“Am I the only one that feels like it’s weird when Nick isn’t the one doing all the planning? Like I know he delegated to Kaylee, so it makes sense she was handing out orders, but what’s up with that Malcolm guy? Why was everyone deferring to him?” Maria asked as the group made their way to the Daedalus tent area to gather more guild members.
“Then why didn’t you say something back there?” Nick asked, feeling a little flabbergasted. “When I was arguing with the man?”
“I don’t know . . . He’s a professor at a university I was really hoping to get into,” Maria admitted. “What if it messes up my chances?”
“Are you even going to college still?” Nick asked.
“Uhh . . .” Maria floundered for a minute, looking to the others for help that was never coming.
“She’s going to the college of muscle and sweat the moment this expedition stabilizes,” Mr. Walters announced as he joined the conversation once the five of them, Maria, Adele, Nick, Allen, and Seo-ah, reached the tent. “Are you ready to set up the The Gym building, and start letting the idlers work out? We have enough essences now thanks to the early scouting groups.”
“Oh, we do?” Nick perked up as he looked over at the base core. “Yeah, let’s set that up right away then!”
The group walked over to the Heart of the Gym and Nick pulled up the virtual interface for the base-building functions. There were many more options available now that the guild had deposited more essences and built the steam power plant. It only took him a few moments to pull up his building options and find what he was looking for.
The Gym
Level: 1
Building Type: Training Facility
Dimensions: 50 ft x 50 ft
Capacity: 10 Trainees at a time
The Gym begins as a barebones, empty building that will increase the training rate of individuals within it by 10%. However, The Gym can be leveled up to increase the buff and specialize it for more targeted growth to better unlock the potential of the trainees. This is done by purchasing specialized rooms and facilities within the building.
Cost: 25 Essences [initial purchase will come with 2 equipment upgrades]
Power Requirement: [1]
With the selection made, the holographic map of the base came up, giving him the locations where he could place the building. Unfortunately, there weren’t any viable locations that weren’t occupied by someone else’s tents or makeshift kitchen or work area. Once Nick picked a general spot, only a few feet from the power plant, Mr. Walters had to shout at the group of tents that they’d better move, or they’d lose everything they built. The six adventurers gave Mr. Walters a scowl but otherwise ignored him.
“We warned them,” Mr. Walters said with a grin.
Nick shrugged and placed the gym on the holographic map. The next moment, the concrete ground beneath the tents in a 50 ft x 50 ft area started to glow, and then there was a loud beep. The adventurers ran out of their tents and out of the glowing area and once the last adventurer was safe, every single tent, firepit, sleeping bag, and other item disappeared. Only the bare base floor was left, and then a wireframe outline of the forthcoming building appeared. Slowly, piece by piece. the building materialized.
The process drew a crowd, and while the displaced adventurers argued about the pile of deconstructed materials that represented their destroyed gear, Nick saw Kaylee haggling compensation. Everyone else seemed fascinated by the process as the gym floor appeared, followed by framing, electrical wiring, and plumbing. Each minute, another layer of the building formed like some sped-up home-improvement show until the exterior walls and roof were created. There was one last flash of light, and the one story structure was complete, the guild’s logo emblazoned on the outside of the building as the final touch.
Nick threw open the doors and entered the building to see the gym divided into two distinct zones based on the free equipment upgrades he’d chosen.
The first had a pair of massive, rune-etched stone pillars that rose up from the ground, supporting the vaulted ceiling. Reinforced with enchanted metal beams, the walls were made of dark stone. Along them was all the traditional weight-training equipment: squat racks, weight benches, barbells, kettlebells, and a literal ton of dumbbells and plates. The room itself radiated a sense of gravity, literally, and as he stepped inside, he could feel subtle enchantments that he recognized from his spear, the Weight of Dedication, that would increase or decrease the weight of the training equipment in the room.
Physical Training Zone (Must Select between Strength, Agility, and Endurance)
Level 1
Type: Specialized Training Environment
The Physical Training Zone is designed for those who seek to push their physical limits. This zone adjusts gravity and resistance based on the user’s strength level. The zone allows intense weight training while pressure plates record progress in real time. The entire room is enchanted to increase or decrease exercise intensity, ensuring that both novice and advanced lifters are constantly challenged.
Insight Note: Training in this zone boosts raw physical strength, agility, or endurance. The gravity manipulation can simulate conditions far more strenuous than normal. Users will find themselves growing stronger more quickly, but beware: extended exposure to enhanced gravity can lead to severe fatigue.
The second zone in the room resembled an otherworldly library. Floating, ever-shifting platforms hung suspended in the air, and on each were targets and dummies. Magical circles were inscribed into the floor and walls at regular intervals.
