It was still early morning when Dex walked out of the dungeon just in time to see the sunrise. Taking a slow, deep morning breath. The gem of power still clutched in his hand. Dexter recalled the last run he did as he stepped out onto the cobblestone street of the market.
Opening his hand and peering at the gem, the morning light glinted off its surface. Remembering the challenge it took. No spiders had approached him when he first entered the dungeon. Something felt different, new, but also familiar to him.
The creatures looked like large bugs but crawled along the ground and made entirely of sand. They came in groups of three at first, and then the last group consisted of five. The sand monsters moved fast under their crab-like legs. Their straightforward attacks were easy to read, but their resilience made up for it. Shadow spikes or physical attacks didn't affect them at all. The spikes harmlessly pierced their body, leaving no damage behind. After a long fight with the first group, Dex finally won. Using the visual aid of Scan.
Dex found a single collection of energy that held the creature's body together. It was located in the center of their bodies like a heart. Striking the power source made the bodies fall apart instantly, and after finding out that by destroying it, taking down the small creatures became easy. "Scan seems to be very handy, just like Mord said."
After finishing off the last sand elemental. Dex came upon the wide cavern. He could see at the back of the dimly lit cave a familiar monster. Hunched over it, faced away from Dex and the cave entrance.
Using Scan to view the troll. The internal organs and bone structure resembled that of a humans, but on a much larger scale. The only difference was the massive heart beating slowly within its chest. The many veins reaching towards the surface of its skin focused mainly on the areas with gravel-like patches along its skin. Seeing the many vulnerable places around the protective stone-like hide would make damaging vital organs much easier. It was like it was wearing armor. Paired with its regeneration and strength, it would take most men apart.
The giant seemed to feel Dex's eyes peering at it; it didn't react like it did the first time, but instead turned to face him, its shoulders scraped the ceiling confined to this tight space and unable to reach its max height.
The troll seemed to not want to attack. They both gazed at each other. Dex felt no hostility from the beast. Dex watched as its eyes glazed over, suddenly losing the spark of intelligence that was just seen in its gaze before it suddenly attacked.
Its arm shot out and slammed into Dex. He didn't have time to defend himself. He shot down the tunnel before slamming into a stone wall. His whole side was in sharp pain. Looking down, after failing to move his arm. Seeing it was bent wrong. Breathing was difficult. It came in a slow, labored wheeze.
Broken ribs, punctured lung, internal bleeding, broken arm. Dex was in so much pain he could only lie on his back and wait for death to drag him into the maw of the troll, who was still trying to grab at him from the cave, like a wild beast. It was unable to get to him from the narrow tunnel.
The sharp pain slowly dulled and began to itch within his chest. Breathing got easier after a few minutes. But each minute until then was agonizing. Closing his eyes, he felt his arm slowly heat up, and the intense pain began to numb his whole arm. Dex watched as the bone set itself and its muscles righted. Until the numbness subsided. Dex didn't even try to move. Clinching his fist, he felt a sore ache within his limb. Then hunger, deep aching hunger began, and slowly began to feel a powerful headache forming in the back of his skull. Sitting up, Dex finally could see the monster. It was still clawing its way into the tunnel, trying to get at him.
Dex coughed out blood. Closing his eyes he could see Amelia’s smiling and kind face. Hear his sisters laugh, smell his mother’s perfume, hear the soft giggle of the twins, followed by his father firm but loving hand rest on his shoulder. Something he did often to show his own form of affection, something his father struggled to do.
All these thoughts, feelings entered Dex’s mind. It sparked something in him, a desire to return home more than ever. Since arriving he has felt like hes been coasting on a cloud until now. He was striving to return home.
With renewed energy, a reason to keep going flare up inside of him. The heart within his chest began to beat faster with a heavy rhythm. Dex felt like his heart would burst through his newly formed ribs, giving him more power and new life. Rising, he met the troll, its hand still covered with his blood.
Dex found his glaive, which was further down the tunnel, pressed against the wall. Retrieving it, Dex stared back at the troll, seeing the eyes still glazed over. He activated Scan, which gave him the most advantage.
Activating the skill made the dull headache grow even worse, becoming a sharp piercing pain, but he bared with it, gritting his teeth. Seeing the troll breaking chunks away from the tunnel's wall.
Lifting the spear and cocking it back, he threw it with all his might. The glaive shot down the tunnel and struck true, piercing the beast through the eye but failed to penetrate its brain. It thrashed about. Bellowing as it did. The glaive was finally removed, clattering against the cavern's floor as it fell.
