"Callan? Shouldn't we find the Lich's phylactery before we go on?" Tristan asked from near the back of the group.
We all stopped. I had totally forgotten about that part of Liches. My shoulders slumped.
"Yes," I said in a defeated voice. "Any idea where to find it?"
"Well, no, but we definitely need to see what we can do. If this was a dungeon beast, then it's most likely on this floor." Tristan said.
"How do we know it be a dungeon beast?" Vokin asked.
"Well, it was pretty easy to beat. No offense, Callan," Tristan replied. "Most Liches I have heard of though, take closer to twenty adventurers to kill."
"Oh, you mean like a raid party?" I asked.
Everyone looked at me a little confused.
"Um...yes, that sounds right. Raid...party? Never heard that term before, but the words sound like an apt description. It's where a large group of adventurers gather together to take on a creature their normal adventuring parties wouldn't be able to handle alone right?" Rutherford asked.
"Exactly," I replied.
"Then yes. That is what I mean, Callan. Your feat is no less diminished, but a normal boss Lich would have likely been more than we all could handle together," Tristan said.
"I know. But regardless, we need to find that phylactery. I don't want anything sneaking up behind us." I said.
Thinking about this and killing the Lich made me think about the XP from the fight. That made me look at the notification section of my display.
Level Up!
You have earned enough XP to advance to the next level. You are now level 32! Continue to work hard and push yourself to gain more XP to continue to level up. As a human, you now have 5 attribute points and 2 skill points to distribute as you see fit.
Sweet! Level up again! Looking at my stats one more time, I decided the best course of action was more health for now. So, I dumped all 5 points into Constitution.
Name: Callan Ryder
Race: Human
Class: Dragon Rider
Title: Estel - Hope
Level: 32
HP: 470/470*(+20 Necklace)
MP: 490/490 *(+20 Ring)
SP: 400/400
Total XP: 2,919,000
XP to Next Level: 119,000
Attributes:
Unused Attribute Points: 0
Strength: 45 *(+12 Title, Items & Skills)
Constitution: 45 *(+7 Title & Skills)
Dexterity: 45 *(+7 Title & Skills)
Endurance: 40 *(+7 Title & Skills)
Intelligence: 47 *(+12 Title, Items & Skills)
Wisdom: 45 *(+7 Title & Skills)
Charisma: 22 *(+7 Title & Skills)
Luck: 17 *(+7 Title & Skills)
Unused Skill Points: 4
Non-Combat Skills:
Combat Skills:
Inspect: Beginner 9
Unarmed Combat: Beginner 9
Dragon Spirit: 1/5
Spears: Beginner 3
Dragon Scales: 1/4
Short Blades: Beginner 5
Dragon Armor: 1/5
Swords: Initiate 33
Stealth: Beginner 5
Dragon Slash: 1/5
Dragon Breath: Novice 17
Dragon Shield: Novice 11
Thrown Weapons: Beginner 7
Feeling good about my decision, I closed my menu and set about looking for the phylactery.
"If I were a Lich, who only had access to one level of a dungeon, where would I hide something that I didn't want anyone to find?" I asked no one in particular.
I walked over to the throne, thinking that was a little obvious, but a good place for him to protect something. He was sitting on it after all. I searched all over the base, the back, the arms, the seat, and even the steps leading up to it. Nothing was obviously a hiding place. I continued to walk around the throne and tapped on different surfaces to see if there was any difference in the density of the materials that might indicate a hiding spot. Nothing.
So I walked around the room looking at the walls, the floor, the ceiling, and anything else I could think of to see where it might be hidden. Nothing stood out. Of course, that was how it should be for a hiding spot. I suddenly saw something along the wall just to the left of the entrance. It looked like a small carving of a tombstone with the image of a man's face on it. I rubbed my hand over the engraving and noticed that there was extra dust around the outside of the image hiding an indention framing the carving. I pulled out a dagger and began working it into the groove.
