[You have reached Level 15. A Gentleman is always prepared for what life throws at him—whether it’s a fine cocktail or mortal peril. With charm and poise, you rise to meet every challenge. Carry on, Mr. Talemaker.]
Justin blinked awake, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as the system notification flashed before him. He had to admit, it made him feel a bit like James Bond.
[As a Level 15 Gentleman, you have two attribute points to distribute.]
Without hesitation, Justin allocated both to Charisma. The glowing interface shifted to reflect his decision.
[Your Charisma is now 44.]
Another notification followed:
[As a Level 15 Gentleman, you have unlocked your next class boon. Choose wisely—there is no going back.]
Two options materialized before him, both of which were rare.
"Oh Veyrith, you're spoiling me," Justin said with a smile.
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ELEGANCE IN MOTION (RARE)
True grace is not merely surviving the dance of death—it’s making it look effortless. A successful dodge now activates Elegance in Motion, doubling your evasion for 5 seconds. During this time, each successful attack or dodge extends the effect by 1 second, with a hard cap of thirty seconds overall. Once the effect ends, Elegance in Motion cannot activate again for another thirty seconds.
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VENOMOUS WIT (RARE)
Your insults are venom-tipped arrows, striking not only the mind but the will, reducing even the mightiest foes to quivering wrecks. This boon removes the cooldown for Poison Barb entirely. Each successful barb also has a chance to stagger enemies within earshot, not merely the recipient of the barb.
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The interface shimmered, presenting the two boons in a manner that almost made them feel tangible. Justin leaned forward, weighing his options carefully.
This was going to be a tough decision.
Elegance in Motion was immediately enticing. Its promise of doubling his evasion was nothing short of extraordinary. With his Gentleman’s Sidestep, he had control over when the boon activated. Plus, with his heavily stacked evasion bonuses, he could already slip past a lot of attacks by default. That he could extend the duration of the boon with further dodges or attacks meant he could essentially dance through even the most chaotic battlefields. In theory, he could keep the combo going, at least until the hard cap hit after thirty seconds had elapsed. Then he had wait an additional half minute for it to become available again.
It wasn't foolproof, of course. With a base evasion of 25% when Seraphis's Clarity was active, this boon would boost his natural evasion to 50% for a short time. The boon didn’t just promise survival—it promised to make his movements feel like artistry.
But then there was Venomous Wit. This called to another part of him. Poison Barb, in its own way, had been his bread and butter since he first arrived on Eyrth. It had gotten him out of countless situations. Most of the time, he could get it to refresh on its own by landing a successful insult, but Venomous Wit promised to remove that restriction entirely. It transformed the skill from a situational tool into a near-constant weapon in his arsenal.
And the potential to stagger enemies beyond the target of the insult was invaluable as well. Against a large group, his words could disrupt plans, sow chaos, and create openings for his team, especially if he paired them with the Chaos Affinity, Nyriss's Frenzy. Unlike Elegance in Motion, it wasn’t just combat-focused; it was the ultimate expression of his Socialite roots. It could be just as powerful in a social setting as in a battlefield situation.
Plus, Venomous Wit stacked very nicely with Dandy's Swagger and Add Injury to Insult. Enemies under the effect of his Poison Barb took double damage, and being able to spread that to groups rather than to different individuals created a situation where he could pepper the battlefield with insults and then mow down his enemies with either his cane or Drake's Breath attack.
But he wondered: was Venomous Wit too narrow in scope? Sure, it could stagger or draw in others, but against an enemy immune to psychological attacks—or even one too dumb to understand the insult—it was moot. It wouldn't work against the constructs of Drakendir, for example, or the mindless undead who didn't have a class.
Elegance in Motion, on the other hand, would work in any fight, against any foe, and Justin could always get the boon to trigger with a simple Gentleman's Sidestep. And there was something undeniably satisfying about dodging half of the attacks sent his way by default.
