Harmin was not pleased with our adventure. I had told him about our delve in Kak in case there was backlash. He said the Blessing of Concealment from the Shrine would deflect the curious, and no one would blame us for reporting the Dungeon break. He wasn't happy about us sneaking into the Dungeon. The city of Kak had already said, "No." Antagonizing them would only delay any chance we had at getting them to change their minds about letting our group into their Dungeon.
I restocked my Greek Fire and torches. I bought a new Magical Lantern. This one didn't require fuel to light. It would work underwater too. I looked for waterproof, insulated underwear but they didn't have wetsuits on Elfandrael. I would need to commission a Magical Item to get that.
The days rolled by and money rolled it. At first I was only hunting Floor Bosses with the six elves that were Level 8. I had given up one of my two off days when we started hunting. That left seven days to train with rest of the coterie. Once Harmin saw how much money we were earning for Hunting Floor Bosses he wanted to shut down the regular training. I reminded him we still had to make room for Dremnaveer, Allalessa's son. We kept two days a week for the general training where I recharged Stamina, Mana, and Chi. In three weeks we Leveled up all the elves that were Level 8. Emearia was last of them. We worked extra hours to get her some Quests to push her to Level 9.
I took a few days more for me. I had slowed down my Leveling to make sure that I wouldn't reach Level 9 before the others. If I out-Leveled them, they wouldn't get Karma if I fought the Floor Bosses with them. Another reason I was taking my time was because I had Aern'Lenninisal teaching me Spells. I needed five Spells and five Metamagics or Styles for my Karma Quests. With only nine Limit Breaks that meant I had to do some old fashioned learning. He finally finished teaching me [Tongues].
By the end of the month of Phoenix he also taught me [Phoenix Style]. I wanted to put it off and learn it at Tier 2, but it was the only Summon he could regularly call on to help me learn a Style. We worked on bunch of other Zodiac Styles, but he couldn't keep the Summons out for very long. [Create Flame] served as the base Spell to work with. We rented a set of Magical Wings to practice the special flying maneuvers. It was a pretty standard Magical Item that elves used to train their young before they acquired [Celestial Wings]. [Phoenix Style] also worked with [Force Punch] if I was in close combat. It let me snake past defenses pretty easily.
[Empower Spell: Recharge Chi], [Empower Spell: Detect Astral Presence], [Empower Spell: Identify], and [Empower Spell: Quickmarch] finished of the rewind Karma Quest. After I learned about the problem with being too dense to swim I picked up [Breath Water]. It occurred to me that I might need [Purify Air] too. A cave in could be a problem, but there were all kind of airborne toxins to worry about. I picked up [Energy Grasp], the starter spell from the [Evocation] School. I should have waited and let Aern'Lenninisal teach that to me, but he was teaching me Zodiac Styles instead. It didn't hurt to have the flexibility of an [Evocation] Spell.
There were plenty of [Schools] that had attack Spells. [Fireball] and [Lighting Bolt] where good examples. The problem was that those Spells only came with the specific type of damage from that School of Magic. [Evocation] Magic wasn't as powerful, but it was flexible. I could select multiple types of damage with [Energy Grasp]. [Ice], [Fire], [Sonic], and [Electric] were just some of the damage types I would able to use with that one Spell. I had been lucky with the Night Jackals. If I hadn't been carrying the Greek Fire things would have been very different.
The last Spell to complete the Karma Quest for waiving the Tier 2 requirement for another [Lesser Metamagic] was [Sense Blood]. It was the starter Spell for the [Blood] School. [Detect Life] could be difficult to use in combat. It would produce a complete list of all [Life] in an area. It might identify a plant, or even a moss. With [Sense Blood] larger creatures, like the Night Jackals could be easily detected without all the extra noise from other living things. If I was caught in a [Darkness] effect again it would help with [Blindfighting].
When it came to selecting my Level 8 Ability I had to skimp. I had to save my Ability Points for my Level 9 purchase, so I only had 1 Point to work with, and that came from the Intelligence [Limit Break]. I debated taking [Staff] from the Arcane Implements. How could I call myself a Wizard if I didn't have a Wizard's Staff? I decide it would be better to wait and get the full set at once. It also had [Scrolls] in it too. In the end I decided on [Astral Scroll]. I would let me prepare a Spell in advance and cast it quickly. A fully powered [Local Portal] on standby was a great option to have. With my preparations at the of end of Phoenix complete that only left-
Ding!
Congratulations! You have reached Level 9.
