"Master, are you going to have trouble?" I was exhausted, like a dog.

I had to give the dwarf credit; he was really trying. Or maybe he was genuinely interested. But what he definitely didn't expect was that about half an hour before Seguna rose, a fragment of the "Spirit Armor" flickered around my palm, however fleetingly, in its true form, inaccessible to most humans.

"Deal. Is. Deal." The dwarf replied, seemingly as tired as I was.

It seemed we were simply sitting opposite each other and practicing breathing techniques, yet I was sweating rivers, my hands shaking as if I'd been lifting weights all day. Although, the dwarf didn't look much better. During the training, he had to synchronize his prana flows with mine, and it clearly wasn't easy for him. After all, we belonged to different species, and the fact that he managed it was a real miracle. Just like the fact that, thanks to the Perfect Core, I was able to comprehend the general principles of the "Spiritual Armor of the Great Forge." And most importantly, not just comprehend, but partially reproduce it. After gulping down some potion, the dwarf looked at the darkening sky and said sadly:

"The Rune Enchanters were right. Our world is in for great upheavals."

"Are there such prophecies?" I perked up.

"Every year, they prophesy something like this, since the Beginning of Time!" The Spirit Master waved it off. "Only. This time. I believe them."

"Really?"

Turning around, the dwarf glanced at me tiredly and explained:

"Heroes don't just come down to earth for no reason."

"What kind of hero am I?" To lighten the mood, I tried to laugh, but it didn't come out well.

"An ordinary one. Like in the ancestors' legends." The dwarf shrugged. "The one. I'll. Never. Become."

Rising to my feet, I bowed deeply.

"I, Raven Alexandrite, Sheriff of the Book of the Tunnellers' Guild of Wootz Rank, thank the master for his knowledge."

"I, Dwarvin Baghtan, Keeper of the Book of Recipes, Master of the Midnight Spirit of Itildine Rank, accept your gratitude."

Itildine? Wow, I really missed the mark! All because my special rank-recognition sight ability only worked on humans. Nevertheless, in the Last Cycle, he died descending the tiers. Even a warrior of the Legendary Coil couldn't handle thousands of malachite ants.

"Master, are you sure you need to go down there?" I attempted to dissuade Dwarvin from his suicidal plan.

"Yes," he cut off.

He wouldn't back down. Pity. I had grown fond of this taciturn dwarf. And as a teacher, he was unparalleled; his vast experience was evident. I hoped I could open the gates of the lesser Temple, and in this Cycle, things would turn out differently for him.

Rummaging through my backpack, I found a stamina potion and, after receiving a nod from the dwarf, drank it in one gulp, feeling with every cell of my body how the strength returned. I didn't expect any explanations from Dwarvin, so it was all the more surprising when, sitting down on a stone, he began to speak:

"My clan failed. Many centuries ago. Lost what they swore to protect. And now, every hundred cycles, we try to reclaim what was lost."

"We?" I questioned doubtfully, gesturing to show that apart from him, there were no other dwarfs here.

"A thousand cycles ago, a hundred would embark on the pilgrimage. Five hundred cycles ago, dozens. Today... Today, I am alone."

"If a hundred returned with nothing, why go alone?" I was astonished by such stubbornness.

"Returned?" The dwarf echoed indifferently.

"Oh..." It dawned on me, and I bowed my head. "May the stone accept their souls."

"It won't," he cut off. "Nor mine, if I fail."

"Among us humans, it's customary to unburden our soul before the final journey. I'm ready to listen to you, Master. It's the least I can do in gratitude for your teaching."

"Unburden? My soul?" This concept was clearly new to him, but I had seen that look before; he had no hope of returning. "Very well," the dwarf unexpectedly agreed. "In the undermountain halls of the Forefather, I will boast that a True Hero listened to me."

This time, I didn't object to such a title, focusing on his voice.

"When the mountains were young... My clan brewed the best beer in Ain." And these were not just words, beer for the undermountain people was even more than a religion. "The Great Master himself didn't disdain to taste that frothy drink. Dark Baghtan. And 'Dark' isn't the wordplay you humans love so much." The dwarf raised his hand, and a Sign of Affinity with the Shadow appeared above his palm! So that was what the Master of the Midnight Spirit meant. "The Altar of the Night Mistress was blessing our brewery. And at the wedding of Obeorn and Seguna, the beer brewed by my ancestors was served at the table!"

