AXEnsion

Book 1 in the ‘RPG: Rock, Power, Glory’ Series

A Tower Climber LitRPG Fantasy

by Andrew Karevik

AXEnsion (Book 1)

Copyright © 2025 LitRPG Freaks

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author.

Chapter 1

Liam’s eyes flickered for a moment before they opened. Everything was spinning and he had no recall of… anything really.

“Where am I?” he muttered, standing up from the cold ground. His head was pounding and he had no idea where he was.

Standing before him was a great metal sign. And behind the sign was a tower that rose to the sky. It had a purple gem atop it, flickering with all manner of magical energies. Magic? Did Liam know anything about such things? There was no magic back…home? Where was home anyway?

He read the sign: Enter the Spire and ascend! Discover what secrets it holds!

“The Spire?” Liam said aloud. His mind was still in a fog. There was a thunderstorm coming in from the north, wild winds whipping violently. Without any idea of where he was or who he was for that matter, he decided to enter the great spiraling tower. Perhaps inside he would be able to find clues.

The metal doors were covered in all sorts of strange runes, carvings that seemed to glow with more magic. Liam didn’t know what they meant and so he pushed the doors open. There was a loud creaking that seemed to echo eternally within the tower. He shivered as he walked in.

The interior was grey and made of cobblestone. There was a sign that said Level One but gave no other information. There were no stairs, just winding corridors that led left, right and forward.

There was a strange sound to his left, a grabbling kind of noise. Liam glanced nervously towards the sound but saw nothing. Just a long corridor with a few doors.

“What kind of place is this?” he wondered. He decided it best not to investigate the source of the sound and instead continued walking forward, to where a large, rusted battleaxe laid on the ground. He bent down to investigate the weapon.

This was something out of a fantasy book, he thought. It was ancient and tarnished, with a metal handle that was equally corroded. He could hear a faint cheering in his head as he reached for it. Would he need a weapon here? For what possible reason?

The grabbling noise grew louder then. Liam turned his head to find a terrifying beast staring at him. It was a large, lion-like monster, with a series of eyestalks upon its head. Its skin was bright red and it bared its teeth at him.

“Shreee!” the creature screamed, preparing to pounce at him.

“What in the hell is this!” Liam shouted in panic, grabbing the axe and lifting it up.

Much to his surprise, he was more than strong enough to wield the weapon. The monster roared again and words appeared over its head, bold and red.

Dreadbeast

HP: 300

HP? That meant hit points, right? Without another thought, Liam understood that he had to fight it. The monster charged at him but he leapt aside and, in the same motion, swung his axe with a heft. The movement came natural to him and he slashed with all of his might. As the monster missed him, his blade sank deep into its flank and Liam heard cheering again.

Things came back to him almost instantly. There he was, standing on a stage, the crowd going wild. In his hand wasn’t an axe but a guitar, a red Strat that he was making scream for all to hear. He had been a rockstar. At least, until one of the speakers had loosened during his show. The thing had landed atop his skull and after that…well, after that he was here now.

Musical Mayhem Unlocked! his vision informed him as he slashed across the monster. Strike again to unleash your power!

That’s right, he had been a rockstar in the past. Part of the Mayhem of Magic band, the frontman and lead singer too. He had shredded a thousand stages in the past. But now he was going to shred this monster.

100 Damage! Flew above the monster’s head as his axe struck. He spun around and slashed once more, missing the monster as it dodged. The creature, the Dreadbeast, turned around and growled at him. A meter appeared above its head.

Charging Attack! The meter said.

Liam didn’t hesitate. He rushed forward and went on the offensive, feeling as if the stage were beneath his feet once more.

The axe came down hard and the monster took 100 more points of damage, dropping back and staggering from the blow. Interrupted! appeared over its head and Liam felt a surge of powerful magic rush through his entire being.

“Hyaaaa!” he bellowed and the axe transformed. It grew sharper and the rust faded, six strings emerging from the center. The blade curved into the familiar shape of the Fender he had been so fond of. What came next was as natural as playing on the stage.

Liam played a barre chord, a heavy G that caused a burst of musical magic to rush out. A thin beam of yellow and green struck the monster, dealing 300 damage to it. The monster collapsed from the attack and died instantly, unable to dodge.

Breathing heavily, Liam lowered his axe and watched as words formed above him. You have earned 100 XP! his vision said. Musical Mayhem Attack unlocked!

G7 Assault

Description: A wave of musical energy washes over a foe, dealing major damage.

Damage: 300

Cost: 2 Music Points

“Music.. points?” Liam said to himself, watching as the monster faded. What remained behind was a large talon and an amulet. “Monsters and music…am I in hell or heaven?”

There was no answer to this question and so he walked over to retrieve the items. The talon glowed with words. Monster Part: Talon of the Dreadbeast. Used for Crafting or Trading. His attention turned to the amulet.

It was a symbol of a musical note with a line through it. The black amulet glowed with purple energy as he lifted it high. Amulet of Shredding. Grants +100 Damage when using a Chord Attack.

“This is getting weirder and weirder,” Liam said. “But if I get to play my axe and kill crazy beasts, then maybe I’m in heaven after all.”

Chapter 2

Liam navigated the first level of the Spire, searching for anything of interest. Most of the place was barren—halls that led to dead ends, rooms devoid of purpose. The air was still, thick with the weight of abandonment. Now and then, he passed through larger chambers, their towering cobblestone walls stretching into dimness, as if the Spire itself had forgotten what they were meant for.

He wandered for a time before stumbling upon a room that was different.

There was a fountain in the middle of it, a tall woman statue holding a barrel of water that flowed endlessly into the pool below. There was a sign beside it that read: Drink Deeply and Hold On.

Liam raised an eyebrow. “Drinking strange water? That’s how horror stories start.” He crouched down, peering into the pool. The liquid was impossibly clear, reflecting his face back at him with perfect sharpness. “Unless,” he mused, a smirk tugging at his lips, “it’s actually booze. I could use a drink.”

With a shrug, he cupped his hands, scooped up the water, and took a sip.

The world shifted instantly, and the statue spoke.

“You are in the Spire,” the statue said, in a wispy, feminine voice. The room filled with all sorts of strange colors and Liam looked at his hands only to see that they were missing. ”You have come to this place to ascend or be destroyed. The only way to freedom is to engage in the traps, trials and tribulations of such a place. Do not give up heart, however. For drinking this water allows you to return, again and again. Death can only hold you if you give up.”

“Why am I here? How do I get to the top?”

The statue did not reply. The words Spawn Point Discovered appeared above him instead. He looked around and saw that the world had returned to its colorless state. He was surrounded by grey once more.

“Spawn points, monsters… Okay, I think I can get into this,” Liam said as he noticed a door to the north. There was a great big metal lock on its front and he inspected it.

Passage Blocked! Find the Key to continue your journey! his vision informed him. Liam shrugged at that and headed back the way he came.

There were footsteps ahead and Liam paused at the entryway, leaning against the wall and peeking out. A large troll was wandering down the hall. His skin was blue and he carried a heavy club with him. Jutting from his back were two long bones and he was wearing a burlap loincloth.

“Kill and kill, kill and kill,” the troll sang as he swung the club against the empty air. “Gonna find me some Climbers and teach ‘em to die! They come back, sure, but so will I!”

Words hovered above the creature’s head.

Wallop Troll

HP: 600

Liam tightened the grip on his axe. All right, let’s do this!

With a wild grin, he charged, letting out a full-throated yell—part battle cry, part rockstar theatrics. His axe sliced through the air toward the troll’s massive frame.

The beast merely stood there.

With a lazy motion, it lifted a thick wooden club, intercepting the strike with ease. The impact sent a jarring shock through Liam’s arms, nearly rattling the weapon from his grasp.

“You’re going to die,” the troll rumbled, baring jagged teeth in a wicked smile. “And I’ll get those delicious experience points of yours!”

Before Liam could react, the monster’s club came crashing down. He barely had time to think, but years of stage antics took over. He dropped to his knees, sliding beneath the swing in a move perfected from countless power slides across concert floors. One of his bandmates had nearly taken his head off with a prop sword once.

His mates. Were they around somewhere?

His moment of distraction ended as he twisted, swinging his axe upward. The blade struck true, biting deep into the troll’s thick hide.

-100 HP

Liam’s excitement was short-lived though. Even as the wound oozed, the health bar above the troll’s head began to climb back up. The damage reversed in real-time, numbers ticking up like a slow, cruel joke.

“Ah, crap,” he muttered. “This might’ve been a mistake.”

The troll’s hand shot out, seizing Liam by the torso and hoisting him high into the air. The beast's grip was like a vice.

“Now you die!”

With no better option, he lashed out, slamming his boot into the troll’s face. His foot connected with a satisfying crack. The beast howled, its grip loosening just enough for him to slip free and crash to the ground.

He rolled to his feet and swung his axe again, aiming for the exposed neck. The blade carved through flesh, but it was pointless; the troll’s health ticked right back up.

“This is getting me nowhere.”

The troll lunged and Liam made his decision. Exit, stage left.

He spun on his heel and bolted. The monster roared in frustration, giving chase, but it was too slow, its massive limbs struggling to keep up. Liam sprinted down a corridor, ducking into a side room and pressing himself against the wall, forcing his breath to steady.

The troll lumbered past, grumbling under its breath about feasting on ‘rockstar bones’.

Liam exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow. “All right. Not everything is easy to kill. Duly noted.” He glanced down at his axe, then back toward the hallway. “I wish I knew more about my own abilities though.”

“You won’t until you gain the strength to level up,” a voice said.

Liam immediately raised his axe at the sight of a strange lizard man wearing a hood. He was walking forward, a long stick in hand. Though the lizardman was using the stick to walk, Liam didn’t trust anything.

“You’re fine where you are, buddy,” the rockstar said. “I’ve got an axe and I know how to use it.”

“If that were true, you wouldn’t be hiding in my shop,” the lizard replied. He motioned to the left, where a large collection of goods was sitting around. There were weapons, armor, helmets and staves of all kinds placed down on a large carpet.

“This place is strange,” Liam said, rubbing his chin. “And you are stranger still. What’s your name, lizard man?”

“I am Pasha,” the lizard replied. “And I run a series of shops in the Spire. You don’t need to be so worried about us fighting you. It’s our prices that you have to watch out for.”

“What exactly is this place?” Liam asked, approaching the shop. He could see prices were in something called Shards. He checked for a wallet but found nothing but an empty bag at his side.

“You are in the Spire, a great place of death and torment for some, sport and joy for others,” Pasha replied. “Many souls come here, some destined for greatness, while others…well, they become consumed by the madness within and transform into monsters.”

“You got anything that can kill a troll?” Liam asked. “Damn thing keeps regenerating.”

“Trolls are difficult creatures to kill without flame,” Pasha explained. “But I’m guessing by the lightness of your bag that you have nothing to spend on. I’m not running a charity here. Return when you have something of value.”

“What about this?” Liam asked, pulling the Dreadbeast Talon out. “I just harvested it earlier…I guess.”

The lizardman looked at the talon and took out a small monocle. He examined it for a moment. “This is indeed genuine. I could give you maybe 100 shards for it. That’d be enough to purchase…nothing.”

“You won’t just trade it? Come on, barter is a common system all across the world. I once bartered my way into and out of a foreign nation. Or was that bribed?” Liam said, unsure of his memories. He could remember only a scant amount of things, fans shouting, music playing, him being beaten by guards because of something he had said.

“A hundred shards or nothing,” Pasha said. “There are plenty of other shops. On the higher levels, of course.”

“Deal,” Liam replied, handing the talon over to the man. Pasha took out a handful of small crystal pieces.

You’ve gained 100 Shards! his vision informed him as the man poured them into Liam’s bag.

“Someone like you won’t last terribly long in this place if you keep picking fights with stronger monsters. The eastern passage, where we are now, is far more dangerous than the west. I suggest you head down that way and find yourself some easier targets. Strength begets strength in the Spire. Get enough points and you can get yourself a Class.”

“I’ve got nothing but class,” Liam replied.

The lizard chuckled at that. “Good luck out there, friend. Try not to die and if you do, don’t give up. Lest you end up like that troll in here.”

Chapter 3

Taking the advice of the lizardman Pasha, Liam turned around and made his way to the western passage. The troll was nowhere to be seen and so he traveled openly, wandering through the endless halls of the Spire. There was no reason to despair being in this place. In his many drug-induced torpors, Liam had often wondered how he would fare in a world where fighting and magic was the way of things. Now he could find out.

He reached a hallway, one of a handful, and gazed down the passage. There was a large metal key dangling from a chain in the center. It glowed with magic and seemed to be the one that had been in the Fountain Room earlier.

“Now we’re talking!” Liam said, rushing forward to grab it.

As soon as he pulled the chain, he realized his mistake. There was a loud click sound in the walls and suddenly, the ground was opening up. Liam tried to leap to a safe position but he stumbled and fell down. Large spikes were waiting for him and he let out a yell as he was impaled through the chest.

The world swirled around him and in an instant, Liam was back in the Fountain Room. You died! -100 XP! his vision informed him and he staggered, trying to keep his balance.

“What was that?” Liam asked. He had felt immense pain a second ago but now he was perfectly fine. The fountain had brought him back from death?

The key was gone, however. He looked over at the locked door that seemed to taunt him for his failures. That had been a trap and he had been so foolish to just walk right into it. Quickly, he returned to the hallway.

The entire building had changed. The long halls were different now, made of brick instead of cobblestone, and he reeled from the transformation. Everything was completely different, how?

“Don’t die,” Liam said. “Should have had that at the top of the checklist. Now I’ve got to start all over again…”

He wandered to the west once more, to look for the key, but found the corridor was empty. There were no more traps. What he did see was some dirt on the ground, followed by footprints. Liam’s axe was still with him, as was his money, so he wasn’t in too bad a situation. He had just lost a handful of experience points and would regain them soon enough.

Down the hallway of the western passage were three squat monsters, humanoid but with grey skin. They were wandering left and right until they spotted Liam.

“Get him!” one of them shouted, raising a blow dart pipe up to his lips.

Squat Goblin      

HP: 100

Liam dodged to the left as a dart zipped past him. The other two squat goblins had spears in their hands and rushed him. He swung his guitar and struck one hard, dropping him as his attack was high enough to kill the creature outright. The other speared him in the side, dealing 10 damage.

Immediately, Liam could see that his HP were 25 and they had dropped down to 15. The pain was negligible and he swung his guitar once more, striking the monster that had stabbed him.

The third creature was busy trying to reload the blow dart when Liam saw the words Music Point Gained! appear in his vision. He rushed the little monster and raised his axe high, slashing it downwards to split the monster in half.

The fight was over as fast as it had begun. The goblins faded, leaving behind a handful of shards. 300 XP Gained! His vision informed him.

“More XP,” Liam said, kneeling down to gather the shards. He had nearly a hundred and fifty now. But the shop had vanished. It seemed that each death in the tower caused the entire place to shift around. Yet the fountain had brought him back, perhaps it would do so again.

You have gained enough XP to Level Up! his vision informed him. You are now Level 1! Instantly, Liam’s vision began to show him stats and figures that he took a moment to read. It was quite fascinating to say the least.

Name: Liam Drifter

XP: 50/500

Level: 1

Stats:

Strength: 1

Dexterity: 2

Intelligence: 1

Constitution: 1

Magic: 1

Hit Points: 25

Music Points: 1

Skills: None

Abilities:

Musical Mayhem:

G7 Assault:

Description: A wave of musical energy washes over a foe, dealing major damage.

Damage: 300

Cost: 2 Music Points

This was a comprehensive list of his strengths and weaknesses. Though it seemed that he didn’t matter for much yet. That said, there was an option for him to select a class. There were a few options.

Select a Class!

Music Man

Type: Magic

Description: The Music Man generates Music Points automatically, gaining the ability to unleash musical magic upon his foes.

Stat Bonus:

+10 Music Points per Day

+10 HP

+5 Skill Points per Level

Wildfighter

Type: Martial

Description: The Wildfighter generates Music Points during combat, allowing him to cast in conjunction with melee attacks.

Stat Bonus:

+ 1 Music Point per Successful Hit

+25 HP

+3 Skill Points per Level

Audiosonic Booster

Type: Ranged

Description: The Audiosonic Booster is capable of turning the Axe into a ranged weapon, playing powerful chords that don’t cost Music Points.

Stat Bonus:

+5 Music Points

Weapon Evolution: Audiosonic Axe

+10 HP

+2 Skill Points

Liam looked at these options and knew instantly that he wanted to take the Wildfighter. Generating music points through combat sounded good and he was never afraid to get into the scrap of things.

He confirmed his choice and watched as his character sheet began to change.

You have selected Wildfighter!

You gain +25 HP and 3 Skill Points! You have unlocked the Wildfight Ability Tree.

A bevy of abilities appeared beneath the Wildfighter tree.

Select Two Abilities!

Wildfight:

Record Scratch: Gain +2 Music Points per Successful Hit.

Long Solo: When fighting alone, gain 10 Armor Points.

Difficult Track:  After you take Damage, you gain +1 Music Point.

Extra Chord: Learn a new Chord Ability.

These were interesting options. Liam didn’t think he would be teaming up much in a place like this, so he selected Long Solo. As for the second pick, the Music Points were useful for his G7 Assault, so he grabbed Record Scratch, to get a total of 3 Music Points per hit.

When he was done with those selections, he was given an option of Chord Abilities to choose from.

Select 1 Chord Ability:

A Defense

Description: This powerful chord creates a shield around you, absorbing up to 10 points of damage before breaking. Shield lasts as long as combat.

Cost: 3 Music Points

Em Break

Description: This chord will shred the enemies’ defensive abilities, disrupting any shields and causing Armor Points to fade.

Cost: 5 Music Points

G Strike

Description: The G Strike deals damage to all enemies within 10 feet of you.

Damage: 150

Cost: 1 Music Point

Liam already had access to the G7 Assault, so he decided to go for the Em Break. It would allow him to easily overcome his opponents’ defenses and, better yet, remove their armor, allowing him to tear them to pieces with his axe.

Once he selected the Chord, he was presented with the final option: his skills.

You have 3 Skill Points!

Skills allow you to interact with the Spire in different ways. Some items require skills to be at a certain level in order to be used.

Skills:

Axefighting

Defending

Searching

Trap Disarming

Charging

Scroll Use

Countering

Light Armor

Medium Armor

Heavy Armor

Trapping

Liam looked at the skill options and decided to focus on his combat abilities for now. He put 1 point into Axefighting, 1 into Defending and another into Searching, just in case. He figured that the Search ability would have allowed him to find the trap before it had activated.

Once he finished up, his character sheet transformed to show off his new abilities. Level 1 was looking pretty good. “And just like that, I’m stronger than ever!”

Chapter 4

The Squat Goblins had been guarding an area that led to a large room with swirling waters. There was a long bridge across the water and Liam could see that the key he had been searching for was on the other end. There were no other monsters around, but the green waters below were splashing and swishing, making quite a bit of noise. Perhaps there was something within.

Liam activated his Searching Skill as he walked along the bridge, and sure enough, he discovered that there was a wide beam in the center that was designed to break, causing the person stepping on it to fall down to their possible demise. He didn’t have the Trap Disarming skill and so he made a running jump instead, rushing across the bridge and leaping to the key.

He landed in front of the item, which was sitting on a pedestal, and looked around some more, using his new Searching skill. There was no sign of danger and so he grabbed it.

Miniboss Key obtained! his vision informed him.

A map appeared in front of him and the Fountain Room glowed, showing that the key would lead him further into this Spire. But apparently there was a miniboss involved?

As Liam made his way back, he heard a voice.

“Ah, so that’s where the key is!”

Standing on the edge of the bridge was a tall, lanky fellow who was rather pale. He had in his hands a longsword and looked like he had seen better days.

“Who are you?” Liam asked.

“I am Fenzier,” the man replied. “Just a wayward soul wandering the Spire, like yourself. But unlike you, I will be alive at the end of this conversation.”

And just like that, Fenzier raised his sword and rushed Liam. The rockstar’s Defending skill activated automatically and he blocked the attack with the flat of his axe.

“You just rush people without even saying hi? How rude!” Liam said, retaliating with a strike of his own. He had no bones about throwing down and this man was going to meet his maker soon enough.

“There are no civilians within the Spire, just victims and fighters,” the man replied. He dodged Liam’s attack but barely.

Liam pressed his advantage and brought the axe down, which made Fenzier stumble. The axe slashed across the man and the words 100 Damage, +3 Music Points appeared in his vision.

With the points he had just earned, Liam activated the G7 Assault. He pressed down on the strings and unleashed the chord. A beam of red energy washed over the man, dealing 400 damage, and his assailant stumbled to the ground, dead.

“You should have just asked to come with me,” Liam said as the corpse faded. It left behind a pile of shards, nearly three hundred, and a pair of gauntlets.

Liam examined the item, dismayed to find it required Medium Armor to wear.

Iron Gauntlets: Provides 10 Armor Points.

“Too bad I don’t have the skills for the duds.”

He left the gauntlets on the ground, as he had no backpack to carry them. The shards were decent and he now had 525 of them, enough to hopefully buy some gear if he saw Pasha or one of the other lizard shops in the area.

With the key in hand, Liam headed down the hallway, only to hear a faint whisper follow him. “There’s the man who thinks he can escape,” the voice said. “But little does he know, he’s already dead.”

Liam spun on his heel, ready to silence the culprit, but there was no one around. He kept his axe up, waited for a moment, still nothing happened.

And so he resumed his walk, his senses on high alert, until he stumbled upon a large hole in the wall with a lizardman resting within. A shop!

“Hey, wake up!” Liam said, giving the lizard a little kick in the leg.

The vendor snapped to attention. “Welcome to Hasha’s shop,” he said. “May I interest you in some fine wares?”

“Do you have a backpack?” Liam asked.

“Ahhhh, yes of course. I have a Wanderer’s Pack. Only 400 shards,” the lizardman replied. He gestured towards the right of the shop to where a backpack was hanging. Liam didn’t hesitate one second and eagerly poured the shards into the outstretched hands of the lizard.

“Now we’re in business!” he said, grabbing the bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He considered backpedaling to get the gauntlets, but that strange voice had him second-guessing the decision. Better just leave it to the Spire to clean up after him.

“You seem to be in high spirits,” Hasha said. “Surely you want more? I can get you some very fine explosive powder for only a few hundred more.”

“Afraid I just broke the bank on the backpack,” Liam said. “But I’ll be back later.”

“Oh yes,” Hasha said, hissing a little as he chuckled. “They always say they’ll come back.”

Liam, now armed with a backpack, headed towards the Fountain Room, making his way through the long corridors of the Spire. He was slowly starting to get the hang of things.

There was no hunger in his body, nor was there thirst. It seemed those inconveniences weren’t something to worry about in the Spire. Rather, all he wanted was to continue getting experience so he could level up. Just 450 more points and he’d be Level 2. Perhaps then he’d get some cool defensive abilities.

“Here we are!” a voice said behind Liam, causing him to spin around. But this time again, there was nothing to be seen.

“Come on out, you cowards!” Liam shouted.

His voice echoed down the hallway for a time. He tried to use his Search skill, but that resulted in nothing as well. A shiver ran down his spine as he turned around and hurried to the Fountain Room.

Standing in the room was none other than Frezier, the man whom Liam had defeated earlier. He looked more threadbare now, his gaunt body even paler. Upon seeing Liam, he immediately fled to a door on the south side, rushing his way out as fast as he could.

“Yeah, don’t you forget about me!” Liam shouted after the man. He approached the door with the metal keyhole and produced the key. “Now let’s see what a miniboss is,” he muttered. The key slipped in and the words Room Opened! appeared in his vision.

The doorway opened up, revealing a room full of crystals jutting out of the walls. It was a circular place and Liam couldn’t help but feel awe at the sight of it. As he entered, a large creature dismounted from the ceiling, a spider with gemstones growing out of its back.

A warning appeared. Caution! Miniboss!

Crystal Spider

HP: 700

Liam leapt into action without missing a beat, rushing forward as the spider landed on the ground. It was just a large bug with some crystals in it, so he wasn’t too worried. He slashed with his axe and dealt 100 damage right away, gaining 3 Music Points in the process.

The spider reared back and let out a shriek, before firing a series of webs at Liam. The rockstar tried to leap out of the way but was too slow. A thick webbing wrapped around his shins and calves, rooting him to the ground.

“Damn it!” Liam shouted, and he brought his axe down across his legs to slash through the silky substance.

By then, the spider had lunged at him, but his Defense ability activated and he managed to scurry out of the way. He ran to the side and struck at one of the legs of the monster, dealing another 100 points of damage. His MP increased to 6, meaning it was time to unleash his G7 Assault! The monster roared at him, but he roared back, his fretting hand getting in the proper position.

He strummed the weapon and a wave of music burst from the guitar and struck the monster, dealing a whopping 400 damage in a single blow. The spider staggered and fell back. Before Liam could rush to strike it once more and finish it off, the thing began to transform.

Large crystal spines emerged from the back of the spider, wrapping around the entire body. The monster turned into a crystalline nightmare and the words Heavily Armored! appeared above its head.

Liam went for one of the crystalline legs, but could only deal 1 point of damage. The hit successfully increased his Music Points by 3 though.

The monster raised its leg and smashed downwards, trying to pierce Liam through the chest. He managed to parry the stab with his axe before tossing the leg down and riposting with another furious attack. The axe struck the monster for barely any damage, but that’s not what he was after. He now had enough MP for the Em Break ability.

For someone of his skill, able to play triplet scale runs at speeds exceeding 200 BPM, remembering the chord was as easy as drawing breath. Liam quickly pressed the strings down and swiped with his free hand. A wave of purple energy washed over the spider and the armor melted away.

With the creature now exposed, Liam sent his axe crashing into the side of its head. The horror fell onto its flank, limp and inert.

400 XP gained! his vision informed him while the monster began to fade. You have slain the Miniboss!

A treasure chest appeared where the creature lay dead. Liam grinned. He quickly knelt down before the chest and opened it up. Within lay a silver ring and a pile of shards, a thousand!

Liam eagerly poured the shards into his seemingly endless bag and picked up the ring to inspect it.

Ring of Agility: Grants +2 to Dexterity while worn.

“What’s a rockstar without his pieces, right?” he said, and he slipped the ring on.

A jolt of energy ran through him and his Dexterity increased by 2 points. He felt as if he could easily dodge a hundred spider attacks now. And the XP wasn’t bad either.

A large boulder rolled aside, leading to a new room. Liam decided to check it out.

Chapter 5

Interestingly enough, the passageway led to a large village, where dozens of people were busy going about their days. They had stone houses and huts made of thatch and timber. This was the first time he encountered a society in here and he spotted as sign that read: Brightstone.

In the middle of the activity was a large gleaming stone that glowed with an intense white hue. There was the sound of tinking as a blacksmith hammered away. These were humans, not lizard people, and they all looked away from Liam as he wandered close by.

“Hello?” Liam said to the blacksmith. The burly man stared at him for a moment, his thick mustache curled upwards. He was smoking a long cigar and seemed not to want to acknowledge Liam. But the rockstar was persistent.

“Hey, I’m speaking to you,” Liam said. “Come on, man, what’s going on here?”

“What do you mean, what’s going on? We’re just trying to live our lives, we don’t want no climbers here,” the man said with a dour face. “Climbers mean danger.”

“I’m just trying to sort myself out, what with all the twists and turns here. Where did you all come from?”

The blacksmith scowled. “My name is Henry Pete, others call me Twonames. We all show up the same way, barely a memory of the past in our heads, only this strange tower. Some of us fancy ourselves as climbers at first, but the difficulty of even getting to level two leaves most stranded and discouraged. A few of us found a place with a glowstone and decided to settle down.”

“I’m Liam Drifter,” he replied. “And I happen to be quite the musician. Or I used to be before I came here. Tell me, what happens if someone gets to the top?”

“The top? Ain’t no one around here knows that,” Henry Pete gruffly replied. “If they did, they’d probably be home.”

Home. That didn’t sound too bad. Was the top of the Spire a way home? But then again, Liam had probably been killed by that speaker, so what kind of life would he be returning to? This had to be a new life, a reincarnation into something bigger and perhaps better. “Are there others like me?” he asked.

“They come in every now and then, but they always want to climb. The rules here say no climbers may stay, though I do trade with them every now and then. Shards are as good as any currency from your past life,” Henry said. He looked at Dren’s axe. “I could work to evolve your axe a little, if you had the shards for it.”

“Evolve?” Liam asked.

“Aye, that’s what it’s called when you upgrade a weapon. You won’t be finding some greater weapon just laying around in this place. Armor sure, but not weapons. The thing you find bonds with you and you’ve got to improve it. Of course, that’s only if you want to travel. You’ll find Brightstone is safe enough as it is,” the man replied. “Unless the voices lure you away.”

“I heard some voices following me around earlier,” Liam said. “What do you know about that?”

“Bah, go talk to a mystic if you want to learn more about this place,” the man replied. “I’m not here to give away information. Just trying to make a living.”

“This isn’t much of a life,” Liam shot back. “Living indoors, far away from action and adventure. But how does five hundred shards sound for an evolution?”

That perked up the man’s spirits. Henry Pete nodded at him and let out a few celebratory puffs of cigar smoke. “I suppose for that amount I could take a look at it.”

Liam unslung his axe and placed it in front of the blacksmith. Henry gazed at it and nodded to himself. “Seems that you have a music weapon. Those are for the bardic types. I can add Inspirational Notes to it; those will work just fine…but let’s see the shards first.”

The rockstar took out his shards and poured them into the greedy hands of Henry Pete. The older man grinned at the sight of the money. “I betcha I can buy me a boat for this kind of money.”

“What are you going to do with a boat?” Liam asked.

“There’s an underground lake not far from here, they say the fishing is good,” Henry replied. He took out his hammer and began to bang away on the guitar axe, sparks flying as the man worked.

“It’ll take a few hours,” Henry said as he worked. “If you’re a sporting fellow, there are quests available here. There’s a board by the great stone, with people’s desires listed upon it. Maybe take a gander instead of just gawking at me while I’m busy.”

Liam decided that sounded good. Questing was an interesting idea and he had all the time in the world. He departed from the man and headed to the center of the village, where a large board was waiting for him.

There were handwritten letters tacked to the wooden board and as Liam stared at them, his vision began to adapt them for easy reading.

Quest: The Bird in the Cage

Description: There is a golden finch trapped in the Eastern Hallway, where a foul giant is keeping it as a pet. I wish to see the bird rescued, so that I may capture its likeness with my paint set. After that, we’ll free the bird.

Reward: 500 Shards

XP Bonus: 300

Quest: Dead Letters

Description: I’ve been writing letters to a penpal in the village of Nearly for years but it seems that suddenly he is no longer replying. Nearly is ironically too far for me to travel and I worry about him. Go and find out if he’s okay, though I suppose I will be quite disappointed if he simply tired of my writings.

Reward: Farspeech Rod

XP Bonus: 150

Quest: Refund in Need

Description: Hasha’s Shop has sold me bad ink, the stuff doesn’t last for more than a few minutes. I’ve tried to negotiate with him, but he is simply of the opinion that he doesn’t need to refund me the shards. The money is inconsequential, you can keep it if you manage to get him to pay what is owed.

Reward: 250 Shards

XP Bonus: 50

These three quests all seemed interesting. As Liam reached out towards the board, a woman intercepted, grabbing the Refund one.

“Too slow!” the woman said, snagging the paper before Liam could get it. She was a stunning woman, with long blond hair and sharp red lipstick. She looked as if she were a model, wearing a red trenchoat with black buttons affixed to them.

Liam grinned and tried to speak smoothly. “Hey there, madam, I didn’t see you sneaking up on me, which is a shame because I always try to spot the most beautiful woman in the room.”

“Save your pick up lines for the trolls,” the woman replied. “I’m on a quest-binge and I don’t intend to slow down.”

Liam grabbed the Dead Letters quest, sniping her before she could grab it. “Seems that it’s awful lonely in these parts, even with all these people around,” he said. “Care to join up?”

“Oh please, you’ll be a monster in no time,” the woman said. “I’m Level 4 already and with the XP from these quests, I’ll be able to get past the final boss here. You on the other hand…well, I doubt you’ll make it.”

“I’m Liam Drifter,” he said, not daunted by her playfulness. “Care to share your name?”

“Prescia Stone,” she said. “Like Precious Stone. My father was always big on puns, or so I’d like to remember.”

“You’re not like the others here, you seem full of life and vigor,” Liam said. “What gives?”

“Folks around here have given up on the idea of progress, they instead have decided to simply lay down and die a slow death,” Prescia explained.

She stood back from the board and crossed her arms. “They don’t really want to be here, but find the task of dying a dreadful thing. Most are too afraid to go out and so they huddle here, living shadowy lives. I mean, I know of one person here who actually pays rent! You know why? Just so they can feel normal again. But us climbers, well, we have a much better lot in this world. The Spire is full of secrets and treasure, so many curious things to see. If you look at this place like a death sentence, you can end up terrified. But if you see it as a gift? Well, it’s a place of wonder.”

“Seems mostly empty,” Liam said. “I’ve been wandering for a while and I can’t really find anything of interest.”

“That’s the problem with the regions,” Prescia explained. “You’re in the Doldrums, a grey place with very little. Most who get past the miniboss think that the Spire is a dull and drab place. But trust me, there is color in this world. You just have to keep moving to the north.”

“Speaking of North, any idea where the village of Nearly is?”

Prescia laughed. “It’s quite far from here. But Nearly is a different kind of place. You’ll have to get through another locked door and that means another miniboss. I believe it’s a Volcano Troll that guards the area. Good luck with that.”

Before Liam could ask anything else, such as her number (if phones did exist in this world), Prescia snatched the last quest and turned on her heels, scuttling off.

“Damn, I think I am in love,” Liam said, shaking his head.

He looked down at the scrap of paper in his hand. The Dead Letters quest was the only option he had right now, and she was right. There was no reason to rush his way to the top. Yet, Liam was a ladder climber. He wasn’t going to be like the dullards who were sitting around the great stone, staring upwards in misery. This place was crawling with adventure and he was ready to find it!

Chapter 6

Liam found Henry Pete a few hours after scoping out the town. There were no other climbers, no buildings with signs upon them or shops present. Just people standing around, sweeping the eternally filthy floors and trying to keep busy doing nothing. The town of Brightstone was in a sorrowful state and it was beginning to get to Liam. He felt the urge to explore grow stronger with each passing hour.

“How’s the work going?” Liam asked as he neared the blacksmith.

“Done and done!” Henry said, gesturing to the weapon. “Pick it up and see what’s different.”

Liam reached down and grabbed the axe, lifting it up high. The weapon was pristine now, with a glimmer of magical energies that he was growing used to.

Your Weapon Has Evolved!

Attack: 100 Damage > 150 Damage!

Notes of Inspiration Ability Gained!

Description: After you slay a foe, you gain Inspiration. Inspiration can be used to increase your damage by 50 points when you spend it. Inspiration is lost after each fight.

“Very nice!” Liam said, swinging the weapon in the air. It felt lighter and easier to wield now. “Good work, Henry Pete. I’m officially naming you as my crewman! You’re part of the band!”

“Keep me out of whatever weird band you have going,” Pete replied. “I’m just going to do the work as you pay me.”

“Here’s a little extra for your trouble then,” Liam said, pouring another fifty into the man’s hand. “Don’t say I don’t treat you well.”

“I’m not saying a word about you,” the blacksmith gruffly replied.

Liam decided to respond to this by grabbing the cigar out of the man’s mouth and taking a long drag. The blacksmith grumbled at this and produced another cigar, lighting it with a match.

Liam enjoyed the fine cigar as he headed North, in the direction Prescia had mentioned. His quest was simple: find the village of Nearly and check what was going on. It couldn’t be too hard to find a penpal who had suddenly stopped writing, right?

He left the village of Brightstone behind, though they should really call it Dullstone with how folks around there were just grey and purposeless. On one hand, he could understand needing to take a break from the madness that was the Spire, but how could anyone just settle down and refuse to find answers? Why was this place even here? Was it the afterlife or just another world? It was hard to tell, so Liam continued onwards with his adventure.

He took a long tunnel to the north, making his way carefully and examining his surroundings. Flowers were beginning to grow out of the walls, bright red and yellow carnations that seemed to grow in a matter of seconds. They sprouted out of the rock and bloomed, revealing their vividness that was in contrast to the grey part of what Prescia had called the Doldrums.

You are entering the Wildlands, his vision informed him as he walked. Grass rose up to meet him and soon he was inside of a veritable forest, though there were no trees. Just grass growing on all sides of the Spire walls.

“This is the kind of place I could get used to,” Liam said as he walked across the lush landscape.

A deer leapt in his way and Liam paused to admire it. The creature then shrieked at him, revealing long unhinged jaws that were wide as they were disturbing.

Battle Deer

HP: 400

Before Liam could react, the creature grew long spiked horns and rushed him. He dodged to the right, feeling his feet carry him with extra deftness now that he had the Ring of Agility on. As he evaded the strike, he swung his axe, catching the creature’s right side. This dealt 150 damage and the monster fled, running down another green tunnel.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Liam said, chasing after the battle deer down the corridor.

The monster was fast, and though Liam tried to keep up, he eventually had to give up the chase after a few minutes.

As Liam huffed and puffed, trying to catch his breath, a great mushroom began to sprout out of the ground. It grew to the height of the ceiling, nearly ten feet tall. Behind Liam, vines were rising up too, cutting him off from the way back.

“Oh oh, methinks I ran into a trap,” Liam said as the mushroom let out a deep roar. It had eyes and a pair of large fangs, as well as long muscular arms. The white stemmed arms reached out to seize Liam but he hacked at them.

The axe cut through one of the limbs, severing it, but the mushroom grew another hand that extended towards him at once. Liam tried to get out of the way but was too busy zigging that he couldn’t also zag. One arm missed him but the other grabbed his shirt, lifting him high into the air.

“I wasn’t going to hurt that deer, I was just going to kill it for XP!” Liam shouted as the beast squeezed him.

25 Damage Taken! his vision informed him as he tried to wriggle out of the grasp. That was half of his health! One more squeeze and he’d be done for.

Liam managed to get one limb free and he used it to punch down on the forearm of the creature. Unfortunately, the mushroom monster didn’t even blink. It crushed him within its grasp and, within seconds, Liam was dead.

“Gah!” Liam shouted as he sat up, lying beside the Fountain once more. His gear was still with him but the words You Died! -100 XP appeared in his vision.

“That’s why I didn’t mess with mushrooms in the band,” Liam grumbled as he climbed to his feet. Beside him was a familiar face, Prescia! She was rousing from her slumber as well.

“Urg, it turns out that refund policy is ironclad,” she said, rubbing her head. She squinted at the sight of Liam. “Did you rescue me?”

“Nope, just died,” Liam said, reaching a hand out. Prescia took it and he pulled her to her feet.

“Hasha is not a lizard to be bargained with, that’s for sure,” Prescia said, blinking her eyes. “Damn, I was almost to five but just lost a few hundred.” She looked at Liam for a moment. “What happened to you?”

“Well, I met a deer from my nightmares and then was attacked by a giant mushroom, so you know, a normal day in the Spire,” Liam said.

Prescia laughed at that. “Oh yes, the Wildlands can be quite dangerous. You probably should wait a level or two before you go in there.”

“The Doldrums are too boring,” Liam complained. “There’s nothing around and it’s slightly spooky, what with the voices following me.”

“You aren’t supposed to look back if you hear something calling your name,” Prescia said. “They’re Grey Sprites and they are vicious killers.”

“How long have you been in this place?” Liam asked.

“What’s the point of tracking time? We don’t age, we don’t get hungry and my hair never grows,” she said. “No reason to think about anything other than exploration. And perhaps not pissing off a lizard man.”

Liam nodded sympathetically at that. “Well, what’s there to do in the Doldrums?”

“Monster hunting is good here,” she said. “You should probably focus on finding a few easy fights. The rooms change after you die, so there should be fresh creatures to take on.”

Liam looked over at the opened passageway. “Does the miniboss come back too?”

“Nope, after you defeat it, you are good to go to the next area,” she said. “It is a strange thing though. Everyone sees the keys and the gates, but even if you’re with someone who can get past the room, unless they’ve fought the miniboss, they only see a great fog wall.”

“Weird, it’s like this place has a mind of its own,” Liam said. “Well, my offer still stands. Care to adventure together?”

“No thanks,” she said. “I’m going back to Hasha to see what I can do about getting that refund. Good luck on your adventure.”

And with that Prescia walked off to the west. “I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you walk away!” Liam called after her.

The woman swaggered a little more. “Damn right you do.”

Chapter 7

Liam chose to linger in the Doldrums a while longer. He scoured the eastern hallways, hoping to find something—anything—of interest. But after hours of searching, frustration crept in. This is a waste of time.

Just as he was about to give up, a sound caught his attention. A faint rushing noise, like wind moving through unseen cracks.

His Search skill had activated.

Liam froze, listening closely. The sound wasn’t random; it was coming from inside the wall. A hidden air current. Which could mean only one thing: a secret door.

A grin spread across his face.

Gripping his axe, he gave the wall an experimental tap. Hollow. Without hesitation, he pulled back and swung. Wood splintered as the hidden door, painted to blend in with the cobblestone, shattered under the force of his strike.

Beyond the broken facade lay a vast chamber. And at its center, coiled on the cold stone floor, was a massive feathered serpent.

The creature’s iridescent scales shimmered in the light, its piercing eyes locking onto Liam. But it didn’t strike. Instead, it spoke.

“Ahhh, so I have another visitor,” the snake said, lifting its head in interest. “You seem to be not quite like the others. I smell…music upon you. A Wildfighter with the power of musical mayhem.”

“And you seem to be a giant serpent,” Liam said. “Are we going to fight?”

The snake chuckled and lowered its head. “Oh no, I’m not a monster here. Just a resident of the Spire, living his life as best he can.”

Liam couldn’t help but notice that there was a treasure chest the serpent was curled around. He felt an urge to take it. “Anything I can do to get that chest from you?” Liam asked.

“Why, yes, if you’re the questing type,” the serpent replied. It raised its tail and flicked it to the west, where a door was waiting. “There within lies a Cruel Bird, a terrible monster that has tried to predate upon me. I’ve been trying to get it out of my lair, but until then, I decided to simply wrap myself around this treasure chest. I figured some enterprising climber would come in and want it…and well here you are.”

“I’ll take care of this bird for you, no problem,” Liam said, brandishing his axe. “But just to be sure, you won’t try and eat me after I’m done?”

“Oh, perish the thought,” the snake hissed. “I’m not a monster, like I’ve said. Just a magical serpent who was placed here to guide people through the Spire.”

“Then you can tell me what is this place,” Liam said.

“Oh, I’ll tell you all about that if you can manage to kill my predator,” the serpent replied.

Liam didn’t need much else of an excuse to go hunting. He raised his axe in a salute to the serpent and made his way to the western door. It opened easily enough, revealing a large dull cavern where a pile of bones was stacked up high.

Resting atop the bones was a large owl-like bird, but not quite an owl for it had long skinny legs like a stork. It was resting, eyes shut. Liam decided to try a stealthy approach. He walked up to it, slow and careful, to climb atop the bones.

As he made his ascent, one of the skeletal arms reached out and grabbed him by the ankle. “Hey! Alarm! Alarm!” a skull said, its eyes burning with white fire inside.

The bird’s great yellow eyes opened up immediately and it took to the air, extending its stork-like legs and shrieking at Liam.

“Narc!” Liam shouted, breaking free of the skeleton’s arm. The bird monster’s health appeared.

Cruel Bird

500 HP

“Oh, you are one nasty creature,” Liam said as the creature swooped down towards him, its long talons extended. He scrambled to the top of the bone mound and slashed with all his might. The monster shrieked as the axe connected and severed one of its legs, dealing 150 damage. Music Points flooded Liam’s system and he immediately flipped the axe over, preparing to waylay the monster with a burst of music.

As he tried to activate his G7 Assault, the Cruel Bird let out its own call. Sonic waves washed over Liam, neutralizing his spell. Audio blocked! his vision informed him.

“Damn you!” Liam shouted right as the bird raked over him, dealing 15 damage.

He dropped down behind the mound of skeletons, avoiding another attack as the bird flew overhead. With axe in hand, he waited a moment before the bird circled around and decided to test his dexterity.

Liam leapt onto the back of the bird as it dove down again, straddling the creature with his legs. The monster spread its wings out wide and did a barrel roll, trying to get the climber off of him, but failed miserably.

With the back of the bird’s head exposed, Liam raised his axe and buried it into the monster’s neck. Another 150 damage dropped it down to 200 HP. The Cruel Bird shrieked and dove further down the mound, circling around it and turning at the last moment to expose Liam to the side of the bone mountain.

Liam moved to the right, narrowly avoiding having his head raked against the wall of skeletal mass. He swung his axe again and again. The third strike buried itself into the back of the monster’s skull and it became limp at once.

Liam leapt off the creature, grabbing onto the skeleton arms as it plummeted to the ground. 300 XP Gained! appeared in his vision as the monster faded away, leaving behind nothing but a single brown plume.

“I was hoping you’d die,” the skeleton’s head said as Liam descended down to grab the plume. Cruel Bird Feather Obtained! his vision informed him.

“And if you weren’t dead, I’d hope you die too,” Liam replied, wiping the sweat from his brow. An indicator popped up in his vision, informing him that he had leveled up.

You have Leveled Up! You are now Level 2!

+25 HP Gained!

+3 Skill Points Gained!

Select Two Abilities!

Wildfight:

Difficult Track:  After you take Damage, you gain 1 Music Point.

Extra Chord: Learn a new Chord Ability.

Amplitude: You may spend 5 Music Points to double your damage.

Fire Song: Your Chord Attacks can become Fire Based for 1 extra Music Point.

