Backtracking didn’t take nearly as much time as Owin had expected. Since mobs and traps didn’t respawn in secrets, it was easy to follow the series of rooms and halls back to the start. They immediately proceeded into the following room, killing the cathkabel guard.
The difference was the nearly four foot tall ocular guard that occupied the third room. As soon as Owin entered the second room, a beam of energy blasted through the next doorway, all the way through the second, and crashed into a column in the room where they had killed the cathkabel.
The ocular guard was the same kind Owin had fought with Artivan back in the castle in the Great Forest. It was about three times larger than the swarmers they had fought on the other half. That also meant its beam was that much bigger, and that much stronger.
“It has to recharge after it uses its attack,” Owin said. All four of them were still in the first room, pressed against the wall to avoid letting the ocular see them. “I can distract it.”
“That’s what people call being bait,” Myrsvai said. “A fishing term, as I am sure at least two of you are unaware.”
“I fish,” Suta said.
“You do. You’re much better at it. Perhaps it's the second arm.”
Suta shook his head. He didn’t seem to find the attempted joke to be funny.
Thalgodin did find it funny, letting out a deep hearty laugh. “Demons have fished, though it is for souls.”
Owin scratched his head. Thalgodin was fairly quiet most of the time and seemed polite enough, but every so often he said something that reminded Owin that Thalgodin was literally a demon from the Abyss.
“I believe the act of fishing requires your prey to be fish. Arguing over the semantics isn’t a great use of our time. I can hit this ocular guard with another blast, though if it has an attack charged, it might wipe away an Abyssal Blast.”
“So, you do need bait?” Owin shook out his legs. “I can do it.”
“Are you certain? Putting yourself in danger over something trivial—”
Before Myrsvai could talk more, Owin was sprinting into the room. He ran straight down the center, watching the whorl of red energy inside the ocular guard. As soon as its whole pupil was shining, Owin dropped to the ground, sliding over the stone tiles. The blast passed overhead, missing by less than an inch. Owin rolled out of the way, passing his chitin pauldron through the blast, and hid behind a column. The whole hallway glowed red, pulsing with light.
The moment it ended, twenty little balls of abyssal fire flew down the center of the hall, each crashing loudly into the ocular guard. Owin ran from behind the column, through the rest of the room and into the third room where the ocular guard had been. Its corpse sizzled, spilling blood onto the ground. It wasn’t as burnt as the ocular lord, so Owin managed to harvest another heart.
A cathkabel walked into the room just as Suta and Thalgodin were approaching. Without talking, they attacked in sync. Suta punched the cathkabel’s knee, shattering it while Thalgodin simply took its head off.
Owin chewed on the ocular hearts while Suta and Thalgodin continued their spree, rushing into the next two rooms to kill the cathkabel.
Intelligence +10
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Intelligence: 275
“How do they taste?” Myrsvai asked.
“Crunchy.”
“That’s not a flavor, Owin.”
They waited near some columns while Suta and Thalgodin continued killing cathkabel. There were far more on this side, and at the sound of fighting, they had been rushing through the rooms to try to help.
“Why now?” Owin asked.
“Why am I back in the dungeons? It’s time. I’ve been practicing. My mind and my talents have expanded through the years. I’ve learned to fight and use my spells despite my missing limbs.”
“Why don’t you have a fake arm? I’ve seen some of those.”
“That answer is more complicated than you might believe.”
Suta appeared, covered head to toe in silver blood. “Eye.”
“Go catch up and handle the ocular. I’ll be there in a moment.” Myrsvai’s leg squeaked as he took a step.
Owin set off, but looked back at Myrsvai, who shooed him on. Suta guided Owin through two rooms to where Thalgodin waited, pressed against a column. His wings, even while folded, nearly stuck out to the sides.
Right in the center of the ceiling was the biggest eye Owin had seen. Instead of sinew keeping it attached, it looked like it was buried in the stone, or if the stone ceiling had opened its own eye.
“What does it do?” Owin asked. He stayed in the previous room where the eye was barely visible.
Thalgodin stuck his axe out the side, then immediately pulled it back. The eye cast a sweeping red curtain of the same energy as its beams. It swept in a circle around the room.
“That looks dangerous,” Owin said.
“There is a reason I am hiding,” Thalgodin said.
Myrsvai analyzed the room. “You’re safe there?”
“Yes.”
“Then use the columns to move toward the opposite end.”
“We will need to kill the eye if you are to pass through,” Thalgodin said.
“I’m aware. Let me and Suta handle it.”
Owin looked between the magus and his familiar. “You didn’t even see it attack. How do you know how it works?”
Suta pointed at his own eyes.
“Thalgodin didn’t make Suta stronger. He gave him temporary neural demon abilities. I don’t need to be near to know what’s happening. Now, we need another distraction for me to get a clear shot.”
