Jazmel groaned in pain as the others moved around. He couldn’t see what they were doing, so took the time to go through his notifications.
DING!
CONGRATULATIONS!
YOU SLEW THE TIER IV MOUNTAIN BASILISK!
…
THE DEAD MOUNTAIN HAS BEEN CLEANSED!!
TIER III SPARK OF THE MOUNTAIN HEART GAINED!
…
LEVEL UP!
+3 VIT
+3 STR
+2 AGL
As his body began to use the system energy to heal itself. he took the moment to drink a health potion. He didn’t bother checking his status conditions, no he let his body use the system energy and the Mana imbued in the potion. To figure it out for itself.
Sadé came over smiling, as beautiful as ever. She didn’t have any pains or problems that he could see on her.
“How did you survive the poison?” he asked her, and she smiled shyly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
“The thundering flame body allows me to use Mana to burn out afflictions and ailments to a certain level. So I used the tails to keep the Mana from reaching me.” She explained and Jazmel deduced it impressively. It was a good idea; she used her tails in the same way that Patton used his lamp. It was a good idea.
“Anyone want anything from the Basilisk?” Katie asked, as she and Bannerman were looting the Basilisk themselves.
“Collect the teeth and some scales. I will look for the way out.” Jazmel offered and he and Sadé moved away from the Basilisk, Jazmel followed the length of its body.
The orbs stayed close to Patton, so it was growing dark again, the shadows reared up like a stray wave. The darkness here was heavy, it felt like a thick cloak about his entire body. But within that moment Sadé called forth her blue flame and a flame appeared in the palm of her hand. It pushed the shadows back and Jazmel could see a little ahead.
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“What are we looking for?” she asked, he shrugged.
“A gate, or a doorway. I am not sure.” He was about to say more but Sadé stopped him, grabbing his wrist with her free arm.
He looked down at her hand, grabbing him. he looked at her face and saw she was staring into the distance and then he followed her line of vision.
Before them was the heart of the mountain. He remembered it from the one he had given to Frae. But this one was much larger, it was bigger than the both of them. Jazmel stood in front of it and the top of its craggy shape, was taller than him. much wider also, but he was shocked to see it up close. it was devoid of life. the smaller one he had found in the faction storage house, had hummed with Mana but also system energy.
This one was devoid of both and everything. Then he remembered what he had gained. He opened his ring and pulled the spark of the mountain heart free. It reminded him of the flame that Sadé was holding, but bigger and it beat with the life of the mountain. He placed it atop the mountain heart and the system pinged with activity.
DING!
YOU HAVE BROUGHT OUT THE TIER III THE SPARK OF THE MOUNTAIN HEART
AN EMPTY MOUNTAIN HEART IS PRESENT!
DO YOU WISH TO USE THE SPARK TO CREATE LIFE WITHIN THE MOUNTAIN HEART?
Y/N?
He accepted and the flame left his hand and entered the mountain heart. at first nothing happened. But then it beat like a heart, the heart of a giant maybe. It thrummed like a drum and Jazmel watched as each beat pushed Mana out from the heart. he watched in awe as every beat pushed Mana down the Mana ley lines. They were being awoken slowly and he watched with wonder as the mountain became alive.
DING!
CONGRATULATIONS!
YOU HAVE WITNESSED A GREAT THING!
YOU HAVE BROUGHT LIFE BACK TO THE MOUNTAIN!
…
AS A REWARD THE SYSTEM WILL ALLOW YOU TO CHOOSE THE RACE THAT WILL BE BORN!!
…
Jazmel stared at the system screen.
“What did you do? What has happened?” Sadé asked, staring at the beating heart, and then looking at Jazmel in wonder.
He flicked the screen over to her and she gaped at it before laughing.
“I think you might be the child of the labyrinth, because how can these things keep happening to you?” she said with mock amazement. She wasn’t being snide, she seemed to genuinely be laughing at the ridiculousness of what the system was offering.
He accepted of course, deciding on what to do. But the system popped up again.
DING!
PICK YOUR RACE!
* ELVES
* DWARVES
* HUMANS
He stared, stunned at the screen. But he didn’t need to deliberate, there was only one answer. One correct answer, as a mountain needed dwarves, he knew that.
DING!
YOU HAVE CHOSEN DWARVES!
…
DWARVES WILL RULE THIS MOUNTAIN ONCE AGAIN!
ONCE YOU ADVANCE, THE LABYRINTH WILL LOCK THIS GATE FOR A DURATION!!
He chose and the system thrummed. Something happened as system energy pulsed from the heart and Jazmel watched as it lit the entire mountain up. All the ley lines were alive now and he could see the Mana growing purer as it moved out from the mountain heart.
YOU MAY ADVANCE!
The system rang out, aloud and through the entire mountain. Jazmel watched as a gate formed from the mountain heart. It was made of rock and stone, as it appeared; so did the golden origami swan. It dived into the gate and Jazmel knew it was right to follow it.