


    ¡°The good news is that he¡¯s in north Strovia. He¡¯s heading south to Casthorpe, but it will take him time to get up to speed and then get to work. We can use that time to work hard and prepare.¡±


    ¡°Prepare for what?¡± Jake asked with narrowed eyes as he realised that Felix had a plan.


    ¡°The only thing you can do now is to leave Strovia, and the border won¡¯t stop him if he chases you. The only option we have now is to get you all to the third tier and then up to Graldan.¡±


    ¡°Tier three?¡± Alan echoed, sharing a worried look with Jake. It had taken a lot to get Alan to where he was now; getting him to tier three on a tight timeline would be rough.


    ¡°What¡¯s Graldan?¡± Jake asked at the same time, even as he ran through a mental checklist of what he needed to get to the next tier.


    Felix hesitated before answering Alan first. ¡°Tier three is the minimum to advance, but Jake is their target. If it comes down to it, you may have to split off. I¡¯ll do what I can to push you forward, but it will be a hard road for you.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Alan said softly, his brow furrowing slightly as he considered the situation.


    Felix gave the Scholar a sympathetic look before turning to Jake. ¡°Graldan is the Realm adjacent to this one. You need to be a third tier or higher classer to enter it; anything less than that would cause severe Vordor poisoning.¡±


    ¡°Vordor?¡± Jake echoed the unfamiliar word, even as he mentally stored the knowledge about the Realms.


    ¡°The raw magic permeating existence,¡± Gargan said, looking over at Jake with an unreadable expression. ¡°Casters can learn to use it, but it is far harder than using Wyrd. The System doesn¡¯t grant Skills or Traits for Vordor, only Wyrd.¡±


    ¡°So, how are the two different?¡± Jake asked curiously. He¡¯d always thought that Wyrd was the magic that kept everything going.


    Gargan let out a low laugh that almost made Jake jump in surprise. ¡°Ask five different casters and get five different answers. There is more of it than Wyrd, and it is threaded through existence in a way that Wyrd isn¡¯t, but the rest is speculation.¡±


    Jake nodded, though he didn¡¯t really understand.


    ¡°So, we have time until this new Seeker is on us,¡± Aspen said, bringing them back on topic. ¡°We have a long way to go to get these two to the third tier, though. Where do you propose we start?¡±


    ¡°We start with picking up a few loose tier one Dungeons in the area,¡± Felix said, pulling out a map and unrolling it on the table. ¡°There¡¯s one here, here and here. All have low traffic as they¡¯re quite remote, but Jake will get a boost in strength from each one. Right?¡±


    ¡°Right, I¡¯ll get a Boon from each one we complete,¡± Jake said with a nod.


    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s a nice little ability, right there,¡± Aspen said with a low whistle.


    ¡°It comes with a pretty hefty downside; all my rank-ups cost twice as much,¡± Jake said, grinning mirthlessly at how Aspen¡¯s face fell.


    ¡°The System balances anything too powerful,¡± Gargan said simply, giving Jake a respectful look. ¡°You have great potential for growth.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, and we¡¯ll take advantage of that,¡± Felix said, tapping the closest marker on the map. ¡°We¡¯ll head here first, and you can all run it together. Then, I want Jake and Alan to run it alone for the rest of the day. That¡¯ll give the two of you a good amount of Wyrdgeld and help push Alan¡¯s requirement forward.¡±


    ¡°What is your requirement, Alan?¡± Jake asked hesitantly. He didn¡¯t want to pry, but it was useful information they needed.


    ¡°I need to exploit a hundred Worthy weaknesses,¡± Alan said, scratching his jaw thoughtfully. ¡°I still don¡¯t fully know what that covers, but my new Trait gives me a physical boost when exploiting weaknesses deliberately. I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s the direction for this version of the Class.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what counts as a weakness,¡± Jake said, his eyes narrowing as he remembered a previous conversation about the System taking your perception as a guide.


    If that were the case for this as well, then Alan¡¯s Trait could apply in almost any situation if they worked at it well enough. Jake would have to sit down with Alan later and go over the wording specifically and see what they could think up.


    ¡°That¡¯s everything I have for now,¡± Felix said, tapping the table to draw their attention back to him. ¡°Get some food in you and take an hour to rest, then we¡¯re heading for the first Dungeon. We should be there in a day or two.¡±

 DN2 13 - Escalation II

    They set out an hour later with bulging packs and a warm meal in their stomachs. The innkeeper had seemed a little relieved to see them go, which told Jake that he¡¯d known the potential danger they¡¯d brought, but he¡¯d made sure they had everything they needed.


    The Dungeon on the map that Felix had shared with them had no classification or type listed next to it, so Jake had no idea what was waiting for them at the end of this little hike, but he liked that.


    He was looking forward to binding a new Dungeon, if for no other reason than to get a new Boon. Of course, there was a good chance he wouldn¡¯t get any options he wanted, but one more bound Dungeon would give him enough Plexus Points to rank up his Hidden Fang Boon.


    The dagger that Boon created could already kill an Enhanced monster, and the poison it held was fast-acting and lethal. It was also only at rank two, which meant that it could get much, much more powerful.


    A pleasant daydream played out in Jake¡¯s mind as he imagined using the dagger on the next masked classer he came across. These Fatesworne were tough bastards, but so was Jake, and he was getting stronger every day.


    -**-


    They followed their usual pattern of travel, though Aspen and Gargan joined their training and exercise routines, and they added in a series of sparring matches.


    Felix¡¯s Skill allowed him to coat weapons with harmless Wyrd, blunting their hits, and to Jake¡¯s surprise, it even worked on wands.


    A strike from Gargan¡¯s wand now felt like being hit with some pleasant warmth more than anything else, though seeing the flames coming toward him hadn¡¯t been Jake¡¯s favourite experience.


    It took them a day and a half to reach their destination as they set a good pace through the countryside and Felix looked particularly pleased when they arrived at the edge of the Dungeon¡¯s area with daylight left to them.


    They could see the temporary housing of the Dungeon, though the buildings looked somewhat rundown and disused. That was to be expected with somewhere this far out, but it was still a little disappointing.


    What surprised Jake, though, was the large, wooden building that sat near the Dungeon entrance. The shape was somewhat familiar, but Jake couldn¡¯t quite place it.


    Oddly, there was no sign of Ivaldi¡¯s usual storefront, and Jake had the distinct feeling that something was missing, though he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on what it was.


    Felix was deep in conversation with Alan, talking about patterns and intent, but Aspen saw Jake¡¯s uneasy expression and straightened, bringing his spear to a ready position. ¡°What is it, Jake?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jake said, rubbing his chest as his feeling of unease grew stronger. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong, but I don¡¯t know what.¡±


    Felix heard him and made an apologetic motion to Alan before looking around warily. The moment he saw the wooden building, he hissed in surprise and drew his weapon. ¡°Ware, there might be Corrupters nearby.¡±


    They readied themselves, but the land around them was still and quiet. There was no sign of any enemies.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Alan asked, an arrow at the ready in case it was needed.


    Jake realised the truth a moment before Felix said it. The thing missing from all this was his Sense Dungeon Gift. Normally, it would be telling him that there was one nearby, but it was just as quiet as their surroundings.


    There was no Dungeon here, not anymore.


    ¡°That wooden building over there is what is left of Ivaldi¡¯s store when a Dungeon is destroyed. It is an empty husk, devoid of anything related to Ivaldi,¡± Felix said, his voice pitched low to prevent his words carrying.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.¡°I¡¯d heard about Dungeons dying, but I never thought I¡¯d see it,¡± Aspen said in little more than a whisper, his gaze riveted to the distant tall doors of the Dungeon.


    Now that Jake had realised what was happening, he could see that the distant doors were ajar, not closed as they¡¯d normally be.


    They moved closer, watching warily for any sign of other people or monsters nearby. Thankfully, they seemed to be the only ones present, and there weren¡¯t even any bodies or signs of battle.


    Jake¡¯s gaze lingered on the wooden shell of Ivaldi¡¯s store, realising now that if you took all the glass and metal away, this was the base structure that would be found beneath.


    Intellectually, Jake knew that Ivaldi was likely fine. In fact, he doubted anything like this could even hurt him. Considering how powerful Ivaldi was, Jake assumed it would take a lot more to injure him.


    Still, it would help if he knew that for certain. Ivaldi had his own goals, naturally, but he¡¯d been good to Jake, more so than he strictly needed to.


    ¡°Damn, look at the doors,¡± Alan said, nudging Jake and nodding to the Dungeon entrance.


    The great doors stood open, as Jake had already seen. What he¡¯d missed from a distance was that the inscriptions that would normally writhe and shift on their surface were absent as well.


    Truly, this place was dead.


    A weight settled on Jake, a crushing weight of such magnitude that he fell to his knees with a gasp, his eyes locked onto the fallen Dungeon. He knew this weight, he¡¯d felt the echo of it once before, this was the attention of The Great Dungeon, and he had more of it now than he¡¯d ever had before.


    Images flickered through Jake¡¯s mind, of a group of people walking through those very doors. They were hazy and indistinct, shown as grey but with varying amounts of a purple-black colour mixed in.


    The image focused and crystalised in his mind and Jake realised that he was seeing the souls of these people. It was akin to how he could enhance his vision with Wyrd, but so much more.


    The souls Jake had seen were shown as grey, like Wyrd, and Jake assumed that meant that these were Corrupters. The purple-black in them was the same as the Skryx he¡¯d seen, the corrosive energy they wielded.


    Jake distantly heard someone saying his name, but his attention was on the illusory image of the figures as they swept through the Dungeon, fighting indistinct shapes of grey as they went.


    It all went by at high speed until the figures were at the very base, and then they did something. Jake couldn¡¯t see what it was, but he heard the shriek of pain, the scream of a child, helpless and desperate for aid.


    Grey energy swirled, pressing in on the figures, but the grey within them, small as it was, flared up and protected them.


    Frustration and rage boiled through Jake¡¯s mind before there was a surge of Skryx, and the screaming abruptly stopped.


    The images faded, but there was a lingering sensation in Jake¡¯s mind, not of words exactly, more of an impression, but one Jake easily understood. It was quite simple, after all.


    Vengeance.


    ¡°Jake?¡± Alan asked, shaking Jake by the shoulder slightly. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Jake muttered, rubbing at his temples as he got back to his feet. Alan was the only one watching him, but Jake was pretty sure that was because they were still in danger. ¡°Sorry for making you all worry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, but what even happened?¡±


    ¡°I got a vision from my Patron; I think I saw part of what happened here,¡± Jake said, resisting the temptation to Manifest a golden apple. That would take away this growing headache, but it would be a waste.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check the area and see if there¡¯s anything left behind. Jake, wait here with me for a moment and tell me about the vision.¡± Felix sheathed his sword as he spoke, which was as good a sign as any that they were safe for the moment.


    Aspen, Gargan and Alan set off to take a closer look, leaving Jake to relay what he¡¯d seen. It was difficult to really convey some of what he¡¯d experienced, especially the stranger parts, as he had no real way of explaining why he¡¯d gotten the impression he did.


    ¡°You said it was a child screaming,¡± Felix said, cocking his head to one side thoughtfully. ¡°Was it a high-pitched scream, or was there something else that gave you that impression?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jake said, running a hand through his hair in frustration. ¡°I just somehow knew that was what it was.¡±


    ¡°Having never experienced a vision myself, I can¡¯t really give any guidance on what it all means,¡± Felix said after a moment. ¡°I¡¯d keep the details to yourself for now, though. Talk them over with Nepthys when we next see her or with Ivaldi, perhaps.¡±


    Felix seemed a little hesitant to suggest Ivaldi, but Jake could understand why. None of them fully understood Ivaldi or his role in all this, after all.


    ¡°Will do,¡± Jake said, trying to do his best to memorise what he¡¯d seen so he could go over it with them whenever that time came.


    The other three were on their way back already, so they went to meet them halfway. The look on their faces told Jake everything he needed to know, though.


    ¡°No sign of any bodies, but the place is truly dead. Can¡¯t see any sign of combat either, but then I guess they had to go inside to do whatever they did?¡± Aspen looked at Felix questioningly, but the older classer could only shrug.


    ¡°No idea how it works really. What matters is that we move on quickly. Our next destination was another tier one Dungeon a day or so further east, so we may as well stick with that. It means one less Boon for you, Jake, but nothing we can do about that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more concerned with what these Corrupters are doing,¡± Jake said, eyeing the dead Dungeon for another long moment before turning away. ¡°You¡¯re right, though, we should go.¡±

 DN2 14 - Escalation III

    They set off for their next destination immediately, pushing to make as much distance as they could before nightfall.


    When they did have to stop, it was with barely enough time to set up camp before they lost the light. They¡¯d pushed hard, keeping up a steady loping jog that had let them cover the distance far faster than Jake could have hoped.


    At this rate, they¡¯d arrive tomorrow with plenty of time to get set up, but after the unexpected events of the day, Jake had concerns.


    What were the Corrupters up to?


    Jake hadn¡¯t heard anything about Dungeons dying, so why were they doing this now? Or had they been picking off Dungeons far from the beaten path for a while?


    Rubbing his face, Jake settled down on his bedroll and began to do some work with the pattern of how he infused his sword with Wyrd. Alan seemed to be able to understand what was going on here a lot better than he could, but Jake was tenacious.


    It might take him longer, but he refused to give up; he¡¯d understand what was happening eventually.


    -**-


    The subdued atmosphere of the camp faded somewhat by morning, and the four of them set off after a dry and somewhat unappealing breakfast. Truly, the worst part about travelling was the lack of decent cooking.


    They¡¯d skipped the sparring the night before, so Felix took the opportunity to have them run sprints along their chosen path. It was sweaty, tiring work, but he gave them a short break once they were done before they carried on.


    Unfortunately, all of Felix¡¯s work at distracting them from what they¡¯d seen failed as soon as they came within sight of the next Dungeon.


    Rather, what was left of it.


    A weight pressed down on Jake¡¯s mind for a brief instant, and his memory of what he¡¯d seen the day before sharpened and became crystal clear.


    Vengeance.


    Jake stumbled slightly, but his Patron¡¯s message was a lot simpler this time, and he was able to shake off the effects of its attention after a minute or so.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good, is it?¡± Aspen asked the silent group, bouncing his spear on his shoulder restlessly as he did.


    ¡°No. It isn¡¯t,¡± Felix said, taking a deep breath before pulling out a small map and consulting it. ¡°Our best bet now is to head straight for the meeting point with Nepthys. They may know more about what¡¯s going on than us.¡±


    Considering that Nepthys and Ari had left to specifically hunt down Corrupters, Jake really hoped that was the case.


    ¡°How far is it?¡± Gargan asked, tapping his pack as he did. ¡°Do we have enough supplies to get us there?¡±


    ¡°Another two days,¡± Felix said with a grimace. ¡°I was relying on us supplying at these Dungeons, but yes, we should have enough. We¡¯ll need to ration it, though.¡±


    ¡°We could always hunt on the way. Regular creatures or Hollows, either would do,¡± Aspen said with a shrug. ¡°We¡¯ve cut time by not delving, so it¡¯s not like we¡¯re pressed as it stands.¡±


    ¡°True, that is an option,¡± Felix said, consulting his map once more. ¡°I¡¯m more concerned with getting there quickly, though. This deviation in behaviour from the Corrupters is worrying, and I want to see for myself that the next one is safe.¡±


    ¡°And if it isn¡¯t?¡± Jake asked.


    ¡°Then we search the area for provisions and wait for Ari and Nepthys,¡± Felix said, doing his best to sound like he had a plan for such an eventuality.


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    Silence fell between them as they moved past the dead Dungeon, setting off into the familiar loping run as they followed a path north-east.


    -**-


    Two more days of travelling went by slowly, the only bright spots being when they happened across a Hollow filled with Blaze Boars.


    It was almost nostalgic to fight the boars, and Aspen was quick to harvest as much meat as he could from them. They ate well that night, which did much to bolster their flagging spirits.


    They didn¡¯t get much Wyrdgeld from the encounter, but it was an oddly nice break from the steady routine of their travel.


    It seemed to reassure Felix slightly as well, which made Jake wonder if Corrupters could destroy Hollows as well as Dungeons.


    If they could, that did imply some sort of deeper connection between the two. Sure, they were similar enough on the surface, but Jake had assumed there were some fundamental differences, as he¡¯d heard nothing about Hollows ever growing in size or changing.


    Then again, Jake might be overthinking things. It was hard to tell, though, especially as no one seemed to really understand Dungeons.


    It also wasn¡¯t that important right now, not when Jake had the threat of this new hunter from the Triarchy hanging over him, as well as whatever the Corrupters were doing.


    Shaking it off, Jake focused back on the steady rhythm of their run. They¡¯d be arriving at the next Dungeon within a few hours if they kept this pace up.


    -**-


    A ripple of relief ran through them all as they came into view of the Dungeon where they were meant to be meeting Ari and Nepthys. It was whole and unharmed.


    ¡°Thank Napthir,¡± Gargan muttered as he took in the view. ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking forward to scavenging for food.¡±


    ¡°Thank Kalinkos that we don¡¯t need to then,¡± Aspen said, all but stressing the name of his Patron.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re relieved enough to thank all our Patrons,¡± Jake said quickly, not giving Gargan a chance to respond. He gave Aspen a quelling look for good measure as well. This was really not the time to be poking at each other.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re the only people here,¡± Alan said quickly, distracting them further.


    ¡°Ari and Nepthys were meant to arrive before us, but that¡¯s not exactly a surprise,¡± Felix said, leading the way further in. ¡°We¡¯ve done a lot of running these last few days, so let¡¯s rest up for the rest of today. We can plan our next steps in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Aspen said, heading straight for the closest building. ¡°I¡¯ll get grilling!¡±


    Jake couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Aspen¡¯s one-track mind, though he had to admit he was looking forward to some freshly cooked steaks.


    Alan and Gargan were picking out their own spots, but there was something Jake needed to do first.


    ¡°Jake Khesh, be welcome in my domain,¡± Ivaldi¡¯s deep voice echoed out, as it always did when Jake stepped inside the store. The man appeared out of the darkness, placing down a stool and taking a seat. ¡°You seem troubled.¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling that you already know what is troubling me, what I¡¯ve seen,¡± Jake said, giving Ivaldi a pointed look.


    ¡°I confess that I do,¡± Ivaldi said, reaching into the darkness to withdraw a second stool for Jake. ¡°Please, sit, be welcome as my guest.¡±


    Jake took the invitation gladly, welcoming the chance to rest his feet for a while. ¡°Why the pretence that you didn¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°I am bound to not discuss certain matters with just anyone,¡± Ivaldi said carefully. ¡°Much like when we first met, and you asked me about your family.¡±


    ¡°I think I understand,¡± Jake said, wondering silently what else Ivaldi was unable to talk to him about. ¡°So, what can you tell me about these Dungeons?¡±


    A smile flickered across Ivaldi¡¯s face, and he made an expansive gesture. ¡°Almost anything, but what is it that you wish to know?¡±


    ¡°Are they truly destroyed? Was it Corrupters?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and yes, I¡¯m sorry to say,¡± Ivaldi said, his smile fading. ¡°A new Dungeon will grow to replace the dead eventually, but it will take time, and each death has consequences for the Realm.¡±


    Jake gave the big man a questioning look, but Ivaldi simply shook his head, he wouldn¡¯t elaborate on that any further.


    ¡°So, why not this Dungeon, then?¡± Jake asked curiously, thinking of how close the other two Dungeons were.


    ¡°I imagine there must be a reason, but I can¡¯t tell you what it is,¡± Ivaldi said, and Jake saw an echo of something in Ivaldi¡¯s eyes.


    He had a feeling that this restriction was just as frustrating for Ivaldi as it was for him. Perhaps even more so.


    ¡°Are there other Dungeons that have been destroyed by these people?¡± Jake asked, hoping that it wasn¡¯t the case and that Ivaldi could confirm it was an isolated issue.


    Ivaldi motioned for Jake to wait for a moment as he rose from his stool and walked off into the darkness.


    Jake blinked in surprise. Of all the responses he¡¯d considered, that certainly wasn¡¯t one of them.


    A full minute dragged by, and Jake was just starting to feel antsy when Ivaldi returned. The shopkeeper had a solemn expression as he met Jake¡¯s gaze. ¡°There is another first tier Dungeon to the south of this one that has been killed. That is all they have done so far. This stretches the bounds of what I can do already, we can speak no more on this.¡±


    Jake nodded and got to his feet. ¡°I understand, thank you for answering what you can.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ivaldi said, speaking up as Jake reached the door to leave. ¡°Good hunting, Jake Khesh.¡±

 DN2 15 - Reunited

    Ari and Nepthys arrived the following morning, much to everyone¡¯s relief.


    A knot of tension in Jake¡¯s gut that he hadn¡¯t even realised was there released when he saw Nepthys walking along beside Ari.


    ¡°Hey everyone, have fun without us?¡± Ari called out, giving them a wave as he strolled over. Nepthys rolled her eyes, but her own smile was bright as they walked over.


    Jake chuckled and shook his head before waving over Aspen and Gargan and introducing them.


    He already felt a little better now that Ari and Nepthys were back, and he found himself looking forward to their next delve.


    ¡°I take it you were successful, then?¡± Felix asked as they all sat at one of the large tables.


    Nepthys¡¯s smile widened and she turned to show that she had a second braid. Jake noted a second tattoo had appeared next t0 her eye as well; alongside the small blue shield was what looked like a blue hammer.


    ¡°Tier two, and The Watcher rewarded me with enough Favour to obtain a second Sigil,¡± Nepthys said with evident pride.


    ¡°What does it do?¡± Alan asked immediately, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table as he peered at the new Sigil. Jake couldn¡¯t really blame him, though. Nepthys¡¯s other Sigil was powerful, and had been crucial in more than a few fights.


    ¡°It¡¯s called Hammer of the Inquisition. It¡¯s like an infusion Skill, but better,¡± Nepthys said, drawing the shorter of her blades as she spoke. The Sigil on her face seemed to glow ever so slightly and the edges of the blade gained a grey tint.


    It looked very similar to Jake¡¯s own Skill, but it was more concentrated, seemingly contained to just the edges and the very tip. Jake rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, wondering if the lack of coverage meant that it was more concentrated at the edges, or if it just cost less Wyrd.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s a pretty nice Skill,¡± Aspen said, his eyes bright as he regarded the blade. ¡°How handy are you with that sword?¡±


    ¡°I earned Blade Proficiency the first time I went through a Dungeon,¡± Nepthys said with a slight shrug. ¡°I¡¯m working on advancing it to uncommon at the moment.¡±


    Aspen chuckled and gave Gargan a meaningful look. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re close to what we need to do a full delve.¡±


    Gargan simply nodded, though after spending a few days with the taciturn classer, Jake could tell that he was excited, in his own way.


    ¡°How many Corrupters did you hunt down?¡± Felix asked, bringing the conversation back on track.


    ¡°Nine, which was a few over what I needed, but the Favour I gained was just as important,¡± Nepthys said, her brow furrowing as she seemingly caught something in Felix¡¯s voice. ¡°Do you have any leads on more?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve just been past two sites of activity,¡± Felix said, pulling out his map and spreading it out for them all to see. ¡°These two Dungeons have been destroyed. When we arrived, Jake received a vision from his Patron, which seemed to indicate a dozen Corrupters were involved.¡±


    ¡°Destroyed?¡± Nepthys echoed with a horrified expression, her gaze flicking between Jake and Felix. ¡°What tier was it?¡±


    ¡°Tier one.¡±


    ¡°Thank The Watcher for small mercies,¡± Nepthys said, relaxing slightly. ¡°This is still terrible news, but if they were strong enough to take down a second tier Dungeon, we¡¯d be in trouble. If only there were more Inquisitors to call on¡­¡±


    ¡°Why now, though?¡± Ari asked thoughtfully, explaining what he meant at Felix¡¯s questioning look. ¡°There have been no Inquisitors around for a long time, and we¡¯ve had a few Rifts, but no Dungeons have been targeted. Why now?¡±


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    ¡°Because it is an escalation,¡± Nepthys said before Felix could respond. ¡°The situation here is bad, and my people have hated our lack of information, but the Rifts have been dealt with without issue. A Dungeon being destroyed is too far, though. They will act, they¡¯ll have no choice. This is exactly what The Watcher stands against!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the implication of that,¡± Aspen said grimly, shaking his head slightly. ¡°I¡¯m new to this sort of thing, but what you¡¯ve said implies that they have been deliberately keeping things short of the point where your people would intervene. It also means that something has happened to make that change.¡±


    ¡°That would be me,¡± Jake said, running his hand through his hair and cursing mentally.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not jump to conclusions,¡± Felix said, holding up his hand and motioning for them to slow down. ¡°While I agree that it''s likely that Jake¡¯s emergence is linked, they might only have recently gained the strength needed to act against the Dungeons. I don¡¯t want to underestimate them, but let''s not jump at shadows.¡±


    ¡°Do you actually believe that?¡± Ari asked, leaning back and folding his arms with a sceptical expression.


    ¡°Not really, but I dislike working on assumptions.¡±


    ¡°Then we should work on what we know, instead,¡± Nepthys said, rapping her knuckles on the table for emphasis. ¡°There are more Corrupters in the area, we should hunt them down and kill them. If we don¡¯t, more Dungeons will die, which is a blasphemy in itself!¡±


    Felix didn¡¯t refute her outright, but Jake could see the reluctance in his expression. ¡°We are being hunted by the Triarchy, and the Fatesworne are a problem that we are dangerously lacking in information about. The Corrupters need dealing with, but our first priority must be strengthening you and learning about these existing threats.¡±


    Nepthys looked like she wanted to argue further, but Ari cut in first. ¡°I agree, but I think we can do both at the same time. The two of us don¡¯t need to be here while they train, after all.¡±


    Felix frowned, and Jake thought he was going to argue further, but he eventually nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly comfortable leaving when we know there¡¯s a threat in the area, but it''s a good compromise, and an efficient use of our time.¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Ari said, patting the hilt of his greatsword, which was propped up against the table. ¡°Any excuse to kill Corruptors is just fine by me.¡±


    ¡°What about the rest of you, any concern about us leaving?¡± Felix asked, glancing around at them all with a raised brow.


    Jake shook his head, his thoughts mainly on the Dungeon and their upcoming delve. That was his priority right now, and maybe even trying to complete the second tier.


    The second tier of the Dungeon was a daunting prospect, but Jake had seen how much he could do if he put the work in. He would do the same here; it would take far more than this to stop him.


    ¡°Alright, it''s agreed then,¡± Felix said, pulling Jake¡¯s attention back to the group. ¡°Ari and I will plan our route today and leave in the morning. Expect us to be gone for around a week. It will take that long to try and find their trail. We may take longer, but not much, we¡¯ll need to leave the area shortly after that point to avoid the Triarchy.¡±


    Jake felt some of his eagerness fall away at that reminder that even now, they were being hunted.


    A chill ran down Jake¡¯s spine, but he shook it off and pushed himself up to his feet. ¡°Well then, while you plan your route, why don¡¯t we get delving?¡±


    ¡°Have you been through this Dungeon yet?¡± Nepthys asked, getting to her feet alongside Alan, Gargan and Aspen.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Jake said, glancing over to Aspen and Gargan. ¡°Either of you know anything about this one?¡±


    The two classers shook their heads, but Ari let out a gentle cough to draw their attention. ¡°I believe I know someone who may know more.¡±


    Jake rolled his eyes and turned to the older classer, who¡¯s eyes were dancing mischievously. ¡°Ari, do you know anything about this Dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Why yes, I do, Jake,¡± Ari said, pressing one hand to his chest with an earnest expression that was quickly shattered by a wide grin. ¡°It¡¯s a forest Dungeon. It has the Widurn and Crandyn if I remember right.¡±


    ¡°Widurn are the Rootlings and the Tendrae, right?¡± Jake asked, grimacing as both Ari and Alan nodded. He hated fighting Rootlings, the sensation of their roots and tendrils burrowing into his flesh was horrible. ¡°So what are the Crandyn?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re pretty similar in some ways actually,¡± Ari said, glancing over to Alan to see if he wanted to explain further. The Scholar shook his head, so Ari carried on, putting his hands behind his head as he leaned back. ¡°Crandyn are humanoid shaped walking trees, that¡¯s the easiest way to conceptualise them. Widurn are all tendrils and fresh growth, nasty buggers the lot of them. Crandyn are solid, tough bastards that hit like a whale. The Beasts are called Oaken and the Enhanced are Lesser Rhythae.¡±


    Jake waited to see if he¡¯d get any more explanation than that, but Ari seemed to consider that all he needed.


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go give it a try,¡± Jake said, privately sending up a prayer of thanks that they had two classers with fire abilities. This was sounding like it was a pretty good matchup for them, which boded well for completing it.


    Taking a few minutes to make sure that everyone had all the equipment they needed, Jake slipped on his shield and led the way inside. If this was a forest Dungeon, like Ari had said, then hopefully they wouldn¡¯t need any torches, or relatively few of them anyway.


    Looking back to make sure that everyone was ready, Jake walked down the stairs of the path he¡¯d chosen and opened the door before stepping through into the darkness within.

 DN2 16 - Synergy I

    The smell of sap and wet earth hit Jake like a wall as he stepped into the Dungeon. It reminded him of the Dungeon back in Casthorpe, the one which gave him the dozens of apples that he had stored away.


    It wasn¡¯t quite the same, though. This Dungeon felt more like a wilderness, whereas that had felt like a well-travelled woodland.


    Looking around, Jake saw that they were standing on a slightly overgrown trail, with the door behind them forming a tunnel of arched trees. Overhead, the canopy was thick and blocked a lot of the sky, but there were gaps over the trail, letting spots of sunlight through, almost acting as a guide for where to walk.


    ¡°Well, this is quite tight,¡± Aspen said, eyeing the narrow trail that lay ahead with borderline suspicion.


    Jake nodded, giving the undergrowth around them a closer look. After a moment, he realised that while at first glance, it all looked the same, there was a difference.


    ¡°The actual border is further back,¡± Jake said, pointing out what he¡¯d seen. There were several rows of trees to either side of the trail before it got to the dense treeline that formed the border.


    ¡°Nope, don¡¯t like that, not one bit,¡± Aspen said, seeing what Jake meant and shaking his head. ¡°Why do I feel that we¡¯ll be getting ambushed in here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m getting that vibe as well,¡± Jake said, glancing over to Alan, who was updating Nepthys on the changes to his Class now he¡¯d tiered up. ¡°Alan will have his work cut out for him.¡±


    The Scholar heard him and gave Jake an encouraging smile, seemingly confident about his abilities. It was a good look on him; Jake often thought that Alan didn¡¯t give himself the credit he deserved.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead with Alan then,¡± Aspen said with an idle twirl of his spear.


    ¡°Agreed, I¡¯ll take the rear with Gargan then,¡± Jake said, glancing over to Nepthys. ¡°That leaves you the centre.¡±


    ¡°As usual,¡± Nepthys said, her smile fading a little as she remembered that while the formation was the same, the people weren¡¯t.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jake said, his own smile strained. ¡°As usual.¡±


    Aspen led the way into the forest, watching carefully for whatever monsters would show themselves. None of them really knew what the Crandyn looked like, but they were all familiar with how annoyingly hard to spot Rootlings were.


    After only a minute or two, the trail curved to the side, and Aspen caught sight of a clearing through the thicket on the side of the trail. ¡°Clearing ahead!¡±


    Alan nodded and slowed down as they rounded the bend, taking a few extra moments to look over the clearing.


    ¡°Two Rootlings, right in there,¡± Alan said, pointing at a dead tree that stood in the centre of the clearing and was its only feature.


    ¡°Dungeons do seem to follow some rules, don¡¯t they,¡± Jake murmured, thinking about how similar in design this was to others he¡¯d seen.


    ¡°They do, and let it guide you, but don¡¯t rely on it,¡± Gargan said, making Jake start in surprise. It was the first thing the caster had said since they¡¯d entered the Dungeon.


    ¡°Yeah, I will,¡± Jake said, knowing that Gargan was right. The moment he began to rely on Dungeons always being the same, they¡¯d change, and he¡¯d be caught out.


    Looking back, Jake saw that Aspen had advanced toward the dead tree, and was engaging a pair of Rootlings that had scampered up out of the hollow interior and flung themselves at him.


    The small, twisted roots that made up the monsters were no challenge for the force behind Aspen¡¯s spear, and he was able to cut through their chest and puncture the pulsating mass in their core, killing them with a single blow each.


    ¡°Right, now we know what we¡¯re dealing with, let¡¯s pick up the pace,¡± Jake said as Aspen drew out the Wyrdgeld from the creatures.


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    ¡°You know,¡± Aspen said as he moved back to the front of the group and led the way on to the next clearing. ¡°This is going to be a right pain in the ass, but I''ve got a good feeling about our chances with this Dungeon.¡±


    -**-


    The rest of the first floor and the second swept by with little issue. Alan was able to pick out the Rootlings with quite a good success rate, and Aspen was quick enough to deal with any that he missed.


    The third floor, as usual, was a change of pace.


    The floor began the same as the others, a narrow trail snaking away through the thick forest. The difference came when they reached the first equivalent of a clearing.


    In the previous floors, the clearings had been covered with patchy sections of grass, with a dead tree in the centre. Here, however, the clearing was filled with tight groupings of saplings.


    The saplings rose up above them but stopped well short of the canopy, making them clearly part of something else.


    ¡°Alan?¡± Aspen asked, glancing over to the Scholar, who was looking out over the area, his eyes glinting with grey Wyrd.


    ¡°There¡¯s something there, and another over there, but I¡¯m not sure what,¡± Alan said, pointing out two different clusters of saplings. ¡°It¡¯s big and bulky, though.¡±


    ¡°Want me to go and give it a poke?¡± Aspen asked Jake, motioning with his spear.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we try something a bit different,¡± Jake said, glancing over to Gargan. ¡°Mind giving whatever is out there something to think about?¡±


    The caster chuckled and shook his head as he lifted his wand and took aim at the closer of the two points that Alan had picked out.


    A bolt of flame flashed out with a rush of heat to strike the stand, flames licking at the clustered saplings as it struck them.


    What Jake could only describe as an angry creaking echoed through the glade, and two large figures pushed out from where they¡¯d been hidden and began to lope towards them.


    The Oaken, if Ari had named them correctly, were humanoid creatures that looked like they¡¯d been shaped directly from a tree and stood around six feet tall. Though they were large and lumbering, they also had a solid look to them and were likely hard hitters.


    The Oaken¡¯s bodies were rough and bark-like, and the more Jake saw of them, the less humanoid they seemed. In reality, the only crossover, as far as he could tell, was the rough shape they shared.


    The Oaken to the right bore a scorch mark on its shoulder where the wood had blackened from the flames. Jake was pretty sure that Gargan hadn¡¯t struck it directly, which boded well for the future.


    Even as Jake thought that Gargan struck the creature dead-on with a second bolt of flames, scorching its chest and making it emit an eerie howl that sounded like the wind rushing through a forest.


    As the flames faded away, Jake saw that the creature had been badly wounded by the second hit, and its chest cavity was exposed. Rootlings had an almost fruit-like organic mass within them that gave them life, and the Oaken seemed to have something similar.


    A network of strands and branches networked out from an organic mass the size of Jake¡¯s head, and the scent of burnt sap washed over him, making his eyes sting.


    ¡°Take out its heart, Alan!¡± Jake shouted, moving between the closing creature and Gargan.


    The Oaken were slow, and their gait was ponderous, but the glade wasn¡¯t that large to begin with and the burnt one was on Jake before Alan could take the shot.


    A large trunk-like arm came swinging down at Jake, but he had time to raise his shield and brace for the impact.


    The Oaken hit like a sledgehammer, sending Jake stumbling back slightly before it swung around and brought the other arm whistling in toward him.


    With Jake out of the way, Alan put a shot right into the core of the creature, straight through the gap in its chest. At the same time, Gargan put a third blast into its featureless face, burning it away.


    Seeing it up close, Jake saw that the bark of the Oaken was rapidly burnt around the area, though the flames then died away and didn¡¯t spread much beyond the impact area.


    Either the arrow to the core or the burnt head had finished the Oaken, as it slowly toppled backwards with a loud thud.


    Nepthys stood over the body with her swords drawn, waiting a moment for any sign of life before nodding and moving away.


    Looking over to the others, Jake saw that Aspen had impaled the other Oaken on his spear. Flames were still sheathing the spearhead from where it had punched through to the other side of the monster, and a good portion of the bark around the entry and exit wounds had burnt away.


    ¡°Well, this is a pleasant surprise,¡± Aspen said, kicking the dead Oaken off of his spear and dismissing his Skill. ¡°Well, it is for us, not so much for these poor bastards.¡±


    Jake looked at the dead Oaken and shook his head. ¡°It feels almost like we¡¯re cheating by using fire against them. Still, they did catch us by surprise with the charge, I¡¯ve not seen anything like that before.¡±


    ¡°I think it was a reaction to Gargan¡¯s attack,¡± Alan said thoughtfully, tossing away the bent arrow that he¡¯d retrieved from under the dead Oaken with a sigh. ¡°Perhaps they¡¯ll always charge as soon as we attack them.¡±


    ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± Aspen said cheerfully, bouncing his spear on his shoulder and starting to walk forward before pausing and giving Alan a serious look. ¡°Nothing else in this part, right?¡±


    Alan activated his Skill and checked before shaking his head. ¡°Nothing I can see, but that doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Aspen said, his carefree manner long gone as he waited for them to form up to carry on.


    The way that the odd man bounced back and forth between being serious and not was strange to see. Jake had initially pegged him as being like Ari, with that ingrained irreverence, but it had been pretty clear that wasn¡¯t the case by this point.


    Putting it aside, Jake got back into formation, sparing only a moment¡¯s glance for the dent in his shield before they set off deeper into the floor.

 DN2 17 - Synergy II

    They encountered several more sections of younger trees with Oaken hidden among them before the end of the floor, but with the vulnerability of the creatures to fire, they were easy enough to deal with.


    Jake found himself wondering if there were classers out there who specialised in specific Dungeons or types of creatures. A team of classers with fire-based Abilities could rip through this Dungeon repeatedly, no doubt earning a lot of Wyrdgeld.


    Of course, in this particular case, there was some danger there as well. Any use of fire upon one of the tree-like monsters enraged them, and any others nearby, and caused them to charge.


    The fourth floor brought a slight complication as it featured a mix of the two encounters of the previous floors. There were now clearings with dead trees, but also copses of young saplings.


    Unsurprisingly, that meant that both Rootlings and Oaken were present, but the complication came from the Oaken becoming enraged even when the fire wasn¡¯t used on them.


    The positive to that was that Gargan could trigger any and all Oaken to come their way with a single hit on any creature that Alan pointed out to him. If the Oaken were faster, or more durable, that might not have been a viable tactic, but as it was, it let them cut them down rapidly.


    ¡°You know, this is really a convenient benefit of having you in the group,¡± Aspen said as they came to the end of the floor and found a Challenge door waiting for them. ¡°Some of these can give really nice rewards.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯m just used to it now,¡± Jake said with a slight shrug. To him, Challenge doors were just part of the Dungeon, it would feel weird to not have one.


    ¡°Looks like a kill Challenge, maybe to do with the Oaken. What do you think?¡± Nepthys asked, glancing at the rest of them as she tapped at some of the carvings on the door.


    ¡°Agreed, but this means it will be individual,¡± Gargan said, motioning to a specific symbol that was carved at the top, alongside the hourglass carving that Jake recognised as a warning of it being timed.


    ¡°Well, shall we?¡± Aspen asked cheerfully as he pushed the door open and strolled through.


    It was a testament to how much they¡¯d all advanced, Jake thought to himself, that Alan wasn¡¯t phased by such a cavalier attitude and was second through the door. They knew that they could deal with Oaken, they¡¯d just been proving it.


    Following suit, Jake blinked away the short moment of darkness before looking around and finding himself in a copy of one of those sapling areas. He was stood on paved stone, but it turned to dirt a few paces ahead, and there was a plinth with an hourglass to his right.


    A wall of stone sat behind him, covering the way back out as well, but that was to be expected.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a lot of sand,¡± Jake murmured, looking at the capacity of the hourglass with concern.


    Taking a breath, Jake slipped his shield off and instead drew his wand before calmly walking off the stones and onto the dirt.


    As soon as he did, the hourglass rotated and the grains of sand began to swiftly tumble away, but there was no sign of an Oaken.


    ¡°Damn it.¡± Jake hurried forwards, scanning his gaze over the clusters of saplings, looking for anything out of place. He should have realised that he¡¯d have to locate the damn thing as well.


    Precious seconds ticked past until Jake caught sight of something that could have been an arm and immediately lifted his wand. Channelling his Wyrd into it, a trio of long thorns shot forth from the tip with almost invisible sparks of grey light.


    A creaking growl came back as the shape shifted and circled around the saplings to get at Jake.


    Jake landed a second volley of thorns right into its chest, puncturing the tough outer shell, even as he raced to meet it.


    A thick limb swung down at him, but Jake dodged aside before thrusting forward while using his infusion Skill. Grey energy sheathed the blade a bare moment before the tip struck the Oaken¡¯s chest, breaking through the bark exterior.


    Jake ripped his sword to the right and out, breaking away the weakened piece of bark and revealing the core of the creature. It was already swinging again, but he had already pulled back and raised his wand.


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    A trio of long thorns plunged into the pulsating organic mass in the core of the Oaken, and the monster toppled over with a resounding thud.


    A grinding sound came from behind Jake as a reward chest was revealed and the stone covering the exit lowered, but he made sure to gather the Wyrdgeld from the fallen monster first before heading over.


    The chest held six Wyrdgled, as well as a pouch of ten Wyrdfruit blackberries. Well, Jake hoped they were Wyrdfruit, otherwise this fight was hardly worth the time.


    Gathering the rewards, Jake made his way back out to reunite with the others.


    Aspen and Gargan were already there, with Nepthys and Alan emerging a moment later, each holding their own pouch of Wyrdfruit.


    ¡°Any idea what these are worth?¡± Jake asked, hefting the pouch questioningly as he looked to Aspen and Gargan.


    ¡°Hmm, probably a Wyrdgeld per five, or something equivalent,¡± Aspen said with a slight shrug. ¡°Hard to tell sometimes with these things though.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s something I suppose,¡± Jake said, tucking away the Wyrdfruit and hoping that they wouldn¡¯t get crushed in what came next. A handful of Wyrdgeld for the Challenge wasn¡¯t much, but then again, it had just been a single monster to fight, and they¡¯d gotten the same amount each.


    ¡°Do we need a rest before the Guardian?¡± Nepthys asked, looking around questioningly. ¡°We¡¯ve made good time so far, but we don¡¯t need to push it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good to continue,¡± Gargan said, Aspen and Alan echoing the sentiment a moment later.


    Gargan had done the most of all of them to this point, so Jake shrugged and motioned for Nepthys to lead the way. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re good to go.¡±


    -**-


    The Guardian floor of the first tier was a huge clearing, framed on all sides by towering trees that were packed in tight. The canopy arched in slightly, creating an overhand that shrouded the exterior of the clearing as well.


    The centre of the clearing held what had once been a single tree but was now broken into two. Half of the tree lay across the ground, shattered into pieces, but the other half still stood tall, reaching far up and above the canopy of the other trees.


    The gigantic tree was long dead, and large ragged wounds in its trunk stood testament to whatever end it had experienced. The scale of the damage was enough to send a chill down Jake¡¯s spine.


    The old question of whether this was all created by the Dungeon or not whispered through Jake¡¯s mind again. If this was all created by the Dungeon, which was his preferred answer, then why show all this?


    Such questions could wait, however, as Jake could see a Tendrae sitting in a hollow nook within the upright portion of the tree.


    Tendrae were the Enhanced versions of Rootlings, standing five feet tall but made of tightly interwound stems, which in turn had interlinked leaves that formed something akin to skin for the creature.


    From what Jake remembered, the leaves of the Tendrae were resistant to Wyrd, but were no tougher than any other Enhanced creature when cut physically. They could also extrude roots from their hands, which would drain the blood of anyone they fought.


    All the more incentive to make sure it never got close to them.


    ¡°Think you can hit it from here?¡± Jake asked, turning to Alan.


    ¡°Yeah, not a problem,¡± Alan said, though he didn¡¯t quite sound as convinced as his phrasing implied.


    ¡°I say we just go for it then, and deal with whatever else is there as it comes,¡± Jake said, looking around for any objections before giving Alan a nod. ¡°Take the shot when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    The Scholar nodded and took a deep breath before drawing out an arrow and nocking it, his eyes not leaving the Tendrae. Grey Wyrd coated the arrow as Alan lined up the shot, held for a moment, and released.


    The infused arrow cut through the air to strike the Tendrae dead centre, knocking it backwards into its nook and partially out of sight.


    ¡°Good shot,¡± Nepthys said, giving Alan an approving look. ¡°You¡¯re definitely going to earn an archery Skill at this rate!¡±


    Alan went to answer, but Jake nudged him as the Tendrae pulled itself out of the nook and dropped to the ground, tossing aside the arrow as it did.


    The leafy armour of the Enhanced creature had been penetrated by the shot, but its core was seemingly intact. Still, that boded well for Alan being able to kill it in one hit in the future.


    Summoned by the Tendrae¡¯s movements, a small group of Rootlings, along with a pair of Oaken, came boiling out of the fallen portion of the tree, and the whole lot came charging their way.


    Immediately, Gargan started sending blasts of flames at the two Oaken, While Alan started taking more shots at the Tendrae.


    The intense fire from their caster burnt both Oaken down before they could get close, and Alan¡¯s third arrow found the Tendrae, leaving just the eight Rootlings to try and swarm Jake, Aspen and Nepthys.


    Jake took down the first with a hail of thorns, before infusing his sword and cutting down the second with a heavy chop of the blade and sending more thorns at the next.


    Not using many active Abilities meant that Jake could let loose a little in these situations, and he accounted for four of the eight in the very brief melee that followed.


    ¡°Alan¡¯s not the only one who¡¯s been putting in the work I see,¡± Nepthys said, sliding her shorter sword out of the Rootling she¡¯d killed. ¡°Using a wand and sword together looks difficult.¡±


    Jake fought down the flush in his cheeks and nodded. ¡°Yeah, it can be, but I¡¯ve been working on it. I want to be able to swap between that and using a shield when the situation calls for it.¡±


    ¡°It might be quite close to my family¡¯s technique for using two swords,¡± Nepthys said, drawing the Wyrdgeld out of her kills. ¡°If you want, I could try and teach you some of it, see if that helps?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that would be great actually,¡± Jake said enthusiastically. Nepthys was graceful and deadly with her blades, so anything he could do to get to that same level of skill would be worth it.


    Besides, the idea of some private training, just the two of them, didn¡¯t sound bad at all.

 DN2 18 - Synergy III

    The rewards for the Dungeon were more blackberries and some coin, which they pooled together before splitting up and giving everyone thirty Wyrdgeld each in coin and Wyrdfruit.


    Given the situation, Aspen and Gargan took their portions in Wyrdfruit, leaving the coin to the rest of them.


    Heading back out of the Dungeon, they relaxed and had some time to recover before heading back in.


    Aspen had shared out the Wyrdfruit he¡¯d just earned, and Jake was enjoying one of the surprisingly sweet and tart berries when he found his gaze resting on the inscription on the Dungeon.


    Whatever strange magics were at play with Dungeons did their best to make him forget about the shifting carvings along its doors, as well as the runes above the entrance.


    Remembering how he¡¯d sat with Varin and worked it out before, Jake decided to do the same here, and forced his gaze to linger on the runes.


    Almost immediately, Jake could feel their meaning, sensed it was just there, just out of his reach. Focusing harder, he felt something behind his eye throb before they snapped into focus and the words flashed into his mind.


    ¡°Fyardi Veranis,¡± Jake said in a whisper, tearing his gaze away and blinking rapidly. That had been a lot easier than last time, but the words made as little sense now as they had back then.


    Or did they?


    Calling up his Status, Jake looked to his Boons section and looked at the name with a growing smile


    Orchard¡¯s Gift - (II) - Granted by the Aptofir Veranis Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest an apple infused with vitality. Ingesting the apple transfers this vitality, healing and sating the hunger of its consumer.


    Aptofir Veranis, that had been the Dungeon with all the apple trees and the damn flowers. Now he had Fyardi Veranis, another forest Dungeon.


    The second part of the name must mean something about what was inside, though that didn¡¯t explain the two Dungeons he¡¯d seen that were called Deja.


    Maybe with more Dungeons he¡¯d figure it out, but for now, he was just pleased that he¡¯d figured out something about Dungeons.


    The fact that the name was over the top of the entrance wasn¡¯t that big a deal, no matter how he tried to spin it, but it was still something.


    ¡°Ready to do it again?¡± Aspen called out, throwing the last berry up into the air and catching it in his mouth.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jake said, getting up as he idly rubbed at his temple. Learning the name had been a bit painful, but it was worth it.


    Strapping on his sword belt, Jake considered his shield for a moment before leaving it behind. The more he experimented with using a sword and wand together, the more he liked it.


    He¡¯d still keep the shield for the future, but he didn¡¯t think they¡¯d need it for this Dungeon.


    -**-


    They cleared the Dungeon another three times that day, and they could have easily pushed for more if they wanted to. Jake had decided not to in the end, but only because he wanted to pace them.


    Ari and Felix would be gone for a little while, so they¡¯d have plenty of time to run this Dungeon until then.


    It did help that their group had a lot of strong answers to the monsters of this Dungeon, so the individual delves didn¡¯t take long, and weren¡¯t that strenuous.


    Between all four delves, they¡¯d only picked up a handful of injuries, mainly from hidden Rootlings, and all had been easily taken care of with a potion.


    Their last delve ended early enough that they had the whole evening to themselves, which was a good chance to relax and get to know each other better.


    Ari and Felix were busy off on their own, planning out what they intended to do and what route to take, leaving the rest of them to their own devices.


    Gargan turned out to be carrying a few books in his pack, and the quiet caster became almost talkative when discussing them with Alan.


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    Aspen seemed content to withdraw a box of ingredients that he¡¯d left with Ivaldi in the past and cook dinner, leaving just Nepthys and Jake.


    ¡°So, is now a good time to teach you?¡± Nepthys asked as Aspen hurried past them with his box.


    ¡°Yeah, works for me,¡± Jake said, getting to his feet and resting a hand on his sword. ¡°Do we need swords?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but not those,¡± Nepthys said, waving for Jake to wait at the table as she hurried over to Ivaldi¡¯s, returning a minute or two later with two new sword belts, each holding a pair of wooden swords in the style that she used.


    ¡°These are pretty heavy,¡± Jake said, buckling on the one she passed to him.


    ¡°We train with heavier blades where possible,¡± Nepthys said, drawing the wooden blades and giving them an idle twirl. ¡°It is part of our technique, one that my family has passed down through the generations. I can not teach it to you, but I can help you understand the basics.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Jake said, pushing down the tinge of jealousy he felt as he wondered what his family might well have taught him.


    ¡°The first step is to understand that your task is to cut your foe, every movement should bring you a step closer to this,¡± Nepthys said, moving slowly to strike at Jake with her longer blade as her shorter one swept in from the side.


    Jake blocked awkwardly, not used to using a sword to block with his left hand. He¡¯d had multiple lessons with Felix on swordsmanship, but they¡¯d always focused on footwork, balance and grip.


    ¡°Weapons are just an extension of your body, you should practice with them until you can wield them as such,¡± Nepthys said, stepping back and resetting before demonstrating a different attack. ¡°You must practice until they are natural in your grip, and then your focus is entirely on the fight. A wand will not be the same as the sword, but the principle of using them together will be the same.¡±


    Jake nodded, kind of understanding what she was saying. He hadn¡¯t expected this sort of philosophy to be part of it, but he supposed that his attitude towards the fight was just as important.


    They changed over, so that Jake was attacking Nepthys while she defended. They kept the movements slow, so that Jake could get a feel for what he was doing.


    After they¡¯d swapped another time or two, Nepthys signalled for him to stop and gestured to his offhand. ¡°You¡¯re considering things as two individual attacks, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, one then the other.¡±


    ¡°You need to think of it all as one. One attack, one motion, two swords as one. If you can do that, you¡¯ll find everything easier.¡±


    Jake stopped and considered that for a moment, thinking back on when he¡¯d been using his sword and wand together. With Nepthys¡¯s words in his mind, he could see that he¡¯d never truly used them together.


    Even that timed fight against the Oaken had been a sword strike and then the wand. Yes, he¡¯d set it up that way, but they were individual actions, not everything flowing together.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I understand what you mean,¡± Jake said thoughtfully.


    ¡°Good, being able to examine your own actions is critical,¡± Nepthys said, sheathing her practice blades. ¡°Take some time to reflect on this and we can do some more tomorrow. That is, if you want to?¡±


    Jake wasn¡¯t distracted enough to miss the hopeful tone she used and quickly agreed. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d be great, this was really helpful.¡±


    ¡°Good, I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± Nepthys said, pausing for a moment before giving Jake a small smile. ¡°I had fun as well, I¡¯m looking forward to tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    They stood in silence for a moment until Jake realised he was still wearing the sword belt and began to unbuckle it to hand back.


    ¡°No, no, you keep that,¡± Nepthys said, waving him off. ¡°I¡¯ve got more stored with Ivaldi if I need them.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, thanks, Nepthys,¡± Jake said as she walked back towards camp.


    He had a lot to think about now, and part of him wanted to have a quick solo delve to try and experiment further. Now wasn¡¯t the time, though, so he dropped off his new practice swords in the cabin he¡¯d picked out before heading to where Aspen was serving up food.


    Tomorrow, they¡¯d hit the Dungeon hard.


    -**-


    Ari and Felix left early the next morning, not even waiting for Aspen to cook up some bacon that he¡¯d prepared.


    ¡°Just how much food do you actually have stored with Ivaldi?¡± Jake asked as the classer provided them all with breakfast sandwiches. Bacon and egg was a great way to start the day, that was for sure.


    ¡°Nowhere near enough,¡± Aspen said with a chuckle. ¡°The way I see it, this food helps us recover faster and delve more. Plus, it always tastes better. It¡¯s a perk of delving often that I can have this much, and it helps give me a reason to keep pushing.¡±


    ¡°I thought your whole reason was about that refining through combat thing from your god?¡± Alan asked before munching into the sandwich Aspen passed him.


    ¡°Oh sure, it is,¡± Aspen said with a shrug. ¡°That drives me to keep going and doing more, but it doesn¡¯t really cover the grinding part of being a classer. So to keep things interesting, I like to mix up the Dungeons and gather as many types of food I can. It¡¯s a great excuse to delve repeatedly, and I hate rations.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we all,¡± Alan said, the others nodding along. Jake said nothing, but privately he thought that they weren¡¯t too bad.


    ¡°So yeah, that¡¯s why I do this,¡± Aspen said before taking a hefty bite out of his sandwich. ¡°Damn, these eggs are great.¡±


    ¡°Are they from a Dungeon as well?¡± Jake asked curiously. The sandwich was one of the best he¡¯d had, so it really wouldn¡¯t surprise him. ¡°What sort of a Dungeon gives eggs?¡±


    If he remembered right, the tavern in Restern had served Wyrd-infused eggs as well, so it must be a fairly common one.


    ¡°Not a Dungeon,¡± Aspen said, shaking his head a little. ¡°Some non-combat classers can work with domestic animals or plants and make them into sort of pseudo-monsters. I don¡¯t really get it or understand it, but the end result is Wyrdmeat, Wyrdfruit and the like.¡±


    ¡°Dungeons are an easier source, though,¡± Alan said, finishing his sandwich off. ¡°And require a lot less upkeep.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I guess that makes sense, I just hadn¡¯t really considered it.¡± Jake finished his own sandwich and they all sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes.


    ¡°Well, my food has settled, shall we go set fire to stuff?¡± Aspen asked, laughing as Gargan rolled his eyes at him.

 DN2 19 - Downtime

    Over the next six days they averaged at five delves a day, giving them a steady income of Wyrdgeld and plenty of chances to practice working as a team and for Jake to learn to better use two weapons at once.


    He was making good progress with the wand and sword, but he was still a long way from where Nepthys was. That wasn¡¯t really that surprising, though, not when she¡¯d been doing this for so much longer than him.


    The delves were easy enough, and after the second day, the only thing slowing them down was the time it took to simply travel through the Dungeon.


    Thankfully, that big windfall of Wyrdgeld meant that Jake reached the fourth rank, Alan got to third and Nepthys led the way at the sixth rank. The Wyrdgeld she¡¯d saved up had let her get a couple of extra ranks on them, but now they were all progressing together.


    Jake sighed as he considered his requirement to reach the next rank, six hundred and eighty Wyrdgeld. A tremendous amount, and one that was over half of what they¡¯d earned in the last six days of working hard.


    Alan and Nepthys would reach the top of the tier well before him, but then he may well be able to Ascend to the next tier before they could. He supposed it depended on the Deeds they needed to increase their tier.


    Then again, the reason Alan hadn¡¯t quite gotten to the fourth rank was that he¡¯d spent every last Wyrdgeld he had upgrading his Abilities when he ranked up. Everything he¡¯d already had now gave the most benefit they could, and he¡¯d bought a new Skill called Piercing Shot.


    Alan¡¯s new Skill was the result of his many conversations with Felix, as well as a lot of individual practice with infusing his arrows, and was already rated as Rare.


    Jake did feel a little jealous of Alan gaining a new, powerful Skill, but he also knew the Scholar had been working hard. He¡¯d not only practiced the process, like Jake had, but he¡¯d been examining how it worked, and how to improve it.


    Jake had done a little of that, but nowhere near as much, which, he supposed, told him exactly what to do to be able to upgrade his Skill¡¯s rarity.


    ¡°So Felix and Ari are meant to be back any time from today, right?¡± Nepthys asked, dropping down onto the bench next to Jake.


    ¡°Yeah, I think so, they said about a week, right?¡±


    ¡°They did,¡± Gargan said, joining them with a slight nod.


    ¡°So, do we do anything different today, then?¡± Nepthys looked to Jake questioningly, who shrugged. As far as he was concerned, they¡¯d just carry on as usual.


    ¡°Is there actually anything we can do?¡± Alan asked as he and Aspen walked over and sat down.


    No one replied immediately as Aspen passed out their breakfast, which was something he called an oatcake, and was filled with plentiful amounts of sausage and egg.


    Jake was once again struck by just how much Aspen spent on food, did he actually keep any of the Wyrdgeld they were making for himself?


    Jake quickly devoured his portion, judging it to be a decent alternative to a standard sandwich, before finally responding. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what else we can do. I agree that the amount we make isn¡¯t much in the face of the rising cost of ranking up, but I don¡¯t see an alternative.¡±


    ¡°Well, there is one thing we can do,¡± Aspen said, polishing off his own food. ¡°But it''s dangerous, especially for you guys.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Jake said, his attention fully on Aspen as he leaned in. ¡°You want us to take on the second tier of the Dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Alan echoed Jake¡¯s shock, but Aspen simply shrugged one shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m just being clear that it¡¯s an option. You¡¯re on the cusp of being ready for most of them, just a couple more ranks each and it would be doable. This Dungeon, though, is ideal for us as a group. I think you could do it.¡±


    Jake had assumed Aspen was being cavalier about it all, but he actually seemed like he¡¯d given it a good amount of thought. ¡°What do you think, Gargan?¡±


    ¡°Aspen does have a point,¡± the caster said, frowning slightly as though it pained him to even admit that. ¡°He and I can take advantage of their weakness to fire, and you are all coming along steadily in strength. My concern is that we don¡¯t know what the second tier looks like, and that the Guardian floor will hold an Awakened monster, perhaps even two.¡±


    ¡°Awakened are nastier than Enhanced, right?¡± Jake asked, thinking back to the hierarchy that Ari had taught them.


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    ¡°Yes, they are far more intelligent, and are usually stronger and faster as well. More importantly, though, they are strong enough to do real damage to your soul. An Enhanced monster might cause lingering damage, but an Awakened might kill you.¡±


    A tense silence stretched in the wake of Gargan¡¯s statement, but Jake found himself genuinely contemplating it. The risk was there, but he trusted Aspen¡¯s assessment of them.


    ¡°I spoke to Ivaldi yesterday,¡± Jake said eventually. ¡°He let me know that Varin will be here tomorrow, so we¡¯ll need to wait at least that long, perhaps longer if Felix and Ari haven¡¯t returned. That means there¡¯s no rush to do this, if we even decide to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to continue as we are,¡± Aspen said with a shrug. ¡°I just wanted you to be aware of the choice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not opposed to the idea,¡± Nepthys said. ¡°But I would be more comfortable with another rank or two each among the three of us.¡±


    ¡°Well, we have at least today and tomorrow,¡± Jake said, working out how much Wyrdgeld he could get during that time. It wouldn¡¯t even be close to enough if they kept the same pace. ¡°Let¡¯s get some delving done, and then see where we stand when everyone else gets here.¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Aspen said, getting to his feet and grabbing his spear. ¡°Ready when you are.¡±


    -**-


    They got two delves done before stopping for lunch, and were just about to head back inside when Alan perked up. ¡°They¡¯re back!¡±


    Jake looked over where Alan was pointing and saw Felix and Ari walking their way. The two older classers waved an acknowledgement as they saw they¡¯d been spotted, and adjusted to come over to where they¡¯d been sat to eat.


    ¡°Good to see you¡¯re all still in one piece,¡± Ari said cheerfully as they joined them. ¡°Have fun burning things, or are you getting stabbed too much?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been going pretty well, actually,¡± Jake said, looking between the two of them. ¡°What did you find?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a group of at least a dozen Corrupters heading north, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Felix said with a frown. ¡°We dealt with a couple that were too slow moving on, but the rest are in the wind. It looks like they¡¯re targeting tier one Dungeons that are nearby as they travel.¡±


    ¡°We should hunt them down,¡± Nepthys said immediately. ¡°We can leave in the morning and catch up with them.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be as easy as that,¡± Ari said, his cheerful demeanour fading away. ¡°They¡¯ve gone into hiding now we¡¯ve picked some off, and they seem pretty good at it. I think we can still track them down, but it will be a hunt, not just a chase.¡±


    ¡°So we hunt them them down. We can¡¯t just let them go around destroying Dungeons!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not saying that,¡± Felix said, shaking his head slightly. ¡°They do need hunting, but we¡¯ve also got an issue with the Triarchy. The Hunter they brought in is heading south, and our contacts told us that local Triarchy forces are looking for the Corrupters. If we go after them, we significantly increase the chance that they spot us. Once that happens, we¡¯ll have to be constantly on the move, and even then, that might not be enough.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s worth the risk,¡± Nepthys said stubbornly. ¡°Every Dungeon destroyed weakens Strovia¡¯s future, and is an act of heresy against the oldest laws of the gods!¡±


    ¡°But if we fight the Triarchy in the process, it might just make matters worse,¡± Alan said. ¡°They want Jake, and they want him badly. Maybe even badly enough to ignore the Corrupters and chase us instead.¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± Nepthys said, but it was clear that her heart wasn¡¯t in the protest.


    ¡°Never underestimate the Triarchy¡¯s desire to put their own desires ahead of everyone else,¡± Jake said bitterly. He knew in his heart that Alan was right; as soon as any Triarchy patrols caught their trail, the Corrupters would be a secondary priority.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to believe it, but you would know best; I¡¯ve only been dealing with them for a comparatively short amount of time.¡±


    Jake nodded, thankful that Nepthys hadn¡¯t fought them harder on that. He agreed that it was an important thing to hunt down those Corrupters, but they all needed to be aware of the potential dangers involved.


    ¡°So, if we¡¯re not setting out after them immediately, then what do we do?¡± Nepthys asked, looking between Jake and Felix.


    ¡°Our initial plan will no longer work,¡± Felix said, motioning to the north. ¡°The lack of first tier Dungeons will stop us gathering additional Boons for Jake. That means we need to head elsewhere if we wish to do so. We also need to look at alternative ways to build you up to the point that you can tackle the stronger Dungeons as a group.¡±


    ¡°Varin will be arriving tomorrow,¡± Jake said. ¡°He might be able to help with items and getting us equipped.¡±


    ¡°We were also discussing the possibility of attempting this Dungeon,¡± Aspen said, nodding over to Gargan. ¡°The two of us have quite the advantage in this Dungeon, and we¡¯re coming together as a group. I think we have a real shot at completing it successfully.¡±


    Felix and Ari shared a look before Ari shrugged and Felix turned back to them. ¡°We¡¯ll run it ourselves when you next go in and take stock of how difficult it will be. If you can complete it, though, that would help towards future Dungeons.¡±


    ¡°So we wait here for Varin, and then see if we think we can take on the second tier?¡± Jake asked, looking at each person in turn to gauge their opinions.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like leaving the Corrupters any time to act, but I think that would be best right now,¡± Nepthys said, Gargan and Aspen nodding as well.


