ARCANE ARTIFICER 4

Book 4 in the ‘Dren’s Den’ Series

A Crafting LitRPG Fantasy

by Andrew Karevik

Arcane Artificer (Book 4)

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

Dren had been dreaming of the dungeon again. A long curled tongue was licking the side of his head, threatening to consume him and his life essence. But when he awoke he found the sensation was his new wife, Salla, kissing him gently to wake him up.

“Good morning, my king,” she purred, rubbing her hand against his chest.

“I had that dream again,” he muttered, rolling over to kiss his bride for a moment before sitting up. “The West End Dungeon…I think…I don’t know, I think the Dungeon knows that we’re planning to destroy it.”

“You haven’t stepped foot in there for quite some time,” Salla replied, crossing her arms. “Why would it know anything?”

“Because we’re preparing for an expedition to destroy it once and for all. Perhaps with its magic, it can sense me,” Dren wondered aloud.

“I wish you didn’t have to go there,” Salla said. “I wish you could just stay here in the Den and do nothing all day. Well,” she smiled mischievously. “Not nothing.”

Two months had passed since Dren had returned victorious from his stint in Drift City. Upon returning, he had decided that he would do two things. The first and most important was to marry Salla. The woman was the pride of his life and being away from her for so long had left him feeling empty and incomplete. She had accepted the proposal instantly and within the week they had been married in a modest ceremony in Arthursberg, where few townsfolk bothered to attend.

The second task that he set his mind to was fulfilling his promise to Princess Alara Dagon in seeing the dungeon core located within the West End Mine destroyed. They had made attempts before, sending adventurers in, and Dren had worked to manage teams but ultimately they had all failed. The furthest any adventuring party had ever made it was to level three. After that, contact was almost always lost.

Dren was not in the habit of sending people to their doom and had abandoned the project after losing the fourth team. But a promise was still a promise and Alara Dagon had been pestering him for years to begin a true expedition to the dungeon. Why now? Well, if he was going to settle down and start a family, he wanted to make sure that the dungeon was gone for good.

A dungeon core was a powerful artifact that created rooms and floors in a dungeon, generating treasure and secrets in order to lure adventurers inside. It would also create monsters and traps, to kill the adventurers and feed off of their power. According to Alara, this dungeon core in particular was created by a mad mage who wanted to protect her kingdom a thousand years ago. The dungeon was meant to serve as a defense but grew sentient quickly and decided to consume everyone.

A great mountain range rose up, covering the kingdom, and the people within were slaughtered. Corridors and tunnels connected to buildings, including the castle, trapping the people in a maze without an exit. Alara was captured and suspended in a timeless state until Dren had found and rescued her almost three years ago. Her sole desire was to see the destruction of the core that had taken everything from her. And the Artificer had promised he would do just that.

Of course, he had been much lower level back then. Now, he was sitting at Level 11 with not only artifice at his command but also a blend of magic and artifice known as thaumaturgy. He was stronger than ever and figured that now was the time to begin his foray into a living dungeon.

There were many secrets of the kingdom of Thrabis. The people were known to be skilled workers and magicians, and Alara was familiar with artifice to a point that made him wonder if he would find any books or resources related to his class down there. The furthest he had ever made it into the West End Dungeon was level three and that was for a brief time.

While he had been away in Drift City, there had been an incident in the mines. A blubbering horror had emerged from a hole in the wall, killing several miners. There were always accidents in the mines, that was for certain, but ever since then, more and more monsters were spotted. Missing persons quests were posted by the dozens and the town was beginning to slow down its massive export of copper to other cities.

The corporations all had different answers to this. Some hired adventurers to stand guard in the mines while the workers did their job, but in those instances monsters did not show. Other corporations tried opening up new mines with drilling machines that Dren himself had provided back when he was working with Arthur Twisp. But those mines had a terrible habit of collapsing suddenly.

The mining population of Arthursberg was slowly withering away and new workers were being brought in from other cities, other towns. Many of these folks were unfamiliar with the Arthursberg way and were as unaccepted as Dren was. They lived on the outskirts of town, in tents and shanties that were constructed by the uncaring corporations that just wanted the work to continue. But even then, the new folk would go missing from time to time.

“Salla, I made a promise to the princess. And you know things in town are getting worse,” Dren said. “I can’t help but feel that…that maybe the dungeon is going to try something big if it isn’t curtailed.”

“I understand,” Salla said, rubbing his forearm. “Far be it from me to stop the great Metal Man from his adventuring. But I wish I could come too.”

“Out of the question,” Dren replied with a shake of the head. “You don’t have the levels for it and besides, you’re a bard. You don’t belong in a dungeon.”

“I said I wish I could come,” she chuckled. “I don’t think I’d actually want to go. Dungeons are far too scary and restrictive.”

Dren kissed her one more time before he got out of bed. “We’re heading out today.”

“Good luck,” Salla said. “Make sure you take notes so I can novelize what you encounter. Dungeon books sell for quite a penny in the cities.”

Dren left their bedroom and entered into his workshop to suit up for the operation ahead. All of his gear was sitting on the table, waiting for him. He picked up the Autogauntlet first and slipped it on, feeling the mental connection to the device. The hand flexed a few times and he grinned. He never got tired of that feeling of being able to control his individual fingers with precision and skill.

As he dressed in his armor, he slipped on his goggles and opened up the character sheet to review his spells for the day.

Name: Dren

Class: Artificer

Specialization: Cog Commander

Mastery: Thaumaturge

Level: 11

XP: 3,000/11,000

Stats:

HP: 17

MP: 26

Speed: 3

Defense: 7

Poison: +5

Skills:

Artifice: A

Identify: A

Search: A

Appraise: C

Command: A

Control: B

Trapfinding: A

Mechanics: B

Herbalism: C

Researching: B

Butchery: D

Architecture: C

Meditation: C

Counterspell: B

Aura Sense: B

Abilities:

Reduce to Elements: With a mere touch, you are able to Reduce any Inert Object to its elements. This takes 1 minute per Element received. The object is dissolved and you gain a collection of Elements based on the quality and purity of the object. These Elements become cubes that have weight.

Combine Elements: When you have access to Elements in Pure or Cube Form, you can combine them to produce an Effect. These Effects must be discovered and are automatically recorded by the System for later replication.

Craft Designs: If you have a Schematic and the appropriate Crafting Material, you are able to craft with Artifice.

Spellcaster: You gain access to a Spell List that you can draw from in order to cast spells. Each day you may choose 4 Spells to cast at Will.

Mana Charge: You gain +10 Mana.

Improved Caster: You may Study 2 additional spells each day.

Feats:

Break It Down: Destroying a Magical Item grants its Schematic.

Build Faster: Adds +20% Progress each time you Work on a Design.

Hard Stomach: You gain +5 Defense against Poisons.

Upgrades!: Select one Schematic and unlock 3 Upgrades.

Rebuilder: You can repair broken inventions after 3 days of work.

Extra Schematic: You gain one additional Schematic this level.

Cheaper Builds: Reduce the copper cost by 10 to a minimum of 1.

Linked I: You can Command up to 2 Cogbots with a single Command Point.

Cog Upgrades: You can now upgrade existing Cogbots.

Metallurgist: You may use your Artifice Skill for any metalwork.

Superior Cog Upgrades: You can now Upgrade your Cogbots in batches of up to 6, paying the base cost for only one.

Compassionate Commander: Your Companions gain +5 HP as long as they are in the field with you.

Defensive Position: All Companions gain +4 Defense and +2 Speed.

Room and Board: Staff do not require Upkeep or Pay.

Energy Reserve: Gain 10 Additional Mana Points.

Power Shield: You may spend 5 Mana to create a Power Shield that blocks 15 Damage total before breaking. Lasts until expended and stacks with other shield spells.

Enhance Gear: You may spend 1 Mana to grant a +2 Speed, HP or Defense bonus to an item you have equipped. Lasts one week.

Fire Resistance: You gain 20 Points of Armor against Fire.

Shard Upgrade: Infuse a Shard to an Invention, granting it different upgrade bonuses.

Schematics

Cogbotics:

Level 1:

Skitterbot

Level 2:

Shieldbot

Cannon Friend

Level 3:

Floating Crossbow

Crewbot

Automatons:

Level 1:

Autogauntlet

Upgrades:

Strength

Combat Efficiency

Skill Increase

Element Extractor

Level 2:

Mechanical Turk

Steam Wagon

Level 3:

Crafting Machine

Combat:

Level 1:

Junk Gun

Level 2:

Spell Pistol

Level 3:

Wandgun

Hand Cannon

Exploration:

Level 1:

Scurry Boots

Walking Bug

Level 2:

Autograpple Backpack

Level 3:

Mining Mole

Stalking Bug

Wands:

Level 1:

Wand of Fireball

Forcefield Wand

Rings:

Level 1:

Ring of Vanishing

Ring of Regeneration

Level 2:

Ring of Superior Strength

Conjuration:

Level 1:

Binder’s Circle

Spell List:

Level 1:

Repair Invention

Grease

Summon Golem

Dispel

Speed Boost

Find Secret Doors

Enhance Item

Infuse Weapon

Spell Bolt

Level 2:

Summon Greater Golem

Conjure Workshop

Build Wall

Stoneshape

Flamethrower

Summon Invention

Blink

Healing Touch

Studied Spells:

Grease

Summon Golem

Speed Boost

Dispel

Find Secret Doors

Spell Bolt

Enhance Item

Summon Greater Golem

Flamethrower

Most of the spells he had selected stayed with him daily but since he was going to be underground, in a dungeon deep in the earth, he decided to swap out Find Secret Doors with Stoneshape, and Spell Bolt with Blink.

He finalized his spell selection and finished gearing up, grabbing his Wandgun, which now held the custom wands that he had crafted himself, Hand Cannon and blessed cutlass. Everything he would need to survive the deadliness of the fourth level of the dungeon.

Once Dren finished preparing, he left his workshop and headed outside of the tower to find Princess Dagon pacing back and forth in the grass.

“There you are!” she said. “Are you prepared?”

“Weapons are ready, spells are studied,” Dren replied. “I’m more than ready. Today is the day that we start our expedition to destroy the dungeon core once and for all.”

The princess nodded at that. She looked worried but didn’t say why. Dren didn’t bother to press her, knowing that she had a lot on her mind. “Let us meet your companions then, they’re waiting for you in town.”

Chapter 2

Dren and Alara entered the newly built tavern, the Squirrel’s Nest, to meet with the adventurers that Princess Dagon had picked out for the expedition. The tavern was the first new building to have been constructed in Arthursberg in over a decade.  The proprietor was from the far off town of Lansley who had taken a contract with West End Mining Corporation as they sought to pull in new blood for work in the mines.

The establishment was full of empty seats and all manner of stuffed squirrels on the shelves. Most Arthursberg residents had their own haunts and did not take kindly to new things, leaving this tavern to mostly be a gathering place for the new miners. The town was far from friendly, that was for sure.

Sitting at the bar were three men and a woman, dressed in a manner that immediately screamed ‘adventurer’. They were drinking heartily and eating a breakfast of eggs and ham, laughing about something as they all compared their stories.

“Ahem,” the princess said, clearing her throat. This caused the group to all go silent as they turned around to face their employer. Alara was far from rich but she had the ability to offer powerful blessings to those who completed quests on her behalf. Dren had received one such blessing a long time ago, gaining a permanent + 4 HP bonus as a reward for rescuing her.

“There she is!” one of the adventurers said, raising his mug of ale towards her. He was a skinny fellow, wearing a black tunic that was embedded with dozens of sequins that blinked and twinkled like stars. He had a wide grin and seemed to be in a good mood.

“Friends,” Alara said, gesturing towards Dren. “This is Dren. He is going to be leading today’s expedition into level four.”

“Woah!” the woman said. She was bald, with tattoos upon her forehead that were shaped liked diamonds. “I heard you were the one who killed a greater vampire in Drift City!”

Another adventurer piped up, a burly fellow with a wide chest and an even wider axe on his back. “You’re the Metal Man, right? I’ve heard legends about you.”

The fourth member of the group was unimpressed. He was a sulky fellow with a slender frame, barely any meat on his body. Beside him floated a smooth white orb that pulsed with pink magics.

“Dren, I would like you to meet the Gulch Adventuring Company,” Alara said. “They have agreed to go on this quest in exchange for first pick when it comes to looting and the right to open their own Company Hall inside of Arthursberg.”

They all stood at that and bowed to Dren. All except for the wispy adventurer with the orb by his head. He merely nodded, uninterested in showing any particular deference.

As Dren observed the group, his vision began to update their information into his system.

Companions have joined your party!

Foster Gromit

Level 8 Warrior

Stats:

HP: 40

MP: 0

Speed: 6

Defense: 5

Abilities:

Devastating Blow: Deals 30 damage to a Target.

Bodyguard: Foster takes damage for an Ally.

Warrior’s Spirit: Gains 20 temporary HP.

Pickman

Level 8 Rogue

Stats:

HP: 25

MP: 10

Speed: 8

Defense: 6

Abilities:

Sneak Attack: Deals 30 damage to an unaware target.

Trap Sense: Traps are automatically flagged for the group.

Mechanist: Can pick any lock and disarm any trap.

Maureen the Diamond

Level 8 Monk

Stats:

HP: 35

MP: 12

Speed: 8

Defense: 8

Abilities:

Grapple: Can Pin a target down, disarming them and preventing them from taking any actions.

Diamond Form: Gains 100 Armor for the duration of combat.

Danger Sense: Senses ambushes and danger in the general area.

Holis the Elevated

Level 8 Psion

Stats:

HP: 15

MP: 25

Speed: 3

Defense: 3

Abilities:

Psychic Surge: Deals 25 Psychic Damage to a Target.

Telepathy: Allows all party members to communicate mentally with one another.

Mind Scan: Detects people and monsters in every zone.

Dren was impressed with the roster. They were each useful in their own way and were well rounded out. With his Compassionate Commander feat, they also received 5 extra hit points, improving their durability.

“It is a pleasure to meet you all,” Dren said, bowing to them. “The West End Dungeon is waiting for us. Let’s get a move on.”

“I like a leader who gets down to business,” Maureen said.

“I’d rather finish breakfast first,” Foster grumbled.

“That’s your fourth plate of eggs, you’ll be fine,” Pickman chided.

Dren looked at Alara. “These were the highest level you could find?”

“I fear that high level adventurers are hard to come by in groups,” she replied with a sigh. “But a few encounters and they’ll be leveling up regularly.”

Dren nodded at that and looked at the joking, laughing adventurers of Gulch. They didn’t seem green but he couldn’t get the feeling of fear out of the pit of his stomach. Many had entered the dungeon but none had come out.

The adventurers followed Dren as they left the tavern and headed up to the mine entrance. Miners were gathered outside, waiting to receive their rations before heading in to work.

The psion, Holis, walked beside Dren and looked at him with mild curiosity. “I can sense you have had strange dreams lately,” he murmured, voice low and difficult to hear.

“Just of the dungeon,” Dren replied.

“My dreams too have been clouded as we came here,” Holis said. “I cannot help but shake the feeling that this will not be a simple dungeon crawl.”

“Alara told you everything about what we are facing?” Dren asked.

“She said the dungeon was intelligent but this isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with dungeon cores,” the psychic replied. “Still…I wonder if we’re in for something beyond our scope.”

Dren did not reply. He merely nodded and entered the mine, the group making their way to the elevator.

The previous adventuring parties had made it down to the third floor but the fourth was where the core’s access tunnels were located. According to Princess Alara’s research, the dungeon core could not entirely hide itself without cutting its power off from the dungeon. So the best way to protect itself was to create floors above it where shards of its power were manifest, allowing it presence and control. These were known as Dungeon Hearts and the only way to be able to access additional levels was to find and destroy each of those hearts.

The elevator had been renovated since Dren had last been in the dungeon. The disk was polished, the levers were removed and replaced with buttons and there were mirrors on the ceilings.

“Alright folks,” Pickman said, rubbing his hands together. “We all know the drill. Get to level three and fight, loot and search until we can get to level four.”

No one seemed worried in the least. Dren felt confident with this band of adventurers. They could probably get to floor four in a few days then come back up with loot and crafting materials to build a few more pieces of equipment. This expedition wouldn’t be done all at once, but in stages, carefully and with precision.

“Gulch Adventuring Company, away!” Foster bellowed as he pushed the button for dungeon level three.

There was a grinding as the elevator began to sink downwards. Grinding, followed by a shaking. The elevator might look fancy but it was still rickety, Dren supposed.

The shaking grew worse and out of the corner of his eye, Dren saw something move above him. He quickly glanced up, looking at his own reflection and a root that was emerging from the corner of the elevator.

More roots came crawling out of the crooks in the walls, thick black tendrils that were not made of wood or any natural substance. The elevator grinded to a halt as the tendrils wrapped around the interior.

“The hell is that?” Pickman asked, drawing his daggers and readying to attack.

“Don’t slash!” Dren said. “They might be the only thing holding the elevator up right now!”

A deep voice emanated from all around them. “Long have I waited,” it rumbled. “For Princess Alara to return. You all reek of her scent and yet she is not among you. I speak this now and shall not repeat. Return to the surface and bring her to me. Allow me to destroy her and this dungeon shall trouble you no more.”

“Trouble us?” Foster laughed. “Mate, we’re here to kill you! So you best not try to threaten us with empty words and meaningless threats.”

“I do not threaten idly,” the voice replied. “You shall not survive the dungeon. My power is endless, should I will it, I could rise up and devour the entire town beside the mountain. But the princess is who I wish to have. End your quest, stop your foolish endeavors and bring her to me.”

Dren shook his head. “No way, Alara is going to win this fight.”

“Then perish!” the voice roared.

The tendrils all retracted at once, leaving them alone. There was a loud click and then suddenly, they were in a freefall, the elevator plummeting downwards without any control.

“Brace for impact!” Maureen shouted, transforming her skin into a diamond-like substance and grabbing Dren, covering him with her body.

The elevator hurtled downwards at full speed and then everything went black.

Chapter 3

Dren slowly woke up, realizing that he was not in bed and that had not just been a dream. His head was spinning but his hit points were fine. Maureen was standing over him, checking to see if he was alright.

“You alive?” she asked.

“What happened?” he replied, sitting up and dusting his head off. He was covered in dirt. Sprawled around him were his companions, Foster still unconscious, Pickman rubbing his legs and Holis slowly trying to stand.

“The elevator crashed. Something grabbed it hard and yanked it down, past level three. From what I can gather, we’re in level four,” Maureen replied.

Dren looked around. They were not in a cavernous type of place, similar to the other dungeon floors. Everything here looked professionally constructed. They were in a wide room with brick walls and floors. Behind him was a wreck of metal, presumably the elevator. It was a wonder that they had survived the crash.

This room had a large table in the center, with a dozen wooden chairs sitting on either side. In most dungeons the furniture would be destroyed by what lurked within but here everything seemed well kept. Pristine almost.

“How are we going to get back up to the surface?” Pickman asked, looking over at Dren.      

Dren climbed up the wreckage and looked up. There was a thick black mass of tendrils blocking the way back up. “I’d say we could climb but…seems something wants to keep us here.”

“It’s the Dungeon Core,” Holis said. “I can sense its presence all over the place. It wants to kill us and feed off of our essence.”

“Maybe if we kill the dungeon heart here,” Dren suggested. “It will kill that strange barrier.”

Foster roused from his sleep. “Gah! Are we dead?”

“Not so lucky,” Holis replied. “Get up, you lug. We’ve got some crawling to do.”

The group gathered their wits and drew their weapons, then headed to a door to the north. It was made of stained glass, with the image of a great eagle upon it. The red and green colors were pleasing to the eye and Dren wondered how something so beautiful could be undamaged from being in such a perilous place.

“A door! My time to shine!” Pickman said, scuttling up to it. The man ran his fingers along the edges of the frame and carefully summed it up. “Trap free,” he announced. He twisted the handle and it opened up.

“Good work,” Foster dryly said. “Without your skills we never could have worked the doorknob.”

The door revealed another room that was surprisingly colossal compared to the average dungeon room. The ceiling was a hundred feet above them, made of the same smooth brick that lined the walls. Before them lay a small town complete with buildings, houses and a river that ran in between.

“Monster village!” Pickman gasped. “Ready your weapons, we’ll be swarmed any minute.”

“I am sensing no hostility,” Holis said, putting a hand up to calm the rogue. “Contrary to that…I sense peace here.”

Dren frowned at the sight of the town. There were paved streets, areas with patches of grass where sheep and goats munched and an artificial sun floating above them all. The princess had stated that the dungeon devoured all who came within but here was evidence of the contrary.

Foster grunted. “I don’t like peaceful towns in the middle of dangerous places. They’re always full of cultists or shapeshifters who invite you to dinner while heavily implying that you’re the meal.”

Town of Tyn Discovered! appeared in Dren’s vision. His minimap updated. What was curious about this floor of the dungeon was the fact that his scanners couldn’t pick up any of the Zones or Anomalies in the area. There was some kind of interference that was stopping his goggles from being able to do anything other than keep track of where they’ve been. Perhaps he would need to send out his skitterbots to scout the surroundings.

They approached the town with caution. Doors opened as strangers came out, pale folks who looked rather malnourished, their bodies thin and weak. They wore wool clothing, presumably sheered from the sheep that were present.

A tall woman with a staff emerged from a stone building with a spire atop it and began to walk towards them. She was as thin as the rest of the group, with long white hair despite her age being somewhere in her late twenties.

“Greetings adventurers,” the woman said as she approached.

“Salutations!” Foster said. “Just be out with it right now, are you cannibals?”

The woman laughed. “No, not in the least. I am Rezi, the leader of this town.”

“What’s a town doing in the middle of a dungeon?” Dren asked. “Shouldn’t you all be dead?”

“Gravis, the dungeon you speak of, has been merciful to those of us who have been unable to navigate our way out of this place,” Rezi replied. “He allows us to stay safe within the confines of our village.”

“You gave the dungeon a name?” Holis asked.

“Doesn’t seem healthy,” Pickman chuckled.

“Gravis spoke his name long ago. He is the dungeon itself, a being of immense power and strength,” Rezi said. “But not entirely without mercy.”

“You all seem so sickly,” Dren said, glancing at the rest of the villagers who were all watching from a distance.

“There is a terrible cost to survival,” Rezi explained. “Our life forces are drained perpetually by Gravis. But he doesn’t consume everything, leaving us to survive and build our strength back up.”

“How’d you all come to be trapped here?” Pickman asked.

“Most of us were adventurers at one point. There are a few normal folks who just happened to be pulled in by one of the access tunnels in the mountains, but the rest of us had hopes and dreams of being the one to plunder this place. It happens the same way. We’re in one of the levels of the dungeon, fighting with our comrades and then suddenly, roots come up and seize us. Drag us down into what we call The First Floor, for this is where the dungeon is able to actively control the area,” Rezi explained. “I was a cleric once. But I was grabbed and dragged into this town and drained of my levels.”

“Wait,” Dren said. “This thing can drain levels?”

Rezi nodded grimly. “If you are wounded fatally, as was the case when I was up plundering the higher floors, then Gravis can drag you down and sap most of your life essence. I lost access to my class abilities and powers. Without the ability to fight back…well, I decided it was better to be drained every few months and live than to die pointlessly in the rest of this dark place.”

Dren furrowed his brows. The idea of being trapped underground, in a dungeon without any hope of escape and the terror of being drained perpetually was nightmarish at best. Who could settle for something so awful?

“Well, we’re on a quest to destroy the dungeon’s core,” Dren said. “So I suppose you should start preparing for an exit strategy.”

“You aren’t the first band of adventurers who have come here to destroy the core,” Rezi replied. “And you won’t be the last. But your fates will be like the others. Death or worse, being trapped in one of the draining chambers where your essence is slowly sapped over decades. There are fates much more terrible than dying here.”

“I’ve heard enough,” Foster said. “You folks may be content to just be drained away but we’re the Gulch Adventuring Company! Nothing can stop us!”

Chapter 4

The town of Tyn didn’t have much to offer in way of maps or guidance. The people were reluctant to speak with the adventurers and after a few failed attempts at getting information, Dren decided that it was time for their band to move along. They headed to the northern passage, where large Keep Out signs were erected to warn villagers about the dangers of the dungeon. But such warnings were a moot point for Dren and his band of merry adventurers.

They entered a long corridor with several doors on both sides. There was a dead end at the furthest point from them, so it would seem they would need to travel through one of the rooms.

Pickman was already ahead of the group, disabling a few traps hidden in the hallway. The man worked with speed and precision, prying open panels, ripping out cords and gears then slamming the panels back closed in the blink of an eye. Dren was happy to have a rogue with the party, as he wouldn’t need to focus too much on Trapfinding with one present.

There were four doors total, one made of brass, one of stone and two of glass, similar to the ones that led to the dungeon town.

“Which door should we pick?” Foster asked.

“It may as well be random,” Holis replied.

Dren found himself drawn to the brass door. “I say we just start with this one and open it up.”

The group gathered around the door and Dren twisted the doorknob, revealing a room full of water. The water was below them, gleaming blue and restless, as if it were alive. On the other side of the dungeon lake was a large golden trophy on a pedestal.

“Sweet! Treasure!” Pickman said, pointing at the trophy. It was a large cup with two handles on the sides. In the center was a studded ruby that gleamed with promise.

“I’m willing to bet that water has some horror in it,” Maureen said. “Dead end room with just an obvious trap. Let’s skip it.”

“No way!” Pickman said. “We can’t just abandon a lonely trophy! What if it’s got some kind of power? Like whoever drinks from it becomes immortal?”

“I highly doubt that,” Dren said as he walked to the edge of the water and looked down. The perfect blue made it easy enough to see through the liquid. Resting at the bottom was a circular door made of metal. “But there’s a door down there.”

“Anyone volunteer to take a swim?” Holis asked. Everyone looked at each other. Foster shook his head.

“No way, there’s some kind of monster in there, I’m positive,” he said. “Let’s just skip this room.”

Dren took out one of his skitterbots and activated it. The bot awakened and flexed its little legs. “Go and see if there’s anything in the water,” Dren ordered.

The bot quickly leapt out of Dren’s hand and dove into the water, expertly swimming downwards. As it swam, something in the liquid shifted. A dark figure appeared, reacting to the presence of the bot.

“Something’s in the water!” Maureen called out.

The group all watched as an enormous black fish snapped its jaws at the skitterbot. The little device quickly swam out of the way, avoiding the attack as it kicked its legs through the water.

“Come back!” Dren commanded. His machine immediately swam back up towards the surface, avoiding another bite from the black fish before crawling up the wall and back into Dren’s outstretched hand.

The massive fish swam in a circle for a moment and then shimmered, turning so blue that it became more or less invisible.

Monster Detected! His scanners informed him.

Lagoon Hunter

Stats:

HP: 35

Defense: 5

Speed: 5

Attacks:

Vicious Bite: Deals 20 damage to a target.

Swallow Whole: Devours a Target and deals 10 damage per second.

“Something’s wrong,” Maureen said, looking around. “There’s a trap here.”

“Nonsense, I checked already,” Pickman said. “No traps anywhere.”

As he said that, the door behind them slammed shut. There was a grinding in the ground and suddenly, the floor became sloped. Everyone slid downwards, caught off-guard despite Maureen’s warning,

“Damn it!” the monk shouted as they all fell into the water. Immediately, the black fish reappeared and swam towards the group at lightning speed.

Dren didn’t have time to do much before the creature was upon him. The monster opened its jaws wide and tried to bite the artificer. Dren’s mechanical hand shot up and blocked the blow, the monster’s mouth closing around his arm. The beast was strong and started to drag Dren downwards.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw some more shimmering. There were multiple Lagoon Hunters!

Two more appeared as they rushed Foster, who was still trying to orient himself from the fall into the water. Dren tried to shout a warning but being underwater the noise was just a muffled sound.

Maureen the monk swam through the water effortlessly and rammed her fist into the eye of the beast holding Dren’s arm. 10 damage appeared over its head, dropping its health down to 25.

The blow caused the beast to release Dren and the artificer quickly swam backwards, fumbling to draw his blade. His cannons wouldn’t work underwater, so the best option was his cutlass.

Pickman was trying to get to the surface when one of the black fish seized him from behind, chomping the man’s thigh. His health dropped down from 30 to 10 in the blink of an eye as blood flowed from his wound.

Foster slashed at one of the fish with his Devastating Blow ability, hitting it for 30 points of damage. The fish began to swim away at full speed, turning invisible again for it was unwilling to fight to the death.

Dren kicked forward with his legs and swam towards the fish that Maureen had attacked. He slashed with his blade, though wasn’t terribly fast due to being underwater. The large fish dodged out of the way and tried to snap at him again. Maureen intercepted the blow by catching the creature’s jaws with her bare hands, holding the mouth open wide.

With the fish grappled, Dren swam above them and stabbed the cutlass downward. The magical energies of the blade gathered and managed to pick up some speed. He struck the creature’s right eye, cutting deep into the skull and dealing 15 damage.

Holis was floating in the center of the group, eyes shut in concentration. The third Lagoon Hunter tried to attack but suddenly flailed as it took 30 points of psychic damage. Foster crashed into it and slashed it with a flurry of blows, killing it and sending its body floating upwards to the surface.

Maureen tugged on the jaws of the beast and, with a low grunt, ripped the fish’s head wide open, her supreme strength killing it instantly.

They all looked around for signs of the third fish. Dren’s eyes swept left to right as he searched. But before he could find it, the fish suddenly appeared in front of him, its eyes dulled and lifeless. Holis did not need his eyes to see the creature, as he was a psion. He had detected the creature’s mind and blasted it dead.

Everyone swam up to the surface, the dead Lagoon Hunters floating beside them.

“Everyone alive?” Dren asked.

“I almost had my leg bit off!” Pickman huffed as he swam over to the trophy side of the dungeon. “So I deserve that treasure!”

Monsters Defeated! 1,500 XP gained! appeared in Dren’s vision. He hadn’t done much during the fight, with his companions doing the bulk of the damage but he certainly didn’t mind the XP gain.

“I’m going to check out that door,” Dren said, diving back into the water. He swam all the way to the bottom and inspected the circular door. There was a keyhole in the middle but Dren’s mechanics skill was high enough to allow him to force it open. He used his Autogauntlet’s multitool to jam a screwdriver into the hole, breaking the lock and forcing the door open.

There was more water on the other side. Dren ran out of air and resurfaced to see his team was examining the trophy.

“I got the door open but there’s more water on the other side,” Dren said. “No telling how far it leads.”

“Unless you can breathe underwater, you best leave it alone then,” Maureen said. “The last thing you want is for that door behind you to suddenly seal itself shut.”

Dren nodded and looked at the trophy that was in Pickman’s hands. “Anything interesting there?”

“No, it’s just made of gold,” the man replied. He took out a small bag and opened it up, somehow stuffing the large trophy inside of it. Dren recognized the bag as a portal bag, a useful adventuring tool that allowed any number of things to be placed inside, despite the size. The only trouble with those bags was that there was no way to grab the item you wanted, so it was only good for storing treasure or large goods that would be dumped out at the end of the adventure.

With the room cleared, the floor returned to normal and the door appeared to be open again. They swam through the water and made their way back into the hallway. Dren wanted to harvest the dead monsters for cubes but was dismayed when he saw that he didn’t have a high enough Butchery skill to do so. Perhaps he should rank it up on his next level. The skill was so low that he often forgot that he had it.

“That was pointless,” Holis grumbled. “A waste of my psionic power.”

“Hey, the XP was good!” Pickman said as he downed a healing potion, restoring his hit points back to their original total.

“We aren’t here for XP, we’re here to kill the dungeon,” Holis said.

“If crawling in a dungeon gets good XP,” Foster interjected, “then killing a dungeon must give the best.”

Chapter 5

Back in the hallway, they walked up to the brass door and opened it up. Within they noticed something strange. The walls were made of brass, as was the floor, the copper shining in the light of the torches that illuminated the dungeon. Upon the wall were carvings of a great building; it was a mural that was made up of five different sections.

One section showed a building, reaching high into the heavens. The second showed a mage raising his hands to give creation to a sphere. The third showed the sphere expanding outwards and consuming the building. The fourth showed an interior of something that looked like a workshop to Dren. Intricate carvings of tools, crystals and…cubes! The fifth panel showed a suit of armor with pipes and wires running down the arms and legs.

The rest of the room was empty. They entered anyway and while the others scouted for treasure or traps, Dren found himself drawn to the image of the suit. It looked like something made from artifice. He reached a hand out and touched the wall, feeling the grooves of the carving. The wall seemed to react to his touch and images flashed through his mind.

A lone man was working in the workshop, laboring tirelessly over something murky. He clutched his chest and winced as if suffering from pain. And then, in an instant, the images were gone.

“This wall’s enchanted or something,” Dren said.

“I detect no magic,” Holis remarked, looking over at the artificer.

Dren could feel something pulsing within the carved wall. It was magical energy of some kind. But something that the psion could not detect. Was it artifice? Dren focused his mind and entered into a trance state, meditating as best he could to try and pull information from this mural.

“There is no hope,” a voice muttered. Dren opened his eyes and looked around, but the group behind him was silent. They had finished their search and were waiting by the door.

“You gonna make out with the wall or something?” Pickman asked.

“Just give me a minute,” Dren replied, closing his eyes and focusing once more. He heard another voice.

“You do not understand artifice if you think there is no hope. We shall escape this place, I just need time.”

“Time is the one thing we don’t have,” another voice replied.

Dren’s scanners registered something immediately. A map appeared before him, showing the fourth floor of the dungeon in total.

8 Zones detected! Anomalies are not present!

Dungeon is an Aberration and can manipulate the Zones at will.

Unable to locate Dungeon Heart! More data required!

Dren could see that they had been to two of the eight Zones. This room was not registered as cleared, despite there being nothing in it.

“I’m getting an interesting reading,” Dren said. “My scanners are saying the dungeon can manipulate these Zones at will.”

“That would explain why we suddenly were thrown in the water,” Maureen replied. “My danger senses only activated when…”

A panel in the side of the room slid open and, suddenly, three hulking beasts emerged. They were jet black with rubbery skin and long appendages that were slender and whipped up and down.

“Damn it!” Holis shouted. “Ready for a fight!”

Danger Detected!

Faris Beasts

Stats:

HP: 55

Defense: 6

Speed: 2

Attacks:

Whipping Tendrils: Elongated arms seize a target and smash them into the ground for 10 damage.

Intimidating Roar: Stuns a target for ten seconds.

Rending Blades: Long blades cut a target for 20 damage.

Defenses:

Null Field: Immune to spells.

“They’re immune to magic!” Dren warned as the Faris Beasts drew closer. Their long arms came whipping out towards the group, aiming at Pickman first. The rogue leapt to the side and did a handspring, effortlessly dodging the tendrils as they seized at him.

“Let’s see how they deal with an axe wound!” Foster roared as he charged the one in the middle. The tall beast unfurled two long scythes from the middle of its rubbery torso, slashing at the warrior as he hacked into the side of the beast, dealing 30 points of damage with a single blow. He took only 15 damage, his health dropping down to 25 in the blink of an eye.

Dren activated his Shoulder Cannons and fired on the one that was moving to flank them on the right. The guns released their fiery payload, striking the beast for 20 damage.

“My psionics do nothing,” Holis groaned as he put a hand to his head, trying to concentrate. “Their null field appears to be too strong.”

The third Faris beast rushed the psion but Maureen leapt in the way, her skin already turned to diamond. She was grabbed by four tentacles at once and lifted into the air before being smashed downwards into the hard brass floor. Her health was unaffected as her armor soaked up the damage.

Dren drew his Hand Cannon and aimed it at the beast holding the monk, waiting a beat before firing. The cannonball flew through the air, spinning rapidly as it crashed into the monster, dealing 20 points of damage.

Foster was doing fine on his own, activating his Warrior’s Spirit ability to gain 20 hit points to make up for the blow he had taken. He was hacking away at the faris beast occupied with him and didn’t seem to have any trouble taking it down.

Maureen managed to break free of the grappling tendrils and lifted the monster with her bare hands, throwing it towards Pickman, who quickly stuck it in the back with his twin daggers, killing the creature.

The remaining monster stormed towards Dren but he was prepared. His Autocannons fired while his Floating Shield rose up to block the tendrils from seizing him. Foster charged the creature and took off its unsightly head with a blow from his axe.

“Is it over?” Pickman asked, huffing for air as the monsters all melted into the ground, their bodies becoming one with the dungeon.

“For now,” Holis said. “But it occurs to me that if Gravis is able to generate monsters and traps at will, we will be worn down every room we enter.”

Monsters Defeated! 1,000 XP gained! appeared in Dren’s vision. The creatures had more hit points but he had a full team with him and they were quite skilled at fighting. Not only that but the Gulch Adventuring Company was coordinated as well. Dren was pleased with the people that the princess had procured.

“There’s nothing we can do other than keep checking rooms,” Dren said. “There are five Zones left according to my scanners. Maybe we’ll have better luck with the glass doors.”

The group left the mural behind and returned to the main hall, where they headed to the glass doors. They were different from each other, one was stained red and blue with the portrait of a fish upon it and the other was green and yellow, with a book in the center.

Dren was drawn to the one with the book and opened it up. Inside was a huge library, mind bogglingly large compared to the size of the other rooms.

“Woah!” Pickman said as he entered, looking around. There were books everywhere, lined up on great shelves with ladders attached to them. Tables and chairs were scattered throughout the room and the ceiling glowed perpetually with a white light that illuminated the area.

There were people inside of this library, men and women in long brown robes, shuffling to and from the various bookcases, carrying tomes and notebooks in their arms. Everyone stopped and looked at the adventurers as they entered, their faces frowning with concern.

“Something’s amiss here,” Holis said, putting a finger to his temple. “I can sense these people’s thoughts and they…they are not kind.”

“Maybe they know something about the dungeon heart,” Dren replied. “Let’s try not to cause any trouble.”

A tall man with a long grey beard approached them. He was a weathered old man with deep wrinkles and a balding head. He wore the same brown robes as the rest, but had a red ribbon pinned to the chest. Perhaps he was the leader.

“What are you doing here?” the old man demanded. His tone was indeed hostile and he seemed agitated that anyone would dare to come into this place.

“Greetings, I am Dren and these are my adventuring associates,” the artificer said, putting both hands up to show that he was friendly. “We are exploring the dungeon.”

“Adventurers,” the old man groaned through gritted teeth. “Your kind are not welcome in this place.”

“And why would that be?” Dren asked.

“Because Gravis wants to kill you,” he replied. “You best leave before monsters appear or some terrible trap is triggered.”

“I’m curious to know what you are all doing down here,” Dren said, not moving an inch.

“We are the Ancient Scholars,” the man replied. “I am Brutus, head scholar. When our kingdom was devoured by the dungeon so long ago, Gravis preserved us with his magic. Our task here is to provide the dungeon with the spells he needs, through research and study.”

