If Nameless needed to breathe, he would have let out a long frustrated sigh. Instead, he slouched. He couldn’t recall his memories fully, but he did not believe the adventurers he traveled with in his past life had spent this much time studying a room. If his hazy memory served him correctly, they only paused to rest.
“So, you’re saying these enchantments are singularly powered?” Elora asked.
Karl nodded and replied, “yes. This Sargus was a right evil bastard, but he knew his stuff. He created individual power sources so these traps could lay dormant for hundreds of years and still work when triggered.” The two were studying the pillar that housed the Darkness enchantment.
“Where is the Darkness spell?” Elora asked.
Karl squinted his eyes as he examined the runes and then pointed. Elora traced her hand over the markings. These she could understand. She attempted the gestures and channeled her energy, and a small sphere of darkness appeared before her.
“Nice!” Karl exclaimed.
“Right? Not bad on the first try. I will need a moment to keep studying this,” Elora said and pulled out her chalkboard to copy the markings of the spell down.
“May I remind all of you that we have important quests to complete,” Nameless intoned.
The knight was ignored.
“Some of these Mana Crystals are still fresh! We could use them!” Karl exclaimed, and the Ooraki began prying the crystals from the pillar.
“I’m sorry, but I need to release you. Honestly, you are battered and missing arms, and there are so many more options for me,” Zel was talking to their three remaining zombies. They shuffled, and one zombie’s jaw fell to the floor.
“I thought you said they were just echoes of residual spirit energy,” Elora chided.
“Does not mean I can’t still be sentimental!” Zel cried.
“Why not keep them then?” Karl stated.
“Look at them! They are falling apart. I can replace them with newer ones.”
Karl paused from removing crystals. “Are you saying the great Zel has a limit to how many zombies can be raised?”
The necromancer scoffed, “yes, only for now, though.”
“That’s a shame. I would have felt more confident completing this dungeon with a small army,” Nameless muttered.
Zel scowled and dismissed the three zombies with a flick of a wrist. They shuddered and collapsed to the ground. The necromancer grinned as they began to study the hundreds of other corpses for suitable replacements.
“Elora!” Zel cried as they were plunged into pure darkness.
“It worked!” The elf exclaimed.
“Very nice. Can you dispel this, please?”
“I have not figured that out yet,” Elora admitted.
Zel whined in frustration.
“The mighty necromancer is afraid of the dark? By the gods, just walk out,” Karl joked.
“Huh, that’s interesting,” Zel said as they exited the inky sphere. They poked at it with their pale hands.
“Right? It’s not a distortion of light, like an illusion spell, where you can disrupt it by touching it. I am literally summoning darkness from the shadow realm. Pure darkness. The pure absence of light!” Elora exclaimed with a raised fist.
Karl warned, “easy there. You are starting to sound power-hungry, like Zel.”
“Nothing wrong with having ambition,” the necromancer stated with a pat on Elora’s shoulder.
Karl rolled his eyes.
“Enough!” Boomed Nameless.
The others paused to glance at the knight.
“Need I remind you all of our responsibilities? That an army of demons and mercenaries are marching at this very moment to this city? I need to find and rescue the Gifted One from mysterious and dangerous powers that I can not fathom!?!”
“Someone is getting cranky,” Zel muttered.
The knight turned their featureless helm toward the necromancer and glared with their dark pits for eyes. Zel was unperturbed as they continued to find a suitable corpse for their zombie force.
“We don’t know what lies beyond that door,” Karl pointed out.
“And, what we know is that Sargus has set all of this up with the intention that we fail. The more we study his work, the better chance we can beat this,” Elora reasoned.
“Plus, finding the suitable corpse will create a more optimal zombie,” Zel added as they knelt before a pile of bodies.
“I’m going through the door,” Nameless stated.
“Wait a moment, let me check it,” Elora said.
The elf did one final check of her writing on her chalkboard. When she was confident that she had the spell down correctly and properly memorized, she went over to examine the door. It was made of heavy dark wood lined with iron studs and had an iron handle.
“Looks fine,” the elf said as they took several steps back.
Nameless glanced once at the elf and then reached for the handle. He opened the door. Click! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
ARMOR MAGIC REMAINING: 18.25%
Nameless turned slowly to look at Elora with his featureless steel helm. Three bolts were sticking out of him.
