Subterranean Dungeon

Tenth Floor

Siora felt a chill run through her whole body. Her conversation with the god had been interesting, though it wouldn't change much in her life. The thoughts of Elysium as a place for those who had done well was just a myth, after all. She always thought it was, but who would know better than the gods?

So, there was no one watching over her. Her parents weren't fretting over the sword or her safety.

It was just her.

In a way, that was a relief. Nobody to disappoint but herself. Nobody to impress.

Siora took a deep breath and drew the Rilokos Blade. Lava flowed around them, providing dim light in the dark cave. Steam hissed from the construct as a glowing halberd emerged, shining with a dim volcanic orange compared to the Rilokos gold.

"Here we go," she whispered to herself. "Time to become a Shard Hero."

The boss launched itself across the arena. Siora had the briefest thought of the goblin leaping out of the way and how ridiculous it was. When she was a Shard Hero, she would hold her ground and make others flee.

Siora positioned herself just as she had been taught and swung the Rilokos blade to meet the polearm. Sparks rained, sending shadows dancing over the rough cave walls.

Pressing Attack pushed the halberd aside, letting Siora dash close and attack. Even with her upgraded sword, the boss's armor was too much. The glowing blade only bounced against the thick metal.

And just like that, her opening was gone.

Dodge helped her regain her composure. Her stance shifted, accommodating the opponent's size. She quickly activated Parry and pushed aside the boss's next attack. It stumbled, just slightly.

Siora stepped forward and thrust, grinning as she activated another ability. Greater Pierce was the perfect ability against the Subterranean boss, allowing the Rilokos Blade to puncture the metal armor.

The boss's other arm swung around. Siora tore the sword free and blocked with all her might. A blast hit her with enough force to send her rolling over the arena floor.

"Fuck!" She jammed the glowing sword into the stone, scoring a massive gash across the arena before she finally came to a stop, teetering on the edge before a river of flowing lava.

Rock crumbled overhead as the boss charged. Other mobs crawled from the lava, dripping molten rock. How they were unhurt, Siora longed to know.

One good hit hardly mattered. She knew better.

No celebrating until the shard was in her hand. And even then, the journey was only getting started.

Siora activated Dodge to avoid an attack from the boss and Resist to tank a hit from the newly emerged mob. She pivoted and chopped, cutting the mob in half. The air was hot and sour near the lava. She sucked in a breath and held it as she sidestepped, blocked, and cut the legs off a mob. The boss stuck the halberd straight into the river and flicked it up, sending a wave of lava her direction.

Endure was not the best option for the approaching molten rock. Unfortunately, too many abilities were on cooldown and she was limited. All Endure would do was limit the pain she felt, but the actual damage to her skin, arm, and gear would be the same.

Soldiers were limited in their movement abilities, at least compared to other classes. That didn't mean she was slow. Siora vaulted a lava-covered mob, searing her hand as she pressed against its head.

The molten wave passed over her leg, burning away armor and leather. She stumbled, fell, and rolled. With her free hand, Siora tore the laces of her boot free and kicked it off as fire consumed the leather.

A mob charged, but she easily cut it in half, even while sitting.

The boss stood near the edge of the arena with lava dripping from its halberd.

Siora grunted and stood. Heat pressed against the sole of her foot. Without both, her boots lost their enchantment. She held up a finger to the boss, undid the laces, and kicked off her other boot.

The burns and blisters all over her palm and ankle immediately flared to life as Endure ended. Siora sucked in a sulphur-scented breath and readied herself. Burns weren't enough to stop her.

Odds were against her. When were they not?

She probably wouldn't ever get all seven shards, but she had no plans to give up.

Since she was a little girl, since she heard the stories of Zezog the Barbarian, all Siora wanted was to be a Shard Hero.

It was finally time. She could do it.

***

Katalin yawned as she walked into the arena. It looked just as she had expected. Like a damn volcano. The boss was ominous in its stance.

She pulled out her version of the Boss Buster.

Contempt from the gods was something only an apprentice of Althowin Alegarra could achieve. Katalin looked back at where the god had been standing, but it was gone.

Well, that was alright.

Her hands glowed. The boss shattered the arena as it used every ability possible to launch itself across the opening.

"This is going to hurt," Katalin said. Was she talking to herself or the boss?

