I found myself lying against the soft bed of grass that carpeted the meadow, staring up into the blank golden white of the ceiling. It took a while for my brain to catch up to where I was, still processing the strange turn my fight with the lion had taken.
One moment, I’d been totally in my element, blood racing and my body alive, and the next, I was talking to a strange man on a strange planet, and I’d hardly been given a moment to understand our conversation before I was dropped back off here. The drastic shifts were rattling, and I lay there for a long moment, basking in the strangely pleasant light and wind and grass.
The presence of any kind of wind, of course, defied all logic, but it seemed logic was not a consideration in dungeons; or at least, not the normal logic of the world. They seemed to run on their own brand of it.
I was forced to return to the present when Ren and the rest walked up to me, peering down at me like scientists in a lab, studying a curious specimen.
I gave them all a glare for interrupting my rest, a glare that was met only with broad smiles. Ren offered me a hand, hoisting me up to my feet. “Glad to have you back in the land of the living,” he said.
I gave him a confused look. “What happened?”
Ren shrugged. “I didn’t really understand much of it, but far as I can tell, that lion king guy forcefully completed the dungeon for us. ‘As recompense for any inconvenience he may have caused in our planning,’ according to him.”
Najam nodded. “Yeah, that’s about what happened. It’s terrifying, thinking about it. The kind of power that man must wield is beyond comprehension. The fact that he could play with the rules of a dungeon like clay in his hands is absolutely insane. Dungeons are irrevocably linked to the Tower, and the Tower is not something just anyone can mess with. I doubt that man is even from our planet. I can’t think of a single person on this planet with that level of strength.”
Najam’s group nodded seriously at his words. “That’s probably why the Zergyll Origin came before the end,” Tara said. “I bet the Origin was actually supposed to be the master boss, but that man restructured the dungeon to add on this stage.”
“But the question then, though, is why? What is a man of that much strength doing messing with a mere three-star dungeon?” Lionel asked.
Immediately, all eyes turned to me, as if I would be able to explain everything. I returned their stares with a blank face. “Why are you guys looking at me?” I asked.
“Well, you’re the only one that had a different experience than the rest of us,” Najam said. “We were just fighting the lions like normal, and then suddenly the lions vanished and that strange man appeared, apologizing to us for messing with the dungeon.”
“But you went off on your own to duke it out with that other lion,” Gyda said. “Which, by the way,” she added, “was epic. I watched the fight a bit, and it was thrilling. Going toe to toe with a lion with your bare hands is insane, and that’s coming from me.”
I grinned at her words, the feeling of fighting the lion coming back to me. It had been an utterly thrilling battle.
“Anyway,” Najam said, “when all the lions vanished, you kinda just dropped back onto the ground. You’ve been lying there comatose since.”
“Hmm,” I said. That was interesting. So it hadn’t been my body that was transported to the other world, but my brain – or soul, or something.
I noticed then that everyone was still waiting for me to explain, so I did, recounting the entire experience with as much explanation as I could provide – which, admittedly, wasn’t much.
By the time I was done, the group seemed about as utterly confused as I was.
“And you’re sure you don’t recognize the man?” Najam asked.
I nodded at the obvious question. “Yup. Never seen him before in my life. I’m sure of it.”
Having gotten nowhere, we deliberated a little longer before, eventually, giving up with a unanimous shrug. After all, we simply did not have enough information or clues to piece together anything, really. And anyway, it seemed that I was really the star of the event. The others just happened to be there, which meant the whole mystery was really my problem. And I didn’t particularly care to sit there and try to put together the impossible puzzle.
So instead, we put the strange events behind us and focused on the more important matter: the fact that the dungeon had been, so far as we could tell, completely cleared.
The dungeon board had been updated, clearly declaring us as having obtained the first clear of the dungeon.
********
Congratulations, valiant warriors!
You have successfully cleared the Zergy Dungeon, and are the first to do so! Your names shall be enshrined as pioneers in this here dungeon, to ensure that all those who enter know the great team in whose footsteps they follow.
You shall be rewarded as is suitable for your achievement of being the first to clear this dungeon. Each member will be granted an individual piece suited to their needs, and the Classic Rewards shall be doubled.
Enjoy!
********
The moment I wished away the screen, smoke swirled at my feet, coalescing and growing for a few moments before suddenly pulling away again, vanishing into nothingness as it did. The smoke left behind a treasure chest that seemed to have appeared from thin air, like the showy magic trick of a cheap magician’s show.
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The chest was about as typical in design as one could get. A wooden body with metal braces, it seemed rickety and old. It was unlocked, and out of curiosity, I bent down and flipped the thing’s lid over.
Inside were two things: a pair of black leather gloves, neatly folded over each other, and an oval, egg-like gemstone. The gem glittered a brilliant mix of swirling orange and red, like the heart of a fire.
I picked up the gem first, something about its aura calling out to me. It felt warm against my fingers, and as I held it in front of me, I could feel the Flux within my Core reacting to it.
Turning to Najam, who was currently preoccupied with looting his own chest, I waved the gem and asked, “What’s this?”
Najam looked at me, confused for a moment, before his eyes glinted with recognition, and a hint of shock. “That’s a Fire Essence stone,” he answered, walking over to me. “That’s an amazing reward! I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a three-star dungeon handing out an Essence stone as a reward. Even for first clears.”
“Huh,” I said, studying the strange gem in a new light. “Why are they so good?”