    ¡°Good. Continue with your delves, then, while Ari and I take a look for ourselves.¡± Felix went to stand up before pausing, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Alan. ¡°Alan, what¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    The Scholar had had a distant look in his eyes and he blinked as he refocused on the group. ¡°Sorry, I was just thinking.¡±


    ¡°About?¡±


    ¡°The Corrupters destroying all the tier one Dungeons in the area and heading north. They¡¯ll be going back to where we were last seen, right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Jake said, wondering where he was going with this.


    ¡°So, I know they do this for their own reasons, but doesn¡¯t it feel like an odd coincidence that they¡¯re heading to where we might be hidden, and are destroying everything you¡¯d need to progress in the process?¡±


    ¡°You think this is an attempt to cut off Jake¡¯s access to Dungeons?¡± Nepthys asked, one hand toying with her braids as she considered it. ¡°It seems a big risk for them, just to cut off our access to a localised area of Dungeons.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe you¡¯re right,¡± Alan said, giving the Inquisitor a half-smile. ¡°It just feels like everyone is moving with a purpose, and we keep having fewer options.¡±

 DN2 20 - Duo

    Alan¡¯s words lingered in Jake¡¯s mind as they carried on with their day of delving. His Delver¡¯s Will Trait helped keep him focused while they were in the Dungeon, but in between, he found himself dwelling on it.


    It felt egotistical to think that the Corrupters were doing something like this just to fuck with him and his Class, but they must have some sort of goal in mind. Perhaps this wasn¡¯t even about him, perhaps it was to draw out Inquisitors like Nepthys.


    It was impossible to know without more information, but exactly how to get that information, he had no idea.


    As a group, they completed three more delves during the afternoon before stopping for the evening. Ari and Felix had done their own delve, but hadn¡¯t passed on any thoughts about it just yet, leaving them to while away the evening ready for another day of it tomorrow.


    Nepthys approached Felix about helping Jake use two weapons at the same time; it only made sense to involve him given the Abilities they knew he had. The two of them then set Jake a series of exercises, which did actually help highlight some of the hesitation he was trying to work through.


    He felt he¡¯d improved, but he was still short of where he wanted to be, both with this and with creating infusions of Wyrd. He¡¯d master both one way or another, but the road ahead didn¡¯t look to be an easy one.


    Felix stayed until Jake finished the exercises he¡¯d provided, then left to discuss something with Ari.


    ¡°I feel a bit unsettled with all this Corrupter stuff, what about you?¡± Jake asked Nepthys as they put away their practice weapons.


    The difference between training alone and training under Felix¡¯s supervision was like night and day now that Jake was fully aware of it and had gone without it for a week. He already felt like he could do it again, but that was probably also down to his increased rank.


    ¡°Honestly, this is perhaps the most conflicted I¡¯ve felt in a while,¡± Nepthys said in a slightly strained tone. ¡°I know that it¡¯s my duty, my responsibility, to hunt down those Corrupters. I also know that we need to prepare and be ready before we make any big moves like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I can¡¯t help but feel like no matter what we do, we¡¯ll end up regretting it somehow.¡±


    ¡°All we can do is stay true to ourselves, the rest will fall as it may,¡± Nepthys said with a level of certainty and surety of purpose that Jake envied. Perhaps it was from being raised into her Class.


    Idly, Jake wondered if he¡¯d have been the same if things were different. Not that he could even picture what a normal upbringing would look like.


    Cutting off that train of thought before he got too wrapped up in what might have been, Jake nodded to the distant Dungeon. ¡°I was considering a solo delve to clear my head and get some more Wyrdgeld. Want to join me?¡±


    ¡°Your idea of clearing your head is to go for a solo delve?¡± Nepthys asked with a slightly bemused smile.


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose it is,¡± Jake said, shaking his head with a soft laugh. ¡°I think it was from when I did so many in Casthorpe, it really helped me focus on what I was doing. Especially with a known Dungeon where I¡¯m aware of what I¡¯ll be facing.¡±


    Nepthys considered his words for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I get it, but I¡¯ll give it a try. Give me five minutes and we can head in?¡±


    Jake didn¡¯t bother trying to hide his wide grin as he nodded and went to grab his own gear. This was exactly what he needed.


    Alan looked up when he saw Jake emerge with his gear, and started to rise to come over when he saw Nepthys do the same and hesitated, looking back at Jake.


    Jake didn¡¯t mind Alan joining them, and was about to wave for him to come with them, but Alan had already sat back down and turned back to a conversation with Gargan.


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    Reminding himself to thank Alan later, Jake hurried over to the Dungeon before doing a last check that he wasn¡¯t forgetting anything. He was sticking with wand and sword for this, but there was something else he should do as well.


    ¡°Ready to go?¡± Nepthys asked as she walked in through the towering doors at the entrance.


    ¡°Almost,¡± Jake said as he mentally triggered one of his Boons.


    A deep quack echoed around the entrance as Moby emerged at Jake¡¯s feet, ruffling his wings slightly before giving Jake a look that made it clear he was being barely tolerated.


    Clearly Jake¡¯s issue with the Boon wasn¡¯t resolved yet.


    ¡°Good to see you again, Moby,¡± Nepthys said, nodding to the duck, who quacked in response before fluttering up to land in her arms. ¡°I forgot just how beautiful your feathers were as well.¡±


    Jake restrained the urge to roll his eyes at the preening duck and was about to make a sarcastic comment when he remembered Felix saying that his Boons would reflect his own attitude as they were a part of him.


    Seeing how Moby was luxuriating in Nepthys¡¯s attention, Jake flushed and turned to head to the stairs so she wouldn¡¯t notice. He really needed to get better control over Moby, and soon.


    -**-


    The three of them were more than a match for the Dungeon and had little issue working their way through it. Moby was even useful and helpful, far more so than Jake had expected.


    Having an ally who could fly was a strong advantage against purely landbound enemies, and Moby was able to distract and bait Rootlings with ease. He lacked the capability to do much actual damage to them, but Jake and Nepthys had that side covered.


    ¡°You should use him more often,¡± Nepthys said once they finished the Guardian floor. Moby had kept both the Oaken completely distracted while they dealt with the rest, which had definitely made things easier.


    ¡°Maybe, I¡¯d be more inclined to if he could fight a bit better. Right now he¡¯s just a big duck, albeit with some pretty feathers.¡±


    ¡°You said you can rank up your Boons, right?¡± Nepthys asked as Moby came over to land in her arms once more. ¡°How long until you can do that with him?¡±


    Jake flushed a little and sighed, avoiding her gaze for a moment before admitting the truth. ¡°I can do it already, I¡¯ve just been saving up to use it on a better Boon.¡±


    ¡°If we move on, then that¡¯s probably for the best,¡± Nepthys said as she idly stroked Moby. ¡°But if we give this Dungeon a true attempt, do you think we can afford to save that resource?¡±


    Jake wanted to argue, but Moby truly had been useful today, as much as he didn¡¯t want to admit it. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think we can. Not when true death is on the line.¡±


    If Jake didn¡¯t increase Moby¡¯s rank and they did complete the Dungeon, he would have enough to immediately upgrade whatever Boon he got here, or bring one of the others to the third rank.


    He was eager to make his dagger stronger, to see what power it would wield, but that would be a hollow victory if one of his friends died because he was holding back.


    Nepthys didn¡¯t press him on it any further as they divvied up the spoils and made their way back outside.


    ¡°Thanks for coming with me,¡± Jake said as they stepped back into the cool evening air. ¡°I feel a bit better now that I¡¯ve had a chance to let loose a little.¡±


    ¡°No problem, I think I understand why you do it,¡± Nepthys said, passing Moby over to Jake, who tucked him under one arm and ignored the irritated quacks. ¡°It felt less like a routine delve and more intense, but without being too stressful as well. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d do it regularly, and definitely not alone, but I¡¯d keep you company again.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it,¡± Jake said, wondering for a moment how his life got to the point that he was eager to go and fight monsters just to spend time with someone.


    Nepthys smiled again and bid Jake goodnight before heading back to her cabin. Everyone else but Ari had turned in as well, no doubt in preparation for the busy day they had coming tomorrow.


    Ari was lying on one of the tables staring up at the stars, though Jake guessed he was actually meant to be on watch. Then again, most of the threats they had coming their way had no chance of slipping past someone like Ari, regardless of what he was doing.


    Giving a mental shrug, Jake made his way over to the small cabin he¡¯d picked out with Moby under his arm and closed the door behind him before setting the duck down on the little table in the kitchen.


    ¡°This feels stupid, but I thought talking it out might help,¡± Jake said awkwardly as he met the duck¡¯s gaze. ¡°You were good today, and I¡¯m going to get you to the next rank when I go up one myself. If that doesn¡¯t really make a difference, then so be it. I¡¯m not going to be ashamed because I¡¯ve got an odd familiar.¡±


    Moby let out a single, sonorous quack that seemed to reverberate around the room before fluttering his wings and sitting down on the table. Seeing him like this really brought home for Jake that Moby was easily half again the size of the biggest duck he¡¯d seen.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why I¡¯m bothering, it¡¯s not like you understand me,¡± Jake said, running a hand through his hair and sighing. ¡°I¡¯m just sorry that I¡¯ve not treated you right, okay?¡±


    Moby quacked again and Jake pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling increasingly stupid for doing this.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough of that,¡± he muttered to himself before dismissing Moby with a flicker of grey light before heading for his bed.

 DN2 21 - Varin

    True to form, the next day began with a series of fast delves as they pushed to get enough Wyrdgeld for them to all get that one extra rank.


    Aspen started to offer to not take his share of the Wyrdgeld they were harvesting, but Jake wouldn¡¯t hear of it. Aspen was already acting as their cook, and was using his own ingredients to do so.


    Jake refused to have him be losing money by them being here at the Dungeon, even though he knew full well that it meant he wouldn¡¯t get enough Wyrdgeld from their delves.


    Still, he pushed on regardless, and they had just finished their third delve when Varin arrived.


    Varin looked much the same as when Jake had last seen him, a tall man with an unhealthily thin figure, a gaunt face and particularly pale skin.


    At first glance, Varin looked like he was more likely to keel over from some sort of malady than be able to craft magical weapons and equipment, but Jake¡¯s wand said otherwise.


    ¡°Varin!¡± Jake called out, jogging over to greet him with a wave.


    ¡°Jake, good to see you again,¡± Varin said, smiling slightly as he saw Jake¡¯s belt. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯re putting my work to good use.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, it has been really helpful,¡± Jake said as he patted the wand at his hip. ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready to make some more, though.¡±


    Varin nodded and hefted the large pack he was carrying. ¡°I¡¯ve come prepared. I¡¯ve got a few things saved up from the last few weeks, I just need a project and some space to work.¡±


    ¡°We can manage both I¡¯m sure,¡± Jake said with a laugh as he waved for Varin to follow him and made his way to one of the empty cabins. ¡°What sort of project are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Well, the trades I¡¯ve made have been limited, and I don¡¯t have any metal to work with, so it would be limited to something wooden or some sort of armour.¡±


    ¡°Armour would be more than welcome, though I¡¯m guessing it won¡¯t be anything heavy?¡±


    ¡°No, I would be infusing regular clothing to give it some further resistance and protection,¡± Varin said, shrugging slightly and giving Jake an apologetic look. ¡°That¡¯s the best I can do at the moment.¡±


    ¡°No, no, anything is better than nothing,¡± Jake said, waving away the apology. ¡°How long would it take to make?¡±


    ¡°If I make the simplest kind, it will take a few days, but the effect will be minimal. If I use up more of my stock, I can make something better, but it will take up to maybe a week.¡±


    ¡°That would be too long, we¡¯ll be leaving by then,¡± Jake said, knowing full well that Nepthys wouldn¡¯t stand by for another week. A few days was something more manageable, though.


    ¡°It will take time for the weave to settle in each one, so I could make several at a time if that helps?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, that will help,¡± Jake said, clapping Varin on the shoulder with a grin. ¡°Do you need anything from us to make it happen?¡±


    ¡°If you have anything you can harvest from the Dungeon that would be suitable, that would be good,¡± Varin said after a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the rewards given are like here, though.¡±


    ¡°Nothing useful for that,¡± Jake said, considering what they could gather from the Dungeon. ¡°Not unless you need some berries.¡±


    Varin chuckled and shook his head. ¡°Sadly, that won¡¯t do. Well, if you do find anything, let me know. I can use anything from a Dungeon, whether it be a reward, parts from a monster or something you¡¯ve harvested.¡±


    Jake frowned for a moment before realising what Varin was saying. He¡¯d forgotten that you could harvest everything in the Dungeon, and that meant there was a lot of potential they were missing out on.


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    Of course, he doubted it was worth the time chopping down all those saplings when they could just finish the Dungeon faster and run it again, but still.


    ¡°Alright, thanks, Varin,¡± Jake said, nodding to the tall crafter. ¡°We¡¯ll be heading back in shortly, so I¡¯ll introduce you to the others at dinner.¡±


    Varin nodded and went inside the cabin, leaving Jake to head back to the others and share what Varin had told him.


    Alan was just as excited as Jake about the possibility of getting some armour, even if it was limited in nature. Nepthys was somewhat less excited, but Jake put that down to her feeling the urge to pursue the Corrupters.


    None of them, however, were particularly thrilled about the idea of harvesting further materials from the Dungeon.


    ¡°Some places, especially in the second tier Dungeons, are almost made for it,¡± Aspen said, tapping the armour he was wearing. ¡°You can get hides, leather or scales with only a bit of effort. This place, though, would be difficult.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can see that,¡± Jake said, thinking of how awkward it would be to try and carve up a Rootling into something usable. Little pieces of them would be easy enough, but he wasn¡¯t sure that would be helpful for Varin.


    ¡°What about the Oaken?¡± Alan asked thoughtfully. ¡°We could just remove one of their branch arms, right?¡±


    Jake considered it for a moment before shrugging. ¡°Maybe, not sure what that would come under really. Would it just be the same as those sections of wood we get as rewards sometimes?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Aspen said, shaking his head. ¡°They¡¯re not solid wood, and I think there¡¯s an extra step to using something from a monster.¡±


    ¡°The crafter will need to prepare the materials with infusions of Wyrd,¡± Gargan said, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully before continuing. ¡°I can do that for him, though.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like it might speed things up,¡± Jake said, giving the caster a nod. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure what use we¡¯ll find in sections of wood, in the short term anyway.¡±


    ¡°Wands, bows and arrows are the main three,¡± Gargan said, nodding to Alan. ¡°So our best use would be to give Alan some more strength.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Jake said, wondering how much those arms would be worth. The lengths they got in the Dungeon rewards were worth around twenty Wyrdgeld, so the amount they could get from a harvest would potentially be quite high.


    The thought that they¡¯d been missing out on Wyrdgeld with each delve was enough to make Jake¡¯s eye twitch. It wasn¡¯t just this one either, there was all the other Dungeons to consider.


    ¡°Gargan, you seem familiar with infusions and all this, how much would you think the branch arms are worth?¡±


    ¡°Well, anything that isn¡¯t already refined, so hasn¡¯t gone through that process I mentioned, is worth a lot less. Dungeonous material is worth as much as it is because it is always of the highest quality and perfect for infusions or Weaving.¡±


    ¡°How much less?¡± Jake asked, his heart sinking at the look Gargan gave him.


    ¡°More like a single Wyrdgeld each if they are in perfect condition.¡±


    ¡°Still, that triples the value of them, more so if we can use the legs,¡± Alan said brightly.


    ¡°Yes, but you can¡¯t just take them to Ivaldi, which is the real issue,¡± Gargan said, gesturing to the cabin that Varin was in. ¡°You need to sell to crafters, either individually or to stores in the cities. That means taking them there, which is difficult, or using the local Dungeons, and then you get barely anything for it.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Jake said with a heavy sigh. He¡¯d thought there was a way to make a lot more Wyrdgeld for a moment there.


    The obvious workaround was to store the goods with Ivaldi, like he did with the Wyrdfruit, but that cost Wyrdgeld to store and retrieve, and that cut into any profits.


    Jake knew without a shadow of a doubt that countless people did just that, and took out large crates of whatever ingredient had the best markup wherever they were.


    Sadly, Jake just didn¡¯t have the time or the dedication for that. He¡¯d rather just do an extra few delves to make the Wyrdgeld that way.


    Speaking of, it was time to get back to it.


    ¡°Thanks for talking it through, Gargan,¡± Jake said, giving the caster a nod before gesturing to the Dungeon. ¡°Let¡¯s grab a few arms for Varin, see what he can whip up for us.¡±


    Everyone nodded and started forwards, but Gargan moved over to Jake¡¯s side and gave him a measuring look. ¡°I¡¯ve seen that you¡¯re branching out with wand and sword, are you looking to use your Wyrd more?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, I suppose so,¡± Jake said, caught a little off guard by the question.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll offer you the same tutelage I¡¯m giving to Alan. My Patron chose me and showed me the purity of Wyrd and the Weaves we can make of it. I consider it part of my bond with her to spread this knowledge to others.¡±


    There was an intensity to Gargan¡¯s voice that Jake hadn¡¯t seen before, and he found himself looking at the quiet caster in a new light. Gargan had taken up with their group with little issue, barring the occasional barbed exchange with Aspen about their gods.


    Aspen, however, had been a far greater influence on the group as a whole, and had integrated into working with them particularly smoothly.


    Now, though, Jake was wondering if that was because Aspen¡¯s motivation was to delve, to find those fights and push himself, whereas Gargan saw them only as a means to an end.


    Realising that the other man was waiting for a response, Jake cleared his throat. ¡°That sounds good, learning more about Wyrd and Weaving would be more than welcome as well.¡±


    ¡°Come find me after your training this evening and we will begin,¡± Gargan said, a hint of a smile touching his face for a moment before he dropped back and let Jake lead the way into the Dungeon.

 DN2 22 - Preparations

    They got six more delves done before calling it for the day, which put Jake just past what he¡¯d need to rank up. Having Felix back to tell them this was all training had let them use his enhanced recovery trait to its fullest extent.


    Both Alan and Nepthys had enough as well which meant that they were right on the cusp of being able to really attempt it.


    They¡¯d harvested a dozen Oaken arms for Varin on the last delve, and Jake made sure to deliver them to the crafter before they all settled down for dinner.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re really doing this then?¡± Alan asked, looking at Jake and Felix. ¡°We¡¯re going to attempt a full delve?¡±


    ¡°I think it''s the best option we have,¡± Felix said, sharing a look with Ari. ¡°You won¡¯t find another Dungeon you are so suited to as a group anytime soon, after all.¡±


    ¡°I agree, and I think we can spend some of our leftover Wyrdgeld to make sure we¡¯re as well-equipped as we can be,¡± Jake said, thinking of the flat rates that Ivaldi had in his store for basic equipment. ¡°We¡¯ll take it steadily and be careful.¡±


    ¡°We could always wait for those infused items that Varin is making,¡± Alan said, not seeming fully convinced of their odds.


    ¡°That would be several days, we can¡¯t wait that long,¡± Nepthys said firmly.


    ¡°Agreed, this is important, but the Corruptors should be our next priority,¡± Gargan said in support, catching Jake by surprise.


    ¡°We can save that particular decision for when you¡¯ve completed the Dungeon,¡± Felix said quickly, before anyone else could speak up. ¡°Regardless, however, time is sensitive. The Triarchy Seekers will be spreading further into the south with each day.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so we head in tomorrow then?¡± Jake asked, looking around at the others questioningly.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Nepthys said, the others nodding along a moment later.


    ¡°Alright, in that case, let¡¯s pool our Wyrdgeld and see what we can buy,¡± Jake said, calling forth the dozen Wyrdgeld he had left after he deducted what he needed to rank up.


    Nepthys and Alan did the same, but Jake restricted Aspen and Gargan to only matching his own contribution.


    The more he thought about things, the more he felt that Felix was right. They had to do this off of their own merits if they wanted to truly grow and better themselves.


    With everything going on, Jake needed to be getting the most out of all of this, not stunting his growth relying on things he hadn¡¯t earned.


    By that same token, though, he would accept a reasonable amount from the other two, as they were part of the team now.


    ¡°This is more than I expected,¡± Alan said, looking down at the pile of Wyrdgeld thoughtfully. ¡°We could probably buy a few pieces of armour with this, as well as plenty more potions.¡±


    Jake cast his mind back to when he¡¯d last looked at Ivaldi¡¯s prices, recalling that armour was a flat cost per piece, and it was all of a single Wyrdgeld for a pair of normal healing potions.


    A quick estimate of what they had told him they could actually do far more than he¡¯d hoped.


    They¡¯d been holding out for infused armour, but this was too important a delve to risk carrying on without it.


    ¡°I¡¯d recommend waiting to see if you are offered any new Skills or Traits with the rank up,¡± Felix said before they began to mix things up.


    ¡°Yeah, probably a good idea,¡± Jake said, taking his Wyrdgeld back, albeit reluctantly. Part of him wanted to get everything ready now so they could just push straight on with it tomorrow.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get some last training done then,¡± Nepthys said, giving Jake a smile that seemed oddly sinister. ¡°Got to make sure we¡¯re in top form for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°A good point,¡± Gargan said, turning to Alan with a far more serious expression than Nepthys. ¡°We¡¯ll begin whenever you¡¯re ready, Jake can join after his martial training.¡±


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    Jake nodded and they split up into small groups, with Ari, Felix and Aspen following Jake and Nepthys over to where they¡¯d been practising.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us, I¡¯m just going to put Aspen through his paces,¡± Ari said at Jake¡¯s questioning look, sliding his sword off his shoulder as he did.


    Aspen was quick to bring his spear up as well, and Jake noted that it was sheathed in a familiar thin layer of Wyrd.


    Looking back at Felix, Jake saw him hold his hand out and apply the same sheath to Nepthys¡¯s swords before motioning for Jake to hold out his weapons.


    ¡°Push yourselves as best you can,¡± Felix said as he finished using his Skill. ¡°You want any Abilities that are offered to be as strong as possible.¡±


    Jake nodded before dodging to the side as Nepthys came in fast, her swords blurring through the air to strike at his neck and hip.


    A spray of blunted thorns bought Jake some space, but he quickly found himself being pressed hard once more as Nepthys kept up the assault, pushing him onto the back foot.


    Dodging what he could and parrying as much of the rest as possible, Jake lost himself in the frantic rhythm of the fight as Nepthys did her best to push him to the limit.


    -**-


    Eventually, they called the sparring to a halt, but not until they¡¯d swapped partners a few times.


    Even with Felix¡¯s Skill, Jake could feel a few bruises forming on his ribs from the last fight with Ari.


    The way that Ari could move that huge blade of his was downright frightening, and it hit like a sledgehammer to boot.


    Alan and Gargan were still discussing whatever this magic training was, so Jake made his way over to them, one hand holding his bruised ribs.


    ¡°Jake, I¡¯m glad you joined us,¡± Gargan said, motioning to the floor next to him. ¡°Alan has told me that you¡¯ve dabbled in infusing your weapons, what success have you had?¡±


    ¡°Well, I can do it, and I earned a Skill from it, but not much more than that.¡± Jake took the offered spot and sat down with a wince.


    ¡°A fine starting point, and one that many classers never progress from,¡± Gargan said, motioning in the direction of Ari and Aspen. ¡°Many classers learn a single basic infusion and then focus on using it, relying on the System to advance it and provide the knowledge they need.¡±


    Jake nodded, that made sense from what he¡¯d seen so far. Infusions were tough. ¡°You said single, does that mean there are more types?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Gargan said, his hazel eyes bright and his expression the most animated that Jake had seen since they met. ¡°Tell me of your infusion, what does it do?¡±


    ¡°Well, it makes it hit harder¡­¡± Jake began to say before pausing as he realised that he didn¡¯t really know what it did. It let him hurt tough creatures and it felt like it hit harder, but that was just the effect he saw.


    ¡°Check your Skill, if it was based off of your work, it should be the same,¡± Gargan said, smiling a little at Jake¡¯s abortive explanation.


    Jake did just that, calling up the System to see what the description said.


    Active - Infused Strike (II) - Uncommon - You are able to infuse your weapon with a small amount of Wyrd, strengthening your blows and sharpening the edges of your weapon.


    ¡°It says that it strengthens my blows and sharpens the edge of my weapon.¡±


    ¡°Good, two modifiers is reasonable for an infusion. You¡¯ve used a wand now, though. Would this infusion assist it?¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Jake frowned, considering it for a moment more before answering more confidently. ¡°No, because there¡¯s no blow to strengthen and no edge involved.¡±


    It was just like the Trait and Skill effects he¡¯d discussed in the past; the wording was crucial.


    ¡°Exactly, and because most infusions are developed for melee weapons, very few of them can be used on anything else. Alan¡¯s Skill has the reverse issue, where it applies specifically to ammunition.¡±


    ¡°So, how many infusions are there?¡± Jake asked, wondering if there was a list somewhere he could try and find to work out what would be best for him.


    ¡°As many as you can make,¡± Gargan said, rasping out a laugh at Jake¡¯s expression. ¡°Alan, you explain it. Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve learned so far.¡±


    Alan shifted uncomfortably for a moment before clearing his throat. ¡°The main thing about infusions are the modifiers, and they work together to produce countless variants. To truly learn how to infuse your weapons, you need to learn how to adjust the Weave of the Wyrd you use.¡±


    ¡°Not a bad summary,¡± Gargan said, giving Alan an approving nod. ¡°Basically, what I learned at an early age, and what I will be teaching both of you, is how to properly control the Weave you use, and what patterns create what effects.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so what is the difference between the Weave and the patterns?¡± Jake asked, thinking back to his discussions with Alan before about the patterns and how he¡¯d gotten his Skill when he formed a complete one.


    ¡°A Weave is a complete working of Wyrd, so in this case, it would be the infusion itself,¡± Gargan said, lifting a finger to hold off Jake¡¯s next question. ¡°It also applies to many other things, such as manually creating magical effects rather than using a Skill or Trait. All require a complete Weave.¡±


    Jake nodded, kind of understanding all that.


    ¡°Patterns, however, are the parts of the Weave that give specific effects. So for your infusion Skill, you will have two patterns within the Weave, creating the overall effect. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°I think I do,¡± Jake said, pulling out his sword and going through the manual process to infuse it.


    As he coaxed the Wyrd into shape, which still took a few moments, even now, Jake saw what Gargan was talking about.


    Within this Weave that Jake made, he could see two distinct patterns, each one flowing organically into the whole.


    ¡°Wait, so what if I¡­.¡± Jake muttered, letting the Weave fade away before recreating it, and this time focusing on creating those two patterns.


    The Weave snapped into place twice as quickly this time, Jake¡¯s visualisation of the infusion letting his Wyrd rapidly form the right shapes.


    ¡°Excellent work,¡± Gargan said, his smile widening as he motioned for Jake to continue. ¡°Now you understand the process; do it again, but faster.¡±

 DN2 23 - Ranking Up

    Gargan eventually called an end to their practice, but Jake was pretty sure it was out of consideration of needing sleep for their delve the following day.


    Otherwise, he was pretty sure the caster would have been more than willing to stay up all night discussing magical theory.


    Felix had been Jake¡¯s source of information to his point, but just an hour with Gargan showed the world of difference between someone who¡¯d been around long enough to pick up a few things, and someone who was passionate about it.


    Heading back to his cabin, Jake felt his pulse start to race as he lay down and triggered his rank up.


    Sufficient Wyrdgeld is present, presenting ascension options for Tier II Rank V.


    You currently have one Trait slot available and one Skill slot available.


    At this time, you have unlocked two additional Skills that may be purchased.


    Lesser Sprint - Common - 100 Wyrdgeld


    Lesser Blade Mastery - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    At this time, you have unlocked two additional Traits that may be purchased.


    Lesser Endurance - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    Lesser Weapons Expert - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    At this time, you have insufficient Wyrdgeld to make any upgrades or purchases.


    At this time, you have two available Plexus Points.


    Boons available to be upgraded


    The Mighty Drake - 2 Plexus Points


    Would you like to upgrade one of your Boons?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jake said, fighting down the last shreds of reluctance


    Upgrade completed, continuing with Ascension.


    Congratulations, you have ascended to Tier II, Rank V. The expended Wyrdgeld shall be used to refine your physicality.


    Would you like to discard any Skills or Traits at this time?


    Jake refused the prompt before gasping as the energy flowed into him.


    Every time he did this it was with more Wyrdgeld than the time before, and the greater quantity of energy made the process easier to track and the changes more distinct.


    Usually, he was tired and barely awake for this, but this time he focused on what was happening. A wealth of energy was flowing into him as the System converted the Wyrdgeld into raw power, with just over half of it going into his body, while the rest flowed into his core.


    Jake could feel the excess be consumed by his Boons to fuel their own growth and realised that even without using his Plexus Points, his Boons would gain strength as he rose through the ranks.


    Foreign power intermingled with the process as the System enlarged the Boon he¡¯d chosen, and Jake felt a spark of curiosity about what Moby would be like now.


    Turning his attention back to the changes happening within his body, Jake found the process almost complete, but it brought with it a bone-tiredness that he found difficult to resist.


    Letting it wash over him, Jake relaxed back onto the bed and slipped into sleep.


    -**-


    The following morning Jake woke with the dawn and went through his usual routine of getting to grips with his new strength.


    As always, the increase was noticeable, but slight enough that it didn¡¯t take too much time to adjust.


    Alan and Nepthys were likewise running through some exercises and adjusting to their new rank, and through unspoken agreement, they joined together for a run around the area.


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    A run was just enough to get Jake¡¯s blood pumping and help loosen him up, making him feel a bit more at home with himself.


    ¡°Well, either of you get anything alongside your rank up?¡± Jake asked as they came to a halt back where they¡¯d started.


    At this rank, and with weeks of hard work, neither Jake or Alan were phased by the run, which only drove home how much Jake had changed since he¡¯d Ascended.


    He¡¯d been considering how much Alan had improved in the last few weeks, but if he was being honest, he could tell that his own changes were just as dramatic.


    The thin, underfed person who¡¯d taken up that unwanted Class was long gone now. Wyrd infused food, plenty of training and steady progress through the ranks had given Jake all the strength and endurance he¡¯d dreamed of back in Port Emerald.


    ¡°Nothing for me, I had enough to get there, but not enough for anything new,¡± Alan said.


    ¡°Same here, but we at least have enough between us to outfit ourselves properly.¡± Nepthys motioned over to Ivaldi¡¯s as she spoke and Jake nodded with a grin.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get our things and see what we can afford,¡± Jake said, waving over Aspen and Gargan, who¡¯d just emerged from their cabins.


    ¡°Is it time?¡± Aspen asked, jogging over with an eager expression, already wearing his armour and carrying both his spear and backpack.


    Gargan was also fully equipped, and despite his neutral expression, Jake thought he saw a hint of excitement in the reserved caster¡¯s posture.


    ¡°Not quite yet,¡± Jake said, chuckling as Aspen sagged slightly. ¡°But it is time to do some shopping.¡±


    ¡°Ah right, here,¡± Aspen said, producing the Wyrdgeld he¡¯d offered the day before. ¡°Go get yourself some armour, if nothing else.¡±


    ¡°My contribution, as well,¡± Gargan said, passing over a matching amount.


    Jake thanked them both and hurried over to Ivaldi¡¯s, eager to spend what they had and get things moving.


    ¡°Jake Khesh, be welcome in my domain,¡± Ivaldi said as Jake entered the store, the big man appearing as usual to sit behind his low counter. ¡°What are you looking for today?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re taking a run at the Dungeon as a whole today,¡± Jake said as Nepthys and Alan joined him. ¡°So we¡¯re looking to get as fully equipped as we can be.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Ivaldi said, his gaze lingering on Jake for a moment before he nodded and gestured to the walls of the store, which were covered with different styles of weapons. ¡°I have basic equipment for all Classes, please let me know what you would like.¡±


    Jake started to turn away before pausing, glancing at Alan and looking back. ¡°What would the basic equipment for an Inquisitive Scholar look like other than weapons and armour?¡±


    A slight smile touched the corner of Ivaldi¡¯s mouth as he reached out of sight and pulled out a small brass object. ¡°A looking glass is commonly recommended. Any Class equipment like this would be five Wyrdgeld.¡±


    ¡°Done,¡± Alan said quickly, hurrying over to take the looking glass and pay Ivaldi.


    Despite its small starting size, the looking glass was telescopic and extended out a good distance when Alan used it.


    ¡°What about for Dungeon Nobles or Inquisitors?¡± Jake asked eagerly.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the basic requirements for your Classes are covered by your Patron Gifts,¡± Ivaldi said, though he reached out of view to pull out a leather cuirass and a pair of bracers. ¡°Armour is most definitely recommended, though. Leather armour would be twenty-five Wyrdgeld apiece.¡±


    ¡°Do the bracers count as one?¡± Jake waited until Ivaldi nodded before sighing and producing the Wyrdgeld for three sets of what Ivaldi had in front of him. ¡°This will be almost all our Wyrdgeld, but I think it¡¯s a good choice. What¡¯s your thoughts, Nepthys?¡±


    ¡°Agreed, we need the armour more than anything. I¡¯ve had a set like that in the past as well, it does quite well against monsters in the Beast category.¡±


    Jake heard the unspoken reminder that it would do little against an Enhanced monster, let alone an Awakened one. Still, it would help them get to those fights in the best shape possible.


    ¡°Alright, three sets of armour and then the rest goes to potions that we split between us. Do you need any more arrows, Alan?¡±


    ¡°No, I should be good with what I have,¡± Alan said before hesitating and shaking his head. ¡°Actually, let¡¯s get another couple of bundles, just to be safe.¡±


    Thankfully, the oddly cheap pricing that Ivaldi had for such things meant that another fifty arrows was just two Wyrdgeld, and it was only a single Wyrdgeld for a pair of his basic healing potions.


    At one point, that had felt like a lot to Jake, but he now saw just how outlandishly cheap such costs were. There was absolutely no chance that these potions were that cheap to produce, which meant that there was a greater purpose to them being so discounted.


    The free replacement of gear in the first tier was meant to have been a deal between the Delver¡¯s Guild and Ivaldi, but Jake wondered just how true that was.


    Putting his musing aside for the moment, Jake led the way back outside and dumped everything onto one of the benches, letting the others grab out what they needed.


    Figuring out the straps and fasteners for the cuirass took a few moments, but soon enough, Jake was ready and raring to go.


    Something about putting on armour had really driven home for him just how important this delve was, and Jake wanted to waste no more time in starting.


    Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t the only one, and the rest of the group quickly gathered at the entrance to the Dungeon.


    ¡°Alright, so we¡¯re going to do the first tier the same as always, but I want everyone to be paying attention,¡± Jake said as they made their way through the towering Dungeon doors. ¡°We can¡¯t afford any mistakes so soon.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re taking this seriously,¡± Aspen said firmly, grounding the butt of his spear in emphasis.


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s be about it.¡±

 DN2 24 - Pushing Forward

    The crackling of flames and the screeching screams of the Tendrae echoed throughout the first Guardian floor of the Dungeon as Gargan roasted the last monster.


    They¡¯d gone for an approach of overwhelming firepower to ensure that the Enhanced Tendrae didn¡¯t have any opportunity to cause an issue.


    It had been shockingly effective, with Gargan taking out most of the enemies on his own. The Tendrae had taken more punishment than Jake had expected, but once the flames got past its leaves, it was all over.


    ¡°That didn¡¯t seem like your normal attack,¡± Jake said as the sounds faded and they harvested their Wyrdgeld from the dead monsters.


    ¡°No, that was my Skill, Elemental Blast. I normally stick to my wand mostly, but I wanted to make this a quick fight.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was certainly impressive,¡± Jake said, recalling the large projectile of flames that had washed over the Tendrae. A lot of it had even stuck to the monster and continued to burn. ¡°Why not use it more?¡±


    ¡°The Wyrd cost mainly,¡± Gargan said, kneeling down to draw the Wyrdgeld from the dead Tendrae. ¡°It is scalable, as with all Skills, but my wand is far more efficient for lower-powered attacks.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it seems powerful. It¡¯s Woven rather than Infused, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and it is bound to my Elemental Blast Skill, which enhances its strength further,¡± Gargan said proudly.


    Jake nodded, filing that information away for the future. He knew that Woven items were linked to an Ability when bound by a classer, but he hadn¡¯t realised the Ability affected them in turn.


    The potential ways that could be used seemed endless to Jake, and he couldn¡¯t wait to get his first piece. Exactly how it would work with something like his Personal Plexus Skill would be interesting to see.


    ¡°All looted up. Shall we take a break before we go?¡± Aspen called out from where he¡¯d opened the reward chest, and Jake nodded, drawing the Wyrdgeld from the last Rootling and dropping it into his pouch.


    ¡°Sounds good to me. Let¡¯s make sure we all have our Wyrd topped up,¡± Jake said, heading over to join Aspen as he mentally assessed how much Wyrd he had left.


    They¡¯d easily cleared the first five floors, so any Wyrd he¡¯d used had already been recovered. From a Wyrd perspective, he was ready to go, but he doubted Gargan and Alan were in the same situation.


    No doubt both of them were combat-capable, but if they had the time, they might as well use it.


    ¡°So, did you actually do it?¡± Nepthys asked, coming over to sit by Jake.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jake asked, frowning slightly.


    ¡°Did you upgrade Moby¡¯s Boon?¡±


    ¡°Ah. Yeah, I did.¡±


    ¡°So, why haven¡¯t you summoned him yet?¡± Nepthys asked, arching a brow at Jake questioningly.


    Jake went to answer, but he realised he didn¡¯t actually have a good answer. ¡°Huh. Just habit, I suppose. I¡¯m used to trying not to use any Manifestations during these delves.¡±


    Lifting a hand, Jake focused on the Mighty Drake Boon and summoned Moby, the duck appearing in a shimmer of grey Wyrd.


    Moby had got bigger with the upgrade to his Boon, and he was clearly unnaturally large now, with a wingspan that was actually quite impressive.


    Moby¡¯s shimmering feathers had a metallic glint to them now as well, though they still felt the same to the touch. Seeing his interest, Moby shook himself and a pair of feathers fell lightly to the ground.


    Picking one up, Jake cut it with his sword, noting how tough it was. It wasn¡¯t up to the strength of something Enhanced, but Moby would be a lot harder for Beasts to kill.


    A few moments passed before both the shed feathers dissolved, making Jake wonder if there was some purpose to Moby shedding them.


    ¡°Such a handsome boy,¡± Nepthys crooned, stroking Moby¡¯s head as the duck cuddled up to her.


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    Sighing softly, Jake turned his attention inwards to where the active Boon was slowly drawing on his stored Wyrd. At the second rank, Moby was using more Wyrd than before.


    It was more than Jake¡¯s recovery rate from the first tier, but with his Ascension to tier two, it was more manageable. In fact, if he was getting the right feel for the drain, then he¡¯d still be able to use his infusion Skill periodically and not have to worry.


    ¡°You know, you told me you had a duck familiar,¡± Aspen said, staring with disbelief at Moby. ¡°But somehow, I didn¡¯t really expect him to be so duck-like.¡±


    ¡°Expecting something more monstrous?¡±


    Aspen shrugged and nodded. ¡°Yeah, pretty much. This guy is just a duck of unusual size, though, which surprised me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and hopefully he¡¯ll make scouting a lot easier,¡± Jake said, getting back to his feet and stretching. ¡°Are we ready to move on?¡±


    Gargan and Alan exchanged looks before nodding and joining him, Aspen and Nepthys following suit a moment later.


    Moby jumped and landed heavily on Jake¡¯s shoulder with a flutter of his wings, threatening to unbalance him for a moment. Thankfully, the huge duck seemed to be aware that he was only just able to fit and actively worked to help Jake keep his balance.


    Trying to hide how close he¡¯d come to getting knocked over by his own summons, Jake gave the others a confident smile and started over to the door that led down to the next tier.


    Well, they were trees that had grown into arches that led them deeper into the forest, but Jake still considered them doors in his mind.


    Pushing aside the vines covering the entrance to the arch, which Jake imagined was the same as opening the door, he stepped through.


    -**-


    The sixth floor of the Dungeon started much the same as those of the previous tier, with a winding path through a thick forest. The path here was wider, though, which was something.


    ¡°How does it feel committing to either completing your first Dungeon at this tier, or potentially dying in the process?¡± Aspen asked Jake as they assembled, ready to begin.


    ¡°Honestly, it feels good,¡± Jake said, letting some of the growing excitement within him show in his expression. ¡°I¡¯ve learnt a lot since the last time we went into one, and I want to see how I measure up against it now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Aspen said, nudging Jake with a grin. ¡°I knew I liked you for a reason.¡±


    Jake returned the grin before taking a breath and getting himself under control. Now was the time to take this seriously.


    Thankfully, the shift in Aspen that he¡¯d seen before happened as soon as Jake focused on what they were doing, and the two of them exchanged nods before starting forward.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be going with Aspen and Alan at the front, then me, and then Gargan and Nepthys at the rear,¡± Jake said, giving their formation shape as they moved down the path.


    Now that it was wider, Alan and Aspen could move side by side, letting the Scholar look for hidden enemies and dangers without being between Aspen and whatever was out there.


    ¡°Moby, can you pace us up above and call out if you see anything?¡± Jake asked softly, looking back over his shoulder at the duck.


    To Jake¡¯s surprise, Moby bobbed his head slightly before jumping and taking flight. Previously, he¡¯d had to limit how much he flew, but Moby looked a lot more comfortable in the air now he was of a higher rank.


    Satisfied that they were as covered as they could be, Jake focused back on the path ahead, wondering what they¡¯d find.


    After a few minutes of walking, Jake got his answer.


    A clearing lay ahead of them, but it was filled with large patches of knee-high undergrowth. There was almost certainly something in there, and Jake took one look before glancing over to see what Alan made of it.


    ¡°Rootlings and a Tendrae,¡± Alan said, the Wyrd around his eyes fading as he met Jake¡¯s gaze with a worried look. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how many Rootlings, but at least four or five.¡±


    ¡°Shall I give them something to think about?¡± Gargan asked, lifting the tip of his wand slightly with an arched brow.


    Jake glanced back at the undergrowth and considered fighting Rootlings amid all that. It wouldn¡¯t be too dangerous, but the chances of small and annoying wounds would be high.


    Not to mention the danger of the Tendrae, or any Enhanced monster for that matter.


    ¡°Do it.¡± Jake stepped aside, so that Gargan had a good line of sight before drawing his own wand and standing ready.


    Gargan stepped forward and Alan leaned in, muttering out locations with slight gestures. The caster nodded and a bright light flared as he launched a series of blasts from his wand, each striking a different clump of vegetation.


    The shrill screams of the Rootlings rang out as flames tore into the bushes, followed by the screeching of the Tendrae as it rose in the centre of the room with a slightly scorched shoulder.


    Like all Tendrae, the monster was humanoid in form, though barely five feet tall, and was formed from countless stems that grew out from its core to create its hollow body.


    Every stem grew a series of vertical leaves to provide something akin to armour, and to make matters worse, those leaves seemed to be resistant to magic.


    A blast of flame that incinerated a Rootling did little more than scorch one of its leaves, but that was where Alan came in.


    Three arrows thudded into the Tendrae in rapid succession as it charged towards them, each striking the same burnt spot with unerring accuracy and piercing through the weakened leaves.


    Nepthys and Aspen were cutting down the Rootlings who¡¯d emerged to attack them, so Jake took a moment to line up his wand before launching a flurry of thorns at the broken section of the Tendrae¡¯s leaves.


    Another blast of flames from Gargan was hot on the heels of Jake¡¯s thorns and the Tendrae screeched, roots extending from its arms as it flailed in their direction.


    Jake tensed, ready to act if it got much closer, but the monster collapsed a few moments later with a final screech of pain.


    ¡°I hate the sounds they make,¡± Alan muttered as the Tendrae fell silent. ¡°They don¡¯t even have lungs. It¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know what you mean,¡± Jake said, glancing over to where Nepthys was finishing the last of the Rootlings before back to the Scholar. ¡°Are we clear?¡±


    Wyrd shone from Alan¡¯s eyes for a moment before he nodded. ¡°Clear here.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s harvest what we can and push on.¡±

 DN2 25 - A Step Up I

    The floor had only three clearings, but each one held a Tendrae and roughly nine Rootlings. Not that big of a step up in difficulty as these things went, but enough to show what was coming.


    After all, it was a big move to go from a single Enhanced on the Guardian floor to three Enhanced on the first floor of that tier.


    When they continued on to the seventh floor, they found the format of the floor differed from the others. Rather than individual clearings, there was what seemed like a single long path that went all the way to the exit.


    They couldn¡¯t actually see the exit from here, but there was no sign of the boundary trees doing anything but continuing in a straight line.


    Despite all that, the path ahead was filled with young saplings, much like they¡¯d seen when they first encountered the Oaken.


    ¡°Does this remind you of the fire Dungeon?¡± Alan asked, leaning over to Jake with a worried expression. ¡°The last floor we got to, I mean.¡±


    Jake frowned and looked at the seemingly endless number of saplings ahead of them once more. ¡°Yeah, a little. That one was a long, straight path as well.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll quickly learn that there are some commonalities between Dungeons,¡± Gargan said, stepping over next to Alan as he did. ¡°While they can differ dramatically in the monsters which inhabit them, their structure and format is less variable.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve seen a floor like this before?¡± Jake asked, gesturing to what lay ahead of them.


    ¡°Yes, others like this seem to focus on large numbers of weaker monsters.¡±


    ¡°Huh, that works with what we saw before. Anything else we should know?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already picked up on how open spaces like clearings work. There isn¡¯t too much more than that at our tier. Older classers I¡¯ve spoken to say that higher tiers bring more complexity, though.¡±


    Jake nodded, wondering if the third tier would bring any big changes. Then again, he didn¡¯t know the full extent of what this tier did yet.


    ¡°Alright, so based on what we see here, this is going to have a lot of Beast strength monsters,¡± Jake said, reasoning it out in his head as the others gathered around him. ¡°All these saplings make me think we¡¯re dealing with Oaken. Alan, can you try to spot a few?¡±


    The Scholar nodded and turned to survey the path ahead, shaking his head after a few moments. ¡°If there are any, they¡¯re too far back or too well hidden for me to pick them out.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s work on the assumption that they¡¯re what we¡¯re dealing with. Any thoughts on how to tackle this?¡±


    ¡°Well, we need to be careful with fire, as that seems to cause them all to respond,¡± Alan said, giving Gargan an apologetic look.


    Gargan waved away Alan¡¯s apology and simply nodded. ¡°Alan¡¯s right, we should try to fight them with less inciting weaponry. I will use my backup wand instead.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that sounds like a plan to me. Let¡¯s push in slowly and see what we can figure out.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what about your duck?¡± Aspen asked, nodding to Moby. ¡°Can he help at all?¡±


    ¡°Well, he can distract and harass any monsters we fight. He could also fly ahead, but that doesn¡¯t feel that useful when we have Alan with us,¡± Jake said, rubbing the back of his neck as he considered how else Moby could help them.


    When Jake had been delving alone, having that extra pair of eyes had been useful. Now, though, it felt redundant. It also didn¡¯t help that the monsters here were quite good at hiding.


    ¡°Can you communicate clearly through your bond?¡± Gargan asked, explaining a little more when he saw Jake¡¯s confused expression. ¡°I met another classer with a familiar like this and he said they could communicate via their bond.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Jake had tried to do something like that at first, but he hadn¡¯t tried again since he increased the rank of the Boon.


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    Focusing inwards to where the Boon lay, as he would when summoning or dismissing Moby, Jake found that when he focused on it, he could feel a way to link them while Moby was active.


    Shrugging mentally, Jake did just that.


    The duck in question was sitting on the grass a few feet away, but quickly rose as Jake linked them with a questioning quack.


    Jake could sense Moby¡¯s anticipation of the coming fight, but could also feel the control that this link gave.


    ¡°Jake?¡± Alan¡¯s voice brought him back to the group as he realised he¡¯d been lost in examining this new link with Moby.


    ¡°Sorry, just learning how this all works. We can communicate, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s clear enough for accurate scouting.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he should stick to harassing them for now, then?¡± Aspen chipped in, gesturing up above the saplings. ¡°Plenty of room for him up there and no flying monsters so far.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, agreed,¡± Jake said, pushing his intent through the link to Moby, who took off and circled above them. ¡°Well, that was much easier.¡±


    Nepthys gave Jake a smug look before turning serious as she gestured to the wooded path. ¡°We should get started. We don¡¯t know how long this will take and I really don¡¯t want to rush.¡±


    The others nodded and quickly moved into position, but it took Jake a moment to remember what she was talking about.


    He¡¯d felt the time pressure from the Dungeon in a couple of the Challenges they¡¯d done, but never as part of a normal delve. It wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d shared, but he could only assume it was another benefit of his Patron.


    So far, the biggest advantage from it had been that he could take his time when delving alone. It wasn¡¯t that big of a deal now, but in the future, he was certain it would be.


    For a moment, Jake tried to imagine how he would complete a tier two Dungeon on his own. Just how strong would he have to be?


    Fighting a Tendrae and some Rootlings wasn¡¯t beyond him, it would be more tiring than dangerous, especially with his Boons.


    ¡°Ready, Jake?¡± Alan asked softly and Jake shook himself before nodding.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    With the path being as wide as it was, Alan, Aspen and Jake all moved together, with Nepthys and Gargan a half-dozen steps behind them.


    If something got too close, Jake and Aspen would come together and block whatever it was from getting the Scholar. A simple tactic, but hopefully they didn¡¯t need anything more complicated.


    ¡°Oaken, up ahead,¡± Alan called out after almost a minute of walking. He stopped as he made the call, lifting his bow slightly but not drawing it. ¡°Shall I take a shot?¡±


    ¡°Go for it,¡± Jake said, lifting his wand to point in the direction that Alan was aiming. ¡°Time to see how they react.¡±


    Alan¡¯s bow thrummed as a grey-tipped arrow flashed out, striking what Jake had thought was just another sapling.


    Instead, there was a familiar creaking sound of pain and anger as a section of bark was caved in, revealing a hollow interior.


    The Oaken turned and began to stomp towards them, leaves fluttering from it as it tore through some of the new growth that had been around it.


    Jake aimed for the hole that Alan had put in the creature, sending a small volley of thorns into it at the same time as Gargan struck it with a cluster of icicles.


    Both attacks dug into the bark of the Oaken, piercing it in several places and widening the hole that Alan made.


    Jake felt a pulse of warning across his link with Moby right as Alan put a second arrow through the core of the Oaken and finished it off.


    Looking around, Jake saw that their fight had awoken three more of the Oaken, and they were slowly making their way over.


    ¡°Seems fighting still draws them, just not as much as fire does,¡± Jake said, pointing out the other monsters before holstering his wand.


    The thorns were good, but they could only just penetrate the bark of the Oaken, which meant they couldn¡¯t hit the core within it.


    No, with several of them attacking at once, Jake was going to have to get a bit more personal with his opponents.


    Alan and Gargan were already swapping to the closest of the other Oaken, so Jake and Aspen split up to deal with the other two.


    Oaken were quite tough for a Beast strength monster, and they were pretty strong as well, but they were so very slow.


    It was easy for Jake to bait the one he approached into swinging at him, letting him dodge aside and then strike right at its core while it recovered.


    Infusing his blade let Jake carve right through the bark like it wasn¡¯t there and he cleaved the Oaken¡¯s core apart, sending the monster falling heavily to the ground.


    Aspen had already dealt with his chosen target as well, but more Oaken were lumbering out from further down the path. It looked like this was going to be one long running battle.


    -**-


    The five of them fell into a routine as they steadily slaughtered the Oaken, advancing at a slow but steady pace through the woodland path.


    Gargan or Alan would engage the furthest Oaken in each group, while the three melee fighters cycled through who dealt with the rest.


    By taking it in turns, they were doing their best to keep themselves topped up with Wyrd and stop anyone getting too tired.


    Still, Jake was sure they had to have killed at least fifty Oaken by this point. The growing mound of Wyrdgeld in his pouch told him that much.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Aspen shouted from where he was just dealing with his current target. ¡°Got a larger group!¡±


    Sure enough, Jake could see a dozen Oaken were moving their way in a loose cluster. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re all chipping in for this one.¡±


    Rolling his shoulders, Jake moved forward to join Aspen, who was hanging back to wait for him and Nepthys.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the right, Aspen goes straight and Nepthys goes left?¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Aspen said, flashing Jake a grin before twirling his spear. ¡°It¡¯ll be nice to mix things up.¡±

 DN2 26 - A Step Up II

    Jake ducked beneath a heavy branch that tried to brain him and rammed his sword into the nearest Oaken, the Wyrd infused blade cutting right through to pierce the core.


    The Oaken toppled to the ground, lifeless, leaving Jake to look around for the next target.


    After the large ambush, they had gone straight back to a steady stream of Oaken. They must have killed eighty or maybe even ninety of them by this point.


    Each one took little effort, but the relentless aspect of this floor was wearing them out, and only their higher rank was keeping them going.


    This floor would be death to any first tier classers, that was for sure. They just wouldn¡¯t have the stamina, or the Wyrd, to keep going.


    Well, perhaps the more physical ones would, but definitely not the casters.


    Jake almost suggested slowing down, but he didn¡¯t know how much time they had to clear all of this, and he didn¡¯t want them to have no chance to rest at the end.


    There was just one Oaken active at the moment, and Nepthys was the first to reach it, her blades flashing with Wyrd.


    Nepthys¡¯s new Sigil let her give her swords a Wyrd-infused edge, which let her cut apart the Oaken with terrifying ease.


    Whatever that Sigil counted as, it was better than Jake¡¯s infusion, and watching her put it to use was a sight to see.


    ¡°Any more?¡± Nepthys called out as her latest opponent crashed to the ground.


    ¡°We¡¯re good,¡± Aspen called back, pulling his spear out of a dead Oaken. ¡°Maybe we¡¯re finally at the end?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the arch, though,¡± Jake said, peering ahead with growing concern. ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡±


    Tugging on his link with Moby, Jake sent the duck flying on ahead to see how far away the end of the floor was.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any more Oaken,¡± Alan called out as the Wyrd faded from his eyes.


    Jake¡¯s frown grew as Moby sent him a sense of completion, which meant that the door down to the next floor was only a short distance ahead.


    Still, this was a break in the floor¡¯s pattern, and that made Jake wary.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alan asked, but Jake realised he was looking at Gargan, not at him.


    ¡°I think there¡¯s something else here,¡± Gargan said softly, his eyes on their surroundings. ¡°It¡¯s unusual for a floor to end in this manner. They don¡¯t trail off like this.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Jake said, relieved that he wasn¡¯t the only one with that feeling. ¡°Moby says the exit is nearby, so let¡¯s move forward carefully.¡±


    The air was thick with tension as they went back to their original formation and started forward slowly but steadily, with Alan using his Skill regularly to search for monsters.


    ¡°I¡¯m not seeing any more Oaken,¡± Alan said, using his Skill again as he peered ahead of them. ¡°There¡¯s nothing hidden among the trees.¡±


    Jake skirted a large mound of moss and dirt which sat amongst the trees, his unease growing as he saw the arch was in sight now.


    Another mound was a few feet in front of him and Jake frowned, his instincts telling him that something wasn¡¯t right.


    Looking back, Jake realised the mounds had only started appearing recently, right about when they¡¯d killed the last Oaken.


    ¡°Shit, everyone stop!¡± Jake snapped out the order, immediately backpedalling from the closest mound.


    Everyone else followed suit, right as two of the large mounds burst into motion, clods of dirt and moss falling clear from the monsters as they charged at them.


    The first attacked Nepthys and swung for her head, only to find a grey shield of Wyrd blocking it.


    At the same time, the other tried to grab Aspen but was sent staggering back as his spear erupted into flames and sliced across its body. Much like an Oaken, the creature let out a groaning roar of pain and anger as the flames struck it.


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    Both creatures turned to focus on Aspen, giving Jake a moment to get a clear view of them.


    The monsters were similar to an Oaken, but were seven feet tall with a more pronounced humanoid form and a hunched back.


    Small gnarled thorns were spread liberally across the monsters, and their bark exterior formed into a pattern like scale mail.


    Moss and dirt still hung from both monsters, and Jake cursed as he realised that Aspen¡¯s strike had burnt more moss than monster.


    The part that he had hit was scorched and burnt, but it was a lot less than it initially looked like.


    With thunderous steps, the two monsters charged at Aspen, ignoring the thorns and arrows that Jake and Alan peppered them with.


    The interlocking plates of bark were a lot stronger than those on an Oaken, and while Alan¡¯s Skill could still pierce them, there were several layers to get through.


    The humanoid shape of the creatures made their slow and jerky movements seem uncomfortably unnatural, but it gave Aspen time to get away from their long arm-like branches.


    As soon as Aspen was out of the way an intense blast of flames struck the injured monster, scorching its front and making it cry out in rage.


    Aspen darted in and struck at the creature, his spear breaching the scorched exterior and cutting deep into it.


    Blackened plates of bark fell away from the monster as it tried to drive Aspen away, only to be knocked back by a series of fiery blasts from Gargan.


    ¡°Nepthys, Alan, focus on this one!¡± Jake shouted, leaving the first monster to the others as he engaged the second.


    Now that he¡¯d got past the initial surprise of the ambush, Jake realised that these were just bigger and strong Oaken.


    The strengths of their lesser kin were built upon and heightened, but their weaknesses remained.


    With that in mind, Jake dodged beneath one ponderous swing and infused his sword before hacking into the back of the monster.


    Nepthys attacked from the front at the same time, using her shields to block its attacks and keep it pinned, all while Alan put arrow after arrow into any damaged sections of bark.


    Jake¡¯s first cut had broken through a section of bark, but it simply fell away, revealing a second one underneath. Pouring as much Wyrd as he could into his sword, Jake swung again.


    This time the underlayer of bark was breached and a huge section of its carapace-like armour fell away, revealing its hollow interior.


    Much like an Oaken, this monster had roots spanning out through its body from its core, however, unlike an Oaken, it had two cores.


    A heavy impact knocked Jake back as the monster clipped him with a swing, sending him tumbling into a nearby tree.


    ¡°Get the core, Alan!¡± Nepthys shouted as she rushed to Jake¡¯s defence, conjuring a shield to block one attack before catching the next on her sword.


    The edge of Wyrd on her sword cut deep into the arm of the monster, but the sheer force of the clash drove Nepthys back, and Jake barely had time to get to his feet before it was swinging again, driving them back into the thicket.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get a clear shot!¡± Alan called back as he tried to flank around and get a clear view of the monster¡¯s back, where Jake had removed the armour.


    A foreign sense of eagerness and delight touched Jake¡¯s mind as he saw a fast moving shape flit between the trees and crash into the monster from behind.


    Nepthys conjured another shield to block an attack before bisecting that arm with her blades.


    The monster thrashed about wildly as half its arm fell to the ground, and Jake was just about to strike its other arm when it jerked to an abrupt halt and crashed down next to them.


    In the distance, Jake could see Gargan reducing the other to a smoking ruin with repeated fire blasts. It looked like they¡¯d done it.


    ¡°Did Alan get it?¡± Nepthys asked, giving the body a puzzled look. ¡°I don¡¯t see an arrow.¡±


    Jake began to shrug, but stopped as he looked down at the hole in the monster¡¯s chest and saw Moby struggling to free himself.


    Bright green strips of plant matter hung from Moby¡¯s beak where he¡¯d torn into the vulnerable cores and Jake felt a feeling of intense satisfaction flow across their link.


    Looking closer, Jake noticed that Moby¡¯s bill came to a sharper tip than before, and the edges had a metallic glint to them. That explained how he¡¯d damaged the cores, at least.


    ¡°No, looks like Moby got it,¡± Jake said, sheathing his weapons before kneeling down to help Moby back out of the dead monster.


    A few feathers had been damaged on the way into the hollow interior of the monster, but otherwise Moby was in good shape.


    ¡°Damn, good work, Moby,¡± Nepthys said, giving the duck an impressed look.


    Moby gave a smug quack and hopped out of Jake¡¯s hands to begin avidly grooming himself.


    Jake shook his head and considered telling his familiar off, but really, Moby had done a good job. There was no chance that he could have breached the armour of these monsters, so something this weird was really his only option.


    Rubbing his face, Jake turned away to join the others. ¡°Everyone okay, any injuries?¡±


    ¡°No, I think we came out alright actually,¡± Aspen said, giving Jake a strange look. ¡°Did I see your duck fly into the back of the one you were fighting, though?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d cut open the thing¡¯s back and Moby went right in for the cores. I guess they were just about fragile enough for him to break them.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a pretty dedicated familiar,¡± Aspen said, giving Jake an impressed look.


    ¡°Yeah, certainly seems that way,¡± Jake said, looking over to Moby, who was still cleaning himself. He remembered the eagerness he¡¯d felt when Moby had come in to attack those monsters, it hadn¡¯t felt like he was acting to save Jake.


    ¡°So, what were these things anyway?¡± Nepthys asked, moving over to the one that Moby had killed and examining it a bit closer. ¡°They seem to look like Oaken, so I¡¯m guessing they are the Enhanced version?¡±


    ¡°Agreed. I looked up some information when we decided to commit,¡± Gargan said as he drew out the Wyrdgeld from the one he¡¯d killed. ¡°They are called Lesser Rhythae.¡±


    ¡°Lesser?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Greater Rhythae is the Awakened variant of the Crandyn Lineage. I believe it is taller, faster, and far smarter.¡±


    ¡°Well shit, that sounds horrible,¡± Aspen said with a broad grin. ¡°Hopefully that¡¯s what is awaiting us at the end!¡±


    Jake shook his head before gesturing to the archway that held the door to the next floor. ¡°Let¡¯s take a few minutes to rest and then move on.¡±

 DN2 27 - Progress

    ¡°Are you alright, Alan?¡± Jake asked softly, offering his friend some of his rations.


    Alan took a piece of jerky absently and turned it over in his hands, staring down at it with a distant look. ¡°I fucked up, Jake. Really badly.¡±


    ¡°Everyone makes mistakes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but this one could have ruined this delve for us,¡± Alan said, his hands curling into fists as he stared down at the ground. ¡°If one of those Rhythae had injured someone badly, we¡¯d be in a bad position on the next floor. We¡¯ve got a lot riding on this, and we all need to be in good shape for the end with the Awakened. There¡¯s no room for error here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but no one was injured,¡± Jake said, putting a hand on Alan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I realised what was happening in time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you did, but what about next time?¡± Alan looked up at Jake with a worried expression. ¡°We¡¯re pushing hard Jake, what happens if I¡¯m not good enough for this?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re more than good enough for this,¡± Jake said firmly, squeezing Alan¡¯s shoulder reassuringly. ¡°You work damn hard and you¡¯re better with all the Wyrd usage than I am. Yes, you missed something, but you¡¯ll learn from this and do better next time.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    ¡°No. I know you will, alright?¡± Jake waited until Alan nodded before letting go of his shoulder. ¡°Good, now eat up and get yourself ready for the next floor.¡±


    Alan nodded and absently ate the jerky that Jake had given him.


    Getting up and stretching his legs, Jake reflected on just how close things had come. If there had been anything else left on the floor, Gargan and Aspen using fire would have drawn it to them, and a bad situation would have got worse.


    Alan was right that he¡¯d screwed up, but Jake knew his friend would never make this mistake again.


    -**-


    Once everyone had rested, they stepped through the arch and down to the eighth floor.


    Jake immediately let out a sigh of relief as he saw they were back in the previous format, and not another of those long paths.


    At least with these clearings, it was fairly easy to judge where the monsters would be.


    Jake¡¯s pep talk seemed to have had the right effect on Alan, as the Scholar led the way along the path until the first change in scenery.


    The wide trail led them to a large clearing, much like those they¡¯d seen before, but this time it had a range of environments within it.


    A few small groves of young saplings were spaced out with knee-high undergrowth in between, and punctuated here and there by large dead trees.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see all the way to the other side, not with all this,¡± Alan said after a few moments of peering into the clearing with his Skill active. ¡°Still, I can see a Tendrae and a pair of Rootlings.¡±


    ¡°Can you point them out?¡± Gargan asked, lifting his fire wand before looking over at Jake. ¡°Shall I see if we can get a rise out of them?¡±


    ¡°No sign of any Oaken or Rhythae?¡± Jake asked, looking over at Alan, who shook his head firmly. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s poke the bear.¡±


    A tight blast of flames flashed out from the end of Gargan¡¯s wand, striking one of the dead trees and illuminating a figure within a mostly hidden nook.


    A familiar screeching sound came from the tree as the Tendrae jumped out, its leaf body smouldering and still burning in places as it batted at the flames.


