The stairs were long and winding, bringing them to the top tier of Ligala Lepis. There weren’t solid walls at the top, only repeating archways that allowed an incredible view over the golden city, and out to the massive brick dome. Owin spotted the tunnel where Katalin had harvested the green mushrooms.

The ladder they had climbed down was rather short, so Owin didn’t quite understand how such a massive place was hidden within the second floor of the Ocean Dungeon.

A bright red rug ran from the top of the stairs, down the hallway, and into the central peak of Ligala Lepis. Owin tried to pull the rug up, unsure of how it stayed in place beneath the water. He peeled a nail out as he yanked up, causing the entire rug to wave.

“This fight will be all you,” Ernie said. “I need to conserve the rest of my grenades.”

“I could just—”

Ernie shook his head, cutting off Katalin. “You can do it, Owin.”

“I know.” Owin followed the rug down the hall and up a small step into the central peak. The room was mostly empty other than a fountain in the middle and a statue in each of the four corners, all facing inward.

A lone man stood near the edge, looking out at the bridge they had crossed to reach Ligala Lepis.

Deacon of the Aquatic Council

Lord of Ligala Lepis

Graliel

Level 20

“Is that a cathkabel?” Owin asked.

“It has to be,” Ernie said.

“Ugly as shit,” Katalin said.

The statues below had been depictions of Graliel. His seaweed crown moved in the water like the seaweed wrapped around his massive bald head was still alive. His skin was stark white, and his eyes were beyond huge. Graliel turned his head to face them and smiled without showing teeth. White pupils bore into Owin.

“Welcome,” Graliel said.

His feathered wings were folded close to his back, and his long, feathered tail hung in the water, drifting with the water’s movement.

“Is that armor?” Katalin asked.

“It looks too tight,” Ernie said.

It did look too tight. Whatever Graliel wore was as skin tight as it could be, showing off his impressive physique. Chunky metal bracers, boots, and a belt were the only things he wore that weren’t skin tight.

Graliel fully turned to them. He snapped and in a flash, a small trident appeared in his hand. Its three prongs shone with the same golden gleam as the rest of Ligala Lepis. Owin fully passed through the archways into Graliel’s chamber.

The fountain in the middle was an elaborate multi-tiered art piece that flowed with molten gold. Ernie and Katalin remained in the hallway, each holding a bomb just in case.

With how open the room was, Owin wasn’t sure he would be able to avoid a shockwave if either of them used their weapons. But they wouldn’t use them. Owin had promised he could handle it.

“A goblin in Ligala Lepis?” Graliel said. His voice moved easily through the water. He took a few slow steps away from the edge.

Only then did Owin realize Graliel’s height. He was even taller than Chorsay. The cathkabel had to be nearly nine feet tall. Which meant the trident wasn’t small, the cathkabel was just massive.

“How did one of Ruvaine’s escape?” Graliel asked. He spun the trident, caught it, and smashed the shaft against the floor. “No matter. I will cleanse the holy city.”

Owin paced away from the door, leaving Ernie and Katalin. If he stayed, they would easily be caught in the fight. He approached the fountain of flowing gold and hopped onto the ledge. “How do you know about Ruvaine?”

Graliel eyed Ernie and Katalin. “Are you so confident you will not bring your friends? Fine.” With another stomp of the trident, golden curtains dropped in front of every archway. Ernie reached out and smashed his fist against one, unable to move the magical barrier. Graliel’s smile grew, showing his oversized teeth. “Am I the first cathkabel you have met?”

Owin nodded.

“Then I shall ensure you die well, goblin.” Luminous flames ignited across the trident’s three prongs. Water boiled immediately, unable to put out the holy flames.

“Cathkabel are weak to abyssal? Anything else?” Owin shouted.

“Nope,” Katalin said.

Other than the Bolt wand, Owin had no weapons capable of doing a specific type of damage. He had lost his abyssal greatsword so long ago. His only hope was to lay on as much damage as possible.

What was he worried about? Graliel was only level 20. He had beat the Malignant Spirit when he was significantly weaker.

Graliel’s white pupils grew. “Begone, heretic!” He dashed as if they weren’t underwater, flying over the golden tiles. Owin brought his knife up, catching one of the three trident prongs before it stabbed him in the heart. The center prong pierced straight through his shoulder, pushing him back until Owin wobbled near the molten gold. Heat rose from the fountain.

