It had been 1 day since Arthe and Cadfael had entered the 5th floor of the dungeon and so far they had encountered more Goblins than they could count and the occasional group of Lizard-men, Arthe had also leveled up 5 times and was now level 40. Since getting the Sword skills of Ancient Numenor he had been consistently using them as much as possible and by doing so his Sword mastery had risen to Basic 9 83%, and he had been conscious that he had to get his Shield mastery up as well so he had been spamming Shield bash on every opponent he fought. By doing this it had risen to Basic 8 47%, unfortunately the amount it increased by had dropped dramatically, Arthe was of the opinion that in order to level it quicker he needed to learn a new Shield skill or have the Shield Spike equipped.
Still even though he was struggling to level Shield mastery Arthe was pretty satisfied with his overall gains; he'd picked up some great equipment, learned new skills and new stats and he even had a guarantee from Cadfael about an invitation to join the ranks of Freya's paladins. He'd also gained lots of experience about how to fight different kinds of monsters and also increased his fame by quite a lot, simply through killing all the monsters on each floor and some of his equipment gave him boosts to his fame as well.
Now he and Cadfael were about halfway through floor 5 and the monsters were getting harder and more skillful, the average level of the mobs was in the early 60's with some of them being around 68. Arthe knew that this probably meant the last floor boss was at least level 75 if not more, so he was being even more careful about increasing his skills when killing monsters. He knew that the skill bonuses might be his only lifeline when facing off against a creature that many levels higher than him.
Decapitating the last remaining foe in front of him using Targeted Thrust he was immediately bombarded with system messages:
You have Leveled up
Numenorian Sword Skills have increased to Basic level 3
Each attack will do slightly more damage. +3% damage increase
Sword mastery has increased to Intermediate level 1
+50% Attack power
Attack Power +150%
Attack speed +30%
You have learned a Passive skill: Analytical Blade
Analytical Blade:
You have persistently guided your weapon to strike at the weakest points on a foe. You are now so good at aiming for these critical areas that it has become second nature to you.
+40% chance of a critical hit.
+15% chance of an instant fatal blow against opponents the same level as you.
Fatal blow chance decreases by 1% per level higher than yours.
You have gained 50 Fame for slaying the more monsters in this dungeon than anyone else, ever.
You have received a title for your achievements in this dungeon. You will now be known as The Marvelous Monster Masher of the Mausoleum.
+100 Fame for as long as this title is used.
"Woah that's a lot of message boxes and a massive amount of skill leveling. Didn't think i was that close to leveling them, hmm this new passive skill sounds really useful. If i can get my level up another 5 times before i leave this dungeon then I'll still have a small chance of insta-killing even the highest level opponents in the grand melee." Arthe thought to himself after looking at the stream of system messages.
He and Cadfael then continued through the dungeon, making sure that every single room and cupboard was cleansed of monsters as they went, they butchered the last remaining Boggarts; Killed all the Kobolds; Lynched the Lizard-men and gutted the Goblin survivors. The few remaining monsters in the dungeon forever remembered that week as the Time of Destruction, it was spoken of in hushed tones and used to frighten monster children.
"Eat your food or the Duo will come, go to bed or the Shield Bash will get you, do as your told or you'll be Targeted by the Thrust." These and other tales of that horrible time were passed down for generations, the monsters in that dungeon became the most peaceful and law abiding creatures on the continent.
Back in the present time, Arthe and Cadfael had 2 days left to escape the dungeon and 3 days until the tournament. Luckily they had only got the Boss monster left to annihilate, plus Arthe had leveled up twice more in the mass murder inflicted upon the denizens of floor 5. He was now level 43 and felt quite prepared to take on the boss monster.
Walking along a passage that sloped steadily upward, the pair were confronted by an iron portcullis. Beyond the gateway all was dark save for a small shaft of light entering through a tiny window, which appeared to be set in another door at the far end of the chamber. The window provided just enough light for the duo to spot a large shadowy mass moving around the room. After a while of straining their eyes to get a better look they gave up, Arthe sat down and started to repair his equipment ready for the fight. Due to his need to constantly fix his gear after every fight his repair skill was now Basic level 7 67%, repairing his equipment after this boss fight would most likely put it on the edge of level 8 if not actually at it. He'd been working hard at his repair skills and had also made sure to collect all the rusty and broken gear dropped by the monsters so that he could repair them all at a later date, this way he could significantly raise his repair skill and hopefully get it to intermediate.