“Wait,” Maureen interjected. “You’re helping the dungeon?”

“There is little other option,” Brutus said. “Gravis has given us the gift of survival and so we pay him back with our work.”

“Does he drain you too?” Dren asked.

“Indeed, but it isn’t so bad. With timelessness comes a certain perspective and we have come to see Gravis as simply acting to keep himself, and therefore us, alive,” the head scholar replied.

Dren pondered this. From what the princess had said, the dungeon was a bloodthirsty monster that consumed everything within, yet he had found evidence twice of there being some kind of harmony within the creature known as Gravis. It had preserved two different groups of people, though it did drain them. Then again, the dungeon core was a living being that needed energy, so there was no alternative save for the occasional adventurer who went within and was slain.

He had an overwhelming sense of curiosity towards the dungeon. If it did think, could it be reasoned with? Would it allow these people to leave if convinced? Then again, the princess had given him the task of total annihilation of the dungeon core. But what if there was another option? Some kind of way to stop Gravis from sending monsters to the surface without destroying it?

“I must admit,” Dren said. “I was led to believe that the dungeon was nothing more than a bloodthirsty monster. Princess Dagon had sent us here to destroy it.”

“The princess still lives?” Brutus asked, furrowing his brow.

“She had been captured by the dungeon and placed in some kind of crystalline structure that kept her alive,” Dren said. “And ever since she’s been out, she has only had the goal of seeing Gravis destroyed for good.”

“The death of the dungeon would be the end of us,” the scholar replied. “Our lives are linked to the creature and without its ability to preserve us with its magic, we would wither away and die.”

“You’ve been alive for a thousand or so years,” Holis remarked. “It seems to me that you have lived long enough.”

Brutus scowled. “Forgive me for not wanting to die. If you had the chance, wouldn’t you take it too?”

“There’s nothing of use here,” Foster grumbled. “Let’s leave and check the other door.”

“Wait,” Dren said. “Brutus, is there a way to communicate with the dungeon?”

The man slowly nodded. “Indeed. But I would want to know why you wish to speak to Gravis.”

“Yeah,” Holis echoed. “Why would you want to speak with it?”

“Overwhelming curiosity,” Dren said. “Dungeon cores are a mystery to me. As an artificer—”

“You’re an artificer?” Brutus gasped. The entire room grew silent as all eyes turned to look at Dren. There was admiration and surprise upon their faces and the scholars all seemed to know what that class entailed.

“Yes,” Dren said. “And a high level one at that.”

“Well, this is fortuitous indeed,” Brutus murmured. “Artifice was one of the greater arts within our kingdom, so long ago. It was, in fact, the work of artifice combined with traditional magic that led to the creation of this dungeon.”

Dren held himself proudly, puffing out his chest. “What makes my class so fortuitous to you?”

“Because, my friend,” Brutus replied. “You can open the door to the Great Workshop.”

Chapter 6

With news of Dren being an artificer came a change in the attitude of Brutus and the rest of the scholars. The group was invited to stay longer but the others were not terribly interested in talking. They decided they would go out to the other door and explore the rest of the dungeon floor while Dren opted to stay behind and speak with Brutus at a length.

It wasn’t the best idea to split up but Holis had telepathy and could keep Dren updated of their whereabouts. The four adventurers were comfortable together and could easily handle anything coming their way, or so it seemed.

Once the group was gone, Dren sat at a table where Brutus joined him to continue their discussion.

“There is a place that was used to create the dungeon and was once thought of as the solution to escaping,” Brutus explained as he took out a small book and placed it in front of Dren. There was an illustration of a workshop that looked exactly the same as the mural he had seen in the previous room. “It was the finest workshop known to artificers. The place was home to the great Hampton, a skilled artificer who surpassed his contemporaries with ease.”

“And you’re saying this workshop is here in the dungeon?” Dren asked.

“Indeed,” Brutus replied. He opened the booklet to show a map of the fifth floor. Dren’s scanners quickly added the map to his system, allowing him to access it later. He noted that there were many more rooms in this floor than the fourth. So many that it would be impossible to navigate without some kind of direction.

In the center of the great maze was a star that noted the workshop’s location. “What makes this so important to you?” Dren asked.

“Well, we are all tied to the dungeon’s ability to preserve us,” Brutus said. “But it is believed that the great workshop has the very solution to our problem. A powerful artifact that can take the dungeon’s magic and localize it within our bodies. This would allow us to live out our remaining natural lifespan.”

“Then you could leave,” Dren remarked. “But I thought you were fine living forever here?”

Brutus sighed. “Life in the dungeon is repetitive and dull. The idea of being destroyed when Gravis is killed brings many of us dread, but the thought of being able to return to the surface world? To live as normal people once more? That would be the ideal situation. But without an artificer to open up the workshop and bring about the curative artifact, we would die the moment we left these walls.”

Dren pondered this. It seemed that these scholars took the path of least resistance. “Would you see Gravis destroyed, if it were up to you?” Dren asked.

“No,” Brutus stiffly replied. “The dungeon is intelligent and has its own personality. It does not wish to do us any harm and because of our symbiotic relationship, I have come to think of him as worthy of life. And besides, killing the dungeon core is near impossible. You would have to breach each floor, destroy the dungeon hearts and then find the core itself. And with Gravis’ age and power, he would easily just hide his core and spawn new hearts.”

“Even though it drains your life force away?” Dren asked.

“Everything must eat something in order to survive. I can no more blame the dungeon for taking our energy than I could a hawk for hunting a hare,” Brutus said.

“How can I speak with this dungeon?”

“For that, you would need to enter into our communication chamber and attune your mind to the core. Doing so is difficult for the layman, but since you have class levels I think you should be able to do so,” Brutus said. “Though I am curious to see why you wish to speak with it.”

“The princess wishes to see it destroyed but…I don’t know,” Dren replied. “If it is intelligent, perhaps it can be reasoned with. Perhaps I can learn what it wants and why it is sending monsters to the surface.”

“Very well,” Brutus said, standing from the table and motioning for Dren to follow. “I will show you the chamber and maybe you can get the answer you seek.”

They walked through the great library to a hallway with a series of rooms. At the very end of the hallway was a large door made of stone with a face carved into it. The face was inhuman, somewhat like a gargoyle, with three horns and an open mouth.

“I can open the door but Gravis only speaks to one person at a time,” the scholar said as he put a hand on the door. It slid open, revealing a chamber full of mirrors. They were surrounding a grey tile with a white center. “Stand in the middle and try to attune your mind to the dungeon.”

Dren took a deep breath. Was this a foolish endeavor? Or was he onto something? There was only one way to find out and that was to speak with Gravis directly, to understand exactly what this dungeon core was doing.

The princess would not be pleased with this conduct, he knew, but at the same time, she had such a singular goal. All she could talk about, plan about and prepare for was a siege on the dungeon. She had no other purpose, it seemed. But perhaps she only knew half of the story.

Dren entered the chamber and heard a deep thud as the door slammed shut behind him. All light faded, leaving him in utter darkness. He lit his lantern and made his way to the white dot in the center of the room. His reflection stared at him from all directions, imitating his walk as he took his place.

Now standing in the middle, Dren began to center himself. He closed his eyes and started to meditate, using his Meditation skill to hone in on the energy source of magic that was surrounding him at all times. He had noticed it first when entering the dungeon, but had not paid much attention to the magic, thinking that it was just residual energy. But here, the magical energies radiated so greatly that he began to understand it as the signature of the dungeon itself.

He opened his eyes suddenly, sensing a presence in the room, but there was nothing but the mirrors. His reflection shifted as he moved a little, looking left and right. “Is someone here?” he asked.

“Adventurer,” a deep voice rumbled. Above, Dren could see a brown aura, magical energies collecting to a central point. There was no face in the energy but Dren could feel the physical presence of something ancient and powerful. The energies pulsed as it spoke. “Why have you come to speak with me?”

“I am Dren, an artificer and adventurer,” he said, looking up. “And more importantly, I have come to see you destroyed.”

“I sense your intention,” Gravis rumbled, the energies flaring and flashing with each syllable. “So what brings you to speak with me?”

“I have encountered two groups of people who have lived,” Dren said. “Despite the dangers within this place, despite the fact that you could consume them with ease, they live their lives with some semblance of dignity and I can’t help but wonder…who are you? Why are you keeping them alive?”

“I am Gravis,” the being replied. “Long ago, I was created by a mage and an artificer much like yourself. They conjoined their efforts to create something that would protect their kingdom, that would keep them safe from their enemies. I remember the first time I awoke. The moment that my essence came into being. All I felt was hunger, hunger and a burning hatred. This was the mage’s sin, for he had many enemies in the kingdom and dreamt many times, though never actively plotting, of killing them. Yet, as he crafted me in the dark hours of the night, in the dreary hours when all are asleep, he could only think of getting revenge.

“Such a desire transferred to my essence. The man believed himself to be greater than all, even the king, and when I awoke…I was filled with that same aspiration. My father filled me with hate without realizing it. And in response to this hatred, I expanded my body, I grew a great dungeon and killed so many people. I took their essence, I grew stronger. But as my mind filled with the knowledge of these people, as I took their experience points for my own advancement, I began to understand. They were not how the mage believed. The man was paranoid, mad and full of hatred. He worked on this project in secret. I spared him, of course. He and my other father, the artificer.”

“I know the mage was broken in the mind and found him a long time ago,” Dren said. “But what happened to the artificer?”

“He was horrified by what transpired. He saw a kingdom fall overnight and began to work to remedy the problem. He wished to end me,” Gravis explained. “And to make things right. Within my body, he created a workshop impenetrable to my energies. The only place within what you call a dungeon that I cannot see, that I cannot influence. And he built many things to protect those who were trapped within me. But soon others began to arrive. Men and women who heard of a dungeon and sought to find the treasures of the kingdom. I learned to place them where they would lure adventuring folk into traps and monsters of my own design. I slew a great many, thousands, and grew so much stronger. Their experience points were so great that I grew much more powerful than the artificer.

“One day, when he was on an excursion to find the crystals that naturally grow from my body, I found him vulnerable. And I destroyed him. Only then, upon consuming his essence, did I learn that he had never wanted me to become like this. That he intended for my creation to serve the good of man. His last thoughts were not even of me, but of his family. The family I so easily consumed within the first week of my birth.”

Dren nodded at this. “Did this change you?”

“It did. I looked at the people that he was protecting, the scholars and workers of the kingdom and decided that my work was not to consume them,” Gravis replied. “I saw that I could keep them alive. And then, in a last ditch effort, a group of mages raised a great mountain upon me, burying me deep in the earth. Powerful beings that had managed to teleport out in my early stages of development. Their kingdom was gone but they knew that I would continue to expand. But I would never reach the surface. And thus, my source of nutrition was gone. I am a dungeon core, created with the purpose of perpetually expanding and building. Traps and monsters come to me so easily. Yet, without adventurers within me, dying over treasure or glory, I lost the ability to grow. And weakness consumed me.”

“So you started to drain the populace within you?” Dren asked.

“Yes, but I told them that I would not kill them. They agreed, though I do not think they had any other choice. Still, with my powers, I can preserve life for an almost indefinite amount of time. I can prevent them from dying of malnutrition and weakness from lack of light. I crafted a few rooms for them…but…but soon the troubles began.”

“Troubles?” Dren repeated.

“There are two natures within me. When I consumed the artificer, my father, whose name I never speak out of shame, I truly became awake. But the monster that the mage made, the feral beast that sought only revenge, did not fade away. It remained dormant for a time until I started to grow weaker from lack of adventurers. A city within me was consumed one morning. Those who had lived so long were taken in an instant, ravaged by an earthquake trap that destroyed all within. And so emerged Amero—the bestial dungeon mind. A monster infected and consumed with hatred, it seized control of rooms and parts of my hearts. And those who thought themselves safe were forced to wander his cruel machinations.”

Dren frowned at this news. He remembered when the dungeon elevator had been destroyed. The monstrous voice, the black tendrils and magical aura. It was entirely distinct from the being he was talking to. This Gravis was sensible and calm, speaking with a level of eloquence that Dren had not been expecting. The other voice, Amero, was feral and nasty.

“I have to ask, how does the Princess Dagon fit into all of this?”

“She was who the mage hated the most. I sought to destroy her in the early days but part of me understood that this was not right. I would say that was my first spark of mercy, trapping her within me. Her life preserved, yet her energies sapped, I was able to have both of what my minds wanted. And then, she was gone. Amero seeks to destroy her, to consume her and sate the mage’s hatred for the kingdom. He never wanted to help them. He only wanted to control them, but was too much of a coward to take steps to do so himself. Instead, he transferred it all to his subconscious mind and thus gave birth to the two-headed creature you are within. Amero and Gravis, two minds within one body.”

Dren was fascinated by this. A dungeon core with two personalities, one an exemplary of a mad mage and one who was more kind. Understanding and perhaps even repentant.

“This Amero, how does he control the dungeon?” Dren asked.

“His power comes from the Black Hearts that he generates from the lives of those he has slain. They create infection zones within me, areas that I am blind and dumb within, unable to manipulate and control. These infection zones are deadly and without a chance of escape. Yet, he is still a dungeon core, his habits and thoughts are predictable in a sense. He wishes to allow those within him areas to grow stronger with each encounter, gathering much XP for his own pleasure. He gives adventurers treasure and trinkets, moving the items of those lost into places that drive the adventuring soul to seek out, knowing that in the end, when they have reached a high enough level, he will destroy them utterly,” Gravis explained.

Dren could sense a weariness within the dungeon that he was speaking with. An unease. Fear, he realized. Gravis was afraid of Amero.

“This monstrous personality of yours, he is stronger than you, yes?” Dren asked.

“This is true. For I decided that I would not take the lives of any who were within me unless they were of unworthy character,” Gravis replied. “He has no such compunction and thus gathers so much more energy than I. He continually grows, choosing to move upwards more and more. With each passing year, he is able to build a new floor and with it, closer to the surface.”

“I fear your body has already reached as close to the surface as it counts,” Dren said. “My people, the town of Arthursberg, started mining within your land a few decades ago. They moved so deep into the mountain that they found the dungeon entrance and well…since then, adventurers have come and gone.”

“The higher levels are the weaker parts of Amero and I,” Gravis explained. “They are like fingers, brittle and incapable of grasping without the whole of the hand.”

“You say that but…recently, monsters have begun to come out of the dungeon. They wander within the mines and kill those who are just trying to work an honest job,” Dren said. “It would seem that your worse half has grown strong enough to begin harming our town. I fear it is only a matter of time before these monsters make it into the actual world outside of the mountain.”

“Amero’s power is not improved when those are slain outside of our body,” the dungeon core clarified. “No, the purpose of sending those monsters was to bring the likes of you down here. You and your ilk, the adventurers who take on quests in order to gain power, glory or treasure. It is nothing more than a lure, meant to pull in the bigger fish for him to consume.”

“He dragged us down to the fourth floor, skipping the third, where I assume he is more in control,” Dren said. “I take it that he was hoping that we would kill your heart here.”

“Yes. He hates me with a deep passion, though we do not speak to one another. Our minds are adjoined together; it is only through the actions within our body that we understand each other. I have come to think of it as a game of chess, where he moves many pieces to kill me and I have little left. But perhaps…perhaps your arrival, your willingness to hear me out means something.”

“I want to know,” Dren said. “The monsters and traps that were sprung on us within these halls, outside of the safe rooms, were they you or Amero?”

There was hesitation from the dungeon core. “I saw your group as nothing more than adventurers who wished to empower themselves and destroy my hearts. My attempts to harm you were not…calibrated enough, for it is a great expenditure of energy to rework my own body to destroy those within me. But I will not lie. I saw five meals within me and thought that perhaps it would keep me from needing to drain my residents for a longer time.”

Dren nodded. “And you could sense our goal to destroy you?”

“I heard you. I hear all within me, as my eyes and ears are everywhere. Everywhere except for those dreaded infected zones.”

“You call them infected,” Dren said. “Why?”

“Because I am the true personality of the dungeon. Amero only manifested in the later years, stealing a portion of my power, but he is a parasite. My core deep within the earth is unaffected. He wishes to make his own core and creates dark hearts that spread his influence in rooms within me. They are nothing more than infections, areas that take from my power and cut me off from my own body.”

“So what is your end game? What would happen should Amero be destroyed? Should you gain enough power to return to your former glory?”

The dungeon hesitated for a moment. Dren could see the energies swirling around in a pattern. “I would like…I would like to be able to release the people within me. I do not need to consume their life forces any longer, for while I may need to take lives and energy to maintain myself now, without the parasitic energies sapping my power, I would be free to simply become…well, anything I would like to be. Perhaps a great library with the knowledge of the kingdom preserved. No more death and destruction. Just…freedom from what the mad mage did to me. Freedom from the alternate self that seeks only to kill and consume.”

Chapter 7

Dren was beginning to understand the dungeon core. This creature had not chosen to become a monstrous being, it was merely created by two thoughts. One of protecting the kingdom and the other of destroying it. He spoke with it at a length, asking many questions and getting detailed answers in return. When all was said and done, he concluded that he could trust Gravis. The magical energies of the other creature, Amero, were so distinctive from Gravis’ own power that Dren could not see this being as anything other than a victim of its own creation.

The princess was justified in her hatred of the dungeon core, up to a point. The monster within Gravis was worthy of destruction and this would lead to the freedom of the people within. Gravis mentioned that there were other populated zones within his floors, though he was reticent to give too much detail, for fear of Dren being destroyed by his rival and thus the knowledge imparted to it. But there were plenty more innocents within him, some of them as old as the kingdom itself.

If the people were freed, then the princess would be allowed to resume her role as their leader and then she could put her grudge to rest. She would no longer need to spend every waking moment plotting her revenge upon the being that was merely a victim of circumstances. It might take some convincing but Dren could see a much better path ahead of him.

“Gravis,” Dren said. “After speaking to you for such a length, I have come to believe that you are sincere. This monstrous entity within your mind, this Amero, I believe it is the best idea to destroy it.”

“Yes!” Gravis agreed. “It was my hope that you would come to this conclusion. I see a good heart within you, Dren. Your companions lack the sense that you have; even now, they can only think of me as a simple final encounter to get their treasure. They have little respect for my existence. But you…you saw something that changed your thoughts and because of that, I believe we have the best chance of destroying Amero for good. The upper levels are home to his weaker energies, but within the fifth level is where his sources of power fester the most. If you could destroy the dark hearts and clear the infected zones, it would weaken him significantly. But, I warn you. This is not a task for those who are looking for easy work. His power is not limited within the area he has infested. You will be facing insidious encounters and deadly tricks.”

“I understand the risks,” Dren said. “But I believe that there are things within the Great Workshop that will enable me to destroy him.”

“It is believed that only an artificer could open up the workshop. I do not know what you will find within there, but you will have a hard time getting there without some help. I have enough energy to provide you with a few tools,” the dungeon said. “If you will accept them.”

This was the moment of truth for Dren. He could sense the energy of Gravis gently touching his mind, asking for permission to infuse him with power. In his meditative state, he could easily attune to the dungeon fully, but doing so would be opening him up to an attack. Despite this danger, Dren decided to put his faith in Gravis, to believe that this being was truly repentant for what it had done in its early stages. He opened his mind and waited.

Energies Aligning! appeared in his vision. Dungeon Boons are being granted!

Ability Gained:

Zone Seeker: Your scanners can now detect Infected Zones. Clearing them grants you a significant XP Bonus.

2 Dungeoneer Feats have been gained! Select from below:

Explorer:

Trap Defense: You gain 15 Armor Points against Trap Damage.

Chest Sense: You can sense Treasure Chests when they are nearby.

Environmental Navigator: You can move normally in environments that restrict movement.

Dungeon Hunter:

Weakness Scanner: Your scans of monsters now reveal their weaknesses.

Hearty Fighter: Gain +15 HP.

Quick Dodge: Avoid one attack per fight.

Seeker:

Shadow Vision: You can now see in total darkness up to 100 feet.

Cursebreaker: Cursed Items are now obvious to you. With an hour of meditation you can break the curse but retain the bonus of the magical item.

Monster Sense: You can detect Monsters that are being generated by the dungeon.

Dren looked at these options. The dungeon clearly only had enough energy to give him two feats and he would need to choose carefully. The Trap Defense feat looked good but he already had his Shield ability and armor that could protect him from damage. It might just be better to go with more HP. His last stint in Drift City had given him a boost to his HP and he had enjoyed the ability to take more damage without fear of being one-shotted. If he was going to be fighting in these infected zones, against a bloodthirsty dungeon that wouldn’t pull its punches, then every bit of hit points counted. He selected it and watched as his health increased to an impressive 32 HP. More than enough to handle a fight or two.

As for his second feat, it wasn’t a hard choice. Weakness Scanner would provide him with the ability to tell a monster’s weaknesses with a single glance and with his magic and artifice, he had more than enough tools in his toolbelt to adjust to the fight. The other feats were more situational but he couldn’t imagine a time when knowing the weaknesses of his enemies wouldn’t be useful.

He selected the last feat and felt his mind flare with knowledge of many different creatures. The thoughts raced through his mind for a moment, but when it was done, he could easily recall what kinds of weaknesses any monster suffered from.

“I thank you for this power,” Dren said, bowing to the energy above him, his reflections doing the same.

“I wish there was more I could give you, but my reserves are weak and the spells that I cast drain me more and more with each passing week,” Gravis replied. “But this should be enough to give you an edge.”

Dren’s scanners, now attuned to the infected zones, began to recalibrate.

1 Infected Zone Detected! It informed him. “It would seem there is trouble on this floor,” Dren said.

“Yes,” Gravis replied. “And unfortunately, that zone is where the stairs to level 5 are connected. This would be a good way for you to see what you will face on the lower level.”

Dren agreed with this and bid the dungeon core farewell. It could not communicate directly outside of the meditation room as Amero blocked all active speaking abilities in order to give the impression that it was the only mind within the dungeon.

Dren left the scholars, discussing little with them as they did not need to know this detailed history. With knowledge of the Great Workshop and a functioning map of the fifth level, his only desire now was to get down there and begin the arduous task of destroying the dark hearts that were corrupting Gravis’ body.

He found his allies with telepathic guidance from Holis. They had entered the other room and found it to be empty of anything interesting, but it did connect to a few other rooms and so they had pressed on. Dren followed the instructions easily enough and found them in a hallway that was directly connected to the Infected Zone.

“There he is!” Foster said, wiping his blade clean. “We found a wandering minotaur but other than that, most of this floor is empty or without much.”

“Nothing but people,” Pickman agreed. “It is quite strange.”

“I’ve a stranger tale to tell…” Dren said as they gathered to see what he had learned. Gulch Adventuring Company did not seem to feel the same way about his discovery as he did and their faces turned grim as he explained the scenario. When he was done, Maureen was the first to speak.

“Truly, Dren, you do not believe this ridiculous tale,” she said, shaking her head. The monk had a mix of contempt and confusion on her face.

“I do believe it,” Dren replied. “Gravis was sincere and gave me an ability and some feats to better navigate the dungeon.”

“Just fattening you up for the slaughter,” Foster grumbled. “You can’t really believe that a dungeon core is a good creature. You’re just having a laugh.”

“I don’t think that’s the case,” Holis said, putting a hand to his head. “I can sense Dren’s experience well enough and to me, well, it seems that he has sincerely come to believe that the dungeon has a split personality.”

“Don’t tell me you’re believing this load of crock,” Pickman said. “It’s just some kind of scheme.”

“But to what end?” Holis replied. “Think about it, this floor has been sparse and there are indeed people living in peace and harmony here. I would have to say that Dren may be onto something here.”

The group scoffed at this.

“Thank you for believing me, Holis,” Dren said. He had expected there to be some pushback from the group, but they were not the ones in charge. “And it’s a moot point anyway, because the infected zone is what leads to the fifth level.”

“We’re here to find the dungeon heart!” Foster said. “That monster is just trying to obscure it and lower us into a more dangerous area.”

“You’re all being too foolish,” Holis muttered. “If the dungeon was truly as strong as we believe it to be, then there would be a host of creatures waiting to kill us down here. But all we’ve had are a few encounters and some traps, all of them easily overcome.”

“They were overcome because we’re the best out there!” Pickman countered.

“Pickman, we aren’t nearly close to the best. The best have all vanished and the princess hired the rest,” Holis said, shaking his head. “But this is a chance for us to gain a name for ourselves. The dungeon core, the true one, Gravis, must possess a great deal of treasure within its body. And if we are able to kill its parasitic counterpart…”

“Wait, then the dungeon would have no reason to keep the treasure!” Pickman concluded, his eyes lighting up. “And that means we are the ones who will get to keep it. Dren, can you tell Gravis that we want all the treasure he has?”

“When his power is restored, I’m sure he won’t hesitate to pay you all for your trouble,” Dren said. He was grateful that Holis was backing him up. “Now, come on, who wants to go deal with that infected zone and get down to level 5?”

They all cheered at that, rallied by the idea that there was potential for even more treasure than they had initially calculated.

Chapter 8

The door to the infected zone was nothing special. But Dren’s scanners were warning him that there was indeed danger on the other side. The group all looked at one another and Dren nodded. Pickman opened the door and gasped at what he discovered.

The room wasn’t really a dungeon room. It was a dense jungle, full of foliage and trees that were thick, branches and vines draping everywhere. There was no sky, just a canvas of black energy above, bubbling and dripping with corrupted magical energy.

Infected Zone discovered! his vision informed him as they all walked cautiously into the dungeon.

“The hell is this?” Maureen muttered, looking all around her. There were animals in this jungle, though they were contorted and corrupt looking; the toads had many eyes, the monkeys were rubbery and convulsing constantly and the parrots had heads that were much larger than the rest of their bodies, giving them an almost comical look.

“I’m sensing something powerful in here,” Holis said, putting a hand to his temple. “Like a presence that…wants us dead.”

“Do I look for traps?” Pickman asked. “I mean are we still in the dungeon or is this some kind of portal?”

“Bah, it’s an illusion,” Foster grunted. “This place is just the same as any other room we’ve been in, except we’re surrounded by illusory magics that are just convincing us we’re in a jungle.”

“And for what reason would that be?” Maureen asked.

“Obscure the traps,” Foster replied. “Pickman, get to searching.”

Pickman looked around and shrugged. “I don’t see anything. Normally my trap senses do the heavy lifting.”

He took a few steps forward, only to hear a loud snap and in an instant, he was entangled with a net shooting up from the ground. The net pulled taut around him and yanked him high above them, dangling the rogue from a tree.

At that exact moment, four slender figures emerged from behind a group of bushes, armed with bows. They aimed them upwards.

”Look out!” Maureen said, her skin turning to diamond as she tried to intercept the attack. The arrows fired through the air, but time seemed to slow down for Dren. He knew the rogue had a small amount of HP and being trapped in the net meant he had no chance of dodging. His hand instinctively grabbed the Wandgun and he pulled the trigger on the Forcefield Wand.

The gun crackled as the wand immediately projected an invisible wall in front of the elven enemies. The arrows bounced off harmlessly.

“Cut him down!” Dren ordered.

Foster nodded at this and rushed forward but before he could get to the tree, another trap triggered. Six vines came surging up from the ground, wrapping around his ankles and arms, then one around his neck. He tried to struggle his way out but was taken completely off-guard.

The elven foes began to sprint around the wall, as if they knew its exact range in order to circumvent it. Dren’s scanners quickly registered the enemies.

Tree Elves

Stats:

HP: 20

Defense: 5

Speed: 8

Attacks:

Arrow Shot: Deals 10 Piercing Damage that ignores Armor of a target.

Longsword Slash: Deals 15 Slashing Damage to a target within melee range.

Vine Mastery: Commands a nearby vine to strike or strangle a target.

Defenses:

Elven Agility: Ranged Attacks have no effect on an unimpeded Tree Elf.

Weaknesses:

Fire: Tree Elves take double damage from Fire attacks.

Upon seeing these stats, Dren realized that the elves were much more of a threat than the monsters in the other rooms. They were coordinated and quick enough to avoid ranged attacks, meaning that the majority of his weapons were useless against them, so he may as well not even try to hit them with his cannons.

Instead, Dren decided to use one of his spells. Summon Greater Golem would be useful here, but the trouble was that the golems on that list were not fire based, so he would just have to settle for summoning a regular golem. He raised his hand and cast the spell, conjuring a tall block of burning embers that had long arms and magma running through its body.

The elves were almost at the right angle to fire again, as Pickman struggled in vain to get free, but they were intercepted by the golem suddenly appearing in front of them. The large burning beast took a swing at the group, causing them to scatter out of the way. They were quite nimble and were able to dodge his blows, but at least the distraction was set. The duration of the spell was for five minutes, so Dren didn’t anticipate the summon leaving before the fight was over.

“Ranged attacks won’t work on these things,” Dren shouted to his comrades.

“Psychic attacks aren’t ranged,” Holis said, putting a hand to his temple. He closed his eyes and strained for a moment, causing one of the elves to suddenly spasm and fall to the ground, twitching violently.

Maureen, in the meantime, rushed to cut Foster free. The man’s face was starting to turn purple as he was being strangulated by the violent vines and time was precious. While she was distracted, Dren tried to figure out the best approach. The elves had slipped past the golem, who was unfortunately too slow to keep up with them, and were moving towards the bigger threat than the netted Pickman, meaning the artificer.

Dren had one spell that could make a big difference, Flamethrower; the only trouble was that it was technically a ranged spell. The remaining three elves lined up in front of him, nearly forty feet away, aiming their bows in perfect synchronicity.

His automated kite shield flew up in front of him, anticipating the attack. Dren went to dodge as they released their fingers on the bows, firing towards him with full speed. The shield deftly swung downwards, blocking one arrow; he scrambled out of the way of the second, but the third struck his person.

Fortunately, the Power Shield feat that he had was not expended just yet. A thin red layer of magical energy covered him as the arrow tried to lodge itself in his side. The shield took 10 damage, leaving it with only 5 points left.

Dren landed on the ground and had an idea. As the elves began to reload their bows, he pointed his left hand at the group’s feet and cast his Grease spell. A thin layer of liquid sprayed forth from his fingers, spreading and coating the ground beneath their feet. The elves seemed to sense the slipperiness of the surface below them and dug their heels into the ground, holding themselves firmly in place. But Dren was counting on them remaining stationary.

He raced to cast the Flamethrower spell, moving a few feet closer to get within range of them. His fingers spread into an arc and flames came pouring forth in great waves, creating a funnel of flames that headed not towards the elves but instead towards the ground they were standing upon.

Immediately, the greased up jungle floor ignited. The elves were too slow to react, their focus being on aiming their weapons again. The ground flashed and, in an instant, they were engulfed with fire.

“Haha!” Holis cheered as he watched the three figures burn to a crisp, falling to the ground, unable to flee the area due to how slippery and slick it was. “You’ve got a—”

His words were interrupted as an arrow came from behind them and struck him in the back of his neck. Blood sprayed everywhere as his hit points dropped down to 10. Before he could react, another arrow nailed him in the back, dropping him down to 0.

“Holis!” Dren shouted as he spun around, only to find there were five more tree elves behind them. They had been creeping up on the group during the initial skirmish and were now twenty feet away, point blank range for an arrow.

He dove to the ground as the arrows came flying towards him. Thankfully he had enchanted his gear to primarily focus on defense and was able to avoid the majority of the attacks, but one arrow managed to break through his power shield and armor, thanks to the armor piercing traits of the elven enemies. 5 Hit Points Lost! appeared in his vision.

Maureen, who had freed Foster, went to charge the elves, leaping in between the injured Holis and downed Dren to soak up the arrows. She was impressive as she rushed them, their arrows flying towards her but unable to pierce her skin, her armor dropping from 100 to 50 as five shots landed perfectly.

As she charged, there was a loud snap in the ground beneath her and in an instant, her leg was snagged by a snare, yanking her upwards high above the group, dangling her.

“Damn it all!” Maureen shouted as she tried to free her leg, but as a monk she had no slashing weapons and thus was stuck trying to break the rope with her bare hands.

Dren crawled up to Holis, who was laying on the ground, bleeding profusely. He reached a hand out and cast Healing Touch, his Mana Points dropping down further. He had started the day at 26, but after casting the golem spell, Grease, Flamethrower for one second and now this spell, he was down to only 3 MP. The magic drained so quickly in the heat of the moment. He would have to be careful about what he cast.

The healing touch spell immediately healed Holis of his injuries, sealing the wounds and bringing him back up to 11 HP.

The elven archers reloaded and fired another volley at Dren, but thankfully his status of laying on the ground gave him better cover and the arrows struck the dirt right in front of him.

“Stay down!” Dren said.

“I can’t sense their minds,” Holis said. “They seem to have some kind of camouflage.”

Dren mentally commanded his golem to attack. The large monster ambled forward, too slow to make a difference right now.

Foster rushed the group with his axe, taking a few arrow attacks as he closed in to melee. Thankfully he had activated his Warrior’s Spirit and had 20 extra points to soak up the damage. The shots struck him in the chest and shoulder but he ignored them, his health dropping from 45 to 25 in the blink of the eye.

The elves tried to slip away from him but their deftness was paltry compared to his own swiftness. He swung his axe hard into one of the enemies, striking it for 35 damage and hewing the head and shoulder from the rest of the body. They scattered out of the way, separating from one another, trying to spread out to get distance.

Two of the elves raised their hands and vines from a nearby tree snaked out at lightning speeds, seizing Foster’s wrists as he went to slash at another target. The vines ripped out of the tree from the sheer might of his swing but this slowed him down enough for them to get out of the way.

Holis focused and blasted another with his mind, downing it and leaving only three left. At least, three that they could see.

Dren climbed to his feet during the commotion and drew his enchanted cutlass. The blade sung as it was pulled from its scabbard, light and ready for action. He charged at a nearby elf with the weapon raised high, the speed of his enhanced boots allowing him to close the distance relatively quickly.

The elf drew its own blade, dropping the bow, and tried to intercept Dren’s swing. It was too slow and he nailed it across the chest, slashing in a downward arc, dealing 15 damage.

The monster took a swing at Dren, its speed much faster than the artificer could anticipate. By the time he raised his blade to block, he was stabbed in the gut, hitting him for 15 damage. His armor managed to reduce 7 points but the other 8 went through, his HP dropping down to 14. He was thankful that Gravis had given him additional HP, as he was still standing and able to fight. Armor Broken! appeared in his vision, the damage too high to keep his Tinkerer’s Armor together. Damn! Thankfully he could repair it with one of his spells.

Holis blasted another elf while, at the same time, Foster leapt upon the other, cleaving it in half with a mighty blow. Dren spun to the left, his sword swinging in an arc. The elf tried to dodge but at such close quarters it was unable to do so, and so the blade struck it in the side and met flesh, cutting through with such speed that the target was mortally wounded. It fell to the ground, body withering and turning into a black mass that melted back into the floor.

“Everyone okay?” Dren asked as he spun around in a circle, looking for any more signs of elven archers. The area was clear.

“I’m dangling by my ankle,” Maureen grumbled. “I am far from okay.”

Chapter 9

Monsters Defeated! 5,000 XP gained! appeared in Dren’s vision as he and Foster worked to cut their dangling allies free from the traps that had been on the ground. He blinked a few times at the sheer number of XP that he had just gained. He was now at 8,000/11,000, meaning he was just one or two encounters away from leveling up. The XP had been hard-earned; Holis had nearly died, two of his party members were left out due to the traps and Dren’s own HP and MP was dangerously low. Another encounter before they could rest for a time would be too much. But he knew that being in an infected zone was far from safe. They couldn’t rest until they cleared it. And maybe the XP from that clearing would level him up.

“Okay, so we’re in a place where I can’t sense the traps and Holis can’t sense the enemy minds,” Pickman grumbled once he was finally out of the net. “What’s the point of taking feats if we’re just going to not be able to use them?”

“It’s that black mass above us,” Holis replied. “It’s putting out some kind of energy that masks the area.”

“Infection,” Dren said. “We need to find the source and destroy it in order to clear the zone. That should open up the floor to level 5.”

“And that’s another thing,” Pickman said. “We say we go up a level but when we’re in dungeons we go down levels. Why are the words the same?”

They ignored the rogue’s complaining and looked around. The jungle seemed to be much larger than the other rooms and despite Foster’s theory about them being illusions, touching the trees revealed that they were realer than real. Some illusions could, in theory, mimic the sense of touch but a few whacks from Dren’s sword broke off pieces of wood, revealing something too complex to be a simple illusion.

“Everyone group up,” Holis ordered. “Cluster together and move slowly. We don’t want to get ambushed again.”

“Grouping will just make one trap all the more effective,” Maureen countered. “I say we spread out.”

“Dren?” Foster asked, and everyone looked at him for orders.

He considered the argument and sided with Maureen. “Spread out but not too far. Ten feet apart should be good enough,” he said.

They quickly fell into formation and began to move forward, walking through the dense jungle. The mutated animals scattered as they walked, searching for signs of trouble. Dren looked up at the black mass above them, the perpetually dripping and pulsing ceiling and noticed something curious. Though the ceiling encompassed the entire area, there was a thin trail of black energy, a magical aura, moving downwards to a central point. He guessed that the source of the infection would be there.

“This way,” Dren said, pointing east. “I have a feeling we’re going to find what we’re looking for.”

“Shouldn’t we rest first?” Maureen asked. “My armor doesn’t regenerate without at least ten hours of sleep.”

“In a place like this?” Foster replied. “If what Dren believes is true, that there is a feral dungeon mind in infected zones, then I can’t imagine resting would be anywhere close to safe.”

“We could always go back the way we came,” Pickman said. “The hall should be safe enough to sleep.”

“And then the area regenerates the monsters, makes more traps and then we’re dead in the water,” Dren said, keeping his focus forward.

“Boy, we sure picked a hard profession,” the rogue muttered. “Coulda just been a bean farmer or something.”

They ventured through the jungle for half a mile, encountering nothing but more of the same. There was a strange lack of creativity to the area, for as they marched, Dren couldn’t help but notice that the trees were almost identical to the ones they had walked out of at the start of the zone. As if Amero could create his own region but lacked the creativity to create variety.

As they walked, the black trail from the sky grew thicker and the trees became more and more warped. Black ooze was pouring down the sides of the bark, leaves turning brown and brittle as if infected with some kind of disease.

Ahead, there was a clearing in the trees leading to a large, round floor made of stone. The stone was rough cut and porous, with many jagged pieces sticking upwards. Two large rocks were on the far side of the circle, looming high above the middle. Black energy poured downwards from the ceiling into the center of the area.

They all halted at the sight of the change of scenery. Standing in the center of the circle was a massive gorilla-like beast. The creature was nearly twelve feet tall, with long arms that it rested upon, its body shimmering with black ooze as it stared forward without any movement. Its eyes were yellowed and its torso was plated with stone, natural armor that seemed to cover the vital areas.

