"No!" Zeni cried out.

In a place like this, it seemed the line between triumph and disaster was as thin and fragile as the ledge that had just given way beneath her friend.

Zeni raced to the edge in a panic, her heart pounding in her chest. Peering over the side, she was relieved to see Muscles clinging to the large vine, his legs dangling precariously above the abyss below.

A small, relieved smile crossed her face as she thought to herself, I knew that vine was big enough for him.

But her relief was short-lived. As Muscles attempted to find his footing and pull himself up the vine, his weight and strength began to loosen the vine's hold on the rock. The fibers strained and creaked, threatening to dislodge entirely.

Zeni's eyes widened in horror, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what to do. She leaned over the edge and shouted down to him, her voice cracking with urgency.

"Hang on, Muscles! Don't worry, I'll think of something!"

But even as she said it, she couldn't help but wonder what that 'something' could possibly be. The situation looked dire, and the image of the armored giant plunging into the dark abyss haunted her thoughts. Determined, Zeni tried to shake off her fear and focused on finding a solution to save them both from this precarious predicament.

Zeni's heart raced as her mind frantically searched for a solution to the precarious situation before her. The knowledge of her invocations offered a glimmer of hope as she recalled the Ankh, nestled within the scarab beetle pinned to her shirt. It could provide her with the extra Ka she so desperately needed. Perhaps, just perhaps, she could harness the Breath of Shu to lift Muscles to safety.

Channeling the additional Ka, Zeni attempted to summon a formidable gust of wind. Alas, even with the added power, it was insufficient to elevate a man of such considerable heft.

As the fibers of the vine began to snap, Zeni's memory flashed back to the dark passageway where she had battled the unseen monstrosity. She had channeled her Ka into her Perception Prowess Marker then, and now, as a last-ditch effort, she made the decision to redirect the extra Ka into another one: the one that held dominion over physical strength.

Her Potency marker.

Pouring her own Ka and the Ankh's Ka into it, she felt an extraordinary surge of power coursing through her limbs. The sensation was both foreign and unsettling, but there was no time to ponder its meaning.

Zeni removed her dagger-like weapon, hitting the latch to extend it into a full spear. Distributing the Ka, she filtered it through her Potency Marker, throughout her limbs and back. Then she reinforced her lower half. With a wide stance, she felt as if she were rooted to the ground. She thrust the spear downward, bellowing for Muscles to grab on. Just as the vine gave way, he seized the end of the spear, and Zeni was struck by the monumental weight as she endeavored to drag the colossal warrior back up over the edge.

Leaning back with all her might, her sandals started to fracture the stone beneath her. She funneled every last drop of her Ka and the Ankh's Ka through the Potency Marker and into her body, slowly inching in reverse to hoist Muscles up. Yet, it didn't seem to be enough.

If only I had access to the full power of the Ankh, things would be different, her thoughts blared in her own head. But it’s trapped behind this scarab paywall.

But, she knew she had to do something. She was almost there, the effort agonizing, her body screaming for respite.

In her desperation, she reached out with her Ka senses, seeking anything else with even a hint of Ka. Then she felt something. Emanating from her pack, was a vast amount of Ka—a malicious, seething energy with an undertone reminiscent of poisonous plants and venomous pit vipers. But what was it? Forcing her focus in two directions, she concentrated on keeping her body reinforced and moving as much as she could, while also searching for the source of the Ka. Then she found it. It was the scroll that Muscles had given her, the one depicting the monsters. She hadn't realized it was infused with Ka before, but now, despite the perilous sensation, she didn't care. She needed it.

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Zeni tapped into the scroll's Ka, and felt an immediate rebuff, and it almost felt like a headbutt. Whatever energy wormed beneath its casing did not like having someone probing its magic mist.

“Oh, come ON!” Zeni shouted, fighting the power; pulling against its resistance. It fought back against her, but she pressed, straining against two balancing acts at once. Then, finally, with an immense effort, she managed to grasp onto the awful Ka and force it through her Potency Marker and into her body. A fog of power settled within her muscles and tendons, akin to a tempestuous storm cloud, both potent and hazardous. She felt stronger than she ever had before, but somehow knew it wouldn’t last long.

This is it, she thought. It’s all or nothing.

With one final, desperate heave, she pulled the armored man up enough for him to scramble over the edge to safety, his massive form finally collapsing onto solid ground.

Zeni's body crumpled to the ground, her energy spent and the weight of the infused Ka threatening to snuff out the last embers of her strength. As she attempted to release the Ka, it clung to her with a tenacious grip. It was as if the malicious energy had developed a taste for her, and now it refused to let go. The sensation filled her with dread, and she writhed in agony, desperate to expel the foreign presence from her body. She cried out, her blood feeling as if it were boiling beneath her skin. Surely, this was the end.