Your Class Power Rating has reached 81.
You have gained 17 [Archwizard Ability Points].
You have gained 1 point in all [Statistics] and 1 free [Statistic Point].
In the month of Angel I went to work finishing my Karma Quest for waiving the Tier 2 requirement. [Limit Breaks] got me five of the six Spells I needed. I took [Rust Touch] to start the [Entropy] School. After my encounter with the [Fear Aura] of the Night Jackal pack I took [Reduce Fear]. All the trips I was making with [Local Portal] took me to Shrines in out of the way places. [Coexist With Nature] would keep the mosquitoes off of me. I took [Scry Resistance] because every little bit helps when it comes to staying under peoples radar. [Enhance Constitution] only added a few Points to my Statistic at Level 9, but I wanted to get used to casting Spells in line with my tank mage concept. The Tier 2 version would be more powerful.
The last Spell I needed came from Aern'Lenninisal. He spent a good portion of the month teaching me [Minor Apportation]. It was the first [Alteration] Spell. It wasn't very useful, but it was fun. It's lifting power was measured in ounces. I couldn't even use it to lift my food, as I had to be in contact with it. The drawbacks of using [Personal Pantry] interfered with my fun. I ended up carrying a handful of pebbles to play with the Spell.
Finishing my Karma Quest to waive the Tier 2 requirement for [Lesser Metamagic] ended a months long project. When I got my [Limit Break] for Intelligence the Point added with the 49 Ability Points I had been saving, I purchased five more [Lesser Metamagic] slots, bringing my total to six. My effective Spell Power for [Local Portal] increase by 10 right away. I Leveled [Empower Spell: Local Portal] up to Level 9 as fast as possible. I that gained me another 6 Points in Spell Power. Casting the Level 0 version of the spell in combat now meant I could easily place useful [Portals] fourteen or fifteen strides away from me. It also improved my range with Spells when using it with Shrines. All of my Spells with [Empower Spell] received a major power up. It would only get better when I started getting the general Metamagics after reaching Tier 2.
Life was good. I was making a few platinum coins every month from the job. Aern'Lenninisal started learning Spells from me again for his Archdruid Class. We invited several of Selenia's friends to the training program. Only three agreed to join. Delving Dungeons wasn't for everyone. It was enough though. Selenia was enthusiastic about participating after being able share her experiences with people in her circle. Aern'Lenninisal and I were relieved. Shipping those two was a lot of work. When Angel ended and month of Sphinx began, things got more complicated.
----------------------------------------
'Would it not be better to wait until at least you are Tier 2,' Aern'Lenninisal sent over [Party Chat].
'I want the Floor Bosses,' I replied. 'If I reach Tier 2 before I kill them I'll lose out on the bonus for
'It would only be 3 or 4 Power Points. A very minor difference in the long run,' he sent.
'I need everything I can get. Grelgineer is out damaging me. It makes me look bad. I'm suppose to be the one leading these expeditions. Now that I think about it, I'm not actually necessary for these delves. Anyone could do this,' I lamented.
'You are in error. I know of no one at our Level who can travel through the Dungeons using Shrines but you. Your incredible Charisma Statistic allows the Party size to be very large. I cannot believe someone could replace you,' he commented.
'It doesn't have to be a single person. There are a lot of different ways a collection of people could replace me. That's not the point. This is the last Level where I can fight Tier 1 Floor Bosses. They're about three times as strong as me now. At Tier 2 they'll be nine or ten times as strong. I've got to get every Floor Boss I can at this Level. I'm going back to Kak once everything cools down over there. I don't care what Harmin says. I know it's dangerous to go into the slavers territory in Korchik, but you need the Dragon constellation to finish your Class change requirements. With my new [Lesser Metamagic] Abilities I'm much stronger now. Just not as strong as Grelgineer. I need this,' I pleaded.
'He has a Quest Weapon, and fights at the head of a Formation of five other Knights. It is not fair to compare yourself to him,' he replied.
'Of course it's fair! We fight in the same Party. Are you going to come with me or not,' I asked.
'Yes, I will come with you. Your strategy is risky, but without you I will be at the mercy of mother,' he said.
It wasn't the enthusiastic answer I wanted but it would do. We sat in silence for a few minutes until the doors to training room in the Guildhouse opened. Aern'Lenninisal and I always arrived a little early. My paranoia required it. The elves tended to be punctual not early, so someone entering the training room was a surprise. It was A double surprise to see that is was Nellamon.
