Underworld - Book 4 - Chapter 21

Taking a turn at watch in the Master’s Chamber, Khun and I were left alone when Aeris went to play around in the outer perimeter with whatever mobs that decided to show up.

It had become very easy for some of our people to manage this level of monster, even when they came in vast numbers. Mel’s minions now numbered in the hundreds and could make short work of just about any horde under level 1,000. His captains were capable of even more. He really did need someplace to continue to grow though. He was quickly outgrowing Sanctuary, and sadly, we weren’t going to be able to upgrade the dungeon aura in the immediate future. 

Olivia was nearly just as proficient as he was now that she had reached Master Rank in Nature magic. I was watching a level 800 beetle investigate the room before her living plant traps. It hadn’t even neared the entrance when four sticky vines shot toward it, gained a solid hold, and hauled it across the room into the jaws of a dozen other hungry plants. She could have spread out her territory to include most of the outer perimeter. But left room for the others to take a turn.

Those two were the most impressive because they could just set their minions and leave them be to do all the work.

I turned my attention to our dungeon spirit. “Khun, I wanted to ask you…”

“Yes, Master?” He replied, giving me his full attention from his place above the pedestal. He was capable of moving around Sanctuary now but seemed more comfortable here in his original setting—and seating, if you counted it a seating. His bottom half disappeared when he took to the platform that held our Mana Orbs.

“If we join the batteries to you, that will give you an additional 800 DP of storage, correct?”

“It will.” He replied, bowing his head.

“Then I need you to explain something to me. Be honest. Every time we have upgraded Sanctuary, you’ve been more than excited. What’s different this time?”

It was unlike him to have nothing to say, but he was still silent for a long while before answering. It was like the human, or monster side of him, was overriding his current status as a dungeon spirit. Eventually, he did answer though. “I’ve had many masters over the century, but a dungeon spirit never forgets their first. He was a lesser dark elf lord who had set off on his own with his family to get away from the politics of his people. He had a rather large family. He had just over two hundred aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, and numerous cousins with him.

“The Maze wasn’t designed to keep intruders out. It was designed to entertain a child. Jala was the name of his six-year-old daughter. She would play in the maze for hours. Sometimes with her cousins and sometimes alone. I would change its layout many times a day…”

I watched Khun’s features change as he told his story. It was as if he was a living being and not a dungeon spirit at all. I didn’t trust him, even now, but I couldn’t think of a reason he would lie. “What happened to them?”

“The succubi have never been a fan of having neighbors close by. They sent an undead army that killed most, including my master, and captured some. Jala hid with a few of her younger cousins but left a few days after the attack to try to return to their original homeland.”

“So, she could be alive?”

“That’s highly unlikely. Dark Elves are a lot like humans in that they are fragile in their youth. She was abnormally cunning, but I doubt she could survive such a trip without any adult supervision.”

“I’m sorry it ended up that way, and now we’re talking about removing your reminder of her.”

“Master, no. My purpose is to serve and not hinder your plans. Ignore me, please.”

“Says who? You do miss Jala, right?”

“Of course not. I don’t feel.”

“Liar.” Leaning back where I stood, I glanced up. An idea came to mind. “Do you remember what she looks like?”

“Yes.”

“Can you make more murals at will?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, he narrowed his eyes. “Yes.”

“Then you have my permission to decorate the lower walls here with any memories you’d like.”

“I cannot, sir. That goes against my purpose.”

“Then I command you to do it.” I wasn’t exactly sure why, but I moved to leave the room. It seemed appropriate that I should give him some privacy.

For only the second time in recent memory he became abnormally silent. As I exited the room, I turned and added. “Oh, and Khun.”

He looked up from his contemplation.

“Nothing gruesome. No battles, or assassination at all for that matter. We get enough of that without having to be constantly reminded. And nothing sensual. I look forward to seeing what Jala looks like.” I purposely used present tense even though there was no possible way he’d know what she’d look like now. That was hundreds of years ago when she lived here, and I didn’t even know if dark elves lived that long. I wasn’t sure he could imagine in the same way we could, but if he remembered her, and reminisced about playing with her, then I thought it was likely. There was no reason he shouldn’t imagine her alive now and dream of one day seeing her again. Hopefully while we were still alive and not trying to kill her or the other way around.

***

I was staring at a six-foot long cylinder of metal that had trace amounts of Earth Mana running through its structure. It was as wide as my waist. “So this is what’s going to make everything work?”

“Yup!” Russ replied, rapping his knuckles on the top of it. It was lying on his workbench. “It’s basically a giant mana resister.”

“A resister like those used in electronics?”

“Exactly.” He flexed his chest and abs as if that explained it all.

“Dude. Olivia isn’t here. Save your sweaty show for later.”

He turned his head from side to side to confirm that she wasn’t. “You never know when she might be watching. She might have some kind of spy plant that is so small you can’t see it with the naked eye…”

“Really?”

He shrugged. “No. I’ m just slightly embarrassed so I made up something ridiculous.”

“Okay. Are you sure this is going to work?” I said, brushing past his quirkiness and returning to the problem at hand.

“Yeah, man. It’s Ohm’s Law.”

“Ohm’s Law applies to mana?”

“Sort of. The math is different, and each element requires a different equation. The idea is the same though. The Ice, Wind, and Nature Mana will flow from the Maze’s mana catch and hit this beauty. It’s steel mixed with Quagate, which has a high melting point and will naturally resist the other elements. Mana will flow through it, but the voltage will be greatly reduced. It should allow the rest of the system to charge the batteries without frying it.”

“You’ve figured out the math?”