    Gargan¡¯s flames seemed to be surprisingly difficult to deal with, but the Tendrae eventually extinguished them, right as Alan put a pair of arrows through its chest.


    Compared to the Oaken they¡¯d just been fighting, the Tendrae resisted the piercing Wyrd Alan applied to his arrows quite well. They still penetrated, though, which left its core exposed for the followup blast from Gargan.


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    While Alan and Gargan dealt with that Tendrae the rest of the monsters in the glade revealed themselves. The six Rootlings that came surging out of the undergrowth were hardly a problem at this point, but a second Tendrae emerged from another of the dead trees.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the Tendrae!¡± Nepthys called out before Jake could say anything, her blades flicking out to bisect the closest Rootling as she moved to intercept the monster.


    Jake gave her as much cover as he could by hacking into two more of the annoying Rootlings, doing his best to avoid their grasping roots as he did.


    Aspen was taking care of the other Rootlings, and the first Tendrae was being burnt apart, so Jake hurried after Nepthys as she engaged the second Tendrae.


    The monster swept in, roots shooting out of its hands to ensnare and drain Nepthys. A Rootling¡¯s roots were painful, but a Tendrae¡¯s were worse, far worse.


    Jake went to put on some speed and catch up, but Nepthys had clearly been waiting for just this and conjured a shield of Wyrd to block one while she dodged and sliced through the second.


    The Tendrae screeched in pain and lashed out again, but Nepthys dodged aside and lunged forward, cutting up and across with both blades as she did.


    The leaves of the Tendrae were tough, but their main defence was the resistance to magic. Nepthys¡¯s blades cut straight through the leaves and interior roots, causing a portion of the creature¡¯s chest to cave in and reveal the core within.


    Jake arrived a moment later, just in time to foul the creature¡¯s roots with his sword while Nepthys shifted the grip on her shorter blade and stabbed through the gap, piercing the core.


    ¡°Thanks, that made it a lot easier,¡± Nepthys said as the Tendrae wilted on her sword and fell to the ground.


    ¡°No problem. You had it in hand, though. Nice move with that second dodge.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks,¡± Nepthys said with a proud smile. ¡°These things are nasty if they get you, but they¡¯re nowhere near as tough as those Rhythae were.¡±


    ¡°True, but they¡¯re harder for casters to kill,¡± Jake said as she drew her Wyrdgeld from the dead Tendrae. ¡°Though I suppose a non-fire caster might struggle with the Rhythae as well.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Nepthys said with a shrug as they walked over for Jake to claim his Wyrdgeld. ¡°But that¡¯s why delving groups are diverse. It helps balance things out and you¡¯re less likely to find a hard counter to everybody in your party.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± Jake nodded, but his thoughts were on how it would work for him if he were to solo delve again. As just one person, he was fairly limited.


    Then again, if he had a collection of wands, or some other ways to change up what he did, he could manage.


    Then again, there had been two Enhanced monsters here, along with a cluster of Beasts. That was a lot to take on as a single person.


    ¡°Ready to move on?¡± Aspen called over, breaking Jake out of his thoughts.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s see what comes next,¡± Jake said, straightening up and jogging over to the others.


    -**-


    The next glade was the same layout, but this time it was six Rootlings and two Lesser Rhythae waiting for them. With the monsters so relatively close together, they would attack regardless, so Gargan and Aspen used their flames from the start.


    The two Rhythae focused on Gargan immediately, but a relentless series of attacks from the caster killed one and heavily burnt the other before they could even get into melee range.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why we were happy to try this one,¡± Aspen said with a chuckle. ¡°Two Enhanced and Gargan basically killed them on his own with no real threat.¡±


    Jake nodded, impressed by the amount of Wyrd the caster could throw around when he needed to. Between that and the Woven wand helping to boost the strength of his attacks, any Rhythae they found would have a bad day fighting Gargan.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a minute to rest and then push on,¡± Jake said once they¡¯d gathered the Wyrdgeld. Looking around at the dead monsters, Jake considered how many they¡¯d killed and turned to Aspen. ¡°How many more of these clearings do you think there are?¡±


    ¡°At least another two or three,¡± Aspen said after a moment of thought. ¡°The increase per floor is greater with each tier, and there were quite a few on that last one already.¡±


    ¡°So how big will the Guardian floor be?¡± Jake asked, considering the fact that they had another floor to go yet.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯ll be one large space, and then an absolute shitload of monsters. We¡¯ll be fighting groups of Enhanced, not groups of Beasts, so make sure you¡¯re ready for the nastiest fight you¡¯ve ever experienced.¡±


    -**-


    Aspen¡¯s words lingered in Jake¡¯s ears as they worked through two more glades, which alternated between holding two Tendrae and two Rhythae.


    Dealing with a pair of Enhanced was rapidly becoming routine for them, but Jake noticed that neither Aspen nor Gargan were pushing themselves.


    Jake had always known that they would fight an Awakened monster and a whole host of others, but the idea of fighting groups of Enhanced monsters put everything into clarity.


    Aspen and Gargan were holding back, pushing Jake and the others to do more, to get more comfortable fighting Enhanced foes by themselves.


    Now that he realised what they were doing, Jake pushed himself to do more. He was going to finish this Dungeon, and he was going to claim a new Boon.


    If he had to fight through a small horde of Tendrae to do it, then that¡¯s what he would damn well do.


    His commitment to doing more was immediately tested as they reached the end of the floor.


    The fifth and final clearing was a step above the others, holding two of each of the Enhanced monsters and twelve Rootlings. The clearing itself was marginally bigger, but not by much.


    Thankfully, Alan had steadily improved at spotting the Tendrae in their nooks, so they were quite confident that those numbers were right.


    ¡°Alright. Gargan, Alan, you two take out the Rhythae. Aspen, you focus on the Rootlings. Nepthys, you and I will take a Tendrae each,¡± Jake said, giving out orders in a firm voice. ¡°Gargan, you kick us off.¡±


    ¡°With pleasure,¡± Gargan said, lifting his wand in one hand as he conjured his Skill in the other. Taking a moment to aim, he released both at the closest of the Rhythae.

 DN2 28 - Delve Hard

    The two blasts of flame struck the Lesser Rhythae at the same time, scorching it and sending the ponderous stumbling back with a creaking roar of rage.


    The deafening roar, which was an odd mix of a tree being felled and an animal cry of anger, alerted all the other monsters present as well.


    In a staggered wave, everything present came boiling out of their hiding spaces and charged at them.


    It was an impressive mass, and Jake¡¯s heart pounded as he moved in front of his chosen Tendrae. The previous floor had been a slog, but this was the biggest fight they¡¯d had so far.


    Jake¡¯s world shrank down to his immediate area as the first Rootlings came rushing out of the undergrowth, their thin tendrils seeking his legs.


    Raising his wand, Jake took down both of them with a thorn to the chest, piercing their small cores.


    Fire flickered at the edge of Jake¡¯s vision as Aspen and Gargan put their abilities to good use against their own enemies.


    The Tendrae arrived on the heels of another Rootling and Jake was forced to throw himself to one side to stop it from grabbing him with its long roots.


    Dodging a second attempt, Jake put a pair of thorns through the closest Rootling before slicing the end of the roots the next time they tried to grab him.


    The Tendrae let out a little screech before pointing a hand at Jake and sending a cluster of roots shooting straight at his face.


    Swaying to the side and cutting across as he activated his infusion Skill, Jake sheared the roots in half before leaping forward and slamming his shoulder into the reeling Tendrae.


    Off balance and in pain, the Tendrae didn¡¯t put up much more of a struggle as Jake hacked through its leaves and pierced its core.


    Pulling his blade free, Jake looked around to see that the fight was all but over. Nepthys had carved her Tendrae up and both Rhythae were burning merrily. It was just a matter of waiting for them to finally die.


    ¡°Well done. That was some good dodging and blade work,¡± Aspen said, coming over to Jake with a grin. ¡°Sure you don¡¯t want to swap over to using a spear? It¡¯s great for keeping your distance from grabby fuckers like Tendrae. It¡¯s also great for bigger enemies as well.¡±


    Jake looked at the big Rhythae, then at Aspen¡¯s spear, and nodded. ¡°Yeah, I can see how that¡¯s useful. I¡¯m already learning a lot at the moment, though. Maybe once I¡¯m better at using my sword and wand together.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, makes sense,¡± Aspen said with an exaggerated sigh. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll just have to use it enough for both of us.¡±


    Jake chuckled and drew out the Wyrdgeld from the monsters he¡¯d killed. ¡°I think you¡¯ll have your chance soon. This was pretty intense and we¡¯re not even there yet.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Aspen said, the humour falling away as he gave Jake a serious look. ¡°The last two floors are the most intense, but we wouldn¡¯t have agreed to this if we didn¡¯t think you three were up to it. Besides, look how far we¡¯ve come and with no injuries!¡±


    Jake hesitated before realising it was true. With the armour they were wearing, they¡¯d come through unscathed.


    That was a pretty big accomplishment. He just hoped that it wasn¡¯t about to balance out with the next floor.


    -**-


    After a brief rest, they pushed on to the ninth floor.


    The four Enhanced monsters in that final glade had really driven home that things were escalating, and the tension in the air was thick as they emerged into a small clearing.


    A wide trail led straight out from the clearing, one that was much wider than any other they¡¯d seen so far in the Dungeon.


    Young saplings and tall grass mingled together for as far as they could see, creating a paradise for anything trying to hide and ambush them.


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    ¡°Damn, looks like another long and straight,¡± Aspen said, sighing to himself. ¡°Means we need to be careful with fire again.¡±


    ¡°Worse than that,¡± Alan said, pointing to something in the distance. ¡°There are slight hills to the path. It¡¯ll obscure what I can see.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s manageable. We just need to be careful,¡± Jake said, fighting the urge to sigh and rub his face. This was going to be another rough one. ¡°Any monsters that you can see, Alan?¡±


    ¡°Let me get a bit closer,¡± Alan said, moving up to the edge of the clearing they were in and peering off into the trail. ¡°Yeah, I see a couple of Rootlings, a Tendrae and a Lesser Rhythae.¡±


    ¡°Just in that area before the rise?¡± Jake asked incredulously. That was a lot in a short space of time.


    ¡°Yeah, the Rhythae is near the back, though, so we might be able to get it last.¡±


    ¡°Worth a try, I suppose,¡± Jake said, hefting his wand thoughtfully. ¡°Any Rootlings we can try and pick off at the front?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one there and another to its left,¡± Alan said, pointing out two spots before gesturing further back at a small section of bushes. ¡°The Tendrae is in there, if you look to the right, you can see its shoulder.¡±


    Jake did just that, and with some effort he was able to pick out the three monsters. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go for the Rootlings. You take the one on the left, I¡¯ll go for the right.¡±


    Alan nodded and readied an arrow, while Jake lined up a shot with his wand.


    The hidden monsters were a pain in this Dungeon, but the advantage for them was that they tended to stay still and only react once the fighting began.


    That meant if they could pull off an attack or two like this, they could winnow their numbers with little risk.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Alan whispered and started a quiet countdown as Jake nodded, both of them taking their shot at the same time.


    The Rootlings were knocked back as they were struck, their cores pierced and broken.


    Jake held his breath for a long moment, but nothing happened. Flashing a grin at Alan, Jake motioned to the undergrowth. ¡°Any other Rootlings?¡±


    He kept his voice low, just in case, but it looked like they were in a good position.


    Alan studied the trail ahead before shaking his head. ¡°Just the Tendrae and the Rhythae.¡±


    Jake grimaced and began to reply when he felt a tug on his bond from Moby as the duck flew past them toward the spot where Alan had pointed out the Tendrae.


    ¡°Moby!¡± Jake hissed, shocked at the duck¡¯s abrupt move.


    Before Jake¡¯s eyes, Moby descended to where the Tendrae was and hit it with the edge of one wing before pulling a tight turn and flying away as fast as he could.


    Questing roots erupted out of the spot as the Tendrae reacted to the strike, coming out of hiding and following Moby toward them.


    Jake scowled and was about to order Moby to change direction when Nepthys put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Wait, he¡¯s bringing it away from the Rhythae. We can use that to kill it and hopefully avoid drawing the Rhythae in.¡±


    Jake blinked in surprise. She was right. As much as he hated Moby acting on his own like this, the damn duck was being useful.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get ready. We¡¯ll hit it hard and fast,¡± Jake said, holstering his wand for the moment. The thorns wouldn¡¯t do much to the Tendrae, so he was going to focus on creating an opening for the others.


    Moby easily outpaced the Tendrae, letting him take an unsteady perch on a nearby tree with plenty of time for them to interpose themselves between him and the chasing monster.


    The Tendrae didn¡¯t even slow down as it charged into them, its arms lifting and roots shooting out to try and ensnare Jake and Aspen.


    A grey shield of Wyrd protected Jake, and Jake cut through the ones attacking Aspen, drawing out a screech of pain from the monster.


    What followed was a brief and brutal takedown, with the Tendrae unable to deal with all three of them at once and being rapidly cut to pieces.


    As soon as the monster was wilted and dead, Jake looked over to where Alan and Gargan were watching the Rhythae. ¡°Anything?¡±


    ¡°Nothing at all,¡± Alan said, grinning broadly as he gestured to Moby. ¡°I think we¡¯ve found a good way of doing this.¡±


    -**-


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t that simple.


    The hills and dips in the path were both frequent and perfect for hidden monsters. While that was bad enough, the extra problem was that the majority of what they faced were Enhanced monsters.


    When they did get ambushed and a larger fight occurred, the group that was drawn in was much worse than just a few Rootlings.


    By the end, Jake was sure they had to have fought a dozen or so of each type of Enhanced, and the same in Rootlings.


    They had the process down for dealing with both Tendrae and Rhythae, but it was still tiring.


    Jake was just thankful that they could bait out a few of the looser groups one at a time using Moby.


    There were a few close calls for Moby, but ultimately, not a single monster touched him.


    The rest of them, on the other hand, finally began to accumulate a few scrapes and cuts. The sheer number of Enhanced monsters and their requirement to always be moving forward had almost overwhelmed them.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Jake muttered to himself as they finally reached the end of the floor. ¡°It was a lot shorter than the other one, but it was a lot worse.¡±


    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s a good floor nine for you,¡± Aspen said in a chipper tone that belied the nasty cut on his face. ¡°They wear you down ready for the big one.¡±


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re not done being worn down just yet,¡± Nepthys called out, pointing to a second arch in the treeline. ¡°There¡¯s the Challenge.¡±


    Jake hurried over to the arch and ran his eyes over the depictions shaped into its leaves. He recognised a lot of them now from previous Dungeons.


    ¡°Looks like we have a survival Challenge, a big group of Rootlings from what I can see here.¡± Jake pointed to the bottom depiction, which seemed to be a large number of Rootlings clustered together.


    ¡°Five minutes and then we do the Challenge?¡± Alan asked, looking hopefully at Jake.


    Jake glanced at the others before dropping his pack to the ground and sitting down with a soft groan. ¡°Yeah, five minutes sounds good.¡±

 DN2 29 - Delve Harder

    Five minutes sped by far too quickly for Jake¡¯s liking, and soon enough they were checking their armour and grouping up in front of the Challenge.


    Looking around to make sure everyone was ready, Jake took a steadying breath and stepped through the arch.


    Between steps, he left the forest and was instead walking into a log cabin that formed a single large room.


    Bright light filtered in through a pair of large windows that framed a second door which stood at the far end of the room, though it was shut and barred with a thin piece of wood currently.


    The room itself was sparse with furniture, though there was a table, several chairs and a pot-bellied stove with a flue leading up out of the room.


    On the table, raised up on a piece of granite, was an hourglass.


    ¡°Well, this is different,¡± Aspen said as he joined Jake, shortly followed by the others.


    ¡°I guess they¡¯re going to be coming through that door,¡± Jake said, moving over to look at the door a bit closer.


    It was old and rotted in places, and the piece of wood barring it wasn¡¯t much better. In fact, looking at the way the door sat, the bar was all that was keeping it shut.


    ¡°Windows look out onto a wide path through the forest, looks like a single approach. Its got a bit of undergrowth, but not enough to make this a pain. Assuming it is Rootlings, that is.¡± Alan reported from off to one side.


    ¡°Do the windows open?¡± Gargan asked, moving over to stand by Alan.


    ¡°Nope, no latch here or anything like that,¡± Alan said, looking over the window carefully. ¡°We¡¯ll have to smash it if we want to use it.¡±


    ¡°Not yet, though!¡± Aspen called out before Alan could do anything. ¡°Don¡¯t go changing or breaking things before we start the Challenge. The Dungeon won¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, sorry,¡± Alan said, shifting awkwardly and glancing up at the ceiling. ¡°I didn¡¯t think about that.¡±


    ¡°No harm done,¡± Jake said, giving Alan a reassuring smile before pointing to the timer. ¡°Let¡¯s get this started, shall we?¡±


    The room grew tense as Alan and Gargan took a window each, while Aspen and Nepthys moved to the door. Jake waited long enough for each of them to get into position before ordering Moby to stay out of the way and turning over the hourglass.


    Almost immediately, they all heard a distant loud groaning sound, which was followed by Alan cursing. ¡°Shit, there¡¯s a lot of them!¡±


    Gargan had already smashed his window as soon as the groaning sound came, and Jake blinked rapidly as bright flashes of flame went out at the unseen enemy.


    Alan broke his window a moment later and began sending arrows out as fast as he could.


    Moving to join Alan, Jake lifted his wand and went to start firing thorns at the first monster he could see before stopping and staring in momentary shock at the veritable sea of Rootlings racing at them.


    They were several dozen at least, all rushing down the trail at the cabin. A few were already burning husks, and some of the nearby plants had caught fire from Gargan¡¯s work, but there was a lot more to go.


    Sighting his wand at some of the frontrunners, Jake started firing thorns as fast as he could, using his Wyrd without care as he scythed them down.


    With so many Rootlings packed together, even if he missed a Rootling¡¯s core, and he was sure he was missing quite a few, he was still likely to at least slow one of them down.


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    ¡°Damn, there¡¯s just too many,¡± Jake said, watching as the tide of Rootlings drew ever closer.


    So many were dead, but there were still more than enough to swarm through both windows if they weren¡¯t careful.


    They needed a distraction.


    ¡°Aspen, take the fight to them!¡± Jake shouted over the screeching of the Rootlings as they burnt.


    Aspen looked over, the wooden bar already flying over his shoulder, and gave Jake a wide smile as the door swung open. ¡°With pleasure.¡±


    Aspen hit the front lines of the Rootlings like a hammer, smashing them apart as he cut his way through the dwindling horde.


    Nepthys, meanwhile, stayed by the door and began using her shields to stymie and block the Rootlings where she could, buying the rest of them time.


    Jake felt the drain on his Wyrd become more and more pronounced as he kept firing his wand as fast as possible.


    Then, when it felt like he could do more, he realised it was done.


    The final Rootling was burning to death as it tried to reach the cabin, expiring mere inches from the door.


    ¡°Well, damn!¡± Aspen called out from where he was pulling his spear out of a dead Rootling. ¡°That was a lot of the little bastards. Must be close to fifty in total.¡±


    Jake let out a long breath of relief and holstered his wand. ¡°That was intense, I thought they were going to make it through at one point.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was starting to worry about my arrow count,¡± Alan said, motioning to his half empty quiver. ¡°That was the most I¡¯ve used in any one fight.¡±


    ¡°Well, if this was a taste of what¡¯s to come, I think you better stock up ready for the Guardian,¡± Jake said, the two of them sharing a concerned look before they set off to begin gathering their Wyrdgeld.


    As he did, Jake noticed that a reward chest had appeared next to the door they¡¯d entered through.


    ¡°Going for the chest,¡± he called out before leaving the others to get the Wyrdgeld from the Rootlings.


    Eagerly opening the chest, Jake let out a low whistle as he looked at the items it held.


    ¡°Is it good?¡± Nepthys asked from where she was crouched over a small pile of dead monsters.


    ¡°A pair of Wyrdwood pieces, a pouch of coins and a whole bunch of Wyrdfruit,¡± Jake called back, spilling the coins out into his hand and taking a rough count.


    He estimated there was fifty in the pouch, and then there was the forty Wyrdgeld of wood, and the small pile they got from their kills.


    This was a rewarding Challenge, that was for sure.


    The Wyrdfuit was a pair of small wooden containers, each filled to the brim with what looked like blackberries.


    Jake knew they weren¡¯t worth much individually, but there was a lot here.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s going to be awkward to carry,¡± Alan said, coming over to take one of the lengths of wood from Jake and add it to his pack.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯ll be fine,¡± Aspen said, waving one hand absently. ¡°We¡¯ll just dump it all at the entrance and then grab it at the end.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Jake said, flushing a little. He¡¯d been about to try and lash the wood to his back and wear his pack over the top.


    Aspen¡¯s way was much better, for sure.


    Gathering everything together, they left the Challenge and took another short break.


    The anticipation of what was coming stopped them from getting a good rest physically, but it helped top off their Wyrd and recover what had been used in the Challenge.


    A few minutes into their rest, Aspen came over to sit by Jake. ¡°You ready for this?¡±


    ¡°As ready as I¡¯m going to be, I think,¡± Jake said, giving the older man a slightly forced smile. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten used to the rest of this, but the idea of fighting something stronger than an Enhanced is messing with me. Honestly, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m excited or nervous.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re anything like me, then you¡¯re both,¡± Aspen said with a soft laugh. ¡°Listen, Jake, you¡¯ve had the talk about owing deaths, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Ari went over it when we first started.¡±


    ¡°Well, these sorts of fights are when it really matters. If the Awakened is going to kill any of us, it¡¯s our responsibility to either stop it, or save them the hard way. Understand?¡± Aspen¡¯s voice was little more than a whisper as he gave Jake a searching gaze. ¡°There¡¯s a lot more at stake here than just some pain and bad memories.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I understand,¡± Jake said, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do what needs to be done.¡±


    Aspen¡¯s gaze caught Jake¡¯s for a moment before he nodded and held out his hand. ¡°Not everyone has the raw willpower to be a delver past the first tier. I think you¡¯ll go far, though, and I look forward to getting there.¡±


    Jake clasped Aspen¡¯s hand and gave the other man a broad grin as he shook off the serious mood. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go take our next step down that road.¡±


    ¡°Damn right!¡± Aspen let out a laugh as he rose smoothly to his feet and checked over his gear. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    ¡°Anyone need another few minutes?¡± Jake asked, looking over the others as they got to their feet. No one spoke up, so he drew his sword and started toward the arch. ¡°We drop the packs first, then Alan gives the room a scan if he can. If they¡¯re too close, then we cycle dropping packs while Moby distracts them. Got it?¡±


    Jake looked back over his shoulder but saw only determination and anticipation in the faces of his friends. Taking a final steadying breath, Jake stepped into the darkness.

 DN2 30 - Sweeping

    The Guardian floor was a huge clearing, surrounded by the same wall of tall trees that they¡¯d seen all the way through the Dungeon.


    In the rough centre of the clearing stood a single tree, much like they¡¯d seen on the fifth floor, but this time in one piece.


    The tree was still dead, but the damage to it wasn¡¯t quite as extensive, and long rivers of dried sap wound their way down its sides.


    Saplings and new growth spread across the clearing, as did several small streams. Tall grass and bushes covered the area liberally as well, though there was a space around where they entered that was just dirt.


    Looking around, Jake realised that this floor was half again as large as the fifth floor, and there was a lot of space here.


    Jake found himself just staring at it, only absently noticing as Alan stepped up next to him and let out a low whistle.


    ¡°Crazy that this fits inside the Dungeon, isn¡¯t it,¡± Alan said, looking up at the sunny sky above them. ¡°I can and write that off as being fake somehow, though I have no idea how. But all this space, it just boggles the mind.¡±


    ¡°Well unboggle it,¡± Nepthys said, coming over to them and nudging Alan. ¡°Go and drop your extra weight off and then let¡¯s see what we¡¯re dealing with.¡±


    ¡°Right, sorry.¡± Alan hurried off to drop whatever he didn¡¯t need next to the growing pile the others had made.


    Following suit, Jake dumped everything but his weapons, potions and some of his first aid supplies. He doubted a bandage or two was going to make a difference here, but there was no reason to not bring them.


    That done, they gathered at the edge of the dirt-covered area as Alan used his Skill to try and pick out as many of the monsters as he could.


    ¡°How¡¯s it looking?¡± Jake asked after a minute of Alan muttering under his breath.


    Unassisted by any Skills, Jake could pick out at least a handful of Tendrae moving around out there, but if there were more, they must be staying still or blending in to their surroundings.


    ¡°Alright, so I can see at least three of the Lesser Rhythae, and I think a dozen Tendrae?¡± Alan said, his voice rising questioningly at the end.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t fill me with confidence,¡± Nepthys muttered before grimacing at the look Jake gave her. ¡°Sorry, Alan. I meant that you¡¯ve only seen Enhanced creatures, not that you are struggling to find them.¡±


    ¡°Its alright,¡± Alan paused long enough to give Nepthys a reassuring look. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any Oaken or Rootlings at all, and from how spread out the Tendrae are, I think there¡¯s at least a handful more.¡±


    ¡°Some Dungeons have no Beasts at all in their Guardian floors at this tier,¡± Gargan said, spreading his hands palm up. ¡°It¡¯s hard to know if they¡¯re just hidden or not, though. Especially with all this cover.¡±


    ¡°More importantly, any sign of the Awakened?¡± Aspen asked, peering off at the huge tree. ¡°It¡¯ll be at or in the tree somehow.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s something there,¡± Alan said, hesitating a little. ¡°I¡¯m too far away to really make any details out, but it looks kind of like a Tendrae.¡±


    ¡°A Woadite, perhaps?¡± Gargan asked aloud, turning to look questioningly at Aspen.


    ¡°You¡¯d know better than me.¡± Aspen shrugged and waved a hand idly. ¡°Let¡¯s just pick off anything that¡¯s nearby and start getting to work.¡±


    ¡°I think that might be for the best,¡± Alan said, rubbing at his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m straining to see everything from here, so we¡¯ll be better served getting in close. There¡¯s a Tendrae over at that copse of trees we could try and surprise.¡±


    Jake glanced over to where Alan had pointed, seeing a small stand of saplings with some open space around them. A stream that traced through the clearing ran close by as well, enough to make Jake uneasy.


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    He had bad memories of water in Dungeons. First with the fire Dungeon and those damn snakes, and then with the stupid duck Dungeon and the hypnotic grebe.


    Hopefully, this would be the time that broke the trend, but Jake wasn¡¯t going to hold his breath.


    If things did go wrong, at least he had most of his Manifestations left. He¡¯d used one to summon Moby, but he still had two more.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to send Moby to distract the Tendrae while we sneak up from behind. Once we¡¯re in position, we all strike at once, and hopefully kill it before it draws any others to us.¡±


    The others nodded and started to move in that direction as Moby flew on ahead and landed in the stream.


    For a moment, Jake half expected something to lunge up and swallow Moby whole, but all he got over their bond was a sense of contentment as Moby idly paddled around the stream.


    Sighing, Jake left Moby alone for the moment and focused on keeping quiet as they entered a section of long grass.


    The Tendrae Alan had picked out seemed to be basking in the sun, not far from where they were now. There was a set of larger, somewhat gnarled trees next to it, but it was otherwise exposed.


    Getting into position nearby, Alan and Gargan readied themselves and Jake, Nepthys and Aspen crept closer.


    Calling on Moby to start the distraction, Jake found his gaze resting on the gnarled tree they were moving towards.


    There was something about it that was bothering him, but he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it.


    A deep quack rang out as Moby swept past the Tendrae, a root spearing up at him in response as the Tendrae rose to its feet.


    The three of them began to charge the Tendrae as it focused on Moby, intending to strike it from behind, but as Alan¡¯s arrow and Gargan¡¯s ice flashed past them, the tree moved.


    Jake¡¯s eyes widened and he shouted a warning too late as a moss-covered branchlike arm swung down and clipped Nepthys, throwing her from her feet.


    Aspen was already slowing, having seen the attack, but Jake waved him on. ¡°Go, I¡¯ve got this!¡±


    Another limb came sweeping Jake as the heavily overgrown Lesser Rhythae finished breaking free from where it had been hidden.


    Dodging the blow, Jake hacked into the monster with an infused strike, breaking free several of its bark plates.


    The Rhythae kept up the assault, but now that Jake knew it was there, he was able to put all that recent practice to good use.


    He was just setting it up for the kill when Nepthys rejoined him, her right arm a little stiff but otherwise uninjured.


    Ducking in close and avoiding its slow swings, Jake put his sword through the creature¡¯s core, killing it.


    Aspen, assisted by Gargan and Alan, had already dealt with the Tendrae in the meantime, so with the Rhythae dead, they watched carefully for any other enemies.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re clear,¡± Alan said after a few seconds had passed. ¡°I think we were lucky, and these two were just out a ways on their own.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Jake said, relaxing a little before turning to Nepthys. ¡°It got a solid hit on you, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it just knocked the wind out of me is all,¡± Nepthys said, rubbing at her arm. ¡°It will bruise, but I¡¯m good to go.¡±


    Aspen saw the doubt on Jake¡¯s face and laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re forgetting she¡¯s a second tier combat classer. I bet she has at least something boosting her resilience, and then we all get a little extra from each rank up. It¡¯s not enough to stop a sword, but it does make a difference.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m lucky it didn¡¯t hit me cleanly,¡± Nepthys said with a nod. ¡°If it had, I have a feeling that it would have broken my arm.¡±


    ¡°We should get moving,¡± Alan said abruptly, breaking into the conversation. ¡°I don¡¯t think we alerted them all, but a few of the Tendrae that I could see earlier have moved.¡±


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s head that way and circle the exterior. If we pick off as much as we can before the big fight, that¡¯ll be for the best,¡± Jake said, pointing off to their right.


    -**-


    By the time they¡¯d made a full circle of the tree, they¡¯d fought well over a dozen Enhanced monsters, and were considering making their way in towards the centre.


    ¡°Nothing else you can see, Alan?¡± Jake asked as he looked up at the tree looming over them.


    ¡°None out here. There¡¯s one at the base of the tree, though, and I¡¯m sure there¡¯s others.¡±


    ¡°Well, Moby can¡¯t spot them either, so I say we push in, and deal with any that are hidden as they come. How many more could there be, Gargan?¡±


    Jake tended to ask the caster questions like this, not because he had more experience, but more that Aspen tended not to care enough to take note.


    ¡°We should expect a similar strength to the last floor,¡± Gargan said, considering his words for a moment before adding. ¡°Minus the Awakened, of course.¡±


    ¡°So around thirty, I think that¡¯s what we saw, right?¡± Jake asked, getting a few hesitant nods in return. ¡°So that leaves maybe ten Enhanced, and they¡¯ll be quite spread out.¡±


    ¡°We can do it, but we should start using our flames as well,¡± Aspen said, tapping a finger on his spear. ¡°Now¡¯s the time to go hard and overwhelm them.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Jake said, his heart starting to pound as he realised they were finally at the moment he¡¯d been anticipating. ¡°Do you know where the Awakened is, Alan?¡±


    ¡°No, the thing I saw earlier is that Tendrae at the base of the tree.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Jake muttered with a grimace of frustration. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve spent too much time as it is. We need to start pushing forward before we run out of time.¡±


    Everyone nodded, though none of them were happy about it. The reality was that they¡¯d used up all their leeway in clearing the exterior of the floor safely.


    While useful, it also meant that if they didn¡¯t act soon, the pressure of their time running out might hit mid-fight, with deadly consequences.

 DN2 31 - Woadite

    They dealt with two more Tendae as they approached the tree, taking them one at a time.


    The first was no issue, but the second got a lucky root strike on Aspen, and Gargan responded with a blast of fire to its chest.


    Unfortunately, right as Gargan acted one of the Lesser Rhythaes emerged out of a stand of crooked saplings. The sight of the flames enraged the monster and it charged at Gargan with a creaking roar.


    Aspen and Jake intercepted the Rhythae while the other three dealt with the Tendrae, but the damage had been done.


    A few more Lesser Rhythae and another ten Tendrae were heading their way from where they¡¯d been hidden. It was all or nothing now.


    ¡°At the tree, there it is!¡± Alan shouted out, drawing their attention to three monsters that were emerging from a depression within the tree¡¯s roots.


    The first two were Tendrae, but Jake¡¯s eyes immediately locked onto the third, larger creature.


    Tendrae were five feet tall as a rough average, but the imposing monster Jake saw now was easily nine or maybe even ten feet tall.


    While bigger than the Tendrae, the other creature kept the same rough profile, rather than the bulkier and more tree-like appearance of the Rhythae.


    Rows of vertically aligned leaves still formed its body, but they were bigger and thicker than those of the Tendrae, with an almost glossy look to them.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Woadite!¡± Aspen shouted eagerly, wrenching his spear from the dead Rhythae. ¡°Watch out for its roots.¡±


    Jake nodded and hurried forward to join Nepthys, who was moving to engage the closest of the Tendrae before the Woadite arrived.


    Blasts of flame filled the air as Gargan started using his wand and Skill at the same time, targeting the Rhythae.


    The tree-like monsters let out their unsettling roars and outpaced the Tendrae as they tried to close the distance to Gargan.


    Judging the distance, Jake was confident that Gargan could deal with it, so he carried on to help Nepthys.


    They needed to deal with as many of the solo Tendrae as they could, but the Woadite wasn¡¯t waiting for them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold it off!¡± Aspen called out as he rushed to engage the Woadite and the two Tendrae escorting it.


    Jake wanted to watch, but a close call with the Tendrae he was fighting almost grabbing hold of him with a tendril had him give it his full focus.


    Moby came swooping in with an aggressive quack, smacking into the side of the Tendrae and distracting it for a few brief moments as they struggled.


    Deciding that the time had come to start using everything he had, Jake holstered his wand and conjured the Hidden Fang dagger.


    Lunging forward, Jake struck out with the dagger and ripped up and through the leaves of the Tendrae¡¯s chest.


    The poisoned dagger cut through easily, killing the surrounding leaves and making them curl inwards, exposing the core.


    A moment later, the Tendrae was wilting on the floor, its core punctured, and Jake was rushing on to the next fight.


    Jake¡¯s heart was pounding as he went from fight to fight, finding himself being pushed slowly but surely back toward Gargan and Alan.


    There were only so many Tendrae, though, so they just had to outlast them.


    Stabbing the Hidden Fang into the head of the next Tendrae, Jake left it in the creature as he went for the next one.


    It would use up more of the Manifestation, but it was almost done, anyway. Leaving it in the Tendrae would kill it and save him time.


    Jake looked around for the next target for a few moments before realising that all that was left was the Woadite and its two companions.


    His arms were covered in cuts, and he had a deeper wound in one shoulder, but he¡¯d kept the steady stream of enemies off of the others, despite it all.


    What surprised him, though, was that the two Tendrae with the Woadite were still alive.


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    Aspen and Nepthys were both fighting the three monsters, while Alan and Gargan were supporting from a distance, but somehow they were still alive.


    The reason became clear as Jake hurried over to join them.


    The Tendrae were normally direct attackers, with little concern for anything else, but these two were using the trees as cover against Gargan and Alan.


    All three monsters were in the midst of a sapling grove, one that ran alongside one of the streams that he¡¯d seen earlier.


    Monsters using trees as protection from their attackers was enough to give Jake pause, and he hoped fervently that it was just the influence of the Woadite.


    If Tendrae began to act this way normally, that could be bad.


    Then again, if an Awakened could have this level of impact, that was quite scary as well.


    From what Jake could see of the fight, Nepthys was creating shields to block the attacks of the enemy, while Aspen was trying to get close enough to deliver a solid hit to any of the three of them.


    The Woadite had more reach than the Tendrae, though, and was using it to great effect to keep Aspen at bay.


    ¡°I¡¯m here. What¡¯s the plan?¡± Jake called out as he joined the other two, who quickly pulled back from the fight.


    ¡°We need to get them out of these trees if we can,¡± Aspen said, wiping some sweat from his brow. It was one of the few times that Jake had seen the other man looked physically tired, and he wondered just how hard the Woadite was pushing them.


    ¡°It hits hard,¡± Nepthys said, giving Jake a warning look. ¡°The roots that come from its hands are studded with spikes as well. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll stay back to give you room, but if you can get it out of the trees we¡¯ll hit it with everything we have,¡± Gargan called out from behind them.


    He and Alan had come closer, and were still taking the odd shot at the monsters, but there was just too much cover.


    To make matters worse, the three monsters seemed content to wait where they were rather than chase after them.


    Jake considered the situation before nodding to himself. ¡°Alright, if we do the same as before again, but this time I¡¯ll flank them and try to take out one of the Tendrae. We can whittle them down that way.¡±


    ¡°As good a plan as any,¡± Aspen said, lifting his spear as it burst into flames. ¡°Let¡¯s put some pressure on them, see if we can¡¯t land some hits.¡±


    Nepthys¡¯s swords gained a Wyrd-infused edge as she followed Aspen back into the copse of trees, many of which were blackened and damaged.


    Jake shifted to the right as they did, noting that one of the Tendrae shifted slightly with him, while staying next to the Woadite.


    An arrow flashed past Jake to strike the Tendrae, piercing its leaves, but the monster then dodged the following fire blast from Gargan.


    Fire flashed to the left as Aspen engaged the Woadite, but this time Jake was close enough to see the Awakened in action.


    As Aspen closed in with it, the Woadite lifted its hands and a cluster of spike roots burst out, stabbing out like spears to try and impale Aspen.


    The classer twisted and dodged, using the trees as cover while cutting at the roots.


    Unlike those of a Tendrae, however, the Woadite¡¯s roots were as thick as Jake¡¯s arm and could take a glancing hit without issue.


    Nepthys waded into the chaotic battle next, using her shields to block the Woadite while she tried to close with the Tendrae on its flank.


    Even with both of them fighting hard, they were barely making progress. The Woadite was simply too big, too strong and had too many spearing roots for them to take any risks.


    As Jake decided to press his own assault, he noticed that Gargan had landed two hits on the Woadite during that brief exchange, but neither had done much to the creature.


    The glossy look to the Woadite¡¯s leaves had faded somewhat where the flames had hit it, though, so perhaps it had a limited protection against fire?


    Putting that aside, Jake rushed in at the Tendrae that had followed his movements, keeping a part of his attention on the Woadite as he did.


    The Tendrae moved slightly forward to meet Jake¡¯s approach, its roots shooting out to try and ensnare him.


    Prepared for the attack, Jake swayed aside and hacked into the first root, cleaving off a large section. Following up on the attack as the Tendrae screeched in pain, Jake dropped his shoulder and rammed right into it.


    The hollow Tendrae flew backwards, slamming into a tree and dropping down to the ground.


    Jake was on it in a flash, driving his sword down through its chest. The weight of the downward stab let him pierce right through the leaves, and a lot of practice let him strike its core.


    It wasn¡¯t a clean hit; the Tendrae was alive, even though it was somewhat wilted.


    Grunting with effort, Jake pulled his sword free and was about to plunge it back down when he was hit from the left by something heavy that tore right through his armour.


    Jake was sent tumbling from the force of the impact, his side a bloody mess, and his eyes went wide as a second root cut through the space where he¡¯d been standing a moment earlier.


    Tracing the roots back, Jake saw that the Woadite had turned in his direction, the empty eyes of its humanoid face fixed on him as the two roots snapped back into an outstretched hand, which then began to swing toward Jake.


    Jake fought through the pain and scrambled away, but the first root shot out again before he could do more than roll aside. The root itself missed him, instead digging into the ground, but the spikes along it caught the edge of his thigh.


    Jake cried out in pain, but he managed to get his feet under him and lurched to one side as the second root struck a tree next to him, smashing deep into the bark before retracting back to the Woadite.


    Off balance, Jake could almost feel the next attack coming his way, he wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge this one.


    A deep, aggressive quack cut through the sounds of fighting as Moby dove right down into the Woadite¡¯s face, buffeting it with his wings and ramming his bill into its eye.


    The attack did nothing to the powerful Awakened, the Woadite simply shifting its hand to send a root spearing up through Moby¡¯s body.


    Blood and feathers burst free as the Woadite killed Moby, but the valiant duck had given Jake enough time to drink a potion and get clear.


    Casting the empty vial aside, Jake felt for the Mighty Drake Boon, relaxing as he felt that it was possible that he could summon Moby again.


    He¡¯d assumed that would be the case, but seeing Moby killed like that had been a punch to the gut.


    The Woadite was quick to recover from the surprise attack, but Gargan had used its distraction to immolate the other Tendrae.


    The one that Jake had mostly killed was using one arm to drag itself to the stream, and Jake was just about to go take out his anger on it when Nepthys screamed in pain.

 DN2 32 - Duty

    Jake was rushing towards the Woadite in a flash, the potion he¡¯d drunk numbing most of the pain as it worked to heal the damage to his side and thigh.


    He couldn¡¯t see Nepthys from here, but he saw the flashes of light from Aspen¡¯s spear as he fought against the Woadite.


    He¡¯d got a few steps into his stumbling run when he realised his sword had been knocked from his hands.


    Cursing, Jake pulled his wand free and started firing thorns into the Woadite¡¯s back as fast as he could, doing anything he could to distract it.


    The Woadite didn¡¯t turn his way, but twisted a hand to send a root spearing past him.


    Ignoring the deadly attacks the creature was throwing around, Jake thrust his wand back into the holster before leaping at the Woadite, spending his last Manifestation to conjure the Hidden Fang.


    The poisoned dagger appeared in Jake¡¯s hand as he hit the Woadite, and he plunged it down into the monster¡¯s back with all his might.


    The dagger bit deep into the glossy leaves of the Woadite, and the one he¡¯d punctured started to turn brown, but the Boon lacked the strength to do more.


    Grunting with effort, Jake ripped the dying leaf free from the Woadite¡¯s back as he dropped down.


    The monster let out an unsettling screeching howl as it whirled on Jake and swung a wild strike at him.


    Dozens of questing tendrils erupted from the Woadite¡¯s hand as it came rushing in, seeking to bind and drain him.


    Jake dodged aside, but grinned in relief as a grey shield of Wyrd blocked the strike.


    ¡°Jake!¡± Nepthys cried out as she came into view, blood soaking her side from a large puncture wound in her shoulder that was slowly healing.


    She was only carrying one sword now, but she put it to good use, striking the Woadite where she could with its Wyrd-infused edge.


    An arrow struck the Woadite in the side of the head, and a large blast of flames burnt its upper chest, blackening and burning several leaves.


    They were hurting it.


    ¡°Keep up the pressure!¡± Aspen yelled, blurring past Jake in a burst of speed and plunging his spear into one of the monster¡¯s legs.


    The Woadite howled again and spiked roots speared down at Aspen as it tried to pin him in place.


    Following suit, Jake bore down on the big monster, cutting at its legs with his dagger. He only had ten strikes with it before the Manifestation faded, and he intended to use as many as he could to cripple the Woadite.


    Step by step, the Woadite retreated, its tough body being steadily torn apart by their relentless attacks.


    Gargan and Alan closed the distance, coming into the woods so they could hit it more consistently despite its best efforts.


    ¡°I¡¯m down to my last strike with my dagger!¡± Jake called out, dodging a spearing root by mere inches.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cover you!¡± Nepthys shouted, and Jake nodded before rushing at the Woadite, who was still backing up towards the stream.


    Aspen attacked from the other side at the same time as Jake, using a Skill to cross the distance in a blur and leave a smouldering gash across the monster¡¯s chest.


    Digging his heels in, Aspen was turning to attack again when a badly injured Tendrae lunged out of the undergrowth, catching him by surprise.


    Roots wrapped around Aspen, slowing him and stopping him from dodging the spearing root of the Woadite.


    The hardened tip of the root drove through Aspen¡¯s chest in a spray of blood, and Jake roared in rage as he saw the roots of the Tendrae begin to climb over the classer to suck up the blood.


    Roaring flames washed over Aspen and the Tendrae, burning away the monster but leaving Aspen untouched as Gargan sprinted towards his fallen comrade.


    Jake began to follow suit, but realised that Gargan would get there much quicker.


    No, it was down to him to finish the monster before it could hurt anyone else. The mere thought of it doing the same to Nepthys sent ice through Jake¡¯s veins.


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    The Woadite¡¯s other hand had turned to Jake, but its attack was blunted by a grey shield of Wyrd, letting Jake close the distance and get right in next to it.


    Wyrd-tipped arrows were striking the Woadite repeatedly, digging steadily through its blasted and burnt leaves.


    Pouring Wyrd into his dagger, Jake realised it could take a lot more than his sword. He¡¯d never pushed it this hard before, yet the dagger was soaking up the Wyrd with no sign of stopping.


    The Woadite¡¯s rear leg reached the stream, and it sank into the loamy soil at the bank as small tendrils emerged to slip into the water.


    Jake watched as a wave of revitalising green began to sweep over the Woadite, starting at its back foot and slowly flow up and across its body.


    Damaged leaves were healed, not completely, but enough that if it finished drinking from the river, they would be in serious trouble.


    With Aspen either dead or crippled, Nepthys badly wounded and Jake down to his last strike with his Boon, it was all or nothing.


    A grey shield blocked another root strike, and then Jake was upon the Woadite, jumping up to stab his dagger right into the centre of its chest.


    The sheer amount of Wyrd in the blade let it overcome even the Woadite¡¯s resistance, and his dagger went right through a damaged leaf to pierce the core behind, injecting it with a lethal dose of poison.


    Right as the dagger vanished, Jake saw the edge of a second core within the hollow cavity of the Woadite¡¯s chest.


    As he fell back, Jake used every moment of training he¡¯d done to draw his wand in a single smooth motion and put a thorn right through that hole, piercing the second core.


    The Woadite howled and staggered sideways, the rejuvenating process stopping as it fell to one knee.


    Shuddering, the creature tried to reach out for the stream with one hand.


    Jake was out of Wyrd and had no weapon, so he physically tackled the creature, wrenching its arm away from the water.


    Badly wounded as it was, the Woadite was still stronger than Jake and slowly began to win their contest of strength as small tendrils wormed out of its leaves and began to bore into Jake¡¯s skin.


    Flames swept over them both, burning the Woadite badly, but feeling like little more than a hot breath to Jake.


    The Woadite howled again and made a final attempt to reach the water before an arrow cut past Jake and buried in its lower abdomen.


    The Woadite wilted with the same abruptness that Jake had seen in any Tendrae or Rootling that had its core destroyed.


    Sagging to the ground, Jake winced as he felt all the tiny holes that the tendrils had begun to bore into him slowly begin to bleed.


    Reaching down to his belt with a bloody hand, Jake grimaced as he realised that all of his potions were shattered, and some of those glass shards were sticking out of his side.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± Jake leaned back against the dead Woadite, his chest heaving. That fight had been something else, and they¡¯d come very close to losing it.


    Too close.


    ¡°Shit, Jake, here,¡± Nepthys said, rushing over to kneel by Jake and feed him a healing potion. ¡°You¡¯ll be alright, I just need to get this glass out of you.¡±


    Jake winced as she began to do just that and grabbed her hand. ¡°What about Aspen? Is he okay?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine with enough rest,¡± Gargan said solemnly as he came into view. The caster looked pale and drawn, but was otherwise in good shape. ¡°He owes me one, though.¡±


    Jake noted with a sinking feeling that while Gargan was in good shape, his right hand was bloody, and so was the hilt of the small dagger he wore.


    Jake had never seen Gargan draw that dagger, and now he knew why.


    Grunting in pain as Nepthys pulled out a large piece of glass, Jake looked over to the stream with growing frustration.


    The damn thing had been a bad omen, after all.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jake,¡± Alan said, coming over to take a seat nearby. The fingers on his right hand were bloody and raw from the number of arrows he¡¯d shot, and he looked just as tired as Gargan.


    They¡¯d all given it their all in this fight.


    ¡°No need to apologise,¡± Jake said, taking a hand from Nepthys and getting to his feet. He knew just what Alan was apologising for. ¡°None of us knew they could do that.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I could have spoken to Ivaldi more, or done some research somehow¡­¡± Alan trailed off, shaking his head angrily.


    ¡°What¡¯s done is done,¡± Jake said, gripping Alan¡¯s shoulder tightly. He knew full well that there was nothing he could say to make Alan accept it wasn¡¯t his fault. ¡°We learn and we get better. This was our first true attempt, and we did it. We beat the Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be better next time,¡± Alan said with a stone-like expression as he got to his feet and walked back the way he¡¯d come. ¡°I¡¯m going to harvest the Wyrdgeld from the other Tendrae.¡±


    Jake sighed in frustration and ran a hand through his hair, feeling how tangled it was with blood, dirt and sap.


    The truth was that this was on him. It was his Tendrae that must have got to the stream and healed itself before ambushing Aspen.


    If it wasn¡¯t for that, they would have got through it all with only the injury to Nepthys¡¯s shoulder, Jake was sure of that.


    Turning back to the Woadite, Jake reached out and grasped at the magic within it, drawing it out as Wyrdgeld.


    A single, heavy coin formed in Jake¡¯s hand, one with a dense concentration of Wyrd. Turning it over, Jake took in the fifty embossed in the blood-red metal of the coin.


    Fifty Wyrdgeld was both a lot and very little for what they¡¯d done here.


    Slipping the coin into his pouch, Jake helped the others harvest the rest of the Wyrdgeld, eventually regrouping at the base of the huge tree with all of their equipment.


    Gargan had stripped Aspen of everything salvageable, and was carrying his share of what they¡¯d left by the entrance.


    Once they were ready, they walked silently over to the Dungeon exit, where the reward chest was waiting for them.


    Alan went forward and opened the chest before letting out a sharp breath ¡°Gods above.¡±


    Sharing a look with Nepthys, Jake hurried forward to see what was there.


    The chest was filled with dozens of Wyrdgeld, three sections of Wyrdwood and a small orb made of a deep green wood.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Nepthys asked as she picked up the orb, rolling it in her hands.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Woadheart, a valuable material for infusions or making Woven equipment. Consider it the essence of the Widrun lineage that the Woadites belong to.¡± Gargan explained, eyeing the chest¡¯s contents and nodding to himself. ¡°A good reward.¡±


    Jake took the Woadheart from Nepthys and rolled it in his hands, feeling how smooth it was. Varin would be able to make something interesting from this. Jake could feel it.


    Passing it back to Nepthys, Jake turned and made his way to the exit. ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys outside.¡±


    It was time for him to claim his true reward.

 DN2 33 - Decisions

    Jake stepped out of the darkness into the core of the Dungeon, where the very air was thick with power.


    A familiar sight lay before him, illuminated by bright torches that sat at each corner of the small room.


    Four empty pedestals stood before him, with the Throne just beyond them, the red metal glinting in the light.


    Walking over and sitting on the Throne, Jake felt it shift  and mould itself to him, gripping him in its cold embrace.


    Congratulations, Jake Khesh, you have bound the Dungeon Fyardi Veranis. Choose from one of the four rewards the Dungeon has selected for you.


    The four pedestals began to glow slightly as images formed of grey Wyrd appeared above them.


    Jake paid little attention, however, as he felt the air thicken as the true binding began.


    In the past, Jake had felt the brush of something distant as the power fed into him from the Dungeon. A touch faint enough that it could be imagined.


    This time, he felt it clearly.


    It wasn¡¯t that unlike his bond with Moby. A brief connection that linked him to whatever was on the other end.


    Jake sent out a tentative greeting and received the impression of a distant wave and a compliment.


    Before he could try and puzzle that out, the steadily building power in the room began to rush into Jake in a great torrent that vanished into his soul.


    Jake hissed and clutched the Throne as his body funnelled the energy and his mind tried to make sense of what he could feel.


    At the same time, he was distantly aware of a binding from his soul that reached out to the Throne, linking them together.


    As abruptly as it began, the experience was over, and Jake was left panting on the Throne.


    None of the bindings had been particularly easy going, but this had been the worst yet. It was likely due to its tier, though, which did give some unpleasant implications for higher tiers.


    Pushing up off of the Throne, Jake walked slowly down to the four pedestals as he shook off the lingering feelings of the process.


    As always, there were three pedestals with Boons for him to choose, and the fourth held the option of increasing the number of Manifestations he could use each day.


    Moving over to the first pedestal, Jake listened to the whispers that began to speak to him and describe the Boon. This one would give him a bark-like texture to his skin, which would help protect him and last for a long time.


    Jake shook his head and immediately moved on, uninterested in such an invasive change.


    The second pedestal was more of what Jake was looking for, it gave a Boon that allowed Jake to conjure a bracer that he would wear on his left arm.


    The bracer would then expand into a buckler, though each time it opened or closed it would cut into the duration of the Manifestation.


    It was tempting, very tempting.


    Moving on to the third pedestal, Jake¡¯s eyes lit up as he saw it would provide him with a new weapon.


    The Boon took the form of a long spear that Jake could conjure, but it could also leech the health of monsters, provided that they had blood.


    Jake¡¯s excitement fell somewhat at that last part, and he wished he could get a true understanding of what it would look like and do.


    Instead, he just had the whispers to go from.


    Jake considered the two choices for a few long minutes before grimacing and reaching out to take the Boon for the spear.


    For all that the shield was good, another option for how to kill monsters was something he wouldn¡¯t pass up.


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


    Aspen had been offering him spear lessons anyway, so he could make sure he picked up the basics in no time.


    Consulting his Boons, Jake pulled up the new list.


    Plexus Boons


    Hidden Fang - (II) - Granted by the Holrswar Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a dagger with inherent poisonous properties. Using the dagger, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Orchard¡¯s Gift - (II) - Granted by the Aptofir Veranis Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest an apple infused with vitality. Ingesting the apple transfers this vitality, healing and sating the hunger of its consumer.


    The Mighty Drake - (II) - Granted by the Engans Deja Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest Moby, a mighty drake, to aid you. The Manifestation is consumed in maintaining Moby¡¯s presence, not his actions.


    Dauhaust¡¯s Root - (I) - Granted by the Fyardi Veranis Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a spear which can leech from the blood of the foe. Using the leeching effect, maintaining it, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Plexus Development - (II) - This Boon may only be increased in rank by choosing it at additional Dungeons, but it has no cap on its rank level. Increases Manifestations available by one per rank. Granted by the Haugask Deja and Wilfek Murk Dungeons.


    ¡°Dauhaust¡¯s Root,¡± Jake echoed, feeling the Boon as it settled into him. ¡°Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s as good as it sounds.¡±


    -**-


    They regrouped outside of the Dungeon as they waited for Aspen to be revived by the Dungeon.


    It was a tense wait, and Jake could see the worried tension in Gargan¡¯s expression as the minutes dragged by.


    Eventually, Aspen came slowly out of the Dungeon, his right arm hanging limply at his side as he gave them a wave.


    Gargan sighed in relief before frowning and nodding to the arm. ¡°I thought it got you in the chest?¡±


    ¡°It did, but the angle took it up and under, severing something important. The damn tendrils got to work as well. Take a look.¡± Aspen¡¯s voice was strained and weak in a way that was out of character for the enthusiastic man.


    Gargan¡¯s eyes glazed over with Wyrd and he let out a tight hiss of surprise before shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t get there sooner.¡±


    ¡°Not your fault. It was that damn Tendrae. Where did it come from?¡± Aspen glanced around at them and took in their various states of injury. ¡°Glad to see I was the only casualty as well. I can highly recommend not getting hit by one of those roots. Nasty fuckers.¡±


    Jake followed suit and channelled his Wyrd up into his eyes to get a look at Aspen¡¯s soul.


    What should have been a silhouette of Aspen¡¯s body was a patchy mess on the side where he was hit, with much of the shoulder and arm missing all but the slightest link to the rest of the body.


    Jake hid his grimace but gave Aspen a sympathetic look, the Awakened had taken a big chunk out of him.


    Meanwhile, Gargan was giving Aspen the rundown on what had happened as they slowly made their way over to one of the benches and laid out the loot.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be forward, but mind if I have these?¡± Aspen asked, pointing over to the Wyrdfruit they¡¯d gathered.


    ¡°Will they help with your recovery?¡± Alan asked curiously.


    ¡°Maybe, but mostly I just like the taste. Especially when I¡¯m not feeling so great.¡± Aspen gave them a poor attempt at a chuckle and Jake had to hide his wince.


    Every death he¡¯d had in the Dungeons was burnt into his memory, but even at its worst, he¡¯d never been quite as bad as this.


    Ari had told them that the revival sickness got worse, but it was a sobering thing to see just how much worse.


    The upside, however, was that when they apportioned everything out, Jake was left with just over two hundred and fifty Wyrdgeld for his share.


    It was the single largest amount he¡¯d ever got as a group, and it meant that the raw numbers involved put the total Wyrdgeld he could earn from a full clear at over a thousand if he could somehow do it alone.


    The idea of clearing even one of the floors of the second tier on his own was crazy, but he¡¯d once thought the same about the first tier.


    Jake took a breath, reminding himself that whatever the future held, he had to stay with the here and now.


    ¡°Congratulations on your first tier two delve as a group,¡± Felix said, coming over to join them, giving Aspen a pat on the shoulder as he did.


    If Jake hadn¡¯t known better, he¡¯d have sworn the old classer looked proud.


    ¡°We should talk about our next steps,¡± Nepthys said abruptly, her expression serious as she turned to Jake. ¡°The Corrupters are still a threat, and the longer we wait, the worse it becomes for all of this country.¡±


    Jake nodded slowly, rubbing at his eyes as he forced his tired mind to work. ¡°You said we need to leave regardless, right, Felix?¡±


    ¡°Correct, now that a higher tier Seeker is here to lead them, we must keep moving. If you think that hunting the Corrupters is the right move, then that is what we should do.¡±


    Jake resisted the urge to scowl at Felix. That had been no help at all. He wasn¡¯t foolish enough to not realise what Felix was doing, though.


    When they¡¯d first formed up under Felix¡¯s tutelage, the older classer had taken charge to help guide them. Recently, it felt like he was stepping back more and more, especially now that they had a full group of five once again.


    Jake knew it was because of his Class, rather than anything he did, but that only made the pressure to get it right all the worse.


    ¡°Alright, then this is the plan,¡± Jake said, rapping his knuckles on the table in emphasis. ¡°In the morning, we head north to try and track down these Corrupters. What they¡¯re doing is madness and needs to be stopped. Aspen, you rest until tomorrow and take it easy. The rest of you are welcome to join me on running the first tier a few times.¡±


    ¡°I think I need a break first,¡± Alan said hesitantly, looking relieved when Nepthys nodded.


    ¡°An hour?¡± Jake asked, tapping the table again when they nodded. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s get as much as we can and then travel hard tomorrow.¡±

 DN2 34 - The Hunt Begins

    Gargan decided to sit out the three short delves they managed across the rest of the afternoon, though Jake suspected he did it to let them keep the Wyrdgeld.


    Still, whatever the reason, he gained almost half of what he did from the full delve, and with far less risk.


    Considering it, Jake was pretty sure it was almost quicker to do the three shorter delves as well. Something to note for the future.


    Jake supposed they could even have pushed for a fourth or fifth short delve, but he was tired. They were all tired, and mistakes were starting to happen.


    No, better to cut it off early and be in good shape for the next day.


    Aspen suffering with revival sickness was going to be tough as it was. The last thing they needed was for someone else to be in the same situation.


    With the delves done, they all tried to relax as best they could, with Ari grilling them steaks from a monster he¡¯d hunted during their morning attempt.


    The atmosphere of their little camp was tense, and they all seemed lost in their thoughts, so Jake decided to take an early evening.


    He still remembered how dangerous the Corrupters he¡¯d fought were, and Nepthys had said they were new to their powers.


    Corrupters that were brave enough to hunt Dungeons were likely a cut above, and that was a scary thing.


    Rubbing his face, Jake went back to his cabin and started to pack his gear away, ready to turn in.


    A gentle knock came at the door to his cabin and Jake gave his bed a mournful look before walking over and pulling it open to find Nepthys standing there.


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Jake asked with concern. ¡°Has something happened?¡±


    ¡°No, no, everything is fine. I just wanted to make sure you were okay,¡± Nepthys said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.


    ¡°Oh, uh, thanks,¡± Jake said, his eyes going wide as he realised he suddenly had no idea what to say. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just¡­¡± Nepthys trailed off before taking a breath and meeting Jake¡¯s eyes. ¡°The fight with the Woadite scared me. I thought it had killed you, and that your soul was gone.¡±


    Nepthys shifted closer, and Jake was abruptly acutely aware of how close they were to each other as he stared into her eyes.


    ¡°After it hit Aspen, all I could think of was killing it before it could hurt you,¡± Jake said softly, finding his words at last. ¡°The idea of losing you scared me half to death.¡±


    Nepthys smiled and leaned in, pressing her soft lips to his.


    Jake¡¯s heart pounded as the moment lingered and the kiss lasted what felt like a small eternity.


    Eventually, Nepthys drew back with flushed cheeks and apologised before hurrying away.


    Jake stared dumbly after her, one hand absently coming up to touch his lips. Things had felt different since he rescued her, but he¡¯d never expected that.


    He didn¡¯t understand why she¡¯d apologised, either.


    For a moment, Jake considered going after her, but then he tried to think of what he¡¯d say if he did.


    Rubbing his face, Jake reluctantly decided he was too tired to know what to do, and he desperately wanted to avoid making it any worse.


    He¡¯d get some sleep and talk to her in the morning.


    -**-


    Unsurprisingly, while Aspen looked marginally better the next day, he was still in nothing like good shape.


    It seemed the revival sickness for these higher tier Dungeons both lasted longer and hit harder, which was an unpleasant mix.


    Unfortunately, they had no time to waste, so they couldn¡¯t take the time for Aspen to feel better.


    Instead, they were on the move as soon as they were all awake and ready, with Aspen trudging along as best he could.


    Jake was quietly impressed by the lack of any sort of complaint from Aspen, but his mind was still on his encounter with Nepthys the night before.


    They¡¯d had a quick talk before they left, with both Nepthys and Alan letting him know that they¡¯d ranked up the night before thanks to the earnings from the Dungeon.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Jake had congratulated each of them, but Nepthys had hurried away before they could talk any more.


    Now that they were on the road, hopefully he could broach the subject and at least understand what was going on.


    Picking up his pace to catch up with her, Jake cleared his throat, fighting past the awkwardness of it all. ¡°I wanted to talk with you about last night.¡±


    Nepthys tensed and subtly shook her head. ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time. Just know that I¡¯m sorry, and I made a mistake.¡±


    Jake wanted to ask more, wanted to demand an explanation, but she was right. This wasn¡¯t the time.


    -**-


    Felix had them moving at a fast pace for as much of the day as they could, mixing in a few long jogs as training along the way.


    Thanks to Felix¡¯s Abilities, Jake actually found himself feeling more rested a few minutes after the jog than he had been before hand.


    It was an impressive manipulation of his Abilities, and Jake wondered if there was anything he could do with his own in a similar manner.


    He didn¡¯t think so based on what he had at the moment.  The wording of his Skills and Traits was quite clear, after all, but it was something he would remember for the future.


    This steady push was also why they¡¯d not brought Varin with them. Instead, they would try to meet him at a town further north, one that was beyond the area where they hoped to catch the Corrupters.


    All being well, they¡¯d do what needed to be done and then meet him there.


    The Woadheart and Wyrdwood had gone to the crafter, with the promise of him making something useful for them. Exactly what, Jake didn¡¯t know, but he was looking forward to finding out.


    When they came to a halt for the evening, Aspen was just starting to look more like himself once more. It had been a day and a half since the Dungeon, which felt like twice as long as Alan and the others had suffered back with the original Dungeon.


    What mattered was that Aspen was starting to feel more like himself, and they¡¯d made a lot of headway despite it all.


    ¡°Set up camp here and stay close,¡± Felix announced once they¡¯d found a good spot. ¡°There¡¯s a small village nearby where I have a contact. I¡¯m going to check in on Dungeons and what else they might have heard. If we¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ll get an idea of which way our quarry has gone.¡±


    Jake nodded, relieved that they¡¯d finally stopped and eager to have some hot food.


    He wanted to have some more time with Gargan and learn about using Wyrd more effectively, but he also wanted to talk to Aspen about learning the spear.


    All of that was for later, though. Right now, he needed to understand what was going on with Nepthys.


    ¡°Nepthys?¡± Jake called as he walked over, having dropped his pack to one side and retrieved his practice sword. ¡°Care for some sparring?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Nepthys said with apparent relief, grabbing her wooden swords and heading a short distance away from the camp. ¡°Thank you for waiting, and I¡¯m sorry again.¡±


    Jake nodded, getting into position before beginning the spar at a low pace, letting them warm into it. ¡°I just wish I understood what was going on. Why did you run away like that?¡±


    ¡°Because I should never have kissed you,¡± Nepthys said, her cheeks a burning red as she admitted it. ¡°It was a selfish thing to do, no matter how much I enjoyed it, and I realised it as soon as I acted.¡±


    Jake¡¯s heart was pounding, and he was abruptly grateful for the familiar feeling of the wooden blade in his hand as a distraction and a way to focus his mind.


