Tyler and Livia navigated through the dense jungle, the heavy foliage and towering trees creating a natural labyrinth. The humidity clung to their skin as they followed the pull of the Twin Stones.
“Let’s see what our 'friends' had,” Tyler said, pulling out items from his dimensional inventory. He inspected a few of the magical items used in the fight, noting their intricacies and potential usefulness.
Tyler pulled out a small bell, and a mental image of its function formed in his mind. “This is the Echoing Bell. It’s the item that disoriented you with sound waves, Liv.” Tyler handed it to Livia. “Now it’s yours.”
Livia took the bell, tucking it into her pack. “Nice. What else?”
Tyler extracted a bracelet, which identified itself as the Bracelet of Binding. “Webber used this to throw those ethereal chains. Edward, this seems like it would be useful for you.”
Edward, walking a few steps behind them, nodded and accepted the bracelet. “Thank you, Tyler. I’ll put it to good use.”
“You don’t have to call me sir, you know. Tyler is fine.”
Edward smiled slightly. “Got it. Tyler.”
Tyler continued to rummage through the items. “We’ll leave their weapons for now; none of them look better than what we have. Darius can remove the mana cores and put them in our own weapons. Especially the ones using gravitic runes; I have a feeling they’re going to pull a lot of my mana.”
He paused, pulling out a small, shimmering orb. “This must be the Crystal of the Oracle that Arin used. It gives glimpses into the future. This might be useful in tight spots.”
Tyler handed the orb to Livia. “You keep this. Your instincts are good; this will make them even better.”
Livia nodded, stowing the orb carefully. “Thanks, Tyler.”
Tyler continued to sift through the items, finding a slim, ornate wand. "This is interesting," he muttered, examining it closely. The wand was intricately carved with symbols that pulsed faintly with magic.
“What does it do?” Livia asked, peering over his shoulder.
Tyler held it up, its tip glowing faintly. “It’s called the Void Wand. When you shine it at someone’s face, it removes their eyesight, hearing, and feeling temporarily. It’s like being plunged into a void of nothingness. The healer used this on me earlier before I used my flash spell.”
He handed the wand to Edward. “This could be useful for a backline fighter like Elric. I’ll give it to him later.”
“What about the armour?” Livia asked.
Tyler shrugged. “We can take what fits if it’s better than what we have. Darius can strip them for parts if they have any cores. Elric will probably need multiple mana cores for his staff. We might have to add a few to Markus’s scythe too, just to balance things out.”
Tyler then pulled out a few more mundane items: a guild token, a pouch of coins, some dried food, a list of names with a few crossed out, a small vial of healing potion, and a signalling whistle. “Looks like the usual adventurer gear except for this list.” Handing the list to Livia “We’ll take what’s useful and leave the rest.”
Livia looked at the list but didn’t recognise any of the names and gave it back to Tyler who put it back in his inventory.
Just then, Tyler felt a sudden, strong drain on his mana. His eyes widened as he realized Elric and the others must be using their enhanced weapons.
“The other group is pulling mana from my core,” Tyler said, urgency creeping into his voice.
“Are they in trouble?” Livia asked, concern flashing across her face.
“Maybe,” Tyler said, picking up the pace. “We need to hurry.”
They broke into a run, following the pull of the Twin Stones more closely now, the jungle blurring around them as they raced to reach their teammates.
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As Tyler, Livia, and Edward hurried through the jungle, the dense foliage suddenly gave way to a clearing dominated by a massive pyramid. The ancient structure, emerged from the greenery, its weathered stones covered in moss and vines. The pyramid was immense, with wide steps leading up to several terraces. Each level was adorned with intricate carvings and reliefs depicting ancient deities and mythical creatures.
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They raced up the stairs, the urgency driven by the pull of the Twin Stones and the increasing drain on Tyler’s mana.
Massive stairs led up to the first level, then more stairs to another level, and at the top, huge ruined pillars surrounded the highest platform, with enormous statues standing between the pillars. Each statue was a marvel of craftsmanship, intricately carved from stone and depicting various classes of heroes. The top level had a flat expanse with remnants of what might have once been grand temples, now reduced to rubble and stone blocks scattered across the surface. The entire central courtyard was surrounded by these massive statues.
One statue depicted a warrior, clad in detailed armour, holding a massive sword raised high as if ready to strike. Another statue portrayed a mage, robed in flowing garments with one hand extended, fingers curled as if casting a powerful spell. There was also an archer, the bowstring pulled back to its limit, the arrow aimed at an unseen target. A rogue crouched low, daggers in hand, poised to strike from the shadows. Each statue seemed to represent a different class of hero, their stances and expressions frozen in time, yet filled with an aura of impending action.
