Justin tried to think of an insult for his Poison Barb ability, but the words caught his throat. He felt an overwhelming dread as he faced down Zaramund, a terror that went beyond the Necromancer’s imposing presence.
In his mind, he knew he was casting some sort of spell on him, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. Justin stood completely frozen.
Lila, thankfully, didn’t hesitate. She started lobbing her knives at the Arch-Mage, each successive knife shining brighter, an effect of her Rhythmic Attack ability. The first two blades buried themselves in his chest, hardly slowing him down, while the last four also scored hits, each one knocking him back further. The final knife landed in his abdomen, and the Arch-Mage actually grunted.
But despite this, he still stood, his face hardly registering pain. Weren't mages supposed to be squishy? In Zaramund's case, apparently not.
The knives fell from him as sinews of dark magic knitted his wounds, repairing them almost instantly.
Justin was still frozen as Zaramund raised his arms, becoming surrounded by a dark aura of shadowy magic.
That was when groans emanated from behind.
At last, the effects of Zaramund's spell disappeared. Justin spun around to see dead Valorian soldiers rising from their cots near the command tent. The Healers screamed and fled, none apparently having offensive magic to counter them. The reanimated bodies jerked and twisted, effusing dark magic, their eyes glazed over with death.
They hobbled toward Justin and Lila, about a dozen in all.
Justin charged for Zaramund, dagger out, but Zaramund raised his hand, completely stunning him with terror once again.
Fucking A. The Arch-Mage obviously vastly out-leveled him in some sort of stat, likely Intellect or Perception, which was causing this situation.
Justin could think of nothing but the undead soldiers creeping closer with each passing second, and yet, he was unable to do anything to counter the spell. Lila could do nothing, either, having run out of knives to throw.
After five seconds, Justin broke from the stun. It was far past time to run, but escape was impossible. The undead were closing in, forming a wall that was impossible to break. The zombies stumbled to a stop, likely at Zaramund’s command, a noose ready to tighten.
Zaramund’s hands then glowed darkly with a new spell. “And now, Socialite, you will become mine. In body. In spirit. In death. Behold the power of Death Magic!”
The air around Justin grew cold, similar to the chill he had felt at Baron Valdrik’s mansion, only this coldness was deeper, seeping into his bones.
Until that coldness was rebuffed, mightily.
Zaramund’s face twisted in rage. “Who…who has marked you for death already?”
Activating his Poison Barb ability, the perfect insult that came to Justin. “Someone far more powerful than you ever will be, witless worm! You thought taking the Aspect of Necromancy would make you strong. But no. You are still as weak as that helpless, scared child abandoned on the streets of Karadesh, mewing for the mother who told him she'd be back. She's never coming back, Zaramund. Never.”
Zaramund’s eyes widened, and he stood completely stunned. In his gray eyes, it was as if he'd gone back in time, reliving the terror of his childhood. The undead stood still, receiving no further orders from their master.
“Come on!” Justin said.
The duo sprinted between two of the undead soldiers that made no move to attack.
Poison Barb refreshed.
Zaramund recovered from Justin's stun, howling in rage. As one, the undead stumbled after them, even as Zaramund began casting a new spell, one Justin was sure would pull no punches and end them for good.
But that was when Eldrin swept in, appearing from around a tent with sword drawn. He blazed by, and Justin and Lila turned to see the Ranger cutting through the ranks of undead with several deft and deadly strikes of his longsword. Faster than Justin would have believed, Eldrin felled three of them in quick succession, slicing their necks clean through.
Zaramund’s spell was interrupted when Lila threw a knife, not one of her own, but one retrieved from nearby. It took Justin a moment to realize it was his own dagger, the one gifted to him by Eldrin. Despite not being balanced for throwing, it struck true, landing right in the Necromancer’s shoulder. He grunted, but this time, there was no dark magic to mend his wounds. Perhaps that had been a once-a-day skill or spell.
Meanwhile, Eldrin continued fighting the undead while Zaramund started a new spell, raising more zombies from fallen corpses. Justin focused on the Necromancer’s face, lobbing another hasty insult, one so pathetic it did absolutely nothing.
“Hey Necromancer, your magic sucks!”
The insult failed to even get his attention. Justin madly searched for some sort of weapon to help Eldrin, who was quickly becoming overwhelmed, when out of nowhere, Alistair the Paladin leaped into the fray, his war hammer glowing with divine fury.
Zaramund had time enough to widen his eyes and raise a thin, cadaverous hand, just as Alistair bellowed his Heavenly War Cry while unleashing the power of his Arion’s Hammer skill. As the hammer came down, it instantly smote Zaramund into a mixture of pulp and ash.
In this case, the Necromancer was indeed quite squishy, much to Justin's satisfaction.
