Elstima took a few steps away from his anvil as Nikoletta stalked toward him. He held a hammer and a shard of metal, but he had no finished grenades. Compared to other bosses, he hardly looked intimidating.

“You intrude on my operation, push my assistant into the lava, and now approach me as if you are capable of fighting?” Elstima spun the metal shard in his hand until it formed into a metal hoop with a sharp edge.

Before Nikoletta could get closer, Myrsvai sent a barrage of abyssal magic flying over the lava. Magenta flames battered Elstima, immediately causing his head to burst. Nikoletta shielded her head as bits of metal flew through the water and pinged off the metal walls and floor. Elstima’s headless body stumbled to the side. A metal rod stuck up from his jacket, slowly leaking oil into the water.

“Defeating me won’t be so simple.” The voice bounced around the metal room, coming from a hidden source.

“What is this?” Nikoletta asked.

“A construct,” Myrsvai said. “Spread out. If explosives are present, we need to be far from one another.”

Owin scanned the room as he ran to the next corner. Nothing appeared different from the metal building at the bottom of the seamount. The whole room, other than the lava pool, was all made of metal panels.

Nikoletta approached the anvil and ran her hand over the surface. She moved to the door and pushed against it. “We’re locked in.”

Codhyses tried the door they had just entered. “Also locked.”

Nikoletta’s mace rang as she tried smashing the metal door open. It didn’t budge. Her attack didn’t even leave a dent.

“Come out and fight us,” Nikoletta said.

A noise rang through the room. “As you wish,” Elstima said.

Eight circles on the ceiling appeared as the metal slid away. Directly above Owin, the hole was so dark he couldn’t see anything until two feet appeared. Owin pulled the lich bone knife from his belt and took a step back as Elstima dropped from the hole. Seven other identical Elstimas dropped from the other holes. The nearest cetanthro turned its goggled gaze to Owin.

Ocean Mob

Elstima the Crafter

Cetanthro Grenadier Master

Level 45

Using Examine on any of the eight fish had the same result. Each one was Elstima the Crafter.

Nobody moved.

“What sort of trick is this?” Nikoletta said. Her eyes glowed brightly. “Demonic tricks!”

Suta grunted.

Nikoletta swung her mace as the closest Elstima. All eight moved at once. Owin caught a glimpse of Nikoletta’s target ducking and cutting her across the face with his metal loop.

Before Owin could see more, he had to throw the lich bone knife up to block a metal loop strike. He felt an impact of a blacksmithing hammer hit the top of his helmet, but luckily, the chitin held strong.

Codhyses hit an Elstima with a telekinetic blast that sent it straight into the lava pool. He sent another blast over the lava, hitting the fish in front of Owin. Elstima flew into the metal wall and went limp.

Owin spun and slashed at the Elstima behind him. He cut into its face, but the metal grated against the bone, slowing the slash. The fish reached into its jacket and pulled out a grenade. A solid yank ripped the lich bone out, but the fish was still standing, bomb in hand.

Suta pushed off the nearest wall and punched Elstima in the face, sending the cetanthro and the grenade into the lava pit. Owin grabbed Suta’s leg and threw him backward before he also ended up in the lava pit.

Something behind cut through the sinew on Owin’s armor, nicking the skin underneath. Owin spun and punched, throwing the battered Elstima back into the wall.

Nikoletta stood over two Elstima corpses with metal pieces scattered about, clearly demolished from her mace. Myrsvai kicked the remains of one into the lava while Codhyses used telekinetic spells to launch the broken pieces.

“Very good,” Elstima said, his voice loud from above. The metal wheel on the door near Nikoletta started spinning. “My prototypes failed, so I will grace you with my true body. Not that I believe fools such as you have a chance to defeat me.”

The door swung open, revealing Elstima in his full form. The cetanthro hardly looked like a fish, especially compared to the small, metal versions they had just defeated. His head looked similar to the other form, but with small tentacles sprouting from his skull, leaking blood where they emerged.

