FLOOR 4

  Group: 5/5

  Primary Quest: Navigating the outer Shama of Zarek is no easy task. The harsh desert is home to magical creatures and dangers, but fraught with treasures hidden for decades at the outskirts of the Shama ruins. No treasure seeker has laid claim to the rumored bounties scattered about from a long-ago war as none have returned to flaunt their newfound discoveries. You follow the tale of one such seeker who claims the ruins hold valuable secrets that could change the entire world. Hopefully the path ahead isn’t a false one.

  Wyn took another drink from his canteen. While his jacket kept him cool from the dual blazing suns overhead, he was still parched from walking the difficult terrain of sand and soft dirt while fighting monster groups that arrived regularly.

  At least his hat could change shape, and he welcomed the wide brim captain’s style hat to shield his eyes and face from the three huge suns above.

  The others, though, weren’t faring quite as well, despite the need to purchase weak rings that provided the same environmental benefit to make sure they didn’t overheat from the scorching temperature. None of them could afford to change out any pieces of their equipment at the expense of set bonuses and completely changing their gear, so they took the easy but costly route instead.

  “Remember when you told us how wasteful it was to get items that helped with extreme weather?” John asked, pointedly looking at Marcy.

  “Shut it,” Marcy said. She fingered the ring on her right hand awkwardly while closing her eyes from the bright light.

  John ignored her as he finished off his water skin. If this climb was anything like the one from the day before, it was going to be his already second canteen of many.

  The group of Climbers were already on their third day climbing towards the end of the current month, and while they weren’t needing to push themselves to climb constantly, they found it was nice to return to Alistair to escape the morose atmosphere of their guild house. None of them enjoyed being there, especially after the others found out they were starting their own guild.

  The group ended up confiding in Faye, who understood their reasoning but ended up telling Gregory and Caryn. Both men fought even more, and had been distant to Wyn and his group.

  Wyn hoped they would calm down soon. He still wanted to extend invitations to them to join their guild when the time came, but it wasn’t the right time currently with their temperament. Patience was needed.

  “He’s back,” Marcy said, stowing her water skin.

  The others looked off in the distance to see Cedric approach, jogging on the sand easily. His boots made navigating the soft sand easy, and his magic was well suited to combat the enemies they found in the dry desert environment. Since Marcy wanted to rest, she gladly let him scout ahead while the others took a brief reprieve. The tall tree they relaxed under provided a pitiful canopy with its few branches and lack of leaves. But it was the one structure they found in a floor full of open space. The traps were fewer than the previous floor but the enemies were constant. The only problem they faced was that there was no clear path forward, a strange quirk of the season.

  Wyn readied his gear and walked out of the tree’s small shadow to meet the Storm Sage. “What did you find?”

  Cedric had his scepter stowed on his belt and placed his hands on his hip. He was so practiced using his Arm of the Stormcloud that it looked like a regular arm practically at all times. “Sand, sand, and more sand. Not a clear path forward, unfortunately. Looks like we’ll need to try the other direction.”

  Wyn sighed. “I was afraid of that. Alright, let’s keep trying. If we don’t find something in the next couple of hours, I’m calling it for today, though.”

  The others reluctantly prepared themselves to leave and entered their formation again. With Cedric clearing out a potential path in one direction, they decided to go the opposite way, hoping to at least see another marker that signaled the floor’s continuation.

  It didn’t take but a few minutes before another monster appeared. The sand at their side stirred and began disappearing down, as though a vortex the size of a large animal was forming.

  “I got it,” Wyn said, recognizing the approaching monster. They had already killed nearly two dozen of them on this floor alone. The monster was a dull brown scorpion the size of a wolf, with two large front pincers the size of dinner platters and a long stinger tail that was fairly fast. The shell of the monsters were tough, but when cracked open the monster fell apart relatively easily.

  Wyn extended his right hand and summoned his weapon using Weapon Bond. His Ruby Tactician mark appeared briefly before pulling his Ashen Gallidium Blade from a pocket of space. It appeared in his hand as a poleaxe, and he immediately leveled it at the creature.

