He swam down through the blood-filled water for half an hour and fell when the water ended. Through the air for hundred of feet he fell like a stone, hundreds of thousands of bird like monsters flew around him. They formed a cyclone around his descent. Like a meteor he continued to descend.
Just as he would have made a big splat, he thrust his hands out and unleashed a wave of psychic power. Slowly his descent halted, and he remained there among the cyclone of bird like monsters. Harpies, giant ravens, rocs, gryphons, and sky dragons circled around him. Unlike the other monsters in this dungeon they were unaffected by the darkness.
As he hovered there his eyes beheld a thing of beauty and hideous destruction. Half of the world was a mountainous zone filled with storm clouds and nests of the creatures that made up the flying portion of the dungeon. The other half was an ocean of bogs that spewed forth tentacled monstrosities. Largest of all was a leviathan. Even this high in the air, he could see the massive creature. Its great fins allowed it to move about the bog with incredible speeds.
It had adapted to the darkness its mutations were smooth and streamline. The extra blue eyes looked like they were part of the creature. It used its new tentacles to snatch prey and maneuver through difficult areas.
Turning away from the beast, he saw a massive harpy woman. She had red feathers and a kind face. Banking and flying around him she gave him a series of chirps in greetings.
“My name is Glory of Mountains. I wish to parley.” She said in a series of hoots and caws. Markus had to read her mind to get it all. He nodded and floated towards her. She flew down to the mountains. They landed, and he felt his feet touch the ground cracking it.
He was glad his weight didn’t increase rapidly with vitality anymore. By cycling light through his body, he was able to cancel out mutations or direct them in helpful ways. A practice he should have been taught as a child. But neither Pa nor Ma had light or dark abilities. Normally, such abilities should be hereditary.
“Glory where are we going?” He followed behind her to a cave.
“We are going to mate, then I will show you where you are needed.” She said as if it were obvious. He shook his head.
“I’m not in the practice of taking advantage of others. What do you need from me?” He asked her. She turned her head in an alien fashion.
“You are powerful like the one who corrupted this place. I want to mate with you, so you will drive out the other male.” She said easily enough. He shook his head.
“The one who is like me, where is he? Let me drive him out then we can mate in peace.” Markus said. He had no intention of having sex with them. Some adventurers went to dungeons only for sex, they died a lot.
“No, if you die my chicks may succeed. If you die without chicks no one else can drive him away. Come sit have a drink.” They placed a red bowl in front of him. It was filled with a juice of some kind. “Fermented juice from the cheery trees that grow near the spring of life. Drink deeply.” Her voice was echoing through his defenses. He held up the concoction and took a gulp hoping his body could handle it.
A heat unlike any he felt before swept through him. He blushed deeply and felt like he had just entered a trap. But he didn’t have the usual feeling of alarm. Was this hypnosis of some kind?
“Most who drink deeply die but you are strong. So strong.” His body froze up paralyzed. Many harpies, a dragon, rocs, and gryphons entered the room his clothes were ripped from his body.
“We need your power in case you fail.” He remembered her thrusting herself onto him a pleasant feeling then time ran at an accelerated pace. Faces, feather patterns, and scales blurred as his body was taken again and again. His mind was too clouded for him to gather his psychic will. Even rage was too distant an emotion to grasp.
They continued to couple with him as his body began to sweat. A fever overtook him as the potion ran its course. How had she done this to him? Why did he drink it? His mind should be resistant to hypnosis. Slowly his mind was beginning to return. Just as they prepared another dose he felt a moment of clarity come upon him.
The potion exploded, as he made his way back to his feet. A hand reached out and his sword returned to his grasp. How long has he been here? It felt like days had passed. “Please we need your power. Lay back down an accept us.” The harpy said, and he felt the illusion. It was sound based. Now that he was aware, it had no power over him.
There was never a reason for him to summon the full force of his mind. Even against the boss in the other floor. He was going maybe 1 to 2% output as far as his psychic might went. Now he brought his full power to bare.
He sheared the cave system from the cliff with a wave of his hand. The flying monsters made to flee but he caved in all the exits. He turned his back on them and with his mind alone tossed the cliff face off a mountain down on the bog below.