"Altar..." I echoed in a whisper.

"Which my clan lost during the Great Earthquake."

"And you..."

"You've understood everything." The dwarf nodded and placed his palm on his lips.

Who would have thought, a dwarf clan that venerated Seguna! But then again, why not? The Mistress of Evening Coolness illuminated the night sky long before the first human set foot on Ain. Besides, dwarves regarded gods quite differently from us. If for humans, the prime evil was associated with Obeorn and Nulgle, for the undermountain folk, the divine enemy was Magevra. And Darkness and Shadow, how could one do without them in the dwarven kingdom? Though the dwarves also honored Antares. I was right to come here! If somewhere in the depths of the Throne Peak lay a forgotten Altar of Seguna, then I definitely needed to return here. The task of finding ten lost altars of the Shadow still hung over me like the sword of Damocles.

"Master!" An idea struck me. "Do you need that specific Altar of Seguna that lies under this mountain?! I know where a True Altar of the Night Mistress, lost many centuries ago, is located! A week's journey, and you'll be there! And no risk!"

"Lost Altar? True?"

"Yes!" Maybe I could also complete the quest for finding a Shadow priest? "In a ruined human city south of here."

"Human..." The dwarf exhaled disappointedly. "That Altar was gifted to you, not to my people. Not to my clan."

Too bad. It could have all worked out so well!

"Seguna is rising," Dwarvin said, lifting his head to the sky. "Where is your kin?" And he continued much louder, "Ran away?"

"I'm here!" As if he had been waiting for these words, Rikhard appeared from behind the rock.

"You didn't forget the flower, did you?" I smirked, knowing he might have.

"It's with me," the earthling nodded.

Apparently, he had only heard the last words of the dwarf and didn't know what we were talking about. And that was for the best. Otherwise, he might accidentally stumble underground and be lost for good. Well, not exactly accidentally, of course.

"Let's go," the dwarf threw back and confidently walked toward the dark gap in the rock.

Before following him, I paused to let Rikhard go ahead. A dark, nasty thought made me stop. If I helped Dwarvin and he found the Altar, it would cease to be a Lost Altar, which meant I would have to find one more. Even though I couldn't descend to the lower levels now, later, when I ascended to the Legendary Coil, I could hire a team and find what was lost by the Night Mistress myself. Shouldn't I "help" the dwarf so that this path, like in the Last Cycle, would be his last? He was destined to die anyway. It had already happened! And it would benefit me...

Nausea rose to my throat. I felt disgusted with myself.

But! Wasn't my Path, my Goal, more important than one life? Just one! Why moral scruples when the survival of an entire world was at stake?

No. That wasn't true. It wasn't the survival of the world at stake, but merely the easing of my path. No need to lie to myself.

Decided. I would not hinder the Master of the Midnight Spirit. If the dwarf succeeded in his task – great! And I would still find a dozen lost Altars anyway. If he didn't succeed – it wouldn't be my fault. Besides, we made a deal in Ishid's name, and it was not for the bearer of His Sign to break such oaths.

An incredible relief washed over me, as if I had stepped out of a sticky swamp onto a smooth path, and when I stepped forward, I was smiling.

As soon as I entered the gap, darkness enveloped me from all sides. I had to blink several times to adjust to the lack of light. The wide corridor, clearly man-made, once had its walls adorned with bas-reliefs and some statues, of which only fragments of pedestals remained. Sharp stone debris lay underfoot. Catching up with Rikhard, I fell in step beside him.

"We're in the southwestern part," explained the earthling. "There's little information about this place on the map I restored. It used to be one of the auxiliary entrances."

Listening to Rikhard's explanations about various details, I tried to match my steps with the dwarf walking ahead. After passing an intersection, we suddenly emerged into an open space. At least, that's what it seemed to me at first, that it was open. The ceiling had receded far away, and the walls ahead were no longer visible.

"Trading quarter," the earthling whispered.