Justin let out a slow breath, his fingers brushing the edge of his Cane of the Drake. He couldn't lie; Venomous Wit called to him. But at the same time, he recognized that the pull of the boon was more emotional than logical. As powerful as it was, it wasn't universally useful, and there would be situations and enemies where it wouldn't even work. Those situations would be rare, but it was a consideration. Plus, for the boon to work, it required a bit more setup or counting on the power of his insults. It seemed the System provided those words serendipitously, but even so, he still had to take the time to speak them.
“I’ve always loved a good quip,” he murmured. “But there’s nothing quite like leaving my opponents swinging at air.”
He selected Elegance in Motion with a decisive mental click.
[You have chosen Elegance in Motion. A gentleman never falters, never stumbles. He moves through life’s challenges with poise, grace, and an unassailable air of confidence. Let the dance begin.]
Justin blinked as the notification faded. The words felt strangely fitting, like they had been tailor-made for him. A small smile tugged at his lips as he prepared to test this new edge in the field. The world wouldn’t know what hit it.
He briefly checked his experience progress for the next level.
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Name: Justin Talemaker
Class: Socialite (Gentleman Focus)
Level: 15
Experience to Level 16: 16,227/7,800 (Level-up available!)
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From the looks of things, he had one more level up in the bank. Level 16 would give him the next tier in his Cane Proficiency, along with the next tier in his Insightful Gaze.
Justin joined the others at the campfire, the pale glow of the Kythralis tree casting a serene light over their gathering. It was still night. Over breakfast, the group discussed their new level-ups and abilities.
Eldrin went first. “I’ve unlocked a boon called Botanical Insight. It sharpens my senses, lets me better sense plants and herbs around me, even ones that remain well hidden. It will definitely give me a larger stock to work with. All I lack is a proper alchemy table."
"You’re becoming quite the master alchemist," Justin said.
Eldrin gave a good-natured laugh. "Well, I wouldn't say that. A properly trained Alchemist is far better than I am. But it will definitely be useful for the party, as long as I have the occasion to create some potions."
Lila spoke next. “I hit level 14,” she said, “and unlocked a rare boon."
"Rare?" Eldrin asked with interest. "Well, don't leave us hanging!"
"It's called Knife Singer," she said. "Basically, anytime I sing, my knives start floating in the air without me having to lift a finger. They will automatically attack any enemy who gets too close. And if I want to throw one, I just have to hold out my hand and it'll go there automatically."
"Damn, that sounds super useful!" Justin said. "But it sounds dangerous to even be near you."
"Apparently, my knives won't hurt allies, so they'll know to avoid you," Lila said. "I guess we'll have to test and see how it works."
She demonstrated the new boon by singing, and immediately, the knives at her belt lifted from their sheaths and began encircling her, spinning in a mesmerizing dance, each surrounded by a sunny yellow aura. Justin's eyes widened at the sight. She stopped singing, and they returned to her belt.
"Damn, style points," he said.
"What about you, Kargan?" Lila asked.
The orc shifted, his large frame making the campfire seem smaller as he leaned forward. “I’ve reached level 11 and unlocked a new skill called Crimson Veil. It creates a healing aura around me, granting a heal-over-time effect to all allies in range.”
“That sounds incredible,” Justin said. “How long does it last?”
Kargan shrugged. “About 15 seconds for now. It scales with my own health pool, so the more I have to give, the more powerful it gets.”
“Useful in a fight and out of one,” Eldrin added. "That will keep us on our feet.”
Finally, Ryak spoke, his tone quieter but no less commanding. “I’ve reached level 19,” he said, “and with it comes a skill I’ve only ever seen once before—Ice Maelstrom. It’s a massive area-of-effect spell that creates a raging blizzard, complete with razor-sharp shards of ice that rip through anything caught inside it.”
Justin raised an eyebrow. “Wait, that sounds similar to the spell Vorthyrn used in the Vault.”
