Horn pushed through the web on a winding pathway, cursing his stupid ideas. Split the main force, lure the spiders on open terrain, send a strike group to kill the brood mother, and claim the Soul Well. It sounded so great in his head, and the reality was - sticky.

The first part went smoothly. They camped for the night at the fort, killing off a few spider scouts. Ingrid confirmed that there had to be a brood mother, as the spider’s behavior was far too intelligent. The following day, Horn, Sigrid, and Herrak’s party split from the main group, making a wide loop around the valley’s wall. The remainder of his forces were supposed to march into the valley with all the bells and whistles to provoke spiders’ attack. Attacking their lair in force would end with heavy losses. Even defeating them in the field and chasing the remaining ones into the den, where they knew the terrain and probably prepared enough nasty surprises, would result in a bloodbath.

However, if they could hold the main force at bay while his group killed the brood mother, which Ingrid said would result in spiders reverting to their primal state, the beasts would be easy pickings for his dwarves. Still, the whole plan hinged on good timing. They didn’t have a way to communicate easily, so they came up with something a bit reckless. They still had a few Create Light scrolls from the tutorial. The spell could be cast on an object, making it glow in a color of the caster’s choice. Hence, why one of Herrak’s men had a massive crossbow tied to his back.

The valley they traveled through seemed perfect for Horn's needs. There was a thick forest in the middle, several small streams cutting through it, and a larger pond, or if someone was generous, a small lake in the middle. He knew there had to be some kind of underground outflow to regulate the water level, as there was no stream coming out of the pond.

Beside the vegetation, he saw and heard a multitude of small creatures, so there might also be some game for his hunters where there were small critters. The mountains surrounding the place provided security, with two choke points to defend. Despite this, the best defensible position was the location of the Soul Well.

As they cleared the forest, he saw the raised plateau, on top of which stood another set of old fortifications. There seemed to be only two ways up, a steep winding pathway, not wider than a single wagon, and a large tunnel with a ramp cut into the stone leading upward. There were again some old fortifications covering the entrance to the tunnel. However, after so much time, there wasn’t much left. On top of that, the tunnel was completely stuffed with large webs. The beacon was somewhere on top of the plateau. After a quick discussion, they began climbing the twisted road, and Herrak launched the first shining bolt into the air. That was the signal for the clan to start moving into the valley.

Half an hour later, as they reached yet another turnaround on the pathway, there was a commotion below. A literal horde of human-sized spiders exploded through the main tunnel a dozen yards below them. They were fast and looked organized. Horn counted at least fifty rushing out. They waited a minute to ensure no more was coming out before Herrak shot the second bolt into the air. The signal told the main force - the enemy is approaching. They were supposed to find a defensible location and play for time. Now the clock for Horn’s group began. They had to find and kill the brood mother before his forces took too many losses or forced the spiders’ army to retreat.

The party sprung into action, quickly scaling the remainder of the path. Sigrid scouted a dozen steps ahead. She moved like a shadow, quickly jumping from cover to cover, not stopping for a second. The testament to her ability was the complete silence of her passage. The rest of the party groaned, grumbled, and clanked with their equipment from time to time, but she acted like a ghost. Horn watched her, wide-eyed. It was a spectacle on its own.

The pathway ended with a small gate on top. It was as ruined as the remaining fortifications, with significant gaps in old stone. Once, it was a proud bastion, now just a memory. The plateau itself was packed full of ancient ruins. A whole city was once built here, and only fundaments poking out of grass remained. At the far end of the plateau, there was an artificial entrance into the mountain. A massive tunnel dug in stone, also in shambles. However, even from a distance, Horn saw the archway of the Soul Well poking out of a side chamber just behind the threshold of the tunnel. It was surrounded by a literal wall of webs.

Beside that, there was also a massive gateway at the end of another tunnel, ending in the middle of the settlement. The hole in the ground, probably leading to the ramp at the foot of the hill, the same that spiders used to charge out, was surrounded by thick walls, with half a dozen bastions around it. A perfect killing spot to massacre any army trying to climb the tunnel.

