Among the row of tools, I spotted a fine-looking file. The metal was dusty but unblemished. It was obviously of high quality to survive the passage of years without sprouting any rust. I grabbed the file and teleported out.
“Here, try using this.” I handed Hoshisu the file. “I think it will hold better than your lockpick.”
She looked at me for a moment, then took it from my hand.
“It’s made of mithril!” she exclaimed. “It’s not as efficient as a lockpick, but it definitely won’t break as easily.”
We retreated back into the hallway and watched the woman as she tried to pick the lock.
It took her nearly 20 minutes but she eventually made it. The lock clicked and the door swung open.
“Thanks” Hoshisu handed the file back to me.
I shook my head. “You keep it. It’s useless to me anyway.”
“Holy hell.” Malkyr stood at the entrance to the room, staring at its contents.
“These are all masterwork tools,” Kuzai said, taking a look inside. “Almost as good as the ones used by our own smiths. Some of them are even made of mithril.”
“I want it all,” Malkyr said dreamily.
“Be my guest.” I beckoned him forward. “My clan smiths won’t be able to use this stuff. Maybe you can do some good with it.”
“And that anvil, I mean look at it – no rust or even a dent, just a bit of dust.”
“Hmm, let me see that.” Kuzai approached the anvil. “Aye, this be a real beauty. Dwarven made, high quality, with a bit of magic snuck in fer good measure.”
“A magical anvil?” Malkyr’s eyes were as big as saucers.
“Aye, lad, nothing too spectacular. It allows molding of hard metal more easily; less heat required. That be the reason how it be possible to operate a forge in such a small space. Heck, you can even carry it with ya; the enchantment makes it portable.”
Malkyr gave me a pleading look.
“Go ahead.” I waved him off. “As long as you plan on using it at Goblin’s Gorge, I have no problem with you having it and the tools.”
The big man gave me a wide grin, then placed his hands on the anvil. It shrank before our eyes and Malkyr promptly dropped it into his inventory. He grabbed the tools, inspecting each one in turn. “Hmm, some of these are just high-quality steel. You want to keep this?” He held a pair of pliers out at me.
The tool was dark, without a speck of dust. “Yes, I think my smiths would benefit from having them.” I put the steel tool in my inventory.
“Those look weird.” Hoshisu pointed at the stack of metal ingots.
I hadn’t inspected them too closely before, but now I saw that the outer pieces were all Viridium while the ones in the center had a normal, metallic hue.
“High-quality steel,” Kuzai explained. “Them demons’ energy been seeping into ‘em slowly, turning into Viridium.”
“How about you take the steel and I take the Viridium?” I suggested. “Just do me a favor … can you carry everything? I can’t carry much, what with being the magic guy and all.”
“You got yourself a deal, man.” Malkyr started picking up the metal pieces. With his size and strength, he had quite the carrying capacity.
“That leaves the best for last.” Hoshisu pointed at the rack of weapons and armor.
She took a fancy-looking poniard and tested its point on her fingers. She nodded, then replaced it with one of the daggers on her belt. She also put on light chain greaves. It fit snugly over her leather armor.
“It slows me down a bit,” she said, “but the extra speed from the boots compensate for that and the added armor value is worth it.”
Unceremoniously, Kuzai took a full chainmail armor and sturdy metal bracers for himself. He then replaced the small wooden shield Malkyr had given him with a heavy steel battle shield. He hefted it easily with one hand, though it probably weighed as much as I did.
“Now I be ready fer some serious battles,” he declared, testing his range of movement with his new armor. He did look impressive. A level 28 dwarven war-priest was no laughing matter. This one could prove to be troublesome to dispatch if we ever found ourselves on different sides of a conflict.
Most of the remaining pieces of armor were too small for Malkyr, but he was satisfied to acquire a new metal cap with a protruding nose guard.
Only a few small pieces of armor and several swords remained. “If no one is going to claim those, I’d like to take them for the clan’s warriors. Mind helping me here, man?” I winked at the big man.
“Sure thing.” Malkyr easily put all the weapons in his pack. “Wow, it starts to get heavy. But I’m good for now.”