The cave we found ourselves in was truly enormous. Several football stadiums could easily fit inside it. In the dim, pale light from the phosphorescent mushrooms, which seemed to cover everything here - from the road underfoot to the ruined walls of some buildings - not much could be seen. Nonetheless, I stood frozen in awe. Even now, these ruins, from which little remained, were impressive. And if you used your imagination, you could easily picture how much effort the undermountain folk once put into creating this! An entire city district carved into the rocks! And this was only the first, uppermost tier of the former capital of the dwarven kingdom.

Turning at another intersection, Dwarvin stopped by the crumbling wall of what was once a three-story building. After waiting for us to catch up, the dwarf bent down and, seemingly without much effort, lifted a granite slab weighing no less than a ton. He moved it aside and said:

"Leave your bags here. Just take your weapons and potions with you."

Following his advice, I removed my backpack and placed it in the small niche revealed beneath the moved slab. Unlike me, Rikhard didn't take anything unnecessary from the start.

"Master," I addressed the dwarf after he had returned the granite slab to its place. "When I come back, I won't be able to lift this block." The dwarf's face showed signs of contemplation; he clearly hadn't considered this when using such a heavy stone. "Can I destroy this slab to retrieve my belongings?"

"You can," Dwarvin agreed after a brief internal struggle.

Then, the dwarf approached the wall on the opposite side of the underground street and moved an even heavier block aside. He disappeared behind it, only to return almost immediately with large coils of sturdy ropes in his hands. One he kept for himself and gave the other two to us, saying curtly:

"We'll need it."

Seeing how I slung the rope over my shoulder, Rikhard did the same.

"Follow me," the dwarf said. "Don't stray. It's dangerous."

"I never ventured here," the earthling began as soon as we lined up behind Dwarvin. "The walls are all cracked, and under the ceiling, which is almost fifty meters above us, hang huge stalactites." He waved his hand upward. "One careless move, and you'll be buried under a rockfall. And watch your step; the local cracks are treacherous. By the way! There's a large mushroom grove nearby. Imagine mushrooms the size of trees! And each one glows with its unique hue."

Richard spoke with such enthusiasm that I even wanted to take a look, but of course, I didn't stray from the path the dwarf was leading us along.

Dwarvin walked ahead, skillfully maneuvering between the ruins, easily jumping over destroyed walls and huge rock fragments. It was amazing how he managed to maintain such agility in his heavy armor. And while I kept up with the dwarf without much difficulty, it was not so easy for Rikhard. In less than half an hour, sweat beads appeared on the earthling's temples; nevertheless, he persevered and did not lag behind, understanding that this expedition was his chance to get rid of the questers' punishment. We had moved about three kilometers away from the entrance to the city when the earthling said loudly enough:

"The descent to the second tier is in the other direction!"

Since the dwarf did not react to his words, I also ignored them, following our guide. Another ten minutes later, turning into a narrow alley, Dwarvin waved to us and entered what seemed to be a miraculously preserved building. Like all the other houses we had passed earlier, in addition to the destruction caused by a natural disaster, there were clearly visible traces of numerous plunders. Bare walls, a floor full of cracks, a pile of rubble where there was once a hearth, and not a trace of anything valuable, not even remnants of furniture.

"This way," said the dwarf, squeezing through a gap between the wall and the collapsed ceiling beam.

Following him, we found ourselves in an inner courtyard, in the middle of which gaped a black chasm of a huge crack, into which a small car could easily fall.

"Rope." Dwarvin extended his hand to Rikhard demandingly.

The earthling obediently took the rope off his shoulder and handed it over. Tying one end of the rope around a multi-ton boulder, the dwarf threw the coil into the crevice. He carefully watched it fall into the darkness, then removed his gloves and smeared his palms with some phosphorescent ointment.

"I'll call," said the Master of the Midnight Spirit, and, without touching the rope, he jumped straight into the black abyss at his feet.

The earthling standing next to me gasped quietly in fear, while I stepped forward and peeked down. The width of the sheer drop was just under two meters. The dwarf's descent looked quite strange. After falling about five meters, he spread his arms and halted himself by pressing his palms against the rocks. He fixed his position and, folding his arms, fell another five meters to stop again for a couple of seconds. In the places where his palms touched the rocks, glowing spots remained, providing enough light to avoid sharp protrusions on the walls of the crevice. During the eighth "stop," Dwarvin somehow twisted and, fixing his body with his legs, freed his hands. He took the coil of rope from his shoulder and tied it tightly to the rope he had thrown into the crevice earlier. After checking the strength of the knots, the dwarf, without looking up, jumped down another five meters. A minute later, his silhouette had completely dissolved into the darkness, and only the handprints dimly illuminated the chasm. Glancing at Rikhard, I noticed he was quite nervous, gripping his weapon tightly.

