(In the divine scriptures of the deities, behold the sacred verses chronicling the divine Ascension of Adtonifulmin; The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm. This chapter in The Relgte of The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm is derived from a song written by the followers of Adtonifulmin meant to praise his greatness in the hopes of endearing him to a being that he loved. The Lackadaisical Herald insisted on this being the introduction to his Relgte, despite numerous deities advising him otherwise. He was too lazy to commission a better introduction for himself. That, more than anything, serves as the best introduction to The Lackadaisical Herald’s personality.
- Commentary from The Famed Heavenly Scribe of Kaspso)
On a stormy night, under the bright star of Cassiopeia, in the 3rd year of the 1 345 654th Duat Tower, Adtonifulmin was born in an undisclosed realm.
Adtonifulmin is The Lackadaisical Herald of the Lightning Storm.
Born mortal, his essence had a full affinity for both lightning and life, a combination of energies that constructed his extraordinary destiny. He was filled with talent, a prodigy among his brethren. Not much is known about his mortal life, nor which world he came from, but he still took the Tower by storm when he Ascended.
Despite his immense talent and mastery of all weapons, his lazy nature hindered his progress in the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan Tower. Even though he was lazy, The Lackadaisical Herald never faltered in his path, and he never got complacent. He always took the straight road, needing to reach his destination faster so that he could have even more time to rest beyond whatever goal he was aiming for.
Many deities tried to show him the right way so that he could live up to his full potential, but Adtonifulmin avoided any path that required unnecessary hard work. He was coveted by many deities of lightning and life, but the one he chose to follow surprised even the Creator herself.
He climbed the Tower under the sponsorship of a powerful but nameless deity, yet Adtonifulmin was resolute in maintaining his autonomy, refusing to spread his master’s doctrines. It is undisclosed what type of Sponsorship Contract he had, but he shunned the teachings and desires of his nameless divine master, choosing to indulge himself in sloth and whimsicality.
While living freely, searching for things that caught his eye, and completing the Infinite Challenge, Adtonifulmin fell in love. The object of Adtunifulmin's affection was not just a deity but the system, the Tower, The Unrivalled Tower Master herself. This went far beyond proving just how arrogant and self-assured he was as a mortal, to fall in love with one of the most powerful deities of all time. Unfortunately for him, the Holy One showed no interest whatsoever in him.
Despite his failings in matters of the heart, Adtonifulmin continuously levelled up and reached the rank of seraphim. After a harrowing trial, he transcended his mortal coil, Ascending to godhood from mortality without stepping through the realm of the constellations. He was able to become a god without going through the judgement of The Great Quartenity, and he raised himself in solitude, existing only for himself and his whims. This was a rare feat among non-demigods, deserving of great praise.
Elevated to the domain of the divine, Adtonifulmin emerged as the god of sloth, lightning, decay, and life, embodying the balance that lies between the lethargy and vitality found in thunderstorms and the decay of all things that heralds new life.
His divine existence is a testament to the purity of both indolence and a hard-working spirit, which is something his priests preach eternally. His praises echo throughout the sacred chapters of this hallowed Relgte, enabling those who are faithful to him to find solace and enlightenment in his holy name.]
- Excerpt from: The Relgte of The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm: Scroll 1: Chapter 0.
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Karma swirled in circles around Langa as the excitement from reaching this point overwhelmed him. He didn't know why, but it felt like every success he'd ever had, every failure, every extra kilometre he'd run, every extra second he'd spent training, and every single achievement he'd ever made were all in preparation for this moment. It was time for him to prove both to the deities and himself that The Lackadaisical Herald was right to Choose him. The first step towards his future path began with his performance in this Sponsorship Challenge, which would measure how far he could go inside this Tower.
The entrance of the dungeon was carved into the rock below the waterfall, adorned with complex glyphs and symbols that seemed to glow from a dark energy. The path through the ravine leading inside was misty, as if inviting only the bravest souls to uncover the secrets hidden within the dungeon. With the Legacy trailing behind him, Langa stepped into the dungeon.
