After grinding non-stop for so many days and nights I was ecstatic to learn I’d finally evolved my Noxious Spores skill. But I never expected that in almost the same moment, I’d unlock another skill even more incredible.
What’s this? What’s a unique skill? I tap around in the system for a minute till I find my answer.
[Unique Skills are one-of-a-kind skills awarded to players for truly legendary achievements.]
So, that means I’m the only player in the world with this skill, right? Because I drank ten thousand potions before anyone else in the game? I don’t know if that’s an admirable achievement or not, but… Let’s see what it gives me.
[Flourishing Physiognomy: Your body is in a heightened regenerative state due to the excess of potions consumed. The very blood within you is now considered a magical healing elixir.
+2% HP/second Regeneration
(This regeneration is not affected by combat status.)]
[You have exceeded the Skill selection limit. Select a Skill to replace.]
The system pulls up my current list of skills on an opaque green screen.
[Aggrovating Aura (5), Baba’s Vanishing Haze Aura (5), Blacksmithing (6), Cooking (5), Essence Drain (11), Greater Shield Proficiency (8), Improved Block (8), Interceptor, Mining (5), Shieldsmith (8), Tailoring (1)]
An easy choice.
[Would you like to learn Flourishing Physiognomy over Tailoring (1)?]
“Yes.”
I stand there a minute, expecting to feel, well, different somehow. My blood is practically a magical item now, right? But though I have gained this mythic achievement, nothing seems to have changed. At least not outwardly. Except, of course, for that.
Until now, my aura has changed slowly, gradually morphing from its original brownish spore haze into a faint greenish cloud that followed me wherever I went. But now that it’s evolved again, the color has shifted to a bluer tint. All around me is a teal sort of energy, pulsing inward with the faintest glow. It looks really cool. Guess I should check what it does.
[Shroomlet Aura special evolution conditions have been fulfilled. Special evolution achieved.]
Special evolution conditions? This must be what Ari was talking about when he mentioned the eternal life potion quest I did for Mad Wim way back in area one.
[Essence Drain level 11: You have become the antithesis of life and creation. You are fueled by the animating essence of all beings.
17 ft radius
-1.22% HP/second
10% Life Leech
Stops enemy regeneration]
Running a quick mental calculation I determine it will now take me only one minute and twenty-two seconds to kill a mob with my aura—and my range has increased as well. But more important than all of this—
I check for the exception, the limiter to my aura that was preventing me from affecting non-living entities, undead, constructs and elementals. But it’s gone.
I read the skill description again. Fueled by the animating essence of all beings. Then, it doesn’t have to be alive. If it moves, if it’s attacking me, I can kill it.
Ari was right, I realize, laughing aloud in disbelief and in wonder. Those constructs guarding the exit won’t be a problem for me anymore. In fact, I wonder if anything in the game will ever be a problem for me again.
Maybe I really am the chosen one.
Heh. Heheheheh…
[Character name: Revelator
Level: 18
Race: Human
Class: Defender
Subclass: None
HP: 940
Constitution: 48
Strength: 6
Agility: 23
Intelligence: 2
Luck: 1
Skills: Aggrovating Aura (5), Baba’s Vanishing Haze Aura (5), Blacksmithing (6), Cooking (5), Essence Drain (11), Flourishing Physiognomy, Greater Shield Proficiency (8), Improved Block (8), Interceptor, Mining (5), Shieldsmith (8)
(total armor 767)]
I have full iron plate armor now. And I managed to loot more tetranium ore while fighting the goblins, so I stop to make myself a backup shield and repair the first.
[Shieldsmith skill has leveled up.]
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
I don’t know what I’m feeling as I make my way out of the enormous cavern, exactly. Bewilderment, I guess. What do all these changes mean for my character? What is Revelator now? And where do I go from here? The exit, I suppose. That’s been my goal this whole time. Then, is it time to retrace my steps? To follow my carefully carved arrows back the way I came? I guess so...
Of course mobs have respawned in the first cavern. I run past them without really thinking about it, unbothered by their glancing blows and even the spells being fired at me. In the tunnel, it’s the same. There’s no one here I want to fight; I’ve already reached maximum level in this dungeon.
Eventually I outdistance the bulk of my pursuers as I retrace my way through the tunnels. I feel grateful for my foresight, leaving such a clear trail for myself. Even at branches in the passageway, I was so careful not to let myself get lost, making extra markings when I explored both sides, taking care I wouldn’t get turned around in this labyrinth.
Like this I make my way back through the tunnel, deep in thought and minding my own business when I round a corner abruptly and come face to face—or, face to navel, rather—with the biggest, hairiest bellybutton I’ve ever seen. Dumbstruck, I slowly look up into the glowing red eyes of the minotaur. Its health is already draining, caught in my aura.
With a mighty snort, the beast raises its axes, one in each enormous fist.
Run, I think, but there’s no time for that. Then—shield up!
CRASH!
[-29 HP]
[-32 HP]
Um. Is that all?
Memory of our last encounter had me anxious, but in reality, at 3412/3500, thanks to Greater Shield Proficiency level 8, my shield’s durability has hardly been dented. And, with my evolved Essence Drain aura plus my Flourishing Physiognomy skill, I’ve already healed all of the damage dealt me.
I didn’t have to drink even a single potion, it registers with a kind of shock at the back of my mind. Meanwhile, this guy’s health is already down to 88% and dropping fast.
Seeing I’m unaffected, the minotaur goes berserk and starts bashing me right and left with its huge axes. This kind of damage—with my HP and current regeneration—it’s not even scary.
