Felix opened the VBV and after coordinating with some of Lucifer’s underlings, he arranged for an enormous haul of seeds of all types to be brought through. Thanks to his earlier VBV Room that added farmlands and husbandry, vast types of seed-crops were made available.
[Experience Awarded = 10]
The Priestess – who was the de-facto leader – was very gracious and she took Felix and Tinuriel aside as her people sorted through this new bounty. “I can’t thank you enough for doing this, Versewalker. I wish I could give you more, but all I can do is provide you with my thanks and give you an opportunity to commune with our Sky-Shard.”
“You mean the one that this landmass is floating on?”
She shook her head, “Those are the lesser versions. The more common ones. This is what we call a Primal Sky-Shard.” She walked him back to her house and she retrieved a box, opening it to reveal a deep-blue and mossy-green crystal that pulsed with a soft, white light. “Please, touch it.”
Felix did so.
The Primal Sky-Shard just gave you a new Affinity. Air. I’m equipping it now.
Felix grinned like an idiot as he felt a gust of wind blow past him and ruffle his hair. The Priestess smiled as she pulled the crystal back and closed the box. “It would appear that the Primal Shard has blessed you, Versewalker.”
Tinuriel shook her head, “I wish I could do Magic like you.”
Can I transfer an Affinity?
Querying System…You can assign an Affinity to an Escort and withdraw it at any time.
Felix put a hand on her shoulder, “Let’s talk outside.” He turned to the Priestess, “Thank you again.”
The two returned to the VBV and their bodies morphed back to their usual appearance – their equipment returned to normal as well. “I can give you one of my Affinities,” Felix said. “But I’m concerned because you only have thirty Anima.”
Tinuriel nodded as Lucifer unmerged from Felix. “Let’s sit down and look at options.”
The trio did, and Lucifer pulled up several screens with the various Classes they had access to, and the Affinities Felix currently had. “Detection, Hellfire, Netherlight, Anathema, and now Air.”
“It seems like Netherlight Myrmidon is intended to be used alongside Animancer to create a sort of mage-tank,” Felix commented. “It’s a defensive caster type of combination. Looking at our own builds…Ideally, I’ll keep Fallen Angel maxed out because being able to revive someone who died within a minute is invaluable.”
“You could do the same thing with the Healing Affinity,” Lucifer followed up. “It’s 20,000 VC, so you’re close to having enough to buy it. Currently at 16,490 VC.”
Felix looked over to Lucifer, “Fallen Flight has been very useful. And Inviolable Will is…just too good to give up.”
“I’m just letting you know that there’s other means to revive people. But…nothing that can bring someone back who has been dead for more than a minute.” His voice went deathly serious. “Nothing can.”
Tinuriel leaned forward and tented her fingers, “Advance planning. If you reach Core Level 50, that means we can have up to five Classes maxed out. And we can go beyond that, I’m sure. I should stick to Warrior and Champion. Then, unless we come across more Classes that are aligned upon that theme, you should lend me the Netherlight Affinity, and I can alternate levels of Netherlight Myrmidon and some levels of both Animancer and Ascended Animancer.” She smiled, “I will be very, very hard to kill.”
“Then that leaves me with a hard choice,” Felix muttered. “I like Rogue and Silent Blade because I can completely vanish. Whisperfang is good for getting more VC.” He looked up to Tinuriel, “But you can get us extra Loot and XP stacking Execution, Eviscerate, and Obliterate. So Whisperfang isn’t necessary…but I do like the aesthetic,” he muttered as he looked down at the slightly shimmering scales on his arm. He leaned forward and groaned, “I wish I could just make Lucifer into an Escort. Then we’d have a dedicated Fallen Angel and Animancer who could handle the mage-stuff, and I could just stay a Rogue-type build.”
“Yeah…that’s…” Lucifer trailed off and seemed to zone out for a few seconds. Glancing over, Felix saw that his eyes were filled with the white and black color of the System. He shook his head a moment later, “Nope, I can’t be an Escort. But, once you get to Core Level twenty-one, you can get a second Escort.”
