The restricted section turned out to be a room in the back with books scattered haphazardly. The old man held the door open as I passed. “Is there anything in specific I can help you find?”
“I don’t know,” I replied, unsure what I was looking for. “I’ll know it when I see it.”
“Very well,” he said, pulling the door shut behind him. “Do be sure to lock up on your way out.”
Once I was alone, I took a stroll around the room to see if anything stood out.
The Long and Industrious History of Logging in Canada
The Four Relics of the Old World
Card Battle for Idiots
Forbidden Book of Forbidden Spells and Techniques
“Well, that was easy,” I muttered to myself, picking up the forbidden spell book, though I was a little curious as to why a book about Canada was in a video game.
I thumbed over to the index where a list of spells and abilities along with brief descriptions were.
Spell: Meteor
Mana Cost: 10,000+++
Primary Stat: Intelligence. Secondary Stat: Wisdom.
Summons a ball of fire from the sky. This spell gains exponential damage when cast in tandem.
Skill: Assassinate
Stamina Cost: 20,000
Primary Stat: Agility. Secondary Stat: Dexterity
End your foe with a well-placed strike to a vital spot. Chance to succeed varies based on the remaining health of the target.
Spell: Apocalypse
Mana Cost: 20,000
Primary Stat: Intelligence. Secondary Stat: Luck
Area of effect calamity class magic. Causes an explosive effect that harms both friend and foe.
Skill: Divine Touch
Stamina Cost: 100%
Primary Stat: Constitution. Secondary Stat: Faith
Heal any wound with the power of devotion. Direct contact is required.
Spell: Ressurection
Mana Cost: 20,000
Primary Stat: Wisdom. Secondary Stat: Faith.
Revive the recently deceased with a prayer.
Spell: Reanimation
Mana Cost: 10,000
Primary Stat: Charisma (-). Secondary Stat: Intelligence.
Reanimate the deceased to do your bidding.
I set the book down. All of the spells were way too costly for me to cast at my level. If I did my math correctly, I wasn’t about to have access to even Reanimation until level fifty. That wasn’t counting Divine Touch, which didn’t call for a specific amount of stamina, though I doubted it would be very effective with my pitiful 5,200 SP. It was convenient to know that none of the spells were tied to a single class. That meant that necromancers could use divine magic if their faith was high enough.
I’d just closed the book and was eyeing the four relics book when a message appeared.
You have learned the skill: Research (1)
Notice: This skill requires you to actively seek out knowledge on your own. It will not come to you while doing mundane tasks.
No sooner had the message faded than a book on the floor propping up one of the table legs began to glow.
Lost Dungeons of The Underworld.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
I lifted the table and pried the book out. It was exactly what I was looking for. The table of contents included the names of quite a few hidden and raid dungeons, including the Sunken Treasures one I cleared on my first day. It took a few false starts but I was finally able to find what I was looking for.
Hidden Dungeon: Beneath the Beneath
Hidden Raid Dungeon: Drunder Asunder
Both were located in the area I’d unlocked between Drunder and Under Drunder. It even included maps showing me how to get there. I also picked out a few dungeons near The World Tree that I thought might be useful for my brother. Realizing I couldn’t check out forbidden books, I took pictures of every page using the system screenshot tool.
Before leaving, I scanned the rest of the books to see if anything glowed. While nothing did, I got another update.
Your Research skill has increased (2)
Once I was outside of the library, I gave Jed a video call.
“I was wondering when I’d hear from you,” he answered with a smirk. “What level are you now?”
“Twenty-seven,” I replied. “Also, did I tell you about secondary…”
“Classes?” he finished the question for me. “Don’t bother. We figured that out when we hit level twenty. I’ll do you one better though. You get a special quest to unlock a third class at level forty.”
“You’re forty already?” It was my turn to be shocked.
He laughed, shaking his head. “No, not yet. I am twenty-nine though, so I got you beat. Someone in my guild is forty-three. I swear he doesn’t sleep.”
“Wow,” I whistled for good measure. “I guess I got some catching up to do.”
“It’s not too late to join us,” he said.
“Actually,” I replied, cutting him off. “I got something for you. Check this out.”
It took a few seconds for him to pull up the system mail I sent him. There were three dungeons in the book that referenced the world tree. His eyes widened when he saw it. “Where did you get these? It doesn’t look like any wiki I know.”
“The library,” I snickered, realizing it was the last place he’d ever think to look.
“Are you telling me you actually left the house?” he gasped, feigning shock.
“Oh, shut up,” I spat in mock outrage. “Just because I like delivery doesn’t mean I never go out.”
He had a point, and he knew it. I’d bragged to Mom about setting a new record for how many days I didn’t leave the house and was currently trying to beat it.
When he kept laughing, I added. “I mean the library in game. This new town I found has a great one.”
Technically, it was a hole in the wall, but the forbidden section was great.