When that happened he could learn blacksmithing, he was looking forward to that because he wanted to be able to craft his own armor and he knew that Mathis would probably give him some pointers on how to make the most out of his crafting. When preparing for the fight he made sure to buff himself with all his available skills and even asked Cadfael to use his most powerful blessings as well, with that done he strode towards the far wall and pulled the lever there.
The portcullis began to open slowly with lots of creaking and squealing, it sounded as if it hadn't been opened for generations. Eventually the gate stopped opening at about 2/3rds of the way up, obviously the mechanism had broken at some point. However it was open far enough to allow Arthe and Cadfael inside, as soon as they stepped across the threshold the room became engulfed in light. This was because numerous braziers and torches ignited spontaneously around the room and in the center was a giant fire pit. It took the duo a couple of seconds to adjust to the light but when they did they were confronted with a terrible sight.
The last Boss was a Coldfang! These Draconian creatures were thought to be extinct on the Versailles continent but it was rumored that in ancient times they were used to guard the treasure of kings and the crypts of warlords. It was said that they would guard these places for all eternity and would kill all trespassers, even if you were able to steal some of the treasure they would persistently hunt you down until it was recovered. They were also rumored to be immune to most forms of magic, and that their teeth were filled with terrible venom.
Arthe however wasn't worried, there were two reasons for this; one being he had absolutely no clue what the creature was, and the other was his new sword skills. He'd had a good look at the beast and had come to the realization that it was definitely related to dragons in some way, therefore his sword skill which was specifically aimed at defeating Draconic opponents should give him the edge.
Cadfael on the other hand was terrified, he knew precisely what the monster was and he knew his holy powers would have absolutely no effect on it. He also knew that the beasts main weapons weren't its claws or teeth but the freezing ice breath it would unleash on its foes. This breath was well documented as being the coldest thing on the continent, able to freeze not only the blood in your veins but also the very bones themselves. For these reasons he decided to also bless himself to the max, hoping it would keep him alive, he also began to tell Arthe what the monster could do but it was too late.
Arthe raised his sword and shield high and charged at the Coldfang Guardian, which reared back and sucked in a huge breath. Arthe wasn't stupid, he knew that probably wasn't good so he rolled out of the way just as the attack was unleashed. The breath coated the floor in ice and managed to freeze one of the torches on the wall, even the flame itself had been frozen! Arthe couldn't believe his eyes, this thing broke the fundamental laws of physics! Then he realized he was playing a fantasy game and that the laws of physics didn't exactly apply in a world where anyone could conjure fireballs at their fingertips.
He charged at the beast again using his Asgardian footwork to avoid its tail and claws, his final step took him directly behind the monster and he used Targeted Thrust to attack the foot of the tail. He had to jump back quickly after the strike because the monster turned on him faster than he thought and he only just managed to avoid its claws. Unfortunately he didn't realize the tail was still functioning and it lashed him across the face, cutting open his cheek and making him reel momentarily.
"Healing Hand! Cure!" Cadfael was paying very close attention to this battle, he knew that the Coldfang's claws teeth and tail spike were all poisonous and could kill very quickly if left untreated.
"Thanks Cadfael." Arthe shouted as he dove back into battle, this time he used his footwork alongside his Breath of Ymir and attacked the front of the creature. Trusting his armor to hold up under the beasts claws, he used his shield to force the monsters gaping maw up and away from his head and used Targeted Thrust again to drive his blade straight into its stomach. The creature screamed and kicked out at Arthe knocking him backwards then it preceded to blast its own stomach with its ice breath, sealing the wound and preventing blood loss.
Arthe sighed bitterly, if the Coldfang could seal its own wounds then he was going to have to inflict massive damage on it in a very short period of time if he wanted to kill it. Thinking this he again used his footwork to make his wake round to the creatures back, then he activated his Blade Dance skill. This used up all his remaining Mana but also inflicted numerous wounds on the beast, plus the wounds were all in places the monster couldn't reach with his mouth. Arthe then confronted the Coldfang again, whilst it was arching its back in pain, and started to swing his sword at the creatures wrists.
After a flurry of blows one of the monsters clawed hands lay useless on the floor and the other was holding the bleeding stump in agony. The sheer fury in the beasts eyes was staggering and the room itself seemed to have grown noticeably colder. Arthe realized that this was when the creature was most dangerous, if it couldn't defend its post then it would use its death to ensure no-one made it out of here alive. The Coldfang began to suck in huge gulps of air, its belly became distended and the air temperature in the room plummeted. By this point some of Arthe's Mana had recovered and he had just enough to perform Targeted Thrust one more time.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Cadfael can you cast Divine Armaments on me?"