“The hell is that?” Foster asked.

“I believe,” Dren said, “that is the source of the infection.”

His scanners quickly locked onto the creature and updated him.

Prime Infection Detected!

Monstro Beast

Stats:

HP: 200

Defense: 1

Speed: 5

Attacks:

Crushing Grasp: Seizes a Target and deals 40 Crushing Damage to them.

Funneling Darkness: Extends arms towards up to 3 targets, striking them for 20 damage each.

Ground and Pound: Grapples a Target and beats them for 20 Crushing Damage per second.

Defenses:

Stone Armor: Reduces all damage by 10 Points.

Weaknesses:

Fire: Takes double damage from Fire.

“I’ve got some rough news,” Dren said as they all crouched behind one of the trees, observing the inert Monstro Beast. “That thing has two hundred hit points.”

Everyone turned to look at him and slowly looked back at the monster. “Two hundred…” Foster muttered.

“But it is weak to fire,” Dren weakly offered. “Though it can deal up to 40 damage in a single blow.”

“How in the hell are we supposed to kill that thing?” Pickman groaned.

“Between the five of us, we could just attack it quickly and with focus,” Holis said. “We deal quite a bit of damage.”

Dren looked at his Wandgun and the Wand of Fireball. He had a few charges left on it. The wand dealt 20 damage, but was doubled, so that would be 40. If he used the rest of its charges, he would be able to deal about 120 points. But in the time it took the wand to activate, fire and then fire again…someone could easily be killed.

“We need to be careful about this,” Dren said. “But Holis is right. Our damage output is rather high. I’ve got a Wand of Fireball that could make a real dent in its HP. The only trouble is that the fire doesn’t discriminate against targets. The moment we attack that thing, it’s going to be on us in the blink of an eye.”

“I can survive a close-quarters fight,” Maureen said. “I’m strong enough to grapple just about anything, thanks to my feats. You could hit it with your spell, I’ll dive in to intercept it and the rest of you can unload.”

“You can take forty damage?” Pickman asked.

“With my diamond skin, yes,” Maureen replied. “Though it has worn down after our recent encounter. I could take one hit.”

Dren pondered this. It was a huge risk to let Maureen leap into the battle and try to solo the Monstro. It would be much better if they could only use ranged attacks.

“What if we were to climb up in the trees?” Dren asked. “The beast would have to climb to get to us and we could leap down before it reached anyone.”

“Not a bad idea, but I’m a melee fighter,” Foster replied. “I can’t do much when I’m away from the beast.”

Dren took out his Hand Cannon. “You can pull a trigger, right?”

The man eagerly took the slender weapon. “Now this is real firepower!” he said, looking the gun over. Dren handed a few cannonballs to him and quickly showed him how to load it. “It deals bludgeoning damage but also fire, so normally it would hit for twenty, this time it’ll hit for forty.”

“Very nice,” Foster chuckled as he held up the gun to the light. “You really made this yourself?”

Dren felt a sense of pride overcome him at the admiration for his invention. For the most part, he normally just made items for himself and there was little worth in self-praise. But here was a seasoned adventurer, marveling over the creation that he had worked so hard on. “I did,” he replied.

“You should make a few more,” Foster said, looking down the sights of the gun. “We could be a regular firing squad.”

“Not a bad idea,” Dren mused.

“Can you stop fiddling with your phallic weaponry and focus?” Maureen grumbled. “We’ve got a gorilla to fight.”

“Alright, in the trees,” Dren ordered.

They scrambled up a large tree with extended branches that were quite thick and able to properly hold their weight. The four adventurers spread out onto different branches in order to minimize the chances of being hit by the Monstro beast at the same time. Once they were in position, Dren took out his Wandgun and looked over at Foster, who was wielding the cannon with both hands. He nodded.

Pickman drew out his crossbow, a slender model that was designed to pack a real punch while being easy to assemble and break apart for travel. He put a bolt in there and took a deep breath. “The beast is unaware of us, so if I strike first, my sneak attack will kick in.”

“Pickman fires first, we fire second,” Dren ordered. He looked down at Maureen whose skin was changing to become more like diamond. There were cracks in her body, chunks missing and pieces that were dangling off. Without time to rest, she was at a lower armor point capacity but it would have to do. He sincerely hoped her grappling abilities could match the Monstro.

Tension built in the air as Dren readied his Cannon Friends, wishing that he had brought some fire cubes with him to swap out the ammunition type. That had been an oversight, a laziness brought on by the fact that he had a spell that could summon a workshop with his entire inventory at any time. He vowed to keep a bundle of elemental cubes with him after this.

“Aim,” Dren hissed. Everyone pointed their weapons downwards, angled perfectly at the large monster that was still standing in place, blissfully unaware of the attack that was coming. Dren’s Wandgun clicked as it rotated to the Fire Wand. His finger hovered above the trigger.

“Pickman, fire!” Dren ordered.

The rogue shot true, releasing a bolt from his crossbow with expert precision. The bolt sailed through the air and struck the monster in the left eye, burrowing deep into its skull. The words Sneak Attack! 30 Damage appeared above the Monstro. The beast let out a thundering roar as its HP dropped down to 170.

“Fire!” Dren shouted. He squeezed the trigger on the Wandgun, causing the slender wooden wand to shoot out a red bead. The bead sailed straight into the Monstro beast’s body and exploded instantly, flames washing everywhere. 40 Damage! hovered above the target. Seconds later, a cannonball came crashing into the creature, hitting it in the torso as the monster began to raise its arms in defiance of the attacks.

The cannonball created a second explosion, kicking off the fight.

“Reload!” Dren said, hoping he would have time to snap off a second fire spell. Unfortunately, the large beast was faster than the recovery time for the wand and it began to charge towards the tree, expertly taking notice of the people who were up there.

Maureen leapt in front of the Monstro, her skin glittering in the light of the explosions, as if able to capture the flash and ripple for a time. The humungous beast threw a fist at her and, to Dren’s surprise, she caught it with her much smaller hand. She held the fist for a moment before the other hand grabbed her.

Holis was concentrating but was sweating profusely. “This monster’s mind is somewhat shielded, I can’t seem to locate it enough to blast it.”

“Just keep focusing,” Dren ordered.

Maureen was lifted in the air, her body gripped with both hands of the beast. It tried to squeeze her as hard as it could. She took 40 points of damage in an instant, but the armor soaked it up, leaving her with only 10 left.

Dren had precious few MP left but knew that she was struggling to get control of the enormous creature. “Hold fire,” he yelled.

“On your mark!” Foster replied, aiming the cannon directly beneath them. He had quickly managed to reload, though not nearly fast enough to get another shot off before the beast attacked.

“Here goes!” Dren muttered as he cast Grease once again, watching his MP drop down to zero.

The spell squirted through the air, striking Maureen who immediately became slippery enough to slide out of the monster’s grasp. She landed on the ground and, without hesitation, did a leg sweep with tremendous force. The blow dealt no damage but the beast lost its balance from the strike and wiped out, landing on its back.

“Get the hell out of there!” Dren shouted! “Everyone fire when she’s clear!”

Maureen skated across the solid ground, sliding with ease thanks to the grease on her body, and managed to get clear of the blast radius. Everyone fired again. The cannonball and the fireball both struck at the same time, dealing a combined 80 damage to the Monstro. Pickman’s bolt came in second, dealing no damage due to the beast’s stone armor.

The monster’s health dropped rapidly from 170 to 90. Dren felt sweat drip down the sides of his goggles as he waited for the wand to power itself again. There was a big enough delay for the Monstro to get back up on its feet.

The monster charged the tree but didn’t climb. Much to everyone’s surprise and terror, it seized the tree with both arms and ripped the trunk clean out of the ground. Dren tried to hold onto the branches but realized as the beast lifted the tree up high that it was going to simply club the ground with them on the branches. The thing was strong enough to tear through the roots locking the tree to the earth; it would be strong enough to shatter them along with all of the branches.

“Jump!” Dren shouted.

Pickman and Foster easily escaped, leaping downwards to the ground before the tree could be smashed against the stone flooring, but Holis was delayed. He was still trying to get an attack out, a small droplet of blood dripping from his nose as he strained. He started to tumble downwards, straight towards the monster.

Dren had to act fast. He leapt off the branch he had been holding onto and dashed from limb to limb, grabbing the psion by the scruff of his tunic just in time to stop him from falling. With a heft, he swung the man away from the Monstro and towards the group.

Foster caught him easily enough and they cleared the area.

“Damn the blast radius,” Dren grunted as he aimed his gun downwards. His wand had recharged in time and he fired the shot just as the tree came crashing down towards the earth.

The explosion rippled across the entire tree and Dren could feel the intense heat wash over him; thankfully he was just out of range but he had to deal with the fact that dozens of branches were now collapsing atop him, crushing him with an intense force. He took 15 damage from the combined fall and crashing, dropping his health down to a measly 2.

The Monstro roared as it threw the tree aside, revealing a collapsed Dren who had the wind knocked out of him. He tried to get to his feet, to scramble away, but he wasn’t fast enough. A giant hand lunged towards him, only to be intercepted by Maureen. She dove in front of him at the last second and caught the blow.

The woman was tiny compared to the monster but she may as well have been a giant in Dren’s eyes. For she held the grasping hand with ease. The monster tried to clutch her with the other hand but before it could grab hold, a cannonball struck it in the center of the chest.

The explosion washed over Maureen, throwing her backwards and shattering her diamond armor. She landed besides Dren with a thud, her skin now normal though charred from the explosion. She had taken 10 damage from the blast.

Dren glanced up to see the Monstro standing perfectly still. The monster wobbled for a moment and then, it collapsed on the ground. That last attack had taken it down to zero health. A perfect shot, albeit a risky one with how close Maureen was to the creature.

“Is it dead?” Maureen groaned as she rolled over onto her back.

“You’re damn right it is,” Foster said, walking up to them with his smoking Hand Cannon. “Courtesy of Dren’s handiwork.”

Chapter 10

The Monstro Beast was dead. It collapsed in a heap from the final shot and then, everything around them started to change. Dren climbed to his feet, dusting himself off and looking at the corpse of the creature. The black aura was thinning rapidly as the monster melted away into the ground, leaving behind a huge chunk of pulsing brown crystal.

“Everyone alive?” Pickman asked as he approached Maureen. She was rubbing her head, groaning from the pain but otherwise, she was fine.

“That was one calculated risk,” she muttered. “I had enough armor to absorb half the blow but…well, let’s just be glad my HP was full.”

“Sorry,” Foster said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. “But I figured that the monster would kill you anyway, so why not go out in a blaze of glory.”

“No, no, it was the right move,” Maureen replied.

Dren stared upwards at the ceiling. The mass of darkness was becoming thinner and thinner. White light began to spread out in the center, like a droplet of ink in the water, spreading its tendrils through the entire mass, stretching long and wide. The light broke up the dark mass faster and faster until the shuddering darkness was completely eradicated.

The jungle began to melt down around them, oozing into the ground and dispersing like a droplet of rain. The walls gradually became the brick that was the hallmark of the rest of this floor and the floor returned to its normal state. There was a bright flash of light and the entire area was engulfed for a moment. And then, they were in a normal sized room, with walls, floor and…a door!

Infection Cleared! appeared in Dren’s vision. 6,000 XP gained! He grinned to himself at the sight of the numbers. That was more than enough for him to hit level 12.

“So the dungeon core created this entire area with its power…” Holis said. “And has the ability to negate psychic abilities. Just my luck.”

Dren nodded emptily at that and approached the brown crystal formation that was resting where the Monstro Beast had fallen. The crystal was long and jagged, stuck in the ground with several pieces sticking upwards.

His scanners began to buzz as he looked at the curious thing.

Earth Crystal Shards Detected!

Dren grinned. He had wondered where the majority of crystal shards came from and Gravis had casually mentioned that they naturally grew from his body. This formation must have been somehow connected to Amero’s ability to take control of the area. That meant that not only did infected zones promise large chunks of XP, they would also provide him with crystal shards, a much rarer artifice crafting component.

“Anyone got a pickaxe?” Dren asked as he gently touched the pulsing crystal on the ground.

“Surprisingly, yes,” Pickman said, reaching into a bag on his belt and pulling out a pickaxe.

“How’d that fit in there?” Foster asked, looking at the small bag with bewilderment.

“This is actually known as the Handyman’s Pouch,” Pickman explained as he handed the pickaxe to Dren. “It is a magical bag that provides any tool that you need in the exact moment. Crowbar, hammer, axe… hell, one time I pulled out a garden rake. I didn’t need one at that moment, but ironically the goblins who had cornered me had all started laughing so hard that I was able to scurry away.”

Dren half-listened to the story as he held the pickaxe in his hands. It was a funny thing, he had seen these tools his entire life. The miners lived with these and used them every day. But he hadn’t used them more than a few times here and there. And never to directly mine something. Odd how Arthursberg pride filled him as he lifted it in the air and swung it down.

The pickaxe struck the center of the crystal formation and the brown crystal cracked. He struck it once, twice and on the third time, the formation shattered. With the root of the crystal now broken, the other pieces fell to the ground, shattering into much smaller shards.

Dren scooped up the shards with one hand. The majority of the crystal pieces faded away, as if by magic, but 60 shards remained. Enough for him to experiment with.

Dren had taken a feat that allowed him to infuse crystal shards with his inventions, giving them special abilities. The only trouble was sourcing the shards, as the infusion required 20 crystals. He had two options here: he could use the shards to enhance his inventions, seeing what new things it brought, or he could potentially merge fifty of the shards into a single crystal that would provide its own special properties when crafting. A hard choice.

“Those crystals talking to you or something?” Holis asked as he walked up to inspect the slender pieces that still glowed with magical energy.

“They’re used in artifice,” Dren replied. “And they are powerful.”

“Ah,” the psion said dryly, not bothering to feign interest. “I think I’m out.”

Everyone turned to look at him at once.

“What do you mean, you’re out?” Pickman said.

“Look, this Amero thing, be it a dungeon core or split personality or whatever, it has the power to block my psionic energies,” Holis replied. “I didn’t sign up for an adventure where my powers were blocked at every turn. I was completely useless in the last two fights.”

“Surely you can do more than just mind blast,” Foster said. “Don’t you have a wide range of abilities?”

“My class specialization is actually Blaster. My feats and everything have been based around the ability to shoot my enemies’ minds,” Holis explained. He sighed heavily. “I fear that if I continue with you, I’ll just be dead weight. And then at some point, I’ll be dead.”

“You can’t just leave!” Maureen growled. “You’re a part of the team and you have abilities we don’t. You just need to figure out how to circumvent this problem.”

“That’s easy to say when you have the power to fist fight a giant without breaking a sweat,” Holis said. “I’m not being a coward, I just think that…that what’s waiting for us down in level five is just too much for me to handle.”

“Well tough luck, because you’re part of Gulch and that means you’re on the team, regardless of what you think!” Foster shouted. “You don’t dare just abandon us in the middle of our adventure. I mean, even if your powers don’t work on these things, you have two hands. You can do a lot!”

Holis looked towards Dren with a grimace. “You have anything to say?”

“The trouble is, Holis,” Dren said after taking a moment to think it over. “You don’t have anywhere to go. If there was a working exit, then I’d say go ahead, you’re welcome to leave but the truth of the matter is that you’re stuck. You could go back to the village but what would that accomplish? Think about it, man. The only way out of this dungeon is to destroy Amero’s influence on Gravis. And even though your psychic abilities didn’t do much in the last battle, it doesn’t mean every fight is going to be like this. Without your help, we may not be able to clear the infected zones and find a way out. And then what? You’d be stuck here, in a village with nothing to do.”

Holis pondered this for a moment. “You may be right,” he murmured. “There is no way out. I hadn’t quite thought of that.”

“Stick with your team, stick with the people who are willing to risk their necks to protect you and you’ll be fine,” Dren said, patting the man on the shoulder.

“Very well,” the psion replied. “I suppose that I shall not leave in a huff.”

“What’s next then?” Foster asked, looking at Dren.

“Well, if Gravis has been sincere about his desire to not harm us, then there’s no danger in resting,” Dren replied. “We can unpack and camp here, before we go down to level 5.”

“Perfect! Though we’ll still keep our usual watch schedules,” Maureen said. “There’s no reason to think we’re safe until we are completely out of this wretched place.”

With that, the group was quick to unpack for the night. They were seasoned adventurers and brought with them magical tents that were packed neatly in square packages. A single tug of the twine wrapped around the package caused the entire tent to unfold itself.

Everyone settled down, rations were given out and Dren was free to focus on leveling up. He sat away from the group, meditating on the new energies that had come to him.

Level Up! You are now Level 12!

You Gain 4 Skill Points! You may purchase a new skill or increase a skill by 1 Rank!

Skills:

Artifice: A

Identify: A

Search: A

Appraise: C

Command: A

Control: B

Trapfinding: A

Mechanics: B

Herbalism: C

Researching: B

Butchery: D

Architecture: C

Meditation: C

Counterspell: B

Aura Sense: B

Unlearned Skills:

Focus: Extends the Duration of a Spell by 1 each Rank.

Siphon: Allows you to drain Mana from Charged Magic Items. Each rank adds more mana

He looked at his skills. They were quite high thanks to his steady leveling over the last few years. He had wanted to butcher a monster in order to gain artifice cubes, but had not been able to do so because his level was too low. He decided to put two ranks in that, bringing it up to B. Hopefully that would be enough to qualify him for cutting into the various monsters they would encounter here.

After he improved Butchery, he turned his attention to Siphon. Back in the fight, his mana had been dangerously low. This would allow him to drain the charges from magical items in a pinch, giving him an edge in the middle of trouble. It wasn’t the most ideal situation, sapping charges from his items, but sometimes he needed to rob Peter to pay Paul. He decided to put two ranks into Siphon, finishing out his skill selection. He then turned his attention to the feats.

You gain 2 Feats! Select from the list below!

Infuser:

Mana Sink: You may store up to 5 Mana into an Invention. At any time, as long as the invention is present, you may draw that Mana out. This may only be done one at a time.

Overclock: You may spend 2 Mana to enhance your Cogbots’ performance for a minute.

Superior Enhancement: Grant a single invention a +5 bonus to Speed, Defense or HP for a week.

Caster:

Rapid Casting: You may cast a spell for 2 Additional Mana as an Instant Action.

Delayed Spell: You may Delay a Spell for up to a minute to activate after casting.

Counter-Drain: You gain 5 Mana when you Counter a spell.

Favored Spell: Select a spell, reduce its cost by 5 to a minimum of 1 Mana.

Mystic:

Aura Reader: You gain additional information when detecting a magical aura.

Ardent Student: You may memorize Scrolls and cast from them without having to equip them.

Spell Absorption: When struck with a spell, you gain 3 Mana.

There weren’t any new feats available for this level, but in the spirit of managing his mana better, Dren looked at Mana Sink. It would allow him to store emergency mana in his inventions, costing him nothing if he were to do it today, before meditating. Five extra points would be useful in a pinch, so he decided to take it.

After that, he looked at Superior Enhancement. The ability to add +5 to his stats was useful and the enhancement lasted for a week at a time. Since it would give him more HP, it was a bargain. The other areas weren’t so interesting to him and, so, he selected Superior Enhancement, finalizing his feat selection.

Next were the schematics for his inventions.

You gain 2 Schematics! Level 2 Schematics are unlocked!

Thaumaturge Schematics

Level 1 Conjuring

Spirit Armor Necklace

Description: This necklace conjures powerful spirit armor that blocks all forms of damage up to 40 points. The armor is reduced each hit.

Cost:

20 Blue Nickel Cubes

5 Dark Crystal Shards

Anti-Spirit Ray

Description: A powerful weapon that deals damage to spirits, ignoring their ethereal state.

Stats:

Range: 50 Feet

Accuracy: 10

Damage: 15

Speed: 3

Targets: 1

Damage Type: Force

Cost:

100 Yellow Band Copper

25 Light Shard Crystals

Level 2 Conjuring

Summoner’s Gloves

Description: These gloves extend the length of your summons by 15 minutes and improve their combat ability.

Cost:

100 Leather Cubes

10 Summoner’s Cubes

Binding Collar

Description: This collar, when placed on a summoned creature, allows it to stay in the realm for as long as it is wearing the device. Improves the strength and speed of the summon as well.

Cost:

125 Silver Cubes

100 Yellow Band Copper

50 Light Shards

Level 1 Wands

Ice Skate Wand

Description: This wand grants the user +10 Speed and the ability to skate across solid ground. The skating ignores all terrain and can move across solid water as well.

Charges: 15

Duration: 1 minute

Cost:

25 Ice Cubes

25 Magic Cubes

10 Blue Nickel Cubes

10 Wood Cubes

Level 2 Wands

Wand of Blindness

Description: This wand causes any target struck by it to become blinded for 10 minutes. A blind individual has significantly reduced speed and defense and all weapon accuracy is reduced to 1.

Charges: 10

Cost:

100 Darkness Cubes

25 Dark Shards

10 Blue Nickel Cubes

10 Wood Cubes

Wand of Invulnerability

Description: Those who are affected by this wand gain +10 Defense and 100 Temporary Hit Points for one minute.

Charges: 5

Cost:

100 Light Cubes

50 Heart Cubes

10 Red Steel Cubes

10 Wood Cubes

Level 1 Rings

Ring of Iron Skin

Description: Wearing this Ring grants you 5 Innate Armor that cannot be damaged.

Cost:

25 Heart Cubes

25 Red Steel Cubes

5 Silver Cubes

Level 2 Rings

Ring of Wallwalk

Description: This ring allows you to pass through solid objects up to twenty feet at a time.

Charges: 20

Cost:

50 Earth Cubes

25 Red Steel Cubes

5 Silver Cubes

There were no new schematics either. Dren felt a little disappointed but, then again, he was heading towards the Great Workshop, where undoubtedly there were going to be many schematics available for him to study and learn from.

Of the items available to craft, he found himself drawn most to the Wand of Invulnerability. This would overcharge anyone in melee with the ability to withstand a lot of punishment, while also allowing them to defend themselves with greater ability. Not a bad choice and since it was a wand, he could apply it to others. He selected it and then looked at the other options.

The Spirit Armor Necklace was attractive. Though the armor was ultimately temporary, draining with each hit, the requirements to build it were low and he could potentially make a few to keep with him. 40 extra armor points would make a big difference in combat and maybe he could make a few more for his team. The other schematics just weren’t that interesting to him.

He finalized his selections, noting that he gained no new spells either. But next level would bring level three of everything, so he wasn’t too worried.

Chapter 11

As everyone rested, sleeping in their tents, Dren sat watch. There was no danger to worry about, but it was wise to still sleep in shifts. There was no knowing what kind of encounters could be found within this dungeon and being caught off-guard because everyone was asleep was a foolish idea.

While he waited for the hours to pass, he took out his earth shards and looked at them. The cluster of crystals glowed at him, inviting him to use them to improve his inventions. He had sixty shards, enough to enhance three items. What should he pick first? He had so many different inventions… Perhaps he should test the effects with something simple first. His Autogauntlet.

Dren counted out twenty shards and placed them in the palm of his metal hand. The energies began to flicker as he focused, attuning his mind to the crystals. In an instant, the shards flashed and vanished, melting into the glove.

Shard Enhancement! Your Autogauntlet has been Infused with an Earth Shard.

Select bonus function from below!

Boulder Smash: Your Autogauntlet can now perform an attack known as Boulder Smash. Hits a target for 30 points of Earth Damage. Costs 1 Mana per use.

Earth Strength: Your Autogauntlet gains +100 pounds of lifting power.

Immense Grip: The Autogauntlet’s grip improves, allowing you to grapple targets with ease.

Not bad! Dren liked the look of these enhancements, as they seemed to be in tune with the invention itself, meaning that each different item he infused would be filled with different options. Boulder Smash was attractive because it dealt significant damage, though it did have a mana cost. Earth Strength was also good looking due to the fact that he could lift even heavier objects.

But Dren had already learned the Ring of Superior Strength, though he had yet to build it. The gauntlet itself was only a small part of actual physical strength. It would be better to craft the ring once he reached the workshop, provided it had enough materials for him to use.

He selected Boulder Smash and grinned. A new attack, a new way to get out of trouble. And best of all, the damage was elemental, so if there were any monsters with Earth weaknesses, he’d be able to deal upwards to 60 damage per hit. Fantastic.

He chewed the inside of his cheek as he pondered what to improve next. He had so many different options… What would happen if he were to use the shards on a wand for example?

Dren took out his Wand of Fireball. The thing was now out of charges, making it more or less useless, but perhaps the infusion would do something. This was the nature of experimentation, was it not? Risk resources to see what would happen…

The shards flashed as they touched the wand, merging in the blink of an eye. Shards Infused to Wand! Magical energy has been converted into Charges! his vision informed him. Dren blinked a few times as he realized that the shards could recharge magical items. The expended wand’s charges immediately shot up from zero to five.

“Not bad!” Dren said to himself, grinning at the realization. As long as he had access to shards, he could recharge his most important magical weapons. However, this meant that he couldn’t use the shards to infuse with his wands, meaning the experiment was technically a failure, though it did give him new information.

With only one more infusion left, Dren carefully looked at his gear. Maybe the Hand Cannon? Or perhaps the Skitterbot? He didn’t use them too much these days and they could use an upgrade. Though he could only improve one…what about the Floating Crossbow? So many choices and so few resources. Perhaps level 5 would have more.

After some deliberation, Dren decided to improve his Skitterbot. This would give him an idea of what a cogbot received when upgraded.

Your Skitterbot has been Infused with an Earth Shard!

Select a bonus function from below!

Stone Burrow: Stones walls can no longer prevent the skitterbot from entering an area.

Shardfinder: The skitterbot can now detect crystals that can be mined for shards. Will alert you upon returning.

Earth Bite: Skitterbot can bite a target for 10 Earth Damage.

Dren looked at the options. Shardfinder was the clear winner here, as the next floor of the dungeon was huge and would have many different places to investigate. Gravis had mentioned that the crystals were natural growths from its body, meaning that it wasn’t only in infected zones that he could find them. He selected the Shardfinder and looked as his Skitterbot’s color changed to a slight brown, its body growing a few chunks of stone to indicate its evolution.

That was all the shards he had for now. Dren sighed to himself and returned to focusing on the watch, hoping that there would be no trouble.

The next morning, or whenever it was that everyone was finally rested, the group packed up quickly and headed to the door leading down to the fifth level. Everyone’s spirits were high, the time resting to regain their HP and other resources was well deserved and much needed.

The stairs leading downwards were vast and long. The group traveled for what seemed like hours until finally they made it to the next level of the dungeon. As they arrived, Dren’s scanners activated, quickly taking note of the area.

Six Infected Zones Detected! his vision informed him. The minimap updated, displaying the huge dungeon floor with its many different rooms. One Zone was close.

“Alright,” Dren said. “We’ve got a Zone about three hallways from here. We’re going to head in there and take care of it.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Foster said.

“So if Gravis is not actively trying to kill us, are rooms other than the infected zones safe?” Pickman asked.

“Good question,” Maureen echoed.

Dren pondered that. He wasn’t entirely sure. “Well, Amero is capable of generating monsters and traps on his own. So we shouldn’t just assume that because we’re not in an infected zone, that we’re safe. Keep your eyes and ears open.”

They entered a wide hallway with thick cobblestone walls. The floor here was different from the fourth level, the ground a dark grey. Torches lined the walls, flickering with magical energies that allowed them to perpetually burn.

The group spread out and moved with caution. As they walked, shadows around the corner rose up, casting figures of what looked to be people.

“Hold up!” Holis said. “I’m sensing minds ahead.”

Everyone stopped in place, tension rising in the air. The shadows also stopped moving, their long figures standing in place. Dren and company drew their weapons. Pickman slipped to the side of the wall and crept alongside it, carefully making his way to take a look at what was awaiting them.

At the same time that he was getting close, a head popped out from the corner. It was a human! “Oh!” the fellow said, grinning widely. “I didn’t realize there were other adventurers in this place!”

Dren relaxed at the sight of the person. He was a blonde man with two long earrings, crystals dangling from them and shining in the torchlight. The man stepped out from behind cover, revealing that he was wearing studded leather armor and was carrying a hand crossbow at his side.

“Hail there,” Foster said, waving to the stranger. “What’s the word?”

“XP and treasure galore!” the fellow said. His companions stepped out from cover as well, knowing now that they weren’t facing another encounter.

There was a woman, adorned in blue robes with white patches on them, a shorter man with two axes at his side and a tall man in full plate armor which shone perpetually with magical energies. Dren could detect many auras around them; they were stocked with the best gear possible for delving in a dungeon.

“We’re Gulch Adventuring Company,” Maureen introduced, though not moving forward to greet the other party.

“I am Luvo,” the warrior in plate mail said, bowing to them. “And we are the Wickly Adventuring Society.”

Introductions were made between the groups. Luvo was a paladin, the woman in robes was Alaina the Weaver, a skilled illusionist, the short man was just known as Gruff, a berserker and the scout was Mim.

“How long have you guys been down here?” Dren asked.

“Bah, who’s to count?” Luvo replied with a laugh. “Long enough to get a few levels, earn plenty of treasure and loot galore!”

Holis was frowning for some reason. As Foster and Luvo chatted, he motioned for Dren to step back. The artificer complied and the two spoke telepathically, looking at one another.

“These guys are trouble,” Holis said. “I have scanned their minds and I can tell you, many memories of surprise meetings like this are there. Only they end in total bloodshed.”

“Wait, you’re saying these guys kill other adventuring parties?”

“Yes, they are frustrated with their efforts down here, unable to find any way back up. They don’t engage with serious threats, instead luring adventuring parties back to their camp where they then kill them during rest.”

Dren grimaced at this. He could tell that Holis was speaking truthfully, the expression upon the man’s face showing everything that he needed to know. But how were they going to handle this?

“Alert the others to the danger,” Dren commanded.

As Dren telepathically spoke, the woman Alaina cautiously leaned in and murmured something to the party leader. Was she onto them?

“Anyway,” Luvo said, “our camp is just around the corner. Ironically, the halls are the safest place in here. Come on, we’ll show the map we’ve made and the notes.”

The Adventuring Society casually turned around and made their way around the corner. The Gulch members all looked at each other knowingly.

“This is going to be an ambush,” Dren muttered, keeping his voice low. “Get ready for trouble.”

Everyone nodded at that and drew their weapons. The group got into formation, Foster in the front, the others behind him, including Dren. They hurried to where the other adventurers had gone, turning the corner quickly.

Waiting for them were the Wick Adventuring Society, weapons also drawn and ready to attack. The mage, Alaina, had been preparing a spell. Dren could see the magical aura rising upwards from her fingers as she tried to release a burst of magic towards them.

The artificer acted quickly, going to cancel the spell with his Counterspell skill. He raised his left hand and released a burst of magical frequency designed to thwart the attack.

Spell Countered! appeared in his vision as his skill activated. The woman’s magical energies fizzled, causing nothing to happen.

“Damn it, he countered!” she shouted.

“Charge!” Luvo roared as he and Gruff both came rushing towards the group. Luvo was armed with a longsword, shining with magical energies. Gruff’s twin axes were dragging on the ground, causing sparks as the metal ran across the stone.

“You think you can take on Gulch?” Foster laughed as he charged forward to meet the pair. They clashed in the center, the two slashing brutally, only to be blocked by Foster’s own axe as he turned it sideways to absorb the blows.

“I’ve got this,” Holis said, putting a hand to his temple. A burst of violet energy surged forth from his other hand, coursing through the air and striking Luvo in the side of the skull.

Dren focused on the caster, ordering his Floating Crossbow to target her as his Cannon Friends popped out of their shoulder mounts. Aliana saw this coming and raised her hands upwards, forming a shield out of pure mana. Dren fired, his cannons thundering as they released their payload while the crossbow released its bolt.

Shielded! No damage! appeared in his vision as the twin shots of energy struck the blue mana shield.

Maureen leapt over the melee fighters, flanking them from behind. Gruff turned around to slash at her, but she was faster. She seized his wrists with both hands and forced them to the sides. The words Grappled! Pinned! appeared above the berserker as he dropped both axes, his wrists being bent in painful angles.

Pickman was hesitating to engage. He was looking every which way for something but couldn’t find it. “Their scout!” he tried to warn Dren but it was too late.

From above, there was movement. Dren was focusing too much on the mage to realize that someone was above him. Mim, the enemy party’s scout was clinging to the ceiling, almost completely invisible to the naked eye save for a telltale shimmer of movement. He dropped down behind Dren and tried to stick him with his daggers in a sneak attack.

Thankfully Dren had time when resting to meditate and refresh his MP, allowing him to raise his Power Shield back up. This caused the daggers to strike a thin red shield of energy, slowing them down considerably before they broke through entirely. The sneak attack did extra damage, enhancing the twin daggers to 30 total points. Twenty were soaked up by the power shield, 10 went through but his armor which had been repaired with a spell, could only block 7 points. 3 Damage! appeared in his vision, dropping him down to 24 HP.

“Gotcha!” Holis said, targeting Mim with his psionic abilities. A burst of purple energy sailed forth from his head into the back of Mim’s skull and the scout dropped to the ground, flailing violently for a moment before ceasing to move entirely.

Dren turned his focus back to the mage who was preparing another spell. He readied his counter while drawing his sword. His Aura Sense informed him that the shield spell she was using only worked for ranged attacks, and thanks to her class features, she had quite a stockpile of armor points. But melee would cut right through.

Alaina muttered a few words as she tried to get the spell off, but thanks to Dren’s Superior Enhancement on his boots, his speed was significantly higher. He zipped past the melee scuffle like lightning, his scuttleboots gliding across the ground as if they were able to fly.

The mage tried to step back but was too slow. Dren was in her face, his enchanted blade singing as it cut through the air, striking her in the side of her stomach.15 Damage! appeared in his vision and the mage’s paltry amount of hitpoints dropped down to 0. She was unable to get her spell off as her eyes rolled back, the wounds too great for her. The mage clattered to the floor, motionless.

Foster was still valiantly fighting against the so-called paladin, Luvo, his blows blocked with each swing.

“We’ve taken two of yours down!” Foster roared. “Give this up now!”

“All the more reason to kill you!” Luvo replied, kicking forward, hitting Foster in the chest and staggering him backwards. He lifted his longsword up to deliver a heavy blow, but Holis blasted again, striking the man in the head with a dazing psionic burst. Luvo hesitated before regaining composure, an aura of black magical energy around him.

The moment of hesitation was all that Foster needed. He dropped down low and delivered a kick to the side of the man’s armored leg, the blow knocking his foot out from beneath him. The man collapsed to the ground and Foster followed up with a hearty swing, taking his head off in a single blow.

Maureen dropped the body of Gruff, who had not been able to stop her immense strength from snapping his neck. His corpse fell among the rest of the Wick Adventuring Society.

Enemy Party Defeated! 1500 XP gained! appeared in Dren’s vision as everyone checked on each other. They were all fine, having sustained only minor damage during the scuffle.

“Damn,” Foster said, shaking his head. “And to think I was just going to follow those bastards.”

“Holis,” Dren said, addressing the psion. “This here is proof that you are indispensable to the team. Without your telepathic abilities, we would have trusted these people and walked right into an ambush.”

The psion tried to pretend as if he were not pleased with this praise. He merely waved a hand. “Bah, a simple task for someone such as myself. Any simple mind reader could have done so.”

“Regardless, you saved our asses,” Dren said. “So don’t worry about what lies ahead.”

Chapter 12

With the enemy adventuring party dead, the group continued on their way. Dren decided to test the Shardfinder function of his newly enhanced Skitterbot. He released the little Cogbotic bug, sending it out to search the dungeon for any signs of crystal formations. Hopefully it would find something soon.

Before they had moved on, the adventurers looted the corpses of the dead Wick Adventuring Society. They found quite a few things of interest, though the party had their own system of distributing loot. The system was known as need before greed and Foster handled giving out each item.

Thanks to Dren’s identify ability, he was able to check each item and tell whether it was magical in nature or not. There were six potions of healing among others, able to heal up to 30 points of damage per drink. One went to Dren, two to Foster and one to the rest of the group.

The berserker had a Belt of Enhanced Damage on his person, an item that was capable of improving the damage output by 20 whopping points. This one went to Foster as well, though it did spark a heated debate between him and Maureen. He had argued that since Maureen could live much longer than him due to her diamond armor that he should have the advantage in dealing damage. Eventually the monk relented.

Pickman was pleased to receive a Ring of Camouflage, allowing him to blend in with the environment, though any rapid movement would make his presence a bit too obvious. Holis was given Alaina’s Band of Concentration, improving his psionic points by 10, though Dren would have preferred to have it, as it would have improved his MP by the same amount. But he decided to not argue over who got what, as it could foment discord among them.

Alaina had a few scrolls in her bag and since the rest of the group were not casters, Dren received them. He indexed each scroll before tucking them away in the unused scroll carrier that had come with his adventuring belt.

Scroll of Stonemorph

Effect: Transforms one individual into Stone, giving them 30 Innate Armor Points for 1 minute.

Scroll of Lesser Draining

Effect: Target loses 15 Mana and you gain 15 Mana Points.

Scroll of Lightning Bolt

Effect: Strikes up to six targets with lightning, dealing 22 Electricity damage.

They were useful for a variety of situations. He just needed to remember that he had them, as Dren had rarely used scrolls.

The rest of the items were purely treasure related and thus Gulch Adventuring Company received them as part of the original deal they had made. Pickman was pleased with the sheer gold value of these items, but Dren paid little attention to his ramblings about how rich they would be once they got out of there.

They traveled through the wide hallway for quite some time, passing various doors with signs and symbols on them. Thankfully, Dren had a map of the area and knew exactly where to go to get close to the Great Workshop. To access it, they would need to pass through one infected zone.

“Door after door,” Foster complained. “Why can’t we just pick one at random and barge in?”

“Because I have a map,” Dren replied. “And random door searching isn’t going to do much for our mission.”

They reached a corner and Dren grinned. The last door on the right was what they were looking for. “Besides, we’re here.”

“About time,” Foster grumbled. “I like the old method of just kicking in the door, killing whatever’s in the room and getting loot.”

“Dren knows what he’s doing,” Holis replied.

The door was made of obsidian, jet black and shimmering in a curious way. Dren could sense a great deal of magic behind the entrance.

“Last time was a jungle,” Dren said to the group. “So there’s no telling what’s behind this. Everyone ready?”

“Born ready,” Pickman said.

The rest of the group all nodded. Weapons were drawn and readied. Dren noted that there was no doorknob so he tried to push the door. It slowly opened, a thin film of black energy bubbling in front of them.

