Snorri ran at full pelt through the tunnels of the academy, the lighting crystal that lit the corridors was slowly flickering out. Snorri tried his best to concentrate on following Professor Hender's route from that morning. The old gnome hadn't taught him much, but his knowledge of the academy’s secret tunnels proved valuable to Snorri as he sprinted through the darkness toward the Level Capactry department. He did his best to ignore the wet squelches his feet made as he splashed through puddles too thick to be water. He tried to ignore the smells of cooking flesh wafting through the long tunnels. And he absolutely failed to block out the quiet, far-away gnomish screams echoing through the vast colony above him.
Snorri came barreling to a halt in front of the heavy wooden door and pushed his way into the cluttered office, sword clutched tight in his right hand. He quickly swept his gaze across the room. As he slammed the door closed behind him, he let out a sigh of relief. For now, it seemed there were no goblins here. Snorri quickly ran around the small room to behind the professor's desk and pushed with all his strength. The wood creaked as the large, ornately carved desk pressed against the door. He then pulled his own smaller desk into the remaining gap between the office wall and the large desk. “Good thinking,” came Arracop's voice as the sword swung from the cuff on Snorri’s wrist.
Snorri sank into Professor Hender's large, comfortable chair. Only now did he notice a large piece of paper that had fallen from one of the two desks. Snorri leaned down and pulled the paper up to his face, squinting to read the hastily scrawled note:
“Snorri, if you’re reading this, stay in the office. I have gone for help, probability of success is low. Good luck. Stay hidden.
Prof. H.”
Snorri raised his eyebrows as he finished reading the note, letting the paper drop back onto the smooth office floor. Maybe the old man had made it up to the other levels and escaped? Snorri had no idea; he was definitely crazy enough to try something... eccentric. As he relaxed into the chair, he suddenly realized how tired he actually was. His body was raging in pain; he stretched out and did his best to get comfortable. Eventually, Snorri snoozed off into a deep sleep as his mountain wept above him.
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Snorri was in the obsidian cave once more. This time, however, the cave was well lit with deeply carved runes smoldering softly with dark red flames. The vapid smell of smoke filled Snorri’s nostrils, and his eyes stung. He blinked tears away as he adjusted to the choking thick air. A hulking metallic form stirred into life high above him, and the gigantic arachnoid descended from the impossibly vast chain-webbed ceiling. Snorri stood up, suddenly realizing other than his stinging eyes, he couldn't feel any pain. The spider clanged towards him, having reached the floor. As it neared closer, Snorri felt a strange weight pulling at his wrist. He looked in bewilderment and raised his right arm. Seemingly embedded into his skin was a smooth semi-circle of dark red metal alloy similar to that of the chained web high above him. Looped through the semi-circle hung a small chain, five links of a dark green alloy swung painlessly from the flesh of his arm. “Am I asleep?” he asked the spider after a moment's thought. He hoped he was; his body needed sleep even if his mind was here. Wherever here was. Arracop hadn't been exactly forthcoming about the exact location of his “Realm.” Arracop clicked his great fangs together. “Of course. You need your rest if we are to make it out of this mountain alive,” the spider said in a low rumble. “Why did you bring me here just to talk?” asked Snorri; the spider hissed. “It’s my question, little one, such is the way of things.” The great arrachnid chided the dwarf. After a moment and more fang clicking, Arracop finally hissed. “Why... did you not grow stronger?” Snorri blinked up at the great beast. “Like, why didn't I level up again?” he clarified. The great spider somehow managed to move its head and abdomen in a motion somewhat similar to a nod.
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Snorri pondered the question for a long time, unsure of what the consequence of accidentally lying to the spider might be. “Erm...” Snorri muttered finally in response. “I don't know; no gnome knows. We’ve spent centuries trying to answer that very question.” Snorri hesitated as a sudden spark of an idea crossed his mind. “Can you tell me? Do you know?” he asked quickly. The spider reared its huge body and stretched its legs. All one thousand tiny eyes looked at the tiny gnome and began to glow with dark red flame. It felt to Snorri like having someone use the appraisal skill on him. But where that usually felt somewhat comfortable, this felt painful. Snorri was nearly brought to his knees by Arracop's sheer pressure. After a minute or so, the pain subsided, and the flames died away from the spider's eyes.
The spider somehow managed to look surprised. “It’s a curse,” he muttered finally, “a strong one cast long ago, probably on one of your ancestors, maybe on your first ancestor.” Snorri’s mind blazed with that information; he may have just answered one of the academy's oldest mysteries. Before he could think, his mouth was already moving. “Can you lift it?” he asked, forgetting the spider’s question rule. The spider's fangs clicked together in annoyance. “Sorry,” muttered Snorri quickly. The spider glared at the gnome. A shiver of fear went down Snorri's spine as one thousand eyes focused on him. “At least he’s learning,” muttered the beast as if he was alone before swinging his head down to Snorri's eye level and saying softly, almost caringly. “I will give you this boon, Snorri Snorrinson. For it is owed. You have forged a blood chain from the heat of battle and thus I will remove this ancient curse from you and all those who come after you. But I must warn you...” Arracop’s low rumbling voice echoed around the chamber. “This will hurt.” Snorri nodded with a determined look and gritted his teeth.
Fire erupted across the surface of Snorri’s flesh. Every inch of his skin burned with the dark red flames that lit the spider's realm. The smell so horridly familiar to Snorri filled his nostrils. The smell of burning flesh. He opened his mouth to let out a shriek of agony, but as he did, the flames leapt down his throat and began to burn him from the inside. As pain filled his entire being, Snorri heard the spider laughing manically and had the vague sense of his body melting away like hot metal in a furnace. Gradually, the world burned away into darkness once more.