Chapter

"This place doesn't feel right. The spirits, they're in torment! We have to close the gate. We have to close it now!" Lauren sobbed, her pale fists trembling as Mitch held her close.

"We will, babe. Count on it." Hard eyes turned Jacob's way. "Any ideas on how exactly we can do that?"

Jacob gave a bitter shake of his head. "I managed to evolve both Lay on Hands and Holy Smight, along with Divine Aura. But as far as earning any perks that might help us here and now..." he sighed and shook his head, gazing almost apologetically at Lauren. "I probably should have made myself look over absolutely all my options. But I was so damned focus on following my chosen path, not letting myself get sidetracked. And now, maybe, I'm the one who fucked up." He clenched his jaw, shaking his head. "And maybe my fuckup will cost us big."

Arcane Perception skillcheck made.

Critical Success!

Arcane Perception is now Apprentice Rank 3!

"Um... guys?"

Mitch frowned, glaring Jack's way. "This is important, kid. Unless you can help us—"

"I think I can," Jack cut in.

Jacob frowned. "Do you even know what we're talking about?"

Jack flashed a grim smile. "If you mean streams of dark, crackling energy that seem to be anchoring this gate? Yeah, I think I do. And I feel like an idiot, so focused on the fight alone that I missed seeing those streams of eldritch nightmare crackling through the air like black lightning." Jack blinked, feeling a curious roaring in his ear when he triangulated where one particular band of energy was heading back toward, according to his internal sense of the area.

But he didn't want to jump to conclusion. Not yet, not when it would be so damned easy to. The kind of dark coincidence only seen in fairy tales, of which he sure as hell didn't want this to be, lest he need dread the inevitable ending.

Mitch frowned. "Jack, what the hell are you talking about?"

A frustrated looking Sharon was also scowling at the air. "I can taste the wild magics all around us. I just know my mana is refilling at many times the rate it does when we're in the city. But, shit. I don't have the foggiest idea what you're seeing, Jack." She turned to Laurn, blinking in surprise when she caught her friend's expression.

"Lauren?"

The freckled redhead's smile was almost a rictus, so tightly was she holding back her dread. "I... I'm sorry, but, shit." her laughter was brittle. "I think I just found the weakness of my class."

"Sharon?"

"The spirits... and me too, for that matter, really, really don't like being trapped in nightmare."

Sharon frowned. "But our dungeon delve..."

"Was different from this. Very different." She swallowed. "Somehow."

"Because witches are tied to the natural world," said Jacob. "And elementals at least represent natural forces, even constructs of complexity represent magic and this univers's version of mechanical force... but this undead shit? Can't be goodfor you."

Lauren swallowed and nodded. "I think you're probably right, Jacob." she chuckled softly. "Whoever said fighter-types are brainless hunks was only half right." She then turned to Jack. "I don't see it, but the spirits do. If I cast my will-o-wisp spell, it will glow for all of us, but I really, really don't want to let whoever's responsible know we're on to them."

Jack nodded. "Probably for the best. I see three dark cords. two are going to opposite ends of the city. But one of them..."

Lauren caught his gaze and nodded. "Is going back right in the direction we came from."

"No time for that now," Jacob urged. "Look! That damned skeletal T-Rex is attacking the keep!"

And it was true. For all that the keep glowed under Sharon's blessing, it was clear the eldritch teeth of a giant brought back from the dead was capable of tearing free even that as it chomped down on the barbican, tearing a large chunk free, paying no mind when loose stone rained down upon the writhing undead still, only the trio of fire-whip wieldin necromancers, beating their slaves to frenzy, even seemed cognizant enough to dodge, the evil lights glittering in their skull-faces seeming to twinkle with darkest laughter.

Before one snapped his skull around, looking Jack's way.

Jack felt a deathly chill racing down his spine. "They made us."

"No shit, boyscout!" Sin snapped. "Sharon, it's time to do what you do best!"

"Right, she said," Jutting out her palm and roaring out "Dilabor!"

Six deadly transluscent globes half the size of Mitch shrieking through the air.

"You got em, girl!" Mitch roared, before groaning as if in pain.

When all six abruptly veered off, a crackling field Jack could just barely sense around the skeletal monstrosity.

Arcane Perception check successful!

"They're protecting it with a ward," Jack hissed. "Those undead necromancer fuckers are protecting it with a ward!"

Jacob winced. "Fuck." he shook his head, before abruptly lifting it, eyes blazing. "You all know what we have to do, right?"