"Let me tie your staff to your back," I suggested. "It will be easier to descend."

"Good idea," the earthling agreed.

After securing Rikhard's weapon, I tied Striking Whisper to my back in the same manner. As soon as we finished, the rope left by the dwarf jerked, then again.

"Is that a signal?" the earthling asked, staring at me.

"I think so," I agreed with him.

"Then I'll go first!" Rikhard said, showing unexpected bravery, and grabbed the rope. "I don't want to stay here alone," he explained.

Shrugging, I let him go ahead. Unlike the dwarf, the earthling descended much more slowly, constantly stopping and looking around. After ten minutes, his silhouette disappeared from view. A little more time passed, and the rope jerked again. That meant it was my turn.

Without touching the rope, I jumped straight down. After falling a few meters, I spread my arms to the sides and slowed my descent against the relatively smooth granite. With my athletic training and Wootz rank, repeating Dwarvin's descent wasn't too difficult. Assessing the width and walls of the crevice, I even considered that I could probably climb up here without the rope. Although, Rikhard definitely wouldn't be able to pull off such a trick.

The glowing traces left by the dwarf, as well as my Affinity with Shadow, allowed me to gauge each jump downward, choosing a spot for the next stop in advance. And thanks to the Stoneskin spell, I managed to keep my hands intact during the braking against the rock. Without this useful magic, I would probably have worn my palms to blood. After the fifth jump, I had become so accustomed to this manner of descent that I covered greater distances between stops each time, without fear of crashing. A couple of minutes later, I saw familiar silhouettes below. The last jump, and I landed on a flat stone slab, dusting myself off from head to toe.

"Wow!" Rikhard exclaimed. "Will I be able to do the same when I reach Wootz?" It seemed he was quite impressed by my quick descent.

"No," Dwarvin curtly replied, not even glancing at the earthling.

"Why not right away?" Rikhard protested. "Maybe I'm talented!"

The dwarf responded with a booming laugh as he walked off into the darkness.

"Do you know where we are?" I asked the earthling.

"I estimated the length of the ropes, and judging by that, we're somewhere on the third tier. But this place isn't on the maps, so I can't say for sure."

"Go on, I'll guard our rear." Unfastening my spear, I gripped it with both hands.

It's not that I was worried about a possible attack; I did it more to calm Rikhard, who was noticeably nervous. As for the beasts and small monsters inhabiting this area, the dwarf leading us exuded such an aura of danger that I doubted any of them would dare show themselves.

Following Dwarvin, we didn't see the former beauty of the underground city. He led us through some technical corridors and shafts. Likely, even the numerous ruin looters, who had been plundering the former capital for many centuries, didn't know about these places. Moreover, it was possible that human feet were stepping on these stones for the first time. There wasn't even any lighting here because the seemingly ubiquitous mountain mushrooms didn't grow in this area. If it weren't for the traces the dwarf left behind by occasionally touching the walls with his palms, even I would have had difficulty navigating, despite my Affinity with Shadow and the constantly maintained Perception aura.

"Air shafts," Rikhard said, glancing around and occasionally, through pain, summoning a small flame. "I've seen these on the second tier, but I didn't think they stretched throughout the entire mountain."

Perhaps the earthling was right, or maybe these were some kind of military paths or remnants of a long-lost transportation network. For the most part, it didn't matter to me; I was just trying not to fall behind the dwarf and to remember the route as precisely as possible.

The earthling, who started to chatter endlessly due to nervous tension, somewhat interfered with this. At first, he told me about the undermountain city. After an hour, his knowledge ran dry, and he began to complain about the trials he had endured. And to my mild regret, this topic proved to be truly inexhaustible in his rendition. Of course, I could have asked him to be silent, but it was better for him to be occupied with talking than to start flinching at every shadow.

