There were seventeen of us now—our original group of five plus the four Aspects and the eight Shieldmaidens. We crept across the bridges into the unknown. Various bands of undead wandered around aimlessly. I could vaguely see our primary target in the distance—the large temple that we believed housed our final objective. It was a few hundred yards away, with hundreds of enemies blocking our path. I made sure to use War Cry well before we were within earshot, prompting the others to apply their buffs again.

As we crossed onto the central platform, I noticed that most of the undead here were the lesser varieties we had faced before. Draugr Footsoldiers, Elekseen Soldiers, Skeletal Warriors or Mages, plus some Lesser Vampires with a few elites mixed in occasionally. The first to notice us was a group of forty or so draugr. I was briefly worried they would alert the others, but they just shuffled toward us without a thought.

The first thing I noticed as my warhammer crashed into them was the raw power I had gained from my class upgrade. At Level 15, the draugr were not threatening individually, but they could have posed a challenge if they had swarmed me. Now? They were nothing but a nuisance blocking my way forward. I swatted them away as if they were insects annoying me at a campfire. We ripped through the platoon of reanimated soldiers in record time. My group and I contributed the most, but the Aspects were viciously efficient on the battlefield. They could tear through them with their bare hands as if the undead were made from wet paper. I still had yet to see any of the Aspects even use a skill or a magical attack.

After ravaging the first group of draugr, we slowly charged at a mix of Elekseen and vampires. This group consisted of three elites and twenty-seven standard troops. The sole Elekseen Mindmage met my spear before he ever had a chance to get into one of our heads. I was still pissed about the vision I had been fed earlier, and I kept the pain it had caused me buried somewhere deep within myself. I let the Aspects and Shieldmaidens deal with the regular undead as I charged at the two remaining elites: a Greater Vampire Shadowblade and a Greater Vampire Bloodreaver.

Cass was beside me as I engaged the Shadowblade. The vampire assassin attempted to teleport behind me and stab me in the back. My new colossal armor repelled her attack easily, and I spun to face her. I launched a quick feint with my spear, sidestepped, and hit the off-balance enemy with a Shield Slam. My attack sent the vampire crashing into the ground with surprising force, and my spear found her heart an instant later. I immediately went to aid Cass, but she had already dispatched her elite opponent.

[You have reached Level 24.]

One more level until my next class ability. I wanted to unlock it before we engaged the final boss or whatever awaited us in that temple. Cass reached Level 25 in the last battle and told us about her new class ability before we had crossed the bridges. It gave her ethereal wings that let her shoot up into the sky and come crashing down on a group of enemies, dealing physical and holy damage to all within a certain radius. She could also hover and glide with the wings if she needed to. The skill had a short duration and a minute-long cooldown, so it would be up to her when to use it best. Her boots were okay for mobility, but they lacked the precision needed for battle. Besides, another area attack was certainly welcome in our group. I watched her use it against the group we had just fought. She quickly shot up into the air as gold angelic wings sprouted from her back, then she plummeted toward a group of six vampires. She landed with a radiant explosion of golden light, and the attack rapidly annihilated all six enemies.

Three Necromancers were stationed around the temple, and we decided that killing them all would likely reduce our enemies' numbers substantially. Each necromancer commanded squads of skeletons, but one of the casters also controlled an amalgamation. So we split ourselves into three groups. My team and I would tackle the necromancer with the amalgamation while the Aspects and Shieldmaidens would attack the other two who only employed skeletons. It would be easier than if they decided to join their forces and attack us all at once.

Our target group contained a dozen skeletons in addition to the Vileflesh Amalgamation. We'd focus on the necromancer first, hopefully taking out his summoned escort before they could even react. Jen readied an arrow as I pulled back my spear. We launched at the necromancer simultaneously, yet two skeletons instantly stepped in front of our projectiles.

They must have some way to sense if their summoner is in danger. The others still didn't know our position, so I could only guess the skeletons that saved the necromancer were compelled by a spell or acted instinctually. They spotted us moments before we launched a second salvo and charged at us. I could hear our other groups had engaged their enemies as well.

"Guys! Take out that necro! I'll deal with his pets! We can't risk him getting away!" I shouted.

I tore into the skeletal constructs, sending them away in shattered pieces and bone dust. My hammer eliminated nine before the elite amalgamation reached me. Then, I activated Frenzied Strikes and danced around the elite, deftly killing the remaining skeletons in the group. The level 18 elite before me was unlike the previous two horrors I had fought. Its torso and head were that of a massive centipede with two curved dagger-like appendages for mandibles. It sported a pair of two-meter-long antennae that flailed around like whips, and rather than weak insectoid legs, it slithered forward using a dozen or more spindly humanoid arms. Each arm ended in a giant pair of razor-sharp pincers. The savage pincers cracked the stone as it advanced toward me, and I swapped to my spear.

