Chapter Twenty-Eight

His feet made unpleasant sounds as he pounded through the marshy grass, relying entirely on his Strength pull them back and keep up the pace as he strained his eyes to see through the mist. He could see shapes in the darkness ahead and blew past several creeping vines so fast they couldn’t even reach for him. Up ahead, he could see a tree much taller than the others, perfect for an archer, and he pushed the final trickle of Mana, barely a droplet, into Alacrity to reach it quicker.

A headache buzzed at him in response, but as he reached the tiny clearing and saw Blanik face down with an arrow sticking out of his back and blood pooling around him, he didn’t care. He didn’t even spare a glance for the archer, a woman he vaguely recognised but didn’t bother to identify, sprawled on her back with darts in both eyes and another in the throat.

Flipping Blanik over as carefully as he could, he sighed with relief to see a slow, hitching rise and fall to the boy’s chest. The arrow in his back smelt acrid and bitter, and judging by the dark green splotch that spread under Blanik’s skin where it had pierced him, it was poisoned.

[Kat! Get here now I need antidotes, everything you have! Will]

He screamed the message in his head, flinging Shout in the air and forcing Powerful Shout to activate, sending a beacon in the form of a glowing white crescent into the sky. It caused a backlash that sent a crack through the blade and knocked it from his hand, but he just grabbed it a from the floor and stuffed it in his Spatial Ring to deal with later. He heard the sound of his party running to join him, and then realised how stupid he was being. He flicked a hand, and into his palm fell the strongest antidote they’d been able to afford, one for cases when the Reactive Bezoar [C] they’d all gained wouldn’t work. He poured it into the boy’s mouth and then massaged his throat, trying to force the liquid down. As Kat burst into the clearing, Okembe using his Telekinesis to hold her steady as Unk and Daphne picked careful footing in the rear, he was pulling a waterskin from his ring and trying to wash the potion down.

“Shit, how do they have such a strong poison this early!?”

There wasn’t really anything they could have done. They had the Reactive Bezoars, although his hadn’t kicked in thanks to the weaker poison he’d been exposed to. There wasn’t ctually much poison in the swamp, and they hadn’t expected an ambush by human assassins.

Finally, the potion seemed to activate, finally digested, and Will saw it kick in immediately. Blanik’s eyes shot open, green ichor beginning to pour from his mouth, nose and the arrow wound, and he screamed like he was being set aflame. Whatever the archer had used, it was potent. Probably meant for Will himself, like whatever the dagger wielder had been using.

Blanik lay and convulsed for a few more minutes, before falling asleep to finish his recovery.

“Did anyone recognise any of the attackers?”

Will’s voice shook with anger. Once again, a member of his party had been seriously hurt, and it was because of him. He’d attracted too much attention, made too many waves, and someone wasn’t happy about it.

“The mage was one of the independents who have refused contact.”

Okembe’s answer fitted with Will’s own thoughts. Not all the Climbers who’d come to Floor 3 were interested in talking and collaborating. As the place got larger, more and more groups formed their own little areas away from the majority. The archer he recognised was one of the same type, just a face in a crowd.

“They were sent for me, so I’m sorry. We can turn back now and return to the safe area if you want. None of you signed up to be a target for assassins.”

Crack!

The sound of Metrodora’s single hand cutting through the air and smacking into Will’s cheek made even Unk wince, and given that one of the man’s eye sockets was currently knitting itself back together with a soft grinding sound, that was saying something.

“How many times do we need to tell you that we’re here for good!? I’ve got one fucking arm and I came back a month later to Climb with you! Daph nearly died, and she spent just as long convincing Unk to trust you! For god’s sake, Blanik worships you! You think he’s going to regret helping? Then you really haven’t been paying as much attention to us as you say.”

Will was stunned, but as he tried to formulate a response, he felt Okembe’s hand land on his shoulder, and the man spoke softly.

“Everybody will be okay, Will. Let’s get Blanik to somewhere we can rest.”

Unk and Daphne, who were looking between Metrodora and Will with awkward expressions, nodded emphatically at that and Unk grabbed Blanik under the arms. Okembe waved a hand and the teen’s legs were lifted telekinetically, and Metrodora stalked to the front of the party and took over navigating them. Will paused, taking the arrow that had pierced Blanik from the floor and placing it in his Spatial Ring, then stripping the archer and storing all of her gear as well. Then he followed his party, anxious eyes on Blanik’s insensate form floating through the humid air.