Ryak nodded. “It is. The spell is devastating, but limited in how much it can be cast. Still, it’ll be a game-changer in large battles. Also, the ice knows to avoid allies, but you'll still feel the effects of the wind. So we'll have to keep that in mind.”
As the conversation settled, Justin couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of pride. They were more powerful than before, but so too were the challenges they faced.
They packed up, and without further ado, approached the Vault. Reading the description, Justin was relieved that it hadn't grown in level, and the rewards remained the same: a Silver-Tier artifact and a Gold-Tier Ascension Crystal.
Even in the chill of the fjord, Justin could feel the unnatural heat radiating from the opening.
"That heat isn't normal," Ryak said. "These Fyrspawn have been gathered here for a while. That they could set up so close to Kythralis without challenge..." He shook his head. "They've been here a month or more."
"We will clear them out, then," Eldrin said.
Ryak stopped at the threshold, his Glacier’s Grasp firm in his pale hand. "Prepare yourselves."
Justin adjusted the brim of his top hat. "I'm not sure what's waiting for us, but we already know how to take down these guys. Focus them down one by one, and they are weak to ice magic and the darkness effect. We are in a good position here."
"We know the drill," Kargan said. He pointed his Crimson Bastion staff at Justin, creating a shield of Sacrificial Armor.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
There was one detail left, one that Justin had nearly forgotten. He reached into his pack, retrieving his golden Essence of the Hoard cologne. He gave a couple of puffs on his neck. The fragrance was earthy, smelling strangely similar to money from his own reality. The slight boost to Charisma and Intellect was nice, but it was the increased chance of rare treasures that interested Justin the most.
With a deep breath, Justin opened his interface, accepting the Vault's challenge.
[You have accepted the challenge of the Vault of the Smoldering Refuge. May courage be your guide and resolve be your shield. Good luck, Brave Adventurers.]
Justin stepped forward, the Vault's entrance swallowing him whole. The others followed in close formation.
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The transition was abrupt. One moment they were in the frigid air of the fjord. And the next, they were bathed in oppressive heat.
The chamber beyond the entrance was massive, its walls glowing with veins of molten rock. Lava flowed in streams along the edges, casting a flickering, hellish light across the room.
At its center stood a massive altar, pulsing with infernal energy and surrounded by dozens of Fyrspawn demons.
A system notification materialized in front of Justin.
[Intruders detected! Ashralok will be summoned in five minutes. For every Fyrspawn defeated, the timer will increase by five seconds.]
Then, the timer immediately started ticking down.
Justin sighed. "Five minutes isn’t much time to destroy that altar."
"Then we had better get moving," Kargan growled.
But before they could take a step, the ground trembled violently in front of them. Cracks formed in the floor, and with a deafening roar, Fyrspawn emerged—at least six of them. Their fiery forms seemed endless as they poured from the cracks, their molten weapons gleaming with deadly intent.
They were smaller than the ones attacking Kythralis, but that was a small relief when there were so many more.
"Here we go!" Justin shouted.
Already, Ryak was activating his new spell. A great wind laden with ice was conjured before them, causing dozens of Fyrspawn to scream in dismay as their fires were extinguished. It lasted a good thirty seconds before dissipating, leaving none behind.
Ryak stumbled forward; the spell had clearly taken a lot out of him. "It'll be some time before I recover."
The floating timer was now nine minutes. Ryak had killed at least thirty of the buggers in one fell swoop.
"Let's keep it moving," Eldrin said.
They had hardly gone a few steps when a hidden passage opened in the rock wall to their left, and five more of the Fyrspawn tumbled out, bearing fiery ships and swords. Justin aimed for the entrance of the passage, using his Drake's Breath to freeze a line of demons solid. Lila's knives, edified by her voice, sang through the air, shattering a few of them to pieces, while Justin wreaked havoc with his cane, blasting away the rest.