I cleaned out all the gunk and wedged it deeper into the space and felt it jiggle. Then I pried it back and forth until the block began to move in the slot. Then it moved forward just slightly. Soon I was able to get it out enough to get my fingers around the tip of it. It was heavier than I would have expected. I pulled and pulled and it came further and further out. The whole block finally came out of the hole and was almost two feet long. It had to weigh almost forty pounds as well. Scraping off a corner of it with the knife showed it was some kind of metal. I reached my hand into the slot where it had been and felt nothing near the back. I felt all along the walls and sides of the hole in the wall and also felt nothing. This had to be it right?
I stood there thinking for a moment, then looked down at the corner of the box I pulled out that I had cleaned off. I picked it up and began to try to dust it off. The dirt was really caked on. I pulled out a water skin from my bag of holding and put some on the block. The dirt turned more to mud and I was able to wipe it off easier. I still ended up needing to use the knife to get some of the gunk spots off, but eventually, it was clean. It was some form of metal for sure, but I wasn't sure what kind.
"I found something," I called over to the group.
A few minutes later the others had come over to where I was at. They were staring at the box and Rutherford was looking in the hole it had come out of.
"It be tungsten metal," Vokin said.
"You guys have Tungsten?"
"Why wouldn't we? It be a naturally occurring metal. Heavy as hell as well. Not a bad way to hide something."
I picked up the box and turned it over in my hands. It was really heavy, making it a bit unwieldy. I couldn't see anything on the box at all. As I turned it over though a small piece of metal fell out of a hole on the top of the box while it was upside down. I picked it up and looked at it for a moment before putting it back into the hole in the box it came out of. It slid into the hole slowly and with such exact precision that the piece literally disappeared into the box without a trace of an outline to show it was separate.
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"Ohhhh...That was satisfying." I said out loud.
"What?" Tristan asked.
"Nothing. Just a thing from my world. It fits in so perfectly."
"Probably dwarven crafted. We do things like that all the time." Vokin added.
I turned it back over and caught the pin as it left the hole it had been in. I turned the box back over and felt part of it shift. I grabbed the end and pulled on it and the entire box split and started to slide apart. Tristan looked up and grabbed part of it and we pulled the box apart as far as it would go. In the middle of the box was an ornately carved and beautifully white vase with a delicate matching lid. The vase had carvings of a cemetery on it, with intricate patterns of rows and rows of graves leading up to a single sarcophagus. The lid was carved into the shape of a rose and rested perfectly in the top of the bottle.
"So...We just smash it?" I asked, looking at everyone else.
They all shrugged.
"Supposedly that's it," Tristan said. "When a Lich is killed, or rather its HP hits zero in its physical form, its soul goes into the phylactery to regenerate. Eventually, it can reform a physical body. But if the phylactery is destroyed, then the soul has nowhere to go and will leave this plane of existence as normal souls do."
"Well, alright, here goes nothing," I said, lifting the vase over my head.
I let it fall from my hand, and it plummeted toward the floor. Where it promptly bounced and rolled over to where Rutherford was standing.
"Tough little bugger isn't it?" I said.
Rutherford raised one eyebrow and looked at it.
"Well, it should be durable," Tristan said. "Otherwise a simple clumsy moment could ruin your life."
Rutherford raised his maul overhead and slammed it down on the vase. As it broke a light exploded out in all directions along with what sounded like a muted scream and a wind that blew forcefully. Wiping the dust from my eyes I looked down at the broken pieces of glass laying on the ground.
"So, that's that then?" I asked
"It would appear so. Good job Rutherford." Tristan said.
Rutherford puffed his chest out a bit at the compliment. We then gathered back together and headed to the other end of the cavern. Getting into formation, we began moving into the tunnel leading further into the dungeon. It was much the same as the last tunnel. These seemed to be formed to encircle the perimeter of the dungeon and angle down to the next room. So all we could do was follow the path in front of us as it curved around and sloped down.
