The portal that would take Mathew and everyone else into the Elven Dungeon was a mix of gold and bright green. There were no guards standing outside of it, which made everyone assume there would be a strong force protecting the inside.

Mathew nodded toward those who would be going in first. He wondered if they knew the odds of them dying were high. They were risking their lives like this simply because he asked them to. That trail of thinking ended once the first group went in. If nobody came out, then everyone else would go in.

Five seconds went by and nobody exited the portal. That was enough for Henderson as she led everyone else in. Dozens of people streamed into the Elven Dungeon. Every one of them went in to kill as many elves as possible. All in the hopes of clearing the way for Mathew to take down their leader and claim the Dungeon by force.

He entered the Dungeon just as a blue screen appeared in his view. He ignored it, choosing to stay alert to the possible danger. Instead of arrows, swords, magic, or any opposition of force, Mathew was welcomed to a grand hall.

A place that welcomed guests in castles or mansions. The long room had walls of dark wood. On them hung pieces of art that rivaled Earth's greatest creators. The floor had a white rug that was pristine. Even where people were walking, the rug showed no dirt.

On the other side was a set of double doors made of what Mathew assumed was marble. He took a moment to look at the system alert. “Talk about perfect timing.”

Level 50 Class Spell Quest Complete

A Summoner not only conjures items and creatures to aid him in battle. He must also be able to summon himself to the right place at the right time. However, you must choose which you value more. Time or Cost?

Travel 5,000 Miles on foot. 5,001 / 5,000

Or

Travel 50,000 Miles in any mode of transportation of your choosing. 16,459/50,000

Rewards: [Far Step] or [Mark and Recall] respectively.

Do you wish to claim [Far Step]?

Mathew didn’t hesitate and accepted the new spell. He knew a proper teleportation system would be rewarded once he completed part two of his Path to Sovereignty quest. So there was little reason to rush something similar to it.

Instead, this gave him the mobility he was missing when it came to fights. As people checked for traps he glanced at the new spell and what it did.

Far Step | Novice 1

Through the power of spatial magic, you can momentarily shift to another position within your sight. The further you move, the more mana that will be consumed. There is an upper limit based on the rank of this spell.

Mathew only had to focus on the spell and knew how it would work. He didn’t try it out yet, not wanting to use it wrong and hurt himself. If he needed it, which he knew he would, he would use it.

Agnox elbowed him, “Anything good?” He asked, referring to the blue screen that winked out of Mathew’s view.

“Yes. Finished that class quest finally.”

Cherry smiled, “I’d say it would be excellent timing. However, this place feels familiar to me. I don’t like it.”

“We are in a tree, is that why?” Mathew asked.

Cherry shook her head, “No. Something else. A deeper connection. When I try to use my [Control Plants] spell, it works perfectly with little mana drain. I only felt like that back in Gaia’s domain.”

“You don’t think this tree is one of her’s do you?” Agnox asked. “I thought the Elf God was related to the air.”

“Agnox is right. When we checked, the Feathered Halo clan follows a minor air God that is allied to Gaia. Not a tree God.”

Again, Cherry shook her head, “No. It’s not from her domain. It’s as if this tree is alive and wants me to help it.”

“Can a dungeon be alive?” Mathew asked. He looked at Agnox who shrugged, “Beats me Boss.”

“We can figure it out later, Cherry. Looks like we are about to push forward.” Mathew said as he pointed toward the doors.

Those who were checking for traps gave thumbs up and everyone moved into position to open the doors. One of the frontliners wearing heavy armor that almost rivaled Zacks opened the twin doors. Inside was a grand staircase and several other doorways. It was just as fancy as the entrance hallway with one difference. There was a lone elf standing in the middle of the room.

He was wearing an off-gray robe with both hands behind his back. His head was held high looking down at them all.

“Lord Luvenar welcomes all guests, even those who were not invited. I am here to deliver a message to one known as Mathew McGonald. Is he at your party?” The voice was soothing and almost alluring. Mathew had never heard of a more pleasing sound from any singer or talk show host in his life.

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He didn’t wait as he nodded his head, “I’m Mathew. What’s the message?”

“Lord Luvenar awaits you in his throne room. That is if you make it to him. He still holds part of the Green Kingdom and you have declared war against him. If you wish to complete The System Quest, you have to defeat him in combat. However, he will only entertain you if you find him. He won’t allow weaklings to be in his presence. Thus his warning. Anyone may leave, as he is a merciful Lord. Anyone who remains will forfeit their right to breathe, that is unless you can survive our defenses.”