Mitch flashed a fierce smile. "Right on, let's do this!"

Lauren paled. "No, babe, please. We can't split up. We can't! We're just asking to get killed."

Her lover's face turned solemn. "It's either that or leave them to die. you know how this has to go, babe."

Jacob turned Sharon's way. "If you and Lauren can keep the fuckers off us with acid and lightning... we just might have a chance."

Lauren whimpered. "Please don't ask that of me, please! You don't know how tainted the spirits are here. You don't now!"

Jacob flashed a sympathetic smile. "We're not asking you to do anything you're not willing to." He then turned to Jack. "Jack? Can we count you for cover fire?"

Jack jerked a nod. "You know it." Then he forced himself to say what he most dreaded. "But you guy need me with you."

Sin snorted. "That eager for death, kid?"

Jack flashed a bleak smile. "I... my Arcane Perception let's me sense the pulse of the field protecting it. That T-Rex just might have a weak spot. IF I can find it, or just slip through his field, I can blast it with Acid arrows, maybe." He swallowed, not flinching from Sin's gaze. "And I'm the only one that can shoot streams of raw, elemental water those fuckers can't just knock aside like a contained orb spell. Because once it leaves my hands, it's powered by natural elemental forces alone. In other words..."

Sin smirked. "In other words, you're the only one who can take care of those damned flame wips." He turned to his friends. "Kid's got a point."

Mitch frowned, before giving a slow nod. He turned to Jacob. "What do you think?"

Jacob flashed a bemused smile Jack's way. "I think the kid's shaking in his boots. He knows it's a suicide run. But he's still making the offer, because he knows it has to be done."

And before Jack could blink, he had clasped Jack's wrist. "You're in, you crazy bastard, and don't worry. Me and Mitch will keep you safe."

Mitch nodded. "Safe as we can, anyway."

"Don't worry, you idiots will be fine. You stick to the shadows, follow my lead, and I'll get us there in the blink of an eye."

But Jacob was slowly shaking his head.

"What the fuck, Jacob?"

"We need you here, Sin."

"You're forgetting my shadowblade, Paladin."

"We need you to protect the girls, Sin." Intent blue orbs stared into frustrated dark eyes. "You can do no greater good than watching the backs of the women we love. And if any asshole actually gets through our Jack-of-all-Trade's bloodwards, it's you we're counting on to save the day."

Mitch nodded. "You're 1 foot blade will do nothing against that monster's legs. But against those revenants and litches? You're our fucking ace in the hole."

Lauren flashed a gentle smile. "We'd be grateful to have you by our side, Sin."

Sharon smirked. "You might be an ass, but you're our ass. We protect our own. And if my man has to go out there in that madness and I need to snipe from the rear... it's your eye I want guarding my back in turn."

Sin smirked. "Fine. Fine! But I'm expecting a fucking glowing introduction when you hook me up with that incredible piece of..." He noted the way the girls were looking at him. "Beauty and refinement."

"And she is a voluptuous little thing, it's true," Sharon said with a chuckle. "I know you like 'em thick, and curvy is beautiful in this time and place, so... yeah. You scratch our backs..."

"And you might just end up a very lucky man," Lauren finished. "Just don't be an ass, okay, Sin?" she said with a smile.

He snorted. "Me? Never. And do chicks dig flowers in this place? Damn, should have asked..."

A bemused Jack found his shoulder squeezed by a firm grip. "You ready, kid?" said Mitch.

Jack grimaced, forcing himself back in the moment. "Gimme just a sec."

You have successfully summoned Blood Shield! You have successfully summoned Elemental Helm, Breastplate, shin guards, and gauntlet. 43 Mana reserved! (2% of present potency pool spent.)

And struck with inspiratio,n he dared that which he knew had no chance of working, but he did it anyway. Because when one was about to run headlong into death, one rolled whatever dice one could.

Ignoring his friend's impatient gazes, he pricked his thumb upon Mitch's axe head before painting his crimson shield with his own blood.

Then nearly fainting with the sudden wave of discord rocking through his soul, fearing it would tear him apart. Before he found a common beat, a powerful thrum that somehow unified the most discordant magics together.

The desperate pounding of his own heart.

You are attempting to forge Blood Rune Resilience upon mana-reserved spell Bloodshield.

Incompatible arts detected!

Jack cried out as his heart pounded so loud he was afraid it was burst, only now appreciating what a damned fool he was, following mad hunches, manipulating wild arts he barely understood.

