I stored my armor as I sat with the others, replacing it with linen pants and my leather boots. I kept my enchanted undershirt on, which kept me nice and cool in the tropical climate of the Gardens. I willed the Moonstalker breastplate back, but into my hands rather than on my chest. I gently set it down and stared at it. The pristine blue-black armor I had purchased now had a noticeable dent in the side and dozens of deep scratches and gouges, showing bright silver underneath. I ran my hand over the breastplate, remembering how each scar had got there. In a way, the armor remembered every battle I had seen. I'd be lying if I said I didn't like the battle-worn look. I could always get it enchanted with self-repair or have it repaired by Maddy if I wanted to.

"Why are you fondling your armor?" Cass asked, breaking me out of my reverie.

"You are strange, especially for a Champion," Jen added.

I rolled my eyes, stored the armor in my Cache, and then pulled out the last of my tea from Dallervale. I'd have to stop by that bakery on the way home to purchase more. It was still hot. One of the benefits of the storage skill was that it preserved whatever I put in it. So cold items remained cold and hot items remained hot, regardless of ambient temperatures.

I had already finished meditating and was anxious about how the earlier battle had made me feel. I found myself enjoying the carnage I wrought and the power I wielded. Protecting my team was my purpose, of course, but I never expected I would begin to enjoy it. Even when my leg had been damn near cut off, the thrill never left me. I hoped it was just because I knew that the enemies in dungeons weren't actual sentient beings—they were simply constructed out of mana.

A new platform had landed near the Aspect, which we guessed would lead us to the next one. I certainly did not want to cross that bridge and walk into the waiting undead army. I stored the leftover food and water back into the Cache and approached the magical platform. It was an exact copy of the first one we rode.

"Thank you for lunch. The townspeople in Oraphis fed us most days, but I had never eaten a sandwich before today," Jen told me as she approached.

"They don't have sandwiches in... where are you from again?" I asked with a chuckle.

"I have lived around most of Leshendiall, the elven kingdom, but usually, I reside in the capital, Thessau. And no, we don't have sandwiches. We have a similar dish where you wrap a thin flat bread around meats and cheeses, but those are nowhere near as tasty," the ranger answered with a smile.

"It must be tough being thrown into an entirely different country, especially against your will," I told her.

"I chose to be sent to Oraphis. There is only one Seal in elven territory, the Fifth Seal. Our capital is built around it, and when I heard that the Guild was investigating the Seventh, I volunteered to be stationed at one of the camps," she replied.

"Did you witness the attack?" I finally questioned.

"I did not. Only those in the watchtowers saw the creature and, of course, those at the camp it attacked. I was stationed in a smaller camp next to it, so I saw nothing but the aftermath," the ranger responded somberly.

"Well, whatever led you here, I'm glad you're a part of the team," I stated.

"It's an honor to work with a Champion," she replied with a wide smile.

"I'm just a regular guy, no need for that," I answered, then gestured toward her quiver, "Is that some type of storage device? You never seem to run out of arrows," I said, changing the subject.

"This was a gift from my mother when she retired from the Guild. You can inspect items, right? Here," she said as she passed me the quiver.

[Masterwork Endless Quiver]

Epic Accessory - Quiver

+40 Dexterity

+20 Endurance

+20 Vigor

+10 Regeneration

Unique Effect: Stores up to 10,000 arrows in a dimensional space, refilling the quiver as needed. Current: 9712/10000

"That's incredible. It's beautifully made, as well," I told the ranger as I handed it back.

"It is a family heirloom. It has been passed down for generations. I am told it was made by one of my ancestors," she explained.

I nodded in understanding as Cass and Leo approached.

"We ready to head out?" Leo asked the group.

We were fully rested and restored, so we stepped onto the shimmering device waiting for us. I glanced back at the kneeling Aspect as the platform glided into the air. Thankfully, it took us toward the western pyramid-shaped garden rather than the center. I could see from above that another Aspect was waiting in the middle of this platform, but a small enemy camp surrounded it. The camp was primarily ragged tents, but two watchtowers stood on the north and south side. A makeshift wooden wall surrounded most of the base, and I couldn't spot how many enemies were in it before we vanished behind the trees. We crouched low as the device gently settled next to the garden and crept off it and into the trees where we'd remain out of sight.

"Jen, can you scout it out? See what we're dealing with?" I whispered to the ranger.