The demon immediately ran to the next column. His hoofs clicked on the stone as he rushed across. Another curtain of energy passed through the room.
“It moves faster than it looked before,” Myrsvai said.
The eye didn’t follow a target. It simply released the spell upon seeing anything.
“I think I can move fast enough to get it between attacks.” Owin grabbed his lich bone knife. The ceiling was about fifteen feet above, which was a manageable height to jump. Leap and stab. Nothing new.
“The time it takes you to jump that high will be enough for it to kill you.” Myrsvai looked at Suta. “Good idea.”
Suta hadn’t spoken.
“What idea?”
“Suta suggested using Abyssal Armor to take the hit without damage, then attack.” Myrsvai walked forward, but Owin stopped him.
“Cast it on me instead.”
Suta nodded.
“I don’t enjoy this idea, but I can make it work. Thalgodin, are you safe?”
“Impatient.” The demon loudly sighed. “Prepared to spill more cathkabel blood.”
“Even at this low of a level, ocular blasts will hurt. Owin will solve it for us now. Wave your arm, Thalgodin.” Myrsvai lifted his staff and nodded to Owin.
The demon triggered the attack again. The moment the curtain passed, Owin sprinted and leapt. Red energy was like mist around the eye. It immediately created another curtain to sweep through the room.
“Abyssal Armor!” Myrsvai’s staff thunked on the ground.
Ghostly red armor formed over Owin’s entire body, even over his chitin armor. The curtain washed over as Owin jabbed the knife into the eye. He sliced the blade across as he passed, then landed and bounced on the ground on the opposite side of the room. Parts of his magical armor had burned away, but most held until Myrsvai ended the spell.
Thalgodin kicked the next door open. “Come and meet the superior species.”
“That worked,” Owin said.
Myrsvai smiled. “Thank Suta. He might not use spells, but he never stops thinking about them.”
Suta purposely avoided eye contact.
Thalgodin roared from the next room. A cathkabel arm flew through the door.
“This is my first time seeing Thalgodin in a dungeon. It’s not what I had expected.” Myrsvai poked the arm with his staff. “Brutal.”
Some cathkabel from farther ahead heard the demon’s roar and rushed in. Each of the three were quickly slain by the battle axe. Thalgodin waited at the end of the room and cleaned the silver blood off his weapon.
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“Why don’t you use the swords?”
“No need. Cathkabel brains are so miniscule that the neural attack may fail altogether against them.”
“Or do you just like the axe more?” Owin asked.
“Owin,” Suta said, running into the next room. He jumped onto a stone table against the wall. There was an identical one on the opposite side, each holding a little jar.
At first it looked like it might be a buff potion, so Owin hurried over and hopped onto his own table. Instead of a buff, it was a jar of eyes. He shook the jar. The eyes followed him no matter how much he shook it.
“Those must be ocular. They’re so small.” Myrsvai took the jar from Suta. “Let’s hold onto these for now.”
Owin carried his jar over and let Myrsvai put it in his backpack.
The next three rooms were clear, having already killed the cathkabel.
Owin stood in the next doorway and stared at the blue crystal on the opposite wall. It was obvious that there was another trap in the room, though he couldn’t see what it might be. The blue crystal led to the door right beside it. Another line went straight up, then vanished from Owin’s sight.
“Give me a moment and I can figure it out,” Myrsvai said.
Thalgodin grunted. “All I can see are cathkabel magic close by. We’re near the end.”
Owin stepped into the room and immediately regretted it as a blue barrier formed in both doors, locking him inside. Half the room filled with luminous flames, though the area he was standing in was specifically not covered.
“These aren’t great traps.” He stuck close to the wall and walked all the way around. Near the crystal, the fire was much closer, but not close enough to actually harm him. Owin jumped up and yanked the crystal from the wall, stopping the flames and killing the barriers.
“I imagine if you were level 10 or below, these traps would be enough to cause difficulties, especially after fighting so many ocular and cathkabel. We have quite the advantage in experience and strength,” Myrsvai said.
Owin agreed, but it was still an interesting comparison to the labyrinth he had been inside with Artivan. This was much bigger, but also much easier. The specters had proven to be difficult enemies and the traps would have killed Owin had Artrivan not used his protection spells.
He opened the next door and instinctively ducked as a fireball flew over his head. If he had been taller, it would have hit him in the chest. A huge ocular mob floated in the middle of the room with five laser rings orbiting. Red bolts of energy flew between the rings.
Ocean Mob
Ocular Occultist
Level 12
“An ocular using wizard spells? Or perhaps it was just a fireball?”
A Bolt spell shot from the pupil. Myrsvai blocked it with the crystal on top of his staff.
“Those are wizard spells.”
Owin pointed his finger and cast his own Bolt spell, which was blocked by one of the spinning laser rings. “I don’t think I can jump at this one.”