Without hesitation, Dren entered through the energy, the world changing all around him. Within the room was something entirely different from the rest of the dungeon and the last infection zone they had encountered. There was a sky of some kind, displaying a perpetual night with stars twinkling above. Around him were abandoned buildings. They were made of wood, log cabins that sat without any occupants within them. A grey gravel road ran through the center of this strange town.

Surrounding the area were large trees that were made of black wood, their slender trunks dripping ooze. They had no leaves, their bare branches swaying in a soft wind that was blowing at all times.

Infected Area! his vision informed him. The scanners tried to track the source of the infection but nothing came up. Dren supposed that this place would be like the other room, an area with dangers and monsters leading to a final boss of sorts.

“What kind of weird place is this?” Maureen said, looking up at the stars. “It can simulate entire weather systems and stars?”

“I got a bad feeling about this room,” Pickman said. “I know I claimed to have been born ready, but this gives me the creeps.”

As they chatted, one of the doors to the cabins opened up. A ragged man, wearing what looked to be shredded leather armor, came staggering out. Everyone aimed their weapons at him as he stumbled up to them.

“Please!” he said, “please help me!”

“Easy, everyone,” Dren said. “This could be a survivor or an adventurer who stumbled in here.”

The man was in his mid-thirties, with long uncut hair that curled at the ends. He looked exhausted and his armor was practically hanging off of him due to a drastic weight loss.

“I’m Dren,” the Artificer said, cautiously approaching. He didn’t want the group to devolve into striking anyone they saw in the dungeon but at the same time this man could easily be a monster in disguise.

“I’m Lem,” the stranger replied. “I was an adventurer with a group that was attacked by other adventurers. They slaughtered all of my companions and I fled as quickly as I could. Then I happened upon this strange area and thought that perhaps I had been teleported out of the dungeon. But no, I’m still trapped in here.”

This man must have been here for a while. “How did you survive being in here?”

“It wasn’t easy,” Lem replied, stammering for a moment. “Th-they come out. The ghosts, when the bell, that damnable bell, strikes. Hordes of them, intangible and immune to normal weapons. But somehow I managed to survive. I’ve had rations with me and I’ve kept them parceled out long enough to keep going. Without my Everfull Flask, I’d have died of thirst a long time ago.”

“Ghosts?” Dren asked.

“Yes, they come out when the bell rings. From what I can tell, it’s random, but the bell itself…I think it is somewhere in this world. This room, this realm, wherever we are. If I were stronger and braver, I’d look for it. The ghosts don’t stop until the bell rings again. Fortunately, I’ve managed to hide more than a few times. But others haven’t been so lucky,” Lem explained. “You aren’t the first group to come in.”

As he spoke, there came a strange shift in the energies all around Dren. The sky seemed to darken, even the false stars lost their glimmer. And then, there was a chilling clang! clang! as a bell rang out.

“Damn it all,” Lem gasped. “The bell! They’re coming!”

The man turned and fled into one of the cabins, slamming the door shut behind him. They could hear the sounds of hurried boarding, followed by an eerie silence that seemed to envelop the entire area.

“Trouble!” Holis said, pointing above them. Everyone looked up at once to see six translucent entities emerge from the star ceiling. They were pale and ghastly creatures, their bodies humanoid but with exaggerated limbs that extended far past the point of a normal human’s. Their faces were skeletal, eye sockets glowing with dark green energy.

“Consume!” they all wailed at the same time. “Feed!”

Dren’s scanners immediately told him what they were facing.

Pale Ghosts

Stats:

HP: 25

Defense: 8

Speed: 6

Attacks:

Pale Touch: A melee attack that deals 12 Dark Damage. Ignores Armor.

Ghastly Wail: A scream attack that Stuns a target for 30 seconds.

Paralyzing Grasp: Target grabbed by the Pale Ghost becomes paralyzed, unable to take any action for 30 seconds.

Defenses:

Intangible: Immune to all physical attacks.

Weaknesses:

Force: Force Damage is doubled.

“They’re ghosts,” Dren said as he drew his enchanted cutlass. “They don’t have the most HP but they’re immune to physical attacks unless it’s magical in nature.”

“Damn it all, I don’t have magical damage on my weapons, just runes of strength and speed!” Foster said as the swarm of Pale Ghosts descended upon them.

Three of the ghosts flanked Foster at once, trying to grasp him. The big man ran backwards, trying to avoid their hands as they swung at him. The other three chose Pickman as their target. The rogue yelped as they came flying towards him.

Dren didn’t have access to any force damage, so he would just have to settle for squaring away with the pale ghosts with his enchanted blade. Since it was magical in nature, he would be able to deal damage.

The Artificer rushed towards the ghosts that were surrounding Foster, blade raised high. His speed allowed him to reach them quickly and he delivered a slash to one of the pale ghosts, dealing 15 damage and taking its HP down to 10.

As Dren hit one of the ghosts, the others turned to face him, realizing that he was the greater threat. They let out a hideous scream in unison and Dren reeled back from the force of the sound. Everything spun around him as he stood stunned from the blow. A timer appeared in his vision, ticking down from 30 seconds.

That precious time was lost as he tried to raise his weapon to fight but was unable to do so. Two of the ghosts drew in close with their pale arms and swung at him. But before they could land their blows, Foster leapt in the way, using his Bodyguard ability to redirect their attack. His health was boosted to 65 thanks to the Warrior’s Spirit ability but that number quickly dropped as he took 24 points of damage.

“Snap out of it!” Foster said.

Holis stepped forward and released a wave of psychic energy, sending a purple wave through the group of ghosts that were surrounding Dren and Foster. The ghosts reacted violently to the blast, shrieking and wailing as they fell backwards, racked with pain. Each took 10 points of damage from the psionic attack.

Maureen was trying to strike at the other group that was hounding Pickman, who did have enchanted daggers. She punched and kicked at them, yet dealt no damage. Pickman was fending them off but barely, his blades dealing a scant amount of damage with each cut.

Foster grabbed Dren and threw him away from the attackers, yelping as the pale ghosts struck him on all sides, dropping his health down even lower. Dren hit the ground and rolled, his head still spinning.

Holis readied another attack but was intercepted by one of the ghosts who had broken off from harassing Pickman. It flew towards the psion, arms up as it shrieked a stunning scream. Holis withstood the sonic assault, however, closing his eyes and focusing deeply. In an instant, he became translucent and the ghost’s blows passed through him.

Dren recovered from the stun effect and climbed to his feet. His hand dug down into his satchel and he drew the Scroll of Lightning. This would take care of them with intensity. He unfurled the paper to find the words and lines to say, arcane writings that he could understand thanks to his Thaumaturge mastery. He raised his left hand and spoke the incantations aloud.

The ancient language caused the scroll in his hand to ignite, though it did not harm the metal hand holding it. As the scroll burned up, a power surged through Dren’s entire body. He felt his hairs stand up on end as he released a bolt of pure lightning from his fingertips.

The bolt cracked through the air, thundering as it struck the first ghost. The creature shrieked in defiance but could do nothing as it took 22 points of damage. The burst of electricity created a chain reaction, moving from ghost to ghost, hitting each one in the blink of an eye. The damage was enough to kill three of them outright; the others were left with only 3 hitpoints.

Pickman, whose HP was down to 8, leapt out of the way of a grab attack and sailed overhead, spearing the pale ghost in the head. This did enough damage to destroy it.

Dren didn’t hesitate. He charged towards the one still trying to attack the phased out Holis and slashed it from behind, causing the creature to evaporate instantly. Pickman landed on the ground and threw his daggers at the last ghost, the blow dealing 6 damage, enough to kill it.

Monsters Defeated 1,500 XP gained! appeared in Dren’s vision, confirming the fight was over.

“Everyone okay?” Foster asked once the ghosts were gone.

“I’m a bit banged up,” Pickman said, taking out one of the healing potions. “But I’ll be fine.”

Dren noticed that the aura of the area was shifting now, moving towards an area past the trees. “I think I found the trail to the infection source,” the Artificer announced. “And if the monsters come out every time the bell rings, then we best move fast.”

Chapter 13

The group hurried through the strange facsimile of woods out in the countryside. The survivor, Lem, had hidden himself in the cabins and refused to come out after the ghost attack. Dren didn’t bother him any further, figuring that he would be free once they destroyed the source of the infection.

Dren was in the lead, moving them towards the aura trail that was shifting and pouring into an area just out of eyesight. His Ring of Regeneration had quickly healed his HP back to full and he was thankful for the item. More ghosts would be problematic, however, as the majority of the fighters did not have the enchanted weapons that dealt damage to intangible creatures. The scroll had come in handy but that was just a one-time weapon. He wished the he had studied Spell Bolt, as that would have made short work of the enemy.

They reached a clearing in the center of the haunted woods where a familiar stone floor was waiting for them. The energy poured directly into the center, where a strange creature was standing perfectly still.

The beast was seven feet tall, its body cylindrical with several arms sticking out, though two of its appendages were razor sharp scythes. Its head was circular with a single eye in the middle, blood red that stared mindlessly.

Dren’s scanners quickly gave him a reading on the odd beast.

Spectator

Stats:

HP: 170

Defense: 6

Speed: 4

Attacks:

Binding Glance: Target who locks eyes with the Spectator becomes bound in place and unable to move for 1 minute.

Razor Cut: Strikes a target for 15 piercing damage.

Warp: Move from one area to another and strike a target for 10 damage.

Summon Spawn: The Spectator can summon Spawn that have Razor Cut attacks.

Weaknesses:

Light Magic: Blinding Spells work twice as long.

“Well, Professor Dren?” Foster asked. “What’s the diagnosis of the target?”

Dren felt something strange spark within him at being called ‘Professor’. It was a weird feeling but something inside of him felt inspired. He was, perhaps, one of the best Artificers in the world at the time. Why couldn’t he teach this to others? Sure, he had trained some of the more studious goblins in the art of artifice but that was far from a formal school. It was an odd thing to think about in the depths of the dungeon but…why couldn’t he be a real professor of artifice? Wouldn’t that be something?

“It’s not as hearty as the last monster we faced,” Dren said. “But the Spectator can summon spawn. That big eye is a point of weakness for any blinding attacks, if we have them.”

“I can gouge eyes,” Maureen said.

“Be careful of its gaze. It can lock you down in one place with direct eye contact,” Dren warned.

“I haven’t been in a blindfight in a while,” Foster chuckled, rubbing his hands together. “Not since that last basilisk.”

“Urg, don’t remind me of Stoney Pete,” Pickman groaned. “Took me months to chip my leg free.”

“But that’s because you were too cheap to pay for an anti-petrification spell,” Holis reminded the rogue.

“Focus,” Dren said, putting his hand up. “It’s got the ability to summon spawn, so we should just hit it as hard as we can, as fast as we can. Take it down before it brings backup.”

“As long as it’s not immune to my axe, we should be fine,” Foster replied. He brought his weapon up high. “We ready?”

Dren reached down to his many holsters and moved his hand across the various handles that were sticking out. The Hand Cannon was useful for long range engagements, but Maureen and Foster would be up close and personal. For this fight, he’d need something more surgical. The Spell Pistol would be perfect.

The gun was upgraded with the Pistoleer path, allowing him to fire it twice. That was 20 damage per shot. There was also the Mystic Ammo upgrade, giving the gun the ability to change to various elemental types. It didn’t hit as hard as the Hand Cannon, sure, but two shots was 20 damage per hit. With that and his Floating Crossbow, he’d be able to do enough to seriously dent its HP. Of course, his damage was nothing compared to his allies. If everyone was quick enough, this fight shouldn’t take too long.

He drew his gun and readied his Cannon Friends. The twin guns popped out and prepared to acquire their target.

“Another gun?” Pickman said. “You certainly keep an arsenal on your arse.”

“The right tool for every occasion,” Dren replied.

“I’m gonna test this new ring out,” Pickman muttered, turning translucent. He stepped on the stone flooring and became grey, his silhouette almost impossible to notice if not searching for signs of movement.

“Pickman strikes first, Dren opens fire, Holis blasts and we charge,” Foster said. “This will be over quickly.”

“Overconfidence is death in these parts,” Holis said coldly. “Prepare for the worst.”

Maureen transformed into her diamond armor, Foster raised his axe and twisted his feet into a charging stance. Holis put a hand to his head and closed his eyes. Dren kept his gun arm up, waiting for the sneak attack. He had to admit, this was one hell of an adventuring party to travel with. They were experienced, skilled and didn’t need to be told what to do. He could get used to having people like this around.

Pickman stealthily moved across the landscape, slowly moving around the creature’s backside so he could get a clean blow in. He crept up and readied his attack. At the last moment, the Spectator suddenly turned all the way around, rotating in place as if he were just a column. Pickman immediately became visible, his body freezing up midswing as the creature made full eye contact with him. The words Bound! appeared over his head, along with a timer, 60 seconds that seemed like an eternity.

“Damn it all!” Foster yelled. “Go, go, go!”

Dren’s finger twitched on the trigger, squeezing twice. Two bolts of magical energy burst forth from the Spell Pistol, jagged pieces of raw power that zipped through the air, striking the monster in the back twice. 20 Damage! appeared over its head as Maureen and Foster charged at full speed.

The shoulder mounted cannons fired as the pair pushed through on opposite sides of Dren. The creature took the blasts without any reaction, eating another 20 damage. It unfurled the long scythe arms and brought them across Pickman’s body, hitting him for 30 points, though Pickman’s armor managed to reduce the total to 23. The rogue’s HP dropped down from 30 to 7 in the blink of an eye and he screamed through frozen teeth as blood sprayed everywhere. That thing hit hard! Another blow and he’d be done for.

Foster was faster than Maureen and went to deliver a fierce charging blow, but was intercepted by a facsimile of the Spectator. A tall creature, near identical to the main monster with the exception of being light brown instead of reddish black, sprouted up from the ground in front of the man, slashing violently.

Maureen, too, was intercepted by a clone, the spawn of the monster appearing in front of her to shield the boss.

“Holis, can you stun it?” Dren shouted as he fired two more shots with his Spell Pistol. The Spectator didn’t move from its position, taking the hits without losing focus on its prey.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dren could see that Holis was straining. “Damn thing has an armored mind…it’s like there’s something blocking my…” Holis gasped, his voice pained and struggling to get the words out as he concentrated.

The twin clones were blocking Maureen and Foster’s path, both of them engaging in different fighting styles. Their purpose, Dren realized, was not to kill the pair but to simply delay them. He had to move to save Pickman.

Dren rushed forward, only for another spawn to appear in front of him, growing from the ground like a beanstalk. As it sprang up, Dren decided to use his Blink spell. The spell allowed him to teleport up to 100 feet away, though technically it said he couldn’t pass solid objects. As the monster spawn in front of him tried to block the way, Dren found an angle that would allow him to appear parallel to Pickman. It was an expensive spell, but mana be damned.

Dren threw the signs with his hand, two fingers shooting down and his thumb curving, and in an instant he was beside Pickman. He grabbed the paralyzed man just as the Spectator was bringing its claws down for another attack. Dren threw Pickman to the side and yelped as the claws came crashing into him, breaking through his recently revived Power Shield and cutting deep into his flesh.

The shield absorbed 20 damage but the 15 ran through him, the long scythes digging into his skin and drawing blood. 15 Damage! appeared in his vision as his HP dropped down to 12.

The Spectator looked away from Dren, turning its body towards the fallen Pickman whose timer was down to about 25 seconds. Dren drew his cutlass, tossing the Spell Pistol to the other hand as he pulled the blade out. He went to strike the creature but in the blink of an eye, it was gone.

“Damn it!” Dren shouted, too late as he realized the monster had used its Warp ability. It teleported away from Dren, causing the Artificer to strike nothing but thin air. It reappeared on the other side of the paralyzed Pickman and delivered a claw strike to the man, hitting him for 10 points of damage.

Lethal Hit! appeared above Pickman. Dren’s heart stopped as he understood what that meant. The rogue was dead.

“No!” Dren screamed, charging at the creature, firing another barrage with all of his guns. The Spectator warped out of the way of the shots, appearing beside Dren. The Artificer’s speed was fast enough for him to dodge the claw attack; he leapt to the side of the scythes coming down to strike him. Anger surged through him at the loss of his plucky comrade. He slashed with all his might, hacking the beast in the side with his cutlass.

15 Damage! appeared above the Spectator’s head, its HP dropping to 75. Dren went to slash again but it vanished. He knew instinctively to dive out of the way, as the creature reappeared behind him, its clawed scythes swooshing down to strike him.

He landed on the ground and rolled forward, putting some distance between him and the creature. He managed to spring to his feet. His cannons aimed directly at the creature and blasted, firing two shots that hit, dealing another 20 damage to it.

Foster downed the spawn he was facing and tried to press forward, only to be intercepted by the third creature that had been created to block Dren from advancing. Maureen was struggling, as the spawn she was facing was not trying to deal damage and was only grabbing her with its many arms. The two were wrestling violently. Holis merely stood in the background, helpless as he was in the last fight against an infected source.

Dren kept his eyes down, watching the creature only out of the edge of his vision as he advanced with his sword. He slashed upwards, but the speed of the blow wasn’t quick enough. The creature deflected the strike with its bladed arms, the scythes clanging as they rose up in an X pattern, catching the blade for a moment before pushing it aside.

Dren was thrown off by the momentum of the parry. The beast spun in a circle to use the energy of the blow to slash at him in his exposed state, but it wasn’t the only thing capable of teleportation.

The Artificer activated his Vanishing Ring, sapping a charge as he teleported behind the creature. This opened its back up and he stabbed at the exposed creature. He jabbed forward in a hard thrust, hitting it for another 15 damage.

“I’m all alone here!” Dren shouted as the Spectator turned around in place, rotating with ease. He blocked two shots to his head but was quickly under siege as it repeatedly struck at him. Two of its arms snaked out to grab at Dren’s vest and he leaned backwards, narrowly avoiding being immobilized.

“On it!” Foster said as he downed the second spawn, whose body vanished into thin air as it crumpled to the ground. He hurried towards Dren, raising his axe high.

The Spectator sensed this charge and warped again, disappearing from Dren’s sight and reappearing right behind the warrior. Foster was much more seasoned than Dren in melee and was easily able to whip around at the last moment, blocking the attack with his axe before raising it up and slashing downwards.

Maureen finally body slammed the spawn to the ground and destroyed it. She scurried over to the other side of the Spectator, flanking it. She grabbed it by the back of its arms as Foster let out a blood cry, the blow connecting to its head and dealing a staggering 30 damage.

The monster tried to slash at them but thanks to Maureen’s grappling ability, it was unable to get it scythes up as she seized them and twisted them away. Dren fired with his Spell Pistol, able to hit the creature with precision thanks to the tuning of the gun. That was another 20 damage. One last blow from Foster took it down for good.

“Very nice!” Foster said, slinging his axe over his shoulder as he watched the monster melt into the ground. The same thing happened as in the last infected zone. The sky began to dissolve, a white light breaking through it.

“Pickman’s…he’s dead,” Dren said, gritting his teeth. He had barely known him and yet, the pain he felt at the loss of a comrade was hitting him hard. He had done everything in his power to save the rogue but in the end, the monster was just faster. It understood that it could get a kill and had prioritized the downed man. It understood just enough of the world to take something from it before it died.

“A damn shame,” Foster grunted, looking over at the corpse of their party member. “I guess luck just wasn’t on his side.”

Maureen shrugged at that but said nothing. Their lack of reaction filled Dren with a sense of indignation. “Why are you taking this so casually?” he demanded. “That man just died!”

Foster sighed. “I don’t want to, uh, disturb you, Dren but…how do I put this?”

“Adventurers die in the line of duty all the time,” Maureen continued. “We may seem immortal when things are going our way but…these things happen all the time.”

“It can be easy to get all weepy and broken when your comrade in arms goes down,” Foster added. “But after the first few times, it just sinks in. That this is what the life of an adventurer is. Sure, we want to live, we want to survive and beat the odds but…sometimes we don’t make it. And when that happens, well, we just sort of shake it off. We have to, otherwise it would be impossible to keep going.”

Dren glanced at Holis, who had approached them as the world around them shimmered and shook, transforming as the magic of the region wore off. “Do you feel the same?” he asked.

Holis shrugged and shook his head. “I fear that such things are just part of this life. I have seen ten men die beside me in battle. Ten good friends. And after the third, I just sort of…well, I just stopped feeling anything about it.”

“We’re here today and gone tomorrow,” Maureen said. “None of us believe we’re invincible.”

Dren looked at the corpse of the once lively and living Pickman, and he grimaced. “It just happened so fast.”

“And if one of us dies, it will be just as sudden,” Maureen softly said. “You best make peace with it now, Dren. The adventuring life ends in death more often than not.”

Chapter 14

Infected Zone Cleared! 5,000 XP gained! appeared in Dren’s vision as he watched the world around him slowly melt away. There was a deep sense of despair within him. Not just at seeing Pickman die despite his best efforts but also the way his party had responded. There were no words of departure, no last rites or memories shared. Everyone just registered it and moved on in the same moment. It was as if Pickman had never been with them to begin with. Just a stop on their journey.

For Dren, this wasn’t so easy to accept. He had seen people die before, he had taken lives in order to protect or preserve others but…this was just brutal to absorb. Pickman had been the most cheerful of the group, always quick with a quip or a story. To think of him as dying so unceremoniously, paralyzed while fighting a monster that could be slain by group effort, no valiant sacrifice, no last words…it was cold and callous. And to make things worse, his energies were to be absorbed by Amero. His soul would move on, but so much of his essence was now in the hands of the dungeon mind that only dreamt of death and destruction.

There wasn’t anything that could be done. The man was gone. He understood what he had been getting into, he made the choice to enter that fight. And he paid the price, not for incompetence but for the fact that the Spectator could spot him moving with stealth and struck him with a paralyzing attack. Nothing could be done. And yet…

There was no sweetness to this victory. No taste of joy at the sight of his XP revealing that Dren was now only 2,000 points away from leveling up again. How could he feel joy? How could he even think about the future? Death was just around the corner. And what was he doing? He had a wife now, and hopes that someday he could have kids. An entire enterprise was waiting for him on the surface, Dren and Associates, his beloved Den where he could spend the rest of his days crafting and working without ever stepping foot into harm’s way. But what had he chosen to do?

He had agreed to the princess’ endless and single-minded war on a dungeon. He had believed that with her hand-picked adventuring team, he would enter, destroy the thing and move on with the rest of his life. But why had he agreed to this in the first place? What possessed him to leave his newly formed family, his workshop and friends behind?

“I sense a great deal of turmoil,” Holis said as he slowly walked beside Dren. The world around them was shifting rapidly back into the dungeon, the false trees disappearing into the ground, the walls turning to grey stone. “Are you alright?”

“Seeing a man die, so swiftly and without any chance of saving him…” Dren started. He trailed off for a moment and Holis granted him the space to finish his sentence. “It’s making me think of my wife. Of my home.”

“You’re married?” Holis asked, surprised.

“Yes. To a bard, Salla. She believed in me when we first met, she treated me with kindness and didn’t act as if my disfigurement, my disability, was anything to be ashamed of. She’s the one who came up with the moniker Metal Man,” Dren explained.

“There are two kinds of married adventurers,” Holis said. “At least in my experience. There are those who are out there, trying to do something to protect their family, earn enough money to keep them comfortable or are trying to cure some curse.”

“And the other ones?”

“Are trying to get away from their family, living out a fantasy, pursing greatness and glory as a means of escaping from their regular mundane existence,” Holis explained.

Dren pondered that.

“Why did you come here?” Holis asked, his voice stern and demanding the truth.

“The princess. I made her a promise,” Dren said.

“Promises are easy to break when you have a happy life. Why did you come here?” Holis repeated.

Dren chewed on that for a moment. The answer came, though not easily. “Monsters began to emerge more and more. They made their way into the tunnels where the miners work and people were worried that they might come into town someday.”

“And that town, Arthursberg, it needs protecting?”

“Of course,” Dren replied.

“Then it seems that you aren’t running from anything. You’re the highest level amongst us, you’ve got weaponry, skills and knowledge that will come in handy. You’ve got a lot of experience in adventuring and you’re necessary. The loss of a comrade is painful and I won’t tell you that it gets easier over time. You’ll just find that you become number to it the more you see it. But nothing has changed. Monsters are indeed making their way to the surface of your town. You have to do something. Or else that wife of yours, those friends of yours, they might be in danger someday.”

Dren considered the psion’s perspective. He was right. “You’ve made a strong point,” Dren said. “Pickman didn’t die for nothing. He was living out the life he chose. And I chose this path not because I want glory or to chase the thrill of battle but because it needs to be done.”

“Then steel your heart to this loss,” Holis said. “Prepare yourself for the worst. We may see more losses. I hate to say it but…when you lose a party member, you should be prepared to see others go too. The loss of the extra help, the vanishing of an able-bodied person means the scale tips against us. Not that we had much on our side before this. But…a death knell can be right around the corner.”

“I won’t let that happen,” Dren replied.

“Forgive me, but I don’t think it’s up to you,” Holis said, his voice cold and without passion. “Our lives were forfeit the moment we entered that elevator. With luck and perhaps some skill, we can earn them back.”

Chapter 15

The dungeon room returned to a normal state, the cabins and trees now gone. The Spectator’s death had not revealed any crystal formations but a green gleaming caught Dren’s eye in the distance. Way up in the corner of the dungeon was a large chunk of emerald rock, jutting out and waiting to be mined.

Lem approached the group. “You…you destroyed the entire area?” he gasped. “How in the hell did you manage that?”

“It’s a long story,” Dren said. “But the short of it is that there are two dungeon minds in one body. This area was controlled by the evil dungeon, so to speak. But the infection has been cleared and so, it’s back to the other mind’s control. Gravis is kinder. You should be safe if you can find a group of other survivors.”

“Hard to believe that I’m safe,” Lem said. He looked around. “I had grown a bit comfortable in those cabins.”

“Care to join us on our mission then?” Foster asked. “We could use another hand.”

“Bah, I’m done with crawling,” Lem replied with a long face. “I’m just going to find somewhere safe and wait until someone figures out the exit.”

“Suit yourself,” Foster said.

Dren still had the pickaxe, it had been secured to his back as he figured it could be useful in all manner of situations. “We’ll move on in a moment,” he said. “But first I’m going to mine that crystal.”

The group settled down to rest for the evening, leaving Dren to go to work. The ceiling wasn’t too high and with the help of his Auto-grapple Backpack he was able to get to face level with the green crystals. With a few whacks of the pickaxe, the formation shattered and a scattering of shards fell to the ground, gleaming with energy.

Dren lowered himself to the ground and collected the scatterings, picking them up and admiring them.

40 Life Shards acquired! appeared in his vision. These were a new type of shard, something he hadn’t seen before. With the rest of the group resting, regaining their energy, resetting their feats and healing if they took any damage, Dren had a little time to experiment.

The number of shards gained from the mining activity seemed to be a bit random. The last formation had given him sixty, whereas now he only had forty. Perhaps it was about the size of the crystal, yet they had both seemed to be more or less the same size. Who knew?

Dren settled down and looked at the shards in his hand. So those were Life Shards, huh? This most likely meant they provided some kind of health bonus or perhaps improved the defensive capabilities of his items. With that being the case, he decided to merge the first set of twenty with his Tinkerer’s Armor.

The armor had seen better days. It was able to defend him from a relatively large hit but suffered from the constant problem of breaking after the armor points were exceeded. When there was time to rest, this wasn’t a big deal, as Dren was able to us his Repair Invention spell to fix it up but in places like the infected zones, the armor breaking once meant he’d be down, as he didn’t want to use a spell slot when out in the field.

He pressed the shards against the tattered armor and focused. Instantly, the crystals merged.

Shard Enhancement! Your Tinkerer’s Armor has been Infused with a Life Shard. Select bonus function from below!

Reinforced: Your Armor Points increase by 5.

Long-Lived: The Tinkerer’s Armor gains a Sturdiness Rating of 1. Sturdiness allows the Armor to survive 1 additional attack that deals damage over its Armor Points.

Vitalizing: You gain +3 HP when equipped.

These enhancements were excellent! In fact, they were so good that Dren decided to take not just one but two of them. First, he picked Reinforced, improving the armor’s defensive capabilities to 12, high enough to make a real difference in a fight. After that, he applied the shards a second time, using the last of them, and he picked Long-Lived this time around.

The armor gained the Sturdiness trait, allowing it to take more of a beating in a fight. One instance of damage would no longer destroy the armor’s function; it could take two separate hits before cracking. That meant he would effectively have a barrier of 24 Armor in any fight. Combined with his Power Shield, he had just greatly increased his survivability.

Chapter 16

Dren and his allies found the passage leading into a connector hallway that went four ways. Their bittersweet victory still hanging over their head, no one spoke as they made their way towards the Great Workshop. Thanks to Dren’s minimap, there was no difficulty in finding it.

To say that the door to the workshop was ornate would be an understatement. Foster whistled sharply as they took the turn. At the end of the hall stood a great door made of stone and covered with intricate carvings. The grey door was made up of three parts, the first showing different artifice equations. Dren could understand them as simple shorthand for the various elemental cubes that were rudimentary to any Artificer.

Above the formulations was a circle that displayed a swarm of strange-looking creatures. Their bodies were strands, long and tendril-like, but they had the faces of people, all moving in a circle towards a box. At the top of the door was a set of bulky armor that was firing what looked to be some kind of cannon downwards, towards the swarm of human-faced shadows.

Dren had seen that armor before. It had been on the mural in the last floor. But here it looked more refined, more detailed. Wires and pipes were affixed to the arms, giving Dren the impression that the armor was artifice in nature. Was that invention located within the workshop? Or was this merely an idea that some artist had depicted? Hard to tell but he would find out in a moment.

“So is this what you’re looking for?” Maureen asked.

“I believe we are at the Great Workshop,” Dren said. “It’s said that only artificers can enter.”

“So what, we just have to wait outside like dogs?” Foster grumbled.

Dren shrugged. “I won’t be long.”

“And supposing it’s some kind of trap? Or worse, that Amero has infested the area?” Holis prompted. “What are you going to do?”

“I guess I’ll just have to fight it,” Dren said.

The group wasn’t happy about being left behind but they could understand the importance of finding the workshop. Dren approached the door and placed his hand on the handle, a diamond studded doorknob that glistened with its own light.

As he gripped the handle, there was a spark of energy that moved through the entire door. “Artificer,” a voice, ethereal and light, whispered in Dren’s ear. “Enter.”

The door slid open, revealing a thin layer of magical energy, bright red. Dren’s senses could understand it as a protection field that would keep anyone who wasn’t an Artificer from entering. With a deep breath, he nodded to his companions and walked through, hoping that the field wouldn’t annihilate him.

He felt a brief electric sensation move through him as he walked into the workshop but otherwise nothing happened. It was pitch black inside but only for a moment.

Lights activated all around him, great lanterns made of brass that ignited, hissing a little as they illuminated the area. Dren’s eyes went wide at the sight of the interior. This was indeed a great workshop.

The entire room was huge, with dozens of stations, tools and work benches, all made of copper. Dren could recognize several of the machines lined up at the stations. There were three Element Extractors along the walls, a few Mechanical Turks resting by a long table with a Conveyor Belt and a Crafting Machine in the corner. Beyond that, there were many other instruments Dren was unfamiliar with. They were impressive devices, made of brass or iron, with handles and knobs, studded gems and pipes lining them.

“What a place,” Dren mused as he walked a few more steps into the workshop. There was a bed, a kitchen and an alchemy station as well. He had taken a few points into Herbalism as a skill but never really used it. Perhaps he could start here, if there were enough ingredients left over.

As he walked through the workshop, something caught his attention. In the center of the room was a cylindrical glass chamber with a partially built suit of armor inside. The suit looked almost identical to the depiction in the murals. It was segmented, with arms, legs and a torso that all connected into each other. The helmet was full, with large eye sockets allowing for better vision than a slit in a normal full helm. Despite its brilliance in design, Dren could see that it was unfinished; the wires were sticking out and the studded areas where cubes should be applied were unfilled.

He approached the glass chamber and stared at the suit. It was almost entirely made of copper, though the midsection was a glimmering silver.

“What a creation…” Dren marveled as he placed his hands against the glass. He could imagine wearing something like that to battle. The thing was probably extremely heavy and utilized steam and magic to move. The thickness of the metal would offer protection from just about anything, making his Tinkerer’s Armor look like nothing more than a thin piece of cloth.

He wondered what was left to finish such a creation. Perhaps he could find plans here; there was a section of the workshop that looked to be a miniature library, complete with scroll cases and bookshelves filled to the brim with texts. Wouldn’t that be something? To don the armor and fight against the dungeon’s worst impulses, immune to damage and able to destroy foes with cannons and whatever other tools of mayhem this device’s arsenal possessed.

Dren couldn’t resist. He headed to the library section of the workshop, determined to find the notes and schematics of the design. Perhaps he would be able to at least figure out why the suit was sealed away instead of being utilized.

As he entered the library, a voice called out to him. It was a calm voice, belonging to a man of middle age.

“A visitor,” the man said.

Dren looked around, hand going down to his sword out of pure reflex. But what he saw was not a human being, nor a creature of flesh and blood. Hanging from the wall was a painting, a portrait of a man wearing fine nobleman’s clothes. The portrait was abstract in a way, the colors bended together and the brushstrokes very obvious. The figure lacked significant detail but there were impressions of eyes, nose and mouth upon the head. And the eyes moved, up and down, looking over Dren.

“Are…are you talking?” Dren asked.

The painting laughed. “Indeed I am.”

“Whoa…” Dren said. He walked in front of the portrait, realizing too late that he may be walking within range of some kind of attack or malfeasance. But the portrait did not strike. It merely shifted a little, the colors and brush strokes shifting as it moved, turning from a side view to a front perspective. “How?”

“The details are lost to me but I was invented by the Artificer Hampton. I am but one of his many marvelous creations, though if you ask me, I think I’m the best.”

“And the person you’re portraying…is it Hampton?”

“Indeed!” the painting said, bowing a little. This caused the paint to flow around as it seemed to create the scene in front of him, the pronounced brush strokes gliding across the canvas with speed and beauty. “Hampton was a crafty fellow. When his workshop was consumed, along with a great majority of his people, he had only his wits to work with. His wits and a few measly inventions lying around. With speed and skill, he figured out many ways to change the items found in the dungeon into crafting material. And when he grew close to his success, well, he believed that something terrible was coming his way. So much so that he took the old painting of his likeness, a gift from the king, and brought it to life with a few cubes, some crystal shards and a ton of swearing due to trial and error.”

“Why did he want a living painting?” Dren asked.

“To pass down wisdom to the next Artificer who came here. He believed that eventually an Artificer or two would seek out his workshop, stumble into the dungeon and therefore find me,” the painting explained.

“What did he believe was going to happen to him?”

“Dark things,” the painting replied. The portrait before him began to alter. The lines grew dark as a shadow emerged, looming far above the now tiny Hampton figure who was holding up a torch to fend off the darkness. “The beast that consumed many of his people, what should have been the pinnacle of creation was his undoing.”

“Amero…” Dren muttered.

“Ah! So you understand!” the painting said. The little figure walked a few steps forward, causing the scene around him to shift again. A black heart appeared, enormous with purple veins running through it, and pulsed with a sinister overtone. “Hampton understood the nature of the dark hearts. He knew that they were highly resistant to being destroyed. Many hearty adventurers or trapped citizens who became quite skilled at surviving had tried. But all failed. Why? Because these hearts are the descendant of the highest level of artifice and magic blended together. A thaumaturgical masterpiece.”

The scene changed to show Hampton seized by a dozen black tendrils, lifted high above the heart.

“My master and I were linked. Everything he learned, he transmitted to me. And the last moments of his life were a moment of keen discovery,” the painting explained. “Discovery that led to his utter destruction. But he knew he was living on borrowed time. The Heartbreaker Suit was a desperate ploy, an invention that many believed would save them. But it was not ready. And so, he died, like so many in this dungeon. Died without finishing the suit. For he lacked the one thing that he so desperately needed.”

“What was it?” Dren asked.

“A sample of the heart itself. He designed a blade capable of cutting into the tissue, though doing little damage. And his last venture was to collect such a piece to place within the suit. The inner chamber of the Heartbreaker is designed to fuel itself off of the dungeon’s very essence. A complicated design that took him the better part of a decade to finalize. In that decade, the adventurers thinned out. The dungeon grew stronger. Amero surfaced and targeted Hampton with relentlessness. For it knew its creator, its father, was the only thing capable of destroying it for good.”

“So…that suit requires a piece of the Black Heart to function…” Dren mused aloud. He looked at the suit behind the glass and pondered this. “Did your master leave behind any more knives?”

“Oh yes, he built quite a few spares,” the painting replied, shifting into a picture of an incredibly thin blade that had a golden handle. “Hard to invent, easy to craft.”

“Looks like I’ll need to pick up where the master left off,” Dren said to himself. This was going to be tricky. If getting a sample had killed Hampton, how would Dren survive the attempt?

“Before I can render you aid, I must ask you a series of questions to determine whether you are worthy. Think carefully for the answers are not obvious,” the painting said.

“Did he name you?” Dren asked.

“He fondly called me Frame. The irony of being alive on canvas was not lost on me,” Frame replied. “Are you prepared to prove thy worth?”

“Let’s do it,” Dren said.

“You are walking in a forest, on your way home from a picnic. In the distance, you see a terrible beast but not a monster. It is a creature that is known for harming the people in your village and would have not hesitated to savage you if it caught you in its path. However, it is snared by a brutal bear trap that is causing it immense pain. It screams and howls. What do you do?”

Dren frowned at the complexity of the question. Trying to get the right answer was a fool’s game, he knew. There were a dozen ways that Hampton could have viewed the problem and guessing which the man would have preferred required a great deal of understanding of him. These tests were meant to prove his worthiness and honesty mattered.

But what would he do in this scenario? “I am no hunter,” Dren said. “I’ve had my fair share of encounters with wild creatures to say the least. But…to free the beast would mean it would have the ability to return to attacking the innocent. Leaving it would require nothing of me and besides, the animal is trapped by a trapper. Is it not the property of the man who intends to take the game for furs in order to trade? Its suffering matters little to me, in the end, for it could just as easily attack me for trying to help it. I would leave it behind and go on my way. Nature takes its course and I will not interfere in man versus beast.”

“Very interesting!” Frame said. “I take it you’re not particularly fond of animals with that perspective.”

“I don’t mind them,” Dren replied with a shrug.

“Understood. Next question. A mage has recently created a truth-telling potion that forces anyone who consumes it to speak honestly and to recant for falsehoods spoken before. The trouble is, he wishes to experiment on you with it, assuring you it is harmless. This would not be troublesome as an apprentice if not for the fact that you have been stealing from your master for years and him none the wiser. The mage’s reputation is that of a harsh master and he wouldn’t hesitate to kill you. What would you do when he offers you the drink?”

