Soul of the Warrior

"Aaahhh!" Teilon screamed as the fire washed over him. He ducked down and tried to hide behind his shield. He was completely unused to using it in a real-life situation, though, so he appeared awkward with it. He had the Skills, and he had some experience, but especially after forming the Adventuring Party with Reivyn and Kimberly, he had hardly used a spear and shield combination, so he was rusty.

Kimberly chuckled, not even bothering to hide behind her own shield. She let the flames explode around her, and the ogre and orcs in the first-floor boss room of the Revenant Dungeon screamed in fury and pain. The blistering heat and concussive force were enough to take care of most of the orcs, and the ogre wasn't feeling too well, either. The other orcs, the ones outside of the immediate blast zone had their skin melted, and they ran around screaming while on fire.

The ogre attempted to duck his torso into the knee-high pool of water that was impeding his movement. The pool was perfectly circular, and only extended a few feet beyond the ogre's range of movement, and it followed him perfectly where he went. Trick had named his custom Spell "The Wading Pool."

It had no effect on the flames or heat, and the ogre lifted its head and roared in frustration. Giving such an opening to the Adventuring Party was a terrible idea, though, and a Wind Blade Spell, sliced through its neck, nearly decapitating the weakened creature.

It collapsed to the floor, dead. The fire and water from the Spells maintained by Tom and Vane were dispelled after confirming it was deceased.

"I told you to stop doing that!" Teilon turned and complained to Tom. "Or at least warn me before you cast any big area-of-effect Spells." He glowered at Tom, though he was madder at himself for once more shrieking at the unexpected Spell usage than at Tom for actually doing it.

"You should really be used to it by now," Tom chuckled. "Especially for when you're not being a main-line vanguard in the future. I won't always be able to account for your movements in a dangerous situation that requires a large Spell. At least not until I get more experience. And you know that my Spells don't affect my Party Members because of the Commander's Baton."

"I'm more used to having hate from monsters directed at me, so having something explode in my face that doesn't hurt was easier to get used to," Kimberly said with a grin. "You'll do better after you spend some more time practicing your defensive combat." She reached out and took Teilon's hand in her own, giving it an encouraging squeeze.

"I know," Teilon sighed. "Actually, it's more embarrassing than anything else. I'm standing here next to my girlfriend, acting as a vanguard in the face of an ogre, and she just grins while I scream like a little girl."

"Hmm, I don't know," Trick said, tapping his chin. "I think you sounded more like a teenage girl that time. Your voice had a little more 'oomph' to it." Trick dodged backward as Teilon swiped at his shoulder.

The five friends laughed and joked as they took out their food, getting ready to have a snack before moving on to the second floor. The other orcs that hadn't been immediately killed had been unable to produce any more opposition to the Party, so Reivyn had quickly dispatched them. He felt weird having a smile on his face as he killed the orcs because his friends were making him laugh while he carried out the gruesome task.

The last orc died, and the door to the second floor opened. Reivyn joined the rest of his Party in their break. He had spent the first floor critiquing Kimberly and Teilon's melee combat, at their request, and he also offered ideas for implementing weaves and using free-hand Spells to the three casters, also at their request.

Tom, Vane, and Trick, while having fought in several intense battles with Reivyn, hadn't really had an opportunity to fight large groups of enemies at a time on their own without Reivyn also participating. He could have coasted in the other, easier Dungeons in the Region, but he wanted an authentic experience. He had already solo cleared the first two floors of this Dungeon, though, so he didn't have any qualms about taking it easy.

"Alright, to recap," Reivyn called out. "The first half of the second floor isn't too difficult, as long as we have Mana, and we have a lot. At the entrance, Teilon will engage the first Revenant to be killed, and Kimberly will pick up the ambushing Revenant from the opposite room. Tom, Vane, and Trick will continue using their Spells to deal the main damage to the Revenants. I'll keep everyone's gear topped up with a Mana infusion and keep an eye out for anything unexpected.

"Once we get to the middle level on the staircase, I would recommend no more experimentation with your Spells, and simply use your Class Spells to conserve Mana. Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads. They had already been over the plan while they were traveling to the Dungeon Town, so they already knew what was in store.