We stayed in formation and Rutherford recast his Illumination spell whenever it timed out, keeping us with light almost the entire time. I was so glad he had that spell. It was effective, low cost, and lasted a long time. Perfect for dungeons. We didn't run into any other monsters this time in the tunnel, which I considered a win. It wasn't until we reached the other end of the tunnel that I realized why. There was something blocking most of the tunnel exit. We weren't really sure what it was, but it was hard and had some kind of weird pattern to it. There was a small opening at the top though that was open.
The blockage didn't appear to be a cave-in as it all looked like one piece, so moving it would likely be difficult. Vokin was staring really hard at the object while we discussed what we could do.
"Should we try pushing it to see if it will move?" I offered.
"Probably too heavy, it's all one piece which is going to make it dense and super heavy," Rutherford said.
"We could boost Randal up over the top, he's a thin guy, and should be able to fit through the hole at the top," I said.
"Not a bad idea, but what do we do once we get him over there? We will still be over here and its not any lighter," Tristan said.
"Good point....can we blast it apart?"
"We could try. But who knows how strong it...." Rutherford was cut off.
"Guys...I think I know what this be now..." Vokin said.
We all looked over at him and saw the blockage moving. It didn't move in the way one would think though. It moved horizontally and the pattern continued.
"Please tell me it's spinning," I said in a low almost whisper.
"It not be spinnin' lad. It be...slithering." Vokin replied.
It continued to move and began to get shorter as it moved. Then the end passed by and there was no mistaking what it was. A giant snake. The pattern had been the scales on its body, it wasn't warm-blooded so we didn't know it was alive, and it was such a small piece of it that we couldn't tell it was breathing.
"I really hate snakes," I said.
"Who doesn't?" Tristan asked.
"Especially Tunnel Vipers," Vokin said.
"Anything you can tell us about these Tunnel Vipers, Vokin?" Randal asked.
"Oh, good question!" I interjected before Vokin could speak.
Vokin stared at me a little disgruntled by the interruption. I just shrugged at him.
"They be really big, really nasty, really grumpy, and tough. Not very fast, fortunately, but they be venomous. Not that the venom is what kills ye usually, their fangs through yer chest be enough to kill ye normally." Vokin said.
"How tough are we talking here Vokin?" I asked, concern growing for the fight.
"Their scales be about as tough as iron. Not quite as hard as steel, but close." Vokin said. "So normal weapons are just not super effective. I think most of us have magic weapons at this point, but yer weapon likely be the best because of the light aspect, and every other creature we've seen be wreathed in shadows. If I were settin' the strategy, I'd be sayin' keep the snake off Callan, while he cuts it up." Vokin offered.
"I can't think of a better plan. Tristan, you should probably stay back in the tunnel and drain when you can." Rutherford said. "You are not going to have much defense if it tries to crush you against a wall. Randal can stay with you as well and take shots where he can."
"I bet Aeolith will have fun with the snake as well. Her claws can shred iron." I said.
"That be great news. I bet she will be fierce. But ye need to cut off its head, lad." Vokin said.
"Fine. Let me start, then you all jump in and I'll get to its head." I said. "I want to start it off with a bang."
Everyone agreed with the plan for now and we decided to let Zephyr go out as well. We weren't sure how well his claws or teeth would do against the snake, but he was agile so he should be able to get out of the way if something happened. And the more bodies moving around out there, the greater the confusion and distraction.
With that decided I moved to the tunnel exit and peered around the room. It was much the same as the last room, but it did have some stalactites and stalagmites set about very sparsely. The snake was slithering around the room, flicking its tongue in and out. From what I knew of snakes on earth, that was how they smelled. And I believe they had some kind of heat sensory as well, but I hadn't brushed up on snake biology before coming here. Whatever the case was, I needed to get close enough to get the party started and then the rest would follow. Its head turned away from the tunnel and I saw my opening. I ran out of cover and toward the part of the body closest to me. I raised my sword and brought it down using Powerful Blow on its side.