Arts that he only appreciated at that moment could utterly destroy him.

Would most definitely destroy him, in fact, if he didn't pour every iota of his focus into mastering the wild magics draining his potency, searing his soul.

Incompatible arts unified by Crimson Ties.

Saving throw versus oblivion: Critical Success!

Willpower has been raised to 13! Only the strong-willed could survive such madness, their souls blazing with their daring!

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

You have forged a new complex spell: Warded Blood Shield. Double mana reserved! Double potency cost paid!

53 total mana now absorbed. Your feat of madness has cost you 54% of your level 1 experience pool! (4% for Ward-boosted Bloodshield. 50% for successfully saving versus death.)

Ice Shield (Bloodshield) is now Journeyman Rank 4!

Runeforging has been raised to Adept Rank 1. Perk feat retroactively chosen.

Arcane forger: You may now forge runes upon arcane items and active spells with any successful skillcheck! (A word to the wise. Only dare this madness with spells and enchantments you have studied!)

Adept Runeforging has been achieved. Specialization in individual rune mastery is now possible!

"Jack, are you okay?" said a frowning Sharon.

"Kid, we really don't have time for this," said an increasingly anxious Jacob.

And for all that he sensed his friend's growing ire, and knew they were running out of time as the pounding upon the keep's wall did attest, still he pled for a moment's rest, shaking hands drawing out several precious blue flasks for his friends.

Sharon's eyes widened. "Jack! Do you even know how valuable those are?"

He pointedly gazed up at the hellish, nightmare skies. Now's not the time to be stingy, I think."

Lauren positively beamed. "Thank you, Jack. We will only use them if we need them."

Sharon frowned. "What about you?"

"Don't worry, I still have 2 in reserve."

"Come on, kid, we need to go now!" Jack winced at Mitch's impatient tone, but didn't blame him.

He had been a fool to risk everything gambling on a half understood hunch, and right before they were facing certain peril. So taking the tiniest swig from one of the blue vials he kept for himself, he put the remainder back in his mother's beltpurse of holding, the nature of which he still wasn't willing to think of too closely, loving that beautiful woman who had cared for him all his days with all his heart. And if a part of him just knew that she was the villain of at least a few people's stories, he didn't care. he would forgive her anything.

Even if his pouch was made of the souls of her victims.

"Alright, I'm good, guys. Let's go!" he said, drinking deep of the water flask Sin handed him before leading the way down and out the building they had claimed and marked as their own, quietly muttering under his breath. "And seriously, if any higher powers are listening... if we actually manage to save this town... all karmic credit goes to my mom."

"What was that, boyscout?" Mitch asked.

Jack smirked. "Nothing, just a tab I have to clear for someone I love."

"Girlfriend?" the man whispered as they kept to the shadows by the building they had claimed, only daring a peak around when a handful of wandering undead had drifted off.

"My mother."

"Ah."

"Yeah."

Jacob frowned as they looked across the wide, once scenic, and all too empty massive stone courtyard serving as the town square. "There's no cover. We're going to have to run for it." He gazed up at the rooftop behind them, spotting Sharon's wave, flashing a fierce smile. "At least they can act as artillery, and cover us as we charge."

Jack nodded, heart now pounding. "Shit. Those ghouls are coming right for us!" Jacob said, and Jack found himself caught like a dear in the headlights as a full score of ghouls broke off from the hoard trying to slip in the cracks the giant among them was tearing into the keep, the necromancers no doubt directing them to make short work of the adventurers.

Before shaking free of the awful cold grip of fear, replacing it with hot-blooded rage. "Sagitta Acidum!" he snarled, jutting out his hand palm first as a bolt of acid streaked through the air, doubling and doubling again before blasting through two of the leading revenants, causing momentary disorder in the remainder, who swarmed over their fallen soon enough.

Before being completely obliterated by half a dozen massive orbs of acid exploding into their enemies like artillery fire, knocking them over with the sheer force of impact as the hissing revenenants dissolved so fast they couldn't even lurch back to their feet before melting in that caustic pool of acidic slime that was their doom.

Jack shook his head with awe. "That was just..."

"Yeah, don't waste your mana, kid. Sharon's got this!" Mitch said. "Now come on."

Jack shook his himself, snapping back into the moment, jerking a quick nod as he dashed after his companions for all he was worth, doing his best to ignore the stitch in his side and keep up. Because his friends were right. Sharon had this. Because for all his disciplined focus and study, he had nothing on a girl who could actually level with Rank 7 in her underlying art and Adept mastery of a Tier 3 spell.