It took the better part of a week for Blanik to recover from whatever poison the archer had used. Unlike physical injuries, poisons were insidious, and even with the countermeasures they had nothing would be fixed quickly. While the other members of the party headed out in twos and threes to keep searching for the Hidden Boss, Metrodora and Will spent most of their time at the teenager’s bedside.

“I didn’t tell you how hard it was when I first went back to Earth after we met. It was really, really tough. You don’t realise how much you take being able-bodied for granted till you’re not.”

Will nodded, matching her quiet tone as Blanik rested between them.

“I thought you handled it well. I’ve never been great at this sort of thing, but I am sorry I couldn’t help you more.”

She scoffed and shook her head derisively.

“That’s the problem! You’ve taken this burden, this responsibility for saving everyone. You can’t, and you shouldn’t have to. You’ve already done so much to help Humanity. How long in the first timeline did it take before people had a map of the Floor 2 Exit Staircases they could access for free?”

He thought for a second, then replied hesitantly.

“I think it was about 6 months after the Tower went public.”

Metrodora clapped her hand against her chest.

“Exactly. You saved my life. Okembe’s too. Blanik was basically a slave till you took out those thugs. You stopped a serial killer who could turn into shadows! You can’t keep blaming yourself every time something goes wrong.”

“The reason I mention how hard it was at first, is because I want you to understand the reason I got through it. It’s because I had hope, because you had told me that we could fix it, and I trusted you. The others feel the same.”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

As Will looked into the eyes of the woman he’d stumbled upon in the Drake Cave, seeing the support and confidence she was conveying, he felt his chest tighten slightly. She leant forwards, just a hair, and he matched her. It was only a brief kiss, a snatched moment before Okembe came back into the small shack they’d constructed and informed them that he’d found a hint towards the Hidden Boss, but it eased a lot of the guilt Will felt.

When Blanik was finally recovered and awoke, it was to a party that was ready for the Boss. Okembe and Daphne had been working on combing the swamp with their Spells, and they’d found a wooden idol that matched the visual description of the Bog King. While they weren’t exactly certain how to activate it, Will was sure that the idol was the trigger. Blanik’s eyes cracked open, and as Will gave him a drink, he asked a question in a tiny voice.

“Did the archer die?”

Nobody replied for a second, before Okembe spoke up.

“She did. You defended yourself, and us. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

Will snapped his focus back to the teen, realising why he’d asked the question. Blanik’s face, normally full of wonder and excitement, was drawn and pale. He shook, almost imperceptibly, as he nodded at Okembe and broke a feeble smile.

“I’ve never killed a person.”

Will replied, quickly.

“Nor had I, Unk, Daphne or Metrodora before we came to the Tower. I’m sorry you had to go through that. We’ve found the Boss for this Zone, but we can take you back to the safe area first.”

Although Blanik still looked as though he felt sick to his stomach, he gave a frantic shake of the head.

“No, I can do it, I just need a stamina potion and a hot meal. I’m not going to give up on you or the Clan!”

They spent another day preparing, Okembe taking Blanik out to train privately. When they returned, the taller man had his arm around the teenager’s shoulder, and the younger man looked as though he’d had a weight lifted from his shoulders. Will wasn’t sure exactly what advice had been exchanged, but he took the time to thank Okembe for helping.

“I agreed to Climb with you because I felt it was safer than doing so alone. I stayed because I believe in your ideals. The boy joined because of a personal loyalty to you, but he’s only 17. He will be okay, given time.”

With Blanik sufficiently recovered to help, and the others restored and prepared for the final and most difficult Boss fight of the Floor, Will lead them to the thick mire of the clearing, spreading out slightly as he approached the wooden totem pole sticking haphazardly from the depths of a deep mud puddle.

“Ugly fucker”

Will thought as he came within touching distance of the idol, stepping carefully to avoid sinking into the mire between the usable grass patches. The Bog King, represented here in wood carving form, was a huge towering mass of vines, roots, muck and insects all mashed up and swirled together. At the top, where its’ head should be was a misshapen blob of plant matter and mud shaped into a parody of a demonic face, with a crown of twisted and rotted tree roots perched atop.

The statue didn’t depict the gimmick of this Boss, his moving weak-point that made dealing damage a constant struggle. Of course, the main reason they were anticipating a tough fight was due to the Tower’s penchant for upping the challenge every time. Even though they’d skipped Zone 3, there was consensus that they expected the Tower to power up this Boss like it was the 4th of 4 since it would still be their final target.

