“Who is Althowin Alegarra?” Owin asked. Chorsay gave the portal guard a handful of coins, allowing their entire small party to pass. Sanem had to shove Suta as the familiar readied to fight the guard.

“Kat? Ernie?” Chorsay said as he waved them onto the platform.

“She’s our master,” Ernie said. “One of the only known 7 Shard Heroes.”

“Seven shards?” Owin asked quietly. A Shard Carrier was someone who conquered the dungeons, which meant . . . “All the dungeons?”

Ernie nodded. “All seven.”

“Good work, Sanem,” Chorsay said, patting her on the shoulder. “I’m guessing this was more of a partnership of convenience than a true plan?”

“It was Sanem’s idea. Part of what we said is true,” Ernie said. “We came to hire Artivan.”

“Sorry,” Katalin said, gently touching Chorsay’s arm.

Chorsay nodded. “Then do me a favor and hire Owin to escort you.”

Ernie grunted. “I respect you, but he’s level one, Chorsay.” Ernie’s index flashed in front of his eyes. “That strength is absurd for his level, but as an escort?”

“He fights like a level 30,” Sanem said. “He tossed me on my ass.”

Owin stood awkwardly in the center of everyone. Other people moved around them, passing through portals, ignoring the odd group standing in the center of the platform.

“Don’t I get to choose?” Owin asked.

“You need this and they need an escort. It works for both of you,” Chorsay said.

“Why do I need it? I just escaped a dungeon.”

Chorsay smiled softly. “You need to find things to make you stronger. Your attributes are too low to survive this world.”

“How do you get stronger?” Ernie asked.

“Buff potions,” Owin said. “They’re permanent for me.”

“What? Really?” Katalin pulled her backpack off, dug through it, and produced a golden potion in a round bottle. “Prove it.”

Owin held the bottle in front of him and used Examine.

Master Charisma Buff

+50 Charisma

Duration: 15 Hours

The duration quickly became fuzzy and vanished. Owin didn’t hesitate. He popped the cork and poured the golden liquid into his mouth.

Never before had he tasted something so sweet.

Hero

Owin

Deficient Wizard

Nimble Hog Hero Company

Level: 1

Strength: 216

Constitution: 140

Dexterity: 30

Intelligence: 155

Wisdom: 10

Charisma: 60

“Look at that,” Katalin said. “It doesn’t even show it as a buff.”

“What does charisma do?”

“At 60? Not much.” Katalin took the empty bottle back and tossed it in her bag. “I probably should’ve given you something smaller.”

“I thought you were saving that,” Ernie said. His own index flashed before his eyes as he looked at Owin’s stats. “Do they ever go down?”

“They haven’t yet. The duration disappears when I Examine the buffs.”

“Maybe we do need to introduce you to Althowin.”

Katalin shrugged. “Might be unique, but it’s not enough to waste her time.”

“You want someone reliable,” Chorsay said. “That’s why you came for Artivan.”

“Reliable, not unique. He stands out in the worst possible way,” Ernie said.

Owin loudly set the Thunderstrike Maul on the ground. “You all keep talking like I’m not right here.”

Chorsay really had to crane his neck to look at Owin. “It will do you good to get out of the city for a while. Ernie and Kat know their way around the dungeons and will help find ingredients for Miya to make you some buffs. We all win in this.”

“How do we win?” Ernie asked.

Chorsay whispered something to Sanem.

She gently tapped Owin on the head. “Good luck out there. I’ll be eager to hear how it goes when you get back to Atrevaar.”

Suta approached Owin and stood far too close. His mandibles wiggled right in front of Owin’s nose. Suta raised one fist. “Crush your enemies.”

Owin bumped his fist against Suta’s. “I will.”

Sanem smiled before guiding Suta to the Atrevaar portal. The familiar jabbed into the air a few times before Sanem shoved him unceremoniously through the portal.

“No charge.” Chorsay stuck out his hand.

