Tearis attempted to walk through the doorway, only to hit solid rock. “It’s real this time.”“Very not good.” Varys nodded to himself in confirmation.

“We’ll need to complete this stratum to reach the teleportation circle. That’s three floors and a tough fight.”

“Varys, do you have a stamina skill for fighting?” Febrona asked.

“A few, but they scale with intelligence. There’s also, Weak Point Spot, which uses your highest mental stat.”

“You have a rogue class right.”“No. But also yes. Somewhere between rogue and mage.”

“Then you’re our damage user. Let Tearis have Weak Point Spot.”

“Weak Point Spot.” Varys looked at Tearis for a long time.

“Mind Thief, Weak Point Spot.”

Skill Stolen: Weak Point Spot.

“I got it. Now what?”

“When your mana refills I’ll give you the skill Assassinate. The first will let you see a target’s vulnerabilities, the second will increase the amount of damage you deal, exponentially when you hit a weak spot.”

“Is that so… I don’t have that skill.”

“You wouldn’t. You normally can’t get both.”

The group rested near the entrance before Tearis stole the Assassinate skill.

Skill Stolen: Assassinate.

Mind Thief has reached rank two, you may now hold up to twelve stolen skills. Excess skills now go to the compendium.

Skill Gained: Skill Compendium. Triggering mandatory tutorial.Whenever a skill is gained it’s added to the skill compendium, when a new skill is added you gain one Violet Point, or V.P. When you gain a rank in a skill you gain 3 VP. VP can be used to upgrade stolen skills or fill an empty skill slot with one from the compendium.

Skill breakdown has reached rank two. Triggering mandatory tutorial.Breaking down a skill grants an additional Vp per rank of the skill being broken down plus the rank of this skill.

You're welcome.

“Does the system make you learn what skills do, often? Because my head hurts.” Tearis had been given the knowledge to use those two skills.

“When skills are complex, the goddess may teach you how to use them. But only when you’re in a safe place and that knowledge may prove useful soon.”

“I see. Looks like I have some learning to do. Michale, do you have a skill to give me?”

“None that would be useful now. Not with your stats anyway.” Michale sighed.

Tearis looked to Febrona, who nodded.

“Looks like this is all we can do to prepare. As far as I’m aware we have three mana, and six healing potions. And I clearly didn’t pack for this level of insanity.” Tearis stated.

“That’s correct. Can you use a hand crossbow?”

“No. Well I can try but.”

“He is more likely to hit me with it than enemies,” Varys stated while shrugging.

“Fine then, use that tin sword Michael has in its scabbard if anything gets close your jobs are to stay moving and alive. Hit or stun anything you can. Michale If your health dips low, get evasive and run, don’t worry about defense. Varys…”

Varys stopped plucking the eyes out of a few dungeon rabbits that got too close. “Yes? I’m listening.”

“Just do your thing and don’t try to kill us.”

Varys has joined the party.

“Anyone in the party right now is safe. But what about strange people offering poisoned help?”

“Do as you deem necessary, I will step in if you go too far.”

“I think I like you. Will you marry me when I get older?” Varys asked innocently.

“... Ask again in ten or so years.” Febrona considered it longer than she wanted because of money. Then she looked at the blood-covered pre-teen who seemed to live a hard life. Then she remembered that this kid had more than a few screws loose and decided an outright rejection could end in a fight as she hadn’t known him well enough, so he chose a maybe with the intent of saying no if asked again.

“I’m not into cougars so you know. That was a joke.” Varys said to the nineteen-year-old rogue.

Michael and Tearis stepped away from the visibly fuming Febrona, who resisted her urge to shoot at him.

“I see… Tearis? Michael? Let’s go.”

“Darn.” Varys got absurdly close to Michael.

“Personal space kid.” Michale said.

“Don’t be like that, best friends are supposed to be close.”

“Not that kind of close!”

“Tearis, I have a best friend!” Varys pointed at Michael, who had an utterly confused look on his face.

“I see.” Tearis gave Michale a look that said, don’t question it, to Michael.

“Great. Now let’s continue.” Febrona led them down the left pathway.

“This place is supposed to be low level right?” Tearis asked as he stepped over an adventurer that had been bisected between the eyes.