“Hey, Kuzai,” I called to the dwarf. “You don’t happen to detect any hidden compartments, do you?”
The dwarf gave me a cold stare and didn’t bother to answer. He was obviously more tolerant of the twins’ mixed heritage then my own ‘pure blood’ status.
We searched again to make sure we hadn’t missed anything, then continued walking down the hallway. We didn’t have to go much farther. The hallway ended with circular stairs winding downward. My Dangersense tingled as I looked at the dark opening below us. Something nasty was waiting for us below.
I clenched my fists. All my senses told me the real fight was ahead of us. I looked at my party. Everyone was armed and equipped for battle. We were as ready as we were going to be.
We started descending the stairs, Malkyr taking point, as always.
The stairs went on and on. It was several minutes later when Malkyr came to a stop. “Err, guys, we have a problem here.”
I moved next to him and stared at the stairs. They ended abruptly, transforming into a sheer drop. We were left standing on top of a vast, open chamber. Long stalactites were hanging next to us.
I looked straight down. I could see the ground below us, nearly a hundred meters down. It was a deadly fall. I couldn’t teleport down; it was well beyond the range of my spell.
From our vantage point, we couldn’t see the entirety of the chamber. The ceiling next to us sloped down unevenly, interfering with our line of sight.
“Now what?” Malkyr sighed. “We have ropes, but I don’t think they’ll reach the bottom and there’s nothing to tie them to.”
“Ruddy goblin spawns,” Kuzai mumbled loudly enough for us to hear. “How’d you survive this long with yer limited knowledge is beyond me. Give me yer ropes.”
We took our ropes out and silently handed them to the dwarf. He tied all three lengths together in a secure knot. He picked up a small piece of rock and tied one end of the rope tightly around it. Then he placed the stone in a fissure between the last stair and the wall, stomping on it a few times to wedge it in before throwing the rest of the rope down. I had to hand it to him, it was pretty innovative.
“When yer live working stone as much as we dwarves do, you get a feel for it,” he grunted in explanation.
“But it’s still not long enough,” I pointed out. “The rope ends about 20 meters above the ground.”
“We’ll either climb the wall or jump down if we have to,” the dwarf said. “Yer all seem sturdy enough. A small bump won’t kill ya.”
“Vic can go first,” I volunteered.
“Vic?” The dwarf frowned. “Who that be?”
Disengaging from my shoulders, my cloaked companion transformed himself into his purple goblin form. “Tada!” He raised his hands and gave a mocking bow.
“Durang’s beard! What tha’ hell is that?” Kuzai sputtered.
“Ruddy dwarven spawns,” I said pleasantly, “how you survived this long with your limited knowledge is beyond me.”
“Ha!” He was speechless for a few seconds then began to chuckle, “Alright greenskin, one fer you.”
I guess he wasn’t so bad. For a dwarf.
“Let me show you how it’s done, meat suits.” Vic pushed through us, reaching for the rope. His hands morphed to wrap around the rope and he easily walked off the last step, sliding
down toward the ground far below.
“Your companion got a strange attitude, man,” Malkyr said.
“Yes, but he is useful” I pointed out.
Vic reached the end of the rope. Keeping hold of it with one hand, his entire body stretched downward, becoming almost as thin as the rope itself. Once he reached the ground he regrew a pair of thin legs and walked around a little, surveying his surroundings while still holding on to the rope.
Come back up, I thought to him. Can’t let the others know about our method of mindlink.
Vic drew his body upward, transforming back into a purple goblin, then climbed up the rope as easily as a monkey.
“It’s big and empty. I didn’t see any movement, but there’s some sort of green flickering light coming from the other end of the cave,” he reported. “In any case, the immediate area below seems safe enough.”
“Thanks, Vic,” I said. “Let’s head down.”
I moved to the rope, Vic once again in his cloak shape around my shoulders, and started to climb down.
I heard the shuffling of padded feet above me and raised my head in time to see Tempest launching himself to the wall next to the stairs. His sharp nails dug deeply into the hard rock, leaving deep gauges as he slid down next to me.
