Rainbow was familiar with the Core Tunnels from reading about them in Jeze's discovered tomes. The multi-colored hair adventurer ran a hand along the strange glowing white lines that ran across the tan-colored walls in some places but not in others. This created ominous shadows with small pockets of pale light. Rainbow was certain that they were in the Core Tunnels.

"You have been in one of these before?" Aaron asked. The blonde-haired Amber Guard whistled as he peered into the strange white lines.

Swordslayer rolled his shoulders and walked ahead down the corridor. The white lines reflected off his armor, and he disappeared into the opaque darkness. Rainbow paused to look up.

"No, but I read extensively about them," she answered.

Tara rolled her eyes. "Great, so what's the deal? Are they a part of the Spire?"

Rainbow nodded and answered, "They are very much a part of the Spire. One might say they are the power source."

Zabo's eyes bounced back and forth between Swordslayer's disappearing form and the rest of the team. He pointed in the direction of Swordslayer. Aaron shrugged his shoulders.

"He goes where he wants. I'm not risking my life chasing after him," Aaron muttered.

Tara glanced at her teammate and turned to Rainbow, and asked, "Power source?"

Rainbow continued to walk down the corridor, and the others remained close. The multi-colored hair adventurer answered, "Yes, inside the Core Tunnels are the Hold Cores. The Wandering Spire is said to have four in total."

"What happens if we take all four?" Aaron wondered.

"Then the Spire shuts down," Rainbow stated.

Tara whistled, and Zabo nodded. His dark eyes continued to linger between his separating teammates. He pointed at Swordslayer.

"He will be alright," Rainbow replied, and after a pause, "He just needs some space."

"Some space?" Tara scowled. "This is not a classroom. We are a team inside the bloody gods damn Spire!"

Rainbow smiled gently and nodded. "He has a history with Vampires, and fighting them earlier has triggered some of those old memories."

Aaron nodded and replied, "So the rumors are true then? He was a disciple of Vornicus?"

Zabo's eyes went wide. "Don't say that name," he whispered.

Tara chuckled. "Zabo, don't be superstitious. It is unlikely the great Vampire Lord can hear us. We are literally in another dimension."

Zabo made a religious gesture that ended with him kissing his hand and raising it up. Aaron chuckled and returned his attention back to studying Rainbow. She didn't respond to his claim. Aaron chuckled.

He said, "You know we all heard the stories about you two. The infamous terrorists of the Golden Empire. Us in the Guard didn't care much as long as you two stayed out of trouble within Guild jurisdiction. With the exception of a few duels, you two were alright by us."

Tara weighed in, "So, tell us, is it true? Did Swordslayer train with the Vampire Lord?"

"Yes, and I don't sign autographs," Swordslayer said.

His sudden appearance startled the Amber Guard, including the perceptive Zabo.

"How?" Aaron mouthed. He looked down the corridor and back.

Tara shrugged, she had her sword half way out of the sheath. If it was an ambush they would have been dead. Zabo shook his bald head.

"By the Shining Heavens, I have never seen Zabo surprised like that," Aaron said.

Swordslayer smirked and turned to look at Rainbow. "There is a door," he said and pointed down the hallway.

Rainbow explained to the others, "The Core Tunnels are also heavily trapped."

Zabo nodded and motioned for Swordslayer to lead the way. They traveled as a group down the long corridor and eventually came to a square room with two other passageways and a single closed door. Zabo tapped a channeling tool and completed a simple Light spell to illuminate the room some more. He examined the door and went to work using a combination of lock picks and channeling tools.

"Rune trap?" Rainbow asked.

Zabo nodded and replied, "But it was disarmed already."

"Disarmed?" Aaron asked.

Tara perked up. "Perhaps another team came through here?"

"Or Cultists," Rainbow pointed out.

"They relocked the door," Zabo observed and used his lockpicking tools.

The others heard an audible click and the bald headed Scout rose from his knees and took a step back. As if they were an acting troupe that played out the same scene, the others moved into position. Aaron unslung his shield and moved by the door. Tara unslung her polearm and stood slightly back. Rainbow prepared her channeling tools and Swordslayer crossed his arms with a sneer. Aaron shook his head and opened the door.

"Boo!" Swordslayer cried.

The others flinched, and the sword fighter laughed.

"That's not funny," Tara snarled.

