Chapter 16
“Welcome back, Champion.” The Lady addressed Drew as he and his party walked into a formal greeting area. Upon exiting the dungeon and reappearing in the dungeon city, they were briskly teleported back to the goddess. She greeted them in a more formal manner than normal. Most of his interactions with her had been held in her study or sitting room, so this current room was new to him.
The room itself was a smaller scaled version of where The Lady worked with souls. She sat on a throne-like chair that seemed to be grown from a blackened and twisted tree. The walkway was made of onyx colored stone, with gold and blue flecks. Romanesque column pillars ran parallel to the walkway, and the hall itself was empty other than the primordial herself and her butler Jeeves.
Drew wasn’t raised to know the proper etiquette revolving around royals, so he didn’t attempt anything like a bow or formal greeting, knowing he would just end up butchering it. Instead he and his party stopped a respectful distance from the throne and he gave the goddess a quick nod of his head. She’d been immensely helpful to him and his family, not to mention Sanctuary itself. The nod was the least he could do to show her the respect he held for her.
“I’ve watched your party’s progress closely over these past two and a half months. You’ve all progressed exceptionally well, especially given your lack of experience as a newly integrated culture.” She said with a smile. “I am impressed, both with the party’s combat prowess, and the growth in maturity and intelligence I’ve seen in each of you. Before you return to your respective worlds, I wanted to congratulate you in person.”
Awh, well that’s nice of her. We did work our asses off big time.
“Maud, you originally joined my Cadre to pursue your crafting interests in peace and away from distractions. Please, meet with Jeeves before you leave. I’ve set aside a wide collection of fabrics and other necessities for your enjoyment, as a personal thank you for helping my Champion.” The Lady said with a smile.
Ohh, she’s going to like that… Sure enough, when Drew looked at the lich she was smiling, actually smiling.
“Champion, before you leave I have two matters to discuss. The first being,I’ve noticed you’re wearing new armor…” Drew looked down, and sure enough he was wearing the new set he’d gotten as a reward for completing the dungeon. It was very similar to his last set in coloration, but all the skulls were replaced with dragon motifs. The dragons were still prominent, but far more subtle than the skulls on his Baleful armor had been. In essence, it was less cringy, and he’d taken an instant liking to it. He looked more like a dark hero now, rather than a goth that made his own armor.
“I received it as a completion reward in the dungeon, it had far better stats than my previous set.” Drew said shrugging and looking back at the goddess. There was no way he was going to tell her he preferred the look of it better.
“It's an excellent reward, and one that fits your grade and stats far better. However, I ask that you return your previous set to me. It is very difficult for my soulsmiths to create such exotic equipment for F Grade, and I’d like to have a set kept in reserve.” It was a request, not a command, which was very nice of her since it was well within her power to take it back from him. It didn’t matter to him, his new set was better, and if his old set could benefit someone else down the road, he didn’t mind handing it over.
“Sure, that’s no problem. If it can help someone else, then I’d be happy for it to go to a worthy cause. Also, thank you for granting it to me in the first place, it has saved my life multiple times.” He began pulling out the armor from his inventory, and Jeeves quickly came to retrieve it. The Lady smiled at his gesture.
“Oh, would you like the sword back as well? I have an axe now that is comparable.” Drew asked, pulling the sword out as well.
“Yes, please. How are you finding your new weapon?” The Lady asked, curious to hear Drew’s thoughts now that he’d spent ample time with the axe.
“Hmm, I like it. It’s an excellent tool, built for a specific job.” Drew replied, deep in thought and reflecting on his time spent with the weapon.
“But?” The Lady asked, her left eyebrow raised.
“It’s not always the best tool for the job. Both the sword and the axe excel in different situations. I’m comfortable with both, but the axe is especially useful against the oversized and tough monsters. I don’t believe there’s a perfect weapon for every situation, and I think I’ll need to buy or commission a new sword to be made once the crystal mine in Sanctuary takes off. I need different options for different opponents.” Drew summed up his thoughts well, before refocusing on the goddess.
