David Cyprus
Level: 9 30,760/55,000 XP
Karma: +5,340
+2 Unspent Mastery Points
Challenge Scenario Rewards Available
Shit, what's with the steep XP requirement?
It doubled.
Wiping out the low level bandit group barely gave me triple digit XP. With almost another 20k still to go, I'd either have to be equal parts patient and vicious, or recklessly throw myself into more dungeons, challenge scenarios, and towers full of bad guys.
More vicious? You just beat those guys to death with a severed leg.
They had it coming.
I blew out a sigh, wishing I could lay back on the bed I was sitting on and go to sleep. Despite being awake for over 24 hours, I wasn't even tired—not physically at least. But mentally I was fried. Maybe the human body wasn't meant to be ripped back and forth through spacetime.
Time Remaining: 09:45:01
Soul Viper's interruption lit my plan on raiding the Rockbound Dungeon with the Moonsewn Bandits ablaze. However, I never expected to gain another level between now and then.
Maybe a solo raid wouldn't be complete suicide. Even if it was, dying in an attempt to screw over Chaos felt right. He was at fault for everything thus far and I desired nothing more than his demise. Fast or slow, it mattered not. I just needed the little bastard's existence erased.
I honed in on the reward text, activating the system.
Generating Class-Specific Loot
The mirror rippled like a single stone cast into a pond. An iron-bound chest shot out, and knocked me back as I caught it. The chest's initial trajectory and the immense force behind its delivery suggested the system wanted to take my head off.
"What's your problem?"
But the rippling ceased and my stats and ability tree reappeared across the glass. Without much thought, I dropped one mastery point into Abyssal Veil. Over the past night, I realized how terrifying this world's magic could truly be.
Abyssal Veil Mastery 1/5
Passive Bonus - Reduces cooldown and channeled stamina cost by 25%.
I had been hoping for either a more significant cooldown reduction or to gain the ability to block all spell types. Slightly disappointed, I put more thought into where I wanted to spend the second point. Karma's Gaze, and Shadow Weave were both still sitting at 3/5, but neither were worth a damn against an opponent with positive karma. And after encountering a giant worm that the system considered morally sound, I wanted to round out my build first.
Agility Burst Mastery 2/5
Passive Bonus: In addition to enhancing agility and stamina, this effect now increases strength by an amount equal to 25% of your agility stat.
"I can live with that."
Every point of Strength not only increased my physical power and muscle mass, but felt like it fed into my Recovery and Resilience stats as well. With 8 points in Agility and 7 in Strength, Agility Burst would temporarily grant another 2 points in strength–a significant boost. Positive karma or not, if I was a high enough level with high enough stats, I could defeat anyone.
With my selection made, I popped open the iron chest and discovered another key with an azure flame swirling in its bow. I considered leaving the key behind, but ultimately decided against it. I had learned my lesson, don't let anyone inject mana into the key.
So I pocketed it, and retrieved my second prize: a silver ring. The jewelry's surface was frigid to the touch, as if carved from ice. I pinched it between my fingers and held it up to the mirror.
Equipment: Ring of Dying
Quality: Rare
Equipped Bonus: Causes the wearer to die. Current charges remaining: 100
What the fuck kind of reward is that?
Was Nimrod in charge of this care-package? Maybe Chaos? Or the god I pissed off during the trial?
My ever growing list of enemies was getting difficult to keep track of. With a heavy sigh, I dropped the ring into my satchel next to the dungeon and challenge scenario keys.
I headed back outside and armed myself with a cheap dagger and short sword, stolen from a dead guardsman. A handful of survivors paid little attention as I walked out through their battered down northern gate.
I wanted to resupply on health potions or at least secure a canteen and a ration. But I knew better than asking for a favor after leaving Waystone high and dry. Innocent lives—their friends and family died for loosely associating with me. The result of my misstep. And I didn't even have Viessa to show for it.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
***
A rotten stench wafted up from the quarry as I retraced my steps from two nights ago. The entire area smelled of vomit and rotten fish. I gagged and ran past the deflated sludgecrawler corpses. As I pressed into the pit my eyes watered, the scent intensifying.
The Rockbound Quarry Dungeon's entrance lay on the western side of the pit. I spotted the keyhole in the center of a sprawling wall of rough stone. I held down my lunch as I slid the key in, tapping my foot in anticipation.
A rough grinding noise filled the quarry as a small opening in the bottom of the wall revealed itself. Breath abated, I waited patiently for the entrance to expand until the sound stopped.
"Huh? This can't be it."
I dropped to my knees and stared into the pitch black crawlspace.
The darkness is your safe space.
A chill ran up my spine despite the sun beating down through the tattered rags on my back. I groaned as I pressed my chest to the ground and pulled myself into the tight crevice.
The jagged ceiling tickled my back as I crawled deeper, sunlight fading in my rear view. It sounded like the entrance slammed shut behind me, but I couldn't turn around to check.
Sweat rolled down my brow as I inched along the passage. Somehow, the walls tightened further.
"New fear unlocked: claustrophobia 0/1 mastery," I said, trying to make light of my increasingly desperate situation.
If the passage shrank anymore, I'd become a permanent resident. Maybe with a radio and a nice throw rug it wouldn't be so bad.