As Tyler, Livia, and Edward reached the top, they saw Elric, Darius, and Markus engaged in a fierce battle with one of the statues. The animated statue was a formidable warrior, its stone sword swinging with deadly precision. Elric used his staff to lift some of the stone blocks lying in the ruins and blasted the statue, taking off its arms and legs with precise telekinetic strikes. The statue crumbled under the assault, but as soon as one fell, another statue began to animate, its stone form shifting and cracking as it came to life.
Darius stood at the front, his huge shield raised, absorbing powerful blows from the statues. Each hit sent him skidding back, but he held his ground, gritting his teeth and pushing forward. The statue he was facing was a representation of a berserker, its stone muscles bulging and a look of rage etched into its features.
Markus, standing slightly behind, swung his scythe with practised precision. Wind blades shot from the blade, slicing through the air and decapitating the statues that had yet to animate, hoping to prevent them from coming to life. He targeted a statue of a monk, its serene expression contrasting sharply with the chaotic battle.
The battle was intense, with each hero's statue presenting a unique challenge. As the statues animated, their movements were surprisingly fluid for stone, each one embodying the skills and attributes of the hero it represented. The coordinated efforts of Elric, Darius, and Markus kept them from being overwhelmed, but the constant emergence of new statues kept the pressure on.
Livia looked at Tyler who was just standing there watching them fight "Tyler!?"
"Yeah?"
"Shouldn't we help them?!" Liva asked confused.
Tyler observed the scene, noting the coordinated efforts of his team. “Nope, they got themselves into this, they can get themselves out” he instructed, his eyes scanning the battlefield.
Livia and Edward nodded, taking positions at the edge of the platform, ready to assist if needed but keeping out of the main fight.
Elric focused on another statue, using his staff to hurl a massive stone block at it. The block collided with the statue, shattering it into pieces. As soon as the pieces fell, another statue began to animate, its stone form shifting and cracking as it came to life.
Darius moved in front of Elric, raising his shield just in time to block a powerful swing from the newly animated statue. The impact pushed him back, but he braced himself, holding his ground.
Markus, meanwhile, continued to target the inactive statues. His wind blades sliced through stone, taking off heads and limbs, reducing the number of enemies they had to face at once.
Tyler watched, his mana slowly draining as his team used their enhanced weapons. He kept a close eye on the fight, ready to intervene if necessary. “You’ve got this, guys,” he muttered to himself, feeling a sense of pride in their abilities.
The battle raged on, but gradually, the number of active statues dwindled. Elric, Darius, and Markus worked in perfect synchrony, their efforts paying off as the last of the statues fell.
Tyler checked his mana levels, relieved to find that he still had around 20% remaining. “Good job, everyone,” he called out as he approached the group. “You handled that perfectly.”
Darius, panting but uninjured, nodded. “Thanks, Tyler. Those runes really made a difference.”
Elric wiped sweat from his brow. “That was intense, but we managed.” A bit of guilt shining in his expression.
Tyler glanced toward the back of the platform, where an obvious portal stood. The large ring with an event horizon shimmered with an otherworldly light.
The team gathered near the portal and Tyler turned to Elric. “You were supposed to wait for us. What happened?”
Elric looked a bit sheepish. “We found this pyramid and thought it would be a good idea to get higher so we could look back and see if we could spot your group from the top.”
Darius continued, “When we got to the top, we had a clear view over the jungle. We could see quite a distance but couldn’t spot you. Then we noticed the portal at the far end.”
Elric nodded enthusiastically. “I got a bit excited and wanted to take a closer look. When I stepped on the first tile in the courtyard, the statues came alive and started attacking us.”
Markus shrugged, “We decided to test out our new weapons while we waited for you. We managed to handle the statues pretty well, I’d say.”
Tyler nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. “You did great. Just be more careful next time. Let’s rest up for a moment before we move on.”
The team settled down, catching their breath and Tyler threw the Void Wand to Elric. “Something for your off-hand.”
“Nice” Elric said as he examined the wand and then pointed it at himself activating it. “Holy shit that’s creepy. You could lose yourself in that… void”
“Yea, don’t point that thing at me, thanx” Tyler added.
Everyone ate something and when Tyler recuperated 80% of his mana they headed through the portal to the next floor.