With Zaramund’s death, the reanimated dead collapsed to the ground. The scene of the battle fell silent, save for the labored breaths of the exhausted fighters.
Alistair turned to Justin and Lila. “Are you okay?”
Eldrin groaned, clutching his side. Alistair came over, throwing out a hand and casting Bind Wounds, the same spell he had used on Justin back on the road, when he'd first come to Eyrth.
When the golden magic faded, Eldrin looked up and nodded his thanks.
As the dust settled, a palpable sense of relief washed over Justin.
Alistair's clothes and armor were both dirtied and bloodied as he regarded the Party. “The Shadowist mages have broken into the camp. As long as we stick together, there’s still a chance we can—”
The blaring of a horn echoed throughout the pass. This was not the low horn of the Shadow Empire forces. It was high, trilling, and triumphant.
Lila jumped for joy. “The reinforcements. They’re here!”
Justin felt his spirits lift. “Hells to the yeah!”
They ran toward the sound of the horns, only to see the first lines of fresh Valorian troops with purple banners marching toward the camp. Within minutes, soldiers in gleaming bronze armor were pouring in, along with mages who started cleaning up the leftover Shadowist magic-users. And among them were not only mages, but several Paladins in steel armor and white cloaks, not to mention several other classes Justin couldn’t name.
Alistair, instead of joining the battle once again, allowed a smile. “We’ve made it. Can’t you feel it?”
They headed back for the front lines, where Justin watched in amazement as the Valorians, spirits lifted, began pushing back immediately. Within minutes, the Shadowist lines were breaking, especially under the assault of multiple Paladins and Elementalists with fresh fire spells.
As for the hidden path, more reinforcing Valorian mages rained death against it, using a combination of throwing boulders and fireballs. Even at a distance, Justin could see the Shadowist soldiers trying to flee, but such was the treachery of the trail that many fell to their deaths.
It was all over in a matter of minutes.
----------------------------------------
Half an hour later, Justin, Lila, Eldrin, and Alistair stood before Commander Thalon within the throng of celebrating soldiers. Thalon’s smile was so wide Justin thought it seemed liable to split his face.
“Gods be praised!” he said. “Arion has not abandoned us to the Shadow!”
“Not on this day, nor any day, my lord,” Alistair said. “We must always trust in his plans.”
“I didn’t believe you at first, but now I know you were right, Sir Paladin. Because of you and your companions, Valoria will live to fight another day. Thank you. Thank you, from the bottom of all our hearts.”
Suddenly, the scene paused, the image of smiling soldiers freezing in time. Slowly, the surrounding setting faded, replaced with the mountain pass of modern day under starlight. There was nothing but dirt, trees, and a thin path snaking its way around the bend in the distance, the same bend which, hours ago, had swarmed with Shadowist soldiers.
“You have passed the Trial of the Vault of the Guardians’ Pass,” Thalon intoned solemnly. “Alas, would that your Brave Party was here one millennium ago in our hour of greatest need! But now, the spirits of the Guardian Force can rest easy, knowing how things might have been.”
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Justin listened solemnly, taken in by the moment. From the somber expressions of the others, it seemed they were of a similar mind. Even Shadowflight, perched on Eldrin’s shoulder, was silent, not even ruffling his feathers.
“Your Party has fought bravely, and each of you is owed one Bronze-Level Item, while one of you will be rewarded with one Silver-Level Weapon." First, Thalon turned to Alistair. "To Alistair the Paladin, I gift the Ring of Valor, which will boost your Power and Endurance by 10% when targeted by three or more foes.”
Alistair nodded graciously, accepting the proffered purple ring, which seemed to be crafted of pure amethyst. “I thank you, Commander Thalon.”
Thalon turned to Eldrin, and in his hands appeared an unassuming pair of leather boots, supple and well-made. “To Eldrin the Ranger, I gift the Boots of Silent Steps. They are enchanted to make nary a sound, no matter how hard they press down, or what they find underfoot.”
“A wonderful prize,” Eldrin said, taking the boots. “My thanks.”
Thalon then turned to Lila, producing a gold-chained amulet with an amethyst gem crafted in the likeness of a knife. “And for Lila the Bard, who fights with knives, I gift the Amulet of Everblade. When you throw a knife, hold out your hand, and after fifteen seconds, it will return directly to you, provided it is within a hundred feet. This amulet's enchantment can retrieve a knife six times per day.”
Lila’s eyes widened as she took the amulet. “That’s pretty damn handy. Thank you!”
Next, Thalon turned to Justin, and he felt the weight of the Commander’s blue-eyed gaze. He produced an unassuming silver ring. “And for Justin the Socialite, I gift the Ring of Hygiene. Once a day, become perfectly clean in body and apparel, and get your hair cut and groomed to your exact specifications.”