The sword made contact, lit up like a lightsaber, and exploded with force and I cut through its scales. There was an actual boom that sounded from the sword hitting the snake as it passed through flesh, leaving a gaping wound in the side of the creature. Unfortunately, this was closer to the tail than the middle of the snake, but it had an opening now. The snake hissed in pain and reared up so fast hit head hit the ceiling of the room. It whipped its head around to see what had caused it pain, but I didn't sit still to give it a target. I was already moving to get behind a stalagmite. It seemed to see me, though as it started to move for me. That was when the others jumped into the fight.
It focused on me and the pain I caused it until it first lit up green from a Drain spell from Tristan, an arrow landed in the meat of the hole I left in its side, and Vokin and Rutherford bellowed war cries as they charged in. Zephyr and Aeolith moved out of the tunnel and separated to move to either side of the creature. The snake suddenly had more targets than it knew what to deal with. It seemed to decide to focus on the loudest targets, Vokin and Rutherford. This was further set in stone when they both moved in and Rutherford smashed his hammer onto a part of its spine making it hiss again with pain, and Vokin slashed at it with his axe. The snake began to lunge for the pair, when Aeolith jumped on its neck and began scratching and biting just below the base of its head, opening long furrows in its skin with her talons and claws. Zephyr jumped on its back further down and also began clawing and biting. His claws and teeth didn't do quite as much damage as Aeolith's but he was still making it bleed.
The snake suddenly began to shake violently and became completely enraged. It threw its head back against a wall, smashing Aeolith against it. It moved its back as well and Zephyr was forced to jump off or be slammed into a wall as well. Rutherford and Vokin were pushing against a piece of the snake looking to flatten them as well. I rushed out from the hiding spot and began sprinting full-on for the snake's head. It had turned itself to face Aeolith, who had proven to be the biggest threat and was about to strike at her. Just as it opened its mouth to lunch at her, its fangs actually dripping with venom, she sent a light breath into its mouth. The light hit it full force and causes a small explosion in its mouth. It hissed again and this time let out what sounded more like a high-pitched keening noise. It backed away for a moment, but then as soon as Aeolith had gotten to her feet, it sprang forward and wrapped its body around her. It had her in its coils and started to squeeze. Then it loomed over her with its head looking down at her. Its mouth seemed to have taken a substantial amount of damage, so it wasn't looking to bite her, but it was squeezing tight enough that I could feel the pain coming through our bond.
Rutherford used a Divine Smash on the snake's back and it winced in pain as its back actually cracked, but it didn't let go. It didn't even look away. Aeolith was biting and trying to reach it with her claws to scratch at it, but even though she was making it bleed, it didn't relent. I called for Zephyr, and he came to me while I was running and I jumped on his back. He sprinted even faster toward its head, where arrows were now beginning to stick out of its head from where Randal was trying to get its attention, and Dark Balls were hitting it in the head, doing almost no damage.
"Get ready to jump, then I'm going to jump from your back, when you land attack whatever you can!" I said to Zephyr and he nodded.
We ran a little further and I yelled for him to jump.
"NOW!"
Zephry leaped into the air, and I stood on his back and jumped from there, my sword held out. Aeolith was beginning to stop struggling, her thoughts were frantic, but slowing. I let out the loudest, longest, craziest war cry I had ever uttered as I grabbed the sword in both hands and swung the sword like a homerun bat. It parted the flesh beneath its head and bit deep into the bone in its neck, where it got stuck for a moment. Only for a moment though, as the light gems lit up and caused an explosion where the sword met the flesh which caused the head of the snake to fly off, spraying Aeolith with blood from its arteries, but causing the snake to slacken its grip enough that Aeolith was able to get a breath in and scramble out of its coils.
The snake should surely be dead, but Aeolith went to town on its body nonetheless. She was scratching and biting and roaring at its neck.
"Aeolith!" I yelled.
She stopped for a moment, her mouth around the neck of the snake.
"It's dead, love. Let it go."
