"We didn't think this one through, did we?" Justin asked.
They stood before the collapsed bridge, the gaping void seeming to mock their earlier triumph. The jagged remains of stone jutted out like broken teeth, offering no means of passage. The icy wind howled, biting through their clothing. Without the warmth of Vorthak's Flame, the cold was relentless. The sun dipped lower, its feeble light giving way to the encroaching northern night.
Now that the battle was over, the elements were their enemy once again. And with the setting of the northern sun, the temperature was plummeting with every passing minute.
"We're going to have to find a way down to the ice," Lila said, her teeth chattering so hard it was a wonder she could speak at all. "There's no other way around it."
Justin shook his head. "We need to warm up first. Without Vorthak's Flame, we're done for out here."
"How long until it refreshes?" Lila asked.
"Twenty-three hours," Justin said, checking his interface. "That's a long wait." He shivered, the heat enchantments on his clothing seeming to do nothing. "We need to get out of the wind."
"The only place to shelter is the tower," Lila countered. "Is it really safe?"
"Good question. My guess is, it's safer than this place. The System—I mean, Veyrith—mentioned we cleared it. Hopefully, that means all the other enemies, too."
"Let's hope so," Lila said, her tone doubtful, but she didn't argue further.
Together, they retraced their steps into the Tower of Skaldarn. Minutes ago, it had been a battlefield of chaos and fury, but now it stood eerily silent. The only sound was the faint thrum of the ethereal well, its light now dimmed to a pale flicker. Shadows loomed large against the cracked walls and surrounding pillars, and the cold seemed to seep from the very stones.
They moved cautiously, exploring along the tower's periphery. Doorways led in all directions—some upward toward the tiers above them, others descending beneath the tower. They chose one of the downward paths, going down a spiral staircase hewn from the rock of the island itself.
It warmed somewhat as they went deeper, at least. The ornate carvings and embellishments of the upper levels gave way to utilitarian stonework. They went past six or so landings, not bothering to explore each level. It would take far too long, plus there was always the chance something was lurking down there. The bottom was the most likely place to give them access to the frozen sea itself.
At last, they reached the bottom. The passage before them was dimly lit by pale magical sconces mounted on the walls, their glow faint and uneven. Justin turned his thoughts to his cane, willing it to cast more light. In response, the sapphire eyes of the drake-shaped handle emitted a steady blue light, bright enough to rival a modern electric lantern. The glow illuminated the corridor ahead, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
"This light will come in handy," he said, his voice hushed.
"Be ready for anything," Lila whispered, her knives already in hand. "This place is giving me the creeps, and we don't have Alden to fall back on anymore."
Justin tightened his grip on his cane, the weight of Alden's absence hitting him anew. But there was no time for sentiment now. They had to survive.
The wide corridor stretched ahead, lined with doorways. Some were sealed with heavy iron doors; others stood open, revealing only darkness beyond. Justin began checking each room as they passed, his cane's light cutting through the gloom.
The first room they passed was small and cluttered with decayed wooden furniture. Its desks, chairs, and shelves had long since succumbed to rot. Among the debris, Justin's light caught the glint of something metallic.
He bent down, brushing away frost and debris to uncover a small pile of coins. The gold and silver coins were intricate. They had engravings of Qilungit faces, fantastical creatures, and the harsh landscapes of the frozen North.
Justin flipped one over in his palm. He tossed one into his coin pouch. It nestled alongside his modern coins, glowing faintly in response to the pouch's magic.
"Fascinating," Lila said, putting some coins in her pouch as well. "These hold the same etheric properties as modern currency."
"Etheric properties?" Justin asked.
"All coins worth anything are enchanted to interact with universal ledger books," Lila explained. "Including these. Meaning they'll be accepted as legal tender, despite being minted thousands of years ago. Now is not the time for an economics lesson, though. Let's keep moving."
In the next room, they found rows of dusty cots, their frames rusted and brittle. The air was thick with the scent of mildew and old decay.
"A barracks, maybe," Justin guessed, prodding one of the cots with his cane. It collapsed under the slightest pressure, its sound echoing loudly.
Lila looked as if she wanted to punch him.
"Sorry," he managed.
The third room held a collection of ancient weapons. Rusted spears, dented shields, and broken bows lay scattered on the stone floor. Most were too corroded to be of use, which was why something in particular caught his eye.
