Sanctum

“It – it’s not working?”

“I’m telling ya, Klax: the things on the fritz.”

When they returned to Sanctum, it was to surprised faces in the portal chamber. Apparently, everyone had assumed they’d already gone to the final Delve. Borlor was already waiting by the final portal, which was currently blazing like a dying sun, allowing no one entry.

“How?” Klax asked him, dumbfounded.

“Hell if I know,” the Dixit replied with a sigh. “But its gonna take some powerful magic to stabilize it. Never seen fluctuations like this before…Lamphrey and the others asked if I’d just build a containment shield round it and close the thing off – since we wouldn’t be needing it once you were done. But…looks like you ain’t even through yet.”

Ethan blinked at the sight, his new eyes giving him a much clearer picture of the world than Rachneros’s crimson vision ever did.

“Is there a way to fix it?”

“Like I says, we’ll need a team of mages ta stabilize the thing. But even then, I-”

“We’ll get you your team,” Klax interrupted. “How long do you need?”

“Klax mate, I’m no expert. I’m just spit-“

“Borlor - how long?”

“Eh…maybe a day?”

“A day?!” the Lycan howled. “We don’t have the luxury of a day here.”

“Maybe a little less then, mate. But I’m telling you that’s the best we’ve-“

“Well, it’s not enough!”

Ethan watched the teeth of the wolfman flare and spittle drip from his fangs. He looked, at this moment, on the verge of frenzy. Even Tara and Fauna were starting to notice.

“Hey, Klax,” Fauna began. “Borlor’s doing his best.”

The wolfman looked down at the Hopla with strained eyes – eyes that seemed, in that moment, red with fury.

“We’re so close…” he snarled. “To fail now, after all this…”

“Jun’Ei can wait a little longer Kla-“

The Lycae shrugged off the hands of the Hopla, marching away to a corner of the room and staying there, lingering before he even reached the door.

“Do not mention her name.”

“But I-“

“Fauna. Don’t.”

Tara had been uncharacteristically silent through the whole awkward exchange. Now, as Ethan flashed a look her way, she simply shrugged as if to say ‘Hey, I’ve already tried getting through to him before.’

Alright, Ethan thought. Time for some intervention.

“Everyone, we’re all tired,” he said. “If Borlor says he needs the time he needs, lets give him it, alright? We could all use some time off.”

“He’s right, Klaxy,” Tara said. “I’m beat.”

Fauna kept staring at Klax’s back. The wolfman had withdrawn himself almost entirely.

“…one day,” he said. “I’ll gather the mages. I’ll keep watch in case one of them faints from mana drainage. We’ll get a rotation going.”

“If I join in, we might be able to shorten the time!” Fauna exclaimed. “Borlor, I can start right no-“

“No.”

The words were Klax’s, spoken with his back still to his teammates.

“K-Klax? But I just wanna hel-“

“No. It’s too unpredictable. We don’t have the time to waste.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Fauna staggered back, her ears drooping down her frail skull. She looked devastated. Ethan got the sense that, out of all of them, Klax was the one who had never doubted her.

“Hey,” Ethan said, putting a firm hand on her shoulder. “You need rest, too, Faun.”

She smiled thinly, but it was a vestigial gesture, and as Klax lumbered out the room, the party watched him go in silence – like a warrior walking towards his untimely grave.

Something happened to you when you looked in that mirror, Ethan thought. And I’m betting I’ve got a pretty good idea what you saw…

----------------------------------------

Twilight Edge (Grade E)

A thin arc of shadow shot from Ethan’s broadsword as he sliced it through the air, watching it decapitate a trio of wooden sword-wielding straw dummies at the edge of his training room.

The castle of the Archon was a place that was ever-changing. When he needed a place to rest, he always found himself inexplicably drawn to his bedroom in the winding halls without even thinking about it – like the castle itself was guiding him. When he needed a place to train, he found a room that suited that exact purpose – replete with regenerating training dummies and steel weaponry that matched his exact idea of the sparring dojos he’d read about in manga. It was as if the castle had a mind of its own – one intimately attached to his own imagination.

Your aim is improving, Sys told him. Your precision is up by approximately 13% since assuming the form of the Undead Lord. Perhaps a humanoid form is simply more suited to you.