She sent me feelings of extreme anger, but then seemed to catch herself and let the body go and stood up, walking over to be near me. I wrapped my arms around her head and hugged her close, not caring that she was covered in blood and gore. The rest of the party came over to where we were standing and congratulated us while asking how Aeolith was.
"Gave us quite a scare there lass," Vokin said to her. "But it not be for nothing. These scales are so hard that they be an excellent material for making armor. If we skin this beast, we can actually wear our enemy."
"Now that sounds like a great idea, Vokin," I said.
"I also agree, I want to wear this foe," Aeolith said to me through our mental link.
I chuckled at her blood lust and patted her again. We went to work on the snake, taking the time to remove all of the scales and placed them in a pile. There were a lot of them. We spent hours getting those off. I went to the pile and began scooping them into the bag of holding. The scales stacked in each slot up to nine hundred ninety-nine scales. It took up six slots. There were over five thousand of these scales in total. That should make some great armor and a lot of it to boot. We looked around again to see if there was anything else to use. Seeing nothing we started getting a bit frustrated. Normally in a dungeon, there would have been some kind of treasure for these fights. But we were here to kill the Shadows so we decided to press on. Just as we were about to leave the room I saw something out of the corner of my eye. A little glimmer shone off of something at the far end of the room. I almost missed it but stopped in my tracks. Aeolith felt my mind get distracted and stopped walking as well. The others stopped when she did, not noticing just me.
"What is it, Callan?" Tristan asked.
"I saw something," I replied.
I heard the drawing of weapons and turned back to the party.
"No not like that. Something just caught my eye over there." I said.
They physically relaxed and put their weapons away. I walked toward the wall I saw the glimmer on and as I got closer I could see what it was. There was an altar of sorts with a large snake statue on it. In the statue's eyes were two large gems that looked like diamonds. I reached out and tried to remove the diamonds from the eye sockets. They were stuck fast.
"Well, we can't have that now can we?" I said to myself.
I pulled out a dagger and began to pry the gems out of the eyes. First one, then the other. They took a pretty good amount of force to get free, but I did have both in my hands after a few minutes. I looked at them and received a prompt.
Eyes of the Serpent
You have found the Eyes of the Serpent. These gems were stolen long ago from the Great Serpent Monks of the Western Mountain Temple and have been thought to be lost to time. You have stumbled upon these and the geat serpent god Beraz has given you a quest to return the eyes to the monks. If you will do so, Beraz will reward you greatly.
Rewards:
50,000 XP
Other rewards:
A godly favor
Accept?
Yes No
A quest from an item? I haven't seen that before. And a quest from a god to boot! That must mean it's worth it. And with Aeolith able to fly now I bet I could make that in no time. I'll have to see about when I can finish that quest up. A favor from a god would certainly come in handy at some point.
"What is it? Are they valuable?" Rutherford asked.
"Apparently to someone they are. It offered me a quest." I replied.
"Seriously?! What kind of quest?" Rutherford questioned.
"A standard fetch quest."
Everyone looked at me blankly.
"Sorry, using gaming slang again. It's a standard quest to return an item somewhere. The Western Moutain Temple." I said.
The team blanched at that.
"Callan, the Western Mountain Temple is home to the worshipers of Beraz, the serpent god," Vokin said.
"Right, he's the one that sent the quest. He really wants these back. Offered me XP plus a favor. No way I'm passing that up."
"A favor from a god?! I wouldn't want to pass that up. But it would take weeks to get there." Tristan said.
"I bet it won't if I fly."
"Well, that's true, but we won't be able to go with you if you take Aeolith," Tristan said.
"True, but this is something I really can't pass up. It could come in handy one of these days. Besides, I'll have Aeolith with me," I replied with a wink.
"I guess so," Tristan said, seeming a little sad.
"Let's focus on what we are doing here, Tristan. Then we can discuss the other quest. This is most important and not something to take lightly, so we will worry about it when we are out."
Tristan nodded at this and looked better.
"Now, let's get in formation and head toward the next area," I said.
We formed up and began moving again, weapons ready for whatever was to come next.