Then, on the opposite side, another hidden door opened, revealing five more Fyrspawn. Eldrin rained arrows from the backline, his Rapid Shot boon allowing him to pepper the horde with precision. One Fyrspawn collapsed with a shriek, and the timer on the interface ticked up by another five seconds.
"That’s another one down!" Lila shouted. She once again picked up her Bardic Inspiration, as usual choosing to boost Coordination. Down the main passage, more Fyrspawn trotted in their direction, giving a guttural war chant that shook him to his bones.
[Fear Effect resisted by the Top Hat of Mental Clarity!]
A fiery javelin was lobbed through the air, and Justin was readying his Gentleman's Sidestep when Kargan's Ward of Aegis flared to life, knocking the projectile back. Justin waited a moment, twirling his cane in preparation. The first demon charged, and Justin activated Gentleman's Sidestep, dodging the blow and slicing the back of the demon's knees with the bone-blade extension.
His movements became smooth, fluid, and he was hyper-aware beyond anything he had ever felt. It was almost as if time had slowed. More attacks came his way, including another fiery javelin, which he dodged with a quick pirouette. He continued to slash out at the coming demons, spreading tendrils of ice along their fiery forms. They screamed as he dodged again, executing a graceful backflip. He fell to the ground, swiping out with his cane before trotting forward and flying through the air, twirling with his cane in hand to land a hit right on a demon's exposed neck.
A fiery sword crashed down on him, knocking him back a few feet as it ate into his shield of Sacrificial Armor. The demon went for a tackle as Justin skirted backward, narrowly avoiding the strike before returning and stabbing directly into the demon's heart, spreading ice from the point of impact. The demon went down in a heap.
Meanwhile, Eldrin fired arrows at the rest, many of them clutching at their eyes, which were surrounded by an oscillating, inky darkness. Lila continued to lob her knives, a never-ending storm, while a few flew to defend her when she was approached too closely by one of the demons. Another contingent of Fyrspawn was marching up the ramp leading to the altar. Kargan flashed by Justin, pointing out his staff and conjuring three Knives of Fury spells to land directly on top of them. The ethereal knives hacked and slashed through the demons, many falling off the ramp and into the waiting lava pools beneath.
And they just kept coming. Kargan roared as he activated Crimson Aura, creating a healing circle that bolstered the party. Justin felt his body enveloped in blessed coolness, where he had received cuts and scrapes he had failed to notice in the chaos.
“Stick close to me!” Kargan bellowed, creating another Ward of Aegis to knock back a charging demon.
Ryak, somewhat recovered from his earlier spell, raised his staff and unleashed a volley of ice spikes, bringing down three more demons.
"Two minutes gained!" Eldrin called out, loosing another arrow. "But they’re not slowing down!"
More Fyrspawn burst from the cracks in the ground, their snarls and crackling flames echoing through the chamber. Justin found himself surrounded, his evasion bonuses the only thing keeping him alive as he danced between attacks. Once again, Elegance in Motion flared to life, the world around him slowing as he gracefully dodged strike after strike, each movement extending the boon’s effect.
"Justin, behind you!" Lila called out.
He spun just in time to parry a whip strike with his cane, countering with a Poison Barb. “Much too slow, I'm afraid."
He stepped forward and knocked the demon back extra hard, and it flew back several paces into another duo of charging demons, knocking them over like pins.
"Thanks, Lila! Keep those songs coming!”
The party fought like mad, but the timer ticked inexorably down. For all they were killing, it wasn't at least one every five seconds. Justin had to say, based on previous Vaults, this was not what he had expected.
"We’re not going to make it if this keeps up!" Kargan shouted, casting another Crimson Aura.
“We’ll make it!” Justin yelled back, freezing another Fyrspawn with Drake’s Breath. “Just keep pushing!”
Finally, the party broke through the main horde, reaching the base of the altar. It was a massive, jagged structure, pulsing with a sickly red light. At its center was a fiery orb, clearly the source of the summoning ritual.