A flash of steel appeared from the darkness beyond the doorway, and Swordslayer's smile disappeared.

"Watch out!" He called out and in a blur of speed he drew his sword and knocked a twirling dagger out of the air.

The weapon clattered against the stone floor and the others turned toward the new threat with swords and channeling tools readied. Before Zabo could close the door five figures emerged from the darkness and quickly entered their chamber. The one in front was a dark skinned man with braided hair who stood with two swords held at his sides.

"Well well well. Look at what we got here? The gods must have blessed my cursed soul," the man said with a wide grin.

"Ozun," Swordslayer growled and said, "It's been too long since we touched steel."

Aaron, Tara, Zabo, and Rainbow prepared themselves as the opposite group lined up before them. Without another word, the two teams exploded into action.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

*****

"It's the same as the third floor," Dunar observed.

The Proven Leader was studying his map as the twenty-two adventurers traveled through the tanned-colored corridors of the Core Tunnels.

"Why is that?" Jorgenson wondered.

Couzart looked at the map in Dunar's hand and answered, "It's a giant Rune chain. A massive Channeling tool, but for what purpose?"

Jeze shrugged and replied, "We have not figured that out yet. What we do know is that it somehow allows the Hold Cores to power the Stronghold."

"Stronghold?" Couzart asked.

"It's what the Fiends call the Wandering Spire," Jeze explained.

"Fascinating. You have learned more in your young age than much older adventurers and scholars who have spent years researching," Couzart said.

Jeze preened and glanced at Miss Heng. The Amber Guard's face remained impassive. All the other adventurers remained alert with their weapons out.

"Ya! The traps in the previous Core Tunnels were really bad," Helga explained to the Carls.

"The floor can bring its worst to us! We will find our Glory!" Gunhild boasted.

"Hurrah!" The other Frostsworn chanted back.

Kash grinned. "I think I rather enjoy traveling with you, Northern nut cases."

Rolfe slapped the sword fighter on the back. "We welcome you, brother," the Large Protector said.

Dunar tapped his map and said, "Up ahead should be a door, and beyond that door, a Monster Portal."

Couzart nodded. "Everyone stay alert. What can we expect to face?"

"Thralls, lots of them," Jeze answered.

"Bah, there are over twenty of us. We can make short work of hundreds of Thralls," Kash boasted.

Rolfe and Helga agreed, and the two large warriors thumped their armor-plated chests. Even despite so much loss, the Frostsworn were still eager to face more challenges. Jeze felt that same fire in her heart. It resided next to a tiny ball of sadness and grief over the deaths of her close friends. Jeze discovered that she could fuel either one and that the choice was hers. She chose to empower the passion, and the flame grew in her chest like a hot furnace. Jeze grinned and cheered alongside her Frostsworn teammates.

"Let us go and crush our enemies' bones to dust and find our Glory!" Orn roared.

Miss Heng rubbed her face. "So much for stealth," she muttered.

The adventurer teams traveled down the corridors and came upon an opened door. Scorch marks marred the tan colored walls and floors. The trap was triggered long ago. Jeze stepped forward to examine the runes.

"It's permanently deactivated," she observed.

"Interesting," Couzart said while he stroked his chin.

"You suppose another team came through here already?" Dunar wondered.

Rainia closed her eyes and shuddered.

"What is it?" Ahanu asked and gripped his sister's shoulder.

"The Spirits tell me that there is nothing here at the moment. But soon, we will all be in danger," she replied.

"Well, bleed me dry. I could have predicted that," Kash said.

His Amber Guard teammates snickered. The Spirit Walkers glared at them.

"Kash!" Miss Heng scolded. The scarred face adventure and the other Amber Guard quieted.

"Let us proceed with caution," Couzart suggested.

They went through the doorway and down the corridor. The Rune caster summoned floating balls of light for illumination and the teams encountered no resistance. Dunar held up a hand. His other hand held his map.

"If my map is accurate, then up ahead is a Monster Portal chamber," the Proven leader said.

Kash and Jeze crept forward and peeked around the corner.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that there is another destroyed Portal," Kash stated.

"You don't know better, but you are correct," Jeze replied.

Kash snickered. The rest of the teams filed into the large chamber where at its center was a ruined portal. Miss Heng studied the broken bits of stone and she shook her head.

"It is as if a Safe Zone squad attempted to repurpose this Portal and failed," she said.