[You have discovered the Trial dungeon: Psike’s Grotto]
Psike’s Grotto Unclaimed Dungeon Level: 10 Dungeon Rank: Trial Dungeon Type: Corrupted Dimension Dungeon Restrictions: Dungeon Areas are restricted to only players Blessed by a deity of life and completing a quest from said deity. Beyond the Guarded Entrance Door, no health potions may be consumed except for those found within the dungeon. Party Members: Min 1, Max 1 Party Member Levels: Min 10, Max 12 Remaining Full Delves: 1/3 Available Boss Respawns: 0/2
So, it was an unclaimed level 10 dungeon, which meant that if he cleared this dungeon, he would complete the first part of the quest to clear the 1st Floor.
Stepping into the dark dungeon, it was as if he had entered into a whole new world. Langa found himself in a walled grassland, surrounded by a dim glow coming from moist white flowers clinging to the walls. Their rosy fragrance filled the air, and the tiny petals gave light to the dark area. He'd never seen flowers that glowed like this before, especially in such contrast to the moist, gloomy atmosphere.
As his gaze swept the cavern, curiosity turned into apprehension when his eyes found an imposing figure standing before a doorway further into the grassland. A giant monster stood there, its presence casting a shadow across the grassland. The difference between the beauty of the flowers and the monstrous guardian was jarring.
Corrupted Trollimp Guard
Level 10
HP: 1200/1200
The creature had thick red skin and an oversized nose above its wide open mouth, with two large fangs protruding from it. It also had only one large eye, right on its forehead. Its ears were sharp like those of an elf and it towered over him with large muscles and an ugly appearance
Its health was 1200, and that was about the same amount of health as Babio the level 5 maestril mini-boss from the tutorial. This served to show Langa how massive the difference was between maestrils and regular corrupted monsters. Tonare was already in Langa’s hands as the trollimp’s single eye glowed with malice as it blocked his path, its deep voice rumbling through the chamber.
“Blessed One of life!” It roared. “Twice your kind has destroyed our home, and killed our King! This is our home’s last life. I will not let you pass.”
More than the words, what surprised Langa the most was that it could talk. All the corrupted creatures that he'd fought so far had been monsters driven only by hunger, and maestrils were the only ones that appeared intelligent. Well, now was not the time to ponder what made this creature different from other corrupted monsters as Langa assessed it, concluding that it was a power fighter. It wore only a strip-like leather tunic and carried in its hands a mace and shield, ready for battle. Langa applied some of the Pot-o-Mors anti-healing potion on Tonare’s blade as this would slow down the trollimp’s regeneration.
After its declaration, it charged towards him, and he sidestepped it, the moist ground squelching under his boots as he dodged the mace.
“Turn back, human!” The trollimp roared.
"Sorry, dude, I have a Challenge to complete, and I'm gonna have to destroy your home to do that, so let's just get this over with, shall we?” Langa said, creating distance with the spear as the Legacy had taught him.
"You shall not pass unless you defeat me in single combat," it growled, its mace and shield at the ready.
Langa gripped his spear tightly, his heart pounding with anticipation. This was his first time facing a monster of his own level solo. He knew this battle might be challenging, but he needed to prove himself and practice his spearmanship while he was at it. He would not use his attribute unless absolutely necessary. He did not want it to end up controlling him again.
The Legacy stood by his side, its voice calm but firm. "Remember, speed and agility are your greatest assets. Keep your distance and maintain a good range against the trollimp. Use your Flash Step wisely, but do not rely on it too heavily."
"Tell me something I don't know."
The trollimp rushed towards him again and swung its mace with brutal force and, wanting to try something new to see how much he had improved, Langa maintained a rigid stance, raising Tonare to block. The mace crashed into the glaive, the force from the attack pushed him back, and it felt as if both his arms had been hit by a bus with how heavy they were. Still, his stance had not broken, and he was proud of that.
Bringing them back down, Langa darted around the trollimp, with quick footwork from his skill. He used Flash Step to his advantage, appearing and disappearing in rapid succession whenever it was off cool-down, always staying just out of the trolimp's reach. The trollimp swung its mace with brute force, but Langa's agility allowed him to dodge, narrowly avoiding the bone-crushing blow.