Thankfully, after a series of rugged turns and annoying slopes, the crawlspace opened up and I could breathe easy once more. Eventually I rose to my knees, then to my feet. A break in the passage revealed a small clearing that extended into the unknown.
Before taking another step, I sat down with my back against the cool stone.
"Void Seer."
I disconnected from my body, watching myself from above as my head slumped back against the stone and my pupils retreated into the back of my skull, eyelids half-shut.
My vision flew through the tunnel, using the ample darkness like a railway. I shot down the twisted path and within no time my gaze was gliding through the air, exploring the cavern.
I adjusted Filter to display any living targets, but nothing triggered Karma's Gaze. Ancient stalactites hung like obsidian icicles from the ceiling. A faint draft whistled as I soared through the darkness, diving deeper until I saw a flicker of light and heard quiet voices in the distance.
"Zombie orcs, skeleton archers, or two reanimated necro fiends? I can't decide."
"The last reanimated necro fiend you summoned couldn't take any instruction beyond kill. Command it to paint a wall and it'll drink the paint."
The voices grew louder and the torchlight brighter as my gaze turned a bend toward the source. Beyond an open straightaway a series of crude stone steps led up to a plateau where Karma's Gaze pinged the statuses belonging to two figures.
Target: Dazmire
Level: 12
Karma: -17,315
Additional Data: Abyssal Lich Lord.
Additional information is unavailable.
Dazmire stood seven feet tall because he hovered a solid foot off the ground. His black robe shimmered like oil on water, its folds flowing as he glided over the plateau. His skull was bare and polished. He stroked his bony chin, hollow eye sockets staring up at the ceiling.
Beside him, a creature loomed on four, thick skeletal legs. Bits of torn flesh hung from its frame, flapping as the beast crept after the lich. Shadows poured from its exposed ribcage like an inky mist. Jagged teeth jutted from its unhinged jaw like rusted nails, some broken, others slick with darkness. It cocked its angular snout upward, the absence of lips gave the skeletal mastiff a permanent resting monster face.
Target: Fayador
Level: 9
Karma: -6090
Additional Data: Void Hound.
Additional information is unavailable.
The void hound's grotesque gaze lingered up at the ceiling. Clearly, they were observing something invisible to me.
"OK, how does this sound? A quarter horde of zombie orcs, half a unit of skeleton archers, one reanimated necro fiend, and a three-headed abyssal serpent?"
Fayador's skeletal tail stopped wagging as the beast sank its head to the ground. "Awful plan. Complete shit. I'd rather walk into the sunlight."
"Wait-wait-wait. Explain your reasoning, mutt. I appreciate your sincere honesty. However, I find your phrasing insulting."
"I find your existence insulting," Fayador scoffed.
Dazmire reached into his rippling robe and retrieved a wooden staff with a gleaming orb of black glass affixed to its top. The lich bonked the top of the skeleton beast's head with the staff’s wooden base.
"You've grown too comfortable spouting such despicable insolence. Let me remind you, with five simple words I can send you back from whence you came."
"Please do, you are insufferable. Every moment with you is the worst moment of my death. I'd say it's like purgatory, but I've been there and the wailing, moaning souls of the damned are better company than you. Also, it's six simple words, you stuttering moron."
Despite being hundreds of yards from my body, a subliminal craving for popcorn rumbled in my displaced stomach.
Dazmire's skeletal jaw dropped open. "I-I dismiss you to the..."
"Yes, master! Release me," Fayador begged.
The lich stopped himself and lowered his staff. "Nice, try Fay-Fay. You cost far too many abyss points for that. Now, fulfill your duty and explain why my genius is flawed."
Displeased, the beast tucked its tail between its legs and sat down. "Read the fine print. There's a 2 day delivery on the three headed serpent. The guardian was defeated two nights ago. Challengers can appear at any time."
Dazmire chuckled and poked the beast's head with the bottom of his staff again. "Have you forgotten? We're in a human realm. They never move quickly. I'd wager they haven't even graded the dungeon yet."
"Do the math. You don't have enough points, anyway."
"Shit..." Dazmire stroked his chin, looking back up at the ceiling. "Well, this is why I bought an advisor. Together, we've successfully defended nine dungeons. This will make 10, and I'll—we'll be eligible for a promotion. Let's go with the skeleton archers and one set of zombie orcs."
"Whatever."
"Fay-Fay, this is not a 'whatever' type of conversation. The decisions we make within the next few minutes will determine the course of fate itself. I didn't pay 10,000 abyss points for sass. But I did indeed read the fine print beneath your description, it said, and I quote, 'unlimited uses.' So be a good mutt and obey."
The monstrous dog growled, then hissed, revealing an anaconda sized black tongue. Fuming, the creature stood on its hind legs, nearly meeting Dazmire face to face.
"I'm a void hound. You bought a void hound for 10,000 abyss points. The Boundless Void Advisor costs 100,000 abyss points. Check your framework," Fayador snarled, poking the lich's bony chest with a talon-edged digit.
"Impossible."
Dazmire turned his gaze back to the ceiling and ran his fingers through the air, rapidly swiping left and right while the skeleton dog yawned. The lich muttered something inaudible, then tilted his head down, shoulders slumped in immeasurable disappointment.
"I've been taking advice from a dog..."
