“Here,” Anara said, tossing something to Hump.

He caught it with his left hand and his eyes widened as he realised what it was. “The imp lord’s heartstone.”

“I think you earned this one,” she said, smiling. “Good work, Wizard Humphrey.”

“I can’t take this,” Hump protested. “You’re the one that killed it. At best, it was a team effort and I just did my part.”

He glanced at the rest of the squad as they returned to where Hump and his party had been keeping watch at the edge of the demonic forest. Nobody seemed to pay much notice as they unpacked drinks and food, preparing for the next part of their journey.

Anara waved off his protest and uncorked her water flask. “Think of it as my congratulations.”

“For what?”

“That was the Tier 6 spell you’ve been working on, was it not? With this, you are officially a Rank 5 wizard.”

Bud clapped Hump on his shoulder. “I was so caught up in the battle it slipped my mind. Congratulations, my friend.”

“Slipped my mind too,” Hump said, smiling.

Dylan laughed. “I wonder how many wizards out there can say they missed the moment they became a Rank 5 wizard.”

“Are you sure you’re all okay with this though?” Hump asked.

“Your party earned it,” Marcela said. “Don’t worry about the rest of us. Dylan, that blessing you wielded to keep back the mist was excellent. And Celaine’s navigated us through the last four hours with hardly any trouble.”

Hump felt conflicted. He didn’t like receiving handouts, but it seemed improper for him to decline. It wasn’t like anyone here needed the money anyway. “My thanks.”

“I can hold onto that for you if you want,” Marian said. “It’s trouble.”

“We’ve got a storage space right here,” Celaine said, patting her belt. “No worries.”

“I can’t help but notice how often barrier users go underappreciated,” Len said. “I’m exhausted you know.”

“You’ll get over it,” Teff said.

“Ever the charmer,” Len retorted.

“Oh don’t be like that,” Marcela said. “Your barriers were as excellent as always.”

“We’ll save the next big one for you,” Anara said cheerfully. “No doubt there will be plenty to follow!”

“No need,” Len said, smiling. “I’m only messing. Congratulations, Hump. It’s humbling to see how quickly you’ve grown.”

“I always have a lot of respect for wizards,” Tamsin said with her mouth full, chewing away on a piece of jerky. “You work so hard.”

“Well put.” Faelor nodded along, though he had a suspicious look in his eyes.

“Shame there’s not much further for him to go,” Tamsin finished.

Faelor grimaced. “Some things are better left unsaid.”

“It’s alright,” Hump said. “You never know, maybe I’ll find a way to break through.” Hump gave a wink, getting a few grins in response.

Tamsin had a point though. As far as official ranks went, he only had one more to go. Even the Arch Wizard had not surpassed Rank 6 and reached the Soul Domain. One more rank, and Hump would be at the peak of what wizards could accomplish. Or at least, what modern wizards knew of.

But Hump knew better. He had seen Anthony the warlock, and Starrick of the Three Eyes—there was no doubt that both had surpassed that limit, not to mention some of the previous owners of the Book of Infinite Pages. For Hump, his path forward was the River and Waves, Spirit Well, and now, this Spell Sculpting technique.

As powerful as it sounded as a method to improve his battle magic, what truly stuck out to him was its ability to merge the power of the soul with a technique. He’d seen how such a thing could boost the strength of White Flame. It left him wondering… what would happen if he used it on River and Waves.

A question I will have to answer later, Hump told himself. The squad had finished harvesting heartstones and Anara wanted them moving again. Ten minutes of rest was over far too fast. Hump felt ready for bed. Hours more hiking through enemy territory really didn’t sound appealing, but it wasn’t like he had a way out. They still had a long way to go, and no doubt demons would be drawn to the scent of blood and essence left behind by their battle.

At least Nishari was having fun. Every new sight and smell sparked a gleam in her eyes. Celaine led the way through the forest, avoiding working fellspawn as they harvested fruits and sap from the demonic trees. A few lesser beasts attacked them along the way—nothing concerning. They managed to escape the attention of more intelligent and organised creatures, though they proceeded under the expectation that such forces were coming. Word of the imp lord’s defeat would inevitably reach the demon lord and other region lords eventually.