“Yes, and no. It’s impossible to know how much of each element will flood the system, so…”

“So you’re eyeing it?”

“It’s an educated eyeing.”

I tried rubbing the tension from my brow. I didn’t need to sleep so why was I suddenly feeling like I needed to rest. “Let’s say it does work. Aren’t resisters designed to break?”

He was nodding that they do but patted the one on the table like it was an exception. “Some are designed to, yes. This should allow the amount of mana we need to pass through and convert the rest to heat. But it’s not going to break.”

“You can guarantee that?”

“No. But Trevon can.”

Our Ice Mage? “Wait. That means you need to place this where someone can get to it?”

“Yup. Clarissa already has it in her design.” He flexed again, just to mess with me.

“Where’s Trevon now?”

“He’s close to mastering, so he’s practicing in the Bridge.”

“Thanks Russ.”

“Chest bump?”

Seeing the look on my face he started cracking up. “I’ll see you later man,” he said.

“Keep it up.”

“You know it.”

***

Standing on the second floor overlooking the bridge and the deep pit that ran beneath it, Trevon had given up his monk-like gear for a crimson scalemail over long brown robes. He still wore his ruby amulet around his neck, but the colors he wore clashed. It was completely unlike how he’d dressed while we were still in the Head Mistress’s dungeon. Once the most stylish among us, his gear now spoke of the change louder than words. The scalemail would guard against Fire Magic and melee blows, while the brown robe with its Earth Magic thread, would add extra protection against anything physical. Without looking at their specs, I assumed they offered stat or mana bonuses. He’d become extremely practical. Even his physical appearance was affected. He’d removed his cornrows and now kept a short afro that I imagined was more comfortable under his helmet when he wore it.

I’d snuck past Khun while he was working on his new mural. I suspected he knew I was there, but he’d been sitting on his platform in the Master’s Chamber just staring at the wall when I was passing through so I didn’t interrupt him.

Stopping at the entrance of the Bridge, I watched Trevon has he was preparing to cast. Ice Magic flowed from his hands in a great stream. As if it hit a stone wall in the middle of the room where there was nothing but air, ice exploded out in a star of ice crystals. Once it was the size of a house, its growth stopped, but he continued to hold it there. Its sheer size was larger than the glacier defense that the vampire Lord Darius had used against the Head Mistress. It wasn’t as dense with mana, but it was just as impressive. He could have taken out half the minotaurs with such a spell and he wasn’t even of master rank yet.

He was only able to hold the spell for about thirty seconds before it shattered and began to dissipate into mana dust. It was only a few seconds before there was no longer a trace of any ice magic that had been here.

I scaled the stairs a joined him on the second floor. It was impossible for him to miss me as I was glowing like a man-sized flare. I had my skeletal armor up to my collar, but my head still blared like a lit match.

“Yo!” He called out. He shifted from one foot to the other while breathing heavily. The exercise was taking a great deal of his mana. I gave him a light heal.

“I appreciate it,” he said, relaxing a bit.

“Of course,” I replied. “I can do a bit better than that.” It took more mana to cast because I was in my Solar Mage Form, but an Advanced Mind Buff didn’t take nearly as much mana as it used to, especially when I wasn’t channeling additional MP into it to multiply its effects. It should give him an additional 300 Intelligence and Wisdom to play with while he power levels. 

Unexpectantly, there was an immediate change. It wasn’t a true form transformation, but the density of his mana looked like it had been purified or condensed.

His eyes went wide as he quickly brought up his character sheet. A moment later, he turned to me. He didn’t have to say anything. It was obvious he’d reached 1,000 in both Wisdom and Intelligence with the buff.

“Meditate and recover,” I said. “We’ll see what you can do in a few minutes.” 

When he was finished and returning to his feet, he looked concerned. “What if someone walks in?”

“Richard.” I messaged him.

“Yes?” He replied.

“Send out an announcement that no one should enter the Bridge until a follow-up announcement is made.”

“You got it.”

After the announcement went out, I turned back to Trevon and gave him a nod.

“Thank you.” He grinned.

Walking to the edge of the second-floor platform, he set his gaze on the middle of the room. Tapping his chin, he made a quick calculation before extending out both arms. His mana began to flow.

A great spike-filled ball of ice burst forth in the air. It reached its original size in a snap but didn’t stop there. Trevon seemed to be ready for this, for his arms spread wide and masses of ice grew out both sides until it neared the size of a battleship—filling the room from one end to the other. He held the mountain of ice in place, but there was one thing he hadn’t accounted for. It wasn’t done growing. A dozen-odd spikes of ice were heading right for him.

He was already stretched thin holding the incredible spell in place. It didn’t seem like he’d get out of the way in time.

A wall of bone shot up from the ground as a mother’s wing to protect her chicks. It knocked Trevon back, while blunting the ice, only to be pierced like a knife through the shell of an egg. Not holding back. I funneled 100,000 MP into Laser and, with a quick swipe of my finger, severed the spikes at the root. Like a katana to the top quarter of a watermelon, the entire side of the glacier was severed, sending a couple tons of ice falling toward the floor. Before it hit, the entire structure of ice began to crumble, and it dissolved into a mist of mana that filled the whole of the room.

“Oops,” Trevon said from his backside. “I thought that would go a bit differently. “The good news is that my Ice Magic is now level 99. Yeah, baby!”

I offered him my hand while shaking my head. “That was a big oops.”

He smirked when he was back on his feet. “Don’t play with frost, if you can’t handle the bite.”

“Uh, yeah. Again?”

“I’m frosty. Let’s do this!”