The next morning, Justin and the party spent the morning grinding in the temple. For his efforts, he only got 100 experience, even though they had wiped out at least fifty mummies. That got him to 5,400/13,000.
They decided not to push their luck as far as exploring deeper into the temple, knowing they would need Sapphire Aegis to explore the next gate safely.
By the time the cooldown was ready, they were standing in the Nexus, deciding which one to try next.
The compass was pointing to six of the gates still, like last time. One of those was the Kaspideal one, which led to wyvern territory, while another led back through Gate 7, which went back to Zanthera.
The rest of the gates the compass was pointing to were too difficult to read. And in the end, did it really matter if it was just leading them to treasure and not somewhere they necessarily wanted to go?
“We’d do just as well picking one at random,” Justin said.
Eldrin considered. “You can’t read any of the others?”
Justin shook his head. “There are letters here and there. But it’s completely indecipherable.”
“Well, the compass is giving us some information, at least,” Lila said. “Remember how it helped us avoid those Fyrspawn? Well, if this works the same way, it isn’t going to lead us to certain death. So if we want to take a bit of a gamble, maybe we can check out every gate the compass is pointing to. Today. And in an emergency, Justin can use Sapphire Aegis.”
“I’d recommend against that,” Eldrin said. “We don’t know just what’s on the other side. Remember the wyverns? The other gates might be worse.”
“Those were far enough away,” Justin said. “Lila might have a point.”
Lila nodded. “This would map out three more gates, potentially. The compass is still pointing to Azhdari, Zanthera, and Kaspideal. So that leaves Gates 2, 12, and 16. The no-names that probably won’t kill Justin immediately.”
“Thanks,” Justin said.
Eldrin looked from Justin to Lila. “Well, I see the merit of the plan. But we’d actually get to scope out four gates. Assuming Justin doesn’t have to use Sapphire Aegis for the first three. That leaves Mount Eleanor for the end as a failsafe.”
“Two gates that are guaranteed, or five gates that are risky,” Lila said. “And given that we only have one day left on this, we need all the chances we can get.”
“I agree,” Justin said. “I can use Gentleman’s Sidestep, too.”
“That will help against enemies, but it won’t protect you from environmental hazards,” Eldrin pointed out. “The compass has served us well so far, but I wouldn’t trust my life to it.”
Justin considered. Ultimately, he knew this would be up to him.
But they were also not considering all of the options.
“There’s one other thing we could do,” Justin said.
“What?” Lila asked.
“Head back to Zanthera. Get the gate key.”
“No,” Lila said. “Are you crazy?”
“It’s either crazy to do it, or crazy not to do it,” he said. “Can I make my case?”
“Are you serious about this, lad?” Eldrin asked. “A Level 26 Vault is nothing to trifle with.”
“You’re right,” Justin agreed. “But we have some things going for us that another party of a similar level doesn’t.” He held up a finger. “One, we’ll have Emberlyn’s help. I’m not sure what resources she can provide us, but most of the Fyrspawn are magic users. The highest level was 15, the mayor herself. If we have a few like her down there, we might be able to pull it off.”
Lila was about to respond, but Justin held up another finger.
“Two, if we grab that gate key, the Baron has no way to follow us. And we can explore all the gates on our own time. That way we don’t have to make compromises.”
“True,” Eldrin said somewhat grudgingly.
“Three,” Justin went on, “I have Sapphire Aegis. It was good enough to finish off Vorthyrn—”
“—With help,” Lila pointed out.
Justin nodded. “Yes, with help. But I’m even more capable now. Stronger. I have new skills and boons. If we run into anything truly dangerous, I can use Sapphire Aegis, soak up a lot of damage, and finish off whatever challenge is waiting for us down there. And this is a lower-level Vault than the drake. Sure, we don’t have the Baron to rely on. But he was also holding himself back a bit, hoping that I would die. He didn’t do much aside from casting a few spells that kept Vorthyrn grounded.”