Dren chuckled at the absurdity of the scenario. “I have to ask, you aren’t just making random things up to mess with me, are you? Is the test how long you can keep me playing this game?”

“I swear on my oils that this is necessary to gaining my assistance!” Frame said.

What in the world would Dren do if he was in this pickle? “Supposing that I was a dishonest man already, taking from my master and that he was known to be deadly to those who crossed him, I would have nothing to gain from drinking the potion. However, refusing would make me appear suspicious. If I were this man, and I am far from a thief and a liar, I would feign illness at the moment, a flair up of the runs as no man will press too hard about that. Then, I would create some kind of countermeasure, perhaps an antimagic potion or a bit of spell resistant silver to put in my mouth. After consuming the curative, I would take the master’s drink and pretend that it worked. I would confess to petty lies and give him the impression of honesty.”

“Aren’t you a devil?” Frame laughed. “That is quite the solution, though if I may say so, seems like you are just hand-waving a way to stop the magic from working.”

Dren shrugged. “I’m an apprentice, aren’t I? Antimagic should be the first thing I figured out with a vengeful master.”

“Last question,” Frame said, moving on. “Your best friend has recently confessed to being a warlock, conferring with devils in order to gain magical prowess. He is repentant of his sins and wishes absolution. At the same time, a loved one of yours is sick with a plague that cannot be healed by magical means. You know that a warlock’s power is able to circumvent the natural limitations of healing magic and you could press your friend to use his powers once more. It would cost him nothing in the moment but in doing so, you’d be relying on fiendish means to save your beloved, say a family member or a wife. Time is of the essence. Would you ask for help?”

“That seems more straightforward than the other two,” Dren said. “Though…” he trailed off, thinking of his wife. “Not as easily answered.”

“There’s no accounting for time on these questions, so take all that you need to answer rightly,” Frame said.

Dren knew the answer was no. But…he tried to imagine himself in that actual situation. If Salla were about to die and there was a way to save her. He had vowed to protect her, to keep her safe. And if ever he had to make the choice, he would give his own life to save her. Yet, this was not the same.

“Everyone dies in the end,” Dren said. “Though we try to bargain, beg or steal time, how can we actually get more than what we’ve been allotted? Yet I don’t really know what I would do in this scenario. Would her life extension be unnatural in any way? Would there be side effects or ramifications?”

“Aha! Clever man indeed. A dull wit would answer with a hasty no and not consider the reality,” Frame proudly said. “The answer is that their life would continue more or less but their senses would be corrupt. Flavors wouldn’t taste quite right. Colors would not be pleasing to the eye. Sensation dulled, pleasure, an echo of what it was. A mere shadow of what it meant to be human.”

The answer was easy after this. “In my case, my beloved would despair deeply at losing the things that inspire her. Though it would be a hard choice, I would not press my friend. I would accept her loss and wait to be with her after my own ended.”

“Splendid!” Frame replied. “Let us review. You wouldn’t help the animal, you’d further the deception of your master to preserve your own hide and you wouldn’t take a person’s senses away to keep them alive. In the first case, who can say what is right in the moment? Moving on may be seen as a coward’s decision, yet your considerations brought in the hunter who laid the trap in the first place. You thought beyond the urge to simply be a help in the moment. You looked beyond and considered why the trap was there in the first place.

“With the wizard, you simply acted as if you were indeed a filthy criminal of an apprentice. You continued your deceptions, going to lengths in order to keep up appearances without arousing suspicion. Here, too, you put yourself in the scenario. You did not simply place your own thoughts and feelings into the character. You thought as them. In a word, this shows perspective. But what about the last test? You decided to allow nature to take its course. Yet, you inquired as to the side effects before making the decision. This shows you are indeed human, able to empathize and think on these scenarios. Yet, in the end, you would not take away the joy of life. Others would preserve their beloved knowing these dark effects because they think more on their own selves than the one they are rescuing. Saving a life can be just as selfish as ending one. To sum up, you are empathetic, pragmatic and observant. You lack impulsiveness and you certainly did not try to answer these questions in a way that suggested you were just trying to get to the ‘right’ answer.”

“Does that mean I passed?” Dren asked.

“Oh yes. Hampton made these questions to create a human mirror. To see if the heart of the one who would advance his work was free of hatred. Free of avarice and desire to destroy. There were no right answers here. Like any good Artificer, the true work is not in the results but in the methods of getting to the right results. And your methods are just what he hoped for.”

Chapter 17

With the painting appeased, Dren was able to access the hidden records that showcased the Artificer Hampton’s many inventions. There was a plethora of items that he could build, with the right materials of course.

But resources weren’t the hardest thing to come by, not with what Frame had shown him. Dren had moved the painting into the main area of the workshop, putting him up on a stand so that he could advise Dren with getting the right tool.

The first thing Frame had shown Dren was a large jar of liquid. It was a bright green, with all manner of cubes stirring around inside. This was known as the Wild Jar because of its unique properties. Hampton had worked hard to solve the main problem of having access to a much smaller variety of cubes due to the fact that he was trapped in the dungeon and mostly restricted to the workshop. His solution was to create a jar that was capable of breaking down the energies of a cube and then reconstituting it, transforming it into a Wild Cube, which could be used for anything. It even worked on shards.

This invention was going to save Dren a lot of time and effort, as he had access to his own workshop inventory thanks to a spell in his repertoire, and thus had hundreds of cubes that weren’t too useful in the present time. The only limitation to the Wild Jar was that it had a 10 to 1 conversion rate. It required ten cubes to make a Wild Cube. But still, with the amount of cubes that Dren had gathered over the last two years, it wouldn’t be a problem.

The jar would give him the ability to make anything he needed. And with the few new schematics he had obtained from his last level, it would come in handy immediately. The only thing he really needed right now was time.

“Is there any way that I can bring my allies in here?” Dren asked.

“No, only Artificers may enter,” Frame replied.

Dren sighed at that. He didn’t like the idea of making his team wait for him to finish creating a few more magical items to help them out.

“Let me go talk to them,” Dren said. He departed from the workshop and headed back into the hall. Much to his surprise, the group was gone.

“What in the hell?” Dren muttered, looking around. There were no signs of combat but it wasn’t like them to just go off on their own. Especially when they had lost Pickman. He focused his mind and tried to reach Holis through telepathy but nothing happened. He stretched his thoughts as far as they could go, trying to get some kind of message out to the psion, yet it did not work.

A creeping sense of dread washed through Dren. He looked around harder for any signs of clues. But there was none. They had just vanished.

“This isn’t good…” Dren whispered. As he searched, his Skitterbot came running back to him.

Scouting Complete! Fire Crystal located! his vision informed him as it uploaded the location to his minimap. Not too far away. Only three rooms from here.

What should he do? His allies were gone and the mysteriousness of their disappearance pointed to some kind of danger. But there was no sign of struggle, no markings on the ground or walls. Just absence. To go looking for them alone would be a dangerous decision. And yet, how was Dren going to pull this off by himself? He would need his companions to navigate effectively. The monsters here were quite deadly.

Dren returned to the workshop and hurried to the table where an assortment of tools was resting. “I need to work fast,” he said. “My allies are gone.”

“The dungeon is no place to just mill around,” Frame replied. “But you could locate them with the Moving Map that the master created.”

Dren looked up. “He made a map?”

“Indeed, a powerful artifact that is capable of tracking items, people and elements,’ Frame said. The portrait shifted to where he was pointing to a large cabinet mounted on the wall. “It should be in there.”

Dren hurried over to the cabinet and opened it up. There were half a dozen skulls lined up, all of them staring forward at him with their jaws open wide. “Yeesh,” Dren grunted as he found a piece of parchment rolled up. He grabbed the scroll and slammed the cabinet shut, trying not to shiver from the strange skulls.

Quickly, he unfurled the map to reveal an empty piece of parchment. “There’s nothing here,” Dren said.

“You must attune your mind to it,” Frame said. “Project your own knowledge upon it and it will activate.”

Dren did as the painting instructed. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, and focused on the map. His minimap moved from the corner right of his vision, slowly overlapping the paper. Ink began to scribble itself across the parchment, rooms and hallways appearing before him. After a few moments, the entire fifth floor of the dungeon was keenly marked out.

A marker appeared in the center, showing Dren’s location. He turned his mind to his allies, focusing as hard as he could. Slowly, three new markers materialized on the map. There was a room connected to the hallway right outside. It was covered in black ink, denoting that the area was under the influence of Amero.

“I think I found them,” Dren said. His minimap interfaced with the Moving Map and uploaded the location.

“Good!” Frame said. “If they’re showing up, then it means they aren’t dead.”

“That’s a relief,” Dren replied, letting out a sigh. “But there could be anything there. I need to make that Wand of Invulnerability if I’m going to get there.”

“The Wandpress should come in handy,” Frame said. “You’ll need the master key to operate it.”

“And where can I find the key?” Dren asked.

“Just reach in and grab it,” Frame replied. Dren turned to see that the portrait was now holding a silver key. He approached the painting and shrugged, putting his hand on the canvas. Immediately, his Autogauntlet melted into the painting, becoming grey brushstrokes. He felt no pain as his arm went in and he grabbed the key. He pulled his arm free and let out a small sigh of relief, glad that he wasn’t tricked by Frame. Getting trapped in painting would be an odd end to his story.

Dren hurried to a large hutch that had a silver lock on it. He inserted the key and twisted, causing the top of the hutch to spring open, revealing a curious looking device. It was a brass station with two prongs in the middle and six slots for cubes. There was a rotation device besides the prongs as well as a hand crank to operate it.

“What in the world is this?” Dren asked.

“Hampton understood that making everything by hand was tedious,” Frame explained. “A lot of work goes into the actual crafting of the item. He never had the time for such work. So he designed a press that was capable of speeding up the creation of a wand. You just place the wood cubes on the prongs, insert the shards and cubes into the slots and then crank.”

“Wait, what?” Dren said, turning to look at the painting which had changed into a series of simple sketches to show how to operate the device. “You’re saying I can just make a wand with the work of a crank?”

“Indeed! There’s also a Ringcaster and an Amulet Press,” Frame said. “Oh also a Gun Assembler.”

Dren grinned. “All I need is the material. It’s gonna take some time for me to switch my spells so I can get access to my inventory.”

“Or you could just, I don’t know, use his inventory,” Frame said. “Go over to that organ looking device, the one with the pipes sticking out of it.”

“I thought it was an organ,” Dren said as he approached the large device with brass pipes jutting out of the top. There was a keyboard for playing but upon closer inspection, Dren realized that it had way too few keys to be an actual musical instrument.

“Tap two on the left and two on the right,” Frame instructed. Dren complied and pressed his fingers on the keys, hearing a series of clicks instead of music. The pipes in front of him rotated, revealing cubes inside. They were stacked upon each other, glimmering with magic.

“This thing provides his entire inventory?” Dren asked.

“Oh yes, play a few more keys. Your system should attune to it.”

Dren did as requested, tapping a few keys until his vision acquired the relevant data. Inventory Discovered! What was provided next was a list so large and so full that Dren could scarcely believe it. There were thousands of cubes in almost every category.

“Hampton really was a master of his art,” Dren said.

“He took a feat that gave his allies something useful,” Frame replied. “When you use the machines to create your items, it will register you as an Artificer and upload the schematics of the device to you. So if you survive this thing, you’ll be able to build them at home.”

Chapter 18

The Wandpress was incredible to operate. Dren checked the requirements for the invulnerability wand and gathered the necessary cubes from Hampton’s private collection.  He placed the wood and steel cubes on the prongs in the center of the device, then inserted the light and heart cubes into the slots.

Once all the items were in place, Dren operated the crank. As he twisted it, several spikes came out below the cubes. They stuck into the wood cubes as they rotated in place. The spikes pulled to the sides, magical energies warping the wood and stretching it into a thin wand.

He continued to rotate the crank, watching as the wand seemingly assembled itself, spinning and twisting. Light cubes were pressed upwards from the bottom, infusing rapidly with the wand, giving it a magical aura as he worked. The metal was grafted on the edge of the tip and the handle.

Within five minutes, Dren had put together a brand new wand. The process was smooth and seamless, the device doing all of the manual labor and infusing automatically as well.

“A fantastic success!” Frame said as he looked at Dren’s new wand. “What are you going to make next?”

“I don’t have time,” Dren said. “I’ll be back soon, but I need to go and rescue my allies before it’s too late.”

He sheathed the Wand of Invulnerability in one of the wand holsters on his belt, then hurried out the door. With the wand, he would be able to protect himself against whatever had taken his allies. But he needed to hurry in case they were in serious danger. Without the Wand Press, he would not have been able to work so quickly but even then, it had taken him a few minutes to set everything up.

He hurried down the hall where his minimap was leading him. There wasn’t an infected zone this way, but the Moving Map had registered some kind of monstrous presence there. Perhaps this was Amero attempting to intercept Dren and his allies before they could find its dark heart.

Dren entered a room that was on the way to his allies. It was filled with all manner of odd plants that grew from the ground, snaking their way up towards the ceilings. This was the first non-infected room Dren had entered on level five and he was pleased to see that there was something here other than death. Just beautiful plants growing.

Dren navigated past the long vines and through the flowers that were purple and lavender, making his way to the door on the other side. The other two rooms he passed through were similar to the green room, with vegetation everywhere and not a sign of danger. This all seemed to point towards the fact that Gravis was not as monstrous as the princess believed.

Finally, he made it to the room on his minimap. The door was made of firm stone and when Dren tried the handle, he discovered that it was locked. Not to be daunted, he quickly began to pick the lock with his Autogauntlet. After a few moments of fiddling, the mechanism clicked and the door was unlocked.

He opened it up to find a room full of glass cases. Lanterns hung from the wall, giving off an ominous light as he walked in. All around him were cases with various monsters, plants, people and fauna inside. They were all motionless and inert. Dren felt his skin crawl at the sight of this menagerie of misery. Everything seemed lifeless, dead and preserved in some way. Even the humans were pale skinned and unmoving.

There were tables ahead of him, blood and green chemicals staining them. Dren’s eyes scanned around the collection, searching for a sign of his friends.

At the far end of the room were three glass cases filled with a jade-colored liquid. Floating in each of them were his companions, Maureen, Foster and Holis. They were inert as well, though Foster was stirring a little, moving left and right.

“What in the hell is all of this?” Dren muttered to himself as he drew out his pickaxe and approached the glass. They were suspended in some strange liquid that he couldn’t identify. Was it a preserve meant to keep them alive? Or was it poison that killed them slowly?

As he walked up to the glass, there was the sound of clicking behind him. Like metal feet walking on the hard ground. Dren turned around, eyes wide at the sight. There was a man, or rather the upper half of a man. He wore a golden vest with buttons made of silver, his arms folded as he approached. His lower half was not a normal pair of legs but was instead a spider-like machine with six metallic legs, each one clicking as he walked forward. They were copper, with steam puffing out of the sides.

“Well, look what I found in my collection room,” the stranger said, his voice deep and gravelly. “Another butterfly to pin to the wall.”

Dren drew his sword and pistol at the same time. “What in the hell are you doing to my friends?” he demanded.

The man chuckled at that. “I’m preparing them for being added to my collection.”

“Let them out this once,” Dren ordered. “Or I will kill you.”

The man rose taller, his metallic legs hissing as his height increased. “You are nothing more than a little bug. You can’t do anything to me.”

Dren decided that he was going to make good on his threat. This stranger was some kind of monster or madman and was going to harm his companions if left unchecked. He aimed with his Spell Pistol and fired.

The mechanical legs reacted in a snap. The man leapt upwards, his torso spinning as his legs latched onto the ceiling. The shot zipped past him and crashed harmlessly into a wall.

Dren’s Shoulder Cannons popped out of their resting place and tried to acquire the target. The monstrous man scuttled quickly across the ceiling, the shots missing and hitting nothing as he charged with incredible speed. He dropped down in front of Dren and delivered a hard kick with one of his spider legs. The blow connected to Dren’s chest and knocked him backwards, doing no damage but sending him flat on his back.

“I’ve had plenty of upstarts who think they can fight the likes of me,” the stranger taunted as he advanced towards Dren. The Artificer scrambled to get to his feet but wasn’t fast enough. “And they all fall victim to the spider’s venom!”

The two front legs of the mechanical spider rose up and fired two darts straight into Dren’s neck. He grunted from the pain. Poison Resisted! appeared in his vision. It looks like the feat that he had taken at the start of his journey as an Artificer was finally coming in handy.

Dren decided to feign being poisoned. He collapsed to the ground and ceased moving entirely, holding perfectly still.

“Yes, just like the rest. A dart and you’re out. Two and you may as well be dead,” the man said. He turned around and began to walk to an empty case. “He’s not the most perfect specimen but, still, an adventurer is a worthy addition to my collection.”

Dren slowly pulled out his Wand of Invulnerability, taking care to make no noise. The man was busy casting a spell, filling the interior of the case with the same green liquid that encased his allies. The Artificer activated the wand, aiming it towards himself.

You have gained the Invulnerability Buff! You have +10 Defense! You have gained 100 Temporary Hit Points!

The man was still busy muttering to himself and casting the spell. Dren slowly climbed to his feet, then aimed his pistol at the exposed back and readied the shot. He mentally commanded his Cannon Friends to aim. After they registered their target, he opened fire, shooting four blasts at the same time.

The legs reacted independently of their master’s control. As soon as the shots went off, he scuttled to the left, avoiding the volley altogether. The glass case shattered as the explosions and gunfire crashed into it and glass went everywhere.

“Two darts and you’re still not down?” the monsterman said as he turned around. “A hearty adventurer but no matter. There are other ways to kill you.”

With that, two of his front legs extended, revealing wicked sharp points. He charged towards Dren with fury. The Artificer tried to dodge out of the way but the speed of the mechanical legs were unmatched. The monster rushed him and stabbed directly into Dren’s chest.

20 Damage! appeared in Dren’s vision, his Power Shield breaking from the first spike and his armor reducing the damage of the second. His health dropped to 107, so he wasn’t terribly worried. With the man at point blank range, Dren slashed with his sword, cutting into his torso and dealing 15 damage.

“Gah!” the stranger screamed as he fell back, blood soaking his fine clothes. “You got a hit on me!”

Dren could see his enemy’s hit points drop down from 50 to 35. A few more hits and he’d be down. But he wasn’t a monster, for Dren’s scanners did not register him that way. What exactly was he?

The spiked legs stabbed at him again, but Dren was able to defend himself this time around, blocking the blows thanks to the extra points of Defense from his wand. He tried to counter once more with a downward slash but the legs were fast enough to leap out of the way. Two could play at that game.

Dren cast Speed Boost on himself, feeling the powerful magic surge through his system. His reflexes heightened and he realized that the legs were not simply able to dodge the attacks, they were able to anticipate the hits before they came.

The mechanical man ran in a circle around Dren, trying to get a better angle. The Artificer made a feint, rushing forward but stopping to shoot instead. The legs registered the first attack and sprang in the air, trying to leap out of the way of the blow. With his extra speed, Dren was able to quickly aim his pistol and fire twice, hitting the man’s torso in midair. This dealt 20 damage, dropping him down to a measly 15.

“Damn it!” the stranger yelled as he clutched his chest, landing on the ground and moving to put distance between them.

“Give up!” Dren shouted. “You might be fast on your feet but you can’t take me.”

“I don’t negotiate with collectibles!” the man replied. He hurried over to a table that had a large gun resting on it. He seized the gun, a long rifle with some kind of launcher on the end, and aimed it at Dren.

Dren’s reflexes were so quick that he could move the moment the trigger was squeezed. The gun made a ker-chack sound as it released a small wad of material towards him. The Artificer took a few steps to the left and returned fire. Too late, he realized that the payload wasn’t a cannon or a magical attack. It was a net!

The net opened halfway in its journey, wide enough to catch Dren. Thankfully, his extra speed made him fast enough to slash with his sword, the cutlass singing as he cut through the thick bindings, making a hole wide enough for him to slip through. He emerged from the falling net, unscathed and uncaptured.

“Alright, enough!” the stranger said, throwing the rifle down and raising his hands in surrender. Dren had his aim on the man’s torso and was just about to pull the trigger when he had yielded.

“What are you doing to my friends?” Dren demanded. “And who the hell are you?”

“I am Giles the Collector,” the man answered. “And your friends are fine. They are just being prepared for my vivisection.”

“Why the hell are you capturing people and putting them in glass cages? Are you crazy or something?” Dren asked. He glanced at his allies and began to move towards them, keeping the gun trained on Giles.

“I am working on concocting a chemical agent that will destroy this damnable dungeon,” Giles said. “I collect all manner of specimens, extract their organs and work in my laboratory.”

“You’re trying to kill the dungeon with alchemy?” Dren asked.

“Indeed!” Giles said. “I’ve been trapped in this place a long time. Lost half of my body to a horrific fiend. Fortunately, I had a few tools at my disposal and once I had stopped the bleeding, I was able to improve myself.”

“This invention that you’re riding, it looks like artifice,” Dren said. “Are you an Artificer?”

“No. Artifice is a fool’s pursuit, filled with falsehoods and exaggerations,” Giles replied. “I used a series of spells to create the Spider Rider that I am dependent upon. It wasn’t an easy task but, I am not the kind of mage who gives up.”

“I’m going to release my friends,” Dren said. “And then you’re going to tell me what your plan is for this dungeon.”

“I am at your mercy,” Giles grumbled. “I didn’t realize I’d be fighting a caster and fighter hybrid.”

“I’m not a hybrid, I’m an Artificer,” Dren replied. He grabbed the pickaxe he had dropped on the ground and shattered the glass cases that were holding his friends. The green ooze poured out onto the ground, congealing and glurping as it spread.

The three fell out onto land and started writhing. They were still unconscious. The liquid must have kept them in a suspended state. Hopefully it would wear off soon.

Dren turned around to see that Giles was still in place. The man was breathing heavily and the blood from his previous wounds was dripping down the sides of his metal legs. “Alright, so what are you trying to do, exactly?”

“Every dungeon core is essentially the same,” Giles said. “They are living entities, organisms that are biological in nature. They might appear to be otherworldly, but the people who make them keep extensive notes. I found a journal while I was still adventuring down here with my old friends. Before things took a turn for the worst. And in that journal, I was able to find the location of one of the dungeon hearts. It took me some time, but I was able to get to it.”

“You found one of the hearts? Was it a black heart?” Dren asked.

“Yes, as a matter of fact it was,” Giles replied. “There were many monsters in that strange place, but I was able to fend them off with my magic and mechanical might. The only trouble was that when I got to the heart—”

“You couldn’t destroy it,” Dren finished.

Giles nodded. “You are correct. Any damage I did, any spell I cast, was negligible. The wounds would seal themselves back up. No matter my efforts, I could not kill it. So I did the next best thing. I took a sample of it. From there I was—”

Dren interrupted the man. “Wait a second, you took a sample? Do you still have it?”

Giles frowned. “I was trying to explain what I did next.”

Dren sighed and gestured for the man to finish his sentence. “As I was saying, with the sample, I was able to determine the magical nature of the dungeon. It was created with a blended art of magic and what I believe to be some kind of advanced alchemy. The magical energies fuel it but the advanced alchemy allows it to shift and change. From there, I started to work on various potions, making chemicals to expose to the heart sample. Nothing has killed it yet, but I am positive that with a few more specimens, a few more experiments, that I shall be able to destroy the sample and therefore the heart. That will deliver a serious blow to the dungeon and weaken it. Enough for me to escape this damnable place.”

“So you’ve been kidnapping humans to experiment on them?” Dren asked, disgusted at the idea.

“Nonsense, not experiment on, experiment with. Adventurers are always chugging potions, exposing themselves to magical damage and generally ending up transformed in some minor way. With their organs, with their innards, I am able to extract various ingredients from them. I know the right blend of material will produce me the poison that I desire.”

“And you were going to kill my friends…” Dren said. “Why keep them alive?”

“Because magical effects don’t work on the dead. I intended to cast various spells on them and slay them afterward, hoping the energies would alter their physiology.”

Dren looked around at the various corpses that were on display. He shuddered. “Why keep them after you’re done?”

“Because, I am a collector,” Giles replied. “I am proud of the work that I do. These displays are trophies of my work, of my continued survival in this death trap.”

“You’re a sick man,” Dren said, shaking his head.

“No one has ever accused me of a being a good person, I can assure you of that,” Giles shot back. “But I am beyond such things as ethics. There is only survival in a place like this. You must do everything you can to keep living.”

“I want the sample,” Dren said. “Give it to me and we can part ways. I, too, am trying to destroy the black heart. And I have a much better way.”

“You said you were an Artificer,” Giles chuckled. “Why would I ever hand over something so precious to a snake oil salesman, hmmm? You wouldn’t know what to do with it.”

“This dungeon was made in part with artifice,” Dren replied. “Your belief that it was advanced alchemy is flat out wrong. And I happen to have access to the Great Workshop. Within it is a method of destroying the dungeon hearts but without a sample it is useless.”

“I agreed to surrender your friends but that sample is mine!” the man all but shouted. “I worked my ass off to get it! I will be the one to destroy this place! I shall be the one who receives the accolades as a dungeon killer!”

Dren grew irate with this twisted mage. He aimed his gun at his face. “Right now you need to worry less about being a killer and more about avoiding getting killed.”

A flash of fear washed across Giles’ features. “You would kill me to get that sample?”

“Frankly, I think I should kill you because you’re a monster of a man and I’m not referring to your legs. You collect human beings as prizes, you gut adventurers after experimenting on or with them, whatever. You’re as nasty as they come.”

“You’ve got to break a few eggs to make an omelet,” Giles replied. “I wouldn’t expect an Artificer, a pretend mage, to understand.”

“Insult my profession all you like, it doesn’t change that fact that it’s my invention that is pointed right at you,” Dren taunted. “Give me the sample and we’ll call it even. Otherwise…”

Giles grimaced and then sighed. “Very well. My laboratory is one room over. And if I surrender it, you won’t harm me in any way?”

“I’ve got bigger things to worry about than some two-bit mage,” Dren said.

The metallic legs clackered against the ground as Giles walked over to a door. “This way,” he said, waving for Dren to follow.

Chapter 19

Dren insisted that they wait for his allies to revive. The mad mage was displeased with this, perhaps hoping to pull one over on the Artificer but with three allies at his side, the chances of any tomfoolery where much lower.

Eventually Holis woke up, followed by Maureen and Foster. They all slowly rose to their feet, groaning and stretching their sore muscles out.

“What in the hell happened?” Foster asked as he looked at the grotesque menagerie all around them. “Is this the Great Workshop?”

“Hardly,” Dren said, handing a cloth to the man so he could wipe the ooze from his face. “In short, you were all kidnapped by a mage who wanted to use you for his experiments.”

“Reminds me of Sordid Mountain,” Holis grumbled. “Woke up right as the scalpel was about to dig into my right arm.”

“Don’t remind me of that summer,” Maureen groaned.

Dren couldn’t help but chuckle at how easily the group accepted the situation that had befallen them. “The good news is that I was able to rescue you guys and found a very useful lead.” He pointed towards the mage who was scowling at them. “This guy has something I desperately need. So he gets to live if he delivers the goods.”

Foster eyed the man. “I vaguely remember seeing him, crying for help, before everything went dark. You say he has loot?”

“More like the one thing that will save us a lot of trouble. We’ll be able to destroy Amero and get the hell out of this place,” Dren replied.

“His mind is shielded,” Holis said. “I don’t trust him.”

“Lower whatever is shielding your thoughts so my psion can scan you,” Dren ordered.

“That wasn’t part of the deal!” Giles said.

“Maureen can kill you with her bare hands,” Dren warned. “As a monk she doesn’t need any fancy weapon to strike.”

The wizard scowled even deeper at that, his eyes flicking left and right as he tried to calculate his odds. Dren knew then that the man had no intention of ever fulfilling his end of the bargain. Wherever he was leading them, it was a trap.

“Bah, fine,” Giles growled. “You may read my mind, you sickos.”

Holis put a hand to his head and focused. “Interesting,” he mused. Giles squirmed as if aware of the deep scan that was rushing through his head. “He has built a room full of traps meant to kill those who follow him. He intended to bring Dren there.”

“I knew it!” Dren said. “Find the location of the dungeon heart sample.”

The psion nodded. “It is located in his laboratory. Two rooms from here. Hidden by a secret entrance.”

“Do we need him to gain access to it?” Maureen asked as she strolled towards the mage. Giles backed up but was close to the wall already.

“No, it’s unsecured. The secret entrance is warded but it’s something Dren could dispel easily enough.”

Maureen moved so fast that Dren had blinked and the mage’s throat was in her grasp. She twisted with one hand, eliciting a sickening crack as the man’s neck broke. The mage’s health dropped to zero and he wheezed, then ceased moving entirely. She released his corpse and he drooped down, his legs randomly moving left and right now that they had no master to command them.

“Sorry, Dren,” Maureen said, turning to face him. “But he’s better off dead.”

“No need to apologize,” Dren said. “A man like that makes my skin crawl. If we have what we need, then there’s no reason to let him live. He wasn’t repentant in the least and no doubt he’d be back to taking countless victims after we were long gone.”

“Fair enough,” Maureen replied. “Let’s move. His lab probably has your gear, Foster.”

“It’s a bit of a raw deal that when I get knocked out, all of my crap gets taken and I’m useless but you two can just shake it off and go back to business as usual,” Foster complained.

“You should have taken a class that was enlightened instead of one designed to just hit things harder every level,” Holis remarked.

“Says the guy with so few hit points that a stiff breeze could take him down,” Foster quipped.

“Alright, easy you two,” Dren said. “We’ve got a sample to recover. I can fill you in on the great workshop as we go.”

The group headed out of the menagerie room and through a passageway that led to the trapped room that Holis pointed out along the way. They made their way into another room, one filled with more flowers and plants, which Dren realized was not the creation of Gravis but was rather the design of Giles who needed them for his alchemical experiments in creating some kind of chemical agent that could kill the dungeon hearts.

They reached a long wall that Holis pointed to. “Right by the stark roses,” he said. “There’s a secret door that can be found by pushing against a stone in the middle. But it’s keyed to the owner, anyone else who tries to open it will be thoroughly zapped.”

“No worries,” Dren said. “I’ve got a Dispel handy.”

“I hope it works,” Foster said. “Because we’ve got a rule. If you claim something is no longer trapped, it’s your job to then try the thing that may still be trapped.”

“Pickman hated that rule,” Maureen added. She sighed for a moment and Dren could see a look of mourning on her face, but only for a moment. It was quickly replaced with her usual stony expression.

“This will work,” Dren said. He raised a hand forward and made the symbols for Dispel. A burst of white magic shot forth from his fingers and struck the wall. The entire area fizzled at once, electricity bursting out for a brief moment before vanishing.

“Did you do it?” Foster asked.

“I suppose the only way is for me, the guy with far less hit points than say the big strong warrior or the disciplined, damage resistant monk, to try to open it,” Dren said. No one reacted to his subtle hint. He sighed at that and strolled forward.

“Please work, please work,” he said under his breath.

The last thing he wanted was to die but the really, really last thing he wanted was to die while these seasoned adventurers watched. Death was rough but the embarrassment on the way out would probably follow him in the afterlife.

Dren pressed a hand against the stone that Holis had pointed to. He gritted his teeth and shoved it forward, hearing the clicking sound as the stone slid back, activating the unlocking mechanism.

“Grah!” Foster screamed, grabbing Dren by the shoulder.

“Ahhhh!” the Artificer yelped, realizing only too late that it had been his companion yelling in his ear and not a terrible vaporizing trap going off.

The group all laughed as the door slid open, revealing a large room full of alchemical equipment. “Har har,” Dren said, shoving Foster off of him as the man slapped his back heartily.

“That was great,” Foster said. “Damn near pissed himself.”

“Can we go back to destroying this dungeon?” Dren asked.

“Be my guest,” the warrior replied.

Den entered the laboratory, albeit cautiously in case there were more traps. Nothing popped up as dangerous and his Trapfinding skills were high enough for him to know when he was walking into a rigged area or not.

The lab was full of alchemical tools, empty potion bottles and a ton of books scattered around, most of their pages torn. Upon the wall to the east were dozens of pages nailed. Notes were scribbled across them and there were various theories about how to destroy the dungeon. Most of the theories were crossed out.

“Ahhhh, my axes!” Foster said, walking up to a table filled with gear presumably collected from the various victims of the mad mage. He grabbed his primary axe and the backup that he kept on his back. “Feels good to be armed again.”

Dren’s Search skill kicked in and a large metal box began to glow bright blue. He took a deep breath and approached, looking for any signs of traps. There was nothing and so he reached down and opened the box up.

Within was a small shred of black tissue, pulsing rhythmically as if it were still alive. Black Heart Sample floated above it. “Found it,” Dren announced. “I found the key to getting the hell out of this place.”

Sample Retrieved! 4,000 XP Gained! Level Up! appeared in his vision.

“Nice work,” Foster said. “I never doubted you, Metal Man.”

Dren took out a small bag and grabbed the sample, feeling a shudder run down his spine as he touched the thing. He placed it in the bag and turned around to face his companions. “All right, listen up. There’s a lot of work for me to do in the great workshop, so you guys are going to need to find somewhere safe to hole up for a while. Hanging out in the halls is dangerous, as you guys came close to death before.”

“Why not in here?” Maureen asked, picking up a bottle of clear liquid. She uncorked it and sniffed it. “Yes, this is alcohol. I think we should be fine waiting in this secret room. We’ll seal the door up and just wait.”

“What kind of monk drinks booze?” Dren asked.

“The kind who has never taken vows of sobriety,” Maureen replied, tipping the liquor to her lips. She took a swig and shuddered. “Oh that is foul. Who wants some?”

“Maybe you guys shouldn’t spend your whole time waiting getting drunk,” Dren said as she passed the bottle to Foster who heartily emptied half of the container.

“Don’t bother,” Holis said. “These two are boozehounds. I shall stay sober and keep the telepathic connection open.”

Dren thanked Holis and bid his companions farewell for the time being. With the sample in hand, he now had everything he needed to complete the Heartbreaker Suit. And hopefully that should allow him to destroy the dark hearts that were plaguing this dungeon.

Chapter 20

Now safe within the confines of the Great Workshop, Dren decided to level up, knowing that his companions were protected by the secret laboratory and thus he had time to build all of the new schematics that would be available.

Level Up! You are now Level 13! Your Thaumaturgy Mastery has advanced to Supremacy. Select a Focus Point ability below!

Spellsmith: You gain +6 Spells to Study.

Orb Maestro: You gain access to the Infusion Orb Schematics.

Wandsmith: Your wands gain +10 Additional Charges.

Dren was surprised to see that there were new abilities for him to take. Each one offered a different value. The additional spells to study per day were useful but he didn’t focus too much on spellcasting. In any given encounter, he rarely needed the widest net to worry about the troubles at hand. He had his reliable spells that he used in any given situation and even with the greater breadth of magic, his mana only gave him so many uses.

Wandsmith was promising because of the extra charges, but at the same time, Dren had discovered that the shards that he had been experimenting with could be infused into a charge item, recovering the charges. The base number of charges in any given magical item was usually enough to get him through an encounter.

The Infusion Orbs though? That made him curious. From the sounds of it, they were orbs that could be infused into items. More schematics would be handy, especially considering the fact that he was in a workshop filled to the brim with components for crafting. So why not?

Dren selected Orb Maestro and moved on to the skills section.

You have gained 4 Skill Points! You may purchase a new skill or increase a skill by 1 Rank!

Skills:

Artifice: A

Identify: A

Search: A

Appraise: C

Command: A

Control: B

Trapfinding: A

Mechanics: B

Herbalism: C

Researching: B

Butchery: B

Architecture: C

Meditation: C

Counterspell: B

Aura Sense: B

Siphon: D

Unlearned Skills:

Focus: Extends the Duration of a Spell by 1 each Rank.

Resistance: Provides a chance of Spells not working on you. Each Rank improves the chances.

Recharge: Converts 10 Mana into 1 Charge of a Magical Item. Each rank reduces the mana cost by 2.

Channeling: Allows you to spend HP to cast Spells. Each Rank provides 5 additional MP per Hit Point spent.

There were a few new skills on the list. Dren looked them over curiously. Resistance seemed excellent, as it would boost his ability to resist enemy spells and Recharge was good too. Channeling was interesting but Dren had already prioritized gaining mana from other sources in a pinch and his HP was too precious a resource.

He decided to put 2 points into Resistance and 2 into Recharge. The new skills might come in handy in the future. Next up was feats.

You gain 2 Feats! Select from the list below!

Orb Maestro:

Versatile: You gain 1 additional Infusion Orb Schematic.

Orb Boost: Your Infusion Orbs gain an additional use per day.

Retooler: You may remove Infusion Orbs from gear.

Seasoned Artificer:

Enhanced Scanners: Your scanners can now detect secret doors, analyze traps and are linked to your cogbots, allowing you to gain information from them remotely.

Greater Breakdown: Breaking down items into elemental cubes yields double the results.

Master Schematic: Select 1 Schematic you already know. Gain the Master Schematic version.

Thaumaturgic Synergy:

Mana Connection: Gain +20 Mana.

Invention Detonation: You may detonate an Invention, surging it with magic and dealing 40 Elemental damage to all targets within 30 feet.

Ringbearer: You may now equip up to 8 Artifice Rings.

Dren was pleased to see that the feats provided three new categories, all with interesting options. He was curious about the Infusion Orbs and wondered if perhaps he should take an extra schematic. From context, it seemed as if the orbs were applied to gear, which made sense. With them, he might be able to improve Foster’s weapons and armor, giving the warrior a greater edge in their fights. But then again he wasn’t sure about what they actually did. A difficult choice.

Master Schematic was also tempting. Being able to take one of his inventions and make a master version seemed like it would be a huge upgrade. But what would he choose? He had so many different items… Perhaps the Spell Pistol? The gun was strong thanks to its upgrades and could fire twice per round. What would a master version entail?

The other feats weren’t as attractive to Dren right now. He had focused on improving his mana capacity last level, so Mana Connection wasn’t his concern. Invention Detonation seemed like it required an entire rethinking of his general strategies. Ringbearer might be good, if not for the fact that Dren only had two rings equipped right now.

After a few minutes of thinking it over, Dren decided to go with his first instincts. Expanding his Infusion Orb repertoire and a Master Spell Pistol would be good to have, especially considering the fact that he may need both in the upcoming fights. Infected Zones had a way of keeping him on his toes and he didn’t see that changing much.

Dren made the feat selections and turned to the next section, where the new schematics were waiting for him.

You gain 2 Schematics! Level 1 Infusion Orb Schematics Unlocked!

Level 3 Thaumaturgic Schematics Unlocked!