I reached the end of the rope and teleported the remaining distance. I appeared at the edge of the spell’s range two meters above the ground, but I was expecting it and landed on my feet.
Malkyr came next, carefully making his way down the rope. Once he reached the end, he seemed reluctant to make the jump. I couldn’t really blame him.
“Wait a second,” I called softly, not wanting to alert our presence to whatever lived down here. I started gathering shadows around me, piling them up together and giving them some substance with my mana. Once I finished, a pile of soft shadows, five meters high, was ready to cushion my friend’s fall. “Okay, jump now.”
Muttering something unintelligible, the big man let go, landing in the center of the pile. His weight almost squashed it flat, but it was enough to break his momentum. When he rolled away to stand on the ground, he was completely unharmed.
He grinned at me. “Okay, I gotta hand it to you. That’s a pretty handy trick. Hoshisu’s next.”
His sister climbed down almost as nimbly as Vic did, dropping from the end of the rope without hesitation, landing on the pile of shadows with her feet first. Bek followed, his light weight barely disturbing the shadowy cushion.
Kuzai came last, climbing awkwardly under the weight of his armor. When he jumped, I allowed my mana to dissipate and the dark cushion deflated as the dwarf hit the ground, ass first.
He got up, rubbing his backside and glaring at me.
“Oops, sorry.” I smirked at him.
He mumbled something, and a soft golden light washed over him, healing his injury.
Now that we were down, we could all see the green light Vic spoke of. The chamber was huge, with the other end easily a couple of hundred meters away. Stalagmites rose around us like giant columns. Farther ahead, the chamber’s ceiling sloped down, several meters off the ground, creating a narrow passage. It gave the place an uneven vibe.
As I looked at the flickering light beyond the narrow space, the tingling of my Dangersense intensified. I couldn’t help the sinking feeling that we were heading into more trouble than we could handle. Still, it wasn’t like I had much choice in the matter.
Nihilator would not accept failure.
15 – Who’s the Boss?
We walked carefully through the dark cavern. The ground was uneven, forcing us to choose our steps carefully. Fortunately, we were all able to see in the dark to varying degrees, so there was no need to carry a light source that would give away our presence.
“Hold on, I need to check something,” I whispered to the others and dismounted Tempest.
It was something crumbled, pressed between the rocks. Putting my hand inside the fissure, I pulled out a piece of cloth. It was a drawing of a skull with two axes lodged in it. I recognized the symbol. It was another armband of the Cracked Skull Clan. Barska’s clan. More evidence of his past dealings with this, seemingly extinct, Ogre clan. Looking back at the fissure, I saw something else. Another armband?
“What’cha got there?” Malkyr whispered hoarsely.
“It’s a note.” I straightened the crumpled piece of paper.
Crumpled Note
To Jawbreaker, Ogre Chieftain,
As we agreed, for lending me your Ogre warriors, I’m sending you a gift of great power.
In this package, you will find a chalice and a blueprint for a shrine.
Build the shrine in a dark location, then place the chalice on top and fill it with your blood.
This will summon a demon of great power that will grant you strength beyond your wildest dreams.
–Barska Demon Eye
That chalice thing sounded familiar. I took out the Book of the Damned and leafed through it until I found the page I was looking for. It was a description for conducting a demonic summoning ritual. According to the text, an enchanted chalice had to be filled with the blood of a victim. A demon would then appear and offer his services to the one who performed the ceremony while consuming the victim’s soul.
I shook my head. That was how Barska rewarded those who helped him, tricking them into losing their souls. Devious even after his death.
I informed the others of my conclusion.
“That explains why the place is overrun with demons,” Hoshisu said softly. “A botched summoning ritual. They killed all the Ogres and took over the fort. Interesting. I’ve never encountered such an extreme change of monster populace before.”
“Wow, they weren’t kidding when they said this world was a living, breathing thing,” Malkyr added. “Still, it sounds like a standard dungeon dive; find the demon boss, kill it, and all the others will disappear. Easy, right?”