Justin accepted the ring with shock, almost dismay. He put on a smile, but it was hard not to be disappointed. The others got cool weapons and gear, and he just got free haircuts and showers for life? It was only made worse because Lila looked like she was stifling laughter.
“Thanks,” Justin said, hardly able to keep the glumness from his voice.
All the same, he slipped on the ring.
Do you wish to bind the Ring of Hygiene to your Core?
Justin did so with a mental click. He felt its potential, but for now, he decided not to use it, even if he was filthy.
Thalon stood back, surveying the Party. “And now, the ultimate prize. A Silver-Level Weapon for the one the Vault has determined to be the most valuable character—”
“—If it’s me,” Alistair said, interrupting, “I withdraw myself from consideration.”
Thalon regarded him coolly. “It was not you, Sir Paladin.”
Alistair’s eyes widened at that, but he said nothing.
Again, Thalon’s eyes went to Justin, and he felt a thrill enter him.
“Justin Talemaker,” he said. “It is by your brave deeds, insight, and decisiveness that the battle was won at all. Trusting your keen Socialite’s instinct, you read the malcontent soldier Darian like a book, following him to the Shadow Empire camp, a detail missed by all other Party Members. Though you couldn’t prevent him from delivering the fateful message, you at least told Shadowflight, who relayed it to Eldrin, who was able to block the hidden path in time. You also deftly handled the Arch-Mage Zaramund with skill far beyond your abilities as a Level 2 Socialite, aided, of course, by Lila the Bard. Alas, Darian the Treacherous, in real life, betrayed the Kingdom of Valoria to the Shadow Empire, revealing the path he himself walked as a youth as the son of a goatherd. He betrayed his country, and as his reward, he enjoyed a rich life thereafter. At least, until four years later, he hanged himself from the rafters of his Belmoran Manse.”
Justin felt a chill at those words, swallowing a nervous throat lump.
“Justin Talemaker,” Thalon began again. “The Vault has determined that your contributions have made you the worthiest of the Silver-Level Weapon.” Thalon held out his hand, and within it materialized, seemingly from the ether, a beautiful cane of pure ebony, about four feet long, with an amethyst as large as a fist on top, carved in the likeness of a stag’s head.
Justin’s breath caught, and even the others’ eyes went wide.
“The Cane of the Guardian,” Thalon said solemnly. “As soon as you wield this cane, you will be granted a permanent increase of 1 to any stat of your choosing. Besides this permanent stat increase, you will gain an additional +1 boost to Charisma and Perception when wielding this cane, for both the Charisma you exhibited during this Trial, and the Perception you used to find the solution. Unlike many weapons, the Socialite’s cane can be used both as a bludgeon and a spear, for it has a retractable top that, with a swift press of a button, reveals a sharp knife, about six inches, with a blade enchanted to never go dull. Also, when wielding the Cane of the Guardian, you gain access to Gentleman’s Rebuff, a unique Socialite Skill that cannot be found elsewhere. This skill remains hidden, undetectable by anyone, even characters with skills designed to scope other characters’ skills. With Gentleman’s Rebuff, you will instinctually block the first hostile attack directed at your person, physical or magical, once per day, by any character or creature up to Level 12. This reflects the brave defense the Valorian soldiers made, both in this Vault Trial and in real life.”
“Whoa,” Justin said.
“A Silver-Level weapon with the properties of a Gold,” Alistair mused. “My congratulations, lad.”
Eldrin nodded appreciatively, while Lila looked amazed.
“The Cane of the Guardian is yours, Socialite," Thalon intoned. "Wield it with poise and aplomb.”
Justin accepted the cane, eyes wide. It was lighter than it first appeared.
Do you wish to bind the Cane of the Guardian to your Core?
Justin mentally agreed, and he felt the Cane become one with him.
As a Socialite, you gain a bonus when wielding canes. You have unlocked Basic Cane Proficiency. When fighting with canes, your physical damage increases by 2.5%. Reach Level 5 to unlock Improved Cane Proficiency!
The Cane of the Guardian's magic has granted you a onetime boost to any Attribute Point of your choosing. You now have one Attribute Point to distribute.
For Justin, it wasn’t even a question. With a mental click, he locked it into Charisma.
Your Charisma Attribute is now: 13.
As with the other times Justin had boosted his Charisma stat, his thoughts became clearer, and he became more attuned to the stances, faces, and body language of his companions around him. They were truly happy for his acquisition, with no trace of jealousy.
But it went even beyond that, because the Cane itself was boosting his stat to 14, and his Perception by + 1. He felt socially aware and emotionally intelligent on a level he had never experienced in his entire life. It was like having the confidence of being drunk, without actually being drunk. It was difficult to quantify, but all Justin knew was that he liked the feeling. As for the Perception boost, it wasn't as easy to pin down, but he did feel a slight sense of quiet reflection.