Teilon and Kimberly had met up with Reivyn and the rest of the Party at one of the Branches of the Adventurer's Guild in Magron after the week-long break. Teilon and Kimberly's parents and siblings had made the trip with them to Magron in order to spend more time with their eldest children. Kimberly's family were Lifestyle Classers, but both of Teilon's parents had been Adventurers when they were younger, so they could handle the security of the trip between Haluville and Magron.

Reivyn had sensed that Teilon's parents were quite powerful and a little out of place for a backward town in a backward Tier 1 Region. He didn't use Inspect, or any overt Skills to figure it out, but a combination of it and Sense Danger had given a subconscious feeling of their power.

At least mid-to-high Tier 3, the both of them, Reivyn thought. Once he made his judgment of their strength Level, Reivyn had been pleasantly surprised to receive a Notification.

Skill Unlocked!

Sense Threat (0 ->1)

As soon as the Skill unlocked, Reivyn noticed a subtle feeling in the back of his mind whenever he looked at anyone, or if anyone got within a certain range. The Skill was still only Level 1, though, so the range was very close, and the sense of power level was vague. It wasn't too inaccurate, even at Level 1, though, as Teilon's parents were the only ones that gave him any kind of pressure when he stood close to them.

The two families had treated the Party to a meal to send them off, and Reivyn thought it was a good opportunity to broach the subject.

"So, Mr. Weimyn," Reivyn addressed Teilon's dad, "how did you end up in Haluville of all places?"

Weimyn had been getting a drink from his mug when Reivyn posed the question. He slowly lowered the mug to the table, a far-off look in his eyes.

"We lost one too many friends," Weimyn said, sadly. "Liera and I had also decided it was as good a time as any to settle down. We were already planning on retiring from active Adventuring for the most part, with the option of picking it back up one day after any kids we had were independent, and we chose to return to the Tier 1 Kingdom we grew up in.

"We had been fairly established as a Party in Eldiar for a time, and we thought we were ready to tackle some Tier 3 Dungeons in Pernius. We weren't as ready as we thought we were. We could have moved to The Capital or even a city like Magron, but we wanted a quiet place for time to heal.

"Then Teilon happened," Weimyn paused to smile at his son, a twinkle in his eye. "And then the conscription and wanting to join you on an adventure. If Refix hadn't come by and convinced me he would be safe, even at his age and Tier, there's no way I would have let him wander off with you. We're pretty much recovered, mentally, by now, and we recognize he'll need to push himself to be successful, especially out here."

"I'm sorry to hear about your loss," Reivyn said. Weimyn waved him off. "So what you're saying is, you and your family aren't particularly attached to Haluville? Did Teilon and Kimberly explain to you guys about the Knight Academy?"

"Sure did, and we're right proud of him!" Weimyn replied with a grin. "I can see the question in your eyes. Liera and I have had a family discussion about it, and we're ready to move back to Eldiar if or when the kiddos snag the quota to move up to the Eldiar Knight Academy. Kimberly's folks, too."

"Good, good," Reivyn said, nodding. "I've always strived to push Teilon and Kimberly, but I was unsure if having them move so far away from their families so soon would be good for them, overall. It seems I have one less thing to worry about."

Weimyn quirked an eyebrow and stared at Reivyn for a moment with a strange expression.

"It's strange," he commented. "You act like you have years of leadership experience, going so far as to take on the responsibility of your friends' welfare, and yet you're younger than Teilon. We've all really appreciated your influence on Teilon and Kimberly," he waved his hand about to indicate he was including both families in the statement.

"He's my best friend," Reivyn said, smiling. "Of course, I want what's best for him."

"Having a competent team leader is one less thing we all need to worry about."

"What you really need to be worried about," Trick interjected, "is a sudden grandch - mph!"

Teilon slammed his hand over Trick's mouth, glaring at him while trying to communicate with his eyes. The people sitting around the table glanced at each other before bursting out with laughter. They understood Trick wasn't being serious, after interacting with him for a bit. They were used to Teilon spitting jokes and being a bit irreverent at times, so they took it in stride.

