I walked ahead of the group with Lyria at my side. Neither of us spoke much, which was hardly a surprise.
We hadn’t had much time to think with all the chaos, and even now, we were wading through knee-high piles of twisted, vaguely humanoid rat corpses. I had just likely pissed off some powerful son or daughter of somebody I was supposed to be afraid of. We were probably going to have to explain how the hell I managed to kill an Eclipsed when I tried to claim my accomplishments with the guild. Oh, and a member of Rake’s party was very likely still waiting by the entrance. I doubted they intended violence when we would be surrounded by so many adventurers, but we still had to be on our toes.
On top of it all, I was haunted by my two run-ins with dark mana. The feeling of losing control wasn’t the most terrifying part. The part that disturbed me was how much I had wanted to let it out. I had been so certain that releasing all the dark mana would solve our problems. It would be power beyond my imagination and the only cost was to give up control.
With dark mana coursing through my body, the thought hadn’t sounded quite as insane as it did now. It was all a reminder that I desperately needed to figure this new power out as soon as I could. I knew we would have died without it in the fight against Rake, so I didn’t regret my decision to unleash it. I only hoped I had time to properly understand how to use it more safely before the next time I was forced to unleash it.
I let out a slow breath, trying to focus my swirling thoughts on the moment at hand. After all, we were so close to the finish line, but we still had to make it across.
Pebble came rolling back with good news. After a series of yes and no questions, I confirmed that one of Rake’s men was waiting for us in the main entrance of the cavern. I also saw with my map that the half-Forsaken and the full Forsaken were still deeper in the dungeon. I wondered if this whole place would close on them at some point now that the bone tree dungeon heart had seemingly retreated.
I wondered if the tree was keeping this place from collapsing entirely, or if its absence would only mean the tunnels would lay dormant until… a new tree grew? Or maybe each heart was different.
Frankly, I was too exhausted to care much. At least, my mind was exhausted. I didn’t have any concrete evidence to say for sure, but I suspected reaching Iron had changed me in subtle ways that weren’t described in my boons. I was almost sure I should feel more physcially tired, even after fully recovering in my bed a couple hours ago. Instead, my body felt coiled and ready for action. Every sensation seemed as if it had been cranked up a few notches. I just felt… more. If I had been alone, I would have likely tested some embarrassing things, like how high I could jump or how many push-ups I could do. Since people were watching, I decided to save that for later.
The destruction of the spawning room and its contents earned me four levels, putting me at level five in Iron rank. It also gained me three accomplishments, which I hadn’t yet taken the time to do more than glance over amid all the carnage.
I had honestly expected more levels and accomplishments, given the scope of the damage I had caused. But, then again, the only Iron rank enemy in the fortress had been the summoner. Slaughtering a bunch of Woods apparently didn’t do much for my growth.
Lyria, on the other hand, had jumped all the way to level 45. It was a massive leap, and I had to pat myself on the back for asking everybody in the party to take turns dumping a little Bombroot potion from the hole we opened in the ceiling. After seeing how they had been excluded from accomplishments and experience in the fight with the Eclipsed, I wanted to make sure we tipped the scales toward rewarding them for clearing the spawning room.
It worked beautifully.
To my surprise, Timbo even agreed to pour some.
Everybody had instantly gained buckets of experience from the explosion, which came after we hiked back to safety and I sent a Forge Echo of my bow infused with Dragon’s Tail. From the height we dug into the room, it was able to safely ignite the powder keg below without blowing itself up in the process.
Honestly, the whole operation had been one of the rare times since arriving on Eros that something felt too simple. I was certain something would go wrong. The summoner would realize what the strange liquid coming from the ceiling was. The ratlings would grapple up to the hole in the ceiling and fight tooth and nail to stop us from detonating it. Some magic would snuff out the flames before igniting the bombroot. Maybe even my Echo would be too afraid to take the shot.
Instead, the summoner and rats had just gone about their business as if nothing was wrong, even as I nearly drained my mana pool drenching their fortress in as much Bombroot as I could manage. My bow had performed its task flawlessly and made it out unscathed.
Easy or not, I wasn’t going to complain. It was nice to know that every single aspect of our journey didn’t always have to be a knock down, drag-out, life-or-death struggle. Sometimes, you just got to blow some shit up while hiding in a secretly commissioned grommet hole far, far away from danger.
Thorn was now level 50, Ramzi was level 48, Zahra was level 42, and Sylara was level 39. Even Timbo had gained fifteen levels, bringing him from level 3 to 18, which I imagined would elevate him from grommet hero to grommet legend. I didn’t think he even had a class corestone, so I doubted the levels were doing him any actual good, but the grommets were treating him with even more reverence after knowing he participated in the battle.
All the other grommets had politely declined my offer to pour bombroot and gain themselves a slice of the spoils. Maybe that was what set Timbo apart and had earned him his impressive three levels. Or maybe he had accidentally killed someone with his root to the forehead procedure in his long past.
