The group eventually arrived at a large room, the ceiling supported by a score of thick pillars carved with reliefs at the top and base. The carving was meaningless to Beth, as she didn't recognize any of it as the runes that she knew, nor did she recognize the pictures for what they were. They looked like some kind of strange and twisted people carrying things and making stacks of things, but the objects were too strange and distorted for her to easily identify. She dismissed the pillars quickly, however, as the defining feature of the room was a series of steps at the far end leading to a raised dais upon which sat a portal the size of the city gates of Lake Hill.
"So, this is…something," Andrea said as they looked over at the portal.
"Big portal," Blood commented gruffly.
"Bigger portal means stronger instance," Adam chipped in.
"Let's take a look," Beth ended the short exchange, leading the way to the dais.
Upon climbing the ten steps to stand just a handful of feet from the portal, the group could feel an overwhelming cold assailing them. It was so chilly that the heavy stone of the dais was not just coated in a layer of ice, but the area around the portal was cracked in a thick spiderweb. None of that cracking or ice was from the power of the portal but was all due to the absolutely staggering cold that permeated the area. Beth frowned at the frigid air, taking a closer look at the portal before anything else.
Indefatigable Frost Devil Plain
{Level 260 special challenge
0/8 participants}
"Well, that's kinda ominous," Beth muttered.
"Also, I don't think we should do this," Adam said nervously. "I mean, we're strong, but that's a level two hundred sixty special challenge. Not only that, it can have eight participants."
"I don't think it's entirely hopeless," Beth replied, staring at the portal.
"No, think about this," Andrea pleaded. "A special challenge is always harder than a dungeon of the same level, even a dungeon on a high mana density world. Not only that, but it’s well above any of our current levels and can handle eight people."
"What if we got four more strong people?" Beth asked with an arched brow.
"Well," Andrea suddenly hesitated. "I'd like to say it's still impossible and we can just forget it, but we might be able to make it work. The other four would have to be at our level of skill and strength, though. We can't just get any random assholes off the street."
"Rell and Itharion are quite strong, and they're in the high one hundreds right now," Blood commented.
"Who?" Andrea asked with a blank look.
"We're here on this planet to help the Lord of Traversal. Turns out his job was quicker than any of us thought and we're at loose ends for at least a month. Rell and Itharion are Mortaine's two men on the ground here; they usually operate out of Red Castle City," Beth explained helpfully.
"Even the damn Lord of Traversal," Andrea muttered under her breath.
"What was that?" Beth asked, even though she had easily heard.
"Nothing. Nothing at all," Andrea replied with a sweet, fake smile.
"Right. Anyway," Beth replied, exasperated. "If we can find two more, we can tackle this. Just the experience alone would be pretty damn good, let alone any other rewards."
"The money would guaranteed be good as well," Andrea said. "Something like this will have a huge number of beasts in. I'm talking, a huge number of beasts. With the level indicated, we're talking about quite a bit of platinum coin, even split eight ways. Maybe even into the low diamond range for all eight people just from the kill coins."
"Money's always nice," Beth agreed with a nod. "But, really, do you guys have two more to fill out the roster?"
"I've got somebody in mind," Andrea replied. "Unless Adam has someone, we'd have to look for a minute for an eighth, but I can get us a seventh easily."
"Adam?" Beth asked.
"I can get us an eighth," he said with a nod. "Honestly, I have someone who's our age and about as strong as Beth or I."
"Wait, you know another monster?" Andrea asked, shocked. "I know I shouldn't be surprised, but just how many freaks is our little world hiding?"
"Hey, I resent that," Adam said with a frown.
"Look, I don't mean it in a bad way," Andrea tried to defend herself.
"Smooth," said Beth with an eyeroll.
"Anyway, if Adam can get us another powerhouse," she said, emphasizing the last word with a glare, "then we have a good shot at this thing."
"Well, I'd like to level a bit more first," Beth said. "Especially if Blood and I can get a couple dozen levels in the next week or so, then we'd be really crazy."
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"Sounds like a plan," Andrea said, both her and Adam nodding.
"Then let's make sure everyone's on-board first," Beth said. "We can get everybody on the same page and agree on a date, then we can go level, taking anybody else that feels they need it, too."
"Alright," Andrea said firmly, immediately turning and leading the way back out of the tunnel.