He reached out and placed a hand on the idol, his other hand drawing Whisper in preparation, but nothing happened. Cutting the back of his hand quickly, he smeared some blood onto the Bog King’s face, the same.

“Rise Bog King! Attack! Spawn! Initiate. Go. Start. Encounter. Boss. Fight.”

No response, the wooden figure mocking him with its’ crooked gaze.

[Okay, anyone else have anything they want to try, because I’m about to just break this thing open. Will]

It wasn’t just frustration and anticipation that led him to prefer that option. As soon as Okembe had described the totem, he’d been of the opinion that breaking it would spawn the Bog King. It wasn’t future knowledge, just a hunch, but he wasn’t going to act on it without the group’s consent. Discussion bubbled for a few moments, mostly Okembe and Metrodora debating while the others listened with differing degrees of interest. Eventually, the dark-skinned man turned to Will and gave him a firm nod.

Returning the gesture, Will reminded everyone about the weak spot, just in case, and swung both blades at the totem with all of his force. Despite being made of nothing but old rotting wood, the icon resisted at first, before shattering into pieces and sending painful splinters into Will’s face and chest. He hissed in pain, jumping backwards and calling for the attack.

The effect was instantaneous. The swamp where the totem had been placed, now host to a small smashed stump, began to bubble as though brought to the boil and with a huge explosion of stinking gas and a shower of thick grey mud the Bog King emerged from below. Bursting into action, its’ writhing mass shifted and sent vines at the whole party. They were prepared for it, though, and everyone reacted as they were supposed to.

Alacrity and Vigorous Sharpen activated, and Will also threw Endure and Verten’s Vitality onto Unk. He’d finally hit a tipping point in Mana Pool while they waited for Blanik to recover, and the more of his party he could sustain buffs on, the better they’d do. He leapt forwards, slicing two of the attacking vines to pieces and twisting to let a third pass over his head with a loud whoosh.

“Bulwark’s Might!”

Unk’s golden barrier was projected outwards, knocking back the rest of the vines, as the others sprang into action.

Blanik began to leap and sprint around the edge of the clearing, trying to get a glimpse of the constantly moving Core of the Bog King and relying on his Agility to dodge the attacks that the monster sent his way. Metrodora activated a Barrier Orb [C] and hunkered behind the single-use one-way shield as she began to lob potions at the Bog King with an expression of intense concentration. As Will was forced back by a pair of vines that pincered towards him, he saw Unk step in front of his niece and slash one of the Bog King’s dripping tendrils in half as she finished casting a Spell and sent her firebird out at twice its’ usual size.

“Weak point!

Okembe called out loud instead of using the Party Interface, showing just how quickly he was reacting as he gestured and sent half a dozen spears flying towards the tiny splinter of glowing green light visible in the centre mass of the Bog King. Will saw the weak spot just as Okembe called it, putting on a burst of speed and stepping from grass patch to sinking tree stump like stepping stones on the way to exploit the target.

He jumped up, seeing Blanik’s darts following the spears, and aimed Whisper right at the Core, firing off its Skill and grinning as the Bog King undulated and shifted in response, several more vines bursting from its form as it unleashed wild attacks in every direction.

The party kept up the pressure, fighting through the muck and the sludge even as it slowed their movements and hampered their dodges. Metrodora’s Barrier Orb broke, but Unk used a timely link to tank the storm of roots and splinters that the Bog King tried to launch through the opening,

Will’s buff allowing him to ignore the pain of his body being shredded within his armour and heal through it. Blanik was sticking to the outskirts of the battle, his darts doing little against a monster of this size, but he dashed in to pull Daphne out of the way of a vine that had sneaked around to grab her from behind, being caught up in the thick grey-green tendril himself instead and lifted into the air.

Will threw Powerful Shout at the tendril, wincing as the Skill’s activation widened the crack in the blade and caused the crescent projectile to flicker and wobble in the air. It was still enough to split the tendril, though, and Blaink deftly caught his footing and pulled himself into a backflip as Okembe’s shield flew in and protected Will from the Bog King’s retaliation. He nodded thanks to the man, seeing Daphne’s firebird thump into the monster’s chest and cause it to twist, once again revealing a fraction of its’ Core.

“Core visible!”