“It’s handy that the System rounds in my favor,” Felix quipped.
“This is true.” Lucifer stood up. “I’m off to do a fly-around and check in with some of the supervisors. See you tomorrow.” He stepped away from the table and launched himself skyward.
Felix yelped in surprise for a moment as Tinuriel lifted him by the nape of his armor and carried him to the house, “We’re not going to bed yet.”
----------------------------------------
Morning came and Felix spent a few minutes of breakfast thinking about how he wanted to utilize the new Air Affinity. I can probably use it to make an Air Bubble or something that lets us breathe underwater. Lucifer, that Priestess said that we don’t have to worry about sea-life down in that enormous ocean, right?
I queried the system after we learned about that – and the answer is yes. There’s nothing hostile in the waters.
I could just use an Air Magic/Power effect to let us breathe underwater, then. And we could go down and figure out what caused the flooding.
I did some digging on that also. There is a single, enormous Dungeon that is most likely the source of the waters that flooded the land.
So we beat the Dungeon, we solve the Crisis.
That’s logical.
Felix finished his meal and looked to Tinuriel, “Feel like going for a swim?”
She raised an eyebrow quizzically but nodded and finished off her meal. The two went to the VBV and Felix re-opened the portal to Zephelam. They emerged in the same village as they had departed from. The sky was clear blue – the exact same color as the day prior. That gave Felix pause. Time had passed…but they re-emerged at the exact same time of day? Do they have a day-night cycle?
Querying…No. There is something up above providing light. There’s no night here. Same time of day, all day.
Felix nodded and glanced around, greeting the few villagers who noticed them and thanked the duo for the gift of seed-crops. Tinuriel flexed her wings and jumped up, flapping mightily as she ascended. Felix followed, leaping up and flapping his own wings as they circled a few times to get used to the sensation of flexing back muscles to fly once more. Then, they went to the edge of the floating island in the sky.
“Ready?” Felix asked as he flapped in place.
Tinuriel nodded and angled downward, folding her wings along her back as she screamed in delight. Felix followed suit and felt the incredible rush of wind as he descended from the skies. The wind screamed in his ears as he felt giddy from the acceleration.
He was never a fan of going fast…but this was different. The feeling of free-falling with the knowledge that he could pull out of the dive if he wanted gave him a sense of safety that enhanced the experience. He didn’t feel like the situation was out of his control. It buoyed his confidence more than he thought it would have.
You’re going to want to start to come out of your dive in 3…2…
The two approached the surface and Felix pulled up when Lucifer instructed – Tinuriel following suit as the two leveled out and shot forward as the momentum from their fall was shifted forward. They glided just above the still, glimmering water; the only movement from the wind that gently dappled the waves. Felix held up his hand, “Air Bubble!” envisioning a new Magic/Power effect.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/fLWB7d79/Air-Bubble.png]
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Air Bubble
1 Anima per minute
Creates a bubble of air around a target, allowing them to breathe and move regularly within the sphere.
Can be attached to a target, following them, or be made stationary.
A sphere of light-green energy popped into existence in a ten-foot sphere around him as he descended into the water. The liquid parted around the sphere, and Felix could sense the resistance of the waves against the Magic/Power effect. It felt like he was holding his hand in front of the nozzle of a hose on low flow. There was tension, but it was easy to keep in check.
Tinuriel descended alongside him, and the two began their descent into the depths. The waters went from light blue to a deeper blue as they gently flapped their wings to stay in the center of the Air Bubble as Felix willed it to stay centered on him. They went deeper as the world grew dark. Eventually, pitch-black. Felix’s vision shifted to Lucifer’s red-sight, and he could see the bottom as the pressure he felt he was holding back increased. No longer a simple matter to sustain, he had to think about holding the water back at the edges of the Air Bubble. When his attention wavered, such as when he glanced over at Tinuriel who seemed enraptured with being underwater – the sphere would begin to waver.