Her vision turned white as the Boss Buster's porcelain flames immediately filled the entire arena. By the time the conflagration faded, there was little more than ash.

Katalin shivered, reached into her specter bag, and pulled out a high quality health potion. A quick drink made most of the aches and burns fade.

"Easy enough."

When the god reappeared, their face showed only annoyance.

What did they expect from an apprentice of Althowin Alegarra?

***

Ernie hated fighting. There wasn't an enjoyable thrill in it as there seemed to be for most heroes. What was fun about putting one's life on the line?

It mattered little. He had no choice in the matter. It's not like he couldn't handle it. He had gone through the isolated floors just fine.

The bigger question was why Althowin wanted him to be in the dungeons to begin with. He had parsed through the information and come to a sound conclusion, but he didn't like it.

The shards would help him create better items, and it would stop Althowin from worrying about his safety, but to achieve the shards, he had to put himself in danger. It was some type of sick paradox.

He wasn't like Katalin. He couldn't detonate a floor and walk away unharmed.

His style had to be more creative.

While Katalin had been working on her Boss Buster, Ernie had mostly rested. Reforging Siora's blade had been draining. All he managed to put together were a few grenades, but if the boss was too close, he couldn't use them.

Getting to the bigger cities in the Subterranean had taught him a few things. The claverstan were clever with the ways they utilized lava to power suits and weapons.

It was possible for alchemists to do something similar, even with just elemental or arcane magic. He needed a source for magic, and luckily, he had brought along a few charge gems.

Ernie pulled out a modified claverstan rifle from his specter bag. He looked back, seeing the god's expression change. Ernie smiled and flicked a switch on the side, activating the charge gem without using his own mana.

Heavy armor would be resistant to the concussive force of arcane magic, and the Subterranean boss would certainly be resistant or immune to fire. In a brilliant moment of forethought, Ernie had prepared multiple charge gems of different magic that could be swapped out easily.

The only ones he hadn't figured out how to create were abyssal, luminous, horrific, and apparition damage, but he had some ideas that could be explored upon returning to Vraxridge.

For now, ice would be worth a try. Even if ice would melt in the heat of the volcano, it was cold enough and strong enough to cool things down and weaken any fire-based attacks.

Ernie lifted the modified claverstan magic launcher to his shoulder and aimed. With his incredibly high dexterity, there was no chance of him missing a target. One didn't need to be a hunter to be accurate.

As soon as the boss moved, Ernie pulled the trigger, sending a constant flurry of blue-white bullets. The launcher hummed as it pulled on the charge gem, channeling the powerful magic through the machine and out the barrel.

At first, the ice immediately melted and splashed against the boss's knee as it ran forward. In less than a second, the air was chilled along the line the bullets were flying. Now that the bullets weren't melting, ice started to pelt the boss. The barrage was constant and a frozen area formed.

Within the seconds it took the boss to reach Ernie, its entire leg was frozen in place. Most of it was melting quickly, but Ernie just backed away and turned his aim to the boss's weapons until they were also covered in ice.

His charge gem ran out, abruptly cutting off the ice barrage. He could sense satisfaction from the boss. With a quick, fluid motion, he ejected the spent charge gem, placed it in his belt, and grabbed a second prepared cartridge, which he swiftly loaded it into the launcher. Electricity arced from the barrel and passed over the boss's armor. It was less effective, if it was effective at all.

He placed a hand on the ice cartridge and charged it full with a huge, somewhat painful, burst of mana. He quickly ejected the electricity and switched it with the ice gem. Just as the boss broke free of its icy prison, Ernie unleashed another barrage.

His mana bar was plenty strong to keep firing until the boss was frozen in a glacier. If he did get close to running out, he could simply drink a mana potion. There were even ways to use mana potions to refill charge gems, though he had never tried before.

He went in a constant cycle of legs, weapons, and back to legs. As long as the boss couldn't move, it couldn't get close. And with its weapons frozen, it had no way to attack.

There weren't any clever tricks up his sleeve to kill a tower boss in a single hit, but through ingenuity, he would win.

***

Lera looked across the arena with eyes devoid of hope.

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She should've asked a different question. It had never occurred to her that the question a hero asked before a tower boss fight could impact the fight itself.

A wave of nausea hit her like a mace.