    Steeling his nerves, he spoke quickly before he could change his mind. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was a mistake. I enjoyed it as well.¡±


    Nepthys froze, missing her stroke as she met Jake¡¯s gaze properly for the first time, her eyes wide. ¡°Jake, I¡¯m sorry, but we can¡¯t. It was selfish because I knew that already.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. We both enjoyed it, so where is the issue?¡± Jake asked, confused and a little frustrated by it all.


    ¡°The issue is that eventually my family will call on me to continue the bloodline,¡± Nepthys said as she flushed an even deeper red. ¡°I can¡¯t and won¡¯t ignore that call. It¡¯s too important, Jake. So if anything came of that kiss, it would eventually have to end. I¡¯m sorry, Jake. I didn¡¯t mean to lead you on.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Jake blinked owlishly, caught by surprise. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t realise.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Nepthys gave him a sad smile. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for getting carried away.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just forget about it,¡± Jake said, forcing a smile. ¡°It was a nice moment but let¡¯s just leave it at that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do that,¡± Nepthys said before taking a deep breath and lifting her swords. ¡°Come, you owe me a good spar.¡±


    Jake nodded and settled into a fighting stance before they started the spar afresh.


    -**-


    A few hours later, Jake approached Aspen, who was lying down on his bedroll resting his eyes. ¡°Aspen, I wanted to ask a question, if you have a moment?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. What¡¯s up?¡± Aspen asked, cracking open one eye and looking up at Jake.


    ¡°The Boon I got from the Dungeon lets me summon a spear. I was hoping you¡¯d help me learn to use it.¡±


    ¡°A spear?¡± Aspen asked, sitting up with a grin. ¡°Can you show me?¡±


    Jake had all his Manifestations for the day so he expended one to use his Dauhaust¡¯s Root Boon for the first time.


    In a shimmer of grey Wyrd, a long, wooden spear dropped into his hand, its smooth surface almost warm to the touch.


    The spear was formed of a strand of twisted roots, ending in a long blade that seemed designed for stabbing and piercing.


    It was very similar to the spearing roots of the Woadite, which made Jake wonder about the leeching effect the Boon mentioned.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s an impressive weapon,¡± Aspen said, getting up and motioning to the spear. ¡°May I?¡±


    Jake passed the spear over as his attention turned towards the Boon and the Manifestation he¡¯d used. As best he could tell, it would slowly use up the manifestation while present, but unless he used the leeching effect or resummoned it, the Manifestation would last for quite a while.


    A useful variance to how the Hidden Fang worked, and one that made the spear more suitable for general use.


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Jake asked as Aspen looked it over and went through a few basic motions.


    ¡°Balance is good, and the blade is sharp,¡± Aspen said, tossing the spear back to Jake. ¡°Damn fine spear all said and done. I¡¯ll teach you what I know. Not tonight, though, I feel like shit.¡±


    ¡°From tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that works for me.¡±


    Aspen nodded and lay back down with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you took it, though, considering what you said about learning too many weapons at once.¡±


    ¡°It was the best of the ones there,¡± Jake said, shrugging slightly. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m struggling right now, but I also don¡¯t want to get to a place where I am struggling.¡±


    Aspen nodded before closing his eyes once more. ¡°Good to know. We¡¯ll see how that holds up tomorrow.¡±

 DN2 35 - Closing In

    Felix returned later that evening with little news, so they pushed on, heading north the following day.


    Things were a little awkward with Nepthys at first, neither of them knew what to say or how to act. As the day passed, though, they started to return to normal.


    Jake had no doubt he¡¯d remember that kiss for a long time to come, but it was important that they moved past this.


    Pretending everything was fine might not be the best idea, but Jake hadn¡¯t come up with anything better overnight.


    -**-


    Halfway through the day the rhythm of their travel was broken as they reached a fork in the trail and Felix consulted a map before calling a stop as he waved Jake over. ¡°Take a look.¡±


    Jake took the map and stared at it somewhat blankly, a little overwhelmed by all the information labelled on it. ¡°What am I looking for?¡±


    ¡°Here.¡± Felix tapped a section of the map. ¡°We¡¯re there, and this over here is a marker for a first tier Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and you think we should stop to take a look?¡±


    ¡°Is that what you think we should do?¡± Felix asked in a slightly challenging tone, his cool gaze levelly.


    Jake hesitated, wondering if this was some sort of test, before nodding. ¡°Yeah, if they¡¯ve destroyed it, we know they definitely came this way. If not, either we¡¯re going in the wrong direction or we¡¯re somehow in front of them.¡±


    ¡°Very well, then you should tell the others your decision,¡± Felix said, making no move to take the map back.


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Jake was more than a little confused by the sudden turn of events, but he looked back at the others and gestured to the map. ¡°There¡¯s a Dungeon nearby. We¡¯re going to head over and see what the situation is.¡±


    The others nodded, their expressions serious and grim, but to Jake¡¯s surprise, none of them questioned him making that decision.


    Jake glanced back to Felix expectantly, but the older classer gave a subtle nod to the map that Jake was still holding. ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    Feeling a little out of his depth, but determined not to let Felix down, Jake studied the map. If he focused on just their area, then he could bypass a lot of the complexity of it and find what he needed.


    ¡°That way?¡± Jake asked, pointing to one of the forks before checking with Felix.


    ¡°You have the map,¡± Felix said neutrally, but Jake was quick to shake his head.


    ¡°No, no, this is too important for us to be wandering around the wrong way. I¡¯ll lead, but tell me if that¡¯s right or not first.¡±


    ¡°In that case, yes, that¡¯s the right way,¡± Felix said, the corner of his mouth quirking up into a smile.


    Jake tried to hide his pride at earning that smile, and instead hunched over the map, determined that he would guide them the rest of the way on his own.


    -**-


    ¡°Well, that answers that question,¡± Jake muttered as he stared at the dead Dungeon that lay before them.


    ¡°We can¡¯t be far behind them, not if they¡¯re stopping to do things like this,¡± Nepthys said in a heated tone that Jake fully understood.


    There was something about seeing a Dungeon in this state that really got to him.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Shaking it off, Jake paused as a thought occurred to him and he turned and quickly jogged over to Alan. ¡°Could you take a look around with your Skill and see if there are any signs of them being close by or how long ago they were here?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Jake,¡± Alan said with a nod, hurrying off to do just that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stick with him, just in case,¡± Aspen said, joining the Scholar as they began to search the area.


    ¡°You think they¡¯ll find something?¡± Nepthys asked her gaze lingering on the Dungeon.


    ¡°Maybe, but even if they don¡¯t, it¡¯s worth a try.¡±


    Jake noticed Ari and Felix were having a quiet conversation off to one side and wished he could know more about what they were thinking.


    Felix was seemingly pushing him to take charge and lead the group, but Jake felt like he was trying to make it all work with only half the information.


    Fighting down a sigh, Jake unfolded the map and looked at the area around them, wondering where he¡¯d head next if he were one of the Corruptors.


    There was another three Dungeons to the north of this one if they continued in that direction. Two first and one second tier.


    The second was off the table, if he assumed it was still outside the reach of the Corruptors. So that just left the other two.


    One of them was a day away, while the other was closer to two days travel, and was only a short distance from the second tier Dungeon.


    Peering at the map, Jake tried to get a good read of the terrain in the area and work out what would be the easiest way to get there.


    He was still working through it all when Alan came hurrying back with an excited look in his eyes. ¡°I found where they were camped!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Jake asked, looking up sharply from the map.


    ¡°Yep, and if I¡¯m right, it¡¯s only a day old,¡± Alan said, grinning at Jake¡¯s expression.


    ¡°We¡¯re only a day behind them,¡± Jake said, his eyes wide as he looked down at the map again. If they were doing what he thought they were, then they had a real chance to catch up with them.


    ¡°Just say the word and we can get moving,¡± Aspen said eagerly as Nepthys and Gargan joined them, drawn in by the commotion.


    ¡°Where, though?¡± Nepthys pointed out. ¡°we don¡¯t know which way they went from here.¡±


    ¡°No, but we know where they¡¯re going.¡± Jake held up the map and tapped the closer of the two Dungeons. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, we can catch them before they hit this one. If not, we¡¯ll catch them on the way to the next.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s not waste any time,¡± Nepthys said, her eyes bright as she motioned further north. ¡°The sooner we kill them, the sooner we can deal with the Triarchy.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Jake said, anticipation coiling in his gut as he stowed away the map. They were much closer than he¡¯d expected, and that meant the eventual confrontation was equally close. ¡°Let¡¯s take five minutes to rest, and then hit the road.¡±


    -**-


    They were forced to camp overnight only a few miles from their destination. A frustrating situation, but one that couldn¡¯t be helped on a moonless night. Pushing on was just asking for problems.


    The tension in their camp was thick that evening, and little was done other than the watches being arranged, before they got their rest.


    The spectre of the potential combat the following day was enough to leave everyone deep in their thoughts.


    In many ways, it was similar to the feeling they¡¯d had before attempting the second tier Dungeon. It was a sense of shared mortality, one that wasn¡¯t there in the same way for the average Dungeon delve.


    Fighting monsters was rapidly becoming routine for Jake, but Corruptors were a very different beast, and a dangerous one at that.


    Jake¡¯s mind went back to the strange powers that the ones he¡¯d encountered last time had used. If all of them had something like that, and he was quite certain they did, then he needed to be at his very best.


    Unfortunately, that meant getting some sleep and with his growing role as the leader of the group, Jake found himself worrying about the decisions he was making.


    It wouldn¡¯t take much for one of them to die here, maybe even all of them if he fucked up badly enough.


    Felix and Ari were there to prevent the worst of it, but they were neither all-knowing or all-powerful, especially not in this Realm.


    Taking a deep breath, Jake tried to work his way through a simple breathing exercise and banish the stress and worries that were building within him.


    By the time he awoke the following morning, Jake was feeling a lot more in control, and he was mentally prepared for what they might find waiting for them at the Dungeon.


    The tension of the night before lingered in the camp, but there was a certain edge to it now.


    Moving quickly, they packed up their camp and finished the hike to the Dungeon, only to find it already destroyed.


    They were too late.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got their camp,¡± Alan called out, interrupting Jake¡¯s thoughts before he could start blaming himself. ¡°Looks like they were here last night.¡±


    ¡°Damn, only a few miles in it,¡± Nepthys muttered, and Jake could only nod in frustration. They¡¯d been so close.


    ¡°They must be heading to the next Dungeons,¡± Jake said, calling everyone back together. ¡°Let¡¯s push on as quick as we can. We seem to be moving faster than them, so we should catch up before they get there.¡±


    Out of the corner of his eye, Jake saw Felix nod approvingly as he got everyone moving. Maybe he was actually going to get the hang of this.

 DN2 36 - Retribution I

    Alan took point as they set off, following what Jake thought was the most direct route to the next Dungeon, and so was hopefully the path the Corruptors were taking.


    Their pace was good. Felix was using his usual trick of telling them to practice their running ready for when they might need it.


    The Corruptors would have to be moving at full pace to keep ahead of them like this, and as far as Jake knew, they didn¡¯t know they were being chased quite this relentlessly.


    Jake clung to that as they pushed on, following behind Alan with as much speed as they could manage.


    In his mind he could almost see their enemy as they slowly and inexorably closed the distance.


    The only question now would be if they reached them before they had the chance to destroy the Dungeon.


    Jake could feel himself rolling that question over in his mind almost endlessly and shook his head, pushing it aside and focusing on the path ahead.


    ¡°Some final advice before we arrive,¡± Felix said, coming alongside Jake and matching his pace. ¡°You¡¯ve fought Corrupters before, but only once, correct?¡±


    Jake nodded, conserving his breath for running.


    ¡°We use Wyrd for everything we do, it is the lifeblood of the System itself. Corrupters use Skryx, the foul magic of the Shrouded. It perverts and corrupts, and is dangerous in the extreme.¡±


    ¡°I remember,¡± Jake said between breaths, seeing in his mind¡¯s eye the purple and black energy that had seemed to dissolve whatever it struck.


    ¡°Good. What you need to remember is that mundane weapons and armour will break at its touch. A shield like the one Nepthys can conjure is your best defence, but failing that, strike at the attack with a Wyrd-sheathed blade. It will not be a perfect defence, but it will be better than nothing. Your flesh will resist better now that you¡¯re second tier, but don¡¯t rely on that.¡±


    Jake nodded and Felix waited a moment to make sure he had no further questions before heading forward, likely to have the same conversation with Alan.


    Considering the nature of what they were fighting, Jake took a moment to take his shield off his back, just in case.


    -**-


    Contact with the Corrupters, when it happened, was as abrupt and dangerous as Jake had feared.


    Alan had been leading them through a dense thicket of trees when Nepthys abruptly straightened and drew her swords. ¡°Corrupters!¡±


    Confusion reigned as they all drew their weapons and tried to see what Nepthys had spotted, but any questions were answered as a barrage of purple-black projectiles came streaking out from the undergrowth.


    Nepthys conjured a shield to block as many as she could, and Gargan caught the rest with a cone of bright flame that seared Jake¡¯s eyes and made him flinch to one side.


    Thankfully, the Wyrd-infused flames broke the projectiles apart, just as Felix had said they would.


    ¡°Kill them all!¡± A woman¡¯s voice rang out from the trees even as they dealt with the first attack, and a group of figures came bursting out of their hiding spots.


    Jake cursed and pulled his sword free as the Corrupters came into view. He counted eight of them in total.


    The Corrupter who¡¯d spoken was a tall, graceful woman wielding a spear and shield, both of which were aflame with black-streaked purple flames.


    Behind her came a short but powerfully built man in some sort of scaled armour wielding a pair of flanged maces that were equally infused with Skryx.


    Another two Corrupters were present on that side, with four others on the other side of the trail. None of them looked as impressive as those two, however.


    The woman motioned with her arm and a torrent of Skryx plunged out and down into the shadow of a nearby tree.


    For a moment, Jake wondered if she¡¯d missed somehow, and then the tree folded in on itself and melted into the shadow.


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    Rising in its place was a six-legged insect-like creature that seemed made from purple-tinted shadows.


    Jake¡¯s eyes went wide and he opened his mouth to shout a warning when Ari sprinted past him in a blur, his huge blade gaining a grey tint to its edge as it swung around to bisect the shadow beast.


    ¡°Those two are ours, deal with the rest,¡± Felix said as he stepped past Jake, his eyes on the mace-wielder who was shifting and growing in size with each step, his flesh bulging inside the scaled armour.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take this side, everyone else take the other one,¡± Jake called out, not questioning Felix¡¯s decision in the slightest.


    He had no idea what that thing was that she¡¯d summoned, or what sort of madness that transformation had been, but it was out of his league right now.


    Focusing on the other two on this side of the trail, Jake saw one was a wand user, likely the source of that first barrage, and the other had a long-handled axe.


    Lifting his wand, the Corrupter at the rear sent a trio of needle-like blasts of Skryx at Jake, who swiftly dodged aside, avoiding them entirely.


    A grunt of pain that sounded like Gargan came from behind Jake a moment later and he cursed as he realised his error.


    Laughing, the Corrupter repeated the attack, even as the other one closed the distance in a blink using some sort of movement Skill.


    Meeting the projectiles head on this time, Jake cut through them with an Infused Strike, the Wyrd on his sword sizzling as it made contact with the Skryx.


    Jake did his best to avoid the axe of his other attacker, but couldn¡¯t quite get fully out of the way and still block the projectiles.


    The Skryx infused edge of the axe cut through Jake¡¯s shield like it wasn¡¯t even there, coming a few inches away from taking a chunk of his hand with it.


    Cursing, Jake threw himself back and hurled the shattered remnants of his shield into the Corrupter¡¯s face before sprinting at the wand-wielder in a looping manner.


    The sudden change of direction caught the axe-wielder by surprise, but his companion lifted his wand and sent a barrage of Skryx shooting at Jake.


    Trusting that he¡¯d changed the angle enough to not leave his friends vulnerable, Jake dove to one side, rolling up to his feet as he used a Manifestation and conjured Moby.


    Some experimentation with his Boons had showed Jake that he had a limited distance in which to summon them, and he couldn¡¯t do so in the personal space of another person.


    There was nothing stopping him conjuring Moby right above the Corrupter, though.


    The arriving quack was just loud enough to make the Corrupter look up, his wand still tracking Jake¡¯s movement as he did.


    Falling beak-first, Moby struck the Corrupter dead on, buffeting him with his wings while stabbing him with his beak.


    Despite the changes Moby had undergone, he still struggled to do much damage with anything other than his beak.


    Unfortunately for the the Corrupter, Moby only needed his beak to snatch out the man¡¯s eye.


    It was neither a clean nor simple affair, and Moby ended up thrown to the ground with a great hole in his wing and his prize clutched in his beak.


    ¡°Damn duck!¡± The Corrupter snarled, lifting a hand to conjure a bolt of Skryx that would finish the job.


    Jake¡¯s sword burst through the man¡¯s chest before he could do more than take aim, though Jake had no time to stay and finish the deed.


    The air whistled as an axe flashed through the space Jake had just occupied, cutting into the impaled Corrupter before he was shoved aside.


    Cursing as he struggled to stay ahead of the axe-wielder, Jake used another Manifestation to conjure Dauhaust¡¯s Root, the spear appearing in a flash of grey.


    Grasping the weapon, Jake used it to block an overhead swing at the last moment and grinned savagely at the Corrupter as the spear held up against the Skryx.


    After what Felix had told him, Jake had hoped that the intrinsic Wyrd within these conjured weapons would act like this.


    Pushing the other man off of him, Jake used what little spear training he¡¯d been given to its utmost and put some pressure on the Corrupter.


    Unfortunately, the Corrupter was better with his axe than Jake was with his new spear, so some alternative methods were required.


    Moby couldn¡¯t fly, but he waddled close enough to throw himself bodily at the Corrupter, right at the same time as Jake threw his spear in the man¡¯s face and leapt backwards.


    Having already had the broken shield thrown at him, the Corrupter was wary enough that he managed to knock the spear aside.


    The surprise duck attack was enough of a delay, however, for Jake to draw his wand and start firing thorns at him.


    The Corrupter threw Moby aside and ducked his head to shield his face before charging at Jake with a growl.


    A dozen thorns were embedded in his upper torso, but the Corrupter was making the same choice as Jake had. Take the hits now and close the distance while it was an option.


    Jake had intended to keep further away, but as soon as the Corrupter committed himself, Jake dropped the wand and dismissed the spear from where it lay, resummoning it into his hands.


    The Corrupter must have seen the flash of Wyrd or sensed that something had happened, as he tried to slow his charge at the last moment, but that left him off balance and in a poor position.


    The full reach of Dauhaust¡¯s Root put its sharp tip through the heart of the Corrupter before he could get close enough to deliver a clean hit.


    Bleeding and gasping for breath, the Corrupter snarled and threw his axe as best he could. Unable to dodge while holding him in place, Jake hissed in pain as the purple-black edge of the weapon sliced into his forearm.


    It only took a moment of focus to activate the leeching effect of the spear, and Jake winced in pain as small tendrils punctured his palms.


    Much larger ones writhed free of the spear¡¯s tip to puncture the surrounding flesh of the Corrupter, and Jake felt raw energy pulse into him from the spear as it drank deep.


    The effect was as horrible and invasive as Jake had feared, which made the euphoric sensation it gave him all the more sickening.


    Pulling his spear free, Jake dismissed it and hurried over to reclaim his sword, picking up Moby along the way.


    He¡¯d done his part, now to help the others.

 DN2 37 - Retribution II

    Jake barely got a few steps before one of the conjured shadow beasts came charging at him, parts of it still forming as it came.


    Infusing his spear, Jake braced himself and took the charge dead on, his spear ripping right through the creature as it forced itself down his spear to try and get to him.


    Heat washed over Jake as flames incinerated the creature¡¯s head, causing it to collapse and dissipate into wisps of black smoke.


    ¡°Work together, these things are dangerous!¡± Aspen shouted, engaging another creature that had formed nearby as Nepthys attacked from its flank.


    Taking in everything, Jake realised that only the two stronger Corrupters were left alive. Ari was steadily winning against his opponent, which was good, but neither looked like they were in trouble quite yet.


    Felix was struggling with the woman and the seemingly endless amount of shadowy creatures she was conjuring.


    Seeing Felix struggle to do anything was a rarity, and Jake was considering stepping in to try and help when Felix jumped back and bit out a curse as blood dripped from a nasty cut in his side.


    Jake¡¯s eyes went wide and he began to move forward before stopping as a wave of Wyrd burst out of Felix before forming around the wrist of his missing hand and shaping itself into a grey facsimile of the original.


    Felix must have spotted Jake moving forward as he held up his new hand and waved him back. ¡°No, leave this to me.¡±


    Jake wanted to argue, but a pair of shadow beasts were trying to get to Gargan and Nepthys needed his help.


    Jake caught glances off Felix¡¯s fight after that and noticed that their instructor was now using a dagger alongside his short sword and was moving noticeably faster.


    ¡°¡­and stay down this time!¡± Ari¡¯s shout drifted across the fight as he stood over the fallen Corrupter, his greatsword buried in the dead man¡¯s chest.


    Jake was beginning to wonder why Ari wasn¡¯t helping Felix when one of the shadow beasts that was partially formed nearby collapsed into black smoke laced with purple as Felix landed a killing blow on the final Corrupter.


    Glancing around, Jake slowly began to relax as he saw no further signs of Corrupters or those strange shadow beasts.


    ¡°Everyone okay?¡± Felix called out, his Wyrd hand fading away a moment after he sheathed his dagger.


    ¡°I¡¯m good, but I had to use my Skills freely,¡± Ari said, sharing a grim look with Felix as he nodded to the fading hand. ¡°How much do you have left after that?¡±


    ¡°More than I need, less than I want,¡± Felix said darkly. Turning to the rest of them he looked them over for any obvious injuries. ¡°And all of you, any problems?¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯re all okay,¡± Jake said. ¡°What were those beasts she was summoning?¡±


    ¡°Think of them as the Skryx equivalent of Moby,¡± Ari said, wrenching his greatsword out of the dead man and cleaning it off. ¡°She looked like she was tier three or four, and without the System, their progression is more like the Boons you get more than anything else.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of the Dungeons they kill,¡± Nepthys said as she picked over the Corrupters, making sure each one was dead. ¡°My father said that there¡¯s something about the process of destroying them that empowers them and the gifts they¡¯ve been given by the Shrouded.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so these Corrupters were getting stronger with each Dungeon they destroyed?¡± Jake asked, thinking of how much worse it could have been if they hadn¡¯t caught up with them when they did.


    ¡°Yes, which means that these ones are all relatively new,¡± Ari said, gesturing at the Corrupters who had fought Jake and the others. ¡°Otherwise they would have had more developed powers.¡±


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    ¡°What I don¡¯t understand,¡± Alan said with a slight frown. ¡°Is why they weren¡¯t taking out the tier two Dungeons. Those two you fought were a step above us in power. Surely they could have killed a Woadite even without aid?¡±


    ¡°Corrupters never attack Dungeons without overwhelming power,¡± Felix said, a hint of strain in his voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, only that they do.¡±


    ¡°Nepthys?¡± Alan turned to the Inquisitor hopefully, but she shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told the same, but I don¡¯t know why either. Dungeon Nobles deal with the Dungeons directly, Inquisitors are here to hunt the Corrupters before they can get to them.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m too inexperienced to know much of anything,¡± Jake said, rubbing his face with a sigh. Just when he thought he was starting to get a handle on everything, there was something new to worry about.


    Ari cleared his throat before Alan could ask any more questions. ¡°We should get moving, and sooner rather than later. The Dungeon they were heading for is nearby. We can stop there for the night and maybe you can do some delving in the morning.¡±


    Jake perked up at the idea, more than happy to add another Dungeon to his list. ¡°Sounds good to me. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    -**-


    The Dungeon was intact and in pristine condition when they arrived. There was even signs of it being visited infrequently by other classers.


    They spread out to take their pick of the cabins available and have the rest of the day off to unwind, but there was a knock at Jake¡¯s door before he could do more than drop his pack.


    ¡°Hey, Jake, you should come take a look at this,¡± Alan said, giving him an apologetic look. ¡°Sorry, I know you¡¯ve not even sat down yet.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± Jake said, giving Alan a tired smile. He knew that if Alan was bothering him so soon, it was something important. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was doing a quick search of the perimeter while you were choosing a cabin,¡± Alan said as he led Jake over towards the Dungeon. ¡°I just wanted to be sure everything was alright, you see. I think seeing all those broken Dungeons has left me a little twitchy.¡±


    ¡°No surprise there, I¡¯m feeling a bit jumpy as well,¡± Jake said honestly. There was something about a dead Dungeon that really got under his skin. ¡°What did you find, though?¡±


    ¡°A camp. You can see it over there if you look closely,¡± Alan said, pointing off in the distance to a cluster of trees.


    Jake peered in that direction but couldn¡¯t see anything unusual. ¡°My eyes aren¡¯t as good as yours, Alan.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, yeah.¡± Alan gave him a slightly sheepish look before kicking up into a jog. ¡°The really weird part is what¡¯s in the camp, anyway.¡±


    Jake followed with growing concern, though he eventually spotted the remnants of the camp that Alan had found. It was little more than a burnt out campfire with a dead log and some rocks positioned around it for seating.


    ¡°Alright, so what¡¯s the really weird part?¡±


    ¡°This, over here.¡± Alan was knelt next to a scattered group of rocks, staring down at them with a concerned look. ¡°These have been placed like this.¡±


    Jake took another look at the rocks, noticing how they¡¯d been pushed into the ground to make sure they would stay where they were. All of them were small, pebbles more than anything, and were a little out of place now he was paying attention.


    The shapes they formed weren¡¯t anything he recognised, though, and he said as much to Alan.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know what it means either. The part that has me worried is that I think I saw something similar back at the camp we saw yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Jake said slowly, considering the implications of that. ¡°Do you mind going and getting Felix? We should probably get his opinion on this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably a good idea,¡± Alan said, getting to his feet with a relieved look and hurrying back the way they came.


    Jake stared at the strange symbols, trying to make sense of them. They were clearly a message of some sort, but they weren¡¯t letters, there weren¡¯t enough for that.


    Jake tried to think of what he¡¯d seen in the past that could be shown like this, but after a minute of searching his memories, all he had was a growing headache for his troubles.


    ¡°Alan said you¡¯d found something?¡± Felix called out as he entered the abandoned camp, Alan by his side.


    ¡°Well, Alan found it, but yes, we have something,¡± Jake said, motioning him over and pointing to the stones. ¡°We think this is a message of some sort, and Alan thinks he saw one at the last camp as well.¡±


    ¡°How certain are you that the Corrupters had stayed in that camp?¡± Felix asked, looking over at Alan questioningly.


    ¡°Them specifically, not at all, but it was fresh, and it was used by the right amount of people now that we know how many there were.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Felix frowned down at the message for a long moment before shaking his head. ¡°This means nothing to me, but I don¡¯t like it. If it was at the last camp as well, that might mean they were following behind a second group. These messages could be them communicating somehow.¡±


    ¡°What would they be saying?¡± Alan asked, paling a little at the idea of a second group of Corrupters.


    The fight they¡¯d had earlier in the day had been brief but deadly, and Jake wasn¡¯t in favour of any repeats either.


    ¡°That is very much the question,¡± Felix said softly before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. ¡°Alright, this is what we¡¯ll do. For now, let¡¯s settle in as we expected. I¡¯ll stay up on watch overnight, and then rest while you delve tomorrow. After that, we¡¯ll head for the next closest Dungeon and see what we find.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense to me,¡± Jake said, getting up to his feet and eyeing the rocks warily. ¡°I don¡¯t like this, though.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I.¡±

 DN2 38 - Messages

    Jake and Alan took some time to do a second walk around the Dungeon, checking for any other suspicious signs or objects. Thankfully, they found nothing, but that didn¡¯t especially reassure Jake.


    Once they were done for the day, Jake climbed into his bed with a grateful sigh, glad that the day was over.


    -**-


    Jake opened his eyes to darkness. No, that wasn¡¯t right. It wasn¡¯t dark, he just didn¡¯t have any way to see anything.


    Sensations beyond count and beyond recognition were right there, just at the edge of his perception and just out of reach.


    Jake turned, trying to focus on the closest one, only to find them shut off and pushed away as a weight settled on him and the surrounding area.


    It was a familiar weight by now, and Jake found himself able to stand comfortably within it.


    Images flashed through his mind of the Corrupters, of their foul deeds and of their death at the hands of him and his friends.


    Approval.


    -**-


    Jake shot up in bed with a gasp, covered in sweat and breathing hard.


    Immediately, he could feel that something had changed, something was different.


    Assuming that the vision he¡¯d had was real, the Great Dungeon might well have rewarded him directly, so Jake checked his System.


    It took a full read through before he realised what had happened.


    Passive - Agent of the Great Dungeon (III)  - Very Rare - You are bound to the Great Dungeon by blood and Deed. Other followers of the Great Dungeon will recognise you and aid you as they may.


    The Agent of the Great Dungeon Gift had been with him since he first Ascended, and its wording changing was both exciting and somewhat nerve-wracking.


    Jake didn¡¯t feel anything different beyond that, so only time would tell what difference that truly made.


    Dismissing the prompt, Jake got out of bed and got ready for the day, taking his time to make sure that he was well and truly relaxed when he went outside.


    -**-


    Between the stress of the day before and Jake¡¯s vision overnight, breakfast was a quiet thing, all the more so once he and Alan explained what they¡¯d found at the camp to the rest of the group.


    The thought that there was a second group of Corrupters out there was a worrying one, and not just for him.


    The presence of the two stronger Corrupters in that first group seemed to have rattled Ari and Felix a little, and the idea of a second was clearly bothering them.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go ahead and take on this Dungeon while we¡¯re here,¡± Jake said, getting to his feet once he¡¯d finished the sandwich that Aspen had made him. ¡°We might as well get the reward from it.¡±


    ¡°Works for me. Cutting loose on some monsters is just what the doctor ordered,¡± Aspen said before popping a piece of crispy bacon into his mouth with a smile and heading back to his cabin.


    The others followed suit, leaving Jake with Ari and Felix, neither of whom looked like they were fully recovered from the fight the day before.


    ¡°Are you both okay?¡± Jake asked, deciding to take a direct route. ¡°Were you wounded in the fight?¡±


    ¡°No, no wounds,¡± Felix said, sharing a look with Ari before continuing. ¡°Remember how you could match that classer you fought because he was constrained by this Realm?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t forget that anytime soon,¡± Jake said, thinking of the dagger-wielding classer they¡¯d fought when trying to rescue Nepthys. It had taken all of them to bring him down. ¡°We were lucky he couldn¡¯t use more of his Abilities.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, though the luck was really that you didn¡¯t fight him first. He¡¯d likely used all his Skills to cut through the Triarchy guards, which left him vulnerable.¡±


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    ¡°Right, I remember you saying that it is more difficult for higher tier classers to use their Skills on lower Realms, or something like that, anyway.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty close,¡± Ari said as he stretched out along one of the empty benches, using his pack as a pillow. ¡°The higher you go through the Realms, the more concentrated your Wyrd becomes, so when you come back down a Realm, it takes longer to recover. A lot longer.¡±


    ¡°Mix that with how much more some of our strongest Skills cost, and you begin to see the issue,¡± Felix said, shooting Ari an exasperated look that was thoroughly ignored.


    ¡°Okay, so both of you are down a lot of Wyrd, and you won¡¯t be getting it back soon,¡± Jake said, the realisation of what they were really saying hitting him a moment later. ¡°You¡¯re worried about this second group and any potential fight with them.¡±


    Felix said nothing, but the look in his eyes spoke for him.


    ¡°There¡¯s something else,¡± Ari said, sitting up abruptly and continuing to ignore the looks Felix was giving him. ¡°Anyone who knows me knows I win through overwhelming force mixed with speed. If you were going to counter that, how would you do it?¡±


    Jake blinked in surprise, but gave it some real thought. ¡°Maybe a single strong target with lots of armour, one that you wouldn¡¯t be able to just bull through.¡±


    ¡°And Felix is a one-handed combat instructor. Good with a sword and highly skilled in one-on-one fighting. What about him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d overwhelm him, stop him from being able to use that ability,¡± Jake said, a sick feeling building in his gut. ¡°Exactly like those two Corrupters we fought. They went straight for the two of you as well.¡±


    ¡°Now, we both have Skills and Traits to counter out weaknesses. That let us win, even when surprised, but I don¡¯t like how they matched up against us.¡±


    ¡°Gods protect us,¡± Jake muttered under his breath, abruptly feeling a lot less confident about their plan and a lot more exposed. ¡°Could you win those fights again if you fought now?¡±


    The two older classers exchanged a look before Felix nodded. ¡°Yes, but that would leave me tapped. I¡¯ve used a lot more Wyrd than Ari training you all. I have two big Skills to help me fight, the first you¡¯ve already seen. While I can use that twice more if I have to, if we encounter anyone of our strength, I will have to use both, and then I¡¯ll be out completely.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what about Wyrdgeld, can¡¯t you consume some to help your recovery?¡± Jake asked, wondering about giving Felix some of what he was saving for his next rank.


    ¡°I can,¡± Ari said, producing a coin and doing just that. ¡°And I will. Felix can¡¯t, though. Wyrdgeld isn¡¯t enough at his tier.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Jake was reeling from all the information being thrown around, but that piece cut through the rest. ¡°How can Wyrdgeld not be enough?¡±


    Ari went to explain, but Felix cleared his throat loudly and sent him a quelling look before turning back to Jake. ¡°After a certain point, Wyrdgeld must be exchanged for crystallised pieces of Wyrd before being used to advance or consume. I¡¯ve been down in this Realm long enough that I¡¯ve run out, and there is no one here I can trade with to get some.¡±


    ¡°Wait, just what tier are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tier six in the Hastiliarius Class, which is a hybrid between combat and non-combat. I sacrificed some combat Skills to account for my hand, which is the only reason I can keep up with combat classers close to my tier.¡±


    Jake blinked and looked over at Ari, who sighed. ¡°I¡¯m tier four in the Veteran of Blades Class. Keep that to yourself, though. I don¡¯t want it spreading around too much.¡±


    ¡°Of course, yes,¡± Jake said, trying to process the fact that Felix was such a high tier. He¡¯d known that he was significantly further along than them, but not by how much. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just struggling with this.¡±


    ¡°Understandable,¡± Felix said dryly. ¡°I would have preferred to keep this form you. I¡¯m far from a typical example of my tier, and you should bear that in mind. Especially in the higher Realms. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, understood,¡± Jake said, agreeing more out of reflex than anything.


    ¡°Jake!¡± Aspen shouted as he came out of his cabin, geared up and ready. ¡°Just waiting on you.¡±


    ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll meet you at the Dungeon!¡± Jake shouted back before looking back to Felix and Ari. ¡°So, anything else I should know?¡±


    Felix exchanged a quick look with Ari before shaking his head. ¡°No, but be quick in the Dungeon. We should move on as soon as we can.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Jake said, pushing himself up to his feet and setting off at a jog to get his gear.


    Aspen was right. Killing some monsters sounded like a great idea right about now.


    -**-


    An hour later, Jake emerged from the Dungeon, dripping in sweat and soaked from the knee down to the point that his boots still squelched as he walked.


    He was thoroughly displeased with this Dungeon, and was glad they would move along. The thirty or so Wyrdgeld he¡¯d earned from this had not felt worth it at all.


    His System told him the Dungeon was called Ormal Infernis, and it had been based around the snakes they¡¯d encountered in the past.


    The elements of water that they¡¯d seen last time had been far more prevalent in this Dungeon and the whole thing had been filled with steam.


    That didn¡¯t even account for the water in the Guardian Floor, which had been knee-high in places, and had been both annoying and incredibly dangerous.


    Even the Boons offered by the Dungeon hadn¡¯t been especially interesting, so Jake had taken the increase to his Manifestations instead.


    The way he saw it, more Manifestations meant more versatility and more options. Now that he had his spear as well as the dagger, that was more important than ever before.


    ¡°Well, that was a fun one,¡± Aspen said, heading straight for a bench to take off his boots and shake them out. ¡°We¡¯re not going to have to do that again, right?¡±


    ¡°No, I got what I needed,¡± Jake said, laughing at Aspen¡¯s exaggerated sigh of relief.


    ¡°So, what now, then?¡± Alan asked, following Aspen¡¯s lead and shaking out his boots.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Let¡¯s take a few minutes to rest and dry out and then make some decisions.¡± Jake managed a slight smile as he took a seat with the others and pulled off his waterlogged boots.

 DN2 39 - What Next I

    They regrouped once they¡¯d dried off a little and studied the map, looking for some inspiration about what to do next while Felix and Ari got some rest.


    ¡°Well, the way I¡¯m seeing this,¡± Jake said, tapping a spot north of their current position. ¡°Is that we should still head to the next closest Dungeon, and make sure that this potential second team hasn¡¯t caused any issues. For all we know, they were swapping which group killed which Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°A horrifying thought, but didn¡¯t your Patron warn you about just the one group?¡± Aspen asked, gesturing vaguely up at the sky. ¡°If it were two, wouldn¡¯t it have shown you that?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Jake shrugged uncertainly. ¡°I did get a vision in my dreams and an increase in the rank of one of my Gifts last night. Which gives that point credence, but I¡¯d like to be sure.¡±


    ¡°My only concern is that there¡¯s a town near that Dungeon. Further south, that¡¯s not an issue, but up here that means we might see some Triarchy activity. Patrols and the like will be active as well.¡± Alan said, tapping at the town on the map.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a risk we have to take,¡± Jake said after a moment of thought. ¡°Assuming this second group exists, and this isn¡¯t all an enormous coincidence, we have to investigate further. Leaving them loose only poses a greater risk to us in the future.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Nepthys said, toying with her braid absently. ¡°We started this hunt. We should make sure that we finish it as well.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Any trace of heresy like this is worth chasing down,¡± Gargan said with surprising vehemence.


    ¡°Well, I could hardly turn down a chance for a good fight,¡± Aspen said with a broad smile. ¡°I¡¯m in.¡±


    Jake looked over to Alan questioningly and the Scholar nodded hesitantly. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re agreed then. We¡¯ll head to this other Dungeon and see what the situation is.¡±


    -**-


    No one wanted to camp rough, so they stayed overnight in the cabins, most of them taking the opportunity to rest properly.


    Unfortunately, the knowledge that they were going into an area with a higher chance of Triarchy patrols was enough to stop Jake from relaxing.


    Instead, he focused on working with his new spear, getting a few hours of training from Aspen and Felix to help sharpen his technique.


    Jake knew Felix was more concerned about this potential second group than he was letting on as Felix didn¡¯t use any active Abilities.


    Thankfully, the recovery boost was based on a Trait, so it still let Jake push hard, but there was no Wyrd sheathing to cover their weapons.


    Felix seemed less in tune with Jake than usual as well. Normally, he was able to see all the problems and adjust them in real-time. Now, it was more like training with everyone else, though Felix was still very good.


    Eventually, Jake moved on from spear training to do some more work with Gargan. The quiet caster had him focus on his infusions and the weave of power he was using for them, praising Jake for his progress.


    The praise felt hollow, though, when Jake saw how much further along Alan was. His friend was starting to identify parts of the weave through experimentation, which would let him design custom infusions.


    ¡°Excellent work, Alan,¡± Gargan said with a slight smile. ¡°Those infusions are coming along well. You¡¯ll be more knowledgeable than me about their usage soon.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Alan all but beamed from the praise and Jake had to suppress a spurt of jealousy. He had more than enough going his way. It was greedy to want to excel at infusions as well.


    Sighing and rubbing his face, Jake decided it was time to call it quits and get some actual rest. It would take them most of the day to get to the next Dungeon, so an early night was his only chance for more sleep.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    -**-


    They set off early the next morning, heading almost directly north, straight to the next Dungeon.


    A good part of the ground that they¡¯d covered heading south had been eaten away by them chasing the Corrupters from Dungeon to Dungeon.


    With this hike north, they were almost back level with Casthorpe, just further to the east.


    The western coast was the heart of Triarchy control in Strovia, and while the east wasn¡¯t as loosely controlled as the south, it was still loose enough that they were able to make good progress without any sign of patrols.


    It wouldn¡¯t last forever, but it was enough to get them to the Dungeon without issue.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a complication,¡± Aspen remarked when they finally came into sight of the Dungeon.


    Unlike the last few Dungeons, there looked to be around a dozen or so classers already present. Some of them were sitting at the benches, sharing a meal, but others were grouping up at the entrance, ready for a delve.


    ¡°Yeah, this isn¡¯t ideal,¡± Jake said with a grimace. ¡°At least none of them look to be trikes. That¡¯s something, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°So, what do we do?¡± Alan asked nervously. ¡°What if any of them know that we¡¯re wanted?¡±


    ¡°Then we deal with it when the time comes.¡± Jake did his best to sound confident, but from the look on Alan¡¯s face, he hadn¡¯t been totally successful. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head in.¡±


    ¡°Wait, let me lead the way, just in case,¡± Aspen said, hurrying forward to the front of the group. ¡°No one¡¯s looking for me, after all.¡±


    Jake nodded and let Aspen take point as they made their way over to the Dungeon.


    Half of the cabins were occupied, so they split up among the remaining ones and dropped off their gear before reconvening at one of the more isolated benches.


    ¡°No sign of any Corrupters,¡± Nepthys said softly once they were all back together. ¡°I can¡¯t sense any Skryx usage, or any lingering from recent effects.¡±


    Jake nodded, but said nothing. He was unsure of quite what to do next, especially with these other classers being present.


    Felix caught his eye and arched a brow, which Jake took as a silent offer to take over, but he shook his head. One day, they wouldn¡¯t have Ari and Felix looking out for them, and he needed to be ready for that.


    Taking a breath, he put a stop to all his worries and focused on what they were here for and what they needed to know. ¡°Alright, this is what we do. Aspen and Nepthys, if you could mingle with the other classers and see what sort of Dungeon we¡¯re looking at.¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Aspen said, Nepthys nodding as well.


    ¡°Good. Alan, you and I will take a walk around the exterior of the Dungeon clearing. Hopefully, we¡¯ll be able to spot if any of those campsites have been left here, and any other messages like the ones we saw.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Alan nodded, looking relieved that he wasn¡¯t going to be interacting with the other classers.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Gargan asked.


    ¡°I want you to stay here and keep watch. If either group gets in trouble, go to support. If you see any Triarchy guards, alert us as well. Your fire will act as a good signal if it comes down to it.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll keep an eye out for anything out of the usual.¡±


    ¡°Ari and I will stay here with Gargan as well,¡± Felix said, his eyes flicking over to the other classers. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have a problem here, but we¡¯ll stay central, just to be safe.¡±


    Jake nodded before getting up from the bench. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s start that patrol and see what we find.¡±


    Alan rose to join him, and the pair of them took a meandering path out from the cabins and over to the treeline.


    Alan used his Skill several times, and they both stayed as watchful as possible, but they found no sign of a campsite or a message similar to what they¡¯d found previously.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that we haven¡¯t found anything, right?¡± Alan asked as they finished their loop and began to head back in to rejoin the others.


    ¡°Maybe, and I hope it is, but the reality is that we¡¯ve found nothing. That means we¡¯ve neither proved nor disproved any of our theories, and that means that I¡¯m feeling more paranoid than ever.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± Alan said, sharing a concerned look with Jake before they lapsed back into a thoughtful silence.


    -**-


    They eventually regrouped for dinner, which was a selection of rations and fruit as no one wanted to risk starting a full meal, to discuss their plans.


    ¡°Aspen, how about you start us off with the Dungeon.¡± Jake nodded Aspen¡¯s way as he bit into one of the apple-like Wyrdfruit they¡¯d gathered previously.


    ¡°Well, this is a first tier Dungeon with an interior set in a canyon, with rocky bridges and tall columns of rock. Sort of like that other one we did. This one has some sort of brightly coloured bird of prey as one monster, and the other is a big cat.¡±


    ¡°A big cat,¡± Jake said flatly, giving Aspen a long look before turning to Nepthys. ¡°Any chance you got a better description than that?¡±


    ¡°Smaller than a mountain lion, but with a great fondness of pouncing from ambush.¡± Nepthys shot Aspen a smug look, but the other man just rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, like I said, a big cat.¡±


    ¡°Size of the cat aside,¡± Jake said quickly. ¡°That sounds like something we can deal with easily enough. Should we run a delve this evening, or wait for the morning?¡±


    ¡°I say we delve straight away, no telling what the situation will be like tomorrow,¡± Nepthys said, glancing over at the other classers. ¡°Everyone is keeping to themselves for the most part, but you never know.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, but it looks like there¡¯s a queue at the moment, so we might as well settle in to wait.¡± Jake eyed the two groups of classers waiting to enter the Dungeon thoughtfully, wondering what life would have been like with a normal Class.

 DN2 40 - Complications

    As it turned out, they hadn¡¯t considered the classers inside the Dungeon when doing their count, and what they¡¯d thought to be a dozen others was actually more like twenty-five.


    The numbers didn¡¯t really make a difference, but Jake couldn¡¯t help but feel a small spike of concern when he saw them all grouped together outside the Dungeon.


    All it would take was for one of them to be working for the Triarchy and this whole situation could go badly.


    Thankfully, the newcomers were as indifferent to their presence as the rest, and the swap happened smoothly.


    Settling back down to wait, Jake idly began to practice shaping and working with his Wyrd to form different patterns in his sword. As long as he didn¡¯t lock it in place he was only losing a little Wyrd, so it seemed as good a way to spend the time as any.


    When the other classers finally emerged, an hour or two later, Jake let the pattern he was working on fade and rubbed his face with a yawn.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re going to be a bit more awake than that when we go in,¡± Aspen said, giving Jake a playful nudge as he went to grab his gear.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Jake shook his head as he went to do the same, leaving his shield behind in favour of the sword and wand combination.


    With fast moving targets and flying enemies, a wand was likely going to be a lot more use for him.


    Once everyone was prepared, they moved over to the Dungeon entrance and waited patiently for their turn to head inside.


    Eventually, the doors opened and the classers from earlier emerged, all of them looking a little battered but otherwise in good shape.


    ¡°Alright, looks like we¡¯re up,¡± Jake said, giving the others a nod before heading inside.


    -**-


    The Dungeon was very similar to the one where they¡¯d fought the feathered snakes, though it was based over a gorge, rather than a mountain drop.


    The premise was essentially the same, however, with the two different monster groups acting in a similar way to the others.


    Aspen had already determined that the feathers of the birds were of value to crafters, but only the longest of the tail feathers, which were a shimmering red.


    They collected as many as they could while working through the Dungeon, but each of the birds had only a single feather of that type, if they even had one, which wasn¡¯t guaranteed.


    The Guardian of the Dungeon was a larger variant of the bird, now the size of a small horse, with three of the shimmering tail feathers. An impressive creature, but no match for Gargan and Alan working in unison to bracket it with flames and arrows.


    ¡°Well, that looks like everything,¡± Aspen called out as he plucked the feathers from the dead Guardian. ¡°From what I heard, these are worth a few Wyrdgeld each, which is why this Dungeon is popular.¡±


    ¡°Are we selling them, or keeping them?¡± Alan asked, tapping at the small bundle on his waist. ¡°Varin could use these, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but we don¡¯t know for sure where he is,¡± Jake said with a shrug. ¡°How about we sell most, but keep a few of the stronger ones for Varin?¡±


    ¡°Works for me.¡± Aspen finished his harvesting and wandered over to the exit. ¡°Let¡¯s head out and trade this in. I¡¯m ready for some sleep.¡±


    Murmuring his assent, Jake felt a stir of excitement as he joined them. He had high hopes for this Dungeon¡¯s Boon. The big cats had been incredibly agile, as had the birds, so something emulating that would be very useful.


    Passing through the Dungeon exit, Jake stepped out of the darkness and into the heart of the Dungeon. As usual, it was visually identical to all the others he¡¯d seen, so Jake wasted no time in taking his seat on the Throne.


    Congratulations, Jake Khesh, you have bound the Dungeon Kja Ascen. Choose from one of the four rewards the Dungeon has selected for you.


    The prompt came as Jake sat down, but there was something different this time.


    The air thickened around him as a sort of pressure grew within the room. Memories of the last time he¡¯d felt this kind of pressure made Jake¡¯s eyes go wide and he tried to stand up or stop the process somehow.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    The Throne curled tight around him, holding him in place despite his best efforts and the pressure peaked as a torrent of energy rushed through him.


    The process was quick, as always, but when it ended there was a ripple of something that came out of Jake¡¯s core and into the Dungeon.


    Attention. Kja Ascen, one of your bound Dungeons, is increasing its tier.


    ¡°Damn it, let me up!¡± Jake struggled with the Throne, eventually getting free with a wince of pain from where it had gripped him too tight. ¡°Fuck, this is bad.¡±


    The four pedestals had lit up, so Jake focused on that first and foremost, quickly scanning each of the offerings before making his selection.


    Calling up his System, Jake read the wording of the Boon.


    Hunter¡¯s Grace - (I) - Granted by the Kja Ascen Dungeon, this Boon allows you to use a Manifestation to receive a boost to all physical characteristics when hunting your prey. Maintaining the effect draws on the power of the Manifestation.


    ¡°Alright, not bad at all,¡± Jake said, running his hand through his hair as he considered the implications of all this. ¡°We¡¯ve got time. We just need to use it wisely.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Jake made for the exit, which had him stepping into the Dungeon foyer at the same time as his companions.


    ¡°Everyone, we have a problem.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Aspen asked, tensing and shifting his grip on his spear. ¡°Corrupters?¡±


    ¡°No, worse than that. The Dungeon tiered up while I was in there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bad?¡± Alan asked, frowning a little. ¡°I thought that would be a good thing?¡±


    ¡°Not when the other classers come in tomorrow and find that it has changed,¡± Gargan said before hurrying over to the Dungeon exit and peering outside. ¡°We¡¯re in luck. I think we¡¯ll be the last group of the day.¡±


    ¡°Okay, good, that gives us until the morning to get out of here and as far away as we can.¡±


    ¡°And go where?¡± Alan asked, glancing around nervously as though Triarchy guards were about to appear from the shadows.


    ¡°Further east,¡± Jake said, holding up a hand as Alan went to ask more. ¡°I don¡¯t know where yet. We¡¯ll need to look at the map before we make that decision. Both west and north take us back into Triarchy territory, though, and they¡¯re no doubt already looking for us in the south.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but the problem is that they might think that too,¡± Aspen said with a touch of worry. ¡°We¡¯ll have to move fast to make sure we stay ahead of whatever they send this way.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have at least a little time while news spreads,¡± Jake said, more for Alan¡¯s benefit than anything. ¡°I¡¯m going to speak with Ivaldi, see if he has any insight that might be useful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep my swords to hand, shout if you need us,¡± Nepthys said, resting her hands on the hilts of her blades.


    Jake nodded and split off from the group, heading for Ivaldi¡¯s at a pace that was perhaps a little too fast. Making himself slow down and calming his breathing as best he could, Jake gathered his thoughts as he entered the store.


    ¡°Jake Khesh, be welcome in my domain,¡± Ivaldi called out in his usual refrain as Jake crossed the threshold. Emerging from the passage at the rear of the store with a stool in hand, Ivaldi paused in the act of placing it down to stare at Jake. ¡°Something is wrong. What has happened?¡±


    A little shaken by how easily Ivaldi could read him, Jake ran a hand through his hair and took a steadying breath before explaining. ¡°I bound the local Dungeon, but it tiered up immediately, which means the Triarchy will know where I am. At least we dealt with the Corrupters, though we still don¡¯t know if there was a second group or not.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can see how that is problematic,¡± Ivaldi said, finishing placing his stool and taking a seat. ¡°You have some time, however, so please, sit.¡±


    Ivaldi passed Jake a stool and they sat in silence for a moment as Ivaldi pulled out a jar of mead and two mugs.


    ¡°Now,¡± Ivaldi said, pouring out the drink. ¡°Before we approach the issue of the Dungeon, what did you mean by two groups?¡±


    Jake explained about the camps and what they thought to be messages left for the Corrupters who had ambushed them.


    ¡°I see. Could you draw one of these messages for me?¡± Ivaldi asked, pulling out some paper and charcoal when Jake hesitantly nodded.


    Jake did his best to draw out the shapes that had been left. Thankfully, it hadn¡¯t been too complicated, just odd.


    ¡°This reminds me of something I¡¯ve seen within Zath,¡± Ivaldi said, frowning down at the page with pursed lips. ¡°It isn¡¯t quite right, but a derivative, perhaps. Regardless, I doubt this is the work of Corrupters.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°They would be local to Strovia, and there would be little reason or opportunity to learn something like this. Zath is a long way from where you are, after all. It is a possibility, but an unlikely one.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you for explaining,¡± Jake said, starting to relax. ¡°Good to know that they¡¯re not a threat.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I think they are indeed a threat to you,¡± Ivaldi said, tapping the drawings. ¡°These seem to show a direction to travel, which makes me think they were working with the Corrupters you fought. It would also explain how you were ambushed.¡±


    ¡°The ambush,¡± Jake said, looking up at Ivaldi as he felt the blood drain from his face. ¡°Of course, we were so excited about our success that we never questioned how they knew we were there.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, which makes me think that¡­¡± Ivaldi trailed off with a pained wince and looked away for a moment before turning back with a neutral expression. ¡°I apologise, I overstepped there. You should think about what we have discussed and act accordingly.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Jake said, caught off-guard by the sudden change. ¡°I was going to ask about Varin as well, if that¡¯s alright?¡±


    Ivaldi paused and had a blank look for a moment before shifting uncomfortably. ¡°Varin is at the second tier Dungeon that sits two days north-east of here. There is a small village near it where he has been staying. That is all I can share today.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jake said, finishing his drink and getting to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯ve caused you nay harm with the questions.¡±


    A smile touched Ivaldi¡¯s lips for a brief moment and he inclined his head. ¡°Some minor discomfort is no issue. As a general piece of advice, I would recommend you act quickly and keep your wits about you.¡±


    Jake nodded, taking it as the warning that it was clearly meant to be. ¡°Thanks, Ivaldi. I¡¯ll see you at the other Dungeon.¡±

 DN2 41 - Keeping Moving

    Jake regrouped with the others at the cabin that Ari and Felix were sharing, passing on the information he¡¯d received from Ivaldi about the messages and his thoughts on the ambush.


    ¡°Damn, why didn¡¯t we think of that?¡± Aspen muttered once Jake had finished.


    ¡°We were too excited over beating them to really consider it,¡± Nepthys said, shaking her head with a frustrated expression. ¡°I should have known better.¡±


    ¡°We all should have,¡± Felix said, putting an end to the recriminations with a firm tone. ¡°Now, we have to decide what to do next. I think heading to this second tier Dungeon is our best bet. Delving it will bring Jake closer to his Deed requirements and won¡¯t leave a trail behind.¡±


    ¡°I doubt anyone will be looking at the second tier Dungeons, either,¡± Gargan said, explaining further at the curious looks he got. ¡°They¡¯ve traced you twice now from first tier Dungeons, so the immediate answer will be to go to more of them.¡±


    ¡°They might not realise that you¡¯ve got as far through the tier as you have,¡± Ari said, giving Gargan a nod. ¡°A good thought, and one I agree with. Let¡¯s head for the second tier.¡±


    ¡°Anyone against the idea?¡± Felix asked, looking around at them before nodding. ¡°Alright then. We¡¯ll leave in the morning. Get some sleep, everyone.¡±


    -**-


    Jake slept fitfully, starting awake at every noise and clutching at the dagger he¡¯d put under his pillow.


    When morning finally came, Jake gathered his things and joined the others as Aspen cooked up a hot breakfast for them all.


    Alan looked a little twitchy over taking the extra time before leaving, but Jake knew it was for the best. They were going to be moving fast for the next two days and leaving as little sign of passage as possible.


    That was going to mean cold camps, cold rations and trudging through the rain. All of which Jake would rather do after a final hot meal.


    Besides, if they vanished overnight or ran off first thing, it might be more noticeable. Better that they take their time to leave and seem as forgettable as possible.


    They were just finishing up and leaving when the first delvers of the day were heading into the Dungeon, which meant they had an hour or so before news spread. That was assuming those teams turned back, of course.


    It also assumed that no one noticed the new paths the Dungeon held, but as they were further along in the foyer, the chances were good.


    The stress of not knowing had settled into Jake¡¯s chest like a lead weight, but he forced himself to act normally as they left by the southern road, cutting east as soon as they were out of sight of the Dungeon.


    The harsh pace that Felix set from that point on quickly crushed the stress and worry that had been plaguing Jake, leaving him able to focus only on the road ahead of them as he fought to keep up.


    -**-


    A day and a half of uncomfortable marching later, they finally arrived at the tier two Dungeon, tired, filthy and ready to rest.


    Ari had done a single sweep of the area in the evening of the first day, coming back with a cut on his cheek and a grim expression as he spoke of a brief encounter with a cloaked figure.


    After that, Ari had performed almost hourly patrols as they marched, coming back with no further injuries and no more sightings of cloaked figures.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Still, the fact that he¡¯d had even one encounter like that was enough to remind Jake of the second group they had yet to identify. It seemed crazy to imagine a group of classers working alongside Corrupters, but that was where the evidence seemed to lead them.


    ¡°Alright, everyone get some rest, but no one sleeps alone,¡± Felix said, gesturing to some of the vacant cabins at the edge of the clearing. ¡°It looks like there¡¯s a handful of classers here already, but don¡¯t interact with them too much. We want to pass with as few traces as possible.¡±


    Ari immediately went off to run another patrol, while Felix went to claim one of the cabins, leaving the five of them to decide who was sleeping where.


    ¡°Gargan, do you mind if I bunk with you?¡± Nepthys asked after a few moments.


    The willowy caster waved one hand in absent consent. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s no problem. First, though, we need to do some work on infusing. We¡¯ve been lax as we travelled.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a good idea,¡± Jake said reluctantly. As much as he wanted to cut back on how much they were doing, now just wasn¡¯t the right time.


    There was a chance that the person Ari had encountered was unrelated to all this, but Jake wasn¡¯t going to bet on it.


    -**-


    Jake ended up sharing a cabin with Aspen and Alan, which was a bit cramped, but they were all tired enough that it didn¡¯t really matter.


    Ari found nothing that evening, and again in the morning, so Jake dared to hope that they¡¯d successfully got away from whatever that was.


    Now, they just had to attempt this Dungeon and find Varin, though not necessarily in that order.


    ¡°Here, this will help put some life back in you,¡± Aspen said, sliding a plate in front of Jake and passing him a mug of steaming tea. ¡°I¡¯ve got some moiran mint as well to help us pep up before we delve the Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Aspen,¡± Jake said, taking a short sip of the tea before picking up the thick sandwich that Aspen had brought him. ¡°Anyone been around to the other delvers yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, Felix said to leave them alone, after all,¡± Aspen said with a shrug before sipping on his own cup of tea. ¡°I was thinking we¡¯d go in blind but just do the first tier, and then start in afresh later once we¡¯ve had time to plan a bit.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Nepthys said, taking a seat opposite Aspen with a yawn. ¡°When should we head in?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Felix after we¡¯ve eaten,¡± Jake said with a shrug. ¡°Probably this morning, though.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of, is there any more?¡± Nepthys asked, giving Aspen a plaintive look.


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry, Alan is on it,¡± Aspen said, chuckling to himself as he nodded over to their cabin, where the Scholar was hard at work.


    It had felt wrong for Aspen to be doing so much cooking, so Alan and Jake had decided to start taking over doing breakfast for him.


    Alan emerged from the cabin a minute later, bearing a tray with a few plates and an assortment of mugs that he brought over to the table and passed out.


    ¡°Good to see that you¡¯re all up and about,¡± Felix said, coming over to join them. ¡°Ari is keeping watch for anyone tracking us, but we look to be in an alright situation. What have you decided for the Dungeon?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to go in blind, run the first tier and then rest for a little while before doing the whole thing,¡± Jake said, glancing over at Alan to make sure he was alright with that.


    The Scholar just nodded, though, so Jake focused back on Felix, who replied with a thoughtful. ¡°That¡¯s likely the best way if we¡¯re going to avoid too much interaction with other classers. Any sign of Varin?¡±


    ¡°Nothing yet,¡± Jake said, looking over his shoulder at the scattering of other people closer to the Dungeon entrance. He¡¯d been keeping an eye open, but there was no sign of the gaunt crafter so far.


    ¡°Alright then, go for your blind delve, and we¡¯ll take things from there,¡± Felix said with a wave in the direction of the Dungeon.


    Having already finished his breakfast, Jake grabbed his things and began a slow stroll up to the Dungeon, giving his food time to settle.


    ¡°Here,¡± Aspen said, passing him a small white square of moiran mint.


    Popping it into his mouth, Jake¡¯s tastebuds were flooded with the taste of sweet mint, but he could already feel himself perking up in response.


    There were two other groups heading the same way as them, but the Dungeon was open and undisturbed, so Jake and the others followed them inside, watching them take the first two sets of stairs down to the first floor.


    Moving deeper into the foyer, Jake led the way to the second set of stairs that were somewhat hidden behind the first. As a second tier Dungeon, it could house four different groups at once through whatever means the Dungeons did anything.


    ¡°Alright, everyone ready?¡± Jake asked, checking over his gear and making sure everything was correct.


    He¡¯d left his shield behind again in favour of the wand, as he was finding using the wand and sword together to be a more fluid experience.


    With the spear and the dagger as options as well, it left Jake with quite the versatile arsenal to choose from, and he quite liked that.


    Looking around at the others, Jake saw that they were all ready and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±

 DN2 42 - Murk I

    Jake stepped out from the darkness of the Dungeon¡¯s door and into a cold, rocky tunnel that had small patches of light from what looked like clusters of glowing mushrooms.


    ¡°Well, this brings back memories,¡± Alan said under his breath as he pulled out his torch and quickly lit it. The blossoming flame revealed the surrounding area in a lot more detail and Jake found himself echoing the Scholar¡¯s feelings.


    Apart from the mushrooms, and the odd smell of decay in the air that he was starting to pick up, this reminded him a lot of the very first Dungeon they¡¯d delved together.


    ¡°Okay, looks like it¡¯s time for torches,¡± Jake said, following Alan¡¯s lead and lighting one of his own. ¡°Two should be enough with these mushrooms as well.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, I¡¯ll take it from you, Alan,¡± Gargan said, holding out his hand for the torch. ¡°I don¡¯t need both hands for my wand.¡±


    ¡°Oh right, okay,¡± Alan said, eagerly passing over the torch and wielding his bow with both hands once more. ¡°I wonder what we¡¯ll find down here.¡±


    ¡°Only one way to know,¡± Jake said, leading the way into the tunnel, his torch held high.


    The number of mushrooms quickly rose, forming small clusters that gave off an eerie greenish glow.


    ¡°Jake, wait,¡± Alan said abruptly, gesturing to an upcoming set of mushrooms when Jake turned to glance back at him. ¡°Something is in there.¡±


    ¡°Take the shot,¡± Jake said, stepping aside and firming his grip on his sword, just in case.


    Alan nodded and fired a single arrow into the small cluster, causing a brief squeak that was followed by a large rat scurrying  out and charging at them.


    Acting on hard-earned instinct, Jake kicked it into the wall and stabbed the monster, waiting just long enough to make sure there were no more before sharing a look with Alan.


    It looked like they really were retreading their old path today.


    -**-


    The Ironfur Murk Hound died, one of Alan¡¯s arrows through its eye, bringing their initial foray into the Dungeon to a close.


    The Guardian floor had been the same as the rest of the first tier, albeit with larger mushrooms that in turn gave off more light.


    The second monster type of the Dungeon had been the Bilv Lineage. Specifically, that meant Spitters, which was apparently the proper term for the acid-spitting beetles Jake had fought in the past.


    This final fight had been a single Murk Hound alongside fifteen of the Spitters, which had been awkward, but not too difficult.


    It was quite eye-opening how much less of a threat the giant rats were now. The first time they¡¯d fought a Murk Hound, it had torn arms clean off and stalked them in the darkness.


    Now, Jake was fast enough to keep pace with it for a short while and his infused sword could cut through its fur and hide without issue.


    Looking down at the dead creature for a long moment, Jake let his thoughts wander for a moment more before shaking himself and heading over for the reward chest.


    Opening it up, Jake saw a pouch of Wyrdgeld, and what he at first thought was Wyrdwood. It wasn¡¯t quite right, though, it looked softer and lacked the right appearance for bark.


    Picking it up, Jake realised it was like a mix between the normal Wyrdwood and the stalks of the glowing mushrooms.