“Yes.” Febrona moved through the corpses looting anything of value.

“If so, then why are there so many corpses?”

“Demon summoners. When you deal with enough cultists their magic becomes obvious. They summoned a demon and it turned on them. That’s what it looks like anyway.”

“Deal with this before?”

“In my homeland demons run rampant. You get good at telling when people who don’t know what they’re doing mess things up.”

“I see.” Varys moved towards a corpse with bright blue eyes and proceeded to pluck them as they were shut before placing his proffered organs in a jar that was slid into his coat.

Michale began to dry heave after seeing that as the only thing saving the others was seeing it happen.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Tearis ignored the demon-wearing human flesh and looked forward at a path that sloped downwards further left, and another path went straight.

“Which way?” Tearis asked.

“I’ll go scout ahead.” Febrona stated as she moved into the upward path and vanished.

Five minutes later, she returned with an uncharacteristic smile on her face. “Guys! Let’s like hurry though. It’s an easy trip going forward.”

A blade soon flew straight through Febrona’s heart as Varys ran to collect his sword.

As she fell, her skin became red, and the creature shrunk quite a bit to the point where he could be called quite plump with a spaded tail and rather disturbing facial features.

“Yeah I don’t know who’d fall for that.” Tearis muttered.

Michale had fallen for it but decided not to say anything about it. They didn’t need to know that.

“We could have milked it for info but this outcome is fine.” Tearis pointed forward. “Who wants to lead the way?”

“I’ll take the vanguard position. Just don’t let me get surrounded.”

“Like I’d let my best friend die.” Varys slapped Michael on the back. “Now let’s go.”

“I’t going to take hours to clean this blood out my armor.”

“You’ll be fine. I’ll buy you a new set.” Varys stated before stage whispering. “I have a really rich cousin.”

Tearis sighed. “I’m not a piggy bank.”

“Yeah yeah. You’re more reliable than that Santa guy. I swear one day I’ll kill Santa.”

“Is he talking about the suposed mythical gift giving entity invented by Polar Corp?”

“Let him have this. It’s better if he points his blade at that than people.”

“Hmmm? Do you want to hear my justifiable reasoning?”

“No, I want to go check on Febrona.”

“You’re no fun anymore Tear.” Varys kicked a rock.

“Why are you here again?” Tear asked.

“I’m here because without supervision your liable to get yourself killed. And I am your benevolent cousin who wouldn’t dare hide their motives from you.” Varus tossed a dagger up in their hand before.

“Let’s go.” Michale stated as he led the group forward.

“See, my new best friend is already helping you keep your head on straight.” Varys stated as he skipped along.

Tearis looked between his two male party members and let out a sigh as he followed. At least his cousin could deal damage. The most Tearis could do was stun enemies and steal skills. Not many of said skills were useful to him, however. Not yet, anyway.

Michael followed the path into a hall of mirrors that seemed mismatched in a place that seemed to hold strong ties to nature. Splotches of purple and yellow litter the area. Michael and Tearis seemed mesmerized by the patterns and their own reflections.

Varys, however, couldn’t see their reflection and thus led them into the maze with ease as they walked for about two minutes. Those minutes ended as two creatures resembling Tearis and Michale appeared.

“You will become one with us and become food for our dark god.” Tearis’ clone stated.

“Give yourselves to us and know true power.” Michale’s clone was added.

“Do you have cookies?” Varys asked.

The clones seemingly ignored Varys as they repeated their lines.

“Yeah, I kinda have an arrangement already so that’s a no…” Tearis pointed a hand at the

“You deny our dark god vessels?”

“You don’t even have cookies. What kind of cult organization doesn’t entice children with sweets, cookies, or candies? Not the drugged kind either but the good stuff. What kind of cultist are you if you?” Varys began to insult the cultist.

Michale shot Tearis a look before looking back at Varys. “Are you trying to join their cult?”

“No. I’m trying to tell them that they’re doing the whole cult recruitment wrong. If I was their dark god I’d be pissed.” Varys stated matter of factly.

“Not the time to be messing with mirrors and illusions.”

“These aren’t mirrors. There are two people standing right infront of you.” Varys cut the arm off one of the cultists with a swiftness and ease that seemed bizarre.

