As expected, the monsters he encountered first were the goatmen, as well as Worgen and a Vampiric Bat.
Sighing, he hoped there wouldn't be any Blood Mages to be killed and continued his search for the Sacrificial Flesh.
The first such construct he found was guarded by three Elites, and a Unique one popped up on its destruction.
[ Ghalem Firemaw, Master Impaler (Elite) - Level 50
*Mortar: *Mortar: Randomly throws five fireballs toward an area occupied by an enemy. ]
As the name implied, the Master Impaler threw spears from afar and used fireballs whenever they were off cooldown.
Michael enjoyed watching the red energy bubbles created through the Elite's interaction with the Sanctuary's 'mana' and was shocked upon getting hit by one and losing 500 Life Points in the process.
Furthermore, getting burned alive was quite the novel experience that he hoped never to encounter again in this life.
The second Sacrificial Flesh construct also had an Impaler Unique Elite with a Poison Enchanted modifier, making the 'Top 10 Most-Hated Monsters' list to second place due to its ranged attacks and similar running away pattern as the Blood Mages.
After dealing with the third and hopefully last Master Impaler of the day, the Quest was finally updated.
[ Dungeon Quest update - Rimescar Dungeon
Objective: Travel to Uncharted Depths. ]
It wasn't until his first Protection Shrine that he encountered an obvious Cursed Shrine Event that something interesting happened.
First, he leveled up to 46 due to the many enemies he killed. Secondly, he met a weird type of monster he hadn't seen before called a Naga, but he couldn't see or read its details as Corpse Tendrils snapped at it, and it was immediately covered by other monsters and sent to High Heavens with Corpse Explosion.
His attributes grew a bit, but not enough to affect him majorly.
[ Class: High Necromancer
Attack Power: 639
Armor: 3,410
Life: 2,375
--------------
Strength: 269
Intelligence: 319
Willpower: 346
Dexterity: 323 ]
What made him happy were the 26 Rawhides and 15 Superior Leathers he gained so far after killing Worgen.
The second exciting thing in this Dungeon happened after having Pathfinder open a small chest, from which a blue parchment popped up. It was identified as the 'Large Scroll,' another one of the strange notes or books found in the Dungeons.
[ ALL HUNTERS BEWARE! TURN BACK IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE!
A new beast nests in these caves. They are man-shaped, bearing fur and massive horns. If you see one:
*DO NOT APPROACH!
*DO NOT ENGAGE!
*DO NOT ATTACK! ]
Michael was surprised by the 'notice' and kept reading it curiously.
[ Turn back and leave as quietly as you can.
Once noticed and hunted by these beasts, you are beyond saving. Let the corpses here speak for themselves.
LIGHT GO WITH YOU! ]
It was the second time he encountered the notion of these 'hunters' after Dead Man's Dredge in Yelesna.
As it turns out, these hunters weren't necessarily Wanderers but normal folk also. Though, most of them turned into Wanderers recently due to Sanctuary's interference.
Interestingly enough, the next 'room' he encountered right after reading the scroll was a Trap Room. Fortunately, even the five Elites couldn't do much but perish under the exaggerated number of space tears created through Corpse Explosion.
Up to this point, Michael couldn't stop his fascination with the new vision. He would use it continuously for as long as he could.
Unfortunately, after five or so minutes of continuous use, he would require at least ten to fifteen to recover. It was probably due to overusing it during the Stronghold Event.
After descending deeper inside the Dungeon and finding the 'Uncharted Depths,' the first thing that greeted the Necromancer were the corpses of men impaled on strange wooden racks.
Among them, one shone with a golden light, and he managed to pry a weapon from the bloodied fingers of one of them.
[ Grizzly's Maul
Quest item: Hammer of the Champion
Description: The fabled hammer is considered sacred to the barbarians of the Bear Tribe. ]
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
Looking strangely at the two-headed hammer, Michael couldn't understand what was so special about it.
However, it undoubtedly held great value to the Bear Tribe, so he would return it later to them.
After inspecting the pathways and killing all the goatmen and Giant Bats that appeared in his way, Michael finally reached a tunnel blocked by giant ice spikes.