“That is a really tricky trap!” Elora explained with a shrug of her shoulders.
“Seriously, Elora, how did you remain in the Thief's guild?” Zel asked.
The necromancer had raised ten new zombies. A formidable-looking force.
“Why don’t we have your zombies open the door?” Karl suggested.
The enchanter was helping Nameless remove the bolts. The holes in the armor filled with purple magic and closed.
Zel scoffed, “and damage my precious servants?”
Karl and Nameless looked at the necromancer.
“Okay! Fine. Have it your way,” Zel replied and turned toward their zombies and said, “I’m sorry.”
“For the record, I discovered more traps than we triggered,” Elora said with a raise of her small nose.
“We?” Nameless asked.
“Sorry about that,” Elora said while glancing at the ground and shuffling her feet.
Zel’s zombies opened the door that led into a smaller chamber, about twenty meters in length. This one had dozens of sarcophagi spaced out evenly in rows. Each one with intricately carved designs etched into the stone. Elora whistled in appreciation of the skill and effort that went into the art.
“Careful,” Karl cautioned.
The four entered slowly with their senses on high alert and weapons and fire magic at the ready. They crept in. Nothing happened.
“I was hoping something fantastically horrible would come out from the stone coffins,” Zel muttered.
Karl and Nameless glanced at the necromancer.
“Are you mad? Something that is strong enough to free itself from that would be insanely strong!” Karl exclaimed, his eyes wide.
Zel shrugged. “You have no sense of adventure.”
“Shh,” hissed Elora.
They quieted.
“You hear something?” Asked Karl.
Elora glared at the Ooraki while holding a single finger to her lips. The universal sign for “hush!”
The elf carefully went ahead in between the rows of stone coffins. Halfway in, Elora motioned for the others to follow.
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“That is a big door,” Zel observed.
Ten meters ahead was a golden door big enough to fit a horse-drawn wagon. The kind of door one would find in front of a palace. Etched along the sides were numerous stars that gave the viewer the impression that they were twinkling. In the center was a massive emblazoned sun next to an arching crescent moon.
“The depiction of dawn and dusk. Life and death,” Elora whispered.
Zel shrugged their narrow shoulders. “It is very pretty.”
“It also looks to be the obvious path. Maybe we can find something else in this room?” Karl suggested.
“Good idea,” agreed Nameless.
The four cautiously split up and examined the coffins, the walls, and the floor. Other than dust and spiderwebs, they found nothing. They all met up back in the center.
“The other chamber was where the unknown were buried. Workers and slaves. Is this where the nobility was entombed?” Karl asked.
Elora shook her head. “Not nobility, but maybe freed people. Higher status for sure, but I doubt nobility.”
“The history lesson is interesting, but what can we do about leaving this dungeon?” Nameless grumbled.
The four looked at the large door, and as one, they decided that was their only course of action. Elora inspected for traps, and Karl inspected for enchantments.
“It’s clear,” Elora said as she brushed aside a bang that fell in front of her face.
“The door is enchanted, but not on this side,” Karl added as the runes he inscribed in chalk glowed briefly.
“What does that mean?” Asked Nameless.
“It means the enchantment works on the other side. Didn’t you live in a mage’s tower?” Zel asked with a scowl.
Nameless looked down at the necromancer with his great helm head and asked, “how do you know there is an enchantment, and what could that mean for us?”
“The runes I inscribed can detect magic, but it does not appear on this side of the door. As for what they do? It could be anything. We won’t know until we activate them,” Karl responded before Zel.
“I don’t like that,” Nameless said.
Karl rubbed the chalk from his hands and shrugged his broad shoulders. Zel directed their zombies to open the doors. It was slow going, but the doors opened wide enough to admit them. It led into a circular chamber filled with riches and treasure. The sarcophagi here were much larger and studded with precious jewels. There were fewer than in the previous room, but each one had its own impressive shrine. There were six spread out in a semicircle with a stone staircase set against the back wall and leading to another set of double doors.
“This is the nobility,” Elora whispered.
Suddenly, the four heard the sound of stone grating behind them and looked back in shock. The room they had just left was plunged into an inky black darkness where their torches could not penetrate like before.
“I thought you said the enchantment didn’t work on this side!” Exclaimed Nameless.