    ¡°Have any of you seen this before?¡± Jake called out, turning to show the wood to the rest of the group.


    ¡°That¡¯s Murkwood, it¡¯s good for crafters who want poison or decay including in their work,¡± Gargan said, coming over to inspect it. ¡°Same price as Wyrdwood, but more specialised.¡±


    ¡°Murkwood, huh,¡± Jake said with a shake of his head as he looked at it. ¡°Anything else like that from Dungeons like these?¡±


    ¡°Well, instead of Wyrdfruit Dungeons like this might have Murkshrooms,¡± Gargan said, cracking a rare smile at the flat look that Jake gave him. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t name them.¡±


    ¡°Remind me to do a better job if we ever have to name anything,¡± Jake said, laughing a little at the idea of an overworked adventurer naming a bunch of things in quick succession and just putting the word murk at the front.


    Of course, not everyone knew the exact names of these Dungeons, so that made it a little more likely that another Dungeon Noble had done that, however long ago it was.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Everyone else had finished drawing out their Wyrdgeld, so Jake scooped up the pouch from the chest and followed them over to the exit.


    They¡¯d take a few hours to rest and then come back prepared to kill some rats.


    -**-


    A pleasant surprise was waiting for them as they got back to their area of cabins and found Varin waiting with Felix and Ari.


    ¡°Look who wandered in after you left,¡± Ari said as they drew close, nodding to a large pack on the ground. ¡°We went and fetched some presents he¡¯s made for you as well.¡±


    Jake had been pleased so see Varin, but the bulging pack he had with him was a sight for sore eyes.


    ¡°Good to see you, Varin,¡± Jake said, hurrying over to shake the crafters hand. ¡°We¡¯ve got all sorts of stuff for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d like that,¡± the pale-faced crafter said with a slow smile. ¡°Do you want to see what I¡¯ve made?¡±


    ¡°Very much, yes,¡± Jake said, not bothering to hide his eagerness.


    Varin¡¯s smile grew, and he opened up his pack as they gathered around. ¡°I focused on you three, as I saw that your new companions already had infused equipment.¡±


    ¡°While that is fair, I¡¯m still upset that I don¡¯t get a present,¡± Aspen said, taking a seat with a heavy sigh.


    ¡°I focused, but I didn¡¯t exclude,¡± Varin said, flashing Jake a grin as he pulled a wrapped item out of the pack. ¡°I prayed for guidance and made this. It isn¡¯t infused, but I hope you enjoy it.¡±


    Aspen perked up as Varin slid the item over to him and hurriedly unwrapped it before gasping aloud as he found himself holding a chef¡¯s knife. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡±


    Jake and the others murmured appreciatively. It really was a good-looking knife.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been able to get plenty of resources here, as well as the use of a forge back in the town,¡± Varin explained as he pulled out a second, much smaller package. ¡°It has been a nice change to make things while using my Skills properly and to their full extent.¡±


    Gargan looked intrigued as Varin slid the small package over and he carefully unwrapped it to reveal a pair of leather gloves that left the fingers exposed but covered the wrist. They were an odd look, but Gargan seemed pleased.


    ¡°Thank you, Varin.¡± Gargan nodded respectfully, which Varin returned with a satisfied expression.


    ¡°Now,¡± the crafter said, turning to Jake and pulling out a new leather chest piece. ¡°This is a similar style to what you have now, but is infused to grant further protection. Applying Wyrd to it will also heal small amounts of damage to the material over time.¡±


    ¡°Varin, this is amazing,¡± Jake said, hurriedly taking off his existing armour, which had picked up more than a few damaged areas recently, to put on the new piece.


    ¡°There¡¯s also this,¡± Varin said, holding out a dagger that seemed to have been shaped from a single long fang. ¡°I was lucky to get it, and had to trade away quite a few materials for it. The fang is from a poisonous snake and is infused to be able to better pierce whatever it strikes.¡±


    ¡°No poison then?¡± Jake asked, turning over the fang and considering how similar it was to his Boon.


    ¡°No, but the inherent properties mean that it will work well with a poison infusion Skill.¡±


    Jake nodded thoughtfully before sliding the fang into his belt. He¡¯d definitely need to figure out one of those. ¡°These are really impressive. Thanks, Varin.¡±


    ¡°Glad to help, bear in mind, though, that they are made from low tier material, so they won¡¯t hold up in any of the other Realms.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Even temporary aid is gratefully received.¡±


    Varin nodded before pulling out another package and tossing it to Alan. ¡°I made these with those arms you found.¡±


    Alan eagerly unwrapped the package to find ten arrows, each with a rough texture to them and a wooden tip. ¡°What do they do?¡±


    ¡°They pierce better and the Wyrd within them makes them better at hurting Enhanced monsters. They¡¯ll also work well with any piercing or wood-related infusions.¡±


    Alan nodded, giving the crafter an impressed look. ¡°Thank you, these will be very useful.¡±


    Varin nodded before pulling out a second leather chestpiece and passing it to Nepthys. ¡°This is the last infused item I have for you.¡±


    ¡°It will be very useful, thank you,¡± Nepthys said, doing the same as Jake and immediately putting it on.


    ¡°This is quite a bit you¡¯ve managed here, Varin,¡± Jake said, looking over the gear they¡¯d been given. ¡°How did you do it?¡±


    ¡°Well, I used most of what you gave me to make items, and then had some good luck with selling them at a nice price. When I knew you were coming this way, I used everything I had left to make these.¡±


    Jake noticed the dark circles under Varin¡¯s eyes and wondered how many sleepless nights had been included in that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve got some materials for you,¡± Nepthys said, pulling out some of the Murkwood that they¡¯d gathered.


    ¡°Thank you. These will make good arrows. Not so useful here, where the monsters are hard to poison, but in another Dungeon they¡¯ll do well. If you could keep your eye out for any stronger materials as well, I need something better to be able to make a Worthy item.¡±


    Jake nodded before pausing in thought. ¡°What did you end up making with that Woadheart we gave you?¡±


    Varin grinned and reached down into his pack. ¡°I said that armour was the last infused item I made, but it wasn¡¯t all I did.¡±


    Jake frowned, not quite understanding until the last moment, as Varin pulled out a small wooden ring.


    ¡°Varin, is that Woven?¡± Jake asked in little more than a whisper, ignoring the amused looks Ari and Felix were wearing.


    ¡°With that much Woadheart, and my own ability, this ring can be bound to any Skill or Trait, but will only grow alongside it to the Uncommon ranking. You¡¯ll need something better to fuse it with to progress further, or just a different item.¡±


    ¡°Can it go on any Skill?¡± Alan asked, looking just as amazed as Jake felt.


    ¡°Yes, but Woadhearts are about durability, endurance, strength, that sort of thing. Putting it on a dexterous Skill or a Trait to sharpen your mind would be a waste. Unless you try for a specific outcome, of course.¡±


    ¡°Who should take it?¡± Jake asked, looking around at the others.


    ¡°None of my Abilities really go with it,¡± Alan said with obvious reluctance. ¡°So there¡¯s no point in me having it.¡±


    ¡°I have a Woven item already. I will sit out as well.¡±


    Aspen cleared his throat and spoke next. ¡°I have abilities it would work with, and would take it in a heartbeat, but it doesn¡¯t quite fit what I want.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s down to just you and me,¡± Jake said, looking at Nepthys. ¡°Do you want it?¡±


    Nepthys hesitated before shaking her head. ¡°The only Ability it would work with is higher than Uncommon, which feels like a waste. Do you have something closer?¡±


    Jake nodded, so she shrugged and stepped back, gesturing for him to take it.

 DN2 43 - Murk II

    Jake reached out hesitantly and took the ring from Varin, slipping it onto the index finger of his right hand.


    ¡°What now?¡± Jake asked, looking to the others for guidance.


    ¡°Channel some Wyrd into it, just a little will do,¡± Felix said, watching the proceedings with an amused smile.


    Jake did as instructed, causing the ring to tighten around his finger, becoming a snug fit that was comfortable yet tight.


    You have begun to bind the Woven item, Woadheart Ring - Uncommon


    Which Ability would you like to bind this item to?


    A mental list of Jake¡¯s Skill and Traits flashed across his mind and he quickly picked the one he wanted.


    Confirmed. Binding the item to your Infused Strike Skill now.


    Jake felt something shift inside him and once he received the confirmation, he quickly called up the System to see what had changed.


    Active - Infused Strike (II) - Uncommon - You are able to infuse your weapon with a small amount of Wyrd, strengthening your blows and sharpening the edges of your weapon.


    Bound Items


    Infused Strike - Woadheart Ring - Uncommon - The bound Skill now has a small reduction in Wyrd cost and whenever used, imparts an additional small amount of force to the strike.


    ¡°So, what does it do?¡± Alan asked, peering at Jake as though trying to see the answer directly.


    ¡°It makes the Skill cost less Wyrd, and I¡¯ll hit harder when using it,¡± Jake said, trying his best not to get too excited over his first piece of Woven gear.


    ¡°The first is quite common. That¡¯s part of what mine does as well,¡± Gargan said. ¡°The second effect is quite good as well. Sometimes, the effects can be a touch esoteric, but that one is nice and practical.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Felix said before giving Varin a nod. ¡°Thank you again for your work in making this.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Varin said, bobbing his head slightly. ¡°But were there more materials you had for me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Jake said, pulling out the Jask feathers and handing them over along with the Murkwood that he still had. ¡°This is everything.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, interesting,¡± Varin said, looking over the feathers intently. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you to complete your next delve and then head back to make more items. Try and bring me the spearhead from the end and some Murkwater, if you can?¡±


    ¡°Wait, spearhead?¡± Jake echoed, raising one brow questioningly. ¡°And for that matter, what¡¯s Murkwater?¡±


    ¡°Like Murkwood, Murkwater is a dungeonous material. It is essentially water infused with poison and decay, useful for imparting those aspects onto other items. The spearhead will be on the spear of the Murkling, which is the final Guardian.¡±


    Aspen let out a low whistle, so Jake looked over questioningly. ¡°What sort of creature is that?¡±


    ¡°The Awakened monster within the Raosk lineage,¡± Aspen said, explaining further at Jake¡¯s blank look. ¡°Those rats we fight, both the small ones and the Murk Hounds. The next step is a Murkling, which are humanoid rats. It¡¯ll have armour and poisoned weapons, and will command the nearby creatures.¡±


    ¡°That sounds nasty, but surely it isn¡¯t as tough as a Woadite?¡± Nepthys asked with a frown.


    ¡°Oh no, it isn¡¯t,¡± Aspen said easily, though his expression was grim. ¡°Humanoid monsters like that are much worse, though. That Woadite might have commanded the closest enemies in a crude manner, but the Murkling will have more comprehensive control.¡±


    Jake nodded, taking the warning to heart, even if he didn¡¯t fully grasp how that would put a humanoid rat on par with a Woadite.


    No doubt he¡¯d find out the hard way.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    With their new gear given out, they took some time to rest and replenish the few things they used before heading back into the Dungeon.


    This time they were going all the way, and with their new gear, Jake was feeling confident.


    -**-


    Surprisingly, that confidence didn¡¯t fade by the end of the first tier, and Jake was able to use his new dagger a few times to take out some Murk Hounds.


    The infused blade took any Wyrd he gave it with ease, though not quite as smoothly as his Boon weapons did. Even without the extra Wyrd, though, Jake found that it could cut through the fur of the Murk Hounds.


    A most satisfactory upgrade to his small arsenal.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s everything,¡± Alan said, adding the Wyrdgeld from the reward chest to his pouch and tucking away the Murkwood. ¡°Ready to move on?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Jake said, flashing him a grin before heading over to the exit and waiting for everyone else to join him.


    Stepping through, Jake looked around warily at his new surroundings.


    Unsurprisingly, they were in a tunnel again, though these were larger and with far more mushrooms than before. The mushrooms were also taller, and their glow seemed to intensify with size, which was nice.


    Between Alan¡¯s torch and that mushrooms, they were in quite a good situation for lighting, which would go badly for the rats.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s take it slow and steady,¡± Jake said, motioning Alan to the front. ¡°We don¡¯t want any surprises.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m on it,¡± Alan said, his eyes shining with Wyrd as he led the way down the tunnel.


    Soon enough, the path ahead widened out into a small cavern, with some of the mushrooms growing as tall as trees in the open space.


    A Murk Hound was faintly illuminated by the glow of one of these mushrooms, as were a number of Spitters.


    Taking up position, Jake and the others unleashed a barrage of attacks on the monsters, with Aspen and Nepthys borrowing Jake and Gargan¡¯s spare wands.


    Thorns, ice and fire swept over the Spitters, while Alan put an infused oaken arrow into the Murk Hound before it could even get up.


    ¡°Well, that was a good start,¡± Alan remarked, hurrying over to retrieve his arrow, which had passed through the Enhanced monster unharmed.


    ¡°It was, but we should remain vigilant,¡± Gargan said, giving Alan an admonishing look. ¡°Better equipment won¡¯t save us from mistakes.¡±


    ¡°No, of course,¡± Alan said, flushing a little as he put his arrow back in the quiver.


    Jake might not have been the one Gargan was talking to, but he took the message to heart nonetheless. There was no need for him to be using his dagger so often, not when his sword would do the job.


    In fact, now that they were out of the first tier, he should start taking things more seriously.


    Expending a use of his Manifestation, Jake conjured his spear, catching it with one hand as it fell from the air before him. With this, he had all the reach he needed.


    Pushing on through the floor, they encountered several more chambers of enemies, each with an Enhanced foe. Most were Murk Hounds, but one of them held a Breth, which was the Enhanced version of the acid-spitting beetles.


    Unlike its smaller brethren, the Breth spat coherent streams of acid, rather than small globules. The range was about the same, but the Breth were slightly slower with their attacks, which was about the only good thing.


    Getting caught by a stream of acid was really not how Jake wanted today to go.


    Thankfully, the reasonably short range Breth could spew their acid was much less than the effective range of their wands, or Alan¡¯s bow, for that matter.


    Jake and the others took full advantage of that weakness as often as they could, either by engaging the Breth first or by slowly withdrawing once they had their attention.


    Like the previous Dungeon, the sheer number of enemies meant that clearing each floor took time, and regardless of how well it was going, it could go wrong at any time.


    Thankfully, the worst it got before the Guardian floor was a trio of Murk Hounds with a dozen rats. By this point, Jake, Nepthys and Aspen could each fight a Hound without support, and Gargan¡¯s flames were ideal for the rats.


    Ironically, the Challenge room was not long after that encounter, and was one where they had to sacrifice five Wyrdgeld to enter, and would then fight a Murk Hound alone.


    Defeating the monster within a time limit got the cost of entry added to the rewards, which were, unsurprisingly, some Murkshrooms and Murkwood.


    Alan came out of the Challenge with a claw wound to the leg, and Aspen had taken some acid to the forearm earlier, but a healing potion each took care of that.


    As long as they took it slow, it looked like Dungeons like this weren¡¯t a problem.


    Of course, they still had the Guardian floor to go.


    ¡°Anyone need a rest before we go in?¡± Jake asked once they reached the end of the ninth floor.


    ¡°I can manage without, but I¡¯d prefer to wait for a few minutes,¡± Gargan said, holstering his wand. ¡°The coming fight will be more chaotic than with the Woadite. We should wait until we are at our best.¡±


    Aspen was nodding along with Gargan¡¯s words, so Jake saw no reason to say no and they settled in for a short rest.


    Their overall pace had been faster through this Dungeon, which was good, but it meant that Jake had had less time to recover any Wyrd he¡¯d used up.


    The speed, and the fact that he hadn¡¯t used the leeching effect his spear had, also meant that Jake had only used a small part of his active Manifestation.


    With three more ready to go, Jake was feeling confident about what he could bring to the fight. He wasn¡¯t at the point where he could do one of these Dungeons on his own, but with his new dagger and armour, he was getting closer.


    Leaning back against the cave wall, Jake took the time to fully appreciate the glowing mushrooms around them. They were actually quite pretty, for mushrooms anyway.


    He¡¯d prefer daylight, but this soft ambience from the mushrooms helped make the Dungeon feel a lot less imposing.


    They all sat in silence, lost in their thoughts, until Gargan gave the signal that he was as recovered as he was going to be.


    Checking with the others, Jake nodded and got back to his feet.


    It was time.

 DN2 45 - Murk IV

    Jake had dropped the dagger with the pain of being stabbed, so instead he reached for a potion on his belt, cracking it open with a trembling hand as he wheezed wetly.


    The Murkling finally tore Moby free and threw him aside, revealing a bloody mess where its right eye had been.


    Knowing his time was short, Jake quickly drank most of the potion, pouring the rest onto the wound in his chest.


    The pain receded as the potion got to work, and Jake renewed his struggle to get free as the Murkling repeatedly stabbed Moby while screaming at him incoherently.


    Realising he needed a boost to get free, Jake took a moment to force a change in his thoughts. He might be trapped right now, but this was all a hunt, a hunt where he¡¯d been stalking and killing the Murkling and its allies.


    Holding that belief, Jake used his last Manifestation to activate the Hunter¡¯s Grace Boon.


    Immediately, Jake felt a slight surge of energy race through him, giving just enough of a boost that he could lift the Murk Hound and break free.


    Snatching up a second potion with his good hand, Jake quickly drank it before grabbing at his dagger, picking it up right as the Murkling threw aside Moby¡¯s broken body and turned back to him.


    Baring its teeth, the rat creature charged at him, its bloody spear ready to finish the job.


    The slight boost from the Hunter¡¯s Grace was just enough to offset Jake¡¯s injuries, and the numbing effect of the potions was able to keep him focused as he tried to close with the monster.


    The Awakened monster was shorter than Jake, but with its spear it had the reach to keep him at bay and out of range of his dagger.


    Unfortunately for the Murkling, that wasn¡¯t all Jake had.


    Faking a charge, Jake let himself get pushed back, noting as he did that the others were just about finished with the rest of the enemies, but they¡¯d got pushed a short distance away.


    That explained why no one had come to help him, at least.


    Jake¡¯s injured right arm had been healing since it was first bitten, first from the spear and then the two potions, and he put it to use, drawing and firing his thorns wand.


    Hours of practice let him draw and fire as one smooth motion, and while the accuracy wasn¡¯t great when he did it, the Murkling was right in front of him.


    Pushing as much Wyrd as he could through the wand, uncaring of how much he wasted in the moment, Jake let loose a flurry of thorns right into the monster.


    The Murkling cried out in shock and pain, reeling back from Jake as a dozen or more thorns dug into its flesh.


    Jake rushed the creature before it could recover, knocking aside the spear and grappling with the monster as he drove the dagger home.


    For all that it was smart and in control of the Murk Hounds, the Murkling was smaller and weaker than Jake, and once Jake was in close, he used that advantage to its fullest.


    The Hunter¡¯s Grace Boon faded as the Murkling slumped to the ground, and Jake turned, bloody dagger in hand, to see if the others were alright.


    They were all injured, but they were all still standing, which was what mattered.


    ¡°Damn, that was rough,¡± Jake said, moving off to one side to sit down, drink his third potion and try to catch his breath.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°Are you alright, Jake?¡± Alan asked, hurrying over to him while Aspen helped bandage a nasty wound on Nepthys¡¯s leg. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of blood on your armour.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it got me good,¡± Jake said tightly, his chest still feeling like it was in a vise as he struggled to get a full breath.


    ¡°Do you need anything?¡± Alan looked down anxiously at the empty vial in Jake¡¯s hands. ¡°Another potion?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve had three. I should be okay once I¡¯ve had time to rest,¡± Jake said, waving off Alan¡¯s concern. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°More burns from acid than anything,¡± Alan said, showing Jake the back of his left arm, which was badly burned. ¡°Actually, do you mind pouring this on it?¡±


    Jake took the half-drunk potion Alan offered him and slowly covered the burns with it, making Alan sigh in relief.


    Nepthys, Aspen and Gargan joined them once everyone was bandaged and had drunk a potion. There was one thing playing on Jake¡¯s mind, though.


    ¡°If that Murkling had managed the second stab, would that have killed me outright?¡±


    Aspen shifted uncomfortably, sharing a look with Gargan before nodding. ¡°It could well have done, yes. As it is, you¡¯ll likely feel strange in that area where it struck you until your soul heals.¡±


    Jake shivered, the image of that spear coming down at him flashing through his mind again. It had been close, far too close.


    ¡°What did we do wrong?¡± Alan looked between them with a frown. ¡°It all started off well, but then Jake got cut off.¡±


    ¡°We played it too conservatively,¡± Aspen said, shaking his head. ¡°We¡¯ve been holding back enough that we¡¯re not matching the situation for fights like this. Who has Wyrd left that they could have used earlier to take out some more Murk Hounds?¡±


    Gargan immediately cursed and shook his head, which was all the answer Jake needed.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Jake said, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point. I¡¯ve only used half of what I have.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve used more, but not that much,¡± Alan said, shaking his head. ¡°Sorry, Jake, I should have been doing more.¡±


    ¡°We all should have,¡± Nepthys said, her gaze resting on the bloody patch on Jake¡¯s armour. ¡°I was saving my Wyrd for more shields, rather than using it to kill them more quickly.¡±


    ¡°A mistake I think we all made,¡± Aspen said, looking both angry and disappointed at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jake. Gargan and I, at the least, should know better.¡±


    ¡°I think we all fucked up here, at least a little,¡± Jake said, thinking of how he could have used the Hunter¡¯s Grace Boon right at the start. It would have lasted for the entire fight with how quickly things had happened.


    ¡°A learning experience,¡± Nepthys said firmly. ¡°We will do better. We have to do better.¡±


    Nepthys¡¯s words echoed in Jake¡¯s ears as he set about drawing out the Wyrdgeld within the dead monsters.


    She was right, and hopefully, whatever Boon he was about to get would be a step in the right direction.


    Little was said as they finished gathering everything from the floor, including a flask of what Gargan identified as Murkwater from the reward chest.


    The pile of Wyrdgeld they claimed did much to boost Jake¡¯s spirits, but the brush with death had put a chill in his heart that wasn¡¯t going to fade anytime soon.


    Shaking it off as best he could, Jake followed the others into the exit.


    -**-


    Congratulations, Jake Khesh, you have bound the Dungeon Valhol Murk. Choose from one of the four rewards the Dungeon has selected for you.


    Jake experienced the usual rush of power through him as he bound the Dungeon.


    Shrugging it off, Jake moved over to the plinths, looking over the options carefully as he listened to the whispers from the Dungeon that described them.


    The first was a transformation Boon that would let him grow and strengthen his teeth for a time so he could bite monsters.


    That one was a hard no.


    The second Boon was a poison one, and it looked like it would be quite powerful as well.


    The problem, though, was that there was a lot of crossover between it and the Hidden Fang, as it conjured a weapon for him to use as well.


    Moving on to the third Boon, Jake listened with interest as the whispers described a way to move stealthily. It wasn¡¯t a way to become unseen or hide himself as such, but it would let him dim the area surrounding him.


    Jake thought he caught mention of controlling shadows as part of it as well, but when he focused, he didn¡¯t hear it again.


    The fourth option was more Manifestations as usual, but Jake wanted one of these Boons. He knew that more Manifestations were good, but he was appreciating more and more how versatile his Boons made him.


    With that thought in mind, Jake took the concealment Boon, deciding that something like that would be very useful in the future.


    If not in Dungeons, then most definitely with the Triarchy.


    The power of the Boon flowed into him and Jake let it settle before conjuring up a summary via the System.


    Shroud of Shadows - Granted by the Valhol Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to become harder to see in dim lighting and darkness. You may also exert the Boon to dim the light surrounding you. Both exerting the Boon and maintaining it draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Jake muttered to himself, considering how best to use such an ability in the future. A lot of the Dungeons were tight in their layout, but the second tier ones were a lot bigger.


    If that was going to be a trend going forward, and it would make sense if it was, then this would be very useful indeed.

 DN2 45 - Murk IV

    Jake had dropped the dagger with the pain of being stabbed, so instead he reached for a potion on his belt, cracking it open with a trembling hand as he wheezed wetly.


    The Murkling finally tore Moby free and threw him aside, revealing a bloody mess where its right eye had been.


    Knowing his time was short, Jake quickly drank most of the potion, pouring the rest onto the wound in his chest.


    The pain receded as the potion got to work, and Jake renewed his struggle to get free as the Murkling repeatedly stabbed Moby while screaming at him incoherently.


    Realising he needed a boost to get free, Jake took a moment to force a change in his thoughts. He might be trapped right now, but this was all a hunt, a hunt where he¡¯d been stalking and killing the Murkling and its allies.


    Holding that belief, Jake used his last Manifestation to activate the Hunter¡¯s Grace Boon.


    Immediately, Jake felt a slight surge of energy race through him, giving just enough of a boost that he could lift the Murk Hound and break free.


    Snatching up a second potion with his good hand, Jake quickly drank it before grabbing at his dagger, picking it up right as the Murkling threw aside Moby¡¯s broken body and turned back to him.


    Baring its teeth, the rat creature charged at him, its bloody spear ready to finish the job.


    The slight boost from the Hunter¡¯s Grace was just enough to offset Jake¡¯s injuries, and the numbing effect of the potions was able to keep him focused as he tried to close with the monster.


    The Awakened monster was shorter than Jake, but with its spear it had the reach to keep him at bay and out of range of his dagger.


    Unfortunately for the Murkling, that wasn¡¯t all Jake had.


    Faking a charge, Jake let himself get pushed back, noting as he did that the others were just about finished with the rest of the enemies, but they¡¯d got pushed a short distance away.


    That explained why no one had come to help him, at least.


    Jake¡¯s injured right arm had been healing since it was first bitten, first from the spear and then the two potions, and he put it to use, drawing and firing his thorns wand.


    Hours of practice let him draw and fire as one smooth motion, and while the accuracy wasn¡¯t great when he did it, the Murkling was right in front of him.


    Pushing as much Wyrd as he could through the wand, uncaring of how much he wasted in the moment, Jake let loose a flurry of thorns right into the monster.


    The Murkling cried out in shock and pain, reeling back from Jake as a dozen or more thorns dug into its flesh.


    Jake rushed the creature before it could recover, knocking aside the spear and grappling with the monster as he drove the dagger home.


    For all that it was smart and in control of the Murk Hounds, the Murkling was smaller and weaker than Jake, and once Jake was in close, he used that advantage to its fullest.


    The Hunter¡¯s Grace Boon faded as the Murkling slumped to the ground, and Jake turned, bloody dagger in hand, to see if the others were alright.


    They were all injured, but they were all still standing, which was what mattered.


    ¡°Damn, that was rough,¡± Jake said, moving off to one side to sit down, drink his third potion and try to catch his breath.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Are you alright, Jake?¡± Alan asked, hurrying over to him while Aspen helped bandage a nasty wound on Nepthys¡¯s leg. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of blood on your armour.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it got me good,¡± Jake said tightly, his chest still feeling like it was in a vise as he struggled to get a full breath.


    ¡°Do you need anything?¡± Alan looked down anxiously at the empty vial in Jake¡¯s hands. ¡°Another potion?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve had three. I should be okay once I¡¯ve had time to rest,¡± Jake said, waving off Alan¡¯s concern. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°More burns from acid than anything,¡± Alan said, showing Jake the back of his left arm, which was badly burned. ¡°Actually, do you mind pouring this on it?¡±


    Jake took the half-drunk potion Alan offered him and slowly covered the burns with it, making Alan sigh in relief.


    Nepthys, Aspen and Gargan joined them once everyone was bandaged and had drunk a potion. There was one thing playing on Jake¡¯s mind, though.


    ¡°If that Murkling had managed the second stab, would that have killed me outright?¡±


    Aspen shifted uncomfortably, sharing a look with Gargan before nodding. ¡°It could well have done, yes. As it is, you¡¯ll likely feel strange in that area where it struck you until your soul heals.¡±


    Jake shivered, the image of that spear coming down at him flashing through his mind again. It had been close, far too close.


    ¡°What did we do wrong?¡± Alan looked between them with a frown. ¡°It all started off well, but then Jake got cut off.¡±


    ¡°We played it too conservatively,¡± Aspen said, shaking his head. ¡°We¡¯ve been holding back enough that we¡¯re not matching the situation for fights like this. Who has Wyrd left that they could have used earlier to take out some more Murk Hounds?¡±


    Gargan immediately cursed and shook his head, which was all the answer Jake needed.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Jake said, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point. I¡¯ve only used half of what I have.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve used more, but not that much,¡± Alan said, shaking his head. ¡°Sorry, Jake, I should have been doing more.¡±


    ¡°We all should have,¡± Nepthys said, her gaze resting on the bloody patch on Jake¡¯s armour. ¡°I was saving my Wyrd for more shields, rather than using it to kill them more quickly.¡±


    ¡°A mistake I think we all made,¡± Aspen said, looking both angry and disappointed at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jake. Gargan and I, at the least, should know better.¡±


    ¡°I think we all fucked up here, at least a little,¡± Jake said, thinking of how he could have used the Hunter¡¯s Grace Boon right at the start. It would have lasted for the entire fight with how quickly things had happened.


    ¡°A learning experience,¡± Nepthys said firmly. ¡°We will do better. We have to do better.¡±


    Nepthys¡¯s words echoed in Jake¡¯s ears as he set about drawing out the Wyrdgeld within the dead monsters.


    She was right, and hopefully, whatever Boon he was about to get would be a step in the right direction.


    Little was said as they finished gathering everything from the floor, including a flask of what Gargan identified as Murkwater from the reward chest.


    The pile of Wyrdgeld they claimed did much to boost Jake¡¯s spirits, but the brush with death had put a chill in his heart that wasn¡¯t going to fade anytime soon.


    Shaking it off as best he could, Jake followed the others into the exit.


    -**-


    Congratulations, Jake Khesh, you have bound the Dungeon Valhol Murk. Choose from one of the four rewards the Dungeon has selected for you.


    Jake experienced the usual rush of power through him as he bound the Dungeon.


    Shrugging it off, Jake moved over to the plinths, looking over the options carefully as he listened to the whispers from the Dungeon that described them.


    The first was a transformation Boon that would let him grow and strengthen his teeth for a time so he could bite monsters.


    That one was a hard no.


    The second Boon was a poison one, and it looked like it would be quite powerful as well.


    The problem, though, was that there was a lot of crossover between it and the Hidden Fang, as it conjured a weapon for him to use as well.


    Moving on to the third Boon, Jake listened with interest as the whispers described a way to move stealthily. It wasn¡¯t a way to become unseen or hide himself as such, but it would let him dim the area surrounding him.


    Jake thought he caught mention of controlling shadows as part of it as well, but when he focused, he didn¡¯t hear it again.


    The fourth option was more Manifestations as usual, but Jake wanted one of these Boons. He knew that more Manifestations were good, but he was appreciating more and more how versatile his Boons made him.


    With that thought in mind, Jake took the concealment Boon, deciding that something like that would be very useful in the future.


    If not in Dungeons, then most definitely with the Triarchy.


    The power of the Boon flowed into him and Jake let it settle before conjuring up a summary via the System.


    Shroud of Shadows - Granted by the Valhol Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to become harder to see in dim lighting and darkness. You may also exert the Boon to dim the light surrounding you. Both exerting the Boon and maintaining it draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Jake muttered to himself, considering how best to use such an ability in the future. A lot of the Dungeons were tight in their layout, but the second tier ones were a lot bigger.


    If that was going to be a trend going forward, and it would make sense if it was, then this would be very useful indeed.

 DN2 46 - What Next II

    ¡°So,¡± Felix said once they were all back together again. ¡°Tell me how it went.¡±


    ¡°It went well, for the most part,¡± Jake said, grimacing as he remembered how close that last fight had been. ¡°It was right at the end where it went wrong. I got separated from the others and almost died at the hands of the Murkling.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Felix said, leaning back and running his gaze over them before nodding. ¡°I hope that this is the wake up you all need to not grow overconfident?¡±


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Alan said, looking vaguely nauseous about the whole thing.


    ¡°Then I have nothing more to say about it,¡± Felix said with a slight shrug. ¡°As I¡¯ve said all along, I will provide you the opportunity to learn, but I can¡¯t force you to.¡±


    Jake nodded, taking the words to heart.


    The conversation shifted to them providing Varin with the physical items they¡¯d gained from the delve, including the spearhead of the Murkling¡¯s weapon, and the crafter promising to return soon with more for them.


    ¡°We should do it again,¡± Jake said, interrupting Aspen discussing what they should have for lunch. ¡°Once we¡¯ve eaten, we go back and do it again.¡±


    ¡°But you won¡¯t be able to use any of your Boons,¡± Nepthys said, frowning at him with a slightly confused expression. ¡°Even the leftover usage for your spear will run out by the time we get to the end from what you¡¯ve said.¡±


    ¡°True, but now we know what we¡¯re doing,¡± Jake said firmly. ¡°We can plan our approach to that final floor, and I can get a normal spear from Ivaldi¡¯s to use in place of my Boon.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Jake,¡± Alan said hesitantly. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We need the Wyrdgeld to get our Skills and our ranks up, and we can¡¯t stay here too long. That means using what little time we have to its fullest.¡±


    ¡°If we come up with a solid plan, then I¡¯m in,¡± Aspen said, holding up a hand before Jake could say anything. ¡°But only with a good plan, and one that¡¯s better than charging headlong at them.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Gargan said, leaning forward with an intent look. ¡°I think Jake is right, though. If we have a plan, we should use it.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go over the layout of the floor and what we can use to our advantage.¡±


    -**-


    Their second trip into the Dungeon was a lot smoother than the first as they had the benefits of experience and the only downside was the lack of Boons that Jake could use.


    In their place, he was using his infusions a lot more, and realising how much he depended on the excellent quality of his Boon spear to deal with everything.


    Jake had bought a standard replacement spear from Ivaldi, and that meant he needed to infuse every attack if he wanted to do real damage to them.


    By the time they¡¯d reached the final Guardian floor, Jake had used far more Wyrd than the last delve, but a rest outside of it gave them time to go back over their plan and recover their Wyrd.


    The plan, such as it was, was simple but effective.


    Aspen had a Dash Skill, which let him move short distances very quickly. He would move to the far side and blitz one of the Murk Hounds, ideally killing it as quickly as possible and then


    Aspen would then retreat to the edge of the area with the decaying mounds and they¡¯d wait for the Murk Hounds to appear before hitting them with everything they had.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    From there, it would turn into a running skirmish where they tried to not get pinned down by the Murk Hounds until they had killed enough.


    Entering the final floor of the Dungeon, they set the plan into motion, holding off at the first mound they came to while Aspen crept further inside.


    The first Murk Hound died quickly, and Aspen managed to take out a second by briefly using his Flame Infusion Skill before falling back to rejoin them.


    The following few minutes were a blur of fighting and moving quickly, but by sticking together and staying on the move, they overwhelmed any Murk Hounds they found.


    Eventually, the monsters became organised under the command of the Murkling, but the moment it showed itself, Alan put an arrow through its chest.


    The key weakness of this floor was that the Awakened monster wasn¡¯t physically tough or imposing like the Woadite had been.


    With the Murkling was dead, the Murk Hounds lost their leader and went back to acting on instinct alone.


    While there were still quite a few of the giant rats, Jake and the others swiftly took them down, staying grouped tightly together the whole time.


    ¡°Now that was more like it,¡± Jake said, pulling his spear out of the last rat, which he¡¯d finished off after Gargan had burned it badly.


    ¡°Much better,¡± Aspen said, sounding relieved. ¡°Good job  making do without your Boons, Jake.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, it wasn¡¯t too bad, actually,¡± Jake said, hefting his spear and eyeing the damage to the spearhead that had accumulated over the fight. ¡°I think I¡¯d rather have them than not, though.¡±


    Aspen chuckled and nodded. ¡°Yeah, I can imagine. Let¡¯s get what we need and clear out of here, though.¡±


    ¡°Way ahead of you,¡± Nepthys called out from where she was rummaging through the rewards box. ¡°I¡¯ve got the spearhead as well.¡±


    Jake nodded, finishing drawing out the Wyrdgeld of the Murk Hounds near to him before heading over to the exit.


    After two big delves like this, he was ready to get some rest.


    -**-


    ¡°So, now that we¡¯ve done that, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Alan asked once they¡¯d offloaded all the rewards and had some food. ¡°Are we doing that again?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but I¡¯m not sure if we should stay that long,¡± Jake said, glancing over at Ari. ¡°Any sign of anyone following us?¡±


    ¡°Not as far as I can tell,¡± Ari said, shrugging slightly. ¡°We lost them on the way here and no sign since then.¡±


    ¡°So we could stay here for a bit longer, then,¡± Aspen said, giving the Dungeon a considering look. ¡°After that second delve, we¡¯ve shown we can do it, so this could be a good place to push ourselves.¡±


    ¡°That would be good, if we can,¡± Jake said, thinking of his Skills. If he waited until the next day to spend his Wyrdgeld, he¡¯d have enough to upgrade more than one of them.


    ¡°Another day it is,¡± Felix said before giving Ari a nod. ¡°We¡¯ll keep an eye out for anyone who might be looking for us, just in case. One day is all we can spare, so work hard, and then we¡¯ll push either north or east.¡±


    Jake nodded and got up with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m going to get some rest, I think we¡¯ll need it if we¡¯re going to delve twice again tomorrow.¡±


    They¡¯d delved tier one Dungeons multiple times in the same day before, but they were a lot shorter than one of the second tier.


    Jake wasn¡¯t so comfortable in these delves to think they could do them when tired, either.


    Still, what mattered was that he had another Dungeon bound, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel proud of what they¡¯d done.


    -**-


    The next day they took on the Dungeon twice more, with Jake using all of his Manifestations across the two delves, but sparingly.


    Varin had to give them every Wyrdgeld he¡¯d saved to pay for all the materials they¡¯d brought out, but Jake could hardly complain.


    He¡¯d gained what must be more than a thousand Wyrdgeld in the last two days. It had been exhausting, but he¡¯d managed it.


    Ari had seen no sign of anyone following them either, so it seemed that taking the extra time had paid off despite the risks involved.


    An enterprising utility classer had come to the Dungeon selling Wyrd-infused food and drink, much of which Aspen bought with his earnings from their delves and stored with Ivaldi.


    The leftovers, however, were served up as a revitalising meal to end the day and the five of them stayed up for several hours, simply relaxing in good company.


    Things had felt a little weird at times since his talk with Nepthys, but Jake finally felt like they were back to where they¡¯d been before.


    Sure, it wasn¡¯t quite as smooth or easy, but they were getting there, and Jake was fully relaxed again for the first time in what felt like an age.


    This Dungeon felt like a turning point for them, one more of these and some more days like this one, and he¡¯d be at tier three.


    If the others weren¡¯t ready, Jake would go on alone at that point. Taking him away from all this would be much safer for them, after all.


    A hard decision, but one that he¡¯d made well in advance.


    Shaking off the darker thoughts, Jake stripped off his armour and climbed into bed, letting his tired muscles relax. Tomorrow was no doubt going to be a long day.


    Reaching out for the System, Jake triggered his rank up.

 DN2 47 - Chaos

    Sufficient Wyrdgeld is present, presenting ascension options for Tier II Rank VI.


    You currently have one Trait slot available and one Skill slot available.


    At this time, you have unlocked three additional Skills that may be purchased.


    Lesser Sprint - Common - 100 Wyrdgeld


    Lesser Blade Mastery - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    Dodge - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    At this time, you have unlocked four additional Traits that may be purchased.


    Lesser Endurance - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    Lesser Weapons Expert - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    Wand Wielder - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    A Weapon for Every Occasion - Rare - 400 Wyrdgeld


    At this time, you have eight available Plexus Points.


    Boons available to be upgraded


    Hidden Fang - 3 Plexus Points


    Orchard¡¯s Gift - 3 Plexus Points


    The Mighty Drake - 3 Plexus Points


    Dauhaust¡¯s Root - 2 Plexus Points


    Hunter¡¯s Grace - 2 Plexus Points


    Shroud of Shadows - 2 Plexus Points


    Would you like to purchase or upgrade a Skill, Trait or Boon?


    Jake was tempted, very tempted, to pick up one of the Skills or Traits, but the addition of the newer options gave him pause.


    A Weapon for Every Occasion was a rare Trait, which suggested that he could unlock other rare Abilities in time. He had one slot left for each, and he knew that as soon as he filled it, something excellent would come along.


    Instead, Jake decided to spend the Wyrdgeld upgrading his existing Abilities, to see if they could be improved. Starting with Lesser Delver¡¯s Will, he spent four hundred Wyrdgeld bringing it to the tenth rank.


    The Skill Lesser Delver¡¯s Will may now be advanced to the next tier.


    Available Advancements


    Delver¡¯s Will - Uncommon


    Relentless - Uncommon


    Would you like to proceed?


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to advance to Delver¡¯s Will,¡± Jake said, deciding to take the flat upgrade rather than try something new.


    The rest of the Wyrdgeld went into the Infused Strike Skill, bringing it to rank seven.


    Just like that, Jake went from having fifteen hundred Wyrdgeld to less than a hundred.


    The question now was what to spend his Plexus Points on, but the choice was an easy one. Dauhaust¡¯s Root had been his main weapon since he gained it, and bringing it to rank three would hopefully make it even more powerful.


    The remaining three points would bring The Mighty Drake to its third rank. While Moby lacked a lot of the combat power of the others, Jake couldn¡¯t ignore how useful he¡¯d been overall.


    If nothing else, Moby had saved his life with the Murkling, and Jake wanted to repay that.


    Finalising his choices, Jake felt the System begin to make the changes as he slipped into a deep sleep.


    -**-


    Jake woke abruptly, a cold certainty filling his veins that he wasn¡¯t alone.


    He wasn¡¯t sure what he¡¯d heard, but he trusted his gut, and it was telling him to be ready to fight.


    One hand crept under his pillow for the dagger Jake kept there and he made sure to move as little as possible as he listened for the intruder, keeping his breathing steady and slow.


    Light footsteps crossed the cabin, moving steadily toward Jake, and he risked shifting enough to crack open one eye and see what was happening.


    Pale moonlight illuminated a white mask with traces of black across it and the glint of bared steel as the classer crept closer to Jake¡¯s bed.


    Fortunately, Jake had been asleep long enough that they¡¯d reached the point where his Boons reset, and he quickly called one to mind as he prepared to act.


    The masked classer must have sensed that something was amiss as they abandoned their steady approach to rush at Jake, their dagger raised.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Rolling out the other side of his bed, Jake threw his pillow with his free hand while brandishing the dagger with the other.


    The masked classer grunted in surprise as the pillow hit them, but quickly adjusted to lunge at Jake, their dagger glowing with Wyrd.


    A menacing quack filled the cabin as Jake summoned Moby, the duck immediately diving forward with a snap of his wings to rake the classer with his feet, which were now metallic, and larger.


    Bright red blood splashed across the pools of moonlight as the classer cursed, twisting aside from the sudden attack.


    Rushing forward, Jake batted the infused dagger aside before filling his own with Wyrd and slashing for the assassin¡¯s throat.


    The masked classer jerked back in a grey blur before dropping down and sweeping Jake¡¯s legs out from under him.


    Jake gasped as he hit the ground, keeping just enough presence of mind to throw his dagger at his attacker. The assassin slapped it aside with their free hand, dodging an attack from Moby with another grey-tinged movement as they did.


    Feigning that he was more stunned than he was, Jake let the assassin close the distance before expending a second Manifestation and summoning Dauhaust¡¯s Root into his hands.


    The abrupt appearance of the spear caught the assassin mid lunge, and they tried to use their Skill again to dodge aside, but couldn¡¯t completely evade the spear.


    The classer let out a muffled cry as they stumbled and fell to the ground next to Jake, giving him chance to push up and drive the spear down into their back as they tried to rise.


    Something crunched as Jake drove the spear down, and blood pooled out from his attacker as they slumped limply to the floor.


    Pulling the spear free, Jake saw Moby flutter up onto the bed and took a moment to appreciate how much larger Moby had grown. He was too big to pass for a normal duck, even at a casual look, and was more the size of a large goose.


    Jake¡¯s spear had also changed. It was denser now, with a larger spearhead that had small thorns jutting out below it at an angle to function as barbs.


    It was an impressive weapon, and he was already looking forward to seeing what the Hidden Fang would look like.


    Glancing over at the dead classer, Jake frowned and moved next to the window, looking out to see what was happening outside.


    There was a chance there had been just the one assassin, but Jake¡¯s gut told him it was more than that.


    The view from the window didn¡¯t tell him much. He couldn¡¯t see any sign of more assassins, but he could hear something. It was muffled, but it sounded like fighting.


    Moving for the door, Jake decided to dismiss his spear and grab his sword and belt, keeping the Boon weapon in reserve.


    Stepping out into the night air, Jake kept low as he worked his way along the cabins toward where the sounds were coming on.


    A startled exclamation came from the next cabin along and Jake rushed forward as he heard the sound of metal on wood moments before the door broke open and a masked classer went sprawling out onto the floor.


    Aspen came blurring out through the doorway and stabbed down at his attacker, but the classer created a shield of Wyrd at the last moment to block the hit.


    Rolling away as Aspen recovered, the classer surged to his feet, right into the path of Jake¡¯s right hook. Dazed and off balance, the classer put up little struggle as Jake opened his throat.


    Scum like this deserved no mercy, and they would find none from Jake.


    ¡°Shit. Jake, are you alright?¡± Aspen asked as he looked around, watching for any other attackers.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, I had the same treatment, though. We should check on the others and see what that sound is.¡± Jake nodded toward the trees, where he could still hear muffled sounds of fighting. ¡°You should take care of that wound as well.¡±


    Aspen glanced at a long, deep cut that ran down his upper arm and nodded. ¡°Wait one moment, I¡¯ll grab my stuff.¡±


    Jake nodded and was just turning to watch the other cabins when he saw a pair of black-clad figures moving their way from closer to the Dungeon.


    The two of them split up, one heading for Nepthys¡¯s cabin and the other for Alan¡¯s. Cursing, Jake hissed for Aspen to hurry before starting forward to intercept the one going for Nepthys.


    Trying to do this quietly wouldn¡¯t help, so Jake shouted to get the man¡¯s attention and pulled his wand out, firing thorns at both of them.


    The two assassins dodged the attacks but seemed unsure of how to react, giving Aspen time to rejoin him, tossing aside an empty potion bottle as he did.


    ¡°Are you sure you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Aspen asked as the two assassins changed direction to come for them, their masks glinting eerily in the moonlight.


    ¡°Not in the slightest,¡± Jake said, focusing his efforts on just one of the assassins, who was ducking and weaving through the hail of thorns as best he could.


    Despite the best efforts of the assassin, Jake managed to land several thorns, but then it was down to blades and Jake had no time to worry about anything else.


    Dodging aside from a slash, Jake¡¯s eyes went wide as the masked classer¡¯s dagger shimmered and elongated, extending a blade of Wyrd that reached out several inches past its tip.


    Hot pain traced along Jake¡¯s arm as the Wyrd tip found purchase, slicing through his shirt and flesh without pause and making Jake lose his grip on his sword.


    Hissing in pain, Jake dodged back to avoid a follow up slash before summoning his spear and awkwardly twisting it in the way as they lunged, catching them in the thigh.


    Blood spurted free from the wound and Jake surged forward, pressing the advantage to unleash a series of short stabs, catching the assassin again and again.


    Jake lunged to impale his attacker, but they slipped to one side in a blur of Wyrd, just far enough aside that the spear slid right past.


    Hauling back on the spear and swinging it closer, Jake stabbed the ring of thorns into the classer¡¯s neck, yanking him forward and into Jake¡¯s elbow.


    Porcelain cracked and the classer fell back with a cry that cut off sharply as Jake spun the spear around and drove it down through the assassin¡¯s heart.


    A bright light flashed past Jake and he felt uncomfortably warm for a moment as Gargan made his presence felt by roasting Aspen¡¯s opponent.


    Nepthys and Alan had woken up and left their cabins, engaging another classer that must have been trying to sneak past.


    Alan looked unsettled but fine, while Nepthys was wrapping a bandage around her leg.


    ¡°Everyone okay?¡± Jake called out, looking around for any more masked attackers.


    ¡°More or less,¡± Gargan said, clutching his side where his shirt was badly ripped. ¡°Nothing that a potion won¡¯t fix in time. Where are Felix and Ari?¡±


    Jake turned to the woods and strained his ears, but the sounds of fighting had finished. ¡°There was some fighting that way, let¡¯s check it out.¡±

 DN2 48 - Hunted I

    Jake kept his spear out this time as they hurried toward the woods at the edge of the clearing.


    At a distance, everything looked the same as before, but as they drew closer, the damage done by the fight was clear.


    A large section of the woods was ravaged, with burn marks, uprooted trees and shattered fragments of bark everywhere.


    Ari and Felix stood in the centre of it all, bloody and battered, but still breathing. The bodies of at least three people were scattered around them, but it was hard to tell numbers with how many pieces there were.


    Ari whirled as they approached, his bloody blade rising up to a high guard before sagging back down as he recognised them.


    ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re all okay,¡± Ari said, inverting his sword to lean on it while he drank a potion and pulled his bloody shirt up to pour some onto a stab wound.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Alan asked, looking around at the devastation with wide eyes.


    ¡°The Fatesworne must have been able to follow us somehow,¡± Felix said, sheathing his blades one at a time with tired motions. ¡°We were lucky that they underestimated me. They won¡¯t make that mistake again. I¡¯m sorry that I wasn¡¯t able to warn any of you. Were there any injuries?¡±


    ¡°Minor, but nothing we can¡¯t treat,¡± Nepthys said, eyeing the ragged appearance of the two higher-tier classers. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°The same,¡± Felix said, waving aside her concern. ¡°What matters now is that we gather everything and leave as soon as possible. If one of you can leave a message with Ivaldi for Varin, I¡¯d appreciate it. Then we head north and try to lose them.¡±


    Jake nodded and glanced back to where lights were visible among the other cabins. ¡°Looks like we woke up some folks. Not much chance of keeping this quiet.¡±


    Felix sighed and nodded. ¡°Sadly not, the Seekers will be here before we know it. That is a secondary problem, though. Right now, we need to get away from here.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get to it,¡± Jake said, turning to head back to the cabins. A midnight march sounded unpleasant, but sticking around sounded far worse.


    -**-


    ¡°Jake Khesh, be welcome in my domain,¡± Ivaldi said, appearing from the darkened corridor as Jake entered his store. ¡°What brings you here at such an early hour, and with blood on your blade?¡±


    ¡°The Fatesworne found us and tried to murder us in our sleep,¡± Jake said, passing over one of the masks that the classers had worn. ¡°The same masks as last time.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Ivaldi said, the mask shattering in his hand, the pieces falling to the ground. ¡°How did they find you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not sure. They might have been following us before, but Ari scared them off. There was no sign since then until tonight.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Ivaldi said again, motioning with one hand and causing the pieces of mask to vanish. It was the most overt use of power that Jake had seen the odd man use, which spoke of a deep anger that didn¡¯t touch his calm expression at all. ¡°Were you or Nepthys hurt?¡±


    ¡°We both were,¡± Jake said, touching his arm where he was cut.


    ¡°That makes this easier, then,¡± Ivaldi said softly, staring past Jake at something only he could see. After a few moments, his eyes focused back on Jake and he pulled out his usual chair. ¡°Go, fetch Felix and send him here. I have matters to discuss with him.¡±


    ¡°Right, okay,¡± Jake said, blinking in surprise. ¡°I need to leave a message for Vain as well¡­¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Ivaldi said, interrupting him. ¡°I will ensure Varin is warned and informed of what has happened.¡±


    Jake nodded, unsure what else to say and quickly headed back out of the store to go find Felix.


    The older man seemed equally as surprised by Ivaldi¡¯s request, but went to see him as requested, with Jake waiting outside for him.


    Felix was inside for ten, maybe fifteen minutes before he emerged, looking pale and worried.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Jake asked with growing concern.


    Felix started to speak several times before simply shaking his head. ¡°We need to leave as soon as possible.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Jake gave a tentative nod, but that was all that Felix seemed willing to share.


    -**-


    Whatever Ivaldi had told Felix had given urgency to an already strained situation, and they were on the road as soon as they were packed.


    Other classers had awoken from the fighting, and from the sounds of what they heard while packing, more than a few of their compatriots had been killed by those same assassins.


    Jake knew in his heart that the masked Fatesworne had been there to kill him, which made the wanton murder all the more senseless.


    One day, he¡¯d make them pay for all this. He just needed to get stronger.


    -**-


    Even with their enhanced physiques, they eventually had to rest.


    A cold camp was all that Felix allowed, and he insisted on no one leaving it alone. They were to stay in pairs until he said otherwise.


    The atmosphere was dismal the following morning, and the light rain that came with the dawn did nothing to improve it.


    ¡°Come on, we need to keep moving,¡± Felix said, moving swiftly to erase any trace of their camp as they packed up and set off once more.


    ¡°Where are we heading?¡± Alan asked, hiking his pack up to a more comfortable position with a slight wince.


    ¡°At the moment, north is as much as I will commit to,¡± Feix said wearily. ¡°We are being tracked by the Fatesworne, and we must shake them first if we are to achieve anything else.¡±


    Jake glanced back reflexively, wondering if there were Fatesworne hunters just out of sight. Shaking off the cold chill that followed that thought, he focused on putting one foot in front of the other.


    -**-


    Jake dreamt of confusing images, of a baleful gaze that tracked him no matter where he ran, no matter where he hid.


    A second presence came, sheltering him beneath a net of shining strands that hid him from the gaze of the thing in the distance.


    A third presence slipped soundlessly through the sky, searching for the baleful one with the eternal patience of a hunter that never failed.


    The taste of blood invaded his mouth as the dream wavered, but Jake saw it at the end, a fourth presence. It watched him from high in the sky, sitting in judgement over his every act.


    The taste grew and a shrill cry of pain stabbed through the dream, shattering it.


    As he fell into the darkness, Jake saw it again. The baleful gaze, it saw him.


    -**-


    Jake awoke to a mouth full of blood and rolled over, spluttering as the others jumped to their feet, drawing weapons.


    Grabbing his dagger, Jake staggered to his feet, coughing again and wiping his mouth.


    ¡°Jake?¡± Nepthys looked torn between worrying about him and watching the area around them.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. What¡¯s going on?¡± Jake asked, grimacing at the overwhelming taste of blood in his mouth.


    ¡°I heard a cry of pain,¡± she said, looking back out into the darkness warily.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Ari said, coming back into view, his sword dripping a bloody trail behind him and a broken mask in hand. ¡°We had a visitor. I dealt with it.¡±


    ¡°Hunting or searching?¡± Felix asked from where he was sat off to one side, watching over the camp.


    ¡°Searching, thankfully.¡± Ari tossed the broken mask aside and took a seat to start cleaning his sword.


    ¡°What difference does that make?¡± Jake asked, looking between the two of them, his tired brain still trying to catch up.


    ¡°If they are hunting, it means they know where we are,¡± Felix said, his voice taking on a thoughtful tone. ¡°Searching means they are looking for us still. Ari killing a scout means they will know something came this way, but it will buy us some time.¡±


    ¡°Are we leaving now?¡± Alan asked wearily, giving his bedroll a longing look.


    ¡°No, we wait for the dawn. Bumbling around in the night will only waste time and lead to injury.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do another sweep of the area shortly,¡± Ari said, finishing cleaning his sword. ¡°One of the nice fringe benefits of being this awesome is that you can do without sleep for longer.¡±


    Jake rolled his eyes, relaxing a little now that it was clear there was no immediate threat of danger. Scuffing some dirt over the blood before anyone noticed or remembered, Jake climbed back into his bedroll.


    The dream had felt real, all too real, but he didn¡¯t know what to do. A part of him insisted that he was wrong, and the dream was just that, that it meant nothing.


    Breathing deep and slowly letting out his breath, Jake resolved to talk to Felix about it in the morning. The older man would know what to do.


    -**-


    Felix woke them at dawn and they set off, trudging north into an area that was riddled with sloping hills and deep valleys. It was a good place to get lost, and if Jake remembered right, there were quite a few Dungeons scattered about.


    None of them were second tier, but right now, Jake didn¡¯t really care.


    Dried strips of Wyrd-infused meat were handed out for lunch, along with squares of moiran mint. The sugary treat was ideal for giving them a bit of extra energy for the afternoon¡¯s hike.


    Jake also took the chance to tell Felix about his dream from the night before.


    ¡°I see,¡± Felix said softly, staring off into the distance with a grim expression. ¡°Tell me if you have any more dreams like this. Trust your instincts as well, Jake. Do you really think they mean nothing?¡±


    ¡°So you do think it meant something,¡± Jake said, frowning as Felix continued to look off into the distance. ¡°What does it all mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Felix said, turning back to Jake with a sad smile. ¡°I couldn¡¯t begin to understand it all. That burden lies with you.¡±


    Jake didn¡¯t understand what that meant, but Felix would speak no more on the subject, and instead had them moving on in short order.


    One thing was clear, Felix knew something about this, even if he wasn¡¯t going to tell Jake about it.


    -**-


    A few hours later, they were hiking up one of those large hills when Alan glanced back the way they¡¯d come and frowned. ¡°Ari, Felix, I think we¡¯re being followed.¡±


    Ari was by Alan¡¯s side in a flash, peering out into the distance before cursing. ¡°Shit, he¡¯s right. There¡¯s more of them back there. They¡¯re about a half day behind us still, but that won¡¯t last.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving. We¡¯ll try and lose them in the river,¡± Felix said, starting back up the hill once more.


    Jake¡¯s eyes lingered on the distant valley where he could barely make out the dark smudges of their pursuers. The fact that they had managed to follow them this far was concerning.


    The scout had been searching for them, not hunting, so how had the Fatesworne picked up their trail so quickly?


    That question bothered Jake, but with no way to get any sort of answer, Jake focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

 DN2 49 - Hunted II

    They reached the river Felix had mentioned a short time later and made their way upstream, using the water to mask their tracks.


    The river was wide and shallow at the edges, so wading through it was unpleasant but easy enough to manage.


    Felix shifted their direction again once they were on dry land, saying that there was a resistance safehouse nearby they could stay at.


    Eager for a warm bed, they pushed on right into the late evening, none of them giving voice to their fear that the Fatesworne were right behind them.


    Jake knew that if the Seekers got this close, they would have Abilities to do this sort of thing, so it was possible that the Fatesworne did as well.


    If they did, and they could track them here, then Jake was out of ideas for what to do next.


    ¡°There it is!¡± Alan kept his exclamation to a normal speaking tone, but after hours of no talking, it was loud in Jake¡¯s ears.


    Peering out into the gloomy evening in the direction Alan point, Jake saw their destination. It was a lodge, built flush up against the side of a hill and mostly covered by trees and vegetation. If he hadn¡¯t known where it was, he¡¯d have easily missed it, that was for sure.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± Felix said, hurrying forward and opening the door to the lodge before drawing his sword and sweeping inside.


    A few moments passed before Felix reappeared and waved them inside. ¡°Settle in and rest, everyone. Jake, I¡¯ll need to speak to you about something.¡±


    Jake paused, his pack already half off, but Felix motioned for him to finish taking it off. Dropping it to one side, Jake followed Felix back outside.


    ¡°We need to talk about what¡¯s coming,¡± Felix said, his face lined with weariness and stress. For once, the grizzled classer looked old, not just older.


    ¡°You think they¡¯ll find us here, don¡¯t you?¡± Jake stared up into Felix¡¯s eyes, sensing the other man¡¯s apprehension and worry.


    ¡°I do.¡± Felix took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. ¡°I made a deal for information, and part of it is that I can¡¯t give you too much information about the deal itself. What matters, though, is that now we know that the leader of the Fatesworne is the one tracking you.¡±


    ¡°So unless we kill them, they¡¯ll keep on following us,¡± Jake said, a heavy weight settling in his gut as he realised the implications. ¡°There¡¯s no getting away, is there?¡±


    ¡°Not from this group. They already have our trail and are too close. If we can kill their leader, though, then part of the deal will be that you are kept hidden from that type of tracking for the next year.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Jake shook his head, not quite understanding. ¡°Why can¡¯t we just do whatever that is now? Why didn¡¯t we do it a few days ago, for that matter?¡±


    Felix shook his head with a frustrated expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t explain. I gave my word, and I won¡¯t risk your protection by going back on that.¡±


    Jake went to argue further, but he saw the look in Felix¡¯s eyes and simply grimaced. There would be no convincing the older man, he could see that. ¡°Alright, so what do we need to do, then?¡±


    ¡°We need to kill the leader of the Fatesworne,¡± Felix said, shrugging slightly. ¡°Exactly how we do that, I don¡¯t know. We should expect them to strike tomorrow, I just wanted to make sure you knew about the protection, just in case.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Just in case of what?¡± Jake asked, not liking where this was going.


    Felix sighed and rubbed his face. ¡°They won¡¯t be coming with anything less than overwhelming power. I need you here to help bait the trap, but once we kill the leader, it will be far too dangerous for you to stay here.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I understand that much, but won¡¯t they just chase us?¡± Jake asked, certain that there was some part to this that Felix wasn¡¯t telling him.


    ¡°There¡¯s an escape tunnel at the back of the lodge. You can take that through to the other side of the hill. From there, I have a map you can use to get to another safehouse.¡±


    ¡°How do you know about all these safehouses?¡± Jake asked, wondering just how many of them there were.


    ¡°Because I helped build a lot of these when I first came back to this Realm,¡± Felix said, looking away from him. ¡°A one-handed classer can still do a lot at my tier.¡±


    Jake nodded, running the plan over in his mind again. ¡°Why do I need the map? Can¡¯t you just show us the way?¡±


    ¡°I might have to take a different exit,¡± Felix said, pulling out a folded map and passing it over. ¡°Here, keep this on you, just in case.¡±


    Jake tucked the map away with a slow nod. What Felix was saying made sense, but he had a feeling that the other man wasn¡¯t telling him everything.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head inside. The Fatesworne will likely be here tomorrow morning, so we should take advantage of what time we have.¡±


    Jake followed Felix back inside, his stomach rumbling as he caught the smell of cooking food from the kitchen.


    All thoughts of what Felix was hiding quickly faded as he hurried to see what Aspen was making.


    -**-


    After they¡¯d eaten, Felix gave the others a shorter summary of what he¡¯d told Jake, leaving out the map and the year of protection.


    Jake still wasn¡¯t quite sure how that protection would work, especially as no one seemed to know who these Fatesworne actually were. Still, Felix had seemed adamant about it, so he¡¯d go along with it for now.


    ¡°Any questions?¡± Felix asked once he¡¯d finished his summary.


    ¡°Are we going to try to fight them off here?¡± Alan asked, looking around the wooden lodge nervously. ¡°What about if they try to burn us out?¡±


    ¡°The key is going to be drawing them in and then striking,¡± Felix said, hesitating for a moment before continuing. ¡°Ari will be in here with the rest of you, so you¡¯ll be able to put up a strong initial resistance. Then, once they¡¯re drawn in, I¡¯ll go for the leader. Once they¡¯re dead, we¡¯ll run a fighting retreat into the escape tunnel. A lever on the inside collapses the entrance, and that¡¯ll buy us the time to truly escape.¡±


    ¡°This feels risky, but if they¡¯re tracking us, I don¡¯t suppose we have any other choice,¡± Nepthys said unhappily.


    ¡°At least we know where they¡¯ll be coming from,¡± Aspen said with a shrug. ¡°It could be worse.¡±


    Jake nodded, imagining if they were caught out in the open or when camping for the evening. That would be a recipe for disaster. Still, he had concerns.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better for Ari to be with you to try and take out their leader as quickly as possible?¡± Jake asked, not liking the idea of Felix doing that part on his own.


    He remembered what they¡¯d told him about Wyrd usage, and that if Felix had to go all out, he¡¯d be using up everything he had left. That felt all too possible here, and he didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°This is clearly an organised attempt to kill you, and that means they¡¯ve accounted for us as best they can,¡± Felix said with a shake of his head. ¡°If that initial resistance isn¡¯t there, they¡¯ll be suspicious, and if I have to fight through to the leader, I¡¯ll be in a poor position.¡±


    Jake nodded reluctantly, understanding the logic but not liking it at all.


    ¡°One last thing,¡± Felix said, hesitating slightly. ¡°If I don¡¯t manage to kill the leader, then Ari, that¡¯ll be your responsibility. If I do, but don¡¯t make it back to you, I¡¯ll expect you all to leave immediately. Understood?¡±


    Ari frowned and went to argue, but a look from Felix cut him off.   Looking at the rest of them, Felix waited expectantly until they reluctantly said that they understood.


    Jake felt a cold knot form in his gut as he considered their last conversation in a new light. Then again, Felix was probably just preparing for anything that could happen and was still confident in victory.


