**Ding! You have slain a Champion: Grimclaw Dreadbeast - level 27 Prowling Displacer! **

Kaius gasped, pain flooding back with a vengeance as the last of the Psychopathic Assault tonic left his system. The dregs of his health flooded free, vanishing in moments as it worked to heal the rents in his exterior flesh.

The Grimclaw was on top of him, pinning him to the ground. He stared at it with wide eyes. What the hells had that been? When he’d read the description of the potion he’d been expecting anger. Some sort of consuming rage that drove him into a fervour.

There had been no anger. No burning heat of madness. No, the only thing that he had felt had been joy. The beauty of spilled blood, the ecstasy of pain, of destruction levered against those he hated. And how he hated. It had been overwhelming, the sheer disgust and contempt he had felt for the Champion. It had chilled him to his very soul. Freezing out all passions except those that brought ruin to the object of his fascination.

Yet there had been no madness. No fugue. He’d known it was the tonic, known the entire time. That it was unnatural. Yet he hadn’t cared. Everything that couldn’t be leveraged into the total destruction of his opponent had been discarded.

A whine shook him from his thoughts. Kaius strained against the heavy meat that pinned him, craning his head to see Porkchop limping towards him on quaking limbs. His friend seemed tense. Cautious.

“Kaius!” Porkchop’s tone was frantic. “Are you okay? Has the bloodlust left you?”

Kaius grunted, pushing against the body on top of him as he attempted to wriggle free. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. The tonic wore off. Hells of a fucking tonic though, gods.” He cursed.

Porkchop slumped down to the floor next to him, grunting in pain. “I’m still too weak to pull it off you. Give me a few minutes.” He spat out the last revitalisation tonic, the square glass bottle thunking into the earth.

“I’ll be fine.” Kaius heaved, wincing as the cuts on his body were yanked uncomfortably from the movement. A few moments of frantic shuffling and he managed to pull himself free. “See?”

Moving to stand, Porkchop interrupted him with a growl.

“Sit. Rest. Rage like that burns you, tires the mind even if your body is left untouched. It is an affliction of the meles. We can … lose ourselves in the heat of battle. You feel it too. I know it. The rush. This was different. Too brutal. No passion, only hate and cold. You should be wary of that tonic Kaius.”

Kaius sighed at Porkchop words, but relented and returned to sitting. Swiping his tonic from the ground, he slotted it back safely into his potion pouch. Looking at the glassy eyes of the Grimclaw, and his sword that was sunken hilt deep into its chest, he knew his friend was right. Yet the power had saved their life. He would use it again if he had to..

“I didn’t lose myself, that’s the most disconcerting thing. I was still me. I just only cared about death.” He muttered.

“Just be careful.”

“I will.”

He thought back on the exchange. The sheer power, the control, that the tonic had given him. Never in his mind did he think he would be able to get that level of control over his Health until he had merged Lesser Regeneration. He dove inwards, waiting a few seconds for a burst of Health to spurt from his soul. He grabbed the scrap of the resource. Directing it to the cut in his thigh, urging it to knit skin back together and skin alone.

It was slow, far slower and less efficient than he had been only minutes before. It still worked. Still restored flesh far faster than he could before. His mind was slower, weaker without the power of the draught. But the knowledge, the capability remained. What if it was repeatable?

Dangerous indeed.

Looking over to Porkchop he activated his Sense Mana. A blinding halo lit up. He dialled it back, reducing the impressions of latent mystic force until it returned to diffuse auras. A flick of mental will locked the skill in place.

He gazed out at their surroundings in awe, the mana was everywhere. Blanketed everything. Trees wreathed in greens and browns. The lights above glistening in silver and gold. He looked left, towards the massive sentinel that dominated the clearing. It shone with a radiant inner light.

The Depths had always had a savage grace to them, but this was true beauty. Regardless if the tonic had saved their life, it would have been worth it for just this sight alone.

Porkchop had tried to help him with the skill. As a greater beast he could naturally see mana. Yet the fact that his friend had the power as a birth right meant that he’d never had to learn how to control it, nor was it quite as acute as his own. Porkchop’s advice had been about as helpful as if he had tried to explain how to make seeing in colour less overwhelming.

“What’re you looking at?” Porkchop asked, cocking his head at him.

“Sense Mana. Figured out how to use it properly thanks to the tonic. It’s everywhere.” Kaius replied absentmindedly, fascinated with his surroundings.