However, Langa's luck soon ran out. In a moment of miscalculation, he charged forward while the trollimps’s mace was still in the air, and he stabbed Tonare deep into the trollimp’s chest. Before he could infuse the glaive with lightning to stop the trollimp from regenerating, its shield struck him on the side with a sickening thud. Pain seared through his arm as he felt the bone snap. He crumbled to the ground.
“You used the wrong stance! That was the moment when you should have struck and retreated!” The Legacy barked its corrections and advice, the unwelcome guidance grating on Langa's nerves, seeing as it had told him multiple times not to keep striking and retreating. "Get up!"
Fuck, he couldn't even see clearly, as that one hit had taken almost half of his health. He tried to sit up, but the mace smacked into the back of his head, and his vision went awry. It felt like someone had poured boiling acid inside his brain. He could feel his heartbeat, and the darkness in it shaking him. He wanted a second to breathe, a second for it to stop, the pain, and everything else.
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His heart pounded, and Langa wondered why the monster was not attacking him while he was down, so he opened his eyes. Everything was still, including the monster, frozen and unmoving. He did not remember activating his attribute, how long had it been active? He could not afford to lose his stamina right now, so he pulled out his basic health potion and downed it a second before deactivating the attribute. Time moved normally again, and he rolled away from the trollimp, almost out of stamina. The health potion could only restore 100 HP, so he was not completely healed either. Gritting his teeth and trying to hold the pain in and not freak out, he refused to let the injury stop him.
The trollimp swung its mace downward, and a look of confusion filled its eyes when it realised that Langa had disappeared from its sight.
"Human!" It roared when it saw him catching his breath, leaning against the wall of flowers.
Shit, with how low his stamina was right now, he was in danger of getting hit with the low stamina debuff, and he would not be able to move. As long as he sat still, his Berruka's Ring of Stamina Regeneration would work to regenerate it, but the trollimp was already charging towards him. Grimacing, Langa stood up.
"Convert 100 MP to Stamina!" he said to the system. It would only give him 10 stamina, but that was better than nothing and enough to keep the debuff from activating. Moving along the wall of flowers, he continued to keep his distance, moving as little as possible to regenerate his stamina until it regenerated to 10% of its maximum.
Then, the fight began again in earnest. Langa could not allow himself to get hit, he knew he would not survive the blow. Therefore, he attacked, but although his spear struck with fervour, the trollimp's shield proved to make a very strong defence, deflecting Langa's spear strikes with effort.
The battle raged on as Langa continued to slash at the trollimp, but it healed every wound that he gave it. The only good thing about this battle was that the Legacy was constantly correcting him on how to infuse his spear with his dwindling lightning mana, and he was slowly starting to learn how to regulate his mana a little better, but it was difficult without a mana core. It took time and countless attempts, but Langa felt each strike becoming more mana-stable. He knew that the skill had levelled up to Beginner Level 7.
With the improvement to the skill's bonus damage, Langa was finally able to cut through the bottom part of the shield with Tonare. However, even when he managed to land a massive hit on the beast's abdomen, the trollimp's regenerative abilities nullified the damage, and this was with the anti-healing potion coated on his glaive.
"Nice try, human!" the trollimp laughed as its wound started to regenerate. It spun its large, bulky body around and charged at Langa again, mace raised.
How much stronger would its regeneration be if he didn't have the antiheal potion? Langa wondered, his frustration with the creature growing. His stamina was back to a stable value now, so he wanted to end this. Using his natural speed, he was finally ready for a killing strike. He ran to the trollimp’s left side and struck it in the shoulder with all his might. Lightning poured from him into the glaive, and he infused over half of his total mana pool into the glaive. It glowed brightly with lightning and he severed the trollimp's shield arm from its body.