Electric Hum: Your Chord Attacks can become Electric Based for 1 extra Music Point.

Liam looked at the options available and considered what to choose. Amplitude would double his damage, though at the cost for 5 MP. When used in conjunction with his G7 assault, he’d be able to deal 600 points of damage for the cost of 8. Not a bad idea, especially when he was gaining Music Points for each strike that he landed.

He selected it and then considered Extra Chord for the next option. More abilities was never a bad idea, especially when starting out.

Though there was the worry of the troll coming back sometime soon. A Fire Song would make for a blazing show, perhaps even igniting his foes on fire.

Hmm, what to choose? In the end, he decided to grab Fire Song instead of Extra Chord, seeing as he could already pick a new chord with his level up.

You Gain 1 New Chord!

A Defense

Description: This powerful chord creates a shield around you, absorbing up to 10 points of damage before breaking. Shield lasts as long as combat.

Cost: 3 Music Points

G Strike

Description: The G Strike deals damage to all enemies within 10 feet of you.

Damage: 150

Cost: 1 Music Point

Major Shift

Description: This tonal shift allows for you to increase the strength of your next Chord. Activating it causes the next Chord you use to deal an additional +200 Damage.

Cost: 1 Music Point

Minor Lift

Description: When you play this Chord, you gain the ability to leap up 10 feet.

Cost: 2 Music Points

E7 Burst

Description: Releases a wave of audio cacophony that stuns a target for 30 seconds.

Cost: 5 Music Points

These were all useful in different ways, though E7 Burst was clearly the winner despite how expensive it was. Liam selected the ability and then tuned into the skills section to see what he should improve.

Skills:

Axefighting

Defending

Searching

Trap Disarming

Charging

Scroll Use

Countering

Light Armor

Medium Armor

Heavy Armor

Trapping

Trap Disarming was a must. There were too many things within the Spire that were threats hidden. Liam put one point in it, just to grab the option, and then he put another two points into Axefighting. No reason not to focus on a full offense when it came to fighting for his life, right?

Chapter 8

Liam returned to the room with the feathered serpent, carrying the proof of his deed in hand. He waved the feather at the massive creature.

“Behold!” Liam said. “I have slain the bird and that means you are free to return to your lair. Now how about that treasure chest, eh?”

“Mhmmmm,” the snake said, its large eyes blinking a few times as it uncoiled itself. “So you have slain the cruel bird?”

“Dead as a doornail!”

“Then I should get moving,” the giant snake said. It blinked a few more times and grinned, revealing two massive fangs. “But the trip is going to be so long. Perhaps I should have a snack to keep me going.”

“Ah, come on,” Liam groaned as the snake raised itself up and lunged towards him.

He tried to escape the bite but was too slow. The thing sank its fangs around his right leg and the words 10 Armor lost! appeared in his vision. The attack wasn’t strong enough to penetrate the armor he gained from his solo fighting ability. Neat!

Liam clutched his axe and aimed for the creature’s head, the weapon raking across its skull. The monster took 150 damage but Liam could see the creature had 900 more points to go.

“Damn you!” Liam shouted, shaking his leg free. “I’ll turn you into a pair of boots!”

The snake recoiled and prepared for another attack, but Liam already had his fingers down on the strings, ready to try out his new chord, as he had 9 MP, plenty to use.

He played the E7 Burst, sending a wave of chaotic sound towards the serpent. The monster couldn’t get out of the way, it was simply too big and the words Stunned 30 seconds appeared above its head.

Liam followed with his G7 Assault, his fingers moving to the right frets effortlessly. The song solidified and a burst of red energy struck the monster, dealing 300 damage. He only had 1 MP left and so he rushed into the fray, eager to use his axe to finish the job.

His first two strikes granted him 6 more Music Points as the creature helplessly stood in front of him. But by the time he had crossed the gap and slashed twice, the snake monster had recovered from the stun.

It glared at him and some strange magic began to overcome him. He tried to resist but the snake hissed in a rhythmic pattern, causing him to lose total control over his body.

“That’s right, relax,” the snake hissed. “Relax, it will soon be over.” It opened up its jaws wide to devour Liam. But as it was about to close them down, there was a loud thunk thunk that came from its back. The snake shrieked and rolled over, bleeding profusely, two arrows lodged in its flank.

Liam recovered from his trance and glanced over to see there was a man standing there, bow in hand. The fellow wore a green tunic and a Robin Hood type of hat, quiver at his side and a bevy of arrows within.

“You okay friend?” the man asked, sheathing his bow now that the monster was dead.

300 XP Gained! appeared in Liam’s vision as he turned to face the stranger. “I was almost devoured, I’m pretty far from okay!”

“No worries,” the man said. “You’d just return to the fountain, only to start all over again.”

“I appreciate the assist,” Liam replied, walking up to shake the man’s hand. “Damn monster was more than eager to use me to kill its foe and then devour me.”

“Nothing in the spire is as it seems,” the man replied. “I’m Forsen, archer extraordinaire.”

“Liam Drifter, musical prodigy and Wildfighter,” Liam said. They shook hands for a moment.

Forsen glanced at where the corpse of the monster snake had been. There was nothing there now but some scales and, of course, the chest. “To be honest, I didn’t quite see you there until after I fired,” Forsen said. “Not that I mind rescuing you but that treasure chest was something I was looking for…”

“I went through a hell of an ordeal getting that chest,” Liam said. “But I see no reason we can’t split it.”

Tension rose in the air as the archer considered this. “I don’t think so. I saved your life and that saved you a trip back to the fountain. Had you died, I would get access to the whole thing, so really…” he trailed off.

Liam shook his head. “Come on, man, I softened that thing up quite a bit. I almost had it dead to rights until it hypnotized me. There’s no telling that you would have been able to beat it on your own.”

“That’s a fair point,” Forsen said. “Very well, we can split the contents, but I get to choose first.”

“Aren’t you full of demands?” Liam grumbled. They both walked over to the chest and opened it, revealing a thousand shards as well as two objects. The first was a potion, a green bottle that had some murky liquid within. His vision identified it as a healing potion, capable of restoring 25 points when consumed. The second was a Bracelet of Aim, improving the damage of any attacker by 15.

“Bracelet!” the man said, snatching it quickly. “Sorry, but I need all the damage boosts I can get.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Liam grumbled, splitting the shards in half and grabbing the potion.

“No reason to be sore, friend,” Forsen said. “There’s plenty of loot to be found in the Spire. As for me, I’m heading to face the miniboss. Good luck on your adventures!”

Liam waved at the man, though secretly cursing him for taking the good item. Forsen walked over the snake scales and made his way out the exit.

The rockstar bent down and picked up the scales. Feathersnake Scales found! his vision informed him. Eventually these would have to be worth something.

As Liam turned to leave the area, he noticed a strange stone embedded in one of the walls. Curious, he walked up to examine it. The stone glowed with a faint energy and there was a mural upon it.

There were hundreds of people gathered around the Spire. As Liam stared at it, words began to form in his head.

And so the great keeper put the people to task. They gathered from all ends of the world, souls rejected from the heavens above and hells below. He demanded much from them and they gave their energy to build a place for them to congregate. The great gem at the top would earn it the nickname…the Spire.

Lore Stone Found! 100 XP Gained! Liam’s vision informed him.

This was an interesting discovery. A lore stone that conveyed the past of the Spire. Apparently they had built it…for some reason. Perhaps simply to congregate, but how did things turn out so poorly? Liam wanted to know more. He decided to seek out as many of these stones as he could, hopefully to learn exactly where he was and why.

Chapter 9

Liam wandered for a time, moving through the various rooms of the Doldrums. The secret passage had not led to anywhere of interest beyond the chest and the snake, so he headed back towards the village of Brightstone.

As he traveled, he heard a scuffle ahead. There was a loud ‘oof’ followed by the sound of fighting. Liam turned the corner to see what was going on. There was a swarm of Squat Goblins, surrounding a woman who wore long white robes. She had a staff with a crook at the end, curled slightly and with a bell hanging from it.

“Help!” she cried out, pointing towards Liam.

Liam didn’t need any further invitation. He rushed into the fray. There were four Squat Goblins and they were busy trying to stab her, only to be repelled by a magical shield that wrapped around her. Liam slashed his axe at one of them, striking true and dropping it in one blow.

Notes of Inspiration Active! You are Inspired! his vision said as music played in the background. It was a heavy metal riff in drop D, something that he used to play with his band all the time. With the music getting him into the zone, he swung at another goblin, though it scurried out of the way.

Two leapt at him, spears aimed at his ankles. He tried to fend them off but took 10 damage for his trouble, dropping his HP to 40. He kicked one of them back and swung his axe down hard, cleaving the monster in half. Another point of Inspiration was added, bringing his attack to 250.

The remaining goblins tried to flee but Liam wouldn’t let them. He hacked one down and finished off the last with a burst of musical mayhem. The goblins faded and he gained 100 XP. It seemed that he gained less now that he was a higher level.

“Are you okay?” Liam asked, turning to face the woman. She was wounded and now resting on the cobblestone ground, clutching her side.

“They jumped me,” the woman said, looking up at him. There was fear on her face. “I was almost killed again.”

“Good thing I was here,” Liam said, reaching a hand down to help her up. She refused and looked down at the ground.

“Just leave me here. I deserve to die.”

“Woah!” Liam said, squatting beside her. “Don’t say something like that.”

“I’m useless, I’m just a healer without a group. My last group was massacred by the miniboss and I barely got out alive. I mean I defeated it but without them…I’m useless.”

“You can’t find them again?” Liam asked.

“They were already fighting each other most of the time,” she said. “They almost certainly left me behind.”

Liam frowned. The poor woman seemed to be in a bad way and he couldn’t just leave her behind.

“You can’t give up,” he said. “Life isn’t worth abandoning just because you lost a few of your teammates. Come on, get back up and let’s go.”

“I don’t have the key to the next area,” she said. “I can’t even get out.”

“Then I’ll chaperone you!” Liam said. He puffed out his chest proudly. “Trust me, I know how to handle things. We just find you the key and I’ll even help you fight the miniboss.”

“But I’m just Level 1,” she said. “Why would you help me?”

“Well, you’re in need and I’m strong enough to handle my own,” he replied. “No reason we can’t team up, especially if you’re a healer.”

“I can’t just accept your charity, you’re a complete stranger…”

“I’m Liam,” he replied. “And you are?”

“Kaida,” she said. “I was a doctor in my past life. Things were going great there but then I felt a stinging in my chest and then I woke up here. I’ve been wandering for who knows how long.”

“If you can heal me in a fight, then I think you’ll be an excellent partner,” Liam said. He reached down and stuck out his hand. “Don’t give up.”

“Do you think there’s a way out of this place?” Kaida asked, her eyes pleading with him. “I just want to go back home.”

“Well, I don’t know if there is a way out,” Liam replied. The honesty burned her. “But there’s nothing that says we’re stuck here. Worst case scenario, the top of the Spire just lets us leave.”

“Who were you, before all of this?” she asked as she took his hand. Her fingers were soft and ginger compared to Liam’s rough calloused palms. He hoisted Kaida up and she dusted herself off, her face still low.

“I was a musician,” he replied. “A metal singer and performer. It seems in here I have the power to unleash musical mayhem upon my foes.”

“It’s a strange way to fight, playing music in a battle,” she said. “But at least you haven’t tried to rob me. There are so many climbers here who want to take shortcuts.”

Kaida has joined your Party! his vision informed him.

Level: 1

Class: Healer

Stats:

Strength: 1

Dexterity: 1

Intelligence: 4

Constitution: 1

Magic: 5

HP: 10

Magic Points: 10

Abilities:

Healing Burst

Description: A powerful spell that heals a Target by 10 points.

Cost: 2 Magic Points

Cure Status

Description: Immediately removes a Status from a Target, ending all negative effects.

Cost: 5 Magic Points

Skills:

Healing: 1

Staff Fighting: 1

Spellcasting: 2

Equipment:

Crooked Staff

Damage: 50

This was interesting. He could now see all of her stats, including her skills. She was a dedicated healer and her damage was terribly low. How could a poor thing like her survive on her own? Liam was no stranger to having people around; he often toured in a cramped bus for weeks at a time. Even though he gained armor for solo fighting, she had the ability to heal damage. And that was worth quite a bit, compared to the dinky potion in his bag.

“Come on,” Liam said, waving her on. “Let’s go find the key so you can come with me.”

“Where do you want to go?” she asked, looking left and right. The Doldrums were empty and spacious.

Liam shrugged and pointed at a random door on the side of the wall. “That one’s as good as any.”

They walked together through the door, revealing a large room with buzzsaws sticking out of the walls and floor. The saws were humming, moving left to right. In the center of the room was a large pedestal with a box on it. It looked sort of like a Rubik’s cube, with panels on all sides.

“No key,” Kaida said. “We should go.”

“And pass up that cube? Who knows what it can do,” Liam said. “We can get past the sawblades, we just have to time it right.”

“There’s a trap here, I just know it,” Kaida replied. “We should go.”

Liam frowned. “Look, you can’t just run from your problems. This place is as good as any and you need to get more XP. Hell, we both need it. Treasure, armor, items, there’s so much that could be in this room. Are you really just going to give up because of a few measly traps?”

“I can’t think about anything other than getting cut in half,” she said, pressing herself back against the door they had come out of.

Liam shrugged and turned to face the blades. They were moving back and forth quickly so he had to time it right. He counted two seconds between each blade. That was enough for a dash. He crouched down into a sprinting position and slung his axe over his back.

“I’ll show you what it means to have courage,” he said. He counted one, two and then sprinted, running as fast as he could across the floor.

The blade came back from its side, buzzing violently, but he was through in the blink of an eye. “You see?” he said. “No worries! Now let’s see what this box is.”

He turned his back to the healer and approached the small cube. It had white on one side and blue on the other. Liam picked it up curiously, only to hear a grinding noise in the walls.

Immediately, the walls began to close in, the sawblades on the sides still in place.

“Look out, Liam!” Kaida shouted.

“Ah crap!” Liam said as he took the cube in hand and fled back to where he came from. The walls came closing in and a sawblade almost took his head off. He scrambled through the narrow gap in the walls, barely missing the ground blade as it circuited back to where it came from.

Liam collapsed onto the ground, laying face first in front of Kaida. “See?” he said, lifting up the box. “No problem at all!”

Chapter 10

The box was a mystery. Liam tried to open it up but nothing would come of it. Kaida watched him curiously as he twisted, tapped and pried, trying to get the thing to reveal its contents. There was something inside and he could hear it rattling around as he handled the cube.

“I know, I’ll smash it open!” he said, taking out his axe and dropping the box on the ground. Before he could do that, Kaida bent down and gingerly picked it up.

“I think I know how to open it,” she said. “Look, there are holes in the sides. If you just push your fingers in on both…”

There was a click and the box’s top opened up.

“Son of a bitch!” Liam swore. “I tried for like ten minutes and you get it in one go?”

“My intelligence is higher…” she said. “Er, not to brag or put you down.”

“Who needs intelligence when you have an axe to grind?” Liam replied.

The box had a small key inside of it; it was bright yellow.

You have Found the Yellow Key! Find the Gate to Gain Treasure! his vision informed him.

“Seems to lead somewhere,” Kaida said. “I think I saw a yellow gate to the south when I was traveling alone.”

“Then let’s get going!” Liam replied. “Look at that, we just started working together and we’re already complementing each other’s strengths. I’m the brawn and you’re the brains. Perfect match.”

“If I had any brains, I would have been able to avoid coming here,” Kaida grumbled.

Liam let her take the lead, following her down a winding series of corridors until they made it to a door at the end of a hallway.

“I saw it in here last,” she said. “But the way things shift around, there’s no telling what’s on the other side.”

Liam listened for a moment and could hear a faint song in the background. “Troll on patrol! Troll Patrol!” the voice sang out in a gravely tone. “Looking for people to eat and maybe even a soul!”

“Ah great, it’s that troll again,” Liam said. “Are you ready for a fight?”

“No!” Kaida gasped. “Not ready at all.”

“Just stay back and use your healing abilities if I need them,” Dren said.

He readied his axe and opened the door to reveal a large frozen room, with snow piled up everywhere. On the opposite end of the door was a yellow gate, glowing with a faint magical energy. He could see the keyhole easily enough.

Standing in the center of the room was a blue troll, the monster eagerly chopping up the body of a dead climber. He looked up to see Liam and grinned, revealing his long jaws and fangs.

“Oh boy! Time to eat something delicious! Fresh meat is better than frozen!”

“You want fresh?” Liam shouted. “I’ll give you fresh!”

He had enough Music Points from the last fight to activate the Fire Song ability. He played a scale and immediately the axe burst into flames. The troll, that had 600 HP, rushed him, stomping on the ground as it dragged a large meat cleaver through the snow.

Liam waited a moment and unleashed the G7 Assault, the music combining with the fire sound. He shredded hard, ending in a full bend right as flames came pouring out of the axe. Waves of fire washed over the troll, dealing 300 damage.

Regeneration Disabled! appeared above the troll and Liam rushed in to close the distance. The tall monster swung its cleaver at him but he was able to dodge out of the way, rolling through the cold snow to avoid the attack.

The monster lunged forward a few feet and looked around, perplexed. “Where’d you go?” he asked as Liam came up behind him, axe already slicing at the monster’s flank. The sharp edge embedded into the troll’s skin and the creature fell to one knee.

“Arrrg!” it said as it ate 150 points of damage. Liam had gained 3 more MP and he quickly flipped the axe down to play another fire song. Flames washed over the back of the troll and the creature dropped to the ground, dead.

You’ve gained 200 XP! his vision informed him as the troll faded away.

“See? Nothing to it!” Liam said. He looked around but Kaida was nowhere to be found.

The troll had left behind a small silver sword and Liam examined it.

Silver Blade of Servanus

Description: Servanus was a powerful climber who was said to have used silver in everything he carried. He was famed for his ability to fight vampires.

Damage: 100

Bonus: +1 Strength

The damage was lower than his own axe but it did grant a strength bonus. A shame he couldn’t wield it, but hey, it was treasure all the same. Liam tossed it into his backpack and went looking for the healer.

He found Kaida hiding in the hallway, sitting on the ground, arms around her knees. She was shaking violently.

“Is it over?” she asked as Liam knelt down beside her.

“It sure is,” he said. “That troll was no match for me. Why’d you run?”

“I thought for sure he’d kill you. And it would be my fault,” the woman said. “I’m not good enough to follow you, just go and get the treasure then leave. I’m useless.”

“No one in the band is useless, not even the bassist,” Liam replied. He reached out and gently touched her cheek. “You can’t hide from a place like this. You’re stuck here, one way or the other. You can either just check out and become a dullard or monster, or you can rise up and become the star you really are.”

“What makes you so sure we’ll survive?” she asked. “What if there’s a limit to how many times you can come back?”

“Then we won’t die, easy enough,” Liam said. “Don’t just give up. You have to stand on your own two feet, or else you’ll end up truly trapped. Trapped in your own fears and mediocrity. Did you even get any XP?”

“No, none,” she said.

“Then you’re weaker!” Liam said. “You could have gotten some good points if you had stayed. I didn’t take any damage, but if I had, I would have needed you. Are you really someone who would abandon your party member in a fight?”

Kaida listened to that for a moment and sighed. “I am. I’m a coward. I don’t want to be here, Liam. I’m just a doctor who somehow ended up in this hellhole.”

“Look, I don’t know how the Spire works, but there’s a big chance this is all some kind of test. A test of mettle and of our metal. If you keep fleeing, you won’t be able to discover why you’re here to begin with,” Liam said. The words sank into the woman’s ears and she sighed.

“I just want it to stop.”

“The only way out is through,” Liam replied. “Now get up and let’s go get some treasure.”

“You aren’t mad at me?” Kaida asked.

“As long as you get up, I won’t be,” he promised.

Kaida took a deep breath and slowly rose. There was a strange beauty to her sadness. She was a glum healer, afraid of the world. Liam couldn’t help but feel a fierce desire to protect her no matter what. He was fine with being in the Spire; if it was the afterlife, then it was better than going to some kind of lame heaven where he got everything he wanted. But maybe he could help her get to the top and escape. She didn’t deserve to be in a place like this.

“Look, I’m going to the top of the Spire someday,” Liam said. “I’ve got the guts and the strength to do it. If you follow me, you might be able to get out of here.”

“Some say there is no escape,” Kaida said.

“Only one way to find out, right?”

They walked together for some time, crossing the frozen wasteland that had endless wind whipping across it. They approached the yellow door and Liam produced the key. Kaida backed up a few feet.

“I’ve heard there are fake doors that devour you,” she said.

“Bah, who cares? I’ll just beat it to death and get more points.” Despite his bravado, Liam rapped a knuckle against the door to see if anything would happen. The door was silent and inert.

He placed the key into the hole and the door immediately unlocked. He swung it open to find no treasure. Instead, it was a small room with a large stone slab on the opposite side of them. Upon the slab were three hand symbols etched into the wall.

“No treasure,” Kaida said as she cautiously approached the wall. “But look at these.”

One hand was gesturing with a fist up, the other was a finger pointing down and the third was a familiar sign, the metal horns that Liam had been such a fan of when living as a rockstar.

“Seems easy enough,” Liam said. “We have to beat the stone, point downwards and then rock out!”

“Or maybe we just copy the gestures,” Kaida said.

She raised her hand in a fist, then pointed down and threw up the horns. The stone began to rumble at this and slowly it lowered, revealing a large metal chest.

“That was easy as far as puzzles go,” Liam said. “I mean, I was going to try the gestures things too.”

“Sure you were,” Kaida said. She stepped behind Liam. “Well, open it up.”

Liam looked around, using his Searching skill. He didn’t pick up any hint of danger and so he opened the chest.

Within was a gleaming bar of gold, as well as a pair of gauntlets.

“Do you think they take gold at the shops?” Liam asked as he grabbed the bar. It shimmered with a magical energy and the words Mold Gold appeared above it.

Mold Gold

Description: This magical gold is capable of forming into anything you place it upon. It is capable of adding armor or increasing damage of a weapon.

Steel Gauntlets

Requirement: Heavy Armor Rank 3

Provides +10 Armor

Liam tossed the gauntlets into his backpack and then looked at the gold. All he needed to do was press it upon his axe, so he decided to lay it across the handle.

The mold gold immediately wrapped around the handle and the words Weapon Upgrade! +50 Damage appeared in his vision.

“Well, take a look at that!” Liam said, showing off the shining metal of his axe. Now he was able to deal 200 per hit, that was as strong as his G7 assault. “See? I told you there was nothing to worry about.”

Chapter 11

Liam and Kaida wandered through the dim corridors, searching room after room, but found nothing but dust and silence. Hours slipped by without an encounter, the emptiness stretching between them.

Kaida remained eerily quiet, and Liam, for once, had nothing to say.

The silence followed them like a shadow until they entered a circular chamber—and there it was.

“There!” Liam’s voice broke the quiet as he pointed ahead.

The room was carved into the rock, its center dominated by a gaping pit. Suspended above it, a key dangled from a rusted chain, swinging ever so slightly. Opposite them, atop a precarious cliff, a massive boulder rested as if waiting for an excuse to drop.

Kaida crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. “The moment we grab it, that trap will activate.”

“No worries, I have a rank in Trap Disarming!” Liam said as he quickly approached the chain. The key was familiar, he had seen it before. It would open up the passage to the miniboss, that terrible crystal spider that blocked Kaida’s passage to the town of Brighstone.

As Liam examined the key, he followed the chain upwards until he saw what would happen. There was a single wedged stone beneath the boulder, keeping it in place. Pulling on the key would cause the stone to yank free as well, releasing the boulder to roll down upon them.

“Give me a boost,” Liam said as he walked up to the cliff where the boulder was precariously perched.

“I’m not so sure about this…” Kaida said as she stood beneath the cliff, interlocking her fingers to offer a support for Liam to climb. He stepped onto her hands and she struggled to lift him. The height was enough for him to analyze the trap though. There was a thin string that just needed to be cut; this would allow them to grab the key without triggering the mechanism.

Liam carefully took out the silver short blade and raised it up to the string. “Alright, this should work…” he said. As he slashed, the words Trap Disarming Skill Too Low! Rank 3 Required! appeared in his vision. Oh boy.

There was a twang and immediately the wedged stone fell loose. The boulder began to roll and Liam dodged down, grabbing Kaida who was trying to flee. He pressed her and himself against the wall and the boulder rolled over the top, moving straight towards where the key was.

“Well, that is one way to disarm a trap,” Liam said.

“We’re not safe yet!” Kaida cried. The room was circular, allowing the boulder to roll up the other side and back down towards them.

“Run!” Liam shouted, forgetting everything about being clever. The pair split in two directions and bolted as the boulder came crashing back towards them. It rolled upwards some more, gaining momentum and changing direction.

Kaida fell onto the ground, tripping over her own two feet. As if sensing this, the boulder angled towards her and began to pick up speed.

“Help!” Kaida cried as she scrambled to get back up.

Liam made a dead run for her. He scooped her off the ground and slung her over his shoulder as the boulder whizzed past them. The air rushed beside them but the boulder turned a corner and rolled in a direction that wasn’t them.

“Key, get the key!” Kaida cried as Liam sped up. She was a bit heavier than she looked and Liam was gasping for breath. He ran under the silver chain and grabbed the key before hightailing it to the door.

They made it out as the boulder continued to endlessly move, crashing up and down, smashing into wall after wall.

“Whew!” Liam said, dropping the woman onto the ground. “That was…well, that could have gone better in a lot of ways.”

“No kidding! I thought you said you could disarm traps!” Kaida said, climbing to her feet and dusting her robes off. “You almost got us killed!”

“But we didn’t die, so really…I think I did a good job,” Liam said, holding up the key. “Now you can enter the miniboss room and we can take out the crystal spider.”

“Spider? The last thing I faced was a giant crab-creature with iron pincers,” Kaida said. “The monsters change when you die as well. Or did you forget?”

Liam shrugged. “Spider, crab, I’ll fight whatever. Doesn’t matter.”

“You are perpetually confident,” Kaida said. “I wish I could have your level of strength.”

“Did I hear someone had a key?” a familiar voice said. Emerging from one of the halls was Forsen. He had his bow drawn and was aiming straight at them.

“Hey man, put that down!” Liam said.

Forsen snickered. “Come on, don’t be so dense. I’ve been looking for that key for quite some time. Hand it over and I won’t shoot.”

“If you shoot, I’m going to shred you to pieces,” Liam said. “I already had one climber think he was tougher. You don’t have a shot in hell.”

Kaida was silent, dropping her staff and raising her hands.

“Maybe I don’t need to shoot you,” Forsen said, aiming his bow at the woman. “Maybe I can just take her down instead.”

Liam stepped in the way, pushing his chest out. “You’re a real asshole, man. First you take the good treasure after claiming to help me, now you’re robbing me?”

“I’ve been looking all over for the treasure,” the man replied. “What do you think I’m going to do? Just let you waltz past me?”

“You could always join us,” Liam said. “No reason to sink to the lowest common denominator.”

The man paused for a moment. “Nah, I’d rather shoot you.”

And with that, he fired. The arrow struck Liam right in the gut and he groaned as he took 20 damage. His HP dropped to 30 but he wasn’t too badly injured or incapacitated, and so he rushed forward and slashed his axe at the man. Drawing a knife, Forsen dodged out of the way and stabbed at Liam.

Liam blocked the blade with his axe and felt a strange sensation wash across him. His wounds! The damage was beginning to heal itself! From the corner of his eye, he could see Kaida casting a spell. Finally, she was contributing!

Liam felt strength rush through him and he swung once more, this time striking true. Forsen fell to the ground, writhing as he succumbed to 200 points of damage.

“That arrow didn’t seem to do too much,” Liam said while the man faded away. He left nothing behind but both he and Kaida gained 200 XP.

“You knew that man?” the healer asked as she approached the area where the man vanished.

“Forsen is his name, he claimed to help me but was just after some treasure,” Liam said. “You’d think that with such low hit points he’d be inclined to a more friendly disposition. But some people just look for shortcuts in life.”

“I’ve been robbed so many times,” Kaida said. “But you stood up to him.”

“Well, you healed me,” Liam replied. “So really, we took him down together.”

“I was ready to hand it over,” Kaida said. She paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “I think I have enough points to level. Give me a minute, will you?”

Liam nodded at that and waited. The woman took a few minutes and finished. “I’ve gained a new spell,” she said. “Take a look!”

Fast Runner

Description: Grants the recipient of the spell +2 Dex for the duration of 1 minute.

Cost: 2 Magic Points

“That would have come in handy for the buzzsaw room,” Liam replied.

Chapter 12

Thanks to Kaida’s healing abilities, Liam was back to full health in a matter of no time. Her magic recovered every few hours, regenerating slowly as opposed to Liam’s abilities. He was starting to feel like he was getting the hang of being in the Spire. While Kaida saw the place as a deadly nightmare with no end, he was starting to have fun.

The encounter with that other climber had been brief and yet Liam couldn’t help but notice that the man’s attacks had been much weaker. Had there been more space between them, he might have been able to snap off a few more arrows, sure, but in melee, the man was practically useless. The Wildfighter class gave Liam the brawn and the toughness to overwhelm his foes. With two hundred points of damage per hit, he could probably take down much higher level climbers.

The pair traveled back to the Fountain Room, where Forsen was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a familiar face was waiting. It was Prescia.

The woman was washing her face in the waters and Liam could see that she had been in quite the scrap. Her red trenchcoat was torn at the sleeve and she was grumbling about something.

“Die again?” Liam merrily asked as they approached.

“Not quite,” she said. “I was running from a ghoul. Fiendish undead creature that tore my cloak.”

“Who are you?” Kaida asked.

“Prescia,” the woman replied. “I’d shake your hand but I’m filthy from all that crawling around. There was a perfectly good chest at the end of a burrow, only for me to discover an undead monster waiting for me. Barely got out alive.”

“Well don’t mind us, we’re headed to take down the miniboss so Kaida can come with me to Nearly,” Liam said.

“Oh, so you have a party member now?” Prescia asked.

“Indeed, and she’s a healer too!” Liam proudly said.

“Party members only slow you down,” the woman replied. “You get separated when they die and then they are down some XP. I’d much rather do things alone, thank you very much.”

“And how’d that work out for you with the ghoul?” Liam asked.

The woman frowned. “Don’t take cheap shots, Liam, it’s uncouth. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going right back where I came from to get that treasure. The ghoul got lost as it followed me, so that chest is mine!”

The woman turned and sauntered off, leaving Kaida to approach the gate. Liam could see that it was already unlocked for him but with the key in hand, she motioned towards an invisible lock. The keyhole clicked and immediately, a warning appeared.

Miniboss ahead!

“Okay…” Kaida said, stepping back and taking a deep breath. “This is it.”

“Don’t be too worried, I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Liam said. He drew his axe and walked into the room first. Kaida followed after him.

Sure enough, the room had changed. The crystal cavern was gone. In its place was a large metal box with dozens of pipes sticking out of the wall. Resting in the middle was a large worm creature, its flesh pale and grubby. Two prongs extended from its head and the beast opened its round maw, roaring at the sight of the pair.

Electric Worm

HP: 900

“Cast your spell!” Liam ordered.

Kaida hesitated for a moment but nodded and raised her staff. A wave of emerald energy washed out as she spoke arcane words, tendrils of green wrapping around Liam. Your Dexterity has been boosted! his vision informed him as he charged forward.

The electric worm’s twin prongs began to spark and a beam of electricity fired out towards Liam. He spun to the right, easily dodging the lightning as his feet carried him with exceptional speed. He ran alongside the worm and raked its body with his axe, dealing 200 damage and generating 3 MP.

The worm thrashed left and right, wriggling as it tried to slam him with its rear. The extra dexterity paid off in spades and Liam was able to avoid getting crushed. He ran up the side of the serpentine body and cut downwards, dealing 200 more damage.

But before Liam could get to safety, the monster activated an electric ability, its entire body becoming alight with magic. Liam didn’t have a chance to leap off before the worm shocked him and he felt everything go numb. His arms and legs thrashed and twitched as he fell off the monster, taking 15 damage in the process.

His axe went flying to the right and Liam rolled onto his back, trying to get up.

“Need some help here!” Liam shouted.

Kaida didn’t move. She was frozen, paralyzed with fear. Again.

The worm lifted itself up to try and flatten Liam. With the extra dexterity, he managed to roll to the side in time, though he couldn’t clear his leg quickly enough. He took 10 more points of damage from the slam, dropping him down to half health.

“Heal me or something!” Liam cried, scrambling to his feet. His weapon lay a few paces away and he ran towards it, bending low to scoop it up.

The monster turned around and aimed at the frozen Kaida, its twin prongs powering up to fire at her.

Liam spun as fast as he could and embedded his axe into the monster’s backside. The creature twitched from the pain and the electric bolts went wild, missing Kaida by a good margin.

The monster’s HP dropped to 500, still a ways to go from being defeated. No matter, Liam quickly activated his G7 Assault, playing a few notes that caused a beam to strike the monster’s rear flank. The creature took 300 more damage and dove into the earth.

“Run!” Liam shouted as the ground began to move towards Kaida. She was still frozen. He gritted his teeth and made a dead run for her, moving as fast as his boots would carry him. He shoved her out of the way just in time as the earth erupted.

This jolt seemed to cause Kaida to recover and she quickly snapped off a healing spell, regenerating Liam’s health by 10. The monster burst out of the ground, thrashing and snapping. Its sharp fangs caught Liam in the torso and sank down deep, dealing 15 damage.

Liam tried to fight his way out of the worm’s mouth but it held onto him, thrashing and spinning its head back and forth. His grip on his axe was weak but he rallied as best he could, bringing it down to the side of the monster’s maw.

The beast released him and Liam went flying, landing on the ground on both feet. He charged forward and slashed once more, killing the monster with a final blow. The great worm wriggled and fell backwards, shrinking and shriveling.

Liam leaned over his axe, panting for air. 300 XP Gained! appeared in his vision and he let out a sigh of relief. That had been one hell of a fight, but it was over as quickly as it had begun.

“You did it!” Kaida said, cheering as she rushed up to him. “Are you okay?”

“I really could have used some backup,” Liam replied. “You completely froze and I didn’t see a status effect.”

The woman looked away from him, ashamed of herself. “I tried to fight but everything in me just rooted me to the floor. It was like I was watching my own body from the outside.”

Liam felt bad about this and decided not to chew her out. Instead, he merely patted her on the shoulder. “The spell at the beginning made the difference.”

The worm faded, leaving nothing behind. You have already defeated this area’s miniboss! his vision informed him. No additional treasure gained.

The treasure was gone but the XP was still there. Liam checked and sure enough, he had leveled up.

“Alright, give me a minute then we can head to Nearly,” Liam said. He paused to look at his now advancing stats.

You have Leveled Up! You are now Level 3!

+25 HP Gained!

+3 Skill Points Gained!

Select Two Abilities!

Wildfight:

Difficult Track: After you take Damage, you gain 1 Music Point.

Extra Chord: Learn a new Chord Ability.

Electric Hum: Your Chord Attacks can become Electric Based for 1 Extra Music Point.

Encore: You may activate any Chord Attack for only 1 Music Point after playing a Chord.

Double Down: After you take damage, gain +100 Damage for one strike.

Inspiring Leader: Party Members gain +100 Damage to their attacks for as long as you play.

Liam looked over these abilities. He had a healer in his party, a support class, so Inspiring Leader wouldn’t be the best choice. Double Down would increase his general damage and Encore made it so he could play a few chords in quick succession and pile up the damage. Or maybe Extra Chord, to gain more powers for his musical mayhem abilities.

In the end, he decided to pick Encore and Extra Chord.

After these abilities were chosen, he was greeted with a few new options for his Chords.

Select 2 Chord Abilities:

A Defense

Description: This powerful chord creates a shield around you, absorbing up to 10 points of damage before breaking. Shield lasts as long as combat.

Cost: 3 Music Points

G Strike

Description: The G Strike deals damage to all enemies within 10 feet of you.

Damage: 150

Cost: 1 Music Point

Major Shift

Description: This tonal shift allows for you to increase the strength of your next Chord. Activating it causes the next Chord you use to deal an additional +200 Damage.

Cost: 1 Music Point

Minor Lift

Description: When you play this Chord, you gain the ability to leap up 10 feet.

Cost: 2 Music Points

C Sharp

Description: This powerful attack deals significant damage to targets who have been hit by a Chord attack already.

Damage: +500 if Target has been hit by a Chord Attack

Cost: 10 Music Points

F Maneuver

Description: Grants all allies +4 Dexterity for as long as you play.

Cost: 2 Music Points

With these two new chords, Liam mulled over his options. C Sharp was powerful, but it had some requirements to it, namely that he already hit a target with a Chord attack. The cost was also rather steep, 10 MP, but he was hitting just fine in combat, generating as many music points as he needed. It would be a very powerful finisher. G7 Assault to get things started and C Sharp to close the deal. That would come out to 800 points of damage in a snap of the fingers. Definitely a good way to take down stronger bad guys.

He also considered F Maneuver, primarily because he was worried about Kaida. Her dexterity was low enough and she was also quite vulnerable. The music point cost was fairly low as well.

After mulling it over, he decided to take both. With the decision made, he then turned his attention to his skills.

Skills:

Axefighting

Defending

Searching

Trap Disarming

Charging

Scroll Use

Countering

Light Armor

Medium Armor

Heavy Armor

Trapping

No hesitation this time around. Liam knew that he needed armor. He was growing into a strong fighter and was quick enough on his feet, but he lacked protection. The gauntlets he had found granted him 10 armor points yet required three ranks. If he visited the blacksmith, he might be able to get more heavy armor, improving his ability to protect himself.

He decided to take the three points and place them into Medium Armor. His character sheet then updated to show off his new attributes.

“Let’s see a mushroom mess with me now!” Liam cheered, pleased to see his progress. He was getting stronger and stronger, and the Spire didn’t stand a chance.

Chapter 13

Liam and Kaida made their way out of the metal room and into Brightstone. “Wow,” Kaida said, stepping into the dull settlement for the very first time. “I never thought I’d make it past the miniboss. What a strange place this is.”

The people were still the same as always, wandering about, staying in place and not doing much of anything. Liam swore that he had seen the same man sweeping as he stood in place, staring up at the bright stone that illuminated the area.

“This is Brighstone,” Liam said. “It’s a place where those who have given up stay. They cling to some semblance of normalcy here but it’s all a lie. They simply don’t want to escape or explore, so they just wander about and hope against hope that things are going to get better.”

“Maybe I should stay here,” Kaida said with a pained expression. “It would be better to be in some decent company.”

“Nah, this place is a real mess,” Liam replied, slapping the woman on the back. “They don’t have the guts to do things themselves. But there’s a blacksmith here.”

As they walked towards Henry Pete’s workshop, a tall gangly man intercepted them. “Hello friends,” the man said. “I couldn’t help but notice that you’re climbers.”

“That we are,” Liam proudly said. “And who might you be?”

“Oh, I’m just a man who gets things done,” the fellow replied with a raspy laugh. He produced a small piece of parchment. “For a few hundred shards, I might be tempted to part with this treasure map that I found. It’s said to lead to a golden helmet, one with wings on the sides. Guaranteed to speed you up.”

“Oh, a map?” Kaida said, reaching out for it. The man sharply pulled the parchment away.

“Four hundred shards and it can be yours,” he said, still snickering.

Liam frowned. The man seemed especially shady and there was no guarantee that the map was real. “Where’d you get it?”

“Oh well, I don’t like to brag but I do have a little business where I look for bodies of the freshly deceased,” the man said. “I found this map in the hands of a noble knight who was fading away, perhaps for the last time.”

“And who’s to say that it will actually lead somewhere valuable?” Liam pressed.

“Come now, old Limly isn’t going to mislead his customers,” the man said. He waved the map up and down. “Golden helmet, wings…who’s to say it won’t give you the power of flight itself.”

“We should get it,” Kaida said. “A map could be really useful.”

“I have my doubts,” Liam said, wrinkling up his nose. “Two hundred for the map.”

“Oh, do you want Limly to starve?” the man replied.

“Seems we don’t need to eat or drink in a place like this,” Liam shot back. “And besides, what are you going to do with the money? Two hundred, take it or leave it.”

The man pondered this for a moment. “I suppose I could part with it for a mere three hundred. I’m taking quite the loss but I don’t mind if it’s for a friend.”

“Two-fifty and we stay as acquaintances,” Liam replied.

Limly chuckled. “You are a hard bargainer. Two fifty it is.”

Liam took out the shards and paid for the map. The man handed him the item and wandered off, snickering to himself.

“I can’t help but feel that we were just robbed,” Liam said with a shake of his head.

Kaida took the map from him and unfurled it. “It’s a map of the Wildlands,” she said. “I’ve heard there are many trees and lots of vegetation in that place. You think we’d find any fruits? I’d kill to be able to actually eat something.”

“I saw flowers and some shrubs but no fruit trees,” Liam said. “Mushrooms are abundant, though I wouldn’t suggest eating them.”

“There are four rooms to go through,” Kaida said as she further examined the map. “If we take the western passage here…go north and then east, we should be able to get a straight shot to the treasure.”

Liam didn’t have the heart to tell her that he thought it was a fake and they were wasting their time. But now that he had paid for the map, he might as well check the location out. Besides, he wanted Kaida to feel involved in the adventure. This was the first time that she seemed interested in anything and that would boost her morale. Provided they found something, that is.

They made their way to Henry Pete’s workshop, where the man was busy working on a hammer, chomping on a cigar.

“You’re back,” Pete said, grunting a little as he slammed his sledge hammer on the other one.

“Indeed I am,” Liam said. “And I come with a request.”

“Can’t evolve your weapon without more material,” the man replied. “Crafting material specifically. Gonna need some things.”

“Actually, I was hoping that you had a suit of armor for me,” Liam said. “I have these steel gauntlets and was looking to complete the set.”

The man grumbled something. “Armor is rare to find out in the wild, but I could probably make you something. Give me a moment.”

Henry Pete stood up and began to measure Liam, walking circumspectly around him to examine every inch of the man. Liam felt a little self-aware and tried not to fidget as the smith inspected him.

“Three thousand shards,” the man said. “And I can craft you a full suit. But I won’t be getting to work until I see the money.”

“Three thousand? That’s quite a bit,” Liam said. He checked his satchel to see he only had a thousand left. “Any way I can take out a loan?”

“Loans from climbers, what a dolt,” Henry Pete said as he sat back down. “You’re gonna need to do some questing or find a treasure chest before I do any work for you.”

Liam’s shoulders sank.

Kaida patted him on the back. “Cheer up, we can find that treasure from the map and that is sure to have plenty of shards for us.”

“Treasure map?” Pete chuckled. “You happen to run into Limly?”

“Yeah, we did,” Liam said. “The man was quite insistent that he had a way to get a golden helmet with wings on it.”

“I’m sure he did,” Henry Pete replied, blowing a long cloud of cigar smoke straight into Kaida’s face. She coughed and gagged, stepping away from him.

“What are you saying?” Liam asked. “Is it a fake?”

“I’ve never known Limly to sell fakes, but the man is a bit of a weasel. I wouldn’t trust that map as far as you could throw it. Though I suppose you could throw it quite far since it is paper.”

Liam shrugged at that, wondering what kind of shady things Limly could be up to.

“Well, we’ll be back then,” he said. “Don’t work too hard.”

“Oh I never do,” Pete replied.

The pair departed and made their way to the western passage. The familiar sight of green spread out through the tunnels, showing off the place to be the wildlands. “If you see a deer, don’t chase it,” Liam said as they walked together.

“I wasn’t going to,” Kaida replied.

The woman seemed to be in higher spirits. She was walking proudly and had the map in hand. He could see she was eager to find the treasure and wondered if perhaps all she needed was a goal in order to focus.

They reached a long hallway that was filled to the brim with flowers of all colors. Kaida bent down to pick one up but it turned to dust as she plucked it. Ahead, Liam could hear shouting.

“And I’m saying that we found it first, so it’s ours!” a man’s voice rang out.

“If you keep this up, we’re going to have to come to blows,” another man replied.

“Someone’s fighting up ahead,” Kaida said. “We should go back.”

“Don’t lose heart now,” Liam said. He followed the voices around a curve and found two separate groups of people standing on opposite sides of each other.

The first group looked to be purely martial warriors. They were armored with heavy plate mail and carried swords and hammers at their sides. The leader, a man in jade armor, was holding a curved sword and was shouting at the other.

The second group was a motley crew of unarmed folks. They had bows and staves in hand and looked as if they were ready to kill each other.

“You didn’t find it first!” the other man said. He was adorned in a green wreath and looked somewhat like an elf. “We have been tracking it for days.”

There was a corpse of a large beast in between them. The monsters normally faded away, but this creature, an elk of some sort, was still there.

“Hey there friends!” Liam said, deciding to intervene in the argument. “What seems to be the problem?”

“Salorn and his group of knights think that just because they kill a Game Beast that they are entitled to its pelt,” the crowned man said. He glared at Liam. “We are trackers and hunters who have been trying to get the pelt for weeks now. It’s the only way to upgrade my armor.”

“What this idiot Leroy is trying to say is that he’s mad that we got the kill,” Salorn replied. He, too, turned to face Liam. “But what’s it to you, outsider? Why are you getting involved?”

“We were just passing through,” Liam said. “I don’t have a dog in this hunt but it seems that you folks are about to get into a real fight.”

“It won’t be a fight,” Salorn said. “These people have no armor and rely on ranged skills to battle their foes. They were probably going to creep up on the Game Beast while it was sleeping and kill it a mile away. We are proud knights, fighting up close and with vigor. They don’t know the first thing about combat.”