“This info is great. We’re going to have do to these raids right away,” Jed said with a grin. “I’ll tell you a secret too. Dungeons scale. One of my guild mates did a raid with some newbs he met at level ten. It was a fiasco but not because their levels were too low. The only drawback is the gear isn’t as good as it would be if you waited until you’re higher level. Oh, and obviously, you don’t have as many skills at low level.”
“Thanks for the tip,” I replied. “Good luck in the dungeon.”
“You too,” he said, ending the call.
Alone again, I walked around for a while. Under Drunder was an impressive city. The magma cast a bright orange light which reflected off of something in the chamber ceiling to provide light while a cool breeze came from somewhere keeping the temperature pleasant. I regretted not asking the princess about more restricted areas. However, I was too excited to explore another dungeon to waste any more time.
The closest happened to be the raid zone, Drunder Asunder, which happened to be hidden under the castle. The hidden one was a ways off but also promised to be the easier of the two. The map showed the way from Under Drunder to the entrance.
I set my bind point at the gate before heading out. The dungeon happened to be near where I’d first fallen into the underworld. A side tunnel opened up into yet another pool of magma. This one had what looked like stepping stones just wide enough to step on leading to a crack in the far wall.
Under normal circumstances, I’d be forced to step carefully from stone to stone to get there. I had something better in mind though; Lava Walker Boots. Ignoring the stones, I set one foot on the molten surface of the magma. It rippled under me like a rickety bridge. A gentle breeze wrapped itself around me and negated the heat emanating from below. It took a few tentative steps to get the hang of walking but the system wouldn’t allow me to fall unless I actively tried to.
Welcome to the hidden dungeon: Beneath the Beneath
I was better equipped to deal with a dungeon than I was the first time. My level was higher for starters, and I had a pair of classes. Gone were the days of having to make up skills to be effective. That reminded me, though. Creativity was what led to success in the first place. It would be a good idea not to forget it.
The dungeon looked like the inside of a geode. Crystal formations lined the walls and ceiling, while a smooth onyx path led deeper into the dungeon. I moved slowly, weary of traps that might be hidden in the shadows. The first chamber looked empty except for five jagged rocks on the ground, half my height but twice as wide. A closer inspection revealed what they were.
Crystalline Crab
Level 30
Poisonous mollusk in a half shell.
I approached cautiously, worried they might all attack at once if I got too close. They didn’t acknowledge my presence at all. I looked closely at the shell for signs of weakness, something to target with a bomb. Nothing glowed. Deciding to test it anyway, I took out a bottle of blast oil and used Make Explosive. I threw it at the closest crab and said the trigger word right as it made impact. “Kablooey!”
The bottle erupted with a loud crack, coating the shell in the viscous liquid. Then the dust settled, and the shell showed no signs of damage whatsoever. I did, however, seem to get the creature’s attention. All five rose on tiny legs and skittered away from the blast, leaving a thick cloud of dust in their wake. I tried to follow and felt a stinging sensation on my skin as I passed through the dust. Also, my HP went down.
Veritas
Primary Class: Level 27 Excavator
Secondary Class: Level 2 Demolitionist
HP: 2372/2700
MP: 300/400
SP: 5400/5400
I jumped back. Whatever that was, it eroded my health quickly. When the dust settled and I made it to where the crabs fled, they were back in their shells. If they weren’t going to fight, I decided to test just how hard that shell was. I rummaged through my bag for a weapon. My primary option was the ice pick.
Ice Pick
Crafted Item
Stats: Attack +20, Str +5, Sta +5
Special: Cool Strike
Level to equip: 5
The only other things I had with decent stats were a level fifty spear I couldn’t use and the unidentified shovel. Thinking of the shovel, I took a break to appraise it. After many failures, I got the message that I’d hit my limit.
Identify skill +1 (20).
Skill is capped for the day. Please try again tomorrow.
“At least it goes up quickly,” I said to myself, putting the shovel away.
Armed with the pick, I went after the nearest crab and used Break Stuff on the shell. The impact made a loud ‘clink’ and sent a shockwave through my body. Whatever the shell was made of, it was tough. I didn’t even manage to scratch it. I was rewarded for my effort by a fresh round of poison dust. Unlike the last time, the crabs didn’t retreat.
I kneeled beside the crab, trying to see inside of the shell. A wicked-looking claw shot out and I barely jumped out of the way.
“Wanna play it like that, eh?” I grumbled, taking out the blank cards.
Dragon Breath
Card Battle Card
The image of a dragon breathing a gout of fire appeared above the words. After placing it in my heart deck, I crouched in front of the shell once again, careful to stay out of range of the claw that time. Unsure of how best to activate a breath spell, I sucked in a lung full of air and thought the words before exhaling as hard as I could. Part of me expected to blow a raspberry. Instead, my throat burned as though I’d just swallowed something extremely spicy. Flame erupted from my mouth.