"I'm really glad your parents decided to move to Eldiar with you guys when you inevitably secure a position in the Knight Academy up there," Reivyn said, returning from his contemplation to the present.

"Yeah," Teilon said. "I knew my parents had been Adventurers, and I knew some of the backstories with them, but that was the first I had heard that they had attempted a foray into a Tier 3 Region."

"We're the ones with affluent backing, but the more I learn about you guys, the more I feel like we're the ones holding your thighs," Vane shook his head.

"That's because you are," Teilon pointed out, nodding seriously before cracking a smile.

"All things considered, we're all pretty compatible to team up with each other," Kimberly said. "Once we move up to Eldiar, we'll all be on the same footing, for the most part."

"Well, we might not all be compatible," Tom said. Everyone shot a glance at Reivyn.

"Hey now!" Reivyn exclaimed. "I know what you're getting at, but don't think for a second that I resent any of this. I know my own worth, but I also know your worth. As long as nobody slacks off, we'll be together for a long time."

---

Reivyn strolled out of the Dungeon nonchalantly, hands clasped behind his head. The rest of his Party stumbled along behind him, clothes stained with sweat. To anyone watching, it would seem like they weren't in the same Party at all, but had simply just been walking near each other.

Reivyn wasn't walking in pristine condition because of his vastly superior Stats, though. He had hardly participated in the Dungeon dive, even for the boss fight. He had relegated himself to keeping everything under control for his friends, and he had only had to step in a couple of times in the hallway leading up to the last room of the second floor. The boss room had once more been the three Spectres and Dullahan combination. He had let his friends decide on the difficulty level, and they had chosen to do it without letting any of the Spectres empower the headless undead.

Reivyn led his friends to one of the Church of Light squads still operating their cleansing duties. There were several squads of priests and sword-priests ensuring there was no taint in the Dungeon Delvers, significantly more than had been present before the Dungeon Break.

It looks like they sent some serious reinforcements after the incident. I wonder what Josn's situation is like, now? Reivyn idly thought as they waited their turn. Even though there were many more followers of Mierna handling the traffic, the traffic had likewise increased exponentially.

The Party had immediately entered the Dungeon upon securing lodging once they reached the Dungeon Town, not even taking a break before starting. Traveling on horseback without training to unlock and Level up the Forced March Skill had meant that they didn't really need any extra time to recover. As such, Reivyn hadn't had any time to seek out Josn to catch up with him, but he had sent a calling card to let him know he was back in town.

The priests and sword-priests were efficient in their practice, and Reivyn's Party quickly had a round of purging done on them. Reivyn received a strange look from the priest when it was his turn, but the priest just shrugged his shoulders and moved on. So the taint within the Dungeon wasn't caused by the tampering of the active Cult, Reivyn mused. I didn't think it was, but you never know until you verify for yourself.

The Party made their way through the streets of the Dungeon Town, in the opposite direction of where they had once lived. The foundations of the outpost hadn't been destroyed during the Dungeon Break, miraculously, and the residents, new and old, had quickly rebuilt and expanded the town. Reivyn looked around at all the new buildings and the hustle and bustle as they walked.

You can see the outline of the original settlement, but it looks completely different, Reivyn thought. If I hadn't personally experienced it, I wouldn't think there had even been any kind of Dungeon Break. This place still doesn't have an official name, but it's almost the size of Haluville after just under a year.

Pooling their resources together, the Party had rented a nice little manor near the northwest wall. The Adventurer's Guild still had buildings to rent at a discount, even ones larger than the one Reivyn and his friends had stayed in a year ago, but not only were there no openings, there was a fairly long waiting list as well. The Adventurer's Guild even had to set limits to how long anyone could rent a place before having to move out. Construction was still ongoing everywhere Reivyn looked, though, and he knew that equilibrium would eventually be reached.

The manor that the Party had rented was built on a slope, and it afforded a nice view over the plains off in the distance. Reivyn even spotted people moving along the road, smaller than ants at this distance, but his powerful Perception allowed him to easily distinguish them.