Actually, the second one seemed far more likely, now that I thought about it.
Without Voidgaze, none of them knew how many levels they had gained, of course, but I was certain they’d be pleased when they could see.
I pulled up the accomplishments I earned.
[Epic Accomplishment] Defeat [100] enemies within [Beastden] dungeon. [Iron Penalty in effect. (Epic) Dungeon Diver’s Token modified to (Rare) Iron Dungeon Diver’s Token] “That was your biggest explosion yet. I feel like we may need to stage an intervention. Repeat after me: ‘bombs do not solve all my problems. Bombs do not solve all my problems.’ I will admit they did very nicely solve these particular problems, so I’m going to choose to believe you know how to restrain yourself going forward.
“In other news… I can’t believe you survived Rake. I was watching the whole thing on the edge of my metaphorical seat. I wish we had accomplishments for stuff like that. I mean, technically you got one because that was your fifteenth near-death encounter, but we’ll get to that.
“Oh, and it was really nice of you to make sure your friends helped cause that explosion. This is why I root for you!
“Last thing… you probably noticed the whole modification thing. Try not to be upset. A rare Iron token is going to be better for you than an epic wood one, anyway. That kind of thing can happen if you earn accomplishments with enemies or challenges below your rank. Just something to keep in mind going forward!”
[Rare Accomplishment] Survive (15) near-death experiences. [Reward - Rare Iron Survival Token] “I know, it seems like a lot of near-death experiences for a measly rare token, right? I don’t make the rules! Also, you’d be shocked how many of these near-death moments older people rack up. Spending too long on the chamberpot at an advanced age? Near-death. Getting up too fast? Near-death. Sneezing too hard? Yep. Deadly.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“Anyway, it’s really your fault for trying to collect so many of these at such a ripe, young age. If we want to examine some highlights, there was the time you fought a tomte with poisoned knives while your manhood was flapping in the wind. There was the whole tribe of cursed tomte you poisoned, then decided to charge in while they were vomiting themselves to death because you didn’t want your helmet to be lost. Or there was the time you went into infested ruins one day after being in this world and nearly died to a Silver Rank lich. Or the Irons who kidnapped and tried to feed you to a briarwraith, or the carapax who took you to meet the queen and nearly got you digested… And, of course, you’ve been kind of speed-running near-death since you stepped into this place.
“But you’ve also got a few fun ones. Like there was this kiergard in Thrask you stared at. Did you know if you had stared just a second or two longer, it would’ve led to you getting held for questioning? Which would’ve almost certainly led to your identity being revealed and… well, all the probability tables there point to almost definitely dead. Or there was the time you kept lighting stuff on fire in a confined tunnel with little to no fresh air supply. Without the levels you’ve already earned, one of those times would’ve knocked you unconscious, which would’ve led to the flames reaching you and burning you alive while you slept peacefully.
“Whew! Sorry, but this is fun, right? Don’t worry, I’ll keep tracking your near-deaths. At this rate, I think you might get legendary before old age. Wouldn’t that be great?”
[Common Accomplishment] Take your first steps toward corruption, darkness, or a burnt soul. [Reward - Common Iron Stealth Token] “Awkward, right? It’s not like you chose this. But, um, there’s a whole set of accomplishments for this kind of thing. Basically, you’ll get items that are supposed to help you mask just how dangerously far-gone you’re becoming. That, or they help you slip into cities to re-supply, avoid detection out in public, and so on. But hey! I know the plan. I know you’re not going to be one of those people who turns and wipes out a whole village before basically becoming a monster who lives in dungeons and infestations, right?
“So, just consider this a bonus token. You won’t need it, or the ones that may come afterward.”
As usual, the messages and my achievements were both interesting and slightly concerning. I hadn’t given it a great deal of thought yet, but I wondered what soulburn and burnt souls were. My bedroll lumped “soulburn” in with corruption and dark mana, as if it was a third kind of forbidden power. The implication was that there were Forsaken, who gave in to corruption. There were Eclipsed, who gave in to dark mana. But what was something who gave in to “soul burn?” Did it even work the same way, or was it a separate condition with entirely unique mechanics?
I put the question from my mind, as I had no way to know for now.
I thought about the rest of the message. Had I really come so close to getting killed by looking at a kiergard for too long? I made a mental note to be more careful when I returned to the city. I also stashed the information that kiergard were not people to trust with information about my former divinity. The whole… creepy pale skin, bald heads, and deadly aura thing probably would have kept me from feeling too comfortable around them in the first place. But if questioning by one would’ve led to my death, it either meant that particular kiergard was working for someone who wanted me dead, or maybe the kiergard as a whole were?
I wished I knew more about the modification system, too. I had earned an epic token that was “modified” to rare, but also Iron rank. My secret messenger implied it was either a good or neutral thing for me to have a rare Iron token instead of an epic Wood token.
Did that mean the difference between Iron and Wood rank equipment was roughly equivalent to one rarity tier? For example, would a Rare Iron weapon be roughly as powerful as an Epic Wood weapon?