Health 120/140

Owin had a few points missing already, but that was still a solid hit from the boss. Blood leaked from the puncture wound, into the water between their faces. Owin clenched his teeth and pressed the tip of the wand into Graliel’s stomach. He activated the wand, shooting Bolt directly into the cathkabel, who stumbled back and yanked the trident back.

Owin’s health ticked down a few more points as the prong ripped back through his shoulder. The actual pain was minimal, but the blood was intense.

“Your struggle is pointless,” Graliel said as he spun the trident with a flourish. Blood misted from the prong into the water, adding to the cloudiness. “A simple goblin cannot hope to kill a righteous cathkabel.”

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“I’m not a simple goblin.”

He had two charges of Bolt left in the wand, and a single use of the actual spell before his mana was too low. A cathkabel was only weak to abyssal, according to Ernie and Katalin. Electricity hurt him enough to make him back away, but it hadn’t had the same effect it did on the cetanthro from earlier.

While both of his knives were reliable, they weren’t anything special. They weren’t about to instantly kill the cathkabel boss. Not unless he found a way to gouge out its brain, but the seaweed crown was probably some type of magical item.

“Tell me, goblin, what are you, if not simple?”

Katalin pounded on the golden curtain. “Fuck him up!”

Ernie, looking reserved at first, nodded eagerly. “Rip his heart out!”

Owin couldn’t help but grin.

Graliel raised his brow. “Your comrades are simpletons.”

“They’re not my comrades. I’m protecting them. This is a job.” Owin adjusted his feet on the edge of the fountain. If he could close the distance quick enough, Graliel wouldn’t have time to react with the trident. As soon as Owin was past the prongs, he would have the advantage.

“A failure, I see. What kind of protector leaves his clients unguarded?” Graliel pounded his trident on the golden tiles twice. “Remove the intruders from my city.”

“Who are you talking to?” Owin asked.

Kat stopped pounding on the curtain and turned back to the stairs. She shoved Ernie, who immediately pulled out a red percussion grenade.

“Are you okay?” Owin shouted.

Ernie gave a thumbs up.

“They will be butchered like the heretics they are. You, though, will be put on display. My cetanthro will worship me at your feet, praying for me to wipe your stain from their city!”

“They’re going to worship you at my feet?” Owin used the butt of the wand to scratch his head. “Wouldn’t they be worshiping me?”

Graliel narrowed his massive eyes. The white pupils grew again, filling most of his eyes. Owin tensed as the cathkabel burst through the water. In his current position, he could jump above Graliel and hover awkwardly in the water for a moment, he could jump off the fountain in an attempt to duck under the trident, or he could leap forward, right at the charge.

With 155 in intelligence, Owin wanted to call himself smart, but he reacted so quickly, so instinctively to most things that he rarely thought his actions through. Before even running through ideas in his head, he was already pushing off the edge of the fountain, charging right at the speeding trident.

Graliel roared as he drove the weapon forward. Its golden prongs sliced right through the water, threatening to rip right through Owin’s head. In the moment before the weapon hit, Owin brought the knife and the wand up, blocking the central prong that jutted out slightly farther than the rest.

Something burst in his face, burning his skin, as Owin was slammed into the golden tiles. Air left his lungs in bubbles as he bounced and floated gently in the water. Graliel hissed something in another language.

The cathkabel’s metal boots clinked gently on the golden tiles a dozen feet away. Owin hopped to his feet, fighting to ignore the pain cutting across his face. The lich’s gray mist had been worse. He could deal with it.

“You are a weapon short, goblin,” Graliel said. He spun the trident again. “Only one of us bleeds. I can survive this assault. Can you?”

Owin sucked in a deep breath. “Stop talking.”

A shockwave from the stairs crashed against the golden curtain barrier. It rumbled through the golden tiles. Neither Graliel or Owin took their eyes from the other.

Owin adjusted his grip on his weapons, and paused. His wand was little more than a piece of splintered wood. He used the back of his hand to feel his face, where cuts and shock burns covered his cheeks and forehead.

“My wand broke.” He dropped it and grabbed his old, jagged stone knife instead.

“A simple weapon cannot withstand the luminous strength of the Golden Trident of Ligala Lepis.” Graliel grinned, showing his oversized bottom teeth.