“Oh? I’ll have you know that we have a Level 5 Mage in our party. His fireball spell would annihilate your densely clustered group of friends. Those pathetic worms that you call teammates would be waking up in the fountain without a clue as to what happened!” Leroy shouted back.

Liam raised a hand to settle them down. “Fellas, fellas, why do you need to shout at each other? Isn’t there some way you can solve this amicably?”

“The only way,” Salorn said, “for us to resolve this would be through martial strength.”

“Come on,” Liam said. “Why don’t we all just cool down.”

Salorn turned and faced Liam, his open helm revealing a scowl. “You’re getting in my way now, stranger.”

“Hey, let’s not get testy,” Liam replied. He brandished his axe and played a few strings. Salorn’s face twitched a little.

“You’re a musician?”

“Oh you bet! You ever hear of the band Mayhem and Magic?”

“No, but it’s been a long time since I’ve heard rock,” Salorn said.

“Play classical,” Leroy demanded.

“Rock beats classical!” Salorn shouted back.

“Woah, hey now!” Liam said, putting his hands up. “Believe it or not, but metal is as classical as they come. Don’t ask me why, but we call a good song classic, right?”

Leroy shrugged at that.

“What are you doing?” Kaida asked.

“Promoting!” Liam replied and he let his fingers do their magic. The strum of the guitar caused both groups to lower their weapons and turn to face him. This was one of his favorite songs, Burning of Dresden.

“They keep all night and they threaten the day!” Liam shouted as he played. His voice was a little hoarse and he felt the vocal chords wake up. “They won’t return, for that I pray!”

The tempo was picking up and everyone began to nod their heads to the music. Salorn was grinning like a fiend.

“We never thought they’d fight like this, why can’t they just break like the ressssst!” Liam shouted as he continued abusing the strings.

“Fire all night, burns like the day, we begged our god and we did pray. They didn’t start the war but they’ll finish it and burn more!” Liam concluded, dropping to his knees and going for a fast solo. Both groups began to clap.

“Now you are a real musician!” Salorn said when Liam released the final note. “Way better than classical music.”

Tension drained in the air and both parties seemed a bit more receptive to working together.

“Now, with a song like that, you gotta remember that there’s always a cost to war. You can’t just start fighting and think there’s no reason. Your groups return over and over again, yeah? So the first strike only leads to endless death. There’s so many things in this world that can challenge us,” Liam said. “But we don’t need to fight each other. Can you guys work this out?”

Leroy sighed. “He’s got a good point. A feud is no good for anyone. Salorn, your group killed the creature and so…we cede our rights.”

Brokered Peace! 100 XP, appeared in Liam’s vision. There was a strange shift in the ground and everyone looked around for a moment but nothing else happened.

“Did you feel that?” Kaida asked.

“I’m pretty sure I just moved the Spire with my music,” Liam said. “No worries, I once played so hard an amp actually exploded. Didn’t get my deposit back at that hotel, I’ll tell you that much.”

The groups quickly dispersed after that. Salorn and his men took the great corpse of the Game Beast and dragged it past Liam while Leroy’s group headed down a corridor to the south.

“You were amazing!” Kaida said. “I was positive those guys would kill each other.”

“When we started our band,” Liam replied, “we had a dream. Unify the world with metal and mayhem. People like to get comfortable and so we threatened their comfort with music. I think it’s journalists who say that the point of writing is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable.”

“Well, you’ve definitely comforted me,” Kaida said, gently patting Liam on the back. “Now come on, let’s go get that treasure!”

Chapter 14

The pair entered the first room out of three, leading to the supposed treasure of a golden helmet. Liam still had his doubts but Kaida was excited. Her energy vanished, however, upon discovering what lay inside.

There were long trees, gnarled and nasty growing out of the ground. They didn’t go straight up; instead they were bent in twisted directions, their roots sticking out and black rot running through their sides. Growing from the sides of the trees were strange purple flowers that Liam had never seen before. They had nine petals and seemed to move in the nonexistent wind, twisting up and down with a hypnotic rhythm.

“I don’t like the look of this place,” Kaida said as they entered. Across the way was a clear passage to the outside but there was a long hissing sound coming from the flowers as they passed the first tree.

“Go away…” the flowers all said in unison. “Go back!”

“Hey, I don’t listen to trees!” Liam shouted. “I’m no hippie!”

“We should go back,” Kaida meekly whispered. She clutched herself against Liam, slowing him down a little.

Liam ignored both of the warnings and pressed forward, axe at the ready. He was feeling rather confident after helping those two parties see reason. There was no point in worrying about some shrieking flowers.

One of the trees began to move. It slowly uprooted itself, tearing the earth out as it stood. Two more trees uprooted themselves as well, breaking free of the land as they walked forward towards Liam.

“Go baaaack,” the trees demanded.

Doomtree

HP: 1,200

“I knew it was a trap!” Kaida said.

“Just juice me up, girl!” Liam shouted as he readied to charge. He felt the enervating magic of the healer’s speed spell and in an instant, his dexterity increased by two.

He rushed for the first tree, swinging his axe wildly as the tall, black rooted monster lashed at him. He dove to his knees and slid past the swishing branch, stabbing into the side of the first doomtree. Its health dropped down to 1,000 and he gained 3 MP.

“I’m willing to bet these things don’t particularly like fire,” Liam said, slashing again. The big doomtree was too slow to fight back, still recovering from the first swing of its massive limbs. Liam struck once more, dealing another 200 damage.

“Behind you!” Kaida shouted.

Liam turned just in time to dodge out of the way. He rolled to the side as another huge branch came smashing down behind him. These trees were hefty and heavy fighters, but the extra speed granted him the ability to avoid any trouble.

The third one towered over Liam and the flowers upon its bark all hissed, shrieking at the same time. They then opened and released a puff of pollen that washed over Liam. Instantly he was reeling, the world spinning beneath him. He was getting up from his roll and now his footing was completely messed up.

You have the Dizzy Status! his vision warned.

Another club root came crashing at him, and though he tried to roll again, he only fell flat. The root hammered him in the back and his health dropped from 75 to 40 in a single blow.

“I’ve got you!” Kaida said, raising her staff.

A beam of yellow energy hit Liam and removed the Dizzy Status just in time. Another club came swinging towards Liam and he leapt up on the arm, running down towards the creature’s torso.

“Take that!” Liam shouted, slashing at the root of the club arm, severing it in one blow. That was another 200 damage, dropping the creature down to 800 and granting him 3 more music points. He was at 12 now and that was enough for an awesome combo.

Liam leapt off the tree as another wooden bat came to splatter his brains. He dove onto the ground and rolled forward, brandishing his axe to play the G7 Assault. The guitar burned as he plucked the strings, releasing a burst of magical energy that crashed into the stomping monster, dealing 300 damage.

“And now we’re getting serious!” Liam said, activating C Sharp.

His fingers moved from one chord to the other and a burst of rainbow light came hurtling out of his guitar. The beam struck the great tree and set it afire, and the monster fell to the dirt, burning to ashes and fading as it was slain.

The other two trees were moving towards Kaida and she was scrambling out of the way. “Help!” she cried, dodging to the left and the right, trying to avoid the wild swings of their foes.

Liam had burned almost all of his MP on that attack and so he rushed to the back of one of the trees, leaping and landing on it. He chopped down into the side, hacking away with blow after blow.

“Keep running!” Liam said as the tree’s health dropped from 1,200 to 600 in a matter of seconds.

Vines came curling up from the back, threatening to grab him. He leapt off and landed on his two feet, but one of the vines reached out to seize his arm.

Entangled! his vision informed him as he tried to break free. The tendril was strong and he felt himself dragged upwards to more vines.

“I’m on it!” Kaida said, slipping in between the two trees as they both crashed into each other, both too large to control their movements. She smacked the vine with her staff, causing the tendril to unfurl.

Liam, who had enough MP now thanks to his chopping work, activated his G7 Assault once more, turning up the heat with the Fire Song. A burst of flames rushed from his guitar and enveloped the back of the second walking tree. The damage was doubled since it was fire and the great tree soon collapsed, disintegrating in a matter of seconds.

The third creature turned around and lumbered towards them, but Liam didn’t relent—he hit the monster with another G7 Assault, dealing 300 damage to it. With 900 hit points left, the tree thrust both of its limbs into the ground.

The earth began to move towards Liam and Kaida. The healer had seen it coming and she scurried out of the way, but Liam wasn’t so fast. Roots erupted and began to thrash him, dealing 20 damage. His health was now critical; thankfully, Kaida was on it.

She raised her staff and cast the healing spell, returning Liam’s 20 lost points, a marked improvement due to her recent level up.

Liam slashed at the roots, destroying them in the process but causing no damage. The tree lumbered towards him, towering high over the rockstar. Liam ran forward to meet it and swung with all of his might. He struck in the center of the trunk, but more vines emerged, grabbing him by the legs and lifting him high.

Entangled! his vision informed him as he dangled upwards.

He bent upwards and sliced through them. This caused him to drop right as the tree’s club arm swung towards him. He landed on his boots, thanks to the speed spell, and slashed a few times, dropping the tree’s health down to 400.

The creature stumbled backwards and released more pollen, but Kaida was quick to heal him, already casting the spell as the powdery substance hit Liam. He sprang forward and cut two more times, killing the creature and increasing his MP to 18.

The monster faded and left behind a bundle of vines.

“Whew, that was one hell of a fight!” Liam said, watching as he gained 500 XP.

“Awesome work,” Kaida said. She trotted up to gather the bundles. “These are definitely worth something.”

“You did good freeing me and anticipating my woes,” Liam said to the woman, patting her on the shoulder. “You’re definitely a good healer.”

“I was so scared when they came at me, but I tried to remember what you told me about going forward no matter what,” Kaida said. “It gave me the courage to free you.”

“Well, here’s to teamwork!” Liam said. He pointed to the next passage. “You ready?”

“We can’t just camp for a bit and catch our breath? My magic points are low.”

“Fine, but I’m going to explore the area while you rest,” Liam said. He walked around a bit and examined the other, inert trees. He poked a few times to see if any of them would come back to life but they remained perfectly still.

At the base of one tree was a large stone, lodged into the bark. It was another mural and it showed a man standing above a group of people. They were dragging stones with ropes and he had a scepter in his hand.

Immediately, words came flowing to Liam’s mind. The people were not quick. They were dull souls, broken from an eternity in shadow. The Keeper drove them past what they were willing to work. Many had believed the tower would be salvation but they worked too slowly. His cruelty only grew with the discovery of the Landis Scepter…

Lore Stone Found! 200 XP Gained!

More information about how the tower was built. Something called the Landis Scepter was pivotal to this in some way, but Liam didn’t know how. Was this Keeper still around? Did he have his power due to the scepter or was there something else that fueled him? Mysteries for another day, he supposed.

“Have you seen these lore stones?” Liam asked as he sat down across from the resting Kaida. She was cross-legged and meditating.

“I’ve seen a few here and there but they don’t interest me,” she said.

“Even though they give XP?”

“I’m trying to meditate,” she said. “Besides, party members all get the same XP. It’s split a little bit when you add more people but for the most part, we get the full amount. If you discover something, I’ll get the points without having to worry about the lore.”

Liam sighed and plucked away at his guitar, waiting for his companion to regain her magic. A few hours passed as he noodled, his own form of meditation in a sense, and Kaida finally stood up.

“I’m ready,” she said. “Fully restocked on magic and excited to find that treasure.”

He tapped his axe. “Then let’s go!”

Chapter 15

The pair made their way into the second room, where a large lake was waiting for them. The waters were deep blue and full of fish. They splashed and jumped out of the waters, sometimes catching flies that were hovering above the surface.

“Woah!” Kaida said. “I’ve never seen anything look so nice in this place.”

“I heard a fellow who wanted to buy a boat so he could fish,” Liam said. “I wonder if we can catch anything.”

There was a long bank alongside the waters and a gate that bore a strange symbol on it jutting out of the wall. Liam wandered over to take a peek. There was an image of a red fish carved into the door and when he tried to open it, nothing happened.

“Looks like we’re going fishing today,” Liam said, looking around. A single tree was sitting beside the water, and leaves were falling eternally from the green tree, landing atop the water.

“Hmmmm,” Kaida said, inspecting the water. “We need to catch a fish?”

Liam took out his axe and cut one of the limbs off. “Give me one of those vines,” he said. Kaida dug into her pack and produced the long green vine that they had gathered from those doomtrees in the other room.

Liam wrapped the vine around the end of the tree limb and secured it. The vine dangled from the branch easily enough.

“Alright, let’s give it a try,” he said, and he cast the makeshift line into the water and waited.

“I think you’re not going to catch anything,” Kaida said. “You don’t even have a hook, or bait for that matter.”

“Hmm, I could play something to lure them to me…” Liam said. As he spoke, the line went taut and something grabbed onto the vine. The branch strained and Liam was almost jerked into the water. He grabbed hold of the pole with both hands and fought to drag the thing out.

Water rapidly began to bubble as something surfaced. It was a great red fish, with scales that were razor sharp.

Battle Fish

HP: 600

“Quick, reel it in!” Kaida said.

“I don’t have a reel and I don’t think it wants the vine!” Liam shouted back. The fish leapt out of the water to attack him. He ducked down and the fish landed behind him. It sprouted two long legs and began to run towards Kaida.

“Eeek!” Kaida cried, rushing away from the fish monster.

Liam was on it in an instant, swinging his axe into its flank. The monster took 200 damage and responded by firing a burst of scales towards the rockstar. Liam tried to shield his face but the shrapnel struck him in the arms and legs. 15 Damage! appeared in his vision, dropping his HP down to 60.

“Damn you!” Liam shouted, slashing again. The axe missed as the legged fish ran a few feet away, nimble and quick.

He lunged for the fish but it dove back into the water and vanished.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Liam growled. He grabbed the pole and began to hack at the edge with the knife that he had found earlier.

“What are you doing?”

“Spearfishing,” Liam replied. He cut away at the top of the pole until it was nice and sharp. Wrapping the vine around his arm, he walked to the edge and looked into the waters.

The battle fish was waiting for him. It swam in a circle, taunting him. He threw the spear as hard as he could, but the fish moved out of the way. He yanked on the rope and drew the weapon back in, priming it to throw once more.

“You’re never going to hit it,” Kaida said.

“Hah!” Liam shouted and he threw the spear again. This one hit the fish in the side. There was no damage but the tip lodged itself in between two scales.

“Get your staff!” Liam said as he grabbed the vine with both hands, pulling as hard as he could. The fish was fighting against this.

“What do you mean?” Kaida said.

“Club the hell out of it when I…” Liam grunted. “Pull it to the surface!”

He put all of his weight into pulling, falling back hard. This ripped the fish out of the water and Kaida swung her staff at the monster, bonking it on the head.

The creature shrieked and fired more scales, these ones aimed at Kaida. She yelped and fell backwards. Liam grabbed his axe and went for his G7 Assault, sending a wave of magic into the battle fish’s right side. The creature ceased moving at once, falling over dead. For this fight he gained 100 XP.

“Are you okay?” Liam asked.

“Just a few points of damage,” the woman replied, waving her hand over her wounds. They closed up quickly enough and her robe repaired itself.

The fish did not fade away. The words Game Fish appeared above it.

“What the hell is a game creature?” Liam asked as he inspected the corpse, poking it a few times with his makeshift spear.

“I don’t know,” Kaida said.

Liam shrugged and picked the fish up. It was almost the length of his right leg. “Maybe it can be harvested or something.”

“I bet we can sell it,” Kaida replied.

“Well, you carry it,” Liam said.

“Ew, no! I’m not carrying around some dead smelly fish!” Kaida protested. Liam tossed it at her and she screamed, running to the side. As the fish hit the ground, a small pearl rolled out of its mouth.

“Hey, check it out!” Liam said, grabbing the pearl. “I bet this opens the door. There was a symbol of a fish on it after all.”

Kaida quickly took the pearl from him and scuttled up to the door. Liam sighed and picked up the big fish, putting it in his pack. The thing did reek.

Liam followed his companion as she waved the pearl at the door. Instantly, the pearl disintegrated and the gate opened up, revealing the next room. It was a shop!

Chapter 16

“Welcome to Gasha’s Shop!” the lizardman said, waving to the group as they entered the room. There was a large carpet on the floor and on the right was a shelf with a few items on display. They seemed mostly random.

“You seem like someone who knows what’s going on,” Liam said, bowing to the lizardman. The fellow didn’t really register the gesture and merely nodded to him, reclining on a cushion by the gear. “Do you have any idea what a game creature is?”

“Ahhhhh, a game monster is a beast that remains when it is slain. They can be harvested for all sorts of crafting materials. Or sold wholesale,” Gasha replied.

Liam dug into the bag and produced the large fish. The lizardman hopped up, his yellow eyes lighting up at the sight of the creature.

“Oh, I see someone found a game fish,” he replied. He licked his mouth with a long tongue and grinned. “I could give you a thousand shards for that thing.”

“A thousand sounds good,” Liam said, handing the fish over in an instant. The thing smelled terrible now that it was dead and he was glad to be rid of the weight.

Gasha lifted the entire thing up and opened his mouth, dropping the fish into his gullet in one bit. “Ah, delicious!” he said. He handed a bundle of shards to Liam who stored it.

“What do you have for sale, Mr. Lizard?” Kaida asked, approaching the shelf where a few objects were placed.

“I’m saving up for armor,” Liam said. “Let’s press on to the next room.”

The lizard didn’t reply to that, he merely sat back down and sighed. “Everyone’s such a skinflint these days, refusing to purchase because of the fear of missing out.”

Liam and Kaida continued moving into the next room. This part of the wildland was mostly rocky, with dozens of stones lying around. The ground hummed and Liam felt a bit of caution rise up within him.

“Be careful,” Liam said. “I sense something dangerous in the area.”

His trapfinding skill activated and he saw faint red glows around the rocks. “They’re trapped,” he concluded. “Don’t step near them.”

The rocks were gathered in piles and the room was a dead end, leading to nowhere.

“Hey, there’s supposed to be another room,” Kaida said. She pointed to the map. “See? There’s one extra room to the north.”

“Maybe it’s a secret,” Liam said, hoping against hope that the treasure was real. They made their way to where the map said there was a door and felt against the smooth wall. There was nothing.

“Looking for something?” a voice asked.

Liam and Kaida turned around to see a tall man wearing a tophat and carrying a crossbow in his hands. Behind him were two short goblins.

“Damn that Limly,” Liam grumbled. “It was a trap.”

“Oh it’s not a trap,” the man replied. “Rather, it’s simply locked away until someone can prove their mettle.”

Liam drew his axe and raised it. “You want to fight?”

“Perish the thought,” the man replied with a laugh. “Rather, I want to see if you can handle yourself against my comrades. They are enchanted creatures, dominated by my powerful psychic powers. I’ve grown bored wandering the Spire and have decided to make my own entertainment. If you can slay these vicious goblins, then I’d be thrilled enough to share the secret.”

The two goblins, short creatures with bows in their hands, shrieked hideously. They had purple eyes and looked to be under the control of the psychic man.

“We’re not entertainment,” Liam said. “Well, technically I am an entertainer but I’m not about to fight two monsters just to amuse you.”

“Not even for the treasure?” the man asked.

The words hung in the air and Liam sighed, looking at Kaida. “Fine, I’ll fight your goblins.”

“Alone,” the man said.

Liam perked up at that. His solo fighting ability gave him 10 armor points if he fought by himself. That was one silver lining to this battle

“Very well, Kaida exit the stage, it’s time for my solo!” Liam said.

“Go kill him!” the mysterious man ordered.

Immediately, the snarling goblins rushed forward.

Vicious Goblin

HP: 600

Liam had a handful of music points, so he decided to start the fight by disrupting the one to the left with the E7 Burst. He strummed the instrument and purple energy washed over the goblin. The words Immune hovered above its head though. Damn.

The two goblins fired their bows at the same time, in perfect synchronization. Liam couldn’t dodge in time and ate 20 damage, his armor kicking in and reducing a portion of the attack. He quickly activated the G7 Assault, firing at the one closest but the creature was incredibly fast; it scrambled out of the way, grabbing another arrow and shooting at him.

Liam dove to the ground as the arrow whizzed over him.

“Aren’t they marvelous fighters?” the psion said. “They were easy to control but hard to battle. I decided to keep them around since they’re so handy at showing off my abilities.”

“You’re a crazy person!” Liam shouted back. He climbed to his feet and ran at the other goblin. His charge was interrupted as he was forced to dodge to the left to avoid another projectile.

One of the goblins rushed Liam from behind, brandishing a long wicked knife.

“Look out!” Kaida shouted.

“Indeed, look out for their wicked blades! One nick and you’re poisoned!” the man taunted.

Liam spun around and slashed his axe, hitting the goblin as it was too far still to use its knife. The damage brought it down to 400 points. The other goblin came up on his back flank and tried to spear him, but Liam was deft enough to spin back and slash once more.

He generated 3 more MP as he hit the other one, sending it sprawling. As the two goblins recovered, Liam activated his Amplitude ability, spending 5 music points to double his damage for one attack.

The Amplitude caused a bubble of energy to wrap around Liam and he rushed the stumbling goblin. His axe found its skull and the creature fell backwards, fading instantly. The other drew its bow and fired square in Liam’s back, dealing 10 points of damage, the armor from his solo ability coming in handy.

Liam spun around and answered with a G7 Assault, catching this goblin in the middle of a dodge. The creature tried to scurry out of the way but took 300 points of damage. Liam decided to shoot once more, since he had the points.

The goblin dropped to the ground and crawled forward, avoiding the second ray of magic. He hopped up and stabbed at Liam, dealing 10 more damage.

Poisoned! appeared above Liam’s head and he wobbled.

His HP started to drop quickly. There was only one way to survive and that was for Kaida to heal him. He raised his axe up high and let out a cry as he brought it down hard, finishing the goblin off in a single blow.

“Heal me quick!” Liam said.

Kaida said nothing. Her eyes were glowing purple and she was standing still.

“Did you really think you’d find a treasure here?” the man taunted as Liam fell to his knees. “You folks are so easy to manipulate. A shame I can’t dominate your mind but a healer on my side will be perfect. Don’t worry, I won’t make her fight to entertain me.”

Liam grabbed the healing potion as he fell onto his side. He tilted it to his mouth and drank deeply, covering his action. The taste was strangely like cinnamon and he felt the energy rush through his body, healing him of the poison effect and restoring 25 Hit Points.

Liam pretended to lie on the ground, dead. “Oh, he didn’t fade. Perhaps he has some good loot,” the man said. “Go and take his gear,” he ordered.

Kaida approached Liam, her eyes swirling with purple magics. She bent down to examine Liam.

“I’m fine,” Liam hissed. “Kaida, wake up!”

The woman said nothing and tried to grab his axe. He released it and took a deep breath. “I do my best not to smack unarmed women,” he muttered. “But sometimes you just gotta slap some sense into a person.”

Liam leapt up and gave the woman an open handed slap as hard as he could. The purple light faded as Kaida fell backwards. “Ouch! What’d you do that for?”

“Your mind was being ensorcelled,” the rockstar replied, grabbing his axe from her. “Now come on, let’s finish him.”

Liam turned around to see that the tall man was gone.

“A shame I couldn’t defeat you,” the mysterious stranger said. His voice bounced around. “But I’ve grown bored with this. I don’t know if there is a treasure in here, but you have certainly earned it.”

Liam looked for any sign of movement. The man was invisible. “You’re running!”

“Not fleeing, just bored,” the man replied.

The sound gave Liam a perfect idea of where he stood. There was a displacement in the air near one of the boulders. Liam grinned and threw his axe as hard as he could.

“You missed!” the man laughed.

“Did I?” Liam asked. The axe embedded right into one of the trapped rocks. There was a hissing sound from the stone and then an explosion washed over the man, his silhouette revealed by the fire.

The stranger vanished instantly.

600 XP Gained! appeared in Liam’s vision. Both of the goblins had faded away but left no treasure behind.

“Ugh, that was a weird fight,” Liam said. “We never should have trusted him.”

“You trusted him,” Kaida said. “I was just controlled by his mind.”

Chapter 17

Liam and Kaida searched high and low for a secret door but eventually had to see reason. “I’m going to say it,” Liam conceded after an hour of searching. “The treasure map is a dud. We were tricked. I paid 250 shards for nothing.”

Kaida sighed heavily at that and sank to the ground. “I was really hoping that we’d find something.”

“I had my doubts from the beginning,” Liam replied. He dug his axe into the ground and sat beside the woman. “A shame because it would have been awesome to have a golden helmet.”

“With wings,” she sighed.

As they sat, there came a clucking sound. Liam looked up to see a man had entered the room. He wore a black vest and carried a wand in his hand. Beside him was a chicken. It was moving from rock to rock, clucking loudly.

“Ah great, another encounter,” Liam said. “We’re too tired to fight you.”

“Why would I want to fight?” the fellow asked. He approached them as his chicken came to his side. It leapt into his arms and he petted it.

“Who are you?” Kaida asked.

“My name is Marvelous Lance and I’m a powerful wizard! By powerful I mean I’m Level 4, but still…”

“Why do you have a chicken?” Liam asked.

Lance grinned at that and proudly pushed the chicken out towards them. “Meet Cluckington. He’s a trap chicken! Capable of detecting traps and secrets without worry. I’ve had him for quite some time. Bought him from a lizard man and it was the best purchasing decision I’ve ever made.”

“You bought a trap chicken?” Liam asked, rubbing his forehead. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Those rocks are quite dangerous,” Lance said. “I would have no way of knowing without the help of Cluckington.”

“They are trapped!” Kaida said, standing to her feet. She walked up and petted the chicken. Cluckington cawed softly and climbed into her arms, allowing her to stroke him.

“He’s a friendly chap, unlike most of the creatures in this damnable place,” Lance said. “What brings you folks to this area of the Spire?”

“We’ve been searching for a secret treasure,” Liam said. “Hey, if your chicken is so smart, do you think it could help us?”

“A capital idea!” Lance said. “I never refuse climbers in need. And perhaps after I so kindly help you, out of the goodness of my heart, you could aid me with something in return?”

“As long as you don’t try to fight us for entertainment,” Liam replied. He stood and shook the man’s hand. “I’m Liam and this is Kaida.”

“You’re a Wildfighter and she’s a Healer,” Lance said. “I can tell because of my magical vision. Now then, Cluckington! Go find a secret room!”

The chicken hopped out of Kaida’s hands and began to scratch the ground. After some time, he appeared to have found something and he followed it for a while until he was off-center of the room. He pecked a few times, scraping the dirt floor.

“I believe he has found something!” Lance said. “He’s never wrong.”

“He probably found a worm,” Liam said.

Kaida rushed over to the chicken and began to dig, scooping the dirt with her hands. “Aha!” she cried, looking up with excitement at Liam. “I found something metal!”

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Liam said, standing beside the woman and bending down. There was a glinting in the ground; a metal chest had been buried in a shallow part of the land. He gripped the chest and ripped it out of the earth.

“This is the treasure! It has to be!” Kaida said.

“And you doubted my chicken! Cluckington is a consummate professional!” Lance said as Liam laid the chest out on the ground. He opened it up, revealing a golden helmet with a dent in the side of it. There were wings on the flanks, little metal pieces that had been painted white.

“It’s just like Limly said,” Kaida whispered.

Helm of Glory

Requirements: Heavy Armor Rank 1

Description: This helmet is capable of granting strength to the wielder.

Bonus: +2 Strength when worn.

“Now we’re talking!” Liam said, picking up the helmet and placing it upon his head. Immediately he felt his muscles grow stronger and he felt sturdier. His Strength increased to 3 and he looked around. “Man I feel strong enough to rip a tree out of the ground.”

“I knew the treasure was real!” Kaida said. “You had your doubts but I knew in my heart that it had to be here.”

“A happy ending for those who cannot end,” Lance said. “Now then, perhaps you folks can assist me with my problem?”

Liam nodded, feeling the weight of the helm on his skull. It reminded him of one of his tours where he wore a Viking helmet and battled his bandmates with real swords. Come to think of it, the fact that he was killed on stage by a speaker was a minor miracle. Something should have taken him down much earlier.

“What’s your situation?” Liam asked. “Man, I feel like power screaming.”

“Well I don’t like screaming music,” Kaida said. “So save it for the fights.”

Lance gestured to his chicken and Cluckington came back to him, leaping in his arms. The man produced a key that glowed with a red energy. “I found a key to the next floor, but the trouble is there is a real boss waiting for me. I tried to fight it but was forced to flee, chicken in hand, as the monster was just too strong. I’ve been trying to find a group willing to help me.”

“We’re traveling to the village of Nearly,” Liam said. “I’ve got a quest to take care of but after that we’re definitely down to assist.”

“Ah, Nearly! That’s on the way!” Lance replied. He bowed to them. “I would be forever in your debt if you allow me to come along.”

“Very well, then welcome to the band!” Liam said, slapping the man on the back.

Lance has joined your party!

Level: 4

Class: Mage

Stats:

Strength: 1

Dexterity: 1

Intelligence: 5

Constitution: 1

Magic: 7

HP: 35

Magic Points: 25

Abilities:

Fire Spray

Description: Releases a torrent of flames that strikes all Targets within 30 feet, dealing 100 damage.

Cost: 5 Magic Points

Electric Touch

Description: Touched Target receives 300 Electric Damage.

Cost: 5 Magic Points

Feather Landing

Description: Up to 5 Targets can fall without taking damage.

Cost: 2 Magic Points

Ice Shards

Description: Fires a powerful bolt of ice that deals 500 damage to a Target.

Cost: 10 Magic Points

Skills:

Crafting: 1

Wand Use: 3

Spellcasting: 5

Equipment:

Wand of Missiles

Damage: 150

This was an excellent addition to the team. Lance’s offensive abilities and range made him useful to handle the bigger foes, while Kaida would be able to heal them up should they take damage.

Let’s see what that boss had in store for them.

Chapter 18

The path to Nearly was long but the trio made their way without any encounters. Lance was a chatterbox, talking endlessly about any and all things. He had been in the Spire for quite some time and was always reminiscing about this monster or that trap that he had encountered. Kaida was growing annoyed with how much he was talking, though she didn’t have the courage to complain to his face.

Instead she grumbled to Liam about his incessant babble and the rockstar merely shrugged. He didn’t mind the space of travel being filled with constant conversation.

They passed through a garden with a sign that read ‘Nearly’ and an arrow pointing to the north. “So what business do we have in Nearly, exactly?” Lance asked as they passed the sign.

“I’ve a quest about a penpal who mysteriously went silent,” Liam replied. “We’re looking for him in case he’s in any kind of trouble.”

“Penpal in a place like this? What would a dullard in Brightstone even have to write about? Oh today I stared at the big rock and tomorrow I think I’ll be doing that as well,” Lance chuckled. Cluckington cawed a little as if laughing at the joke.

They passed through a wide tunnel and entered into a village, though things were certainly in a bad state. The buildings were all tarnished and destroyed, though not from damage. It looked as if the bricks that made them had been torn out.

A red hue filled the area and Liam took notice of a great tower in the middle of the destroyed buildings. Men and women were carrying stones to the tower, moving up the stairs in a circular pattern to the top, where the thing was still being made.

There was a glowing stone in this village too, hovering high above the rest of them. It had turned bright red, casting shadows everywhere the group walked.

“What in the hell happened to this place?” Liam asked as they looked around. The men and women carrying the stones had long strands of red wrapped around their necks and it looked as if the stone above was forcing them to work.

Liam couldn’t help but remember the Keeper and how he forced the people to build the Spire. Were they trying to build another one inside of this place?

“Something’s definitely wrong in the air,” Lance replied. “I can sense danger but hard to localize it.”

“You there!” Liam shouted at a man who was prying some stones loose from a nearby building. “What’s going on?”

“Shhh!” the man said. “The Mad Wizard might hear you! Get out of here while you still have the chance.”

There was a thin strand of red magic around the man’s neck and he was being pulled by it, as if it were a rope that forced him to carry the bricks. He struggled for a moment but was yanked away, towards the great tower that was in the center of the village.

“I knew something was up!” Liam said, unslinging his axe. “Alright Lance, time to earn your pay.”

“You don’t pay me anything,” the wizard replied, drawing his wand out. “But you’re right, if there’s an evil man afoot, we best stop him.”

They approached the tower where the villagers were being forced to toil away. The people all shouted for the trio to leave, but Liam was going to have none of it.

“Don’t worry, we’re here to help!” he said.

“Help!” a voice laughed. At the top of the tower a figure popped out his head. He was not a human; his skin was gnarled and withered and he looked ancient. He wore a long white beard and cackled maniacally as the three approached. “The only thing you’re going to help with is building this tower!”

Mad Wizard

1,600 HP

“He’s a monster!” Kaida said. “Quick, we have to fight him!”

“Say no more!” Liam shouted and he began to run up the stairs, shoving the people out of the way. They posed no resistance to his movements and he quickly ascended.

The wizard continued to laugh and he threw down a spell, causing the stairs to begin tripping Liam up. He tried to keep his footing but the ground beneath him began to buck up and down, and he was thrown off.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got ya!” Lance said, casting a spell. A series of glyphs appeared around his hands as he activated the Feather Landing spell. A wave of blue washed over Liam and his deadly descent changed into a soft fall. He turned in midair and landed on his feet.

“There’s more where that came from!” the mad wizard cried. He slung a bolt of magic towards Liam, forcing him to scramble out of the way.

Kaida was in action, activating her spell that increased Liam’s Dexterity. As he ran, he felt lighter on his feet and that allowed him to get back up onto the tower. The stairs were still thrashing, throwing people off to the left and right, but he was able to ride each step with his enhanced Dexterity.

As Liam ran up, Lance fired a spell bolt from his wand. The bright green missile flew through the air, striking the wizard square in the face. He took 150 damage and scowled.

“I suppose I’ll have to deal with you two down there!” he snarled, raising a hand.

Lightning formed in his fingers and he threw down the bolt at Lance. The man wasn’t nearly as fast as Liam and staggered to the side. The bolt struck him clean in the chest and he took 20 damage.

“No way!” Liam shouted and he stopped his ascent, turning around to face his allies.

He activated the F Maneuver chord, the music reaching down to his allies’ ears. Both Kaida and Lance found themselves enervated, their bodies filled with music as they gained a bonus of +4 to their Dexterity.

The wizard threw another bolt of lightning, this time at Kaida, but she was able to scramble out of the way. Now it was Lance’s turn to fire a shot, though their enemy raised his hands, creating a thin shield of red around them.

Liam continued to play as he ran up the stairs, nimbly leaping from step to step as they writhed and bucked underneath him. It was a long way to the top, but as long as he kept playing his tune his allies would have increased reflexes.

The Mad Wizard laughed and turned his attention down to Liam, who was halfway up to the top of the unfinished tower.

“Maybe I need to kill you first!” he screamed. He opened his hands and a swarm of bats came flying out, making their way straight towards Liam.

Liam was forced to stop playing as the bats engulfed him, biting at his flesh. He tried to fight them off but there were just too many of them. He lost 15 hit points from the assault. After a few seconds, the bats faded, leaving him to continue rushing his way up to the top.

“I’ve got you covered!” Lance said, raising his hands. “Let’s see your shield block my ice spell!’

The man hummed a few words and blue glyphs appeared before him once more. In the center of the glyphs was a single ice shard that gathered more and more power before it snapped off. The shard zipped up to the top of the tower and broke through the wizard’s shield, dealing 300 damage.

Liam reached the top as the wizard turned to face him. “I see you’re encourageable,” the mad wizard shouted. He aimed his fingers at Liam and electricity came surging forth.

Liam dodged to the left but the electricity arced and struck him hard. He fell to the ground, shaking and shivering as the voltage went through him. His health dropped 25 points, reducing him to 35 points left.

“I’m on it!” Kaida said and she began to ascend up the tower. The steps were no longer shaking wildly and she was able to get halfway up.

Liam climbed to his feet as the wizard began casting another spell. A red shield wrapped around him and Liam’s attack was rebuffed when he swung his axe towards the man.

“What’s the matter, can’t break through?” the evil wizard laughed, his hands channeling red magic into the shield. Liam struck a few more times but the words Barrier appeared over the shield. He was completely blocked from getting in and worse, his hits weren’t generating any MP.

“Perhaps we need some help!” the wizard cried, lifting one hand up. Above, there was a loud cry and a grey gargoyle came hurtling down from the shadows of the impossibly high ceiling. Liam turned to face the monster and waited a beat.

As the creature reached him, he used his axe like a baseball bat and swung for all he was worth. The blade connected with the creature’s body, dropping it to 200 hit points left. The gargoyle flew past him and into the open air, where a bolt of missile energy struck it.

Lance was still at the bottom of the tower and he had a clear shot to the monster, firing on it again and vaporizing it with his second shot.

Kaida made it to the top and cast a healing spell, setting Liam’s health to 55. He turned around and tried to run through the shield, feeling its energy forcing him back.

“You’ll never break my—” the wizard started to say, but another bolt of ice struck the red shield and it faded instantly, leaving the mad wizard open.

“I’m out of magic!” Lance shouted. “Go for it!”

Liam didn’t need any further encouragement. He rushed forward towards the shriveled old man and slashed down with both hands. The blow connected and he dealt 200 damage, dropping the mad wizard’s health down to 1,100 left. This generated music points which Liam saved, hoping to use his stronger combo attack later in the fight.

The wizard vanished instantly. A shadow moved across the top of the unfinished tower and he reappeared on the other side of Liam. He raised his hands to cast a spell but was bonked on the head by none other than Kaida. This did only 50 points of damage but it interrupted his spell.

Liam quickly dropped his axe down and plucked a few strings, activating the G7 Assault. The red beam of magic struck the wizard, dealing another 300 points of damage, dropping him down 750.

The mage vanished again, moving as a shadow across the tower but Liam managed to track it. As soon as the wizard reappeared, Liam was atop him, cutting him down with a wild growl. The wizard took another 200 points of damage and cried out in pain.

“Enough!” the Mad Wizard said. “It ends now!”

He lowered his hands and the tower itself began to grow long hands made of stone. The hands tried to seize Liam but he was still feeling the effects of Kaida’s speed spell. He dodged one hand and then another, slashing at a third, causing it to crumble.

Lance arrived at the top of the tower, wand in hand. He fired a bolt at the back of the wizard, striking him for 150 point of damage. The monstrous wizard turned to face Lance but was flanked by Liam who swung again, hitting for a clean 200.

The wizard tried to raise another shield but the magical energies faded. He was out of magic points too, it seemed.

Liam activated his G7 Assault at the same time that Lance fired another missile. Both attacks hit and the wizard fell to the ground, writhing and shriveling up until he faded entirely. He left behind a pile of shards and a ring.

Enemy Defeated! 400 XP Gained!

“Whew, that was a close one but we did it!” Lance said, bending over to catch his breath. Cluckington arrived on the scene and began to caw loudly.

“What’s he saying?” Kaida asked.

“I’d suggest from his tone that the entire tower is about to collapse,” Lance said. “Or he’s hungry, one of the two.”

“We better get down!” Liam shouted and he began to play his song that sped up his allies. The three all scrambled down the tower as the people abandoned it, the red strings around their necks no longer present.

As if on cue, the tower started to collapse, stones popping out of the walls as it shook. The trio made their way to the bottom just in time as the entire thing fell to pieces and then faded, taking the construction material with it. The only thing that remained was the shards and the ring that the Mad Wizard had left behind.

Chapter 19

Liam looked at his interface to see that he had leveled up from the last encounter. That fight had brought him over his XP limit and now he was Level 4. He decided to hold off on leveling until they were finished with the tower business.

Kaida collected the shards and handed them to Liam. There were two thousand of them! That was enough for him to finally get his heavy armor from Henry Pete. Liam eagerly placed them into his bag and took the ring to examine it.

Ring of Vanishing

Description: Allows for short ranged teleportation as a reaction. You may move up to 10 feet with it.

Requirements: 4 Intelligence

Cost: 2 Magic Points

“It seems we found something that could be useful to either one of you,” Liam said, showing off the ring. “Who wants it?”

Lance looked at it. “Hmmm, I may benefit the most. Kaida is supposed to stay back as the healer and she’s rarely targeted since she isn’t in the fray.”

“Yes, but if I do get jumped, I’d need to get away quickly,” she said.

“Yes, but at the same time, I’d prefer to have it,” Lance said. “I did quite a bit of damage while you only did a mere fifty.”

“Stop fighting you two,” Liam said. “If you really want to argue over it, just do rock paper scissors. But Kaida, I’d recommend Lance takes it. He’s more likely to be targeted because of his spellcasting.”

“I’m not going to argue,” Kaida replied with a soft sigh. “I just want some good gear.”

“You can buy at the next shop we find,” Liam said, patting her on the shoulder.

As the three discussed their earnings, a short man scuttled up to them. He was marred with black soot on his face and looked exhausted.

“You three saved us!” he said. “You saved the entire village of Nearly!”

“It’s no problem,” Liam said. “We’re just responding to a quest job. Is there anyone here who was writing to a fellow in Brightstone? You know the quest never said the names of the people involved…”

“I was,” a man said, emerging from the rubble. He was beaten up but alive. “I was writing to my friend Galick for years. Or what seemed like years anyway. But then that Mad Wizard arrived and changed our stone to red. After that…well, we were all forced to build this tower for him.”

“What was he after?” Liam asked. “Do you know the end goal?”

“He was just a monster, his only goal was our continued misery,” the penpal said. He sighed heavily and looked around. “Everything Nearly had built has been ruined now.”

The crystal above began to slowly lose its red tint. The entire world shifted a little as the shadows from bright white light cast across the landscape. Everything seemed to be completely destroyed, nary a building left.

“That’s a real shame,” Liam said. “But since we’ve confirmed that you’re alive, I’m going to report back to the quest giver.”

“I have a letter for Galick,” the man said, producing a piece of paper from his pocket. “I wrote it in the hope that I could pass it on to some adventurer. This should be proof that I’m okay.”

Liam took the letter. He’d need to get back to Brighstone to fulfill the quest and more importantly, get that armor.

The other man spoke. “I’m the mayor of Nearly and I just wanted to thank you for helping us. We don’t have anything to give but rest assured, you are always welcome in this village.”

“Is it a village anymore?” Lance asked, looking around. “You’d all be better off migrating to Brightstone.”

“No, no,” the mayor replied. “Rebuilding the town is something to do. We’re far more industrious in this part of the Spire. The Brighstone folks just sit around and stare.”

Liam shrugged and turned his attention to his character sheet.

You have Leveled Up! You are now Level 4!

+25 HP

+3 Skill Points

Select Two Abilities!

Wildfight:

Difficult Track: After you take Damage, you gain 1 Music Point.

Extra Chord: Learn a new Chord Ability.

Electric Hum: Your Chord Attacks can become Electric Based for 1 Extra Music Point.

Double Down: After you take damage, gain +100 Damage for one strike.

Inspiring Leader: Party Members gain +100 Damage to their attacks for as long as you play.

Swing and Sing: You may activate a Chord for 2 Extra Music Points while Attacking.

Heavy Hit: Every third hit on a target causes them to become stunned.

Hearty Hero: You gain +25 HP.

Liam could see that his wildfight abilities were growing more diverse. He could select Extra Chord again, improving his abilities, or maybe Swing and Sing. Hearty Hero would add to his HP and when combined with the armor would turn him into a veritable tank. So many options but only two choices…

Hearty Hero was a winner. He was already at 100 HP due to his level increase, so making it 125 would keep him alive. The other two members of the party were weaker physically, meaning that if he fell they would die shortly thereafter.

For the next choice, he decided to go for Swing and Sing. It cost 2 points to use his G7 Assault, so for 2 more points, he could hit with the axe while playing. That would not only look sick as hell but deal 500 damage in a single blow.

Once he made the selection, he turned his attention to the chords to choose.

Select 1 Chord Ability:

A Defense

Description: This powerful chord creates a shield around you, absorbing up to 10 points of damage before breaking. Shield lasts as long as combat.

Cost: 3 Music Points

G Strike

Description: The G Strike deals damage to all enemies within 10 feet of you.

Damage: 150

Cost: 1 Music Point

Major Shift

Description: This tonal shift allows for you to increase the strength of your next Chord. Activating it causes the next Chord you use to deal an additional +200 Damage.

Cost: 1 Music Point

Minor Lift

Description: When you play this Chord, you gain the ability to leap up 10 feet.

Cost: 2 Music Points

B7 Burst

Description: This audio assault sends out a 20 foot wave of music all around you, dealing 300 damage to all Targets.

Cost: 5 Music Points

A7 Stab

Description: Playing this causes your guitar to deal +200 damage for two hits.

Cost: 1 Music Point

Liam examined these and decided to pick A7 Stab. It was a cheap ability and would allow him to deal 400 points of damage twice. That would be 800 total and could easily level the strongest enemy around.

With the chord selected, it was onto skills. He had three points to spend.

Skills:

Axefighting

Defending

Searching

Trap Disarming

Charging

Scroll Use

Countering

Light Armor

Medium Armor

Heavy Armor

Trapping

Since they had Cluckington to look for danger, Liam decided to increase his Heavy Armor to 5 and then add another point into Defending. He was already nimble on his feet thanks to the dexterity ring and the additional speed that Kaida granted, so adding to his defenses only made sense.

Liam’s character sheet updated and he looked at it, proud to see how far he had come.

Chapter 20

Kaida had leveled up as well, making her Level 3. Liam was pleased to see her progress and the woman was walking more confidently these days. She held her head high and carried her staff with determination. It seemed that she was warming up to being a climber and he was proud of her.

“I’ve increased my healing abilities and can now dispel enemy boosts,” she said as they made their way back to Brightstone.

“Very nice, I’m heartier than ever and can deal tons of damage,” Liam boasted.

“I find it uncouth to talk about just leveling up when I didn’t get there,” Lance grumbled. “Now why are we going to Brighstone again?”

