Alarion had to think on the question before he answered. “I recognize the name. One of the mothers, right? She represents challenges… I think?”
“Correct. And what do you know of the Four Mothers?”
“Only what mine told me, which wasn’t much.” he admitted. “And offhand mentions from you or ZEKE.”
Elena nodded reassuringly. “This is not a test. I just want to know how much you know on the subject.”
“Very little.” He admitted.
“The full course, then. Come with me.” With that Elena set off into the darkness with Alarion quick at her heels. “The last time we spoke, you talked of Lesser, Inner, and Outer gods. Was that correct?”
“Yes. You said they were Inner gods.”
“By local definitions, yes,” she nodded. “Beyond that, it is more complicated. Many Vitrians do not acknowledge the existence of any gods. What we used to think of as Lesser Gods turned out to be nothing more than powerful thoughtborn, so why should the Mothers actually be divine in nature?”
“Thoughtborn are, like…” Alarion trailed off as he struggled for the proper words.
“They’re what they sound like. Steelborn are artificial life made from base metals. Systemborn are those creatures transformed or sustained by the system. Thoughtborn are those created by willpower. If a community spends a generation worshiping the mountain god, eventually that belief may coalesce into something real. And something powerful.”
“People can just be willed into existence?”
“With enough time, or willpower. Yes. Though most thoughtborn are rarely people in a traditional sense. The overwhelming majority are closer to concepts given form and power. Typically they only take on a humanoid form when they are the result of a single mind.” Elena glanced back over her shoulder, a sly smirk on her lips as she added. “And before you try to will yourself a lover, please understand that they rarely occur naturally. Most humanoid thoughtborn are specters and the like, the result of grief rather than intentional creations.”
The darkness thankfully hid the slight color in Alarion’s cheeks as he ignored her provocation. “So you think the mothers are thoughtborn?”
“No, not at all. Watch your head.” Elena interrupted her own thoughts to warn him as she ducked beneath a slight outcropping of stone at the edge of the valley. Alarion had noticed the small cave on his second day in the valley, but he’d been kept much too busy to explore it. Not that he was the sort who went caving to begin with. “Whatever they are, it is more complicated. Vitrians who do not like to call them gods prefer the term Incarnate.”
“Flare.” Alarion incanted as he pushed out his mana. The ring on his finger reacted, and within a few breaths a small globe of light danced around them, as they delved deeper. “Why have different names if everyone else thinks they are gods?”
“Because the word god carries substantial weight. If you acknowledge a god, should you not worship them? Should you not obey them, if they give you commands?”
“Ah.”
Elena dipped beneath another low rock, before a passage opened up ahead of her, large enough for them to walk upright. Its walls were jagged and unfinished, but also somehow unnatural. As though the tunnel had been dug by crude tools.
“Regardless of what you call them, they are powerful and unique. Vitrians call them Incarnate because of their unusual nature. The Mothers are both mortal and immortal-”
“What?” Alarion interrupted as they squeezed through a narrow portion of the passage. “How does that even-”
“If you’d let me finish.” Elena scowled at the boy who correctly took the hint. “The Mothers are immortal in that they are able to transfer between willing female hosts. When incarnated, they increase the lifespan of their host, drastically raise their Aptitude and give them access to special skills, feats, flaws and even a unique attribute. Even so, the incarnated Mother is still mortal. They might live double the natural lifespan of the human they inhabit, but eventually they die like anyone else.”
“Only women?”
Elena laughed slightly at his downcast tone. “Yes, Alarion. Only women. There have long been rumors of four Fathers, but I would not put much stock in them. If they exist, they are well hidden.”
Alarion scowled anyways. “How do they pick them?”
“Ah, now that is an astute question.” She paused briefly as the pair navigated a particularly low bit of ceiling, then continued. “Though the answer depends on the mother in question. Lal Tia chooses her new host, Lal Sera is inherited through a familial line, Lal Kales new body is chosen randomly. And Lal Viren? Her patronage is earned.”
The path ahead of them opened into a small chamber dominated on its far end by a broad set of double doors. The sight caused Alarion to tense, but even at a glance he could tell that this portal was not the same as the one that he had been herded toward some months earlier. It was dark iron, inlaid with silver arcane symbols. Some he recognized from his training; others were familiar but too complex.
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“Ages ago, Lal Viren, aided by her sisters, seeded the world with places such as these. Challenge rooms, challenge arenas, challenge dungeons. They were designed to test mortals who wished to be her next incarnation, but they serve the dual purpose of being spaces where an awakened can rapidly grow in strength.”
“They are dangerous, then?” Alarion asked, careful not to touch the door as he studied its intricate markings.
“It depends on the dungeon,” answered Elena. “They were not created merely to test fighting ability. This one, for example, will push your magical abilities to their limit. Some trials will throw you against dangerous foes, while others exist to pick away at your knowledge, your musical ability or even your culinary skills.’
“You did not answer,” noted Alarion.
She laughed in response. “I suppose I did not. This one can be dangerous, but it is not likely to be. You blessedly cannot feel it, but this dungeon is the source of the island’s intense magic. It is what is known as an unbound challenge. Most are linked to specific skills, levels or attributes for entry. Others require a specific item, or some task to be accomplished. This one has no entry requirement and scales to your Rank and UCL, meaning that it should be difficult, but safe enough.”