"I can but Holy magic has no effect on that thing!"
"I know i just need the extra strength and attack power boost"
"Oh okay then Divine Armaments!"
Arthe's equipment began to glow with a warm golden light, he advanced on the Coldfang one more time. Then when he was in front of it he activated Targeted Thrust and used everything he had to drive his sword up through the frozen wound and into the monsters heart. When he drew his sword out a blast of freezing air exited the wound and hit his hand, causing it to cover with ice, but at the same time there was a gurgling noise from the monster and then silence. A thick frost began to cover the beast and when it was completely frozen, it shattered. In its place was a small piece of its tail and a Longsword that had a icy blue blade.
You have Leveled up!
You have Leveled up!
You have Leveled up!
You have Leveled up!
You have Leveled up!
Sword Mastery Leveled up!
Numenorian Sword Skills Leveled up!
Fifth floor of Monster Mausoleum cleared!
Exit now available for use!
+200 Fame for clearing the dungeon!
+100 Honor for reclaiming the Sword Skills of Ancient Numenor!
Treasure room now Available to explore!
Arthe was flooded with congratulatory messages but he was mostly focused on the sword that the Coldfang had left behind, especially since his current sword was not as useful anymore. Whilst admiring the new weapon Cadfael was busy defrosting Arthe's hand and wrist and casting multiple healing spells on him to prevent severe frostbite.
Icy Longsword of the Ancient Protector.
Durability: 100/100
Attack:20-45
Ice Damage: 10-20
This weapon belonged to a champion of Ancient Kings, it has been used against all manner of Ice type creatures and retains some measure of their power. It has been perfectly preserved by the breath of a Coldfang Guardian and imparts some of its longevity to the wielder.
Equip:
+15% Ice resistance
+50 Honor
+20 STR
+20 VIT
Requirements:
Level 50
Honor +200
STR +60
Arthe was level 48 so he couldn't wield the blade just yet but he definitely was not going to sell it, after placing the weapon in his inventory he looked around the room for the promised treasure chamber and spotted a small iron bound door set in one of the walls. He rummaged in his pack for the silver key he had acquired previously and then beckoned to Cadfael to follow him. After unlocking the door carefully the key disintegrated into dust, Arthe gingerly pushed the door open and entered slowly. He had no desire to be killed by a trap right after he had cleared the dungeon, as he entered the room his eyes widened. The entire chamber was full of treasure; there was gold and jewels everywhere, suits of exquisite armor stood around the room, racks of beautifully crafted swords lay on the walls. In the center of the room was a plinth that had a small plaque on it, the plaque read 'Greed is the downfall of mankind, those who are truly worthy take only what they can carry in two hands'.
"Damn i knew there would be some kind of catch to this!" Arthe exclaimed, "it appears as though we have to pick out what we want carefully."
He looked around the room examining various items until he came upon a finely wrought shield made of what appeared to be Mithril and Adamantite, it felt solid and seemed to quiver at his touch. He decided there and then that this would be take up one of his hands, a new shield was definitely in order, and he was contemplating one of the suits of armor on the walls when something else caught his eye. A pair of Gauntlet was sat on a stand; it was bright silver embossed with gold, placed around it were numerous flowers and other tokens. From the Gauntlets an aura of piety radiated, in fact the very air around them seemed cleaner and more pure.
Arthe picked them up with his other hand and exited the treasure room, leaving Cadfael to search out his own rewards. Arthe was mesmerized by the gauntlets and the shield, when he put them next to each other they seemed to resonate. Each item appeared to reflect the others aura creating an amplified effect. He attempted to identify the items but it took him more than 20 attempts at each one before he succeeded.
Gauntlets Of Freya's Justicar:
Durability:200/200
Defense: 100
These Gauntlets were said to have been presented to the last Champion of Numenor by the Goddess Freya herself. They create an aura of purity around the wearer that can defend them from dark powers. These Gauntlets grow along with the wearer as they improve so too does the power of these Gauntlets.
Equip:
+100 Faith
+50 Honor
+20 STR
+20 VIT
+25% Dark Resistance
When worn with the rest of the Freya's Favour armor set effects are doubled.