Thaumaturge Schematics

Level 1 Conjuring

Anti-Spirit Ray

Description: A powerful weapon that deals damage to spirits, ignoring their ethereal state.

Stats:

Range: 50 Feet

Accuracy: 10

Damage: 15

Speed: 3

Targets: 1

Damage Type: Force

Cost:

100 Yellow Band Copper

25 Light Shard Crystals

Level 2 Conjuring

Summoner’s Gloves

Description: These gloves extend the length of your summons by 15 minutes and improve their combat ability.

Cost:

100 Leather Cubes

10 Summoner’s Cubes

Binding Collar

Description: This collar, when placed on a summoned creature, allows it to stay in the realm for as long as it is wearing the device. Improves the strength and speed of the summon as well.

Cost:

125 Silver Cubes

100 Yellow Band Copper

50 Light Shards

Level 3 Conjuring

Staff of Golem Summoning

Description: A powerful staff that is capable of summoning a random Golem for a 20 minute duration.

Cost:

100 Wood Cubes

25 Steel Cubes

15 Fire Shards

15 Light Shards

10 Summon Cubes

Summon Cube Assembler

Description: A complex device that is capable of drawing from the ethereal world, generating and assembling 20 Summon Cubes each week.

Cost:

100 Ethereal Shards

25 Salt Cubes

50 Iron Cubes

250 Copper Cubes

Ghost Gate

Description: A powerful gate that connects to the ethereal realm, allowing you to travel from one gate to another in a matter of minutes. There is no range on the distance you can travel but you must exit through another Ghost Gate.

Cost:

250 Iron Cubes

500 Yellow Band Iron Cubes

50 Salt Cubes

25 Ethereal Shards

Visitation Amulet

Description: The holder of this amulet can summon you to their location for a duration of 2 hours. After the duration expires, you return to wherever you were previously.

Cost:

25 Summon Cubes

50 Copper Cubes

25 Ethereal Shards

Level 1 Wands

Ice Skate Wand

Description: This wand grants the user +10 Speed and the ability to skate across solid ground. The skating ignores all terrain and can move across solid water as well.

Charges: 15

Duration: 1 minute

Cost:

25 Ice Cubes

25 Magic Cubes

10 Blue Nickel Cubes

10 Wood Cubes

Level 2 Wands

Wand of Blindness

Description: This wand causes any target struck by it to become blinded for 10 minutes. A blind individual has significantly reduced speed and defense and all weapon accuracy is reduced to 1.

Charges: 10

Cost:

100 Darkness Cubes

25 Dark Shards

10 Blue Nickel Cubes

10 Wood Cubes

Level 3 Wands

Wand of Lightning

Description: Releases a burst of Lightning energy that strikes up to 4 targets at a time, dealing 22 Electric Damage.

Charges: 10

Cost:

100 Wood Cubes

10 Lightning Shards

25 Blue Nickel Iron Cubes

Wand of Swapping

Description: You and a Target, willing or unwilling, immediately swap places via teleportation.

Charges: 8

Cost:

50 Wood Cubes

15 Ethereal Shards

25 Magic Cubes

15 Yellow Band Copper

Wand of Burning Beam

Description: Fires a beam of Fire that strikes a target and deals 30 Fire Damage per second. Firing the wand requires a charge but the beam holds unless its aim is broken.

Charges: 5

Cost:

100 Fire Cubes

25 Fire Shards

50 Wood Cubes

15 Red Steel Cubes

Wand of Burdens

Description: Target becomes Burdened by a great weight, reducing their Speed to 1 and disabling their ability to dodge or perform complex movement maneuvers. Lasts 10 minutes.

Charges: 5

Cost:

100 Iron Cubes

55 Dexterity Cubes

20 General Magic Cubes

25 Blue Nickel Cubes

Level 1 Rings

Ring of Iron Skin

Description: Wearing this Ring grants you 5 Innate Armor that cannot be damaged.

Cost:

25 Heart Cubes

25 Red Steel Cubes

5 Silver Cubes

Level 2 Rings

Ring of Wallwalk

Description: This ring allows you to pass through solid objects up to twenty feet at a time.

Charges: 20

Cost:

50 Earth Cubes

25 Red Steel Cubes

5 Silver Cubes

Level 3 Rings

Ring of Doubling

Description: Creates an Illusory Double of you that can be commanded to act in any manner, though it mimics your every action by default. The double cannot be damaged and lasts for 5 minutes.

Charges: 15

Cost:

100 Light Shards

50 Light Cubes

25 Smoke Cubes

25 Iron Cubes

5 Copper Cubes

Ring of Precision

Description: Grants +10 Accuracy to any ranged weapon that you wield.

Cost:

50 Dexterity Cubes

100 General Magic Cubes

25 Earth Cubes

25 Copper Cubes

Ring of Foresight

Description: When activated, you gain 5 seconds of precognition, allowing you to see events and attacks before they happen. Lasts for 30 seconds each use.

Charges: 8

Cost:

100 General Magic Cubes

50 Dark Shards

50 Light Shards

25 Copper Cubes

Ring of Absorption

Description: When struck by a magic attack, you gain 10 Mana.

Cost:

250 General Magic Cubes

50 Light Shards

50 Blue Nickel Iron Cubes

Level 1 Infusion Orbs

Orb of Utter Destruction

Description: When infused in a weapon, this orb grants +20 damage per hit. When infused to armor, this orb grants the Damage Field trait, causing anyone who strikes the wearer with a melee attack to take 20 damage.

Cost:

100 Fire Cubes

100 Electric Cubes

50 Water Cubes

50 Earth Cubes

Orb of Great Heights

Description: When infused to Boots, grants a 25 foot leaping ability. When infused to a weapon, allows the weapon to be thrown and return after striking a target.

Cost:

100 Dexterity Cubes

50 Feather Cubes

50 General Magic Cubes

25 Water Cubes

Orb of Elements

Description: When infused to a weapon, grants +10 Elemental damage. The element type can change each attack. When infused to armor, grants +10 Armor Points to all elemental attacks.

Cost:

300 Elemental Cubes (Any Type)

Orb of Wound Reversal

Description: Bound to armor only. When damage is taken, wearer heals 10 Hit Points immediately.

Cost:

100 Light Shards

50 Water Cubes

50 Earth Cubes

50 Heart Cubes

Dren finished reading the list of brand new options. They were quite impressive to say the least. The conjuring section seemed least useful in this situation but the wands provided some very hard hitting weapons. He had already used a lightning spell once before, hitting a chain of enemies was quite satisfying. Having a wand with the power on command would be even better.

He was tempted by the Wand of Burning Beam as well. The ability to hit a target with 30 fire damage per second, for as long as he could keep his aim was very strong. But he was also interested in the Ring of Foresight. Having the ability to see a few seconds into the future during a combat scenario would be invaluable… So, what to choose? Damage or knowledge? Offense or defense?

Dren had already spent the last level shoring up his defensive abilities and improving his mana. The burning beam was just too good to pass up. He could take the Ring of Foresight next level.

And last was the choice of Infusion Orb. Dren had taken the feat that granted him one additional orb schematic, allowing him to pick the two wands without making any sacrifices of the new item type. In the spirit of focusing on damage, he decided on the Orb of Utter Destruction. If he made a few, he could install one into Foster’s axes and the others into his guns. The Spell Pistols would have a keen damage dealing ability, especially once he made the master version of them.

Finishing his selections, Dren turned over to the last section. The spells. He felt a little giddy at the prospect of level 3 spells and couldn’t wait to see what options he would have.

Spell Study Limit has increased to +3! You gain access to Level 3 Spells!

Animate Wands

Description: You may Animate up to 4 Wands. Animated Wands fly beside you and act upon your orders, activating without touch.

Duration: 1 Minute

Cost: 15 Mana

Destruction Burst

Description: Release a burst of destructive energy that disintegrates armor and damages weapons to the point of inoperability. Affects one target.

Cost: 20 Mana

Mass Repair

Description: Fully repair up to 8 inventions, items or structures.

Cost: 15 Mana

Flight

Description: You gain the power of Flight. You can move vertically or horizontally with a base speed of 5.

Duration: 1 Hour

Cost: 25 Mana

Gravity Increase

Description: Creates a gravity field around a Target, slowing them down to a crawl and reducing their ability to maneuver or dodge.

Duration: 15 Seconds

Cost: 20 Mana

Rapid Regeneration

Description: Target gains the Regeneration ability, healing 10 hit points per second.

Duration: 10 Seconds

Cost: 20 Mana

Artificer’s Armor

Description: Creates thin magical plates of energy that grant you 20 Armor Points.

Duration: 8 Hours

Cost: 15 Mana

Shocking Sphere

Description: Summons a sphere of electrical energy that deals 20 lightning damage to all targets within 30 feet of the sphere. The sphere automatically moves towards the closest enemy. Every time you attack, the sphere releases more lightning.

Duration: 1 Minute

Cost: 25 Mana

Three new spell slots and eight new spells. Dren was impressed with quite a few of them. Flight was exciting. It may not have any additional bonuses to combat but the ability to soar above his enemies and rain down destruction was quite fantastic. The only trouble was the mana cost was relatively high. But could one really put a price on looking awesome in battle?

Since he had just gained three new slots, he decided to take Flight, Shocking Sphere and Rapid Regeneration. Costly spells but he would make it work somehow.

Chapter 21

After finishing his leveling up, Dren headed over to the table across from Frame. The portrait was pleased to see that he had returned.

“Welcome back, Master Dren,” Frame said cheerily.

“My little side adventure took quite a useful turn,” Dren replied. “I’ve managed to get my hands on a sample of the dark heart.”

“For real?” Frame gasped. “You mean you went into a dark realm and tore a piece of flesh from that deadly thing? You surpassed my old master?”

“Not quite,” Dren said. “Though I’d like to take the credit, the truth was a mad wizard had already obtained a piece. He and I crossed paths and well, I’m the one remaining and to the victor the spoils.”

“This means you will be able to power the Heartbreaker Suit!” Frame said, speaking with such excitement that the portrait was moving a little. “And then you will be able to destroy the dark hearts for good! Thus ending the curse and freeing everyone here!”

“That is the plan,” Dren said. He looked at the brass suit behind the glass enclosure. “But it doesn’t look quite finished.”

“Master Hampton had finished everything that he could without the power source. Once you plug the sample into the heart enclosure, everything should fall into place. Though it is not configured yet, so you’ll be the one to choose how it functions.”

Dren looked at the suit with curiosity. It was certainly an impressive artifact, standing nearly 8 feet tall, wide enough to intimidate its foes and with two mighty fists. It was a beast of a suit of armor, something that would allow him absolute protection while in the field of combat.

“All right! Well, before I get to getting the suit up and ready, I’ve got a few items to build,” Dren said, settling down at the organ. He checked the schematics for the Master Spell Pistol.

Master Spell Pistol

Description: The Master Spell Pistol has enhanced damage, speed and accuracy. All upgrades are carried over from previous versions.

Stats:

Range: 50 Feet

Accuracy: 15

Damage: 30

Speed: 10

Targets: 1

Damage Type: Mystic

Cost:

15 Precious Elements

20 Magic Elements

15 Copper Cubes

2 Gold Bars

50 Energy Elements

The gun was vastly improved from its previous version. With 30 damage, an insane accuracy and better speed, it was superior in every way. And best of all, the cost seemed to have just doubled from the previous versions requirements, meaning it was cheap and easy to build. Even without Hampton’s inventory, Dren would easily be able to build one.

But why build one when he could make two? With the Double Shot upgrade, he would be hitting for 60 damage per gun, which came out to 120 damage per attack. An insane amount of output.

Dren played the organ a few times to get all of the necessary pieces for the creation of his new items. He worried that he would be running out of material sooner rather than later, but after gathering everything for the two wands, the two pistols and two orbs, there didn’t seem to be an end to Hampton’s inventory. He supposed that years of being in a dungeon, breaking down monsters and treasures and using the Wild Jar to create whatever was needed yielded more than enough crafting material.

The wands were easy to make, thanks to the Wandpress. The device easily crafted the Burning Beam Wand and the Lightning Wand within ten minutes of each other. After the second use, Dren discovered that his System uploaded the schematics for the press, though it required him to be level 16 in order to use it. Still, with all of the adventuring in this dungeon, he wasn’t that far from getting there.

Once he finished the wands, he turned to crafting the Master Spell Pistols. Hampton had designed a Gunpress as well, a complex device that had three different components. A handle crafter, a drill bit for the barrel and an assembly arm that would put everything together. It took Dren a few hours to figure out how to use it properly, resulting in one terrible-looking gun that had no function, but after some time everything clicked and he was able to quickly build two pistols, back to back.

He completed the guns and looked at them. There was an etching machine at the end of the Gunpress and after a few minutes of pondering, he decided why not. They were master versions of their originals, so they needed a little bit of flair.

The etching needle dug into the metal stock of the gun and he carefully maneuvered it left and right, working the controls with some degree of precision. For the first gun, he etched the image of a cube, since it was such an important part of his journey. And for the second, Dren made the image of a rose, one of Salla’s favorite flowers. Something to remind him of her.

Once finished with the decorations, he turned his attentions to the creation of the infusion orbs. This was a much different process than the other types of crafting that he had done before. Instead of assembling an item, taking the various components and infusing and studding them into the design, the components simply needed to be gathered together. From there, Dren had to place his hands on both sides of the items, pushing them close while focusing intensely.

Though the directions were simple, the process was deceptively difficult. Dren had to enter into a meditative trance, creating the orb in his own mind. He had to visualize every aspect of it, feeling it, touching it and more or less conjuring the orb with sheer willpower. This took almost an hour of focus but when he had finished, he opened his eyes to discover there was a watery-looking orb resting where the crafting material had been.

The orb was semi-solid, almost like a liquid but kept together by magical energies. The thing was bright red with a black storm within, moving endlessly as if waiting to be activated.

“Woah!” Dren said as he lifted the orb with both hands. It shimmered and gleamed, always moving in place. The orb was able to improve the damage of his weapons and with the Master Spell Pistols already significantly scaled up in damage this would push it over the top.

Dren placed his first gun on the table and carefully lowered the orb onto the side of the barrel. He knew instinctively how to infuse the orb. All it took was a bit of concentration and contact with the orb and then…

Poof! The orb soaked into the weapon and words appeared above it.

Orb has infused to the Master Spell Pistol! +20 damage! This brought the weapon’s output to a total of 50 damage per shot.

Grinning at the significant increase of his combat potential, Dren quickly placed the other orb on the second pistol. The weapon’s damage shot up to 50 and he was pleased with his creation. He just needed to make one more orb before he turned his attention to the Heartbreaker Suit.

The process for making the third orb was sped up quite a bit. Dren found the focus to be less difficult and the time passed at a faster rate; thanks to his experience making two, the last one was finished in no time. This orb was for Foster’s axe. The warrior already dealt a considerable amount of damage with his weapon, so this would more or less bring him on par with Dren’s damage output. Well, almost on par. The extra gun would outpace Foster quite a bit. Not that it was a competition.

Chapter 22

Dren spent some time resting after he had expended a great deal of his energies crafting. He kept in touch with Holis, receiving updates from them each hour. For the most part, there was little to report. The laboratory was sealed away and there were no threats nearby, keeping them safe and sound. The only real danger was their boredom, which they were drinking away after finding more hooch distilled by the wizard.

Once he woke up from his nap, Dren took a deep breath and prepared to begin his work on the Heartbreaker. Everything was leading up to this moment and he was interested to see how it functioned.

Frame gave him the instructions on how to unseal it. As he worked the controls of the system besides the case, there was a loud hissing sound. The circular glass slid upwards, releasing a ton of air pressure. A metallic scent drifted in the air and Dren approached the tall suit of armor, staring at it in awe.

The brass armor was thick and bulky, pipe and wires sticking out of the sides. It looked unfinished but apparently there was just one step left to get it to activate. Dren walked to the back and saw a small circular bulb that was encased in reinforced iron. The Artificer twisted the nozzle on the bulb, causing the case to twist open.

Dren took out the pulsing dark heart sample and carefully placed it inside of the little container. The suit sensed the sample and the bulb snapped shut, right as Dren pulled his fingers away. The entire device lit up at once, yellow energy pulsing through the system. The wires began to snake into the suit and the pipes pulled themselves in. The Heartbreaker stood taller and the front opened up, panels moving to the sides to reveal an easy way to enter.

“This is it,” Dren said. “The summation of a Master Artificer’s work. Let’s see what he made…”

Getting in was a bit awkward. Dren had to turn around and face forward as he stepped inside, each foot slipping into the reinforced leg armor. There were meshes inside that wrapped around his feet and legs, making the interior more comfortable than he could have guessed.

Once his legs were in, he inserted each arm into the wide circular slots and felt his fingers slip into the gauntlets. He had worried that his Autogauntlet wouldn’t be able to fit but fortunately the slots were more than wide enough to contain the heavy glove.

As he climbed into the suit, there was a whirring sound. The exterior closed around him, encasing him completely. Dren felt a bit of claustrophobia for a moment as he was enclosed in utter darkness. He was completely frozen, the suit unable to move. There was a slight sense of panic in him but then, then everything activated at once.

“Heartbreaker Suit online,” a metallic voice chittered in his ear. The metal helmet around his head opened up its eye slots, revealing the entirety of the workshop. The arms released their tension and tightened a little, becoming snugger around Dren. His legs received the same treatment, the metal inside contracting to form a closer connection between body and suit.

Dren lifted his right arm and flexed the fingers. He had already been used to having a metal hand but the thick, meaty fingers on were a real sight to behold. Despite the weight of the suit, Dren didn’t feel overburdened in the least. Instead, he felt strong, strong and ready to fight anything that came his way.

Heartbreaker Suit has begun a connection with your System! His vision informed him. Configuration Mode in 3…2…1…

Dren’s vision became filled with data points. The scanners swept across the entire area and highlighted various objects, analyzing their composition and showing what kind of things could be extracted from using the Artificer’s Breakdown ability. A menu appeared before him.

Suit needs a primary function!

Select from the following configurations!

Ironbreaker Mode:

+40 Hit Points

+40 Armor Points

Abilities:

Heavy Reinforcement: Reduces Speed by 5. Gain +50 Armor Points.

Breaker Bash: Deal 60 Bludgeoning Damage to any target within melee range.

Manasurge Mode:

+50 Mana

+20 Armor Points

Abilities:

Caster Cannon: Fire a burst of magical energy, hitting targets up to 100 feet away for 100 Magical Damage.

Reflection Drive: Enter a focused mode where magical effects and ranged attacks are redirected towards the attacker. Lasts for 1 minute per use.

Heartseeker Mode:

+20 Hit Points

+20 Armor Points

Abilities:

Gatling Gun: Fire a sustained barrage of explosive energy, hitting up to 4 targets 50 feet away, dealing 80 Fire damage per hit. If used again immediately after activating, damage increases to 160.

Hellfire Shells: Unleash artillery shells that deal 80 Fire damage per shell, releases 6 shells at a time. Any target within 30 feet of the explosion is affected.

Dren read through each of the options and grinned. This was one hell of a weapon. It could improve HP and provided armor points, though the configuration was what determined the biggest bonus. What to choose? The Ironbreaker mode would turn him into a serious tank, allowing him to soak up damage and ignore most attacks. Manasurge gave him way more mana than he usually had, meaning he could cast spells like there was no tomorrow. And while Heartseeker had less in ways of hit points and armor bonuses, the sheer damage potential was wild.

After thinking for some time, Dren decided to go with Ironbreaker. He had his guns already and they dealt considerable damage. The additional armor and hit points would keep him safe while engaging with the dark hearts within this place. And should that fail, the Breaker Bash ability would serve him well enough.

Once he made the choice, the display changed. Primary Configuration Selected! Ironbreaker is now active! The suit made a shunk sound as heavy metal plates extended on the chest, arms and legs of the armor and he watched as both his HP and AP surged to astronomical levels. He was now sitting at 67 HP and 40 Armor Points. Best of all, if the suit was breached from some attack, the armor he was wearing inside would still work. A double layer of protection. What more could he ask for?

Select Secondary Configuration! his vision informed him and another menu appeared.

Dodge Matrix:

+10 Speed

+5 Defense

Abilities:

Slide Jets: Activates movement jets on your back to quickly dodge attacks, granting you +10 Speed for a 5 second duration.

Countermeasures: Releases five force flares that strike all ranged attacks in mid-air, preventing them from striking you.

Shieldbearer System:

+10 Defense

+15 Armor Points

Abilities:

Reinforce Shield: Your shield gains invulnerability for a five second duration, allowing you to absorb any attack without taking damage.

Absorption Module: When struck with magical attacks, gain 10 Mana.

Striker Cannons:

+5 Speed

+10 Accuracy

Abilities:

Twin Cannons: Extend dual cannons beneath the wrists of the suit and fire twice, hitting any two targets for 40 Fire damage each.

Electric Beam: Torso cannon extends and releases a beam of electrical energy, dealing 60 Electric damage to a target. Beam can be sustained for an additional 60 damage.

More options? Dren was pleased to see that the Heartbreaker suit had not been a one-trick pony. Rather, it was a complex weapon that accounted for speed and defense with the secondary configurations. But what should he choose?

His heavy armor build made him consider taking the Shieldbearer configuration. A sturdy shield that bolstered his Armor Points and allowed him to temporarily become immune to any kind of attack? That was a solid win. The Striker Cannons were also tempting, but he already had his vastly upgraded pistols. Would the shield require a hand? If so, he’d be down to one pistol. Though he was an Artificer, he could take some time to weld it to the outer part of the arm…

Shieldbearer it was! A strong defensive build was just what he needed, enduring any amount of punishment in order to get the choicest shots on his enemies.

Secondary Configuration Selected! his vision informed him as his left arm began to change. A long metal shield extended on the outer part of the wrist, shooting up and down to create a kite shield that was half of Dren’s size. His hand was perfectly free.

“Perfection!” Dren exclaimed as he swung the arm around, flexing the wrist to the side so that the shield was right in front of him. It was light and easy to move, nothing weighing his arm down.

Module Selection Required! his vision informed him. Select 2 Modules from below!

Provocation Module: Creates a fine dust around the armor, causing all monsters to immediately target you, ignoring your allies and focusing only on you. Lasts for the duration of combat.

Energy Core: Grants you +25 Mana.

Versatility Module: Allows you to change your Primary and Secondary configurations on the fly, though it takes a few seconds for the systems to come online.

Rocketry Mounts: Provides two mounted shoulder rockets that deal 50 Fire damage to targets 100 feet away. Reloads after the encounter.

Flash Blade: Produces a blade that deals 75 Electric damage per hit.

Restoration Module: Heals the wearer 50 HP once per encounter.

Dren read over the module options and pondered what he was going to take. There were some pretty good options here but Versatility Module would make his choices earlier much easier, as he would be able to adapt during the middle of a fight if things weren’t working out. If he needed the extra damage, he could swap the shield for the Striker Cannons and if he needed more spells, he would be able to change to Manasurge. Not a bad choice.

Likewise, Rocketry Mounts was calling to him. An extra 100 damage on top of his total output? That would be a real dream. Versatility and a damage boost. Excellent choices.

He finalized the modules and the menu closed. The suit was ready and all systems were go. His scanners immediately updated the locations of the five infected zones. Three of them were flagged as having dark hearts, removing the guessing game. Dren wondered if perhaps destroying the hearts first would clear the other two zones. It was worth testing.

Dren focused for a moment and his suit opened up in response. He clambered out, struggling for a moment until the Heartbreaker realized that he wanted to leave, then the clamps around his arms and legs loosened and the meshes retracted. He climbed out and turned around to face the great machine.

“Did it work?” Frame eagerly asked. “Is the suit operational?”

“It is,” Dren said. “But I can’t have all my items on the inside of the suit.”

Fortunately, there was a utility belt on the waist of the suit, with large leather pouches. Dren took out his wands first and went to place them inside, only to hear a loud ‘ahem’ from Frame.

“What are you doing, good sir?” Frame inquired.

“I can’t use my wands if they’re on my person,” Dren replied.

“And you can’t use the wand system for what reason?”

Dren turned around to see that the portrait had changed to display a series of instructions. There was a loader in the back of the suit. Placing the wands in the loader would cause them to slide into the arms and activate on Dren’s command. “Wait, are you serious?” Dren asked.

“I mean, Hampton made plenty of wands,” Frame replied. “You’ve used his Wandpress, you think he wouldn’t have accounted for it in the design?”

Dren smiled and headed to the back. There, he found the long panel of the suit that could be pulled open, which revealed a chute to accept his wands. He placed each wand inside and heard a clicking sound.

“Well, that is fancy.” Dren returned to the front of the armor and took off his holsters, affixing them to the sides of the utility belt. The guns seemed tiny compared to the huge suit but they packed a serious punch.

He finished transferring his items to the bags and took a deep breath. Everything was ready. The only thing left was to field test this suit. It looked impressive, it provided a great deal of benefits but it hadn’t been outside of this room ever before. Anything would be highly functional in theory, but there was only one real way to see if this Heartbreaker suit was up to snuff. And that involved actual combat scenarios.

“All right, Frame,” Dren said as he turned to face his friend. “You have guided me well. I have prepared everything and I believe it’s time. Time to start clearing out this dungeon for good.”

“I have the utmost faith in you, Master Dren,” Frame said. “You have shown yourself to be skilled at artifice and open-minded enough to take the Master’s work and trust in it. I must warn you though. Such a suit may seem like it will solve your problems, but Hampton used to say that the real power of artifice lay not in the invention but in the hands wielding it. Good luck. You are going to need it.”

Chapter 23

The halls of the dungeon were dead silent as Dren walked through them. The suit itself made plenty of noise, the pistons in the legs hissing as he moved, the scanners whirring and clicking as they registered the material of the walls and floor. If there was anything out there, they most likely would have scurried away at the sight of such an impressive frame. Dren felt ten times more powerful in the suit. Every step was with confidence and might.

He reached the secret laboratory where his companions were milling about, waiting for him to arrive. As he entered through the door, they all stood at attention, staring at him with surprise and wonder. Foster drew his axe at once and pointed at Dren. “Stay back, fiend! We will mess you up should you try to come at Gulch!”

Dren’s helmet opened up in the front to reveal his face. “Relax guys, it’s just me.”

“What in the world are you wearing?” Maureen asked as she walked up to inspect Dren.

“The Metal Man acquires even more metal,” Foster remarked.

“I told you he would be wearing armor,” Holis muttered.

“You said armor, not a great metal beast! The man looks like he crawled inside of a golem and took it over from the inside!” Foster replied. They all gathered around Dren, gazing at the mechanical marvel of the suit.

“You didn’t bring anything for the rest of us,” Holis said. “Could you make more of these?”

“Afraid that I didn’t make this one,” Dren replied. “There was a great artifice master who did so. He died before he was able to use it in the field. I fear something of this skill is still beyond me. But I did bring something for Foster.”

Dren climbed out of the suit and dug into the satchel, finding the watery infusion orb. “Show me your axe.”

Foster drew his weapon and extended it. “Now with just a bit of focus…” Dren mumbled as he placed the orb onto the weapon. There was a bright flash of light and in an instant, the orb fused with the blade.

“Very nice!” Foster said, his eyes lighting up as he read what his damage output was now. “I’m hitting for 30 on base attacks! With my combat ability, I’m doing 65 damage per hit!”

“Courtesy of my new level,” Dren said. “Sorry, I didn’t have anything for monks or psions.”

“It’s fine,” Maureen said. “We’ve all leveled up from our last encounter. I’ve got a few new tricks too.”

“And I took a feat that should hopefully allow me to overcome the intensity of the infected zone’s resistance levels,” Holis explained. “Then I’d be able to actually participate in these areas.”

“Great,” Dren said, climbing into his suit. “Then here’s the deal. We’ve got a dark heart a few rooms from here. Barring any random encounters we’ll be there within the hour. I won’t sugar coat it, the entire area is going to be highly dangerous, worse than the others. Amero is more powerful where his hearts are located but this armor has the ability to affect the heart, preventing it from regenerating.

“When we get in there, you’re all going to need to focus on the other enemies while I handle the heart. No splitting up, no taking enemies on your own. Group together and focus on each foe as a team. And don’t worry about me, I’ve got a lot of armor, a lot more HP and plenty of tricks up my metal sleeves.”

“Understood,” Foster said, raising his axe high. It glimmered with magical energies from the infusion, giving the blade a wicked edge. “We shall not falter, we shall not fail! This dark dungeon will be destroyed!”

With that, the group geared up and made their way out of the room with access to the lab and entered the hallways. A few twists and turns led them to a great iron door with a series of locks and seals upon it. According to Dren’s sensors, this was where the first dark heart rested.

“It’s locked pretty tightly,” Maureen said as she tried the door. “Three keyholes and two seals upon it. It would take a good rogue and a mage to break them.”

“Or maybe just one big fist,” Dren said. He clanked up to the door and drew his right fist back. Energy surged through the suit as it recognized the offensive action and he punched with all of his might. The great metal fist nailed the door so hard that the hinges shattered and the iron gate flew backwards, revealing a black film of energy.

“That’s one way to pick a lock,” Foster said.

Dren drew his fist back and took a deep breath. His scanners were going crazy with the energy signatures past the film. “All right, gang. This is it. Get ready.”

Maureen turned to diamond skin immediately. Holis used a psionic ability upon himself, giving him a shimmering purple aura. Foster simply raised his weapon and let out a hoot.

Dren took the lead and marched through the open entryway, the world transforming around him.

Inside of the room was a world of burning hot magma and steam. Red rocks lay everywhere with a flow of lava snaking through the entire area. Above were jagged stalactites that dripped black ooze. The entire room was filled with a dread thumping sound that continued rhythmically.

“It’s so damn hot!” Foster grunted, sweat pouring down his forehead.

“Allow me to condition us to the temperature,” Holis replied. He raised a hand to his temple and a flash of purple energy enveloped the entire party. Temperature Resistance gained! appeared in Dren’s vision, though he hadn’t felt any of the effects of the intense heat. The suit was well regulated in that regard, keeping him relatively cool despite being crammed inside of a metal container.

Dren looked around, trying to find the source of the thumping. His scanners chimed in immediately. Heart concealed! Defeat enemy waves to reveal it!

As the words registered, there was a piercing shriek that echoed throughout the entire area. From above, a swarm of large gargoyle monsters came flying down. They were dark red, with magma running through their veins. Wave 1! appeared in Dren’s vision.

“We’ve got to deal with waves of monsters,” Dren warned. “Get ready!”

His scanners rapidly acquired the targets and revealed their profile.

Burning Gargoyle

Stats:

HP: 120

Speed: 10

Defense: 15

Attacks:

Swooping Rend: Flies down and rakes a target with their claws, dealing 25 Piercing damage.

Fireball: Shoots a fiery orb that hits all targets within 30 feet, dealing 30 Fire damage.

Seize and Drop: Grabs a Target and carries them to lava, dropping them and allowing the burning lava to deal 100 damage per second.

Defenses:

Regeneration: Regains 10 health per second.

Tough Skin: Reduces all damage by half.

Fire Immunity: Ignores all Fire damage.

Weaknesses:

Frost: Damage from Ice sources cannot be regenerated and ignores their defenses.

“OK,” Dren shouted to his crew. “Here’s the deal. They’ve got fireballs, regeneration and damage reduction. Don’t bother with flame damage. Anyone got Frost? That will prevent them from regenerating!”

Foster drew a small vial out and poured a glimmering blue liquid across the blade of his axe. The axe became encased in ice. “I’ve been holding onto this for a long time!” he said. “Let’s make it count!”

“Spread out!” Maureen ordered.

There were four gargoyles hovering above the group, waiting to act. They had incredibly high defenses and their regeneration was going to be a problem…except for one thing. Dren remembered that he had the mystic ammo upgrade for his dual pistols. And ice damage happened to be one of the settings.

He drew his guns, his thick gloves holding the small weapons with ease. The fingers of the gauntlets seemed to register that they were wielding smaller firearms and grew slender, gripping the guns firmly. He flicked the switch on both sides of the pistols at once and the barrels turned bright blue. It was go time.

As his allies scrambled to clear from each other in order to avoid being hit by the fireball attacks, Dren aimed at the gargoyle in the center. The red creature was waiting for a response before it did anything. Gritting his teeth, Dren focused on the target and fired both shots at once, squeezing the triggers twice. Four bursts of bluish white rays flew from his gun but the gargoyle had been anticipating this.

The creature flew out of the way, zipping with incredible speed to avoid all four attacks. It came sailing down towards Dren, its prehensile feet stretching wide to grab him. The other gargoyles all launched themselves in response to this attack, chucking fireballs at Dren, their solitary target.

Three bright beads of magic came sailing towards the Heartbreaker Suit. Dren panicked but the suit seemed to register the attacks with lightning speed. ”Defensive mode engaged!” his suit chittered as he raised his shield up high, concealing the large frame behind it. The Reinforce Shield ability activated and the shield extended itself, spreading out like a wide circular disk.

Dren could hear the explosions as he was pelted with three fireballs at once, but there was no damage. The shield absorbed all of it. There was a heavy ping sound as the gargoyle that had been charging him bounced harmlessly off the extended shield.

The Artificer lowered his shield and shot at the recoiling gargoyle that had been staggered from the failure to strike. He only had time to use the gun on his right, as the left arm had been holding up the shield and he didn’t have a chance to aim properly. Two shots squeezed off and bright bluish white energy nailed the gargoyle right in the torso.

100 Damage! hovered above the monster’s head. Regeneration disabled! The gargoyle shrieked in agony but its screams were cut short as Foster rushed it. The warrior ran up Dren’s left arm, onto his shoulder, and launched himself in the air. He sailed through the burning steam and landed his frost axe square into the creature’s neck.

The beast’s shrieks turned to gurgles as the blade killed it with a hefty 65 damage. The wings drooped and Foster sailed down to the ground, landing and rolling away from the corpse just in time to avoid a swoop attack from one of the other enemies.

Two of the gargoyles abandoned Dren as a target and sailed towards Holis, their claws stretched open wide to seize him. The psion released a burst of intense psychic energy that overwhelmed them both, Stun markers appearing above their heads.

Dren took advantage of the stun and aimed his guns at both of them. His scanners targeted them and his arms automatically moved a little to properly adjust his aim. Another advantage to the Heartbreaker Suit. He nailed them both with 100 frost damage each, their regeneration unable to activate. This dropped them both down to 50 HP.

The third remaining gargoyle sailed down towards Maureen, eager to grapple her. She didn’t flee or dodge. Instead, the monk greeted the grapple. The legs of the beast came down to seize her and she caught them instantly. The beast shrieked as she spun in a semi-circle and slammed it into the earth with a grunt. It took 20 damage from the blow but as soon as the Hit Points dropped, the numbers climbed back up.

That didn’t matter right now, for Maureen easily clambered onto its back and wrenched it to the ground, pinning it with a choke hold that involved her legs somehow getting above the wings and folding them back as she wrapped her arms around its shoulders.

Foster came charging towards the stunned gargoyles but they recovered quickly enough. They saw the man coming towards them and decided to overwhelm him instead of fleeing. Their hands stretched out and two fireballs came shooting out. The warrior let out a roar and his Hit Points surged to 80, his Warrior’s Spirit ability having considerably improved due to his new level.

Foster took a staggering 60 damage but he didn’t sweat it; he continued his charge. The gargoyle on the left took off but the other one was too slow. The warrior leapt in the air and brought the axe down from the top, shearing the beast in half.

The other gargoyle swooped in a circle, picking up speed as it came hurtling down to finish off Foster. Dren instinctively reached his left hand out and the Invincibility Wand poked out of the wrist, acquiring Foster as the target. A thin beam of magic shot out with lightning speed, hitting the warrior and bringing his HP up to 120—his defense also increased by 10.

Foster easily dodged out of the way of the swoop attack and spun to his right. He roared mightily as his axe swung with incredible speed into the side of the charging gargoyle. The blade buried itself into the beast and it took 30 points of frost damage.

“Foster, swing it my way!” Dren shouted.

The warrior, his axe still lodged into the gargoyle’s side, turned around and raised the weapon up high. This forced the embedded gargoyle into the air and Dren fired a shot, killing it instantly.

Maureen was still pinning the last gargoyle, holding it tightly as it tried to get free. Dren carefully aimed his guns and fired four times, turning them into a veritable Gatling gun. The pinned creature had no chance. It was annihilated by the gunfire, becoming solid ice before shattering into a million little pieces.

“Now that is what I’m talking about!” Foster shouted as Maureen climbed to her feet. “Those stony bastards didn’t have a chance!”

“Heal up,” Dren said. “That invincibility spell won’t last forever.”

Chapter 24

There was a bit of time before the next wave arrived. Long enough for any of the buffs that were activated to lapse. Once the effects of the invincibility spell had worn off and Foster was back to his regular 40 Hit Points, a warning appeared in Dren’s vision. Wave 2!

From the lava came a deep gurgling sound. Two massive toads emerged, their bodies bright red and speckled with black dots. They were the size of barns, long bulbous throats expanding as they croaked.

“I hate frogs…” Holis said.

“They’re toads,” Foster said. “And they’re dead!”

Glurch Toads

Stats:

HP: 250

Speed: 5

Defense: 10

Attacks:

Luring Croak: Releases a Hypnotic croak that causes all who hear it to become Hypnotized. Hypnotized targets will single-mindedly approach the toad and take no offensive or defensive actions.

Gulp: Swallows a Target whole. Deals 100 Acid Damage per second.

Tongue Lash: Hits a Target up to 30 feet away, dealing 25 Bludgeoning Damage.

Defenses:

Elemental Adaption: Becomes Immune to the last element it was struck with.

Thick Hide: Has 40 Armor Points.

Weaknesses:

Sonic Overwhelm: Sonic attacks cause Stun.

“Watch out for their croaks!” Dren cried. “And don’t let them swallow you! It’s pretty much instant death if you get grabbed. Also, uh, it becomes immune to an element after being struck by one.”

“Great, so no melee?” Foster grumbled as the large Glurch Toads slowly hopped towards them.

“Not unless you want to end up as a snack,” Dren said.

These beasts were tanks, with lots of health and armor points that gave them an effective 290 Hit Points. He could cycle his guns constantly to avoid their elemental immunity but still, this was going to be a tough one.

Holis started the fight. He pressed a hand to his forehead and the little orb that floated around his head sailed high in the air. A thin beam of purple energy fired out of the orb, striking the toad on the right. This dealt a meager 20 damage, though it bypassed the armor.

In response to this attack, the Glurch Toad turned purple. This seemed to signify that the elemental defense was currently psychic. Dren aimed both of his guns at the monster under siege and fired twice with each hand.

The rapid fire had one big failure here. Each shot would hit one after the other. Which meant that as soon as the first frost bolt nailed the toad in the forehead, it turned bright white and the other three shots became harmless.