Magical Attack Training Zone (Must Select between Aura, Magic, Charisma)
Level 1
Type: Specialized Training Environment
The Magical Attack Training Zone taps into the arcane forces of Salarium, enhancing the natural magical abilities of its users. Arcane circles absorb and contain magical energies, preventing unintended destruction, while floating crystal conduits provide immediate feedback on spell efficiency and power. Environmental conditions allow for mastery over magic in diverse settings.
Insight Note: Mages and magic users will experience increased mana regeneration and spell control within this zone. The Leyline Conduits allow prolonged training sessions without exhaustion. Proceed with caution—overloading the crystals may trigger a temporary mana surge, causing amplified spell output.
“Wow, that’s cool,” Seo-ah said, her eyes wide as she stared at the equipment inside the large building. “I really— I really kind of want to go change and try it out.”
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“But that’s not why we came over here,” Nick replied. “Look, now that we have that built, people can start training during their downtime. But we need to focus on our original task.” Nick turned to Mr. Walters. “We need help.”
“You do?” Mr. Walter’s joy over the new gym melted into a look of concern.
“Yeah. We’re venturing out here.” Nick produced his map and indicated their destination. “I don’t want to do it alone. I was wondering if you and perhaps Elizabeth, Arnold, or Lou could join us. I’d feel a lot safer with you all.”
“You can count me in too, bro,” Reggie said as he came out of the Daedalus tent, Christina giving a thumbs up as she walked out behind him too with Topaz appearing next.
“Yeah, of course we can all join you,” Mr. Walters answered. “There is no way I would want you to go that far out in this strange land without us.”
“Great, then we have a group.” Nick felt relieved that so many people had quickly volunteered for the expedition. “Reggie, do you have any armor specialized for frozen combat?”
“Yeah. I used infusions from the Frost Golem from the Winter Tombs Dungeon with coldsteel to create some new armor sets. I also used that cave bear pelt of yours to line the interior of the armor,” answered as he began to quickly pull out the gear. Nick was more than a little thankful for the way the inventory was able to switch gear as he and the others quickly, one after the other, swapped into the new armor. The chilly white steel was much heavier than his Monstrous Warder's Suit, which was practically light as a feather in comparison.
An additional downside was that the armor only covered his chest, arms, and legs. Reggie still hadn’t made anything for his hands, feet, or head.
“Wait, before we head off, what about the others? Did you want to find more people?” Seo-ah asked as she donned her own armor, the snow white set fitting her perfectly, matching every curve on her body.
“That won’t be necessary. Time is of the essence, and we need to get moving right now,” Nick replied. “I’m afraid if we wait too long, we’re going to be mired down in organizing everyone, or the monsters are going to actually get a chance to organize. We need to sweep them while we have the chance.”
Mr. Walters nodded. “Got it. That’s smart. We’ve already spent years in the gym preparing for this, a few minutes less won’t make a difference.”
“Exactly,” Nick laughed as he took one more glance around the base, making sure everything was running properly and that he had a well prepared bag of supplies before heading off toward the south.
At first, after Nick and company left the base, things seemed like they were going well, smooth even. They didn’t run into any monsters, and the terrain was nice and even as they made their way through the arctic tundra, passing by the tiny evergreen trees on both sides.
However, as time continued on, it became a little harder to walk. Nick started to regret his choice of the Sandals of Hermes as he found his footing difficult, slipping more than once across icy patches and having to catch himself as he steadied out his shoes.
Nick sighed as he pulled up the stats on the crown on his head.
Crown of the Gallows
Effects and Stats:
Universal Biome Adaptability:
+30% Movement speed in all environments
Stat Boosts:
+50 Constitution
+20 Magic
+20 Aura
Elemental Resistances:
+30% resistance to all elemental magic and effects
Leadership Aura:
Allies within a 50-foot radius gain a +15% boost to all stats.
Morale Boost: Allies are 20% less likely to succumb to fear or confusion effects.
Legacy Power:
Grants the wearer the ability to invoke the "Ancestral Resolve" skill once per year, providing a massive boost to all stats (+50%) for 300 seconds.
Nick frowned. He had wanted to use the Gallows crown, realizing after his last bout in the new region just how fast he could die if he didn’t boost his stats as much as possible, but without the Crown of the Mountaintop, he just couldn’t handle the slippery footing of the biome. The sandals, having just as much traction as one would expect out of a pair of flip flops, were simply not cut out for the area. I need to get new shoes, shoes just for this weather like they have, he thought as he looked over at his companions who were each wearing specialized high-traction boots. He switched back to the Crown of the Mountaintop. The moment he equipped it, the traction beneath his sandals stabilized, and he felt like he was walking on normal ground.