  One of the benefits he learned about using Weapon Bond in combination with his unique weapon was that he could summon it in any form he wished. Part of the properties of the weapon was that it changed shape into other weapons, and he grew to truly appreciate and prefer to utilize that combination to summon it into whatever he wanted since advancing his class and obtaining the skill months ago. Weapon Bond was unique in that it allowed a single weapon to be classified as a ‘bond’, and the weapon then gained a magical edge becoming stronger, was able to be stored in a pocket of space to be summoned at will at a cost of a tiny amount of mana, and helped reduce the chance of being disarmed while wielding it.

  The scorpion monster scuttled along the ground, hissing and clamping its pincers menacingly. Wyn kept an eye on the stinger. It wasn’t as fast as other monsters, but it was surprisingly mobile, and the monster had a venom that could paralyze and stun. He feinted to one side as the stinger lashed out, missing him by a foot. Stabbing forward with the spiked end of the poleaxe, the weapon dug into the monster’s side.

  It wasn’t enough of a blow to kill it as the spike was only half a foot long. But it pierced the hard shell easily at a joint, causing the monster to screech an earsplitting cry. Wyn withdrew the spike as the monster tried to back away, then quickly brought it down as though chopping wood. The axe portion of the blade chopped through the monster, cleaving a large gash in its body as green ooze spilled onto the sand.

  If Wyn had enhanced strength like John he likely would have bisected the creature, but he wasn’t that fortunate. Instead, he settled on hitting the monster two more times. The first strike lopped off its front appendage and pincer and the second strike hit the middle of the monster’s head, killing it.

  For not using any mana or being hit, it was a clean kill. The first time they were hit by one of the scorpions Tasha had to use a second tier healing spell to rid them of the venom that was potent for being a fourth floor monster. They had approached the monster casually and paid the price. Wyn didn’t want that to happen again. These monsters were easy enough to dispatch alone without wasting precious resources when handled correctly.

  The sand around them began to shift as more spots opened.

  “Damn,” John said. “Did you not sense them coming, Marcy?”

  Marcy raised her bow, drawing the barren bowstring and aiming at one of the divots opening in the sand. A grey glowing arrow began to form on the string as she anchored it to her jaw. “I did, but there are only six more. I figured we could take them.” She loosed the string, firing the magical arrow just as a scorpion rose from the sandy ground.

  The arrow struck the monster’s stubby head, burying itself deep. The scorpion wriggled and cried, pained but not dead. A second arrow found its soft underbelly as it was thrashing on the ground. It went still from the hit.

  John summoned his sword using Weapon Bond and activated his Saint Aura. He began to glow a dull reddish silver, and Wyn felt the effect seep over to him. He recognized it as it was one of John’s favorite uses of the skill. Applying both of his Focus and Bolster skills he was able to increase his physicality by a large margin. Focus increased his strength and toughness while Bolster improved his defensive ability and endurance. Both of the effects carried over to Wyn, though John’s direct boosts were far more effective.

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  The Sword Saint stepped forward and parried a scorpion’s stinger attack, then swung the blade down through the monster and into the sand below. The creature cracked apart in two halves, bleeding more green goo that dissolved along with the monster’s body into ethereal smoke. John then stepped to the second scorpion and repeated the process.

  Since obtaining his new class, his style of climbing shifted more offensively. Where he was a defender-type Squire before, now he was more direct and a fierce attacker. Defensively he was still capable as he had a parrying skill he applied to his weapon quickly thanks to his class ability, which meant he didn’t need his shield quite as much. So, he opted to change his equipment from a sword and shield to a greatsword and matching gauntlets, and it was an absolute terror of a combination.

  The sword, Angelic Wrath, was nearly as tall as him, with a two-handed hilt and runes that ran along the entire silver and yellow blade’s length. It was a purple rarity item that improved his strength by a moderate amount, magical defense by a moderate amount, and effectiveness against undead and demons by a major amount. It also gave an ability called Lightstrike that coated the blade in holy light for one minute five times a day.

  The silver gauntlets, called Angelic Hold, carried embedded diamonds in the knuckles and matched the sword as they were part of a set. The diamonds gave the magical energy needed to cast Improved Cure once a day or Cure twice a day. Other effects were that his defensive skills increased by a moderate amount and skills cost less mana to use, which was an amazing effect itself as technically all of John’s abilities were skills. Together as two parts of the Angelic set, they boosted his abilities when fighting alongside others even further by improving his aura effect both for himself and others.

  It was a change that took months of practice, but John looked more powerful and comfortable than he ever had. Wyn had a feeling he could likely clear the first several floors by himself if he wanted - he was just so strong with both his attacks and supportive skills.