If so, it might mean my Wood gear wouldn’t be actively bad now that I was Iron, just that Iron gear would more easily replace it in power.
It would also mean items with useful active effects could be used as long as I liked. When I had more time outside the dungeon, I planned to test it all thoroughly. If I was lucky, I might even find somebody I could simply ask and save myself the hassle.
I pulled up the list of all the tokens I had waiting, including the Epic Augment token I hadn’t used from before.
[Common Dungeon Diver’s Token]
[Common Lone Dungeon Diver’s Token]
[Common Iron Stealth Token]
[Rare Dungeon Diver’s Token (2)]
[Rare Ascension Trophy]
[Rare Iron Dungeon Diver’s Token]
[Rare Iron Survival Token]
[Epic Lone Dungeon Diver’s Token]
[Epic Augment Token]
[Legendary Personal Space Upgrade Token]
“You’re smiling?” Lyria asked. “What has you so happy? Is it the piles of corpses or the looming confrontation with whoever is waiting for us in the main chamber? Or maybe you’re just replaying the look on that Marcia girl’s face when you shut her down?”
I realized I definitely was smiling, then eyed her. “I’m just relieved. I feel like we shouldn’t have made it through that, yet here we are. Stronger. More prepared for whatever comes next. It’s a good feeling.”
She worked her lips to the side. “You’re definitely stronger.”
“You know you’re level 45 now?” I asked quietly.
Lyria’s eyes bulged. “What? I felt like I had gained some levels, but I didn’t think it would be so many…”
I smiled. “Yep. You all took a massive leap after we bombed the spawning room. Even Timbo.”
Lyria stared ahead as we walked with a shocked expression on her face. “Gods…” she whispered. “People don’t level this fast, Brynn. I was level 28 when we met. Was that even a month ago? I thought I was being overly optimistic when I hoped to reach 30 by this time. I told myself if I could earn 5 or 6 levels each year, I’d be able to try for an ascension token before I was in my thirties.” She laughed softly, shaking her head. “It’s unbelievable.”
“We’re just getting started,” I said seriously. “And you’re Soulbound. Don’t think for a second we’re not about to unlock the shit out of that once we get somewhere safe.”
She pursed her lips doubtfully. “We think I might be Soulbound.”
“You’re something,” I said. “I’ve seen the potential. Trust me. We’re going to figure it out. People like that Marcia girl will be afraid to talk down to you by the time we’re done.”
She lowered her eyes. “I appreciate that you stood up for me back there, but you shouldn’t have. People like her… They can ruin the lives of people like me with a casual whisper to the right person. She could keep me from ever getting a job within sniffing distance of the inner rings. Or I’ll find a guard trailing me until I slip up, making a false charge that gets me thrown behind bars for the rest of my life.”
“Someone like you?” I asked. “What is it you think you are?”
She frowned. “I’m low-born. In a place like Riverwell, it doesn’t matter as much. The high born don’t leave the inner circles often and risk the danger. But if we’re going to be in places like this, it matters.”
“Power matters,” I countered. “I don’t care who gave birth to you. If people know we can kick their ass, they’ll get out of our way. That’s our philosophy. Let them preen and prance. Who gives a shit? We’ve got far greater goals than dressing nice and earning fancy titles. Well…” I said, licking my lips. “I actually wouldn’t mind some cool titles. But that’s a separate issue. I can get those from class upgrades. I don’t need theirs. Unless they’re really cool, like—”
Lyria smirked. “Brynn?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re ridiculous. But I’m glad I came with you.” She glanced behind to ensure we weren’t being listened in on, then lowered her voice anyway. “I don’t know if this is how you were before the whole… prestige thing. But I’m glad you’re the god I happened to cross paths with. I think Eros would be a better place if someone like you had the power to help shape it.”
“I still don’t know if that’s the goal,” I said. “Maybe the goal is just to make sure Eros exists. Period. First, we make sure Eros is still intact. After that, we can worry about what shape it takes.”
Lyria’s face was grim. “Yeah. Fair enough.”
The narrow tunnel full of corpses finally opened up to the entrance chamber. It already felt like an eternity since I had seen the place.
Wounded adventurers were laid out as two healers moved between them, hands glowing briefly with magic as they seemed to be trying to spread their mana across as many victims as possible. There were only two healers I could see. One was a man in his thirties and the other was a girl who looked a couple years younger than me. Both appeared exhausted.
I scanned the room for any sign of Rake’s ally, then noticed the dark-haired youth leaning against the dirt by the circular hole leading up to the surface. My insides clenched at the sight of him. Last time I saw him, he was standing behind a cloud of poison magic, sword drawn as he walked toward our battle with Rake.
He spotted us at the same moment, face lifting and eyes sharpening. His thumbs were hooked in his belt, and he grinned, lifting two fingers in a lazy wave of acknowledgment.
Okay. He wasn’t charging with his sword drawn, at least. That was… probably a good sign.