“Still nothing ahead,” Allen announced, his drone, ViVi, acting as their immediate scout as the group pressed on. “It’s almost a little too quiet, honestly. I expected there to be like a rabbit or something.”
“We already ran into those,” Nick replied. “Don’t you remember? They’re the ones that tried to kill us when we first got here.”
“Right . . .” Allen muttered, his attention back to the monitor. “But according to the map Malcolm and Kaylee showed us, this area should be jam-packed with monsters. I thought they said that there were tons of encounters in this direction . . . but I’m not even seeing a single monster, much less blood or signs of battle. Like, right here, there was a red X. Do you see anything to hint that something died? That someone fought anything?”
“Hmm . . . should we turn back? I was already a little distrustful of Malcolm to begin with,” Seo-ah said, looking over at Nick.
“First Maria, now you? How come no one voiced these feelings earlier? Did he have more charisma than I do or something?” Nick asked aloud as he heard, for the first time, that Seo-ah had also doubted the man. “Look . . . I’m wary, but the camp itself is well defended. Why don’t we go just a little bit farther and investigate the next red X. Then, if we don’t see something there, we can turn back.”
“It’d be good to have a few more data points to work with before we go back and accuse the man of anything,” Mr. Walters said as he looked at the map on Allen’s screen. “It’s like in the mornings: A single weigh-in that’s up or down means nothing. You need to weigh in at the same time each morning every day to see the pattern over time.”
Elizabeth nodded in agreement. “Right. That’s why I always weigh in at 8:00 a.m. before eating or drinking and then weigh myself again after my final protein shake at 7:00 p.m. Then, I have two separate graphs, one for the morning and one for the evening weigh-in. I like to call them my ‘well rested’ weight chart and my ‘freshly stuffed and happy’ weight chart.”
“The fluctuation on your ‘freshly stuffed and happy’ chart has to be a lot. I can’t imagine . . . Wait, what is this?” Allen, who had been in the middle of replying to Elizabeth, stopped what he was doing as he looked at ViVi’s display monitor. There, in the middle of it, a little ways out past the trees, he could see a small unit of people. Specifically, they were knights, dressed head to toe in armor that Nick instantly recognized. It was the armor of the soldiers he’d seen in his dreams about the Black Witch.
And they weren’t alone. They were fighting dozens and dozens of the monsters Nick’s crew had squared off against earlier—dire wolves and harpies—as their leader, decked from head to toe in black armor with gold trim on the sides, was fighting against a huge bear as big as the one that had charged through the portal earlier.
Only, unlike that bear, this one was wearing a suit of bone armor that looked like it’d been crafted from the corpse of one of the arctic ox monsters that the squirrel champion had ridden, and it was wielding an axe that seemed to be made from the antler of one of the monster mooses shaved down into blades. It was swinging the axe in awkward, broad horizontal arcs as the knight it was facing struggled to divert the force into the ground or above him.
Despite the fact the knight was clearly more skilled with his weapon, he was knocked back with each hit, unable to do anything more than hold on. Every time he got even a moment to breathe, one of the snow harpies would swoop down at him.
Each knight could likely have done much better in their fight against the nearly black-bear-sized wolves if only the harpies weren’t swooping down, biting and clawing at their arms and legs every time they tried to go on the offensive. Nick knew, too, that if it wasn’t for the armor, that biting and clawing would have probably ripped through the flesh of the knights and killed them already.
Rescue them! They are noble humans, like you and I, and they need your help! Do not let them fall to those filthy, foul-blooded beasts! the Black Witch pleaded in his head. Then, without a second thought, he found himself pulling out his Standard of Greatness, the best weapon he had for any large group fight with more than a few allies on his side. He raised it into the air.
“We move! Now!” he commanded, mentally preparing himself for the battle ahead as he took to the front of the formation and led the way. “Allen! Keep ViVi in the sky! We need a heads-up in case they try to ambush us en route. Look for any heat signatures or irregularities.”
“Got it!” Allen said, hanging back a little to focus on his drone work as everyone else got into formation.
It only took them two minutes to reach the knights, but the moment they did, Nick witnessed the bear’s heavy antler axe finally strike down the knight captain, completely splitting his arm right where the elbow was as it bit into his chest, only stopped by the loss of force from going through so much armor and bone already.
The knight captain yelled out in agony as the ursine behemoth let out a snarling laugh. The pause the monster took to laugh at the knight was the only thing keeping the man alive. Nick took out his Weight of Dedication and took aim.