A purple Arcane Blast shot from the eye, swerving down to strike Owin. It moved fast enough that he had no time to dodge and took the hit on the center of his chitin breastplate. He landed hard on his back and looked into Suta’s bug-like face.
“Goblin down.”
“Thanks, Suta.”
The familiar pulled him to his feet and shoved him out of the way of the door. The four of them stood just out of sight of the ocular occultist. Its energy hummed inside, though it appeared its spells had no way to reach them when it couldn’t see them.
“The rings look like a normal ocular beam,” Owin said.
“I can hit it with an Abyssal Barrage. Some of those will make it through its protections. Does anyone have a better idea?”
Suta lifted his hands.
“You can’t punch it,” Owin said. “If you could, I would just jump and stab.”
Suta lowered his hands.
“Range is our best option, leaving me as our only competent fighter,” Myrsvai said. As Owin, Thalgodin, and Suta looked at him, he frowned. “That sounded harsher than I intended.”
“I have range,” Owin said.
“Power 1 has times it is beneficial.” Myrsvai stepped into the doorway and launched a barrage of magenta fireballs. Owin joined Myrsvai and watched many of them smash against the lasers, though enough broke through to puncture the ocular’s iris.
The mob dropped to the ground and leaked blood onto the stone tiles.
“Power 1 can be helpful, but it won’t carry you as far as Power 3.” Myrsvai strode into the room, heading for the next door while his leg squeaked with each step.
“I can only use Power 1,” Owin said. He quickly checked for the ocular heart, but as he had guessed, Myrsvai’s attack had shattered the red gem.
Just beyond the occultist’s room was the archway leading to the pit. Owin could see the blocked door about a hundred feet across. He walked through and stared out in the massive pit. Far across was the metal gate near the entrance. Owin waved his hand over the pit, checking for some type of barrier. There was none, which meant if he tripped, he would fall, potentially forever.
The final room was in the center, straight across from the metal gate near the entrance. It was like a bigger, expanded version of all the previous rooms. There were two rows of columns on each side, leaving the middle as a wide open walkway leading to a shining white statue right in front of a white, fire-filled doorway.
Ocean Mob
Cathkabel Champion
Level ???
Two cathkabel flanked the statue, holding shining white swords.
“The interlopers have arrived.”
Luminous fire burst from the doorway. “Ah.” A high-pitched, nasally voice screeched from within. “One of the Vile Fiend’s pawns.”
A cathkabel emerged, opening its wings to their full length. He was taller and bigger than any cathkabel Owin had seen. His wings were massive, feathered things that protruded from shining plate armor.
He slowly, confidently slid brass knuckles onto his fingers and smashed both fists together. “You’ve come to seek retribution?”
Elysium Mob
Priest Temikiel
Level 60
***
Vondaire stood before the sprawling city of Ligala Lepis. It was not as amazing as he had hoped. For a golden city, it was somehow lacking in just about every facet. Its most obvious downside was its unfortunate location. Who wanted to be under water? Who enjoyed skulking about in the fish-scented abyss?
A poorly disguised cetanthro stood across a bridge wearing a girhuma mask. Vondaire assumed the intention was to make it obvious. Surely no hero could miss such a terrible mask.
What frustrated Vondaire more than anything else was the fish’s speed. No matter how fast Vondaire moved, he couldn’t catch the imposter before he vanished down the hatch. If he was not meant to catch the mob, why give the illusion of a chase?
The cetanthro tore off its mask. “Fool,” the fish said. “You have chased me to our holy city, Ligala Lepis.”
“I know.” Vondaire tapped his foot. “Do you have a monologue or is there a possibility that we can move on?”
“. . . what?”
“I appreciate a good soliloquy as much as the next hero, but monologues? Monologues about the cathkabel or even the cetanthro? Less interesting, if interesting at all. What I find fascinating is the thoughts Sloswen has put into your head. Has the God of the Ocean filled yours with mushy peas? Perhaps some mashed potatoes?”
The cetanthro stared blankly at Vondaire.
“Is my point proven or have I just diverted us away from this pointless quest? What is the reward again? A deal from a merchant?” He tossed a ghostblade that sliced through the water and easily punctured the fish’s head. It ate away at the mana quickly, killing the fish before it even finished passing through the cetanthro’s skull. He strode across the bridge and kicked the fish’s corpse.
No loot fell out.
“Well, this is a waste. A boss should provide some decent experience.” He adjusted his gloves and looked to the peak of the city. There was no place more obvious for a self entitled ass hole to stand.
His strut through Ligala Lepis was nothing more stressful than an evening stroll. No mob on the second floor had a chance of hurting Vondaire. Even if he put his guard down, the chances of one landing a deadly blow was minimal, if it existed at all.
His umbra abilities easily spread blood through the waters of Ligala Lepis. Each strike was a kill on each of the cetanthro guards until he made his way to the top. The cathkabel stood confidently with its golden trident, watching Vondaire approach.