    Try as he might, though, Jake just couldn¡¯t quite get himself to believe that.


    -**-


    Felix¡¯s warning about what to do if he failed left a weight hanging over them all, but they still went through what preparations they could.


    For the most part, that meant feeding their damaged items Wyrd to help them repair, but the safehouse also came with a small stash of traps.


    The half-dozen steel-jawed traps that were kept in the storage closet weren¡¯t exactly perfect for the situation, but they made do. If anyone tried to climb through the windows at the front of the building, there was a good chance they¡¯d get a broken leg for their troubles.


    With that done, all they had to do now was wait and pray to their Patrons that they would be the equal of whatever was coming their way.

 DN2 50 - Safety I

    The next day came around far too quickly for Jake¡¯s liking, and he quickly busied himself packing everything away and moving it to a small space in the exit tunnel.


    When the time came, they¡¯d collapse the entrance, grab their things and run.


    Felix made a show of moving his things as well, but from the worried look in Ari¡¯s eyes, Jake wasn¡¯t the only one who had concerns.


    The problem was that he had no idea what to do about it. He was just too damn weak to be able to make a difference. A classer strong enough that Felix or Ari had to be involved would rip through Jake like he wasn¡¯t even there.


    It wasn¡¯t even raw strength either; it was experience at fighting other classers, at dealing with the Abilities that they could bring to bear.


    ¡°Ari, do you have a moment?¡± Jake asked when the two of them were alone, deciding to take his concern to the one person that actually could make a difference.


    ¡°Sure, what¡¯s up?¡± Ari asked, though he sounded distant and distracted as he sharpened the edge of his sword.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about Felix. It feels like he thinks he¡¯s going to die doing this,¡± Jake said bluntly.


    Ari stopped mid-motion and said nothing for several moments before finishing the stroke, not meeting Jake¡¯s eyes. ¡°What do you want me to say?¡±


    ¡°I hoped you would say that I was wrong,¡± Jake said, the icy knot in his gut turning heavy at Ari¡¯s tone.


    ¡°Felix didn¡¯t say how they were tracking us, but most Abilities like that are hard to get. They need Deeds that take a lot of time and a lot of effort, maybe even years of it. That means a high tier classer, and probably a combat one.¡±


    Felix¡¯s warning about fighting a dedicated combat classer of his tier came back to Jake, but he refused to believe it was so simple. ¡°It feels like you¡¯re already giving up on him!¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Jake!¡± Ari snapped, looking up at him for the first time, his knuckles white around the whetstone. ¡°What do you want me to do? I could leave you and go fight by his side, but then what do you think the rest of the attackers will be doing?¡±


    ¡°We could hold them off on our own,¡± Jake said stubbornly.


    ¡°And if you don¡¯t, then all of this has been pointless,¡± Ari said, the fire in his voice dying as quickly as it came. ¡°No, all we can do is trust that Felix will give it everything he has.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the answer Jake wanted, and part of him urged him to stay and argue more, but there was no point, he knew that. They were out of options and out of time.


    Cursing the Fatesworne for pushing them into this corner, Jake turned to leave when he felt a tug on his bond with Moby. He¡¯d kept the duck summoned so he could have all his Manifestation ready, and had sent him out scouting when they woke up.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Ari asked, seeing the change in Jake¡¯s posture.


    ¡°Moby¡¯s seen them, they¡¯re almost here,¡± Jake said, his nerves and worries melting away in the face of the adrenaline that was coursing trough his veins.


    Moby wasn¡¯t far away, which meant they had maybe fifteen minutes before everything went straight to the abyss.


    -**-


    There were more of them than he¡¯d expected. That was the first thing Jake thought when the Fatesworne came into view.


    He¡¯d been hoping for five, maybe six, but instead there was an even dozen people moving straight for the safehouse in a spread out formation.


    They were moving quickly, clearly choosing speed over stealth in order to catch them before they could escape. Hopefully, that meant they weren¡¯t expecting any resistance.


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Aspen muttered from where he was crouched opposite Jake. ¡°That pair off to the side don¡¯t have masks.¡±


    Jake frowned, seeing the same thing. The other ten wore the usual masks that they¡¯d come to expect with the Fatesworne, but not those two. He didn¡¯t like that, not one bit.


    A muffled hiss from behind him made Jake turn to see Nepthys giving him a wide-eyed look, her face pale. ¡°I can sense Skryx from those two outliers. I think they¡¯re Corrupters.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take no chances. Give me thirty seconds, and then kick things off,¡± Ari said, pulling out a wand with an almost bell-shaped tip. ¡°Remember, hit them hard and fast. Don¡¯t let up for even a moment.¡±


    Jake nodded, clutching his own wand tightly, and Ari left, moving to his own position to cover their flank.


    The idea had been that they¡¯d cover the right-hand side of the building, while Ari took the left. Hopefully, the five of them together could deal with any Fatesworne who came to their side.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Gargan said, and as one, they rose and unleashed as powerful a barrage of attacks as they could.


    Unfortunately, there was no real way to catch the Fatesworne by total surprise, but it seemed they hadn¡¯t been expecting the fight to begin quite yet.


    A few of them dodged and one or two used shielding Abilities, but several of the Fatesworne leading the way were left scorched and bleeding by the opening salvo.


    An odd ripple struck the Corrupters as they rushed forward, knocking them off balance. Jake took full advantage and peppered them with thorns from his own wand, one catching the Corrupter in the throat and sending him to his knees, gasping for breath.


    The other Corrupter shouted in rage before making a throwing motion and launching a billowing cloud of purple and black that came streaking toward Jake.


    Ducking down, Jake felt the edge of the Skryx hit him like a cold chill, the rest hitting the wall next to him with a sizzling sound.


    Other conjured attacks struck the rest of the building in their response to the ambush, but Jake felt a tentative swell of hope. One of the Corrupters was down, and a few of the Fatesworne at the front of the group were injured.


    Rising back to his feet, Jake was levelling his wand to fire again when one of the Fatesworne further back in the group made a gesture and dozens of conjured daggers began to appear around him before shooting forward.


    Jake ducked back, dodging the daggers, but Gargan wasn¡¯t so quick and hissed in pain as one caught him in the shoulder. Barely a moment later a blue lance of Wyrd tore through the wall next to Nepthys, leaving a fist-sized hole in it.


    More and more Abilities hammered the building, with Jake and the other returning fire as best they could. It wasn¡¯t enough, though. He could feel the momentum shifting to the Fatesworne as the first of them reached the house.


    A crunch came from just outside the window, followed by a howl of pain, but Jake¡¯s elation was short-lived as the door was ripped from its hinges in a burst of Wyrd.


    A stocky man wearing the Fatesworne mask stormed through, bearing a two-handed axe that he immediately brought around in a vicious chop at Aspen.


    The Fatesworne classer was fast, and Aspen was barely able to get away before the next swing was whistling down at him, only to lose speed as a grey shield appeared in front of it.


    ¡°The Inquisitor is here!¡± The man shouted in a calm, neutral voice that was entirely at odds with his rapid assault on Aspen.


    Flames sprung to life on Aspen¡¯s spear as he fought back, and Jake rushed to help him, wielding his sword and wand. Whenever the Fatesworne blocked or dodged his sword, Jake would channel his Wyrd to launch long thorns at him.


    The Fatesworne was wearing a mix of leather and metal armour, which blunted some of the hits, but not entirely. Aspen had recovered from the surprise entrance and was landing hits of his own as well, using Jake as a distraction to land blows.


    The fight wasn¡¯t all one sided-though. Aspen was bleeding from a cut to his leg, and Jake had a bruised rib from a strike with the haft of the axe.


    Another Fatesworne had come through and was fighting Nepthys, though thankfully the newcomer was struggling as one of his legs was in the process of healing from the trap outside.


    Backpedalling from a swing, Jake saw the moment the axe struck the wall of the safehouse and became wedged in place. Darting forward, he infused his sword with everything he had and hacked down at the Fatesworne¡¯s hands, forcing him to let go of the axe.


    Moving aside from the blow, the Fatesworne went for his belt to pull a long, serrated dagger but stopped dead, several inches of a greatsword poking through his chest.


    ¡°Good job, now help Nepthys,¡± Ari said, knocking the man over and wrenching his blade free as part of a finishing blow before rushing out the open door.


    Turning to Nepthys, Jake blanched as he saw she was fighting both the original Fatesworne and the Corrupter who¡¯d created that cloud. The Corrupter now held a sword that seemed to be shrouded in that same cloud, and Nepthys was bleeding from a wound in her side.


    Furious sounds of fighting came from outside as Ari engaged more of the Fatesworne, but beyond that, Jake could hear other fighting. Felix had made his move.


    Jake wanted desperately to see, to know what was happening, but he couldn¡¯t turn away when Nepthys was injured, even when he knew Aspen was already moving to help her.


    Rushing the Corrupter, Jake attacked with both sword and wand, just how Nepthys had helped teach him. His sword bit home, still infused from before, and cut through armour and flesh to slice down the Corrupter¡¯s side.


    The man cried out in pain and stumbled back, making a wild slash at Jake with his Skryx sword that missed him but caught his wand.


    The shrouded blade ripped through the wood, causing the wand to shatter, spraying shards of wood at both of them. Jake felt the shrapnel dig into his hand and the left side of his face, but the Corrupter flinched, turning away from the fragments.


    Driven by instinct, Jake conjured the Hidden Fang into his bleeding hand and stabbed forward, catching the other man in the shoulder as he twisted away.


    Lethal poison pumped into the Corrupter, his veins turning black as he screamed in pain and stumbled away, right into Nepthys¡¯s glowing sword.


    The other Fatesworne was down in a pool of his own blood, but Aspen was pale-faced and clutching an empty potion vial with one hand and his stomach with the other.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be okay. We have to help the others,¡± Nepthys said, taking a brief moment to drink a potion of her own.


    Aspen gave a strained nod and bent to pick up his spear with a grimace, so Jake turned back to the others.


    Alan and Gargan were sheltering behind what remained of the outer wall of the safehouse, while Ari was fighting three more Fatesworne outside with another dead at his feet.


    Ari was a blur of continuous motion, somehow managing to keep each of the three Fatesworne engaged at once with heavy blows of his sword, but he couldn¡¯t maintain that pace forever.


    Determined to make a difference, Jake gave Nepthys a nod, and they rushed through the door to do what they could.

 DN2 51 - Safety II

    It was a harrowing moment when Jake realised that the first people they¡¯d fought had been the weakest of the Fatesworne. The axe wielder had been fast and strong, but not that much more than Jake and on a par with Aspen.


    The people fighting Ari, though, were faster than any of them.


    A higher tier and the ranks to go with it didn¡¯t mean immediate superiority, but it did mean that Jake felt like he was on the back foot immediately.


    It didn¡¯t help that the Fatesworne that had moved to fight him and Nepthys was using her Wyrd liberally as well. She was a dagger fighter, much like the one he¡¯d met in that blood-soaked prison.


    Jake was faster, stronger and more experienced now, but it was clear that she had a solid edge on him in capability. With Nepthys backing him up, they were holding their own, but that wasn¡¯t enough.


    Beyond their initial fight, beyond the longer-range duel that Aspen and Gargan were having with another pair of Fatesworne, Felix was fighting the final pair of Fatesworne. One of them had the normal Fatesworne mask, while the other had a black mask with a white web spread across it.


    If the woman he was fighting now had an edge on Jake, then the three of them were something else altogether.


    From the brief glimpses that Jake had, he could tell that Felix was going all out. The older man was fighting with both a sword and dagger, his Wyrd-conjured hand in full display.


    Despite his best efforts, Felix was only holding his own against the two Fatesworne, and Jake knew with cold certainty that it wouldn¡¯t last.


    Mistiming his next dodge, Jake felt hot pain cut across his cheek as the Fatesworne drew blood. Grimacing, he lunged forward to try to land a strike, but the Fatesworne slipped aside, dodging his attack and striking Nepthys¡¯s aside with an infused dagger.


    Aspen joined them in a blur of Grey Wyrd, his spear coming in low and catching the woman in the thigh, the weight of the hit knocking her off balance.


    Jake and Nepthys were on her in a flash, stabbing down to make sure she never rose again, but even as they dealt with her, Ari let out a pained cry.


    Jake turned on instinct in time to see one of the two Fatesworne that Ari had been fighting barrel into him and knock him aside.


    Jake went sprawling to the ground, losing his sword, but the Fatesworne ignored him and focused on Nepthys and Ari instead. The two of them had more of a chance to react than Jake and were holding their ground, giving Jake chance to look over and see that Ari was pinned to the safehouse by a spear in his shoulder.


    The Fatesworne holding him in place had a dagger out and was trying to put it through Ari¡¯s eye, but was locked into a wrestling match to do so.


    Ari was the bigger of the two, but was in a bad position and bleeding heavily from the shoulder.


    Trusting Nepthys and Aspen to stay alive, Jake rushed the struggling pair, throwing his dagger before conjuring his spear and lunging at the Fatesworne.


    The classer ducked the dagger and pulled back, blurring away in a burst of Wyrd to avoid Jake.


    ¡°Fuck, that hurts,¡± Ari said with a groan, his eyes not leaving the Fatesworne as he grabbed his sword with his good hand. ¡°The moment I go for a potion, this fucker is going to skewer me, so I need you to cover me. Ready?¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Ready,¡± Jake said with a nod, taking up a stance in front of Ari as the Fatesworne stalked closer, twirling his spear expectantly.


    Before they could act, Jake felt a touch of Wyrd stir within him, but it felt odd, oddly foreign, yet not invasive.


    ¡°No, no, no, don¡¯t do this!¡± Ari shouted, his voice breaking with raw emotion.


    Distantly, Jake saw Wyrd gather around Felix, fitting him snugly as he seemed to swell with strength. Felix and both of the Fatesworne were bleeding from minor wounds, but as whatever Ability Felix had used kicked in he visibly healed.


    Moving faster than Jake had ever seen someone move, Felix stabbed the Fatesworne with the web mask, putting his sword through his chest down to the hilt and all but decapitating him with his dagger.


    Turning with the movement and leaving his sword behind, Felix attacked the second man, grabbing the Fatesworne¡¯s sword hand with his Wyrd conjured one while stabbing at him with the dagger.


    The Fatesworne twisted, taking the hit to his shoulder, but before Felix could finish the job, he staggered, his Wyrd hand shattering into grey fragments.


    ¡°Die!¡± The wounded Fatesworne all but screamed, his sword flaring grey with a powerful Skill as he rammed it home.


    The sight of Felix crumpling over the sword hit Jake like a physical punch, and it was only Ari¡¯s blade that saved him from the spear-wielding Fatesworne.


    Snapping back to the present, Jake took in the bad wound in Ari¡¯s side, the minor injuries they were all picking up and how many Fatesworne were left.


    With just their current enemies, some of them could maybe survive, but with Felix¡¯s killer rushing to join them, they had no hope.


    ¡°Fall back!¡± Jake shouted, grabbing Ari and dragging him back into the safehouse as the others did their best to follow suit.


    Alan and Gargan let loose with everything they had, forcing the Fatesworne to dodge or try to take the hits. The ranged attackers tried to do the same, but the walls of the safehouse sheltered Jake and the others.


    If anything, the extra Wyrd and projectiles destroying sections of the building just made it harder for the Fatesworne to chase them, and Jake meant to take full advantage of that.


    Ari was distraught, bleeding badly and struggling against him, but Jake and Aspen were able to get him into the tunnel as Alan pulled the lever.


    The spear-wielding Fatesworne made it to the tunnel right as the mechanism triggered and several tonnes of rock came crashing down to seal the entrance.


    Throwing himself forward, the Fatesworne avoided the rocks, only to be tackled against the wall by an enraged Ari. The two had struggled in close quarters earlier, but this time Ari wasn¡¯t impaled on a spear and the fight was as violent as it was short.


    ¡°Ari, we have to go!¡± Jake called out, moving forward to grab at Ari¡¯s shoulder and try to pull him off of the broken body of the Fatesworne.


    Ari whirled at the touch, his bloody fist raised and ready, before sagging as the rage left him and nodding silently. Taking Jake¡¯s hand, Ari got to his feet with a grimace and drank a potion before starting down the tunnel.


    Nepthys and Gargan had already handed out all the packs, with Alan carrying the extra. No one questioned Alan carrying a dead man¡¯s pack in the heat of the moment, it just felt wrong to leave it behind as they made their escape.


    The tunnel went to the far side of the hill, opening out into a tight path between two rocky outcrops. Dismissing and resummoning Moby, Jake had the duck use the lever on the inside of the tunnel once they were all out, collapsing the exit in case they were followed.


    ¡°So what do we do now?¡± Alan asked as the rubble settled on the exit of the escape tunnel.


    ¡°First of all, we drink whatever potions we have left, and make sure everyone is in good shape. After that, I¡¯ve got a map to another safehouse. We head there and take some time to figure out our next steps,¡± Jake said, glancing at Ari to see if he had another plan.


    The older man said nothing, though, simply staring back the way they¡¯d come with a tight expression.


    The image of Felix crumpling over that sword lingered in Jake¡¯s mind, but he could only imagine how Ari was feeling right now.


    Pushing it aside, Jake pulled out the map as they passed around the remaining potions, getting his bearing. Once they were done, he set off, eager to put some distance between them and the tunnel.


    Having something to do, even if it was as straightforward as keeping them on the right path, was enough to keep Jake¡¯s mind busy and not focused on what they¡¯d just been through.


    He¡¯d have to process it eventually. They all would, but for now, he needed to keep things moving. The safehouse was meant to be half a day away from the tunnel, so they¡¯d get there tonight.


    Ideally, they¡¯d figure out what to do overnight and move on in the morning, just to make sure the Fatesworne couldn¡¯t catch up with them.


    Where their next destination would be, Jake didn¡¯t know, but that was a question for later.


    Focusing on what mattered, Jake led the way away from the collapsed tunnel, making sure to take a non-direct route and use what terrain they could to make their tracks harder to follow.

 DN2 52 - The Future

    The new safehouse was hidden in much the same way as the other and had a similar layout. With little discussion, a watch rota was set up, and they spread out to their rooms, taking those that matched the previous ones.


    Jake took the first watch, more because he didn¡¯t think he could sleep than anything, and took a seat outside watching the woods.


    In the quiet of the late evening, Jake found himself unable to avoid thinking about what had happened. About losing Felix.


    It had been so sudden. Even with the threat of the Fatesworne, Jake had always felt like Felix was larger than life, like he could do anything.


    Now, he was gone, and the damn Fatesworne were to blame. Not only that, but they were working with Corrupters as well.


    Jake¡¯s hands curled into fists as his blood boiled, and he swore that he¡¯d get his revenge on them. For his family, for the life he¡¯d lost with them, and for Felix.


    ¡°You okay, Jake?¡± Nepthys¡¯s voice broke Jake from his thoughts and he looked up as she came to sit by him. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me neither, that¡¯s why I volunteered for first watch,¡± Jake said, managing a weak smile. ¡°This is all so sudden, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°It feels like only yesterday that you were clueless to all this,¡± Nepthys said, returning the smile briefly. ¡°It all feels so complicated now. I¡¯d never even heard of these Fatesworne before we met them, and yet they¡¯re somehow working with Corrupters?¡±


    ¡°Apparently,¡± Jake said, frowning slightly. ¡°I really don¡¯t like that connection, especially with the recent Corrupter activity.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, it feels a bit too coincidental that we hunted down some Corrupters and were immediately attacked by Fatesworne,¡± Nepthys said with a frown on her own, one hand coming up to tug on her braid. ¡°Do you think they were the group leading the Corrupters that we killed around?¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t really considered the possibility, but now that you say it out loud, it feels right. If they were, though, then what¡¯s their plan?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, we were assuming that the Corrupters were killing Dungeons because that¡¯s what they do, but if the Fatesworne are involved, then why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Nepthys said, her brow furrowing slightly as she considered the question. ¡°I hadn¡¯t really given it too much thought. They¡¯ve never seemed like they had much of a plan in the past.¡±


    ¡°It could be something as simple as that. It just doesn¡¯t feel that way,¡± Jake said, shaking his head and turning back to the dimly lit woods, wishing he knew more about what was going on.


    ¡°Hey, it isn¡¯t your fault, you know,¡± Nepthys said, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. ¡°Whatever is going on here, it¡¯s bigger than us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Jake rubbed his face with a sigh before turning back to Nepthys. ¡°Thanks for talking this through.¡±


    ¡°Anytime,¡± Nepthys said, giving him a more heartfelt smile this time. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not getting some sleep anytime soon. Why don¡¯t you head inside and rest?¡±


    Jake considered saying no, but now that he¡¯d stopped moving, he could feel the aches, pains and exhaustion of the day catching up with him. ¡°Yeah, maybe you¡¯re right. Healing potions are good, but sleep is king.¡±


    Mumbling a goodnight, Jake got back to his feet and headed inside, his mind a jumble of loss, worry and anger.


    -**-


    The morning brought little clarity to the situation. Jake had no more idea now about what he was going to do than before. All he really knew is that they had to keep moving.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The Fatesworne they¡¯d left behind them would be searching for their tracks to hunt them down and finish the job.


    Whatever deal Felix had brokered might apply to mundane tracking, but Jake didn¡¯t want to risk it. There was too much he didn¡¯t know about all of this.


    ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± Alan asked, giving voice to the question they were all dreading as they picked at some rations for their breakfast. Ari had joined them briefly before heading outside to keep watch, leaving the decision down to them.


    ¡°We have to keep moving, and I think we have a few options,¡± Jake said, opening up his map and spreading it on a nearby table.


    When Nepthys took over the watch the night before, he¡¯d struggled to sleep and had instead spent time pouring over the map for ideas. Having something to do had been a good way to not linger on his grief. For a time, anyway.


    Focusing back on the map, Jake tapped on a trio of Dungeons that were a few days travel to their west. ¡°I noticed that these are the only group of Dungeons that are close together where none are tier two or have a settlement nearby. Anyone know anything about them?¡±


    ¡°Actually, yeah, I do,¡± Aspen said, sitting forward with a thoughtful look. ¡°I went through there with a group about six months ago. There¡¯s no settlement there because they¡¯re not fun Dungeons. Each is horrible in its own way. Maybe the lack of people delving into them means they haven¡¯t advanced?¡±


    ¡°That might explain it,¡± Jake said with a slow nod. That fit with his theories into how Dungeons worked, though, personally, he felt it was more to do with how many people the Dungeons killed than anything else.


    ¡°Horrible how?¡± Nepthys asked with a worried look. ¡°Will we be in danger?¡±


    ¡°Oh gods no,¡± Aspen said, shaking his head as he tapped the map south of the Dungeons. ¡°To start with, this area south of them is a waterlogged mire, the north gets into the mountains and the eastern approach floods on a regular basis. I hope you all like mud if we head this way.¡±


    ¡°Sounds great,¡± Alan said in a dry voice.


    ¡°Actually, it does,¡± Jake said, tapping the map again. ¡°How many people go through here, Aspen?¡±


    ¡°Not many, like I said, the Dungeons are some of the least pleasant in the country.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Jake said, moving his finger slightly down from the most northern of the three Dungeons. ¡°Because there¡¯s a safehouse right here, between all three.¡±


    ¡°Right where no will be looking for us, and without many people to run into,¡± Nepthys said, giving Jake a nod. ¡°That¡¯s a good plan.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, so let me just go tell Ari and¡­¡± Jake trailed off as he realised what he¡¯d been about to say. Wincing, he clearing his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Ari, and then we can get moving.¡±


    The momentary good mood from figuring out their next move had died with Jake¡¯s slip. He could see it in the way the others nodded and went to pack their things.


    Jake couldn¡¯t blame them, though, he felt Felix¡¯s loss just as strongly. His first instinct when he saw this potential hiding spot had been to go talk to Felix and see what he knew, and he¡¯d even been halfway to his feet before he¡¯d remembered.


    Shaking himself, Jake put his grief aside and went to find Ari. They weren¡¯t out of danger yet, so they needed to get moving as soon as possible.


    The older man was sat outside the safehouse, staring off into the trees as he sipped at a flask. Ari had always been energetic, irreverent and ready to act, to see him like this seemed so wrong somehow.


    ¡°Made a decision, then?¡± Ari asked, glancing over at Jake before patting the space next to him and taking another swig.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a trio of Dungeons west of here that we¡¯re going to head to. The Dungeons aren¡¯t popular and there¡¯s a safehouse right in the middle, so we should be pretty safe. It¡¯ll give us time to figure out our next moves.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah, I know the area you mean. Not one I¡¯ve been to,¡± Ari said, shrugging slightly. ¡°I was always more interested in the exciting or more rewarding Dungeons. This Realm always felt like a stepping stone to more.¡±


    ¡°Then how did you end up back here as an instructor?¡±


    Ari turned to give Jake a raised brow at the blunt question, a hint of a smile touching his lips briefly. ¡°I lost my motivation, my reason to push forward. I thought if I came back here, back to the beginning, I might find it again.¡±


    ¡°Did you?¡± Jake asked softly.


    Ari let out a humourless laugh. ¡°Nope. I found my old instructor, which felt like a good sign, but here we are. He was like a father to me, you know. Took me in when I first Ascended, taught me everything I know, and now he¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°You must hate me for my part in this,¡± Jake said, his voice little more than a whisper.


    ¡°You¡¯re hardly to blame here, Jake,¡± Ari said, turning away from him. ¡°This business with the Fatesworne is bigger than any of us. Felix and I knew the risks of trying to help you once we realised what you are.¡±


    ¡°I just feel so guilty, and so lost. Where do we even go after this?¡± Jake asked, looking to Ari hopefully. ¡°Getting us safe is the obvious move, but what then?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the easy part,¡± Ari said, finishing his flask before getting up. ¡°All this has been to get you out of here, so once we¡¯re safe, you need to start planning how to reach your third tier.¡±


    ¡°So after all this, we just leave?¡± Jake asked, the question coming out with more heat than he¡¯d intended.


    ¡°That¡¯s a question only you can answer, Jake,¡± Ari said over his shoulder as he walked back into the safehouse.


    Turning back to the woods, Jake sat with his thoughts until it was time to go, guilt gnawing at his mind.

 DN2 53 - Horrid I

    Jake led them north at first, before slowly shifting their path to the west, doing his best to avoid any chance of them passing by the Fatesworne.


    Thankfully, wherever their masked pursuers were, Jake had picked a road that they weren¡¯t guarding, and they made good progress.


    There was a moment of relief when they realised they¡¯d got far enough that they were free and clear. For now, at least.


    Despite that, the mood of the group was poor. A long march like this gave them all too much time to think about how bad losing Felix truly was, and Ari¡¯s silence didn¡¯t help.


    The older man had said nothing since they left the safehouse, simply trudging along at the rear of the group with a distant look in his eyes.


    Jake considered trying to talk with him, but he didn¡¯t even know where to begin. He¡¯d come to rely on Felix a lot since they¡¯d met, but Ari¡¯s relationship with the older man had been far beyond that.


    Jake had never known his parents, and that had gnawed at him since the first time he was mocked for it, but that also meant he¡¯d never experienced losing them. Felix wasn¡¯t Ari¡¯s actual father, but he¡¯d clearly seen him as something similar.


    Eventually, they stopped to camp for the evening, and Jake decided it was time to focus on the future. ¡°So, Aspen, you said these places were horrid?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, famously so,¡± Aspen said with an almost natural smile. ¡°Each in their own way, of course.¡±


    ¡°But horrid how, what makes them so bad?¡± Alan asked with a curious expression.


    ¡°Well, my least favourite is the mud one,¡± Aspen said, shuddering a little. ¡°The whole thing is filled with mud, Krok flies and Bilv. It¡¯s a nasty experience, and the mud is a bad combination with acid spitting beetles and flying insects.¡±


    ¡°That sounds unpleasant,¡± Nepthys said with a grimace. ¡°Just the thought of trying to manage that kind of fight while in mud is enough to make me want to avoid it.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Jake said, rolling out his bedroll and fishing out some rations. ¡°What about the others?¡±


    ¡°Well, the other one I don¡¯t like is set in a maze-like environment with an open sky. The annoying part is that the only monsters you find are flying. Flying serpents and those Jask hawks, if I remember right. Not really a problem place as such, but can be a bad match for groups without many ranged options.¡±


    ¡°We should be fine there,¡± Gargan said, tapping the wand at his hip. ¡°We have more than enough firepower for a Dungeon like that.¡±


    ¡°And what about the last one?¡± Nepthys asked, cocking her head to one side curiously. ¡°The one that you don¡¯t mind?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that one is a real special case,¡± Aspen said with a more natural smile. ¡°It¡¯s an undead Dungeon, but only has zombies, and they¡¯re all Beasts.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Jake shared a confused look with Alan. ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    Aspen shrugged with one shoulder as he pulled out a wrapped pack of jerky and began to tear pieces off. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly an expert on Dungeon theory. You tell me.¡±


    Jake rolled his eyes. ¡°Fair enough. What makes that Dungeon a pain, though? Only zombies sounds easy enough.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was what I thought as well. The problem is that the Dungeon floors are short, so everything is crammed in. For first tier classers, a swarm of zombies is tough.¡±


    ¡°Right, makes sense, I suppose,¡± Jake said, mentally noting that he really wanted to visit that Dungeon. It sounded interesting, if nothing else.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Discussing the Dungeons seemed to have at least broken everyone out of the silence that had been lingering over them all. By the time they set a watch and went to sleep, everyone but Ari was back to at least close to their normal selves.


    -**-


    The following morning, Jake took the time to plan out their journey, consulting with Aspen on what the terrain was like to actually travel.


    A map was one thing, but actual experience of the area was vital.


    They had at most a week of supplies with them, but comfortable travel would get them five days, so Jake stuck to that. They¡¯d take a circuitous route, staying away from commonly travelled areas, before eventually arriving at the safehouse.


    ¡°Alright, what do you all think?¡± Jake asked, laying out the plan to the others.


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly excited to see these new Dungeons, but this route is reassuring,¡± Alan said, giving Jake a relieved look. ¡°Hopefully, we can stay at this safehouse for as long as we need.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, though I¡¯d like to suggest some alterations,¡± Gargan said, leaning forward to tap a Dungeon that Jake was having them skirt around. ¡°This is a little used Dungeon, if we camp nearby we could slip in at night and delve it. Alan and I could scout it first, to be safe, but it could be a good way to get you another Dungeon.¡±


    Jake nodded slowly, surprised that Gargan was putting so much thought into what he needed. ¡°Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, thanks.¡±


    ¡°Inevitably, we will cross the Fatesworne again,¡± Gargan said, meeting Jake¡¯s eyes with a serious expression. ¡°We all need to be ready for that, and more Dungeons is an easy way to help strengthen you.¡±


    Gargan¡¯s words turned the mood tense, but Jake took it for the vote of confidence in them that the caster had meant.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get moving. We¡¯ve got a lot of distance to cover.¡±


    -**-


    Five days of tense travel later, they finally found their way to the safehouse. As Gargan had suggested, they¡¯d stopped to delve the Dungeon they¡¯d passed, sneaking in during the dead of night to do so.


    The Dungeon had been in its first tier, with a woods-like environment that was populated by the Blomgurn flowers that Jake had met in the past. It had also been home a Lineage of small humanoid constructs made of earth and mud.


    The constructs had been irritating as their nature had required that they be almost completely destroyed before they truly died.


    The Boons Jake had been offered had been far from what he was looking for as well, so he¡¯d taken the increase to his Manifestation.


    Calling it up with his System, Jake ran his eyes over the names of each Dungeon, recalling each one. They really had been through a lot of Dungeons by this point.


    Plexus Development - (IV) - This Boon may only be increased in rank by choosing it at additional Dungeons, but it has no cap on its rank level. Increases Manifestations available by one per rank. Granted by the Firva Veranis, Haugask Deja, Wilfek Murk and Ormel Infernis Dungeons.


    Dismissing the information, Jake turned back to their new home for the near future. The safehouse was built in a thick section of woodland, its walls designed to blend in with its surroundings.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get settled in and then head to the first of the Dungeons,¡± Jake said, trying to sound optimistic as he led the way inside.


    They¡¯d discussed their plan on the way here and had decided that they¡¯d only be delving at night for the time being. That way, they wouldn¡¯t risk someone arriving while they were inside the Dungeon.


    It also meant some long nights for them, but with their higher tier and ranks, that was manageable. Secrecy was paramount right now.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m actually interested in just how bad these Dungeons are going to be,¡± Alan said, patting his bow fondly. ¡°We won¡¯t have an issue with that flying one, so we could start there?¡±


    Jake shrugged slightly. ¡°Whichever we want, really, they¡¯re all about the same distance from the safehouse so we¡¯ll be able to reach them by nightfall.¡±


    ¡°The flying one, then?¡± Nepthys asked, waiting a moment for any objections before nodding. ¡°Alright then, which way, Jake?¡±


    ¡°Feel free to unpack here, I¡¯ll keep an eye on your thing,¡± Ari said hoarsely, not meeting Jake¡¯s eyes as he dropped his own bag off to one side with a clinking sound.


    Ari¡¯s pack had been noticeably heavier after they¡¯d come out of their delve, and since then, Ari had been drinking from a flask each evening.


    Jake wasn¡¯t a fool, he knew what was happening, but considering the circumstances, he couldn¡¯t blame Ari.


    Sharing a worried look with the others, Jake forced a smile and nodded as he opened his pack and took out everything but the essentials. ¡°Sure thing. We¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡±


    Leaving behind their camping gear would lighten their load, and they could cut back on rations as well. They could get more from Ivaldi if needed, after all. Stocking up on potions would probably be a good idea as well.


    When they were finally ready, Jake led the way as they set off to the first Dungeon, already wondering what they¡¯d do once they finished all three Dungeons. Would they stay here? Move on?


    Jake needed Wyrdgeld and lots of it if he was going to reach the end of this tier, but he also needed a fifth second-tier Dungeon. That meant that he¡¯d eventually have to venture beyond this little pocket of unpleasantness.


    He supposed he could save that until he was at the end of the tier and linger here until then, but that just felt like he was avoiding the issue.


    Grimacing, Jake put the thought out of his mind and focused on getting them to the next Dungeon in one piece.

 DN2 54 - Horrid II

    The Dungeon was quiet and still when they arrived late that evening. It looked as though all the cabins were empty, and they had the run of the place.


    ¡°Straight in, or should we rest first?¡± Jake asked, gesturing to the benches that were dimly illuminated by the dusk light.


    ¡°Straight in, I¡¯m a bit stressed and killing monsters will help,¡± Aspen said, glancing around with a frown. ¡°I know that coming to the Dungeons at night will be best, but I don¡¯t particularly like it.¡±


    Jake silently agreed as they used the last of the light to make their way to the Dungeon. In theory, their plan was ideal for their situation, but the practical side of getting around at night was difficult.


    They could use torches, but that was hardly stealthy, and they were more likely to draw attention than if they simply arrived late in the day.


    They¡¯d work it out eventually, this was only the first test of the idea, after all.


    The interior of the Dungeon was lit by flickering torches, so they were able to find their way to the stairs easily enough, and in no time at all, they were in the Dungeon.


    Jake hissed at the bright sunlight of the Dungeon, blinking rapidly as he peered around at their surrounding. They were in what looked to be a valley of some kind, with tall rock walls on either side and rocky spires dotted throughout.


    The width of the path ahead was easily two or three times as much as any other Dungeon Jake had been in, and the rocky spires stretched a good twenty feet above them.


    ¡°Huh, not quite what I was expecting,¡± Jake said, eyeing the rocky spires dubiously. He was reminded of the columns they¡¯d seen in the other flying-themed Dungeon and how the monsters had used them as cover.


    ¡°Yeah, I forgot how big it is,¡± Aspen said, limbering up and bouncing on his toes. ¡°Might want to swap to your wand, though.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, good point,¡± Jake said, sheathing his sword and drawing his wand. He¡¯d lost the first one at the safehouse, but thankfully, he had a spare he could use. Hopefully, between him, Alan and Gargan, they¡¯d be able to shoot down any attackers with ease.


    That hope proved shortlived, and Jake swiftly found out exactly why this Dungeon was unpopular as they slowly made their way through each floor.


    The monsters attacked with little warning and often came diving in with the sun behind them. If that wasn¡¯t the case, then they would be using the rocky spires as cover to get in close.


    Nepthys used her shield Ability to block any that got too close, but the whole thing was far more stressful than a tier one Dungeon should be.


    Despite that, they finished in good time, and all seemed a bit more relaxed for the workout.


    Unfortunately, the Boons offered weren¡¯t any that Jake had interest in, so he took the increase to his Manifestation, bringing that Boon to rank five.


    Reviewing his System before regrouping with the others, Jake paused as he noticed something different.


    Name - Jake Khesh


    Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon


    Class - Dungeon Noble - Knight


    Tier - II


    Rank - VI


    Dungeon Network - 12


    Plexus Strength - Slight


    Plexus Manifestations - 6/6


    Plexus Points - 2


    For as long as Jake had had his Class, his Plexus Strength had been ¡®Minor¡¯ but it looked like it had improved at some point. What exactly that did, though, Jake didn¡¯t know.


    The wording of the individual Boons was still the same, but that didn¡¯t really mean anything. The only way to know would be to try something and find out.


    With the situation being what it was, Jake hadn¡¯t used any of his Manifestations in the Dungeon, preferring to keep them on hand in case things went wrong later.


    Thinking back, he was pretty sure he hadn¡¯t used them in the last Dungeon either, for the same reason. With six charges, though, he was willing to risk one to find out if anything had changed.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Hurrying out of the Dungeon core, Jake emerged into the foyer alongside his friends and gave them all an excited grin. ¡°Ready to go in again?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an abrupt change,¡± Aspen said, cocking his head to one side. ¡°I thought from all those sighs that you didn¡¯t like this Dungeon?¡±


    Jake froze as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle at the sudden sensation of being watched. It was faint, but there was something to it that reminded him of when the Great Dungeon gave him a portion of its attention.


    Jake had seen enough evidence by this point to be certain that Dungeons were far more than they seemed, and badmouthing one where it could hear them seemed like a bad idea.


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± Jake said, picking his words carefully. ¡°I was just frustrated with my own inability to see the monsters when they used the sun so effectively against us.¡±


    ¡°Right, okay,¡± Aspen said, giving Jake a look that made it clear he didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°You want to go back in, though?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s divide up our spoils, first, though,¡± Jake said, pulling his pack off to show what he¡¯d got.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the Wyrdwood and Jask feathers for equivalent Wyrdgeld,¡± Alan said, eyeing the branch that Jake had and the feathers Aspen had collected. ¡°I¡¯ll get it crafted into arrows at some point.¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Jake said, passing the branch over for a small pile of Wyrdgeld, Aspen doing the same for the feathers.


    A few other small trades were done, the familiar trading feeling almost comforting to Jake.


    Stepping away as Gargan and Alan discussed different infusions and patterns, Jake remembered how Ari had spoken to the Dungeon, back when they first started.


    He was also quite sure that they¡¯d talked about Dungeons before while still inside them, and he hadn¡¯t had such a strong reaction.


    Perhaps the lack of people here meant that the Dungeon was lonely?


    Jake laughed at the idea as soon as it crossed his mind. It was one thing to give Dungeons credit for the level of intelligence involved, but it was another entirely to assign human emotions to them.


    ¡°Ready when you are, Jake,¡± Alan called over, bringing Jake back from his thoughts as they moved back to the stairs into the Dungeon.


    They hadn¡¯t had much of a rest, but two delves of a tier one Dungeon felt well within their capabilities.


    -**-


    ¡°Okay, this is just weird,¡± Aspen said as his thrown spear pinned a flying serpent to a rocky pillar, finishing the delve. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this happen before. I¡¯ve never even heard of it happening.¡±


    Jake managed a wan smile as the others chimed in their agreement.


    ¡°I mean, the first floor I thought it was just coincidence,¡± Aspen continued as he walked over to retrieve his weapon. ¡°But all five floors, and not a single attack from overhead using the sun. That was what this Dungeon was infamous for, and it just stopped?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s just a coincidence,¡± Jake said hopefully. ¡°Or you¡¯ve just never encountered it.¡±


    ¡°As much as I hate to support Aspen, he¡¯s right,¡± Gargan said, rolling his eyes at Aspen¡¯s victorious grin. ¡°Minor changes over time is one thing, but our last delve had dozens of such attacks, and this time not a single one.¡±


    Jake shrugged and focused on harvesting all the remaining Wyrdgeld, not wanting to engage further. He knew what had happened, knew it with a certainty that surprised him.


    The Dungeon had listened to him. It was a crazy thing to say, but it had listened to him and changed to remove what he didn¡¯t like.


    Jake wasn¡¯t quite sure what he was going to do with that information, but at least he knew for certain just how intelligent Dungeons were.


    Though, that also raised even more questions about the Dungeon where he¡¯d got Moby. The Dungeon had highlighted Moby¡¯s Boon, something he¡¯d not encountered since then.


    Looking at his Dungeon interactions in a new light, Jake realised that that whole encounter made even less sense than before.


    Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jake followed the others back out of the Dungeon and into the foyer, momentarily lost in his thoughts.


    ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± Nepthys asked as they lingered in the foyer. ¡°I¡¯d be willing to delve again, but I¡¯d like to rest for a bit. Sitting outside in the dark isn¡¯t that appealing, though.¡±


    Jake made a noncommittal noise and drifted away from the group as they discussed what to do for the rest of the night. Nepthys had a point, they did need somewhere to rest between delves, and Jake had a crazy idea for what to do.


    ¡°Dungeon?¡± Jake asked softly, pitching his voice so that the others wouldn¡¯t hear. Immediately, he felt the weight of attention that he¡¯d come to associate with the Dungeon and smiled at the nearby wall. ¡°Thank you for making those changes, I hope that helps bring in more delvers for you over time.¡±


    The attention of the Dungeon had gained a touch of clarity now that Jake had bound it, and as he focused on the slender connection between them, he thought he picked up a wisp of satisfaction.


    Suppressing his excitement over being able to actually communicate with the Dungeon, Jake cleared his throat and asked the important question while focusing on their connection. ¡°Dungeon, is there somewhere we can rest inside?¡±


    Curiosity, uncertainty.


    ¡°We want to rest in here because it¡¯s dark outside, and we don¡¯t want to be spotted by anyone.¡±


    Curiosity.


    Jake took that to be a question of why they were hiding, if he had to explain darkness then they had a real problem. ¡°We¡¯re being hunted by a group called the Fatesworne, who are working with Corrupters.¡±


    Anger. Disgust.


    ¡°Exactly, we¡¯ve killed a few already, and avenged some Dungeons they killed, but we need to be stronger to deal with the rest. Can you help?¡±


    No emotions passed over their connection, but after a few moments a nearby section of wall opened up, revealing one of the revival rooms.


    ¡°Thank you, Dungeon,¡± Jake said, turning to the others and motioning to the open room. ¡°The Dungeon has said we can stay here, so let¡¯s take some time to rest.¡±

 DN2 55 - Connected I

    The interior of the revival room had been shifted in the brief moments before it had been opened to them, providing several stone slabs at seat height, as well as a table and some lighting.


    ¡°Jake, what¡¯s going on?¡± Alan asked, looking around the room in amazement. ¡°How did you do this?¡±


    ¡°I explained our issue to the Dungeon, and it kindly provided for us,¡± Jake said, glancing up the ceiling as he continued. ¡°Thank you for the change in furniture and extra lighting. It¡¯s appreciated.¡±


    Jake felt a distant echo of satisfaction from the Dungeon and looked back to see the others were all staring at him in shock.


    ¡°You can just talk to it like that?¡± Aspen asked in a strangled voice, his eyes wide.


    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s a recent development,¡± Jake said, shrugging slightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t even realise it worked like this until it changed the way the monsters worked.¡±


    ¡°I knew there was something odd about that!¡± Aspen shook his head, looking a little overwhelmed. ¡°Is this something that all Dungeon Nobles can do?¡±


    Jake shrugged and looked to Nepthys for help, but she returned the gesture. ¡°Our bloodlines don¡¯t often work together, so your abilities weren¡¯t really part of my training.¡±


    ¡°Well, I hope all Dungeons will be like this,¡± Alan said, getting as comfy as he could on the stone seating. ¡°It certainly beats sitting out in the cold between delves.¡±


    Jake nodded as he followed suit, wondering how easy this would be to recreate with other Dungeons. For that matter, he wondered if they could communicate somehow, or were they isolated?


    There was just too much that he didn¡¯t understand, but this still felt like a huge step forward. It was also a nice tangible benefit to his Class beyond his Boons. One with staggering potential as well.


    -**-


    They delved twice more before heading back to the safehouse, the mood of the group almost back to where it had been before they lost Felix.


    It wasn¡¯t the same, in some ways Jake thought it would never be the same again. Still, it was a step forward, and if they wanted revenge, they needed to keep moving forward.


    Ari was sat outside the safehouse when they made it back, his sword on the floor next to him along with an empty bottle. ¡°How did it go?¡±


    ¡°It went well, we got several delves done, and I found out I can communicate with Dungeons,¡± Jake said, relaying the whole story to Ari. ¡°Did you know that was possible?


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± Ari said, frowning in thought. ¡°Dungeons change slowly over time for the most part. I¡¯ve heard of a few larger changes in the past, but always as rumours. Not that I¡¯ve had much to do with your side of things.¡±


    ¡°Maybe those minor changes are actually other Dungeon Nobles,¡± Alan said, fighting back a yawn. ¡°Interesting as this is, I¡¯m going to go get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, not a bad idea,¡± Jake said, stretching and yawning as well. ¡°Let¡¯s set up a watch schedule and get some sleep.¡±


    -**-


    It was difficult to sleep during the day, which wasn¡¯t entirely unexpected, but Jake eventually managed to catch a few hours sleep.


    Hopefully, he¡¯d get used to it, but it was only a temporary measure, so even if he didn¡¯t it wasn¡¯t that big a problem.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°So, which one next?¡± Aspen asked as he served up some heated rations. ¡°Any preferences?¡±


    ¡°The undead Dungeon would be my choice,¡± Gargan said, sipping his tea as he spoke. ¡°Undead are unclean monsters, so my Abilities will be strong against them. If they¡¯re all Beast strength undead I expect us to have little issue completing the Dungeon quickly and with a minimum of effort.¡±


    ¡°Strong argument, I do like easy Dungeons,¡± Aspen said, arching a brow as he turned to Jake. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Jake spread his hands palms up. ¡°We¡¯ll be doing both, so it makes no difference to me. Leaving the one we¡¯re going to dislike the most to last is fine by me. That way we can go back to whichever we liked of the others.¡±


    ¡°Now that that first Dungeon has changed things a bit, I don¡¯t mind it,¡± Aspen said with a slight shrug. ¡°Once we¡¯ve done all three I wouldn¡¯t mind delving there again.¡±


    ¡°Same, it was a good test of my skills,¡± Alan said, his eyes going distant for a moment before he sighed. ¡°I still have a lot of hidden things to find to reach my next tier, but maybe the mud Dungeon will help with that.¡±


    ¡°What about the two of you?¡± Jake asked, looking between Aspen and Gargan. ¡°How close are you to reaching the next tier?¡±


    ¡°Pretty close,¡± Aspen said with a heavy sigh. ¡°The problem now is finding Worthy enemies. I only need a dozen, maybe even less. With how things are going, though, that will take some time.¡±


    ¡°Same situation for me,¡± Gargan said, tapping his hand on the table for a few moments. ¡°It is getting somewhat frustrating. Awakened monsters are still Worthy for the most part, but that¡¯s only one monster for a full delve.¡±


    ¡°So, how does that work when we¡¯re all fighting one?¡± Alan asked, cocking his head to one side in thought. ¡°Is it just whoever actually deals the killing blow?¡±


    ¡°To an extent,¡± Nepthys said. ¡°The System judges participation and involvement. If the two of us were to fight something Worthy and we were both heavily involved, we might both be awarded for it.¡±


    ¡°Right, that sounds hard to judge,¡± Alan said, rubbing his jaw. ¡°It feels like everything gets harder the better we get at doing this.¡±


    ¡°Stagnation is failure,¡± Aspen said with an uncaring shrug. ¡°The road to success is a steep path. Every step forward is a step up, and the next one gets a little harder.¡±


    ¡°A cheery sentiment,¡± Alan muttered, shaking his head. ¡°One that I wish I could argue with.¡±


    Jake picked at his food, considering his own issue. This need for the other Classes to earn Deeds was tough, but his own problem with Wyrdgeld was only going to get worse.


    His next rank was going to cost almost eight hundred Wyrdgeld, a staggering amount and it was only going to get worse. If Jake was working things out right, the last two ranks would be over a thousand Wyrdgeld each.


    Shaking off his worries, Jake finished off his meal and went to grab his things. ¡°Come on then, let¡¯s get going.¡±


    -**-


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s wait here,¡± Jake said as they reached the edge of the clearing around the second Dungeon. ¡°Alan, could you go on ahead and see what the situation is?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no problem.¡± Alan nodded, walking quietly forward to get a closer look.


    A few minutes passed before the Scholar came jogging back. ¡°No one here, as expected. We¡¯re good to go.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see how bad this one is,¡± Jake said, setting off for the Dungeon while they still had some light. As he did, he mentally went over the information Aspen had given them, making sure he was ready.


    From what Gargan had said, they were in a good position to deal with this Dungeon, but Jake did worry about being overconfident. Eventually, they would be going back to second tier Dungeons, and he didn¡¯t want to bring any bad habits along with them.


    Heading down the stairs to the first floor, Jake stepped through the dark interior of the door to find himself in the ruins of a city illuminated by a full moon in a clear sky.


    Much like the last time they¡¯d been to an undead Dungeon it looked like the bounds of their path was set to a single wide street. This time, however, the location of the monsters was clear in the form of a group of eleven shambling zombies.


    The monsters were moving as a group in a random pattern but came no closer than a hundred feet from the entrance. Roughly the same distance beyond them, Jake could see the exit to the second floor.


    ¡°Disconcerting, isn¡¯t it,¡± Aspen said, giving Jake a knowing look. ¡°We¡¯re so used to ambushes and having to follow a path that something direct like this catches you off guard.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I see what you mean,¡± Jake said, chuckling softly to himself. ¡°I must admit, though, I kind of like it. There¡¯s no pretense at being something else.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but it isn¡¯t great for new classers,¡± Aspen said with a laugh. ¡°Imagine if this was the first Dungeon you tried. Back when I first Ascended this would have been a nightmare.¡±


    ¡°Well, good job that we¡¯re not freshly Ascended then,¡± Jake said, drawing his sword and wand and baring his teeth at the other classer. ¡°First to seven kills wins?¡±


    Aspen¡¯s face lit up at the offer and flames blossomed around the head of his spear as he nodded before immediately darting forward, Jake only a few steps behind him.

 DN2 56 - Connected II

    The number of zombies per floor rose by one each time they moved on, ending with the Guardian floor having a cluster of fifteen zombies waiting for them.


    It felt odd to see the slow increase in strength first hand, and Jake mentally marked this Dungeon as one that would be perfect for him to delve alone.


    The only concern here was the zombies, and they were hardly a powerful or difficult enemy. It also helped that the rewards were purely Wyrdgeld. Even the Challenge room was just another wave defence against zombies, with a bag of Wyrdgeld as a reward.


    The whole thing was over in hardly any time, and Jake was soon sitting in the Dungeon¡¯s Throne, binding it to his Plexus.


    The Boons available weren¡¯t really to Jake¡¯s taste, so he ended up taking the increase to his Manifestations once more. He had seven now, enough that when they were next in a deadly fight, he could be more free with their usage.


    Satisfied with his rewards, Jake went to leave the heart of the Dungeon before pausing and looking up at the ceiling. ¡°Dungeon? We¡¯re hoping to stay and delve all evening, but we need somewhere to rest inside. Could you make a revival room available for us and furnish it accordingly?¡±


    Jake felt the weight of the Dungeon¡¯s attention, and its curiosity as it considered his words. There was a touch of hesitation as well, however, so Jake added an incentive. ¡°I promise that we will delve the whole thing at least four more times before we leave in the morning.¡±


    The faint sense of acceptance came over their bond, and Jake nodded his thanks before heading back out to rejoin the others.


    ¡°Good news everyone,¡± Jake said as they entered the Dungeon¡¯s foyer, drawing the group¡¯s attention. ¡°I spoke to the Dungeon, and we should be able to rest here for tonight.¡±


    ¡°Good news indeed,¡± Nepthys said brightly, looking around for the entrance to their waiting room before glancing back at Jake. ¡°Where is it?¡±


    Jake waited patiently for a few moments before coughing and muttering under his breath. ¡°Please open the door, Dungeon.¡±


    A flicker of what Jake could have sworn was amusement came over his bond with the Dungeon, but a section of wall slid open nearby a moment later.


    ¡°Break for a few minutes and then go again?¡± Alan asked, looking over at the door hopefully. ¡°It was a long walk here, so my feet could use a rest.¡±


    Jake laughed but nodded, heading over to the converted revival room to take a break. To his surprise, the interior was much nicer than the previous Dungeon, with actual furniture not just shaped stone.


    Perhaps it was the city setting of this Dungeon, but whatever the reason, Jake was happy for it. Sitting down in a worn armchair, Jake decided to wait until they were starting the next delve to tell them about his part of the deal.


    -**-


    In the end, they actually ran seven delves of the Dungeon. Its straightforward layout and simple design made each delve take a lot less time and effort, which was a nice change.


    Jake fought back a yawn as they trudged through the undergrowth back to the safehouse. From how his eyes were burning, he doubted he¡¯d struggle to sleep this time.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Their trip back had been as quiet as the one before, it truly did seem that this area was as devoid of classers as Aspen had said. Now that he knew the Dungeons were actually aware, that seemed like a shame to Jake.


    Perhaps the change he¡¯d made to the first Dungeon would encourage classers to visit. Perhaps he could even return to the undead Dungeon and offer it some advice, and maybe do the same for the third one.


    Jake was considering what exactly that advice would be when they came back into view of the safehouse. Once again, Ari was sat outside waiting for them.


    Once again, there were empty bottles next to his chair, more than before.


    ¡°So you¡¯re back,¡± Ari said, looking them over before nodding. ¡°Looks like it went well. I¡¯ll be coming along on your next excursion, though. I have something I need to retrieve from Ivaldi.¡±


    Jake nodded but shared a brief worried look with Nepthys. He was getting a little worried about Ari, but he knew they all handled grief in different ways. They¡¯d give him time and space, though there wasn¡¯t much else they could do.


    Heading inside, they split off to head to their quarters, ready to get some sleep in preparation for heading to the final Dungeon in the evening.


    Jake had just finished unpacking his things when there was a soft knock at the door. Heading over, he opened it up to find Nepthys standing in the hall, looking tired but oddly determined.


    ¡°Nepthys, is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, everything¡¯s fine,¡± Nepthys said, looking away for a moment before meeting Jake¡¯s eyes. ¡°Can I come in?¡±


    ¡°Erm, yeah, of course,¡± Jake said, stepping aside to let her in before closing the door. He had a feeling that whatever she wanted to discuss was something to stay between the two of them.


    ¡°I wanted to talk about the conversation we had the other day,¡± Nepthys said, turning to face Jake with an oddly intent look. ¡°To talk about what I said.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Jake said, not quite sure where she was going with this.


    ¡°Well, with everything that¡¯s happened, I feel like what seemed certain just a few months ago has fallen apart. Losing Felix so suddenly made me realise we could all die doing this at any time. We could die a few weeks from now, and none of my family¡¯s plans would matter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had some thoughts like that as well,¡± Jake said honestly. ¡°I think this has hit us all in its own way, made us really come to terms with what the stakes are.¡±


    Nepthys nodded emphatically before taking a single step closer to him, her cheeks flushing a little. ¡°Well, it¡¯s made me realise how foolish it is to push away something that might make me happy. Fear of complications in the future shouldn¡¯t stand in the way of us living our life.¡±


    Jake felt his heart skip a beat as he realised what she was saying, his throat turning dry as he tried to think of what to say.


    ¡°So I guess what I¡¯m trying to say,¡± Nepthys said, stepping closer again so that they were mere inches apart. ¡°Is that I¡¯ve reconsidered it all, if you¡¯re still interested?¡±


    Jake saw the brief moment of vulnerability in her eyes as she asked the question, and some distant part of him realised how much courage this must have taken.


    Right now, his heart was racing and the pound of his blood in his ears was drowning out the world as he slowly nodded. ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    A brilliant smile touched Nepthys¡¯s lips and Jake found himself leaning in, his arm slipping around her waist to draw her close.


    They came together with a heated kiss that sent a shiver down Jake¡¯s spine as he lost himself in the moment. It was far from Jake¡¯s first kiss, but there was something about it that set it apart from any other.


    As they came apart, flushed and holding each other, Jake saw the same feeling in her eyes and leaned in once more.


    -**-


    Nepthys ended up staying until just before they were due to get ready to leave. A final kiss lingered on his lips as she slipped out the door to return to her room and get ready.


    The whole thing seemed fantastical and unreal to Jake, but he¡¯d slept much better with someone beside him. In itself, that was a new experience for him, and one that he hoped to repeat.


    There were potential problems for the future, problems that killed Jake¡¯s smile as he considered them. Then again, like Nepthys had said, they might very well die doing all this.


    Issues with her family could wait until they¡¯d beaten the Fatesworne, and that wasn¡¯t going to happen anytime soon.


    Until then, Jake was going to enjoy exploring what this was between them.


    ¡°Jake?¡± Alan called out from the hall, startling him out of his thoughts. ¡°Aspen¡¯s about to serve breakfast, or should I call it dinner?¡±


    Jake shook his head and got up to start getting ready. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a moment.¡±

 DN2 57 - Advice

    As he¡¯d said in the morning, Ari joined them on their trip to the third of the local Dungeons. It was also the one they were looking forward to the least, or at least, Jake was.


    The idea of struggling through mud while fighting Krok flies wasn¡¯t exactly pleasant, that was for sure. At least the huge bugs were slow and easy to pick off, but that was about the only upside he could think of.


    Fortunately, the mud outside the dungeon was easy enough to see, so they could pass around the worst of it. To an extent, anyway. It seemed that Aspen hadn¡¯t been exaggerating when he talked about how waterlogged the whole area was.


    Avoiding a foul-smelling pool of stagnant water, Jake moved over to walk with Nepthys.


    ¡°Sorry I ran off so abruptly earlier,¡± Nepthys said softly, pitching her voice to keep her words between them.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay, I understand why,¡± Jake said with a smile. ¡°We don¡¯t want to make anything awkward, right?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Nepthys said, giving him a relieved smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should change anything about how we act around the others, or when we¡¯re in a Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°That does make sense.¡± Jake nodded slowly. He hadn¡¯t really considered how what had happened earlier would effect them within Dungeons. Keeping things the same did sound like a good idea, though.


    ¡°Good.¡± Nepthys flashed him a broad smile before dropping down to a heated whisper. ¡°Once we¡¯re back, though, I wouldn¡¯t mind a repeat of earlier.¡±


    Jake cleared his throat, feeling abruptly too warm all of a sudden. ¡°Yeah, that sounds good.¡±


    Nepthys took one look at his expression before laughing throatily  and waving away the questioning look from the others.


    Flushing even more, Jake hurried forward to the head of the group and tried to get himself settled and under control. They were going into a potentially dangerous situation, after all. This wasn¡¯t the time to get distracted.


    -**-


    Thankfully, this Dungeon was just as deserted as the others, so they took a few minutes to visit Ivaldi before heading inside. Alan and Jake didn¡¯t really have anything to withdraw, but they did take the chance to stock up on healing potions and rations.


    Aspen was withdrawing a large parcel of steaks, but they didn¡¯t want to be completely reliant on his cooking. Ari took out a large parcel as well, but Jake had a feeling that it wasn¡¯t food.


    ¡°Ivaldi, do you mind if I ask a question?¡± Jake asked, moving over to the storekeeper once the others had left.


    Ivaldi nodded and gestured for Jake to take a seat. ¡°You may ask, but I promise no answers.¡±


    Jake shrugged and sat down. ¡°Well, I wanted to ask how Varin is. I¡¯m worried that the Fatesworne will target him now that we¡¯re out of their reach. For now, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Your concern does you credit, but Varin is in no danger from them. It seems their focus is entirely on you, and to a lesser extent, Nepthys.¡±


    Jake frowned at that. ¡°I thought you hadn¡¯t heard of the Fatesworne before I mentioned them? Yet now you are sure that Varin is not their target?¡±


    Ivaldi leaned back and considered Jake¡¯s words for a few moments before slowly nodding. ¡°That is correct. Once you brought them to my attention, I was able to involve myself in the situation. To an extent.¡±


    ¡°Involve yourself?¡± Jake repeated, his eyes narrowing as he met the shopkeeper¡¯s calm gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What exactly have you done?¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°I must remind you that I am bound by rules. This skirts upon the edge of that. For now, take me at my word regarding Varin.¡±


    ¡°Every time I take a step forward, I find some new block from me truly understanding everything,¡± Jake said, getting to his feet as he spoke and fixing Ivaldi with a hard glare. ¡°One day, I¡¯ll understand it all. You can be certain of that.¡±


    ¡°I do believe that you will,¡± Ivaldi said softly. ¡°I will watch your progress with interest, Jake Khesh.¡±


    Jake frowned, not sure what to make of this whole conversation. Shaking his head, he turned to leave. It was time to focus on the Dungeon. He¡¯d reflect on all this later.


    -**-


    The third Dungeon was just as bad as Aspen had described. Ankle-deep mud covered everywhere they went, not enough to be a true hazard. More than enough, however, to make the whole delve intensely unpleasant.


    Dodging acid required swift movements, which was all but impossible in the thick blanket of mud. That meant more minor injuries for them, and a few embarrassing slips in the mud.


    By the time they defeated the giant acid-spitting beetle at the end of the Dungeon, they were all filthy and more than ready to take a break.


    Gathering their Wyrdgeld, they trudged on to the exit, Jake leading the way. As much as he disliked this Dungeon, he was eager to see what Boons it had to offer.


    It did feel slightly disrespectful to be trudging mud through the heart of the Dungeon and getting it on its Throne. Then again, this mud was the Dungeon¡¯s fault to begin with.


    Jake went through the usual steps to bind the Dungeon before moving on to the Boons it offered. At first glance, there was nothing that spoke to him, but something made him give the last one a second look.


    The voices whispered about moving freely and without restraint. At first, Jake had taken that to mean just through mud, but it wasn¡¯t.


    He¡¯d had more than a few Manifestation increases from the last few Dungeons, so Jake decided to risk the Boon and selected it as his reward.


    Nature¡¯s Path - (I) - Granted by the Dufsott Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to move without hindrance through natural terrain types. Maintaining the effect draws on the power of the Manifestation.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Jake muttered to himself, reading through the Boon before nodding slowly. This would be ideal for Dungeons like this, or for more worldly problems.


    The wording was somewhat ambiguous, but Jake would test it on their next delve to see what sort of effect it had.


    On the thought of the next delve, Jake cleared his throat and glanced up, finding it easier to address the ceiling. ¡°Dungeon? I was hoping to give some advice and make a request, if that is at all possible?¡±


    The familiar weight of attention fell on Jake as he spoke, and he felt a sensation of curiosity across the newly formed bond.


    ¡°Well, I wanted to let you know that while I liked your layout, I didn¡¯t how much mud there was. It was something none of us liked, in fact. I¡¯d even go so far as to say it puts other classers off on venturing out here. If you reduce it, or limit it to certain areas, I think that would improve the experience.¡±


    Jake winced at the displeasure that flowed across their bond, but he¡¯d only spoken the truth and he was quite certain the Dungeon knew so.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a reason for the mud, but as it stands, it just isn¡¯t a delve that I¡¯d want to do again.¡±


    Reluctant acceptance.


    ¡°If you make some changes, I¡¯ll get the others to go through again,¡± Jake said, assessing the bond before continuing. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you could lend us a revival room to rest in, though. Some alterations to make it more comfortable wouldn¡¯t go amiss either. If you do that, we¡¯ll stay for several delves and give all the feedback you need.¡±


    Consideration. Acceptance.


    Jake grinned and nodded, satisfied with what he was sensing from the Dungeon. Truthfully, he didn¡¯t mind the idea of doing it again, just as long as the amount of mud was reduced.


    -**-


    ¡°Oh, this is so much better,¡± Aspen said, leaping clean over a pool of thick mud to skewer a Krok fly with his spear. ¡°This is more like a worthy challenge than a slog like before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± Jake said, hiding a smile as he felt a similar emotion come from the Dungeon.


    This was their fourth delve of the night, and each one had brought some minor changes to the way the Dungeon was put together.


    The final version they had now was a far cry from the original. Yes, there was a lot of mud still, but it was concentrated to deeper pools. It was possible to go the whole floor without getting muddy, but if you avoided the mud, it made it harder to deal with the monsters.