"A lich's magic controls the hero while the hero remains entirely conscious and aware. They witness and experience all acts they commit. When you killed your husband, he watched you and the pain of your attack and the pain of your betrayal. His last thoughts were of pain and horror, not love and appreciation. That is a mistake you mortals make. Few, if any, are grateful for these 'swift deaths' you all think you provide. Death is painful in all its forms. There is no such thing as mercy."

She was going to vomit.

"Ilarion, I love you."

The boss rushed forward in a flash of fire, faster than she anticipated. A quick block sent Lera reeling. She stumbled back, kicking rocks into the nearby river of lava. Magic charged in the boss's left weapon as it swung a glowing halberd horizontally.

Lera activated Parry, successfully knocking the polearm aside. She stepped in to attack, but the boss unleashed its magic. A fiery beam of magic shot from the cannon.

All she could do was scream as she stumbled away. She fell hard on her knees and tried to breath through the pain, but the air itself was on fire and scorched her lungs.

Lera fell to her knees and looked into the eyes of the god. She should've stayed out of the towers. They brought nothing but pain and suffering.

Ilarion had escaped.

And she was late to join him.

The glowing halberd fell from above, splitting Lera in two.

***

Shade stopped in front of a picture frame and tilted his head. He placed a hand on his chin, grunted, then reached out and straightened the apparently lopsided frame.

"Was it actually crooked?" Owin asked.

"How am I supposed to know? I don't have eyes."

Owin laughed. It wasn't really funny, but the happiness of Shade feeling better was enough to make him a little more malleable to the skeleton's jokes.

Shade stopped outside a door and knocked.

"Why?"

"Do you want us to burst in like some kind of criminals? This is polite."

The door opened, revealing a short thrall on the other side. Owin made eye contact with the vampire creature.

"Is your mother home?" Shade asked.

The thrall lunged between Shade's legs. Owin slapped it across the face with Isotelus, sending it tumbling down the hallway. It crashed into a corner table, which shattered and dropped the vase, which also broke.

"Your mother will be disappointed," Shade said.

"What is this about?" Owin asked. He sprinted over and smashed the thrall's head with a well-placed stomp. The body twitched, so he stomped a few more times.

"The mother thing?" Shade walked into the room. "Is it weird?"

"Yeah, kind of." Owin chased after him into a wide storage room. There were barrels all throughout the middle of the floor and crates piled against the walls. Thralls were roaming all over, organizing supplies.

"Now that is a vampire I've never seen." Shade pointed to the left.

Owin had to move to look past some pillars to see a massive blue-tinted creature. It had stitches all over its skin and a belly that made it look like it had eaten most of the supplies in the storage room.

Fortress Mob

Dread Vampire

Level 45

"Can all vampires give vampirism?" Owin asked.

"I should have an answer. My memories aren't quite clear enough, and for once, I don't want to lie to you." Shade turned, pushed Owin back into the hallway, and pulled the door closed behind him. "I see no benefit in fighting that thing. It won't make you stronger."

"What if there are potions in the storage room?"

"There won't be. Maybe some weapons, but you have more than enough right now. I don't want to overfill my box again in case something happens and I need to spend a few minutes curled up. We'll keep going."

"Fine, but you can't stop me from fighting because you're worried."

Shade pushed Owin along. "I know. It would be stupid to avoid fighting in a dungeon. Especially the Fortress. We're just looking for better prey."

"Fine."

It didn't take them long to find more mobs. Just around the corner of the long, winding manor hall was another door. It took Owin a moment to convince Shade to skip knocking. The skeleton instead decided to kick the door open.

Owin had obviously misread the earlier situation. Shade couldn't be avoiding a fight when everything he was doing was so loud and aggravating.

The room was another storage room, though this one was obviously for an alchemist. It looked eerily similar to Naxile's storage room back in the Great Forest. Owin had killed another goblin back then before fighting Naxile herself.

The storage room was empty, so Owin followed Shade inside. They both scoured the shelves and dug through containers. It took a few minutes, but they both found buffs and a shield potion.

Adept Wisdom Buff

+30 Wisdom

Duration: ???

Artisan Dexterity Buff

+30 Dexterity

Duration: ???

Owin chugged both potions and tossed the bottles aside.

+30 Wisdom

Wisdom: 199

+30 Dexterity

Dexterity: 350

"It's almost annoying," Owin said.