“Greetings Pilgrim, Summoner,” he said loudly enough carry across the room.
“Greetings Nellamon,” Aern'Lenninisal replied.
“Well, the conquering Hero returns. How as was the Legion,” I asked.
His smiled dampened, and he answered, “It was slightly disappointing. I do not have [Follow Me] yet, so I could not participate in most battles. The Legion Commander arranged for those of us on our first expedition to have some monsters to fight, but it felt contrived. Our opponents could have easily been wiped out by few Legionnaires.”
“What is [Follow Me],” I asked.
“It is one of the advanced Abilities for the Elven Faction. It allows a Legionnaire to designate one or two people to [Teleport] to their location. By Chaining the Ability the Centuries move in large Flights. Only the leader of the Formation needs a true [Teleport] power to move the whole group to their destination. It also works well with scouts who fly ahead. Everyone else [Follows] the person in front of them. It is beautiful to watch, but without the Ability that is all I could do. Watch.” he complained.
It felt like he needed cheering up, so I said, “It'll be better next time. We'll get you trained up and then you can kick some ass.”
His whole body straightened, “You will take me back into the program? I had thought since I abandoned you, I might not be allowed to return to training. I do not have the
“Take you back? Nellamon, you have seriously underestimated my level of crazy. If I can get Selenia to solo a Tier 1 Floor Boss, I can figure out how you can a solo a Tier 2 Floor Boss.”
Nellamon couldn't hide his shock. “How is it possible for me to do such thing?”
“You gotta shop around. I found a hydra in Boss Chamber with high ceilings. You can use your [Celestial Wings] to stay out of range of its grasp, while you bombard it with some [Hydra Bane] Alchemical bombs. You just need the right Thing-a-ma-bob, and you can do anything. It's expensive, but an easy kill,” I said smiling triumphantly.
----------------------------------------
I had to spend five gold for a Dungeon guidebook for the hydra. It took three platinum, the same as three hundred gold, to get an [Hydra Bane] Alchemical bomb. Nellamon's father covered that cost when he found out what we were doing. He also insisted Forna and Regamis come along on the delve in case something went wrong. That would make it harder for me. With more than one person to evacuate, my focus would be split. In the end I decided to leave them and come back if I had to. They were high enough Level to take care of themselves.
With the improved Spell Power from my new [Lesser Metamagic] Abilities, travel to the city of Ashrazaeme on the southern coast was easy. The Dungeon there was [Chaotic Neutral] but the Boss Chamber leading from the [Chaotic Evil] Dungeon entrance had the hydra we were after. The majority of the elves in the city were [Lawful Neutral]. I thought it would as inviting as Everdale or the Outer City of Aeseiriral. I was way wrong.
Everyone was giving me side eye. There were almost no humans. I usually slipped into the Dungeon without visiting the city. It was easier and cheaper to buy day passes from the Faction Chapterhouse in Aeseiriral, since the Faction was managing all the elven Dungeons. I normally didn't need to enter Ashrazaeme. Regamis insisted that we scout out the local hospitals and [Healers].
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It was a [Good] plan. I guess I had gotten [Overconfident]. I could usually solo any Floor Boss we would be fighting. My idea of failure was having to run, not getting mortally wounded or worse, killed.
The city had the same grace and style of Aeseiriral, but lacked vitality. It wasn't just the lack of humans. Everyone was calm and quiet. Traffic seemed like a long line of people heading in an orderly manner to the same destination. The city entrance tax was ten silvers a head. We located a hospital close to the city gates and headed into the Dungeon. After a few hops between [Nodes] at Shrines we were in front of the Boss Chamber.
I looked at the pitch black portal, shielding the hydra beyond and asked Nellamon, “Do you have everything?”
“Yes, sir,” Nellamon snapped back in military fashion. His time with the Legion showed.
“Tell me the plan again,” I said. I made a habit of having my charges repeat everything so we were clear.
“I fly in at full speed and get as high as I can. I dive bomb the hydra with Alchemical bomb, and then follow up with Naphtha and the heavy darts. I should keep moving and stay out range of the heads and tail.”
I didn't have an [Empower Spell] Metamagic for [Mattersight], so I could only check a few strides into the chamber.
“It's clear. Go when you're ready,” I said.
I immediately started casting [Resist Fear] on Forna, Regamis, and myself.
Reality warped around Nellamon as he stared burning Chi. He formed his [Celestial Wings] and took off from a running start. He flew away form the Boss Chamber portal about thirty strides. He flipped around in the air and pushed off the high ceiling of the tunnel, and rocketed back toward the chamber entrance. I pulled my Magical Lantern out to light up the lair.