Unbidden, he gave the beautiful, but deadly, cane a twirl and a quick button tap, exposing the deadly knife at its tip from the mouth of the stag. His eyes widened. He pressed the button again, retracting it. It seemed Basic Cane Competency had given him some nice moves. This would indeed come in handy.
“It feels right in my hand,” Justin said.
Thalon stood back, taking in the entire party. “Well done, Brave Adventurers. The Trial of this Vault is over. The Vault has also sensed the danger to your Party from those who await your exit. However, you may continue enjoying the Vault's safety as you continue out the other side of the pass. But this boon will not last forever. Once again, the Kingdom of Valoria thanks you—not for saving it, for it can no longer be saved. It thanks you for giving it a cherished memory, so that its inhabitants can rest easy knowing that faith in Arion isn’t misplaced. Fare thee well, Adventurers.”
And with that, Thalon faded into the ether.
The Vault honors your triumph. Now go forth, with courage in your hearts, strength in your limbs, and wisdom in your minds.
The Trial of the Vault is complete!
Experience Gained: 1,000
Your experience stands at 1404/250. Level-up available!
The air was now warmer than before, telling Justin they were back in the modern day. A thin veil of green magic covered the pass overhead, through which the stars could be seen.
“That was something,” Justin said, examining his new weapon. “What a productive Vault!”
“It turned out well,” Alistair said. "Congratulations, all."
Alistair pocketed his ring. Apparently, he wasn’t ready to equip it, or perhaps, like many games, only two rings could be wielded despite both human hands having ten digits.
Eldrin had already changed into his boots, giving them a few testing steps. Indeed, not a sound was made. He nodded in satisfaction.
Lila put on her amulet. She threw one of her knives, embedding it in the bark of a nearby pine, then held out her hand. They waited for fifteen seconds, and sure enough, the knife spun backward, its hilt landing in Lila's outstretched palm.
"Nice," Justin said.
“That Vault was much closer than it seemed,” Eldrin said, “but we survived.”
“Maybe we can pass the night in here, since its magic will keep us safe,” Lila suggested.
It was at this point that a message interrupted their vision.
Warning: The Protective Magic of the Vault will dissipate in: one hour.
“Well, there goes that idea,” Lila said.
“We’d better get moving,” Alistair said. “I know it’s been a while since our last rest, but there can be no rest until Highcliff. And if we push ourselves, we can make it by morning, especially with Eldrin’s Pathfinder’s Pace. The daylight will slow down our undead friends, giving us a chance to rest.”
“We’ll be safe there?” Justin asked.
“The Aranthian Plain beyond is less forested,” Eldrin explained. “There aren’t many places for the undead to avoid the sun. They’ll be reduced to hiding during daylight hours and making up time at night.”
“We go,” Alistair said. “If we don’t hurry, this was all for nothing.”
Dutifully, they followed the Paladin. After seeing the way he was fighting, Justin had to wonder if he might have been capable of taking on all the Baron’s men on his own. Perhaps that in itself was too risky; Alistair’s strength during the battle might have been deceptive, since he was mowing down mobs of low-level undead, against which he had strong bonuses, anyway.
It was also likely that Baron Valdrik would have sent minions which, working together, could feasibly bring down a party like theirs.
With that unwholesome thought, they headed due east, toward the eastern exit of the Guardians’ Pass. Justin used his cane as a walking staff, and as such, found the going much easier. Indeed, these days there was less weight to carry around. He'd dropped at least ten pounds since entering Eyrth.
As they walked, Justin summoned his character sheet:
Justin Talemaker
Socialite (Level 2)
Experience to Level 3: 1404/250. Level-up available!
Attributes:
Power: 10
Coordination: 10
Endurance: 10
Intellect: 10
Perception: 10 + (1)
Charisma: 13 + (1)
Skills:
(Level 0) Epic Barb: Obsolete.
(Level 1) Poison Barb: You know precisely what to say to cause emotional damage to someone, stunning them temporarily. If your barb renders them speechless for at least three seconds, the cooldown immediately refreshes.
(Level 2) Dazzling Display: Once a day, strike a pose or make a gesture that immediately captures the attention of those nearby, momentarily distracting or captivating them. The strength of this skill scales with your Charisma Level.
(Hidden) Gentleman’s Rebuff: Instinctually block the first hostile attack directed at you, once per day, by any character or creature up to Level 12.
Equipment:
Weapon: Cane of the Guardian: + 1 to Charisma and Perception. Confers hidden skill “Gentleman’s Rebuff.”
Apparel: Common Clothing.
Footwear: Common Boots.
Accessory: The Ring of Hygiene: Once per day, become perfectly clean and groomed to your exact specifications.
Justin closed his sheet, pondering his new items and abilities. It was a lot to take in, and he could only hope he survived long enough to explore their capabilities.