She nodded and silently moved toward the camp. She made absolutely no noise as she left, another quirk that made me wonder if it was a Rune power, racial ability, talent, or just her innate skill. I was glad Nerzhyn insisted that we bring the stealth specialist regardless. A few long minutes passed before I spotted her creeping back to us.

"The camp is full of Elekseen. Mages, as well as warriors and assassins. There are about twenty of them in total. The Aspect is in the same condition we found the other, with three of those crystals sapping its life force. The two enemies closest to the Aspect are elites and seem to be the leaders. There are a pair of watchtowers at the edge of the camp with scouts on top and various patrols wandering around," she responded quietly.

"Elekseen?" I queried.

"They're a more advanced type of undead. They retain some of the intelligence and skills they had in life, unlike the draugr we fought," Leo explained.

"Can we take out the patrols and the scouts without being spotted?" I questioned.

Jen considered my question for a moment before responding, "I believe so. We'd have to be quick, very quick. I spotted four patrol groups in total, each with two or three Elekseen," the elf answered.

I wanted to eliminate all the enemies inside the camp before we attempted to heal the Aspect. If it triggered another invasion event, I'd rather not worry about enemies inside the camp while we deal with a bridge assault. There was also a chance that engaging any of the undead here would trigger the event anyway. The team agreed, and we slowly made our way toward the camp. Teos and Jen never made a noise, but the rest of us weren't as adept at moving quietly. Thankfully, none of the undead noticed us as we approached.

I watched from the cover of the trees as patrols wandered around the camp. As Jen had stated, two watchtowers loomed above the rest of the base. Each one held a pair of Elekseen archers. The creatures themselves were not all that different from draugr. They were humanoid, barely, with scrawny torsos and threadbare limbs. They had unnaturally long arms ending in large four-fingered grips and an unremarkable pair of legs. Most wore decent-quality leather armor and carried longswords or axes. Five of the Elekseen appeared to be mages wearing robes and carrying staves or wands. All of their faces seemed to be twisted and contorted into a silent scream. Many were missing chunks of flesh, showing yellow bones underneath pale skin. I examined one of the Elekseen patrolling near us.

[Elekseen Soldier - Level 14 Undead]

Health: 100%

Mana: 150/150

Elekseen are undead carefully crafted by necromancers and liches. Forced into a state of neverending agony, the intricate process required to create these creatures makes them extremely hostile to all living beings. Elekseen can be neutralized by piercing their brain or by utilizing holy magic.

I briefly considered that the description said piercing the brain was a weakness. Wasn't that just about everything's weakness? Maybe some undead didn't need a brain. My spear materialized in my left hand as Jen nocked an arrow. We waited patiently as the patrol came within twenty yards of our hidden position. An arrow bored through the head of the furthest Elekseen, and my spear impaled a second enemy moments later. Before the third could respond, an arrow pierced its skull. We quickly moved on and targeted the undead in the closer watchtower. Jen killed one archer with her deadly aim, and my spear ripped through the second's skull before it could react. I recalled the spear before it clattered to the ground, and we focused on another patrol. We slowly made our way around the camp. Once in range of the second watchtower, Jen and I repeated the process and eliminated the second pair of archers.

We killed ten of the creatures before one finally shouted in alarm. It made a deep gurgling noise, not quite a scream, but loud enough to be considered a warning. The eleven remaining undead quickly closed on our position. Four mages, five soldiers, and two rogues still lived. I charged forward, shield raised, and roared. Provoke took effect as the four mages began casting at me while the others altered their course toward me. None appeared to have been going for the Aspect, but I wanted to get all of their attention just in case.

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"Mages first!" I yelled to the others.

I activated Reflection right as the first fireball reached me, and it ricocheted back to the caster. The three other mages also loosed spells at me simultaneously, and each was sent directly back at them. Chain lightning ripped through the mages, now heavily damaged by their own magic, and Jen finished them off with a salvo of arrows I knew to be a special attack. With the casters dead, I could focus on the melee fighters. I blocked and parried the first two swords to reach me, then counterattacked while activating Frenzied Strikes. Finally, I smashed a foot into the ground and cast War Stomp as the rest of the Elekseen rushed into range.

I crouched and heaved an undead soldier over my shield, sending it right into the waiting claws of my familiar. He sent me a wave of disgust as he dismantled the thing.

"I know, man, they're fucking gross," I told the lion.