The builders of the old fortress, or rather quite a massive city, were ingenious in their planning. A wide ramp leading into the middle of the settlement would be great for any travel and trade traffic. The exit surrounded by defensible positions that created a killing field meant easy defense from any land army. A winding pathway around the edge gave an alternative entrance, either in time of war or for more sensitive guests. The plateau was broad enough for a large settlement to flourish, and the massive entry into the mountain told of even more space inside. For Horn’s tribe, it was more than enough, a perfect spot to build.

Horn was already imagining the massive renovation effort to bring this place back to its old glory. His eyes shone with the gleam of the future. A massive capital, with border forts on the passes, a fertile valley full of farms and small villages. A trade route, going from the plains into the woods they visited, and beyond the second mountain pass, whatever laid behind it. A massive mine network below them, with a proper dwarven city in the mountain itself. A dream, a dream he’d make come true!

A smack on the arm woke him from his daydream. Herrak was looking at him with disdain. Ahead of them, Sigrid was waving them closer. Horn hurried to his Assassin. She was taking cover in ruins near the mountain tunnel entrance. As he got closer, he dropped to the ground, as there was movement in the tunnel. He waited, hoping to remain unnoticed when finally Sigrid waved him over again. Slowly, almost crawling, he approached.

“There’s at least three of them remaining. They seem to patrol the entrance towards the Soul Well. My assumption is that the target is in there. The visibility is hard due to all the webs, but considering the size of the entrance and the size of an average Soul Well we encountered, the hall has to be at least fifty yards across, if not bigger. The terrain is unfavorable when fighting a wall climbing enemy.” Sigrid threw at him as he arrived.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Let’s burn it to the ground, then finish the wounded,” Herrak said, spitting on the ground.

Sigrid measured him with her eyes but then added, “I concur, mister Herrak. This is a plausible plan of action. Unless there’s another exit from the room, in which case our prey will escape, and the clan will be endangered.”

“We need eyes inside,” Horn said, and intently looking asked with a slight wink, “Are you up to that, Scholar?”

With a slight blush, she replied, “Indeed, I can check it out, but there is a risk that I’ll be detected, then we’ll be out of options.”

“Plan for the best, prepare for the worst.” Horn said, “I say you go ahead, and we’ll prepare. At any sign of trouble, get back to us, and we’ll proceed with burning that hellhole to the ground. Objections?”

A round of shaking heads cleared them to proceed.

Sigrid disappeared into the nearby ruins a few moments later, still not making a noise. Horn quickly checked with Herrak’s adept their abilities and divided the buffing. Soon both Inner Fire and Blessing of Might covered the party.

The time slowly passed, seconds turned into minutes. When finally, Horn spotted a shadow exiting the side cavern. Sigrid was slowly creeping back to them when the unexpected happened. From above her, another shadow disjointed from the ceiling. A massive spider, thrice the size of the ones they already saw, dropped on top of his Assassin. Six huge blade-ended legs targeted her, ready to eviscerate. However, just a blink of an eye before hitting, Sigrid noticed something. She threw herself forward, barely avoiding the attack. The party watching the mesmerizing development woke and rose to their feet.

Horn charged ahead, with Flame Strike already casting. He heard two more casts around him as both the Aquamancer and Adept worked through their chants. Ahead of them, Sigrid was blurring, avoiding the attacks just by hair’s width. Just as the spells released, she made a mistake, a loose coble made her lose focus just for a second, but that was enough. A massive blade dug through her shoulder, sending a spray of blood. However, the Assassin didn’t drop dead. Instead, using the force behind the blow, she jumped back, buying herself just a breath. But it was enough. Three spells launched, two flaming infernos struck in the torso of minivan’s size spider, burning the short fur and forcing shrieks of pain. While the third strike targeted its legs. A wave of coldness passed Horn as the spell rushed towards its target. The blue-ray struck the spider, hitting low. Turning two of its legs into icicles. In just a moment, from an unstoppable beast, the spider turned into a cripple.