Justin picked up a dagger in its sheath that still looked as new as the day it was forged, gleaming faintly under the light of his cane. It was forged from a dark metal that seemed to drink in the light around it, its surface smooth but faintly rippling like liquid shadow. The hilt was wrapped in deep crimson leather, supple to the touch, and accented with silver fittings etched in swirling, predatory patterns. As he drew it to inspect the blade, it was slender and slightly curved, tapering to a wickedly sharp point.
"My, what's this?" Lila asked.
Justin produced his scryer's lens and held it up to the dagger. Both he and Lila took a look.
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Deathkiss Dagger
Tier: Gold
Core Restriction: Coordination, Charisma
Affinity: Death
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Enchantments:
Vampiric Edge: Each strike absorbs part of the target's Life Force, slightly mending the wielder's wounds. There is a chance of inflicting the Vampirism status.
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
Perfect Balance: The dagger is masterfully weighted, allowing it to be thrown with uncanny accuracy.
Kiss of Death: The Deathkiss Dagger, upon a kill, gains Deathtouch for its next attack, ensuring lethality against most foes.
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"Damn," Justin said. "This sounds powerful for you!"
Lila watched the dagger with misgivings. "Did you miss the part saying it has a Death Affinity? Using this dagger, especially over time, will align my core with Morvath." She shook her head. "No thanks. I don't even want to touch it."
"We could sell it, though, right?"
She looked as if she were insane. "To whom? This knife is illegal in most places. Trust me, the sort who would buy this isn't who you want to be dealing with."
Justin let out a sigh. "Well, is it all bad news? Where there's one piece of loot, there should be others."
"I say leave it," Lila said.
Justin was about to agree when a thought struck him. "Wait. I can change my Affinity at will. All without this unseemly sullying of my core." He glanced at Lila with a triumphant grin.
She raised an eyebrow, her tone skeptical. "I wouldn't risk it if I were you. That thing looks like bad news waiting to happen."
"But it can kill in a single stroke, potentially. That's too good to pass up." Justin's hand inched closer to the weapon.
Lila crossed her arms and sighed. "Fine, but don't expect me to bail you out when it goes sideways. You're a big boy, right? Make your call."
Her words of caution didn't stop him. With a determined look, Justin grabbed it by the sheath, taking care not to touch the weapon directly. He wouldn't core it—for now. He wondered what would happen if he simply tried to use the knife without coring it first. Would it just work like a normal knife, without the benefit of enchantments? Justin had a feeling that that was the case.
He placed it in his pack. "For a rainy day."
She rolled her eyes and gave him a faint smirk. "Come on. There's one thing you've said that I actually agree with. There might be more rare items to find in here. That's what we should focus on. If we're getting out of this alive, I'd rather do it rich."
They explored all the rooms on the level, poking through the remnants of a civilization long past. In one room, they discovered a Silver-Tier staff leaning against a crumbling wall. It gave a soft blue sheen, made of basic steel with a spherical top. Justin's interface indicated it could only be equipped by Wizards. The enchantments granted access to lower-tier Harmony Magic spells. They also gave a slight boost to Intellect. It was ultimately useless to either of them, so for now, Lila just used it as a walking staff.
They pressed on. In another room, they found an artifact called the Amulet of Frost's Grace, a teardrop-shaped pendant that shimmered with an icy hue. Its enchantments included resistance to ice magic and a small boost to Endurance—perfect for the frigid environment. Lila snatched it up immediately. It wasn't better than her current Amulet of Everblade, so she set it in her pack.
"This is a good one to sell down the line," she said. "It'll fetch a good price."
But the real treasure lay deeper in the level. In an armory, they found skeletal warriors among broken weapons and a rusted breastplate. From the scene, it was clear that a fierce battle had once taken place here. Among the scattered bones, Justin's light caught the glint of something metallic. Nestled on one bony finger was a ring, still intact despite the passage of time.
Justin leaned closer, his scryer's lens glowing faintly as it identified the item.
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Ring of Regeneration
Tier: Gold
Affinity: Life
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Enchantments:
Renewal's Touch: When injured, this ring casts Lesser Regeneration on its wearer for twenty seconds. Cooldown: 2 minutes.
Healing Bind: This ring automatically casts Bind Wounds on its wearer when severely injured. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
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"This is a good one," Justin said, holding the lens out to Lila. "Do you think I can wear this along with my Ring of Hygiene?"
"You're can use two rings, one for each hand," Lila said. "This one will definitely help you out. Or, you could sell it later—rings like this fetch a fortune."
"No way I'm selling this," Justin said, already slipping the ring onto his finger.