The party entered the gate to the manor complex. There were two wings attached to a centralized living area, and there were two stories with an easily accessible roof for those who wished to gaze at the view. Melissa, Larissa, and their friend group were slated to join Reivyn's Party in the Dungeon Town next week, and so they had all gotten together to specifically find a layout where they could easily separate the girls from the boys, yet stay in the same location.

I can tell that this town is already extremely wealthy, Reivyn pondered. I wonder how long it will take for Count Ilpir to move his seat of power to this place? It's guaranteed that the Dungeon Town will become more powerful, personnel and wealth-wise, and this will become the central focus of travel in the future. Sure, people will still have to move through Magron to get here, but that will still relegate Magron to a transition city in the middle.

Reivyn checked the post box as they entered the residence, and he pulled out a reply from Josn letting him know he would be free to visit in a few days. The Church compound isn't done yet, though they no longer live in tents. Still, I think it would be better to entertain him here at this nice manor, so I'll send a confirmation for him to come to me.

"Ahh, this is the life," Teilon said, collapsing onto the couch in the middle of the room. It was wide open with expensive-looking furnishings. There was an intricate rug under a coffee table, and there was even a chandelier that could be installed with Mana lights for any Casters that rented the place. Tom had obviously come prepared, and he had already set about to the task of switching out the sources of light.

"Hey!" Kimberly loomed over Teilon, hands on her hips. "You're still covered in sweat and grime! Don't dirty the place up. Go wash and change first."

Trick paused halfway in taking a seat across from Teilon, and he stared back and forth between Teilon and Kimberly. He finally decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and he stood back up, heading to the bath house located in the rear of the manor complex, also split in two distinct buildings. Reivyn strolled over to a seat and casually sat down, smirking at the other Party Members as they all left to clean up. Teilon rolled his eyes at his best friend, but he still hopped up to join them.

Now that the main semesters are over, it's about time to add martial training back to my itinerary, Reivyn leaned his head back against the back of his seat and closed his eyes. There's a significant lack of heat and humidity that was present last time, so it shouldn't be as much of a chore.

My Skill and Affinity Levels are fairly close to my Weapons Master Skill Level, but that's misleading. Not only is Weapons Master at 62, but that number represents Master Level, and not halfway between Expert and Master. There's also the sheer versatility of the Skill. So I still have a long way to go before I'm ready to fully implement my Casting with my Martial. I still need to focus more heavily on my magical abilities at this stage.

Reivyn only lounged about for a few minutes before he got back up. They had only dropped their gear at their rooms when they arrived, and none of them had done any unpacking yet.

Mom said she would get me a Storage Pouch after I graduated from the Academy.

Ameliyn had told Reivyn that he didn't really have a pressing need to acquire one just yet, and if anyone found out that he was carrying such a thing, he might just get attacked. They were exceedingly rare in lower Tier Regions, being hard to find even in Tier 2 kingdoms. The other reason she had not given him one was so that they would have enough time to commission one with a more powerful enchantment. A small, beginner's pouch, as she called it, wasn't good enough for her son, Reivyn chuckled.

Refix had given a different reason. He had explained that limited space would be a good tool to teach Reivyn how to manage his equipment and supplies, as well as teach him how to properly evaluate opportunity cost when it came to looting treasure.

I've already spent my entire life having the limited space that packs afford, but I've always had plenty of extra gear and supplies available for myself in case of emergencies. Maybe I should try and figure out exactly how much I need per trip, and pack only that. Until I start moving on to the third floor, there's really nothing more the Dungeon has to surprise me with.

A foreboding feeling came over Reivyn as those thoughts flitted through his mind, and the hairs on the back of his arms stood on end. He paused in his unpacking after realizing what he had done.

Wait, wait, wait! I wasn't getting complacent! Reivyn argued to himself. I was weighing the options for practicing inventory management! I swear!

The hairs on his arms settled back down, and the prickling sensation that had washed over him went away. Whew, Reivyn swiped his forehead of imaginary sweat and continued unpacking.