They didn’t give it time to recover. Herrak was first at the scene, taunting the beast, while his crossbowmen had already placed the second bolt into the large body. The other dwarf, with the two-handed axe, was working on one of the free legs. Horn focused on Sigrid, casting Cure Wounds, the healing energy spread through her body, giving her some relief. After making sure she’d make it, he joined the fray. Not a second too late as three sword spiders burst out of the webs joining the fight. They were fast but manageable. He took one of them, exchanging blows. In the corner of his eye, he saw Herrak tanking both the boss and another one while Sigrid was flashing around the third minion. Slowly, but surely they worked through their enemies. With heals coming from time to time, they were sure to win.

Horn was about to slice one of the legs of his wounded enemy when the brood mother stood on her hind legs and shrieked. The sound was so high that he felt wetness in his ears. However, what terrified him was his body locking up. He saw the spiders were not affected by the shriek, and his enemy took advantage of his stun. An appendix ended with a broad blade, pierced his leather jacket digging deep into his side. A wave of pain erupted from the wound. It hurt, but he was used to this after so many battles. He focused on overcoming the effect, and a moment later, it ended. Raising his shield, he took another glancing blow, seeing the situation around him, with Herrak down on the ground and Sigrid again impaled by one of the spiders. He used his Battle Caster ability, instantly casting the empowered Weakness at all their enemies. Now it was the monster’s turn to lock up for a moment as the spell took effect. It bought enough time for dwarves to recover. The fight continued.

The situation repeated once more, with the Brood mother raising on its hind legs, but this time they were ready. Three spells hit her as soon as he started that, with a crossbow bolt hitting her jaw, stopping the attack. After that, it was just a long and methodical slaughter. Despite being relatively fast and resilient, the spiders weren’t up to par against a well-equipped party with multiple spell casters. Horn took note of the fight, seeing the power of magic. However, he also noticed that a several-minute-long battle robbed him of all his mana. The spellcasting seemed an excellent tool for breaking through enemy lines but not feasible in a sustained fight.

Finally, the boss dropped dead. Bloodied and tired, the dwarves just slumped where they stood. Horn forced himself to get outside. He watched the forest, waiting for the signal. He hoped they made it in time. Minutes passed as they slowly recovered, while finally, a golden bolt raised over the treetops. The battle was won.

“Good job, everyone. It's done. Let’s see our reward.” Horn said, rising to his feet.

With the remaining party in tow, he entered the cavern with the Soul Well. The arch was much bigger than the one he had seen earlier, and it was at least twice what they had in the castle. With a smile, he touched the stone and accepted the claim promptly. The structure hummed with energy, and notifications began piling up.

Quest updated: The Brave New World

You have claimed the Soul Well. Your Capitol is located in a rare location of Skytallon ridge. The Soul Well in this location was of the 3rd Tier. The old settlement, Iron Keep, was once a mighty trading city, now just a memory of its glory, it welcomes new inhabitants!

Objective: Claim a Soul Well – Completed.

Bonus objective: Conquer another player’s settlement and claim his Well. – Not Completed.

Failure: Fail to claim one, or lose your claim within 7 days

Rewards: Your Soul Well rarity was upgraded by a Tier. A dungeon was created in the nearby location. Find it!

Congratulations! You have claimed Soul Well – Tier 4.

You currently control: 1 Soul Well – Tier 4

Summon capacity at: 81 / 400

Unlocked summons: High Dwarves, Basic Warbeasts, Domesticated Animals

Sub-controllers: 0/3

Current clan Essence: 82 129

Upgrade to Tier 5 – 500 000 Essence, Materials (See list)

Congratulations! By claiming the Soul Well, the delayed rewards for the challenge tower are now unlocked. They will arrive in 7 hours.

“The game finally begins!” Horn exclaimed. After the long tutorial, after the disastrous challenge, after issues with champions, he finally reached the beginning of the actual game. He cracked his fingers, and with a spark in his eyes, proclaimed. “It's time to build a god damn Kingdom!”