Our descent lasted so long that I seemingly began losing track of time. At times we walked over smooth stones, other times we pushed through numerous blockages. It wasn't exactly exhausting, but the surrounding darkness was starting to get on my nerves.

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"We must be on the fifth tier already," Rikhard said, shivering and gripping his staff.

"Sixth," rumbled the dwarf walking ahead.

"I don't get it, where are all the monsters?" asked the earthling, glancing around nervously.

"There they are," I smirked.

"Where?!" Richard even jumped about a meter and a half into the air and hid behind me.

"Under your feet," I explained. "Not the monsters themselves, but their remains."

"These are just ordinary stones," Rikhard said, peering down in surprise.

Bending down, I picked up a sharp quartz shard and showed it to the earthling.

"Where have you seen ordinary stones sporting teeth like these? These are the remains of rockjaws, jumping boulders. Quite dangerous creatures for your rank, by the way. But it seems we have nothing to worry about."

"Is that so?"

"Master Baghtan passed through here quite recently and cleared the path, killing everyone who didn't get out of his way."

"R-really?"

"Really, and you have nothing to worry about. I've encountered such creatures before and know how to kill them."

Having calmed Rikhard, I nudged him forward.

About half an hour later, we came across the body of a granite troll. It looked like someone had taken its head and crushed it in a vise, causing it to burst like an overripe watermelon. This troll was slightly smaller than the ones I had fought in the Granite Grotto, but the way it was killed still made me respect the strength of the Master of the Midnight Spirit. Imagine crushing a troll's head with your bare hands. Maybe he didn't carry a weapon because he didn't need one at all?

Although I was not so sure about this matter. Another memory reminded me that dwarves knew how to make spatial sheaths out of precious stones, into which almost any weapon could be placed. And considering that Dwarvin had several fairly large opals on his belt, he might have an entire arsenal with him, which could include anything from a simple pickaxe to a two-handed hammer.

Two months before the Last Battle, Katashi uncovered the secret of making such artifacts, but he made only a few. Even for the future god of Labor, creating spatial sheaths turned out to be a rather laborious task. A very convenient thing, alas, they couldn't be bought or obtained in battle. Each such artifact was linked to the Core of its future owner during creation; this binding was mandatory, and without it, the weapon stored in the stone couldn't be used. That meant if Dwarwin died and I later found his body, I wouldn't be able to open the sheaths bound to him.

According to my internal clock, about five hours or a little more had passed when, after another turn, Dwarvin stopped near a breach in the wall. Moving closer, I saw that the hole in the rock was fresh and clearly unnatural.

"It was shorter this way." The dwarf shrugged, noticing my glance.

So, he carved a passage in the stone at least fifteen meters deep when he was descending this way the last time? And he found this faster than going around the obstacle? Dwarves doing what dwarves do... Although, given his rank and experience, maybe he really did save a lot of time?

Where the dwarf barely squeezed through, Rikhard and I passed quite easily; even my spear didn't touch the walls. Reaching the end of the passage he had carved, Dwarvin demandingly extended his hand:

"Rope."

Taking the coil of rope off my shoulder, I handed it over. He placed it at his feet, examined the rock formation, and then a spike, reminiscent of those used by railroad workers on Earth, appeared in his hand out of nowhere. With a sharp exhale from his broad chest, the dwarf drove the spike into the granite with a single motion, almost to the head. Tying our last rope to this anchor, he threw the coil down. Then, disregarding all his preparations, he jumped into the darkness.

"Again?" Rikhard shivered, stepping forward and peering down.

"Come down," came the voice from below.

Just like the last time, the earthling preferred to go before me. I didn't dare to repeat the dwarf's jump this time and waited for the rope to be free before descending it into a rather spacious and empty room, which looked like an abandoned warehouse.

"Seventh," said the dwarf, as usual extremely laconic. He crossed the hall, looked closely at the wall, and, leaning his shoulder against it, opened a door I hadn't noticed before. He paused for a few seconds, and when we approached him, he pointed a finger at Rikhard, "Don't go ahead."

"I wasn't going to!" the earthling immediately waved his hands, but the dwarf was no longer listening, stepping through the door.