Justin's default Affinity was already Life, even without Lathalon's Grace. So there was nothing to stop the familiar System prompt from appearing.
[Would you like to bind the Ring of Regeneration to your core?]
He mentally assented, feeling the faint surge of magic as the ring attuned itself to him. It was another measure of safety, and combined with Lathalon's Grace, he gained a healthy measure of passive healing.
"This has been a productive day," he said, flexing his fingers to test the fit of the ring.
The Vault's description hadn't lied about the "selection of rare items." Justin supposed this level of reward was par for the course for a Vault of this caliber.
"We're going to be so rich!" Lila said with a grin. "And this is just one floor. There are at least five others down here, not to mention the tower above us. All ripe for the picking!"
Justin tempered her excitement with a dose of realism. "I know our packs are enchanted, but even they'll hit their limits. We can't carry out everything we find."
"True," Lila said with a grudging nod. "If we run out of space, we'll just have to pick out the best stuff. Hopefully, I can find some better gear for myself—something more than just that death knife."
"It'll have to wait until tomorrow," Justin said. "It's getting late, and I don't want to face this dungeon without proper rest."
"Boo," Lila said with mock disappointment. "If we go this slowly, it will take us a week to clear out the place."
Clear out? Justin frowned. He and Lila clearly had very different ideas about how this was going to play out. "You know what they say about greed, right? Pigs get fed; hogs get slaughtered."
"Whatever," Lila said. "Greed is good."
As they searched for a suitable spot to rest, Justin realized Lila's determination wasn't just for treasure—it was survival. This Vault, if played right, could be her ticket to freedom from the debts hanging over her head. With enough money, maybe the shady figures she owed in Windfall would forgive the past.
Justin supposed they might clear another floor or two, but they definitely couldn't go through the entire tower.
"Remember, Vorthyrn's hoard is supposed to be worth ten platinum shards. That's almost a full shard per party member, assuming we all survive."
But surviving that battle would only be the beginning. They still had to escape this tower, contend with Baron Valdrik, and find a way off Nithral Island.
Each challenge felt heavier than the last.
They approached a well-crafted iron door in a room that had once served as a pantry, a room they had already explored. Ancient containers lined the stone shelves. Their contents had rotted into an unrecognizable mush. Some jars had cracked, their contents fossilized into brittle clumps. Others emitted faint, acrid odors that spoke of fermentation gone terribly wrong.
Justin shut the door and, together, they barricaded it with the room's furniture. They wedged a broken shelf against the doorframe. Then, they stacked rusted pots and jars to create a warning system. If anything tried to get in, they'd at least hear it coming. Justin didn't want to take any chances.
The room was cold, the air damp and heavy with the smell of ancient rot. But it wasn't unbearably so. Their thick parkas, combined with good old-fashioned body heat, would be enough to get them through the night.
They shared a quick meal from their provisions—more fish and some long-lost biscuits Justin had found in the depths of his pack. It wasn't much, but it was enough to stave off hunger.
As Justin and Lila settled into the corner farthest from the door, he noticed the oppressive silence. It wasn't comforting—it was the kind of silence that made every sound seem unnaturally loud. He heard every breath in sharp relief, the faint rustle of his coat as he adjusted himself against the wall, and even the dull thump of his heart in his ears. Outside the room, beyond the thick stone walls, faint noises crept in.
A slow, deliberate scratching echoed faintly, like claws raking against distant stone. It came and went, sometimes replaced by the sound of something soft and rhythmic—footsteps, maybe? Occasionally, there was a low, guttural noise that sent a chill down Justin's spine, a sound too deep and resonant to be anything natural. It was so distant that Justin couldn't be sure it was real.
His grip on his cane tightened; the glowing sapphire tip illuminated the room with a soft, flickering light.
Lila pressed in close to him, breaking his thoughts. Her warmth was a welcome comfort in the room, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her.
"Maybe you were right about leaving this place behind," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the silence.
"That's the plan," he said softly. "We'll pick up what we can, but I'm hoping tomorrow we'll figure out a way to cross the ice. With luck, we can avoid the worst of the ruins. And find the others."
"Okay," she murmured, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "Good night."
Lila closed her eyes, her breathing evening out almost instantly as sleep claimed her.
Justin let his eyes drift shut. The tension in his body refused to fully fade, but his exhaustion was greater. Despite the faint noises beyond the door, sleep pulled him under.
Tomorrow would bring a new day, new dangers—and hopefully, a well-earned level-up.