That was when something happened that Justin did not expect.
A shimmering system notification appeared before him.
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[Quest Alert]
Quest Name: Save Kythralis, the Heart of Winter
Recommended Party Level: 12
Average Party Level: 13.8
Risk Level: Normal. Your party is suitably equipped to complete this quest.
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Quest Description: The sacred Kythralis Tree, a symbol of life and endurance for the Iceborne people, is under attack. A tribe of Infernal Fyrspawn has emerged from the Aurora Caverns, drawn by the tree’s ancient power. Their fiery onslaught threatens to consume the Heart of Winter entirely.
You and your party must intervene before it is too late. Stop the Fyrspawn from defiling Kythralis and save the Iceborne’s most sacred landmark.
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Objectives:
1. Defeat or drive away the Fyrspawn demons.
2. Extinguish the flames threatening Kythralis.
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Rewards:
* Increased favor with the Iceborne people.
* Potential access to the Aurora Caverns’ lower depths.
* 1,000 experience pointss.
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Justin skimmed the details. “Level 12. Better than our usual odds.”
“The Fyrspawn shouldn’t even be here,” Ryak said. “They were sealed in the lower tunnels centuries ago. How could they have escaped?”
“The Baron,” Lila said. “He seems like the type to use anything he can.”
Justin wondered. It would have required him to not only get to these Aurora Caverns before him, but to also reach these Fyrspawn and hash out a deal, all in the space of thirty-six hours or so. It just didn’t seem possible unless he had access to teleportation or something.
Ryak shook his head. “This can’t be his doing.”
Justin caught shadowy figures around the burning tree. To Justin’s eyes, they looked positively demonic, with low, grating laughter echoing through the valley.
“I must beg your help again,” Ryak continued. “We are the only ones who can possibly stop this. In reward, you can take as much of the sap as you want. The sap of Kythralis is especially potent.”
Justin sighed. “All right. Let’s take down these Fyrspawn.”
“We can’t go in there without a plan,” Lila said. “What are their weaknesses?”
“They are weak against water, ice, and earth magic,” Ryak said. “They are also vulnerable to the darkness effect. So, Eldrin’s new bow will be key. Try to hit them in the eyes, if you can, and it will go easier.”
The Ranger nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s approach from the left side. I’ll fire arrows to weaken them. Justin will take the lead. He can blast them with his drake’s breath and dodge as needed. And in an emergency, he has the Sapphire Star. Kargan, keep wards up and heal. Lila, hang back and launch those knives. If Justin gets surrounded, direct your Siren Song. Boost Coordination; that will be key in Justin’s dodging and my accuracy. Ryak can cast ice shields as needed, but for the most part, he’ll do damage. Focus them down one at a time.”
“Do they have anything besides fire magic?” Justin asked. “Are there status effects to watch out for?”
“Like all demons, they can inflict Fear by their mere presence,” Eldrin said. “But your top hat should keep you safe. Just keep them focused on you, and the rest of us should be fine.”
“We need to move now,” Ryak said.
A tentative plan hatched, the party approached cautiously from the side of the burning tree, staying low and keeping to the shadows. The Fyrspawn appeared wholly focused on their task, their fiery forms gathered in clusters around the sacred trunk. Streams of flame shot from their clawed hands, feeding the inferno inching closer to the base of Kythralis.
Justin wondered why they didn’t just directly attack the tree when his eyes caught something remarkable—a veil of ice magic emanating from the tree itself. It was quite similar to the one that Vorthyrn had, to the point where Justin wondered if the tree itself was sentient and had access to the same tier of ice spells as the drake. The air around the tree shimmered where the opposing magics clashed, creating bursts of steam that hissed and swirled in the freezing wind.
Justin thought through each of his Affinities. Nothing gave him a direct counter to fire magic, unfortunately, but he could at least greatly boost his evasion with Seraphis’s Clarity, and if he needed to, switch to Lathalon’s Grace for additional healing.
As it stood, combined with his Essence of a Gentleman boon and the Harmony Affinity, his base evasion would be nearly 25%. He just had to trust his instincts and allow his inner bonuses to guide him in battle.
Lila quietly slipped to the flank, two of her curved Chromatic Knives poised. Eldrin nocked an arrow on the black string of his new Eclipse Weaver bow and moved into position, almost disappearing entirely as he knelt. Kargan stood just behind Justin, his Crimson Bastion already glowing red with latent magic. Ryak’s Glacier’s Grasp staff pulsed as he prepared himself for battle.