Ernie sighed and watched Katalin, who idly tossed the iron pipe in her hand again. “The Nimble Hogs are cheap anyway. That savings—”

“I will escort you twice for free,” Owin blurted. Chorsay was right. His attributes were too low. There were ten floors in each dungeon, and he was struggling all the way through the four he had gone through. What hope did he have of collecting even one shard if he couldn’t get past the fifth floor?

“Twice? What makes you think we would want your help twice?” Ernie asked.

“Actually, that saves us a ton of money,” Katalin said. She stared at the sky as she continued tossing the pipe. “A ton.”

“Do you agree to this?” Ernie asked.

Chorsay crossed his arms. “Owin is his own man.”

Owin grinned. He wasn’t really excited to enter a dungeon again, but the first few floors would be simple enough now. With his current strength, Owin would be able to go back through the cultist and satyr villages without too much danger. The real risk came from other heroes. As long as he paid attention and fought with some intelligence, he would be fine. Artivan had taught him enough. He could do it. He would do it.

Ernie grabbed Chorsay’s hand and shook. An index appeared in front of Ernie’s eyes right as Owin’s opened on its own to the Hero Company tab.

Escort Ernworth Eckelson through the end of floor 4 of the Ocean Dungeon.

“I can’t swim,” Owin said.

“Okay?” Ernie closed his index. “What about it?”

“The Ocean Dungeon . . .”

“Is not what you think it is.”

“You don’t swim in the water,” Chorsay said. “Listen to Ern and Kat. Alchemists struggle with fights, but even they can handle the first floors.”

“Three and four get questionable,” Katalin said.

“I hope this is a good idea, Chorsay.” Ernie shook his head. “This is going to get us scolded.”

“He can fight and he wants to get stronger. Right, Owin?”

Owin nodded. He needed to get significantly stronger if he was going to collect all seven shards. At this point, Owin had no real idea how far he could go in a dungeon. Without Artivan, would Owin have been able to continue in the Great Forest? If he hadn’t been pursued, maybe he would have found out. Now could be his chance to really test his strength.

Ernie watched Owin with an eyebrow raised. “So could the Golden Bull we hired before this, and he got himself killed in a cetanthro swarm. Heroes who want the shards always fight more than they have to. They’re experience gluttons.”

“I can’t get experience.”

Katalin snorted. “Deficient doesn’t cut it. You’re a fucking mess.”

“You agreed. The contract is locked.” Chorsay bent down with effort. He didn’t make it quite as low as Owin. “Artivan didn’t send you to us to hide inside a building. I’ll help you get strong.”

Owin nodded.

“When you leave the Ocean, come straight back to Atrevaar.” Chorsay stood with a grunt. “Make sure Owin gets back to the portal.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“Yeah, I get it,” Ernie said.

“Stop worrying so much, old man. Anyone stupid enough to mess with him will be messing with us,” Katalin said.

“That’s my concern.” Chorsay clapped his massive hands together. “Be off. Be safe.” He lifted a hand and smiled softly as he walked to the portal back to Atrevaar and vanished.

“How did we end up like this?” Ernie asked.

“Stop complaining,” Owin said.

“Whoa.” Katalin caught the pipe and lowered her brow. “The goblin is getting snippy already.”

“I made it through four floors of a dungeon while heroes were trying to kill me. Escorting you will be easy.” He picked up the heavy hammer and let it rest on his shoulder. “I don’t want to listen to you complain anymore. Everyone keeps talking like I’m not right here. I’m here and I know what I’m doing.”

Katalin shrugged. “I’m sold.”

“Fine.” Ernie sighed. “Let’s go. I’m guessing you haven’t been to Minolitana Prima.”

“I don’t know what that is.”

“Well, from this shit hole, we’ll need to take a portal to Vraxridge in Brukiya before we can even get to Graisetus.” Ernie looked around at the portal for a second before pointing to one on the far side. “Vraxridge.” He walked over with his hands in his pockets. “See you in a few hours.”