They panicked and scrambled to find a way out. He crossed his arms and let it fall confident that he would be the only survivor.
“Mercy,” One yelled. “For our chicks.” The harpy pleaded still it tried to use hypnosis. Just before the mass of stone impacted, and his body shot through as the tunnels collapsed. He flew through the stone letting his barrier rip through the stone.
In the rubble he found an agility drop. It was from the harpy. Eating it increased his Agility by x50. She was the holder of the dungeon treasure. There was no dark mutation leading him to believe she wasn’t under control of the dark. This was her choice; his guilt was alleviated.
He sensed for the dark presence and flew towards it. All manner of monsters burst from the bog to attack him. They froze and shattered, they were sliced to ribbons, or were impaled by ice spikes. Markus was in a poor mood and didn’t feel like giving anything a chance anymore.
Water rose around him as he flew. Monsters rose with it impacting the stone walls around them. Markus found the stairs leading to the bottom floor. He leapt down and crossed the distance in seconds. Finally, he reached the end. Various black orbs showed him walking towards the end.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
A man in white held a wet stone sharpening his sword. Sparks flew off the blade as he concentrated on his task. “There aren’t many in this valley with they power to rip off a cliff face. Though, there are always anomalies.” Markus ran forward intent on burying his sword into the man’s chest.
His blade sunk through to the hilt the man coughed up a mouth full of blood and died. Markus leapt to the side just before a sword could slice open his stomach and spilled his guts all over the floor. “Impressive not many see through my initial illusion. But that doesn’t mean anything. Come let me show you the power of a god.” Markus ran forward like an enraged bull slashing and unleashing beams of light.
The figure dodged and blocked but he couldn’t quite keep up. He was on the back foot any second now Markus would win. He shot light through his body canceling the illusion. The man was still sitting where he began sharpening his sword. He never got up.
Taking his sword, he held it up checking the blade to ensure the edge was straight. “I like to sharpen the blade myself. It’s good to work with your hands instead of doing everything with powers. I think its why some are easily caught in illusions, while others are never fooled.” Markus thought quickly. This guy was obviously an illusionist and a powerful one. If he was to have any chance he needed to use light constantly.
Markus focused and let light mana flow through his body in a constant cycling flow. The dark room became difficult to see in as he removed his own night vision ability. “Not bad you don’t have much dark resistance, so you take it off the table. Like a spoiled child kicking the chess set away. Alright let me show you power.” The man got up from his chair and moved faster than anything Markus had ever seen.
Bringing his sword up he tried to parry a swing only for it to be a feint a quick back track was all that prevented the attack from skewering him. “This isn’t a dance.” The figure drove his sword forward Markus brought his own blade up only for the figure to duck sparks shot off the smaller blade as it cut through the granite floor on its way to slice upward. Markus dove to the side and rolled to get some distance.
Putting a foot to the wall he launched himself off it and threw himself like a spear. His opponent stepped aside and slashed him on the back after every pass. The cuts were shallow, and the darkness resisted his light.
Markus flew forward slashed used Star break down, Star break point, and Star break out. Light slashed through the room, as his opponent danced around the attacks. It was like fighting a shadow or an illusion. Had he really added light to his body or was that an illusion. If he listened intently he could still hear the sharpening of a blade but that could be a trick too.
“Second guessing yourself. Can you even tell the difference between what is real and what is fake? Well let met tell you your death will be very real.” Markus focused on the dark creeping into his wounds and let go of the light. The dark creeped in and he welcomed it. There was no difference in their darkness both were similar enough to be brothers.
The figure was still there not in his chair but fighting him. The sounds of sharpening blades were gone. Markus calmed himself and took up a stance.
“I’m Markus of Might what’s your name.” He asked his opponent. The man in white’s frown turned into a bit of a smirk.
“My given name is Lucius. Well Markus shall we continue this fight.” Lucius said and put a second hand on his sword there was a look in his eye. Something that Markus didn’t recognize. They moved, and Lucius didn’t use any further illusions. He seemed to teleport slashing, stabbing, and slicing up bits of granite to toss in his eyes.