It cried out in pain, but Langa quickly retrieved a flax of Kiribo’s Sweat from his inventory and poured it on the trollimp’s shoulder, causing the streaks of lightning to catch fire, the flames hindering its regeneration. It could barely move with that ever-growing wound. Wanting to end the battle quickly, Langa struck the trollimp’s ankle with Tonare twice, slowing it down, and then he Flash Stepped behind it. There was no defence here, so Langa put all his strength into the glaive and infused some of his mana into it, cutting straight into the trollimp’s neck. The blow was strong enough for him to sever its head.
Triumph coursed through Langa's veins, but his joy was short-lived as the headless body started to stand back up. It was then that the Legacy’s voice cut through the chaos of battle. "No! Remember, decapitation alone won't kill it. You must seal that wound with fire to stop the healing."
Langa's elation turned to urgency, and, pouring more of Kiribo’s Sweat over the trollimp's severed neck, he ignited it by touching it with Tonare and infusing a spark of lightning mana, causing the wound to sizzle and burn. The trollimp's regenerative abilities were finally stopped, and its body fell back to the ground, lifeless.
Langa's whole body ached with exhaustion as he leaned on his spear for support. The dead trollimp’s chest glowed, and he tentatively reached into it, extracting a healing sac from its heart.
[You have killed a level 10 Trollimp Guard.
Rewards will be issued once the quest is complete.
Please wait.]
He heaved an exhausted sigh of relief.
Before he went on to the next level, Langa scanned the little flowers growing along the walls. Most of the ones that weren't glowing were not showing anything on the system. The pure white ones, though, were special.
[Ripe Vitality Saffron
Herb Rank: Uncommon
Effects: This is a poisonous vitality herb grown only in areas of highly corrupted life energy. Useful for improving the health regeneration of corrupted creatures.
When purified by an alchemist, it may be used as an ingredient for health potions. Poisonous to mortals when consumed raw]
"Hey, can I-?" Langa started.
"No," the Legacy said at once. "You don't have any antidotes for the poison. Do not risk it!"
Damn, Langa had not even finished his sentence before he was told no. Still, even though he could not use them, these saffrons looked like they would be worth something.
The vitality saffrons helped Langa realise something terrible. For all his preparations, he couldn’t use his health potions beyond the door. Fuck. He had to make do with what he found in the dungeon. He wanted to turn back now, but he had already started the dungeon delve, and he could not leave until the quest was over. He also couldn't buy from the auctions on the Dent because communication through the comcer was unavailable inside a dungeon. Plus, he would need to go to a store or guild outpost to receive the health potions.
"How am I supposed to complete an entire dungeon without health potions? Couldn’t you have told me to buy other types of potions that could help me stay alive??" Langa barked at the Legacy.
It tilted its head. "That's not why I'm here," it told him. What the fuck did that mean? "It's not like you had the money anyway."
"You're supposed to be helping me!" he complained. The comment about how poor he was stung. Hopefully, he'd make a lot of money from clearing this quest.
The Legacy approached him, its translucent form barely visible in the white light of the flowers. "You just need to not get hurt. Your movements in this battle were not awful. Remember, each battle is an opportunity to learn and grow. With each victory, you will become stronger. Rest for now, recover, and in a few minutes we shall continue."
There was nothing he could do, so Langa nodded and sat down on the ground to recover all the stamina lost from overusing Flash Step and for his health to regenerate. The Challenge had only just started, and Langa was pleased that The Lackadaisical Herald’s Blessing had already helped him to improve his skills and learn a better fighting style. While he got annoyed with the Legacy sometimes, he was taking its teachings well, and he was learning to attack head-on, instead of always running.
He stood up and closed his eyes. He would not level up to regenerate his health until the quest was complete. The Tower's quest system was really shitty, and Makoto had died because of it. Langa shook his head at the bad thoughts. The Lackadaisical Herald was a god of life as well, right? So maybe if he prayed, he might be able to preserve his health. It couldn't hurt. Gah, he'd never been a devout believer in any deity, so he'd never prayed seriously for anything. He didn't like depending on anyone else for help, and he was not about to ask The Lackadaisical Herald for that. There was one thing he wouldn't mind asking for, though.
“Lackadaisical Herald, please watch over me. I just need to know I'm not alone. Ngiyabonga,” he said. He decided to use ‘Ngiyabonga’ instead of Amen or something because it meant more to him. In IsiZulu, it was a word that was used to convey thanks.