Porkchop snorted. “Of course it is, we are in the Depths. Even the inner Sea struggles to compare to the density. It is pretty though.”

The pair sat in companionable silence, waiting for their wounds to heal while they rested next to the corpse of their slain foe. Enjoying the moment of peace that followed a hard fought battle.

Kaius rose first, his bolstered regeneration and comparatively few wounds allowing him to rise quickly. He grabbed his sword, yanking it free from the Champions chest.

“Back in a moment, gonna go get my pack.” Kaius trotted off, approaching the tree where he and Porkchop had originally planned their assault. Slinging his bag back on, he walked back to the site of their victory.

“So, how're we doing? Ready to go look for the loot?” Kaius asked with a wide grin.

“You and loot.” Porkchop snorted, rising to his feet. His friend was stable, but the movement was still slow. “No running. Still sore.”

Kaius nodded in understanding, and they set off for the base of the tree. As they walked Kaius craned his head up at the massive plant that towered over them. Its trunk was as thick as a house, and each individual branch may as well have been a paved path for how stout they were.

“Are there tree’s like this in the centre of the Sea? I thought I'd seen some truly big ones by the mountains, but this makes them look like saplings.” Kaius asked.

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“Mmm,” Porkchop replied. “Bigger. The centre is old. Older than even the Matriarchs remember. Having a den in the centre is a great honour, a sign of powerful fathers and Patriarchs. The canopies shade dangerous hunting grounds. Even the elven conclaves avoid it, other than their most accomplished hunters that is.”

Kaius could see it in his mind's eye. A reflection of the forest he had grown up in, but more. More life. More power. More excitement. Elves too. He’d seen a few, mostly halflings. Full blooded elves so rarely crossed the mountains.

“Would you take me someday? To see the centre?” He asked.

Porkchop snorted, his ears flicking happily. “Yes. Though only if you show me the lands beyond the forest first. I’ve often wondered how strange it must be to live without trees.”

Kaius laughed, happy that Porkchop had accepted so easily. “We can explore them together. I haven’t left the forest much myself, remember? I’ve wanted to for a long, long time.” Kaius paused, thinking back on the stories he had been told. “It’s why I pushed myself so hard you know? Beyond not wanting to waste the gift of my legacy, and the joy that growth brings. I want to see the world, eat strange foods, fight rare monsters and simply see what life has to offer.”

Porkchop listened to him speak of the lands beyond the Arboreal Sea, humming pleasingly as Kaius relayed stories he had heard himself from his father, and travellers at the various taverns he’d stayed at in the frontier villages.

“Like the Drozag Stoneholds. The dwarves have carved entire cities in the mountains beyond the lands of the Hiwiann tribes. They say that they cut the tops off mountains, hollowing them out and laid great panes of stained mosaics across the openings. Each and every one is supposed to be cut from gems the size of a boulder. I heard it's so common for travellers to get struck mute by the beauty that they have dedicated healers just for that! Can you imagine?”

“That sounds ridiculous.” Porkchop chortled. “Are you sure the man that told you this had not had too much to drink?”

“Well, he had had quite a few flagons of stout. But still! It’s worth investigating for ourselves is it not? Even if only half of it is true, it would still be quite the sight.”

“That it would.” Porkchop agreed. His friend grunted, nudging him with his shoulder before gesturing with his nose towards a hollow at the base of the tree's trunk that had been hiding in the gaps between to massive rising roots. “I think I might have just found your loot.”

Kaius grinned, setting off at a trot.

“I said no running!” Porkchop grumbled, but ran after him all the same.

….

Kaius entered the hollow with Porkchop close behind. The smell of musk and wet fur hit him like a wall. He scrunched his nose. “Gods. What the hells is that?”

“Pheromones. It’s its burrow.” Porkchop said, pushing past him.

Resigning himself to breathing through his mouth, Kaius chased after his friend. “Still smells bloody rank.”

The burrow was dark, fully shaded from the light of the lanterns above. To one side the Grimclaw had clearly made its nest. Discarded twigs and dry leaf litter having been gathered into a large pile with a depression at the centre. The other side of the space was clearly its larder. Stripped bones lay in a wild jumble. The oldest were bleached white, while those near the top still had strips of meat on them.

Surprisingly, the beast was a clean eater, as other than the stink of its territory Kaius couldn’t catch the faintest whiff of rot.