In the midst of her torment, Zeni noticed Muscles rummaging through her pack. She was aghast—had she just risked her life to save a man who would now plunder her belongings? Loot her still-breathing corpse? Anger mingled with her pain, and she didn’t even know what she was saying as she shouted at him.

"You...you thief!" she spat, her voice ragged with exhaustion and disbelief. "Parasite! I save your life, and this is how you repay me? By looting my pack? What kind of…heartless goddamn brute are you? You're nothing but a—"

Her words were abruptly cut off as Muscles, without ceremony or warning, shoved a root into her mouth. Confusion and a spark of indignation flared within her, but they were quickly overshadowed by a sensation she had not anticipated—the root began to counteract the relentless hold of the malignant Ka.

Deketh Root, she thought, remembering the brief overview that Hesira had given her. It was designed to stave off the effects of Ka-induced permeation attacks. As Zeni had access to the ability to hurl curses willy-nilly, the old woman had believed she’d need some sooner or later. Apparently, it worked just as well when a foolish girl opened herself up to body-poisoning Ka absorption.

The bitterness of the root filled her mouth, its taste almost unbearable. Yet, as she chewed, she felt the oppressive grip of the Ka begin to weaken. Her veins no longer boiled, and the fog that had settled within her muscles started to dissipate. With each passing moment, the root's potency seemed to chase away the malicious energy, restoring her—at least somewhat—to her former self.

As the pain receded, Zeni looked up at the armored figure, her previous anger and accusations melting away. In that moment, she understood that her companion had not been rummaging through her pack with ill intent—he had been searching for a means to save her life, just as she had saved his. The realization filled her with embarrassment at her oaths. But also gratitude.

As Zeni's aches and pains gradually subsided, an uneasy sensation lingered within her. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about her body felt irrevocably changed. Her Ka, the very essence of her being, seemed tainted – as if the malignant energy that had temporarily invaded her system had left an indelible stain on her soul.

She mulled over the unsettling feeling, trying to shake it off, but the persistent notion that she had been contaminated gnawed at the back of her mind. She knew she needed to perform the Ka Letting technique as soon as she had the opportunity. The process was far from pleasant – in fact, it was downright tedious and uncomfortable. However, according to Neith, it was also the most effective method her mentor knew for cleansing one’s system of any lingering impurities.

Zeni hoped that, once she had purged herself of the unwanted residue, she would be able to regain the sense of harmony and balance that had been disrupted by her desperate attempt to harness the dark energy. Until then, she would have to bear the weight of her decision, the invisible burden that clung to her, a constant reminder of the danger that lurked within the depths of her own power. She was reminded of her near-death experience and Neith’s disapproval during the Festival of Ankhara. She’d done something similar then, and she’d made a promise not to do something so stupid ever again. It appeared she just couldn’t help pushing the envelope, even considering the situation was quite dire.

She decided that when she ultimately regaled Neith with her stories of the dungeon, she would conveniently leave out this particular incident.

Turning to Muscles, she offered a heartfelt, "Thank you," but received nothing in return. The giant, armored figure remained as unreactive as ever. Zeni sighed and tried to refocus on their current predicament.

"Well, I guess we'll have to find another way to cross," she mused. "Tarzan-ing is clearly out of the question."

She threw out a few ridiculous suggestions, including using the vines as a tightrope and attempting to build a catapult, but the stoic man seemed uninterested in her ideas.

Instead, Muscles glanced at the rocky platform with the lever far below. Then, he turned his helmeted gaze to the spear still in his grip. He seemed to be considering something. Zeni watched him curiously, wondering what he had in mind. Then, without any ceremony or preamble, he raised the spear and hurled it with surprising precision at the lever. The spear caught on one of the two smaller trident-like blades that surrounded its tip, and slammed down, activating the mechanism.

In response, numerous stone staircases began to materialize within the cavernous chamber, connecting the various platforms – including the one they were standing on. Zeni stared in awe at the sudden transformation, the chamber now resembling a labyrinth of towering rock and winding stairs.

“Well…I guess that’s one way to do it,” Zeni breathed. “Damn, I wish I’d thought of that.”

The big man stood by the stairs, as if waiting for her to depart. Zeni smirked, looking again at the spear in awe.

"Alright then, down we go. I just hope these stairs are sturdier than that cliff." With that, she started her descent, Muscles following closely behind, the memory of their near-fatal tumble still fresh in both of their minds.

You have reached Heket Enchantress 4th Level