[The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, is watching over you.]
As he prepared to walk further into the grotto, Langa lamented the daunting task ahead—a hundred regenerating trollimps to conquer within only 4 and a half days. He picked as many vitality saffrons as he could, figuring they would be worth a lot to alchemists, and he planned on selling them to the Guardians in the Crafting Cave. He decided to pick as many of them as he could and put them in his Feathervault Bag. He had placed the bag on the last remaining slot on his belt. It was useful for now, but he needed to buy more inventory bracelets.
Once he was done, he opened the Guarded Entrance Door and went into the first level of the dungeon. What Langa saw once he entered the place floored him completely.
There was a wide chasm that Langa almost fell into as he stepped into the new place. A thin bridge was built over the chasm, connecting the two sides of the cavern. This whole area was littered with trollimps. There were a few trollimps with hammers busy reinforcing the bridge. He had thought that the vitality saffrons in the entrance level were plenty, but in this new cavern, the walls shone with the warmth of the blossoming saffrons, casting a glow throughout the cavern.
As the chasm cut through the cavern, its depths were coloured in the light of the growing flowers below. This place was a garden, and its scent was filled with the flowery smell of the saffrons. Langa entered warily, and saw maybe fifty or so industrious little trollimps, their wiry frames illuminated by the saffron glow, working in the garden.
The trollimps had the same single eye and red skin as the trollimp guard but they were much shorter, no taller than Langa’s leg, as they worked with care, tending to the flowers. Moving gracefully, other trollimps carried miniature watering cans filled with a bright-coloured potion. With careful hands, they showered the saffron flowers, which vibrated once under the magical nourishment. Meanwhile, a mysterious white powder was being sprinkled onto the petals, and Langa had no idea what that was, but the flowers seemed to blossom under it.
Not far away from him, trollimps diligently pruned any flowers that showed signs of struggle, ensuring the garden's vitality. The saffrons continued up the cavern walls, where additional trollimps fluttered about clinging to the walls, attending to each flower. Some of them were perched on the chasm's edge, delicately placing live blue worms into the empty soil beneath. As they did so, they muttered an incantation, allowing the life energy of the wriggling worms to seep into the awaiting seeds, planting more flowers.
"What the actual fuck is this?" Langa exclaimed in bewildered shock.
Corrupted Trollimp Gardener
Level 8
HP: 320/320
Corrupted Trollimp Worker
Level 7
HP: 235/235
“These are trollimps? No way, these things are tikoloshes; you can't convince me otherwise,” Langa whispered to the Legacy. Their health was pathetic.
“No, they are not. Tikoloshes are much scarier to look at than these things,” the Legacy told him. Langa almost missed a step.
“Wait. Tikoloshes are real?” He had just been joking, but were those things actually real? Damn, the Tower was a scary place, and he hoped that he would never in his life have to deal with those creatures. If the stories and folktales that he’d heard about them were anything to go by, he was good.
The Legacy did not have time to answer as the trollimps working on the bridge spotted the intruder.
Their eyes were filled with an angry look as they saw him. Without care, Langa stepped onto the bridge, and the trollimp workers ceased their construction and gardening, turning their attention to him. They started screaming and hurling rocks infused with magic at him. Some of them were wielding crude tools and hammers, and those were thrown at him too.
They did not seem intelligent, especially when compared to the guard outside, as all they were doing was screeching and attacking without tactics. No matter how many of them there were, they were all low-level, non-combatant monsters, and they would be no match for him. Langa could easily anticipate their simple attacks, and he knew that he would be able to dodge without using Flash Step. All he had to do was keep twisting about, or moving around the barrage of projectiles.
"Hmm, it looks like it's time for you to learn how to fight against multiple opponents then, huh?" the Legacy mused.
Langa snorted, "Get with the programme, Legacy. That's been the order of the day since day one of the tutorial. If anything, I need more practice in one-on-one fights.”
It was time to test his skills against over 30 enemies and see how he fared, and the prospect, terrifying as it was, excited Langa.