    Aspen seemed to enjoy the challenge inherent in that, which was a good sign as far as Jake was concerned.


    Sadly, they were all still caked in mud from the first delve, but at least they weren¡¯t adding to it. Well, not as much anyway. Jake had been obliged to try out his new Boon in some of the worst conditions.


    From what he could tell so far, the Boon was about allowing him to move freely despite where he was. When standing in mud, he¡¯d been able to walk with no resistance at all, with no danger of slipping either.


    Sadly, there wasn¡¯t really any other way to test it in this Dungeon. Still, it had good promise, and Jake looked forward to its potential use in the future.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s work through the rest and then head home,¡± Jake said, taking the dry path over to Aspen. ¡°We¡¯ve done our initial rounds, so tomorrow we should plan our next steps.¡±

 DN2 58 - Crossed

    Ari was waiting for them outside the Dungeon, his pack full from his visit to Ivaldi. One look at their bedraggled appearance drew out a smirk from the older classer. ¡°Looks like you all had some fun in there. Did you remember to leave some mud behind, or have you brought it all with you?¡±


    ¡°Very funny,¡± Jake said, rolling his eyes as he flicked off a drying flake of mud from his arm. A blast of fire from Gargan had come quite close during the Guardian floor, baking some of the mud on his clothes.


    ¡°Jokes aside, are you ready to head back?¡± Ari asked, nodding in roughly the direction of the safehouse.


    ¡°Absolutely, I¡¯m more than ready to be rid of this mud,¡± Alan said, hurrying past Jake and waving for them to hurry up.


    Chuckling, Jake jogged after Alan, just as ready to get back as the Scholar clearly was.


    The Boon he¡¯d gained here would be useful, but Jake doubted they¡¯d be back. It was just too unpleasant, even with the changes the Dungeon had made, for the little Wyrdgeld they could make.


    A tier two Dungeon would be perfect for them now, one that they could use to sharpen themselves and build up their funds. Even with all they¡¯d done, three full nights of delving these Dungeons, Jake still needed another three hundred Wyrdgeld.


    That was just to reach his next rank, let alone to increase any Skill or Trait ranks.


    Jake rubbed his face and suppressed a sigh. His Boons were incredibly powerful, but the cost to advance was painful. With what they had now, Alan was due to reach rank nine overnight, leaving Jake the furthest behind at rank six.


    Of course, he just had to get there and bind a single tier two Dungeon, whereas they had their Deeds to complete. Even so, he needed to work hard. He couldn¡¯t afford to hold them back.


    -**-


    The trip back to the safehouse was as uneventful as always, and Jake could feel the group relax as the sturdy building came into view.


    That relaxation only lasted until they saw the horse grazing outside, and it whinnied loudly.


    ¡°Yvette?¡± A voice came from inside the building and a moment later, a portly man was framed in the doorway, a bow in hand.


    Jake stared in shock at the unwelcome surprise, but Ari simply raced forward, weaving around an arrow as he did, to grab the man by the throat and slam him up against the outside wall of the safehouse.


    ¡°Who are you, and who sent you!¡± Ari growled into the man¡¯s face, his hand tightening around the other man¡¯s neck.


    The man gasped and clawed at Ari¡¯s hands, his bow clattering down onto the wooden flooring.


    ¡°Ari, stop!¡± Jake shouted, rushing after the other classer, right as the horse charged forward and reared up to kick at Ari¡¯s head.


    Ari dodged aside, dragging his captive with him, giving the horse an incredulous look before turning back to the choking man. ¡°Make it stop, or I¡¯ll make it stop for you.¡±


    The man spluttered but held a hand up to quiet the horse as he gazed pleadingly down at Ari.


    ¡°Ari, let him go!¡± Jake shouted, finally catching up and pulling Ari off of the other man. ¡°We need him alive, damn it!¡±


    Ari growled something under his breath and stalked away, visibly shaking with anger.


    ¡°Fuck you, I¡¯ll never talk,¡± the intruder gasped in a strained voice as he glared up at Jake defiantly. ¡°Trike-loving scum!¡±


    Ari whirled around, murder in his eyes, but Jake got in the way. ¡°Wait, wait, we¡¯re not with the Triarchy.¡±


    The man got unsteadily to his feet, his gaze flicking between each of them. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. This is some sort of trick.¡±


    ¡°No trick,¡± Jake said, holding his hands up to try and calm matters further. ¡°We¡¯ve been staying here, we¡¯re not Triarchy.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you,¡± the man said bluntly, his eyes narrowing. ¡°How did you find out about this place?¡±


    ¡°Felix told us about it,¡± Jake said, deciding not to mention the map, just in case. ¡°He was working the resistance.¡±


    ¡°Was?¡± The other man asked sharply, rubbing at his throat before glancing at Ari.


    ¡°The Fatesworne killed him, which is why we¡¯re here. We needed somewhere to hide where they couldn¡¯t find us.¡±


    ¡°Fatesworne?¡± The man echoed, looking a little confused and a lot less defensive.


    ¡°Look, this is a lot to take in, so why don¡¯t we start from the beginning?¡± Jake asked, making a general motion to the interior of the safehouse. ¡°We¡¯ve been up all night, so I¡¯d appreciate a hot drink and somewhere to sit down. My name¡¯s Jake, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Gordon,¡± the resistance fighter said, somewhat reluctantly. ¡°And this is Yvette.¡±


    The horse whinnied before tossing its head and heading back to where it had been grazing.


    ¡°Alright, good to meet you, Gordon. Let¡¯s talk things through.¡±


    -**-


    They took a few minutes to stow away their things before gathering in the central area of the safehouse. Ari lingered in the doorway while the rest of them took their seats, which Jake took to mean that he was in charge of this conversation.


    ¡°So,¡± Jake said, nodding to Gordon. ¡°You¡¯re part of the resistance, right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Gordon said in a somewhat guarded voice. ¡°And you¡¯re what exactly?¡±


    ¡°Enemies of the Triarchy,¡± Nepthys said simply, but Gordon didn¡¯t seem convined.


    ¡°Several of us have Patrons,¡± Jake said, hoping that would explain matters a bit further. ¡°We¡¯ve been attacked and hunted by them since we Ascended. Nepthys was actually captured for a short time, which is when we first encountered the Fatesworne.¡±


    ¡°Captured¡­¡± Gordon echoed Jake with a furrowed brow. ¡°Where was that?¡±


    ¡°Casthorpe, we actually met another resistance member there as well,¡± Jake said, deciding at the last moment not to give her name out. Just in case.


    Gordon nodded and relaxed with a smile. ¡°I know Michelle. She told me about you when I last went by there.¡± Gordon paused and ran his eyes over them all before nodding to Aspen and Gargan. ¡°These two are new, right?¡±


    Jake gave a tight nod, wondering briefly what Karl and Rhew were doing now. Hopefully, the plan had worked, and they weren¡¯t having to deal with the Triarchy or the Fatesworne.


    ¡°Alright, this changes things,¡± Gordon said, sitting back and giving Jake an appraising look. ¡°Sorry for all the confusion here, I had no idea there would be anyone using this safehouse.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, no harm done,¡± Jake said, giving the other man an encouraging smile. ¡°So, what are you doing her anyway?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a messenger. I keep all the different groups updated on what¡¯s happening so we can coordinate as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything you can share with us?¡± Jake asked, perking up at the idea of news.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s been a lot of Triarchy activity all over the place in recent weeks. Starting in the south and moving north. We¡¯ve had reports of corrupters killing Dungeons as well, though I¡¯m not sure how they fit into all this.¡±


    ¡°Which Dungeons?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a map here,¡± Gordon said, pulling out a heavily folded map that he unfurled and straightened out. ¡°These here have been reported destroyed.¡±


    Jake nodded as Gordon tapped at the Dungeons they¡¯d seen themselves. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t seem aware of any beyond that, which was something.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem too surprised by that,¡± Gordon said, leaning back from the map.


    ¡°We encountered those Corrupters and dealt with them,¡± Jake said, pausing for a long moment before coming to a decision. ¡°Let me give you a summary of what has happened since Casthorpe.¡±


    Taking a moment to cast his mind back over everything that had happened since then, Jake began to summarise it as best he could.


    He didn¡¯t go too detailed, but he made sure to cover the broad strokes of it all. This was as good an opportunity as any to try and get some more information and make some allies.


    The resistance had helped them before, it might well do again.


    Gordon listened to it all with an expression of growing incredulity. When Jake finally caught up to where they were now, the other man took a long moment to think about it before replying.


    ¡°Alright, this changes some things, and it puts some information I have into new light.¡± Gordon leaned forward once more and tapped a finger onto an area north of Casthorpe, right in the centre of Strovia. ¡°There is a Triarchy outpost here that we¡¯ve been keeping an eye on. They¡¯re supplied by a nearby town called Fextran. I have a feeling that they will be of particular interest to you.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Jake asked curiously. He hadn¡¯t heard of Fextran before, and it certainly didn¡¯t look like a large town.


    ¡°Well, it came to our attention more than a few years ago when we noticed that there was a discrepancy between how many people were officially stationed at this outpost and the volume of supplies being delivered.¡±


    ¡°What did you find?¡± Alan asked, perking up slightly.


    ¡°We found that the number of Triarchy personnel present was exactly correct, and the supplies weren¡¯t being forwarded on,¡± Gordon said, leaning back with a grin that made Jake frown.


    ¡°So, where were the supplies going?¡±


    ¡°As best we can tell, they¡¯re being used. We¡¯ve not managed to get anyone inside the outpost, so we¡¯ve kept the place under watch to try and figure out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°We were fighting not so long ago,¡± Nepthys said, folding her arms and giving Gordon a hard look. ¡°Why tell us this?¡±


    ¡°Because for as long as we¡¯ve been keeping watch we¡¯ve had sporadic reports of masked classers sneaking into and out of the outpost. Most recently a band of them left and went east. Normally, they take their time and we¡¯re sure we miss most of them, but this time, they were rushing.¡±


    ¡°Have you had a description of their masks?¡± Jake asked, wondering if this was finally the clue they needed to try to figure out what was happening.


    ¡°Yes, and it matches what you¡¯ve described perfectly. So whatever the Triarchy are doing in this outpost, the Fatesworne are involved.¡±

 DN2 59 - Goals I

    Silence stretched across the room for a long moment before Jake nodded. ¡°Alright, so what¡¯s the catch?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Gordon asked a little too quickly.


    ¡°I mean that Nepthys is right,¡± Jake said, shaking his head. ¡°We¡¯ve given you enough to prove we¡¯re on your side, or as best as we can do right now, but that¡¯s a long way from giving us information like this.¡±


    ¡°A fair concern,¡± Gordon said, hesitating briefly before continuing. ¡°The truth is that I was spreading that information through the area so that it would reach Felix. He¡¯d asked us to find any references to the Fatesworne in his last contact. If he¡¯s truly gone, then you deserve to have that information. Besides, the Corrupters destroying those Dungeons has caused some panic. We owe you for dealing with them, though I won¡¯t pretend that I¡¯m happy to point you at an area that has been an issue for us.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Jake said, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. ¡°I think that whatever this outpost is, it is the next place for us to visit. To do that, though, we need to be as strong as possible and know the lay of the land, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Gordon¡¯s eyes narrowed, but he nodded slightly. ¡°I can¡¯t argue with that. What are you asking of me?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll stay here and strengthen ourselves while you head back to your superiors and arrange for as much detailed information as you can get. I want to know everything about that outpost, and I want to know as much as possible about the hunters the Triarchy have brought in to find us.¡±


    ¡°Neither of those will be easy, especially not the hunters. I can¡¯t promise what quality of information I will return with. We¡¯ve not survived against the Triarchy this long by being free with information.¡±


    ¡°All I ask is that you do your best,¡± Jake said with a slight shrug. ¡°What matters most here is that we have a summary of the situation, and as much detail as you can manage. Felix trusted you all to back us up, so I¡¯ll do the same.¡±


    Gordon studied Jake intently for several long moments before nodding. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll head back and pass all that on to my superiors. For what it¡¯s worth, I hope they give me everything we have. A lot of people take our current situation for granted, but I¡¯ve never trusted it. Now, knowing that the Corrupters, Fatesworne and Triarchy are all working together, I trust it even less.¡±


    ¡°Situation?¡± Jake echoed, arching a brow questioningly. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Gordon looked a little confused but gestured to Nepthys. ¡°I meant our situation of not needing Inquisitors.¡±


    ¡°Nepthys, what does he mean?¡± Jake asked, turning to face her.


    ¡°He means that one of the reasons why there are no Inquisitors is that Corrupter activity in Strovia is almost non-existent,¡± Nepthys said, holding up a hand as Jake went to speak. ¡°I mean that in a comparative way. Since the purge of our people, there has been hardly anything worth reporting. However, in the last couple of years, we¡¯ve had reports of rifts or Corrupter activity. Not much, but I was sent to investigate. There aren¡¯t many of us, so unless we see another run of Dungeon¡¯s being attacked, I won¡¯t be able to call for help.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really feel like they aren¡¯t active, though,¡± Jake said, thinking back on how many times they¡¯d encountered Corrupters in the last few months. ¡°Or are Corrupters attacking all the time elsewhere?¡±


    ¡°No, the amount we¡¯ve seen is far more than usual,¡± Nepthys said thoughtfully.


    ¡°Something to consider,¡± Aspen said, drawing their attention. ¡°Is that with how quiet the Corrupters have been, how likely is it that they would go on a loud killing spree?¡±


    Jake picked up on where Aspen was going with it and leaned back in his chair with a frown. ¡°You think it was a trap to draw us out?¡±


    ¡°The messages we saw would support that,¡± Alan said. ¡°The Fatesworne who attacked us could even have been that second group.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but why? It seems a lot of effort to go to just to kill me.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°You¡¯re a threat, we both are,¡± Nepthys said with a slight shrug. ¡°But even so, this is a big response.¡±


    Something about that statement resonated with Jake and he turned his attention back to Gordon. ¡°I think that outpost might be the key. Please do your best to get us whatever information you can.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Gordon said, rising to his feet. ¡°I will set out immediately, and return as soon as I can.¡±


    Jake blinked in surprise before realising that despite it being the end of their day, it was actually early in the morning.


    Thanking Gordon, Jake helped the messenger gather his things and sent him away on Yvette. As he did, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this was the right way to go.


    The resistance had seemed friendly to Felix, but it felt like a lot of things were changing, and part of him worried that Gordon would betray them.


    All it would take was a word to the wrong people and a kill team of Fatesworne would be on them in no time at all, of that, Jake had no doubt.


    Still, this was their best chance at doing something, of taking control and choosing their fight.


    Heading back inside, Jake saw the tired look in everyone¡¯s eyes and sent them to get some sleep. They¡¯d talk about it later, before heading to whichever Dungeon they chose.


    Pausing before he followed them, Jake saw that Ari was sat outside on his own, sipping from a flask. The older classer hadn¡¯t involved himself at all once they¡¯d started to talk to Gordon.


    Seeing him now, Jake realised just how poorly Ari was coping with everything. He was still a protector and a powerful influence, but that wouldn¡¯t last for long, not at this rate.


    Rubbing his face and letting out a tired sigh, Jake made his way back to his room, chuckling to himself as he heard heavy snoring coming from Aspen¡¯s room already.


    Deciding that Aspen had the right idea, Jake pulled off his boots with a sigh of relief and climbed into bed, asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.


    -**-


    To his surprise, Jake managed to sleep for a full eight hours, even during the day, and woke up late in the afternoon, feeling refreshed.


    Getting up and heading through to the kitchen, Jake saw that Ari was still posted up outside, with several empty bottles scattered next to him.


    Frustrated and unsure what to do, Jake settled on stoking a fire and setting some water to boil. He¡¯d make some tea and see if he could have a conversation with Ari.


    ¡°I¡¯d say morning, but that feels silly,¡± Nepthys said, walking in to join Jake as he started to brew the tea. ¡°Is it just us?¡±


    ¡°Ari¡¯s awake outside,¡± Jake said, glancing around to make sure they were still alone before continuing in a whisper. ¡°He¡¯s been drinking again. I was going to try and talk to him about it.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t, not yet,¡± Nepthys said, moving over to lean against the counter, her arm brushing against his. ¡°Give him time to process.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe you¡¯re right,¡± Jake said, pausing as he remembered their conversation the day before. ¡°Erm, about last night¡­¡±


    Nepthys chuckled and waved aside his half-formed explanation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I stopped by and could hear you having that snoring competition with Aspen. There will be other opportunities.¡±


    Jake nodded, his mouth dry, before jumping as he heard Aspen clatter into the kitchen as well.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready for some bacon, I¡¯ve got the good stuff!¡± Aspen dropped a thick paper-wrapped package onto the counter before adding a loaf of bread and some eggs.


    Taking the tea, Jake quickly fled the kitchen before Aspen roped him into doing some work.


    Taking a seat, Jake poured the herbal tea and passed Nepthys a mug. Hopefully, this would be what he needed to help crystallise some thoughts that had been bouncing around in his mind.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Nepthys asked, chuckling at the confused look he gave her. ¡°Your brow is all scrunched up, something is clearly bothering you.¡±


    Jake laughed and set down his tea. ¡°It¡¯s this thought of us being a threat. It just doesn¡¯t quite sit right.¡±


    ¡°What doesn¡¯t sit right?¡± Alan asked, walking in with a yawn. The Scholar perked up at the sight of the tea and hurriedly poured himself some.


    ¡°Jake doesn¡¯t like something about the reasoning we have for being hunted,¡± Nepthys said, bringing him up to speed.


    ¡°Alright, so what don¡¯t you like about it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s just that something bothers me,¡± Jake said, struggling to put the feeling into words for them.


    ¡°Alright, well, let¡¯s work it through,¡± Alan said, leaning forward intently. ¡°Is it who¡¯s involved?¡±


    ¡°No, that seems right as best we can tell.¡±


    ¡°Is it about the hunt itself, the method used?¡± Alan asked, humming to himself as Jake shook his head. ¡°What about the timings that Gordon mentioned, something there?¡±


    ¡°Timing, yes, that¡¯s it exactly,¡± Jake said, sitting bolt upright as he turned to Nepthys. ¡°Did you encounter any Corrupters before meeting us?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a couple, not many though.¡±


    ¡°Then why did all this begin when it did?¡±


    ¡°Because you became a Dungeon Noble. That seems to be the start of it all.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, but the question is why?¡± Jake gestured to himself. ¡°I¡¯m hardly a threat at the moment, so why go through all this trouble. If it was you, I¡¯d understand it, but why hunt me?¡±


    ¡°It has to be something to do with your Class,¡± Alan said, cocking his head to one side. ¡°You¡¯re the first one to be back, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but why?¡± Jake asked rhetorically. ¡°All my Class does is increase the tier of Dungeons. Why oppose that?¡±


    ¡°To keep Strovia weak, so that the Triarchy can control it,¡± Nepthys said with a frown.


    ¡°That explains their actions, yes. What about the Fatesworne and Corrupters, though?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Nepthys shared a worried look with Alan.


    ¡°Neither do I,¡± Jake said, slumping back into his chair. ¡°Hopefully, Gordon can bring us back something that will change that.¡±

 DN2 60 - Goals II

    Aspen bustled in not long after they got to the source of Jake¡¯s unease, bearing plates of breakfast sandwiches for them all.


    Gargan was drawn into the room by the delicious scents, and they quickly devoured it all before Jake shared the conclusion they¡¯d come to.


    Unfortunately, Gargan had no more an idea of what their enemies were trying to prevent than the rest of them.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s leave that for now,¡± Jake said, moving them on from talking in circles. ¡°We¡¯ve got a week or two until Gordon gets back. How are we going to put it to use?¡±


    ¡°The only thing we can do that will make a difference is push to the third tier,¡± Nepthys said with a slight frown. ¡°I can¡¯t break into it myself without hunting a few more Corrupters. I¡¯m not far off though, only two and I can break through.¡±


    ¡°As much as I¡¯d like you to make it to the third tier, I hope that we don¡¯t encounter any of them here. This is a good position, and I¡¯m loathe to give it up.¡± Jake paused and ran his gaze over the others before nodding. ¡°The rest of you, though. I think I have some ideas. Remind me what you need for your Deeds?¡±


    ¡°I need to exploit weaknesses,¡± Alan said with a slight frown. ¡°I¡¯ve made progress, but I¡¯m only halfway there since we reached this tier. It¡¯s started slowing down as well.¡±


    ¡°Does it say they need to be Worthy?¡± Aspen asked, patting Alan on the shoulder as he nodded. ¡°It will only get harder the closer to the end you get. That¡¯s why Gargan and I are still this tier.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but what exactly do you need?¡± Jake asked, leaning forward intently.


    ¡°I need to defeat Worthy enemies with a flaming weapon.¡±


    ¡°And you, Gargan?¡±


    ¡°The same, but with fire, not a weapon.¡±


    ¡°So, is it the enemy that has to be Worthy, or the challenge that they represent?¡± Jake asked eagerly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Aspen said, rubbing his jaw before looking at Gargan. ¡°Do you know?¡±


    ¡°It depends on what you¡¯re trying to do,¡± Gargan said thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ve not given too much thought to the rules behind it beyond what¡¯s common knowledge. I suppose I was just too focused on fighting stronger monsters.¡±


    ¡°I fully understand that. It just occurred to me to question what stronger means,¡± Jake said, grinning as he saw the growing interest in Gargan¡¯s posture. ¡°If I fight a zombie is it the same as if I fight it again when it has armour and a weapon? What about my armour or weapons?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one way to really know,¡± Nepthys said, shrugging as they all turned to her. ¡°We¡¯ve got to go test it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m all in favour,¡± Aspen said, getting to his feet and clapping his hands together. ¡°Where are we heading, then?¡±


    ¡°Back to the undead Dungeon,¡± Jake said, heading to his room to grab his pack. He had some ideas for how to mix things up, and he couldn¡¯t wait to see what worked.


    -**-


    Jake could barely contain his enthusiasm by the time they got to the undead Dungeon and he quickly hustled them inside and onto the first floor.


    ¡°Alright, so what¡¯s the plan?¡± Aspen asked as he peered off at the distant shambling zombies.


    ¡°Okay, first test is to change equipment. How much are you willing to risk for this?¡± Jake asked seriously, making sure that Aspen knew he wasn¡¯t joking. ¡°Are you ready to risk death?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it would count if I wasn¡¯t,¡± Aspen said with a grin. ¡°This is exciting, what do you have in mind?¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Take your armour off and give Alan your spear,¡± Jake said, taking off his pack as Aspen did as he asked. ¡°Alright, here you go.¡±


    Aspen looked down at Jake¡¯s hand with a bemused expression before reaching out to take his new weapon. ¡°Jake, this is a butter knife.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that you can¡¯t kill a zombie with a butter knife?¡± Jake asked, folding his arms.


    Aspen considered the question for a moment before shrugging as flames erupted along the knife, concentrating along the edge. ¡°You know, I think I want to get the answer to that myself.¡±


    ¡°Good, just don¡¯t use anything else, only the knife. I want to see if that works.¡±


    Absently nodding, Aspen chuckled to himself as he sauntered off toward the zombies, the small flaming knife at the ready.


    The undead saw Aspen¡¯s approach easily enough and shambled in his direction, only for Aspen to use his movement Skill to get in amongst them.


    It was somewhat surreal watching Aspen slaughter the zombies with his butter knife, but what mattered was that it was difficult. Aspen had to get in close to really hurt them, and with how outnumbered he was, that meant he had to move quickly and not stop for anything.


    The concentrated fiery edge of the knife cut through the flesh of the zombies without issue and one by one they fell. A few lucky strikes left Aspen with some scratch marks, but from the grin on his face, Aspen had enjoyed himself.


    ¡°Now that was a challenge!¡± Aspen called out as he drew out the Wyrdgeld from the bodies. ¡°Difficult, but manageable.¡±


    ¡°Did you get credit for a Worthy kill?¡± Gargan asked quickly, smiling broadly as Aspen nodded.


    ¡°I got one credited to my total for the fight. Honestly, that¡¯s the first one I¡¯ve had in a while, and it felt good.¡±


    ¡°Well then, same again?¡± Jake asked, motioning to the entrance to the second floor.


    ¡°I do believe I shall,¡± Aspen said, twirling his knife before tucking it into his belt.


    ¡°So, what do you have in mind for me?¡± Alan asked as they made their way to the end of the short floor. ¡°I can¡¯t exactly do this.¡±


    ¡°No, but once we¡¯ve tried a few things I¡¯ll understand more,¡± Jake said, giving Alan an encouraging pat on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll figure something out. You¡¯ll have to work for it, but I doubt that will be a problem.¡±


    Alan nodded with a serious expression. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be the one holding us back. I¡¯ll put the work in, you just tell me what I need to do.¡±


    Jake nodded before following Aspen through to the second floor. Thankfully, the short format of the Dungeon meant that the next set of zombies were nearby.


    Drawing his butter knife, which still amused Jake to watch, Aspen used his Skill to cover it in flames before dashing in to fight the zombies.


    Between Aspen¡¯s movement Skill, his experience and his higher tier, the second batch of zombie¡¯s had no chance. It took a little time, but eventually Aspen finished the last one by all but removing its head with a vicious cut.


    All in all, the second group had actually taken less time now that Aspen had found his feet with the butter knife.


    Jake hurried forward to see if their plan had worked again, but after a few moments of waiting, Aspen shook his head. ¡°Nothing changed this time.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Gargan muttered with a grimace. ¡°I was hoping we¡¯d found a way forward.¡±


    ¡°You and me both,¡± Aspen said, cleaning his knife before stowing it in his belt. ¡°I was just starting to get the hang of it as well.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Jake said abruptly, his mind racing. ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°That you got the hang of it. It was a novelty at first, and so you had to push yourself, but then you got used to it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but how does that help?¡± Aspen asked, looking unconvinced.


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s about difficulty and challenge, then why don¡¯t we set some ground rules. If you go in and aim to just reduce how much you use your Skills, that¡¯s one thing, but if we set a rule that you can only use your flaming weapon Skill¡­¡± Jake trailed off as he saw their thoughtful expressions.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head to the third floor and try it again,¡± Aspen said with a shrug. ¡°This time I¡¯ll set the rules that the only active Skill I can use is my Flame Infusion and I¡¯ll only use the blunt side of the knife.¡±


    ¡°Will that be enough to truly challenge you?¡± Jake asked, trying to think of what else they could do. ¡°What about only killing them by decapitation?¡±


    Aspen exhaled heavily and was about to shake his head before he paused and shrugged. ¡°That sounds horrible, but that¡¯s kind of the point, so let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Hurrying onward, they moved on to the third floor and sent Aspen forward to once again take on the zombies alone.


    Without his movement Skill, Aspen had to work a lot harder to fight the zombies, and took a few more scrapes and cuts from them in the process. Despite it all, though, he stuck to the rules he¡¯d set.


    Eventually, the final zombie had its head removed by the slight edge that Aspen had on the blunt side of his knife, and the fight was over.


    ¡°So, did it work?¡± Jake called out as they rushed over to join him.


    Aspen turned with a broad grin, ignoring the blood trickling down his arm from a close call. ¡°It did. I got another one from that fight.¡±


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re on to something, after all,¡± Alan said excitedly. ¡°Nicely done, Jake.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet,¡± Jake said, flashing the Scholar a malicious smile. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard what I have in mind for your Deeds. First, though, let¡¯s see if we can get Aspen a few more Deeds of his own.¡±

 DN2 61 - Challenge I

    By the time they finished the Dungeon, Aspen had picked up two more Deeds for increasingly restricting himself when fighting the undead.


    The final fight had been tough to watch, and Aspen had come out of it bloody and wounded, but he¡¯d come that much closer to his goal.


    It was going to be difficult to find ways to further push Aspen forward, but he needed only a handful of Deeds to finally be able to advance.


    Jake wasn¡¯t sure they¡¯d manage it all in this Dungeon, but when they changed Dungeons, hopefully they could think of new ways to push things.


    Once they were out of the Dungeon, Aspen came over with a pouch of Wyrdgeld and dropped it into Jake¡¯s hands. ¡°Here, we focused on my Deeds, so you should get the Wyrdgeld. You need it the most at the moment.¡±


    Jake instinctively went to argue but held up his hands as Aspen gave him a hard look. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t protest. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem,¡± Aspen said, flashing him a tired smile. ¡°I¡¯m pretty tired from all that, though. I¡¯ll sit out the next delve.¡±


    ¡°Then I believe it¡¯s my turn?¡± Gargan walked over eagerly, twirling his wand between his fingers. ¡°I must admit, I¡¯m eager to try and copy your success.¡±


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s give it a go,¡± Jake said, leading them back into the Dungeon as Aspen went to take a seat.


    ¡°So, what do you have in mind?¡± Gargan asked as he eyed the first group of zombies. ¡°I suppose I can limit myself to just my Skill rather than my wand.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking of that and of only hitting them in the head, assuming you can manage the accuracy?¡± Jake asked, rolling his eyes at the affronted look Gargan gave him.


    ¡°If Aspen can manage, then I most assuredly can,¡± Gargan said, holstering his wand before putting one hand behind his back. ¡°I will cast with only one hand, aim for just the head and use only my attack Skill, no others.¡±


    Jake was going to say they should start off easier, but Gargan was already striding out to face the undead.


    ¡°Eager, isn¡¯t he,¡± Nepthys said with a low chuckle.


    ¡°I can¡¯t exactly blame him. The two of them have been stuck at this tier for a while. We were their big chance, and then we got stuck here with just tier one Dungeons.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s really going for it,¡± Alan said, letting out a whistle as Gargan snapped off multiple thin bolts of fire in quick succession, immolating the heads of the target zombies.


    In no time at all, Gargan was standing over the last of the zombies and drawing out his Wyrdgeld with a satisfied smile.


    ¡°I take it that was a success?¡± Jake asked as they joined him.


    ¡°Indeed, and it was difficult enough that it wasn¡¯t comfortable. I will push myself to use smaller and more controlled blasts with the following floors. Hopefully, that will be enough to keep it challenging.¡±


    Gargan did his best to restrict himself, but even so, he only managed to pick up a single further Deed for the rest of the Dungeon.


    They ran the whole thing twice more, once for Gargan and once for Aspen, but neither of them were able to gather more Deeds. Their self-assigned challenges had been Worthy at first, but they could only restrict themselves so far.


    Alan did jokingly suggest that Aspen fight the zombies while lying down, but Jake put a stop to that before Aspen could get too intrigued.


    There was making it difficult and there was asking to get killed.


    These were only Beast strength monsters, so they wouldn¡¯t kill him permanently, but it would take time for Aspen to recover. Time Jake wasn¡¯t willing to waste.


    ¡°Here, this is yours,¡± Aspen said, passing Jake the final pouch of Wyrdgeld for the night. They¡¯d given him the full amount from each delve, giving Jake enough to finally rank up.


    He wasn¡¯t going to do it, not yet. He¡¯d build up his total first, so when he did rank up he could advance some of his Abilities. Then again, most of them were capped with how much benefit they were giving, so it might be better to save the Wyrdgeld for advancing further in rank.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Storing the Wyrdgeld Aspen had given him, Jake decided to leave that particular decision for another time.


    -**-


    The next night they returned to the first Dungeon that they¡¯d tried in this grouping.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s your turn, Alan,¡± Jake said once they were inside the Dungeon. ¡°The flying monsters don¡¯t come down out of the sun as much, but I want you to try and hit as many of them in the wing as you can. Bow only, and without using your Skills. Well, any other than that exploitation one, as that might help determine if these actually are weaknesses.¡±


    Alan nodded hesitantly before taking a deep breath and gripping his bow firmly before walking forward into the Dungeon.


    Jake¡¯s plan was for Alan to strike the creatures in the wing and knock them from the sky, which felt like it would work as a weakness. If not, then shooting them in the head while flying seemed like a valid secondary choice.


    Alan did manage a few such shots, which was no small feat against the fast moving flying monsters, but ended up more wounded than Aspen had been on his hardest attempt.


    ¡°Did it work?¡± Jake asked as Alan killed the last monster, jogging over to pass his friend a healing potion.


    ¡°It did, I got three from all that. Two from wings and one from  a head. I know it won¡¯t always be so many, but it feels good.¡±


    ¡°Well, take a minute to yourself, and then let¡¯s do it again,¡± Jake said, carefully patting Alan on the shoulder while doing his best not to hit one of the long cuts on Alan¡¯s back.


    Floor by floor, they worked their way through the Dungeon, finishing with Alan having earned another ten Deeds. The danger and difficulty of what he was doing seemed key to earning them.


    The rate at which Alan was earning the Deeds slowed drastically as they went, but it was still a productive delve.


    Leaving Alan outside to rest, they went back in to do the same for Gargan. Fast moving targets and tight blasts of fire brought Gargan another two steps closer to his goal, but it took the whole Dungeon to do so.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem sustainable,¡± Jake said as they rejoined Alan. ¡°The rate of earning them is dropping fast. I have a feeling that if we want Alan to get there, we¡¯ll need a tier two Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Nepthys said. ¡°I think we can get Aspen and Gargan over the line this week, though. That will give us an edge if we end up heading somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Will you be restricted at all?¡± Jake asked, glancing over at the two classers. ¡°When you get to the third tier, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have the benefit of ascending to the next tier,¡± Aspen said, sharing a look with Gargan. ¡°Which should increase how much Wyrd we can hold. We¡¯ll be able to rank up again, but the benefits of doing so will be suppressed until we get to a higher Realm. Then, once we¡¯ve gone ahead, we¡¯ll be suppressed if we come back.¡±


    ¡°Good to know,¡± Jake said, rubbing his jaw in thought. ¡°If we can get both of you over the threshold, we can then hit a tier two Dungeon so I can do the same. Alan will hopefully be able to match us, and then all we need is to kill some Corrupters for Nepthys.¡±


    ¡°Somehow, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to be a problem,¡± Nepthys said with a laugh.


    ¡°Yeah, you might have a point. Still, this gives us at least the outline of a plan. One that we should be able to finish before Gordon gets back.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯m going to go again and see if I can¡¯t get a few more Worthy fights,¡± Gargan said, heading for the entrance.


    Shrugging, Jake followed after him, ready to assist if things went badly.


    -**-


    The next day they returned to the muddy Dungeon, hoping that the adverse conditions within it would help get either Aspen or Gargan the last few Worthy fights they needed.


    As best Jake could tell, despite the wording of the requirements, an encounter with multiple monsters would still count under normal circumstances, but splitting the contribution made it unlikely to be enough.


    Now, by making the baseline difficulty of a fight much harder, they were just able to reach that threshold.


    Jake watched as Aspen struggled to stay on his feet and dodge the sprays of acid while fighting bugs with a butter knife. While he was glad they¡¯d found a path forward, he was also quite happy that he didn¡¯t have to take part.


    None of this looked pleasant.


    They finished the second delve of the night with Aspen only a single Worthy fight away from meeting his requirements to ascend.


    With a crazed look in his eyes, Aspen drew them immediately back in and all but threw himself at the bugs, slaughtering them aggressively as he hunted for that last Worthy Deed.


    Jake and the others followed the trail of destruction that Aspen left behind him all the way down to the Guardian floor.


    ¡°Nothing!¡± Aspen roared as he ripped the badly damaged butter knife out of the final monster, the flames coating it flickering away a moment later. ¡°I just can¡¯t quite get that last one!¡±


    ¡°Any ideas, Jake?¡± Alan asked, and they all turned to him expectantly. ¡°This was your idea to begin with. Is there anything else we can try?¡±


    ¡°We need something to make the fight harder, something that will push Aspen more than any of this.¡± Jake frowned thoughtfully as they gathered the Wyrdgeld and went through the exit. ¡°The only thing I could think of would be some other type of restriction, one we haven¡¯t done yet. What that would be, though, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ve got it,¡± Aspen said, uncorking a healing potion and taking a deep swig before leading them back to the start. ¡°I need to treat the whole Dungeon as a single encounter, rather than doing them individually.¡±


    ¡°Alright, and what does that mean?¡± Jake asked, though his interest was piqued.


    ¡°It means that I go in alone, with my knife, a single health potion and that¡¯s all. I make it to the end without using any Skills other than to summon my flames, and without resting or I die trying.¡±


    Jake knew there was nothing in there that could permanently kill Aspen, but he still didn¡¯t like the idea. ¡°This feels reckless, are you sure?¡±


    Aspen took a moment to centre himself, inhaling deeply before letting out a slow and steady breath. Meeting Jake¡¯s gaze calmly, he nodded. ¡°Kalinkos is the god of fire and dedication. I have the fire, now I prove my dedication. I will do this, and I will succeed.¡±

 DN2 62 - Challenge II

    Jake paced back and forth as he waited impatiently for Aspen to reemerge from the Dungeon. If this worked, they were one step closer to having the strength to take the initiative and fight back.


    If it didn¡¯t, then they would keep trying, but Jake worried what a failure here would do for Aspen¡¯s drive. He¡¯d worked incredibly hard the last few days, putting everything he had into succeeding.


    Footsteps echoed through the foyer as Aspen limped into view, badly burned from contact with acid and bleeding from several open wounds.


    Despite his wounds, Aspen¡¯s smile was bright, and his eyes burnt with fierce joy. ¡°I got it. The final Deed.¡±


    Gargan was the first to reach Aspen, clasping the other man¡¯s arm and congratulating him earnestly before passing him a healing potion. ¡°Heal up and get yourself ready, I¡¯ll catch up soon.¡±


    For a moment, Jake thought that Gargan would push for another delve, but instead the caster simply helped Aspen over to the converted waiting area to rest.


    Seeing Jake¡¯s look, Gargan gave a subtle shake of his head. ¡°Tomorrow.¡±


    Nodding, Jake pulled out a spare waterskin to help wash off the worst of the mud that was covering Aspen. This was a good point to finish their night on, and he was actually quite excited to see what changes Aspen underwent.


    The final thing they needed to do was stop off at Ivaldi¡¯s for Aspen to withdraw some Wyrdgeld that he¡¯d been storing for just this occasion. A smart move on his part, and one that Jake would follow if things were more normal.


    -**-


    With Aspen¡¯s goal achieved, they made their way back to the safehouse, with Aspen vanishing inside as soon as they got back. Jake couldn¡¯t blame him, though. He was already itching to do his own rank up and Aspen had been waiting for a lot longer.


    Jake wouldn¡¯t be joining him in advancing today, though. He wanted to make sure he could advance his Skills as well, which meant another day or two.


    It was only as his thoughts went to the final Dungeon he needed and his own advancement to the third tier that Jake froze in place, his eyes going wide. He¡¯d forgotten one of the first things Ivaldi told him.


    Cursing, Jake rushed to Aspen¡¯s room, bursting through right as Aspen was in the process of lying down.


    ¡°Jake?¡± Aspen jumped up, his hand going straight to his spear. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Jake grimaced, trying to think of how best to say it before wincing and just being blunt. ¡°You can¡¯t Ascend yet, I need you to stay in the second tier.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Aspen¡¯s voice was flat as he stared incredulously at Jake. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°When I bind a Dungeon, I have to be in the same tier or higher than those with me, or it doesn¡¯t work. So if you Ascend now, we¡¯d have to do it without you. I¡¯d say go for it, but we both know we couldn¡¯t manage with just the four of us.¡±


    ¡°Gods damn it,¡± Aspen said, letting go of his spear and sitting down on the edge of the bed. ¡°Do you know how long I¡¯ve been waiting for this?¡±


    ¡°Too long.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Damn right!¡± Aspen all but growled the words before sighing and waving Jake off. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll hold off. What¡¯s another week or two, right?¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Aspen,¡± Jake said, sighing in relief. ¡°I owe you one.¡±


    ¡°You bet you do,¡± Aspen said, grumbling to himself. ¡°Now get lost, I want some sleep.¡±


    Chuckling, Jake closed the door and went to go tell the others the bad news.


    -**-


    Once everyone was suitably annoyed that they couldn¡¯t just Ascend to the third tier, even when they had their Deeds, Jake left them be.


    Ari had been sitting outside as usual when they got back, but he seemed even more despondent than normal. Making them both a hot cup of tea, Jake went out to sit next to him.


    ¡°Dungeons went well, then?¡± Ari asked with a slight slur, sipping at whatever alcohol was in his flask this time.


    ¡°It went well. Aspen got the Deeds he needed to reach the third tier,¡± Jake said, fighting with himself for a moment before turning to Ari. ¡°You could come with us, you know. Be there as we get stronger.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Ari asked the question absently, not looking at Jake as he took another sip from his flask.


    ¡°To be a part of it, to help us get where we need to be so we can make them pay for Felix.¡±


    The flask froze for a moment before Ari shrugged slightly and took a longer drink. ¡°I¡¯ve already failed enough, you¡¯ll be better without me.¡±


    ¡°You know that isn¡¯t true. We¡¯d be dead without you!¡±


    ¡°Felix begged me to not settle, to keep pushing, but I didn¡¯t. I stagnated, and now he¡¯s dead. Despite what you hope, I¡¯m not what you need, Jake. I¡¯ll only bring you down.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that, I can¡¯t believe that,¡± Jake said, getting to his feet as he fought his frustration with Ari. ¡°You¡¯ve been with us since the first day, are you really going to give up that easily?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that I¡¯ve given up. I¡¯ve just accepted the way things are.¡±


    Jake wanted to shout at him, wanted to try to beat some sense into him, but one look at Ari¡¯s stubborn posture made Jake sigh and let go of his frustration.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, but I can¡¯t make you see that.¡± Jake waited a moment to see if Ari would say anything before walking back inside and heading for his room.


    -**-


    Aspen was still grumbling that evening when they went back out for their next delve. Jake couldn¡¯t exactly blame him, especially when a good part of it was driven by Gargan.


    The caster had struck true when he thanked Aspen for being so good about waiting for the rest of them. The compliment had Aspen preening right before Gargan followed it up by saying how they¡¯d all be starting at the same spot for third tier, despite their difference in age.


    There was only a year or two between him and the other two if Jake remembered right, but the jab had taken the wind out of Aspen¡¯s sails quite effectively.


    ¡°So, are you ready for all this?¡± Jake asked as they entered their chosen Dungeon. Gargan had decided that the one with the flying monsters would be the best way for him to push his Abilities.


    Exactly how Gargan meant to go about it. They¡¯d find out shortly.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Gargan said, taking a deep breath before walking forward with purpose into the first floor. ¡°Stay back and watch for errant flames.¡±


    Sharing a worried look with the others, Jake did just that, making sure to give Gargan a much wider berth than he had for Aspen.


    -**-


    They went through their standard set of four delves throughout the night, with Gargan following much the same progression that Aspen had.


    Fortunately, Gargan was able to restrict himself to a higher degree, so was able to get his final Deed without needing to attempt the Dungeon alone and under unfavourable conditions.


    Just like that, the strength of their party was substantially boosted. They were a long way from being truly powerful, but they¡¯d been holding their own against the rank and file of the Fatesworne before. Once they were done, they would be able to do far better than that.


    Of course, it was all prospective strength. They still needed to find and complete a final Dungeon first. Once they did, though, they would be far stronger than before.


    ¡°So, Alan, ready for your turn tomorrow?¡± Jake asked as they started the long walk back to the safehouse. ¡°I¡¯ve got some good ideas for you, but how are you progressing at the moment?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve made some headway, but it¡¯s slowing down, just as the others said it would,¡± Alan said, sighing slightly before shrugging. ¡°I know it¡¯s silly to be wishing I could go faster, but it feels like I¡¯m slowing everyone down.¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not going to be able to get my final Dungeon while we stay here, and Nepthys needs more Corrupters hunting down,¡± Jake said, patting Alan on the shoulder. ¡°So you never know, you could get there first. I know how hard you work, and that will pay off. Just watch.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I hope you¡¯re right,¡± Alan said, giving Jake a somewhat forced smile.

 DN2 63 - Challenge III

    Ari¡¯s pile of empty bottles was growing steadily, and he didn¡¯t even look up to acknowledge them when they got back.


    From how the others looked on seeing him, they were all equally concerned about Ari, but had no idea what to do next.


    With everyone tired and ready for sleep, there wasn¡¯t much conversation before they drifted off one by one.


    Gargan was the first to go, but Jake wasn¡¯t far behind. He had enough Wyrdgeld saved up to get his next rank and advance whatever Skills he needed.


    As soon as his head hit the pillow, Jake internally triggered the rank up process.


    Sufficient Wyrdgeld is present, presenting ascension options for Tier II Rank VII.


    You currently have one Trait slots available and one Skill slots available.


    At this time, you have unlocked six additional Abilities that may be purchased.


    Skills


    Lesser Sprint - Common - 100 Wyrdgeld


    Lesser Blade Mastery - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    Puncture - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    Traits


    Lesser Endurance - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    Lesser Weapons Expert - Uncommon - 200 Wyrdgeld


    A Weapon for Every Occasion - Rare - 400 Wyrdgeld


    Would you like to purchase or upgrade an Ability?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jake said, picking his choices from the list available. He didn¡¯t want to use up his last slot on anything right now, so he advanced Delver¡¯s Will to the third rank and brought Infused Strike up to the tenth.


    As he did, he felt an odd contraction as a new message appeared.


    You have met the Deed requirements to advance Infused Strike, you have three available options


    Improved Infused Strike - Rare


    Edge Enhancement - Rare


    Wyrd Infusion - Rare


    Jake hesitated, running his mind over each option and feeling the rough outline of what they gave. It wasn¡¯t as clear as the whispers when getting a Boon, but it was enough.


    The improved strike was just that, a straightforward upgrade. Edge Enhancement would focus on cutting, whereas Wyrd Infusion moved away from weapons altogether.


    It felt more like a manipulation Skill, one that was used to apply effects to a range of items. Jake guessed that he had met that requirement through how many different weapons he used and how he infused them all.


    He practiced his manual infusions a lot as well, though he wasn¡¯t quite as good as Alan. Perhaps this would help with that.


    Making the choice, Jake felt the old Skill break down before reforming as the System moved on.


    At this time, you have four available Plexus Points.


    Boons available to be upgraded


    Hidden Fang - 3 Pexus Points


    Orchard¡¯s Gift - 3 Plexus Points


    Hunter¡¯s Grace - 2 Plexus Points


    Shroud of Shadows - 2 Plexus Points


    Nature¡¯s Path - 2 Plexus Points


    Would you like to upgrade one of your Boons?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jake said, picking the Hidden Fang Boon. It had been his secret weapon for a while, and increasing its rank would only aid that.


    With that final action, Jake felt himself slip into unconsciousness as the System got to work.


    -**-


    When Jake woke later that day, he felt the usual physical misalignment of a rank up and spent a few minutes going through some gentle exercises in his room to adjust.


    Once that was done, he brought up his full status so he could see the changes made.


    Name - Jake Khesh


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon


    Class - Dungeon Noble - Knight


    Tier - II


    Rank - VII


    Dungeon Network - 13


    Plexus Strength - Slight


    Plexus Manifestations - 7/7


    Plexus Points - 3


    Traits


    Physical - Lesser Noble Constitution (IV) - Rare - Descended from a Noble bloodline, you have a medium enhancement to physical characteristics.


    Mental - Delver¡¯s Will (III) - Uncommon - Gird your will, advance endlessly. Provides a small bonus to willpower when delving Dungeons.


    Skills


    Passive - Personal Plexus (II) - Very Rare - You gain the ability to bind Dungeons and form your own Plexus, with a small increase to the strength of Dungeons that may be bound. Currently, Dungeons up to Tier II can be bound. Doubles the Wyrdgeld cost of advancing in Class Rank.


    Active - Wyrd Infusion (I) - Rare - You are able to infuse Wyrd into any item you are touching. The effects of any patterns that you create have a minor boost to their power and stability. This effect remains for a meagre time once you are no longer touching the item.


    Bound Items


    Wyrd Infusion - Woadheart Ring - Common - The bound Skill now has a minor reduction in Wyrd cost and any effects it generates that increase impact have a minor boost to their power.


    Patron Gifts


    Passive - Agent of the Great Dungeon (III)  - Very Rare - You are bound to the Great Dungeon by blood and Deed. Other followers of the Great Dungeon will recognise you and aid you as they may.


    Passive - Sense Dungeon (II) - Rare - As an agent of the Great Dungeon, you are able to passively sense the location of nearby Dungeons in a meagre range.


    Passive - Authority of The Great Dungeon (I) - Very Rare - You have the approval of The Great Dungeon and may enact rituals in its name. You gain the knowledge of the Ritual of Castigation. Misuse of this authority may result in its removal.


    Plexus Boons


    Hidden Fang - (III) - Granted by the Holrswar Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a dagger with inherent poisonous properties. Using the dagger, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Orchard¡¯s Gift - (II) - Granted by the Aptofir Veranis Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest an apple infused with vitality. Ingesting the apple transfers this vitality, healing and sating the hunger of its consumer.


    The Mighty Drake - (III) - Granted by the Engans Deja Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest Moby, a mighty drake, to aid you. The Manifestation is consumed in maintaining Moby¡¯s presence, not his actions.


    Dauhaust¡¯s Root - (III) - Granted by the Fyardi Veranis Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a spear which can leech from the blood of the foe. Using the leeching effect, maintaining it, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Hunter¡¯s Grace - (I) - Granted by the Kja Ascen Dungeon, this Boon allows you to use a Manifestation to receive a boost to all physical characteristics when hunting your prey. Maintaining the effect draws on the power of the Manifestation.


    Shroud of Shadows - (I) - Granted by the Valhol Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to become harder to see in dim lighting and darkness. You may also exert the Boon to dim the light surrounding you. Both exerting the Boon and maintaining it draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Nature¡¯s Path - (I) - Granted by the Dufsott Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to move without hindrance through natural terrain types. Maintaining the effect draws on the power of the Manifestation.


    Plexus Development - (VI) - This Boon may only be increased in rank by choosing it at additional Dungeons, but it has no cap on its rank level. Increases Manifestations available by one per rank. Granted by the Herrgak Deja, Julg Ascen, Firva Veranis, Haugask Deja, Wilfek Murk and Ormel Infernis Dungeons.


    Deed requirement to increase Tier


    1 - 5 Tier II or higher Dungeons bound


    2 - Rank X


    Requirements to increase to Rank VIII


    1 - 920 Wyrdgeld


    The biggest development there, despite it being a complete surprise, was the Wyrd Infusion Skill. It had great potential, far more than Jake had been hoping for.


    It was unfortunate that he¡¯d lost his offensive Skill, and the new one was at the first rank, but at the rate they were working through these Dungeons, that wasn¡¯t a problem.


    The Woadheart ring had reduced back down to common as well, but with some time it would grow back to where it had been.


    Jake had a third of the Wyrdgeld he needed to reach the tenth rank, most of which he¡¯d earned in the last week.


    The prospect of more strength was tantalisingly close and Jake found himself considering a change of plans. He needed to spend time working on his new Ability and the patterns it mentioned.


    Following behind Alan as he called out hidden enemies and tried to exploit their weaknesses wasn¡¯t really going to do that.


    Of course, they could take it in turns, as they had before, but Jake had a better idea.


    -**-


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Alan asked once Jake explained what he wanted to do. ¡°It seems risky. What if we run into someone?¡±


    ¡°Then we deal with it as we would if we were all together,¡± Jake said with a shrug. ¡°This is the quickest way forward. You and everyone else can head to the same Dungeon as yesterday, and I¡¯ll go to the undead one and practice my new Abilities.¡±


    Alan still didn¡¯t look convinced, and neither was Netphys, but Gargan spoke up first. ¡°You said you had a new infusion Skill?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s about Wyrd usage rather than a specific effect.¡±


    ¡°Then I will come with you. I can practice my own Abilities and help you with this at the same time.¡±


    Jake considered it for a moment before nodding. ¡°Alright, some help with that will be good. I¡¯ll be pushing hard, though.¡±


    ¡°I expected as such. My own focus is on my new Abilities, but I will be there to support you.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, everyone satisfied with that?¡± Jake asked, waiting for Alan to nod before clapping his hands. ¡°Great, then let¡¯s do it.¡±

 DN2 64 - Infusion

    It felt odd to be travelling with just Gargan, but it gave Jake a good chance to discuss more about Wyrd usage with him.


    They¡¯d gone over patterns of infusions in the past, but while Alan had taken to it with ease, Jake had found it difficult. He¡¯d made progress and had developed a Skill from it, but that felt like he was only scratching the surface.


    Now, talking it back over with Gargan, Jake found the whole subject easier. While the Skill was an active one, it seemed to also provide some basic knowledge, which was more than he¡¯d had before.


    Gargan had Jake perform some basic Wyrd manipulation exercises as they travelled, giving Jake the chance to see what he could create.


    It was easy enough to make one for sharpness, as that had been the underlying pattern his old Skill had focused on. Anything other than that, though, was somewhat more difficult.


    Creating a pattern that was stable enough to work was difficult, and that was with his new Skill working to subtly strengthen the weave.


    By focusing on the point of his weapon, Jake managed to create an infusion that enhanced its capability to pierce, though it was limited to the tip alone.


    Not precisely what he wanted, but it was progress, and Gargan helped him to understand how he¡¯d made it.


    It was all about the pattern, that much he knew, but actually creating something new was enough to show him how it worked.


    With time and practice, Jake was confident that he could make a pattern that did precisely what he wanted.


    Ever since he got the original infusion Skill, Jake had been working on improving the manual process he went through. By watching how the Skill created the effect, he¡¯d been able to improve his own work.


    That process had primed him for this Skill, he could see that now. He could also see that, aside from his Boons, this new Skill was the most variable and flexible Ability that Jake had.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made good progress,¡± Gargan said approvingly as they reached the Dungeon.


    ¡°Thanks, but I think I¡¯ve still got a long way to go,¡± Jake said, drawing his sword and leading the way inside and down the stairs to the true entrance.


    -**-


    Fighting the undead was hardly a challenge at this point, even the actual Challenge wasn¡¯t too difficult. Jake was fairly confident he could have done it all alone, but with Gargan alongside him, there was little threat.


    That wasn¡¯t to say that there was no threat at all, as accidents and mistakes could and did happen. If he ever let a zombie get close enough, Jake had no doubt it would do its best to rip his throat out.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you using your infusions more?¡± Gargan asked as they moved down to the second floor of the Dungeon. ¡°That¡¯s what we came here for, right?¡±


    Jake paused and considered it for a moment before nodding. ¡°I¡¯d been holding back to conserve Wyrd, but you¡¯re right. This is what we¡¯re here for.¡±


    Moving into the second floor, Jake started to vary his infusions, changing what he was using each time to try to improve the pattern and how quickly he could create it.


    Almost by accident, he formed a pattern to boost the impact of a strike, crushing the chest of a zombie with the force of the blow.


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    It took Jake a moment to remember that his Woadheart Ring boosted the impact of anything the Wyrd Infusion Skill created.


    A very useful gift indeed.


    Recreating the pattern, Jake waded into the rest of the undead, quick slashes of his blade cutting through limbs with ease.


    -**-


    Jake found a few more moments of inspiration during the delve, especially when using his Boon weaponry.


    He¡¯d noted in the past that they held Wyrd better than normal weapons, but that also seemed to extend to infusions.


    Practicing the impact pattern was at the forefront of Jake¡¯s mind, but as he was using Dauhaust¡¯s Root at the time, it didn¡¯t really match.


    It worked, of course, but he¡¯d have preferred a piercing pattern, which led to him trying to meld the two, with mixed success.


    At the moment, Jake was able to create a pattern that gave both effects, but the different weaves clashed and even with the increased stability from his Skill, the effects were weak.


    Still, the principle was sound, and it was an exciting development. All Jake had to do now was figure out how to mesh those weaves and he could create a much more powerful infusion.


    If he could learn more patterns, and then learn how to weave them together, then what was already a powerful Skill would be something much more.


    They were taking a break between delves right now, so Jake took the chance to ask Gargan something that had been bothering him.


    ¡°Why does my new Skill do so much more than one of my other Abilities, when they¡¯re both the same rarity?¡±


    ¡°Because not all Abilities are equal,¡± Gargan said with a shrug.


    ¡°But why?¡± Jake asked, rubbing his face with a sigh. ¡°If everything is given by the System, why isn¡¯t it all even?¡±


    Gargan shrugged again and spread his hands. ¡°Who knows why the System does anything the way it does. Rarity only influences the raw power that an Ability can wield. Your new Skill doesn¡¯t do anything more than the other one in those terms. The difference is how you apply that power.¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Jake said, considering his Abilities thoughtfully. ¡°I just kind of expected the higher rarities to be better by nature, but now it feels like that isn¡¯t the case.¡±


    ¡°Welcome to the confusing world of Abilities,¡± Gargan said with a mirthless chuckle. ¡°Too many classers get caught up in the rarity that the System assigns Abilities. Having more raw power is pointless if it isn¡¯t applied correctly.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m beginning to see that,¡± Jake said, more to himself than anything. The synergy between certain Abilities that he¡¯d seen said the same thing, after all.


    Jake had the feeling that a good suite of synergistic Abilities would provide power far beyond what their rarity would suggest.


    If that was the case, though, was that then the aim that every classer should have?


    Jake had been jumping from issue to issue, running from assassins and scrambling for every scrap of power he could find. Should he instead be plotting out the potential Skills and Traits he wanted and then trying to achieve the Deeds they¡¯d require?


    Leaning back to rest his head on the cool stone of the Dungeon, Jake let out a long breath before climbing back to his feet. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get back to it.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Gargan said, getting to his feet and grabbing his pack. ¡°You should practice using multiple patterns some more, you were making good progress. If you get there on your own, the Deeds will be more impressive as well.¡±


    Jake nodded, conjuring Dauhaust¡¯s Root as he led the way back down into the Dungeon. He had monsters to kill and Wyrdgeld to earn.


    -**-


    Several hours and multiple delves later, Jake and Gargan began the slow walk back to the safehouse.


    They¡¯d worked hard, and the result was a hefty amount of Wyrdgeld for Jake and some good practice adjusting to his new capabilities.


    On the face of it, Jake¡¯s Abilities hadn¡¯t changed much. In practicality, though, he¡¯d undergone a dramatic change to his combat style. Getting used to no longer having a Skill was one thing, but adding in the new range of patterns and weaves that he had to remember was something else entirely.


    Still, the upside was that once he mastered this new Skill, he would have a lot more power at his fingertips. Even better, he would be able to tailor that power to the right situations.


    -**-


    Ari was sitting outside, drinking in his usual spot, when they reached the safehouse. As had become his habit, Ari toasted vaguely in their direction with the bottle he was drinking from, no longer even trying to hide what he was doing.


    ¡°Are the others back?¡± Jake asked, keeping his expression neutral as he eyed the bottle in Ari¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re back,¡± Ari said, slurring his words as he stared off blankly into the distance.


    Biting back his response, Jake turned away and walked inside. It hurt to see Ari like this, and it made Jake angry to see him casting his life away.


    Felix wouldn¡¯t want this, but Jake knew that telling Ari that wouldn¡¯t help. Not now.

 DN2 65 - Return

    The next week turned into a blur for Jake as they endlessly delved the same Dungeons again and again. It was bloody work, and Jake quickly found himself running the last delve or two of each day on his own.


    He was fairly sure that was his Delver¡¯s Will Trait coming into play, giving him the drive to push on and face the dangerous monotony of fighting the same monsters over and over again.


    It was a grinding process, and it took its toll on all of them, but the results were undeniable.


    In no time at all, Alan was at the peak of the second tier and ready to Ascend. That put three of the five of them there now, an incredible feat that they¡¯d worked hard to achieve.


    ¡°So, not wanting to rush you,¡± Aspen said as they relaxed in the safehouse between delves. ¡°But how much more do you need to get to where we are?¡±


    ¡°Not much, just a final second tier Dungeon, and I¡¯m done,¡± Jake said with a satisfied smile. It had taken over a week, but he¡¯d managed to make it to the tenth rank of the tier.


    He¡¯d even managed to bring his Wyrd Infusion Skill up to the fourth rank as well, improving its effects to the best they could be until he somehow advanced it further.


    Between the increase in rank and relentless delving, Jake was at a new peak in his strength, and he just needed that final Dungeon to start pushing forward once more.


    The problem now, though, was to decide what to do next. Jake was as ready as he was going to be while staying here, and Nepthys was the same.


    Aspen, Gargan and Alan could try to start working toward their Deeds for Ability upgrades, but that would be a long process, and they¡¯d get very little benefit in the short term.


    That was, if they even saw any benefit at all. Gaining the Deeds for Abilities seemed very difficult to predict.


    No, if the three of them wanted to gain any more strength, they needed to move on to the next Realm. That had become abundantly clear as far as Jake was concerned.


    The problem was getting Nepthys the Deeds she needed and Jake his final Dungeon. Well, the issue was more with Jake¡¯s side than anything.


    They¡¯d been lucky to avoid detection so far, but travelling somewhere new brought new risks, and the chance of the Triarchy or the Fatesworne catching their trail was high.


    That meant that once they left, they had to act as though they were already being hunted.


    Of course, the situation was more complex than all this. The Fatesworne were up to something, and Jake wanted to pay them back for what they¡¯d done before he left. The outpost Gordon had mentioned was the key, he was sure of that.


    Making all of that come together to a workable plan was a headache, but hopefully, Gordon¡¯s return would help matters.


    Once they¡¯d achieved their short-term goals, they cut back on the delving, intending to rest and prepare for the trials to come.


    Thankfully, Gordon returned two days into their rest period, bringing with him the answers to their questions.


    -**-


    ¡°So,¡± Jake said once they were all gathered in the small living area of the safehouse. ¡°What were you able to find out?¡±


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    ¡°The first thing you need to know is that Corrupter activity is rising sharply,¡± Gordon said with a grim expression. ¡°There have been three more first tier Dungeons destroyed in the last week. It was a single group travelling in a roughly straight line, destroying a Dungeon every other day.¡±


    ¡°Was?¡± Nepthys echoed as Jake winced.


    ¡°They were intercepted two days ago by Triarchy forces. We don¡¯t know the exact details, but the Corrupters were killed and the Triarchy suffered heavy casualties.¡±


    ¡°At least it¡¯s been dealt with,¡± Jake said, breathing a sigh of relief. ¡°Though I¡¯m surprised the Triarchy were involved.¡±


    ¡°Normally, they¡¯d lack the right people for a problem like this,¡± Gordon said with a nod. ¡°This particular group was led by the classer who was called in to track you down. It seemed he broke off of your trail to deal with them.¡±


    ¡°That might explain why we¡¯ve been able to stay here as long as we have,¡± Jake said, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully before pausing. ¡°You said heavy casualties. Does that include the hunter himself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, but he will be delayed and need to find your trail again, which gives us time.¡±


    ¡°You said ¡®us¡¯. Does that mean your superiors decided to approve our request?¡± Jake asked eagerly.


    ¡°They do, I¡¯ve been given as much information as we have on the outpost and the Triarchy activity there.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Alan said, holding up his hands to stop Gordon. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. If the Triarchy is working with the Corrupters, why hunt them down?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering that myself,¡± Aspen said with a slight shrug. ¡°As well as what the Corrupters were hoping to achieve. The timing is suspicious.¡±


    ¡°We dealt with the first group,¡± Nepthys said softly. ¡°Perhaps they were hoping we¡¯d be drawn out to attack them as well.¡±


    Jake shivered at the thought and turned back to Gordon. ¡°You said heavy casualties, didn¡¯t you? Just how bad was it?¡±


    ¡°From what we know, over a dozen first tier guards were killed, as well as several veteran hunters.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a lot for a small band of Corrupters attacking first tier Dungeons,¡± Jake said with a growing frown. ¡°I think you¡¯re right, Nepthys. This was an attempt to draw us out, one that would have worked if we¡¯d known about it.¡±


    Silence stretched over the room for a few moments as they considered what might have been.


    Clearing his throat, Alan broke the silence and brought them back to his original question. ¡°So why would the Triarchy interfere, especially if this was a ploy to draw us out?¡±


    ¡°If I may,¡± Gordon said, drawing their attention back to him. ¡°I think I can give you an answer to that. Perhaps not a good one, but the best we have. It¡¯s best if I start at the beginning, though, if you don¡¯t mind?¡±


    Jake nodded and waved for Gordon to continue.


    ¡°First of all, the seeker that has been brought in to hunt you is called Kirn Valnacht. He is a fourth tier classer, as best we can tell. Our sources within the Triarchy say that he wasn¡¯t invited here by the local administration, but instead arrived due to the death of his grandson.¡±


    ¡°His grandson?¡± Jake echoed with a frown, trying to remember anyone with a similar name that they¡¯d come across.


    Gordon nodded with a serious expression. ¡°Yes. Commander Valnacht was a second-tier classer who commanded the outpost where Nepthys was being held. He died during the fighting, supposedly at Jake¡¯s hands.¡±


    Absolute silence followed Gordon¡¯s statement before they all began to talk at once. Shock and confusion had them all talking over each other until Jake clapped his hands.