And Justin stood at the forefront, his mind strangely calm as he stepped forward into the light of the ring of fire.
Twirling his Cane of the Drake, Justin set his gaze on the nearest Fyrspawn. It stood roughly eight feet tall, its form reminiscent of a minotaur, with a massive, muscular frame and curved horns that jutted from its fiery skull. Its skin, if it could be called that, seemed to be made of charred obsidian. In one clawed hand, it wielded a jagged, fiery sword, its edge flickering with tongues of flame. The other hand crackled with a fiery whip coiled and ready to lash out. It continually cracked the whip, each attack lashing at the tree’s frost veil and inching the flames closer to the sacred silver bark.
“Minotaurs, but on fire,” Justin said with a heavy sigh. “Great.”
Thankfully, none of the monsters caught the words.
At that moment, a shield of Sacrificial Armor covered Justin, offering protection from at least the first hit, wherever it happened to come from.
As it stood, the Ranger didn’t have a clear shot at the closest demon’s eyes, but Justin had just the remedy for that.
Justin activated Dandy’s Swagger, strutting like a panther as he flourished his cane. He opened with Poison Barb. “Well, aren’t you an ugly sight! Tell me, do you always compensate for a lack of skill by setting things on fire, or is tonight a special occasion?”
The nearest Fyrspawn’s glowing eyes snapped toward Justin, letting out a guttural snarl. But that was when one arrow buried itself right in its left eye. It gave a piercing wail that drew the attention of the other demons. They garbled in a harsh dialect, two of the demons peeling off while the other three hung back to hold the line against the tree.
As Eldrin peppered the first demon with arrows, dark magic ensconced its fiery eyes. The monster whipped blindly, spreading flames at random and nearly hitting one of its comrades that was rumbling by on long, almost goatlike legs. It actually scored a hit, drawing a flash of fire. The afflicted demon screamed, attacking with its own whip. The two demons were now locked in battle, while the third charged toward Justin.
“Ashralok burn you!” it roared.
Justin tilted his head. “Ashralok? He doesn’t seem like much of a gentleman.”
Flames erupted from the demon’s body as it drew its whip back. Behind him, Lila burst into her song that boosted Coordination, then threw her knives, their notes echoing in harmony with the song. As the knives flew toward their target, Justin felt a further lift. It was as if her Bardic Inspiration, in concert with the knives, only made him that much nimbler.
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Justin sprang into motion, timing the dodge just right as the demon’s whip lashed the ground and spread flames that sizzled against his shield. Pointing his cane toward the demon’s face, he unleashed the weapon’s Drake’s Breath. A line of pure cold blasted the demon’s face from the drake’s open maw, drawing a pained roar.
Justin seized the moment, giving the demon a few good thwacks with his cane on its knees. Ice spread at each point of impact with a sizzle, locking the demon’s legs and forcing it to the ground. He extended the cane’s blade, driving it directly into the monster’s heart. Ice bloomed from the point of impact, and instantly, the demon’s flames were doused as it crumpled to the ground.
Justin stepped back, faintly surprised. Damn, that was easier than he thought it would be.
Justin switched his attention to the next two demons, which by now had stopped fighting each other and were focusing on Ryak and Kargan, the former blasting heavy ice magic while the latter created shields and wards to break up their rhythm.
Lila launched a new volley of knives while keeping up her song; once again, the metallic harmonization synced with the notes she sang. He approached from the flanks, behind the rightmost demon.
But before he could land the hit, the demon whirled and cut with its jagged sword. He instantly activated Gentleman’s Sidestep, executing a Neo-like move that saw the sword’s flames passing within inches of his coat.
He righted himself, once again striking hard and powerfully at the demon’s knees. Like the other, it was brought down quickly. Arrows whistled above him, landing in the demon’s face and blinding it with the magic of Eldrin’s bow. It was child’s play to stab the thing, letting ice spread out from within it. Like the other one, it went down.
Now there were only three left. And even better, they were struggling to push back against the tree’s icy magic. There was no way to deal with both the tree and the battle’s new entrants.