"What is?" Shade held up a jar full of eyes. He shook them extra hard. "These aren't ocular mobs."

"They're just eyes?"

He took the top off and shoved a finger inside, trying to fish out an eye.

"Don't put those in your skull," Owin said.

"Why not?" Shade accidentally popped one, which squirted blood into the brine. "Oh, gross."

"Because you don't know what they're from." Owin hopped and snatched the jar away.

Shade wiped the bloody finger on the top of a barrel. "What was annoying?"

"Adept and artisan buffs give the same amount. I think the times are different, but that doesn't make a difference for me." Owin opened his index and looked over the numbers.

Hero

Owin

Deficient Wizard

Nimble Hog Hero Company

Level: 1

Strength: 1050

Constitution: 570

Dexterity: 525

Intelligence: 700

Wisdom: 298

Charisma: 285

He hadn't turned his shard off since entering the tower and didn't even notice it floating above his shoulder anymore. Would he feel slow once it wasn't active? He was getting used to seeing the numbers with the multiplier.

He had a while before he needed to worry about it.

The nearby door opened.

Owin threw the jar of eyes without hesitation. It shattered on a thrall's face, spilling brine and eyeballs onto the tile floor.

Shade moved in a weird blur as he used an assassin skill and stabbed the makeshift stake into the thrall's chest. He ripped the chair piece out and kicked the thrall back into the room beyond, then slammed the door shut.

"If I told you that there is a true vampire on the other side of the door, would you believe me?"

Owin activated Ice Blade, freezing Isotelus. "I believe you."

"I'll get it with the stake."

The door flew off its hinges at such a great speed that Shade had no hope of evading. It hit him in the back of the skull and sent the skeleton sprawling.

Fortress Mob

Karpov Quinn

Vampire

Level 45

Karpov ran long-nailed hands through his hair, slick back long, greasy strands were that clung to his pale neck and the collar of his shirt. "A new guest, is it?" The vampire smiled broadly, revealing his yellowed fangs.

"Something like that." Owin positioned his feet just like Suta taught him. Vampires were fast, so Owin would need to react instinctually. With Suta's stance, he was ready to move in any possible direction.

Except up. He wouldn't jump. Zezog would be angry if he did.

Karpov cocked his head slightly. "A goblin and a skeleton? What an odd combination. Who would invite such vile creatures?"

Karpov moved, and vanished. Instead of dashing to the side or leaping away, Owin pivoted and slashed. Karpov had used a teleport like Vondaire and probably expected to catch Owin entirely by surprise.

But few things could surprise Owin. He had seen that move too many times. Right as the vampire reappeared, the Isotelus Ice Blade cleaved through both of his knees. Karpov wailed in pain as he fell to the tile floor. Brine and eyeballs splashed into his face as he landed roughly.

Shade sat up and kicked Karpov in the face.

"I'll rip your heart out!" Karpov shrieked.

"That's not the first time I've been told that," Owin said. He took a step back as the vampire reached out with its clawed hands and tried to swipe at Owin's ankles.

Shade kicked Karpov again. "He's weak for a true vampire."

Before the sentence was even complete, new legs formed out of the base of Karpov's knees. In less than half a second, bones appeared, followed by muscles, veins, and pale skin.

Owin couldn't react fast enough as Karpov vanished and reappeared on his feet, already reaching for Owin's throat. A crab claw clamped onto the vampire's hand, stopping the attack as a single nail scratched a line into the chitin armor. Another crab claw and crab legs shifted on Owin's back, stopping the other arm. The claws were strong enough to keep their grip, but it was mostly Owin's strength actually binding Karpov.

"A goblin can't stop me." Karpov stepped back, tearing his arms free.

Before he could regrow his arms, Shade stabbed the vampire in the back with the wooden stake. Karpov's eyes widened. When he opened his mouth to speak, ash fell out.

For good measure, Shade stabbed the other stake into the top of the vampire's head.

0 Experience

Owin's armor retracted, dropping the severed vampire arms onto the ground.

Shade shoved the limp body aside as it withered before their eyes. "I hate vampires."

"Are they all going to be like that?"

"No." Shade wiped the black blood from his stakes on the vampire's clothes. "The greater ones are worse."

"Oh good."