They reached the bottom and felt their feet touch the soddy ground. Turned to a mucky mud. Felix raised his hand. “Detect Object,” focusing on the Dungeon’s entrance.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/Pqs2q8VF/Detect-Object.webp] image [https://i.postimg.cc/NFFCWtym/47-1.webp]
Felix Bars
Anima 100 / 120
The golden line shot off from him and went straight ahead. “Any idea how far it goes?” Felix asked.
Tinuriel shook her head, “No, the line goes off and I lose sight of it after a few hundred feet.” She began walking forward, drawing her sword out of habit. Felix followed and pulled his bow, ready to draw back if necessary.
They walked for miles. Felix’s Anima did not refill – the restoration being negated by the Air Bubble – and he had to re-cast Detect Object after it faded.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/9MrNGMjH/47-2-result.webp]
Felix Bars
Anima 80 / 120
After several miles, he felt the pull of his Talent. A neon-green indicator line appeared in his vision, and led him onward.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/4db8qbZT/Dungeon-Delver.webp]
(P) Dungeon Delver
Know the direction and distance to any Dungeon (Fantasy Universe Only) within Core level x 10 miles.
They arrived at a large hole in the ground and descended once more before finding the bottom. They then went through a series of tunnels before arriving at a hazy, purple barrier. “That’s the Dungeon entrance,” Lucifer stated. “The System has advised me that this is a Mega-Dungeon. Once you enter, you either clear it or start from scratch if you leave. After each Boss is defeated, you’ll gain a temporary Multiversal Charge to open a portal while in the Dungeon. Once you go back to the Dungeon, then that portal permanently closes. And…” he trailed off for a moment then took a deep breath. “Passive restoration of Health, Anima, and Vigor is disabled.”
That struck Felix like a punch to the gut. He wouldn’t be able to keep Ghostwalk active without worrying about it – having the passive generation offset the cost. He’d have to be much more careful about his use of Skills and Magic/Power effects.
“I can’t even do the under 100 VC purchases in there. Only when we return to the VBV.”
Tinuriel hefted her sword, “I’ve been itching for a good fight with these new Skills.” She walked through the barrier. Felix followed a moment later.
The purple barrier was slightly resistant, and Felix had to push his legs through before the barrier seemed to almost suck him inward. The interior of the room was filled with water. Tinuriel gasped as soon as he entered fully – his Air Bubble having stayed centered on him, but not going through the barrier apparently. She was also soaked. She looked over to him and grunted, “Not fun.”
“Why isn’t (P) Multiversal Adaptation making us some type of aquatic-hybrid?” Felix asked.
“Biology meets the baseline survival requirements of the Universe you are in. That’s the whole bird-person thing, because that’s the survival requirement for the denizens.”
Felix shook his head, “So this whole Dungeon is flooded, and I’ll need to keep my Anima at least at a value of one at all times.”
“Maybe some other chambers are not flooded.”
image [https://i.postimg.cc/TwFNQ6RL/47-3-result.webp]
Felix Bars
Anima 79 / 120
That’s annoying not having the rate of Anima use offset by the normal rate of return. Felix took in the room they had entered. It seemed to be an entry hall for some type of study. Stairs descended to a fire-pit that was filled with glowing, black crystals that seemed to boil the water around them. There were tables and chairs, with papers that seemed to be just fine despite their soggy appearance, and bookshelves. It had the appearance of a drowned library. He descended the stone steps with Tinuriel right next to him. The water grew noticeably warmer as they got closer to the rocks, and Felix had to skirt around them with a wide berth. Tinuriel was not affected thanks to her Scales of the Lava Dragon.
Felix saw three different paths branching out from this entry chamber, and surrounding the fire-pit, were three small slots that some type of stone totem could socket into. “Great, we have to find the missing pieces. Three slots, three hallways.” Whoever designs these Dungeons must have a video game design background.