“Damn it!” Dren groaned as he realized the monster only took 50 damage from the blow. The armor broke and the toad’s HP dropped to 220.

A tongue shot out from the approaching toad’s mouth, long and dark red. The appendage fired straight towards Holis but Maureen intercepted. She seized the tongue with her hands, blocking it from grabbing the psion. But before she could do anything clever, the tongue wrapped itself around her.

“Crap!” Maureen yelped as the tongue began to drag her towards the toad’s open maw. She dug her feet into the ground, slowing the pull down but the red dirt parted as she was yanked steadily towards her sure death.

Dren rushed forward without missing a beat. The suit seemed to understand his plans to cut her free and did something rather unexpected. The left hand seized the enchanted blade on his side and slapped it into a slot on the right wrist, allowing the cutlass to extend forward from a mounted position. The Artificer hadn’t had the time to explore every aspect of the suit but now he realized that he could wield his sword and his guns at the same time. And thankfully the cutlass didn’t count as elemental damage.

He stormed towards the exposed tongue and slashed down with speed. The toad let out a pained croak, immediately releasing Maureen but taking no damage.

The other toad had gotten much closer to them during this scuffle. It let out a high pitched croak that washed over the group like a wave. Maureen, Dren and Foster immediately stiffened. You are Hypnotized, appeared in Dren’s vision as he began to mindlessly walk forward. His suit gave all sorts of warnings as the three slowly staggered towards the mouths of the toads.

“You idiots seriously can’t resist hypnosis?” Holis shouted from behind. The mentalist was obviously the only one able to prevent such a mental assault from taking him over. “Damn it, I can’t kill them all! I can barely hurt them!”

Dren couldn’t reply. All he could do was slowly lumber towards the nearest toad, which was only ten feet away. He tried with all of his might to summon some kind of mental force within him to break free but it was pointless. The hypnosis had taken over him completely. If any of them were swallowed, they would be killed near instantly as the damage per second was staggeringly high. Dren might last a few more seconds due to his armor but still, the acid would burn through it rapidly.

“Fine, I’ll do this myself!” Holis shouted.

Dren felt a strange sensation in his mind. As he struggled against the hypnosis, there was suddenly another presence within his head. A burning sensation washed through his senses and he could feel something invading him. He tried to resist but he was just as helpless against this outsider as he was against the toad’s croak.

“There!” Holis said, his voice echoing inside of Dren’s mind. Dren’s right arm raised itself, as if outside of the Artificer’s control.

“Holis?” Dren replied internally.

“Shut up, mind slave,” Holis muttered. “Let’s see what you have in this poorly optimized thing you call a brain…”

Dren’s left arm shot out and seized Foster, who was marching in lockstep with the Artificer. Foster did not resist at all. The mighty metal arm picked the big man up and chucked him far from the group, throwing him nearly forty feet back. The right arm grabbed Maureen then and did the same thing, tossing her away from immediate danger.

“What the hell is happening?” Dren shouted inside of his own mind.

“It’s called brainjacking and it is not something I thought I’d be doing to my own allies but you have the highest level and the best armor, so here we are,” Holis replied. “Okay, I’ve got it.”

“Configuration changing,” the suit chittered as Dren’s body backed up away from the toads. Dren’s armor began to shift. The metal shield retracted and the armor plates shot back into the center mass of the suit. The chest clackered as it opened up, extending a long cannon with a bright yellow prong on the end. His wrists rotated and the gloves popped out to the sides, his fingers pulled back before they could break. A massive gun rose out of the right shoulderpad.

“Manasurge and Striker mode engaged!” the suit said.

“Now let’s do this!” Holis said.

This was as surreal as it could be. Dren could feel his arms move, his legs walk backwards but it wasn’t him doing any of it. He felt entirely out of body, an observer in his own mind.

“Just need to time it right,” Holis mumbled.

Dren’s arm cannons aimed at both of the toads at once. The central beam cannon in his torso charged up, crackling as it accumulated a significant amount of electrical energy.

One of the toads fired a tongue straight at Dren, hitting him square in the stomach. This dealt 25 damage to Dren but his Power Shield activated, blocking all but 5 points. Those points were absorbed by the armor, which wasn’t ablative, so he was more or less safe.

The beam cannon struck first. Targeting the wounded toad, a wide beam of electrical energy shot out of Dren’s torso, surging towards the creature. The toad took 60 damage and the beam sustained itself. The toad turned yellow, ignoring all further damage.

“It’s just going to stay immune to the attack!” Dren said.

“I’m counting on that,” Holis replied. He activated Dren’s twin arm cannons, each one firing a salvo of pure fire damage. The first shot hit the toad for 50 damage, dropping its health down to 110. It turned red, but the beam was sustained and so the creature instantly took another 60. This dropped it down to 50 before the second cannon fired, dealing a death blow to the creature.

The toad exploded in a mess of blood and guts. The other toad was still maintaining its hypnosis ability, drawing the other two towards it, though they were at a safe distance now.

“Recharging all systems!” Dren’s suit warned him. Timers appeared on every system he had just used, giving him about 30 seconds before he could fire any of them again.

“We’ve other options,” Holis said. “Your mind is terribly organized.”

Dren felt himself cast the Shocking Sphere spell, unleashing a ball of electrical energy as his arm cannons retracted, returning his gauntlets to normal. He was still gripping his pistols and Holis quickly set one to fire and the other stayed on ice. The electric ball flew towards the toad and struck it for 20 damage. The armor held and the toad turned yellow.

The first Spell Pistol fired, releasing a single burst of ice damage. The Shocking Sphere struck, for no damage, but then the ice burst hit the toad, dealing 50 damage and breaking the armor. This dropped the monster down to 240 Hit Points. It turned white as a response to the ice attack and then Holis forced Dren to shoot the other pistol. As soon as he squeezed the trigger, the Shocking Sphere zapped the toad for an additional 20 points.

This triggered the elemental adaption and then Dren via Holis squeezed the second round of the Spell Pistol. Fire struck the creature, dealing 50 damage, then ice hit it for another 50. The monster’s HP had dropped down to 140.

The toad let out a groan and the Hypnosis effect instantly ended. Maureen regained her senses, as did Foster. The warrior charged forward at full speed, ignoring the dangers of getting close to the toad. It turned to deal with him as Holis forced Dren to fire again. The electric burst hit the beast for another 20, and a repeat for 100 damage. Before he could fire again, Foster’s axe collided into the side of the beast and did good old-fashioned slashing damage, killing it in a single blow.

“And that is how you control this paltry thing you call a body,” Holis said before he went utterly silent.

Dren felt his senses return to full control. He flexed his hands and felt relief at being back in charge of his own body. “Holis, that was one hell of an ability,” Dren said, turning around to see that the psion had collapsed to the ground.

He was utterly unconscious.

Chapter 25

There was no reviving Holis. The man had used a powerful ability and in the process, had become completely comatose.

“I’ve seen him like this before,” Foster said, kicking the man’s unconscious body. “When he overloads himself he passes out for a few hours. What the hell did he do?”

“He took over me for a very uncomfortable few minutes,” Dren replied. “But we were all hypnotized, so I think it was the right play.”

“Well, we’re down an ally,” Maureen said. “Any more waves?”

Dren nodded as he reconfigured his suit back to the Ironbreaker and Shieldbearer modes. His HP increased to 67 and his Armor to 55. Holis must have used an incredibly powerful psionic ability to not only be able to take control of Dren but to also acquire a rapid understanding of how to use the suit. Dren would never have been able to put together such an advanced plan of how to exploit the advantage of the Elemental Adaption ability. At least, not with such precision. The psion might have low hit points but he was powerful in other ways. The only trouble was the brainjacking had burned him out pretty badly.

Wave 3 Incoming! Final Wave! appeared in Dren’s vision.

The ground below them began to quake violently. The red earth separated in the middle, causing Maureen and Foster to leap to the sides to avoid falling in. Red flashes burst out of the wide gap and eight spindly creatures emerged.

They were bone white, with long arms and legs that were conical in nature, sharp points on each end. They were lanky and flexible creatures without faces or eyes or even any discerning feature. They moved in a jerky pattern, slinking on their arms and bending over to crawl on all fours.

“What the hell are there things?”

Boneborn

Stats:

HP: 88

Speed: 10

Defense: 10

Attacks:

Impale: Skewers a target with as many limbs as possible, dealing 25 piercing damage per hit.

Splintered Burst: Bone shards explode from the center of the Boneborn’s torso, striking all targets within a 15 feet radius for 30 piercing damage.

Scurrying Stab: After dodging, counters with a hit for 25 piercing damage.

Defenses:

Expert Dodge: Ignores all Ranged Attacks.

Weaknesses:

Bludgeoning: Takes double damage from Bludgeoning Attacks.

“They’re boneborn!” Dren shouted as the creatures swarmed around them, slinking so quickly that they were impossible to track with his guns. “Ranged is useless, but they take a beating from bludgeoning!”

“That’s my favorite kind of damage,” Maureen said, rushing towards one of the creatures without hesitation. She delivered a high kick to the faceless head, nailing it hard and dealing 50 damage with a single blow.

In response to this, three of the boneborn creatures swarmed towards Maureen, stabbing at her from all directions. They were nimble enough to strike with three limbs at a time, leaping to the side of one arm and finely balancing themselves as the other appendages lashed out at her.

Maureen blocked two blows but was quickly assailed by the rest of the limbs, her armor rapidly dropping from each piercing strike.

Dren tried to rush towards the group that surrounded the monk but was intercepted by three others, that snaked up across the ground and jumped up to block his path. Before they could stab at him, he holstered his guns and raised his fist up high. The Breaker Bash ability of the suit activated and he felt a surge of energy run through him as he slammed a mighty fist into one of the boneborn.

The creature wasn’t fast enough to dodge and took the full might of the powered fist. The energy from the blow was immense and he dealt 120 damage, courtesy of the bludgeoning classification of the attack. The boneborn exploded into a thousand pieces of shrapnel.

There was no timer on the ability, meaning Dren could hit another foe. Before he could strike, however, a flurry of spiked blows came towards him. Each attack dealt 25 damage each but it was only one instance per hit, meaning that—with his armor—they were more or less toothpicks striking against a boulder.

Realizing that he could ignore their attacks, Dren slugged another one with his left fist, shattering it with ease.

Foster had leapt into the fray to fight alongside Maureen but he was struggling to hit his targets. There were four boneborn swarming the monk and fighter combo and while Maureen was able to land with ease, the warrior was in trouble. His swings were too slow and the high defense creatures dodged the attacks and then activated their ripostes.

Before Dren could do anything to help, the warrior had taken 50 damage; he was skewered on all sides by the fast moving and incredibly lithe creatures. Though he had activated his Warrior’s Spirit, his HP were down to 30.

Quickly, Dren went to activate his Wand of Invulnerability to help Foster but as he aimed, one of the boneborn seemed to sense this trick. It leapt on his arm and covered the front of the wand slot with its body, wrapping all four limbs around the arm.

Left arm grappled! His vision warned him.

Dren’s arm staggered as he was forced to grab the creature with his other hand. The monster squeezed tightly and he struggled to pry it off. After a moment, the immense strength of the suit kicked in and he ripped the boneborn off of his arm and slammed it into the ground, dealing 40 damage to it.

Maureen let out a pained cry and Dren looked up to see that Foster was being skewered on all sides. The warrior’s armor was broken through and six razor sharp limbs were sticking out of his torso. The man’s head jerked upwards for a moment and then, he slumped to the ground, lifeless.

The monk roared in anger and she delivered a high kick to one of the boneborn skewering Foster, killing it instantly. Dren rushed into the group and activated his Breaker Bash ability, smashing another monster to pieces. But it was too late. Foster was dead. The moment that had mattered the most, where Dren was going to use the Wand of Invulnerability, had been intercepted by one of the boneborn, as if it understood exactly how to interfere. Dren should have used it sooner, he should have…oh what was the point? Foster was a fighter, a frontline warrior. He merrily went into each battle without a worry and Dren could not have predicted that he’d have been surrounded so fast.

The remaining two fighters, Dren and Maureen, stood back to back and continued their fight against the boneborn. Maureen was a blur, kicking and punching, ignoring spearing attacks with her diamond armor and delivering a consistent amount of damage. And Dren was the same, slower than her but with punches that shattered monsters to pieces. A minute passed and they were all gone.

“Damn it, Foster!” Maureen said as she knelt beside the corpse of the once lively warrior. “You just had to rush in, didn’t you?”

Dren didn’t know what to say. He merely stood by and looked down at the body. Foster was mangled and bloodied, the stab marks everywhere on his body. His armor didn’t stand a chance.

“I’m sorry, Maureen,” Dren said. “I tried to use a spell to help him but…”

“Holis usually buffs him with a few bonuses to make up for his flaws in combat,” Maureen replied. “But he went down after that last fight…god…damn it all…”

“I’m sorry,” Dren repeated, not knowing what else to say. He sighed heavily and looked away from the corpse. A sense of guilt and dread simultaneously welled up within him. He had been told there would be a numbness that came with the loss of more allies but he didn’t feel numb at all. Shock, yes, but not anything that would remotely be close to being immune to such a loss.

Waves Complete! appeared in his vision. There was no joy in seeing the words 6,000 XP gained! No pleasure. It could have been a million XP and he would have felt the same. Disgusted and broken. Nothing could be done. The man was gone in the blink of an eye, consumed by the dungeon Amero. Destroyed in the line of duty. How in the hell would something like this ever get easier?

As Dren pondered that question, there came a louder thumping from a distance. His suit’s enhanced scanners quickly picked up a signature. Heart Located! Destroy it!

“My scanners just picked up the heart,” Dren said. “I’m going to go kill it before anything else shows up to take us down.”

That seemed to snap Maureen back into reality. She stood up straight and cracked her knuckles. “I’ll stay behind with Holis. Once he’s up, we’ll come find you.”

“You better steer clear until I come back,” Dren warned. “I don’t know how strong the heart’s defenses are and I don’t want to risk you. My suit is built for this. I’ll be fine.”

Chapter 26

Dren leapt over lava streams, the heat from the region unable to penetrate his suit. He tried to clear his mind of Foster’s last moments but he couldn’t. He should have used the wand at the beginning of the fight. But everything just happens so fast in combat. There is only a limited amount of time to plan ahead and when he saw the bludgeoning damage was doubled, he just went in to punch and tank. No thoughts for his allies. They were usually able to handle themselves. But now only two remained. And he would have to focus each fight, to make sure they were safe. Gulch couldn’t end down here in this place.

Dren climbed up a long, red ridge, his gauntlets easily latching onto the rocks as he scaled the side. Upon reaching the top of the ridge, his scanners went nuts. Before him was a massive black heart, beating rapidly as if it could sense his presence.

Black Heart detected! his vision informed him. Heartkiller Blade activating!

Dren’s right arm began to shift. The gauntlet shot backwards, his hand yanked out of the glove as plates of metal extended forward. They took the shape of a long blade, red energy shimmering as it vibrated. The heartkiller blade activated and seemed to urge Dren forward to destroy this abomination. He needed little encouragement.

As Dren approached the heart, a black aura descended upon him. His senses grew dull and the world around him faded. He was no longer in his suit but was simply ‘outside’ though he understood this to be a mental projection of some kind.

All around him was darkness. Was this some kind of defense mechanism? Some kind of way the heart protected itself? Ahead, Dren could see the faint image of something akin to a tree, though it was fleshy, long and with dozens of yellow pods that pulsed. The entire structure was breathing and beating at the same time.

Dren walked forward to the immense being and looked at his right hand. He had no weapons, nor was he wearing his Autogauntlet. It was odd to see his regular fleshy fingers, the damaged arm that was barely functional without his artifice. He hadn’t seen it in a while, as he had grown long used to sleeping with the gauntlet on.

“You…” a deep voice rumbled all around Dren. “You are the one who has been disrupting my expansion.”

“And you must be Amero,” Dren replied, his voice echoing in the black ether.

“I am,” Amero replied. “You are Dren. The Artificer. The young one who has surpassed many in their attempts to curtail my influence. And now you wear the suit that the false father designed to kill me.”

“What do you want?” Dren asked. “Do you seek to change my mind? Because that’s not going to happen.”

“You have lost your companions, two of them. Their essence absorbed by me, their lives stripped away as I took their power, their experience. You have but two remaining and soon they will be mine. They are weak, Dren. You are much stronger and with that suit, with the false father’s aid, you will outlive them,” Amero said, speaking with a dark sense of satisfaction. “Is this what you wish? To lose them all?”

Dren gritted his teeth. “No, but I will not relent from slaying you. If they die, well, they understood the risks when they signed up. And if they were not killed here, then perhaps it would be in some other dungeon. They are adventurers.”

“Yes! They are! And their essences taste so sweet,” Amero replied. “They fill me with pleasure and a deep sense of strength when I take the remains of their life. If I wished it, I could send a thousand monsters at them. I could snuff them out in an instant. If you strike that heart, I will do so. If you cull my influence further, I will ensure that they are destroyed.”

“And what?” Dren challenged. “If I don’t, you’ll have kindness in your heart? You’ll spare them and the rest of the people you intend to devour?”

“It is not kindness, it is a bargain,” Amero said. “I must survive.”

“Don’t make me laugh. There is no deal to be made,” Dren replied. “You have taken the lives of many and you have sent monsters into innocent land, into the mines, all for the purpose of luring more food down here. Your time is limited. Your days are numbered.”

Amero bristled at that, his great tree-like body shimmering and shivering. “You are just as foolish as the false father. You will never destroy me.”

“Let’s test that theory,” Dren said, focusing as hard as he could. He lifted his right arm, feeling a faint sense of weight as if he were still in his suit. This was just a mental projection, a vision created to allow the two to talk.

“I am warning you,” Amero threatened. “Destroy this heart and you will lose your allies. But you shall not be slain. Oh, no. You will be allowed to wander within me for all eternity, slowly losing your power and your mind as all around you are slain.”

“Two lives are worth the thousands you have taken and the thousands more you desire,” Dren said. He lifted his right arm and though it was flesh and blood, he plunged it forward into the structure. There was a hideous shriek from the dungeon’s mind as the entire body shivered, blood spraying everywhere.

Instantly, Dren was transported back to the real world and he saw the heartkiller blade was thrust into the center of the heart. The suit was pouring all of its energy into the weapon. Dren twisted the blade and pulled upwards, cutting all the way out of the pulsing dark heart.

Black blood splattered across Dren’s helmet as he cut free. The entire muscle began to twist and wither, the damage too significant for it to regenerate. The area all around Dren began to shake violently and chunks of stone fell from the ceiling, bouncing harmlessly off of the Heartbreaker Suit.

The heart before Dren wilted down into the ground, shuddering as it shrank from an imposingly large organ into nothing more than a pile of black flesh. The blood oozed all around, soaking into the earth as the rumbling continued.

Black Heart Slain! his vision informed him. The world shifted, rapidly transforming into a regular dungeon room, faster than when an infected zone was cleared. But the rumbling continued. More chunks of stone were beginning to fall from the ceiling and Dren realized that the room itself was most likely collapsing. He better get the hell out of there!

Before he fled, his scanners informed him of something vital. Take a heart sample to advance the suit’s power!

Dren quickly rushed up to the pile of organ skin and scooped a large vein from the ground. He figured that it was big enough to make up a sample. After that, he hurried across the room towards his companions.

Holis was beginning to rouse from his slumber. “This place is going down, out into the halls!” Dren ordered as he grabbed the psion and slung him over his shoulder. Maureen didn’t need any further encouragement and she scrambled to the door.

They ran into the hallway and heard a cacophony of sounds behind them. Hundreds of rocks came tumbling down, blocking the entryway. It looked like the destruction of a heart was total collapse of the room itself. Good to know for the future.

“Did we win?” Holis asked as he climbed down from Dren, stretching out. “My mind was completely oblivious after using that ability.”

“I destroyed the heart…” Dren said, trailing off as he looked at Maureen. She merely turned around and walked to the other side of the hallway, feigning that she was looking out for trouble. Dren drew in a breath sharply. “But, uh, well…Foster didn’t make it. He was taken down in the third wave.”

Holis blinked a few times at that. “We lost Foster?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“And then there were two,” Holis grumbled. He looked sullen but not devastated by the loss. “I had figured that he would be the next to go. Him or me.”

“You expected to die?” Dren asked.

“Are you expecting us to live?” Holis flatly replied. “Because the situation is this. We lost our rogue, that’s a significant drop in our survivability. When a party loses a member in a closed situation like this, unable to replace them, the life expectancy of the rest of the group drops. Now, you and your fancy suit are relatively safer than me and my companions. You’ve got more experience, more gadgets and that armor. I am just a fleshy meatbag with low hit points and psionic abilities that may or may not affect the enemy in any given situation. Foster was tough but we’re punching above our weight here. Even with a level or two, we’re not going to be able to keep up with you.”

Dren shook his head. “So why do you keep going then? If you think, if you really believe you’re going to die, why keep pressing on?”

“No way out,” Holis said. “And, frankly, I wanted to give up after the first infected zone. But I committed to the team and we have rules. Those rules say that you finish what you started or you’re finished off by something while trying to win. I have no illusions about what we are facing. But there is no other alternative.”

“What about Maureen?” Dren pressed. “Do you think she’ll die?”

“Actually, I believe she has the best chance of survival out of our group. She’s not limited by her gear, has exceptional survivability, and her diamond skin ability grants her a significant amount of protection. We always joked that she would survive any party wipe.”

“When I was about to destroy the heart, the dungeon Amero spoke to me. It told me that it was planning to kill you both with as many monsters as possible. It was trying to get me to bargain for your lives, to negotiate your protection in exchange for not destroying any further infected zones,” Dren said. “I refused.”

“As you should have. There’s no telling that the dungeon would have kept its end of the bargain. And besides, what is two lives compared to the countless people who would be destroyed by it over the centuries? Do not forget, these creatures, these dungeon cores do not count the days, they count the years. They are essentially immortal,” Holis replied. “Though I do not consider myself to be a crusader for good, there is some level of peace in knowing that we are sacrificing ourselves for the good of our land. Well, a land. I’m from a far off place. But still, adventurers can do things for something more than a bag of coins. And this could be part of my legacy. Provided that someone survives to tell the tale.”

“I will share with my wife every detail of this adventure, every part of your group’s journey,” Dren said. He felt a strong sense of comfort wash over him. “Yes, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll have Salla write an epic about this. Everyone will know of Foster and Pickman’s sacrifice. And they’ll know of Gulch’s nobility.”

“To be remembered is something few adventurers get, but there can be glory in death, I suppose,” Holis said. “But the bards tend to make the ending of our kind much more heroic. I’m sure she’ll give Foster last words. Pickman will die leaping in the way of some attack. Anything to hide the reality of adventuring from the general public.”

Chapter 27

The first heart out of three was dead. Dren’s suit had a weapon specialized to kill the heart in a single blow and he was pleased with field testing the armor. It had surpassed all of his expectations. Though there was no XP gained from the destruction of the heart, he had gathered a large enough sample to insert into the back of the suit.

The group returned to the secret laboratory to rest. There was no reason not to use a safe area and Dren did not need to find himself in the Great Workshop to advance his suit. Instead, he parked the Heartbreaker outside of the secret room and climbed out, inserting the sample into the back. He would stand guard for the first shift and to pass the time, he would work on the advancement.

Once he installed the sample, he climbed back inside the suit, noting that he was getting much better at donning the armor quickly. Once inside, the system activated and displayed some exciting information.

Slain Heart Sample Analyzed!

2 Basic Modules Unlocked! 2 Advanced Modules Unlocked!

Select 2 Basic Modules.

Provocation Module: Creates a fine dust around the Armor, causing all monsters to immediately target you, ignoring your allies and focusing only on you. Lasts for the duration of combat.

Energy Core: Grants you +25 Mana.

Flash Blade: Produces a blade that deals 75 electric damage per hit.

Restoration Module: Heals the wearer 50 HP once per encounter.

Dren looked at the familiar list. The Provocation Module caught his attention almost immediately. Perhaps it was the guilt over seeing Foster go down so quickly during a fight or maybe it was the worry over the fate of his remaining allies, but a taunt system would assuage his fears during any fight. Maureen could do well on her own, that was for certain, but Holis was squishy. Low health but high psionic damage. Being the only one targeted would set Dren’s mind at ease and, besides, his armor could take a real beating.

He selected the Provocation Module and then looked at his remaining options. If he was going to be the sole target of his enemies, then he would have to have a way to endure any number of severe beatings coming his way. His suit already had plenty of offensive abilities, so why not take Restoration Module? The additional 40 HP provided by the suit was good and the Restoration Module would restore him fully, and then some.

There was no reason to mull it over. Dren selected the healing unit and then turned his attention to the Advanced Modules.

Select 2 Advanced Modules.

Agility Engines: Gain +10 Speed.

Lock-on System: Lock onto a single target. All of your ranged attacks cannot miss, even if the target has a Dodge ability. Lasts for 30 seconds.

Instant Refresh: All recharging Modules and Abilities immediately refresh and can be activated (2 Uses per Combat Encounter.)

Reinforced Plating: Gain +20 Armor Points.

Pulse Wave: Attack that releases a pulse from your suit, hitting all targets within 30 feet. Deals 40 Force Damage and causes Knockdown.

Elemental Reconfiguration: You may change the element of your attacks to Ice, Lightning, Earth or Fire.

Emergency Mana Reserve: Fully recover your Mana (1 Use per Encounter.)

Storm Mode: Trample a Target for 80 Bludgeoning Damage.

Damage Graft: Increases damage for existing attacks by 20.

Sniper Module: All ranged attacks gain +50 feet range.

These upgrades were quite powerful. Dren looked them over and thought about what would be most useful in the field. Elemental Reconfiguration would give his weapons, which were mostly fire based, a degree of flexibility. That would come in handy when dealing with monsters who were immune to fire or weak to other elements. Lock-on System also gave him the upper hand when dealing with monsters that were skilled at dodging, though it was a power with a duration, meaning that it would have to take time to refresh in between uses.

Speaking of refresh, Instant Refresh would turn him into a damage powerhouse. Holis had already shown Dren the sheer damage output that he was capable of doing with the right combination of configurations and attacks. Being able to go all out, twice, would be extremely powerful. Hard to make a choice here…

Elemental Reconfiguration was the first winner of the decision making process. He had the power to identify the weaknesses of the monsters that he faced and being able to swap out the elements at a moment’s notice made him much more versatile and deadly. This made all of his attacks pliable. He couldn’t pass the option up.

For his second choice, Dren mulled it over a bit longer. He had the options to flatly increase the damage of his attacks by 20 with Damage Graft, or he could add some more armor to his build…but Instant Refresh would allow him to follow up his attacks with more of the same. If he fired everything twice, it would outpace the extra 20 damage per hit.

After a few more moments of thinking, Dren decided to go for it. He picked Instant Refresh. As he made the selection, the suit generated a sheet that was similar to his own character sheet, though it was primarily concerned with the suit’s functions.

Heartbreaker Suit

Tier: II

Health: 67

Armor: 55

Mana: 26

Defense: 17

Speed: 3

Primary Mode: Ironbreaker

Abilities:

Heavy Reinforcement: Reduces speed by 5. Gain +50 Armor Points.

Breaker Bash: Deal 60 Bludgeoning Damage to any target within melee range.

Secondary Mode: Shieldbearer System

Abilities:

Reinforce Shield: Your shield gains invulnerability for a five second duration, allowing you to absorb any attack without taking damage.

Absorption Module: When struck with magical attacks, gain 10 Mana.

Basic Modules:

Versatility Module: Allows you to change your Primary and Secondary configurations on the fly, though it takes it a few seconds for the systems to come online.

Rocketry Mounts: Provides two mounted shoulder rockets that deal 50 fire damage to targets 100 feet away. Reloads after the encounter.

Provocation Module: Creates a fine dust around the Armor, causing all monsters to immediately target you, ignoring your allies and focusing only on you. Lasts for the duration of combat.

Restoration Module: Heals the wearer 50 HP once per encounter.

Advanced Modules:

Instant Refresh: All recharging Modules and Abilities immediately refresh and can be activated (2 Uses per Combat Encounter.)

Elemental Reconfiguration: You may change the element of your attacks to Ice, Lightning, Earth or Fire.

Everything looked good! Dren was pleased with how the Heartbreaker Suit turned out. Hampton was a Master Artificer, capable of building just about anything and he had poured his heart and soul into this design. What would its fate be after he defeated the dungeon? Dren wondered if he would be able to take it with him into the surface world. Was its function entirely singular? After all, it depended upon dungeon samples in order to power it. Something this powerful would undoubtedly turn heads in the real world and people may clamor for the device.

At first it might be used just by adventurers, but it would only be a matter of time before kings saw the military capability of such a suit. That would change the nature of warfare. Every side out there would rush to build their own versions and the destructive power could grow worse and worse. Hampton might have foreseen that and built the suit only to function in the dungeon. Or he may have wanted his invention to be out in the world, to show everyone what an Artificer was capable of. It was impossible to tell.

Dren decided to not worry about the world’s problems when he was still facing a big one: there were two remaining hearts. Destroying them was his sole concern for now. He’d figure out what to do with the suit later, though he was leaning towards taking it to the surface. After some time reverse engineering, he might be able to adapt the suit’s design for the Underminer Suit that had been sitting around ever since Arthur Twisp’s untimely end.

Chapter 28

After everyone was well rested, the small group set out to conquer the next room. There was going to be one pit-stop, of course, for Dren’s Shardfinder Skitterbot had located a source of Fire Shards a few rooms away. The Artificer had gotten sidetracked from acquiring the shards with the kidnapping of his allies. But now that there was a bit of breathing room in between encounters, Dren figured it would be the best time to get some upgrades, namely for his pistols.

There were no complaints on Maureen or Holis’ end for the side-trip. They were both rather silent, though Maureen normally kept her peace during travel. There was a heavy air of worry over her, perhaps as she contemplated the next room.

As they walked through the empty halls of the dungeon, Dren slowed down to walk beside her. “What’s on your mind?” he softly asked.

“Everything,” she muttered, crossing her arms. “Holis might be fine with going into the next room with you but…but I’m starting to have second thoughts.”

“You don’t have to come with us,” Dren said. “Things are only going to be getting more dangerous from here. The dungeon mind, Amero, he actively wants to harm you two to get back at me for destroying one of his hearts. I’ve gotten a few upgrades for my suit that should avoid that from happening but… things move quickly in combat. I might not have the time to react appropriately.”

“Part of me wants to retreat, find one of the areas where civilians are living and just join them until you solve this problem,” Maureen confessed. “But the other part worries that you won’t have the ability to do it on your own. An extra ally can make all the difference in a fight.”

“I agree,” Dren said. “But the suit seems to be the real deciding factor in these fights. And it’s only gotten stronger since our last encounter. If you want to take Holis with you, I wouldn’t object…to be honest, I might feel better.”

“Holis would never go. The man is too proud to back out at this point,” Maureen said. “He may have been shaky at the start of this but his pride is too great. He has something to prove, to you and to himself. That he’s not a coward. That he’s willing to face the most extreme dangers without fleeing. In truth, I don’t think he was ever going to leave us. He was just making a fuss to get attention.”

“That being said, if Holis wants to come along, he’s fine to do so,” Dren said. “But you don’t have to be here. There are safe places; hell, that laboratory can probably keep you safe until this is all over.”

“I don’t know if I can leave Holis by himself. We’ve all been together for quite a few adventures and… I just don’t know if I can abandon him.”

Dren nodded. He could understand Maureen’s fear and her loyalty competing with one another. In truth, he was feeling confident that he could handle things on his own. Perhaps if he talked to Holis about this…

“Let me speak to the psion,” Dren said. “I’ll see if I can get him to stand down, for at least this room.”

“Don’t—” Maureen started to say but she held her tongue mid-sentence. It seemed that her desire to leave was greater than her own pride.

Dren walked up to Holis who was muttering to himself about something. “Hey there, Holis,” Dren started.

“Don’t hey there me, I have ears. I could hear your whole conversation,” the psion harshly replied. “And there is no way in hell I’m giving up now. We’re in too deep. If Maureen wants to wimp out, that is her prerogative. But I’m pressing forward, no matter what.”

“She won’t leave with you still following me,” Dren said. “Are you really going to consign her to death?”

“It isn’t pride that I go forward but determination to do right by the memories of our lost companions,” Holis replied. “We all knew there were risks going in. And we have been reminded of the risks twice. The dungeon needs to be tamed, Amero needs to be annihilated. And you, on your lonesome, will not do nearly as well as you hope. Remember, you would have been devoured by that toad had it not been for my superior mind.”

That sounded like nothing but pride talking. The man must have been injured by Maureen’s words and now he was putting up a front. Dren sighed and shook his head. “You are being impossible. Do you have a deathwish?”

“No more than when I first started adventuring,” Holis replied. “I pressed on through many dangers, many threats. And I have seen plenty of comrades die. If Maureen falls, it will be after me. That I can assure you. She has nothing to worry about. But you are choosing to indulge her fears by giving her an exit.”

“Indulging?” Dren repeated with a half-hearted laugh.

“Yes. Do you not remember telling me that Amero wishes us dead? That feral dungeon mind has power that Gravis does not possess. The moment Maureen and I break off, to head to some village or repository of safety, it will attack. The monster mind fears your suit, that much is apparent. There have been no attacks just yet, but as soon as we are away from you, we will be killed. That much you can count on.”

Dren pondered that. Amero had promised to send a thousand monsters after them and yet they had gotten through an entire night without as much as a single encounter. Was this just bluster on the dungeon mind’s part? Or was it truly waiting for the Gulch crew to be alone and away from Dren?

“You may have a point…” Dren admitted.

“Yes, because I consider all aspects before making a decision,” Holis snapped. He was in a foul mood this morning, that was for sure. “We are safer with you than without you. And I don’t appreciate you and Maureen talking about me as if I weren’t a few feet away.”

Dren decided to drop the subject. Nothing he was going to say would convince Holis to change his mind and the man had brought up a few good points. It was better to just keep the course.

He returned to Maureen and shook his head. “I’m sorry but Holis has made up his mind. You can still leave if you want…but Amero was threatening you and him personally.”

“I heard the outburst,” Maureen grumbled, scowling at Dren. “And I think it’s preposterous that the dungeon would waste its energy trying to kill two people who are actively pulling away from fighting it. But I won’t leave Holis alone. Not when he’s so resigned to seeing this through. And besides, he is right. If anyone dies next, it will be him.”

There was a sharpness in her words and Dren wondered if she’d come to regret saying that. But he knew that tensions were getting higher the more he talked so he decided to just move ahead of the group and take the lead. He just hoped that his taunt module would work to keep the aggression focused primarily on him.

They soon reached a crossroads that opened up in four directions. Without the map of the area, they could have easily been wandering a dungeon this large for days without any luck. As Dren looked down the eastern hallway, he spotted something that brought a bit of relief to his weariness.

Jutting out of the corner of the ceiling was a large red crystal, glimmering in the darkness. His scanners immediately acquired the target.

Fire Crystal Detected! his suit informed him. Activate Harvest Mode?

Dren grinned at the sight of the words. He didn’t realize that the suit had this kind of function but he eagerly agreed to the question. Immediately his right wrist extended a small nozzle with brass plating. He walked up to the crystal and raised his right arm, aiming the nozzle at the crystal.

A thin red beam fired out from the wrist, striking the bottom of the crystal. The arm adjusted itself automatically, moving up and down, carefully cutting out the bottom of the crystal. The beam burned through and after a few seconds of work, the crystal shattered into 80 shards. A net shot out from Dren’s torso to capture the shards easily.

“Very nice!” Dren said as he examined the fine mesh net that had snagged the shards out of the air.

80 Fire Shards obtained! his vision informed him. A small claw extended from the side of his shoulder pauldrons and scooped up twenty. Infuse?

Everything that was infusable appeared listed in his vision. But Dren didn’t need to hem and haw about this decision. His Master Spell Pistols would be the proud recipients of these shards. His strategy of upgrading them continually might have been a bit single-minded but at the same time, they were his primary weapon and making them stronger was the way to go.

He pondered if perhaps he should use the shards on his newfound armor but upon inspection of the list he noticed that the Heartbreaker Suit was absent. Perhaps the thing had already been enhanced with various shards and was maxed out. Or maybe it was just incompatible due to Hampton’s unique design. Hard to tell.

Dren selected his first Spell Pistol and watched as the shard scoop pressed all twenty against the weapon. Instantly the shards merged with the gun and a menu appeared in front of him.  

Shard Enhancement! Your Master Spell Pistol has been Infused with a Fire Shard.

Select bonus function from below!

Ignition Nozzle: Your pistol gains a Flamethrower Mode. When activated, releases a cone of fire that hits all targets within 30 feet, dealing 30 damage per second.

Scalding Shot: Your Pistol deals +10 Fire Damage.

Overload: You may charge your Pistol for 5 seconds, releasing an Overload Shot that deals double damage.

These options were simple and easy to understand. The Ignition Module mimicked Dren’s Flamethrower spell, all without needing the mana to sustain their use. Overload was useful if dealing with a particularly heavy target and Scalding Shot was just bonus damage. In normal situations, Dren would have to think long and hard about what he was going to pick but he had already committed to fully upgrading these pistols as much as he could. Since he had 80 Fire Shards total, he may as well take everything for the first pistol.

Dren made the first selection and applied more shards, picking the second and then finalizing the build with twenty more shards. The weapon glistened brightly and he was greeted with a special menu.

Master Spell Pistol has been fully infused with Fire Shards! Weapon gains a Shard Mastery Trait, select from below!

Heat Seeker Shots: Your attacks ignore Cover and Dodge abilities.

Twin Barrels: Your Pistol fires twice per shot.

Fire Supremacy: Ignores Fire Immunity Defenses.

Dren looked at the two most attractive options. Twin Barrels gave him an additional attack and the Pistoleer upgrade meant he would be shooting four times with one gun! That was insane output. On the other hand, Seeker Shots allowed him to get those who were particularly difficult to strike.

Oh, who was he kidding? If he had to make a choice, he was going to go for more damage output. There were other ways to deal with dodging opponents, but four hits per shot? That was something else entirely.

With the remaining 20 shards, Dren upgraded his second pistol, opting to take the Ignition Nozzle, figuring that twin flamethrowers would be one hell of a devastating combo. He finished up his work and looked at the pistol on the right. It had grown a second barrel, making the little weapon quite dangerous. Now he was doing 60 damage per shot and he was able to shoot twice per trigger pull. That was 120 damage per volley.

The dungeon mind Amero wasn’t going to know what hit him.

Chapter 29

With the fire crystal properly harvested, Dren and his allies headed towards the next heart zone. This was much further than the other rooms and they had to walk through hall after hall, room after empty room, finding not a trap or a monster waiting for them. True to his word, Gravis had not sent anything after them. The true dungeon mind was silent but Dren thought about him a few times here and there.