Ryak pointed to the orb. “Destroy that, and the summoning will end!”
The Fyrspawn surged again, desperate to stop them. The party formed a defensive ring, holding back the demons as Justin and Ryak focused on the altar.
“Now or never!” Justin shouted, raising his cane.
Ryak blasted the orb with a cone of cold. Despite the fiery orb receding, it wasn't enough to completely destroy it.
"Justin, I need another one of your ice attacks here," Ryak said.
Justin downed another Fyrspawn with a decisive blow, then turned his attention to the altar. He slashed at the glowing orb with his cane’s blade, each strike sending cracks rippling across its surface. For a brief moment, it seemed to dim—but then it pulsed again, repairing the damage and glowing brighter than before.
“You need to use that Drake’s Breath!” Ryak shouted, fending off a charging Fyrspawn with an ice spike. “Combine it with my magic. It’s the only thing strong enough to shatter it!”
Justin gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his brow from the relentless heat. “It’s still on cooldown! Three minutes until it’s ready. We just have to hold the line!”
The party braced itself as another wave of Fyrspawn surged toward the altar.
Eldrin fired arrow after arrow, raining dark-tipped projectiles into the advancing horde. Each well-placed shot staggered and blinded a demon, but there were simply too many.
Kargan stood at the front, continually casting and refreshing his Ward of Aegis and Crimson Aura, but it was simply too much to expect from one orc. His gray face had gone almost ghostly white from the strain of using so much blood magic.
Lila darted between the group, her Chromatic Knives flashing in a deadly dance around her, felling a couple of demons that got too close. Any time she had spare knives, she would lob them with deadly accuracy. But even she began to falter as the Fyrspawn pressed closer.
"There are too many!” Lila shouted.
“Hold them off for just a little longer!” Justin yelled, deflecting a fiery whip with his cane and countering with a quick jab to the demon’s chest. He stepped forward, drawing their attention and then activating Gentleman's Sidestep to trigger Elegance in Motion, weaving among the demons to give the others some breathing room.
Justin's heart skipped as Ryak's shout pierced through the chaos.
"Justin, get back!" Ryak called. "It's not worth the risk."
The words barely registered before a whip lashed out, cracking against Justin’s Sacrificial Armor with a resounding crackle of molten energy. The shield flared brightly, absorbing the worst of the strike, but it left him staggered and off balance. And worse, he was now completely unshielded.
Then the worst happened. A second Fyrspawn lunged in low, its jagged fire blade slashing across Justin's right thigh. He dove to the side instinctively, but it was far too late. The wound burned deep, searing flesh and muscle alike as Justin landed hard on the icy ground.
The pain hit him like a molten hammer, an agony so fierce it was almost blinding. It wasn't just the cut itself—the heat of the blade lingered in the wound, radiating outwards as if it were alive, burrowing deeper into his flesh. His leg felt like it was melting, the pain unlike anything he'd ever experienced.
Justin clamped his teeth together to keep from screaming, his cane trembling in his grip as he tried to steady himself. His vision swam, the edges of the cavern blurring into the flickering orange light of the Fyrspawn’s fire.
"Get him back!" Eldrin barked, his voice sharp and commanding. The Ranger appeared at Justin’s side, hooking an arm under his and dragging him toward the altar. “You’re not dying here. Not today.”
Kargan turned his attention away from the Fyrspawn, his face taut with concentration as his staff pulsed with crimson light. He thrust the staff toward Justin, invoking Vital Surge. The healing magic surged into Justin's leg, mending torn muscle and knitting flesh back together.
But it wasn’t instant. The wound began to close slowly, painfully, and the burning didn’t stop entirely.
With Justin out of the fray, the Fyrspawn pressed in harder. The demons’ fiery forms loomed as they pushed the rest of the party closer to the altar, their infernal weapons forcing a desperate retreat. Eldrin loosed a barrage of arrows, but even this only slowed the tide.