Fiendish Giant Hydra
This ten headed hydra is incredibly strong and regenerates. It's basically unstoppable unless its regeneration is negated with [Fire] or Magic. Heads attack independently. Cutting off a head causes two heads to regrow in three minutes. It has a [Tail Slam] and [Tremor Stomp]. [Acid Spittle] is a ranged attack that can come from any head, but only one head at time. It can produce an [Acid Fog] that will linger in one spot. A favored tactic is to grapple victims in two different heads and pull them apart. It has a [Fear] generating [Roar]. This creatures has powerful [Acid Blood].
Resistant to [Water], [Blood], [Body], [Psychic], [Mind], [Spirit], [Enchantment], [Entropy], and [Nature]. Immune to [Fear], [Terror], and [Paralyze] Status effects. Resistant to [Stupefy], [Confuse], and [Fascinate] Status effects.
Slightly vulnerable to [Fire].
Tier 2 Floor Bosses are no joke. I think I should develop a [Tickle] Spell just to prove myself wrong about that. I bet if I could tickle a hydra, it would incapacitate all the heads at once.
The monster [Roared]. The [Fear] effect caused me to take a step back. Even Forna looked unsettled.
Nellamon wasn't wasting time like I was. He soared high, circling around the ceiling once before diving at the thirty stride high monster. The hydra responded by launching a ball of [Acid Spittle] at the Grandmaster Paladin. He [Dodged] the first one, and launched his [Hydra Bane] Alchemical bomb at the monster. The second [Acid Spittle] hit him hard. He was slammed against the ceiling and his [Celestial Wings] Shattered.
As he fell I think I heard him scream out, “[Armor of Justice!].”
I wasn't sure at first because the Hydra was screaming too. The [Armor] was confirmed as his body started to glow. A white sudsy foam was spreading all over monster's body. The gray-green skin of the creature was starting to flay. Droplets of its [Acid Blood] sizzled as they hit the stones below.
Nellamon yelled out, “[Celestial Wings!].”
They were fragile but could be reformed indefinitely if you had the Chi. He took off running and lept into the air. The Hydra was trying to roll around on the ground to get the Alchemical agents off of itself. A small amount could be seen on the rocks, but there was more blood. The ground was too rugged and was acting like sandpaper. The [Bane] had suppressed all regeneration, something the hydra wasn't use too.
Nellamon pushed off a series of walls to get himself up to speed and then materialized one of the heavy darts. It was a bladed version of my one ton spikes. The cruciform blades were vaguely conical. The dart was about a stride long and four blades spread out from a central join. They came together at the point, with a reverse curve in edge of each blade sweeping out wider the closer they came to the base. Small hand hold at the base of the blades was all Nellamon had to grip them with. He closed in on the Hydra and released it. The dart easily sliced open the things chest.
Blood and viscera poured out of the hydra. It screamed even louder. I could see the white Alchemical foam start slipping into the gaping wound. Nellamon was maneuvering for another run. He had ten heavy darts. If he could hit vital points with all of them he had a decent chance of killing the Hydra outright.
While he was getting in position the Hydra came up with a brilliant idea. It started using it [Acid Spittle] to knock the [Hydra Bane] foam of one its necks. Three of the other heads started licking the foam of off that neck. The tongues in those heads were bleeding. One forked appendage fell out but the tactic worked. The head that had been cleaned, lifted itself up right as Nellamon came in for his second run. A blob of [Acid Spittle] knocked him out of the air, sending the heavy dart tumbling. The weapon hit the hydra the wrong way and didn't penetrate the monster's hide.
Nellamon ended up wedge under the Hydra. The curve of its body was pressing down on him. The green [Acid Blood] was oozing over him. His [Armor of Justice] let him ignore it for now. I thought he might need help but sword appeared in his right hand. It glowed right before he sliced the hydra's belly open. Guts flowed out and onto Nellamon. The side of the monster split apart, releasing the elf from being pinned.
I thought he might try and run away. Instead he did the opposite. He started hacking at the wound and then walked into the hole he had made. It looked like he was going to get to the heart of the matter!
The Hydra seemed to figure out what was happening and took a bite out of itself with the head that been cleaned up. A huge chunk of flesh was missing. I couldn't see Nellamon anywhere. I looked back at the head. Its cheeks were puffed up with a full mouth. I was trying to figure out how save the Battlelord's son, and not get myself executed, when the tip of a bright, glowing blade popped out of the forehead like a tiny little horn.