“Two reasons: one to fulfill a quest. Two: to get me armor. After that, we’ll head straight to the level 1 boss and fight it,” Liam said.

“We should visit that shop in the wildlands,” Kaida said. “Just to make sure we have all the gear we need.”

“That’s a capital idea, provided it’s Liam paying the bill,” Lance said. “I don’t quite have a lot of shards on me for reasons involving a few choice party members abandoning me with all of my goods in tow. A real shame, for they were so insistent upon fighting the final boss.”

“Seems there’s really two types of climbers,” Kaida said with a sad sigh. “Thieves and bypassers who don’t care if you live or die.”

“Well, our team is better than that,” Liam said. “Speaking of which, Lance, you have the skills and the powers to really aid us. Would you be fine with exploring level 2 together?”

“Oh, absolutely! Cluckinton is good company but he’s not much for a fight,” Lance said as they made their way into Brightstone. “I’d be happy to stick together to the top!”

“What do you think is at the top?” Kaida asked. “I’m curious to know your perspective.”

“Ah, well,” Lance said. “I believe that this place is a test. Created by some powerful entity who wishes to bestow magic upon humankind. When we ascend, we shall meet that entity and he will send us back to life with our magical abilities…where we shall be revered as gods!”

“I think wanting to be a god makes you fail the test,” Liam said. “Nah, I think there’s something more to this place than just a second chance at life.”

“I’d do anything to come back,” Kaida replied. “It bums me out to think about all the opportunities I missed, just because I was too afraid.”

“Life and death are just one big adventure,” Liam said. “And it seems that ours is going to take us somewhere no one knows.”

They arrived at Brighstone to find that the village had not changed an inch. There was still the sweeper, standing in place and staring at the stone as he cleaned up. If Liam hadn’t been here before, he’d be convinced everyone was under a spell.

“I’m going to see if there’s any sort of liquor around,” Lance said.

“I’m going to meditate,” Kaida added as she found a spot to sit. She crossed her legs and tuned the world out, leaving Liam on his own.

The rockstar asked around a little and soon found Galick, a stout fellow who was tending to a paper shop. The shop was built out of the side of his house, allowing him to tend to the counter without ever leaving.

“Galick?” Liam asked as he approached.

The man, who wore a red vest with a flower in it, straightened up. “Ah yes, a customer? Are you here to buy fine papers?”

“Nope,” Liam said, slamming the letter onto the table. “I’ve got a paper of my own that you might be interested in.”

“It’s Frilly!” the man said as he examined the letter. “You found my penpal!”

“Indeed I did. The entire town was enslaved by a terrible wizard, but yours truly managed to save it,” Liam said. He flexed a little to impress Galick but the man was too busy reading the letter. “Yes, yes, I’m sure it was a valiant struggle.”

There was silence for a moment and Liam coughed. The man looked up. “Oh right, your reward. Here you go!” He took out a long slender rod and Liam observed it.

Farspeech Rod

Description: This rod allows you to communicate to distant allies as if they were close to you.

“Hardly a real reward for leveling a tower and destroying an evil wizard…” Liam said, disappointed with the ability. He didn’t foresee being separated from his allies unless he was killed. And he was definitely not going to let that happen again.

“Hey, reward was posted on the quest board,” Galick replied. “No refunds and no redos.”

“Fine, maybe I can sell it,” Liam grumbled. He took the rod and placed it in his bag before heading to find the blacksmith.

Henry Pete was still where Liam had left him, working away on a sword this time. “You’re back,” he grunted, not bothering to look up.

“And I’ve got the three thousand shards you were asking for,” Liam said. This caused the man to lift his gaze at him.

“You do?”

“Count them!” Liam said, pouring the shards into the man’s open hands. Henry Pete’s eyes went wide at the sight of such treasure.

“Now I’m high enough rank to wear these gauntlets,” Liam said and he took them out of his bag. “But can you make me a set that matches them?”

“Sure, sure, just give me some time,” the man said.

“Time is all we have,” Liam replied.

Henry Pete got to work at once, taking out a breastplate and hammering it. Liam was left to wander for a time and he explored the area, looking for anything to keep him busy in the meantime.

Standing by one of the buildings was none other than Prescia. The woman was staring up at the stone, smoking on a cigarette.

“Don’t tell me you’re joining the Brighstone dullards,” Liam said, saddling beside her.

“Hah,” the woman snorted. “Hardly. I’m just busy trying to figure out how to get the treasure beneath this place.”

“There’s a treasure in Brighstone?” Liam asked.

“That’s the rumor. They say that you need to take a shovel and dig deep into the earth,” she replied. “But the people don’t like that. No touching the stone, but feel free to look at it.”

“Where’d you even hear this rumor?”

“Limly. He’s the go-to guy around here for rumors and stories. Sometimes they’re true, sometimes they’re not. But I don’t know about this one.”

“So…” Liam said, “I’ve got myself a crew now. Two of the brightest climbers you’ll ever meet. There’s room for one more if you’re interested.”

“Hard pass,” Prescia said. She bent down to pick up a shovel. “I’m a wild spirit, Liam. You can’t tame me and you certainly can’t get me to join a group. They’re nothing but trouble, what with all the fighting and arguing. Most of the time they’re trying to get the same gear and won’t let it go if they get jipped.”

“Come now, you can’t really think you can make it to the top alone,” Liam insisted. “We’ve got a healer and a mage.”

“And you’ll have nothing when they get upset about something or other,” Prescia replied. “I’ve been in this place for longer than I can remember. Things always play out the same.”

“Fair enough,” Liam said. “I know when I can’t win. But you’re wrong about my team. They’re a good mix, they just need a leader to keep them focused.”

Prescia laughed at that. “And you fancy yourself that leader?”

“I led a band around the world, I can lead a few people through a death maze,” Liam responded.

Prescia scoffed but said nothing else. She walked over to the middle of underneath the crystal and started digging. “If you don’t mind, I’d like my privacy. I don’t like it when climbers hover over me. Especially when I’m on a treasure hunt.”

Chapter 21

After a few hours of waiting, Liam returned to Henry Pete’s to see the armor was complete. The man might be surly but he was quick with the hammer and faster than Liam expected.

“I had most of the parts, they just needed to be reshaped,” Henry said as he leaned back from his work. “You’ve got a breastplate and greaves.”

Liam eagerly examined the armor.

Heavy Iron Breastplate

Requirements: Heavy Armor 4

Armor Points: 15

Heavy Iron Greaves

Requirements: Heavy Armor 2

Armor Points: 5

When combined with the gauntlets, Liam had a total of 30 Armor Points. This would easily shield him from the weaker attacks and take the edge off the stronger.

“Henry Pete, you brilliant bastard!” Liam said as he put the breastplate on. Despite having never worn real armor before, the skills he had allowed him to deftly strap it on, slipping the cool metal plate over his torso. “These are perfect!”

“Glad to be of service to ya,” the man grunted. He took out a cigar and lit it, smoking hard as he pondered. “You really don’t seem to be like the other climbers. There’s a bit of a vim and vigor in you. I don’t like it.”

“You don’t like anything,” Liam replied, placing the greaves on his shins. They were easy to slip into and he felt they were flexible enough to not weigh him down when he moved. Overall, the armor felt snug and strong; with the gauntlets, it was nearly a complete set, all except for the helmet, which Liam already owned.

“That’s true,” the man replied. “Now get out of here.”

“Wait, how do I evolve my axe again? I want to get even more damage,” Liam pressed.

Henry Pete considered this for a minute. “Well, to get your axe to a third evolution, you’re going to need a Claw or Talon, a Bar of Iron Ingot and Scales.”

“I’ve got the claw and the scales,” Liam said. “Any idea where I can get the ingot?”

“No clue,” Henry Pete said in his usual, unhelpful way. “And it’ll be a thousand for you to upgrade.”

“You charged me five hundred last time,” Liam complained.

“Yeah but it’s more work and also I don’t like you, so what I charge goes,” the man grunted.

“You know you like me,” Liam said. “You just haven’t warmed up to my winning attitude.”

“The only thing keeping me warm is the forge here,” Henry Pete replied. “Now get out of here, I’m tired of looking at you.”

Liam headed to where Kaida was still meditating. She looked rather peaceful as she sat beneath the glowstone, energizing her magical energies.

“You done yet?” he asked.

Kaida opened an eye. “Yes, I’m finished,” she said. “Are we ready to go? I’ve got to admit, I’m nervous about seeing the boss. And also level two. This place is deadly enough already. Who knows what’s in store for the second level?”

“I’m willing to bet it’ll be just like this place, full of traps and danger,” Liam said. “But there’s no reason to shirk. We’ve got a boss to fight, so let’s go!”

They found Lance and Cluckington by a small tavern that had outdoor seating. The man was sipping something and trying not to gag.

“You found booze in this place?” Liam asked.

“Not quite alcohol, not quite water,” the magician replied. “It’s a weird mix of sludge and other liquids distilled into something terrible.”

“Then why are you drinking it?”

“Because I’m hoping it’ll get me drunk,” Lance said. “Unless you’re ready to go?”

Liam pounded on his breastplate. “Check out the new duds. I’m tougher than ever and that means we’ve got a boss to face.”

“Wonderful! Come on, Cluckington!” Lance said as he hopped up. He took one last swig of the drink and shuddered. “Ugh, this is absolutely terrible.”

The trio departed from Brightstone and ventured into the wildlands, with Lance taking the lead.

“Now then, we must exhibit the utmost caution in fighting the boss,” Lance instructed as they traveled. “He was a surly beast with many different abilities.”

“I think it’ll change if you fled,” Kaida said. “Bosses and minibosses always change.”

Liam had nothing to say on the matter. He merely enjoyed the greenery as they made their way to the north and then through the eastern passage. As they traveled, there was a loud sound up ahead. It was the cry of someone in agony.

“Help!” a woman cried. “I’m injured and I need help!”

“Someone in need? Come on team, let’s go!” Liam said, rushing ahead to see what was going on.

They entered a room that was akin to a forest, with many trees lining up the sides, forming walls of the Spire. Leaning against a tree was a woman, her hair bright red and her leg equally so. Blood was pouring from her wound and she looked to be in serious pain.

“Are you okay?” Liam asked.

“Please, I need medical attention!” the woman cried, clutching her leg. “Some terrible monster bit me!”

“Kaida, go help her out,” Liam said as he approached the woman.

“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Kaida said, following behind the rockstar.

As they approached the woman, her face twitched a little. For a second, Liam could see a grin appear but it faded as she gritted her teeth. “Please, just a little closer and you can help me!”

“Your vibes are rubbing off on me,” Liam whispered.

They both stopped ten feet away from the woman. She cried out again and repeated herself. “I need medical attention!” she begged. “Come help me!”

“There’s only one way to solve this conundrum,” Lance said, drawing his wand and aiming it at her. “I’ll just shoot her dead. She’ll pop up at the fountain fresh as a fairy or else she’ll reveal her true form.”

“How about we don’t shoot someone begging for help,” Liam said.

The woman growled a little. She started to stand, her flesh slowly unfolding as she became a hideous blob of skin. “You won’t help me, I’ll devour you!”

Kaida screamed and ran back, leaving Liam in range of the hideous, bulbous blob. The monster struck at him but he scrambled out of the way.

“Now that is one fat lady!” Liam said, unslinging his axe. He rushed the creature and swung hard, but the edge merely bounced off the flesh. He gained no music points and the creature reached out a long mass of flesh, wrapping around him.

Fleshfiend

HP: 1,200

“Told you we should have shot her!” Lance shouted as he cast a spell. A red glyph appeared in front of him and from his outstretched fingers came a wave of fire. The flames washed over her and she shrieked, dropping Liam in the process. She took a hundred damage from the attack and roared.

Liam backed up and activated his G7 Assault, sending a beam of magic straight into the creature’s body. This dealt 300 points of damage, dropping the monster down to 800. The blob rumbled and extended its massive jaws, trying to devour Liam in one gulp.

He couldn’t dodge out of the way but his armor held as he was bitten and lifted into the air. There was no damage, thankfully. He swung wildly with his axe, giving as much as he was taking, but the monster’s body was too resistant. Its flesh was like stone and his axe just bounced off.

“Hold firm, ally!” Lance said. “Maybe this will give you something to chew on!”

He cast the ice shard spell, sending a bolt of hardened, jagged ice into the torso of the fat creature. The damage penetrated the flesh and the monster spat Liam out, roaring in pain as it took 500 damage.

As soon as he touched down, Liam went for the final G7 Assault. The monster shrieked while the music overcame it and it melted deep into the earth, completely annihilated from their combined efforts.

“Whew, that was a close one!” Liam said as he gained 300 XP. The monster hadn’t dealt any damage to him but it sure was strong enough to ignore his attacks.

The monster left behind 200 shards and a patch of flesh. Liam examined the flesh and it read: Monster Flesh! Used for Crafting or Trading!

“I need an iron ingot,” Liam said as he pocketed the shards and placed the skin fold into his bag. “For my next weapon evolution.”

“That was terrifying!” Kaida whimpered. “It transformed instantly.”

“Yes, but you had the good sense to determine that it was trouble, though I didn’t hear a peep out of Cluckington,” Liam said, looking suspiciously at the chicken. It merely cawed at him and scratched on the ground.

“Don’t besmirch the good name of my chicken,” Lance said. “That was an obvious trap and you two are dense for getting so close.”

“Well, forgive me for not wanting to shoot an unarmed woman in the hopes that it would reveal she was a monster,” Liam said.

They chuckled at this and continued on their way.

Chapter 22

“Don’t we need to find our own keys?” Kaida asked. “I couldn’t get into the miniboss room without my own.”

“That’s unless you’re in a party,” Lance said. “When you party up, the rooms all connect to you and you’re able to travel the Spire as if you were all seeing the same thing. Now, if a party member joins after a boss has been defeated, then they’ll need to find their own key, but in my experience there’s no trouble in groups fighting bosses together.”

They entered a room with a large set of stairs leading up to a great wooden gate. There was a keyhole in the center and it glowed with a red energy.

“There it is!” Lance cheered. “Just where I remembered it to be, though it did seal itself back up. No matter. I still have the key!”

He produced the key from his pocket and walked up the steps. Liam and Kaida followed after him.

“Now we gotta be extra careful,” Liam said. “Everyone has to follow my lead. Kaida, are you feeling good?”

“No,” she replied. “I’m terrified.”

“We’ve got this, there’s three of us and only one of the monster,” Liam said. “Just rely on moving as best you can and stay in the back. Lance, reserve your strongest spells for the end of the fight, no reason to waste your magic in the first few volleys.”

“Understood,” Lance said, stretching his arms out as he prepared.

They approached the gate and Lance put the key in the slot. There was a loud click and the great wooden gate began to shake.

“Approach the boss and reach level 2!” a voice declared, flowing from all around them.

The doors opened, revealing a wide room full of greenery. Liam walked in first, his allies following behind him in a triangle formation.

As they entered the wildroom, there was a strange grinding in the walls and ground. A series of lights, all green, began to converge in the center. A loud wicked laugh echoed all around them. “You’ve come to die at the hands of the witch! More stew for my pot is what I say!”

The lights formed a figure, immense. They became a green witch, with a black top hat and wild hair that went in all directions. She was standing before a massive cauldron that fizzled and steamed.

Boss Found!

Witch of the Wild

HP: 3,000

“Let’s do this!” Liam shouted. “Kaida, hit me with your spell!”

Kaida complied, sending a wave of energy onto Liam, improving his dexterity once again. He ran forward as the witch brewed something with her cauldron, stirring a massive stick into the large pot.

As Liam ran, she laughed and reached into the pot, hurling a blob at him. He tried to dodge but it was a liquid attack and spread out, splashing him. It was acid and he felt it burn his body, dealing 20 damage, ignoring his armor entirely.

Liam didn’t stop however, and he rushed to the legs of the great witch, hacking with his axe. Lance fired a bolt of magic at the creature, dealing 150 damage. Liam’s axe stabbed the side of her leg and she let out a scream in pain as she took another 200 damage. Her HP dipped a little but there was much more to go.

With MP in the bank now, Liam dropped his weapon down and plucked a few strings, activating A7 Stab. This increased his weapon damage by 200 more points for two strikes. The monster pulled out a long staff from the waters and swung it towards Liam. He dodged out of the way, nimbly avoiding the attack.

He swung again at the legs, striking her hard and generating more music points. She took 400 damage, dropping her down to 2,250. She roared and placed the stick beneath her, taking off in flight. The cauldron bubbled violently before it turned over, dumping towards Liam.

He managed to get out of the way, diving to the side as the burning liquid spread across the ground. Fire burst from the grass and it began to spread in a circle around Liam, enclosing him. The pot continued to tip over until it was upside down. Then, it grew legs.

Witch’s Cauldron

HP: 800

“Lance, focus on the witch!” Liam ordered.

The magician raised his wand and fired another bolt of magic, missing as the witch flew overhead. She made a beeline towards them and tossed a vial at Lance. The man had no chance of dodging and he was covered with a sticky substance that rooted him to the ground.

Kaida was quick. She cast the status clearing ability that freed him instantly. They both ran out of the way as another bottle came crashing down towards them, exploding in the center.

Liam faced the cauldron as it ran towards him, the long legs bounding with each step. “I’ve never fought a pot before!” he cried as he swung his axe towards the monster. His attack connected to the side and dealt 400 damage to it.

The thing didn’t slow down from its bounding, however, and kicked Liam square in the chest. Thankfully, his armor held and he only took 5 damage. This dropped him down to 100 points, plenty to keep fighting.

Liam fell backwards a few feet from the blow and stopped inches away from the fire. He had landed on his feet and tried to balance himself forward, to avoid falling back.

The cauldron pulled its legs in and began to roll towards Liam, all the while the witch was forcing Lance and Kaida to keep running as she threw bombs at them.

Liam flipped his axe down and played the G7 Assault, firing a bolt of magic at the rolling cauldron. The attack bounced off, ricocheting around the entire area as Liam tried to get out of the way. He dove to the right as the cauldron rolled through the flames.

It decided to keep going and aimed towards Kaida.

“Look out!” Liam shouted. “It’s immune to spells!”

As Kaida tried to flee, Liam played his F Maneuver, causing her to gain increased dexterity. She sped up and grew more nimble, dodging to the left as the cauldron rolled past her harmlessly. Liam ran and leapt through the fire, taking 10 points of damage in the process.

He caught up to the pot and swung with all of his might. The axe embedded into the side of the metal container, dealing 200 damage and dropping it down to being only one hit away from being destroyed.

The witch landed in front of Liam, cutting him off from his pursuit of the rolling cauldron that was now moving towards Lance. The magician turned around and yelped as he was hit hard. He bounced off of the cauldron and rolled a few feet away.

“I’m fine,” he muttered, trying to get up but failing. His health dropped down to 1 point and he was barely alive.

“I’m on it!” Kaida cried, raising her staff and sending beams of green energy towards the fallen mage. He grew the strength to get up on his feet.

The witch laughed and slammed the ground with her feet, causing Liam to be thrown backwards. He hit the ground, taking 10 points of damage, though he managed to hold onto his axe for dear life.

The cauldron stopped rolling and flipped back up onto its side, filling more with green liquid. The witch dipped her staff into the cauldron and mixed it for a moment before pulling the weapon out once more. Green fire was now covering the staff and she turned to face Liam.

The rockstar had generated more music points, but he was hoping to charge up for his finisher move. “Lance, use your strongest magics!” Liam shouted.

“On it!” the wizard replied.

He raised his hands and a blue glyph appeared, the sign for the familiar shard of ice. He fired it straight at the back of the giant witch. This dealt 500 damage but the witch ignored the attack and swung her flaming staff towards Liam.

He wasn’t fast enough to avoid this since he had just gotten back up on his feet. The blow came quickly, striking him in the torso. His armor did reduce the damage though, dropping the incoming damage to only 15.

Liam rushed the woman’s legs and chopped with his axe. The blade connected to bone and she fell down for a moment, leaning against her flaming staff. Liam quickly activated Swing and Sing, spending 3 points to use G7 Assault while attacking. She was down to 1,550 now; almost half of her health was gone. He hit her hard in the body while also playing a few strings. This dealt a whopping 500 damage, and just like that she only had 1,050 points of health remaining.

The witch let out a stunning scream that caused Liam to fall backwards, holding his head. The world spun around him as she took off in the air once more. The cauldron rolled back onto its side and dumped out a strange white liquid that caused the ground to become completely frozen. Liam was stunned and couldn’t get out of the way in time.

The icy liquid ran up his leg and he was frozen in place, completely encased with ice. Kaida was on it, freeing him from the status just in time. The cauldron was rolling towards Liam and would have undoubtedly shattered him had she not been faster.

Liam swung his axe and smashed into the side of the cauldron, causing it to fall over, inert. It melted into the ground and the witch screamed in a rage. She flew above Liam and threw a bomb down, the potion vial hitting the ground beside him and exploding.

Liam took 20 points of damage from the explosion, throwing him from his axe. The witch landed down in front of Lance and took a swing at the wizard. The man scrambled beneath the staff and fell on all fours, narrowly avoiding the hit.

Liam rushed to grab his weapon and spun around, seeing that the witch’s back was open. He decided to keep fighting in melee and so he played the A7 Stab as he ran, the music wrapping around his axe and causing the blade to sharpen significantly.

The witch turned to face Liam but he was already in the air, axe ready to end her. He brought the blade down, dealing 400 damage. Without wasting a single second, he took another swing, activating his Swing and Sing ability to use his G7 Assault. This dealt 700 damage to her and she stumbled backwards.

“No!” she screamed as Lance released a burst of fire from his hands. Flames washed over the great witch and she melted into the floor, vanishing instantly.

“Is it over?” Kaida asked.

“I think so,” Liam said, gasping for air as he leaned against his axe. They waited for a moment and nothing else happened.

Boss Defeated! 1,000 XP Gained! appeared in Liam’s vision. He grinned at that as a large chest appeared in the center of the room.

“Looks like that boss wasn’t nearly as tough as us,” Liam said.

“Speak for yourself, I almost died,” Lance said.

“Yeah, we need to figure out a way to stop that from happening,” Liam said.

The three went to inspect the chest. It popped open as they got nearby. There were three items within but the words Select Only One appeared before them.

Wand of Lightning

Class Required: Wizard

Description: This wand allows you to fire a bolt of magical lightning.

Damage: 200

Staff of Improved Healing

Class Required: Healer

Description: Your healing is improved as long as you wield this staff.

Bonus: +20 HP healed

String of Burning

Class Required: Wildfighter

Description: Replacing one of your axe strings with this will increase the damage and add fire damage to your hits.

Bonus: +25 Fire Damage

“We can take only one?” Lance said. “That’s a bunch of crap.”

“No kidding,” Kaida said. “I’d really like that staff.”

“The string of burning looks good to me,” Liam said.

They all looked at one another, realizing that only one of them would get the upgrade, despite the fact that they had all worked to defeat the boss. Liam remembered what Prescia had said about groups arguing about what items to take. This was what she had meant. Three great items but only one winner.

“I think it would be best for me to upgrade my damage,” Lance said. “The wand I’m using only does 150. If I get the lightning wand then I’d be able to hit as hard as Liam.”

Liam nodded at that. It wasn’t a bad idea.

“What about my healing? Liam takes plenty of damage in a fight and it costs me magic to keep it going. I’d be able to heal forty points each time,” Kaida said. “That’s not a small number.”

“No, but I do have armor,” Liam said. He was tempted to take the string but decided against it. “No, it makes more sense that we upgrade the wizard’s ability to deal damage. Any chance you can dual wield these wands?”

“No, that’s an ability that I don’t have access to,” Lance said. He reached out for the wand, waiting for Kaida to complain.

She merely said, “I follow Liam’s lead, if he says it’s best then I believe it is.”

“Well, good for you for being sporting about it,” Lance said, grabbing the wand and lifting it up. The chest immediately vanished.

The ground shook violently for a moment and a long set of stairs descended down towards them, coming from the top of the ceiling.

“You have gained access to Level 2!” a voice spoke. “What secrets are within?”

The stairs connected to the ground and the trio looked at each other. “Well, we did it!” Liam proudly said. “We defeated the boss and now we’ve got access to the second level. Anyone have anything to do down here?”

“I’ve grown weary of this level,” Lance said.

“Nothing I can think of,” Kaida replied.

“Alright team, next stop Level 2!”

Chapter 23

Lance and the team made their way up the long stairs. They approached a large gate with a sign placed in front of it. “Beware Level 2, for it is full of greater challenges than below,” Kaida read out loud. There was no key on the gate and it sensed them as they approached.

The metal gate shrieked as the hinges seemed like they hadn’t been opened in quite some time. The doors opened up, revealing a fountain room.

“That makes sense,” Kaida said. “We have to drink from this fountain to make sure we come back on this level.”

There was a different statue this time. It was a tall man with a spear and from the tip of the spear water flowed eternally. The three approached and each one dipped a hand in the water to drink.

You will return to this Fountain if you die! Liam’s vision informed him.

The floor was different here. The ground was made of red metal and there was an ominous glow in the air. It seemed to illuminate the area perpetually but Liam felt a sense of dread well up within him. There was door to the north and to the west.

“We’ll need to find the next key,” Lance said. “But who knows where it is? This place could have any manner of horrors within it.”

“The only way to figure it out is to—” Liam’s words were interrupted as a man in light armor appeared beside the Fountain.

He was a lanky fellow, wearing leather armor and carrying a longsword at his side. He sat up and groaned, rubbing his head. “Boulders…” he grumbled.

“Are you okay?” Kaida asked, walking over to help the man up. He grabbed her hand and stood to his feet.

“I’d be better if I was still with my team,” the man said. “I’m Franklin, a swordsman.”

“I’m Liam, rockstar extraordinaire and these are my mates, Lance the wizard and Kaida the healer.”

Franklin rubbed his head. “I was with my party and we were in a tunnel that collapsed on us. The traps in this place are deadly. I don’t think I’m going to keep going. Better head back down to level 1.”

“Come on, friend!” Liam said, clapping the fellow on the back. “Your team needs you!”

“They survived and now I’m separated,” Franklin replied. “My apologies but I don’t really need strangers encouraging me. This place is a deathtrap and I’d be better off in Brightstone.”

“And just like that, you’re going to give up?” Liam asked.

Franklin grumbled. “I’m not interested in being encouraged. This place has been nothing but trouble so far. Good luck out there but this was the last straw. I give up.”

And with that, the man headed down the stairs, leaving the trio alone.

“That’s definitely a bad sign,” Kaida groaned. “That man just abandoned his allies. What chance do we have?”

“Come on, don’t just give up because someone in front of you threw a tantrum,” Liam said. “I’m sure he’ll be in Brighstone for a few days before he realizes it’s a waste of time and returns.”

“Maybe we should go down and level up some more,” Kaida said.

“There’s nothing down there that isn’t as dangerous as up here,” Lance countered. “I say we head to the western passage and see for ourselves. The Spire is full of all sorts of tricks and traps. We can’t be discouraged just because someone gave up in front of us.”

“Here here!” Liam cheered. He unslung his axe and took the lead, heading to the western door. In the end, everyone followed and they passed through, into a large room with dozens of metal boxes moving up and down. There was a door on the other side, but it was blocked as the boxes crashed down onto the ground, moving in a wild pattern.

“Well, that looks dangerous,” Lance said, putting his hands on his hips. “We’ll need to cross through the middle to get to the other side.”

“I don’t have the dexterity to make it so far,” Kaida said, watching and flinching as one of the steel boxes smashed the dirt before it rose up and moved to the right.

There was no rhyme or reason behind the rotations of the boxes. They didn’t follow any pattern and seemed to move at random. This was going to be a simple test of speed. Fortunately, Liam had the F Maneuver to allow his allies to get through.

“No worries,” he said, plucking a few strings. “I’ll stay back and play. You two can make it if you just dead run through.”

“Easy for you to say,” Kaida said. “You’ll be the one watching us get squished to death.”

“Hey, the fountain room is right behind us, we can afford a loss or two,” Liam joked.

Kaida glared at him. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” he quickly added.

He placed his fingers down on the fretboard and plucked the strings. Musical energy wrapped around both of his allies. “Alright, just wait and go.”

Lance went first, tucking his chicken under his arm. He waited for one of the blocks to smash the ground and quickly sprinted as soon as it lifted. He ran under the first one, then moved to the right, narrowly avoiding another block. He weaved through the area, leaping from space to space as the cubes came down all around him.

Eventually, he made it to the other side and waved to them.

“That was not nearly as hard as it looked!” he said. “Come on over!”

Kaida looked at Liam, fear in her eyes. “What if I stumble?”

Liam continued playing, increasing the volume of his music. “You can do it, Kaida. You just gotta believe in yourself.”

Kaida took a deep breath and dropped down into a runner’s stance. The block in front of her smashed to the ground and lifted. That was her cue. She sprinted forward, rushing as fast as she could. The block in front of her came down, forcing her to move to the right, underneath a block that was about to crash down. She yelped and dodged out of the way, beneath another steel block.

Liam kept the music going, his fingers a blur. The melody seemed to motivate Kaida and she scrambled to her feet, fleeing to the other side. She had to double back a few times to avoid being squished, not nearly as graceful as Liam. But she made it to the other side no problem.

“Alright!” Liam cheered. He watched the patterns for a moment and waited for an opening. Kaida waved her staff and Liam’s dexterity increased. He took a deep breath and, just like the others did, ran beneath the first block as it lifted, then he turned to the right. As he ran, one of the steel blocks crashed right in front of him, sending shockwaves over the ground.

“Look out!” Kaida cried. Liam was stuck waiting as the blocks all around him came down. One steel block rotated above him as the others were still settling in. He couldn’t move out of the way.

“I’m not being taken down!” Liam shouted and he leapt onto the block that was in front of him. He embedded his axe into the side and hung onto it as it lifted. The block behind him came crashing down and he slipped onto the ground, sprinting to the other side.

He made it just as the block in front of the door dropped down, diving towards his allies.

“See?” he said. “Easy enough.”

Chapter 24

They entered the next room to find a group of metal monsters marching around. They were shaped like humans, though they were made of steel. There was a large checkered floor and they seemed to only move diagonally. They had axes in their hands and marched without any attention to the climbers who had come in.

“Looks like some kind of puzzle,” Lance said.

“Screw the puzzle, let’s just kill them all,” Liam replied. He raised his axe and sprinted towards one of the monsters. There were only six of them. As he ran, he stepped on a white tile, causing all of the metal monsters to face him immediately. They shifted from black tile to black tile, moving towards him. Liam waited for the first one to get close and swung his axe in a wide arc.

The blade passed harmlessly through the monster though it brought its own axe down upon Liam. He yelped as he took 20 damage from the strike.

“Zap it!” Liam demanded.

Lance fired a bolt of electricity towards the mechanical foe but the bolt passed right through it too.

“I told you it was a puzzle,” Lance said as Liam fell back, getting off of the checkered floor. The machines all immediately went back to moving in their diagonal patterns.

“I’m guessing we need to stay off the white tiles,” Kaida said. She tested this theory by walking on the black tile. The mechanical monsters ignored her and continued in their path. She advanced to the side, walking sideways as she shuffled from black tile to black tile.

One of the monsters was in her path and moved towards her. It immediately swung at her and she yelped, ducking to avoid getting her head loped off. She quickly moved to the black tile behind her and it advanced towards her.

She leapt off the board and rubbed her shoulders. “Ooof, maybe it’s a little more complex than I thought.”

“You’ve got the right idea,” Liam said. “Though we should probably figure out where we’re going first.”

They looked around but saw no doors.

“The center!” Lance said. “Look, it’s golden. I bet if you can move diagonally to the center, it probably disables the trap.”

Liam waited for the metal monsters to pass to the northern part of the map and moved quickly using only the black tiles. Going diagonally was difficult and he almost stepped on one of the white tiles as he tried to make it to the center.

“Left! Now right!” Lance shouted, instructing Liam as he made his way to the center. One of the machines passed him, forcing Liam to advance backwards a little. Two more drew closer and Liam was almost forced to go back to where he came.

“I’ve got an idea!” Kaida said, stepping on the white tile. The mechanical bots all immediately turned to face her and advanced away from Liam, leaving the center wide open. She waited until they were close enough and then jumped off, causing the machines to resume their original pattern.

Liam leapt onto the middle square and the golden floor clicked in. There was a loud whoom and the bots all immediately became disabled, hanging over with their axes now inert.

Puzzle Solved! 500 XP Gained!

“That’s enough for another level!” Lance cheered.

“Speak for yourself,” Liam said. He was still six hundred away from leveling up.

Three doors opened up out of the sides of the walls, one to the east, one to the west and one to the north.

“More doors, more troubles ahead,” Kaida said. “This place has way more dangers than floor one.”

“That’s the point of the Spire,” Liam said. “We go up and things get harder. Who knows how far this place goes?”

Lance took a few minutes to level up. “Aha!” he said. “I finally got the dual wands ability. Now I can deal 350 damage with a single attack.”

“Very nice!” Liam said, a bit jealous that his companion could now inflict more damage than him with every hit. “Which way do we go?”

They all shrugged at him. “I suppose we’ll go…north!” he said, waving them on. The group headed to the northern door, leading to a narrow hallway.

Cluckington immediately began to squawk as they entered the hallway.

“Traps abound!” Lance said. “Look, the floors are raised in certain areas.”

Liam knelt down to examine one of the panels, but the words Trap Disarming 5 Required appeared in his vision.

“Oof, there are no ways for me to disarm them,” he said. “I guess we better watch our step.”

“Just let the chicken lead the way!” Lance proudly said. They all watched as Cluckington leapt from space to space, clucking as he examined each area carefully. They followed him, making their way down the corridor to an opening.

This room was huge and the ground suddenly ran out before them. Below they could see a large wooden building in the side of the wall. There was also a pool of water, though it looked tepid and murky.

“How do we get down?” Kaida asked.

“I have the power to lighten our landings,” Lance said with pride. He waved a hand and a pink glyph appeared before him. The three were soon wrapped with pink light and Lance leapt off the platform, slowly descending to the ground.

“Now that’s a dive bomb!” Liam said, diving off the platform as well. Kaida followed too.

The three softly landed on the ground. Ahead was the wooden building; it looked to be a tavern. The lights were on and they could see the silhouettes of people moving inside.

“Finally, somewhere to get a drink!” Lance said as he approached the tavern.

“What’s it doing in a place like this?” Kaida asked.

“No clue, but I don’t care to ask questions like that,” Lance said. He rushed up to the door only to be completely surprised. The tavern grew long arms that seized him, holding him up high.

False Tavern

2,000 HP

“Ah crap!” Liam shouted as he rushed to rescue his ally. The wizard struggled but couldn’t get free from the tavern’s grasp. “It’s a monster.”

“You think?” Lance cried while he was crushed by the monster.

Liam leapt in the air and swung his axe at the long wooden arm. He dealt 200 damage to the creature, causing it to release Lance.

Lance was still under the effect of the feather landing spell and made it to the ground safely. “Quick, use fire or something!” Liam said as he slashed at the other arm. The tavern uprooted itself from the ground and began to roar, its mouth unhinging from the foundation.

Lance raised his hands and let forth a torrent of fire that spread across the entire creature, burning it and reducing its health by 150.

Liam had generated enough music points to activate his C Sharp ability, but he had to hit it with another chord attack first. He played the G7 Assault, firing a bolt of magic into the creature, dealing 300 damage.  The beast dropped down to 1,350 Hit Points but it showed no sign of stopping.

The massive wooden legs of the monster stomped on Liam, dealing 50 damage in a single blow. His armor had reduced a portion of that but Liam’s health still dropped down to 75 points. He groaned and staggered, stunned from the massive blow.

“Come on!” Kaida said, healing Liam by 20 points. “Keep focusing!”

Lance pulled out his dual wands and fired both shots at the same time, striking the monster in the torso, dealing 350 points of damage. The monster responded by slamming a fist at the wizard, crushing him like a mere bug, leaving him no chance.

“Lance!” Kaida cried out but it was no use. Lance died on the spot and vanished.

“Crap!” Liam shouted, swinging his axe upwards towards the underside of the great building. “We just lost our damage!”

“And our friend!” Kaida cried out. “We’ll never find him again!”

“Don’t worry about that, he’s back at the fountain,” Liam said, his axe connecting to the monster. He dealt 200 damage and earned enough points to activate his C Sharp attack. He quickly dropped his fingers down and began to play, sending a wave of magic crashing into the beast. The monster’s health dropped down to 600 but it wasn’t done yet.

The great tavern reached down and grabbed Liam, lifting him high in the air. Liam struggled, his arms bound. “Come on!” he roared. The beast activated a crushing attack that did 25 points of damage to him.

Kaida rushed forward with her staff and bonked the monster on the side, dropping it down to 550. The monster grew distracted and tried to stomp on her, but she scrambled out of the way. That was enough for Liam to free his axe arm and he swung his weapon down hard, activating Swing and Sing.

He fired his G7 Assault while smashing, letting out a throaty roar. His axe dealt 200 damage and the G7 another 300, for a grand total of 500 points. Kaida heroically swung her staff again, striking the monster in the leg.

The beast shuddered from the hit, having lost the rest of its HP. It dropped Liam and staggered backwards, vanishing in a single motion. The tavern left behind 500 shards and a ring.

800 XP Gained! appeared in Liam’s vision. Since they had lost Lance, he would gain more XP per fight.

This was enough XP to level up, but Kaida was crying.

“We lost Lance and we’ll never find him!” she wept. “We’d have to go back the way we came and that area was full of danger. We’ll have to get past that stomping room again.”

“Calm down,” Liam said, patting her on the shoulder. “There’s no reason to get upset. Lance is fine, he’s just down some XP and back at the Fountain.”

He remembered the Farspeech Rod and quickly pulled it out. “Here, I can prove that he’s okay.” Liam raised the tip of the rod to his mouth like it was a microphone and spoke. “Lance, Lance, are you there?”

The voice came back warbling a little. “Good god, that was one ridiculously cheap shot, can you believe that?”

“See?” Liam said. “He’s perfectly fine.”

“Lance,” Liam said. “Can you get back to us?”

“I don’t have the speed to cross the room without your help,” he said. “You’d have to double back. Best just go on without me. I don’t want to slow you guys down.”

“No way!” Liam said. “We’re a team and no one gets left behind. We’ll double back and meet you in the stomping block room. You’ll be quick enough with my music and Kaida’s speed spell.”

“You seriously aren’t going to abandon me?” the man replied. “Color me surprised. Most of the time when you lose a party member, you never see them again.”

“Well, I don’t make a habit of leaving anyone behind,” Liam said. “We’ll find you. Just wait for us at the block room.”

“Nothing has changed for me, the benefits of being in a party,” Lance said. “I’m just down a few points of XP which is nothing since I just leveled up. I’ll be there shortly.”

“You’re forgetting one thing,” Kaida said, pointing to the wall. “We came down that way. There’s no way we can climb that high.”

Liam balked at this. “Oh crap, you’re right. Lance, we’re not going to be able to come the same way we got here. Maybe we can reconvene…”

He wasn’t sure what to do here. The plateau they had jumped from was nearly fifty feet high. They had no climbing gear on them and Lance certainly couldn’t leap that high. He frowned. “There’s got to be some way to get back up.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Lance said. “I’m sure I’ll find you guys. I’ll try to get through the stomping room alone. And hey, if it doesn’t work, I’ll just head right back to the Fountain.”

Liam sighed at that. There had to be some way to climb up the way they came. But before that, he was going to level up. Who knows what new abilities he could pick?

You have Leveled Up! You are now Level 5!

+25 HP

+3 Skill Points

Select Two Abilities!

Wildfight:

Difficult Track: After you take Damage, you gain 1 Music Point.

Extra Chord: Learn a new Chord Ability.

Electric Hum: Your Chord Attacks can become Electric Based for 1 Extra Music Point.

Double Down: After you take damage, gain +100 Damage for one strike.

Inspiring Leader: Party Members gain +100 Damage to their attacks for as long as you play.

Heavy Hit: Every third hit on a target causes them to become stunned.

Catchy Tune: Your allies benefit from your music after you stop playing for 1 minute.

Easy Listening: Your allies gain +20 Armor Points when you play a Chord.

Liam examined his options. He was getting stronger but his allies were still weak, since they were both casters. Catchy Tune would allow them to benefit from his chord abilities for longer than when he was playing, making them more powerful during a fight. When combined with Inspiring Leader, they’d be dealing even more damage. Though he could take Easy Listening to ensure that Lance was well defended… Hmm, the F Maneuver already improved their Dexterity… this was a hard decision to make.

In the end, Liam decided to take Catchy Tune and Inspiring Leader. This would ensure that they could benefit from the F Maneuver while also improving their damage each time he played a chord.

Select 1 Chord Ability:

A Defense

Description: This powerful chord creates a shield around you, absorbing up to 10 points of damage before breaking. Shield lasts as long as combat.

Cost: 3 Music Points

G Strike

Description: The G Strike deals damage to all enemies within 10 feet of you.

Damage: 150

Cost: 1 Music Point

Major Shift

Description: This tonal shift allows for you to increase the strength of your next Chord. Activating it causes the next Chord you use to deal an additional +200 Damage.

Cost: 1 Music Point

Minor Lift

Description: When you play this Chord, you gain the ability to leap up 10 feet.

Cost: 2 Music Points

B7 Burst

Description: This audio assault sends out a 20 foot wave of music all around you, dealing 300 damage to all Targets.

Cost: 5 Music Points

E Major Shield

Description: Creates a much stronger shield around you or a party member, granting them 30 points of Armor. Lasts for as long as you play.

Cost: 2 Music Points

E Minor Assault

Description: Slows a target down with intense audiosonic frequencies. A slowed target can only attack once per thirty seconds.

Cost: 5 Music Points

Liam rubbed his chin in contemplation. With E Major Shield, he’d be able to protect his allies better. And since he had Catchy Tune, the effects would last longer than after he stopped playing. Perhaps he was overcompensating for the loss of his mage, but he decided to select it. After that, he had his skills to choose.

Skills:

Axefighting

Defending

Searching

Trap Disarming

Charging

Scroll Use

Countering

Light Armor

Medium Armor

Heavy Armor

Trapping

Most of his skills were high enough as it was, so he decided to focus primarily on Trap Disarming. Cluckington, who had vanished with his master, had the ability to detect traps but there was no way to disarm them. The traps in the halls had required five ranks, so he decided to put three points into disarming, bringing it up to four ranks total. That wasn’t enough to take care of the hall but perhaps there were weaker traps in the area.

It was a bit of a loss to not be able to increase his Axefighting ability but he knew better. There was only so much offense could do. Sometimes the best defense was to improve his skillsets in the areas the party was weakest.

He was greeted by a new section before his character sheet updated.

You are now Level 5! You gain +2 to one of your stats! Select a stat to increase!

Stats:

Strength: 3

Dexterity: 4

Intelligence: 1

Constitution: 1

Magic: 1

Liam hadn’t found a use for Strength just yet, but he wondered what would happen if he increased his Constitution. That said, he was already at 150 HP, so if Constitution boosted his health, the gains would be minimal. Perhaps it would be better to keep increasing his Dexterity, as that was the one most demanded of him during combat.

He selected Dexterity and watched as it increased to 6. With Kaida’s spell, that would give him a working Dex of 10, improving his aptitude to run, dodge and fight with ease. Let’s see a monster catch him if he was as slippery as an eel!

Chapter 25

Liam finished his leveling up and inspected the ring they had found on the ground.

Ring of Spellshield

Requirements: Intelligence Rank 3

Description: This Ring generates a shield that absorbs 20 damage. The shield regenerates fully after 1 hour.

“Here,” Liam said, handing the ring over to Kaida. “You need all the extra protection you can get.”

Kaida accepted the ring and looked at it curiously. “You’re just saying that because you don’t have the intelligence for it.”

“Nah, I got my armor which grants me 30 points of protection. You’re going to need the extra help if we end up in a scrap,” Liam said. “Now, we just need to figure out how to get some climbing gear and we’ll be golden.”

They looked across the pool of murky water to see a small door in the side of the wall. Liam grinned. “There, that’s a way out.”

“We’ll have to cross the water first,” Kaida said. “And judging from the last time we were near water, there’s probably a monster lurking in there.”

“That fish was worth quite a few shards,” Liam replied. “Come on, let’s try and see how deep it is.”

They approached the lake to find that the water was quite shallow. It was barely a foot deep. Liam drew his axe and held it high as he stepped into the water, shivering a little as he felt the cold seep into his boots.

“You cross first,” Kaida said, standing by the edge of the water.

Liam sighed but kept moving, following the water towards the small door sticking out of the side of the wall. Despite the tension in the air, nothing happened. He couldn’t see anything in the water and so he kept going until he made it to the other end.

“Perfectly safe, see?” Liam said. “Now you.”

Kaida hiked up her robes a little so that she wouldn’t get them wet and followed after Liam, making her way to the other side. When she was done, she let out a sigh of relief. “Now come on,” Liam said, let’s get going.”

They opened the door and found themselves to be in a small village. There were short little men and women wandering around, singing merrily as they worked, building new structures out of wood. Many of them had little saws and red caps on their heads. Their song filled the air.

“Oh, we work so hard and we play today, working all night and singing all day,” they sang. Liam found the music to be catchy and took out his axe to play in tune with the singing.

The little villagers all stopped and turned. When they saw the climbers, they scurried into their huts and houses, vanishing from sight.

“Hey come on, my playing wasn’t that bad!” Liam called out but no one dared to come out.

“Go away!” one of the villagers shouted from a building. The huts were twice as small as a human hut but seemed to store the entire population of the village just fine.

“We’re not going to hurt any of you,” Kaida said. “In fact, we need your help.”

“Climbers in need of help?” one of the villagers said, popping his head out of a house that was hanging from a rope above them. “What could you possibly need help with?”