    ¡°Stop, let¡¯s think about this. Nepthys, do you remember him?¡± Jake asked.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Nepthys said hesitantly. ¡°He seemed unsure and a little upset when I was brought there. The Seeker who¡¯d caught me forced the issue somehow, though.¡±


    Jake nodded slowly, filing that away for the future. ¡°Alright, so who killed him, then?¡±


    ¡°Not us,¡± Ari said from the door, a half-empty bottle of spirits in his hand. ¡°Felix killed the Seeker, but the Commander wasn¡¯t tough enough to push us, so we left him alive but injured.¡±


    ¡°So if we didn¡¯t kill him, then who did?¡± Alan asked, looking more than a little confused.


    ¡°I think the Fatesworne may well be responsible,¡± Gordon said, drawing incredulous looks from the rest of them.


    ¡°That¡¯s a hefty statement,¡± Aspen said with a low whistle. ¡°Got something to back that up?¡±


    ¡°I think I do,¡± Gordon said with a tight smile. ¡°Part of the information I¡¯ve brought you is that the Fatesworne seem to be assassinating key Triarchy figures within Strovia. We didn¡¯t realise it was all linked at first, but the growing activity has helped define the two different sides.¡±


    ¡°Different sides?¡± Jake echoed with a frown, not quite sure what Gordon was saying.


    ¡°Within the Triarchy,¡± Gordon said, any trace of his smile vanishing. ¡°As best we can tell, there is a renegade faction within the Strovian arm of the Triarchy, and they are working with the Corrupters and Fatesworne to achieve some unknown objective.¡±

 DN2 66 - Renegade

    ¡°Renegade?¡± Jake echoed flatly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how you¡¯ve come to that conclusion, but I think you¡¯ve missed a few key points. The first of which being the entire occupation of our homeland!¡±


    ¡°The invasion of our home was approved by the Triarchy as a whole, but there have been inconsistencies since then. Not the least of which is the persecution of classers with Patrons from other Pantheons. The official standing on that is exile, not what we see here.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that makes the hunter¡¯s actions more understandable,¡± Alan said, shrugging at the incredulous look Jake gave him. ¡°If they were all working together, it doesn¡¯t make sense. We all agreed on that. We know he¡¯s from outside of Strovia as well, so it makes sense he wouldn¡¯t be part of whatever is happening here.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so,¡± Jake said slowly, turning the thought over in his mind with distaste. The idea of anyone in the Triarchy actually helping seemed outlandish, but Alan made some good points.


    ¡°We¡¯ve seen other events that point to this as well,¡± Gordon said after a few moments. ¡°Little things, for the most part, a lot of which have been centered around this outpost. For example, the commander of the outpost was killed by one of our people over a year ago and the first two replacements to be sent out both suffered fatal accidents in short order. The current commander was promoted directly to the role from elsewhere, rather than going through the usual process.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you had the commander killed? Why?¡± Jake asked, shaking his head as he tried to line up all this new information.


    ¡°It was unrelated to all this. He was responsible for the death of several of our members in a botched operation and the only survivor sacrificed themself for revenge. The fatal accidents that plagued his replacements were not our doing, however.¡±


    ¡°So we have a mysterious outpost that uses too many supplies, which also has Fatesworne activity and might belong to a renegade faction within the Triarchy?¡± Jake repeated it all back to Gordon flatly before rubbing his face. ¡°Whatever is going on there, I doubt it¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°We can agree on that,¡± Gordon said with a serious expression. ¡°Unfortunately, we lack the numbers to risk any large movements against it without a clear indication of what they¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Surely, what we¡¯ve discussed here is enough to know that something is going on beneath the surface?¡± Alan asked, his brow furrowing in thought. ¡°Anything that involves the Corrupters, Fatesworne and Triarchy together can only be bad.¡±


    ¡°I have no doubt of that,¡± Gordon said with a nod. ¡°The problem is that we have limited numbers, and the outpost is a fortified position. Small sabotages can and will be done, but anything larger risks too much. Our leaders will not send our people to die for what could be little more than a supply depot.¡±


    Jake wanted to argue, to say that there was definitely something more than that happening, but he couldn¡¯t. They just didn¡¯t know enough, not yet. Maybe not ever.


    Sitting back in his chair, Jake sighed and rubbed his eyes, turning it over in his mind as he considered the problem.


    On the one hand, it was a simple issue. They couldn¡¯t do anything to a full outpost alone, and the resistance couldn¡¯t risk helping without knowing more.


    Jake said as much to the others, only to shrug helplessly when they asked how he intended to go about fixing that particular issue.


    ¡°Perhaps we should simplify things,¡± Gargan said thoughtfully, drawing the attention of the room. Seeing the expectant looks, the caster nodded to Jake. ¡°Jake needs his final Dungeon. We should decide what Dungeon to do and complete it. If we come up with a plan in the meantime, then all the better.¡±


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    Aspen nodded sagely. ¡°Somewhat aggressive and lacking in nuance. I like it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one problem with that,¡± Jake said, turning to look over at Nepthys. ¡°Unless you¡¯ve managed to kill a handful of Corrupters without the rest of us knowing?¡±


    ¡°Sadly, I wasn¡¯t able to squeeze that in between delves,¡± Nepthys said dryly. ¡°Don¡¯t let that hold you back, though. If needs be, I can stay here while the rest of you move on. Once you¡¯re gone, the activity will likely slow down and I¡¯ll be able to gather information for my family.¡±


    Jake nodded reluctantly, very much not a fan of that particular plan. He understood that it needed to be something they talked about, but the idea of leaving Nepthys behind sat poorly with him.


    If he was being honest with himself, so did the idea of moving on and leaving all this mess for other people to fix. Not that Jake had any particular idea of how he¡¯d go about fixing all this, or even what the true problem was.


    He just didn¡¯t lack running away from a fight.


    ¡°We should get that final Dungeon,¡± Nepthys said a few beats of silence. ¡°Once we have that, we can either come up with a new plan, or accept that we¡¯re out of our depth.¡±


    Jake hesitated as the others agreed, before finally giving a tight nod and committing them to the plan.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Aspen said, clapping his hands together with forced enthusiasm. ¡°So what Dungeon are we thinking of?¡±


    ¡°Is there a Dungeon that you¡¯re familiar with that you¡¯d recommend?¡± Alan asked, glancing between Aspen and Gargan. ¡°Somewhere easy to get to would be ideal.¡±


    ¡°Somewhere we¡¯ve done before?¡± Aspen echoed, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully before pausing as he saw Jake reach out to tap the map with a grin. ¡°Jake?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere familiar, with easy access,¡± Jake said, tapping the map once more. ¡°I know just the place.¡±


    Nepthys leaned forward to see where he was pointing before blanching and giving Jake an incredulous look. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. They¡¯d be on us in minutes!¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s the beauty of it,¡± Jake said, fighting to hold back the slightly manic grin that was spreading across his face. ¡°No one will expect it, after all, we¡¯d have to be mad to go back.¡±


    ¡°Wait, where are you talking about?¡± Alan asked, looking confused and concerned in equal measure.


    ¡°Casthorpe,¡± Jake said, tapping the map a final time for emphasis. ¡°We¡¯re going to go finish what we started.¡±


    Alan blinked rapidly, seemingly struck for words, while Aspen and Gargan shared a confused expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s so special about Casthorpe?¡± Aspen asked carefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first second tier Dungeon we tried, and it was where the seeker caught Nepthys. It¡¯s also fairly close to Fextran and is a good hub for roads. Not to mention that the resistance has a presence there, right, Gordon?¡±


    Gordon nodded reluctantly. ¡°We do, but it isn¡¯t as strong as it was. They went through the area pretty hard after you left.¡±


    ¡°Something is better than nothing,¡± Jake said firmly, turning back to the others with a questioning look. ¡°I¡¯m not going to force the issue, but I think it¡¯s as good an option as we¡¯re going to find.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking of the fire Dungeon, aren¡¯t you?¡± Alan asked thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ve got to admit, it¡¯s tempting to go back there now that I¡¯ve reached the third tier. Just to see first hand how much we¡¯ve changed, if nothing else.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s risky, but at this point, perhaps risky is what we need,¡± Nepthys said next, giving Jake a nod.


    Grinning, Jake turned to Aspen and Gargan, who both nodded without hesitation.


    ¡°There we go, then. Casthorpe it is,¡± Jake said, getting to his feet and rubbing his hands together. ¡°Let¡¯s head off first thing in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Aspen said, getting up with a yawn. ¡°I¡¯m going to go make some food.¡±


    Jake nodded and excused himself, heading out to the front of the safehouse where Ari had gone back to his usual seat.


    ¡°You heard all that?¡± Jake asked, sitting down next to the older man.


    ¡°Yeah. Casthorpe, eh?¡± Ari chuckled before taking a long swig of his drink. ¡°A bold choice, and not one that they¡¯ll be expecting.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to come with us?¡± Jake asked softly, struggling with the question more than he¡¯d anticipated.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you,¡± Ari said, not turning to meet Jake¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you all to the end, however we get there.¡±


    Jake sat silently for a few long moments, trying to think of the right words, before getting up and heading back inside.


    At least Ari had participated with Gordon, that felt like a victory of some sort. Jake just wished it was enough to help him get through to Ari.


    It would take them several days to reach Casthorpe, hopefully being back on the road would do its part to bring the old Ari back.


    Jake had a feeling that they¡¯d need him if they wanted to do more than immediately flee to another Realm.

 DN2 67 - Heading Back

    The next morning they set off to the south, following a longer route that would take them around Fextran to get to Casthorpe. It wasn¡¯t direct, and it would require some enlightened guesswork to get between roads, but it was doable.


    Well, Jake thought it was, and no one had complained too much.


    To his surprise, Gordon was going to meet them there. He¡¯d head back to update his superiors first, and then use Yvette to get to Casthorpe quickly. Considering how indirect their route was, Jake had a feeling that Gordon might even beat them there.


    Officially, Gordon was going to act as an introduction to any local resistance members they met, so an early arrival was good. Still, Jake had a feeling that Gordon would be keeping watch on them.


    Things had become far more complex than any of them had expected, and with that came more and more risk, both for them, and for the resistance.


    The days when they could simply hide out in a tavern and be careful about who they spoke to were long gone. It was a sobering thought, and on its heels came the realisation that things might never be that way again.


    Jake knew too little about the world outside of Strovia, and even less about the other Realms. Would they face the same problems even when they moved on?


    The idea of doing all this, just to escape and then start it all over again was a horrible one. A part of Jake wanted to ignore it, to just focus on what he was doing and leave the future for when they got there.


    He couldn¡¯t do it, though, he couldn¡¯t get it out of his head.


    The others had just as much experience as Jake about what the other Realms were like, so he went to the only source that he could.


    Ari had taken to walking at the rear of their group, trailing along just far enough that he wasn¡¯t included in any conversations. It was the latest of Ari¡¯s efforts to distance himself from them, and it was working.


    Ari didn¡¯t feel like part of the group anymore, not in the way he had.


    Waving the others on, Jake dropped back to walk beside Ari. For a few moments neither of them spoke, and Jake wasn¡¯t sure how to start the conversation.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Ari asked eventually, turning to look at Jake. ¡°You seem unsettled.¡±


    ¡°What is the next Realm like?¡± Jake asked in a quiet voice. ¡°Are we just doing all this to be back under the Triarchy¡¯s thumb somewhere new?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be like that,¡± Ari said, the ghost of a smile pulling at his lips. ¡°Graldan, the next Realm, isn¡¯t like here at all. There are no countries, not like in Vash. There are only classers as well, Vash is the only place where the unascended can live.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean there aren¡¯t countries?¡±


    ¡°I mean just that. Everything is done on a city by city basis. Some factions, like the Triarchy, might have several cities under their control, but just avoid them. You¡¯ll be given several options when you ascend to the next Realm, and the System will tell you who controls each one.¡±


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    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. How can it be so different?¡± Jake asked, shaking his head in disbelief.


    ¡°Lots of reasons,¡± Ari said with a half-hearted shrug. ¡°The biggest one being resources. Each city sits on a Dungeon, and the stronger the Dungeon, the stronger the city. They tax you going in and coming out, and offer decent rates for whatever you bring with you. The better the Dungeon, the more classers and the more money that faction earns.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so why doesn¡¯t one faction just take over a lot of them, like a country?¡±


    ¡°Because the Dungeons are what matter. The lands between have Hollows scattered around, but the Dungeons are the key. Maybe one day a faction will rise that has the strength to hold more than a few Dungeons in Graldan. If they do, then something like what we have here could occur, but I doubt it. The political landscape is constantly changing as classers move on to Imkara, the third Realm.¡±


    Jake nodded slowly, not fully understanding but getting enough of what Ari was saying to form a picture. The detail didn¡¯t really matter right now anyway. What was important was that they could avoid the Triarchy. That meant that ascending to the next Realm really was a way out.


    ¡°Thanks, Ari,¡± Jake said, moving to jog back to the front before hesitating and glancing back to the older man. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I don¡¯t think Felix would want this for you. You said he wanted you to keep pushing, to not accept your limits. Honour his memory by doing that, not by throwing yourself away like this.¡±


    Ari looked away, saying nothing, leaving Jake to sigh and carry on back to the front of their group.


    ¡°Everything okay?¡± Nepthys asked quietly, moving over to walk by his side.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve just run out of things to say to him now,¡± Jake said, shaking his head before pushing those thoughts aside. ¡°It¡¯s down to him now. Let¡¯s focus on Casthorpe and our plan.¡±


    ¡°We have a plan?¡± Nepthys echoed, making Jake chuckle despite himself.


    ¡°Not really, so we better get started making one.¡±


    -**-


    It took almost a week for them to get back to Casthorpe, doing their best to steer clear of any other travellers as they went. Now that they were back out in more commonly travelled areas, it would only take one sighting to have the Fatesworne and the Triarchy on them in no time.


    That thought lingered in Jake¡¯s mind for a good part of their journey, not as a worry, but as the beginning of an actual plan. Perhaps not a good one, but the best he¡¯d managed to come up with so far.


    A key part of it, though, would be him having a firm conversation with Ivaldi. There were still things that he didn¡¯t understand, and he had a feeling that if he pushed Ivaldi, he might get some answers.


    It was a dangerous tactic, he knew that, and alienating the mysterious shopkeeper seemed a poor choice. Still, with things as they were, he was torn between moving on and trying to do more.


    If he could just get a better grip on the true situation, it would help him make that decision.


    ¡°It feels strange to be back here,¡± Alan said, pulling Jake from his thoughts as they reached their destination.


    The safehouse they¡¯d fled to when Nepthys had been captured looked just the same as when Jake had last seen it. It felt like an eternity ago now, but in reality, it had been all of three months ago.


    So much had happened since then, and they¡¯d made such progress. Jake was coming back here to reach his third tier, to choose between leaving and taking the fight to the Fatesworne.


    ¡°We¡¯ve changed so much, and it looks exactly the same,¡± Jake said, shaking his head as they moved closer.


    ¡°Looks like Gordon is already here as well,¡± Nepthys said, nodding to where Yvette was grazing at the rear of the building. The horse was happily munching away at some grass, though Jake got the clear impression that she was watching them carefully at the same time.


    Shaking it off, Jake led the way over to the safehouse and opened the door, stepping in slowly as he looked around the interior. He was fairly sure that Gordon wouldn¡¯t betray them, but he didn¡¯t exactly know the man well.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve made it,¡± Gordon said, coming out of the kitchen with a sandwich in hand. ¡°I¡¯ve stocked some supplies for us here, so  feel free to kick back and rest. I¡¯ve got a report on the area for you as well, but that can wait for when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Jake was about to say that they¡¯d have the report now, but Aspen was already rushing for the kitchen as he tossed his pack into the corner.


    Chuckling to himself, Jake went to go claim a room and drop his pack off. They¡¯d been moving fairly steadily for a while, an hour or two to rest before doing more wasn¡¯t too bad an idea.

 DN2 68 - Casthorpe I

    A little while later, they gathered together once more to hear Gordon¡¯s report.


    ¡°So, the good news is that the Triarchy isn¡¯t looking for you here,¡± Gordon said, smiling a little as they all sighed in relief. ¡°In fact, as best I can tell, they¡¯re not particularly active in the area at all. The hunter is back north, so even if he immediately figured out where you are, it will take him some time to get here.¡±


    ¡°Now that really is good news,¡± Jake said, sinking back into his chair with a satisfied grin. ¡°We should have plenty of time to delve the Dungeon and decide what to do next.¡±


    The others nodded their agreement before Nepthys spoke up. ¡°So, is there bad news to go with the good?¡±


    Gordon¡¯s smile faded as he nodded slightly. ¡°The Fatesworne you fought made it back to the outpost, and since then they have been far more active. There¡¯s actually at least one of them in the town, but we don¡¯t know where they¡¯re staying.¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡± Jake rubbed his face as he tried to process all the ways that meeting a Fatesworne here could go wrong. ¡°We can¡¯t risk wandering around in the open, then. At least, not during the day.¡±


    ¡°Night time delving again?¡± Alan asked with such an obvious lack of enthusiasm that Jake chuckled to himself.


    ¡°Yeah, looks like it¡¯ll have to be that way. A shame really, I was hoping we¡¯d be able to see if there¡¯s any equipment for sale. I know most of the stuff is in the cities, but it¡¯d still be nice.¡±


    ¡°I can take a look around for you,¡± Gordon said. ¡°If you tell me what you¡¯re looking for, I don¡¯t mind helping. I¡¯ve been told to assist you as best I can, and I think this comes under that.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, that would be a huge help,¡± Jake said, perking up a little at the idea.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head back out in a little while then and have a look around,¡± Gordon said with a nod. ¡°There¡¯s definitely at least one crafter in town. He arrived about the same time I did, so he¡¯s hopefully had a chance to get settled in.¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t called Varin, is he?¡± Jake asked jokingly, his mirth fading at Gordon¡¯s surprised expression. ¡°Tall, gaunt, pale skinned, grey eyes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s him,¡± Gordon said, nodding slowly. ¡°How did you know he¡¯d be here?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, and it makes no sense. Why would he come back here?¡± Jake turned to the others, hoping they could explain the crafter¡¯s strange behaviour, but they seemed as confused as he felt.


    ¡°Perhaps he knew you¡¯d be here?¡± Gordon offered hesitantly.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible. No one other than you knew where we were going,¡± Jake said, his confusion growing. ¡°Do you know where he¡¯s staying?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but I¡¯ll see if I can find out for you.¡±


    Jake murmured his thanks, but his focus was still on just how Varin had known where to go. It could be a coincidence, a large and surprising one, but a coincidence nonetheless.


    Jake didn¡¯t think it was, though. This felt too much like someone told Varin where they¡¯d be once it was clear where they were going. It felt like they were being watched.


    Felix had made some sort of deal to stop the Fatesworne from tracking them, and Ivaldi had been involved in that. To what capacity, Jake didn¡¯t know, but it seemed like a good place to start looking for answers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s rest for today and head in tomorrow night for the delve,¡± Jake said after mulling it over for a little while. ¡°I¡¯ll go in tonight and see what I can figure out about Varin. If Gordon finds anything useful for sale, we can buy it tomorrow and then delve in the evening. Sound like a plan?¡±


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    ¡°Works for me,¡± Aspen said with an eager nod. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to trying things out with my new Abilities. A second tier Dungeon will be a good challenge for me.¡±


    The others were just as eager to begin, so Gordon took his leave and went back into the town with a promise to return later in the evening.


    -**-


    When Gordon returned, it was with mixed news.


    The bad part was that the town had nothing to offer them that was beyond the basic equipment they already had. After all, if Alan needed a new bow or arrows, it was easy enough to get them from Ivaldi.


    The stores no doubt had some items that suited more specific needs, but none of them were particularly interested.


    The good news, however, was that Gordon had found where Varin was staying and passed that information on to Jake. He¡¯d also spoken with Michelle, the local resistance leader, and organised for Jake and the others to take the secret entrance.


    Now, with the evening drawing in, Jake retraced the steps he¡¯d taken during the chaotic flight from Casthorpe. A hidden switch opened the door in the cellar of the safehouse, giving him access to the long tunnel that led to the inn where they¡¯d stayed.


    Taking a lantern, Jake set off into the darkness, his mind wandering back to the last time he¡¯d been here. It had been so chaotic, and he¡¯d been so worried about Nepthys.


    They¡¯d been very lucky that things hadn¡¯t been worse, Jake knew that now. If the guard he¡¯d fought had been a little better prepared or slightly faster, his journey would have ended there.


    A cold shiver ran down Jake¡¯s spine and he hurriedly pushed those thoughts away.


    Trudging on through the darkness, Jake eventually came to the stone door that opened out into the cellar of the inn. A small lever was set off to one side which Jake pulled, causing the stone door to slide off to one side.


    Stepping out into the cellar, Jake saw Alma, the inn¡¯s proprietor waiting for him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown well since you¡¯ve been gone,¡± the older woman said, looking Jake over before giving an approving nod. ¡°Not so new to everything now, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, not quite,¡± Jake said with a rueful smile.


    ¡°Well, do you want something to eat before you go sneaking around town?¡± Alma asked, her hands on her hips.


    ¡°Actually, yeah, that¡¯d be nice,¡± Jake said, remembering the quality of the meals she¡¯d shared. ¡°I want a chat with one of your guests as well.¡±


    ¡°Gordon mentioned as much,¡± Alma said, heading toward the stairs up to the kitchen. ¡°Let¡¯s get you a table and then I¡¯ll go fetch him for you.¡±


    Jake nodded, following after the innkeeper as she led the way to the inn¡¯s common room. There wasn¡¯t anyone present at the moment, so Jake had his pick of tables.


    Running his gaze across them, he moved over to the corner table that they¡¯d used the last time they stayed here. It was somewhat nostalgic to be back in the inn, and it felt like an eternity ago since he¡¯d been sitting here with his friends.


    Jake had been shocked when Gordon told him that this was where Varin was staying, and it had crystalised his suspicion that Varin knew they¡¯d been coming here.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Alma said, putting down a jug of Wyrdfruit juice and two cups before heading to the stairs. ¡°I¡¯ll fetch your friend now.¡±


    Jake thanked her and poured himself a generous serving of the juice. Aspen had served them something similar every now and then, but never in large amounts.


    A full jug of the stuff was generous.


    Jake sighed in pleasure as he sipped his drink. It was cool, revitalising and delicious, exactly what he needed right now.


    He¡¯d finished the cup and refilled it by the time Alma returned. The innkeeper gave Jake a nod before heading to the kitchen, leaving him to turn to the tall man walking down the stairs behind her.


    ¡°Jake,¡± Varin said in his usual hushed voice. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you. I¡¯d hoped you¡¯d find me here.¡±


    ¡°So I see, and just how did you know I¡¯d even be here to begin with?¡± Jake asked, unable to keep the accusing tone from his voice. He¡¯d planned to talk around the matter a bit first, but the question had just slipped out.


    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t sure it would be here specifically. That was somewhat of a guess,¡± Varin said, looking a little uncomfortable.


    ¡°But you knew we were going somewhere. How?¡±


    ¡°My Patron contacted me. He said you would likely be looking for a second tier Dungeon and would be heading in this direction. I remembered this fire Dungeon and so gave it a good chance you¡¯d be here. When that man was asking about items for sale, I was fairly sure you were here.¡±


    ¡°Why would you say that?¡± Jake asked, his heart sinking.


    ¡°Because I wasn¡¯t advertising my wares, I¡¯d only mentioned it in passing to Alma, and I know of her connections.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Jake said, going quiet for a few moments. He¡¯d been worried that Gordon had somehow slipped up. ¡°So, what exactly did your Patron tell you?¡±


    ¡°That you were near the end of your tier, and that you needed to do another second tier Dungeon. He also said you might need help, so I wanted to offer you the equipment I¡¯ve been making for you all.¡±


    Jake had been about to ask another question when he paused and cocked his head to one side with growing interest. ¡°Equipment?¡±

 DN2 69 - Casthorpe II

    Varin chuckled with a nod. ¡°Do you want me to go grab it all from my room?¡±


    Jake was about to nod when Alma came back into the room with a pair of plates. Seeing Varin half out of his chair she gave the gaunt crafter a pointed look and he sank back down sheepishly.


    ¡°That¡¯s better, here, eat this. Both of you need to eat more,¡± Alma said, sliding a plate in front of each of them before pouring out the rest of the jug into their cups and taking it with her.


    Varin¡¯s question was left unanswered as they both eagerly tucked into the food Alma had brought them. Aspen¡¯s cooking was good, but the thick steak sandwich that Alma had made was on another level.


    From how delicious and energising it was, Jake was fairly sure it was made from the fiery lizards in the Dungeon. They wouldn¡¯t be harvesting much during their delve, but perhaps once Jake had bound the Dungeon, they could focus on harvesting.


    Their plans for what to do next were still quite vague, but Jake knew that Aspen had used up a lot of his stored ingredients. An opportunity to replenish those stores and secure a good source of delicious steaks would be worth a delve or two.


    Jake¡¯s mind drifted off into a daydream about the sort of foods they¡¯d be able to harvest from higher tier Dungeons. There was so much to try, and it all tasted so good.


    Abruptly, he realised that he¡¯d finished the thick sandwich Alma had made him, and Varin was on the last few bites of his own.


    The innkeeper had even brought them more juice, which Jake eagerly poured out and sipped at while Varin finished his meal.


    ¡°So,¡± Jake said, leaning forward with a wide smile. ¡°What was it you said about equipment?¡±


    -**-


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± Jake said softly, turning the blade over in his hands.


    Varin had taken Jake up to his room, or more precisely, his second room that was being used for storage. Several large bags of supplies were clumped off to one side, and a selection of impressive items were laid out across the bed.


    The sword in Jake¡¯s hands was a medium-length blade with a heavy guard and a handle just large enough for it to be used with two hands for heavy blows. It wasn¡¯t his normal style, but he liked how viciously it cut through the air, and it being slightly shorter than his normal sword was no issue.


    These days, Jake had a weapon for every range, and this one would fit nicely between his daggers and his spear.


    ¡°What are these patterns down the side?¡± Jake asked, running a finger along the length of the blade, which almost shimmered in the light. Long, tapering designs ran down the length, their pointed ends looking almost familiar in some way.


    ¡°Those are the Raptor feathers that I was able to use to infuse the blade,¡± Varin said proudly. ¡°This is a blade I¡¯m proud of. The infusion will enhance your attacks more the faster the blade moves, as well as the usual increase to speed and durability.¡±


    ¡°Fantastic, I love it,¡± Jake said, sliding the sword back into its sheath with only a little regret. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°This is also for you,¡± Varin said, passing Jake a wand that looked remarkably similar to his own. ¡°It is a thorn wand, as you have now, but I was able to give it an alternative attack. When you channel your Wyrd into it, you can choose between a single piercing thorn, or a cluster of smaller ones.¡±


    Jake grinned broadly as he examined the wand, eventually placing it next to the sword. ¡°Very nice indeed. I shall put it to good use.¡±


    ¡°These are next, I made them in the style of Nepthy¡¯s current weapons. They are the same as the one I made for you, but the infusion didn¡¯t take as well. They are still infused weapons, but they lack some of the strength of yours.¡±


    ¡°A shame,¡± Jake said, examining the two blades and noticing that they lacked as clear a feathered design on their sides.


    ¡°Indeed, if I¡¯d had more time, I could have done better. I was rushing to be done in time, however, and wasn¡¯t able to maintain the same level of quality.¡±


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    ¡°Why were you rushing?¡±


    ¡°I knew that if I wanted any new equipment to be of use, it needed to be done quickly. Especially after the news of what happened to Felix.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Jake said, his enthusiasm fading as he placed the two blades down onto the bed. Taking a breath, Jake did his best to shake it off and turned back to Varin with a somewhat forced smile. ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°I made this for Alan,¡± Varin said, unwrapping an unstrung shortbow. ¡°It has been made from the arm of a Woadite, and the infusion will grant his arrows much greater speed and impact.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, that will definitely be of use,¡± Jake said, admiring the bow. ¡°How did you manage to get some Woadite remains?¡±


    ¡°I was able to get a large quantity of Rootling fragments and shaped them into dozens of arrows. In fact, I have a dozen here for Alan. I then traded those arrows for more impressive harvests. Fortunately, there aren¡¯t many crafters active at the moment, so the demand was high enough that I got some good deals.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well, Varin, thank you,¡± Jake said, clapping the other man on the shoulder. ¡°All of this will make the Dungeon much more manageable.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to attempt it soon?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, I think. I want to do a few other things first. Before I go take care of that, is there anything else I should see?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I focused on the three of you,¡± Varin said, looking somewhat guilty. ¡°There wasn¡¯t time for everyone. Even this took a lot of work. If you¡¯d left a few days earlier, then Alan would have received nothing.¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you for what you¡¯ve managed,¡± Jake said, feeling some of his cheer return as he looked over the assembled equipment. ¡°I¡¯ll pick this up on the way back to the others. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have anything for you other than Wyrdgeld at the moment.¡±


    Jake took out what spare Wyrdgeld he had and passed it over to the crafter. They both knew it was far less than what the weapons were truly worth, but Jake refused to not give Varin something for his efforts.


    All being well, they¡¯d return from their delve with some exciting materials that he could pass over. That would at least make him feel less like he was taking advantage of Varin.


    Varin took the Wyrdgeld with murmured thanks and promised to have everything ready for Jake to carry back with him when he returned.


    Thanking Varin again, Jake left him to his work and slipped out of the inn, being careful to move carefully and stealthily as he worked his way through the town.


    It was time for his second confrontation of the evening.


    -**-


    ¡°Jake Khesh, be welcome in my domain,¡± Ivaldi said, stepping out from the darkness as Jake entered the store. ¡°I see you are back in Casthorpe.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Jake said shortly, not quite sure what to say.


    Suspicion, fear and anger had brought him here, but now that he faced down the huge shopkeeper, he wasn¡¯t sure what to say.


    ¡°Please, be seated as my guest,¡± Ivaldi said, reaching off out of Jake¡¯s view to retrieve a stool for Jake and a bottle with two cups.


    Nodding, Jake walked over and joined Ivaldi, taking the cup that was passed to him once it was filled. Sipping the contents, Jake¡¯s eyes went wide as he realised it was some sort of sweet and slightly tart wine.


    Very different to the usual golden nectar that Ivaldi served, but stronger and more relaxing.


    ¡°You seem ill at ease,¡± Ivaldi said, his dark, fathomless gaze resting calmly on Jake.


    ¡°Yeah, I am,¡± Jake said, sipping at his wine again before putting the cup down. ¡°I want to know about the deal that Felix made.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Ivaldi said, sipping his own drink before placing it down.  ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because it got him killed,¡± Jake said hotly, anger surging through his veins. Biting his tongue before he could say more, Jake wrestled down his anger. He knew losing his temper with Ivaldi was stupid, dangerous even.


    If he wanted answers, he needed to be calm.


    ¡°We both know that isn¡¯t true,¡± Ivaldi said, his deep voice placid as he stared into Jake¡¯s eyes. ¡°The Fatesworne killed Felix.¡±


    ¡°The Fatesworne killed him because he was forced into some sort of confrontation,¡± Jake said through gritted teeth. ¡°I saw enough to know that he focused entirely on the Fatesworne leader, and he knew he was going to die before that fight began.¡±


    ¡°So you believe this deal forced him to fight that classer?¡± Ivaldi asked, waiting a beat for Jake to nod before continuing. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t he take Ari with him? The two of them could have fought on a far more even footing.¡±


    ¡°Because Ari was with us,¡± Jake said, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Are you trying to say that this is my fault, that if we¡¯d been stronger, Ari could have helped and Felix would have lived? That¡¯s bullshit and you know it. There¡¯s no way we could have faced down all those higher tier classers alone.¡±


    ¡°Then is it Felix¡¯s fault for using his Abilities in a previous fight?¡± Ivaldi asked in a voice of deadly calm. ¡°If he hadn¡¯t, then he would have been far more likely to survive that final fight.¡±


    ¡°But he needed to use them to drive off the Corrupters,¡± Jake said, his anger fading to be replaced with confusion and frustration. ¡°You¡¯re not making sense!¡±


    ¡°Am I not?¡±


    ¡°No! He acted as he had to in each situation. How could he have known what was coming?¡±


    ¡°Yet you think that this deal was responsible?¡±


    ¡°Whoever he made it with was more than just a classer, we both know that,¡± Jake said firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it was with you, or if you simply facilitated the deal. Whoever it was, they put him in that situation.¡±


    ¡°Did they, or did Felix simply act as he had to in that situation?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t twist my words!¡± Jake shot up from his stool, his anger roaring back as he glared at Ivaldi.


    ¡°Sit. Down.¡± Ivaldi¡¯s expression stayed as calm as ever, but Jake saw a flicker of anger in the big man¡¯s eyes. ¡°I understand that you are grieving and angry, but you will behave with decorum while you are my guest. Do you understand?¡±


    A brief burst of petulance made Jake want to push things further, but instead he took a firm hold of his emotions and did as he was told.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ivaldi said as he reached out to pour them both another drink. ¡°Now, shall we continue?¡±

 DN2 70 - Casthorpe III

    ¡°You were saying that Felix¡¯s actions were his own, and that no one pushed him to do what he did,¡± Jake said before taking a big sip of his wine. The relaxing sweetness helped take the edge off of his anger, but it was difficult.


    Felix had been more of a father figure than Jake had ever had, even in such a short space of time as they¡¯d known each other. While he wasn¡¯t grieving as openly as Ari, he was far from over it.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that you are ascribing too much to whoever Felix made that deal with,¡± Ivaldi said in an almost gentle voice. ¡°None of us can see the future, Jake. We can only work with what we have and take what opportunities we can grasp.¡±


    Jake wrestled with his thoughts as he tried to really consider what Ivaldi was saying. He didn¡¯t want to listen, he wanted to blame whatever that deal had been, but deep down, he knew that wasn¡¯t right.


    The Fatesworne were the true culprit here, he had to remember that.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Jake said eventually. ¡°I still want to know more about the deal, though. What exactly was traded?¡±


    ¡°If I tell you more, you will be edging further into a greater conflict,¡± Ivaldi said softly. ¡°A conflict where you are beyond insignificant as you currently are. That is no place for one such as you, and it could be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I want to know,¡± Jake said firmly and without hesitation.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Ivaldi said before pausing and frowning, his gaze going distant. A subtle frown built on the shopkeeper¡¯s face before he grimaced and nodded.


    ¡°Ivaldi?¡± Jake eyed the big man with some concern, unsure if he should do anything.


    ¡°My apologies, Jake Khesh,¡± Ivaldi said, bowing his head slightly. ¡°I was communicating with a concerned party. We¡¯ve agreed that you should know more, but they have limited what I can explain.¡±


    ¡°A concerned party, who?¡±


    ¡°Your Patron.¡±


    Jake froze, his eyes going wide as so many of his assumptions about Ivaldi were shattered immediately. He knew the weight of the Great Dungeon¡¯s attention, and he knew full well that no one even remotely mortal could communicate with it so clearly.


    He¡¯d always known Ivaldi was something more, but he was starting to think he¡¯d underestimated just how much more.


    ¡°To go back to your question about the deal, it was a fairly simple one. Felix was offered knowledge, and in return, he was sworn to secrecy about what he had learned. Especially from you.¡±


    ¡°Why me?¡± Jake asked, still somewhat reeling from the fact that the Great Dungeon had spoken to Ivaldi. ¡°And just knowledge? What sort of knowledge?¡±


    ¡°You were excluded because it would avoid exactly this sort of conversation,¡± Ivaldi said with a wry smile. ¡°The more you know, the less you are protected by certain Accords.¡±


    ¡°Accords?¡± Jake echoed, feeling overwhelmed. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Ivaldi said in a gentle tone. ¡°The knowledge given to Felix was that you were being tracked by the leader of the Fatesworne who was following you. That much was self-evident, but what was important was that the leader¡¯s Patron was acting directly, not through the System.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, directly?¡± Jake asked, a sick feeling growing in his gut.


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    ¡°I mean that the god was informing him of exactly where you were, allowing the Fatesworne the track you regardless of what measures you took.¡±


    ¡°That explains so much,¡± Jake said, remembering how much effort they¡¯d put in to shake off the pursuers, and how little it had mattered. ¡°I didn¡¯t realise Patrons could act beyond the System, though. How does that work?¡±


    ¡°Anything powerful enough to be recognised by the System as a Patron is powerful enough to directly effect anything happening within the Realms,¡± Ivaldi said, his expression darkening. ¡°The reason you weren¡¯t aware that it was possible is because it is forbidden. There are many Accords that cover interactions with classers and mortals. None of them allow this.¡±


    ¡°Then why wasn¡¯t it stopped?¡± Jake asked heatedly.


    ¡°It was a subtle thing, hard to notice amongst the chaos of life. Whoever is behind it is concealing themself with great care as well. That meant the only course of action was to shield you and cut off the existing connection. Felix knew that killing the leader of the trackers would cut that connection, and you would be shielded from it happening again.¡±


    Jake rubbed his face as he tried to process everything and make it all make sense. ¡°Alright, so why that time limit that Felix mentioned?¡±


    ¡°Shielding you is an infraction of the same Accords that were broken,¡± Ivaldi said solemnly. ¡°Balancing the scales allows for such an action to occur, but not indefinitely.¡±


    ¡°So at the end of the year¡­¡±


    ¡°You will be no longer protected. I recommend you prepare for that day as best you can. If the Patron of the Fatesworne acts against you directly, measures can be taken, but they are a subtle foe.¡±


    Jake shook his head in disbelief, trying to come to terms with the fact that he had less than a year until an angry god was going to try to get him killed.


    ¡°Alright, so assume that I understand all this,¡± Jake said, pushing gamely on to the reason that had brought him here. ¡°What I don¡¯t understand is if I¡¯m shielded, how did Varin know to be here?¡±


    Ivaldi was silent for a long few moments before he spoke again, seemingly choosing his words carefully. ¡°There was some lingering imbalance from the actions of your foe. Varin¡¯s Patron simply used some of that to bring about a favourable meeting.¡±


    ¡°And how exactly do you know that?¡± Jake asked, folding his arms and regarding the big man with suspicion. Ivaldi was shockingly well informed on all of this, especially considering that a lot wasn¡¯t being said.


    Part of Jake wondered if all of what he was being told was true, but Ivaldi had done right by him this far, and Jake trusted him. Well, as much as he could trust anyone as oddly enigmatic as the shopkeeper.


    Besides, Ivaldi clearly had deep ties to the System and to Dungeons, his shop being present at every Dungeon told him that much. Given who Jake¡¯s Patron was, it made sense that Ivaldi would see him favourably.


    ¡°I know many things, Jake Khesh,¡± Ivaldi said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. ¡°While I have given up much to be as I am, I gained much in return.¡±


    Jake sighed and rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not going to pretend I understood that, but thank you for being as open about all this as you have been.¡±


    ¡°Personally, I would have preferred that you did not know,¡± Ivaldi said with a shrug of his massive shoulders. ¡°Or that if you did, you knew much more. By being aware that a Patron is targeting you, you step further into a much larger conflict, as I said earlier. Be careful, Jake Khesh.¡±


    ¡°I will, thank you, Ivaldi,¡± Jake said, getting up and heading out from the store.


    -**-


    Jake stopped by Varin¡¯s room to pick up the equipment that he¡¯d brought them before heading back through the tunnel to the safehouse.


    It wasn¡¯t the easiest trip, not while carrying a large bundle of weaponry and a lantern, but it was manageable.


    The others were still awake when he got back, so they gathered together to examine their new weaponry while discussing their plans for the next day.


    They knew what the first tier was like, and they had good information on the first few floors of the second, but what would be waiting for them at the end was a mystery.


    It would be linked to the two Lineages that were present in the Dungeon, but beyond that, they didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve got a bit of time tomorrow,¡± Alan said as they mulled it over. ¡°Why not see if Gordon can get us a briefing of the second tier?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea, actually,¡± Aspen said, perking up at the thought. ¡°They should be fairly cheap, and hopefully reasonably accurate. A lot comes through this town, after all, and scouting out a Dungeon is good business.¡±


    ¡°If it helps, I¡¯m happy to do it,¡± Gordon said, looking eager to have a role in their plans.


    ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll see what you turn up,¡± Jake said, nodding to the resistance fighter. ¡°Either way, though, we¡¯re going in tomorrow, so let¡¯s rest up and prepare.¡±


    ¡°Gods, it has been so long, and we¡¯re so close,¡± Aspen muttered under his breath before grinning wildly. ¡°Tier three is just around the corner, and once we have it, those Fatesworne are going to regret everything.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Jake said with a hungry smile. ¡°They absolutely will.¡±

 DN2 71 - Patterns & Ice

    Jake slept fitfully that evening, and waited impatiently the following day as Gordon went back into Casthorpe to see what details he could find about the Dungeon.


    Eventually, Gordon returned with two small pamphlets that he¡¯d purchased for a handful of Wyrdgeld each.


    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t quite what I expected,¡± Jake said, chuckling as he flicked through the small booklet. Each page detailed a different floor, with approximate maps and monster counts. ¡°Saying that, there¡¯s a lot more detail than I thought we¡¯d get.¡±


    ¡°Apparently this is a whole industry in the higher Realms, or so I¡¯ve heard,¡± Aspen said, swapping books with Jake to look at the other one. ¡°There are a few differences between these, but not too many.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully, that means they¡¯re pretty accurate then,¡± Jake said, lingering over the page detailing the floor with the steaming pools full of snakes. That was as far as they¡¯d reached last time, and if he was reading this right, it was far from the worst thing in the Dungeon.


    According to what he was reading, the Guardian floor of the second tier had five Fire Serpents, which Jake assumed were the Enhanced version of the ones he¡¯d seen already. Backing them up would also be twenty of the Lesser Drakes, which were the Enhanced lizard-like monsters.


    To top it all of, the Awakened monster would be a Drake, which was essentially a bigger, tougher and nastier version of the Lesser Drakes. The author had even left a note to watch out for its flame spitting, which was apparently much stronger than what a Lesser Drake could do.


    ¡°Well, this is going to be pleasant,¡± Jake said, passing off the book to one of the others as he considered any potential changes to their plans.


    There wasn¡¯t really much they could do to prepare for something like that. They had no specialised equipment they could buy or prepare, and they¡¯d all advanced as far as was possible until Jake could bind this Dungeon.


    Actually, there was one thing he could do, and Jake kicked himself that he hadn¡¯t considered it until this moment. Giving Gordon some Wyrdgeld, Jake sent him back into Casthorpe with a specific requirement.


    A few hours later, Gordon arrived back with a long, wooden wand that started off black at the grip and slowly lightened as it progressed, ending with a bone white tip.


    Jake took the wand eagerly and excused himself from the current discussion of tactics to head down into the cellar. The thick walls would be just what he needed for this.


    Channelling Wyrd into the wand, Jake pointed it at the far wall and released a small burst of icicles that smashed into the stone and shattered and turned into a small patch of mist.


    From experience, Jake knew that the mist would be incredibly cold, sapping the strength of whatever was within it. The mist didn¡¯t last long, so the effect wasn¡¯t too powerful, but it was still useful.


    Satisfied that the wand did what he wanted, Jake went through the process again. This time, however, he focused on controlling the Wyrd he fed into the wand and following the patterns it went through.


    Infused items and infusions to create effects in items were essentially the same thing as far as Jake was concerned. The difference was that an Infused item was permanent, whereas the infusions he could make with his Wyrd were temporary.


    Jake wasn¡¯t a crafter, and he certainly wasn¡¯t a Weaver, so he didn¡¯t really know how the effects were made. No doubt Varin would explain if he asked, but for what he was trying to do now, it didn¡¯t matter.


    Again and again, Jake fed his Wyrd into the wand, activating it and studying how the magic moved within it. He lacked any sort of System benefit to help him sense the movement of Wyrd, but his training with Gargan certainly helped.


    Every tenth attempt, Jake would take a break for a minute or two and let his mind dwell on what he¡¯d found so far as his Wyrd recovered.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Some ways of working his Wyrd into the wand seemed to provide more or less detail, so he started mixing it up, testing what worked and what didn¡¯t.


    After an hour of repeatedly firing the wand at the wall, Jake finally managed to follow the magic through the pattern. It was hazy, incomplete and hard to follow, but it had happened.


    The creeping fatigue from Wyrd use vanished as adrenaline coursed through Jake¡¯s body and he did it again. Each time he fired the wand, he felt himself getting a better grasp of the pattern within.


    It was a fairly straightforward one, much like the others he knew, which was probably a good thing. This method of learning them felt like a brute force solution to a delicate problem, which was fine for now, but probably wouldn¡¯t work with more complex things.


    Eventually, Jake had to stop and rest for a time to recover his Wyrd properly. Thankfully, Alma had sent Gordon back with supplies for them all.


    A meal full of Dungeonous ingredients was just what Jake needed to perk right back up, and soon enough he was back in the cellar.


    With a big delve planned that evening, Jake wouldn¡¯t push things too much, but if he could make this work, it would make all the difference in the Dungeon.


    Bit by bit, he slowly got a rough grasp for the inner workings of the wand, eventually realising that it was actually two patterns linked together.


    Changing over to the thorns wand he carried, Jake went through the same tests, finding that it also had two patterns within it and one of them was the same for both wands.


    The shared pattern was likely whatever caused the wands to project the effect, so he could ignore that for now. Swapping back to the ice wand, he instead focused on the second pattern until he had a loose image of it.


    Wearily putting the wand aside, Jake took a short break before grabbing one of his mundane daggers and manually infusing the pattern he¡¯d learnt into it.


    Nothing happened.


    The Wyrd was expended, but as best Jake could tell, there was no benefit.


    Doing the same thing but activating his Wyrd Infusion Skill, Jake felt the pattern he was creating shift slightly as it took hold within the dagger.


    Touching the blade, Jake felt a slight chill from it, though it quickly faded.


    Calling up his Skill, Jake read it over once again, paying careful attention to the wording.


    Active - Wyrd Infusion (IV) - Rare - You are able to infuse Wyrd into any item you are touching. The effects of any patterns that you create have a medium boost to their power and stability. This effect remains for a moderate time once you are no longer touching the item.


    ¡°Medium boost to their stability¡­¡± Jake muttered to himself before repeating the infusion, this time with the Skill active. Unlike last time, however, he payed close attention to the changes the Skill was making.


    When he¡¯d been developing a pattern from scratch, he¡¯d had to build it based on what he¡¯d seen elsewhere. The Skill had helped it stay together, but not much more than that.


    Now, though, the Skill was actively changing the shape of the pattern. Not by much, but just enough to make it work a little better.


    Jake rubbed his jaw in thought as he tried to work out why it was different. The best he could come up with, though, is that he knew this pattern was right.


    This wasn¡¯t an experiment where he wasn¡¯t sure what the outcome was. This was a known pattern that he was trying to recreate.


    Felix had always said that intent was powerful with the System, that it could change how Skills functioned.


    The implications of that slowly filtered through for Jake and he let out a somewhat menacing chuckle as he called on his Wyrd and infused it into the dagger again, this time trying to match how the Skill had shifted the shape.


    The blade was colder this time, and it lasted for a heartbeat longer than before.


    Excitement thrummed through Jake¡¯s veins as he realised that if he copied the changes the Skill made, he could use it as a guide.


    This was so much more than he could have hoped for, no pattern was beyond his reach now. Sure, each one might take endless hours of repetition to learn and perfect, but Jake was stubborn.


    This was a path to power, and it was one he could walk along without need of Dungeons or Wyrdgeld or any of his other requirements. Time and effort were all he needed, and for now, he had both.


    A somewhat manic desire to push forward overtook Jake as he settled in and repeatedly infused the dagger, using his Skill as a guide.


    Time slipped by as Jake worked, the pattern he was creating changing and becoming more stable little by little.


    Unfortunately, Jake¡¯s plan of using this method to develop the most powerful infusions he could hit a snag. The boost to stability took the form of adjusting the shape of the pattern, but only until it was mostly correct.


    Once the pattern hit some sort of threshold of stability, the Skill instead reinforced it directly, rather than changing things.


    While useful, it was a little disappointing. Still, he supposed it made sense to limit just what he could do with a Skill like this.


    Infusing the dagger for the last time, Jake wore a proud smile as he watched a slight sheen of ice cover the dagger. Striking at the wall, his eyes lit up as most of the ice shattered on impact, leaving behind the same cloud of freezing mist that he¡¯d seen with the wand.


    Perhaps if he improved the pattern further, it would last for more than a single hit. That was something to work on another time, though.


    Stretching and stifling a yawn, Jake made his way back up stairs to get some coffee and relax for a while. He¡¯d been down here a while, but there was still a few hours to go before they left for the Dungeon.

 DN2 72 - Back Again

    The last few hours slipped away, and before he knew it, Jake was walking through the dark streets of Casthorpe, preparing himself for one of the most important delves so far.


    Not only was this what he needed to advance further with his Class, but it was also a second tier Dungeon, which meant the chances of dying permanently were highly increased for that final battle.


    Even if the Drake didn¡¯t kill them, it could still damage their soul, making whatever they chose to do next all the harder.


    All it would take was one one of them taking some nasty soul wounds, and they¡¯d have to give up any hope of fighting the Fatesworne.


    ¡°Worrying about it all?¡± Nepthys asked softly from where she was walking next to him, Moby sitting proudly on her shoulder.


    Jake had summoned the duck the day before in order to save his Manifestations for the upcoming delve. He had seven these days, but if this was anything like the last second tier Dungeon, he¡¯d need them all.


    "Yeah, just a little,¡± Jake said with a rueful smile. ¡°Silly, isn¡¯t it? We¡¯ve come all this way, and I¡¯ve not worried about the actual Dungeon itself until the very last moment.¡±


    ¡°Well then, don¡¯t start now,¡± Nepthys said, nudging him with a reassuring smile of her own. ¡°We¡¯ll get this done, and we¡¯ll get you to your next tier, just you watch.¡±


    Jake nodded, taking a deep breath as they reached the open area around the Dungeon itself. The huge doors leading in loomed ominously in the dark, the familiar shifting symbols carved into them seeming almost comforting now.


    Calling on the System, Jake reviewed everything he¡¯d worked so hard to gather.


    Name - Jake Khesh


    Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon


    Class - Dungeon Noble - Knight


    Tier - II


    Rank - X


    Dungeon Network - 13


    Plexus Strength - Slight


    Plexus Manifestations - 7/7


    Plexus Points - 1


    Traits


    Physical - Lesser Noble Constitution (IV) - Rare - Descended from a Noble bloodline, you have a medium enhancement to physical characteristics.


    Mental - Delver¡¯s Will (III) - Uncommon - Gird your will, advance endlessly. Provides a small bonus to willpower when delving Dungeons.


    Skills


    Passive - Personal Plexus (II) - Very Rare - You gain the ability to bind Dungeons and form your own Plexus, with a small increase to the strength of Dungeons that may be bound. Currently, Dungeons up to Tier II can be bound. Doubles the Wyrdgeld cost of advancing in Class Rank.


    Active - Wyrd Infusion (IV) - Rare - You are able to infuse Wyrd into any item you are touching. The effects of any patterns that you create have a medium boost to their power and stability. This effect remains for a moderate time once you are no longer touching the item.


    Bound Items


    Wyrd Infusion - Woadheart Ring - Common - The bound Skill now has a minor reduction in Wyrd cost and any effects it generates that increase impact have a minor boost to their power.


    Patron Gifts


    Passive - Agent of the Great Dungeon (III)  - Very Rare - You are bound to the Great Dungeon by blood and Deed. Other followers of the Great Dungeon will recognise you and aid you as they may.


    Passive - Sense Dungeon (II) - Rare - As an agent of the Great Dungeon, you are able to passively sense the location of nearby Dungeons in a meagre range.


    Passive - Authority of The Great Dungeon (I) - Very Rare - You have the approval of The Great Dungeon and may enact rituals in its name. You gain the knowledge of the Ritual of Castigation. Misuse of this authority may result in its removal.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Plexus Boons


    Hidden Fang - (III) - Granted by the Holrswar Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a dagger with inherent poisonous properties. Using the dagger, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Orchard¡¯s Gift - (II) - Granted by the Aptofir Veranis Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest an apple infused with vitality. Ingesting the apple transfers this vitality, healing and sating the hunger of its consumer.


    The Mighty Drake - (III) - Granted by the Engans Deja Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest Moby, a mighty drake, to aid you. The Manifestation is consumed in maintaining Moby¡¯s presence, not his actions.


    Dauhaust¡¯s Root - (III) - Granted by the Fyardi Veranis Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a spear which can leech from the blood of the foe. Using the leeching effect, maintaining it, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Hunter¡¯s Grace - (I) - Granted by the Kja Ascen Dungeon, this Boon allows you to use a Manifestation to receive a boost to all physical characteristics when hunting your prey. Maintaining the effect draws on the power of the Manifestation.


    Shroud of Shadows - (I) - Granted by the Valhol Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to become harder to see in dim lighting and darkness. You may also exert the Boon to dim the light surrounding you. Both exerting the Boon and maintaining it draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.


    Nature¡¯s Path - (I) - Granted by the Dufsott Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to move without hindrance through natural terrain types. Maintaining the effect draws on the power of the Manifestation.


    Plexus Development - (VI) - This Boon may only be increased in rank by choosing it at additional Dungeons, but it has no cap on its rank level. Increases Manifestations available by one per rank. Granted by the Herrgak Deja, Julg Ascen, Firva Veranis, Haugask Deja, Wilfek Murk and Ormel Infernis Dungeons.


    Deed requirement to increase Tier


    1 - 5 Tier II or higher Dungeons bound


    He¡¯d come a long way from when he¡¯d first stumbled out of the Ascension Hall, unsure of what was happening and struggling to understand his new situation.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Jake said, feeling his focus sharpen as he settled into his delving mindset. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    The doors of the Dungeon swung soundlessly open as they moved inside, pausing long enough for Alan and Gargan to light their torches. The flickering light they provided wasn¡¯t much, but it gave them enough to see by.


    Silently, they advanced through the foyer of the Dungeon, taking the first set of stairs they came to. At the base of the stairs was the familiar door to the Dungeon itself, and Jake waited only long enough to make sure they were ready before opening it and stepping into the inky darkness beyond.


    -**-


    ¡°Well, this takes me back,¡± Jake said, more to himself than anything, as he looked around the warm tunnel with its porous black rock.


    Scattered rocks jutted out of the tunnel¡¯s surface, giving off a dim red glow that added to the torchlight they brought with them. From past experience, Jake knew that they also gave off a lot of the heat that made these tunnels so oppressive.


    ¡°Urgh, I¡¯d forgotten how warm it was down here,¡± Alan said with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s going to get real humid as well.¡±


    ¡°Lovely,¡± Aspen muttered as he peered off into the dimly lit tunnel.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get moving,¡± Jake said, waiting for Alan and Gargan before moving off down the tunnel.


    They were walking for all of thirty seconds before the dim light of the tunnel revealed a large lizard that was almost six feet from tail to head.


    A vivid red ridge ran from its head down to the base of the tail, and it had thick jaws that were bunched with muscle.


    In an echo of the first time they¡¯d been here, Alan passed his torch off to Nepthys before putting an arrow through the lizard¡¯s eye.


    The lizards had tough scales for what they were, but they still had their weak spots.


    ¡°Just like old times, this¡¯ll be easy,¡± Alan said, taking the torch back with a wide smile.


    Silence fell over the group as they all turned to stare at the Scholar with various expressions of disbelief.


    ¡°I thought we¡¯d got you past this,¡± Jake said plaintively. ¡°Come on, Alan, you know better than this.¡±


    ¡°Right, yeah, sorry,¡± Alan said, his cheeks flushing a bright red.


    Sighing, Jake turned back and started forwards once more. ¡°Just for that, you can be the one taking them down for the first floor.¡±


    Alan groaned, but passed his torch back to Nepthys and drew another arrow as they continued down the tunnel.


    The first floor was a simple layout, with a single long tunnel running all the way to a larger open area at the end. The larger space came with much larger chunks of heated rock, which made everything less pleasant.


    It helped light up the room, though, which was something.


    Alan took down any lizards they encountered in the tunnel with single, well-placed shots, but was forced to rush a little for the larger area.


    Five of the lizards were grouped together, and as soon as Alan attacked one, the rest charged straight for the intruders.


    Once upon a time, Jake had thought these lizards were fast. By now, he knew better.


    While the lizards moved as quickly as they could, Alan¡¯s enhanced reactions and speed meant that he was about to put an arrow in each of them before they could get more than halfway across the space.


    ¡°Good job, Alan,¡± Jake said, giving his friend an approving nod as he collected the Wyrdgeld from the kills. A handful of coins would make little difference to any of them now, but they weren¡¯t so advanced as to ignore the rewards of their work.


    Once they were done, Jake led the way down to the next floor.

 DN2 73 - Fire & Scale I

    The next floor was much of the same. It was familiar and unchanged, with the lizards behaving just as they once had. Unlike last time, however, they were breezing through this part of the Dungeon with little effort and little danger.


    The stark difference to the experiences really highlighted how much stronger Jake was, nor was he the only one. His allies were a cut above what they had once been as well.


    Well, the ones that had stayed with him.


    Jake felt some of his excitement at feeling that new strength fade as he remembered Karl and Rhew leaving them. He tried not to think about it too often, but he did wonder how they were getting on.


    Were they at the same point as the rest of them?


    ¡°All done,¡± Alan called out as he drew the last of the Wyrdgeld from his kills.


    Shaking off that train of thought, Jake checked with the others before moving on to the third floor.


    The hot, dry heat of the first two floors was replaced by a cooler environment, but one that was thick with humidity. It was still warmer than outside the Dungeon, but compared to the previous floors, it was a welcome change.


    The dimly lit rocks that were providing the heat were gone from this floor, but instead there were small puddles of hot water scattered around.


    As they moved through the tunnel, it widened out into a large rocky chamber that had a central pool of steaming water in the centre, with more of the smaller puddles around the exterior.


    The steam was now thick enough to hinder their vision somewhat, but Jake already knew where the monsters were hiding here.


    Pulling out his wand, Jake waited until he could see a dark shape moving within the pool before firing a cluster of thorns in after it.


    Unsurprisingly, he didn¡¯t manage to actually hit the shape, but a moment later two monsters burst up from the pool. Scalding hot water sprayed out into the room, but they were all far enough back that they were safe.


    The two monsters were snakes as thick as his arm, with dark red scales that were steaming from the water dripping off them.


    A cluster of thorns hit each snake in quick succession, killing them before they could get close enough to bite Jake.


    The thick, vividly red blood of the snakes sizzled as it hit the stone, and Jake winced as he remembered how much that had burnt when he got it on him.


    Moving on, they took their time picking through each chamber, drawing the snakes out by attacking the pools.


    By the time they reached the end of the floor, they had a nice rhythm going. If they could practice the first tier a few times, Jake had a feeling they could do well earning Wyrdgeld here.


    It was just a shame that it was such an unpleasant environment on the inside.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s time for the Challenge,¡± Nepthys called out as they reached the end of the floor.


    Sure enough, a carved door stood next to the normal exit. If Jake remembered rightly, it was a snake hunt or something similar, with the wager of a hand.


    ¡°I hate to wager a hand, but we do need to complete all the Challenges for this delve to count,¡± Jake said, eyeing the Challenge reluctantly before nodding. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make the wager.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Gargan said before Jake could do anything. ¡°If I lose my hand, it won¡¯t effect my combat effectiveness. Besides, you have to survive to the end.¡±


    Jake grimaced, knowing he had no real way to win that argument. Gargan was right, he couldn¡¯t risk losing anything when he had to live to the very end. At least if one of the others was maimed, they could be revived whole and hale.


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


    Once Jake conceded, they all moved into the Challenge, taking up positions as Jake turned over the hourglass in the centre of the room.


    Unlike the intense search they¡¯d undergone last time, Alan was able to find the snake after thirty seconds of using his Abilities. Not only were they stronger now, but Alan was more experienced with them, giving him the edge he needed.


    With that somewhat anticlimactic resolution, they received their reward, which was a pouch of Wyrdgeld, some Wyrdfuit and some lizard steaks.


    Aspen quickly claimed the fruit and meat, though the true splitting of the loot would come once they got out of here.


    Moving on, they kept up their steady progress through the fourth  floor and moved with purpose into the first Guardian floor. The dry heat of earlier was intensified here, and there was enough light that they didn¡¯t need their torches to see.


    The jutting hot rocks of earlier had been replaced by much larger versions that were burning with a smokeless flame. Obsidian spikes thrust up from the centre of the room as well, atop which three monsters were laying.


    Each spike held an Enhanced version of the lizards they¡¯d been fighting so far. They were twice the size of their smaller cousins, both in length and sheer bulk, and their scales were a shade or two darker.


    They were Lesser Drakes if Jake remembered their name right. They were tough creatures, with thick scales and incredibly sharp claws, not to mention the ability to spit flames.


    The largest of the obsidian spikes held a particularly strong looking Lesser Drake, so it would be their initial target.


    Jake, Alan and Gargan lined up their shots as the monsters rested, eventually releasing all of it as a single barrage on the strongest Enhanced creature.


    Jake had infused his ice wand with extra power, and he¡¯d noted Alan and Gargan doing the same for their own attacks. Individually, they would have wounded the creature, but together, they killed it before it could even react.


    The other two Lesser Drakes roared with anger as they surged down from where they had been basking, their mouths opening and quills glowing as they spat out bolts of flame.


    Nepthys conjured a shield to catch both attacks, and by the time the monsters would have been able to repeat the attack, they were already dead.


    A somewhat disdainful quack echoed through the rocky chamber as Moby looked down on the dead Lesser Drakes, still in his original position on Nepthys¡¯s shoulder.


    Shaking his head at the duck, Jake set about looting the room and stowing away the Wyrdgeld and lizard steaks that the rewards chest held.


    ¡°Alright, everyone ready for the real thing?¡± Jake asked as they gathered at the exit to the second tier of the Dungeon.


    ¡°Oh yes, I¡¯ve not even had chance to kill anything yet,¡± Aspen said, twirling his spear with an exaggerated frown.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure that will change soon enough,¡± Jake said, drawing out a dark chuckle from the others. ¡°Let¡¯s get to it, then.¡±


    -**-


    The sixth floor of the Dungeon changed from being mainly tunnel to being a series of three inter-connected rocky chambers. The burning rocks were absent, so it wasn¡¯t as hot as the Guardian floor, but it was still oppressive.


    Thankfully, they¡¯d brought plenty of water with them. Jake liked to think he would have remembered from last time, but the guides that Gordon had found them had stressed that a lot of water was needed.


    Getting to the final fight dehydrated and overcome with thirst was how people died down here.


    Unlike the previous floors, this one had enough monsters that most of their group had to participate. Each chamber held an Enhanced Lesser Drake and ten of the Fire Lizards.


    Just enough for them to be pushed to kill them all without any close combat at all, but not enough to need a real fight.


    Jake shook his head as he looked down at the half-dozen infused icicles that had pierced the head of the Lesser Drake in the third chamber. His newest Ability really had changed so much for him, he couldn¡¯t wait to find something else that was just as good.


    ¡°Things are going to get interesting from here, so let¡¯s rest up and take the next floor when we¡¯re ready,¡± Jake said once they reached the end of the floor.


    In an act of inspiration he infused his wand with more ice and fire out a dozen icicles that he passed out between them. The Wyrd-conjured ice wouldn¡¯t last long, but even a minute or two of something cool to take the edge off of the heat was nice.


    -**-


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Jake said softly as they stepped out into the seventh floor. Unlike the last one, this floor was a single, long, winding tunnel.


    Large pockets of steaming water ran along the edges of the tunnel, with deeper pools scattered among them. A few obviously shallow puddles of water lay between the two edges, but they would be easy to avoid.


    Well, easy to avoid when they weren¡¯t being attacked by a horde of Juvenile Fire Serpents.


    Jake shuddered as he thought of the long snakes, some of which reached up to six or even eight feet in length. He really wasn¡¯t looking forward to finding the Enhanced version of them.


    ¡°So, remind me again how this bit works?¡± Aspen asked, eyeing the steam-filled tunnel as he wiped the sweat from his brow.


    ¡°The guide we got says we can either draw them out and advance as they attack, or rush to a more defensible mid-point,¡± Alan said, eyeing the closest of the deeper pools with suspicion. ¡°Either way, once we start, all the snakes will be heading this way.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of heading for some middle area when we haven¡¯t seen it for ourselves,¡± Nepthys said, Moby ruffling his wings in support.


    ¡°Agreed, any objections to fighting our way through?¡± Jake asked, waiting for a few moments before nodding to Alan as he lit a torch and tossed it to one side. ¡°Ready when you are.¡±