My team was chasing down the fleeing necromancer, so I'd have to kill this beast myself. I also wanted the experience I would gain from killing it, so I needed to get it done before the others killed its summoner. The creature began by launching its antennae at me with insane speed. The whip-like appendages made a distinct snapping sound. I blocked both with my shield, raising Titan's Favor to five stacks. Next, I thrust my spear forward, sinking the blade deep into the creature's chitin before backstepping its counterattack. Two savage pincers just missed my head as I jumped backward. Frenzied Strikes was still active, so I used Devastate. My spear tore into the creature's abdomen twice, then a third time as Blademaster activated. Green ichor poured out of the three cavernous wounds, and the beast let out a devilish screech.

I did not relent, severing its humanoid limbs and plunging my spear into its chitinous exoskeleton at every opportunity. Most of the creature's attacks bounced off my armor or shield, but a few found gaps in my armor. Its pincers left a slow-acting poison that inhibited healing, but I wasn't worried as Leo could clear the debuff, and my health was still above 85%. The debuff slightly reduced the self-healing from my lifesteal, but I never relied on that since it was only 3%. I cut off one antenna with an upward slash, then raised my shield to block the pincers coming my way.

After deflecting its attacks, I smashed my foot into the ground and used War Stomp. Now that my enemy was slowed, I switched to my warhammer and delivered a powerful overhead smash. The chitin around the beast's mandibles cracked, sending one of its dagger-like teeth to the ground in pieces. I performed this attack repeatedly, slamming my hammer into its head with brutal force. Its head and mouth were shattered as green fluid poured from the crushed body parts. The amalgamation snapped at me with pincers and its antenna, then rapidly turned away. I braced, as I did not expect one of these unthinking creatures to try and run.

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At the end of its serpentine body was a long, vicious tail like that of a scorpion, and it was aimed right at me as the beast exploded into motion. Without time to dodge or roll away, I raised my right arm and prepared for the coming blow. It slammed into my shield with tremendous power, forcing my shield arm down and letting the stinger crash into my breastplate. The attack forced the air out of my lungs, knocking me to the ground. The beast was still under the effects of War Stomp, so I couldn't imagine how quickly it could perform that attack at full speed. It was time to end this.

I used Shield Charge before I was even on my feet and flew forward at the beast. My shield slammed into it with a satisfying crunch.

[Primary Rune: Ironwall has reached Level 12 - Master - An ability has been upgraded.]

Ignoring the notification, I quickly swapped to my spear and hacked at the tail, leaving a deep laceration halfway up the flailing appendage. A second strike severed the tail, removing the main threat. The slow ended, and the undead horror wheeled on me. As I swung at its already-destroyed face, my warhammer materialized in my left hand. The hammer smashed through the creature's head and penetrated deep into its chitinous armor, causing the beast to screech and stumble backward. Without hesitation, I charged and pulverized the rest of its upper torso, only stopping once I was sure the repulsive thing was dead. They didn't seem to require functional organs to live, or their creators hid extra vital organs in the creatures when they constructed them. Either way, destroying the brain or heart did not stop them. Smashing their body and head into nothing was the best approach. Titan's Favor, paired with my class upgrade, granted me a tremendous amount of strength, causing attacks with my hammer to deal impressive amounts of damage.

I backed up and scanned for the others. My team was sprinting back to my location, hopefully with good news. The Aspects and Shieldmaidens were also making their way toward me, as they had killed the necromancer and all her minions. I briefly checked which ability had been upgraded, although I already suspected which one it was.

[The Immovable Object has been upgraded.]

* The Immovable Object - Raise your shield and block all attacks regardless of direction or position for 6 seconds. You take almost no damage for the duration. You cannot move for the duration; however, you may turn in place. You are immune to knockbacks and control effects for the duration. Cooldown - 13 Hours. Cost: 10 Mana. (Upgrades: 1)

The base cooldown had been reduced to eighteen hours, and my class benefit had lowered that even more. Although it could realistically still only be used once a day—unless I somehow found myself in a battle that lasted over thirteen hours. The wording about the damage reduction was strange. It had gone from 'considerably less damage' to 'almost no damage.' I wondered what the difference was. Being able to turn in place was great, though. Being stuck in one exact position was the ability's most significant downfall. At least now I could turn to face new enemies or scan the battlefield while it was active.

Once we had all been reunited and Leo had cured me of the poison, we proceeded toward the temple at the center. We were now only a hundred yards away with three enemy groups remaining. The closest group was comprised entirely of draugr. There were ninety-five regular troops with five or six elites mixed in. We began our slow march toward the enemy company.

The four Aspects struck first. Each wielded a different form of elemental magic with devastating effects. Waves of fire burned groups of the walking corpses to ash while countless meter-long icicles impaled dozens more. Savage whirlwinds ripped through their numbers, tearing apart any of the weaker undead and slowing others. Nearly half of the enemies were rooted to the ground, their ankles trapped by the very stone they walked on. We did not waste the opportunity.