[ Dungeon Quest update - Rimescar Cavern
Objective: Destroy the Ice Barrier. ]
Fortunately for him, he didn't have to hack using Reap for hours until he managed to destroy the barrier, as a large group of goatmen Minions led by an Elite ambushed him.
Using Corpse Explosion, he quickly demolished the obstacle and entered the Boss Room. He didn't luck out this time, as there was indeed a Boss in the form of a Khazra Abomination, but it was obviously weaker than the ones he faced previously.
Happy at the easy fight, Michael collected two Legendary items as loot. One was a pair of boots that had the Aspect of Occult Dominion. Seeing that it also increased the number of Skeleton Mages by two, he decided to salvage the Aspect and save it in case he needed it to replace his current gloves later.
The second item was a scythe, which, even if it had +100 damage compared to his current one, the lack of attributes and useful modifiers made it into salvage material.
The same thing could be said about its Legendary Aspect, which only provided something related to Bone Prison, a skill he no longer used.
With a quick pitstop at the armor shop in Malnok, he emptied his inventory and made another 272,324 gold coins, bringing his total back up to 1,007,888.
Mounting his horse and leaving for the Bear Tribe Refuge, Michael couldn't stop looking at his inventory, showing the beautiful seven-figure sum.
Arriving at the place after half an hour of riding and wondering why the hell Malnok didn't have a proper Waypoint, the Necromancer found Greganoch and handed over the Quest Item.
"I have returned with the Grizzly's Maul."
[Great! You have done much to honor the Bear Tribe. As is tradition, the Grizzly's Maul must pass to a new warrior.](Greganoch)
Hearing the ominous words, Michael cursed internally and prayed that his reward wouldn't be just this useless hammer. After all, it was a two-handed weapon which he couldn't use.
[For your role in cleansing Malnok of the Khazra filth, I offer you this weapon of our people. May it serve you well.](Greganoch)
Seeing the hammer handed back to him, Michael blanked for a moment. Then, unhappily, he accepted it with a fake smile, wondering just how thick of a skull this guy has to hand a hammer to a Mage Class.
[ Side Quest complete - Hammer of the Champion
Reward 1: 9,336 experience points
Reward 2: 1,880 gold coins
Reward 3: Grizzly's Maul (Rare Two-handed Weapon). ]
Curious, Michael opened up his inventory after placing the weapon inside, curious to see its attributes.
[ Grizzly's Maul
Rare Two-Handed Mace
499 Item Power
-----------------
698 Damage per Second
* [621 - 931] Damage per Hit
* 0.90 Attacks per Second (Slow)
* +62% Overpower Damage
------------------
* +50 Strength
* +22% Critical Strike Damage
* +63% Overpower Damage
* Lucky Hit: Up to a 10.4% chance to Execute Injured Non-Elites
Empty Socket
Empty Socket
Item Description: This fabled hammer is considered sacred to the barbarians of the Bear Tribe (Not usable by your Class).]
Looking at the item over and over again for a while, he almost couldn't stop himself from cursing aloud.
'What the fuck is that damage!? Almost 1,000 upper damage without any upgrades at a Blacksmith!? And a total of 125% Overpower Damage increase, leaving aside the 50 Strength, 22% increased Critical Damage, and two goddamn empty slots!?'
Seeing all the ridiculous options and the Class restriction at the end, Michael felt he had to hit Greganoch several times to vent his anger. What was this bastard doing by showing him such an amazing weapon he couldn't use!?
The person in question was unaware of the murderous intent brewing inside the Necromancer's head and patted his shoulder pridefully.
[The Chieftan of the Bear Tribe has taken note of you, warrior. Speak with him before leaving.](Greganoch)
Hearing the man's words and looking at the MAP, Michael realized that a new Side Quest had been generated.
Leaving the annoying Greganoch behind, he went to meet with this Chieftain. The way there was no longer blocked by warriors of the Bear Tribe, but instead, they greeted him warmly.
At the end of the road, peppered with weapons-filled racks, he saw the person he was looking for. A bulky man was sitting on a throne covered in pelts, while the person himself wore a pelt made from an arctic bear covering his back, shoulders, and head.