Kargan’s Crimson Aura provided slow and steady healing over time, dulling minor injuries and bolstering stamina. But even that was beginning to waver under the unrelenting assault. Ryak’s ice spikes crumbled faster than he could summon them, and Lila, darting between the group with her Chromatic Knives, looked increasingly frazzled.
It was clear that something needed to change.
That was when the first notes of a harp rang out, a melody so clear and soothing it seemed to cut through the chaos itself. The Fyrspawn paused mid-charge, their fiery forms flickering as the music washed over them. One by one, they staggered, their molten whips falling slack and their jagged blades lowering. A large part of the horde slumped to their knees, lulled into a dazed stupor. More distant Fyrspawn not affected by the harp began to push at the brethren blocking their path.
The effect wasn’t total—some of the Fyrspawn shook off the magic and continued their assault. But it was enough. Enough to give the party breathing room, enough to regroup.
"Keep it up!" Ryak called, using the reprieve to summon a thick ice barrier around the altar. “This won’t last forever!”
Justin, clutching his leg, suddenly remembered something: Wolfram’s potion. The one he’d stuffed into his coat pocket during their last Vault.
His hand shot to his side, fumbling through the fabric until his fingers found the familiar glass vial. He yanked it free.
Without hesitation, Justin uncorked the vial and downed it. The effect was immediate. A cold rush spread through his body, soothing the burn and accelerating the healing process exponentially. Within seconds, his leg was mended completely, the pain subsiding as the seared flesh returned to normal.
As he pushed himself to his feet, he felt Drake's Breath go off cooldown.
"Now, Ryak!" Justin shouted, his voice ringing with renewed determination.
Ryak nodded, already summoning the full force of his ice magic. Justin stepped forward, his cane glowing as he summoned the full force of his Drake’s Breath. He aimed at the altar, exhaling a concentrated blast of icy magic that spread across the orb’s surface, freezing it solid.
Ryak joined in, his Glacier’s Grasp staff glowing brightly as he channeled a powerful beam of concentrated ice magic. The combined attack created a wave of frost that surged toward the orb, enveloping it completely.
The orb let out a high, ethereal wail as the frost magic overwhelmed it. Cracks spread rapidly across its surface, and with one final surge from Ryak, the orb shattered into countless shards, the infernal energy dissipating into nothingness.
The Fyrspawn, which had gathered in the hundreds by now, disintegrated into ash.
Justin lowered his cane, breathing heavily. “Finally.”
A notification appeared before him.
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Vault Cleared: The Smoldering Refuge
Ashralok’s summoning has been thwarted. The infernal energies dissipate, and the Aurora Caverns are safe—for now.
The Vault honors your triumph. Now go with courage in your hearts, strength in your limbs, and wisdom in your minds.
The Vault of the Smoldering Refuge is complete!
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Rewards:
* 2,000 Experience Points
* Silver-Tier Artifacts for each party member
* Gold Ascension Crystal
Your experience stands 18,227/7,800 (Level-up available!)
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It was at this moment that an ethereal chest coalesced before them, summoned from the ethereal energy of the Vault itself, in the place the altar had once occupied. This time, there was no ghost or sentinel of the Vault to gift the treasures; they would have to claim them for themselves.
Justin glanced at his exhausted companions. “Too close.”
Lila slumped against a rock, her harp still cradled in her arms. “Next time, someone else can sing the lullabies.”
"Seems you did well enough," Justin said. "I wouldn't have expected it to be that effective."
"It worked well enough," she said. "I was saving it until all our options were out. It can only be used once a day, after all."
Ryak surveyed the shattered altar, his expression somber. It was as if he were wondering how this had come to pass in the first place. Eldrin and Kargan were similarly solemn, each realizing just how close it had been.
Justin headed up to the chest. “Well, let's see what all the fuss was about."