“It would make sense”, Ethan admitted as he sliced through another three dummies in the wake of their regeneration. “But I could still be better. I’m gonna have to be much better before I can take down the Lightborn, right?”

Right now, I can make no certain assessment of the Lightborn’s abilities.

…But based on your last encounter, you will have to be a master of your skills before you have a chance.

“Which is exactly why I’m here,” Ethan retorted through a grunt of exertion, sending another gale of darkness racing towards the dummy trio and sending pieces of their broken straw bones flying against the far wall.

While he waited for them to regenerate again, he returned his attention to his [Hat] skills, ready to distribute the 600 Cores he needed to upgrade Skill Siphon yet again.

“If I’m gonna take on the old bastard, I’m gonna need to be as versatile as possible.”

Skill Siphon (Grade E->D)

You can now transfer up to three skills from one Host to another, in addition to any skills gained from your prior Hosts.

Spirit Core Cost: 600

Upgrade…Complete!

Current Spirit Cores: 125

Ethan nodded once at the skill. Now, once he got his final Host from the last Delve, he could make it as unstoppable as he wanted. Transferring Repulsor Shield, Twilight Edge, and his Summon Shadow Wraith skill would augment whatever new arsenal he was going to inherit. And whatever the Boss of the City of Illusions was, Ethan was betting it’d have to be a tough son of a bitch to have its Delve rated as a Grade C.

He sat back and took a short breath as he considered his remaining Cores. Hardly enough to do anything with, but maybe enough for another skill if he saved the points. His next few big kills would yield him far more Cores than he’d gained from the Delves so far. He knew that.

The last few hours had been nothing but focus. He’d taken the time to practice with his new skills this time. He had to admit, the lack of pressure from having to learn them on the fly or in combat was reassuring. For once he could formulate strategies without the need to think about his own survival – or that of his party.

Even if he still couldn’t shake the sad eyes of Fauna, or the sudden anger of Klax, or the frustration of Tara, from his mind for good.

…you’re always wound up, aren’t you?

The question was asked as Ethan wiped sweat from his new pale face.

“You noticed, huh?”

It is a System’s job to know its User.

“And now you want me to talk about my problems?”

I think it’s clear that, by now, I have no control over what you choose to share or not share with me.

Ethan smiled – an admittedly grim grin on the face of his current host, but a smile, nonetheless.

“Right answer.”

He then heard a sudden tapping at his door.

“Um…Ethan?” a voice asked. “Can I come in?”

I’d know those soft tones anywhere, Ethan thought.

“It’s a free Sanctum, Faun. Come on.”

Fauna entered, garbed in a thin dress-robe that seemed at once at odds with her usually shy demeanor. Ethan expected the Hopla to still be upset from the fallout with Klax, but to his surprise, she seemed rather more chipper than usual.

“Um – you look…well.”

“Do I really?” Ethan asked. “Even the living dead can scrub up nice it seems.”

The Hopla didn’t quite chuckle. Instead, her eyes darted to and from the doorway.

“Are you enjoying your new body, then?”

Ethan narrowed his eyes playfully. “It’s more familiar than a rat’s furry ass and a spider’s eight-legged horror, I have to admit. Not quite what my old wretched human body was, but I’m not exactly gonna complain about that.”

Fauna shook her head fervently. “I’m sure your human body was a perfectly good one!” Then, realizing the implication, she blushed the shade of rouge that Ethan had come to see as naturally a part of her.

“Well, Faun?” he asked. “I’m sure you didn’t come here to discuss body types. Something you need?”

“Um…you.”

Ethan blinked.

“N-not in that way or, well, that is – I need you to…come with me.”

In the silence which followed, Fauna’s embarrassment could almost be called more monstrous than the Undead warrior who suppressed a laugh before her.

“…if you like,” she added.

“How can I possibly refuse an invite as tempting as that?” Ethan answered as the Hopla’s smile returned.

“Ok – cool!” she beamed. “It’s not something related to our mission, or, well, maybe it is a little…but it is something I think you should see.”

His curiosity piqued, Ethan followed the Hopla out the castle walls, noticing the slight spring in her every step as she led the way to a far deeper corner of Sanctum than he’d ever seen before.

And there, in the cavernous depths of the underground realm’s innards, a chorus of a hundred frantic voices were currently going…wild.