The eyes in that head got a vacant look, and it fell over. The jaws opened slackly and the elf rolled out and up onto his feet.
“I think it might be harder to watch, than it is for him to do it,” I said.
Regamis raised an eyebrow at my statement, but Forna nodded in agreement.
Nellamon was sprinting back to the hole in the hydra's chest. The heads came for him. Only three could get at him. He [Dodged] the first one. The second head swung at him instead of lunging. At the last second, he pulled a glowing shield out of [Inventory]. That didn't stop him from getting slapped against the wall. He spun in mid-air and landed shield first against the wall, and got right back up. One of the heads started to breath [Acid Fog].
He was far enough away to take flight again. He flew around the chamber, building up speed. The heads tried flinging [Acid Spittle] at him again, but they were moving around listlessly. Some couldn't even get off the ground at this point. Nellamon easily avoided the slimy green projectiles. When he reached speed, he brought out another heavy dart. This one landed in the mouth shaped hole, burying itself deep in the body. A river of goo came out of the place the dart had punctured.
By the time Nellamon's unload the fifth heavy dart, the white sudsy foam was starting to dissipate. He finished all ten darts and then started dropping the Naphtha. Greek Fire was made of Tier 1 ingredients, but burned as hot as a Tier 2 [Fire] Spell. Naphtha was the Tier 2 version of Greek Fire on Elfandrael. It reminded me more of white phosphorus than any petrochemical I had ever seen. I didn't use it because it was priced in platinum. Money was not a concern for elven nobility.
He had used everything we brought. The [Hydra Bane], the heavy darts, and the Naphtha together hadn't killed this thing. It was unconscious, but even the Naphtha would burn out soon. Nellamon didn't hesitate. He flew up and summoned his glowing sword again. It morphed into a glowing lance. He slammed into one of the heads on the floor that was not moving. He methodically worked his way through the heads. Near the end, he had to target heads that were still moving, but that posed no challenge to the Paladin. The last one went down, but the hydra still wasn't dead.
He took to the air again, this time launching himself into the messy guts hanging out of the body. His arm followed the lance up to his shoulder. He started coughing as the [Acid Fog] was burning his lungs, even past [Armor of Justice]. He ran out of the cloud and without hesitation took to wing again. This time he targeted the same spot as before, but at the last moment dismissed his [Celestial Wings] dove into the carcass headfirst, clutching his lance. He completely disappeared!
The noise of stone grinning on stone signaled the lootball was rising! He had killed it! Regamis, Forna, and I cheered. I tried giving Regamis a high five, but he just gave me a stiff wave and then ran to see Nellamon.
We all followed him to the entry wound and waited for Nellamon to emerge. When he didn't come out immediately Regamis and Forna reached over began ripping chunks out of the corpse. Forna found his feet and yanked him out. They hurried him out of the [Acid Fog]. As high as my Intelligence Statistics had gotten I should have been able to hear him breathing, but I couldn't. He was standing. He pulled a waterskin from [Inventory] and tried to dowse himself.
That's when I realized the glow from [Armor of Justice] had gone out. I pulled towel after towel to try and absorb the [Acid Blood]. They kept falling apart. When we finally got all the goop off of his face there were large patches of missing skin, and his left eye lid was gone. That eye had a red sclera instead of a white one.
“[Lesser Heal],” Nellamon shouted, his first words since the fight began.
“Gather around. I'm going to take us to hospital,” I announced.
“No,” Nellamon shouted.
Before anyone could do anything, he lept back into the [Acid Fog] long enough to grab the lootball. He jumped back out, screaming in pain from the new dose of Acid. His face was significantly worse than it had been before he went back for his loot. We poured water over him. That had to sting his raw flesh but he took it silently and stoically.
“Now...we go,” Nellamon struggled to say.
I burned 1,000 XP to get us to nearby Shrine. From there I chained together [Local Portals] until we popped out in front of the city gates of Ashrazaeme.
Regamis burned Chi and took charge with a voice accustomed to command, “Make way. We need medical treatment. Forna pay the gate taxes for us.”
The sea of people parted as much for the bellow as the shock of seeing Nellamon without a face.
A guard called out, “Clear the way! Clear the way!”
The lines shifted to accommodate us.
“Who are you,” demanded the guard.
“I am Regamis of Aeseiriral. This is Nellamon of Aeseiriral, Forna of Aeseiriral, and Eric Swindall of Earth,” he said pointing to us each in turn.