Most of the bones were clearly from the shamblers they had fought in the outer forest. Knobbly skulls and too long arm bones giving them away. A glint caught Kaius’s eye. Something in the pit of refuse shone like metal.

“We’re gonna have to dig.” Kaius set, letting out a long resigned groan.

“Nope. You’re going to have to dig. Your loot after all.” Porkchop said, backing away.

Kaius gave his friend a betrayed glare and stomped towards the bones. He tossed them free, digging for whatever had caught his eye. He unearthed it quickly. A helmet.

One still attached to a skull, the shattered remnants of his spine dangling free. Kaius pulled it free gingerly, setting it to the side.

“I wonder, you know. Was this another delver?” He asked pensively. “Or is it just another thing that the depths placed here because it made sense to?”

“Don’t know. The Depths is strange. I try not to question it.”

“What? No wise wisdom straight from the muzzle of the Matriarchs?” he asked, staring at Porkchop in disbelief.

“That is the wisdom. They are wise enough to know when something is beyond them. To question the Depths is to question the system. You’ll get no answers and drive yourself mad with knowledge-hunger.. Better to just take it at face value.”

“Bah, where’s the fun in that? Meaningless supposition is the only thing we’ve got down here. Not like we can go check a library.” He turned back to the pile of bones. “Hold on, I'm going to see if I can find anything else in here.”

Digging through the pile, Kaius managed to find a ring on a discarded arm. The flesh on the finger had been left intact, but had desiccated. Perhaps from the same body as the helmet? Regardless of its origin, Kaius delicately pulled it free from the shrivelled digit. Tossing it towards his other prize, he returned to digging.

“Nothing. That’s it.” He picked up his spoils, wandering over to his friend. “Well, it smells gross here. I suggest we check out what these babies do outside. Maybe somewhere with a soft patch of leaf litter to sit on.”

“Agreed.”

They left the hollow, walking a short distance to get away from the sprawling roots that rose up above their heads at the base of the tree. Kaius plopped himself down, holding his new helmet up to get a better look at it.

It was a hardy thing. Made of gleaming bronze metal, it had a ridge that ran along its top. Sweeping extrusions ran along where it would sit against his cheek and jaw, and a slip of metal shot down from the brow to protect the nose. Swirling embossed designs of knots covered the entire thing, and when Kaius looked closely he could make out dense lines of runic script etched into the decorative covering.

He appraised it.

Kallheim Helm:

Common - Tier I

The Cold Home is a ruthless place. Life is cheap, and death is cheaper. It breeds hard men, but even a hard man does not survive an axe to the skull.

Made from a cold bronze and steel alloy, with a padded beast leather interior. Simple protection, but stout and reliable thanks to its make and materials.

Depths-wrought Artefact.

Medium Armour (Helmet)

Durability I, Impact Negation I, Self Repair I

He read the notification, turning the helm around in his hands. Nothing exciting, but like it said - you didn’t need something fancy if it still stopped your head getting caved in. He shrugged and slid it on.

His shaggy hair immediately covered his eyes. Pulling it off with a huff, Kaius threw his head back to get his hair out of the way. He might need to go at it with his knife again soon.

The helmet went back on, now keeping his hair out of his eyes. It fit perfectly, snug but not tight.

“Nice.” He thought to himself, doing up its clasp to secure it in place.

A shake of his head confirmed it wasn’t going anywhere.

“Looks a little silly. Different colour from your scale.” Porkchop said, watching him from off to the side.

Kaius rolled his eyes at his friend. “It will also save my life if someone hits me over the head. I can deal with a little clashing colours.” He reached for the ring. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have something else to look at”

Plain and made with gleaming silver, it had a ring of runes around its inner edge, while an engraved closed fist graced its exterior.

Ring of the Dedicated Brawler:

Common

Only a coward brings a sword to a fist fight.

Made from shining argentium, this ring’s enchantments turn the wielder's hands to iron, allowing them to turn blades and land heavier blows. Slightly enhances Strength.

Depths-wrought Artefact.

Accessory (Ring)

Brawlers Gambit I, Resizing I, Self Repair I

**Ding! Appraise has reached level 20!**

Kaius grinned as he saw the notification that trailed shortly after the ring's description, though he set the thought to the side for the moment. Holding the ring up, Kaius stared at its description pensively. It might work. May as well try.

“Hey, Porkchop?”