Seeing the troll still moving. Dex summoned up all he could, picturing spears, swords, axes, anything he could to pierce, slash, and chop the troll with. All the weapons of shadow emerged all around the cave, coming out of the dark shadows that touched everything within the dimly lit cave. They carved into the monster, by using Scan to guide the shadows. He punched through the weak spots in its hide. Ripping and tearing it apart until its heart stopped beating and going as far as destroying the brain as well. Its bloodline regeneration was unable to keep up with all the damage.
Power began to fill him until he was brimming with it. The tattoo upon his hand began to glow with low white light. Seeing the mark on his hand shift and change becoming a "One" instead of the Zero it was. The design on the surface became more intricate, taking on a new depth.
Releasing the shadows, and Scan. Dex fell to his knees in the rapidly forming pool of blood. Placing his hands down, he took deep ragged breaths until he felt better, and his mind and body calmed. Felling a small orb of power brush against his knuckle. Picking it and himself up. He slowly walked towards the exit, taking his time to grab his glaive from the ground and wrapping it as he went up the tunnels towards the market. Feeling the night's fatigue melt away and power flood him as he walked, and began to smell the early morning air. He stretched his shoulder after exiting the tunnel, feeling no lingering pain from the previous fight. If anything, he felt stronger now.
The market was dead silent. Only a few lights inside the surrounding building in the square showed signs of the early risers who wake this early in the morning. Walking past Mord's, he saw a light on upstairs and smiled. Feeling the weight of the Troll's gem in his hand, he walked.
Passing a pair of guards along the narrow street that lead towards the inn. Each wore the colors of house Sundorn. The bright yellow of the sun and the dark navy blue on their tabards with a sun at the core being white. Each wore armor to protect their chest, but the rest were riding leathers.
Both had a long-handled mace that hung from a leather loop along their belt. One was carrying a gem lantern similar to the others he had seen. Both men eyed Dex, but didn't stop him. Noticing neither held a tattoo on their ungloved hands. Dex noticed they seemed to move further away from him. Looking down, his new pants were covered in blood and even his pant leg was ripped, showing the pale flesh underneath in the new morning light.
Reaching the inn, he walked in. The common room was empty besides a man who was passed out on the floor, curled around an empty mug of ale. The smell of stale beer was only slightly more overwhelming than the fresh smell of bread wafting in from the kitchen. Dex thought about going straight to bed but stopped cause he felt like he was starving. Rapping his knuckles on the counter. A small lady popped her head out to check the noise.
"Good morning sir, early riser or late nighter?" she was older, maybe in her early fifties, late forties. It was kind of hard to tell with some of them. She looked at me from over the counter. "You must be Dex. Heard you would come in late, but I see you're covered in... I'll run you a bath, and you should have a little breakfast or maybe dinner, depending on your schedule," she said with a smile.
"That would be very kind of you...?"
"Marybeth, but Mary or Beth is fine, lad." She popped back into the kitchen and shortly after brought out a steaming bowl of water and sat it on the counter. "For your hands, lad, wash up. I'll grab you a towel." She hurried back into the kitchen. Hearing things move around in a haste. Dex dipped his hands in the hot water. The feeling was wonderful. Holding them under the hot water and spreading open his hands at the bottom and pressing them down. Just like he did on earth, he recalled. Scalding hot was the best kind of bath or shower.
"Oy, get your hands out of the water lad, you'll boil'em like sausages," she said, coming around the corner. Hearing the hint of worry in her voice.
"Sorry, Mary, it just felt very good. I used to do this back home."
Shaking her head. "Wipe off, here." Sliding a plate filled with a slice of thick-cut ham and eggs, with a thick slice of bread still steaming. "I ran the water. The stone is warming the tub. You go in there and eat up and relax." She said and left again.
"Busy lady," Dex thought, "she reminds me of mom. She was the same way."
Grabbing the plate, and walking into the washroom, finding a stool with a towel sitting on it. Dex sat down and slowly began eating the plate of food. All of it was wonderful, each seasoned perfectly. The bread had a slight hint of butter, while the ham had a rich smoky flavor but was also glazed with honey. The eggs were made scrambled with a spicy, smokey seasoning that reminded him of paprika and black pepper, with flakes of salt on top.
