The pages within Liber began slowing their rapid flapping as the images of the past began to dissolve back into reality. The book slapped shut and the golden strip that was Liber’s bookmark and tongue lolled out from between the pages.
“So, you see, it was a tragedy all along.”
“Brutal,” commented Elena, “How can we use this to our advantage?”
“Well, we know the original demon that caused this mess is locked away in the painting,” explained CJ, “Lykin seem rather dangerous but not possess you and fuck up some ritual dangerous. What do you think Rubio?”
“Numbers. It’s all about their numbers. Pretty clear that a single person trying to complete all these waves would be impossible. Someone attempting this on their own would have fallen in the first wave. Without knowing if we can actually die in here,” Rubio looked over at Monty who gave him a noncommittal shrug, “I’d call this place a death trap that we should leave right now.”
“That’ll give us a ranking of C. Liber, how many Lykin will be in these waves?” asked CJ.
“Unknown. You are currently writing that story now. I only have pages that read up until the end of this sentence.”
“This is the most fascinating book ever,” added Jenn kneeling down to pick up Liber before continuing, “Can I carry him?”
“Only if you have room in your school bag,” quipped Monty before dodging a kick from Jenn.
Everyone took a minute to giggle at their antics. CJ was lost in thought. A C rank wasn’t great, but he wondered if that would count as a clear for quest. It was a successful result after all. As Jenn and Monty poked fun at each other he had another thought.
“Jenn, your health boosters. The description says health points will increase by twenty point. It doesn’t say we are healed by twenty points. I took mine after the fight with the flesh ball. My health points did heal up twenty points. What happens if you take it when at max health?”
“I’m not sure. I modified the original recipe a little when I cut it with cough syrup, flaming Moe’s style, that’s when it became a health booster instead of a health potion. I was so excited that it worked I never thought twice about it. Monty stop, we’re doing something else now.”
Monty huffed at her and hopped back over to stand at CJ’s side. The orange flame hovering between his ears flickered a bit making the shadows dance in the hall.
“Do you have a spare booster? I’m at full health right now.”
“Excuse me for just a moment, shouldn’t you—” Liber was cut off as Jenn put him in her bag before pulling out what looked like a capri sun pouch and handed it over to CJ who raised one eyebrow at her before taking it.
“I work with what I have.”
CJ downed the contents noting his health points stayed at one hundred and ten points before the whole bar began to flash. The red bar began pulsing red faintly before a plus symbol followed twenty appeared above it.
“Weird. It didn’t increase the total but added a notation that I have an additional twenty points in reserve. No slate message though.”
“It might be an incomplete recipe. I’m new at the magic portion of chemistry.”
“Probably will remain there until you fully metabolize the potion. Its not permanent so it’s not a permanent effect so it’s not going to change your total. I’m just guessing considering my Alchemy knowledge is centuries out of date,” added Monty.
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“The book was saying something before you stuffed him in the bag Jenn, perhaps you should find out wat it was. I can still here his muffled voice,” said Rubio before reloading his now fully serviced weapon.
Jenn lifted Liber out of her bag before all the torch lights switched to blue-white again.
“I was trying to tell you the portal was about to expire.”
The next few minutes were a flurry of motion. Rubio and CJ pounded up the stairs back to the top of the tower. Jenn took Liber up to the wall landing to prepare there while Monty and Elena began stacking suits of armor in front of the door.
New Message from Party Leader CJ: Just like the first wave. This time we hold the tower and try not to get separated.
New Message from Rubio: The cramped halls give us the advantage. We should use them. Jenn, no gas unless everyone is already past your position.
New Message from Party Leader CJ: What gas?
New Message from Psycho: You were missing when I used my caustic gas bomb last wave. I got like five of the birds with it.
New Message from Rubio: And it will be more deadly in an enclosed space. Now get ready.
CJ knew that gas option was going to be crucial. He also couldn’t believe they’d talked their way into two more waves. This dungeon was not playing. He and Rubio finally reached the hatch up as the first howls rang through the air.
Out in the snow shapes were sprinting towards the walls from every direction. They used the pre-made paths from the birds to get close enough to leap at the walls. Their fur was white with brown patches occasionally. Some wore leather jerkins across their torso’s while others were completely naked. CJ counted ten moving bodies from up here. Nine after Rubio got set up.
New Message from Rubio: Jenn get ready. It looks like they plan to charge the wall door. They also looked confused about how their brothers head exploded.
New Message from Psycho: I don’t know if I want to do this alone.
New Message from Party Leader CJ: I’m on my way down Jenn. Monty and Elena, see if you can lure them toward your door with some gunfire.
“Can you leave some of that fire up here? My aim gets thrown off once my hands get too cold.”
CJ nodded and placed his hand on the hatch. He pulled up on it and the handle broke off. CJ held the handle in his hand for a long second before casting Polychrome Flames on it and sliding it closer to Rubio.
“Thanks, I… is that the handle to the hatch!?” asked a shocked Rubio.
“It just came off. Help me wedge it open or something. If we get it open it has to stay open now,” complained CJ as he shoved his fingers at the seam trying to find purchase. Then he swore and cast spatial compression on the hatch itself. It shrunk down and dropped into the passage below. He hopped down and tossed it back up.
“I can cancel the spell at any time. Just message me if you need it shut, fucking waste of fifty mana,” raged CJ as tore ass down the stairs.
As he jogged, he heard the pounding of Lykin at the door below him. Then a high pitched shriek of terror bounced off the walls of the stairwell. CJ poured on the speed missing a step and hitting an ice patch. That caused him to tumble down the steps like a wagon wheel. He came around the corner to see Jenn backed up to the wall as a clawed arm reached through a breach in the door. It was swiping left and right but was a good three feet away from her. CJ’s roll was uncontrollable, and he slammed into the left arm that was clawing at her. It arrested his momentum and earned him a cool forty points of mana regen. The arm, however, was snapped back at the elbow joint. There was a whimpering howl from the other side of the door as bone and sinew jutted from the ruined joint. Blood sprayed from compound fracture.
CJ’s vision was spinning, and he noticed he’d taken twenty points of health damage from smashing his body into the stairs over and over again. Then the plus twenty notation disappeared, and his health bar filled back up. It acted like a reserve quantity. He’d have to tell everyone about that later.
Meanwhile, the Lykin outside tore their compatriot from the door leaving its arm on this side. Jenn checked on CJ before a new arm started clawing at the hole. This time it worked on widening the hole instead of clawing at the interior. Jenn slid CJ back against the wall at the same time he pointed his wobbly revolver at the door. The torch light hadn’t changed to black light at all. It was still blue-white.
“We have to do something!” screamed Jenn.
“I feel like I just got off the damn tilt-a-whirl. Give me a second or you know, shoot the fucking thing!”
“I dropped my gun at the door when the first arm came through.”
“Use mine.”
“Oh right! Duh.”
Jenn took CJ’s revolver and fired two shots through the hole. One bullet sunk deep into the Lykin's shoulder joint. It pulled out the arm howling only to be replaced by another. Now CJ’s head was finally clearing. He choked down his urge to vomit as he pulled a deck of cards. Focus now returning to his vision, he threw two mana invested cards. A Jack of diamonds and a nine of diamonds. Twenty nine damage total stabbed into the Lykin. Blood began to stain its white fur as it was unceremoniously flung from the wall. In the brief instant the gap was uncovered, CJ noticed it had begun snowing outside.