“Well put, and you are correct. Different jobs require different tools. You, yourself are the weapon, everything else is just an extension of your will. That said, as you are returning your armor and sword to me, I have both a sword and axe for you. One of your predecessors has left a legacy behind in these weapons, and returned them once she had outgrown them. They are yours now. I ask that you treat them well.” Jeeves handed him the two new weapons, and Drew took a quick glance before putting them into his inventory. He wasn’t going to inspect them yet, but they looked to be higher quality than his current axe.
“Thank you, I appreciate your trust in lending me these.” Drew nodded.
“Lastly, I have someone here for you. I believe you know each other well.” The Lady motioned, and a large set of doors opened off to the right. An armored figure strode through the doorway, walking upright and tall, each step in perfect harmony to the others. They put one step in front of the other with purpose, the light echo brought weight to each footfall. It wouldn’t look out of place in a parade march from the US Army or US Marine Corp. Honor, dignity, purpose, that’s what Drew felt when watching. The figure stopped in front of the goddess, and kneeled, waiting to be acknowledged at her leisure.
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The Baleful Lady smiled at Drew before turning to the person kneeling. Their armor was a dark gray, or light black, very similar to his own previous set of Baleful Armor, but where Drew’s previous armor was cringy and skulls littered its surface… Well, the armor the figure wore was plain in comparison. That’s not to say it lacked quality, it just wasn’t flamboyantly overdone. One pauldron was a skull, as was the top of the greaves, everything else remained relatively uniform. See?! They can do decent armor, why did I get stuck with a cringelord set? Drew thought to himself.
“Rise, Warden, and greet your friends.” The Lady said sternly, yet with a playful smile on her lips, as if she was about to tell a joke.The person a-bout-faced, and strode to Drew and crew before removing their unadorned helm. Long, shoulder-length brown hair fell from the helmet, a well-trimmed ducktail beard covered a masculine jawline, and strong yet high cheekbones finished out his face. Drew knew who it was, but he didn’t want to believe his eyes, he was younger, far younger, and more handsome than he remembered.
“Hello, Drew.” He nodded to Drew.
“Robert, you look… well.” Drew was left speechless. The last he’d seen Robert, the man was a ghost. Drew remembered the choice Robert had chosen, but to see the man in front of him looking like he was in his low forties was mind-blowing, not to mention the distinct look he’d chosen for himself.
Robert barked out a laugh that started at the pit of his stomach. It was a joyous laugh, but an abrupt and unexpected one.
“I do, don’t I? I barely recognize myself when I look in the mirror. Things have a funny way of working out, don’t they?” The man smiled, his eyes glazed over slightly, clearly remembering something before snapping back to Drew.
“As you know, Robert here has chosen to become a Warden. Reborn from death, he will serve under you for the betterment of your people and the people of Earth. While more limited in scope and power than a Baleful Warden, he has been thoroughly trained in combat, tactics, city management, settlement development, and diplomacy. While you were in the dungeon, Robert was being trained in an accelerated setting, with a time dilation set so high, that despite being reborn he appears as he does now.” The Lady explained, clearly happy with herself.
Drew hadn’t known the specifics, just the premise. So everything the goddess had just said was news to him.
“How long were you trained, man? You look like you're in your late thirties or early forties.” Drew asked, clearly wondering how much had happened to the man standing before him. Robert shrugged, either not knowing the answer, or uncaring of the time.
“He’s spent the equivalent of one hundred and twelve Earth years from birth within time dilation. Robert retained his memories upon reincarnation, and will be working as your direct subordinate on Earth.” The Lady answered, her hands steepled as she spoke.
“And your faith?” Drew asked, turning back to Robert who was still standing at attention. It was a question Drew really wanted answered, as he dearly hoped no brainwashing had occurred. He didn’t doubt The Lady’s intentions, but when he’d last seen Robert, he was going through some pretty rough spiritual turmoil.
“God is dead, my faith is not. I’ve changed, and I relived each mistake of my past life tens of thousands of times, but my belief that human beings remain capable of benevolence and enlightenment has not. Divine beings are a part of the new reality we find ourselves a part of. It would be arrogant to ignore their existence, but I will not force anyone to worship or pray to any being. My faith grants me strength because it’s my choice.” Robert said with a fiery passion.