The space beyond the gates was much more extensive. Practically an open area compared to the shafts and corridors we had been walking through until now. To my delight, there were numerous phosphorescent mushrooms and also clumps of moss emitting a faint glow, stretching up the high walls for many dozens of meters. There was enough light around to see everything ahead for at least fifty steps.

"Some kind of inner quarter," Rikhard speculated, scratching the back of his head.

The half-destroyed buildings we walked past, following the dwarf, hardly resembled the structures seen on the first trading tier. It seemed that every house we passed was not built in the usual sense known to me but literally carved out of solid rock. It was as if this entire quarter hadn't been constructed but hewn from the rock, done according to a single plan and all at once. Yet, despite the thick walls and granite ceilings, even these houses couldn't survive the cataclysm, and most of them had been eroded almost to their foundations. Moreover, the traces of man-made destruction were also easily noticeable. With a bit of scrutiny, it became clear that looters had reached this place too, and more than once. Ancient pottery shards and remnants of stone furniture frequently appeared underfoot.

Passing through the dense buildings, we emerged onto a vast square. On the right, it abutted a smooth, sheer rock face that rose somewhere upward, while on the left, a massive chasm yawned with frightening darkness, its edges indistinguishable even with the available light.

The change in the dwarf's gait made me realize that local monsters might be ahead, so I adjusted my grip on the spear for better handling. Rikhard, however, mostly gawking at the surroundings, noticed nothing, so I had to hiss at him and make him ready his staff for battle. I regretted doing this immediately as the earthling turned pale and started peering into the distance, forgetting to watch his step, which made him constantly stumble.

After we had walked nearly half a kilometer, encountering only stone remains of creatures, I thought my worries were in vain. But as soon as I relaxed, the dwarf froze, raising his clenched fist. Not half a minute passed before two granite trolls came charging at us, their massive feet stomping loudly.

"Khazat!" roared Dwarvin and rushed forward.

He collided with the first troll with such a crash that my ears hurt. And the stone monster did not survive this collision. With a double fist strike, the dwarf literally split the granite creature's chest and, without stopping, leaped towards the second troll. Despite wearing armor weighing nearly a hundred kilograms, Dwarvin soared almost three meters, hung in the air above the monster for a moment, and then his palms simultaneously struck the troll's head, shattering it into pieces.

"A-a-ah!" Rikhard, standing next to me, screamed in fright.

His cry was caused by the fact that the first monster, almost torn in half, was still "alive." From the troll's chest protruded its stone heart, covered in cracks, yet still dimly glowing. While I pondered whether to finish off the monster myself or leave the task to the dwarf, the earthling, hissing in pain, aimed his staff and launched from the tip an "Air Arrow" toward the creature. The spell, washing over me with warm wind, sped forward and struck the cracked heart of the stone monster with remarkable accuracy. It seemed that the damage inflicted by Dwarvin's first attack had almost killed the troll, so even the weak magic of the Bronze Circle was enough to finally extinguish the semblance of life that still remained in the wounded creature.

"Wow!" Rikhard exclaimed, shaking his hand.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I got a Wootz Achievement!" the earthling whispered, cradling his right hand.

"If you had killed the troll yourself, without anyone's help, you would have received an Opal or Sapphire one," I replied dismissively.

The dwarf, having confirmed that we were unharmed, smashed the chest of the second monster with a blow of his hand. He extracted the intact but now extinguished heart from the troll, examined it, and then, with an indifferent look, threw the trophy into the abyss. It would have been better if he had given it to me, but of course, I didn't say that out loud.

Waving at us, Dwarvin strode forward again. In a quarter of an hour, we encountered three more trolls and a dozen rockjaws. But the dwarf did not make any more mistakes, killing each monster with a single blow. This led me to think that he intentionally did not finish off the first troll to see our reaction. And since he said nothing afterward, we probably passed this peculiar test. However, why Dwarvin, who had seen my Achievements, needed such a test was unclear.

I had gotten so used to walking through these ancient ruins that I was a bit surprised when the dwarf stopped in an unremarkable place. He waited for us to catch up, bent down, and, straining, pushed aside a huge boulder that had probably fallen long ago from the distant ceiling. Then Dwarvin turned to Rikhard and said:

"You've arrived."

"Huh?" The earthling did not understand.

"The pedestal. In honor of Dvalin the Pioneer," explained the dwarf and bowed his head over a certain stone.