Three is just a prime number. It’s relatively common to see prime numbers for important things in the Multiverse. And no, don’t ask me why. I think it’s dumb that Arabic Numerals are the basis of some of the System’s crap.
That gave Felix pause. He had heard the Observer talk about more Earths. Lucifer had mentioned other Earths. The fact that he came from a Universe with a number implied that there must have been a Universe one, or zero even, that was the progenitor of whoever now ran the System. Perhaps alternate Earths are alike, and this System Administrator – or the System as a whole – originated from a…prime Earth.
Interesting idea. I’m not doing that query.
Why not?
Because I don’t want to draw the Admin’s ire. Poking around something like the origins of the System? Seems risky.
If you say so. Just keep it in mind.
Oh, I will.
Tinuriel looked at the hallway to their left. “Come, let us find these objects.” She stayed within the Air Bubble and led the way.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/ZnN7MMRf/47-4-result.webp]
Felix Bars
Anima 78 / 120
The slowly decreasing Anima bar made Felix nervous. They had an hour of air left unless they found a safe-spot to breathe, or wanted to leave the Dungeon and start over. Good thing I stocked up on Elixirs.
Tinuriel’s blade lit up with a sparkling blue energy, followed by a neon-blue energy, and lastly a crackling, deep-blue energy as she activated three Skills in a row.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/MZCtWFPm/Execution-WEBP.webp]
Execution
5 Vigor
Increases the damage of the user's next attack. If this strikes a killing blow, gain additional XP or Loot.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/447BRg53/Eviscerator-WEBP.webp]
Eviscerator
50 Vigor
Increases the damage of the user's next attack by a significant amount. If this strikes a killing blow, gain additional XP or Loot. Can stack with Execution and similar Skills.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/7Zx3h8g0/Obliterate-WEBP.webp]
Obliterate
50 Vigor
Increases the damage of the user's next attack by a vast amount. If this strikes a killing blow, gain additional XP or Loot. Can stack with Execution and similar Skills.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/tChvdw8J/47-5-result.webp]
Tinuriel Bars
Vigor 165 / 270
The two followed a short hallway before they saw another film of purple. Stepping through, Felix was pleased to feel the lack of pressure on the Air Bubble. He released the effect. They were in an enormous cavern that was covered with coral of all manner of colors that cascaded up the walls. The floor was a raised sandbar with an ankle-high layer of water. At the far end of the room was a shimmering, black doorway.
Tinuriel held up her hand, “Let me go first. Bastion.”
image [https://i.postimg.cc/XY02gz9Y/Bastion-WEBP.webp]
Bastion
Increments of 10 Vigor
The user becomes immovable unless they desire to be moved. Additionally, the user gains 10 temporary Health per 10 Vigor spent. This temporary Health fades after one minute.
image [https://i.postimg.cc/sDF0hs6b/47-6-result.webp]
Tinuriel Bars
Vigor 135 / 270
Temporary Health 30 / 999
The blue color of her Skill’s manifesting formed a thin layer of energy around her as the Bastion skill protected her from harm. She stepped forward to the center of the room and stood silently for a moment. “It seems clear,” She said as she waved him forward.
Felix began walking toward her, but then his red-shifted vision caught something that Tinuriel’s dark vision didn’t. A fleck of off-color coral that slowly drifted down from the roof. Glancing up, he saw some of the coral minutely moving back and forth – as if it was in a breeze. “Tinuriel…don’t be loud,” he whispered to her.
She slowly walked towards him – sliding her feet so she wouldn’t slosh. “What?” she whispered back.
He pointed up, “I think those are creatures or monsters.”
She looked up and nodded before looking at the black doorway. “I doubt we can move on without defeating this room.”
Felix nodded and went back to the purple film, pulling back his hardlight arrow and aiming at the roof.
Tinuriel yelled, “Now!”
And the rocks above began to move.