Finishing the plate and finally seeing the tub still steaming, he found a rock sitting inside. Picking it up, it was hot to the touch, almost scolding, but he could bear with it. "This must be the rock Mary mentioned." Along its surface, it held an etching of runes around the stone that had a faint glow to them. As soon as it exited the water, the glow faded and so too did the heat. Placing it back in the water, the glow returned and so too did the steam on top of the bath. Stripping down, he finally slipped under the hot water, keeping the rock between his feet, and moving it around when an area seemed to lose the correct temperature.
Closing his eyes, slipping under the water, he recalled all the things that happened within the dungeon, replaying it in his head. Why did the monster seem to change from one second to another? How could he summon all the shadows and change them the way he had? Adrenaline, pain, necessity, help from the gods? He had no idea.
Coming back up from under the water, he stared at the ceiling. Seeing the deep shadows between the slats of wood, the beams that held the second floor above his head. He summoned the power, willed it to move the shadow. The shadow ebbed and seemed to roil before taking shape similar to a spike, picturing it another way he wanted it to be Amelia. It retreated into the shadow, but then he tried to make it form a finger, then a hand, and finally an arm. It took the shapes, gaining definition the more he pictured the image in his mind. The arm stretched from the ceiling and formed above him, reaching towards the tub. Outstretching his hand, he placed his finger against it. Feeling the resistance, the physical form of the finger he touched. Dex heard movement from his side. Marybeth had walked into the bath. Seeing the scene, she could only gape. Dismissing the shadow for fear that he would scare the women. She kneeled and placed her head on the floor. Her dark curly hair fell over her and covered her features.
"Shadow maker, I... we... we didn't know." She said, a hint of fear in her voice.
"It's fine, get up," he said, a little more commanding than he meant.
"I..I... I'm sorry for walking in. I knocked, but I came for the stone. I forgot it in the bath. I'm so sorry, please forgi.."
"Enough of that, we are friends," Dex said, handing her the stone from the water, waiting for it to cool a little. "I have to ask, why are you scared?"
The lady was visibly shaking now as she slowly plucked the stone from his hand. "There are very few who can wield shadow and even fewer who can give it shape. Stories of a god once long ago, who had such a power to form weapons and armies at will. He could clad himself in shadow and move across the planet with only a step. I've only heard children's stories, but seeing that hand come from the ceiling was beyond any power I've ever witnessed in all my years." She said.
"I see. If you could keep this between us, I would appreciate it. I rather not stand out."
"It is as you wish. My husband and I own this establishment, and for as long as you're here, you have a place to rest. If you need or want of anything, just let us know." She said with a bow.
Seeing the bow, "Enough of that, I'm not a noble or royal or anything else. Just keep my secret, please."
She began to back out of the washroom. "It will be done."
"Before you go, tell me where I can get one of those stones?"
"The runesmith near the church sells them. They are very expensive, though. If you want, you may have this one," she said reluctantly.
Shaking his head, and not from the chill taking over the bath turning his fingers into prunes "No, I would not take what belongs to you. I can get my own. How much is that stone?"
"This one was twelve silvers, a hefty investment, but for cooking, and for bathing, nothing beats it."
"Could you write down anything I need to know to purchase one just like that from the runesmith?"
"I will. I'll be right back," she said, but before she could hurry, she heard.
"I'll be right out. I'm done in here shortly."
She remembered the way he looked when she came into the inn. His clothes were torn and covered with blood. She hurried behind the inn to their small home and found a pair of her husband's pants and a shirt and hurried inside the inn, checking the next round of bread along the way.
Knocking, she opened the door to the washroom partially. Dropping the clothes inside. "For you, I'll hear nothing about it. Can't have you walking around in those rags."
Shaking his head before smiling. Dex got dressed and felt and looked clean. Ready for the day. He didn't even feel tired, forgetting all about his headache and fatigue. Walking out of the bath, he found a sheet of paper with the size, type, and other information for the heating stone. Dropping a silver on the counter, he headed up to his room. While lying in bed, he didn't feel tired, but he decided to open his sigil.
"1"
-Golden Ribbons-
Power: 10
Speed: 6
Grace: 5
Mana: 12
-
(0) Gem of power: Fragment of power - Ulin (Legendary Unique)
Description/Notes: Gem has been greatly weakened. Grade is temporarily reduced to rare grade.
Available skill: Shadow spike
-Ascension-
-
(0) Support gem: Awakened Mana gem
Gem is awakened, granting additional power. Fused to gem of power.