Katalin rolled her eyes as she stepped through right after Ernie. Owin didn’t hesitate to jump in after them.

Vraxridge was a blur as Owin appeared and was immediately guided through another portal by Ernie. He didn’t even get a chance to see the buildings before darkness enveloped him again. Pain filled his body, but in what felt like a second, he reappeared and stumbled in front of a portal on another platform that looked nearly identical to the rest, though this one only had three portals on it, including the one Owin had emerged from.

“Apologies for the rush. I didn’t want to pay another fee,” Ernie said.

Owin shook out his limbs. Time had certainly passed with the sky now dark. It felt like seconds in each portal despite time passing so significantly. It was dark through Minolitana Prima with only dim street lights illuminating anything. Before Owin could even try to examine his surroundings, he caught a strong whiff of something off. He hadn’t thought anything specific about the smells of Oriathria or Atrevaar, but this was . . .

“It smells like the sea. Like fish,” Katalin said. “Stop sniffing the air. It looks weird.”

Ernie nodded his agreement.

“We should make it to the ferry in time,” Katalin said as she stared at the moon. “Assuming we hurry.”

“I’m good at that,” Owin said.

“Yeah?” Ernie adjusted the straps of his backpack. “I guess we’ll leave the sightseeing for another day.”

Katalin rolled her eyes again and gently shoved Ernie. “Let’s go.”

Ernie led the way past the portal guard and down into the road. In the dim light of street lamps, Owin couldn’t see everything perfectly, but Minolitana Prima looked entirely unlike Oriathria. The streets were made of bricks and the buildings were low, not towering like mountains into the sky. He didn’t have a chance to see much else as Ernie led him around a domed building and down a massive staircase. While it was narrow enough to only fit two or three people abreast, the stairs ran down an entire rocky hillside. Ernie and Katalin grasped tightly to the railing while running. Owin took every step, moving his feet as quickly as possible. His low dexterity score was never more present in his mind. If he tripped and fell . . . he would be falling for a long time.

A horn rumbled in the air, coming from far below.

“Ten minute warning,” Ernie said.

“We’ll make it.” Katalin rushed past Ernie.

The bay slowly came into view as the staircase rounded the hillside. The ferry floated beside a busy dock. Fog clung to the water, obscuring the standing lights so the dock hung in a dim twilight.

Ernie reached into his pocket and pulled out coins as they hit the end of the stairs. Katalin was already ahead, down a small path, talking to someone in a uniform. She passed a handful of coins and gestured back to Owin and Ernie.

“Keep your head down,” Ernie said.

“My hair and ears don’t really go down.”

“That damn hammer draws plenty of eyes too.” Ernie took off his backpack, dug through a few pockets, and finally pulled out a cloak. “This is going to be way too big for you.”

Owin set the hammer down and grabbed Naxile’s knife.

Ernie handed the cloak over. “If it saves us some headaches, it’s worth the price.”

Owin immediately tore into the cloak with the knife, cutting off a significant portion of the bottom. He took off his shoulder bag and put the cloak on, letting the massive hood hang over his head. He could feel his ears bend, though they mostly stayed pointing out, giving the cloak’s hood an odd shape. He had cut it mostly to the right length, though the end was jagged and wavy so his bare, green feet were sometimes visible.

“It’s better,” Ernie said.

“Hurry it up!” Katalin waved them on.

“Just don’t talk to anyone. Let me handle it.”

That was fine with Owin. Talking to humans only ever got him in trouble. Being able to blend in, even just a little bit, was going to help. Ernie was right. The Thunderstrike Maul drew a lot of unwanted attention. It would never fit inside a bag, so the only real way to carry it was to rest it on his shoulder or drag it behind, both of which did nothing to curb the attention.

“Departure is in a minute,” the gate guard said.

“We’re hurrying,” Ernie said over his shoulder as they passed onto the dock.