Mathew smirked, “Tell him I will be taking that throne for myself. If he was a true leader he would be here defending his Dungeon himself, not hiding behind others. Am I back at Blue Oaks hiding behind walls and people? No. I am here with my people to stop his unjust rule.”

The elf rolled his eyes, “Very well. You were warned.” The elf then slowly walked away to one of the open doorways that led to another hallway. Yet before he did two people shot magical spells at him.

Either the elf didn’t expect to be attacked, or was just weak as he fell to the floor crying out in pain. Five more random ranged attacks silenced his outcry.

“This feels like a trap.” Someone muttered.

“I agree,” Henderson said. “Mathew, this guy sounds like an arrogant asshole. He could be one of your brothers.” she joked.

“No, he is cocky and thinks he can beat me. Let’s go show him he is wrong.”

They picked a random direction to start traveling in. It wasn’t smart to split up. Mathew knew this wasn’t the Undead Dungeon with its maze. He didn’t need to be the first to reach the Dungeon Boss. He needed to get there alive and as ready as he could be.

Their random direction picking caused them to end up on the branch of the giant tree. Mathew had dejavu from being on Gaia’s tree. One thing was certain, this tree was smaller. Much smaller. If Gaia’s tree was larger than the sun, this tree would be Pluto in comparison.

The branch was wide enough for two people to stand side by side with no wiggle room. It didn’t build confidence that everyone could cross at once. So the nearly hundred-man group took it slow, crossing a few people at a time.

It took a long time, but they made it across. The only reason they did so was that it was taking them to the trunk of the tree. If Mathew were to build a throne room, it would be at the center and top of the tree. That was their destination.

The trunk of the tree held a large open room. Dozens of doorways lead out to the other branches while a set of stairs spiraled up and down to different floors. “We go up,” Mathew stated.

They climbed the wooden stairs up two floors when the shouting was heard. They had run into the first of many defenders. Mathew was too far back to see or even participate in the battle. Agnox wanted to fly ahead, but Mathew held him back. “Let them do their jobs.”

There were only eight elves defending the area. All of them were killed due to the sheer numbers. The pattern continued up twelve more floors. Periodically sets of defenders would be present and putting up fights.

Occasionally, people were too injured to carry on, choosing to hide and hunker down until the Dungeon was defeated. A few died. Healers too slow or the injuries too grand to save their lives.

On the thirteenth floor, the environment changed slightly. This room had no walls, only several pillars of wood connecting the top half of the tree with the bottom. Mathew couldn’t believe the few dozen pillars were holding up the massive tree, yet it was.

Standing in the middle of the room was an elf sitting in a lotus position. Their hair was longer than they were tall, sprawled out around them in a silky mess. Nobody waited and immediately attacked. Mathew wasn’t even on the stairs when a wave of pressure pushed him down the stairs.

“Wind magic user!” Someone shouted. “At least a dozen people were blown off the side of the tree!”

Mathew winced. More people pushed up but another wave came. “She’s putting up a hell of a fight! Nobody can stay up there long enough to deal with her! Only a few of our tanks are barely withstanding the wind blows! They don’t hurt, but they push you around like a ragdoll!”

Nobody knew what to do, they all looked at Mathew for guidance. He himself didn’t know how to handle this. He assumed he could withstand the blows, using his shields as a windbreaker, or he could poke his head up and kill her before she could blow him away.

As he thought it over, Henderson was already drawing her blade. “I got her. You all stay down here.” She looked over her shoulder, “Mathew, you need to break off and find another way up. I have a feeling it’s only going to continue like this. The Lord wants to fight you, not all of us. I bet you could get to him without any problems.”

“Are you mad? Then why are the rest of you here anyways?” Mathew asked.

“We fight our way to the Dungeon Core and snag it ourselves. We both know he isn’t stupid enough to fight you near the Hearth Crystal, which means it’s somewhere else. We split up. You keep his highness busy, the rest of us fight our way to the core. Either way, we win. It’s a smart plan.”

Mathew couldn’t disagree. His staying here did nothing for them. If he could find the Lord and defeat him sooner, fewer people would die. “Fine, but I’m only doing it because I agree, not because you told me to.”

“Give him hell Mat!”

“Kick his ass!”

And several other cheers of encouragement were shouted his way. Mathew looked toward one of the many random exits and picked one. Agnox, Cherry, Jeffery, and the wisp twins were all with him. He didn’t bother with the Elementals or the spirit calling. The mana sink would force him to not be able to fight well. His circlet wasn’t a togglable item either. He couldn’t turn it off and on, so any attacks they received he too would receive.

He would only be going in with the best. Giving it his all.