"Gem aids in regeneration and control of mana"
-Ascension-
-
(0) Support gem: Trolls blood (Pureblood)
"Regenerates health"
Bloodline: Noble quartz
-Ascension-
-
Support gem: Scan
"Scans objects, and organisms"
-
Blown away by the improvements in the stats, but seeing his troll blood had added a new note, "bloodline: Noble quartz" must mean something. Wanting to ask Mord about it as soon as he could.
Noticing each one of his skills had ascension tagged to them all, besides the scan gem. Stretching out his hand at the projection, he touched the gem of power and his vision of the surrounding room dimmed as a dark, thick fog surrounded him. Then slowly, shadowy figures appeared around him, forming a triangle around the room. Standing up, he walked to the nearest one. As he got closer, he could see its features take shape, forming more and more detail as he approached like a mirror. It looked like him, or well, this body.
It stood perfectly straight and not moving. He neared it and found it wore armor composed of shadow. The next one held a pair of simple daggers made of black shadow. The last seemed to cast a wider shadow surrounding it along the floor. Peering into the fog in the distance, he could see more figures, many more standing like these. He couldn't make out their details but he knew each one was a power, each one could strengthen him, each would be available to him but also if he choose wrong, he could lose out on them. But a whisper in the back of his mind told him he could master them all. His mind was forming a contradiction, but he ignored it. He chose the pool of shadow. He knew it could expand his range of shadow spikes, so he chose it to increase his immediate power.
(1) Gem of power: Fragment of power - Ulin (Legendary Unique)
Gem has been greatly weakened. Grade is temporarily reduced to rare grade.
Available skill: Shadow spike
Passive: Pool of shadow
The glow from the gem ebbed and became a little brighter. He touched the mana gem next. The fog returned but was no longer black but white, like thick clouds. No figures appeared, but an object floated before his eyes. An orb of white and blue. Then it doubled and doubled again until twelve appeared. They each were reflecting a part of the body. Multiple in the head, chest, arms, and legs. Between them, he could see channels running along them like veins. In the center below his sternum, a sphere of glowing color radiated power. It all connected one to another.
Thinking about it, since it looked like a nervous system or some type of system of the body. Organs like his heart, brain, lungs were the most important, followed by blood, and his other organs and bones in the grand scheme of things. Without oxygen, the blood wouldn't do anything. Choosing the glowing orb that represented the lungs. It spread through the veins connected to it and they began to glow with power feeding into the core in the center. The fog slowly disappeared and the image of the orbs vanished returning him to his room.
(1) Support gem: Awakened Mana gem
Gem is awakened, granting additional power. Fused to gem of power.
"Gem aids in regeneration and control of mana"
First gate: Lung: open
Lastly, it was the troll blood gem, touching it and the fog appeared, but he felt eyes on him but couldn't see them. Giving him shivers. Three figures appeared standing next to one another, each looked like Dex. Two out of the three were almost twice as tall as he was now. One had a white gem-like crust growing over his arms and legs. The next had white pupils that glittered in the light. Lastly, this one looked almost exactly like Dex, but only his facial features seemed sharper, less baby-faced. On instinct he choose this one, the others appeared more monster than man even if they came with added benefits. Still, the glittering eyes of the second made him wonder what the mutation would bring.
(1) Support gem: Trolls blood (Pureblood)
"Higher regeneration of health"
Bloodline: Noble quartz
-Noble born path-
"Noble born path, what's a path? This is all so confusing," he whispered, closing his eyes. Without needing to sleep, but he did anyway. Dex woke up sometime later after hearing a loud banging from downstairs. His room was in total darkness. He had slept the whole day away. Feeling like he had overslept, and with returning pangs of hunger. Something that always seemed to feel now. Putting on his shirt, he went downstairs to see what the fuss was. He reached the bottom of the stairs, seeing two men swinging at each other. They both were obviously drunk.
One looked like the man who was sleeping on the floor this morning. They both were drunk. Seeing the red in their cheeks and droop in their eyes. On the floor was a broken chair, and Emily. Dex couldn't see the owners.
Dex rushing over, pushing the onlookers aside to get to Em. Hearing their complaints coming from behind him, but he didn't care. Getting to her, finding she had a bruise already forming on the side of her round face. Someone had hit her, and hit her hard. Anger and rage boiled within Dex. Something he barely ever felt, hate.
The candles around the room seem to feel his anger. Darkness ebbed around the whole room, making all the shadows grow deeper. A dark shadow was forming around his own casted shadow. Which sucked in the others being cast, growing bigger and bigger. No one noticed this, of course.