I used Shield Slam on another, smashing it backward toward Cass, who quickly lopped its head off. I was starting to understand the description of these things. Their bodies were extremely resilient. When I hit draugr with Shield Slam, they were obliterated by the impact. One of the rogues slipped a dagger between a gap in my armor, causing me to recoil from the pain. I quickly turned and slapped its blade aside with my shield, following up with Devastate. My spear buried itself in the creature's head, and I ripped it back as another rushed me. The Elekseen were fast, probably just as fast as an equal level human or elf.

I felt the warmth of healing magic, and the wound in my armpit quickly closed. An injury like that would typically shut down the entire arm's mobility, but high Vigor meant it took more than that to cripple me. I was trying not to grin as the rush of the battle took over. I was ecstatic that I could fight like this. If the undead were intelligent, the sight of battling a smiling man in hulking armor would have probably unnerved them. My spear lashed out again and again like a viper snatching up prey. Finally, only three of the creatures remained, two of them being elites. Leo and Jen quickly killed the normal one as the two elites charged me.

I parried the first one's sword as the other attempted to flank me. Teos and Cass blindsided the undead, moving to my side, severing a limb, and tearing its left leg to pieces. Arrows bounced off its steel helmet as it turned to face the new threat. I sidestepped the first creature's follow-up attack and swung my spear downward, severing its sword hand at the wrist. The undead did not flinch as it picked up the dropped sword with its other hand. I kicked it backward and quickly thrust my spear into its rotting face. Still unbalanced, the Elekseen could not dodge in time, and I felt the weight of its limp corpse at the end of my spear. I turned just in time to see Leo's wind slash behead the final enemy.

I quickly rushed over to the Aspect once the last Elekseen fell.

[Harra, Aspect of Vitality - Level 20]

Health: 1%

Mana: 1/1000

Stamina: 1%

She was kneeling in the same position as the other Aspect and wore a blue robe rather than the green one the other had worn. Three tiny crystals floated next to her, draining her health, mana, and stamina.

"Rest for a minute before we destroy these. It will likely trigger another invasion event. Cass, Teos, and I will group at the bridge again. Leo and Jen, you should climb up that watchtower," I declared with a nod toward the tower.

The tower was between the bridge and the camp and perfectly positioned for ranged attackers. In addition, Leo would be able to heal us and the Aspect from the vantage point.

After making sure everyone was ready, I signaled Jen. She quickly launched three arrows at the crystals. Leo immediately healed the kneeling Aspect, and I turned back to the bridge, waiting for what would come. Five shapes staggered out of the fog and onto the bridge. They were Elekseen but wore elegant red robes and wielded high-quality wands carved with brightly glowing runes. I quickly examined them.

[Elekseen Mindmage - Level 16 Undead Elite]

Health: 100%

Mana: 200/200

Elekseen Mindmages are reanimated undead who were powerful control mages before death. They utilize control and mind magic to confuse and disorient opponents while slowly draining their life force. While powerful magic users, Mindmages are very weak to physical damage.

Five elites would be challenging but manageable. Teos let out a low growl next to me, and Cass dropped into a fighting stance.

"Let them get within range of Leo and Jen," I told them.

"Few more yards!" Leo shouted from the tower.

I raised my shield in response. They were nearly close enough for our ranged members to attack now. I was about to use Shield Charge when a scream from behind made me snap my gaze to the tower. The two archers we killed earlier had risen and pulled Jen and Leo down. I watched in horror as their health bars plummeted. I went to use Aspect of the Protector when one of the mages paralyzed me. I pushed against the spell, raged against it, but it made no difference. The mage had an iron grip on me, and I couldn't even blink. The spell's hold on me was absolute. I was forced to watch as Jen died and Leo soon after. I didn't have time to mourn. I needed to save the others.

The other Elekseen rushed from the camp, and Cass and Teos charged to meet them. I was furiously trying to end the control spell on me, but I was helpless. I wanted to tell them to run. Forget the fucking dungeon and run. The undead swarmed Cass, and she killed many, but they were too numerous for her in the end. I watched helplessly as a dozen Elekseen cut her down. I felt my connection to Teos end shortly after that. This was impossible. The whole team? It was my job to protect them, and I just stood there like a fucking idiot. One spell was all it took to take me out of the fight. Then, rage and fury began to overtake me as I recalled what Nerzhyn had said to me. 'Keep them safe' was all she had asked of me, and I failed. I failed miserably. Then, something else she had told me echoed in my mind.