One of them gave a mighty roar, apparently calling for a retreat. They fled into the darkness of the valley. Instantly, Kythralis pushed with its shield, not only immediately dousing the demons’ flame, but also catching the most laggardly Fyrspawn on the retreat, instantly encasing it in a block of ice.
“We can’t let them escape,” Ryak said. “They’ll warn the rest of their tribe.”
Eldrin darted ahead, tracking the demons’ fiery footprints in the snow. He loosed arrows, each shot not doing much damage against the demons’ backs, but at least slowing them down.
Kargan charged, his wards deflecting stray firebolts as Ryak took the lead, creating a series of ice spikes that buried themselves in the most laggardly demon’s back. It toppled to its knees, Lila throwing her Chromatic Knives on the move. It crumpled to the ground, its fires going out.
Justin focused on the last demon, which was perilously close to reaching a wide cave entrance ensconced with ice, what had to be the Aurora Caverns. With a low growl, it spread flames behind, creating a slippery slurry of ice and dirt that the group was hard-pressed to pass.
Justin, who was in the lead, used his Drake’s Breath to freeze the ground, making it solid enough to pass, with Eldrin right at his heels. Both men crested the rise, the Ranger unleashing a flurry of arrows in quick succession. The monster slowed down, but not close enough to stop it from being swallowed by the cave entrance.
Justin reached the mouth of the cave and was about to pursue further when a hand on his shoulder stopped him.
“It’s too dangerous to enter now,” Ryak said. “There’s worse than Fyrspawn in there.”
A notification flashed across his interface.
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Quest Completed: Save Kythralis, the Heart of Winter
Experience Received: 1,000
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[Your experience stands at 22,227/6,000 (Level-up available!)]
Justin nodded. “Sorry we couldn’t get that last one in time.”
“We tried our best. Now, maybe we should go back to the tree and—”
That was when there was an ethereal hum as a blanket of green magic covered the cave entrance, filled with strange runes.
Justin’s mouth dropped, and for a moment, he couldn’t say a word. By now, the others had caught up and were staring in similar disbelief.
“No,” he said weakly. “We just went through this. I refuse to go in there.” He stared into the sky. “You’re just messing with us now, aren’t you? Is this what you call a plot? Really? Another Vault! Come on!”
The others watched him with growing concern on their faces.
But Justin wasn’t done. “And let me guess, if we refuse to do this and go back, we just so happen to stumble directly into the Baron’s waiting arms, don’t we? Hot on our heels, licking his chops for round two. Or is it round three? Or round five thousand? Oh, how original. Bravo! Where have I seen this before? I don’t remember asking for another encore!”
Justin jabbed his cane toward the entrance as if it were an unwelcome guest. “Honestly, at this point, it’s like the universe is using a script generator. ‘Option A: Face unspeakable horrors in a Vault. Option B: Face unspeakable horrors from the Baron. Option C... Oh wait, there is no Option C!”
He turned back to the others. The weight of it all—Vault after Vault, danger after danger—came crashing down like a tidal wave. He fell to his knees, his cane clattering against the ground as he buried his face in his hands.
“I can’t do this,” he murmured, his voice cracking. “Not again. And again. And again. I never wanted this. I was supposed to go to Belmora and find a job or something until I decided to deliver that gods-damned parcel! Instead, I’m freezing my ass off at the butt end of nowhere with a cartoon villain chasing me no matter where I go.”
Justin trailed off. Thinking about it, maybe the Baron was right. Maybe this place wasn’t real and was just some malevolent deity trying to screw him over at every turn. But he supposed every man had his breaking point, and maybe he had just reached his.
The others stood in silence. Whether they were surprised or shocked by his reaction, Justin couldn’t say.
“Now, maybe it’s not so bad,” Eldrin said. “It makes sense, if you think about it. Their god probably gave them the ability to create a Vault to defend themselves from us. We just have to go forward and clear it.”
“They can do that?” Lila asked in disbelief. “It’s so unfair.”
Ryak shifted on his feet. “I’ve never known it to happen so quickly, but...yes. When certain conditions are met, it is possible to become a Vault, so to speak. They will get certain bonuses defending against us, while certain rewards are offered to us for clearing it. Vorthyrn, for example, became a Vault, which allowed her to survive on that island for nearly two centuries.”
“I see,” Kargan said. “Well, maybe we can approach and see just what we’re up against.” He looked at Justin. “I mean, it’s probably not so bad. We just cleared a Level 36 Vault, after all.”