“That’s too long of a name. This is a stone knife.” Owin waved the tip of the stone knife through the water.

“Simpleton.”

Owin shrugged and readied himself. He wanted to dash past Graliel and look out to the stairs to see how Ernie and Katalin were doing, but that would only give the cathkabel an opening. He was better off finding a way to finish the fight quickly.

Graliel was just as strong as the Malignant Spirit. Owin had already beaten the Lord of the Abyss.

“I can do this,” he whispered.

Two knives helped. It felt familiar, like an older version of Owin he had tried to leave behind. Back when Owin leapt for throats.

He grinned.

What did cathkabel flesh taste like?

Graliel was fast. Possibly as fast, if not faster than Owin. But Owin’s greatest strength was his . . . strength. All he needed to do was get the trident out of Graliel’s hands and the fight was over. Owin had fought tougher, smarter, and fiercer opponents. An ugly cathkabel was nothing compared to heroes.

He cracked a golden tile as he launched himself forward. Graliel, who had been confidently grinning again, brought his trident up to intercept Owin’s charge. A low dexterity score wouldn’t stop Owin from trying new things.

The jagged stone knife had been with Owin since before he awakened. The goblin darkblade used that basic weapon for eternity inside the Great Forest. Owin wasn’t sure why he still had it. There was nothing the knife could do better than any other weapon.

Until that moment. Its uselessness helped Owin carelessly throw it forward. It spun almost immediately upon leaving his fingers, slowing down in the water. Graliel still took the bait, taking one hand off the trident to smack the knife aside before it could hit him.

Owin caught the trident prongs with Naxile’s curved knife and swung to the side, ripping the weapon right from Graliel’s hand. Owin let the knife go as he crashed into Graliel’s face. The cathkabel planted his feet to stop the two of them from crashing to the ground.

Without weapons, the difference was purely in strength. Owin latched onto both sides of Graliel’s face and dug his fingertips into the oversized cathkabel skull. Graliel roared and pulled on Owin, trying to tear him off.

If Katalin was right about cathkabel flesh giving wisdom, Owin wouldn’t let the chance to raise one of his lowest attributes. He bit into Graliel’s forehead and tore a chunk of flesh free. Silver blood blossomed from the wound as Owin swallowed the tasteless flesh.

Wisdom +1

Wisdom: 11

As he swallowed the whole piece, notifications pinged in his view, ticking his wisdom up quickly. Graliel’s fist caught Owin in the cheek, causing Owin to tense. His fingers, tightly gripping the cathkabel’s head, cracked bone, causing Graliel to scream.

“Demon!”

Owin tore another chunk of flesh away with his teeth, chewing as Graliel fought back, weaker than before. His hits were barely doing anything as the cathkabel fell to his knees.

Owin dropped, landing on the golden tiles beside the trident and his knife. He placed the knife in his belt and grabbed the golden trident. It was a little long for him, but he had used oversized weapons before.

“You taint a branch of Elysium,” Graliel said in a weak voice.

Owin swallowed.

Wisdom +1

Wisdom: 24

Silver blood surrounded Graliel, leaking from his head like a misty halo. Cracked white bone was fully exposed between his seaweed crown and his massive, dilated eyes. “You truly are a demon.”

Owin tested the weight of the trident. It was lighter than it looked.

Golden Trident of Ligala Lepis

Journeyman Magical Item

The Golden Trident of Ligala Lepis is the holy weapon of Deacon Graliel. Forged in the holy fires of Elysium, this weapon deals luminous damage.

Note: Magical item does not vary by user

Graliel scrambled for the stone knife. He held it in shaking hands, holding the point out to Owin. While on his knees, the cathkabel was barely taller than Owin. His wide, white eyes watched in horror as Owin approached.

“You’re weak,” Owin said.

“I am Deacon of the—”

Owin drove the trident straight through the cathkabel’s head. The central prong punctured Graliel’s upturned nose, and burst out the back in a spray of silver blood. Owin ripped the weapon out and let the body slowly drop to the golden tiles. He picked up his stone knife and placed it back in his belt.

The golden curtains vanished.

“Owin!” Katalin’s voice was distant. “We—” Another explosion drowned her out. The shockwave passed into the room, shaking the entire room.

Quest Failed

“What?”