“We’re trying to get back with our companion,” Liam said. “And it’s a far climb to get there. Do you have any climbing material we could have?”

“You wanna get how far?” another asked, popping his head out of the ground in front of him. This villager had a big nose and a green hat on.

“Fifty feet,” Liam said.

“We could make you a ladder,” the villager replied. “But it’ll cost you.”

“We have plenty of shards,” Liam said.

“We don’t use shards in our village,” the man said as he climbed out of his hole. “But we do trade. A quest!”

“Yes, a quest!” the others all whispered. They were slowly coming out of their huts to gawk at the two climbers.

Kaida looked nervously at Liam. “What do you think they want?”

“Who knows?” Liam asked. “What can we help you with?”

“There’s a big monster in the cave to the north of us,” the villager said. He pointed towards a small door leading out of the area. “He keeps coming in and eating us. A terrible crocofiend, one of the biggest and nastiest things I’ve ever seen. If you kill it, I’d be more than happy to build a fifty foot ladder for you.”

“That’s all?” Liam asked. “Just a monster to slay? That’s easy work, right Kaida?”

“Speak for yourself, I hate monsters” Kaida said. “But yes, we should be able to do it. Anything to get Lance back.”

“You miss him?” Liam asked.

“I feel guilty for leaving him behind, that’s all,” she replied. “I prefer your company but he has the magic we need.”

“And he’s our friend,” Liam reminded her.

“Some friend, always takes the good treasure,” Kaida grumbled.

“We’ll solve your crocofiend problem,” Liam said. “And you guys can get started on that ladder for this won’t take us very long.”

“Sure, sure,” the villager said, doffing his cap to them. “Good luck, you’re going to need it.”

With that, the pair made its way to the little door on the other side of the village and climbed through, having to duck their heads down.

The next room turned out to be a large bog, complete with gnarled trees sticking out of the ground and swamp water everywhere. Peat moss and the ground looked almost identical and the pair was wading through water even though they were trying to get to dry land.

“Eugh, this place smells terrible,” Kaida said.

“No kidding,” Liam said. “Any chance you have an air freshening spell?”

“I wish,” she groaned. “But no, we’re stuck with the stench.”

As they walked, there was a splash in the water and a sizable one at that. Liam drew his axe and held his breath, tracking the motion in the water.

A large crocodile could be spotted a few hundred feet away. Its eyes were above the murky swamp but its body was hidden as it moved through the peat moss.

Crocofiend

HP: 2,000

“Better get on land,” Liam said. “This thing is probably much faster in the water.”

Kaida didn’t need to hear that twice. She quickly scurried onto the land, a long patch of dirt that was in between the waters. Liam made his way to the earth as well, his boots squishing with each step.

The crocofiend swam in their direction, eyes glaring at them with an intense hatred. Liam raised his axe and prepared to fight. He had run out of music points but a few swings and slashes should solve the issue.

The beast came crashing out of the waters without warning. Its massive body was bright white and its scales shimmered in the red light that followed the group wherever they went. The beast had an enormous body, nearly twenty feet long and its head was almost ten feet in length.. The creature snapped its jaws at them and lunged towards Liam.

He dodged out of the way, thanks to his improved dexterity, and brought the axe down on the creature’s skull, dealing only 100 damage. Armored appeared above the monster’s head, but Liam had a solution for that. He swung again, hitting the creature for another hundred.

The crocofiend opened its jaws and lunged again, thrashing its tail at the same time. Liam was able to dodge the bite but the tail came whipping around the other side, catching him in the chest. He was flung into the water, though he managed to keep hold of his weapon.

“Look out!” Kaida yelped as the beast dove into the waters, vanishing for a second.

Liam tried to get to the surface but the water suddenly moved beneath him. The crocofiend came out of the swamp with its jaws open, right around Liam. He struggled to swim out of the way but his armor weighed him down and he was too slow compared to the apex predator.

The monster grabbed him with both of its jaws and bit down hard. Liam took 10 points of damage, his armor thankfully reducing the bulk of the damage. The creature wasn’t done, however, and began to roll sideways, spinning violently.

“Ahhh!” Liam shouted as he was pulled into the water, taking 30 points of damage.

“I can’t help with anything!” Kaida cried.

“Heal me!” Liam shouted before he went back under the water. “When in doubt, blub blub!”

His words were interrupted as the crocofiend forced him underwater, its thrashing wild and brutal. Liam had no other choice but to smash his axe at its snout, striking it as hard as he could. The creature released him upon being struck, though it only took another 100 points of damage.

No matter, Liam could now hurry back to solid ground. As he swam for his life, he could feel the healing magics of Kaida wash around him. She thrust out her staff towards him and he grabbed onto it. The healer yanked and managed to pull Liam to land just as the crocofiend came up behind them. Its jaws snapped fruitlessly against the water.

“Come on, come on!” Liam said, flipping his axe down and preparing to play a chord.

He activated the Em Break ability, sending a wave of blue magic towards the monster. Armor Broken appeared over the creature’s head. It still had 1,800 HP and was content to stay in the water, swimming back and forth.

Liam activated his G7 Assault, firing a wave of music at the monster. This missed as the beast dove underwater.

“Where’s damage when you need it?” Liam groaned.

The monster vanished from sight and Liam was forced to turn around in a circle, keeping his axe up high.

“There!” Kaida shouted, pointing behind them.

Liam spun around just in time to dodge the attack. The monster slammed onto the ground, rushing up to bite him once more. He slashed down in a diagonal, hitting the creature for 200 points of damage. The health dropped down a little but it was still a long ways to go before he killed it.

Liam swung again but the creature thrashed its tail at him, forcing him to drop to his knees. Rather than risk another melee attack, Liam activated his G7 Assault, sending a wave of magic straight into the beast’s maw.

The creature fell backwards and dove back into the water, taking 300 more points of damage. Liam gasped for air and wiped his forehead, trying to get the swamp water out of his eyes. “Come on…” he growled as he scanned the water for motion.

“There!” Kaida said again, pointing her staff towards one part of the water, on their right flank. Liam readied his axe and crouched down.

The water erupted and the crocofiend came out once more, its massive jaws opening wide to devour him. He leapt up in the air and landed atop the monster’s snout, his legs wrapping around the sides of its head.

“Hah!” Liam shouted, slicing downward again and again. The monster tried to shake him off but its jaws weren’t strong enough to lift open with his weight pressing down at the base.

Kaida healed Liam again, restoring him to full health before scuttling away from the monster’s thrashing tail. Liam struggled with the monster, dealing another 400 damage before the creature had the sense to retreat backwards into its natural habitat.

Liam leapt off the monster before it could lower itself into the water, knowing it was a fool’s game to follow the creature where it was strongest. Instead, he prepared himself by activating his A7 Stab, increasing the damage of his axe by 200 for two more hits.

The monster was down to only nine hundred points left and that meant Liam could finish it off with a few more strikes. The crocofiend swam in the water for a moment before changing tactics. It vanished deep beneath the swamp and did not come back up.

“Come on!” Liam shouted, but this was no use. The monster had no plans on resurfacing.

“What do we do?” Kaida asked.

“Hit me with your speed spell and I’m going in,” Liam finally said after a few seconds, standing on a long fallen branch that led to the deeper parts of the waters.

Kaida was reluctant at first but she ended up complying as this seemed like the only option left. She cast the spell, and Liam felt the increased dexterity combine with his stat upgrade and his Dex reached 10 points. He felt faster than an arrow now and dove into the water to look for the monster.

Underwater he could see clearly. The great white crocofiend was only a few feet away, though its back was turned. He slashed at its tail before it had a chance to turn around and the cut took the beast’s tail clean off. That was 400 damage, only a little bit left to go.

The monster flailed after losing its appendage and whipped around, slashing at Liam. The long white claws cut across his arms and torso, raking him for 20 damage, his armor holding firm. Liam targeted the beast’s left eye, striking it for 400 more damage. That had the monster lunge forward to bite him, but Liam was much faster thanks to his high dexterity. He swung underwater once more, putting all of his might into it.

The creature’s jaws opened wide as he brought his arm down hard, hacking the beast in the jaw. The words 200 damage appeared above the beast’s head and it ceased moving entirely. It slowly floated up to the top and Liam swam up as well, drawing in the air deeply as his lungs were almost empty.

“You did it!” Kaida said as the monster faded, leaving behind a long tooth and a pile of shards that floated to the top of the swamp.

Liam collected the shards, 800, and pocketed them. He grabbed the tooth and swam back to the land where Kaida eagerly pulled him out.

Monster Defeated! 500 XP Gained!

“That was…not the easiest fight,” he said.

Chapter 26

The pair returned to the village of little people, waterlogged and stinking. The folks all cheered at the sight of them and the greencap fellow came to meet with them.

“Did you slay it?” he asked. “You’re the first people who have ever come back!”

Liam produced the long tooth of the crocofiend. “This was left behind after we killed it.”

Everyone threw their hats into the air, running around and singing.

“He killed it, he killed it, the crocofiend was mighty but the axeman stronger, now we can live in peace a little while longer!” they chanted as they ran amuck with joy.

Liam grinned at the sight of the little folks dancing. He played a few strums on his guitar. “So how about that ladder?”

The group quickly gathered together and grabbed a few tools. They sawed and hammered away on a long beam of wood until, soon enough, the thing resembled a ladder.

“There we go!” the leader eventually said when they were finished. “One fifty foot ladder, just for you!”

Liam grabbed the ladder and turned it sideways. “Thanks for the help, guys.”

“No, thank you!” the little man said. “On behalf of the village of Pimwick, I’d like for you to have a Pin of Friendship.”

He took out a small metal pin that was in the shape of a pointed red cap. “If you meet any other gnome villages, the pin will tell them that you’re a friend!”

Liam accepted the gift and bowed to the gnomes. They all cheered as the pair left the way they came in.

“Now that was an adventure!” Liam proudly said.

“You almost died.”

“Bah, my hitpoints were barely scratched,” Liam replied. “We aren’t doing nearly as bad as you think.”

“Tell that to Lance,” she grumbled.

Liam decided to let it slide and merely pressed on. They carried the ladder back to the area with the false tavern and placed it up against the plateau. The ladder was shaky, so Liam held it for Kaida as she climbed up. Once she made it, he scrambled up.

“I think we’ll leave it here,” Liam said. “This passage didn’t lead to anything, so it’s not like we’ll be needing it again.”

They backtracked quickly, making their way through the checker room, only to stop in the hallway that had been trapped thoroughly. There was a problem: they didn’t have Cluckington to detect the traps and Liam had no memory of which floors panels were trapped or not.

“Uh oh,” Liam said. “A snag in our plan.”

“I just realized the same thing,” Kaida replied. “Maybe we should wait for Lance to catch up with us.”

“God idea, let me get on the horn with him,” Liam said. He took out the farspeech rod and spoke into it. “Lance, we need your help. Is there any way you can send Cluckington to us?”

“Blasted fools!” Lance replied. “Uh, sorry about that, look I’m in a bit of trouble. There are some wandering monsters that just came into the room. Stone goblins, and they’re a heap of danger. I can’t focus on helping…”

And after that he went silent.

“Damn it, he’s in trouble,” Liam said. He looked at the hallway. He had the armor. “Alright, just follow my lead.”

Liam took a step forward, nothing happened. He scanned the area but his Trapfinding skills were too low to detect anything. He took another step and the floor sank in. Immediately, three spears came sticking out of the wall, striking him for 10 damage.

“That wasn’t so bad,” Liam said, his armor warding off the bulk of the damage. “Maybe I overthought this.”

Liam decided to keep going. He moved from step to step, triggering a trap every third time or so. Kaida followed him, moving on the steps that weren’t rigged and thus she was spared being stabbed by spears multiple times.

By the time they reached the other side, Liam had taken nearly 50 points of damage, damage that was healed up quickly. “Those traps were no match for my heartiness!” he proudly said.

“If they were stronger you’d be dead and I’d be alone again,” Kaida glumly replied.

“Come on, get into the spirit of things!” Liam said. “We’re almost there.”

They made it to the stomping square room, where on the other side they could see Lance fighting for his life. The wizard was casting spells left and right, struggling to keep the three stone goblins from advancing. They were wearing light armor, leather from the looks of it, and were trying to get to him with their spears.

“I’ve got you!” Liam said, flipping out his axe and strumming his strings. As he played, Lance was empowered with extra dexterity as well as additional damage. The mage fired a bolt of lightning that fried one of the goblins, but the other two were quick to close the distance.

Liam looked at the blocks and at his ally. “Lance, just run! The goblins will be crushed if they pursue.”

“Damn it all,” Lance said and he fled into the first step.

The blocks were still smashing the ground as they moved and the goblins chased after him, though not as quickly. The wizard sprinted through three blocks at once, making it to the center. One of the big cubes came crashing down on the pursuing goblins, destroying them instantly.

200 XP Gained! appeared in Liam’s vision. He kept playing fervently. “Come on man, you can make it!”

Lance sprinted left and then right, finally making it to the end where the two were waiting for him.

“That was not ideal,” Lance huffed, bending over and gasping. Cluckington hopped down from his perch upon Lance’s shoulder and greeted Kaida, clucking excitedly.

“It’s good to see you too,” Kaida said, petting the chicken.

“What now?”

“Well, the puzzle room had two other entrances, so I suppose we head back,” Liam said. “And no need to worry about the traps this time, for I disabled them expertly.”

“He means he disarmed them by running into each and every one, soaking up the damage,” Kaida said. “I’m almost out of magic points because of it.”

Lance smiled. “Well, there’s always a way around traps. Come on, gang, let’s keep exploring! And thanks for coming for me.”

The three now reunited made their way back through the trapped hall, with Cluckington to guide them as the traps had all reset. With his help, they were able to make it back to the puzzle room in one piece. It was there that they saw a group of other climbers, men and women equipped with black hoods and carrying bows at their sides.

“What do we do?” Kaida whispered as she poked her head out of the hallway. “They don’t look too friendly.”

“Nonsense, they’re fellow climbers,” Liam said. “Unless they threaten us, we shouldn’t make assumptions.”

There were four of the strangers, and they were gathered around a map and arguing about something.

Liam decided to stroll out and greet the group. “Hey there!” he said. “The name’s Liam!”

The four climbers immediately drew their bows and aimed them at Liam. “Stay back!” a woman, presumably the leader said. “Don’t think I won’t shoot you!”

“Hey now,” Liam said. “There’s no reason to be testy. I’m not here to cause you any trouble. Me and my group are just passing through.”

The woman looked at him, up and down, frowned, and finally lowered her bow. “Do you have any idea where you are right now?”

“Level 2, the Spire,” Liam said.

“That’s right, and climbers here aren’t friendly. Most are looking to get the best gear and they rob you as soon as they can,” the woman warned. “We just fled from a group to the west. Now we’re trying to find our way around.”

“I told you climbers were dangerous,” Kaida said, stepping beside Liam.

“Well, there’s a dead end to the north,” Liam said. “We checked it out but didn’t find anything other than a gnome village.”

“We’re looking for that village!” the woman declared. “Haha, you just solved our argument!”

“See? Not everyone’s out to get ya,” Liam said with his open palms.

“Come on, let’s go take out those gnomes and get their treasure,” the woman said to her allies, waving them on.

Liam felt a dread well up in him at hearing these words. “Wait, they’re a friendly people,” he said. “They aren’t monsters or anything.”

“Everything that isn’t human is fair game in the Spire,” the woman replied.

Liam put his hand up to stop them from walking off. “You can’t be serious. If you want treasure, just ask them. I’m sure they’ll have a quest for you.”

“We don’t do quests,” the stranger said. “Too many problems with getting paid.”

“I think this fellow,” one of the men besides the woman said, “is getting sentimental about these gnomes.”

“Hey now,” Liam said. “There’s no reason to get upset with me. I’m just saying you can’t go around killing innocents.”

“And are you going to stop us?” the leader demanded.

Liam looked at Lance. The wizard shook his head. “No reason for us to risk our lives on the account of some villagers,” he said.

“No, we have to stop them!” Kaida said. “Those gnomes are our friends. Isn’t that what the pin they gave you represents?”

Liam made the call. “If you mess with the gnomes, you’re messing with me.”

“Then we’ll kill you and take your things too!” the woman declared. “Fire!”

The four strangers all raised their bows at once and fired at Liam. He tried to dodge out of the way but wasn’t nearly as fast as their reflexes, now that Kaida’s boost had run out. He took four arrows to the chest, dropping his health down to 75.

“Oh no you don’t!” Lance shouted. He raised his hands and a red glyph appeared. Fire came pouring out in a cone, encompassing their opponents. Two of them jumped to the side, the leader and the man beside her, but the other two were engulfed by the raging flames. The damage was too high and they immediately faded.

“Hyaaa!” Liam shouted as he rushed the woman, raising his axe high.

She scrambled to her feet and evaded his attack, ducking to the left as he swung from the right. She dropped backwards onto her rear and fired a close range shot, hitting Liam in the gut for 20 points.

He groaned from the shock and his health dropped some more but Kaida was there to top him off. She healed him as Lance fired two bolts of magic, one electric and one arcane, at the leader. They both struck her at once but she had high magical resistance it would seem, as she only took twenty damage.

The other man went for Lance and shot at him, but the wizard was already ahead of him. He created a barrier out of magic, warding off the attack with a fancy new spell. The arrows struck thin air and bounced off harmlessly.

Liam slashed again, this time hitting the woman flush, but her resistance was exceptional. He only dealt 20 points of damage and she punched him in the jaw. Everything spun for a moment as Liam staggered back, but Kaida was quick to heal his Dizzy status.

The woman scrambled to the north, electing to flee the area. But Lance wouldn’t give her the chance, and he hurled an ice shard straight at her. Upon seeing his leader fall, the other man dropped his bow. “I surrender!” he said.

“No mercy when you’re hurting my friends,” Liam replied and he hacked him down where he stood. The stranger gasped and faded instantly.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Kaida said, walking up beside Liam.

Enemies Defeated! 200 XP Gained!

“They were going to hurt the gnomes, Kaida,” Liam said. “There’s no forgiveness. And besides, I just sent them all back to the Fountain at once. Their group is fine together but they’ll have to find their way back here.”

“It’s all the same to me,” Lance said. “A fight with strangers is the same as a fight with monsters. Though I do think we wasted our resources on nothing.”

“You didn’t meet those gnome fellows,” Liam said. “They were fine folk who helped us out. We even got a pin of friendship.”

Lance shrugged. “So I suppose we head to the west or the eastern passage.”

“Those strangers ran into trouble in the west,” Kaida said. “I vote we go east.”

“Fair enough, eastward ho!”

Chapter 27

The passage to the east led to another industrial room, covered with metal and iron bars growing out of the walls. There was a huge gap in the middle, with a large series of platforms floating. They were moving up and down like a windmill, and on the other side they could see a red key sitting on a pedestal, as well as three doors leading in different directions.

“There we go!” Liam said, pointing to the key. “I’m willing to bet that leads to the miniboss. After that, we’re just a hop and a skip away from level three.”

“It seems we may have a problem though,” Lance said, pointing to a creature that was standing atop the platforms. He was a huge goblin, nearly six feet tall and with little stubby wings on his back. He was quite fat and was chuckling as he saw them approach.

“Hur hur hur,” the goblin said. “More lunch!”

Big Goblin

2,500 HP

Liam and the group waited for him to attack but he merely hopped from platform to platform, always staying on the top.

“It seems he’s going to wait to attack us when we try to cross,” Lance said. “Best start blasting at him from here.”

He raised both of his wands and fired at once, but the wands struck an invisible barrier that was in between them and the platforms.

“Only way to kill me is to come over here!” the goblin taunted. “And then I munch munch munch on lunch lunch lunch!”

Liam grabbed his axe and moved to the edge. “No time like the present,” he said, waiting a moment. One of the platforms rose up and he leapt onto it no problem, passing through the invisible barrier.

“Alley oop!” the monster cried and he leapt from the top of the rotating platforms onto Liam. The rockstar tried to dodge but the big goblin was too large. He plunked down on him hard, crushing his bones.

Liam felt everything pop as he took 50 damage, his armor barely reducing the damage. “Liam!” Kaida yelled, rushing to the edge and leaping onto the platform beneath them.

She raised her staff and tried to heal him but was quickly fended as the goblin jumped from Liam onto her square. She screamed and leapt down onto the platform beneath them, narrowly avoiding his assault.

Lance was last to join, helping Liam to his feet. “Come on, lad,” Lance said. “Our healer’s in trouble!”

Kaida was capable of jumping from platform to platform easily enough, but the big goblin could leap up to two at a time, chasing after her. He carried no weapon and seemed to rely on his bulk in order to fight them.

Liam had a few music points but he decided to be defensive here. He activated his F Maneuver, allowing Kaida to speed her climbing up. She scrambled atop the highest platform and leapt back down to where Liam was.

The goblin followed her, leaping high above them and readying to land on them once more.

“Fire!” Lance shouted, shooting twin beams at the goblin as his little wings flapped, getting ready for him to pounce.

The magic bolts were bolstered by Liam’s playing, thanks to his Inspiring Leader ability and they dealt 650 damage in a single hit, dropping the monster down to 1,850 HP. The goblin didn’t balk at the damage however and pounced, slamming down towards Liam.

Liam was ready this time and ducked to the right, spinning around in a circle to gain momentum. He slammed his axe into the side of the monster and dealt 200 damage, gaining 3 MP in the process.

Kaida scrambled off the platform, as did Lance, the pair leaping down on the eternally moving planks that were suspended in the air.

“Grahhh!” the fat goblin shouted as it tried to leap into the air, but Liam activated his Swing and Sing ability, and he smashed the creature in the back while playing a G7 Assault at the same time. This dealt 500 damage to the monster and caused it to spiral downwards onto the wrong platform, missing the pair that had jumped.

“Get to the other side!” Liam said. “I can handle it!”

“Not on your life,” Lance said, readying a spell. The familiar blue glyph appeared before him as he chanted ancient words, forming a large icicle. He held the spell for a moment and waited for the monster to leap, then fired.

The bolt struck the beast in the chest, dropping it down to 850. The creature roared as it landed before Lance, missing him narrowly. The shockwave caused Lance to stumble and he fell off the side of the platform, forcing him to grab on for dear life.

Kaida tried to run to save him but was fended as the goblin leapt in the air once again.

“I’m coming!” Liam shouted, timing his jump well enough to land down in front of Lance. The goblin followed Kaida up another platform, though she was fast enough to jump to the other side. He didn’t seem to be able to catch up to her, but was distracted enough for Liam to grab his companion and yank him up.

“Well, that was a close one,” Lance said as he climbed to his feet.

A shadow cast over them and they both escaped to different platforms, Lance almost missing one of the blocks but landing halfway on it. Liam leapt to the right and landed on the other platform, and waited a beat.

“Come on!” Liam shouted, distracting the monster. “I’m big and tasty, don’t you want to devour me?”

The monster took the bait and bounded towards him, only to be hit in midair as Liam jumped across to the other platform. He sailed through the air and slashed past the beast, the monster’s eyes growing wide with shock as it realized it had been tricked.

Liam dealt another 200 to the monster and landed on the other platform, spinning around. With the music points, he activated his G7 Assault and sent a beam of magical energy straight into the big monster’s back.

Lance managed to collect himself and fired his wands at the creature, dealing 650 damage, enough to kill it. The monster melted into the floor and they were greeted with 500 XP Gained!

The platforms began to shake as Liam leapt from one to the other to collect the treasure that had spawned. The goblin had left 500 shards and a small red gemstone.

“We better go!” Liam said as the top platform fell, its magical energies no longer sustained. The goblin’s presence must have kept the platforms functioning and Liam waited a beat, the platform he was on rising just enough for him to make it to the other side.

Lance leapt from one platform to the other as they fell behind him. Kaida reached out her hands and so did Liam. “Jump!”

Lance shouted something obscene as he leapt for all he was worth. The pair caught his outstretched hands and pulled him up. They had made it.

“Well, that was one hell of a fight,” Liam said. “But this key makes it all worth it. Oh, and I also found this.”

Stone of Speed

Description: When carried, this stone increases your Dexterity.

Bonus: +2 Dexterity.

Liam looked at the stone and then at Lance. “I think you should take it,” he said, handing it over to the wizard. “You’re never nearly as fast on your feet and besides, Kaida has a shield ring. It’s only fair for you to get something defensive too.”

“A capital idea!” Lance said, taking the stone and putting it into his pocket. “You can never have too many items, is what I always say.”

“I’ve never heard you say that once,” Kaida said as Liam approached the key.

“Well I’ve said it a few times…” the man replied.

Liam ignored the pair’s squabbling and picked up the key. It hummed and the three doors immediately opened up.

“Choose your test!” a voice boomed. “To the right is the door of strength, where you must test your abilities to fight. To the left is the test of cunning, where things aren’t as they seem. And in the center is the test of might, where you square off against a solitary but powerful foe. Should you pass one of these tests, you will gain access to the miniboss’ lair!”

Liam looked at the doors and back at his allies. “Strength might require actual strength,” he said. “And you two don’t really have it. Cunning might be some kind of puzzle but I’m feeling good. I think we should take the room of might.”

“Why don’t we come back after we explore some other parts of the dungeon?” Lance said. “The Spire only gets harder as you go up and we aren’t dealing the most damage. Perhaps we could find a shop if we head back to the western passage.”

As if sensing his words, a bridge formed out of the platforms that had fallen. They rose up from the gap and made a pathway back to where they had come from.

Liam thought about this. It did make sense that they wait before they just rush headlong into another challenge. He was far from Level 6 but perhaps finding a shop would be useful. His weapon wasn’t dealing the most damage and Lance was outpacing him.

“Good point,” Liam conceded. “Alright, new plan. We go look for a shop, find some smaller monsters to crush and level up until we’re strong enough to take on whatever is in this room and then the miniboss!”

Chapter 28

The three companions made their way back across the long platforms without any trouble. Liam had worried that it may be some sort of trap but now that they had cleared the room and gained the key, there were no more hurdles. They passed through the checkered puzzle room and then onto the western passage.

This chamber led to a wide area with stairs to the right, leading up to a northern door. There were two large statues in the center. The first statue was a man, carrying a longsword in one hand and holding the head of a gorgon in the other. The second was a woman, wielding a scepter and raising it high, gold beneath her sandals.

“Fame and fortune,” Kaida read as she approached the two statues. There was a sign in front that said as much. “Choose one but not the other to receive your reward.”

“I vote we just head up to the north,” Lance said. “These statues give me the creeps.”

Liam rubbed his chin as he examined the two statues. The one on the left, the man, clearly represented fame for he held a creature of great regard in his hands. The other represented fortune with the coins at her feet.

“What do you think they’ll do if we touch one?” Liam asked.

“Melt our faces off,” Lance said with a grimace.

“Come now, we might be able to get some coins if we take fortune,” Liam said. “Though maybe it’s a question as to which is better.”

“I think fortune leads to fame, but fame doesn’t necessarily lead to fortune,” Kaida said. “I vote we try fortune, if we are going to try it, that is.”

“I’ve had both, in my past life,” Liam said. “And I have to say that I’d rather do fortune than fame. It’s hard to be in the public’s eye your whole life and there are too many people with too many opinions about you. Let’s try fortune and see what happens.”

Lance backed up a good ten feet away. “I shall be standing here and gloating if it kills you. Just saying.”

Kaida looked at Liam and decided to back up as well. “Go for it, big guy.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Liam said, walking up to the female statue. He took a deep breath and placed both hands on it, waiting for something to happen.

“What can fortune bring?” the woman suddenly said, raising her scepter high above Liam. A golden glow emanated from the staff and suddenly shards began to fall from the ceiling. “Those who seek wealth for its own sake are often destroyed from it!”

“That doesn’t sound ominous,” Lance said sarcastically.

The shards piled up high before Liam but he realized too late that they were sticky. They poured onto his boots, rooting him to the floor, and soon began to smother him as they rose to chest level. He tried to fight his way out of it, kicking his feet up and out of the pile before the coins could bury him.

With a harsh shove of the shoulders, he stumbled backwards, and the pile continued to grow. The crystal shards all gathered together and formed into a large silhouette, complete with arms and legs.

Shard Monster

1,500 HP

“Ah crap! I knew it,” Kaida cried. “Lookout!”

Liam was barely on his feet before the great shard monster knocked him backwards, striking him with a forceful blow that did 20 damage. Liam fell to the ground and bounced a few times.

“Kill it!” Liam shouted

Lance fired his twin wands at the monster but the beams bounced off, redirecting towards Liam. He rolled out of the way and the bolts struck the ground beside him, hissing and burning.

“That wasn’t my plan, I swear!” Lance said.

Liam climbed to his feet and felt the familiar speed spell surround him as Kaida raised her staff. He quickly gathered himself and charged towards the monster, slashing his axe with deadly intent. The axe bounced off and the monster tossed him backwards once again, slamming its massive shard arm into him.

“It’s too strong!” Kaida said. “What do we do?”

Liam realized that this had to be a puzzle of some kind. The monster was made of shards and seemed immune to all damage. Perhaps if he…

Reaching into his pouch, Liam took out his shards and threw them on the ground. The monster stopped at once and reached down to grab them, greedily pawing at the floor with his enormous hands. Liam took this opportunity to activate Em Break, playing a tune that caused the monster to lose its armored status.

“Hit it now!” Liam instructed.

Lance fired again, shooting both wands with the added bonus of hearing Liam’s music. They struck the monster for 650 but the creature kept on ignoring them, happy to paw away at the shards on the ground. Liam decided to stop playing and rushed their common foe, swinging his axe and connecting with the arm.

The monster took 200 damage and stumbled backwards, shards falling from its body. It recovered for a moment and swung towards Liam, but he was fast enough to deflect the attack. He dropped down to his knees and slid past the large arm, slashing again. The axe bounced off but Kaida was quick to move.

“Here!” she said, taking a handful of shards out of her pouch and throwing them on the ground. The monster immediately scrambled towards the shiny metal and began to gather them once more.

“Hit with your break again!” Lance said.

Liam complied and played a sharp tune, causing the armor on the creature to become null. Lance fired two more shots, both hitting the creature and dropping it instantly. The monster fell to the ground and shattered, thousands of shards falling into a neat pile.

600 XP Gained! appeared in Liam’s vision as they gathered around the shard pile. There were two thousand shards on the ground and they eagerly split it between them. Liam now had 3,100 shards in his possession, more than enough to go shopping.

Chapter 29

The three acolytes ascended up the stairs in the fame and fortune room, content with their last encounter. Liam had been tempted to see what would happen had they selected fame, but decided against it. The shard monster had been tough enough as it was and required quick thinking on his part.

They reached the top of the stairs to find a small hole in the wall. “Welcome to Pasha’s,” a familiar voice growled. It was none other than Pasha, the lizardman that Liam had first met.

“Hey, didn’t we meet on level one?”

“I can be in two places at the same time,” the lizard replied. “Now do you have shards this time or are you just here to beg?”

“Oh, we’ve got shards all right,” Liam said. “Now why don’t you show us your inventory?”

Pasha pointed to the wall. “It’s all random assorted gear but hopefully you’ll find something useful.”

Pasha’s Shop

Weapons

String of Shredding

Description: This string can be added to your axe, improving its ability to deal damage.

Bonus: +50 Damage

Cost: 2,000 Shards

Axe Sharpening Kit

Description: When using this kit, your axe is temporarily sharpened for the next encounter, increasing its damage by 200. Can be used three times.

Cost: 500 Shards

Armor

Necklace of Defense

Description: Improves your defensive capabilities and grants +2 to Defense.

Cost: 1,000 Shards

Spike Collar of Rending

Description: Deals 100 Damage to monsters when they strike you.

Cost: 5,000 Shards

Magical Items

Music Sheet

Description: Generates 5 Music Points when read.

Cost: 500 Shards

Potion of Armor

Description: When consumed, grants you 10 Armor Points for the duration of the fight.

Cost: 1,000 Shards

“Pff, there’s not much for me,” Kaida said. “On the other hand, those music sheets look good for you, Liam.”

“I think I’m going to grab that Necklace of Defense,” Lance said. “It should do nicely as I don’t have much of a defending skill.”

Liam looked at his options. With 3,100 shards to his name (as he had to share the loot with his allies), he could buy the String of Shredding and two Music Sheets. Those generated MP when read and that would allow him to unleash his C Sharp attack much faster.

“I suppose I’ll take these,” Liam said, grabbing the sheets and the string. The latter consisted in a long curled string that could replace any of his axe’s.

“Wonderful, that will be 3,000 shards,” the lizardman said, eagerly putting out his hand. Liam emptied the shards into it and then headed outside.

“We should take a break while I restring my guitar,” Liam said.

“Good, I need to regenerate my magic points anyway,” Kaida replied.

She sat on the ground cross-legged and began to meditate. Liam found a spot away from the ground and, grabbing a hold of his tuning peg, started to loosen the tension on his lower E string. The String of Shredding was a thin wire and he spent some time adjusting the tone. Back in the day, he had an assistant who was in charge of his instruments, but this was still an easy job when you were as experienced as he was. After a few minutes, he ran a quick lick and it played perfectly.

Axe Upgraded!

Damage: 200 > 250

He grinned at the increase. He was still behind Lance in terms of damage output, but every bit helped.

Kaida finished her meditation after an hour and the three stood up to begin their adventures once more.

There was a stone door at the top of the stairs and they made their way up. As they approached the door, a head emerged.

“You three!” the head demanded. It was humanoid though missing a nose. “Why do you want to enter this room?”

“Because there’s nothing else to do?” Liam ventured.

“Wrong!” the door said. “You want the treasure within. But if you’re going to get inside, you must first answer my riddle.”

“Great, riddles,” Liam groaned. “Go ahead.”

“Ahem,” the stone head said, clearing its nonexistent throat. “I am bound by leathered armor though am frail within, worlds you can enter with me though magic is thin.”

“Leather armor but frail…” Kaida said. “Oh I know, it’s a book!”

“Correct!” the head said. “You may now enter the treasure room.”

And with that, the door slid open, revealing a passageway into the next area.

“I didn’t even have a chance to guess,” Liam complained as they entered.

This room was circular with a golden pedestal in the middle. The walls were perfectly smooth and round, with long red and green tiles on the sides. The pedestal had another key on it, golden, and in the back of the room was a door with a golden lock on it.

“I’m willing to bet that is going to activate some kind of trap,” Lance said. Cluckington leapt from his arms and headed to the pedestal, scratching at the floor and cawing a little.

“What’s he saying?” Kaida asked.

“Once again, I cannot speak with the chicken, I can only tell his squawks and caws,” Lance replied. “But it seems I am correct. Touching the key will trigger some kind of trap.”

Liam walked forward and examined the bottom of the pedestal, which Cluckington was paying the most attention to. His vision scanned the area and with the extra help, he was able to see that there was indeed a trap.

He ran his hands along the panel and found that it opened up. There was a mechanical device inside with a bottle of some kind of acid. His Trap Disarming was higher now and so he figured that it would be best to try it.

He reached out and grabbed at the bottle, finding that there were strings attached to both sides. Pulling on the key would have caused the bottle to fire upwards through a small canal that would have soaked the victim in acid.

With a shrug, Liam took out his silver dagger and cut the strings. This caused the bottle to fall into his hands.

Trap Disarmed! Bottle of Acid Spray Found

Bottle of Acid Spray

Description: Deals 300 Acid Damage when opened towards a Target.

“Yeesh, that thing could have killed me instantly,” Liam said upon reading the damage it could cause. He put the bottle onto his hip, where his belt loops had a few slots for potions. “Glad we have Cluckington.”

“Glad indeed!” a raspy voice said.

They turned around to see that a group had come up behind them. There was a wizard in the back, holding a golden staff of magic, a warrior in the front who wore plate mail and the leader, a tall man carrying a longsword in his hand. They were decked out in magical gear and armor.

“Hey there,” Liam said, feeling the tension rise in the air. “How are you today?”

“You can skip with the pleasantries and hand over that bottle, along with the rest of your gear,” the man shouted. “For we are the rulers of level 2 and you have not paid tribute.”

“Rulers?” Liam said. “If you’re in charge then I have a bevy of complaints.”

“Fool!” the wizard sneered. “We’re stronger than you. We have enough firepower to level you three in an instant.”

Liam doubted that yet worried about Kaida and Lance. They weren’t nearly as strong as him and couldn’t soak up much damage. But he had an idea.

“Alright, alright,” Liam said, taking out what few shards he had left as well as the bottle. “I’ll hand everything over.”

“We can take them,” Lance hissed. “That wizard isn’t worth a hill of beans.”

“It’s better we surrender,” Liam said, looking back at his ally and winking. Lance noticed this and nodded.

“Fair enough,” the wizard replied.

“Good, I’m glad to see you are willing to see reason,” the leader said.

Liam approached the group with his shards and bottle. At the last moment, he dropped the shards on the ground and uncorked the bottle. Immediately, a wave of acid sprayed out from the potion and covered the leader. He screamed as he melted into the ground, taking massive damage.

“Crap, that was a trick!” the warrior said. He rushed forward, raising his heavy shield. Lance was faster however and cast a firespell, spraying flames on the man’s body. The armor held, however, and the warrior pressed his advance towards Liam.

Liam dodged to the left, avoiding the warrior’s hammer and slashing in a circle, spinning around as he deftly leapt to the side. The blow connected with the warrior’s shield and he dealt no damage.

The enemy wizard raised a hand and cast a spell, sending beams of purple towards Liam. He tried to avoid the attack but the beam rooted him to the floor. That’s when the warrior unleashed his fury; with a wild swing, he spun around and brought the hammer down upon Liam’s skull.

150 Damage! appeared in Liam’s vision and he felt everything around him fade. It was over so quickly.

Chapter 30

Liam awoke beside the fountain, his head spinning. “Ugh, what was that?” he grunted. “First time I fought a warrior type and immediately I had my ass handed to me.”

You died! -500 XP! appeared in his vision. The fountain room gently glowed, humming as Kaida and then Lance appeared.

“Damn it!” Lance swore, slamming his fist on the ground. “That overrated wizard cheated or something!”

“Oh god, I died again!” Kaida cried. “I can’t believe it. I wasn’t even fighting and that warrior smashed me to pieces.”

“Yeah, maybe we should have thought that through a little more,” Liam said, standing to his feet. The world was still spinning and he felt nauseous.  

“You were the one who screwed it up!” Lance shouted, pointing at Liam. “You should have hit the big guy with the acid. He was covered in armor, it would have completely annihilated him.”

“Hey, don’t go pointing fingers,” Liam said. “I took a risk and it didn’t pan out. It happens.”

“We should just give up,” Kaida said.

“Relax,” Liam replied, holding up the key. “I still have the key we found earlier, everything’s fine.”

“Speak for yourself, I’ve died twice today,” Lance grumbled. “You can’t just go rushing into a fight without thinking it through.”

“I took down the first guy but I should have focused on the fighter,” Liam agreed. “I made a mistake but…it’s not like I wanted us to lose.”

Lance huffed at that. He slightly bobbed his head up and down, his anger fading. “I suppose you are right. You’ve been a stalwart leader so far. But still, it would have been better if you prioritized your targets more effectively.”

“I don’t think he did anything wrong,” Kaida countered. “We were just trying our best. It was they who were breaking the rules.”

“There are no rules in the Spire,” the magician replied. “Now everything is different because of our incompetence. Never again, I say.”

“Right there with you pal,” Liam said. The rooms had shifted since the entire party had been wiped out in a single go. There was a passage to the left now and ahead there were the three doors they had seen earlier.

“Hey, look!” Liam said. “It’s the doors that lead to that challenge! Our plan of wandering around and trying to level up failed, so why not just go in and see what happens?”

“We do have better gear now,” Lance agreed. “Though, I wonder what’s in there.”

“Only one way to find out,” Liam said. “Come on, team.”

They approached the three doors and once again a booming voice greeted them.

“You cannot escape your fates,” it said. “Choose the test of strength, might or cunning. Do not think it will be easy.”

“We choose the room of might,” Liam said. He boldly approached the door. “Whatever is in there, we’re strong enough to face it.”

“Very well,” the voice said. “Go forth and prove yourselves.”

The door in the center slid open and a white wall of light washed over them. The room inside was metal, with spikes sticking out of the ground. Waiting in the center was a large metal spider, made of clockwork and with steam pipes sticking out of its back.

Clockwork Spider

HP: 3,000

“That’s as much as the boss we faced in the last level!” Kaida cried.

“The bigger they are, the harder they fall,” Liam replied. He raised his axe and waited for the great spider to act.

The clockwork spider took notice of them and scuttled forward, its long legs moving across the surface with speed. It hissed at them and steam came pouring out of its jaws.

“That steam is probably enough to burn you up,” Lance said. “Best stick to ranged.”

“I’ve got no music points after that last fight,” Liam replied. “The only way in is to get up close and personal.”

With that, Liam rushed towards the beast and it raised one of its metallic legs. He dodged to the right as the leg came crashing towards him. Just as soon, he slashed at the limb, striking hard and dealing 250 damage in a single blow. The upgraded axe was coming in handy here and he gained three MP in the process.

Activating his Swing and Sing ability, Liam chopped again but the spider scuttled out of the way. Overhead, beams of electricity and magic slammed against the monster, dealing a whopping 650 points of damage. The monster quickly rushed away from them and climbed up the walls, preparing to fire a spray of something towards Lance.

“Get out of the way!” Liam said, playing his F Maneuver. A wave of magic washed over his allies and they both fled in opposite directions.

A burst of steam came flying towards where Lance had been standing, melting the nearby spikes and leaving a pool of molten metal on the ground.

Liam looked up at the spider and tried to figure out how to get to it. The thing was crawling upside down, scuttling quickly to avoid the bolts of magic that Lance was slinging at it.

“Throw the spikes!” Kaida said, pointing at the spikes jutting out of the ground.

That was as good an idea as any. Liam quickly rushed over to the ones that were near him and pried one free. The spike was light but sharp and he took a moment to aim towards the spider’s center. The thing was large enough and he chucked the barb with a grunt.

The missile flew through the air and hit the spider, dealing 100 damage. It wasn’t a lot but Liam was still too low on music points to rely on them. Unless…

Liam reached into his satchel and yanked out the music sheets. There were two he had bought from Pasha. He took a moment to study them and realized they formed a song. The tune ran through his mind as each sheet vanished.

10 Music Points Gained! then appeared in his vision.

Rather than unleash an attack, Liam had a better plan. He activated his EM Burst, sending a wave of hard rock through the air. The burst struck the spider and stunned it instantly. A timer floated above its head and it crashed to the ground, falling on its back.

Liam rushed the spider and slashed at its sides, dealing another 250 points of damage. The mechanical legs flailed as he cut two more times, dealing 500 points and generating 9 music points total.

In the meantime, Lance fired an ice spell, dealing an additional five hundred points of damage. The monster flipped back onto its legs, the stun effect worn off.

“Lance, just keep using your wands!” Liam shouted.

“They take a moment to recharge!” the wizard shouted back.

The spider let out a burst of burning steam that encompassed Liam. He hacked and wheezed as he took 50 points of damage, his armor useless against a breath attack.

As Liam staggered backwards, the spider began to click and whir. It dropped three mechanical eggs that broke on the ground, and smaller clockwork spiders emerged from the cracked shells.

Mini Cogspider

350 HP

The three spiders converged on Liam in an instant and he was forced to fight his way out. He slashed at one, but the other two managed to jump on him, biting him on the back and arms with their mechanical fangs. He took only 20 points of damage but was distracted.

The larger spider came up behind him and thrashed a leg into him, throwing him backwards and sending the other spiders flying.

Lance fired at one of the mini spiders, destroying it right away. Liam climbed back onto his feet and felt the healing magics of Kaida rushing through him. He was back at 120 points now and that was enough for him to keep fighting.

Liam slashed at the little spider as it came towards him, severing it in half with a single blow. The words Notes of Inspiration appeared above him and his damage increased to three hundred. A bolt of lightning hit the other little spider, dealing 300 damage and Liam hacked with his axe, cutting the last one’s head off. Another note of inspiration was gained and his damage was increased to 350.

The clockwork spider advanced onto Kaida but she held her ground. She was waving her arms to distract the monster and it fell for the bait. As it followed her, Liam ran and leapt up onto its back, straddling the large hourglass shaped monster with both legs. He delivered a hard blow to its back, dealing 350 damage and generating more MP.

The spider replied to this by releasing more steam, a gust of wind knocking Liam off its back and throwing him into one of the spikes. He felt a deep sharpness as the spike pierced through his right thigh, dealing 50 damage.

“Urk!” Liam grunted as he tried to stand, only to be held back by the spike. Lance was firing a bolt of magic at the spider, dealing only 200 damage as the second shot missed completely. Liam grunted and grabbed the spike, breaking the tip off and getting back on his feet. He was down to 70 Hit Points, so he had to be careful.

Liam had enough music points to activate his C Sharp ability and he played as hard as he could. A burst of rainbow energy surged out of his axe and struck the spider in the rear. It took a hard hit from the attack, losing 500 points of its health, leaving only 450 left.

Lance was distracted as the spider began to charge towards him, spraying steam out of its back to generate more speed. He tried to get out of the way but was hit by one of the legs. It tossed him to the side but he was still alive. His HP dropped down to single digits and he yelped.

Liam charged the spider and raised his axe, activating his Swing and Sing ability. He swung into the leg of the creature, while singing a song that caused waves of red to rush from his mouth. The combined damage was 650, enough to kill the spider in one blow.

The great mechanical creature wobbled and began to fall apart, its entire body melting into the ground.

Monster Defeated! 1,000 XP Gained! appeared in Liam’s vision.

“Congratulations,” the voice spoke once more. “You have passed the test of might. Great glory to those climbers who are willing to stand up and face challenges. Select your prize!”

A large purple chest emerged from the ground where the spider had been.

“Now we’re talking,” Lance said.