Karpov's laboratory was like a mix of Naxile's and Miya's. Owin recognized many of the appliances, though he didn't actually know the use for most of them. There were a few cages with withered bodies inside, which made Owin frown. There were no living prisoners, which was probably good. He didn't need to spend time saving mobs. But if heroes lost to Karpov, did he run tests on them?

Shade found a chest hidden behind a work table. In his efforts to open it, he tripped over a flask, hit a pile of bags, and fell head first into the chest.

Owin just stayed by the cage, watching.

The skeleton popped out with a purple potion held high like he had just conquered the greatest foe.

"What is it?" Owin asked.

"Constitution!"

"I know that. What rarity?"

Shade leapt out of the chest. "Master!"

Owin had never heard the skeleton yell so incredibly loud. Shade sprinted over, fell to his knees, and splashed the potion directly into Owin's face.

Constitution +50

Constitution: 430

With his shard active, that put his constitution all the way to 645. That was a huge boost to his health, which he was going to need against vampires that seemed to refuse to die.

They checked the rest of the lab, then opened the door to the library beyond. There was a thrall in a cloak immersed in reading. Owin looked up at Shade, and the skeleton promptly closed to the door.

"You can't read anyway."

Owin shrugged and followed Shade back into the hallway. It was only another few turns before they spotted the stairs. These were grand stairs leading up halfway before splitting into two different directions. Both sections had a void nexus, and the exit was clear off to the side.

Another mob stood just in front of the stairs. She was elegantly dressed with combed hair tucked behind pointed ears. Her eyes flicked over a notebook that she held effortlessly balanced on two fingers.

"Is that the dinner?" she asked without looking up.

Fortress Mob

Cordelia Takaneta

Lesser Vampire

Level 50

"She's only lesser," Owin whispered.

"But she's five levels higher."

Cordelia lowered the notebook and stared with some form of contempt or disgust. Owin was used to such looks.

"Guests do not belong in this wing," Cordelia said.

"We were just on our way up," Shade said. He stalked to the side, activating some assassin ability.

"Were you?" She lifted her notebook. "I don't have any guest arrivals on my calendar."

Owin scratched his face. Was it better to charge a vampire or let them make the first move?

Cordelia opened up broad, fleshy wings from her back. With one beat of her wings, she sailed down the hall, right past Shade, and swung a clawed hand at Owin. He turned his head in time, letting her claws scratch through the side of the chitin helmet. Crab legs appeared in his peripherals as his armor prepared its defense.

One swing of Isotelus was all he needed to chop her arm off, but if lesser vampires were anything like regular ones, he was in for a fight.

Cordelia beat her wings, sending her out of Owin's range as his crab legs stabbed into the open air. She pointed a single finger. Red flashed as a beam of blood shot straight at Owin's face. The Withered Shield appeared, then turned to dust. Blood had splattered all over the hall upon striking the protective spell.

Shade was nowhere to be seen, but Owin felt like he could sense the skeleton somewhere.

Cordelia shot another spell, which Owin successfully blocked with Isotelus now that he knew what to expect. The vampire's right arm regenerated. It was still fast, but noticeably slower than it had been for Karpov.

Shade appeared in front of the Cordelia as he stabbed the stake into her heart.

"Do you remember when you asked if the bow was your true calling?" Owin said. He walked carefully, maneuvering around the blood on the tiles.

"I do." Shade tore the stake out and didn't flinch as Cordelia slapped him. He stabbed the stake in again, but a little to the right. She beat her wings and flew toward the stairs.

The vampire landed on unsteady feet. She took a few steps and collapsed.

"Maybe assassin is your true calling." Owin stood beside Shade, who was busy cleaning the stakes on the rug.

Cordelia said something, then withered and died.

"I don't think this will be as successful next floor. The vampires will only get stronger as we go. They have to have something in place to avoid such a critical weakness. Right?" Shade looked at Owin and poked his nose. "Maybe they don't. You reveal your whole face like a target."

"It's not my fault."

"Who is to blame?"

Owin shrugged. "Want to go kill more vampires?"

A door on their right flew open. A huge dread vampire wearing an apron and holding a cleaver stood in the doorway.

"Up the stairs." Shade pushed him. "A little faster."

The dread vampire roared.

Owin ignored the mob and sprinted past. He hopped over Cordelia's corpse, rushed up the stairs, and jumped into the void nexus.

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