But when you absorbed the Core, it sensed the void between your eyes and automatically plugged itself into it, repairing the damage. Sort of. Thing is, Proving Ground Cores are not Mana Cores. Different functions, different capabilities. They aren’t meant to be incorporated into a Mana Channel system. It normally would work as well as trying to plug a garden hose into a light socket. Somehow, the Chaos attack on your Chakra changed the housing enough to make it fit. Somewhat. You have to complete the process, or the whole thing will break down.
- Arbiter Vicesimo
Quest Objective: Incorporate the Dungeon Core implanted in your Third Eye Chakra into your Mana system.
Quest Rewards: Ability to continue cultivating Mana. Gain access to Dungeon Core abilities in addition to the standard Third Eye Mana Core ability.
Quest Failure: Collapse of Mana Channels. Lose all Mana Channeling abilities and bonuses. Lose Elite Class: Mana Adept. Possible Final Death (chance of Final Death 62%).
“Dammit! Why do these things keep happening to me?”
Hawke shut off his notification and noticed that everyone was staring at him.
“What?”
Interlude: Leveling Up, Part Two
“You promised not to die,” Tava told him as he went over his other notifications.
“I did my best. And a couple of gods and Makers helped me get over the finish line. Made it with millions of nanoseconds to spare. So technically I didn’t die.”
“You have changed. An Archon! They said they only appear in the Common Realm during apocalyptic times.”
“Yeah. Guess times are going to get even more interesting.”
“I suspected as much from the moment I met you. I never suspected just how much.”
“Thanks,” Hawke said as he assigned his new Attributes points. He dumped nine points in Spirit and three in Charisma. Might as well try to be more personable now that he had an angel inside him, itching to come out and judge everyone. Most people weren’t going to like that.
He got a new Perk at level twenty-five, but this time his choice had been made for him; apparently all Archons got that one:
Understand Languages: You have the ability to speak and understand any mortal language spoken to you. You do not learn the language in question but gain the ability to communicate in it for as long as you are in the presence of the person who spoke to you.
Additionally, you have learned the following languages in both their Common and High forms: Astral, Celestial, Fey, and Infernal.
“That’s going to come in handy going forward,” Hawke said.
He turned to his sword boons next. At level twenty, he had selected Greater Elemental Dome, which blocked 100 points of damage per level against all forms of attack for three seconds, once a day. He doubled down on the ability, enabling him to put up the dome of energy once per hour. Now he could use it once per fight, more or less.
Leadership came next. He picked Shared Magic II, which allowed all members to cast two spells from Hawke’s list as long as he led the party. The first spell was Aura of Light, which helped keep people healed. He added Lesser Healing to the list; the spell was cheap and would allow even non-casters help themselves and each other in a pinch. The guild had leveled up as well but he figured a new power could wait until he was back home.
He also adjusted his gear, replacing his Greater Ring of the Adventurer with the Master version, which raised all his Attributes by 8. And he placed the Amethyst of the Magus into one of his chest armor jewel slots:
Greater Amethyst of the Magus (Legendary Item)
Level 28 (Minimum Level 23)
Bonuses: +15 to Intelligence and Spirit, +150 to Mana, +25% to spell damage.
Special Abilities:
Draw Mana: Once per day, the Amethyst can replenish up to 50% of your Mana Capacity.
“I guess that’s all. Other than figuring out how to fix the ticking time bomb in my head.”
That would have to wait until that evening.
* * *
After finding the portal leading to the Antechamber and using it, they set up camp there for the night. The plan was for a small group to depart for Crystal City in the morning while the rest stayed behind. Most members in the party took the opportunity to get some rest. Hawke used it to fix the burning hole in his head. Hopefully.
It took him several minutes to settle down into a state of meditation; his mind was still racing with all the possibilities in front of him. He knew that his transformation was going to have consequences that neither he nor the Architect could foresee. Although he had his suspicions that someone else might.
I don’t buy the story that the Dungeon Core just accidentally plugged itself into my head. Someone pushed it there. The Prime Mover? Laughing Man?