When they were outside, Beth popped the compact cube out of her necklace, glad that the upgraded core had only increased its overall side when folded just slightly. She deployed the ship once she was clear of the area, leading the others up the ramp as soon as the ship signaled green for its operational status. They quickly settled in the bridge and started back to the capital, Beth dimming the bridge lights as it was dark out and they could more easily take in the night sky with the lights lowered.
They flew for more than half the night before they arrived back at the capital, once again demonstrating just how large the landmass they were currently operating on was. That, and the value of the airship for their mobility on any world, especially one larger than Earth. Luttraine, while still averaging one standard gravity, was larger than Earth by at least twenty percent. The addition of mana didn't mess with gravity, or at least only did it occasionally in special circumstances; it was normally the opposite, in fact, as there were quite a few worlds with breathable atmospheres that were larger than Earth but at one gravity or just slightly more. Mana had a constricting effect on the force of gravity many places, restricting the force by a certain amount, the exceptions to this being places that contained gravity mana or high concentrations of other mana types that could influence gravity, such as space mana.
When they arrived back in the capital it was quite late, or quite early, depending on one's perspective, and they decided to rest and relax a bit before taking the matter to the people they had in mind. That meant going their own ways for a handful of hours, agreeing to meet up by midmorning in Beth and Blood's suite in the CRA basement. The renters of that very suite used the time to take a quick shower and then rest on the couch, Beth researching what exactly the metal was they had found on the second run of the mine. Turns out, it was infused red gold, a special variant of mana gold that had about the same mana conductivity but could be forged to be exceptionally hard and durable. It was highly prized for armor pieces and heavy weapons, such as greatswords, though it would typically take a skilled Master Smith to work the material.
Andrea and Adam showed back up by the appointed hour, and Beth said she would just call Rell now that the day was already started, as that would be easiest to do and likely the easiest to convince. She didn't know what his and Itharion's sleep schedule was, but they had both done multiple rebirths and hadn't been up to anything too strenuous lately, meaning they were likely sleeping very little and only late at night. Her guess proved rather accurate as Rell answered her call after only a single ring and sounded downright cheery.
"Lassie! What can I do ya fer?" he asked.
"Rell, got an opportunity here, wondering if you and Itharion are interested?" she asked in turn.
"Oh, really? Well, dinnae keep me waitin', lassie," he replied enthusiastically.
"When we were out running around, we stumbled on a special challenge," Beth explained. "It's level two-sixty and has a limit for eight people; we've got four already, and you and Itharion would make six. Andrea and Adam, our two others, say they can each get somebody pretty powerful who could handle that kind of special instance, which takes us up to eight. You interested?"
"Oh, aye, lassie," he replied, though a note of caution had crept into his voice. "What's the name of the place, if'n ya don't mind sayin'?"
"Indefatigable Frost Devil Plain," Beth answered calmly.
"Devils. Damnation," he answered, though it was more a muttered comment than a fearful exclamation.
"Will it be a problem?" Beth asked hopefully.
"Devils are always tough, lassie," Rell explained. "But, I think I can convince that ol' birdbrain to join in. You can count on us."
"Awesome. Thanks, Rell," Beth said.
"Aye, lassie. About when are we tacklin' this bastard?" he asked.
"Blood and I need to gain some levels before we do it, and Andrea and Adam will probably join on that," Beth explained. "We're asking all our plus ones if they want to join in on the leveling. If not, it'll be at least a solid week of grinding before we're ready, so you'll have some time."
"Count us in for all of it, lassie. Our levels have stagnated lately, and if'n it's a two-sixty, gettin' past two hundred certainly won't do any harm," he replied.
"Awesome. We're at the CRA Hall, in 5B44," Beth said.
"Aye, birdbrain and I have copper emblems, we'll be over shortly," Rell said.
"Thanks, Rell. See you soon."
"See ya, lassie," Rell said before hanging up.
"Alright, Rell and Itharion are onboard," Beth said to the room.
"I just got my friend in on it," Andrea said with a nod. "She'll be here soon."
"My friend agreed as well," Adam piped up. "It'll take him a little bit to make it over, but he should be here by lunchtime."
"Awesome," Beth repeated, though saying the word out loud this time. "So, the next question; who knows a great leveling spot?"
"We don’t even need that," Andrea said.
"What? What do you mean?" Beth asked.
"You've got an airship now, you dummy. We can easily fly around, find a big cluster of enemies that would get us a ton of experience, swoop down and kill 'em, then be back to searching in a minute," Andrea patiently explained, rolling her eyes at Beth's naivety.
