While Owin searched for the way to continue into the crypt, Shade attempted to loot Falenas's corpse and every room holding a sarcophagus. He found a few health potions, some gold coins, and a mace made out of a bone. It was only an apprentice level weapon, so they left it with the pile of bones.

By the time Shade was done looting, Owin had found a broken wall in the back of one of the small rooms that led to a long, narrow hallway. While the crypt was made of dark, almost black stone, the hallway was a lighter brown and looked untouched by any creature, living or undead. Dust covered everything and old cobwebs hung in the recesses of the ceiling. Even some fungus had formed around the sconces holding faint magical light.

They had to climb over rubble from where the crypt wall had collapsed into the hall, so Shade led the way, assuming there were traps ahead. The skeleton fell over stone after stone, but managed to get his feet under him before setting off down the hall. Even with an assassin class, Shade was still clumsy.

"Now, just imagine," Shade said, continuing from a monologue he had started while looting. "You, me, maybe Suta. Steaks. Music. It's a true party."

"None of us eat, Shade."

The skeleton's foot depressed a brick. Shade immediately froze. An arrow flew out of the wall and pierced his skull, but he stayed standing. He slowly turned to face Owin, and reached up to poke the arrow shaft protruding from his head. "Is it noticeable?"

"No." Owin waved Shade over. The skeleton slowly let his foot off the brick and crouched. A quick tug easily tore the arrow free without turning Shade into dust. "See?"

"Is that a missing eye joke?" Shade took the arrow and tossed it to the side of the hallway. He pressed his foot back on the same brick. A puff of dust shot from the wall where the arrow had been before.

"You know, most things I say aren't jokes."

"Oh, that's a relief." Shade pushed on to the end of the hall and slowly leaned around the corner. "If you were trying to be funny most of the time, I'd have a really difficult time telling you how bad of a comedian you really are."

Owin frowned. "Why aren't there any mobs in here?"

"Oh, you want to hit something to push the feelings down?"

Owin nodded.

"Ah. Somehow, that wasn't the answer I expected." Shade waved him on and continued around the corner.

Owin was surprised to see an open arched doorway just ahead leading into a room. Shade poked at the arch with the Thunderstrike Maul, and when it didn't collapse, he stepped through. Almost immediately, a ghastly form swept down and passed through Shade.

The skeleton, completely unharmed, turned around. "Was that a specter?"

"Not one that I've seen before."

A woman made of mist flew past and dragged a hand across Owin's face. He felt nothing but a chill as his mana bar partially burned away.

"Oh, it is a specter." Owin ignited the Incandescent Blade and opened his index. The woman had vanished through the other wall, and he spotted hints of her weathered dress above and through the walls. Whatever type of specter it was, it could pass through anything with ease.

Her gaunt face appeared again. Just before chopping with the sword, Owin used Examine.

Fortress Mob

Poltergeist

Level 60

The flaming blade cut directly through her neck, severing the head and sending spectral hair drifting slowly to the ground. The poltergeist's body twitched, then launched toward Owin, clawing at him with mist-like nails.

Shade grabbed the specter by the arm with his armored hand and yanked it back. With a twist, he tossed the mob at the ground, which sent it vanishing through the floor. "It seemed like a good idea before I did it," Shade said.

The decapitated head and cut strands of hair had materialized into a normal corpse that looked far from fresh. There wasn't even any blood leaking from the neck.

Owin swept his eyes all over, and as soon as he spotted smoke, he sliced diagonally, cutting the poltergeist from hip to shoulder. It fell in two halves that soon materialized.

0 Experience

Shade stood across from Owin on the opposite side of the corpse. "I don't like that one."

"Me either."

"I have a feeling there will be more," Shade said.

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"Me too."

The skeleton kicked the corpse. A single coin popped out of the cut area as if a dungeon gold had been lodged into her once-beating heart. He picked it up and offered it to Owin.

"I think we should leave it."

Shade shrugged and dropped the gold back on the ground.

***

Egnatia was thankful to be back in Minolitana Prima. People waited on every little thing, and she hadn't had to move a broken bone or bruised muscle in hours. As it should be.

The others were all in worse shape, and that meant they truly needed a plan as fast as possible. Losing Voolyn would severely harm their chances. Getting the stalled hero back into fighting shape would give them a true shield to hide behind when fighting Althowin and anyone else that stood against them.

Idiots couldn't see she was trying to improve the future for all Verdantallis. Althowin would keep them in the past. The world was better off without 7 Shard Heroes ruling like the kings of past.

Olena sat on the edge of Egnatia's bed. It was a rather intimate setting, just the two women in Egnatia's private room, but she wouldn't complain. If Olena wanted to talk, that meant their plan was nearly complete.

Egnatia's sense of decoration matched her sense of style for adventuring. Anything she found that was interesting fit in some way. It left an odd collection of weapons, paintings, and random artifacts found in dungeons scattered about her walls in no discernable pattern. She looked over the walls, grinning.