“I’m impressed you’re keeping up, Hump,” Owen said. “Most of the wizards I’ve worked with in the past were great in the moment but lagged behind any time they had to use their feet.”

“Wouldn’t be much of an adventurer if I couldn’t keep up with you lot now, would I? You’ve got that giant hammer to carry.”

Owen laughed and shook his head, hefting his hammer so that it rested on his shoulder. “I’m a fifth circle Chosen. Soren is in fourth circle, and he struggles keeping up with me.”

“Hey!” Soren protested, the metal Sorcerer a few steps behind them. “I just don’t like walking more than I have to. He has a point though. Do you practice some martial technique too?”

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“Something like that,” Hump said. “Not a martial technique specifically, but I have strengthened my body beyond that of an ordinary person.” Hump decided not to go into the details about the dragon blooding ceremony. Chosen usually started getting preachy when it came to that sort of thing, and Owen’s party were still unfamiliar to him.

“You’re quite the mystery, you know?” Owen said. “You’re still barely more than a kid, but you’re a Rank 5 wizard, have a pet dragon, and strength and stamina beyond many Chosen I know. Perhaps you truly will be the one to break through to Rank 7.”

Soren grinned. “We could be chatting with the future Arch Wizard.”

“I think you’re giving me a bit too much credit,” Hump said. “There have been plenty of wizards that have reached my level and never reached the peak of Rank 6. As for reaching Rank 7, I would need to find a way to replicate the major blessing you receive upon reaching your seventh circle. That might not be possible without divine intervention.”

“I can certainly see how that might be tricky,” Owen said. “I wish you the best of luck, however.”

Hump frowned at the Chosen. “Out of curiosity, are you not apprehensive of a wizard striving for such a thing? It is a realm that supposedly only the gods can permit entry to.”

Owen considered the question for a few seconds, humming to himself. “Aspiring for such a thing is only natural. All should aspire to something. Children play swords with sticks, pretend to be princes and princesses, or a blacksmith’s son might decide to take up the hammer for a different cause.” He shrugged the hammer on his shoulder and smiled.

“My point is, striving for great things is no sin. The important part is why you strive for such a thing, and who suffers along the way for you to achieve it. For Chosen, only those deemed worthy by the gods can reach the seventh circle, but there is no such restriction for practitioners. Not everyone should have access to such power, but I have heard of your feats in the Battle of Sheercliff. Now, you are here with us, fighting demons in another realm to try and save the lives of our soldiers. If you were to reach Rank 7, I would see it as a blessing.”

The cynical part of Hump couldn’t help but want to point out how the gods often made very questionable choices when it came to who they selected as their Chosen, but that would defeat the purpose of what Owen had just said. The man had extended a hand—more than that, it was some of the truest encouragement that he had received from a Chosen he wasn’t far more familiar with. To hear such a positive perception of wizards from someone as powerful as him was uplifting.

“I know I’ve said this before, Owen,” Soren said, “but for a madman with a hammer, you really can be quite eloquent sometimes.”

“It was quite touching.” Hump smiled. “I’ve encountered many Chosen that still see us as heretics, so I try to maintain a level of caution around you all so as to avoid offence. Your outlook is refreshing.”

“I know that viewpoint can be quite common amongst the older generations,” Owen said. “You have nothing to fear from us, however, my friend. What we see is your heart and your actions, and both align with a trusted companion that we would happily fight alongside.”

Hump chuckled, trying to appear natural but feeling a little awkward at the friendliness. “I’m feeling the pressure now!”

“No pressure at all,” Owen said. “You just keep doing what you’re doing.”

“I’ll do my best not to disappoint.”

As the forest thickened, strange, jellyfish-like creatures floated through the air, propelling themselves by pulsing their small bodies and releasing a glittering trail of essence in their wake. As one came too close, Nisha leapt for it, snapping it from the air and gobbling it down in an instant.

“Nisha…” Hump said, exasperated. “That was… I don’t even know how stupid that was. Are you okay?”

The rest of the squad had stopped to watch too.