Remember this feeling.

I had an epiphany. I had been trying to resist the wrong spell. These mages were in my head, altering my perception of reality somehow. I felt the spell weaken as the knowledge of its falsehood became cemented in my mind. I snarled as I pushed against the spell and, this time, broke its now feeble hold. I felt rage welling inside me as I focused on the five mages, hurling my spear at the one I had just interrupted without hesitation. It buried itself in the creature's skull as I used Shield Charge on the next one. My hammer materialized in my hand as I rushed toward the second mage. I crashed into it, breaking its concentration on the spell and causing it to stumble backward. I smashed my hammer into its head, crushing the undead's skull instantly. I turned on the third, storing my hammer and recalling the spear to my hand. I could see now that all my teammates were above 60% health, and I became even more enraged at the thought of them having to suffer through a nightmare as I had.

Killing the second one had freed Leo, who immediately began healing the team. I charged at the third mage, spear poised to cut it down. The mage ended its spell, releasing Cass and turning to me. I felt it try to paralyze me, but my current mental state combined with Relentless and Force of Will meant no control spell would even so much as slow me down. My spear penetrated its gut, and I quickly drove it upward. The force of the attack split the Elekseen from its stomach all the way up to its head, and it toppled. I had nearly cut the mage in half.

This was the first time I felt genuine hatred. I thought I understood what the word meant, but nothing came close to what I was experiencing at that moment. It may have been an illusion, but the loss I felt when they died haunted me still. It felt real. Cass and Teos were already rushing toward the fourth mage. I turned and summoned my warhammer. I charged the last mage, smashing its knees with two vicious blows. The Elekseen fell over, and I dismissed my shield, gripped the hammer with both hands, and brought it down on the mage's face. I kept repeating the attack even once the hammer was crunching into the stone where the undead's head had previously been. I roared as I brought the hammer down over and over. I felt hands grip my waist and tug me backward as familiar voices shouted at me.

I was panting as I turned toward my teammates, hammer raised. Cass quickly gripped my wrist and stared into my eyes. I took a deep breath as the anger began to fade. She was alive. Leo was alive. It wasn't real. Teos was savagely tearing into the last mage's corpse. I reached out to him and sent a wave of comfort. The lion stiffened, then backed away from the mangled body. Tears filled my eyes as I looked at Cass and Leo. I dropped my weapon, fell to my knees, and slumped to the ground. The tears turned red as they ran down my blood-covered face and dripped onto the floor. I took deep, quick breaths as I constantly reminded myself what I had just seen was a falsehood. Leo knelt next to me and gripped me in a fierce hug.

"It's okay, Alex. Whatever you saw was not real. The Aspect is fully healed. It's over," he comforted.

I tried to settle myself from the wave of terror and emotions I was experiencing. Leo let me go as I slowly calmed down, and I gave him a weak smile. Cass put her arm around me and squeezed. I stared at her, trying not to let my emotions run rampant again. Images of her corpse flashed through my mind, and I shook my head to clear it.

"You alright?" she asked, concerned.

I nodded, "Yeah, just a little shaken up, is all."

"You're gonna be okay, kid," she told me.

Tears were running down her face as she spoke. I could tell whatever she had seen disturbed her, too. I stood and looked at her and Leo. I placed a hand on each of their shoulders. These two were my entire world here. Losing them was not an option. I never wanted to experience that pain again. I released my friends just in time to be knocked to the ground by my familiar. A wave of relief hit me as the lion pushed his head into my chest. His presence helped calm me.

"Everybody okay?" Jen asked as she jogged over to us. The ranger's expression was grim, and she tightly clutched her amulet of Freya.

"What the fuck was that?" I asked.

"Mind magic. It distorts your perception of reality. They keep you trapped inside your own head until they can finish draining your life force. I think Alex freeing himself trivialized the encounter," Leo explained.

"I agree," Jen added, her voice sounding hollow.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"Well, I had nearly unraveled the spell when you killed the mage casting it. I believe that the party's healer or mage is supposed to break the spell first. Higher intelligence classes are more capable of breaking free from mental spells. Those mindmages are extremely resistant to magic, so it would have been a difficult challenge for me to overcome even one of them. However, your combination of abilities allowed you to free yourself before me, and you demolished the frail creatures," Leo answered.