Looking closer, I noticed some inscriptions preserved on this stone, as well as signs of man-made processing. To my relief, Rikhard did not start asking questions. He stepped forward, took the flower from his belt pouch, and laid it on the stone, first brushing off the dust and stone chips from the spot. Not a second passed before the earthling's face smoothed out. Jumping to his feet, he lit a small flame over his palm and smiled with relief.

"It worked!" Rikhard whispered as if not believing. Taking a deep breath, the earthling respectfully bowed to the dwarf. "Thank you, I am in your debt. Even if I had managed to descend to this tier on my own, I would never have found this pedestal without your help."

"Deal," shrugged the dwarf.

Getting to his feet, he dusted off his knees and then returned the part of the rock he had moved back into place, hiding the remains of the monument from prying eyes.

"Let's go," the dwarf said, poking Rikhard in the chest with his finger.

Dwarvin led the earthling to a partially destroyed building, took him inside, and nodded towards a crack large enough for a person to fit in without difficulty.

"You. Will. Wait. For. Him." The dwarf's hand pointed at me. "Here."

"No, no, no!" Rikhard shook his head fearfully. "I'm going with you."

In response, the dwarf lifted the earthling with one hand and threw him into the crack like a weightless rag.

"Not negotiable," said the Master of the Midnight Spirit, tossing a vial to Rikhard, who froze in an embryo-like position. "Drink."

Not daring to argue with the dwarf again, the earthling obediently drank the potion.

"Now your aura is indistinguishable from stone," explained the dwarf. "Don't move, and no one will find you." It seemed that such a long speech had been difficult for him.

"Raven! Please, come back for me," whispered Rikhard, not taking his eyes off me. "Don't leave me here!"

"I'll be back," I nodded, "it would be boring to climb up alone."

As often happens, the most absurd explanation worked, and the earthling's face smoothed out.

"Let's go." The dwarf pushed me in the back, then turned and spat out, "No magic!"

"I understand!" Rikhard whispered quietly, clutching his staff tightly.

When the dwarf and I went back to the square and moved away from the building where we had left the earthling, I asked:

"Can I have a vial like that?"

"Too strong a Core," Dwarvin shook his head without turning around.

Apparently, that potion had its limitations and was not suitable for me, as I understood the dwarf's words. It turned out that even a Perfect Core could have flaws.

"Long." Dwarvin spoke again after half an hour. "Let's go. Long." And looking at me, he asked, "Do you jump far?"

"I can do about ten meters."

"That'll do." The dwarf nodded and abruptly changed direction.

Five minutes later, we returned to the giant chasm stretching along the square again, with the only difference being that here, this chasm ended at a cliff. Approaching the edge, Dwarvin picked up a stone and threw it down. No matter how hard I listened, I didn't hear the sound of the rock hitting the bottom.

"You fall. You won't return," explained the dwarf.

"Got it," I replied curtly in his own manner.

Looking at me intently, the dwarf nodded and, without any warning, jumped into the chasm. More precisely, he didn't drop straight into the chasm, but after falling about ten meters, he drove another mysterious piton into the rock. He hung on it, swung, and then jumped forward and down again. Another piton was driven into the rock. And another jump. And another. And another...

"All good?" came his voice from the semi-darkness below.

The series of pitons, hammered by the dwarf's hand, formed a broken line going down at an angle of about forty-five degrees, dimly illuminated by the traces of his palms. As far as I could estimate, the distance between these pitons was about ten meters.

"Yes," I shouted.

"Catch up."

Catch up? By jumping on the pitons? Where one wrong move and you fall into the abyss, from which there is no return? Apparently, it was a mistake to show Dwarvin all my Achievements, and he was overestimating me - not my strength, but my courage. Standing still for almost half a minute, I quietly cursed:

"Am I a gymnast or just out for a stroll?!"

If it weren't for the chasm that openly frightened me, such jumps wouldn't have been a problem for me, considering my Wootz Rank. Damn! And I couldn't back out; I had promised in the name of Ishid! Gathering my courage, I still jumped. As I had expected, there was nothing difficult about this jump. Thanks to the dwarf's marks, I could see the target perfectly. As soon as I stopped hesitating and started acting, everything fell into place. And the fourth piton I already skipped, jumping straight to the fifth. Grabbing it with my hand, I swung like a monkey and flew another twenty meters down and forward. Looking back, I glanced up. If necessary, I could return this way; it would be more challenging, but I would manage. If my calculations were correct, the thirty-seventh piton was the last one, and jumping off it, I found myself next to the waiting dwarf.