Deacon of the Aquatic Council
Graliel
Lord of Ligala Lepis
Level 20
“You must be in the wrong place,” Graliel said.
“What makes you think that?” Vondaire stepped through the threshold. A barrier formed behind him, cutting off his exit.
“Your friends are currently locked in battle.” Graliel smirked, but the cathkabel’s mouth was so small that the expression made Vondaire uncomfortable.
“Are they? And why would that be a concern of mine?” He stalked through the water, pacing around Graliel. At first, movement in the Ocean Dungeon had felt awkward, but as expected, he had quickly adapted. While it was a little slower, there was more freedom to the movements. Heroes were unable to swim, but they could hover or drift if they were smart.
“His Majesty, Sloswen, knows you are allies,” Graliel said. He ran his free hands over a prong on the trident. “You cannot deny it.”
“There’s no denying anything. At first you said friends, which they are not. Allies? I suppose, to a degree. They are above on the first floor. What fight could they possibly have found that would be of any interest to me?”
Graliel watched himself poke the trident and draw a drop of silver blood from his elongated finger. “The holy Priest Temikiel has paid them a visit in the Fortress of Venoliel, the Guardian.”
Vondaire formed a ghostblade in his hand and tossed it up. It sliced through the water and dropped back down as if it was thrown on the surface. He caught it by the ring on the end and spun it around his finger. “Should this concern me?”
“Temikiel is a chosen priest. One high above my station.”
Vondaire nodded slowly, still spinning the spectral weapon. “Elysium has sent a priest onto the first floor? For what purpose?”
“That damned goblin ate me!”
Despite years of training to keep his composure, a smile cracked Vondaire’s lips. “And?”
“Blasphemous! His traveling companions are demons!”
“One is an abyssal familiar, which you certainly know is different. The other is just an ugly man. You cannot fault the magus for his appearance. He has a tortured past, after all.”
“Not the human! There is a neural demon traveling our hallowed halls!”
Vondaire stopped at the edge of the room, looking out toward the tunnel he had emerged from. There was no barrier around the edge, meaning he could simply step out if he had wanted. Of course, he didn’t. What would be the point in leaving the cathkabel alive?
“Good for Myrsvai. Perhaps I have underestimated the Maimed Magus. His fame was not misplaced. This demon is working with him?”
“The demon has slaughtered most of the guards on his own!”
“Did the goblin eat any of the guards?”
Graliel smashed the trident onto the golden tiles. “Do not joke! The emperor will not allow these blasphemous acts to continue!”
“He doesn’t like the goblin feasting on your pale flesh?” Vondaire appeared directly beside Graliel, causing the cathkabel to screech and swing the trident. All Vondaire had to do was step to appear on the opposite side, easily avoiding the attack. “Owin is not the first to collect cathkabel flesh and blood.”
Graliel smashed the trident shaft back down, quickly giving up his attack. “No, but harvesting the dead is honorable. Feasting? There is something barbaric about that goblin.”
“I’m not one to disagree on this topic, though I don’t see the difference in eating it from the source rather than brewing it into a potion. The cathkabel aren’t renowned for their tolerance, but this is perhaps a topic in which you should accept your fate. Owin isn’t going to stop eating mobs.”
Graliel’s eyes widened. “There will be no more feasting. The Priest Temikiel will put an end to the abomination.”
“What level?”
“Hm?” Graliel waved his hand, removing the barrier from the door.
“What level is Temikiel?”
“A magnificent 60.”
Vondaire let the ghostblade flip off his finger. He caught it as he dropped back down. “Disappointing. And what will you do in a few hours, or maybe tomorrow, when Owin walks up here?”
Graliel’s smile vanished. “What do you mean?”
“A level 60 boss won’t stop Owin. Your priest should have been here instead. I would have enjoyed a challenge.”
“We need not fight.” Graliel gestured to the door with his trident. “I gain nothing from battling you, and you are striving for the top. Time wasted will do you no favors.”
“Killing you isn’t taking any time. Give Owin and Myrsvai my regards.” With a simple flick of his wrist, the ghostblade flew straight into Graliel’s head and reappeared on the opposite side.
Vondaire appeared behind Graliel, catching the blade as soon as it emerged.
“My mana,” Graliel said, breathless.
A quick slice of the ghostblade decapitated the cathkabel. Vondaire let the spell fade, leaving him unarmed once again. One look at the trident was all he needed before tossing the useless weapon aside. He stepped off the ledge and landed easily on the sand far below. There was no time to waste. If Owin caught him, one of them would need to wait for things to respawn, and Vondaire had no intention of taking turns with Owin. He would be the first of the three to get his shard.
“A priest of Elysium?” Vondaire chuckled. He hoped he could acquire the same animosity from the cathkabel.