“Maybe I missed something,” Karl said, his eyes wide.
“The door is closing!” Zel observed.
The four could hear scraping coming from the room filled with sarcophagi. Something that could move those stone slabs was not something they wanted to meet. Their choices were to be stuck in the magical darkness with a room full of horrible monsters or go through the doors. They immediately entered the other room just as the massive aperture slammed shut with a booming thud.
“So much for breaking the game,” Zel muttered and checked to ensure that their zombies were still intact.
The academy students stood behind Nameless as they studied the new circumstance they found themselves in.
“The stairs are the obvious path,” Karl said.
“I don’t feel like triggering any more traps,” Nameless growled.
“So we explore the room,” Elora said.
“Zel, can you light those torches?” Asked Nameless, motioning to the torches set throughout the chamber on sconces.
“Fire magic requires focus and energy that I wish to conserve,” replied Zel.
“Just light the torches.”
Zel rolled their eyes. “Fuel acts as a focus which makes putting mana into fire magic much easier. I can ignite the torches, but magic fire only lasts for as long as I channel power into it. It will go out once it runs out of magic, and I prefer to focus my mana on my zombies.”
“Even on a torch?” The knight turned to face the necromancer.
“Yes, are you listening?”
“I have a sparker,” Karl said, pulling out a small silver cube from his pocket.
With the greater illumination, the four could explore more effectively around the chamber. Karl discovered behind one of the shrines another enchantment formula powered by mana crystals.
“I found what triggered the darkness and what closed the doors,” the Ooraki announced.
The others came over to see what he was looking at.
“I don’t recognize this spell, though,” the enchanter added.
“It’s not fire or necromancy magic,” Zel said with a shrug.
“It’s an illusion for sounds!” Exclaimed Elora.
They turned to look at the door that had just closed on them.
“We were tricked into leaving the other room,” Nameless observed.
“So that means we are following the path that Sargus wants us to take,” Karl said.
“But look at the stairs! This is the way we have to go, right?” Zel said.
Karl nodded. The stairs climbed up several more flights in a straight line, and the faint outline of a double door can be seen.
“Shall we take a look?” He asked
The others glanced nervously around the room and then agreed. Elora started to inspect the steps but was stopped by Karl.
“Let the zombies find the traps,” the enchanter said.
Zel scowled, and then ordered two to climb the stairs. It was a slow process as the undead shambled up the numerous steps. Eventually, they got to the wide golden door. This one was a larger version of the one they had entered earlier, with a blazing sun surrounded by clouds on the left and a crescent moon encircled by stars on the right. Seeing that the stairs were safe, the group went up.
“This is new,” Elora observed.
Over the handles were three knobs that placed an image on top when they turned.
“They were welded on, but the door itself was made with the catacomb,” Karl said as he inspected the craftsmanship.
Elora knelt before the knobs and pointed. “A switch,” she said.
“We open the door by turning the knobs to three images and then hit the switch,” Nameless stated.
“What happens if we get it wrong?” Zel wondered.
“We trigger a trap,” answered Elora with a motion of her hands.
The others looked at the walls that were around them. There were maybe hundreds of tubes all pointed in their direction. Karl knelt on the ground.
“Soot. Someone has tried to open the door, and they did it wrong,” the enchanter observed.
“Not someone, something,” Zel stated.
The necromancer rubbed a pale hand along a series of deep rents and scratches along the door. Elora leaned in close to look and noticed the damage for the first time.
“What could make that?” She wondered.
“A sword. Two-handed,” Nameless stated. The knight mimicked swiping a blade with his two gauntleted hands in a pattern that would make the rents.
“An enchanted sword, and a good one at that,” Karl added.
“The nobs show images. A sun, clouds, stars, and a moon. Any idea which pattern would unlock the door?” Elora asked.
“Nameless could go through each sequence until the door eventually opens,” Zel suggested.
The knight just glanced at them with his featureless great helm. The necromancer shrugged.
“The room below will hold the answer,” the knight rumbled.
The four, along with the shuffling zombies, traveled back down the stairs to the intricate burial chamber. Karl paused at the base of the stairs and pointed.
“Look at this,” he said.
The Ooraki had discovered a crude pictogram etched into the wall. It showed two humanoid figures pulling levers and a door opening. Next to each lever were three knobs, but the symbols were unclear.