"Ninth tier?" I asked, mentally estimating the distance I had covered, jumping from piton to piton.

"Yes," was all the dwarf said, gesturing for me to follow him.

Again, this endless road through some catacombs, corridors, ruins. The only consolation was that Rikhard, with his constant whining and lamenting, wasn't around. Twice, some monsters tried to attack us, resembling the stone spiders I was already familiar with, only five times larger, but the dwarf dispatched them casually.

Picking up a white stone, I didn't forget to leave marks. Not that I feared forgetting the way back, but it was always better to be safe. The dwarf noticed my "artistry;" he clearly didn't like it, but since he said nothing, I continued leaving marks.

"Here," he suddenly stopped.

Here? Where was this "here"? Honestly, I couldn't understand how this place differed from the hundreds we had passed. The same ruins, the same rocks all around. Intensifying my Perception Aura to the limit, I tried to sense anything unusual, but to no avail.

"What should I do?" I asked neutrally.

"Here." The dwarf's palm, leaving a glowing print, touched an unremarkable spot on the rock where we stood. "Put here the Sign."

Removing the guild badge, I stepped forward and did what Dwarvin asked. But nothing happened. Maybe I needed to say something? "Open sesame"! Or something else? The dwarf's eyebrows furrowed. He was clearly expecting something that didn't happen.

I was about to ask him what to do next when I felt a light flow of prana moving from the rock to the badge. And it became clear that if I sent a similar flow from myself toward the Sign, something would happen. However, I didn't rush. If I did this, I would most likely open the door to the small Temple of Ishid, thus helping Dwarvin in his search for the lost Altar of Seguna. I thought I had made up my mind about this when entering the underground city, but a new wave of doubts clouded my mind. I wouldn't be breaking the word given in Ishid's name. I had formally fulfilled my part of the deal by reaching the place and applying the Sign to the Door. Figuring out how to open the Door was not part of our agreement. So if I retreated now, neither Dwarvin nor even the Echo of Ishid could accuse me of breaching the agreement.

The former me would definitely have stepped back and said something like, "I tried, but it didn't work!". Especially since I could see that Dwarvin himself had no idea how to open the Door. Apparently, he thought the Sign would open the entrance on its own. Cursing mentally, I looked into the eyes of the bewildered dwarf and sent a flow of prana to the Sign. This was my Road. My Choice. And the phrase "it's not me, it's life" would not become my motto on this path.

When the intensity of the prana flows emanating from my hand equaled the flow directed from the rock, a crack ran through the stones. The door became visible and opened its panels slightly. When the passage widened enough for me to enter, Dwarvin stepped forward and placed his hand on my chest.

"Deal. Fulfilled," pronounced the dwarf, pushing me away from the door, not even allowing me to look at what lay beyond it.

For a moment, I was afraid he would kill me since I was no longer useful to him. But no, it seemed that wasn't part of the dwarf's plan.

"Deal. Completed," I echoed, stepping back from the door.

"Leave. Further, I go alone." Taking a step forward, the dwarf froze in the passage and added as a farewell, "Don't wait for me."

As soon as he disappeared through the door, the stone panels immediately closed. Of course, I could have waited and opened the door again to satisfy my curiosity. But there was no guarantee that the dwarf wouldn't be standing behind the threshold, ready to twist my head off. After lingering for a couple of minutes, I chuckled:

"I don't remember Scully biting me, so where did this excessive curiosity come from?"

Focusing, I separated the flows of Magic and Spirit, isolated pure prana into a single strand, and attempted to wrap it around my palm. The "True Spiritual Armor" flickered on my hand, lasted less than a second, and dissipated. No matter, I knew it wouldn't be easy or quick. However, to fully utilize the acquired skill, I still needed to find my way out of these catacombs.

Placing the Guild Sign on my chest, I turned and began to walk back.

And the Temple? The Temple could wait. I was certain I would return here someday.