The reflection began to scream as a mirror faded, and a man could be seen clutching a missing limb. “Monster!”

“Mikey, go take care of the other one. Don’t let him escape.” Varys continued forward, placing a sword on the neck of the bleeding cultist.

“What’s wrong with your cousin?” Michale said as he ran after the sprinting cultist.

“Not sure.” Tearis lied. There was plenty wrong with his cousin. But this was neither the time nor the place to go over the big issue. He had gotten kidnapped as a small child. By the time a guild could find him, he was different. His eyes were no longer working as they should, if they did at all.

The fleeing cultist turned rapidly after separating Michale from the group and tackled him. Their strength and speed were higher than the young squire from a few levels.

Tearis seemingly remembered that Varys was their strongest member at the moment, which means that he could make these cultists look like child’s play if they were weaker than him.

“Mana Bullet.” Tearis fired a shot into the cultist, stunning them for a brief moment.

That moment was enough time for Michale to drive his sword into the neck of the cultist. Scarily enough, the cultist impaled by the blade hadn’t died.

The stun faded, and the cultist attempted to drive a glass stake through Michale’s skull.

Michale managed to use his attacker’s momentum to flip them onto their back. Shaking himself loose from the cultist’s grasp and quickly getting back to his feet.

“Hop!” Tearis moved towards the cultist at high speed, his flute raised up as a makeshift club as he prepared to commit blasphemy.

As Tearis moved past the cultist, he timed the swing and slammed his flute into the head of the cultist. This left them quite dazed. “Mana bullet!”

A large mana bullet slammed into them and caused them to drop their glass stake. Tearis caught it in his left hand and began to feel short of breath.

Michale, on the other hand, drove his sword through the cultist’s throat as they were weakened enough to kill.

Varys approached. “The big boss is about level thirty, Febrona was captured, and we have maybe ten minutes before they sacrifice her in the next room. Good news is few goons are under level seven. These were the strong ones.” Varys swiped his sword to the side, cleaning it of blood.

Both Michale and Tearis looked at each other and decided not to turn around, vaguely recalling some blood-curdling screams while they were taking care of their opponent.

“Now then. Onwards and upwards.”

Combat has ended, Experience gained 1440/4.400/400. Overflow added towards the next level.

“Wait. I thought we didn’t get experience from killing people?” Micha;e asked/

“You don’t, those were monsters wearing human skin. Almira would rather demons such as these go extinct. Most of the others hadn’t gone that far yet so no experience. Killed a few on own, they are like pinatas of experience.” Varys pointed his blade forward.

Class, Violet Mage, has hit level 3.

Skill gained, Violet Cauldron.

“I can use sword and shield arts now. This should make me a lot more useful.” Michale said.

“Ugh… This is going to be a long one to read. Wait. I’m not supposed to get this until level five.”

“Maybe you need it now.”

“Highly unlikely…”

Violet Cauldron (Rank 1): Fuse your skills to create new combinations. Said combination has the potential to be weaker than its progenitor as well as much stronger. Order in which skills are added matters. Cost is two Vp to use then 1 Vp for every skill added after the second.

Tearis felt a severe headache as the world turned purple for a brief moment, and the ability was added before his body was fully ready to use it. Walking over to a corpse, he seemingly pulled out a skill orb.

Vampiric Bind(Rank 1): Ensnare target creature in chains of mana and drain its lifeforce. The lifeforce returns to you as health and stamina.

Tearis felt his body move on its own.”Skill breakdown: Song of Dreams, Song of Energy, Analyze Structural Integrity, Masonry Training.”

Vp: Total is now seven.

“Violet Cauldron fuse, Mana bullet(Mind), Vampiric Bind, Mind thief, Golden rabbit’s luck, Assassinate, and Weak Point spot.”

“Is now the proper time for this?” Varrys asked.

Class skills will be lost until Vp is used to restore them. Do you accept the cost?

“Yes?” Tearis replied, dazed as his skills were cooked down into something new.

“Michale, carry him till he wakes up. Time is of the essence.

MIchale picked up Tearis, who wasn’t able to resist, and carried him forward as Varys killed anything that got too close.