Near the throne, an almost three-meter two-headed axe radiated bloodlust.
'At least Legendary grade... Tsk, tsk, tsk! Another late-game item I can't have.'
[You're here.](Chieftain Glous)
"We meet at last."
[Aye. I've waited for one such as you for a long time now. A proven warrior who knows honor and glory.](Chieftain Glous)
"Even if I am not of your tribe?"
[You may not be of the tribe, but your deeds make you kin nonetheless.](Chieftain Glous)
Remembering the party where everyone was drunk to the point where they couldn't walk straight not that long ago, he admitted to liking these straightforward people.
Now, from the looks of it, Chieftain Glous appeared to need help with something. He wouldn't shy away.
"What can I help with?"
[*Sigh* Far has the call of the ancients brought me. Even now, I can hear their words, offering redemption for our failure at Mount Arreat so long ago.](Chieftain Glous)
"Mount Arreat!? Why do you still cling to something from so long ago?"
[You don't seem to know the story, warrior.](Chieftain Glous)
"I would gladly listen to it if you don't mind."
He knew too little about it! The lore of Mount Arreat was from Diablo II! A game he didn't play.
[Mount Arreat was the tallest mountain near Harrogath and former resting place of the Worldstone. Once the beloved site of the Barbarians, it was turned into a smoldering crater.
Prior to its destruction, Arreat featured open expanses of land, snow-covered tundras, and an extensive network of ice caves. Twenty years after its destruction, it now resembles a volcanic wasteland.
Mount Arreat was created by Inarius, shaping the mountain as a protective shell around the Worldstone. It was the first landform created on Sanctuary.
The Barbarians believed that they were all tasked with defending Mount Arreat until death, at which point they were free to pass on. However, some bound their spirits to the mountain so that they could serve the mountain well after their physical forms had perished. The Barbarians buried their warriors upon the Slopes of Arreat and believed that those who were denied this would be doomed to have their spirits roam the land for eternity.
The Barbarian tribes were aware that a day would come when they would have to protect the mountain from the armies of Hell. That is why they built extensive walls and fortifications throughout all larger open areas on the mountain. When Baal's armies arrived, however, these fortifications were overtaken by the demons and used to their advantage.
Three ghostly warriors, known as the Ancients, also stood at the mountain's summit and protected the entrance to the Worldstone Keep. Their names were Korlic, Madawc, and Talic. The three warriors were summoned to Mount Arreat in order to protect it, honored to guard the Worldstone for all eternity. When he came for the Worldstone, Baal was able to bypass them due to possessing the Relic of the Ancients, while the heroes in pursuit of him were forced to fight through them.
The heroes succeeded in defeating Baal, but not before he corrupted the Worldstone, forcing the archangel Tyrael to destroy it. He succeeded, but the resulting explosion sent half of Arreat's bulk exploding outward, devastating the surrounding lands. Stone and ash rained from the sky for days, turning the waters around it as red as blood, and ravines formed as Arreat collapsed.
The explosion was so loud that it was even heard in Westmarch. The destruction of the mountain spurred bordering nations to close their gates, strengthen their walls, and let the world grow savage in their wake.
Veradani from the Floating Sky Monastery collected shards of Arreat after its sundering and prayed over them. A horned helm was created from the shards after three months of consecration.
20 years after the mountain's destruction, the forces of Azmodan poured out of the mountain's crater to assault Bastion's Keep to the south. However, they were driven back to the crater and defeated.](Chieftain Glous)
Shocked and not fully understanding everything, Michael tried piecing together the information he was fed.
[That's why we failed and need to redeem ourselves. That's why we yeard to die on the fields of battle, surrounded by the corpses of our enemies! To reclaim the honor besmirched by Baal's treachery!](Chieftain Glous)
The three ancients blocking the path were bypassed due to a relic. That led to the Worldstone being corrupted and destroyed.
That resulted in the mountain, which was, in fact, a volcano erupting and destroying everything in a large area.
"I understand. I'll help however possible!"
[ Side Quest issued - Call of the Ancients
Objective: Enter the Hallowed Glacier. ]