Nisha tilted her head at them, her eyes bright with essence. Her tail whipped behind her, slashing from one side to the other. She seemed happy enough.

“She looks alright,” Celaine said.

“Do they all eat like this?” Marcela asked.

“Yes,” Celaine said. “Don’t worry too much. Wolf dragons have hardy stomachs.”

“Fingers crossed,” Hump said. “Who knows what kind of demonic infection she might get here.”

“These creatures are almost entirely essence, actually,” Soren said. “Of all the things in the dungeon, I would expect them to be amongst the safest to eat. Not that I recommend you try them.”

Marian prodded one with her finger, sending it slowly toppling through the air. “Can’t be very filling. There’s not much to them.”

“How do you think they taste?” Tamsin asked. “Did Nisha like it?”

Hump frowned at her. “Not sure. She didn’t have much reaction.”

“Hmm.” Tamsin’s eyes traced one of the creatures as Hump and the rest of the squad all watched on.

In that moment, he knew they were all thinking the same thing: “Is she really going to eat one?”

After a short moment, it seemed she decided against it. “What are you looking at?” she snapped.

It was a long trek through the forest, largely uphill, but the shadowy veil that lined the edge of the dungeon world made it easy to know their way. The trees gradually thinned, and the lush soil gave way to dry, barren land. At last, they stood at the brink of a vast ravine, its depths filled with bones of all shapes and sizes. The ravine stretched right up to the edge of the dungeon, where the shadowy veil cut it off, creating an eerie wall of darkness against which the bones seemed to float.

“There must be thousands of them,” Bud said.

“They are demons, right?” Dylan said.

“Mostly demons as far as I can tell,” Celaine confirmed, her eyes scanning the grisly sight. “I see a few human bones in there too.”

Dylan looked away. “Gods, that’s grim.”

From the vantage point, Hump had an uninterrupted view across the landscape for miles. In the far distance, nestled against the side of a mountain, he spotted a demon fortress. A towering spire pierced the sky, crowned with a glowing red stone whose light was visible even from a hundred miles away. That had to be the demon lord’s citadel. The dungeon core would be hidden somewhere within.

As for their objective, the gate of the Infernal Halls lay at the base of the ravine. It towered to the sky, so high that Hump wondered how it was possible to open such a thing. The massive doors were crafted from black stone, with veins of ethereal green energy running through them from which essence steamed off. This was their doorway home. Either they open it and connect with the force on the other side, or they end up stranded in the Infernal Halls without reinforcements.

The fort beneath the gate was a terrifying beast, its walls made of the same black stone as the gate, enclosing the entrance in three layers of square walls. Spidery runes that Hump could not read etched the walls, radiating power and filling him with a sense of dread. Towers protruded from each, looming over the entryway, their parapets curving into menacing black spikes.

A great road led to the fort, winding its way through the world, all the way back to the citadel in the far distance. Demons marched along it, bringing supplies, reinforcements, and weapons. Fellspawn worked on the ground, filling the killbox before the gate with metal stakes and other traps.

The walls themselves were already packed full of the green-skinned orcs of the tribe tasked with guarding the fortress, armed with spears, bows, staffs, and other weapons. Drexel’s account of them had been brief—a powerful warrior tribe raised to worship Gorvol the Invincible—a demon disguised as a god, and the one in command of the fort’s defence. The demon would be in the fort somewhere, and ideally, Hump and the rest of the squad would kill it. With any luck, he wasn’t quite as invincible as his name implied.

“We’re supposed to assault this?” Faelor asked. “Us and what army?”

Anara pulled a pocket watch out. “We’re four hours early. We have time to prepare. All we must do is cause enough disruption for the main assault to succeed. Do not forget, we are not alone in here. If the gods are with us, Merrick and Drexel’s squads will be somewhere nearby. Even if it costs us our lives, the lives of our people shall be spared.”

Hump glanced at Celaine and grimaced. She raised her eyebrows exaggeratedly in response. Yeah, neither of them had any intention of dying here. One thing about Chosen was that they were all far too willing to die for the cause. In that regard, Hump preferred the wizard way of doing things. There was a world where they all made it out of this alive.