Jeze felt a pang of sadness grip her heart at the memory of what happened to her friend Jonah and his team. It's the life we live, she reflected.

Couzart knelt down by the rubble and said, "But, this is different. This is thoroughly destroyed."

"The failed attempts were repairable. This is clumsy work," Jeze added.

Miss nodded. "This was not a Safe Zone squad. This was someone else," she said.

"Perhaps this poor bloke was the one responsible?" Kash said.

The scarred face sword fighter stood over a pile of rags that was hidden among the scorch marks and rubble. Upon closer inspection, Jeze realized it was the skeletal remains of a person. But who? She wondered.

"Don't touch that!" Couzart cried.

Startled, Kash took a step back and drew his sword and dagger in one clean motion. "What is it?" he asked.

Couzart waved the Amber Guard to the side and stood over the skeleton in dirty rags. "I know who the culprit was," He said.

The Elite moved aside the rags with the blade of his scythe to reveal a glowing red gem from within the rib cage of the skeleton. Couzart tapped the stone with the tip of his energy infused Scythe and the gem cracked. A howling scream echoed throughout the room as the dark energy erupted outwards from the skeleton before it dissipated into the ether.

"What in the hell was that?" Kash cried.

Couzart tilted his head as he pondered something. After a moment, the Elite answered, "I was mistaken. The Lich does not have one phylactery but many. I suspect he was spying on us this whole time. We must be careful, and if you see one of the gems, destroy it."

"What is his end game?" Jeze wondered.

"That is a simple question. He wishes to advance in power like the rest of us. He created this realm for that purpose, but it was unstable, and the Fiends conquering it was a blessing and a curse for our dear friend, Lev Shubyaton. The Fiends were able to stabilize the realm with the Hold Core, but at the price of eternal servitude for the Lich to be a part of their machine for conquest. It is clear he betrayed them and deactivated all of their Monster Portals into this realm. Why that worked is a mystery to me," Couzart answered.

Jeze's eyes went wide and she exclaimed, "It's because the Ones from Before sabotaged the Stronghold. He took advantage of their attack and blocked the Fiends from entering his home, but it also trapped him here!"

"That adds up," Miss Heng said.

Their conversation lost the rest of the Adventurers. Rolfe and Helga activated Mead bricks to share amongst the other Frostsworn. Orn and Gunhild paced the chamber. Kash remained interested in the discussion while his team took the moment to rest and check their gear.

"Now, either he does not know where the Hold Core is located, or he can not access it," Couzart observed and added, "Because if he could. He would have consumed it by now and become Hero Rank."

Jeze tapped her chin and pondered what was said. Then it came to her.

"That is correct! It is clear he is not familiar with the Portal aspect. That was something the Ones from Before discovered. The Hold Core on the Third Floor was contained within a Portal aspect Rune chain," Jeze said and then regretted it immediately.

Couzart narrowed his yellow eyes and asked, "What happened to the last Hold Core?"

"It was lost. Stolen by another Demon," Miss Heng stated matter-of-factly.

The Elite studied her face. The Amber Guard captain remained impassive, like a stone. Jeze realized that despite all of her misgivings toward Miss Heng. The Amber Guard captain was consistent and reliable.

"That is unfortunate," Couzart said after a moment and he asked Jeze, "You are familiar enough with the Portal aspect to free this level's Hold Core?"

Jeze hesitated.

"Why are you silent?" The Elite asked. He approached her.

"Yes," she answered.

Couzart nodded. "That is good," and he turned to Dunar, "Let me see your map."

Dunar glanced at Jeze a moment before he complied. Couzart's yellow eyes rapidly shifted as he studied the map.

"Is it safe to presume that the Hold Core is in the center, in this chamber?" He asked Dunar.

The Proven Leader replied, "Yes."

The Elite nodded and handed the parchment back to Dunar. "Good, let us make haste and proceed there. We can end this quickly."

"About time," Orn growled, and he clanged his two axes together. "You heard him, lads. Let's roll out!"

All the Adventurers readied their weapons and gear and prepared to leave. Jeze and Kash led the way out of the chamber into the corridor. Jeze held up a hand and motioned the others to stop.

"You hear that?" Jeze asked.

Kash tilted his head to listen and then nodded. "We have company folks. A lot of company and judging from the sounds of it. Not the pleasant type."