“Damn it, why are you starting to make sense?” Lila asked. “Stop using your gods-damned Charisma on me!”
Justin pressed on. “It’s not charisma. Just a calculated risk. And one I’m afraid we have to make. Just imagine how bad it will be: Valdrik being able to appear anywhere he wants using the Nexus. We would never be free of him.”
They were silent as they considered this. Justin didn’t necessarily want to risk his neck again, but it seemed there was little choice. A gate-traveling Baron was not something he wanted to mess around with.
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“I’m Level 17 now,” Justin said. “I have the Sapphire Star and the Amulet of Equilibrium. Both of those pieces of gear give me the attributes of someone who is Level 30 or even more. But all of us still need better gear. And that Level 28 Vault is offering a full gold armor set for each of us. Plus a class core.”
“And access to the Gate of Solanis,” Eldrin said.
“That’s right. It means willingly heading into a dangerous situation. Not easy. But sometimes, the right decision is the tough decision. I’m done underestimating Valdrik. We did the right thing by coming down here, but we can’t stop now. We have to keep pushing.”
“If we’re unlucky, he could already be down there,” Lila said. “What do we do then?”
“Remember, he can’t hurt us for another eight days. It’s purely a race to see who can get that gate key first.”
“And Emberlyn?” Eldrin asked. “The gate key belongs to the Fyrspawn. They won’t look kindly on your taking it.”
“That’s true,” Justin said. “It’s the main kink in the plan. But maybe we can convince her that giving us the key is in her best interest. At least temporarily.”
“Why would she ever do that?” Lila asked.
“Well, we can warn her about Valdrik. She can either choose to let us have it for a short amount of time, or let him have it indefinitely.”
“And better yet,” Eldrin said, stroking his chin, “she can make a deal with us because of Justin’s Gentleman’s Agreement.”
“That’s right,” Justin said. “Naturally, we’ll have to apologize, go to her hat in hand. And tell her we’ve changed our minds. She may be angry, but she’ll have no choice but to work with us. We can keep her key for a set time. Maybe three months or so. And return it before that time is up.”
“The Baron might want to take retribution on them for helping us,” Eldrin said. “How can we deal with that?”
That was a puzzle to be figured out. Ideally, none of the Fyrpsawn would reveal there had been a Vault or a gate key in the first place, but someone of Valdrik’s abilities could probably figure all that out easily with some pointed questions.
“We just need to try,” Justin said. “We have nothing to lose.”
“The Fyrspawn still have a truce with us,” Eldrin said. “At least, all those within a mile of where we made the deal. There could be a few that might attack us, but if you are right about their levels, Justin, then maybe we can hold our own long enough to get back to the gate.”
“I hope it doesn’t come to that,” Justin said. “I think Emberlyn will be ready to cut a deal.”
“I hope so,” Eldrin said.
“So, sounds like we’re doing this,” Lila said. She shook her head and smiled. “I have to say, gold armor would be pretty nice.”
“You can hardly put a price on something like that,” Eldrin said. “Full armor sets tend to be weaker than pieces that have been enchanted individually. But for a Vault like this, it’s likely to be a decent set bonus. Gear that drops from Vaults is usually superior to what most Enchanters can do, even given the same tier.”
“Good to know,” Justin said. “All the better.”
“There’s one thing, though,” Eldrin said. “Given the danger...I must ask you to consider something, Justin.”
He arched an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“We’ve discussed it before. Your Prismatic Core might give you the chance to take an advanced class early.”
Justin nodded. “Yeah, I see your point.”
“So...are we really doing this?” Eldrin asked.
“I think we need to,” Justin said.
Justin reached into his pack, producing the purple Priest Core. Meanwhile, Eldrin reached into his own pack and grabbed the Scholar Core.
“Will it automatically combine?” Justin asked.
“It should ask for confirmation first. It will inform you of what class you are going to create. From what I understand, you just have one Core Attribute now. The one you were given when you took that Prismatic Core.”