Wow. This is kind of…surreal…
After several seconds of this, the minotaur slows its attacks, seeming to register that I’m not fighting back, nor am I running in terror. I’m just waiting for it to die.
“Fifty more seconds in my aura,” I say with a coldness that startles even me. “You’re done.”
“Snort!” says the minotaur. “Whimper…” Then—tears?
That’s when the enormous and terrifying king of the labyrinth does the last thing I was expecting. It turns around and—
Zoom! Thunders down the tunnel in a cloud of dust!
What?! It’s not supposed to do that! Wait!
“Get back here!!”
I chase after it, running with all my might to keep the cowardly monster in my aura.
“You’re not getting away from me that easily!”
I chase the coward for almost a minute before at last it drops over dead. I stand over its fallen body, breathing heavily in spite of not technically exerting myself.
I—I can’t believe it. I actually killed the minotaur. And—it wasn’t even hard.
I laugh aloud in disbelief. In shock.
I’m strong. I’m—strong!
Still laughing, I bend to examine the monster’s loot.
[Minotaur Horn Souvenir, a tiny keychain inscribed, “Only the luckiest get to brag about leaving the labyrinth.”
Luck +1]
Another item for luck! Haha! Nice! I equip it in my trinket slot and the miniaturized shiny black minotaur horn dangles from my belt alongside my lucky white rabbit’s foot.
Let’s see what else you dropped, big guy.
[+2 Axes of the Minotaur, level 20, the fearsome minotaur’s hand axe, so large it must be wielded in two hands.
Damage: 49-83
Strength +15]
[1 gp, 51 sp]
[Skill Book: Tremor Aura]
What have we here?
[Tremor Aura level 1: The earth shakes where you walk, causing enemies to lose their footing.
-5% to opponent’s movement speed
Duration 3 seconds
Cooldown 10 seconds]
No way! I remember the minotaur hitting me with this when I was running from it the first time we fought. I can’t believe I found another aura skill!
[Would you like to learn Tremor Aura Skill?]
“Yes.”
[You have exceeded the Skill selection limit. Select a Skill to replace.]
[Aggrovating Aura (5), Baba’s Vanishing Haze Aura (5), Blacksmithing (6), Cooking (5), Essence Drain (11), Flourishing Physiognomy, Greater Shield Proficiency (8), Improved Block (8), Interceptor, Mining (5), Shieldsmith (9)]
Cooking, I decide after a few moments’ hesitation. I no longer eat the food for the benefits, and just use it for snacks. I’ll miss my pork chops, but it’s a worthwhile trade, to slow my opponents. After all, while it’s true I’m now the scariest thing in this dungeon, it’s a big world out there, and my opponents are only going to get more powerful once I leave this place.
Speaking of—which way was that exit again?
I chased this stupid minotaur for a whole minute through this maze and completely lost my way!
“You just had to run, didn’t you?” I grumble, kicking the fallen beast. “Mother trucking son of a heifer…”
Well, at least I can be sure of the direction I came from. Now using a different mark on the walls, I pick my way painstakingly back through the maze, trying and abandoning tunnels after confirming they’re not the way I came.
After about forty minutes of careful searching, I manage to retrace my steps to where we started. An enormous relief, but I’m not out of the dark yet.
I wandered a long way from the exit in my grind, and fought many monsters. I fight more on the way back, letting them die in my aura without really thinking about it. Ari was right, this build is insane! And to think I probably would have lost all patience and abandoned it if I’d played through the Highline area the way I intended.
Yeah, I definitely owe that guy an apology. And maybe like a fruit basket or something.
At last, after what must be nearly two hours of trotting through the caves, I arrive at my destination. The cavern full of sleeping constructs.
I feel nervous. Until now whenever I encountered one of these things in the dungeon I had to turn around and run the other way. But now I’m supposed to be able to walk right through them, and aggro and kill them like any other monster.
Can I really do it?
Gulp.
Well. I guess there’s only one way to find out…
The battle is fierce. As promised, the constructs die in my aura the same as any other monster, but there’s a ton of them and they hit hard with energy blasts that my shield does not stop. Even with my increased armor and regeneration, it’s not the walk in the park Ari promised me. When at last I manage to push my way through the final cluster of them, I leave nothing but a smoking ruin of scrap in my wake. And of course, my inventory’s full.
I summon Yock one last time, feeling almost nostalgic for this awful place. The greedy goblin argues with me about the prices and we haggle a while. In the end, he pays me fair coin for my loot.
“Guess I should leave this with you, huh?” I say, holding the summoning token in my hand.
“%(^$(?!#,” he says gruffly, eyes shifting in a sheepish, almost endearing sort of way.
“But why would I keep it? It’s no use to me outside this area.”
“￡@#β%∑^&.”
At his suggestion, I check the token again.
[Merchant summoning stone
Summons Yock the goblin Merchant. Only works in tunnels of the Highline mountains and in player’s home base.]
[You have gained Yock’s favor.]
Home base? Is this something I can unlock later? I’ll have to look into that. In the meantime—
“Yock,” I say, feeling a bit misty eyed. I start to reach for him in a farewell embrace, but then I get a whiff of his unwashed scent, and think better of it.
“You take care of yourself. I’ll be summoning you again real soon,” I promise.
Is it my imagination, or do I understand my little friend even more clearly as he gives me a farewell salute and starts to push his little rickety cart away?
“See ya round, ya piece of [redacted].”