Markus slashed his sword and moved with everything he had. They never clashed no Lucius was careful to keep Markus from using his weight advantage. Sweat poured from his face as the battle raged on Lucius looked as calm and collected as ever. Markus could feel the injuries mounting.
Lucius put his sword away. “It seems you’ve reached your limit. I’m not surprised this valley is full of weaklings, despite your bloodline a weak environment breeds a weak god.” Lucius moved and slashed at Markus. Markus managed to bring his sword up only for Lucius’s sword to cut through it. The hilt of his opponent’s weapon slammed into his solar plexus knocking the wind out of him, just before he felt unimaginable pain as the blade passed through his chest.
“Your stats are lower than they should be. 10% of my power should be nothing to you. Yet here you are on the ground bleeding out. Father and mother would be ashamed.” He began walking away. Something in Markus wouldn’t allow him to quit. His body may be damaged, but his mind ran this flesh puppet.
He rose to his feet broken sword up and at the ready. Blood oozed down his shirt as life support struggled to close it. Markus could feel his mind pound as he gathered everything he had for a final attack. “Star Break Flare.” He yelled as a truly massive slash of light and psychic energy exploded outward.
Just before it hit Lucius a giant made of darkness rose up and blocked the attack. Markus felt blood seep from his eyes, nose, and ears as he bottomed out of energy. He collapsed to a knee.
“I see so you’re a DPS type. Then why did you fight like a swordsman.” Lucius shook his head. “Brother rest and maybe you will be useful after all. But remember you lost and I only used 10 percent and an avatar of darkness against you.” Markus collapsed and wondered if he was adopted. He had so many questions.
Full stats and skills 4
Psychic
Telekinesis: Journeyman 10 Telepathy: Initiate 20, Empathy: Initiate 50
Willpower +10,000,000% Intelligence +20% Willpower +50%
Intelligence +100,000% Charisma +0.2% Intelligence +0.5%
Life Support: Journeyman 7 Flesh Puppetry: Journeyman 5
Willpower +7,000,000% Willpower +5,000,000%
Vitality +70,000% Vigor +50,000%
Repulse: Journeyman 1 Barrier: Journeyman 5
Willpower +1,000,000% Willpower +1,000,000%
Defense +10,000% Defense +10,000%
Dark
Tentacle: Novice 60, Eye: Apprentice 20, Familiar: Initiate 10
Willpower +6000% Perception +20,000% +Willpower +90%
Pierce +60% Dark Resist +2000% +Dark Resist +0.9%
Ice
Freeze: Journeyman 1
Willpower +1,000,000%
Ice Resist +10,000%
Light
Chains: Apprentice 10
Willpower +100,000%
Defense +1,000%
Monster Tamer
Communicate: Novice 90
Charisma +9,000%
Mental Resist +90%
Misc
Farming: Beginner 70, Mob Slayer: journeyman 5, Hunter: Beginner 10
Intelligence +0.7% Intelligence +5,000,000% Agility +0.1%
Willpower +50,000%
Movement: Novice 13 Eating: Initiate 50 Axe Mastery: Novice 7
Mobility +1300% Nourishment +50% Strength +700%
Dexterity +13% Vitality +0.5% Dexterity +7%
Sword Mastery: apprentice 10 Grapple Mastery: Beginner 40 Potions: Initiate 50
Strength +100,000 Vitality +0.4% Intelligence +50%
Dexterity +1000% Willpower +0.5%
Grappling: Apprentice 1
Strength +10,000%
Force +100%
ASI(Abilities/Skills/items)
Stats base +points% +ASI% = Net stats
Vitality x50 100 70k 70.232k
Vigor 1 1000 50k(+1.1k%) 66k
Endurance x50 100 230 330
Strength x3 1000 100,700(+1.1k%) 399k
Dexterity 1 1000 1,070(+1.1k%) 1.5k
Agility x50 100 0.2 100.2
Intelligence 1 1000 5.050m(+1.1k%) 6.6m
Willpower 1 1000 25.1m(+1.1k%) 33m
Resistances
Elements Base +points% = Net Resistance
Light 50x 1 = 50.5
Disease 50x 1 = 50.5