He’d clearly thought long and hard for many years. None of it sounded like brainwashing either, it sounded like personal conviction, not zealotry. Drew was happy to hear the man wasn’t a broken shell after he’d seen God die in front of him. He’d truly been worried about his friend during the years he spent in the dungeon.
“One hundred and twelve though, you’re twice your old age now… not even retired anymore either…” Drew smiled and walked forward with open arms, grasping Robert in a big bear of a hug. “Welcome back, you old fuck.” Drew whispered, slapping Robert’s back as he chuckled. The big man laughed and smiled back, returning Drew’s hug.
“Damned whipper-snappers these days, no respect for their elders.” Robert said with a shit-eater’s grin. Amber joined in on the laughter, and Spock had a warm smile on his face. Freya… Freya was chewing on a bone? Where does she keep getting those damn things?!
Maud joined them, shaking Robert’s hand, exchanging light banter before becoming more serious.
“I did not believe I would have enjoyed spending time with you people…” She said, before cracking an almost terrifying smile. “But I’m happy to report that I was mistaken. Maybe I’ll come by someday soon with Jenkins. Here, I’ve made you each a parting gift.” The lich said, handing everyone something she’d hand-crafted.
Amber, Freya and Spock each received a lovely knit scarf, to keep them warm and fashionable during the cold months, and Drew received a pair of silky, yet breathable boxers, which elicited a laugh from most people present.
“Because you’re always ruining your last pair. Make sure to get them enchanted with durability and a self-repair function.” Maud grinned, waving at everyone before following Jeeves out of the room to collect her reward of fabrics.
“We had a great time too Maud, you’re lovely people!” Amber yelled back, waving to Maud while wearing her new red scarf.
“Boof!” Freya added, looking up from her bone and wagging her tail.
Shortly after Maud left, the party, newly reunited with Robert, prepared for gate travel back to Earth. They all said their goodbyes and thanks to the goddess, and just as they walked through the portal, Drew turned his head back.
“Send our regards to Hades!” Drew said, waving as he stepped through the gateway.
“I will, once he’s out of therapy…” She replied to the open air around her, shaking her head and chuckling.
Drew found himself with nothing to do while in transit back to Earth. Gate travel was not instantaneous, and for extremely long distances it would take hours to get to your location. The Gate between Sanctuary and The Halls of Reflection was specialized, upgraded, and currently being paid for by The Baleful Lady. Despite all those boons, he was still going to be in transit for a while.
With limited options to occupy his time, Drew pulled up his status sheet. He’d recently evolved, and other than selecting his class and profession, he hadn’t spent much time with it. The novelty of watching minor stat changes at every level had finally worn off, and now he only checked it after major changes or when bored out of his mind.
He’d chosen to remain as a necromancer and Baleful Warden. Other options had been available, but Drew was comfortable with his fighting style. He had the advantages of both a dedicated melee fighter, and spell caster. If he’d min-maxed one way or another, he was certain he’d be stronger in the specified field, but he was happy with his build. It granted him versatility, and being adaptive on the battlefield was its own advantage.
Plus, given the rarity of his Profession, Race, and class, he’d still end up pretty damn close to a specialized counterpart. Maud had said Drew fit the Death Knight archetype, and after over nine years in the dungeon, he was inclined to agree with her. He had a lot of health, he was difficult to injure, and his magical abilities offered control, damage over time, life leech, soul damage, and some direct damage. Drew finished reviewing his status screen, and began to meditate, waiting to arrive back home.
Status
Name: Drew Wright
Race: Dhampir (Grade - C) - lvl 151
Class: [Necromancer] – lvl 151
Profession: [Baleful Warden (Unique Grade - C)] – lvl 151
Health Points (HP): 21,130/21,130
Mana Points (MP): 20,250/20,250
Stamina: 18,480/18,480
Stats (Attributes) – Modifier: Armor +10% Stats, Titles +15% Stats
Strength: 2441
Vitality: 2113
Endurance: 1848
Toughness: 2113
Agility: 1926
Perception: 1290
Intelligence: 2025
Wisdom: 1630
Willpower: 2435