"Oh, right. I have to really start thinking like an airship owner," Beth replied sheepishly, knocking on the side of her head as if to demonstrate the emptiness with a hollow tapping sound.
The four relaxed for a bit and talked, mainly Andrea gossiping shamelessly about other participants in the Lake Hill arena, including who was supposedly banging whom, something that made Adam a bit fidgety. Blood rolled her eyes several times at the girl's antics and at one point snuck a condescending glance at Beth, as if saying 'This is who you're flirting with?' Beth ignored her lackadaisical companion, joining in when the talk turned to discussion of tactics for individual duels and making the occasional sarcastic comment on the love life discussions. They continued that way until there was a heavy, thumping knocking on the door. Beth got up to answer it, finding Rell and Itharion in the hallway in their full kit.
"Come on in," Beth said, gesturing them into the sitting room. Luckily, the place had more space to sit than the couple places that Beth's room back at her 'home' CRA had. The two quickly entered and found somewhere to sit, Beth noting they had politely made their shoes disappear, as had the other two, to not track dirt across the room.
"Good to see ya, lassies and laddie," Rell said to the room as he and Itharion settled.
"Nice to meet you," Andrea bubbled, always the cheerful extrovert. "Name's Andrea Lane."
"Rell Stonefist," Rell said heartily, pulling out his pipe to suck on, though he didn't light it.
"Itharion Amellion," Itharion added.
"Adam Mason," Adam introduced himself.
"Not a bad lineup, girlie. I take it we're waiting on the other two?" Rell asked, turning to Beth.
"Yep. It's an even better lineup than you think," she replied with a grin. Seeing Rell's raised eyebrow and slight frown, she continued, "Andrea's close to my level of strength, and Adam's a one in a billion savant that built his Mana Physique already."
"Hot damn! Got your Physique already, laddie?" Rell asked excitedly while Itharion made some impressed sounds at the same time.
"It wasn't really anything great," Adam said bashfully. "I just managed to figure it out a little early."
"Don't sell yourself short, laddie," Rell admonished. "Many people get stuck on their Mana Physique for the rest of their lives, never managing to join the ranks of the Enlightened. Having cleared that hurdle already, there aren't any major roadblocks, other than the sheer amount of experience ya need, until you hit the peak of Ascended."
"Why is that, by the way?" Beth interjected.
"Why's what?" Rell asked, giving her a puzzled look.
"I mean, why is it that everybody has so much trouble with Mana Physiques?" Beth inquired firmly.
"There's no one simple, easy answer," Rell explained with a sigh, sucking on his unlit pipe for a moment. "The easiest would be to start with a very oversimplified explanation. The Mana Physique has a goal, which some don't even know, and that is to link the physical body and your mana. Right now, as all of us but this lad in this room are right now, mana flows through our bodies when we use skills or cast spells, but it isn't directly incorporated as part of our body. That's the point of the Mana Physique, to tie mana and the physical body together. There's all kinds of ways to do it, and it provides a massive overall increase in power."
"Massive is damn straight," Beth scoffed. "Sorry, Adam, but there's no way you could fight on my level normally. With that Mana Physique, however, you kick even my ass."
"Little arrogant there, ain'tcha?" Andrea said with a smile.
"No, it's true," Adam, surprisingly, spoke up. "Beth's trained her skills to a pretty crazy level already; she might be a natural, more or less, with leveling skills. There's really no way I could fight her if my Mana Physique didn’t enhance my power so much."
"And humble, too," Rell chuckled, pointing his pipe stem at Adam while he spoke.
"I just know my limits. Trust me," Adam said firmly.
"Anyway, the difficulty of the Mana Physique is that intertwining of flesh and mana is complex, difficult, and often very painful. There’s also no real set way to do it, as everyone has different mana, mana affinities, and bodies. What works for one person can be a total failure for someone else. It also relies on you havin’ a really good understandin’ of how mana operates and how your own body functions. Understand?” Rell completed his explanation.
“I see,” Beth said with a nod. “It’s something that doesn’t have a good strategy, just general lessons, and is really complicated and difficult. Makes sense a lot of people have trouble.”
“Right ya are, lassie. Anyway, when are the rest comin'?" Rell asked.
"My friend should be here really soon," Andrea explained. "Apparently, Mr. Mana Physique has called in another ringer, and it'll probably take him 'til lunchtime to get here."
"Ah, then we've got some time," Rell nodded. "What say we watch a few matches?"
"Sure," Beth agreed readily, turning on the wallscreen.