Olena ran a smooth hand across Egnatia's leg. "Your injuries aren't healing properly." The wizard pressed her thumb into a bruise on Egnatia's shin.

Egnatia grunted. "I'm aware," she said through clenched teeth. It was an ironic thing for Olena to say, being that she still had no face. Her injuries were healing incredibly slow compared to normal, but what was expected from an attack by the 7 Shard Hero? "Is Nastya ready or not?"

"We need to elect a third Head before we go anywhere," Olena said, releasing Egnatia's leg. She leaned back, sighing. It had taken a few days for Egnatia to start understanding Olena after Nastya worked on mending her using every ounce of mana she could muster.

Olena, the fire-eyed wizard, was able to regain eyes and a few teeth, but that was the extent of her healing. She needed something with regeneration to heal properly. If she fused with anything else, her face would likely take on more aspects of whatever she fused with.

"The election can wait. You and Voolyn need to fuse before something goes wrong." Egnatia swung her legs off the bed, wincing with the effort.

"Ogre," Olena said. "For Voolyn."

Egnatia nodded. It wouldn't be a big change. The man was already practically an ogre. "And you?"

"Scaltari druid."

"Ah." Egnatia took a deep breath and ran her hand through her short hair. "It sounds like we're all heading to the Great Forest."

The faceless woman nodded. "After the election."

"We're going now before Althowin decides to leave and move against us. Caspius."

He appeared in the doorway almost immediately. The Magna Regum spy bowed, then brushed his long brown hair over his shoulder. "How may I assist?"

"Is everything ready?"

"It has been, ma'am. We have ten Shard Heroes ready to mobilize. They are all aware of the risk in guarding the four of you during fusion. I took the liberty of offering a lump sum upon completion of the mission to each hero, fitting their experience. Five are Magna Regum, one is a Void Nexus hero, and the rest are independent heroes."

Egnatia put her hand gently on Olena's shoulder. "Time to get back into fighting shape."

Olena just nodded.

"Caspius," Egnatia said. "Go inform Nastya that we will be leaving as soon as she is ready."

"I have also put together a small cadre of menders to accompany you to help with Voolyn and Miss Olena." Caspius bowed again. "I will pass along your message." He stepped back and disappeared down the hall.

"Time to ascend." Egnatia stood and felt every small bruise throughout her legs. Hopefully on their journey, she could also find some new armor. Her backup pieces were nothing compared to her old set.

***

Myrsvai took a deep, satisfied breath upon walking up the steps into the manor. While he didn't love the idea of fighting more vampires, he did enjoy knowing he was one step closer to being out of the Fortress.

Thalgodin followed behind Suta. The neural demon had all his swords drawn, mostly as a precaution. When Myrsvai had summoned him part way through the previous floor, the demon had wanted to be sent away again in fear of his life.

Thalgodin was far from a coward. He simply wasn't a high enough level.

"Protect," Suta said until Thalgodin agreed.

A vampire bairn stepped out of a door on the right with a tray of drinks. It nodded toward Myrsvai.

"I hate vampires," Thalgodin said in a deep, gruff voice.

"I plan to summon mirth demons for these battles," Myrsvai said.

The bairn stopped and watched after hearing Myrsvai, then it hurried through a door beside the grand staircase.

"I can guide you to the Cackling Wastelands." Thalgodin pointed with his swords. "Vampire on the left."

As soon as he was done talking, the door on their left opened, revealing an elf.

"Greetings." The elf bowed. "I am Arintak Takaneta. May I ask who you are?"

A red blur passed. Abyssal flames erupted as Suta's foot connected with the vampire's face. Arintak was sent through the wall, bouncing through the sitting room before crashing against the outside boundary wall.

Myrsvai swirled abyssal flames around the top of his staff. "Apparently, we're fighting."

Thalgodin let out a relaxed chuckle. "It appears I was worried over nothing."

Arintak climbed to his feet and flared out his fleshy wings. Blood magic gathered in a haze around his fists and feet.

Suta shifted his feet, crouching low with one leg up front. He lifted his hands as he took a deep breath. Both hands hung open and relaxed.

Arintak beat his wings and flew forward, gliding just over the ground. As soon as he neared, Suta used an open palm to push the vampire's fist aside as the familiar stepped in and rammed his palm into Arintak's jaw. Bones audibly cracked as the vampire collapsed with a broken jaw and broken neck.

Suta cast Summon Weapon - Demonic and slashed, cutting Arintak's head off. The vampire still moved, so Suta stabbed through its brain, then slashed and stabbed the vampire's heart a few times just to be sure. The combination of cutting apart both heart and brain was enough. Black blood oozed from the lesser vampire, spreading across the wooden floor of the lobby.

Suta turned around, flicked the summoned weapon to clean it of blood, then shrugged casually.

"Why do I ever worry?" Myrsvai asked.

"Is raising my level even necessary?" Thalgodin asked.

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