“Why are you only showing this to me now?”
“Truthfully? I did not wish for you to use it. Even now, I am of two minds.” Elena caught his eyes and held them as she spoke. “You must understand, an unbound challenge room such as this is of near unlimited value. This is one of seven the Vitrian Empire knows of. Four others are held in private hands, one is open to the public and the remaining room is no longer accessible. Critically, each can only be entered once.”
Elena’s words brought her concerns into stark focus as Alarion returned his gaze to the double doors nearby. “You did not want me to waste it.”
“Correct.” Elena paused to consider how to phrase her next words, then added, “If you were trueborn Vitrian, it would be up to you to make this decision. As a ward, the decision is very much mine.”
“And ZEKE’s. You said he would not want me to use this. Why?”
“Typically an awakened gets the most value out of using a challenge room as they close in on a rank up. Levels and attributes are all well and good, but it is the challenge itself that is most worthwhile. Do well and you can earn new traits, feats of strength, even titles, all of which will lead you toward a stronger Rank Up and increase your ability to progress further. It is not something to go into unprepared.”
“Then why show me at all?” Alarion pressed.
“Because I am not the one staring down the barrel of induction. And you have the right to choose.”
—
“No. You cannot.” ZEKE said flatly, as though his word and his word alone were the end of the conversation.
“Why?”
“Pick one of an infinite number of reasons.” The words brought a short snort of amusement from Elena which served to fan an already steady argument between boy and teacher. ”I cannot believe we’re even having this discussion.”
“Elena said that it is my deci-”
“If Elena said it was your decision on whether or not to jump off a cliff, would you also take that as permission?” ZEKE’s voice was just shy of a shout as he paced back and forth. “What you are suggesting is stupid, Alarion. And not ‘pick up an imperial greatsword and stubbornly come out on top’ levels of stupid. This is 'set ablaze a small mountain of gold' levels of stupid. You should not be touching this resource until you’re closing in on the pinnacle of rank II. Possibly even rank III. You are wasting-”
“Ezekial.” Elena’s tone was sharp, a single word rebuke.
Her word had its effect. ZEKE stopped in his rant, even as he continued in his pacing. When he spoke again his voice was more measured. Careful. “You want to enter now?”
“Yes.”
“Even though you’ve been told it is a bad idea.”
“Mm.”
“Why?”
Alarion met ZEKE’s question with another question. “Has anyone like me ever entered a dungeon like this?”
“I’m sure plenty of stubborn idiots have-”
“ZEKE.” This time it was Alarion who scolded him. “You know what I meant. People with high aptitude, but no class levels.”
“No.” When Alarion started to speak once again, ZEKE quickly added. “Because that would be incredibly wasteful and foolish.”
“Because most Rank I classes are easy to obtain, right?” Alarion pushed.
ZEKE grudgingly nodded, sensing his point.
“What you are trying to teach me is not.” He continued. “And I am no closer to it than I was a month ago.”
“You are being impatient.”
“I am being realistic!” He shot back. “When I was training for my martial class, I could tell I was on the cusp of it. You could tell I was close. There was a feeling, like pressure. Like I only needed one more gasp of air. I do not feel that here. I feel miles from the class we are aiming for, and that distance is not shrinking by activating items and learning basic formula.”
“And if you plateau later?” ZEKE asked.
“Then I will wait until I am done with my induction. By then I am sure the House of Hunger will willingly throw all manner of resources at the boy with an aptitude of two-hundred and thirty eight.”
There was a little too much smarm in Alarion’s voice for ZEKE’s liking. But from the machine’s body language, it was clear that Alarion wasn’t wrong either.
“I know this is a risk. If you think we should wait a few weeks-”
“That is out of the question.” ZEKE said. When Alarion began to protest, ZEKE stopped him with a hand. “Mistress Elena did not explain the time dilation, did she?”
“The… what?”
“Time dilation.” ZEKE repeated the words slowly, making sure Alarion caught the latter before he continued. “The time in a challenge dungeon is on a different pace to the time spent outside it. Each hour inside is three outside. If you spend a week inside, it will be three weeks outside. If you enter today you will have approximately thirteen days left to train.”
Alarion frowned. Thirteen days felt like a lot for a single dungeon, but ZEKE’s tone suggested it anything but. “How long does it usually take to finish it?”
Elena and ZEKE exchanged a glance before the former answered. “No one completes a dungeon. It will continually generate new challenges until you either fail, you die or you leave. The challenges will grow more difficult with time, with the deepest delve I’m aware of reaching the 7th challenge on this particular dungeon.”
“One every two days seems doable.” Alarion thought aloud.
ZEKE snorted abruptly and waved the boy off with a hand. “Go, let him waste his time and his opportunity if he wants. He could stand to finally learn some humility.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes, Alarion. Try not to die.” The machine responded over one shoulder as he angled toward the cabin.
[Quest Complete – Convince Your Master]
Reward: One Rare Instructor Box
Would you like to claim your Rewards? Yes/No
Alarion looked at the notification, and for the first time ever, he hit ‘No’.
Probably best not to rub salt in that particular wound quite yet.