His head was attached with metal tubes, linking it to a wide, unnatural body. His small cetanthro arms remained hanging limp at the shoulders, surrounded by tentacles and an assortment of metal limbs.

Elstima took a step inside with his metal limbs whirring. “I am the ultimate lifefo—”

Nikoletta smashed her mace against the side of his head, causing Elstima to stumble to the side. Before he could recover, Codhyses cast a powerful telekinetic spell, throwing Elstima into the metal wall. The monstrosity fell back, denting the metal panel. He slumped, leaking a variety of fluids. Myrsvai’s Abyssal Barrage was more than enough to finish off the boss, fully destroying his head.

“Sad,” Suta said. “No fighting.”

“Yeah . . .” Owin scratched his head and looked around. Elstima’s voice hadn’t sounded above again. No cetanthro moved about. There was no sign there was another stage of the boss. “I didn’t get to do anything.”

Nikoletta picked up the body, quickly grabbed whatever loot fell out, and dragged the corpse into the lava pit. “Disgusting.” She strode into the next room without hesitation.

Stolen story; please report.

“Our parties together were perhaps too strong.” Myrsvai nodded to Codhyses. “Your skill with telekinesis is impressive. You are talented.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ve heard so many stories about you when you were younger than I am. I can’t imagine reaching your skill.”

“No. No need to think that way. You are plenty skilled and you will do great things. Just be smart. I . . .” Owin walked away, hurrying past the lava and anvil, into the next room. Nikoletta had already knocked over a few barrels and checked for any other loot.

She turned as he entered. “What do you want?”

“I’m making sure you don’t ruin anything.”

“Ruin?” She raised an eyebrow as she pulled the top off a barrel. “More grenades.”

A blue mana wall blocked the next door. Owin followed the blue line to the ceiling, over to the other side of the room, and to the floor where it disappeared underneath a dome with a metal wheel on top.

“What are you looking for?” she asked.

“The mana crystal.”

Climbing on top of the metal dome was more difficult than he had expected. It was slippery and turning it while standing was awkward. Still, he opened the dome on his own. He hopped down, pushed it up, and jumped inside. As expected, a mana crystal was set into the wall with a few solid metal grenades sitting underneath.

Something exploded above, sending a wave of bubbles over Owin’s spot. He slipped the grenades into his bag and pried the crystal from the wall. A single hop brought him out of the hole, directly into Nikoletta.

She shoved him back. “Get off me.”

Owin jumped back out to the side. “I was getting the crystal. Are you ever going to be nice?”

Nikoletta wiped some soot from her face. Her boots were blackened from the explosion in the corner, though she wasn’t visibly injured. “Nice? To you? You murdered Kata. You—”

“Fight?”

They both turned to Suta, who was only standing a few feet away. How long had he been there?

Nikoletta furrowed her brow. “What?”

“Nobody mean to twin.” Suta lifted his hands.

She pointed at Suta. “What is this thing saying?”

“He will kill you if you’re mean to me.”

Nikoletta raised an eyebrow. “This demon?” Her mace and eyes immediately glowed again.

“Is this the smartest thing you could do?” Myrsvai asked. His metal foot tapped with each step as he hurried into the room. “Suta’s rage is not unfounded. Artivan was a dear friend to us all, but Owin has decided you will live, so do not put yourself in a position to turn a different Hog on you.” Magenta flames emerged from the top of his staff.

“Are we not all better than this?” Codhyses asked. He hurried in and put himself between Suta and Nikoletta. “They told me what happened in the Great Forest, and I’ve heard what you went through, sir. There’s no reason for us to hurt each other. You saved us, after all.”

Nikoletta scowled. “We could’ve done it.”

“Owin and the Withered Shade helped us,” Codhyses said.

Nikoletta stormed past Owin through the newly-opened door, then stopped. “The stairs are right there. I’ll get Siora and Avani.” She strode past everyone without a word.

“Stairs mean no twin.” Suta walked up and embraced Owin.