I sprinted into the multitude of immobilized undead, crushing them with my hammer and striking them with my shield concurrently. The magic bombardment continued to rapidly decrease their numbers even as we made it to the six elites in the center. I roared with Provoke, then followed up with War Stomp as my team took their positions around me. The elites charged me, unable to focus on anyone else due to the taunt.

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

I parried and blocked their various weapons while my companions retaliated. I fought defensively, warding off strikes and repelling enemies so my team could cut them down in safety. Teos dragged one to the ground and began dismembering it as Cass hacked another apart with her axes, all while Leo blasted them with magic attacks. These draugr, while elite, were only level 16 or 17, and my group quickly destroyed the lot. The Aspects and Shieldmaidens swiftly eliminated the remainder. The Aspects wielded tremendous magical power. Their elemental attacks killed dozens or more undead with every cast. We likely didn't even need the Shieldmaidens' help to clear this section of the dungeon.

With the first group eliminated, my ragtag platoon advanced toward the second. Halfway between us and the temple were over seventy Elekseen, including eight elites. Behind them, guarding the entrance to the temple, was a group made up of all the various undead we had encountered so far. Luckily, it seemed they remained in their positions during our attack and wouldn't come to the aid of the others.

I utilized the downtime to inspect my ability upgrade.

* Intercede - Charge to an ally's position; any damage they receive for the next 4 seconds is negated. Cooldown: 32 Seconds. Cost: 30 Mana.

Intercede's base cooldown had been decreased by 15 seconds, and its effect lasted an additional second, which was great. Although, I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish that Freya's Blessing had been the upgraded ability. I didn't have time to dwell on that, though. We were closing in on our next fight.

The battle with the Elekseen went the same way as the draugr. We easily defeated them without losing a single soldier. I was so close to Level 25 I could taste it. I was only eleven percent shy of the threshold, so I hoped and prayed I would reach it in this last battle. I really didn't want to ask my team to stop while I meditated. The final group of sixty undead incorporated ten of each standard undead, including draugr, skeletons, lesser vampires, and Elekseen. Fifteen elite enemies bolstered their ranks; however, they lacked necromancers or amalgamations, which was a huge relief.

The battle began just as the others had, with the Aspects obliterating the standard undead enemies while we carved our way to the group of elites. I immediately rushed toward two Elekseen Mindmages who were beginning to cast. The first one fell to my thrown spear, and I rammed into the second moments later with Shield Charge. I dispatched the foul caster with a quick slash, then turned on the other elites as I used Provoke.

After dispatching another two enemies, the alert I had been waiting for finally appeared.

[You have reached Level 25. A class ability has been unlocked.]

Finally! The bonus experience from Brunhilda's gift had paid off! It took nearly all of my willpower to resist pulling up the interface and examining the new skill now. A mace smashed into my shield and snapped me out of the stupor. Although I had an instinctual knowledge of the skill I had just gained, I tried not to use any before I understood them thoroughly. I focused once more on the battle raging around me. Most of the standard enemies were already dead, thanks to the Aspects and Shieldmaidens, leaving only a handful of elites for us to clean up.

With our forces combined, the last line of defense fell. We could finally enter the temple and finish this dungeon. It felt like we'd been here for weeks, even though I knew it had only been half a day or so. The temple was in poor condition. However, we still could not see anything inside. We'd have to go through the two massive stone doors at the front to determine our final objective. We were still quite far away when Leo declared we should take a quick break before entering the temple. No one argued or complained, least of all me. Teos had managed to reach level 20 earlier, but no prompt had appeared to inform me he was able to evolve again. I guessed it would be available at a later level.

I dove into the interface, rushing to see what new class ability had been given to me.

Class Ability 1: Aspect of the Protector - Fortifies a target ally with your protection. Any damage they receive for the next 6 seconds is transferred to you. Cooldown: 90 Seconds. Cost: 50 Mana.

Class Ability 2: Aspect of the Leviathan - Bolster yourself and become the Leviathan. Increases strength and dexterity by 30% of your armor value for 4 seconds. Cooldown: 150 Seconds. Cost: 100 Mana.

Class Ability 3: Unlocked at Level 40.

An involuntary grin spread across my face. My new class ability was incredible. Considering my armor value was nearly 1800, the skill would add over 500 points to both strength and dexterity. I was unsure of the specifics regarding the buff, but I knew it would grant me tremendous mobility and power for a brief few seconds. Not to mention my armor value would likely continue to increase as I acquired better gear, pushing the stats I would gain from the skill into the stratosphere.

"What? Your class ability? Is it good?" Cass asked after noticing my expression. Leo and Jen also stopped to look at me expectantly.

My smile widened, "It isn't just good. It's fucking great."