  As John cleared out three of scorpions in quick succession, Wyn killed one with his poleaxe. As he looked to the sixth and final scorpion, he realized it was already dead as magical arrows stuck into it like a pincushion.

  The monsters were easy to dispatch and he was stuck once again feeling like he wasn’t too useful. Hells, Marcy could have taken out the entire half dozen monsters on her own, let alone John.

  But he didn’t let the feeling last long. They all had their strengths. And now, being tier three Climbers, they truly were strong.

  The loot from the scorpions was poor, though Wyn was happy to find another topaz fall in the single pile that dropped. It wasn’t too impressive as a gemstone being small and hazy in its clarity, but it was still good enough to be included for his new business partner. It was the ninth gemstone they found over the past three days, and it was a good sign for the future. Their quota on agreement was to provide at least thirty gems every month, and including more meant more of a payment in return. Mariah promised at least four thousand crowns when the quota was filled, possibly more depending on the gem’s quality.

  The thought of securing his future fortune - for him and his sister, not just paying off his debt - made Wyn smile.

  Trudging through the sandy desert to find the floor’s exit made that smile dim. Though only a little.

  The group continued for another hour, clearing four more groups of monsters including a particularly annoying swarm of flying bats that were more nuisance than threat. The sign they found signaling they were on the right path was a small oasis in the vast desert, where a group of three thin and tall but lively green trees covered a small pond surrounded by thick patches of grass. The trees had large leaves as big as his torso, and the spot seemed perfect to rest. Wyn almost thought it was an illusion because it looked so ideal and out of place in the environment.

  As they approached, Wyn realized he was right. It was out of place. But not for the reason he thought.

  Marcy alerted them to four giant scorpions who guarded the oasis, and they were already above ground as the group approached. These monsters were twice the size of the others on the floor, and each carried four appendages with pincers instead of just two.

  “Get ready,” Marcy said. “Hunter’s Gaze is insinuating they’re champions.”

  Wyn felt a rush of excitement seeing the monsters. They hadn’t encountered champions in months. Fighting them typically meant a unique reward, such as a higher rarity item, rare potion, set item, or even a secret room. They started realizing over the past several months how champions were the true monsters that gave the best loot, even better than bosses. Bosses provided known and great rewards but champions had a bit more mystery and higher quality to their drops.

  “Easy multi boss formation,” Wyn said. The others began starting their abilities and moving into place. He didn’t want to waste time on the monsters, and using some mana to eliminate them was more than worth it. They’d all recover enough after the fight anyway. That formation was designed for simpler but numerous bosses and would plow through the scorpions like a scythe through wheat.

  John activated his Saint Aura again and Wyn relished the boosts on top of his own Sprint as he stood to the right of the Sword Saint. At the same time, Marcy moved up to John’s left, and fired a Multishot at the scorpions while she was also inside his shared effect. A dozen glowing arrows left her bow just as Cedric fired a spell upcast into the second tier from the backline beside Tasha. It was one designed to stun and hold while still damaging, called Spark, that erupted an area into a field of visible static electricity. Wyn simultaneously cast Siphon, his upgraded Wellspring, and placed it underneath the group of champions.

  Then the group watched, skills and spells ready to be cast if needed.

  They weren’t needed.

  The combined effects and attacks fried and punctured the monsters without difficulty. Before they could move or chitter again, they spasmed briefly before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

  Wyn looked at the others who looked stunned momentarily then burst out into laughter.

  “That was easier than expected,” Tasha said, lowering her wand.

  “We did use that last on a floor six boss,” Cedric said. “For some reason I thought we were going to at least be able to engage.”

  Wyn walked with John up to the two piles of loot that sat just before the oasis. “Me, too. But all’s well that ends well.”

  There was a blue rarity silk belt in the pile, a combination of gold crowns and silver cloaks, two mana potions, and five green rarity monster parts. They were a mixture of small pincers and stingers.

  No gemstones. Oh, well. They wouldn’t be found in every pile.

  “I hope that belt is worth something,” Marcy said. “Otherwise that’s a fairly sad pile from champions.”

  “Maybe we beat them too easily?” John asked. “Next time let’s make the fight a little more exciting and maybe Alistair will reward us better!”