Maybe both. The Makers had been pulling his strings every step of the way. Like stumbling into Saturnyx, or earning the favor of the Triune Goddess, all in the space of a few hours. Or when he decided to absorb a Darkness-attuned Mana Node while he was a Paladin of Light; the opposite forces should have torn him apart, but instead he’d gained the favor of another goddess and an upgrade to an elite Class, Twilight Templar. And picked up Node Mastery and Mana Channeling. Upgrade after upgrade. New Elements and Forces. Finding the golden egg that had hatched two insanely-powerful dragon-kitsune hybrids. Enough power-ups to drive a gamer insane.
It hadn’t been an easy path, and he could have died several times along the way, but he was being prepared for something. And whatever it was, he was going to need all those power-ups to get it done. And if he failed… There was probably a spare out there, also being groomed for the same role. Maybe more than one. He didn’t like the idea of being someone’s playing piece. But he wanted to accumulate as much power as he could. Tools could turn in their makers’ hands. Who knew what he could do when he made it to the top?
The thought helped him steady himself as he used his enhanced senses to examine the cracked Chakra. The Chaos Duke had done a number on it; the energy node had been damaged more thoroughly than his Root Chakra had been when he had burst it open from the inside. This time, however, he couldn’t just reconnect the broken network because there was a Dungeon Core in the way. He needed to connect the Core to the rest of the system and the damn thing was not really compatible. Luckily, Proving Ground Cores and their Settlement or Fortification counterparts were similar. They used Structural Mana, for example, and as an Arcane Steward he had worked with it quite a bit. He even had a City Core sitting in his inventory, waiting for him to decide what to do with the damn thing. That kind of location Cores had generated a Mana network that ran throughout the areas they controlled. That was what allowed their owner to build things merely by spending Mana. There were plenty of similarities between them and the flow of energy in a living body.
The main difference was in the kind of Mana the two pipelines carried. Dungeon Cores used Structural Mana, super-dense energy that could create structures instantly. The conduits the Cores used to transport energy were bigger than the ones inside living beings. Or maybe they had a higher bandwidth, as it were. He liked the plumbing analogy better, though. It fit his old Earth life better, and it had served him well while learning Mana Channeling without a teacher.
And it works here as well, Hawke thought. I just need to build adapters and couplings between the two sets of pipes.
Visualizing what he wanted to do made things much easier. It took him several hours of detailed, tedious, and often painful work, but he was used to that. You just had to turn off your inner monologue, concentrate on the job, and get it done. He was always surprised by people who couldn’t manage to do that.
There, he told himself. All done. With over ten hours to spare, as a matter of fact.
The Core had disappeared into his skull and his head no longer looked like a lighthouse. That was good. The notifications were even better.
Quest Complete: WTF, Hawke?
You have incorporated the Dungeon Core (Order) into your Mana Channels.
You have unlocked the Dungeon Creation Interface. Access Level 1.
You have gained a Mana Core ability: Mana Efficiency I (All Mana Channeling abilities gain a 20% improvement to their effects).
You have become Aligned with a Force: Order (all Order effects gain a 25% improvement).
New Quest Available: Mana Cultivation II.
You have been offered a Quest: Mana Cultivation II
Now that you have gained one Mana Core, you are on the path of the Mana Cultivator. Increase the Mana density of your Chakras until you have acquired seven Mana Cores. Each Mana Core can Embody an Element or Force. You can dedicate multiple Cores to the same Element or Force, gaining increasing benefits, or you can diversity into up to seven different Embodiments.
Achieving full Mana Cultivation will transform you in numerous ways. A Master Cultivator is said to have the power to rival the gods themselves.
Quest Objective: Pick one of the remaining six Chakras and increase its density until a Mana Core is formed. (Note: the Root, Solar Plexus and Groin Chakras are the easiest ones to condense. It is strongly suggested that you start with them).
Quest Rewards: 5,000 Experience, 5,000 Experience towards Tier advancement, +15% to Mana Capacity, +10 to Mana Regeneration per minute; other Rewards may depend on the Chakra that is awakened and the Element or Force it embodies.
Penalties for Failure: If the quest is abandoned or refused, you will not be able to advance your Mana Channeling until you find a teacher.