After an awkward second, Owin hugged him back. “We’ll see each other on the sandbar outside.”

Suta poked Owin in the chest. “Shade?”

Summon the Withered Shade

“Wow, did I mess up,” Shade said before he even fully formed. “Wow, was Sloswen mad.” He looked around. “Oh, we’re still in the Ocean. Got it.” He saluted to the ceiling. “Yes, sir.”

“Shade, we’re at the stairs and Suta wants to say goodbye.”

Shade squatted in front of Suta. “I didn’t think you liked me, but I do have a way to—”

Suta hugged Shade. “Keep twin safe.”

Shade patted Suta on the head. “I will.”

Suta waved to Codhyses and hurried into the other room.

Myrsvai tapped Owin with his staff as he passed. “I will see you when we’re both Shard Heroes.”

“Don’t hold anything back.”

Myrsvai nodded. “You do the same. Chorsay is waiting for us.” He took a step, then poked Shade with the staff. “Thank you.”

Shade nodded.

“Good luck, Codhyses. I have no doubt you will do some great things.” Myrsvai lifted his staff as a goodbye. “Off to the isolated floors, Suta.”

“Eat mobs,” Suta said.

“Stop. Maybe being away from Owin will be good for you.”

“Munch.”

“I will push you down the stairs.”

Owin walked in and waved as Myrsvai took one more look back before disappearing through the doorway to the sixth floor.

“Codhyses,” Owin said.

The magus joined him near the stairs. “Yeah?”

“I need you to go out the exit right now.”

“What?” Codhyses looked at the swirling black doorway. “We’re going to keep going and regroup on the seventh.”

“I don’t want you involved.”

“Involved? I . . .” He took a step back. “What are you going to do?”

“Owin,” Shade said. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m not letting Siora and Nikoletta continue.”

The skeleton touched Owin’s shoulder. “Oh, don’t do this.”

Summon the Withered Shade

Shade exploded into a cloud of gray dust.

“They’re not getting to the sixth floor.”

Codhyses took a step back, raised his staff, and pointed his hand. Owin knew a telekinetic spell would be difficult to dodge, but the magus didn’t immediately cast any spells.

“Please,” Owin said. “They aren’t good people.”

“They’re not evil, Owin.”

Siora laughed loudly from the boss room.

“If you aren’t gone—”

“I’ll go if you won’t kill them.”

“I don’t want to. I only want them out the door.”

Codhyses sighed. “They thought they would get shards.”

“Not while I’m here.”

Codhyses walked to the exit. “You’re not my enemy.”

“You aren’t mine either.”

The magus nodded and stepped through the doorway, leaving the Ocean Dungeon.

Owin stood directly in the doorway leading to the stairs with his lich bone knife brandished. Siora, Nikoletta, and Avani rounded the turn. They all stopped upon seeing him.

“Everyone is going to leave right now. Out the exit,” Owin said. “You’re not getting shards this time.”

“Leave? A fucking joke,” Siora said. “We’ve climbed this far. We’re gettin to the tenth floor.”

Nikoletta raised a single eyebrow. She looked amused. “We are going down the stairs. If you stand in our way, I’ll finish the job I started in the Forest.”

“Right,” Siora said.

“Fine. Avani, can you please leave?” Owin gestured to his right, toward the exit.

Avani took a hesitant step away from the other two. “What’s happening?”

“The beast is going to try to kill us,” Nikoletta said. “So we will protect ourselves.”

Siora drew her glowing sword. “Has it come to this, Owin?”

“You both brought it here. Avani, please go.” He stepped back and gestured to the door again.

“Go,” Siora said. “He has no reason to hurt you.”

“And he has a reason to hurt you?” Avani asked. “Can’t we all just go?”

“See you another time.” Siora nodded to the side.

Avani lingered for one more second before hurrying past Owin. She stopped at the exit and looked back. “I thought you were a hero.”

Owin grinned. “I’m a goblin.”