Nerzhyn had told me the Gardens were particularly challenging for healers. I never expected this, though. Any enjoyment I had previously felt in this place had been eradicated by the vision I witnessed. There was real danger here; more than that, dungeons were training us for war. I ran a hand over my face and sat on the stone floor. Cass and Leo returned to the Aspect for the loot. Jen sat next to me, staring off into the distance. It was a look I was all too familiar with.

"We'll recover over time. Mind magic upsets the balance of your brain. I think they latched onto our fear and used it against us. The emotions you experienced during the mental assault were very real, and it will take time for them to fade," she told me.

I placed a hand on her shoulder. I didn't know the ranger too well, but she was a part of my team now. That meant she was under my protection. My sole purpose was to protect my new teammates. My new friends. My new family. The mental assault traumatized me, but it also strengthened my resolve. No harm would come to them while I lived.

"I saw the Seal at Thessau fall. My entire family was killed while I did nothing. The city burned because of me," she declared.

I looked over to the elf, "I saw-"

She held up a hand to stop me, "I can guess what you saw, Alex. No need to speak of it. It wasn't real, and we will heal. Thank you for breaking the mage's hold on me," the elf told me.

"I don't know what came over me. When I broke the spell, I snapped. Even Teos was enraged because of me. I've been prone to angry outbursts before, but nothing like that," I replied.

"An understandable reaction. The bond between you and your familiar is strong. Stronger than you know. If both of you lean too far into one mindset or emotion, it's easy for both of you to lose control," Jen stated.

"Thank you," I replied with a weak smile.

She stood and walked toward the others, telling me to take my time before joining them. I sat for a few minutes, just decompressing. I rejoined the team near the Aspect a few minutes later. Cass turned at me and smiled, then tossed a piece of gear my way.

It was a heavy plate helmet with jagged silver horns sprouting from either side. They had golden runes inlaid into them. The horns curved downward before pointing forward. The helmet would cover my entire head, with two small slits to see through. I typically avoided helmets with low visibility, but I would give it a try. The silver helmet had gold engravings intricately carved around it.

[Gaze of the Peacekeeper]

Rare Extra Heavy Armor - Head

275 Armor

+25 Strength

+40 Vigor

+10 Endurance

+10 Regeneration

-30 Dexterity (Negated)

Enchant: True Sight

I stored my old helm and gently placed the new one on my head. The interior was lined with soft leather and was extremely comfortable. I gaped as the entire front of the helmet shimmered and turned transparent. I reached up to touch my face but only felt the cold metal helmet. The True Sight enchant must have made it so that helmets didn't obstruct visibility. I turned to Leo, "Can you see my face?"

"What? No. You have a helmet on," he replied, confused.

I smiled under the helmet, "Anything else drop?"

"Yeah, Cass got a pair of boots that let her jump really far. She's ecstatic," Leo answered.

Our mood had improved, but I was still reeling from the earlier events.

"I suggest we take a few hours to rest and gather ourselves," Jen declared.

Leo and I agreed, and Cass came bounding over with her new boots. I told them I was going to meditate for a while and went off to sit under one of the ragged tents. Teos walked over and curled up next to me. I laid back onto the lion's soft fur and let out a sigh. I needed more time before I could meditate. I think most of the others would do the same. We had just gone through some of our worst fears, real or not, and we had to process what we had seen. I lay quietly on Teos for an hour or so, just enjoying his presence. I had a couple of notifications I had ignored during the battle, so I began going through them.

[You have reached Level 19]

[Augment Rune: Warlord has reached Level 9 - Master Rank - An ability has been upgraded.]

* War Cry - Shout a mighty war cry that increases your strength, dexterity, and speed by 15%. This bonus also applies to nearby allies. The effect lasts for one hour. Cooldown: None. Cost: 40 Mana. (Upgrades: 1)

War Cry now buffed dexterity also, which was a considerable upgrade. I pulled up my attribute menu to see how much it had changed since gaining four levels and acquiring some gear.

Attributes:

Armor: 1460

Attack: 250

Strength: 157

Dexterity: 29

Vigor: 502

Endurance: 133

Intelligence: 29

Regeneration: 45

Magical Resistance: 5%

Physical Resistance: 25%

Movement Speed: +10%

I was looking forward to reaching Level 20. Apparently, most class upgrades occurred every twenty levels. I dismissed the interface and just relaxed. My familiar's rhythmic breathing slowly made me doze off to sleep.