The drunks still shouting at one another, slurring their words as they hit each other. Another chair went flying across the room, shattering. Dex stood up after laying Emily's head back on the ground gently. He looked at the idiot standing nearby.
"Protect her or die," Dex said, his voice low and cold.
"Ye...yess... I will," the man said stuttering. No longer focusing on the fight. He pushed his mates away from the girl, making room around her. The man had never felt someone so intense and cold in his life. It was like being trapped in a winter storm. He knew if he didn't comply, he wouldn't walk out of the inn. He sobered up within seconds of hearing the order.
Dex didn't have to push his way through. Everyone seemed to since death looming over them as he approached the drunken brawlers. They parted by instinct. Dex got through the thong of people and was hit by a wild swing; the hit didn't phase him. Dex ignored the pain. Even though any mortal man would have fallen to the blow by a level two. Dex just shrugged it off. The man turned on him, eyes going wide, seeing the youth approach, a cold chill running down his spine. Feeling icy death reach him. He felt the calloused hand of the boy, grabbed him by the throat, and lifted him. Lifting the man of almost two-hundred pounds off his feet with one hand. His eyes darting to the other, his hand shoot out like a snake coiling around the other. Lifting him as well, who weighed just as much.
Behind the bar, old man Samuel the innkeeper came running in, holding an old sword. Coming to rescue his daughter. Only a couple of minutes passed since they struck her, but in the time it took him to run for his father's heirloom sword and back, Dex had both men in the air by their necks.
"Who stuck the girl?" the words came out of Dex slow and emotionless.
Between wheezing, the first man tried to speak. But it came out in a gurgle. "Wh't grlll?"
Swinging them around, he showed the prone body of his friend, the owner's daughter Emily on the floor, the man over them fists up, and his friends around them doing the same.
"THAT ONE!" he said, his rage boiling out. Squeezing harder. The shadows on the floor were now bubbling around Dex. Nevertheless, no one noticed. If anyone did see what was below them, it would appear that ghostly skeletal hands were trying to claw their way out of the shadows.
The first one blacked out, falling limp in Dex's hand. Dropping him without concern, he fell like a sack of potatoes. Staring at the other. "Was it you?" he asked, his words barely a whisper, but everyone in the room heard him. Frantically shaking his head, fear overtook him and he released his bladder. Piss dripped to the floor, making a splashing sound. His eyes darted to the floor, and he saw the roiling, bubbling darkness below him. Skeletal fingers were clawing around the young man's bare feet. He tried to scream but instead passed out. Dex seemed to let the anger flow off of him and dropped the body that was now heavier than he remembered. Landing on top of the other man, with a plop. He dug through their pockets and took their purses.
"Call the guards and have them removed," Dex said to the nearest patron, who only nodded and ran for the door.
A few others dragged the bodies towards the door of the inn. Dropping the purses on the counter. "This is for you, for any damages, and Emily, if she needs a doctor or alchemist." He said to Samuel, who was still shakingly holding the unsheathed sword. Lastly, he walked over to the still unconscious Emily. He scooped her up in his arms and nodded at the man he told to protect her. "I'll bring Emily to my room until she recovers. These men can have a drink on me. Dex slowly took the stairs and brought Em to his room, laying her on his bed. Checking the bruising again. She seemed fine, but the bruising would take a few days to go away. Mary was upstairs within minutes, checking on Emily.
"Thank the gods," she said. "Will she be alright?"
"I think so. Looks like she took a tasty hit to the face. She'll have a bruise for a few days, I fear. Send for a doctor or priest if you think otherwise." after using Scan, he was sure her brain didn't have any bruising, and nothing else seemed damaged.
Mary checked her over, letting out a relieved breath. "I think you're right. I can move her to her own bed, though."
"No, she can stay here. I just woke and I plan to leave for the night, anyway."
"Where are you going?"
"I need to see some people, and I'll probably be out late again."
Putting on his boots, grabbed his backpack, and glaive, he headed downstairs. The common room was empty besides the few people who protected Emily during the fight. Samuel looked shaken, only giving Dex a nod. Heading towards the leather workers. Hopefully able to get there before they closed their shop for the day. Which he did barely. Trying on the boots, he added some adjustments to the design and was told they will be ready by the end of tomorrow. He bid them farewell and made his way towards Mords. He needed some answers, and to do some business.
Along the way, he passed some people on the street but he was too focused on Emily and wasn't paying attention if he had, he would have noticed he walked right past a group of slaves led by none other than Obenn the slave leader who killed Dextum the bodies previous owner.