Liam and the others gathered around the chest and opened it up. There were three objects within, just like the last treasure they had found.

Scepter of Bolstering

Requirements: Magic Rank 3

Description: This scepter is capable of improving the overall attack of an ally. Bolstering lasts for 2 attacks and increases damage by 300. Can be used once per encounter.

Amulet of Shadows

Requirements: Dexterity Rank 4

Description: The Amulet of Shadows grants the user the ability to hide during combat, turning invisible for up to a minute. Can be used three times per day.

Ring of Tunneling

Description: This ring allows for the user to dig through the Spire’s stones, downwards to 10 feet. Can be used once per encounter.

Liam was drawn immediately to the Scepter of Bolstering. He looked at Kaida. “I think we should take the scepter,” he said. “It would give Kaida something else to do other than just heal and cure statuses.”

“The rest aren’t that great either,” Lance added. “Bolstering your attacks would be keen. I approve.”

Kaida slowly nodded. She reached out hesitantly and took the scepter in hand. It was a golden rod with a crown at the top, red jewels studding the sides. “I can only use it once per encounter, so I’ll have to determine the most opportune time to use it.”

Chapter 31

The stalwart trio made their way to the eastern passage that opened up, leading to a room with another fountain in it. This one had bright red waters, however, and the statue was twisted and gnarled. It was a woman, a hag with a lantern in her hands, no light coming from it. There were two doors in this room, one to the northwest and the other to the east. The eastern door had a large red padlock hanging from it, corresponding to the key Liam had found.

“What kind of place is this?” Liam asked.

“I don’t know but it gives me the creeps,” Kaida said. “I don’t think we should drink from it.”

A huddled figure was standing by the waters, wearing long brown robes and a hood over his head.  He eagerly waved them over.

“I suppose this fellow knows what’s up,” Lance said, strolling out to meet the man.

“Greetings, climbers,” the man said as they approached. “I am Ginly, the keeper of this fountain. I don’t suppose you’re available for a simple quest?”

“What’s the job?” Liam asked.

“It’s an easy one, in the sense that the goal is simple,” Ginly replied, cackling a little as he brought his hands up, kneading them together. “This fountain has become corrupt. There is no life to be had and drinking it will make you sick. But there is a way to heal it, to restore it to its power, and since the miniboss room is right over there, it would behoove you to fix it.”

“And how exactly do we do that?” Liam asked.

The man chuckled. “You must simply find the Restoration Gem. It’s located to the west, through that door.” He pointed towards the northwestern door. “There’s a village that way. They have lost their minds and are trying desperately to escape the Spire, as if there is any escape from a place like this. Past that village is a room where the Restoration Gem lies. But beware for the Sands of Time is in that place. It will age you to nothingness if you spend too much time in there.”

Quest: Fountain Fixers

Description: Ginly needs the Restoration Gem in order to repair the fountain.

Reward: 500 XP

“What do you think?” Liam asked the group. “The miniboss room is right there.”

“I think we should not waste our time on a quest,” Lance said. “The XP is fine but there’s no reason to risk our necks when the miniboss room awaits.”

“What if we die? The fountain will take us right back here. And with the way this place works, the boss room will still be here even if we all get wiped,” Kaida replied. “It’s better than being separated.”

“Bah, you’re just worried that you’ll die,” Lance replied, waving dismissively. “Nay, I think we have a good chance.”

Liam decided to weigh in. “I think Kaida’s right. The miniboss is bound to be much stronger than the other encounters we’ve faced. There’s no reason to be arrogant.”

Lance scoffed at this. “Well, you are our intrepid leader. If you think it best, I’ll acquiesce to your decision. But I just want the record to show that I know we can beat it.”

“Maybe so, but I’m interested in the village too,” Liam said. He looked at Ginly. “We’ll accept your quest, sir.”

“Excellent!” the man chuckled. “I’m sure you’ll be back with it in no time. But like I said, beware the Sands of Time. It will make short work of you if you aren’t quick on your feet.”

The three departed to the northwestern door, leaving the corrupted fountain behind. They entered into a large village space where there were no buildings but instead hundreds of tents. A red stone floated in the sky, illuminating the place just like the rest of level 2, with a red hue that seemed to never end.

“What is going on over there?” Kaida asked, pointing.

There was a large group of villagers, hundreds of them, gathered around the wall to the east. They had pickaxes and were mining the side of the wall. This had led to the creation of a large hole that seemed to go on for miles. People were carrying stones back and forth, laying them in piles as the teams mined. Everyone seemed busy with the project, everyone except for a haggard woman.

She was pacing in front of the tents and spied the three immediately. “Ah! Climbers!” she said, rushing up to them. “I’m Mayor Felicia and I am in desperate need of your help.”

“More work,” Lance grumbled. “Is it another mad wizard possessing the people?”

“They aren’t possessed,” the woman replied “but they are indeed mad. They have decided to abandon living in this village and are on a wild fantasy quest to escape the Spire by digging through the tower wall.”

“How long have they been at it?” Liam asked, looking at the long tunnel.

“Weeks!” Felicia replied. “I’ve tried everything to convince them that their efforts are in vain but that damn Remus! He’s been egging them on and acting as if they have a chance of escape. I’ve been here long enough to know there’s no way out.”

“No way but the top,” Kaida added.

The woman looked at her with an unimpressed frown. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You really think the top is freedom? There is no top. Just endless amounts of monsters and no way out. You’d be better off settling here, in Redstone.”

“Why, so we can dig endlessly?” Lance asked.

The woman shot him a dirty look. “They only recently started digging. Before Remus arrived, everything was fine. But now they’re all in a frenzy. Please, can you talk some sense into them?”

Quest: Digging Fools

Description: The villagers of Redstone seemed to have lost their minds. They are digging endlessly into the Spire walls, in the hopes that they can escape. Mayor Felicia has requested that you get them to stop.

Reward: 500 XP

“I don’t see any problem with trying to talk to them,” Liam said. “But no promises. We can’t guarantee they’ll even listen to us.”

“I’m willing to try anything, even sending climbers to talk reason into them,” the Mayor replied.

“Well, let’s go see what we can do,” Liam said, waving his allies along.

“More quests, we’re never going to get to the minboss,” Lance complained.

“Aw come on, it’s good XP if we can get them to listen,” Kaida countered. “And besides, we’d be helping these people out.”

“What if their plan works though?” Lance asked. “I mean we don’t know the rules of the tower very well. What if there is some kind of workaround, digging through the walls?”

“I somehow doubt this ancient place designed to draw the souls of the dead can be broken out of with a few hammers and pickaxes,” Liam replied.

The three headed over to the crowd. The workers were busy mining into the great wall, the tunnel nearly three hundred feet in length. There were support beams placed up to prevent the ceiling from collapsing. Overall it was an impressive work of architecture.

“More hands to work!” a foreman said, approaching the three. He was a tall fellow with a strapping chest, iron helmet on his head. “We can use anyone we can get. Most of the people are growing exhausted. We can pay you ten shards per week.”

“Actually I was hoping to talk to Remus,” Liam said. “We aren’t available for contract gigs.”

“Remus is busy,” the man said. “Now grab a pickaxe or get the hell out of the way.”

A few people pushed past Liam and the others, grumbling about wanting to escape no matter what. Liam listened in on their conversations.

“Only a few more days is what Remus says. The walls are growing thinner.”

“Thinner? They’re thicker,” another said. “We’re going to get out but it’ll take even longer than he estimated.”

“Remus only said a few more days!” the man firmly replied.

“Sounds like they’re being lied to,” Kaida said. “I don’t have a good feeling about this Remus fellow.”

“Sounds like a man who can whip a crowd into a frenzy,” Lance added. “We should be cautious as to not invoke the crowd’s ire. They might try and attack us.”

“They’re probably not even level one,” Liam replied. “I doubt they’d have the ability to damage us.”

“Never underestimate the power of dumbasses in large groups,” Lance warned. “We best be on our toes.”

They moved deeper into the makeshift mine to find a man standing atop a large box, shouting orders. “Come on, folks!” the man yelled. “Pick up the slack! You’ll move much faster if you stop complaining! And don’t just head back empty-handed. Take the loose stones with you. Wheelbarrows are coming next week, so just keep using your hands. Come on!”

The man was a slim figure, pale as the moonlight and wielding a bullhorn in hand. He had slicked back hair and a curly mustache. Something about him rubbed him the wrong way. It was almost as if…Liam couldn’t tell. But his gut informed him that things were not going to go well.

“Are you Remus by any chance?” Liam asked.

The man looked at him. “Strangers,” he muttered. He lowered the bullhorn and spoke. “What do you want? We’re running a tight operation here and we don’t need any lollygaggers or onlookers.”

“I’m just here to talk,” Liam said, raising his hands to show he meant no harm. The man scowled at him.

“Talkers don’t do anything other than get in the way. Can’t you see we’re trying to break free of the Spire?”

“How did you even get this idea?” Liam asked. “You can’t possibly think you can just tunnel your way out.”

“Oh look!” the man loudly said, attracting the attention of the nearby workers. Everyone stopped for a moment and stared at the trio, their eyes sullen and out of hope. “A bunch of complainers who have come to talk some sense into me. Well, you unbelievers don’t understand the situation. There is only one way out of the Spire and that is through this tunnel. If you don’t believe us, then perhaps you would do best to leave.”

“This man won’t see reason,” Lance said. “We should just cut our losses and go.”

Liam held a hand up to stop his companion from walking off. “Not so fast. Something about Remus doesn’t seem right.”

Liam cleared his throat and spoke up. “Where did you get this idea?” he asked. “Who told you?”

“No one needed to tell me what should be plain to see,” Remus replied. “The Spire is a tower, a manmade construction like anything else. Getting through should be easy enough. We only have a few days before we see sunlight, I guarantee it!”

The people all cheered at that. Lance shook his head. “I’ve never seen a more deluded bunch.”

Kaida spoke up, nervously. “What Liam means is, how can you be sure this is the only way out? We know that getting to the top will do something…but you’re just wasting your time.”

Remus growled and pointed at the woman. “Interlopers! I ought to have you flogged.”

“Try it,” Liam replied, puffing his chest out. “We’re seasoned climbers.”

“Bah, we all tried climbing at one point,” Remus said. “It led only to a constant cycle of death and rebirth. There’s no way to reach level 3 in this place. It’s entirely cut off from us, we can’t find the entrance no matter how hard we look.”

“Did you face the miniboss?” Liam asked.

The man scowled. “That’s your answer, isn’t it? Waste your time trying to fight through this hellhole instead of just escaping. I tire of your questions. Just go.”

Liam decided to press. “I want to know how you’re so sure of the way out? And why would you tell everyone it would take a few more days?”

“Hey, yeah,” someone said from the crowd. “You did say days weeks ago.”

“Don’t you dare talk out of turn!” Remus shouted at the man. “Your lack of faith is weakening this group!”

Something strange happened. As Remus yelled, slight strands of yellow moved from his body to the complaining man. The man slowly lowered his head and Liam could swear that he grew a little thinner.

“I’m sorry boss,” he replied. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Did you see that?” Kaida asked. “Remus seemed to use some kind of spell on the man.”

“I knew it,” Lance said. “It’s just another monster in disguise.”

“How dare you claim that!” Remus shouted. “Guards, seize them and put them in chains! We can get plenty more work out of these climbers than the whole lot of you insolent whelps!”

Three men walked forward to grab Liam. The rockstar quickly turned around and brandished his axe. “Do you guys think you can really take us?”

The guards, unarmed with anything other than shovels, nervously looked at one another. Not a single one took another step forward.

“I thought so,” Liam said. He turned back to face Remus. “What are you?”

“I’m just a man with a vision!” Remus said. “And if you won’t leave, then you will work!”

Strands of yellow flew forth from his fingers as he opened his hands. Kaida was struck by a beam and she gasped, falling to her knees. That was all Liam needed to see. He sprinted forward, axe in hand. Remus turned the beams to him and the rockstar was overwhelmed with a feeling of exhaustion and pain.

You are Weary, his vision informed him as he dropped to the ground, wheezing for breath. “I may not be a climber, but don’t think for a second I’m weak!” Remus gloated.

Lance was the only one who wasn’t struck. The man merely looked at his allies on the ground. “I think we should go.”

“Shoot him!” Liam countered.

“Alright, fine,” Lance said, raising his wand. He fired at the man nonchalantly. Remus was hit with the twin beams but wasn’t harmed. Instead, he glowed with yellow energy and grew thicker. His arms and legs began to bulge and the man took on a monstrous appearance.

“Magic!” he bellowed, his voice deeper and more sinister sounding. “I haven’t tasted anything like that in eons. Yesssss, give me more!”

“Uhhh, I don’t think so,” Lance said, backing away.

“Kaida, heal my status,” Liam whispered while Remus was distracted.

Kaida was still on her knees, staring down. “I’m too weak,” she muttered. “I should just lay on the ground and die.”

Liam forced himself to his feet. His weary status had reduced all of his stats to 1, including his Dexterity. He staggered forward as Remus bellowed at Lance. “Give me more magic or I will kill you!” he threatened.

Lance raised both hands and a red glyph appeared in front of him. “You want more magic? Try this on for size!” Flames arced out of his fingertips and through the glyph, washing over the monster. Remus merely grew larger, licking his fat lips.

“Yes! That is what I crave!” he said.

“He’s a monster!” one of the miners screamed. “Remus is a monster, run!”

The crowd began to flee the mine, trampling towards Kaida. Liam managed to gather his strength enough to grab her and toss her to the side, out of their way. The people stampeded over him but they were too weak to injure the rockstar.

Liam staggered towards the monster and tried to swing his axe. The thing was quite heavy in his hands and his muscles were weak. The monster blocked the blow with one hand, catching the weapon mid-swing.

“Aren’t you pathetic!” Remus snarled, lifting the axe up high. Liam held on for dear life and dangled in front of the monster.

Yellow Shifter

HP: 1,200

The stats appeared as the creature threw Liam back. He took 25 points of damage as he struck against the beams of the mine wall. The wooden structure cracked and a few loose stones fell atop his head.

“Lance, new plan!” Liam said. “Run!”

Chapter 32

Lance used his Ring of Vanishing to teleport away from the Yellow Shifter, disappearing from sight for a moment. The shadow moved over to where Kaida was still on the ground. He rematerialized and grabbed her by the arm, hoisting her up.

“No worries, friend, we’re getting out of here!”

The monster laughed at that and threw out a spell, causing yellow strands of energy to block the exit. The people who were lagging behind were trapped as well and they couldn’t get out.

Liam climbed to his feet and looked at his axe. It was only thirty feet away but it may as well have been a mile. He was too exhausted to do anything other than limp forward. The status was long-lasting and without Kaida’s magic, he was a sitting duck.

The monster turned to face Liam and grinned. “Oh don’t worry, I’m not going to kill you,” he said, fat fingers raising up. He took on a scaled appearance as he released more yellow magic. “I’m going to drain you, let you get your strength up and drain you again!”

Liam was hit by the golden energy and he gasped, dropping to his knees. The magical strands wrapped around him and he felt his health drop down 50 more points. He was down to 75 HP and the Weary status grew worse.

You are Exhausted! his vision informed him.

Liam sank against the wall, unable to do anything but breathe in and out. The monster turned to face Lance, the only one who was still standing.

“Uhhh, my spells only make him stronger, what do I do?” Lance asked.

“The beams…” Liam managed to say through sheer willpower. “Strike the beams on the walls.”

“But we’re in here, it’ll cause a cave in!”

“Just do it!” Liam growled.

Lance shrugged and aimed his wands at the beams above him. Before he could fire, the monster intercepted, grabbing him with one hand and throwing him to the side. The man crumpled against the wall beside Liam, his health dropping down to 1 single point.

“Urg!” Lance groaned. He decided to simply lay there and play dead. This fooled Remus and he turned to face Kaida.

The healer was getting her wits back and she realized what was happening. “Liam!” she shouted, raising her staff. A beam of green struck the rockstar at once and his status cleared. “Quick!”

Liam dove towards his axe and rolled, grabbing the weapon and springing to his feet. He rushed the exposed back of the monster and brought his weapon down with force. The axe connected to the monster’s fleshy rear and the Yellow Shifter roared in pain. This dealt 250 damage, dropping the monster to 950 points.

Remus roared and turned to face Liam, throwing a curled fist at the rockstar. Liam was fast and evaded to the right, using his Swing and Sing ability to deal a grand total of 550 damage.

“You think you can kill me?” the shifter said. He aimed his hand towards the people who were trapped by the yellow beams barring the exit. Waves of energy wrapped around them and the miners began to vanish as they melted away into nothingness, their bodies consumed by his power.

The Yellow Shifter’s health rose up 500 points, almost undoing Liam’s last combo. The monster chuckled and he turned back to face Liam. “You have no chance!”

“Like hell I don’t!” Liam said, and he went to strike once more. The monster blocked the blow but barely, his hand struggling to stop the axe from coming down on him.

During the distraction, Lance had climbed to his feet and now he was firing his wands at the beam above Liam’s head. The stones began to fall down, plunking atop the monster, though Remus didn’t seem to care. He drained Liam again, causing the man to gain the Weary status once more.

“Damn it!” Liam shouted, falling to the ground. The monster’s health recovered another 300 points and Remus laughed. “You don’t stand a chance, I told you!”

Lance fired again, this shot breaking the beam above him. The entire mineshaft rumbled and the monster looked up for the first time. Liam limped away with his axe and swung at a beam on the wall. This one broke easily enough and the tunnel began to collapse.

Remus screamed as dozens of rocks dropped around them. Lance grabbed Liam and dragged him away, as Kaida scrambled to the exit. The yellow beams trapping them inside faded as the tunnel collapsed from the back. What had been thousands of hours of work had been undone with two broken beams, indicating that safety hadn’t been Remus’ primary concern.

The rocks fell atop Remus and he was crushed, his health dropping down to zero instantly. The three staggered out of the mineshaft while everything was turned to dust and debris, the weight untenable now that two beams had been broken.

Monster Defeated! 600 XP Gained!

Kaida used her status clearing ability to heal Liam and he stood up straight, axe still in hand. “A shame he was buried, we could have found some interesting treasure from him.”

“I think the real treasure was not being buried under a hundred tons of rocks,” Lance said, patting Liam on the back.

“What happened?” one of the miners asked. The trio turned around to see the crowd of villagers had gathered around them.

“You folks weren’t going anywhere,” Liam said. “A shape-shifting monster got into your community and was preying upon you actively. You gave him your work and he drained your bodies.”

“So you’re saying there’s no way out?” another asked.

“There is a way out,” Kaida said, as if trying to convince herself. “We just have to get to the top.”

The crowd all laughed at that, though some were weeping. The villagers had seen their hard work crumble in front of them and they had no other options. Many turned back and headed to their tents, sulking in sorrow at their loss.

A few stayed behind to lambast Lance. “You liar and you fiend!” the foreman said. He pointed an accusatory finger at them. “We were almost out.”

“Friend, you were almost out of time,” Liam replied. “That monster was just stringing you along. Can’t you face the truth?”

“The truth…” the man groaned, rubbing his face. “There is no way out.”

“Not with that attitude,” Liam replied. “You’re better off learning to climb. Sticking around in this village won’t do much.”

The man walked away, hanging his head low. He simply didn’t have the strength of character to go out adventuring. This would condemn him and the rest of the village to living in mediocrity, perhaps forever.

The trio returned to the Mayor to find her gleeful. The woman quickly approached them. “You did it! You got them back!”

“Remus was a monster, he was draining the people as they worked, disguising himself to look just like one of us,” Liam explained.

“I suspected it was some kind of fiend,” Felicia replied. “I’m glad you managed to get them back. This town is not the same when it’s empty.”

Quest Completed! 500 XP Gained! appeared in Liam’s vision. He checked his XP to see that he was at 3,100/3,500. If they were able to find the Restoration Stone, he’d reach level 6.

“Hey, I just leveled!” Kaida said. “That’s four now!”

“Nice work,” Liam said, watching as the woman stared off into the distance. It was curious to see someone else level up. Her eyes were darting left to right as she read invisible words, making selections with mere thought.

“I wish I could offer you amenities or some such,” Felicia said. “But we’re just getting back on our feet.”

“No worries,” Lance said. “We were just passing through anyway.”

“There!” Kaida said. “Take a look at my updated sheet!”

Level: 4

Class: Healer

Stats:

Strength: 1

Dexterity: 1

Intelligence: 4

Constitution: 1

Magic: 5

HP: 40

Magic Points: 30

Abilities:

Healing Burst

Description: A powerful spell that heals a Target by 10 points.

Cost: 2 Magic Points

Cure Status

Description: Immediately removes a Status from a Target, ending all negative effects.

Cost: 5 Magic Points

Fast Runner

Description: Grants the recipient of the spell +2 Dexterity for the duration of 1 minute.

Cost: 2 Magic Points

Guiding Light

Description: Target gains one free strike that hits no matter what.

Cost: 5 Magic Points

Blessing of Fortitude

Description: Target gains +50 Temporary Hit Points. They fade after combat.

Cost: 2 Magic Points

Skills:

Healing: 6

Staff Fighting: 1

Spellcasting: 6

Equipment:

Crook Staff

Damage: 50

Ring of Spellshield

Requirements: Intelligence Rank 3

Description: This Ring generates a shield that absorbs 20 damage. The shield regenerates fully after 1 hour.

Scepter of Bolstering

Requirements: Magic Rank 3

Description: This scepter is capable of improving the overall attack of an ally. Bolstering lasts for 2 attacks and increases damage by 300. Can be used once per encounter.

Liam looked at the two new spells. They both seemed useful, especially the one that generated temporary hit points for him. Or maybe even for Lance, since the man was always taking massive damage. He seemed to have an ability that allowed all fatal damage to only reduce him to one point of health, which was useful, but Lance would prefer the mage keep his strength.

“Next stop, the Restoration Gem!”

Chapter 33

The three companions made their way through the eastern passage that Ginly had told them about. The door was made of sandstone and bore a gem at its center. It glowed for a moment as they opened up and the words “Sands of Time” were whispered.

Inside of the room was a lot of sand, as if they stood in a desert. Dunes ran up and down the ground. From above, sand was slowly pouring in from the ceiling. Though the sand was coming down, nothing seemed to increase in height.

“Now we have to be careful,” Kaida warned as they poked their heads into the room. “Ginly said that the sand causes you to age quickly. So maybe only one of us should go in.”

Liam realized that they were both looking at him. “You mean me?”

“Well, you are the fighter and the fastest of us,” Lance said. “Makes sense that all of that meat on your bones will cause you to fade slowly. A slim fellow like myself would barely last a minute!”

“Fine,” Liam said. He raised his axe and headed into the room. He didn’t see any gems around, but as soon as he entered, he felt something begin to change in him. He was aging, he realized.

The ground ahead of him shifted and six goblins burst out of the ground. They were wearing masks with goggles and carrying short swords.

Sand Goblin

HP: 600

“Aw, crap!” Liam shouted. He hadn’t counted on a monster encounter in this place. He stepped forward and charged at the group. They scattered out of the way, three of the goblins burrowing into the ground to avoid him. He managed to get to one and hack it in the back. The goblin took 250 damage and screeched in pain.

With 3 additional MP in the bank, Liam decided to use his A7 Stab. He played the chord, strumming as quickly as he could. His axe grew razor sharp and now he was able to deal 450 damage. The second goblin rushed him and stabbed at him, but Liam slid down one of the dunes and turned around… only to be greeted by swords piercing out of the ground.

He was struck by two and took 25 damage, his health dropping down to 125. Time passed quickly and he found himself growing older. His muscles changed in their density and he grew a little fatter.

“I need help!” Liam shouted.

Lance quickly rushed in and fired a dual bolt at one of the goblins that was chasing after Liam, vaporizing him instantly. Liam swung his axe at the other goblin that was leaping through the air. The axe connected before it could get to him and he dealt 450 damage. The goblin dove into the dirt and vanished beneath them.

“We aren’t here to fight!” Kaida said. “Go find the gem!”

Liam looked all around as he backed up, avoiding the blade thrusts beneath him.

“There!” Lance said, pointing at a hill in the back of the room. “I see a glinting!”

Liam felt the effects of Kaida’s fast runner spell improve his dexterity and he glided across the sand, rushing as quickly as he could to the glinting. The ground moved behind him as four of the goblins remained. They were converging on Liam and he was still growing older.

There was a blue gem sitting beneath a few pieces of sand, hard to see far away, but thanks to Lance’s keen eye, Liam was able to grab it. He took the gem in hand and turned around. Lance was almost in his fifties now and the man looked sullen.

“Out!” Liam shouted. “No reason to fight!”

The goblins surfaced before Liam but he wasn’t interested in a direct confrontation. His knees creaking as he ran, he leapt clean over them and kept going, right for the exit. The goblins chased but the pair made it through the door, slamming it shut behind them.

The monsters did not pursue and Liam wiped the sweat from his forehead, producing the gem. “There! We’ve got it!”

Once out of the sands, Liam felt his body slowly return to normal. The weakness of his flesh restored itself to youth and he felt the pounds he had gained and lost return gradually, going backwards instead of forwards.

“I’m glad the spell wasn’t permanent,” Liam said. “I know I’ve done my fair share of burning the candle at both ends in my past life, but I’ve come to enjoy this new nimble body. Can’t say I really miss arthritis and neck problems.”

“Come on, let’s get back to the corrupted fountain,” Lance said. “No reason to linger around here.”

The three friends made their way back to the village, seeing it teem with life once more. The people were busy using the stones to build actual buildings, their industriousness definitely a strong suit of theirs. They didn’t speak to anyone but got a few dirty looks from a sore villager here and there until they made it back to the corrupt fountain room.

Ginly was waiting for them. He hooted excitedly at seeing them and clicked his fingers together. “Ahhh, you made it! And here I thought you would have faded into obscurity, consumed by the sands of time themselves.”

“You thought wrong,” Liam said, producing the gem.

Ginly took it and looked at it. “You grabbed the wrong one.”

“What?” Liam shouted, eyes wide.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. But could you imagine?” the old man said as he walked over to the red waters. He tossed the gem in and the waters began to hiss and fizzle for a second. And then, just like that, the waters turned blue. The statue changed from the gnarled old woman to a beautiful angel, her hair flowing wildly and her wings spread out protectively around them.

Fountain Restored! Quest Completed! 500 XP Gained!

That was enough experience for Liam to level up!

“There, now my duties are complete,” Ginly said as he started to fade. “Good luck on the miniboss. After you pass him, things will only grow more difficult…”

“Where are you going?” Kaida asked.

The man, almost completely invisible, spoke. “I’m just a spirit of the Spire. When the fountain is fixed, I fade into the magical wells below. Goodbye.”

“Wait!” Kaida cried. “Can you tell us what is at the top?”

“Not even I know that…” Ginly replied before he disappeared entirely.

“Well, I suppose all in all that was a rousing success, two quests in a day!” Lance said. “Now let’s drink up and head out.”

They all drank deeply of the waters. Liam felt the familiar spin around him as the Fountain attuned to him. He would be returning here now and the miniboss room would stay put. Hopefully they wouldn’t need it but it was good to have the option just in case. And besides, Liam had just leveled.

“Give me a second,” Liam said. “Level 6, here I come!”

You have Leveled Up!

+25 HP

+3 Skill Points

Select Two Abilities!

Wildfight:

Difficult Track: After you take Damage, you gain 1 Music Point.

Extra Chord: Learn a new Chord Ability.

Electric Hum: Your Chord Attacks can become Electric Based for 1 Extra Music Point.

Double Down: After you take damage, gain +100 Damage for one strike.

Heavy Hit: Every third hit on a target causes them to become stunned.

Easy Listening: Your allies gain +20 Armor Points when you play a Chord.

Double Bass: You can play 2 Chords at the same time now.

Musical Prodigy: Your Chords cost 2 less Music Points.

Liam looked at his options for abilities. There were two new ones but he was more interested in Easy Listening as a way to bolster his allies. Lance was a glass cannon and needed all the help he could get. As for Kaida, though she already had an armor amulet and a few more hit points from reaching level four, she was just as vulnerable as Lance. With the Catchy Tune ability, his playing would automatically improve both their damage and defense for a full minute.

He decided to take Easy Listening and then scanned the other choices. Musical Prodigy would make his abilities cheaper but he was never really hurting for Music Points. Instead he decided upon Heavy Hit, figuring that the stun effect would be useful since it was automatic. Otherwise, he’d have to rely on his chords to stun a target and that took time and Music Points.

Select 1 Chord Ability:

A Defense

Description: This powerful chord creates a shield around you, absorbing up to 10 points of damage before breaking. Shield lasts as long as combat.

Cost: 3 Music Points

G Strike

Description: The G Strike deals damage to all enemies within 10 feet of you.

Damage: 150

Cost: 1 Music Point

Major Shift

Description: This tonal shift allows for you to increase the strength of your next Chord. Activating it causes the next Chord you use to deal an additional +200 Damage.

Cost: 1 Music Point

Minor Lift

Description: When you play this Chord, you gain the ability to leap up 10 feet.

Cost: 2 Music Points

B7 Burst

Description: This audio assault sends out a 20 foot wave of music all around you, dealing 300 damage to all Targets.

Cost: 5 Music Points

E Minor Assault

Description: Slows a target down with intense audiosonic frequencies. A slowed target can only attack once per thirty seconds.

Cost: 5 Music Points

A7 Assault

Description: A powerful burst of magic that hits a target twice, dealing 600 damage total.

Cost: 10 Music Points

Liam’s eyes swept towards A7 Assault, the new addition to the list. It was stronger than his C Sharp attack and cost the same. Since he had selected a defensive ability last time, it would make sense to take something that hit twice. Even if a target dodged the first blow, he’d connect with the second.

Once he made his selection, he turned his attention down to the skills.

He already knew what to do. He rounded out his Trap Disarming by increasing it to 5 and then spent the other two points on his Defending skill. He was often caught by an enemy attack without a way to respond, so being able to defend better made perfect sense.

His character sheet updated and he grinned at the sight. Just before a big fight too.

Chapter 34

The party approached the miniboss room, key in hand. Liam looked to the right and noticed a lore stone sticking out of the wall. “Hey, give me a minute,” he said, approaching the item.

This stone showed a mural of people being pulled into a massive gem. The keeper was wielding the scepter and raising it high above his head, forcing the people’s souls to enter.

The Landis Scepter was the key to the Keeper’s power. Over time, he grew dissatisfied with their efforts and resorted to more sinister means to build the Spire. He trapped the souls of the living into the great gem above, using their agony and anguish to fuel his magic. He soon grew twisted and unrecognizable, forcing the Spire to grow ten times its original size.

Lore Stone Found! 200 XP Gained! appeared in Liam’s vision as he heard the words. So the Landis Scepter was the key to this place. Was the Keeper still around? He must be. Perhaps if they destroyed the gem at the top and freed the souls, the Spire would become less twisted. Maybe that’s where all the monsters were coming from.

“Alright team,” Liam said as they approached the gate. “Are you ready to face the miniboss?”

The group all looked at each other with hesitation. Lance cleared his throat. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“I think I can take it,” Kaida said, though she was wringing her hands. Liam played a few happy sounding chords on his axe to lighten the mood.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got it. Now just focus on the task at hand and we’ll get through this,” he said. He took the key out and placed it in the lock. The keyhole clicked and the door slid open, revealing a circular room.

The three entered and were greeted by a large metal pole in the middle of the room. It glowed ominously and Liam could see that there were lights flashing atop the pole, green and red. They were all green for a moment before they turned red.

The door slammed shut behind them and there was a clicking sound. Miniboss Found! appeared in Liam’s vision and he gripped his axe, ready to see what was going to come out.

Much to his surprise, nothing emerged. Instead, the large metal pole began to twist open, revealing a large barrel.

Pole of Steel

HP: 4,000

“It’s a gun!” Kaida warned. She raised her staff and immediately blessed Liam so that he could move faster.

Liam was targeted first. The gun released a burst of bullets towards him and he scrambled out of the way. The metal pole made a whirring sound and rotated, revealing a long clawed arm. The claw rushed towards Kaida and seized her.

“Help!” she cried.

“I’ve got you!” Liam said, playing his E Major Shield. The bolstering effect was immediate and purple lines of magical energy wrapped around Kaida’s body. The claw tried to squeeze her but her armor held.

Lance fired twin bolts of magic at the arm, dealing 750 damage, and the thing was forced to release Kaida. She hit the floor hard but quickly scrambled up.

Liam charged towards the metal arm as it reached down to grab her again and swung his axe. He struck the arm’s joint and dealt 250 damage. The pole spun around again, this time revealing a metal face of a demonic looking creature. The face’s mouth was wide open and from the horned head came a rush of flames towards Liam and Kaida.

Liam tossed Kaida out of the way but was hit by the fire. 50 Damage Taken! appeared in his vision, dropping him down to 125 hit points. Lance was quick to unleash a spell but his ice burst merely struck the metal and caused no damage.

The pole spun around again, revealing the gun once more.

“Guidance!” Kaida shouted, raising her staff high.

Liam felt something wrap around his axe and as he ran towards the gun, it felt as if something was honing him in. He struck his weapon at a glowing point at its base. The gun fell off as he dealt another 250 points of damage, gaining 3 more music points.

“They have weak spots!” Liam said as the pole swung around.

There were two mechanical arms this time, one with pincers and the other with shears. The shear arm came clipping down towards Liam but his improved defenses allowed him to raise his axe and deflect the blow. He wasn’t quick enough and the other arm grabbed him by the legs, dangling him high in the air.

“Crap!” Liam shouted.

“On it!” Lance said, shooting a beam of lightning and arcane energy towards the glowing white joint that connected the arm to the pole.

Thanks to Liam’s playing earlier, the man was now hitting much harder, dealing +100 damage from his already high 650 points per hit. The arm fell off and the pole spun back around, revealing three mouths stacked upon each other. Flames came washing out towards Liam but he was ready. He jumped into a roll and narrowly avoided the flames as they came pouring towards him.

“We’ve almost got him!” Liam said, getting back up in one swift motion. The monster was down to 1,750 hit points. It spun around, revealing a large rocket launcher.

“Uh oh!” Lance shouted as the launcher aimed towards him. He scurried to the right but there was no chance. The rocket flew right into him. He took massive damage and was dropped down to 1 HP again.

Liam couldn’t risk his ally falling in the heat of battle and played his E Major Shield, sending purple energy to wash over the mage. A shield formed around him and the second rocket merely shattered the shield, leaving him alive.

“Nice work!” Lance said, turning around and aiming at the rocket launcher. He fired another burst of magic, but two could play the shield game and a large metal protection dropped down from the top of the pole, and the magic bounced off harmlessly.

The pole swung around, revealing three claws, one armed with a drill arm. Liam rushed into melee range and leapt as high as his legs would allow, flying through the air. The drill came to meet him but he felt the guidance power wrap around his axe once more. There was a gleaming light on the joint of the arm and Liam struck it in midair, his axe dealing another 250 points of damage.

The arm fell off but the other two grabbed him, lifting him high up. The pole rotated in the bottom section, revealing the mouths once more. Liam struggled to get free but couldn’t and the flames washed over him, dealing another 50 damage. He was down to 75 hit points now.

As he struggled to break free, the machine began to crush him. His armor held for a moment but the breath was soon being squeezed out of him.

Lance released a burst of ice magic towards the right arm, dealing 600 damage to the target. The arm fell off and Lance was able to get his hands in between the other claws. His extra strength, courtesy of his helmet, finally came in handy and he managed to pry them loose.

Liam landed in front of the pole as it swung around again, revealing a cannon. He was at point blank range but succeeded in getting ahead of the attack by striking at the mouth of the cannon, his axe enhanced by his Swing and Sing ability. This dealt 550 damage and caused the cannon to split in half.

The gun tried to go off anyway and exploded, unable to fire due to being severed in the front. The pole spun around, revealing three drill arms that all revved up and rushed towards Liam.

“Can’t a man get a break?” he groaned, and he used his blade to block the first drill. He wasn’t fast enough to deflect the second one though, and it got him in the chest, piercing through his armor easily. He took 50 damage, but felt the enervating energies of Kaida healing him, reducing the damage to only 10. He was at 65 HP and the pole down to a mere 350.

Lance fired a bolt of lightning at the monster but it raised another shield around the arms before it spun back around, revealing a stack of mouths that began to release flames while spinning. Liam leapt over the first wave of flames in a handspring, dodging backwards to get out of range.

Lance prepared his ice shard spell and fired it off towards the pole, destroying it with one final blow. The pole sputtered and spun around in a circle before it began to melt into the ground.

Miniboss Defeated! 1,500 XP Gained! appeared in Liam’s vision and he let out a sigh of relief. The great pole vanished, leaving behind three thousand shards and a purple chest. A few metal bars of iron also fell onto the ground, catching Liam’s eye.

Fast Travel at this location has been unlocked!

A large pedestal emerged from the ground where the pole had been and there was a small green crystal upon it. The crystal floated inches above the dais and seemed inviting.

You may return to any village or Fountain with Fast Travel, his vision informed him. A portal remains open, allowing you to return.

“Well, that was one heck of a fight,” Lance said, walking up to the chest. “Come on, let’s see what’s inside.”

They all gathered around the purple chest and Lance opened it up, revealing a large silver key as well as three items. Choose one! There was a hammer, an amulet and a string.

Hammer of Breaking

Description: This hammer is capable of breaking through one non-boss door. It can only be used once.

Amulet of Magical Energy

Description: The wearer gains +10 Magic Points per hour of rest. Magic Points are not capped.

String of Frostburn

Description: This magical string grants you the ability to play Chords with Ice Damage. Does not increase damage.

“Dibs on the amulet!” Lance said. “Goodness knows I burn up enough points as it is.”

“I could use it myself,” Kaida replied. “But we should let Liam decide what to take.”

Liam was interested in the String of Frostburn namely because it would improve his arsenal and ensure he could always play into his enemies’ weaknesses, but he decided that he didn’t really need it since it didn’t increase any of his damage capabilities. “What about the hammer?” he said. “It could be useful for getting through a door without having to find a key.”

“It’s only one use,” Kaida said. “Seems like a loss if we have to use it on some useless door. There’s no guarantee that what’s on the other side will be worth it. I think Lance should get the amulet.”

Liam nodded. The extra magic points would allow him to cast his spells more often. Though it seemed he never really ran out.

“All right, we take the amulet,” Liam agreed. “Lance, you can keep it for as long as you need but we should give it over to Kaida when she’s resting.”

“That’s a capital idea, a good way to get the most mileage out of our magic points,” Lance said. He eagerly took the green amulet and placed it around his neck. The other items vanished, leaving behind only the silver key.

As Liam picked up the key, he received a new message. Boss Key Found! A door to the north slid open, revealing a set of stairs leading up.

“Well, we defeated the miniboss, I guess it’s onto the real thing now,” Lance said.

Liam looked at the iron bars on the ground. They were iron ingots and thus he had all the crafting material required to upgrade his axe back at Brighstone. “We should take a break and head back to Brighstone,” Liam said. “The fast travel portal will allow us to return. I have some business to attend to there.”

“Always with the stops and sidequests,” Lance grumbled. “But fine, I could go for some of that sludge they were serving at that sorry excuse for a tavern.”

“Just don’t let this tavern kill you like last time,” Kaida warned.

With that, the three headed to the glowing stone and Liam put his hand on it. He was immediately greeted with a list of fast travel options.

Floor One:

Brightstone

Nearly

Fountain

Floor Two:

Fountain 1

Redstone

Gnome Village

Fountain 2

With a shrug, Liam selected Brightstone and felt energy wash over him. In an instant, time and space were stretched out and he found himself traveling at full speed.

Chapter 35

The portal spat out the trio and remained behind them, swirling in a purple and red vortex. They were greeted by the familiar sight of the village of Brightstone, where the people were still as dull as ever. There was no reaction to their sudden appearance.

Kaida went off to meditate, Lance sought out alcohol and Liam was left to visit Henry Pete—the blacksmith with the talent to evolve his weapon.

The man was standing by his forge, leaning against a wooden beam and smoking a cigar. He was staring off into the distance, no expression upon his face.

“There’s the man of the hour!” Liam said, slapping the blacksmith on the back as he saddled up beside him.

“You again, don’t you ever give up?” Henry Pete asked, grunting a little as he pushed Liam off of him.

“Not on your life. We made it to level two of the dungeon and that counts for quite a bit. Had some real adventures but I’ve got everything you need to craft me a weapon evolution. Including the thousand shards that you requested, of course.”

Those words caught the man’s attention. He looked at Liam and put out his hands. The rockstar poured the shards into them and took out the talon, the scales and finally, the iron ingots.

“Here you go,” he said. “One weapon evolution please.”

“I’m on it,” Henry Pete said. “Come back in an hour.”

Liam agreed and wandered around the village, looking for any sign of Prescia. The woman was not there and he wondered where she had gotten off to. There wasn’t much to do in this place other than wait, so he strolled around, using that time to clear his head.

When an hour was up, he returned to see the blacksmith.

The man was bent over the axe, sharpening the razor sharp edges of the weapon. “Took you long enough,” Henry Pete said. He motioned to the axe. “I’ve upgraded it as you’ve asked. Take a look.”

Liam picked up the axe and received the following notification:

Your Weapon Has Evolved!

Attack: 250 > 300

“Very nice work my man!” Liam said. “I appreciate the hard work.”

“You can appreciate yourself right back to where you came from,” Henry Pete said.

“Why don’t you ever try climbing? You definitely have the cash for it,” Liam said. “Go visit a shop, get some gear and craft yourself a few weapons. You’ll have a heck of a time and it’s better than being around here.”

“You know,” Pete said, looking square at Liam. “I used to have a wife before I came here. When I realized that I’d never see her again, I just gave up. Decided against the climbing life. Everyone has a different idea of what’s at the top but I don’t think there’s anything up there. Nothing but more pain.”

“You’ll never know for sure unless you try!” Liam said.

The man snorted at that. “You got your weapon evolution, get out of here.”

Liam chuckled. “I had to try. Inspiration is one of my favorite things.”

“The only thing you inspire is frustration,” the man replied. “Thinking you can get to the top. Someday you’ll be down here, like all the others. Staring blankly and wondering what crime you could possibly do to deserve to come to the Spire.”

Liam left the grumpy man alone and went to fetch his companions. Lance was easy to find, he was still trying to drink that sludge at the tavern and Kaida was meditating peacefully beside the great stone. The three gathered their wits and headed back into the portal, zipping up to level 2 once more.

They headed through the door, following the circular stairs up until they reached a balcony where none other than Prescia was sitting. The woman was on the ground, staring forward with a haggard look on her face.

“Guys, I’ll catch up with you,” Liam said, waving his companions on. He walked over to Prescia and smiled at her. “How are you, friend?”

“What makes you think we’re friends?” she asked, her face beleaguered. “I’m just trying to catch my breath.”

“I didn’t think you’d make it to level 2, with all the wandering you were doing,” Liam said.

“I overleveled and the areas became a lot less challenging,” she replied. “There’s not much XP to be had when you’re level 5 and down there. I figured it would be better to come up here. But it’s much harder.”

“You made it past the miniboss on your own?” Liam asked.

“Nah, I was part of a party. Some man who claimed he was the king of this floor. Gavern was his name and he was a real piece of work. Kept trying to rob people but that never worked out for him.

“He decided to recruit me since I didn’t have any interest in paying him or fighting. I just kept fleeing until he finally broke and offered me a position in his party. They didn’t survive the miniboss, thanks to my lack of timing.”

“Lack of timing?” Liam asked.

“I had an orb of healing that they gave me, said I should stay back and help them out with it. I waited until they were desperate and then, did nothing. Gavern was furious but he died quickly, as did the rest of the party. I don’t think of it as a betrayal, not when they more or less gang pressed me into fighting with them,” she explained.

“I can see your point,” Liam said. “And you know, my offer still stands if you want to join a real party where everyone has an equal voice. I’d be happy to bring a fourth into the final boss.”

“What is it about you?” Prescia asked, perplexed. “You seem so plucky and excited. Always eager to team up despite my refusal.”

“I just think things are better together,” Liam said. “Strength in numbers and that sort of thing.”

“I think I’ll pass for now,” Prescia replied. “But I do appreciate the offer. I tend to push folks away, though I don’t mean anything by it. There’s still much to explore down here and I’m not ready to head up.”

“Any idea where the boss room is?”

“It’s up and to your right,” Prescia said. “You can’t possibly miss it.”

“Thanks,” Liam said, walking past her. “Until next time, and good luck out there.”

Chapter 36

The trio made their way up the stairs to find a different view from the lower levels. They were in a circular part of the tower, with windows surrounding them. Lance was busy teaching his chicken to do a trick and Kaida was standing by the window, staring out.

There was an impressive view of the outside world. There was a formless world of grey all around them, with mountains far off in the distance. Storm clouds formed around the mountains, lighting striking every now and then.

“This entire world is empty,” Kaida quietly said as Liam walked beside her. “There’s nothing out there.”

“What do you think about those mountains?” Liam asked.

“I don’t know” she replied. “They seem to be shapeless though they have some kind of form. I doubt there’s anything out there that is worth seeing. I keep thinking about the tunneling villagers of Redstone. They could have gotten out but what is there? Nothing but grey.”

Liam nodded and stayed silent for a moment. Kaida spoke up. “Do you think we’re wasting our time trying to ascend? Do you think there’s anything up there at all?”

“I think it’s worth trying,” Liam said. “Even if it’s a tiny chance.”

“I keep hoping it’s a way home, but some part of me feels like it’s not. Some worry within me says that we’ll just find nothing but some kind of devastating trap or monster that will send us right back to the bottom. I don’t know if I could take it, never seeing home again.”

