The Tower in the Shadows

The group was now focused on their goal. They crossed the first room and stopped in the next corridor as Kimor checked for traps. Woodland was working and Gran noticed that Kimor was sweating.

“Kimor, how are you holding up?”

She had finished checking the corridor and was walking back to them.

“This place is taxing. The pitfall traps are well constructed and are hard to spot.”

“Right, we rest here briefly. Mags got any stamina tonics for Kimor?”

Mags went to supply Kimor with a tonic. The rest relaxed as best they could. Woodland was the exception as she continued to work. Gran thought about his team. They were still concerned about the Dungeon, but the excitement of exploring a new and bizarre one was still with them.

“How are everyone’s lanterns holding up.”

At his question, they all checked and told him they were fine. There were no light sources down here and having the lanterns run out of magic was a nightmare no one wanted to picture. He gave them five more minutes before continuing.

They advanced through the rest of the floor. They encountered only toads, pitfalls and more water. Five rooms and four corridors with Woodland recording everything. The toads were slower but tougher to kill than the wasps. Their tongues could cause injury if they caught an exposed body part, but Gran knew his team were tough enough to push through.

There was one thing that was funny after the fact but was concerning at the time. Nilus had gotten cocky in one fight and had gotten too close to a toad. Its tongue was injured and he thought he was safe. They were all surprised when it leapt, colliding with him and knocking him over into the water. Tobar got to him and killed the toad, trying to drown him. Gran had yelled at him afterwards as he stood there soaking. They made a respectable haul of copper coins along the way.

Eventually, they reached the room they knew would be the boss's room. At that moment, they stood in the room before it was in the water, ready to cross the threshold. Wading and fighting through the water was unpleasant and everyone was not in a good mood.

“Kimor, see anything.”

Gran was having her peak into the last room.

“Yes. It’s another toad but a lot bigger. It is sitting on a large platform.”

“Right, the rooms are the same as the last ones. Tobar and I lead, Nilus supports. Kimor and Mags, be ready if we need you.”

Woodland knew she would be called when the fight was over. His team got ready.

“Let’s go.”

He and Tobar advanced into the room over the step. When they came through, the boss was facing them. They did not expect what it did.

“RRIIPPPUUUTT!”

The sound hit them. All felt something(?) wash over them.

“Status attack!”

Mags called out from behind Gran. He did not feel any adverse effects and pressed on. The toad was illuminated now and Kimor was right. It was massive. Its mouth opened and Gran got his shield up as its tongue impacted with it. He grunted from the impact. He felt that!

“Tobar press. Nilus shot it as soon as you have an opening.”

He continued his advance. Tobar received the tongue next and he to blocked it with his shield. An arrow flashed past Gran and it impacted with the toad under its mouth.

“RRIIPPPUUUTT!”

Tobar and Gran were about to strike when the toad used its status attack again. The sound washed over them and again, he felt no adverse effects. Tobar went to swing his mace when the toad leapt at him.

It collided with him and its mass was enough to knock him over. Nilus put another arrow into it as Gran drove his sword deep, causing a nasty wound. Tobar pushed up and forced it off him. The tongue lashed more, but Gran and his team quickly overwhelmed it.

As it died, there was a flash. A pile of coins appeared on the platform.

“Well. That was harder than I expected.”

Gran said as Nilus went over to check the loot and began counting.

“Status attack. Lucky we could resist it.”

Tobar said, looking at the body of the boss in the water. They were all wet and covered in toad blood from crossing this floor.

“It was a low-level fear effect, I think.”

As a priest, Mags was the best person in the group to identify it, as she would be expected to remove it. Woodland was writing furiously, recording everything.

“Twenty copper coins. A good haul… what are those?”

Nilus was on the grass-covered platform, looking at the wall behind where the toad was sitting. Now that they could see the room, they saw the flowers growing on an outcrop. Mags went over with Kimor.

“It's safe.”

Kimor told her after checking for traps or hidden threats. Mags looked closely at the flowers.

“They are Nyralia’s Gift flowers.”

Woodland perked up at that information. Gran knew that alchemists would be coming for these flowers and any monster parts that could be used. Mags looked at them longer and then moved away. Kimor had opened the door and was in the first corridor.

“Are we leaving the flowers?”

Nilus asked as the group left the room.

“Yes. They aren’t worth anything unless you can get them to an alchemist on the first day of picking.”

Mags told him. He looked at the flowers, then shrugged and joined the others. They walked to the stairs and checked themselves over before continuing their descent.

“Leader Gran. What are your thoughts on the floor?”

Woodland had swapped out the recording crystal for another and was still gathering information for her report. He thought about the question briefly before asking.

“The toads are tougher and stronger as a monster but are far easier to attack. The water environment is challenging but not impossible. The rewards are good and the existence of Nyralia’s Gift flowers an extra incentive. Tin grade Adventures, even near Iron, will be tested by the floor boss.”

She nodded as he spoke, still writing. Gran looked down the stairs.

“Are we ready?”

He asked the group and they all told him they were ready. Woodland confirmed she was prepared too.

“Same again, Tobar.”

They got on the stairs and continued down into the Dungeon.

The stairs took them down and they found three differences from the floors above. First, there was no further route down the stairwell. Second, the area had blocks of stone scattered around like a work site preparing to descend further. Finally, the corridor was in the opposite direction from above.

“Right, looks like things are being mixed up on this floor.”

Kimor went ahead but came back a short time later.

“It's the same as above. There are no traps, but a door on one side and an open doorway on the other.”

“Tobar, then me, with the rest following depending on dangers found.”