People of all kinds stood on the dock. Some looked like normal citizens, but others were clearly heroes. A number of the heroes were on the ground. One was missing a leg, leaving a pool of blood on the dock. He wailed and reached for the empty space where his leg had once been. Another had burns on his neck, all the way up to his eyes. A gash had taken a chunk of his nose and left his eye socket empty, dripping blood over the burns on his cheek. They were both alive, but they would never be the same. Owin touched his own face, feeling the burn scars from the lich’s gray mist.

Some dead heroes were covered in sheets, left to collect sea water and blood.

Many more heroes were on the ferry, though they were all in pristine condition. A few warily watched the dying humans. Most were chatting and laughing with others.

Ernie pushed through a group until they reached the edge of the ferry. Katalin was already aboard, sitting on the edge away from the crowd. They made it on just as another horn bellowed into the night.

“Where does this go?” Owin asked.

“To the dungeon entrance,” Ernie said quietly.

He sat on the deck beside Katalin, who didn’t seem the least bit concerned about falling off as the ferry lurched into motion. The ferry’s wooden deck was stained with blood. Fresh puddles moved with the motion of the boat.

“Those heroes had to ride the ferry back?” Owin asked quietly. Owin sat beside Ernie and pulled the cloak’s hood down as far as he could.

There were at least twenty heroes aboard the ferry. None had paid attention to Owin or the alchemists. They all seemed focused on themselves or their small parties. It seemed appropriate, knowing that they were about to go risk their lives. Overconfidence could be deadly in a dungeon. Owin had killed several heroes who thought he was easy prey.

And he would do it again.

“We’ve got a half hour before anything exciting happens,” Ernie said.

A nearby hero wearing golden armor pulled out a bottle and popped a cork loudly, causing the liquid to foam out the top. “A toast for those about to become true heroes!”

Other heroes nearby cheered. The hero took a drink from the bottle and passed it around.

“Who would’ve guessed a Golden Bull would be so obnoxious,” Katalin said.

Ernie chuckled.

Owin didn’t get it.

The Golden Bull’s armor was shining, even in the moonlight. He wore striped red leather underneath the armor that was the same color as the bright mustache on his upper lip. Despite the shining armor and red hair, the main thing Owin noticed was the massive, oversized sword that was slung over the hero’s back. It was even bigger than the abyssal greatsword Owin had used back in the Great Forest.

“Maybe I was wrong. A ferry full of career heroes is unique,” Ernie said.

“If that Bull is going for a shard, the rest might be as well,” Katalin scanned the heroes. Her index flashed a few times. “A few unaffiliated heroes.”

“Void Nexus, Golden Bulls, and Three Headed,” Ernie said as his own index vanished. “Two of the big three at once is rare.”

“Void Nexus?” Owin asked quietly.

“You know them?” Katalin asked.

“Void Nexus heroes chased me and killed Artivan.”

Katalin swung her feet around and leaned on her knees. “Tell us what happened to Artivan. I want the story.”

Owin sighed. “What about the Void Nexus over there?”

“They won’t bother us. They’re too haughty, and they don’t know who we are,” Ernie said.

“I don’t recognize a single hero,” Katalin said. “Which is good. Brings less attention. Now, let’s hear that story.”

Owin started the story from the beginning. Again.

Ernie had been right about the time. Owin finished his condensed story right as the ferry blew its horn again. Owin jumped to his feet and looked around.

There wasn’t anything there.

“I’ll be right back,” Katalin said. She reached into her pocket and casually stalked over to the other heroes. Before long, everyone was laughing as she handed gold to some and a few bottles to others. She arrived back just as the ferry bumped into something, causing the entire boat to stop.

“What were you doing?” Owin asked.

“Making sure we can go in first.”

The other heroes parted, allowing them to exit first. Right off the ferry was a long sandbar. About halfway down, a massive black doorway stood menacingly, leading to nothing. Just beyond, at the end of the sandbar, was a smaller door.