Well, he was glib, but he wasn’t wrong. “I guess so. Let’s keep going.”
Ahead of us, two large pillars bordered a section of the cave. The entrance was easily a couple dozen meters high. The light from the green flames was coming from within. I paused for a moment and summoned my mastiffs.
As we approached, we could see clearly inside. A shrine stood at the center, and a golden chalice sat atop it. Green flames shone out of the chalice, illuminating the place with an ominous glare. As we watched, a silvery mist manifested out of the shrine and floated upward, disappearing in the ceiling above us. It appeared we’d found the source of the Ogres’ possession.
“Careful now, lads,” Kuzai whispered. “There surely be demons nearby.”
“YOU ARE QUITE ASTUTE, DWARF.”
It was the terrible voice from my vision. The ground shook as the creature appeared, manifesting behind the shrine, bathed in green light. He had the general shape of an Ogre, though much larger – five meters tall at least. His bulky, massive body looked blackened and desiccated with cracks spread all over him. Green flames erupted from those cracks. Two-meter-long horns extended from his forehead and were shrouded in green flames as well. This was a creature of nightmares.
Jawbreaker, Sentinel Demon [possessed]
Level: 42 (0%)
Type: Boss Tier 1 [Sentinel]
HP: 1,268, MP: 732
Attributes: P: 56, M: 12, S: 2
Skills: Burn Soul 52, Punch 52, Suffocating Flames 22, Retribution 22
Traits: Demonic, Guard Zone (blocks specific target), Regeneration 20
Resistances: Fire 100%, Armor 184, Mental 70%, Spell 50%, Cold -50%, Holy -50%, Poison Immunity
Description: Sentinel demons specialize in barring access to specific locations. They are patient beings and can lay in wait for decades
. They’re cunning and ferocious and have an impressive arsenal of devastating combat abilities.
That was … baffling. I’d expected a unique description of the final boss. After all, this creature used to be the Ogre chief. He had obviously gone through some dramatic changes. It was strange that the description did not reflect that.
Still, the damned thing looked incredibly strong. Its resistances were significant; breaking through its armor wasn’t going to be easy. Add to that his thousand-plus HP and possessed Master-ranked combat skills meant we were in for a tough fight.
“WELCOME, INTRUDERS. YOU HAVE BEEN EXPECTED. ONCE I HAVE FEASTED ON YOUR SOULS, I WILL BE ABLE TO BREAK THE SHACKLES AND ….”
“Jeesh, villains and their monologues, give me a break,” Malkyr said. He tossed away an empty potion bottle of Ogre’s Might, hoisted his axe and charged at Jawbreaker.
The massive demon paused mid-sentence and looked comically surprised at being interrupted.
Adding his running momentum to his swing, Malkyr struck hard at the creature’s thigh. The axe bit into the tough, blackened flesh, inflicting only 28 points of damage. Uncharged, Malkyr’s axe was no match against the demon’s tough hide. In response, a jet of green flames erupted from the small wound, scorching the big man.
Hoshisu sighed. “I guess it’s on.” She withdrew her enchanted Chainsaw Belt and threw it at the creature. Not to be outdone, I shot my drilling arrows, ordered the mastiffs to attack, and launched my dagger. Bek added his own two spinning arrows to the onslaught.
Jawbreaker just stood there, taking all the punishment. Hoshisu’s belt rotated and screeched, but the inner sharpened saws couldn’t penetrate its armor. Likewise, the mastiffs pounced on him, doing little to no damage. My dagger scored only a shallow scratch. The six drilling arrows fared a little better; despite the creature’s spell resistance that reduced their full potential, they inflicted 42 points of damage in total.
Holding his amulet and invoking his deity’s name, Kuzai created a radiant golden ball and launched it at Jawbreaker. The sphere of light soared through the air, illuminating the entire area. It hit the demon on his chest, doing 75 points of damage. The demon bellowed a howl filled with fury. Pieces of black flesh withered and fell from the point of impact, leaving behind gaping holes filled with green flames.
Life Reset_EvP_Environment vs. Player Page 24