Nellamon grunted in pain and swayed in the grip of the two elves supporting him.
In pain? I am such an idiot! I immediately began casting, “[[[[[[Empower Spell: Recharge Mana]]]]]]=>[Recharge Mana!].” I had to toggle on [Accelerated Time Flow] to get the words out fast enough to recast it over and over. It wasn't going to take long to fill him up with each casting giving 20 Mana. Having multiple Metamagics on a single Spell was awesome.
The guards shifted their weapons as soon as I began casting, but relaxed a little once they saw what I was doing.
They didn't completely relaxed as the head guard said, “There is something interfering with the [Divination] Magic for these two. What is it?”
He indicated Nellamon and me.
“It's-,” I started to explain the Concealment Buff from Shrine, but Regamis interrupted me.
“It should not be spoken aloud. I offer a Party invitation so that we may discuss it with privacy,” he said.
The guard nodded. While they silently communicated I started in on [Recharge Stamina]. Nellamon was [Lawful Good], so I knew he had plenty of Chi. It could wait until last. Last came and I finished with [Recharge Chi]. I looked up to see the guard and Regamis still silently staring at each other.
I switched to Elvish using the [Tongues] Spell. “What is taking so long? It did not take this much time when we passed through earlier,” I commented.
“You were not asking for quick entry. Your wounded elf is still standing. As long as he can do that he is not close to death. You can have time to answer a few questions, such as where is Earth. I have never heard of it,” the guard inquired, being properly dickish for a petty official exercising his power.
“It is another planet. I am an offworlder,” I answered.
The guard and Regamis went back to their staring contest. After minute the guard finally relented, “Very well, you may proceed to the Hospital. Report to this city gate when you leave. Go to that landing pad over their. They will convey you.”
He pointed to the pad past the gate, were a flying contraption sat. Four elves were arrayed around it. The two elves standing wore the uniforms of city guards. The other two elves that were seated wore different garb. One wore the uniform of a Legionnaire and the other wore a porter's uniform.
Regamis and Forna carried Nellamon and I ran ahead and demanded, “We need transport to the hospital for all four of us.”
The porter looked up from chatting with the Legionnaire and winced when he saw Nellamon's face. The porter said with a relaxed smile, “A gold for each of you to ride, but my friend here can open a [Gateway] for ten.”
I manifested a stack of ten gold between my finger and shoved them at the Legionnaire, “[Gateway], please!”
He took the payment and began casting. At the edge of the landing pad a bright line three stride high formed and widened to a rectangle three stride wide. As the [Gateway] opened I could make out a well lit landing pad and sign in elvish over a double door. Harmin's elves didn't even have to break stride when they arrived. I followed them through.
We were quickly admitted and Nellamon got the care he needed. We had to wait for an hour until Nellamon was discharged. He walked out fresh faced, in new clothes from his [Personal Wardrobe], but with a shaved head. The few chunks of hair that had remained after the [Acid] damage had to be removed to give normal appearance across his scalp.
The bald elf was in good cheer with bright smile as when he entered the waiting room. I stood up straight, and approached. If he could stand the pain form the [Acid] I could at least take the pain from admitting my mistake.
“Nellamon, I'm sorry. My plan sucked, and I almost got you killed. I hope you will forgive me,” I said with great regret.
Nellamon laughed and responded jovially with, “There is nothing to forgive! I did not believe it when I heard sweet little Selenia slew a Floor Boss on her own. Having seen your tactical [Acumen] I now have no doubt what I heard was true!”
I was skeptical and asked, “You're not mad?”
“Mad? I am filled with happiness and glory! You have not just given me three new Titles. You have given me a new purpose in life I did not know I could have. I will not just train and wait to serve in the Legions. My coterie and I will delve Dungeons and bring back wealth for me and my people. With every new Floor Boss we slay we shall become more powerful. The best gift you have laid upon me is what I must tell my friends. This weekend they will ask what I have been doing, and I will be forced to tell them that I slew a Floor Boss by myself.”
All of us laughed at his joke.
“If I am mad at anyone it myself. If I could have implemented your plan with fewer mistakes I might have escaped unharmed. The most serious damage I took was from my own [Pride]. That is what caused me to walk back into the [Acid Fog] in order to keep my prize,” he said with regret.
“What loot did you get,” I asked.
He shook is head as he smiled. “A mask that protects the eyes and grants 17% resistance to [Acid] damage.”
We all laughed again.