Gran gave his instructions and the group formed up. Tobar reached the doorway and stepped through with Gran close behind. The loud, angry squeal was not what they were expecting.

As soon as Tobar entered the room, a black blur crashed into him. It was fast, but Tobar was fast enough to turn and get his shield in the way. The collision, however, was brutal, and he was thrown back against the wall. Gran could not tell if he was injured because a large black boar was partially blocking the doorway.

“Mags, check Tobar. Nilus, support me!”

The shock of the attack did not last long and they were all soon in action. Gran attacked the boar from the side to distract it or push it back from its continuing attack on Tobar.

The boar was trying to get past his tower shield. Goring it with its tusks, Tobar was pinned and in trouble. Gran put his weight behind his sword as he attacked, thrusting forward. Boars like this had tough hides and this was no different. The blade penetrated, wounding the boar and it let out another squeal, but this time in pain.

It turned to him, ripping the blade from its side. Due to its hide colour, Gran could not see the blood flowing but knew it was. Gran was just inside the room and moved to his left, giving space for the others to act.

The boar ran at him now. Gran was ready as the boar covered the short distance. Thankfully, it impacted his shield and did not build up much momentum. The impact was intense and Gran was thrown back against the wall and pinned by the attacking boar. Pain flooded his body but Gran pushed past it and his ringing head. His attention focused on preventing the boar from mauling him.

Furious attacks were coming from the animal, and his body was straining. His shield was cracking and his arm was being pressed into his armour enough to make him scream in pain.

An arrow impacted the boar's side and it squealed in pain again. It turned to see where its new attacker was, which gave Gran a brief but necessary respite from its attention.

As the boar turned, Tobar appeared in Gran's eyeline. His mace was glowing again as he used one of his skills. The mace fell on the boar's head with a sickly crack. The boar did not squeal this time but staggered a few steps, stunned by the blow.

Nilus put another arrow into it and Tobar followed up with two more blows to its skull. The boar was tough, but it could not endure this punishment. With a grunt, it sagged and collapsed onto its side as it died.

“Gran, where are you injured?”

Mags was suddenly there and inspecting him to see how injured he was. Gran took a few seconds to collect himself and looked down. Pain, yes, there was a lot of pain, but it suddenly lessened as Mags placed a glowing hand on his head. The healing magic flowed through him, allowing him to finally focus properly.

“How are you feeling?”

Gran thought about the question.

“I think I am capable of continuing.”

Mags nodded and moved to Tobar. She cast another healing spell on him as Gran stood up. Nilus was pulling an arrow from the boar's hide as the other had been snapped when it fell over.

“What’s everyone’s condition?”

The boar was a nasty surprise and he needed to know how his group was. Checking himself and his equipment, he noted the damage to his shield. The healing spell from Mags had restored him, but not to what he was. He still carried a few aches and pains from the fight.

“I am uninjured.”

“So am I.”

Mags and Kimor spoke first, as he knew that they had not taken part in the fight.

“I lost another arrow. But we got rewarded another five coppers and a boar hide.”

Gran was not surprised that Nilus had already checked what loot they received before recovering his arrows. The hide would be used to create high-quality leather armour.

“My injuries have been healed. My shield is damaged and so is my leg armour.”

Gran looked Tobar over and agreed with his assessment. There was damage but nothing a good armourer could not fix. Gran looked at the boar carcass.

“We push on. Leave the remains. Don’t even start Nilus.”

He had opened his mouth to complain, but Gran knew this was an Adventure Guild-sanctioned mission, so they did not have time to strip the body of valuable materials. The others understood and did not say anything.

“Assessor Woodland, we are pressing on in a few minutes. Are you ready?”

“One moment, Leader Gran. This room is larger than the others we have explored so far.”

She was working on her map and Gran was happy for a more extended break.

“Kimor, look through the doorway and tell me what you see.”

She nods and moves across the room. Gran looks around, grass on the floor and a boar. The grass was not unusual, but the boar was linked to earth affinity. That made four now that they had observed.

Cores always started with one, according to all the experts and developed “compatible” additional ones as they grew and aged. They were weak initially, relying on instinct and aggression on the early floors, but not here. This Dungeon was not very old, he believed, as this was possibly the last floor in its present form. The monsters here showed four very different affinity types, making his head spin with worry. What else was here?

He turned to see Kimor hurrying back across the room.

“Two boars in the next room, maybe a third. It's hard to tell the room is a lot longer.”

“Thank you. Gather around people.”

His team formed a half circle facing him. Woodland was still working but was close enough to listen.

“Kimor has seen two, maybe three boars in the next room.”

The group looked worried and he did not blame them.

“That boar is a massive increase in danger level for this Dungeon. What is this floor? Iron grade?”

Mags frowned as she thought out loud. Gran was inclined to agree with her. That boar was tough and strong.

“That is a fair assessment, Adventurer Mags.”

They all turned to look at Woodland.

“That boar’s size and power indicate it was a male in its prime. If all the boars are the same on this floor, then it will be Iron grade as Tin grade adventures will be unable to handle them without Rickle, the God of Luck's intervention.”

That was a sombre and accurate description of what was here. The easy access to this floor made the cunning of this Dungeon even more apparent to the group.

“We push on. Expect three boars. Tobar will draw them in. Nilus, Kimor and I will hit them from the sides. Mags concentrate on Tobar. No holding back. Hit them hard and fast with your best skills and abilities.”

His team nodded in understanding and prepared for what was next. He was proud of them and what they had accomplished over the years and hoped for more to come.