Accept? (Y/N)
He accepted the quest, foreseeing many nights spent sitting in the lotus position like some California yoga instructor. He didn’t mind. Becoming a Mana Channeler had saved his life and his friends’ lives many times. Without it, the Court of Thorns would have achieved at least a couple of their objectives, leading to the deaths of thousands or even millions of people. Cultivation would prepare him to face bigger threats.
So would the Dungeon Core he’d attached to his Mana network, of course. A quick examination of the Interface showed him that he could now build rooms and outfit them with traps and monsters, all Order-oriented. The rooms and their resources would only exist for as long as he didn’t move more than a few hundred feet, since they gained power from the Dungeon Core, but he could basically create his own Proving Grounds, provided that he had enough Structural Mana. That was a problem: the cost to create stuff was steep, as a quick peek at a couple of random options showed him:
Basic Room (I): Can hold 12 Common Minions, 4 Lieutenants, 3 Elite Minions, 1 Elite Lieutenant, or 1 Lesser Boss. Cost: 500 Structural Mana
Elite Room Boss: Creates a powerful creature to defend the Room. Requires Basic Room IV (2,000 Mana). Cost: 200 Structural Mana per level.
Imagine having an Elite Boss in my party, at least while I was inside a Level 4 room, Hawke mused after examining a few of the dozens of options available. It would only cost me 7,000 Structural Mana, or 35,000 regular Mana with my Steward bonuses.
Impossible to do here. But in the middle of his Domain, where he could access almost 20,000 Structural Mana, things would different. Hawke checked the Dungeon’s Bestiary, which showed him dozens of different Order critters that he could summon into a chamber he created. Some were identical to the summoned minions from Serenity, which made sense, but the Dungeon had a lot more options. There were elaborate automatons, bizarre 4-dimensional beings, and even Archons and higher-order entities like Archon Lords and Archon Dukes. Their stats were as terrifying as the Entropic Duke his party had barely managed to defeat. The idea that he could summon such a creature to fight by his side was downright scary.
And maybe I could turn myself into a boss, he thought.
Hawke checked on that entry and discovered just how much further he needed to go to unlock the full potential of the Dungeon Core.
Dungeon Core Access Level 1: Can convert personal Mana into Structural Mana at a 10-to-1 ratio. Can create and improve Dungeon Chambers, Corridors, and Floors. Can staff Dungeon Areas with Minions, Lieutenants, and Minor Bosses. Structural Mana must be provided from an outside source. Status: Unlocked.
Access Level 2: Generates 100 Structural Mana per day that can be used to create and improve Dungeon components. Can staff Dungeon Areas with Elite Minions, Lieutenants, and Minor Bosses. Status: Locked. Chambers: 0/10. Minions: 0/100. Lieutenants: 0/25. Bosses: 0/5.
To get to Access Level 2 I have to create all that stuff first.
And unless I want to live in the Dungeon, it will all disappear after I leave.
Like a Mana Node, maybe. I can use a Node to empower a Lair, if not a full Dungeon.
All of that would have to wait until he handled his current problems, of course. For now, he went over his character stats before going to bed:
Name: Hawke Lightseeker. Race: Archon, Half-Elf, Eternal. Classes: Twilight Templar, Monster Trainer, Mana Mystic. Level: 25
Experience/Next Level: 256,427/300,000
Attributes (All Bonuses Included):
Strength 105, Dexterity 103, Constitution 135, Intelligence 81, Spirit 92, Perception 51, Willpower 71, Charisma 45
Characteristics (Regeneration):
Health: 3,200 (38.5/min)
Mana: 6,339 (79.2/min)
Endurance: 1,731 (32/min)
Identity: 27
Skills
Blacksmithing 6, Breath Weapon 7, Climbing 2, Detect Traps 5, Disarm Traps 8, Dodge 7, Lore 4, Riding 3, Shield 8, Spear 4, Stealth 5, Survival 3, Sword 10(25), Swimming 2, Tracking 3
Languages: Astral, Celestial, Common and High Fey, Infernal, Vulgate. Understands all mortal languages when spoken in his presence.