“Big hammer for a kid,” someone said as Owin passed.

He didn’t look up, keeping his eyes focused on Ernie’s heels as they climbed off the ferry. The sand shifted under his feet, making the short trek to the doorway more difficult than he would’ve guessed.

“This isn’t the Great Forest,” Ernie said.

“I know.”

The black doorway leading into the Ocean Dungeon felt like it was pulling him in. If he stared into it, he might simply fall forward and vanish inside.

“Are you three going to be safe? You could always pay us for some help,” a hero called.

Ernie waved him off. “Just stay close and avoid fighting. It’s easiest that way. We want to move through quickly. You’re here to help us escape if something goes wrong and to clear the bosses.”

“You’re bringing a child in?” the same hero asked. His steps in the sand crunched. “Actually, that’s an insane weapon for someone so small. Are you trying to get a shard, darling?”

“Back away,” Katalin said.

“You see, I’m a career hero. I know the dungeon well. You paid to go first, but if you need an escort—”

“We’re fine,” Ernie said.

“A child shouldn’t be entering any dungeons. Are they fifteen and that small?”

The hero grabbed Owin’s hood and yanked it off. Owin immediately felt his ears pop out all the way and his hair, despite having been flattened, stood right back up. He turned a glare to the hero behind him.

Hero

Akos Szabora

Hunter

Void Nexus Hero Company

Level: 49

Strength: 173

Constitution: 160

Dexterity: 308

Intelligence: 157

Wisdom: 145

Charisma: 164

“What the fuck?”

“Shit,” Katalin hissed. She stepped right in front of Owin. “What are you doing? Just touching people? What kind of ass hole are you?”

Akos was tall and thin with black clothes. Bits of metal armor shone in the moonlight, but it was all mismatched and left most of his body exposed. Patchy stubble covered his face, growing around some deep scars on his jaw. His hand inched toward the knife on his hip.

“Is that a goblin?” Akos asked.

Other heroes watched from a distance. The Golden Bull hero from before drank the last of the bottle and tossed it onto the sandbar. A few other Void Nexus heroes stuck close to Akos’s flanks.

“It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t involve you,” Ernie said.

“A goblin in our world? It fucking matters.”

“Leave me alone,” Owin said.

Akos sneered. “It talks.”

“I do more than talk.” Owin grabbed the Thunderstrike Maul with both hands. “Go ask Siora.”

Akos’s eyebrow rose. “The soldier? What’s she . . .” His eyes widened. “Her team was slaughtered by a . . .” His index flashed in front of his eyes. “Nimble Hog.”

“This is great,” Katalin said. “We’re all familiar with each other. Now we can all be on our own fucking way.”

Akos drew his knife and shifted his stance.

Katalin immediately produced the iron pipe and held it in front of her. “I can survive an explosion this close, ass hole. You can’t. Back off.”

Akos eyed the pipe in her hand and used Examine on Katalin as well. He sheathed his knife and put his hands up, taking a long step backward. “No reason to use any bombs.”

“We hired the Hog for a job,” Ernie said. “I don’t care about any personal grudges. Leave us alone to do our job, and you can go about the dungeon freely.”

Akos gestured to the door. “You paid to go first.”

Katalin reached back to push Owin toward the door, but with their height difference, she placed her palm right over Owin’s face and shoved. He stumbled and fell onto the sand, causing the Void Nexus heroes to laugh.

“Come on,” Ernie said, grabbing Owin’s arm.

“Void Nexus killed Artivan,” Owin said quietly.

“Those heroes in the Great Forest killed him. Not the whole company. We’ll gain nothing by fighting these people.”

Owin glared at Akos, who grinned, as Ernie pushed him toward the doorway. Katalin kept her position, pipe bomb in hand, until the dark doorway ate everything. Owin felt himself get pulled away from the outside world and into the void.