“They can increase the body’s affinity with an element,” Najam answered. “It’s one of the only objects in the universe to do so.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“Your affinity with an element is originally decided at birth,” he explained. “But you can increase your affinity by getting to understand the element. It's a difficult thing to explain, but you have to understand your element at a deep, bodily level. And the only way to do that normally is by playing with the element, being enveloped in the element, stuff like that. But Essence stones can increase your body’s understanding without having to rely on your brain. It’s like a cheat code, or a shortcut, for increasing your affinity.”
I nodded slowly, starting to understand. “But, what’s the point of increasing your affinity in the first place?”
By now, the rest of the group had gathered as well, giving the stone in my hands curious looks. “Increasing your affinity is an incredibly important thing for Elemental Mages,” Tara answered this time. “It becomes absolutely vital at the later stages, but even at the moment, it can immensely boost your strength. It increases the quality of the flames that you create, the speed at which you can create them, your control over them, and the volume of how much you can make.”
My eyes widened in shock. Benefits like that were incredible! And all from a single stone, too. Or so I thought, but Tara’s next words quickly doused that idea.
“Of course, with only a single stone, the effects won’t be out of this world, but they’ll definitely be noticeable.”
“Not that getting a single stone is stingy on the dungeon’s part,” Najam said. “Essence stones are beyond rare, and incredibly hard for people like us to get our hands on.”
I smiled a little at that. I got the feeling that Najam and the rest of us didn’t quite count as the same kind of people, at least in terms of money and connections. But I didn’t say that. Instead, I turned to the rest of them and asked, “What did you all get?”
Grins spread around as the group’s thoughts returned to their own harvests. One by one, everyone went around, showing off their rewards.
Gyda received a fancy shortsword, which she was immensely happy with. She’d had a problem with super close-quarter fighting, since her ax became unwieldy – even for her – at a certain range.
Tara received a set of high-quality, white and golden robes. They gave her an angelic look that Najam noted did not match her personality, earning him a glare from her and laughs from the rest of us. Still, despite Najam’s jab, Tara’s mood was clearly through the roof, her face glowing with happiness.
Lionel received a shield that I learned was the last piece of the armor set he’d been collecting from the dungeons around. It was kite-shaped and light enough for him to wield like a toy, though it seemed solid enough to tank a sledgehammer. The style matched the rest of his armor well, completing his grand warrior look.
Galas received a gnarled wooden staff that hooked slightly at the top. He seemed pleased with it, and Angel was prompt in informing us that his was the best reward of everyone's.
Najam received not a physical thing, for his part. Instead, he was granted a brand new Arte, accessed by him via the dungeon board. I was curious to know how that worked, but it seemed the chips Ren and I had still weren’t completely functional, so we’d have to wait till we reached a city for that. Still, Najam was more than happy to display the Arte that he received.
We gave him a little room, and he stood on the grassy field, bow ready in his hands as he crouched slightly and closed his eyes. He breathed out deep, brow furrowed as he focused. Slowly, glowing apple-green lines began to paint themselves on the ground around his feet, writing out the runes in a circular fashion.
The Arte was slow in completing itself, likely because Najam was familiarizing himself with it, but Tara wasn’t one to let such an opportunity pass.
“Any day now!” she called out from where she sat in our circle, cackling as she did. I couldn’t help but join in, only because of Najam’s annoyed reaction. Still, Najam didn’t break his focus, not even opening his eyes.
It took a minute, but the Arte was finally completed, the glowing circle fully formed under his feet. With careful movements, Najam brought his fingers over to his bow’s string and pulled it back. As he did, swirling green-gray wind gathered at the place the arrow should have been, and by the time he’d pulled the string as far back as it could go, the wind had solidified into the rough shape of an arrow.
With a sudden movement, Najam turned from where he was facing and shot the arrow over the spot Tara was sitting. The thing shot forward with incredible force, generating such a powerful gust of wind it knocked the seated Tara onto her back as it flew over her.
The thing continued until it hit the sandy stone wall at the end of the room, exploding into a cloud of dust and debris as it did. When the dust settled, there was a large crater left, dug into the wall’s surface like a bomb had gone off.
Whistles and applause rang out as everyone witnessed the Arte’s destructive power – save for Tara, of course. She was busy glaring daggers at Najam, but Najam had no problems ignoring her displeasure, instead basking in the awe of the people. He seemed a bit awed himself, in fact, at the incredible power the Arte had showcased.
With his showcase done, it was finally Ren’s turn to reveal what he’d received. He pulled out a long, black, rectangular box and placed it in front of everyone. With calm hands, he lifted up the top of the box to reveal a simple sword nestled in a soft, velvety bed. The black sword had no crossguard; it was just a stick, and a stick that looked a lot like his old walking stick. It was about four feet long – three feet of a blade, and a foot-long handle.
Ren reached in to grab the sheathed sword, his face the picture of mild interest and serenity. Yet I could tell, in a way I was sure only I could tell, by the slight curve of his lips and the tremble in his fingers, that he was beyond ecstatic at the moment. He grabbed the thing and raised it out of its bed, reverence tainting his every move.
With slow, measured movements, he unsheathed the blade, revealing its inky black blade for the world to see. The blade was a thing of wonder, so dark was its color. It was a sliver of shadow given solid form, like it ate up all the light around it. It was a thin blade, no wider than two fingers pressed together, double edged, and utterly straight.
Ren gripped the ovalish handle as he opened his eyes, the glossy black pools of his eyes mirroring the inky sword. A smile grew on his face, content and fierce.
“I like it,” he said simply.