Justin wanted to whine some more, but he knew he didn’t have the luxury. He stood up, dusted off his coat, and adjusted his top hat, letting out a shaky breath. “Forgive me for that display.”
“It’s all right,” Eldrin assured him. “We all have our moments. I’ve had mine, to be sure.”
Justin’s throat clenched. He gathered himself for a moment, facing the others. “I want you to know you can count on me. Sometimes, it just feels like the entire universe is out to get us. And yet that doesn’t mean we can stop trying. Because we are all depending on each other.”
Lila offered a weak smile. “I feel the same way you do, Justin. Darkest before the dawn and all that.”
“Don’t lose heart,” Eldrin said. “We have a truce from the Baron, thanks to you. If we work hard, we stand to have a chance of losing him for good. The only way we can do that is to keep going.”
Justin nodded. “Well, let’s see what we’re up against.”
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Vault Discovered: The Smoldering Refuge
Recommended Party Level: 13
Average Party Level: 13.8
Risk Level: Normal. Your party is suitably equipped to deal with the challenges of this Vault.
Description: In their desperation, the Fyrspawn have invoked the power of their dark patron, the Greater Demon Ashralok, to transform the entrance to the Aurora Caverns into a Vault. This hastily conjured stronghold, known as the Smoldering Refuge, now brims with infernal energy.
To clear this Vault, you must destroy the tribe’s infernal altar before Ashralok can fully manifest his presence. The timer only begins once you enter the Vault.
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Rewards Upon Completion:
* Experience: Scaled to party member level and individual contributions.
* Guaranteed Silver-Level Artifact: For each party member.
* Gold Level Ascension Crystal: For each party member.
Do you accept the Vault’s challenge?
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“Easy peasy, right?” Lila asked. “This is the first Vault where we actually meet the level requirements.”
“We still need to proceed with caution,” Eldrin said. “That said, it says the timer won’t start until we actually enter. That gives us a chance to rest and get a new level-up.”
“I think that’s the right move,” Ryak said. “They shouldn’t be attacking again. A Vault that has just manifested won’t be breaking containment anytime soon. I suggest passing the night near the tree. Besides, I would like to see if the tree escaped damage. I hope so.”
Justin nodded. If that fight was any indication, going in guns blazing was probably not the best idea. They needed to rest, and the extra level could prove key.
“Let’s head back,” Eldrin said. “We’ll come back tomorrow morning, rested and stronger.”
Upon reaching the mound from which the silver tree grew, Ryak examined its trunk, nodding in satisfaction. “The tree’s magic held. We came along just in time.”
“It’s too coincidental,” Lila said. “Are we sure Valdrik had nothing to do with this?”
“It is strange,” Eldrin said, looking at Ryak. “Is there any faster way into the Hallowed Fjord than what we did?”
“Not unless he can fly,” Ryak said. “I don’t think even that gravity spell he has would cut it. The terrain between the fjords is utterly impassable.”
“So, no,” Justin said. “Just a strange coincidence.”
“We should rest,” Ryak said. “There is another shelter not far from here. It is normally used by the Keepers of the Tree, and...”
He trailed off, as in realization.
“We must hurry,” Ryak said.
He led them past the great tree, toward the opposite side of the fjord from the Aurora Caverns. They soon found the shelter, a shallow cave filled with benches, a fire pit, and several smaller aurora trees.
“No one here,” Eldrin said. “Do you think they fled?”
“Who are these Keepers of the Tree, anyway?” Justin asked.
Ryak shook his head. “Just like it sounds. Normally, a few Iceborne are left behind to watch over Kythralis when no one else is here. Sometimes, they go off to hunt, but normally they would leave at least one or two behind to mind things. It’s...possible there was no one here when the Fyrspawn attacked. It is strange.” He turned to the others. “Either way, we can camp here for the night. It should be safe enough.”
Justin almost wanted to say it wasn’t safe for these “Keepers,” but he kept the thought to himself.
Kargan set a strong ward, and soon they had a fire going, along with a warm stew. Justin had to say it was nice to have the benefit of a real fire rather than his Vorthak’s Flame.
There were too many strange occurrences for one night. Whatever the case, he was exhausted. Perhaps the morning would bring answers and clarity.
And, of course, his next level-up.