Perks
Aegis of the Fae, Dark Vision, Fae Stealth, Mana Adept, Mana Sight, Master of Mana, Sidhe Caster, Sidhe-Sight, Sidhe Speed Casting, Speed-Casting (Life and Light Magic), Spell Penetration, True Sight, Understand Languages, Undying, Unlimited Potential
Known Elements, Forces, and Schools of Magic
Celestial, Darkness, Death, Fire, Life, Light, Mind, Nature, Order, Twilight
Spells
Aegis of Order, Animate Shadow, Armor of Life, Aura of Light, Blast Undead, Bless Crops, Bolt of Darkness, Bolt of Life, Bulwark of Light, Burning Light, Consecrated Ground, Dark Tendrils, Deadly Roots, Death Cyclone, Death Stare, Enlightenment, Fireball, Gift of the Martyr, Growth, Hammer of Light, Hammer of Twilight, Healing Blows, Healing Wave, In Extremis, Indomitable Aura, Mass Blast Undead, Minor Death Curse, Nature’s Grip, Nature’s Guardian, Sense Life, Send Thought, Shadow Leech, Shadow Step, Shield of Light, Shroud of Darkness, Shroud of Twilight, Simple Spell Inscription, Song of Sorrow, Steal Life, Terror Gaze, Touch of Light, Transference, Twilight Mantle, Twilight Step.
Special Abilities
Alter Magic, Analyze Monster, Chaos Spike, Create Magical Trap, Disarm Magical Trap, Dispel Magic I, Dual-Casting, Enhanced Spell-Casting, Enhanced Channeling, Evolve Monster, Greater Bond, Greater Hidden Status, Identify Spell, Imbued Body, Leadership XIV (Chosen Foe I, Command IV, Generalship V, Messenger III, Shared Magic II), Living Shadow, Mana Channeling 8(10), Node Mastery XI (Advanced Node Travel, Create Node Guardian, Node Empowerment, Node Portal, Node Recall, Node Sight, Summon Node Guardian), Monster Pet (Level 25 Greater Tarakken), Overwhelm Magic I, Ritual Magic I, Seal Inscription II, Soul Rider, Spell Deconstruction, Spellcraft IV, Stop Monster, Summon Monster, Tame Monster, Tantric Touch, Timeless Mind, Tulpa Creation IV (Tulpa Edge, Tulpa Weapon)
Archon Abilities (Tier 1)
Archon Awareness, Assume the Mantle, Enhanced Senses, Hide Self, Impose Order, Restore Order, Resist Damage.
Arcane Vocations
Blacksmith 4, Mining 6, Skinning 2, Steward 6.
Guild
Powers (Level Six)
Guild Headquarters, Guild Quests III, Guild Vault.
Titles
Curse-Breaker
Eternals’ Doom
Guild President (Earth and Realms Defenders)
Knight of Order
Liberator
Lord of Sunset Valley
Lord of the Dead
Hawke thought about abandoning the plan to go to Crystal City and just dealing with the final boss with his party by itself. Everyone had leveled up and he could go full Archon on the Archduke. All he needed to do was capture or destroy the Labyrinth Core and it was game over for the boss. Maybe figure a way to upgrade his Dungeon Core?
So? He can do it twice. I’m doing their dirty work.
Okay, you are right.
The plan to go to Crystal City felt like a long shot at best and a waste of time at worst. The only consolation was that if the party spent a couple of days doing nothing but recruiting allies, he would lose his no-respawn debuff and wouldn’t have to worry so much about getting perma-killed.
Of course, that assumed that a trip to a higher Realm was going to be safe. From his past track record, that wasn’t a safe assumption.
Twenty-Eight
The antechamber to the final level of the Labyrinth was a sixty-foot wide and eighty-foot long room with a thirty foot vaulted ceiling. Its stone walls were covered with elaborate tiled murals depicting a human legion confronting a horde of demons. That had to be a leftover from the original Labyrinth, before Chaos came knocking. Hawke wondered how long it would be before the murals and the room changed to fit the new owners of the place. A couple of days at most, he guessed. They were running out of time. Aristobulus had tried to scry the Deepest Pits, but none of his spells had worked. They would be going in blind.
Court of Thorns: A LitRPG Story Page 21