“It takes two people to open the door. Good catch!” Nameless stated.
Elora shuddered to think what would have happened if they had tried only one knob. “Where is the other?” She asked.
“Over here!” Zel exclaimed.
Behind one of the shrines was a lever and three knobs that were identical to the set above the stairs. Nameless realized that this chamber was big and hid many secrets.
“Be careful,” the knight cautioned as he unslung his ax.
The others came over to the knight and looked around the room suspiciously.
“You see something?” Whispered Zel.
“No, but this chamber is big enough for someone to hide in,” Nameless replied.
“Or something,” Karl added.
Zel rubbed their pale hands together and summoned their zombies to them.
“Shh,” Elora said with a tilt of her head.
The others quieted and glanced around the chamber.
“What did you hear?” Whispered Zel.
“A scuffling,” answered Elora.
They turned to scan the chamber, and even with the lit torches and magical glow sticks, the area was still filled with flickering shadows. Zel took in a deep intake of breath. The others looked at the necromancer, pointing a slender pale finger. Following the gesture, they saw it. Emerging from a shadowy crevice from within one of the shrines was a gaunt being dressed in torn robes and with fiery red orbs for eyes. A long-bladed midnight longsword was gripped in its claw-like hands.
“Is that Sargus?” Elora asked.
“He became a lich?” Wondered Zel, delight in their pupilless eyes.
ARMOR MAGIC REMAINING: 18.25%
DEVIL LORD
THIS IS NOT A LICH. IT IS SOMETHING THAT, FOR YOU, IS MUCH, MUCH WORSE. UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES, DEVIL LORDS CAN TRAVEL TO THE MORTAL REALMS AS INCORPOREAL BEINGS. ON THE MORTAL PLANE, THEIR POWER IS MUCH DIMINISHED, AND THEY CAN ONLY INHABIT AN OBJECT. TYPICALLY A CROWN OR A NECKLACE. HOWEVER, AMBITIOUS MORTALS CAN BE TRICKED BY THE DEVIL INTO BELIEVING THAT THEY CAN AMASS GREAT POWER. DEVILS ARE FUELED BY MISERY, AND OFTEN TRADE DARK SECRETS WITH MORTALS IN EXCHANGE FOR EVIL DEEDS THAT THEY CRAVE. TORTURE, MURDER, AND OTHER NEFARIOUS ACTIONS. WITH MISERY, THEY BECOME STRONG ENOUGH TO POSSESS A LIVING BEING. THEY TYPICALLY POSSESS THE ONES WHOSE SECRETS THEY HAD SHARED BECAUSE, UNBEKNOWNST TO THE MORTALS, THE SECRETS THAT HAD GRANTED THEM POWER CAME WITH A PRICE. THE PRICE WAS FOR THEM TO BE FULLY POSSESSED BY THE DEVIL LORD.
DEVIL LORDS ACHIEVING SUCH POWER ARE RARE AS THEY WERE OFTEN DEFEATED BY HEROES AND ADVENTURERS. HOWEVER, IF UNCHECKED, THEY CAN CONTINUE TO AMASS STRENGTH AND TAKE POSSESSION OF STRONGER FORMS. FORMS SUCH AS ENCHANTED ARMOR. YOU MUST PROCEED WITH CAUTION.
After the warning from his armor, Nameless felt the red orbs stare at him with hunger. But Nameless also had a hunger that had risen up from within him. A powerful desire to rid the world of this evil being!
“Contain it, and protect us!” Zel ordered their zombies with an outstretched hand.
The animated beings moved to encircle the Devil Lord.
“Just what I needed,” the creature whispered through shriveled and decayed lips.
With a free hand, he made quick gestures that showed graceful skill in the magical arts.
Zel’s eyes went wide, and the necromancer clasped their hands together to counter the Devil Lord’s magic.
The zombies shuttered, and only four of the ten collapsed to the floor in a fetal position.
“Impressive,” the fiery red-eyed monster hissed.
The four zombies that had collapsed rapidly rose to their feet. They were subtly transformed, with sharper teeth and wicked claws.
“Ghouls,” Nameless recognized them.
“I need to learn that,” Zel stated. Their distraction ended when the four ghouls turned savagely to attack their six remaining zombies.
The Devil Lord rushed to attack the knight with its midnight blade.