Justin nodded. Valdrik had told him that, for Earthers, they took the Core Attribute of the first core they absorbed.
“That means you shouldn’t have a second Core Attribute yet,” Eldrin said. “But if you gained a Core Attribute by absorbing a core the first time...”
“I see your point,” Justin said. It might work the second time, too.
He considered both cores. “What do each of these classes do, exactly?”
“Scholars gain an increased ability to gain knowledge,” Eldrin explained. “They also thrive on making mental connections. Of course, any advanced class will be different, depending on which core was taken first. Even if they have the same name. So, all your Socialite skills will be given a scholarly flair, if that makes sense. And I imagine you’d keep learning those Socialite skills until Level 20, and then you’ll start learning the abilities of the advanced class.” Eldrin shrugged. “That’s how it basically works for other advanced classes, anyway.”
“Got it,” Justin said. “And the Priest Core?”
“Priests, like Paladins and other divine classes, make a pact with a certain divinity. Generally, they cast healing and support magic in line with their chosen god. Most choose one of the Six New Gods. “
“Could I choose one of the Old Gods?” Justin asked.
Eldrin gave a rueful smile. “Now normally, that would not even be a question. But I forget you aren’t even from Eyrth. Yes, I suppose you could, but the Old Gods are hardly worshipped in this part of the world, and you might make a lot of enemies. You might find remote villages clinging to the old ways, but even then, they’ve been mostly rooted out by now. And of course, most Elemental mages get their powers from the Old Gods as well. They are something of an exception to the rule, but even so, a lot of people don’t like or trust mages for that reason.”
“I see.”
Justin supposed the worship had to be at least somewhat genuine. He wasn’t sure how to feel about that. He was never a religious person, so Priest probably wasn’t a good fit for him, even when combined.
The truth was, neither core really called out to Justin.
He just had to trust Eldrin that it wouldn’t be immediate and he had to confirm it first.
He started with the Priest Core. It glowed in his hands as he attempted to core it.
[This core is not compatible with Socialite.]
Justin wasn’t terribly surprised. A holy Priest and an irreverent Socialite didn’t seem like the proper fit.
“Let’s try that other one.”
Eldrin handed it to him, and Justin attempted the same thing.
[This core is not compatible with Socialite.]
Justin sighed. “Well, darn.”
“It was worth a try,” Eldrin said. “The only two we know for sure that work are Alchemist and Lexicant.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have sold that Alchemist Core,” Justin said.
“Well, it probably doesn’t work until Level 20 anyway. So we have a final decision before us. Do we try the Vault?”
Lila sighed. “I don’t know. I’m starting to have my doubts. We are so close to the exit here. The Mount Eleanor one is very tempting. But...I also understand Justin’s point.” She looked at him. “Let’s just talk to Emberlyn. See if we can learn more. If she can promise a lot of help, well, it’ll make the decision easier.”
“As long as we have an escape plan,” Eldrin said. “I’ll touch my ear if it’s time to retreat, no questions asked.”
“Isn’t that a little obvious?” Lila asked.
“As long as we can agree on something without using words, that’s all that matters.”
“I suppose,” she said. “Well, this Vault isn’t going to clear itself.”
Justin headed for Gate 7, adjusting the brim of his hat. He told himself they weren’t committing to anything. Just getting more info.
But deep down, he knew. If they didn’t get that gate key, the Baron would.
Hopefully, Emberlyn would be willing to see reason. It was a tall order, but assuming they couldn’t negotiate anything, well, they could always just leave again.
That would suck for everyone involved, but it was an option.
Justin paused before the threshold just as its blue plane activated. “Remember. Let’s check out the other side, see if it’s safe first. And if possible, let’s not leave the gate room. That way, they can’t cut us off.”
“Smart,” Eldrin said.
“After you,” Lila said.
Justin let out a breath and stepped through.