And how glorious it was, for all that they were racing for their lives, to see contingent after contingent of ghouls be obliterated by acid, often just after falling down in hexed jumbles of writhing limbs. And Jack couldn't help but hope it was frustrating the hell out of the undead necromancers they were rapidly approaching, for it seemed that they could all too easily ward Sharon's streaking globes of caustic death from destroying the massive dinosaurian skeleton they stood just below, but the parties of undead were clearly out of their range.

Jack's heart skipped a beat when two of the three necromancers turned their skeletal gazes their way, hissing vituperative curses. His heart squeezed in his chest as he forced himself to take the lead. There was no way to know if his shield could somehow parry, but if they didn't do something...

And the awful deadly screams emanating from those corpslike skulls caused Jack to cry out, stumbling and falling to the ground, suddenly so disoriented and natious he couldn't move even as he began to wheeze and caugh up blood.

You have been struck by Necromantic spell SoulPierce! Soul pierce causes weakness and disorientation as you fight to hold on to your own soul!

Willpower Check successful! You have managed to hold on to your own soul!

You have suffered 1 Medium Wound from spiritual damage as your foe continues his attempts to tear it free!

Yet for all that the words washed over his interface Jack could hardly register them, so overwhelmed by awful burning pain, as if he had been thrust in to a cauldron of crackling agony, from which their was no release.

Because even as he struggled just to breathe, he knew the legions of undead would swarm over them and pound in their skulls in just seconds.

"Divine Inspiration! Saint Jacob's Bulwark!" Jacob roared.

And Jack cried out once more, this time with sheerest relief as his vision cleared, the nausea and awful dizziness fading as he desperately struggled to his feet, blinking away the hot blood streaming from his eyes and forcing himself to laugh, even as terror strove to consume him, laugh even as undead began rushing toward them from all angles, never having felt so alive, so real, so much like a figure right out of his childhood stories as he did at that moment, back to back with his friends as the holy white light of a paladin blazed through their souls and sent their foes hissing and lurching back.

"Healing Hands!" Jacob roared and Jack took a shuddering gasp as fatigue, exhaustion, and a host of aches he barely noticed in the frenetic desperate fight of their lives were suddenly gone, leaving him feeling as refreshed and rejuvenated as the day he first left his mother's house.

"Yes! Paladin for the win!" Mitch roared.

"Damn right, now charge the litches! We bring them down, and T-Rex Skeletor is history!"

And maybe Jacob shouldn't have roared their plans, Jack thought, as the host of undead flinching from their paladin's blazing aura instead formed ranks just infront of the trio of necromancers, like packs of feral dogs obeying their master's silent commands.

Only now they were pressing tightly together, near twenty packed against the puppetmasters on all sides, even as a second wave crashed into Jack and his friends.

"Shit!" Mitch cursed as their worst fears manifested, Sharon's glorious artillery fire sent spinning away when she tried to strike the cluster guarding the necromancers directly, now clearly within range of the litche's protective magic.

"Fuckers are going to swarm. We bring them down!" Mitch roared as the tidalwave hit, and all being came frantic madness as Jack found himself doing all he could to parry wicked sharp claws and clubs of ancient bone.

You have evaded 3 attacks from Tier 2 Undead!

You have suffered 2 Light Wounds from Tier 2 Undead! (Earth Armor & Runeforged Bloodshield mitigate wounds.)

And for long, endless moments, Jack was focused only on survival as he was slammed into, pushed and shoved, doing his best to crouch and twist, bracing himself for the slam of brutal clubs before smashing out with his own shield, sending foes scrabbling back, doing all he could to keep to Mitch and Jacob's backs, knowing he dare not weave or dodge too far lest he become separated and torn to pieces.

Twice during those desperate moments, he tried to embrace caustic death in the form of lethal arrows he had already come so close to mastering.

"Sagitta..."

Before his words were abruptly cut off, Jack swearing he could hear the necromancer's snarls in his mind as the revenants abruptly swarmed the minute he jutted out his fingers.

You have successfully dodged lethal blow!

Before having to cut off his spell with a curse, forced to accept that what excelled as the long range equivalent of archers or artillery fire, was all but worthless in close combat.

"Jack!"

He cursed, sensing his foes trying to separate them, deathly yellow eyes in rotting snarling faces now focused on him, as if he was the weak link.

Which, he thought, as he was slammed to the ground, he was.