  Wyn chuckled as he pulled out his Mushroom Lantern. After every champion and boss fight, and even some particularly odd locations in the tower, he’d made it a habit to check to see if there was anything unusual. A dull blue light formed after he shook the jar and it cast its light over the oasis and surrounding desert. There was no sense in making the light bright as it was already bright from the two suns overhead.

  Runes formed over the entirety of the oasis, over the trees and their large leaves, the surrounding grass, and even the water in the pond itself. It was bizarre. That was the first time runes had appeared on water like that.

  The others silently waited while Wyn went to work. His item’s effect gave him both the ability to find runes such as these and the inherent understanding when trying to read them. It was odd, as most of the time the runes didn’t make sense with jumbled phrases or randomly placed words that seemed obvious. The runes were marks and symbols that resembled a lettering system but Wyn wasn’t smart enough to decipher it. Nor did he feel the need, especially since he could understand it at will from the magical item.

  Looking at the oasis, the runes were setup like most of the time he found them. The runes on the trees simply read “connection”, “wood”, “tall”, and “fan palm”. Whatever that meant. The runes on the grass said “green”, “light”, and “soft”.

  When using his lantern, there was a few times when it wasn't just words that showed up but actual phrases and sentences. Wyn appreciated those because it gave him a unique insight into the workings of Alistair in the form of a riddle or puzzle. Those were also the times he learned some secret about the floor or confirmation about traps or monsters, which was a fascinating discovery that Cedric and Daniel were far more interested to learn than Wyn. Still, it was great information, and it often gave them a leg up for the floor on the discovery.

  The water that made up the small pond in the oasis carried a series of runes that fell into that very category.

  “The first suffers most, losing hold in the storm. The second bends but does not break, while the third and final is resolute, standing firm from oppression.” Wyn read it aloud so the others could hear.

  Everyone looked at the three trees that shadowed the pond and grass. It was obvious the riddle talked about them, if not a little vague in its meaning.

  “Is it really that straightforward?” Cedric asked. “Three things, three trees.”

  “So they have to follow the riddle?” John asked. “The first suffers, the second bends, and the third is fine? Not sure exactly what that means, though.”

  “I think I got it,” Marcy said. “The first one loses hold, so it gets destroyed. The second one doesn’t break so it only gets damaged, and the third is untouched.”

  That made sense to Wyn. The others seemed to agree, too, as Cedric moved in front of the trees. They were spaced evenly a few feet apart, and were each nearly twenty feet tall. “Does it mean I actually have to use storm magic? Or can we just hurt it normally?”

  Wyn changed his weapon to the form of an axe. “Maybe I can just cut it down and see?”

  Cedric slowly nodded. “Try one cut in the middle tree, and then enough to the first tree to make it topple. If it doesn’t work I have an idea that likely will.”

  Wyn obliged. It didn’t take too long, and the trees weren’t overly strong or thick. They were only the size of his thigh. When nothing happened, he shrugged.

  Cedric held out his hand and cast Gale as his class mark formed in the air. Wyn saw the familiar three circles and combined colors of blue, yellow, and green, which was what happened when Cedric combined his three elements. His Storm Sage class allowed him that ability at the cost of a fair amount of mana. Gale was a simple first tier wind elemental spell that caused a focused blast of wind to knockback and damage enemies, but with the additional water and lightning elements it looked like a miniature thunderstorm erupting from Cedric’s palm.

  The spell was focused entirely on the first tree with some residual effect on the second tree and barely any on the third. The first tree was nearly uprooted and completely blew away from the oasis in a torrent, while the second tree swayed heavily and cracked under the powerful magic. The third one only had its leaves sway from the wind and water.

  A small rumble began under the Climber’s feet, and they all readied themselves for whatever was about to happen. To Wyn’s shock and amazement, the pond began to rip apart from the middle, with an open space forming as though a hatch directly under the water’s surface was being opened.

  John began laughing as everyone rushed to the pond’s edge. Sure enough, a hole was formed where the water once stood, and a ladder was situated on one side that led to the depths below.

  “A secret room,” Wyn said, his voice full of wonder.

  It had been so long since they found one. But the last time they did, they found a specific item that was strange and unique. One that seemed to be connected to another they found several weeks prior to that secret room, and was now just sitting in Wyn’s chest as he hadn’t understood what it was.

  He wondered if they would find a third, similar item inside this room.

  Without hesitation, he stowed his weapon and began climbing down the ladder, his Mushroom Lantern lighting the way.

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