“There’s not much you can do about it,” Liam said. “We died in the real world. This might be a second chance at coming back but at the same time…who knows what other worlds are out there. Maybe leaving the Spire is an opportunity to remake yourself. Kind of like a rebirth.”

“Sound exhausting,” Kaida said. “I’d much rather just go back.”

“Well, you may have to face the possibility that there’s no going back,” Liam said. “I know it’s not ideal but if you keep trying to hold to hope that you can go home…you’ll be devastated if you find out you can’t.”

“But I must!” she said, and tears welled in her eyes. “I don’t think I can keep going if there’s no way out.”

“I’m sorry I said that,” Liam replied, patting her on the arm. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“No, no you’re just trying to prepare me for the worst, I understand,” Kaida replied, sniffling a little. “But I can’t give up hope. That’s the one thing I won’t give up.”

“No reason not to hope for the best, but there’s a pragmatism in expecting the worst,” Liam said. “Now come on, let’s go find the boss room.”

They rejoined Lance who had successfully taught Cluckington to do a flip. They applauded the little chicken as he leapt in the air, flipping over easily.

“Well, are we done with the sightseeing?” Lance asked. He pointed to a stairwell leading upwards. “I scouted ahead and indeed, there is the boss room. Two other rooms too, if we feel like exploring.”

“We could use the XP from the other rooms,” Kaida suggested.

“Nope!” Liam replied. “We’re close to the third level and we’ve got to keep climbing. Let’s boldly venture forth and see what this boss is capable of doing.”

They ascended the metal stairs and noticed that the ground was beginning to change with each step. There was blue carpet at the halfway point and as they rose up, they were surrounded by long elegant pillars of gold and white.

There were two regular doors to the left but on the right was a large silver door with a keyhole in the center. “You ready?” Liam asked as he approached and slipped the big key into the hole. There was a click and the doors parted, opening up to reveal a very regal looking room.

“Born ready!” Lance said.

“As I’ll ever be,” Kaida affirmed.

They entered the room to find red carpet lined up on the ground and three large pillars holding up the ceiling. In the back was a large clawed bed where a bulbous man was sitting. He wore a crown upon his head and his skin was bloated and yellowed. He yawned as they approached and waved a hand dismissively.

“I see more climbers have approached,” he said. “I’m not in the mood to fight, go away.”

Liam didn’t buy the act. He raised his axe towards the monster. “We’re getting to level three, one way or another!”

“Very well!” the monster said. “Guards, kill them!”

Wave 1! appeared in Liam’s vision and suddenly there was a horde of armored goblins in the room. There were ten of them and they wielded swords, spears and even hand axes.

Steel Goblins

HP: 500

“Looks like this is going to be a wave kind of scenario,” Liam said. “And not the kind like in the stadiums. Ola!”

The horde of goblins rushed forward and Liam ran into the center, drawing their attention. Lance unleashed a wave of flames from his hands, a cone of fire washing over the enemy position. Several of the goblins were struck for 150.

“Kaida, hit me with the scepter!” Liam said, having an idea.

Notes of Inspiration increased his overall damage each kill, so he wouldn’t need much to take them down.

Kaida raised the scepter high and a blue beam struck Liam’s back, filling him with energy. +200 Damage for 2 Hits appeared in his vision.

The goblins converged on Liam and he struck one in the center, dealing 500 damage, felling it in a single blow. Three came up on his right, armed with spears, and they stabbed at him. He was able to fend off their blows, turning around and blocking the strikes with his axe, but they were all over the place.

Two goblins managed to get close to him and cut him in the legs. This dealt 20 damage to Liam—thankfully, his armor reduced the bulk of the damage. Lance fired another spray of flames, washing over the crowd and dealing another 150 points of damage. Several goblins had their health drop down into the 200’s and Liam slashed one goblin hard.

That particular goblin went down and Liam gained more inspiration, raising his damage to 400. He used his Swing and Sing ability to crack one of the goblins’ head with his axe and play a chord at the same time, taking the goblin down with a mighty blow of 700 damage. A spear stuck him in the ribs and he groaned from the 20 points of damage.

Kaida was quick to use her magics to heal Liam and bring him back to 175. He spun around and punished the goblin that had speared him, hitting him with a stunning blow that caused the goblin to fall back.

Another cone of flames washed over the monsters, taking three down and leaving five left. Liam was in a frenzy, swinging his axe in a circle and killing an already damaged goblin, which brought him another point of inspiration. This raised his damage to 450 and he was able to advance on the others. The remaining goblins were relentless with their spear thrusts but were unable to break his defense. He slashed their spears in half with one blow and swung hard into them, hitting one and outright killing it. This raised his damage to 500 and he was quick to take down two more.

The lone goblin left was zapped in the side by Lance’s dual wands, and it melted into the ground as it died. The bored king yawned at this and waved another hand. “More trouble for you!” he said.

Wave 2!

The pillars began to shift from long standing support beams into stone trolls with clubs. They emerged and began to thunder towards Liam.

Stone Troll

HP: 3,000

Liam rushed towards the first one and struck, but the attack bounced off the stone armor. The monster raised its club and smashed it downwards; luckily, Liam was able to dodge with a leap to the right. Another one came up on his right and tried to club him but he blocked with his axe, the blow ringing out into the air as he shielded himself.

“My magic won’t work!” Lance said, firing a bolt of ice at one of the trolls, only for the spell to bounce off like Liam’s axe did.

“I’ve got it!” the rockstar said, turning around and activating Em Break. He shredded a chord as quickly as he could, sending waves of red and green out towards the monster in the middle. The stone melted off the sides of the beast, revealing green skin.

Liam dodged another attack from the one in front of him and rushed towards the troll in the middle. It swung its club down hard but came up short. Liam ran up the club and hacked at the chest of the troll, dealing 500 damage. The monster was not demurred by this attack and punched Liam, knocking him off the club.

Liam took 40 points of damage, hitting the ground and rolling. He was down to 135 Hit Points now but was too amped up to worry about it. He activated Em Break once more, hitting another troll as it stormed towards him.

A bolt of ice struck the troll on Liam’s right but while he was distracted, the third one stomped up to him and banged the ground with a foot, causing the earth beneath him to shake. Liam tried to gain his balance but found himself falling. The other trolls raised their clubs to smash down on him but he rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding their attacks.

“More strength!” Kaida said, waving the scepter and hitting Liam once more.

He felt the boost of +200 damage and leapt up onto his feet. The troll in the center tried to come at him but he slipped in between its legs, raking his axe against its groin. This dealt 700 damage to the troll, dropping it down to 1,800 HP.

The other troll grew distracted and moved towards Kaida. She yelped and ran from the enemy, but Liam was too busy engaging with the other two trolls. Both were swinging their clubs at him and he was defending with vim and vigor. The first club swung from above and he ducked under it to parry the second club with his enhanced axe, which knocked the weapon to the side.

Lance was on the unarmored troll that was chasing Kaida. He raised his hands and fired twin bolts of lightning and magic, striking the monster for 650 points. The creature began to regenerate, however, as did the one Liam had damaged.

“Fire!” Liam said. “We need to use fire.”

Liam decided to activate his A7 Assault. It would cost him 10 MP plus one for the Fire Song. He let his fingers fly on the guitar strings, sending forth twin beams of bright red flame. They coursed towards the middle troll, hitting him hard twice, dealing 600 fire damage. The beast had almost regenerated 200 points but the regen stopped as soon as it took the fire damage. His health dropped down to 1,400 and Liam pressed his advantage.

As Liam tried to slice the troll in its midsection, however, the other troll caught him square in the side with his club. Liam took 50 points of damage and landed on the ground with a thud. Kaida was still fleeing from the other troll, dodging left and right as it smashed the ground, trying to flatten her.

Liam was down to 85 Hit Points. This was one hard wave! He rolled on the floor, escaping a stomp attack from the center troll, and leapt to his feet. He activated his G7 Assault, spending 3 MP to add Fire to it.

He played hard and the monster was struck for 300 fire damage, dropping down to 1,100. Lance was covering Kaida, shooting bursts of fire from his hands before switching to his wands. The other troll was down to 1,800 HP, but the third one was still stone and armored.

Liam needed more Music Points and rushed the middle troll who was still engaging him. He leapt in the air and slashed at the beast’s face, hitting for another 700 points. The creature dropped down to critical damage and Liam landed behind it; right away, he spun around with a wide attack that cut into the meat of the thigh, dropping the monster instantly

With the middle troll destroyed, Liam turned his attention to the one chasing after Kaida. She was still running for her life and Liam quickly activated his F Maneuver, improving her ability to dodge and armoring her as well.

“I’m almost out of magic!” Lance said as he released a cone of fire onto the enemy troll. The other one was moving towards him but the F Maneuver also applied to the wizard, and so he was able to scramble between the stone monster’s legs and keep running, up to Liam.

Liam rushed the unarmored troll, with an extra point of inspiration to boot. He activated his C Sharp chord, spending the MP to increase his damage to 750. The other troll was at 1,800 and a single thump from the back dropped it down to 1,100.

“Last spell!” Lance said as he cast another fire cone at the monster. The damage was minor, only 150, but it was enough to stop the troll from regenerating and opened it up to an assault from Liam.

The monster turned around too slowly and Liam was on its back in an instant, gripping the furskin armor it was wearing with one hand. With the other, he stabbed down twice, hitting it for another 750 and then 550. This was enough to annihilate the monster and it faded, leaving Liam to land on the ground safely.

The third troll came stomping towards them and Liam activated his Em Break, shattering the stone around the creature’s body. It didn’t relent, however, and swung towards Liam. He tried to slip out of harm’s way but miscalculated the club’s trajectory and felt his torso go stiff as the monster’s mace smashed into his chest, sending him flying.

Kaida, now free to act, began to heal him, rapidly regenerating Liam’s health up to 100 points. Liam hit the ground and skidded a few feet. He groaned and pushed himself up, just in time. The troll was standing over him, going for another home run on his battered body.

Liam’s defenses activated and he caught the club in between both hands, the extra strength aiding in resisting the attack. Wind flew past him as he grabbed onto the club for a second before the monster ripped it free. The creature staggered back and Liam slashed the troll right in its belly, dealing 600 damage thanks to his Notes of Inspiration.

The troll’s health had dropped down to 2,400 but it was already starting to climb back up. Liam had earned enough MP to activate his A7 Assault and he did so without hesitation, spending the additional point to activate the Fire Song. Flames came bursting out of his guitar, striking the monster twice and dropping its health down to 1,800. The flames washed over the monster and its regeneration stopped dead in its tracks.

That’s when twin bolts of magic struck it in the back and the troll roared defiantly, though it was unable to do anything other than take damage. Liam chopped down two more times and the beast fell to the ground to melt away.

“Bah!” the king said. “It seems that I must take matters into my own hands.”

Bored King

6,000 HP

The long chair the bored king was lounging upon grew huge legs that turned the chair mobile. The king drew out a long golden scepter and began to walk straight towards the group.

“I’m out of magic, so it’s just wands!” Lance said, firing two shots at the monster. Liam’s music effect had faded and so he only did 650 damage.

Liam’s notes of inspiration were still in effect though, and so between the pair, they should be able to make short work of the boss.

Liam rushed forward to meet the bored king, only to be greeted by the chair lifting itself up and kicking at him with its thick legs. He was caught off-guard and was thrown backwards, taking 40 damage in the process. His health was critical now, at 60.

“Kaida, heal me up!” Liam said as the king stomped towards him, swinging his great scepter at the rockstar.

Kaida complied and raised her hands, sending waves from her staff to Liam. He healed from the attack instantly and felt strong enough to keep going.

He dashed towards the monster and leapt over its head. The large bulbous man shouted at him but Liam couldn’t make out what he was saying. He landed behind the bestial man and dug his axe into his spine. The fat in his back split open and green blood leaked from his wound as he absorbed 650 damage. Liam activated his Swing and Sing ability, slashing hard again as the chair tried to knock him down.

His attack was interrupted as the chair dropped down low suddenly and rammed him in the side. Liam staggered backwards, taking 10 damage from the hit and fumbling his chord.

“Damn it!” Liam shouted, struggling to regain his footing.

The king’s scepter came crashing down on him and       Liam dove to the left, but he was struck by the chair once more and took another 10 points of damage. He stumbled to the right but before the king could strike him, twin bolts of magic landed. The king hissed as he took another 650 damage. It was still a long ways to go with the boss’ HP still at 4,700.

The king spun in a circle, slamming his scepter into the side of Liam, throwing him backwards. He skidded on the ground, managing to keep his footing this time around.

Lance fired another twin bolt at the bored king, aiming for his huge stomach. This seemed to enrage the king greatly and his throne began to stomp towards the wizard.

“Get out of the way!” Liam shouted as the king stormed towards his companion.

Lance fell back but was quickly overwhelmed by the surprising speed of the long throne chair. Liam ran to intercept, leaping onto the chair itself and slashing the king once more, hitting him for 650 points, his notes of inspiration still lingering from the previous waves.

The king abandoned his attempts to harass Lance and turned to face Liam, slamming at him with his long scepter. Liam side-stepped the blow and leapt onto the scepter itself. The head of the king was wide open and Liam brought his axe down with fury, dropping him down to 2,750 HP.

“Down with you, I say!” the king said, shaking his scepter.

Liam did a flip, jumping over the king’s noggin and landing on the ground behind him. The frame of the king was so enormous Liam could strike with a blindfold and still hit his mark. He spun with his axe and carved out a chunk of flesh.

“We’re almost done!” Liam shouted to his team. He flipped his guitar down and activated C Sharp, his axe blade growing sharper on the edges. “Hit me with guidance!”

Kaida complied and raised her staff. The beam struck Liam and he felt his weapon guided towards the king. The chair tried to bully him again, ramming forward, but Liam was already sliding underneath it and out the other side, the king’s back to him once more as the chair tried to turn around. He struck for a whopping 850 damage and twin beams crashed into the king, his health dropping to 1,250.

The king’s chair fell down suddenly, breaking to pieces as the king’s health plummeted.

“I’ll have to do this myself!” the bored king declared, leaping off of his throne.

He hit the ground and a shockwave caused Liam to fall backwards a little. He kept his footing, however, and took off running towards the king, determined to finish this.

The king punched at him with a heavy right but Liam slid past the big man and slashed at his stomach. The blade struck for 850 damage.

“Finish it!” Liam shouted to Lance. The wizard nodded at this and aimed his wands at the king, firing twice. The shots hit the bull’s-eye and the boss fell backwards onto his rear.

“Oh fiddlesticks…” he said as he melted into the ground. The fight was finally over.

Chapter 37

Liam was greeted with words as the king faded away. Boss Defeated! 2,000 XP Gained! This put Liam at 3,800/4,500, meaning he was just a stone’s throw away from Level 7. The dead king had left behind a great golden chest as well as a pile of shards.

“You have defeated the boss,” a voice said. “Take your prizes and move upwards to level three!”

A great stairwell emerged from the center of the throne room, leading up to the new level.

“We did it!” Kaida said. “I can’t believe it but we actually won!”

“It was a hard-earned victory,” Liam said. “Great work, team.”

They crowded around the treasure chest and it opened up, sensing their approach. Inside there was an orb, a shortsword and a potion bottle.

Orb of Blasting

Requirements: Magic Rank 6

Description: The Orb of Blasting is capable of firing high concentrations of magical energy, dealing 1,000 points of damage. Can only be used once per encounter.

Cost: 10 Magic Points

Shortblade of Speed

Description: This blade, when wielded, provides +2 Dexterity.

Damage: 400

Potion of Regeneration

Description: When consumed, this potion allows you to regenerate up to 300 points of damage over the course of thirty seconds.

Unlike the other chests, these three were available for everyone to take. There was no need to make a choice, a refreshing change from the previous treasures.

“Well, I’m definitely taking the Orb,” Lance said, eagerly grabbing the small red orb. He lifted it high and magical energies crackled within. “I can’t wait to try it on the first monster we see.”

“Kaida, you should take the shortblade,” Liam said. “You’re not a fighter but it might be handy to use if you get in a scrap.”

“Oh, I don’t know…” Kaida said, reaching out towards the weapon hesitantly. “I’m not good at melee.”

“The extra dexterity might make you handier than you think,” Liam said. “Besides, it’s only as a last resort kind of thing. I’d use it but I can’t wield that weapon and play my chords at the same time. I’m pretty much stuck with this axe, though I’m not in a rush to replace it.”

Kaida nodded and took the short sword in hand. It was an iron weapon, with a hilt made of gold. She raised it up to inspect it, then slipped it in between her robe sash.

Liam decided that he would take the potion and no one complained when he snatched the bottle of dark green liquid. He positioned it inside his potion belt, then turned his attention to the shards. There were four thousand, to split between the group members. He eagerly poured the shards into his pouch and then looked at the stairs.

“Alright gang, anyone have anything to say about floor two before we head up?” he asked.

“I say the sooner we’re up there, the better,” Lance said. “This place was an absolute slog to get through.”

“You can say that again,” Kaida said.

The three all took a deep breath and ascended up the stairs.  They traveled for some time before they reached the top.

The ground was much different here. While level two had mostly been a combination of steel and iron, metalwork making its way across the floors, this place had marble flooring and looked rather clean. Liam could see his own reflection in the polished marble and he grinned at himself. This was the first time he had seen himself since entering the Spire and he looked as metal as they came. If only his bandmates could see him now, decked out in armor with a golden helm and a massive axe in hand.

“This place is so much nicer,” Kaida said, looking around. They were in a central room with passages to each direction of them. “But there’s a problem! No fountain!”

They all looked around and sure enough, there was no fountain to be found. That meant if anyone died, they’d be zipped back to level two and the journey back up might not be so easy.

“Would we have to fight the boss again if we get wiped?” Lance asked.

“No idea, but let’s just choose our battles and be careful until we find a respawn point,” Liam said. He raised his axe and looked at the passages. These were wide open, the hallways unimpeded by doors. They could go anywhere and it would be a while before they could get their bearings.

“Let’s go… south!” Liam decided, pointing to the entryway behind them.

“Why south?” Lance asked.

“Because it was my first idea,” Liam replied. “Unless you want to bicker about trying to find our way through a place we haven’t even explored yet.”

“No bickering, I was just curious,” Lance replied.

The three made their way to the southern passage, passing through the open hall into a long corridor with a series of doors in their way. The doors had no locks but instead were affixed to long grooves in the walls.

“Interesting,” Lance said. He crossed his arms. “The way the grooves go upwards, it seems that someone strong enough should be able to lift the door and get to the other side.”

“I’m on it!” Liam said.

He approached the first door and grabbed the bottom. It was heavy but he had the strength to lift it. He grunted hard and began to pry upwards and sure enough, the door slid open, revealing an incline leading to the next door. However, as soon as he let go, the door came sliding back down, separating him from his team.

“I’ll see what’s on the other side before I come back for you,” Liam shouted. “Keep a lookout for trouble.”

“Eyes peeled!” Kaida replied.

Liam turned to face the other door and tried to lift it. Strength Insufficient! appeared in his vision as he struggled in vain to get it to open. “Come on,” he grunted, trying to put his back and legs into it. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get the door up. His stats weren’t up to par.

“Problem?” Lance asked.

“The door won’t budge, I don’t have the Strength score,” Liam replied.

“Well, best we go some other way then,” Lance said. Liam nodded at that and heaved the door behind him open, getting out from under it before it came crashing down. The door slammed behind them and they headed back into the foyer.

“I get to pick the direction now,” Lance said. “North!”

“Fair enough,” Liam said.

They traveled through the northern passage, entering a room where a massive statue was sitting. It was a woman with a hood over her head, the arms of the statue cradling emptiness.

“Where is my baby?” the statue said when they approached.

“Is this a quest?” Lance asked.

“Where is my baby?” the statue repeated again. They looked around but found nothing. The room was closed off, no passages anywhere to be seen

“I’m not getting a quest marker,” Liam said. “Maybe it’s some kind of puzzle.”

The statue just repeated itself, requesting its child. Liam had an idea. “Okay, so maybe this is stupid, I know, but what if one of us crawled into its arms?” Liam said. “Maybe it won’t be able to tell what its baby is.”

“Capital idea,” Lance said. “No risk in trying it. Unless this pisses the statue off and it tries to kill us.”

The statue was only of the upper arms and body of a woman. Cluckington didn’t seem to sense any danger and so Liam shrugged. “Kaida, why don’t you get up there?”

“What? Why me?” the woman fussed.

“Because you’re the smaller of us and thus more babylike!” Lance said. “Come on, just for a minute. There’s no way to tell if Liam’s plan will work, so what’s the risk?”

Kaida grumbled as Liam helped her up. He boosted her into the arms of the woman and she laid down.

The statue immediately raised Kaida up to her and nuzzled the healer. “There’s my baby!” she said, satisfied. A door to the west opened up, revealing another passage.

“There we go!” Liam said. “You doing okay Kaida?”

“It’s squishing me,” the healer complained. She pried herself loose and the statue stayed in position, now inert.

The group helped Kaida down and they then headed to the west, moving into a room where a tall man wearing a suit was waiting for them.

“Ahhhh,” the man said, grinning widely at them. “It’s good to see other climbers.”

Liam felt a sense of dread well up within him at the sight of this stranger. He was strong chinned and tall, with a cloak on his back. He didn’t carry a weapon which was strange to see in a climber.

“Who are you?” Liam asked.

“I’m Mastro,” the man said. “And you would be?”

“Liam, Lance and Kaida,” the rockstar replied. He kept his distance. There were two passages in this room, one of them with a locked door, keyhole in the center.

Mastro grinned. “Well, you’re definitely lost from the looks of it. These are the Marble Marvels, one of the sections of level three. Did you just get up here?”

“We did,” Lance said. Liam shot him a look and the wizard frowned. Apparently Liam was the only one to detect trouble.

“Well, you’ll need the fountain first, which is located that way,” the climber said, pointing to the west. “It’s right through that hallway, you can’t miss it.”

“How very kind of you,” Liam said. Something was wrong with the way the man was grinning. He put his hand on his axe and wondered if he should strike first. “What are you doing here?”

“Just exploring,” the man replied. “Come on, let’s go to the fountain.”

“You seem awful eager to get us to follow you,” Kaida chimed in. “I don’t like the looks of this, Liam.”

“Your thoughts are mine,” Liam replied. He drew his weapon. “Tell us who you are, now!”

Mastro chuckled. “Very well, I am a vampire. My plan was to lure you into a hallway and take you down one at a time. But you don’t seem that tough. I think I’ll just feast on you all now!”

Chapter 38

The vampire came rushing towards them, his fangs emerging from his mouth as he took on a more gaunt appearance.

Dread Vampire

HP: 3,000

“Take him down!” Liam said, rushing to attack the monster before he could reach them. The vampire was deft and moved to the right, easily avoiding Liam’s swing. He continued on his way towards Kaida, arms stretched out.

“Take that!” Lance shouted, pulling out his Orb of Blasting. The orb powered up for a second and then unleashed a beam of thin red magic. The vampire hissed as the spell made contact, sending him backwards with 1,000 points of damage.

Liam was upon the vampire in a second, his axe aiming for the neck. The monster vanished for a second, teleporting to the side. Lance fired a bolt of twin magic but he faded out of sight, teleporting again.

Liam spun around, looking for the monster. He spotted it as it appeared behind Kaida. “Look out!” he shouted.

Kaida screamed as the monster grabbed her, his arms tightly gripping her shoulders. He went to bite her but Liam rushed them both, crashing into Kaida and sending the vampire falling backwards. Mastro was shaken free and Kaida scrambled out of the way, leaving Liam to face off with the monster.

“Gaze deep into my eyes,” the vampire said, his eyes becoming wicked. Liam couldn’t glance away in time and found himself transfixed. He couldn’t move and his arms and legs ceased working.

“Resist it!” Kaida said, casting her status clearing spell. That was just in time; the vampire was on Liam the next second. The Wildfighter swung his axe as soon as the trance was broken, hitting the vampire for 300 damage. The beast roared at this and vanished again.

Lance looked around, wands raised. “I just know he’s going to hit me…” he said. Just as the wizard predicted, Mastro appeared behind him. He grabbed Lance’s shoulders and went for a bite.

Liam was quick. He played his E Major Shield, wrapping the man with purple energy. The vampire tried to dig into the neck but was repelled by the shield, falling back and hissing. “I see this won’t be easy,” he said. He turned and fled through the western passage.

“After him!” Lance said.

“No way,” Liam replied, grabbing his ally by the robe before he could run off. “He wanted us to go in that direction, remember? There’s probably a whole nest of vampires waiting for us. I say we cut our losses and keep looking for the fountain.”

“That’s probably for the best,” Kaida said. She was shaking a little from the encounter. “He was on me so fast.”

“No kidding,” Liam said. “Come on, let’s head back the way we came.”

“I wasted those magic points for nothing,” Lance grumbled. “Using that orb doesn’t come cheap.”

“Not much we can do,” Liam said. The trio made their way back through the statue room and into the foyer.

“North and south, just east and west left to go,” Kaida said.

There came a loud clunking noise from the eastern passage. The trio drew their weapons and waited. A large man wearing heavy plate armor emerged. His armor was silver and it shined with magical energies.

“Who are you?” the man asked as he put his hand on his sword belt. There was a massive sword hanging from his side, scraping the ground as he walked.

“We’re climbers,” Liam said. “You’re not a vampire, are you?”

The man laughed. “They call me Clanker and I’m not a vampire. In fact, I was about to ask you the same question. There are a few of them that wander around and attack at the worst possible moment. I wish we had some garlic.”

“What’s that way?” Kaida asked.

“A big headache,” the man replied. “A maze of mirrors. Everything is a reflection and it’s impossible to get through. At least, I found. And smashing the mirrors doesn’t work, my sword couldn’t break through any of them.”

The man seemed friendly enough, though he never took his hand off of his sword. Liam couldn’t blame him, as climbers could be just as bothersome as monsters in the Spire. “Well, we aren’t looking for trouble.”

“Neither am I,” the man said. “Just trying to find the fountain. It’s a hell of a thing, the other floors had fountains right at the start, but not here.”

“Well, why don’t you join us?” Kaida said. “You’re big and strong, we could use a fourth.”

“I may be inclined,” the man said. “But I need to know if you folks are serving the Lord of the Floor. That man is bad news, if ever there was.”

“Lord of the Floor?” Liam asked.

“Yeah,” Clanker said. “He’s in charge of Greenstone Village and is intent on adding as many people to his roster as possible. Claims that there is no way out of this floor. But I disagreed. Much to his chagrin. Damn man tried to kill me with his goons.”

“How do we get to the village?” Kaida asked.

“No clue, I didn’t actually visit it. Was accosted by a group of his cronies who were demanding tribute,” the man replied. He stiffened suddenly and looked to the north. “Something’s over there,” he said.

“Probably that damn vampire,” Liam said, turning around. There was no sign of the monster but that didn’t mean much. Mastro could turn invisible and so they all waited for something.

“I’m going to check it out,” Clanker said. He walked a few feet over to the hallway and looked down it. “I don’t see anything…”

His words were cut short as Mastro suddenly appeared behind him. The vampire tried to bite the man but his armor was too thick. Clanker turned around and punched the monster, causing him to stumble. He drew out his longsword and tried to slash, but the vampire caught the weapon with one hand and delivered a claw strike with the other.

Liam rushed towards the beast, activating his G7 Assault as he ran. He plucked a few chords and a beam of red and blue energy washed towards the vampire, striking it. He was at 3,000 hit points again, regenerative probably, and lost only a fraction of his points.

The vampire hissed and vanished from sight as Clanker swung at it. “That’s just great,” Clanker groaned and he looked around. There was no sign of the vampire anywhere. “He’s hunting you three. Well, I don’t like vampires, so you’ll excuse me if I stay far away. No reason to risk it now.”

And with that, he left through the eastern passage, leaving the three behind.

“Come on out!” Liam shouted. There was no reply and the entire room fell silent for a moment.

“I don’t think he’s here anymore,” Kaida said. “I can’t hear him moving around.”

“Damn it, we almost had another teammate,” Liam said. “And we could have used his strength too.”

“I vote we try the mirror maze,” Lance said. “Best to keep moving and watch our backs. Maybe we stick closer together.”

“Agreed,” Liam said. They made their way through the western passage into a room with dozens of mirrors lining the walls.

Their reflections were all warped and there was no easy way to tell which direction to go. Lance tried to take a right and ended up bumping into a reflection of the passage behind him. But when he tried to go through that passage, he bumped into a glass once more.

“Confound it!” Lance growled. “I can’t make heads or tails of how to get through.”

“It’s simple,” Liam said, running his hands along one of the walls. “Just feel until we find…gotcha!” He found a passage that was open and walked through a few feet. The others followed, their reflections moving alongside them as they navigated the maze.

They slowly moved through the corridors, exploring the twists and turns, sometimes having to double back because of the reflections. They weren’t quick but eventually they made it to a central room with four branching paths.

“Don’t split up,” Liam said, as they walked to the passage to the north. There was a snickering sound down that way, like a little goblin laughing. Liam stopped and drew his axe. His reflection drew their axes as well and he walked down that path, looking for the source of the laughter.

Behind him, a door slammed shut, cutting him off from his allies.

“Damn it!” Liam shouted, slamming a fist against the mirrored door. His fist bounced off harmlessly. “Are you two there?”

“We’ll have to figure out some other way to get to you,” Lance said. “Not to worry, Cluckington has your scent.”

“Can he really track me?”

“Well, no, but maybe we’ll get to you if we go to the west,” Lance replied.

There was another goblin chuckle and Liam turned around to see the shape of a grey figure running away from him. “Just my luck,” he groaned, walking forward after it. As he followed, more shapes appeared in the mirror, though it may have been the same goblin’s reflection.

He continued through the reflective maze until he reached a room where a goblin was waiting for him. It was a small, wicked creature with chainmail armor and a mace in hand.

Mirror Goblin

500 HP

“You’re not so tough,” Liam said, approaching the creature. It laughed once more and vanished, leaping into one of the mirrors. All of the mirrors surrounding Liam began to show the monster and they all made the exact same motions.

Liam saw one was rushing him and he spun around to fend off the attack. But it was just that, a reflection.

“Come on!” Liam shouted, “come fight me!”

The monster only laughed at this and continued to feint, making false charges and pretending to slash at him from the mirrors. Liam found one mirror that moved when he pressed it. It slid open, revealing a room full of goblin reflections.

As he walked, he felt hot breath behind him. He tried to spin around but was too slow. In the mirror ahead, he could see nothing on his rear flank, yet strong hands grabbed his shoulders all the same.

Liam struggled for a moment, trying to break free but felt two thin fangs enter his neck. Drained! appeared in Liam’s vision while the vampire drank his blood. He felt the life force begin to leave him as his health dropped from 175 to 150 in the blink of an eye.

Liam shoved his arm back and forced the vampire off of him. He spun around to see Mastro there, blood dripping from his mouth. Of course he didn’t show up in the mirrors, he was a vampire. They had no reflections.

“I’m so going to mess you up!” Liam said, swinging at the monster.

The beast leapt to the side and slashed his claws at Liam, raking his chest armor for 50 damage. Liam struck again, activating his Swing and Sing ability. He played the G7 Assault as he attacked, but only the chord hit its mark.

Mastro deftly avoided the axe and since they were in close quarters, he was able to slash again and catch Liam in the chest. The claws punctured through Liam’s armor and he let out a cry of pain.

“Over here!” a voice, Lance’s, said. They were on the other side of the mirror wall and could hear the struggle.

“No, it’s this way!” Kaida replied.

The pair was trying to navigate while Liam battled against the vampire. The rockstar tried to bring his axe down on Mastro’s head, but the monster blocked the blow. The two struggled for a bit though it was obvious the vampire was the stronger of the two. He stabbed again and Liam tried to back up, only to bump against the mirror.

“It’s no good to try and resist, I always wear climbers down!” Mastro taunted, and he tried to grab Liam again. The rockstar ducked under the attack and came up behind the monster.

“There he is!” Kaida said, appearing on the other side of them. Her reflection was everywhere and Liam wasn’t sure if she was really across from them or not.

“Quick, blast him!” Liam shouted and he dove onto the ground.

Lance appeared from the corner, orb in hand. He fired the bolt straight at the monster and the vampire had no room to dodge. The Orb of Blasting struck true, hitting Mastro square in the chest. His health dropped from 3,000 to 2,000 in the blink of an eye.

“Damn you!” the vampire growled, and he vanished from sight once more.

“Are you okay?” Kaida asked, rushing up to help Liam stand. He managed to get to his feet.

“That bastard almost had me,” Liam replied. Kaida quickly healed him a few times, bringing Liam’s health back up to 175.

“There, that should do you better,” Kaida said, gently rubbing Liam on the back.

“Over here!” Lance said, waving to his party. He was standing by an entrance that was hard to see due to all of the reflections.

They hurried through the entrance and made their way to an exit. The other side had a long corridor that was mirror free. Liam had no clue which direction they were but he was grateful to see the exit.

Chapter 39

When they made their way into the next room, they soon found a large fountain waiting for them. There was a heroic statue of a man with a golden spear standing over the water, fighting a bat monster.

“There’s the fountain!” Kaida said, eagerly rushing forward. She didn’t hesitate; she quickly drank from the waters.

Liam and Lance also plunged their hands into the fountain to take a sip, the room attuning them to return should any of them perish. “I’ve never been more relieved!” Kaida said.

“How do we get back?” Lance asked. There were two corridors to the north and east of the area, but nothing else.

“I don’t think we go back,” Liam said. “I don’t want to risk getting lost in that maze again. Anything over there is just the same as over here. Trapped and dangerous.”

“You there!” a woman shouted as she appeared from the northern passage. She was adorned in regal looking robes and carried a bow on her back. “What are you doing out of Greenstone?”

“We’re not from around here,” Liam replied. A group of people emerged from the passage, nearly twenty of them, armed to the teeth with bows, swords, axes and knives. They were all dressed in fancy clothes and seemed to lack the roughness that other climbers possessed.

“Ahhh, fresh meat!” the woman said. The crowd gathered around the three. “You must come and see the Lord of the Floor to be assigned your work positions.”

“Like hell we are!” Lance said. “I never worked a job in the real world and I’ll be damned if I start here!”

The group replied to this by drawing their weapons.

“Uhhh, Liam?” Kaida asked.

“We can’t take on twenty people and I don’t feel like losing XP multiple times,” Liam said. He sheathed his axe and sighed. “Take us to this Lord. We won’t resist.”

“Wonderful!” the woman said. “Come this way, and don’t make any sudden movements.”

The group escorted Liam and his allies through the northern passage, leading them through two rooms that were completely empty. They made it to the far north where a village was waiting for them.

Greenstone had a great emerald floating in the center of the area, illuminating the area with a soft green light. The village had apartments here, tall buildings that housed dozens of people. There were patrols of armed men and women wandering around, keeping an eye on everything.

They arrived at a small makeshift castle that looked as if it had seen better days. Liam couldn’t imagine the amount of work that it took to build something that large in here.

They were escorted by the large group to the interior of the castle, where a throne room was waiting for them. Sitting upon the throne was a normal looking man, golden crown upon his head. He wielded a scepter in his right hand and slammed it down as they approached.

“Who dares come into the court of the Lord of the Floor?” he demanded.

Liam rolled his eyes. It seemed every village had someone causing problems and Greenstone was no different. The only difference here was that the other villages had better leaders. Or at least hands-off folks.

“My name is Liam,” he said. “And I’m a Wildfighter.”

“Liam, I am Agnew, the Lord of the Floor,” the man replied. “And I have run this place with absolute efficiency for years, decades perhaps. What brings you to my world?”

“Your world?” Liam scoffed. “Did you trap us in this place?”

“I mean this floor. Climbers don’t come up here often,” the man replied. “Are you trying to find the fourth floor? It doesn’t exist, trust me. This is the absolute top. Now then, you three will be assigned jobs based on your skills.”

“What if we don’t want jobs?” Liam asked.

“Then I will send my legion of loyal followers to destroy you,” the man replied. “You have already passed through the mirror maze. Few are able to do so without a guide. So I must think that you are able climbers.”

“How are we going to get out of this?” Kaida hissed. “We’ve got people all over us.”

“We’ll just play it cool and escape when they aren’t looking,” Liam replied, keeping his voice low.

“If you are climbers, then perhaps you can aid me with a simple problem,” Lord Agnew said. “There are a band of rebels who broke free from my rule a few weeks ago. They’re holed up in the east, using a great barrier spell to repel us. If you are able to go forth and break that spell, then I can send my forces in there to take control. What say you to the job?”

“I accept, my liege,” Liam said, kneeling before the man. There was no reason to make any signs of rebellion so far. Instead, they would go and find the rebels and help them out. Or better yet, just find a way to escape.

“Excellent, I did not think you would be resistant to my rule,” Agnew said. “You will find that I am a fair leader. There are all manner of horrors out there and they do not penetrate our community. Rest and peace is the order of the land, provided that you simply do your jobs.”

He gestured towards the woman who had taken the three hostage. “Kimi here will oversee and ensure that you don’t try anything foolish, like escaping for example.”

“Perish the thought,” Liam said.

The lord brought the staff down onto the ground, clacking it hard. “Then go forth and break the shield. I eagerly await your return.”

Kimi gestured for the group to follow. The majority of the guards left them alone, a few following from a distance.

The woman spoke as they walked out of the castle. “You’re the fourth group he’s sent out. Lord Agnew is desperate for results. Those rebels will lay siege to us someday, unless we are able to break their shield.”

“Who are you, exactly?” Liam asked.

“I’m Kimi, the Lord’s most trusted guard,” she replied. “I was brought here a year ago, I think, and ever since I’ve been here, things have been good. There’s plenty to do, no monsters to deal with and certainly no traps. Before that, I was trying to be a climber like you folks. It was just a constant cycle of terror and death. But this place is heaven. At least as close as it comes.”

Lance bristled a little but said nothing. The woman led them out of the castle and towards the west, where a great marble gate was resting. She had a key and opened up the gate, revealing a long hallway with nothing in it save for pillars on the walls.

“We cleared out this part of the Spire a while ago,” Kimi explained. “There’s nothing to worry about as long as you stay within our patrol zones.”

She escorted them to a door and opened it up with another key. “I’ll be locking you in from here. You won’t be able to leave until the rebels have had their shield destroyed. Don’t try anything foolish, as there’s nowhere to go.”

And with that, Kimi slammed the door shut, locking it from the other side.

“Great, just great,” Lance complained. “Now we’ve got to fight rebels?”

“No, man,” Liam said. “We’re going to join them. If there’s no way out then the only way is through. We just need to figure out how to get them to let us in.”

The trio made their way down the marble hallway, reaching a large red barrier that blocked them from entering. Two men were standing behind the barrier, their crossbows at the ready.

“Who goes there?” the first man said.

“And why are you here?”

“I’m Liam and I was kidnapped by the king,” he explained. “Or lord or whatever.”

“We’ve had three other groups claim they wanted to get in too,” the man said. “But we aren’t fools. We’ve been instructed to kill anyone who tries to get in.”

“We’re climbers though,” Kaida said. “There’s got to be some way to stop the Lord from kidnapping everyone.

“Climbers?” the second guard said. “You look hearty enough. Let me go get Luna and see what she has to say.”

The three waited for some time as the guards left, leaving the shield alone. Lance looked up and down the thing. “I’m willing to bet massive damage would break it. All we need to do is concentrate our combined efforts on it and down it goes.”

“No way,” Liam said. “We’re not siding with Agnew on this.”

“I didn’t suggest we side with either, but perhaps these folks are just as bad. There’s no telling what these people are up to.”

“I’m pretty sure they’re just trying to avoid being enslaved,” Liam said.

“I get a weird feeling about Agnew,” Kaida said. “What if he’s a monster in disguise like the other villages?”

“It’s possible,” Liam said. “Then again anything seems possible in the Spire. At least anything dangerous or deadly.”

After a while, a woman with bright silver hair approached the gate. The guards followed her, standing behind.

“I am Luna,” she said. “Leader of the Greenstone Rebels. I was informed that you were sent to attack us. Rest assured that this shield will not fall, not matter how hard you try to destroy it. Go back to where you came from and report your failings.”

“We’re not exactly volunteers here,” Liam said. “The Lord’s people grabbed us and forced us to meet with him. He’s not particularly understanding and demanded that we come here. But we aren’t trying to cause your people trouble.”

“That’s what they all say,” Luna said.

“We’re definitely not on his side,” Liam said. “But we’re locked in this way until we report results. Or maybe until we are able to storm through the other side.”

Luna nodded at that. “I understand your situation. Why should I trust you though? What are you going to do if we let you in?”

“Nothing,” Liam said. “We don’t want to be in this situation any more than you do. But maybe you could use us to help you fight back. How many do you have?”

“There are twenty of us and hundreds of them,” Luna replied. “We don’t have the manpower to fight back.”

“Then perhaps there’s another way,” Liam said. “I don’t know what you’re doing back there but you surely can’t just wait this whole time, hoping that the situation will go away.”

“We aren’t hoping the problem will go away,” Luna shot back. “We have some kind of plan but it’s dodgy.”

“What is it?” Liam asked.

“And should you be spies, trying to report back to Agnew?”

“Look, we’re not spies,” Liam said. “Like I said we were gang pressed into joining him. If we can’t help you get out of here, then we’re stuck too.”

Luna bit her lip and looked at Kaida. “Are you a healer?”

“I am! And I can heal up anyone if they need it,” she said.

Luna seemed to debate with herself for a while.

“Very well, lower the shield and let them through,” the woman finally said with a resolute nod. “And if any of them try something, kill them all.”

Chapter 40

The rebel camp wasn’t well organized. There were about twenty people, mostly men, gathered around large crates, sitting and staring off into the distance. They didn’t seem to have a lot of energy and were poorly motivated. Liam wondered how they would ever pull off breaking through the Lord’s control with such an unmotivated force.

“Morale is at an all-time low,” Luna said as they walked through the camp. “We’ve tried everything to get past the Lord’s realm but he repels us time and time again. There’s something worse going on as well.”

“What’s that?”

“The Lord has a deal with the vampires of this level. They demand a fresh victim every week and he eagerly sends his patrols out to feed them. They have no idea but when I found out…well, that was when I took as many people as I could and fled for safety.”

Liam couldn’t believe what he heard. “Wait, he’s feeding the vampires?”

“Yes, they approached the village and threatened it, but Lord Agnew was quick to save his own skin. Offered them fresh victims every week in order to stave them off from attacking the entire village. Most folks don’t know about it and go on quietly living their lives. I know I was happy in the Greenstone Village until I discovered this terrible truth,” Luna explained.

“Well, we can’t just sit around wasting our time,” Liam said. “If that man is allied with the vampires then he has to go.”

“Even if we kill him, he’ll just come back to the fountain,” Luna replied. “There isn’t much we can do about it. He has fanatical loyalists who crave their own form of power. They’ll do whatever he demands. Trust me, my first attempt was to kill him but he just came back. And the people listen to whatever he says.”

“I’ve got an idea,” Liam said. “My music is very powerful when applied to my allies. If we rally up the soldiers, we could push our way out and break free. The people of the village might not listen to reason but maybe we don’t need to convince anyone. Just break out and go back to climbing.”

“Climbing is a waste of time,” Luna replied. “I tried it once but the lord here possesses the key to the boss room. He took it and refuses to hand it over to anyone. Once a key is used, it goes back to a new place in the dungeon but with him holding onto it…well, that’s that.”

Liam looked up. “He has the key?”

“The only one that we could find,” she replied. “He keeps it locked up in his vault.”

“Then it seems our goals align,” Liam said. “We’re trying to get to the next level and if he has the key, then we need to break into the castle and stop him.”

Luna shrugged. “I may have an idea. We’ve been working on a cannon as a means to try and just break out of here.”

She gestured and Liam followed. The other two in his group were busy resting, regaining their magic points. Luna led him over to the center of the camp where the majority of crates were stacked. Resting in the middle of the crates was a large cannon with wheels attached to it.

“This is the spellcannon that we found, it requires a mage to operate,” Luna said. “We don’t have many class levels in this group, most of us lost our XP after being slain a few times too many and we stalled out. Those who made it to level 3 were bright folks but they lost heart after Lord Agnew took control of their very lives.”

“Woah!” Liam said as he examined the long black cannon. It had two red gems installed on both sides and they glowed with faint magic. “I just so happen to have a wizard on the team. We could use this to easily break through the castle walls. Maybe if we rallied, we could fight our way into Agnew’s vault and get possession of the key.”

“That sounds like a good idea in theory, but the people here aren’t very inspired,” Luna replied. She gestured to the people who were sitting around. They had weapons but didn’t appear to be very alert or aware. “Most of us have given up and are succumbing to the boredom of the Spire, staring off into space and thinking of nothing.”

“That seems to be a running theme in the villages,” Liam said. “But don’t worry, with my music and your leadership we should be able to get the people up and ready to fight.”

“I suppose it’s better than just waiting around for the shield to finally break,” Luna said. She took a deep breath and nodded. “Fine, we’ll make a play for the castle.”

“I’ll rally the troops,” Liam said, drawing his axe and dropping it down into a playing stance. Happy and uplifting is what he was after, and so he’d stick to major chords, mainly C and G.

His fingers pressed down on the fretboard and his strumming hand went to work. “Here goes…”

The melody started ringing out through the camp. Soon, everyone turned to look at him. This was the first time many had heard music in a long time and they couldn’t help but listen up.

“We’re standing alone when we give up hope,” Liam sang, causing the soldiers to get up and gather around him. “But our enemy we’ll hang with their own rope! We’ve got the numbers and the gun, now let’s show them who has won!”

“Listen up!” Luna shouted. “We’ve been waiting for an opportunity and we finally have a mage on our side. The spellcannon has been waiting for an operator and we finally have one.”