But he sure as fuck wasn't helpless.

"Ignis Sanguis!" He roared as undead double-hinged jaws eager to taste his flesh exploded in hot, caustic flame.

"Ignis Sanguis, motherfuckers!" Jack roared, lurching to his feet, punching forth with his clay-gauntleted hand in the fanged mouth of yet another abomination, and somehow he wasn't surprised at all to see his gauntlet turn crimson, resonating with the power of his blood and the liquid bloodflame erupting from his hand as undead teeth shattered trying to bite it, before abruptly exploding, the blazing headless corpse now falling to the ground.

Earth Armor has been successfully infused with the power and potency of your blood.

Crimson Armor varient learned!

You have expended 1% of your potency fusing your gauntlet with the power of your own blood.

Jack flashed a fierce smile as all of his Earth Armor slowly transformed from the color of grey clay to red ochre, the steady bleed of potency necessary to catalyze the change absolutely nothing compared to the fierce surge of potency he earned whenever Mitch's fiersome feat boosted axe-swings cleaved through yet another ghast in a shower of rotting gore, or their paladin's now blazing sword melted through necrotic flesh almost as thoroughly as Jack and Sharon's dissolution spells did.

A swirling sea of potency Jack eagerly took in, his racing thoughts solidifying into a hyperawareness of the battlefield once more, now moving effortlessly in time to the Level 6 Warrior's fearsome pace, his shield now always where it needed to be to protect not only hismelf but to guard his friend's flanks, now sensing just how to brace himself to absorb the force of the blows just before pivoting enough to force his enemy's attacks aside, them off balance, and a tightly clenched fist delivering a massive explosion of liquid flame down throats or rammed into lurching necks would send yet another living corpse back to the realm of the dead.

And Jack began to laugh, for all that he was surrounded by death at all sides, the Path of Peril's ultimate gift allowing him to grow like never before. Odd, unexpected strength infused his limbs as he pivoted and dodged with a strength and grace that would have seemed alien to him just days ago, but now seemed as natural as expecting Mitch's momentary vulnerability when he roared and decapitated no less than three revenants in quick succession, just before the remaining hoard tried to swarm him, only to be cleaved by a blessed sword on one side, and bathed in killing flames on the other.

And then, to Jack's utter disbelief, the last of the revenant shock troops had fallen, and they were through.

Now there was nothing between the three of them and the titanic monster tearing apart the keeps walls, save for three undead litches radiating death from their fleshless faces, and the messages now flickering across Jack's mind in the blink of an eye.

Bloodflame is now Adept Rank 2!

Elemental Armor is now Journeyman rank 1! Feat Chosen! (Reduced Reserves) Whether crimson or clay, you only need pay half the mana reserves or potency costs you otherwise would!

Ice Shield (Blood Shield) is now Journeyman Rank 5!

Weapon and Shield is now Journeyman Rank 1. Feat chosen: Situational Awareness. Sense your foes and know how best to counter from all angles! (Must have a shield equipped to use to best effect.)

The echo of endless battles now resonate through your soul! Perception and all Physical stats have increased by 1 point as the Path of Peril redefines you into your ultimate ideal!

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Jack Evergreen       Class - Undecided       Level 0

Primary Attributes

Strength 12 (Exceeds 74% of base population)

Vitality 12 (Exceeds 74% of base population)

Finesse 14 (Exceeds 90% of base populationd)

Quickness 13 (Exceeds 83% of base population)

Perception 13 (Exceeds 83% of base population

Scholarship 15 (Exceeds 95% of base population)

Willpower 13 (Exceeds 83% of base population)

Charisma 11 (Exceeds 62% of base population)

Insight. - Gold Tier

Health 10xVit+Str+(10xlevel) = 132

Stamina 10xVit+Str= 132

Mana =150

Base Appearance 10 (Average)

Virtues

Rapid Learner

Explosive Growth

Plane Walker

Flaws

Painful Healing

Perks Earned in Game

Rank 2 Diligent Arcanist. +30 to Mana pool.

Rank 1 High intensity training. +10 to Mana pool.

Forged in Battle +1 to Perception & all physical stats.

Favorite Skills & Spells

Firestream (Blood Flame) - Adept Rank 2

Geyser - Journeyman Rank 4

Ice Shield (Blood Shield) - Journeyman Rank 5

Earth Armor (Blood Armor) - Journeyman Rank 1

Acid Arrow - Adept Rank 1

Rune Forging - Adept Rank 1

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