Requirements:
Level 300 for displayed stats, stats decrease by 20% every 100 levels
Must Have Faith stat generated
+50 STR
+50 Faith
+200 Fame
Shield of Freya's Guardian:
Durability: 200/200
Defense: 100
This shield was said to be presented to the last Champion of Ancient Numenor by the Goddess Freya herself. It strengthens the wielders spirit and bolsters their life force. This Shield grows along with the wielder, as they grow so does the power of this shield.
Equip:
+20 INT
+20 WIS
+40 VIT
+15% Magic Resistance
When equipped alongside the Longsword of Freya's Arbiter the effects are doubled
Requirements:
Level 300 for displayed stats, stats decrease by 20% every 100 levels
Must have Faith stat generated
Faith+50
Fame+100
Honor+150
STR+40
"Ding!"
Quest Received!
After discovering armor belonging to An Champion of Freya you are inspired to go out and discover all the remaining pieces of the set.
Gauntlets: Found
Helm: Not Found
Breastplate: Not Found
Greaves: Not Found
Legplate: Not Found
Shield: Found
Sword: Not Found
Quest Difficulty: B
Requirements: Must have faith stat, must have found piece of Freya's Armor.
Rewards: ?????
This Quest cannot be denied.
"Quest Accepted"
Arthe could only blink in surprise as he first looked at his new gear and then was given a quest notification that was accepted without any input from him. He looked over the quest information again and noted the B rank difficulty, he then had a bit of an epiphany. If he joined the Order of Freya as a paladin then surely they would have information on the armor set as well as help him to recover them. In fact they may even pay him to do so, that way he would receive two rewards for one quest. Plus if he managed to find all the pieces he would never have to purchase his own gear ever again as it would level with him. The only stuff he would have to buy would be clothing to wear beneath the heavy armor, but then again that was also something he could get from hunting. The displayed stats on the items were excellent but after Arthe had subtracted 40% from them they actually looked more like this:
Gauntlets Of Freya's Justicar:
Durability:200/200
Defense: 60
These Gauntlets were said to have been presented to the last Champion of Numenor by the Goddess Freya herself. They create an aura of purity around the wearer that can defend them from dark powers. These Gauntlets grow along with the wearer as they improve so too does the power of these Gauntlets.
Equip:
+60 Faith
+30 Honor
+12 STR
+12 VIT
+15% Dark Resistance
When worn with the rest of the Freya's Favour armor set effects are doubled.
Requirements:
Level 300 for displayed stats, stats decrease by 20% every 100 levels
Must Have Faith stat generated
+50 STR
+50 Faith
+200 Fame
Shield of Freya's Guardian:
Durability: 200/200
Defense: 60
This shield was said to be presented to the last Champion of Ancient Numenor by the Goddess Freya herself. It strengthens the wielders spirit and bolsters their life force. This Shield grows along with the wielder, as they grow so does the power of this shield.
Equip:
+12 INT
+12 WIS
+24 VIT
+6% Magic Resistance
When equipped alongside the Longsword of Freya's Arbiter the effects are doubled
Requirements:
Level 300 for displayed stats, stats decrease by 20% every 100 levels
Must have Faith stat generated
Faith+50
Fame+100
Honor+150
STR+40
Despite the stat reduction the items were still fantastic for his level and he wasn't concerned about it too much as they were still better than his existing gear.
As Arthe was thinking about these things, Cadfael came back out of the treasure room holding a large War-hammer in one hand and a truly jaw-droppingly beautiful helmet in the other. The hammer was covered with runic symbols and appeared to be made out of extremely high grade materials and the helmet was open faced with gold embossing and a beaten gold crown on the top. Cadfael then proceeded to explain that the hammer was a national treasure of the Baldur Kingdom that had been lost for generations, he told Arthe that for helping to return it to its rightful place the two of them would almost certainly gain great reputation with the kingdom.
The helm was a different story, it was created for a leader of paladins in the past and gave great bonuses to leadership and faith. It also provided a high level blessing 5 times a day, which would deflect spells and arrows using a barrier of light. Cadfael had decided to keep that for himself even though it had a level restriction of 200. He told Arthe that he had a number of expeditions coming up where he would be required to travel to the far north and hunt down some evil vampires.
After comparing equipment, Cadfael was ecstatic about Arthe's discovery of Holy artifacts, the two of them headed for the exit. As they left the dungeon the doorway behind them collapsed into rubble, preventing anyone from using it as a shortcut to the treasure chamber. The two of them emerged onto a hillside overlooking the city and were greeted by the sight of Mathis cooking food on a campfire.