“Death isn’t the end!” Liam declared. “We have the numbers and the folks, our strength comes from the music and our spirit. Are we really just going to stand around and do nothing? Lord Agnew is sitting high on the throne, but we can put an end to his reign if we break through his castle and raid his vault.”

“That’s crazy talk!” one of the soldiers said.

“What’s crazy is sitting around and waiting for something to happen,” Liam said, not stopping playing. “The worst that can happen is you go back to the fountain.”

“Some of us haven’t drunk from it, we’d be stuck in level 2 again,” another replied.

“You’ve got weapons and I’ve got the music,” Liam countered. “With my songs I can bolster you. You’ll all fight with ten times the strength with my influence. And besides, we’ve got this kickass cannon. Are you really just going to sit around and do nothing?”

“Nothing is preferable to going back to level 2!”

Luna held a hand up. “I’m in command of this operation and I’ve decided. We’re going to attack and that’s that. If you have any reservations, I suggest you swallow them. The shield won’t last forever and we’re bored out of our minds here.”

Liam knew when to change his tune and he quickly switched to a harder mode, sliding into a heavy riff that caused many people to bob their heads. The music was infectious and they all seemed to grow bolder.

“Well, what are we waiting for then? Let’s go make that bastard Agnew pay!” one of the men shouted. He raised his sword high in the air. A few others drew their weapons too.

Some of them didn’t seem so enthused. It would take more than mere music to get them eager to fight. But hopefully the group would be able to lay siege anyway. They just needed numbers…

Chapter 41

The rebels gathered as Lance manned the cannon. “I can’t believe I get to shoot this thing,” he said. “It deals quite a bit of damage. You think they’ll let me keep it after the fight?”

Liam chuckled. “Somehow I don’t think we’ll be able to use it effectively in a small fight. But you’re sure you can operate it?”

“Oh, you bet,” Lance replied. “The weapon deals five hundred damage to a group. We should be able to blast our way into and out of Greenstone.”

“Good deal,” Liam said.

Luna was at the front of the unit. They had twenty people, armed with swords and spears. A few had crossbows but the majority was melee fighters. “Alright folks, listen up. We’re going to destroy the gate and push into Greenstone. Any armed resistance we meet, we annihilate. Don’t go ahead of the cannon, however. Agnew relies on groups to attack en masse, hoping to overwhelm his foes with damage. We’ll rely on Lance here to take out the largest groups before we move forward. When I give the signal, we’ll charge in and take control of the castle.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. “We have a healer as well. If anyone needs help, just call out for Kaida and she’ll assist,” Liam said.

Kaida was at the back of the ranks, her staff raised high and holding her head up tall. She had no bones about being in the unit, quite the contrary. When she heard about Agnew using the people to feed vampires, she was more than willing to risk her life to aid them.

The group allowed Lance to roll the cannon forward, through the red barrier. They marched after him until they reached the gate that Kimi had locked.

“Here goes nothing!” Lance cried as he put his hands on the sides of the gems. The cannon aimed towards the center of the door and fired. A huge kaboom ensued as the cannon released its payload, sending a chunk of red magic towards the door. The steel barrier broke open instantly.

“What’s going on?” Kimi asked as she stuck her head out the door.

“Fire!” Lance shouted and he shot again, hitting the woman and her allies who had gathered to check in on the source of the explosion. The blast vaporized them instantly, sending back to the fountain.

“Come on, let’s move!” Luna shouted.

Lance rolled the cannon forward and it moved rather quickly. Liam began to play a war tune on the low E string as they marched through the hallways to the opening leading to Greenstone.

“Alarm! There’s an attack!” a patrol shouted as they gathered together. They tried to move towards the group but Lance wouldn’t let them. He fired the cannon again and it struck them, detonating from the center and annihilating the group.

Bells began to sound, klaxons that organized the enemy forces bringing a mass of soldiers together. Liam was now playing his F Maneuver to bolster the dexterity of his allies, and they rushed forward to engage.

The cannon sounded again and it exploded towards a group of soldiers who had gathered in the center of the town. They were trying to advance as quickly as possible but had no chance against the explosive.

“I’ve got to recharge this thing,” Lance said.

A band of fighters arrived at the front of the rebel position. Liam played his E Shield, watching as the magical energy wrapped around his allies. There was no limit to how many could be affected by the music and they quickly rushed in to fight.

The twenty soldiers were faster and stronger thanks to Liam’s playing, and they quickly cut their way through the larger group of fighters. Men and women fell to the ground, overrun by Liam’s forces.

“Push forward!” Luna said.

They made their way to the castle, beneath the great green stone that was glowing above them. Archers lined up the walls but their shots couldn’t penetrate the armor around Liam’s allies. A few soldiers called for healing and Kaida was on them in a second, raising her hands to repair their injuries.

Lance fired the cannon at the front of the castle gate, causing the entire wooden barrier to explode into a thousand splinters. More soldiers were in the courtyard, so he fired again.

“Rush the castle!” Luna ordered.

The chaos of the fight grew worse as the rebels all charged inside of the castle walls, right into the courtyard. Many of the enemy fighters were abandoning their position, retreating to the inside of the castle but it was no good. They were cut down from behind, their bodies vanishing as they hit the ground.

“Fire!” Lance shouted, shooting the iron gate that blocked passage to the interior of the castle throne room. The gate didn’t hold and disintegrated, allowing the rebels to press inside.

Liam ran to the front ranks and led the charge, playing harder than he ever had before, his fingers a blur. Hard metal music filled the hallways as they rushed inside, fighting through the scant amount of soldiers. Lord Agnew, who was sitting upon this throne, shouted at the sight of these fighters.

“Rebels!” he yelled. “How did you get in here?”

They replied by rolling out the cannon into the main throne room. Lance took a shot at the throne, but Agnew dove out of the way and the explosion rocked the entire room.

“Recharging!” Lance said.

The group of rebels fought valiantly and Liam found himself engaging with a group of warriors clad in steel armor. The leader rushed him and he dodged to the right, slashing in a circle and hitting one, two and then three in a single blow. They disappeared instantly, unable to defend against the Wildfighter.

Agnew climbed to his feet and raised his scepter. “Luna! I should have known!”

The rebels cleaned up the rest of the enemy soldiers and surrounded the man. “We want you to stand down and let the village free,” Luna demanded.

“Never! The ones you killed will just regroup and head back. You’ll be swarmed in a matter of hours, don’t you worry.”

“You’re forgetting the fountain changes the landscape for them. They aren’t in a party and they aren’t climbers,” Luna said. She aimed her sword at the man’s head. “Now I’m giving you a chance…”

Her words were interrupted as a loud voice came from the balcony above them. “What’s going on?”

Liam looked up to see a group of four vampires standing on the balcony. They were unmistakably vampiric for they wore the same clothes as Mastro and their fangs jutted out. Each had 3,000 HP and Liam swore to himself. This was going to complicate things greatly.

“My lords!” Agnew said. “I’m just handling a small insurrection, it’s nothing.”

“It seems that you can’t control the people like you promised,” the leader said. “No matter. We have tired of feeding only once every now and then. Better to enjoy the fruits of such hot blooded warriors!”

And with that, the four leapt down and began to attack the rebels. Liam tried to play his E Shield again but it was no good. The rebels were not seasoned climbers. They tried to attack the vampires but were torn to shreds in a matter of seconds.

“Fall back!” one of the rebels shouted. But he was too slow. A vampire appeared behind him and seized his neck with his jaws, biting in hard. The man faded as he was drained of his HP.

“What do we do?” Kaida asked. A handful of rebels tried to flee but were cut down from behind.

“We don’t give up,” Liam said. “Lance, is the cannon ready?”

“Still warming up,” the wizard replied. “I think we’re going to have to fight them the old-fashioned way.”

“We can’t take four vampires,” Kaida cried. “We should flee.”

Liam didn’t have time to answer, for two of the vampires had flanked him. He dodged left and right as they slashed at him with their razor sharp claws, narrowly avoiding being hit. He spun around and managed to inflict a cut on the first one, dealing 300 damage, but its health began to regenerate quickly.

Lance whipped out his Orb of Destruction and hit the other vampire that was flanking Liam. The beast shrieked as the magical damage bypassed his defenses, dealing 1,000 damage. Liam followed up with a Swing and Sing, playing the G7 Assault as he whacked the wounded vampire, dealing an addition 600 points of damage.

The vampire behind him slashed at Liam’s back, dealing 50 damage. He staggered from the blow and spun around, raising his axe to block the follow-up attack. The blow bounced off his axe as he turned the blade to the side.

“Cannon’s ready!” Lance shouted. He aimed it at the center of the vampires, but was stopped dead in his tracks as a vampire appeared behind him.

“Lookout!” Kaida warned. Lance dove out of the way and the cannon tilted upwards, still preparing to fire. The gun went off anyway and shot through the ceiling, striking the glowing crystal above them. Green light filled the room and the vampires hissed, trying to shield themselves.

“Fight them in the light!” Liam shouted as he moved into the center of the room. Three vampires surrounded him but they were burning from the green light. The crystal above was cracking now, having taken massive damage from the cannon hit.

The wounded vampire launched himself at Liam, trying to latch onto his throat but the rockstar caught him by the torso and lifted him upwards. He threw the monster over him and spun in time to dodge another attack from behind.

Kaida hit him with her fast runner spell and the speed effects activated instantly. Liam’s dexterity increased and he found himself defending more easily, dodging faster and avoiding a flurry of claws from all around him.

Lance was still being harassed by his pursuer, but he managed to snap off a fire spell that engulfed the monster in flames. The words Double Damage appeared over the vampire’s head as it was repelled by the cone of fire washing out from Lance’s fingers.

“Fire does double damage!” he informed the others.

Liam had plenty of MP now and so he activated his A7 Assault, playing the Fire Song to increase its damage. The first vampire who had been hit by the Orb of Destruction was in the way and the flames licked out from Liam’s guitar, striking the monster twice. It took 1,200 damage and the beast retreated, vanishing from sight.

Agnew tried to flee the area but was caught by the fourth vampire who had abandoned attacking Lance due to the fire attack. The vampire grabbed the man and lifted him high.

“Stop, we had a deal!” Agnew cried.

“Yes, but we’re making some changes to it,” the vampire said, breaking the man’s neck before feasting on his corpse. Agnew quickly faded afterwards.

Luna was still standing but she was losing heart. She had not been expecting to face vampires and she soon turned heel to run. Liam slashed at the two who were still flanking him, though one broke off and began to pursue Luna.

“Luna, look out!” Liam cried. The woman tried to make it to the exterior but was jumped on by the vampire, his fangs catching her in the side of the neck. She struggled in vain and was drained, her body stiffening and then fading.

The entire rebel army was decimated by four mere vampires. Liam slashed at the one still engaging with him, dealing 300 damage and dropping his health down to 2,400.

Three vampires remained, two of them bolstered from devouring their opponents. They gathered around Liam and he fought valiantly, dodging their blows and blocking their fang attacks.

Kaida healed Liam and he moved backwards, trying to keep them from surrounding him. Lance was back on the cannon and aimed it dead center towards the vampires.

“Duck!” he shouted. Liam’s eyes went wide and he heard the hiss of the cannon as it began to fire. He dove to the right and avoided the explosion as it rocked the vampires, dealing 500 damage to each of them.

“You almost killed me!” Liam shouted as he climbed to his feet. The vampires were still standing and they advanced on him. He swung again and hit the weakest, whose health was at 1,900 now. The blow connected and his heavy hit ability activated, stunning the monster.

As the creature was dazed, Liam played the G7 Assault while using his Swing and Sing ability, adding the fire song as well. This caused the creature to take 900 damage. The other vampires flanked Liam and slashed their long claws at him. He yelped in pain as his health dropped down to 75.

“I’m on it!” Lance said, firing his dual wands into the back of the weaker vampire. It lost 650 hit points and Liam struck it again, using his trusty Swing and Sing. The fire song caused the creature to take another 900 and it burst into flames, melting into the ground.

Kaida was quick to heal Liam but it wasn’t enough. The monsters pressed their advantage and kept digging their claws into his flesh for another 50 points of damage.

Liam was in a bad spot but he had an idea. He took out the potion of regeneration and uncorked it, quickly drinking it down as the creatures scattered to avoid Lance’s firespray. The first one managed to get out of the way but the second took 300 damage.

They were no longer regenerating due to the light coming in from above and Liam capitalized on this fact; he leapt over the vampires and cracked one in the head. The monster took 300 points of damage and it shrieked, letting out a burst of sonic energy that caused Liam to stagger backwards.

No sooner had he gotten the dazed status that Kaida cured him. He only experienced a slight interruption. The vampire lunged at him but he raised his axe, catching the creature just in time and lifting it up in the air, its momentum sticking it to the blade. Liam accompanied the movement, slamming his axe—and the monster affixed to it—right into the ground.

Lance yelped as the other vampire tried to advance on him. He scrambled out of the way, throwing a burst of fire behind him. Lance could see that his ally was in trouble and ran from the vampire he was fighting, rushing to get behind the pursuer.

The monster was running quickly but Liam was faster thanks to the speed spell and he overtook the vampire from behind, slashing it wildly and shouting as he let his Swing and Sing ability activate. The monster was struck by twin wands, taking 650 damage before the fire song hit him, dealing another 600. The vampire’s health dropped down to 1,250 and it hissed, turning to face Liam.

Liam pressed his advantage and slashed a third time, hitting the monster and stunning it. The vampire staggered backwards, allowing Liam to connect for yet another direct hit, dealing a total of 900 damage. Lance fired his wands and finished it off.

Kaida cried out as the third vampire charged her. His health was low, down to 1,300 points, but he was determined to feed on her to regain some of his powers. Rather than flee, however, Kaida dropped her staff and drew out the sword Liam had insisted she take. Her dexterity increased instantly and she was able to hit him hard in the chest as he pounced. The blade sank into him and he took 500 damage, as Liam’s music was bolstering her ability to hit.

The vampire staggered from the blow and Liam caught up from behind it, cutting it down before activating his A7 Assault as the finisher. He added the fire song to the blow and the monster immediately fell to the ground, bursting in flames as it ate close to 1,200 damage.

Panting and weary, they looked around for the fourth vampire, but it had fled the scene. Liam let out a sigh and planted his axe into the ground, leaning against it. “See? I told you four vampires was nothing.” And then he lost his balance and crashed into the dirt.

Chapter 42

Encounter Won! 2,000 XP Gained! appeared in Liam’s vision as he surveyed the damage all around them. The Lord’s throne room was empty now, everyone having been killed except for his team. The three companions gathered together.

“I just leveled,” Liam said. “Let’s find the vault and get that key, then get the hell out of here before Agnew and his group returns.”

“Do you think they’ll find their way back?” Kaida asked.

“No idea, but we don’t have time to think about it,” Lance said. “Come on, the vault has to be somewhere.”

They searched the rooms and found a basement that led to a great vault. Lance rolled the cannon up to the vault and aimed the gun at it. “I’m going to miss this thing,” he said as he fired. The explosion took out the door and sure enough, there was a golden key resting on a pedestal within the vault. There was also a pile of shards on the ground, almost five thousand.

Kaida and Lance grabbed the shards as Liam took the key. “Well, we have access to the floor’s boss right now.”

“I leveled from the fight too,” Lance added. “We best increase our stats and then get moving.”

Liam nodded at that and brought his level screen up, glancing at his abilities.

You have Leveled Up!

+25 HP

+3 Skill Points

Select Two Abilities!

Wildfight:

Difficult Track: After you take Damage, you gain 1 Music Point.

Extra Chord: Learn a new Chord Ability.

Electric Hum: Your Chord Attacks can become Electric Based for 1 Extra Music Point.

Double Down: After you take damage, gain +100 Damage for one strike.

Double Bass: You can play 2 Chords at the same time now.

Musical Prodigy: Your Chords cost 2 less Music Points.

Musical Striker: You gain 5 Music Points when you hit.

Heavy Warrior: Gain +50 Hit Points.

Speed Fighter: You hit twice with each attack.

These options were excellent. Heavy Warrior would increase his ability to take damage and Speed Fighter improved his overall damage output. He’d be able to deal and take plenty of punishment with these two abilities. The rest were fine but Liam’s heart was dead set on the last two options. He selected them and turned his attention down to the chords section.

Select 1 Chord Ability:

A Defense

Description: This powerful chord creates a shield around you, absorbing up to 10 points of damage before breaking. Shield lasts as long as combat.

Cost: 3 Music Points

G Strike

Description: The G Strike deals damage to all enemies within 10 feet of you.

Damage: 150

Cost: 1 Music Point

Major Shift

Description: This tonal shift allows for you to increase the strength of your next Chord. Activating it causes the next Chord you use to deal an additional +200 Damage.

Cost: 1 Music Point

Minor Lift

Description: When you play this Chord, you gain the ability to leap up 10 feet.

Cost: 2 Music Points

B7 Burst

Description: This audio assault sends out a 20 foot wave of music all around you, dealing 300 damage to all Targets.

Cost: 5 Music Points

E Minor Assault

Description: Slows a target down with intense audiosonic frequencies. A slowed target can only attack once per thirty seconds.

Cost: 5 Music Points

F Explosion

Description: Creates a powerful explosion around you, dealing 1,000 damage to all enemies within 30 feet.

Cost: 15 Music Points

Liam noticed that there weren’t too many new options for his chords but F Explosion packed a punch to say the least. It was a costly ability but he didn’t care. The ability to deal a thousand damage was worth the 15 MP. He selected it and then turned his attention down to the skills section.

Skills:

Axefighting

Defending

Searching

Trap Disarming

Charging

Scroll Use

Countering

Light Armor

Medium Armor

Heavy Armor

Trapping

He decided to go all in on his Axefighting ability. It was already rank 3 but with three more points, he’d be able to use his weapon of choice like a true extension of himself.

When he confirmed his choice, he was greeted with a surprise…

You are now Level 7! You gain +2 to one of your stats!

Select a stat to increase:

Strength: 3

Dexterity: 6

Intelligence: 1

Constitution: 1

Magic: 1

Liam thought of the doors that he had trouble opening. If he had +2 to his Strength, he might be able to get them open. Perhaps those doors led to the boss room, so he decided to make the gamble.

Strength is +5, your damage has increased by 25 points!

Liam grinned at the sight. His character sheet updated and he was now strong enough to take on a whole horde of vampires if he needed to.

Name: Liam Drifter

XP: 800/6,000

Level: 7

Class: Wildfighter

Stats:

Strength: 5

Dexterity: 6

Intelligence: 1

Constitution: 1

Magic: 1

Hit Points: 250

Music Points: 0

Armor Points: 30

Skills:

Axefighting: 6

Defending: 4

Searching: 1

Trap Disarming: 5

Heavy Armor: 5

Abilities:

Musical Mayhem

G7 Assault

Description: A wave of musical energy washes over a foe, dealing major damage.

Damage: 300

Cost: 2 Music Points

Em Break

Description: This chord will shred the enemies’ defensive abilities, disrupting any shields and causing Armor Points to fade.

Cost: 5 Music Points

E7 Burst

Description: Release a wave of audio cacophony that stuns a target for 30 seconds.

Cost: 5 Music Points

C Sharp

Description: This powerful attack deals significant damage to targets who have been hit by a Chord attack already.

Damage: +500 if Target has been hit by a Chord Attack.

Cost: 10 Music Points

F Maneuver

Description: Grants all allies +4 Dexterity for as long as you play.

Cost: 2 Music Points

A7 Stab

Description: Playing this causes your guitar to deal +200 damage for two hits.

Cost: 1 Music Point

E Major Shield

Description: Creates a much stronger shield around you or a party member, granting them 30 points of Armor. Lasts for as long as you play.

Cost: 2 Music Points

A7 Assault

Description: A powerful burst of magic that hits a target twice, dealing 600 damage total.

Cost: 10 Music Points

F Explosion

Description: Creates a powerful explosion around you, dealing 1,000 damage to all enemies within 30 feet.

Cost: 15 Music Points

Wildfight

Record Scratch: Gain +2 Music Points per Hit.

Long Solo: When fighting alone, gain 10 Armor Points.

Amplitude: You may spend 5 Music Points to double your damage.

Fire Song: Your Chord Attacks can become Fire Based for 1 Extra Music Point.

Extra Chord: You gain 1 Extra Chord Attack.

Encore: You may activate any Chord Attack for only 1 Music Point after playing a Chord.

Swing and Sing: You may activate a Chord for 2 Extra Music Points while Attacking.

Hearty Hero: You gain +25 HP.

Inspiring Leader: Party Members gain +100 Damage to their attacks for as long as you play.

Catchy Tune: Your allies benefit from your music after you stop playing for 1 minute.

Heavy Hit: Every third hit on a target causes them to become stunned.

Easy Listening: Your allies gain +20 Armor Points when you play a Chord.

Heavy Warrior: Gain +50 Hit Points.

Speed Fighter: You hit twice with each attack.

Equipment:

Axe of Rending

Damage: 350

Range: Melee

Notes of Inspiration

Amulet of Shredding

Grants +100 Damage when using a Chord Attack.      

Ring of Dexterity

+2 Dexterity when worn

Helm of Glory

Requirements: Heavy Armor Rank 1

Description: This helmet is capable of granting strength to the wielder.

Bonus: +2 Strength when worn.

Farspeech Rod

Description: This rod allows you to communicate to distant allies as if they were close to you.

Once he finished leveling up, Liam looked at Lance. “You pick anything good this level?”

“Sure did! I took Firebeam and Double Spell. This allows me to hit any target with a beam of fire, dealing 800 damage and I can cast spells twice for only 1 extra magic point,” he proudly said.

“I leveled up too,” Kaida said. “Now I can shield you with a layer of magic that adds +20 armor.”

“Well, alright!” Liam cheered. “It looks like we’re an unstoppable trio. Now come on, let’s get out of here before Agnew tries to come back.”

The three headed out into the main throne room and hurried to the exit. As they walked out, a crowd of civilians had gathered around the destroyed gate.

“What happened?” one of the citizens asked. “Where’s Lord Agnew?”

“He’s busy with other things right now,” Liam said. “But I wouldn’t let him back into his reign of power. The man had made a deal with vampires, allowing them to feast on you in exchange for safety. Not to mention that he was hoarding the key to the boss. He claimed there was no fourth level but that’s a lie.”

Liam produced the key and raised it high for everyone to see. “This place is a waste of your time. You’d all be better off climbing.”

The civilians all booed at that. They didn’t take any offensive actions, however, and eased off as Liam and his team pushed through the crowd. The people were calling out for Agnew but the man was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps the vampires had waited for him at the fountain to take him away. That would be a fitting end to a man who claimed to be Lord but had nothing but spite in his heart.

Chapter 43

Liam, Kaida and Lance made it through the maze of mirrors and back to the door room that they had been unable to pass before. The maze wasn’t too hard to navigate since Lance’s memory was good enough to remember how to get through it. They had been ambushed by a few mirror goblins, but the creatures were easy for Liam to kill thanks to his Speed Fighter ability. He was now hitting for 700 damage per strike, a far cry from how he had started.

Liam’s hunch proved true and he managed to lift each door with ease, his additional strength coming in handy. They made it through the passageway, each door heavier than the last but still no contest for Liam’s augmented strength. This passage led to a room that saw Clanker standing in the center, scratching his armored head.

“Clanker!” Liam said. “Good to see you around.”

“This is a dead end,” the man replied. “I can’t make heads or tails of this place. But there’s nothing in this room.”

Cluckington walked over to one of the walls and started bawking loudly. “Sounds like there’s a secret passage,” Lance said.

“You have any interest in joining us?” Liam asked.

The man shook his head. “No way. I heard there was a ruckus at the Greenstone Village and while I appreciate the offer, you’re going to have a target on your back. There were groups of people walking around, trying to find their way back to the village and they were pissed. Said they’d kill you the moment they could.”

“Well, we didn’t see anyone, so I’m guessing they weren’t strong enough to get through the rooms to find their way back,” Liam said. “But if you go through the mirror maze, you’ll find the fountain for this floor.”

“The fountain? Oh that blasted maze,” Clanker said, shaking his head. “Thanks for the tip. I think I’ll head over there now.”

“Just feel with your hands against the walls,” Lance instructed. “Don’t try to navigate with your eyes.”

“And watch out for mirror goblins,” Kaida said. “They jump in and out of the mirrors, so they’re hard to face.”

The warrior thanked them and went on his way.

Liam walked up to the secret door and felt around the wall. He found a panel that opened up, revealing a lever. With a pull of the lever, the door slid open, giving way to a room with several braziers gathered around in a circle. Green fire was emanating from each brazier and they were made of cool steel.

The three entered the room and noticed that there was another door to the right, at the top of some stairs. It was sealed shut, however.

“Maybe this is some kind of puzzle,” Kaida said, inspecting the braziers. She noticed that they could be moved and pushed one. It slid in a groove and made it to the other end, causing the rest of the braziers to all rotate as well. One of the flames went out and the others grew hotter.

Kaida walked up to the one without the flames and pushed it. It rotated away and moved to the opposite end, returning to fire but the third brazier went out.

“Seems like we need to get all of the flames to go out,” Lance said. “It’s a pattern of some kind.”

“Just trial and error,” Kaida said.

She worked for a while, moving each brazier until the flames slowly died, one by one. By the sixth, she had managed to get them to all go out.

There was a flash of light and the door up the stairs slid open.

“Nice work!” Liam said. He and his party went up the stairs and into the next room. This was a large area with black marble flooring and long pillars all around them. An old man was laying on the ground, snoring loudly.

“Is it a monster?” Kaida asked, backing up a little.

“Looks to be just an old timer taking a nap,” Liam said. “Hey, wake up!”

The man woke up with a start and hopped to his feet. “Who’s there?” he demanded. “How did you get in my antechamber?”

“We solved the puzzle,” Liam said. “But we’re not here to cause you any trouble. Just looking for the boss room.”

“Oh, there’s a boss in here alright,” the old man said. He drew out a long scepter. “But you shan’t get to the top when I’m around.”

The scepter looked familiar. Liam looked at it for a second and realized that this was the same one he had seen in all of those lore stones. “Are you the Keeper?” Liam asked.

“Hah! Seems like someone has been paying attention after all,” the Keeper said. “Indeed I am! The one who created the Spire. The one who made everything around you possible.”

“Why would you make a place so cruel?”” Kaida asked.

The Keeper grinned. “The people who gathered here were wayward souls, people whose lives were cut short. Instead of going anywhere decent, they were brought to this formless land. It was a good idea at first, build a great tower to allow us to congregate…but then I found the Landis Scepter. It promised me all manner of things, but in the end, I was fooled. Fooled and trapped in this place as well. There is no way out, not unless you’re willing to pay the ultimate price.”

“What do you mean?” Liam asked.

The old man chuckled. “For one soul to escape, another must stay. I tried to gather the souls of the many damned people here into a great crystal atop the Spire, but there was no way to get them to agree to stay behind. Many became twisted monsters, trapped in their own rage and hatred. There was no way to keep them bound for long and soon this place took on a life of its own. Now the only way out is to fight one of the Grand Bosses…and then? Then you find yourself with a problem. All souls here wish to leave, but the Grand Boss Room requires that one person stays behind…permanently.”

“And you couldn’t get anyone to agree to stay on your behalf?” Lance asked.

“Indeed! Most souls are cloying to escape as soon as they get here. The dullards form villages in the hopes that someday their rescue will come. But unless you’re willing to sacrifice yourself, you can’t possibly help the rest leave,” the Keeper explained.

“So you’re saying we’re trapped here,” Kaida said, her head hanging low.

“Absolutely! If you three are seeking a way to escape, then consider those hopes dashed,” the Keeper hooted. “But there is always the climb. You can continue your way up higher and higher, finding more secrets and treasure. It’s possible there is some way out of this but I doubt it. The Spire was created to give people meaning and instead because of the Landis Scepter, it’s just made everything more of a nightmare. I know that I couldn’t resist its power. I tried but over time I grew more cruel, more fiendish. Now I’m alone, away from everyone else.”

Liam felt a resolution within him. If there was a way out for Kaida then he would stay behind. This life wasn’t so bad and he was enjoying the adventure. Besides, who was to say there wasn’t a way out at the top?

Did he really want to leave? Life back with the band had been fine but the Spire was a special place, full of adventure. With death only being temporary, he wasn’t especially stressed being in here. It wasn’t like this was some kind of punishment to him. Fighting and exploring was exhilarating, as was the opportunities provided by meeting others. If he was to be entirely honest with himself, he quite liked life in the Spire; he had never felt more alive, even playing before an audience of thousands of rabid fans.

“You said there was a boss nearby,” Liam asked. “Where?”

The old man pointed to the wall and aimed his scepter. “There is a Grand Boss within these walls. They aren’t like regular bosses, they’re much stronger but defeating one gives you the opportunity to let one of your party members leave, provided you are willing to stay here.”

“Sounds like we need to fight that boss then,” Liam said with a smile. He looked at his allies and saw that Kaida was almost completely broken from the news. Lance didn’t seem particularly affected by this information. The man was chatty and cheerful most of the time, rarely complaining. He seemed more interested in the mystery of the Spire than anything else. A kindred soul.

“Are you sure we can take it?” Lance asked.

“We have to try,” Liam said. “Is the passage to level 4 through the Grand Boss room?”

“Oh yes,” the old man said, nestling back down on the ground. “The passage will open when you approach with the key. But I sense you already have that, so go for it. Enjoy your stay in the Spire. I for one regret everything I made.”

Chapter 44

Together, the three companions approached the wall that the old man had pointed at. The Keeper wasn’t so impressive after all. It turned out he was just as trapped as everyone else, falling prey to a magical scepter that had driven him to give in to his worst impulses. Liam was disappointed that he wasn’t the one who could help them escape, but then again if he could have, he probably would have.

In front of the wall, Liam took out the key. A small keyhole formed in the stone, sensing the existence of the corresponding key. “Alright folks, last stop until level 4,” Liam said. “Any business to attend to?”

“Yes, I was thinking I’d crown myself as lord of Greenstone,” Lance dryly replied. “Of course we’re ready to go.”

“Hey I’m just checking,” Liam said. He inserted the key and twisted. The door slid open, revealing a great wall of fog before them. It was a swirling portal, leading to another realm. Liam took a deep breath and passed through, feeling the world shimmer around him.

He was transferred to a great regal room with massive steps that led all the way up to a door that was sealed shut. Great marble pillars were everywhere, reflecting the images of the trio, their bodies extended upwards through the reflections.

There was an ominous energy to the room and Liam drew his axe, waiting to see what would happen. A thumping greeted them at the top of the massive stairs. They looked up to see an enormous man wearing heavy armor and a closed steel helm upon his head. He had in his hands a long chain and attached to it was a massive ball, the chain wrapped around it.

The monster was banging the steel ball onto the ground, whipping the chain upwards and sending shockwaves through the ground.

Grand Warrior

HP: 8,000

“There he is!” Kaida said, pointing at the huge monster. “The Grand Boss!”

There was a shimmering sound overhead and a skinny monster emerged from the rafters. He was wearing long blue robes and was a dark figure, his face completely blackened with only a pair of yellow glowing eyes looking out at them. He swooped over them and moved over beside his companion, floating behind him.

Grand Magician

HP: 4,000

“Great, there are two of them!” Lance said. “No matter, we should be able to take them.”

Liam looked at both targets. They weren’t moving just yet, just waiting for them to take an action. “Lance, try and take out the magician, I’ll focus on the big guy!” Liam said. “Kaida, hit me with your buffs!”

Kaida quickly cast a series of spells, granting Liam the blessings of fortitude and the fast runner spell. This buffed his HP to 300, though the hit points were temporary and increased his Dex to 10. He quickly rushed up the stairs, running towards the big monster that was waiting for him.

The Grand Warrior immediately began to swing his flail overhead, the large ball whipping through the air as it spun over him. It moved with great velocity but Liam was prepared. As he made his way up, the attack came smashing towards him and he side-stepped to the right. The large ball hit the ground, shaking the earth and shattering one of the steps, but Liam was unscathed.

He rushed up to the big monster and slashed with his axe, his speed fighter abilities activating instantly. He hit twice in a single blow, cutting left and then right with blinding speed. The warrior took 700 points of damage.

The magician above them fired a bolt of ice towards Liam and he was struck in the side, his health dropping down to 275 as the shards dug into his flank. Lance was quick to reply, firing his wands at the floating monster, but the creature dodged easily, floating in the air left and right, avoiding the hits.

“Damn it, he won’t stand still!” Lance growled. He took out his Orb of Destruction and aimed it at the big guy. “Better take the large one out first.”

Before Lance could shoot, the magician sent a wave of electricity towards him. Lance was struck hard and his health dropped down to 10 as he fell backwards, jerking and spasming from the blast.

Kaida was quick to cast her defense spell on Lance, sending a wave of armor around him. He got back up and shook the damage off.

Liam went to slash again but missed as the great warrior leapt backwards, jumping an impressive distance considering his size. He slammed onto the ground and yanked his chain backwards, swinging it overhead once more.

Liam rushed the big monster but was intercepted by the ball and chain. It slammed down in front of him, narrowly missing him as he skidded to a halt. Not daunted in the least, Liam leapt atop the ball and ran up the chain, his dexterity allowing him to get to his target on that tight rope. With a shout, he slashed twice more, hitting the monster and dealing another 700 damage. This dropped the beast down to 6,600 Hit Points and it roared in anger.

The grand magician fired a bolt at Liam but he had seen it coming out of the corner of his eye. He leapt off the chain and did a flip over the grand warrior, escaping the blast of ice and landing behind his target. The monster swung around and the chain wrapped around Liam as he spun, throwing the rockstar a few feet away.

Liam hit the ground and rolled onto his feet. “Change of plans. We’ve got to take out the mage first!” Liam shouted to his allies. He could see that Lance was trying to snap off a spell. He raised his hands and generated a beam of fire that crashed out towards the enemy mage.

The grand magician moved to the side and raised its hands, creating a thin blue shield around it. The firebeam struck the shield and tried to penetrate but couldn’t get through. “Damn it!” Lance swore. “I can’t break through its defenses.”

“Then I’ll do it,” Liam said, racing to one of the pillars. He gained enough momentum to run up the pillar itself and sprang from it, swinging his axe straight towards the floating mage. It tried to move out of the way but was surprised from this sudden attack. Liam’s axe connected with the monster and dealt 700 damage as it hit twice.

As Liam landed, there came a whooshing sound behind him and he realized too late that it was the flail. He tried to dodge but his legs had just absorbed the shock from the fall and couldn’t react fast enough. The ball came crashing into his back, slamming him into the wall. Liam took 50 damage, his health dropping to 225. He was still doing fine healthwise, but as he staggered, a bolt of magic struck him, dealing 20 more points of damage.

“Come on!” Liam shouted and he jumped to his feet. Kaida scrambled up the steps to get within range. She raised her hands and created a magical shield around Liam, his body becoming sturdier and a thin purple film of magic wrapping around it. +20 Armor appeared in his vision. That would reduce the damage significantly.

Liam was up just in time to escape another blow from the ball and chain. It came hurtling towards him, but he dove to the side and the ball whizzed over his head. He rolled onto the ground and got back on his feet just as the ball slammed into the wall. There was a deafening crash and the entire building began to shake.

The rockstar ran towards the big man but was intercepted by another spell coming from above. The grand magician threw down a wall of fire that forced Liam to abort his charge. He tried to find another angle of attack but was soon surrounded on all sides by the fire.

“I’ve got it!” Kaida said, raising her staff high. A beam of dispelling energy washed out and the flames flickered before fading, leaving the grand warrior wide open.

Liam didn’t hesitate. He rushed as fast as he could towards his target that was pulling his chain back in. The warrior tried to get out of the way but Liam drew in close and slashed twice, hitting for another 700 points.

A blast of lightning arced over Liam’s head, narrowly missing him and striking the ground. He ignored the attack and pressed his offense, only to be fended by the big man leaping backwards. He slammed the ground as he landed and the Grand Warrior turned his massive helmet towards Kaida.

Swinging the ball overhead, the warrior sprinted towards her and she screamed, falling back down the stairs as quickly as her feet would allow. Liam played the F Maneuver to increase her speed and boost his allies in both strength and armor.

The ball came crashing down just as Kaida leapt out of danger. She scrambled out of the way and towards Lance. The mage was sweating profusely, trying to cast spell after spell at the grand magician but he couldn’t land a single hit.

“Lance, aim for the big guy and let me deal with the mage!” Liam ordered, falling back and turning to face the spellcaster. The slender figure floated above and was preparing some nasty spell to attack Lance.

Liam flipped his axe down and began to play. He activated the G7 Assault, sending a burst of magic towards his opponent. The magician dove down to avoid the attack. This left him open and Liam sprinted towards the creature, slashing his axe wildly, hitting the monster again for another 700 damage. This brought the mage down to 2,600 hit points.

Lance fired his twin wands at the big guy, hitting him square in the torso, dealing 650 points of damage. The warrior roared at this and leapt through the air, slamming the ground right in front of the wizard.

“Crap!” Lance shouted when the warrior swung his ball and chain overhead, bringing it down hard into the ground behind him. The extra armor didn’t do much for the wizard and he took massive damage, his health dropping down to 1 HP.

“Look out!” Liam shouted as the mage enemy floated back up and aimed a magical spear at Lance. Liam played his E Shield, sending a wave of purple energy to wrap around his ally just before the spear hit. The wizard continued running, being pursued by the large monster.

Liam decided to take a risk. He looked up at the floating magician and calculated the distance. He was twenty feet above him, enough range for Liam’s newest ability: F Explosion.

The rockstar shredded on the guitar, picking fast and feeling the magic swell within him. At the peak of the scale run, there was an explosion around him and he lost 15 MP—all the points he had gained from fighting thus far.

The blast washed over the magician and he took a thousand points of damage, the attack hitting him in a way that he couldn’t possibly duck or avoid. His health dropped down to 1,600 and he dipped downwards, zipping towards Liam.

Liam took off to avoid the hellstorm of ice bolts that came his way. The grand magician was focusing on him while Lance was still running around, distracting the grand warrior for a time. Most ice bolts struck all around Liam but one hit him in the calf, dealing 10 damage.

Kaida was quick to heal Liam, restoring him 50 points of health, bringing him back up to 265 HP.

“A little help here!” Lance shouted as he fled the great monster. The grand warrior was swinging his chain above his head once more and threw it towards the wizard, missing him and striking one of the pillars. The entire building shook as the pillar fell apart.

“Don’t steer him near the pillars, he’ll bring this whole place down!” Kaida cried. She cast a healing spell on Lance, restoring his health to 50. The man ran up towards Liam, luring the monster to follow him.

Liam charged down the steps, leaping off the top of one and sailing through the air. The monster didn’t have a chance to react and was caught by Liam’s axe. He chopped down twice as he landed in front of the beast, hitting the creature’s armored stomach.

The mage above threw down a bolt of lightning that struck Liam, dealing 30 damage. Liam felt his limbs burn and stiffen but he resisted the urge to let go of his axe. Instead he swung again, punishing the monster in front of him.

The grand warrior leapt to avoid the blow and landed on the stairs, in between Lance and Liam. He turned to face the wizard but exposed his back in the process. Liam rushed him from behind and whacked him in the lats, striking two more times. The big guy growled; the fight was almost over.

The grand magician swooped down to get a better angle on Liam and the rockstar quickly ran up one of the pillars, like he had done before, and leapt onto the shoulders of the grand warrior. The warrior brought a fist up to strike at Liam but he sprang off the shoulders, sailing through the air towards the mage.

The magician tried to bob downwards but couldn’t correct his trajectory quickly enough. Liam activated his Swing and Sing ability in midair, the axe glowing red hot as he swung twice, hitting the monster for 1,000 points of damage, as he played his G7 Assault.

“Lance, use the orb!” Liam said.

Lance, who was now at the top of the stairs, grabbed his orb and aimed it straight at the exposed back of the floating magician. He fired and the bolt struck true, breaking through the magical defenses of the enemy. The creature took massive damage and sailed to the ground, hitting the floor hard. He faded away slowly, melting into the ground. That was one down!

The grand warrior let out a violent roar at the loss of his ally and the words Rage appeared above his head. Red steam rose from his head and he began to spin in a circle, the ball going taut at the end of the chain.

Lance tried to dodge but the man moved swiftly, sliding up the stairs as he spun. The ball struck the wizard in the chest and he crashed into the wall.

“Damn you…” he wheezed as he faded, killed from the follow-up strike to his lower abdomen.

“Lance!” Liam shouted. He felt a hot flash of anger rise up within him. The rage of the beast was matched by his own anger and he dropped his guitar down to play a G7 Assault. The beam of musical mayhem crashed out of his axe and struck the monster in the rear, dealing 300 damage. It wasn’t a lot but the warrior ceased his spinning and turned to face Liam.

With a defiant roar, the giant leapt across the room, his big body sailing right towards Liam. Liam dodged at the last moment, jumping back to avoid the attack. The grand warrior hit the ground, smashing the steps in the process.

Liam didn’t balk and rushed into the fight, striking over and over again. His axe was a blur and he hit twice, dealing 700 more damage. This dropped the monster down to 3,550 HP and it let out a hiss of rage.

The fight was just between Liam and the Grand Warrior now. The big guy pulled his chain back and slammed it at the rockstar, but Liam was able to duck underneath and counter with a blow of his own. His double attack was coming in really handy here and he dealt another 700 damage, dropping the grand boss’ health closer to the end.

The raging warrior leapt high in the air and Liam rushed forward to avoid the hit. The grand fighter landed on the ground behind him, his back exposed. Liam activated his Swing and Sing, this time playing his C Sharp since he had already hit the monster with G7.

The attack struck for a massive 1,200 points of damage. This dropped the monster’s health down to a pittance from what it had originally been. Undeterred, the warrior lifted his ball and swung it again.

Liam couldn’t jump or roll out of the way as the projectile came from a weird angle and he was hit hard, his body thrown back into one of the pillars. He felt a few things crack as he ate 30 damage from the vicious blow. His health was immediately replenished by Kaida, who was still in the background, casting her spells.

Liam jumped to his feet and decided to end it with a real bang. He rushed forward and slashed again, for another 700 damage. From there, Liam activated his F Explosion, playing a hard shred on his guitar. The magical mayhem welled up within him and exploded outwards, covering the grand warrior in a massive eruption of magical energy.

The great warrior staggered backwards and dropped his chain. He clutched at his chest and fell onto the ground, fading slowly.

“We did it!” Liam said, looking down at Kaida.

“You did it, Liam,” she replied. “We lost Lance again.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Liam said.

Grand Boss Defeated! 3,000 XP Gained! appeared in Liam’s vision. There was no treasure chest that appeared and no shards. Instead, there was a single glowing stone, purple and bright, that rose up at the top of the stairs.

Epilogue

Liam had tried to contact Lance and reason with him, but the man was irate. He had ranted for a time about how Liam’s leadership had led to his repeated deaths. He was in a bad mood and refused to rejoin the party, instead stating that he’d make his own way. Maybe in a day or two he’d change his mind but losing his life at the boss fight had done a real blow to his ego.

After the heated discussion with the wizard, Liam and Kaida ventured forth up the stairs to investigate the purple crystal. It glowed with magical energies, and as they approached it spoke.

“You have defeated the Grand Boss and have gained access to Level 4. But those who yearn to return to their lives have an opportunity here. If one of you chooses to stay, the other may go. But be warned for staying is permanent. As long as the Spire still stands, your soul will be bound here.”

“Well,” Kaida said, “I guess we’re going to have to go to Level 4 without our wizard.”

“Actually,” Liam replied, putting a gentle hand on the woman’s back. “I’ve been thinking about this moment and I’ve made a decision. You are helpful as a healer but you aren’t cut out for this world.”

“You can say that again,” she agreed.

“I don’t mind being in the Spire. There are so many things to explore and well…I’m going to send you home,” Liam said.

The woman looked shocked at this. “What? Liam you can’t be serious!”

“I am,” he replied. “You are a rose amongst thorns, my friend. But you have had one goal since I met you: to go home. And as much as I value you as a teammate, you don’t really do much during a fight other than heal and buff. I’m getting high enough level to venture on my own for a while. I’m sure I’ll find other party members to serve with me…I don’t want you to stay here.”

Kaida didn’t know what to say; she burst into tears and sobbed, hugging Liam tightly. “Oh Liam, I can’t believe you’re doing this. You know it’s permanent, right?”

“The voice said that as long as the Spire stands I’ll be stuck here,” Liam replied. “But I have my own plans for the Spire. I’m going to get to the top someday and I’ll destroy it. There is a great gem at the summit and I’ll see it destroyed. Everyone else around here seems to think that rescue is going to come, so maybe I can free them from this place. And then who knows what will happen?”

Kaida looked at the stone and then back at Liam. “I don’t know if I can accept this offer…I’d feel terrible about it for the rest of my life.”

“Well, you can always stay and serve with me,” Liam said. “You are a useful member of the team. But…let’s face it, you’ve been wanting to get out of here ever since you first arrived. The upper levels might be harder than you realize. I don’t think you’re cut out for the climber life.”

“You inspired me so much,” Kaida said, staring into the void. “The way you handled every problem without relent. The way you were full of vim and vigor no matter the situation. There were so many times that I thought we’d never escape but you fought on without fear. Liam…you’re my hero.”

“Bah, I’m no one’s hero,” Liam replied. “Save for maybe tens of thousands of fans. But that’s in the past, I lived my life to the fullest. You, on the other hand, seem to have so many regrets. And besides, you were a doctor, right? There are plenty of lives that you can still save. So many people you can help.”

“Are you sure about this?” Kaida asked, facing the crystal.

“I’ve never been more sure,” Liam replied. “Now, are you going to go? Or will you stay here? The choice is yours, my friend.”

Kaida took a deep breath, summoning all of her strength. “I think… Liam, if you want to destroy the Spire and set everyone free…then I’m going to stay. Yes, stay and slay.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Level 4, here we come!”