The Artificer had taken a risk in working with Gravis and he wondered if the dungeon would truly keep his end of the bargain. It was a gamble, through and through, but one that Dren was willing to take due to the hope within him. Hope that he could save all of the people trapped within Gravis. Hope that there was a way beyond destroying a sentient being that’s very birth was a tragedy.

He felt no compassion for the other dungeon mind, Amero. The creature had a chance to speak with Dren, to perhaps persuade him away from harming it, but instead it chose to simply threaten Dren’s allies. To use living beings as leverage in order to preserve itself. That was a clear sign that there was indeed a wrong side here and Amero was on it.

As they made their way through the dungeon, they reached a room that was quite expansive. There were dozens of buildings set up, ramshackle houses made of wood or stone, all in a state of disrepair and dilapidation.

A great number of people emerged from these homes, tired-looking civilians who wore clothes so raggedy that they may as well have been naked. “Outsiders!” someone shouted.

“Adventurers!” another cried out.

The mob swarmed around Dren and his associates, people full of excitement at the sight of those who they hadn’t met before. The infected zone was only two rooms away and they didn’t really have time to stick around and chat. But at the same time, this may be an opportunity for Maureen to reconsider moving forward with the adventure.

“Calm down!” Holis ordered, pushing a few people who were getting too close to him back. “We are busy.”

“You’re going to save us, right?” an older man said. “I’ve been down here for hundreds of years. You’re going to help Gravis destroy the evil dungeon mind?”

“That is the plan, yes,” Dren said.

The people all cheered upon hearing this. “This armor!” someone shouted. “It’s Hampton! Hampton has finally finished the armor!”

Everyone shouted and cried out in joy upon this realization. Dren felt a little bad about knowing the truth, that Hampton had died horrifically while trying to obtain a sample to power the suit. He certainly wasn’t going to correct these people and he definitely wasn’t going to try to tell them his own name. That would seem like a crass attempt to gain glory and that wasn’t Dren’s style in the least. Prestige was for crafting and besides, in a way, this was Hampton to these people. He had built the suit and so he should get the credit.

“Maybe we can get some help,” Holis muttered to Dren. “Excuse me, are there any adventurers here looking for work?”

The crowd fell silent. One man, his face sullen, spoke. “Adventurers who come here often retire. Some of us, those who weren’t trapped at the beginning, were adventuring folk. But those dark zones, the areas where the encounters are…they are too dangerous for many of them. And those who believe they can win against Amero never return. We have no one here who would aid you. For that we are sorry.”

Dren look at Maureen. “You hear that? They take in people who don’t want to be out in the field anymore.”

Maureen’s face looked weary. She was carrying a great weight on her shoulders. But as she peered out at the crowd, something stirred in her. “How long have you all been down here?”

“Hundreds for some. A handful have been here over a thousand,” a woman said. “And there are those of us who have only been here for a few years. Time stands still in this place. There is no hunger, which is good because there’s very little food. There is no thirst. Just the weariness of endlessness. We are in a world of stasis.”

“They say that death waits for us when we’re finally free. That we will age and die,” another cried out. “But at least that is a proper end! We are a book without chapters. A story without motion.”

Everyone murmured in agreement to that.

“Look at all these people,” Maureen whispered to Dren. “There must be hundreds.”

“And there are more in other rooms,” Dren said. “All with the same story. Folks who were just minding their own business in the kingdom and then…bam. Trapped here without escape. And those are the folks who got off easy.”

“It’s one thing to simply die for a contract,” Maureen said. “But…these people. And the others that we met a while back…they have no hope except for us, do they?”

“You don’t have to take their burden on,” Dren said. “You could park here for a while. It’ll be safe. Amero would have annihilated these people if he had the power to do so. That means you won’t have to worry about being targeted.”

“A monk does take on the burdens of others,” Maureen replied, scanning the crowd once more. “We train so that we have the strength to do what is necessary for others. To carry what they cannot. Dren…we have to destroy Amero. There can be no more hesitation on my part. Even if I die, it will be in service to these people. Not because I signed a piece of paper agreeing to help some stranger out with a mission.”

Dren nodded. He could see determination and life returning to Maureen. These people were ragged and miserable compared to the other group that they had met at the beginning of their adventure. Those people were still somewhat comfortable with their fates. But here, there were no illusions. The folks wanted out. And not through death in a dungeon.

“All right, part the way,” Dren said, motioning with his armored hand. “We have a dungeon heart to destroy!”

The people all cheered. Dren looked at Maureen, then Holis who didn’t seem to care much at all for their plight, regarding these folk with little more than mild annoyance. “No going back after this. Are we good?”

“We must press on. For their sake,” Maureen said.

“The sooner we get away from these filthy common minds, the better,” Holis remarked.

Dren rolled his eyes and marched forward as the crowd separated for them. They were all cheering and shouting encouragement as the group made their way to the other side of the room.

“Hampton will save us!” someone shouted.

“You’re damn right he will,” Dren said.

Chapter 30

The sealed door to the infected zone was just as easy to breach as the last one. A sturdy double fisted punch from Dren broke it open, revealing the familiar black film that was the hallmark of these areas. According to his scanners, another heart was within here.

“Now, I don’t want anyone to move without an opening,” Dren said to his companions. “Maureen, you have the Armor Points but Holis doesn’t have the HP to handle any surprises. I can handle myself just fine with the suit. You guys only move on my orders. Understood?”

“You’ve got it, boss,” Holis said. “We shall do our best to not draw attention to ourselves.”

“I can handle myself too,” Maureen said. “Foster was the one who always needed some extra boost to get through a fight.”

“Yes, but if you’re just rushing into the enemy, who is going to support our blaster psion?” Dren asked. “Things aren’t just business as usual in these places. We’ve got to stay on our toes and focus.”

“Very well,” Maureen huffed. She seemed a bit nervous, perhaps overeager to prove that she wasn’t a coward. Dren couldn’t quite get a read on her but knew that she was now dedicated to the cause. There wouldn’t be any more in-fighting or worries of fleeing past this point.

“Let’s do this,” Dren said. He took a deep breath and walked through the film, the world warping all around him.

A cold wind blew as snow fell all around Dren. Long snow banks were ahead, hills rolling up and down the landscape as the grey clouds overhead continually released little snowflakes that drifted down onto the ground. The familiar sound of the beating heart was present.

“It’s freezing!” Holis said.

“Class feature allows me to ignore frozen conditions,” Maureen bragged.

Dren didn’t feel the intensity of the cold, but he could still feel the breeze. His suit began to pump heat into the interior and the iciness of the wind was quickly countered.

Heart Concealed! his vision warned him. Defeat Enemy Waves to reveal it!

“Looks like we’re going to be facing waves again,” Dren said. “No telling what we’re up against.”

Holis activated a psionic ability, covering himself with a green aura. “There, that’s much better,” he said.

“Hold off on buffing until the fight begins,” Dren said. “They seemed to be timed out to activate when our current buffs expire.”

“Any traps?” Maureen asked.

Dren surveyed the area. His scanners and his Trap Finding skill both indicated that the place was clear. But, then again, the traps had a way of concealing themselves from the senses. “I don’t see anything but Amero might be able to interfere with my regular trap detecting ability. Best to let the enemy come to us,” Dren replied.

As if on cue, the words Wave 1! appeared in his vision. Ahead, on the top of one of the hills, three creatures rose up from the snow.

There were two large ape-like monsters with shaggy white fur. They stood at nearly nine feet in height and their arms were lanky and clawed with three black talons. They were stocky creatures, broad chested and extremely muscular. Short horns jutted out of their ridged foreheads, indicating that perhaps they head-butted their targets.

In between these two beasts was a great turtle monster. It was four legged, with a massive shell on its back. Jutting out from the center of the shell was a white crystal that crackled with magical energies. The turtle creature was about six feet wide, with thick leathery legs and a snapping head that was beaked.

Dangers Detected!

Frost Yeti

Stats:

HP: 180

Speed: 5

Defense: 8

Attacks:

Frenzy: The Yeti enters a Frenzy, gaining +50 temporary Hit Points and +20 Damage to all of its attacks. This lasts for 2 minutes.

Claw Swipe: Slash a target for 40 Slashing Damage.

Arm Rip: A melee attack that Breaks or Disables an arm and deals 30 Bludgeoning Damage.

Skull Ram: Deals 50 Bludgeoning Damage to a target and Stuns them for 5 seconds.

Weaknesses:

Fire: Takes double damage from all Fire Attacks.

Shield Turtle

Stats:

HP: 250

Speed: 1

Defense: 15

Attacks:

Turtle Beam: Fires a beam of Magical Energy that deals 60 Damage per second. Requires 30 seconds to recharge.

Spell Missile: Releases 3 Missiles that deal 20 Magic Damage each.

Defenses:

Barrier Shield: Creates a sustained shield around all allies, granting them immunity to all damage. Cannot be bypassed until the shield is shut down.

Heavy Armor: Shield Turtle has 100 Armor Points.

Weaknesses:

None

As Dren read the entry on the Shield Turtle the crystal on its back began to power up. A thin white beam fired from the sides of the crystal, striking each of the Yetis. The creatures became shielded, an aura wrapping around their bodies.

“The yetis are shielded,” Dren warned. “We have to take out the turtle first.”

“Permission to run in?” Maureen asked.

Dren glanced at the advancing creatures. The yetis weren’t particularly fast but they weren’t moving to engage. Instead, they were standing in front of the turtle monster, intent on protecting it. They hit hard and were immune to damage for the time being.

“Negative,” Dren said. “Let’s try to hit it with ranged first.”

“I don’t have any ranged,” Maureen grumbled.

“I’m on it,” Holis said. He put one hand to his temple and thrust out the other, fingers aimed in a triangular form. A purple beam burst forth, shuddering through the air as it crashed into the side of the Shield Turtle.

40 Damage! appeared above the turtle’s head. Holis’ psionics were able to bypass the immense armor that the monster had, making him quite valuable.

Dren calculated how to best approach this situation. While his pistols were quite strong on their own, the trouble was that the armor had to be broken through in a single blow. He didn’t have anything that dealt 100 damage outright, for each shot was calculated individually. But…didn’t he have that new overcharge ability for his gun? He hadn’t really thought about using it, since it required a few seconds to fully power up, but now it was going to be very useful.

As Dren raised his right gun, he squeezed down on the trigger, holding it hard. Overload Shot! his vision informed him. A brief timer of 5 seconds appeared in front of him and began to tick down.

The twin yeti monsters registered that Holis was a danger and began to advance down the hill, moving quickly.

“Maureen, they’re going after Holis,” Dren said. “You can’t damage them but can you stop them?”

“On it!” Maureen said, rushing forward, her skin turning to diamond. She leapt in front of the lumbering monsters, drawing their attention.

They swiped at her with their long arms, claws raking thin air as she nimbly dodged out of the way, jumping left to right as she kept them occupied. They didn’t seem to be terribly smart monsters and just continued to strike at her mindlessly.

Dren’s gun flared up with a shimmering red light as the overload completed. The pistol began to shake violently and Dren hurriedly took aim at the great turtle at the top of the hill. He pointed carefully, well as carefully as he could when the gun was trembling like a branch caught in a whirlwind, and fired.

A single shot burst forth from the gun, the energy red and quite wide, almost the shape of an orb. It sailed through the air and splashed against the turtle. The words 120 Damage! Armor Broken! 20 Damage! appeared above the monster. Its HP dropped down from 210 to 190.

The monstrous turtle’s crystal began to charge up magic in response to this. The white turned to purple and Dren barely had time to get his shield up before a massive beam of energy came hurtling towards him.

Dren activated his Reinforce Shield ability just as the beam fired. He raised the shield up high in front of him and felt the impact as the intense energy made contact with the steel and brass shield. There was a loud whurrrm sound as the beam pummeled the shield.

“Holis, stun it or something!” Dren grunted. His shield was only good for a few seconds but the turtle could sustain the beam for as long as it wanted.

“On it!” the psion replied. He raised a hand and unleashed a flash of psychic energy. The turtle was not interrupted by this attack, however, and maintained the beam. Dren’s timer ran down quickly and the shield lost its ability to absorb any amount of damage.

The concentrated beam pierced through Dren’s shield, knocking it away and nailing him right in the torso. 60 Damage! Armor Broken! His vision informed him as the beam ripped through his power shield, the sustained damage too much. He only took 5 points of damage from the total hit but his armor points were gone.

Dren was thrown back from the sheer force of the blast, thankfully knocking him away from the point of the sustained beam’s focus. He tumbled a few feet away, rolling in the snow.

Armor Damaged! Self-Repair will begin once combat has ended! his vision informed him as he groaned. There went his blanket of security.

The beam swept across the ground, still moving towards Dren as the turtle turned to face him. The Artificer climbed to his feet and dashed as quickly as he could to avoid it. This wasn’t as easy in the current armor’s configuration, as he was encumbered greatly by the extra weight of the armor plates and the legs weren’t moving very fast. In order to avoid getting hit again, he would have to sacrifice his shield to activate a different secondary configuration.

As Dren scrambled, he turned on the versatile module and changed his secondary from Shieldbearer to Dodge Matrix. Immediately the armor on the suit began to retract, the extra layers no longer useful anyway, and small jets popped out of the arms and legs. His steps suddenly became lighter as he moved and the little jets fired with each step, adding a much needed spring in his step.

“All right!” Dren said as he nimbly moved across the snow, regaining his composure. The beam was moving too slow to catch him now and that meant there was an opening.

“Any time you want to take those shields down!” Maureen said as she caught a punch from one of the yetis, turned it away from her and threw the monster onto the ground.

Dren gripped his twin pistols and, in mid-jump, took aim right at the Shield Turtle. The armor was broken now, the beam no longer a threat as the turtle released the energy and began to power up a different attack. He aimed and squeezed the triggers.

The gun on the right, the twin-barreled pistol fired first. Twin shots of red flew out from the weapon, streaking across the sky as they pummeled into the slow moving monster. 120 Damage! appeared over the turtle’s head as the shots nailed it in its fleshy face. Its HP dropped from 190 to a meager 70.

The second pistol’s shot trailed after but the turtle had a defensive reflex. It shot its entire body into its shell and the damage merely splashed against the shield. Defense Too High! his vision informed him.

“Holis, take it out!” Dren ordered.

“I’m charging up a stronger attack,” Holis said. “This should finish it!”

The crystal on the back of the shield turtle turned bright green and the monster activated its Spell Missile attack. Three green spheres fired into the air and sailed towards Dren. Each missile did 30 damage and without any armor, Dren would be in serious trouble if he was hit.

Fortunately the Dodge Matrix had just the solution to this. Instinctively, Dren activated the Flares ability. The back of his suit opened up and six little cannons emerged, releasing a burst of magical energy into the air. The missiles immediately changed their trajectory and sailed upwards, fooled by the magical flares.

“Got it!” Holis shouted. He had both hands on his forehead and as soon as he spoke, a thin purple beam of energy manifested from the center. It fired towards the shield turtle and broke through the shell without a problem, as the man’s power was to strike it in the mind. Lured! appeared above the turtle’s shell and the monster stuck its arms, legs and head back out.

The creature was whirling from the blow, not quite stunned but exposed. Dren didn’t hesitate. With the increased speed from the Dodge Matrix, he was able to quickly aim at the target, the jets on his arms firing as they helped him get into proper position. He fired as many times as he could and watched the turtle monster burst into flames. The damage was overwhelming and the crystal shattered.

The shield on the twin yetis vanished instantly. “Maureen, you’re good to fight!” Dren shouted.

Maureen delivered a high punch to the head of one of the monsters, dealing 30 damage and causing it to become stunned. Holis released a psionic blast that hit the other, dealing 35 damage.

These monsters were weak to fire and as luck would have it, Dren’s entire arsenal was built around elemental damage. He rushed into the fray. “Maureen, clear the area!”

The monk ran up the side of one of the slow yetis and flipped off of his back, getting out of the way as Dren thundered up. He aimed both of his pistols towards the monsters and activated the Flamethrower settings.

The twin guns released a torrent of flames that washed out in a cone shape, overwhelming the monsters. It was 30 damage per second per gun, and the ignition nozzles had no timer on them, meaning he could sustain the fire as long as he wanted. And since these were snow-based monsters, they were taking double damage.

Their large pool of hit points vanished almost instantly as they tried to stagger out of the way but to no avail. They were incinerated in less than three seconds.

Wave 1 Completed!

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Dren said, letting out a cheer. “One wave down, who knows how many to go?”

Chapter 31

There was tension in the air as Dren and his allies regrouped. His suit was already fixing itself. As soon as combat ended, slots in the armor’s shoulders opened up and small steel spheres emerged, floating all around the Heartbreaker and firing beams of red energy into the suit. This caused the damage to the armor to begin rapidly repairing itself and it would only be a few seconds before he was back to normal.

In this time, Dren reconfigured his suit back to the Shieldbearer mode and watched as his armor points began to climb back up. This suit truly was a marvel if it could be reconstructed instantly after an encounter.

“That was a good fight,” Holis said. “I think we’re doing well.”

“Don’t get too excited just yet,” Maureen said. “There are more to come. We’ll be overwhelmed by a horde sooner or later.”

“The snow area makes them vulnerable to my fire attacks,” Dren said. “If there’s a horde, I should be able to make short work of them.”

“I’ve a few abilities that hit everyone,” Holis added. “No reason to be so down, Maureen.”

Ahead, the snow banks began to move. Dren drew his pistols and took a deep breath. Wave 2! appeared in his vision.

“We’ve got company!” Holis said, pointing to behind them. Dren turned around to see that about forty feet away were slender elves with armor made of ice. They carried swords at their sides and walked without making a trace in the snow. There were six of them.

“Pincer!” Maureen shouted. “I was right about the hordes!”

Dren turned back around in response to this to see that up on the snow bank were six more snow elves, armed with bows. Their weapons were rigid and made of pure ice, the arrows glinting with magical energy as they nocked them.

Danger Detected!

Snow Elves

Stats:

HP: 100

Speed: 10

Defense: 10

Attacks:

Binding Blades: A melee attack that deals 30 Frost Damage and Slows the target. If struck again, become Bound to your current location.

Frost Wave: Releases a burst of ice and snow that deals 40 Frost Damage and causes Armor to become Brittle. Brittle Armor takes damage each time it is struck until it reaches zero.

Binding Arrow: A ranged attack that deals 25 Frost Damage and Slows the target. If struck again, become Bound to your current location.

Arrow Storm: An area attack that deals 100 Frost Damage to any within the area.

Defenses:

Frozen Hearts: All damage is reduced by half.

Weaknesses:

Fire: Takes normal damage from Fire Attacks.

“Yikes,” Dren said as he read their stats. “Okay, so, each of them hits pretty hard and uh, if you get hit more than once you’ll be stuck in your location. Aaaaand all damage is halved, except for fire.”

“Of course,” Holis said. “Anything to restrict my class options.”

“Stop complaining and focus,” Maureen replied. She raised her fists and turned in all directions. “What do we do?”

“Hold position for now,” Dren ordered. “I’ll handle the archers. You protect Holis while he blasts.”

“Understood,” Maureen said.

Thankfully these snow elves did not have any kind of autododge abilities. The majority of Dren’s weapons were fire based and he could handle six archers—if he acted quickly.

Not wanting to hesitate even one second, Dren rushed forward with his shield raised high. The elves on the snow bank began to fire at him. The shots bounced off the shield and he returned fire, but there was some trouble in landing any hit for his part. These snow elves had high speed and high defense, both of which played against Dren’s accuracy. They nimbly dodged to the side, dropping back enough for the shots to only strike the bank. From the higher ground they had a clear advantage.

Dren considered using his Wand of Fireball but the trouble was that even though it would hit all of them in an area of effect attack, the damage was only going to be 30. And the wand took time to recharge. He needed something with more kick to it.

The elves all readied their shots at the same time, focusing on Dren with pinpoint accuracy. They released a volley and Dren could feel the thumps against his armor as the various arrows struck him. Fortunately he was not slowed down as their arrows didn’t do enough damage to penetrate his armor.

To hell with this, Dren thought, deciding to use his Wand of Fireball after all. When all was said and done, thirty damage wasn’t the worst amount of output. He raised his left hand and the wand immediately slid partly out of the wrist. The tiny bead of red flew up the snow bank and collided with the first elf sending out a wave of exploding flames.

“They’re on us!” Maureen shouted from behind. Dren didn’t turn around, focusing instead on the archers. The explosion worked, though the elves didn’t seem to care about the damage they took. Instead they all aimed their bows towards the sky. Dren knew what was coming next.

“Arrow Storm, look out!” Dren called out as a flurry of arrows sailed upwards and at an angle. Each arrow seemed to replicate itself in mid-air, creating dozens of sharp ice projectiles that hit their peak and then dropped down towards Dren and his allies.

Each storm would deal a hundred damage and Dren’s armor clearly wasn’t enough. Though…every hit was a single instance of damage, meaning that if he used his suit’s Heavy Reinforcement ability, he would be able to weather the storm, so to speak.

Without thinking, Dren activated the ability. His suit made a shunk sound as thick iron plates extended all around him. His speed dropped down to 1 as everything grew much heavier. Armor Up! his vision informed him just as the arrows came crashing down on him. He was at 105 points of Armor, just enough to withstand the assault.

The flurry of arrows landed atop him, thunking off harmlessly as his suit protected him. Hopefully there was a timer on their ability to perform that attack again.

Dren could hear the sounds of clashing behind him but maintained his focus on the archers. He would have to deal with the melee fighters later. To annihilate his enemies quickly, he needed more splash damage. And what better way than heavy artillery?

It was risky considering their damage output but Dren had to act before another arrow storm came his way. He activated his Versatility module and changed both his primary and secondary configurations. The engines of the suit hummed as he engaged Heartseeker Mode and the Dodge Matrix. The loss of armor would leave him vulnerable and he needed the extra speed.

His right arm began to shift, opening up and extending a long Gatling gun that had six vents on all sides to release an enormous amount of heat. His back opened up and four long cannons jutted out. He was now ready to engage in full combat.

The artillery mode was what Dren was seeking. The weapon would fire six shells that dealt 80 fire damage each, in a splash radius. The elves on the snow bank were quick but they couldn’t survive this. The fact that he had hit them all with his fireball had softened them up, meaning they just needed to be hit by one shell. However, he intended to fire all of his shells.

The elves continued to shoot at Dren but his Dodge Matrix was fully engaged. He activated the Slide Jets, giving him a tremendous speed boost for a few seconds, allowing him to quickly jet over to the left, giving him a wide berth from where the arrows were striking.

The enemy forces on the bank began to aim their arrows into the sky once more and Dren seized this as the opportunity to act. “Fire Artillery Shells!” Dren ordered his suit. The Heartseeker Mode fully engaged and he felt an enormous amount of shock as the cannons on his back fired one after the other. Boom! Boom! Boom! Each shot was like a thunderclap. The shells hurtled through the air, spinning wildly as they peppered the targeted area.

The archers saw the attack coming and postponed their Arrow Storm to scramble out of the way. But Dren had selected the entire radius of the snow bank as his target. There was nowhere they could run; the shells nailed the ground and exploded, waves of flames washing out in all directions.

The entire snow covered hill was blown to smithereens by the concentrated explosions. The smoke cleared and revealed there was nothing left. All six elves, destroyed in an instant.

Dren spun around to deal with the melee fighters. Holis was currently surrounded by four while Maureen wrestled with two on the ground, fighting them as hard as she could. The melee elves were slashing at Holis with their ice swords but the man was turning transparent with each blow, the attacks sailing right through him.

“Holis, get down!” Dren shouted as he aimed his Gatling gun at the four targets. The weapon on his right arm began to spin rapidly and steam burst out of the sides, venting a great deal of heat as it fired.

Hundreds of burning energy bullets sprayed through the air while Holis threw himself to the ground. The gun cut across all four targets as Dren moved his arm from left to right. Each snow elf took 80 damage from the assault. Two were dropped outright but the other two, sensing the bigger danger, began to rush towards Dren.

This was about as effective as running into a pyre to escape the heat. Dren’s gun could sustain its fire and with a chak! chak! chak! they were dropped.

Maureen snapped one of the necks of the snow elves she was wrestling before moving onto the other one, pinning it to the ground. Holis released a burst of psionic energy as Dren carefully aimed with the pistol in his left hand. With a concentrated burst of attacks, the last elf expired.

“They shredded all my armor,” Maureen gasped as she climbed up from the ground.

“And I have spent a great deal of my psionic energy on blasting, dodging and stunning,” Holis added. “Is there any chance that was the last wave?”

Chapter 32

The chill winds seemed to grow worse. The wave was over but Dren had not received any indication that the snow elves would be their last fight. He hoped that there would only be one more wave, as his team was tired and their resources were low. Maureen had burnt a lot of her armor in the last fight and Holis had spent most of his psionic energy. He had the ability to do basic mind bursts but they did much less damage than when he was recharged. These adventurers weren’t used to swarm upon swarm of enemies. They were used to a big encounter and then adequate time to rest and recover.

Dren reconfigured his suit back to the usual Ironbreaker/Shieldbearer combo, preferring the higher amount of armor and HP to anything else. The Versatility module had come in really handy as it allowed him to swap between modes quickly, saving his bacon twice in the last fight.

“Snow’s getting worse,” Maureen said as she looked up at the sky. “Seems like something’s happening.”

“My temperature power lasts for a full day, we’ll be fine,” Holis replied. “A bit of snow and wind won’t slow us down.”

Dren glanced up too and noticed that the clouds were beginning to move in a circular pattern. More snow was beginning to fall and visibility became reduced. The light from the perpetually grey sky seemed to dull as the clouds rolled together and the darkness grew thick. A shudder ran down his spine when he realized this may be related to the next wave.

Sure enough, the words, Wave 3! Final Wave! appeared in his vision as the storm set in. Yet the thickness of the snow and the darkness made it impossible to see what was out there.

“I can’t see a damnable thing,” Holis fussed. He perked his head up. “Wait. I’m sensing…four minds.” He pointed to the west. “They’re coming from there.”

Dren turned in the direction the psion was pointing and squinted. He couldn’t make out much and as the snowfall grew worse and worse, he wondered if his enemies would remain hidden.

“Just a quick Illumination ability…” Holis muttered, stretching his hands out. “Gotcha!”

As he spoke, two immense figures became outlined with green light. Dren’s eyes focused and he could vaguely discern white fur within the outlines. The snow made it impossible to tell what he was looking at.

Despite the low visual acuity, Dren’s scanners chittered away and quickly revealed information about what they were facing.

Blizzard Beasts

Stats:

HP: 300

Speed: 8

Defense: 5

Attacks:

Trampling Run: Charges a target and runs over them, dealing 60 Bludgeoning Damage.

Frost Breath: Releases a cone of frost, hitting all targets within 30 feet and dealing 45 Frost Damage. Slows a target regardless of damage.

Defenses:

Thick Hide: Reduced damage from Bludgeoning and Piercing sources.

Rider Defense: Those mounted on the Blizzard Beast take half damage from all attacks.

Unique:

Living Blizzard: As long as the Blizzard Beast is alive, a storm surrounds them, reducing vision and allowing them to blend in.

Weaknesses:

Fire: Takes double damage from Fire sources.

Dren read through the list. These were beefy monsters, high in HP though with relatively few attacks. They were quite mobile due to their charge ability and the living blizzard meant they’d be able to hide in the snow before getting up close. Though, thankfully, Holis’ Illumination spell had counteracted that.

The Rider Defense ability indicated that there were creatures mounted on the back of these shaggy furred monsters. Dren could see the vague outline of something humanoid atop the Blizzard Beasts but he couldn’t make them out in the snow. Still, his scanners swept across them and registered them all the same.

Ice Raider

Stats:

HP: 150

Speed: 5

Defense: 5

Attacks:

Trident Throw: Throws an ice trident that deals 30 Armor Piercing Damage.

Skewer: Stabs a target for 50 damage and pins them to the ground.

Storm Strike: Fires a focused burst of ice at an area, hitting all targets within 50 feet for 30 Frost Damage. Only works if Blizzard is active.

Defenses:

Ice Shard Shield: If the Raider’s mount is attacked with a ranged attack, automatically throws an ice shard that expands, taking the damage in place of the mount.

Iron Shield: Gains 25 Armor Points.

Weaknesses:

None

There was a frustrating symbiosis between the raiders and the blizzard beasts. The beasts were able to move in such a way as to reduce all active damage by half and the raiders could intercept projectiles meant for their mounts. This meant that Dren couldn’t just blast away at the bigger targets. Their high health would be shredded quickly due to their fire weakness but with the ice shield ability, Dren’s guns would be rendered useless.

As Dren focused on the shimmering figures on the back of the blizzard beasts, there came a flare of light and then, nothing. The silhouettes of the enemy vanished and with the light gone, all four targets blended into the immense blizzard.

“Holis!” Dren shouted.

“Yeah, er, that ability is like…level zero. More of a party trick than something useful for long term fights,” Holis sheepishly replied. “I should have mentioned that.”

There was no time for explanations. With the enemy monsters hidden from view, the entire party was vulnerable to being attacked out of the blue. The best Holis could do with his mind scan ability was determine when they were close but that didn’t give him direct location and angle.

“I’m going to handle this alone,” Dren said to the group. “They do a lot of damage and will make short work of us if we’re bunched together.”

“No way,” Maureen said. “We can take them.”

Dren didn’t want to argue. Instead, he activated the Provocation Module that he had gained just for this kind of scenario. Little cannons opened up on the sides of his shoulders and arms, popping loudly as they released a scattering of fine red dust. Dren’s entire suit was covered in an instant and the words Taunt Active appeared in front of him.

The Artificer fled from his allies, moving away as quickly as he could. Now that he had the taunt status, all of the enemy forces would be solely targeting him, meaning that the Storm Strikes would be coming at just him. His allies would have to figure out what to do on their own; he needed to draw the monsters away from them.

As Dren moved across the ever-thickening snow covered ground, there was a sudden motion just ahead. Out of the blizzard came one of the beasts, storming towards the Artificer. Dren’s defenses kicked in and he dug his heels into the ground, shield raised upwards to absorb any blow. The monster collided with his body but the suit held its ground, the defense high enough to avoid taking damage from this attack. The blizzard beast rammed hard into his shield and Dren slid back a few inches.

From above, a trident made of pure ice came shooting downwards, hitting Dren’s shoulder. The armor was pierced, due to the nature of the attack, and Dren felt a sharp pain as the prongs made contact with his actual shoulder blades. 30 Damage! appeared in his vision and his health dropped down to 37.

“Damn it!” Dren shouted. He tried to shoot back at the concealed ice raider but by the time he raised his guns, the bastard was gone, hidden by the snow.

There was a thumping behind Dren, giving him just enough time to spin around. He raised his shield and activated the Reinforcement ability. The second blizzard beast rammed him hard; thankfully, the shield absorbed the damage. Anticipating their strategy, Dren thrust his large shield upwards and blocked the trident just as it was about to spear him in the torso.

The shield counted as armor in these cases but the Reinforce ability allowed him to absorb the attack without a problem. He fired with his right pistol… and struck nothing as the beast quickly moved into the blinding white all around them.

Standing around wasn’t going to work, that much was becoming clear. It was time to use the spell that Dren had taken last level. At that moment he hadn’t really considered if it would be useful, but right now, getting off the ground and out of range of the charging blizzard beasts and their riders was a top priority.

Without wasting a second, Dren cast Flight, throwing his left hand down and making the signs for motion in air. Instantly, his entire body, armor included, became as light as a feather. Not really knowing how it worked, Dren just focused upwards and much to his joy, he sailed high in the sky.

Below, he could hear a clash as both blizzard beasts rammed into each other, their target suddenly airborne.

“Haha!” Dren cried out, flying upwards with a decent amount of velocity. The heaviness of the suit was not affected by the flight and his normal speed was a paltry 3, as his enhancement abilities did not work inside of the suit. However, now he had a speed of 5 and that translated to a bit more flexibility in his ability to move and maneuver.

This had solved one problem, but now that he was midair, he was a target for the ice raider’s ranged attacks. Worse yet, he couldn’t see where they would be coming from…unless he just flew above the storm.

Dren sailed upwards as quickly as he could, sailing through the air. The thrill of flight was hard to ignore, even in a combat scenario. He had taken the spell without really knowing what to make of it, but now he was going to make full use of the ability.

Light returned to Dren as he cleared the top of the blizzard. He was a hundred feet in the air and could see the ice tridents fly upwards only to fall back down to earth. They had a range, it seemed, and Dren was outside of that range. But would that mean his Taunt effect wouldn’t work? He couldn’t just hang out here and wait the fight out. He needed to figure out some kind of way to deal damage…

What would Holis do? It was a strange thought but the psion had taken control of Dren once before, coming up with an insane combo of his available abilities on the fly. Dren could do the same thing too, if he just focused for a moment.

Dren glanced at the list of wands in his possession. The ranged attacks would be easily repelled by their shield ability. If the Lightning Wand was used, it would not deal enough damage to bypass the raiders’ armor. It could be useful once their armor was broken, as even if the lightning bolt did strike a piece of ice, it would chain to the other targets.

What about the Forcefield Wand? Yes! Of course! Everything fell into place at once as Dren realized the brilliance of controlling the enemy’s ability to move. He just needed a single moment of sight.

“Holis!” Dren telepathically shouted, his mind reaching the psion who was hidden in the storm below. “Listen, you gotta time it just right but I need you to use that party trick again.”

“I think they fled or something,” Holis said. “No one’s attacked us.”

“I’m Taunting them,” Dren said.

“I don’t think insults will do much against monsters,” the psion replied. “Relax, I’m kidding. Just say the word and I’ll hit them again.”

Dren quickly prepared his assault. The flight spell lasted an hour, an eternity in combat time, so he wasn’t worried about being hit again. This allowed him the freedom to shift modes, switching back to the Heartseeker/Striker Cannons configuration. As his artillery cannons began to emerge, he prepared his Forcefield Wand.

With his Elemental Reconfiguration ability, Dren set the beam cannon in his torso to fire. He aimed his gun down with one arm and his Forcefield Wand with the other. The plan was a simple one: the enemy could shield their mounts with ice shards but there had to be a limit on how many they were able to fire at a time. The artillery ability wasn’t targeted but dealt a considerable amount of damage per hit and in a thirty foot radius. They might be able to intercept one or two shells but there would be six coming their way. Along with a hellfire of other attacks.

Wait! Dren had the Refresh ability…that meant he could fire 12 shells, as long as he timed his refresh right. That would be such an onslaught of damage that the enemy couldn’t possibly defend against everything. Right? These monsters were strong but their gimmick couldn’t possibly be that overpowered.

Dren readied for the combo and took a deep breath. If he pulled this off, it would be legendary. And if it failed…well, he would be back to square one.

“Now!” Dren mentally commanded.

Below, in the thick storm, Dren could instantly see the outline of his enemies. They were clustered together, riding side by side as they moved in the direction of Holis and Maureen. Dren had only a few seconds to get this right…he anticipated their direction, aimed his wand and fired.

The Forcefield Wand allowed the creation of an impenetrable wall of force and could be shaped in any way. Dren chose to form a circle around the enemy. The last thing he saw before they vanished was the large blizzard beasts ramming into the wall and bouncing off.

“One more time!” Dren said.

“Blink and you’ll miss it,” Holis replied.

The figures illuminated again. Dren could see they were moving in a circular pattern, trying to get out but to no avail. He had successfully captured them. The figures vanished but Dren’s ability to see his own magical auras was all that he needed. He had put the fish in the barrel. Now it was time to shoot.

Dren zipped down a little to get within range. “Hosts…let this work,” he muttered, a rare prayer on his lips as he focused the beam cannon downwards. The cannon on his chest began to rev up, making an intense whoom sound as it released a concentrated beam of flames that tore through the air. Shards of ice continually flew upwards to block the attack but it was a beam and melted the shields while moving down into the arena Dren had created.

The beam struck nothing but kept the ice raiders busy; riders who were still trying to defend their mounts. There was a 30 second timer on the beam but it could maintain as long as Dren kept it firing on the ground. The enemy didn’t seem smart enough to realize that he couldn’t shift it left or right without deactivating the weapon.

With them occupied, Dren fired his artillery, hearing the thundering booms as the cannons on his back released their shells downwards at incredible speeds. He refreshed the ability and fired once more, less than a second passing before the second volley came out. Three shards flew upwards to block the shells, causing them to explode in midair but Dren’s feint had worked.

The shells sailed into the closed area, only 20 feet wide, meaning that everything in there was going to be hit. The explosions soon went off. There were so many of them that their discharge combined and sailed upwards, as the force circle turned it into a concentrated funnel of pure flame and smoke.

Dren grinned as he watched the separate damage numbers sail upwards above the area. 9 instances of 80 damage each was a total of 720 damage. Even halved, it was enough to kill all of them. Especially with an explosion radius of 30 feet.

The great storm below Dren faded instantly, revealing nothing but a smoking crater where his foes had once been.

Wave Defeated! 7,000 XP Gained! appeared in his vision. Dren let out a heavy, thankful sigh. His allies were safe, the waves were defeated and he had outdone himself. All that was left for this area was to destroy the dark heart.

Chapter 33

The long fights were finally over. Dren had leveled up from the sheer amount of XP gained from the waves but he didn’t want to spend any more time inside of this zone than necessary. There was no telling how fast the dark heart was able to regenerate the waves and standing around, milling through options and feats was a good way to open himself up to more attacks.

If this was going to go like it had last time, then the entire room would collapse. Dren was quick enough, thanks to his remaining fly spell, to get back to the entrance, but he worried about his companions. And so, he ordered them to go back through the door and wait for him outside. He was going to handle the heart himself.

The scanners located the beating muscle quickly enough. With the waves defeated, the magical energies that allowed it to remain hidden had faded and Dren flew alongside a particularly high snow bank, spotting the black heart at a distance.

This one was bigger than the last, almost the size of a shed, beating infernally, the rhythm rapid as if it were sensing Dren’s approach. As soon as the heart was visible, Dren’s suit activated the Heartkiller Blade.

As Dren hovered towards the heart, his vision began to darken. He knew what was happening. Amero was speaking to him again.

In the blink of an eye, Dren was transported to the familiar black realm where everything was shifting shadow. Ahead, he was standing in front of the large tree-like organ that pulsed with a slow rhythm. He noticed that the yellow pods on the structure were broken near the top, a few of them inert and without any indication of energy or life. There were nine pods total and three were already gone. Perhaps this was an indication of the dungeon mind’s ability to maintain its power.

“You return without having heeded my warning,” Amero said, his voice snarling in the dark.

“And you seem to be missing a few…pods,” Dren replied. “You’re getting weaker.”

“A wounded animal strikes twice as hard,” Amero taunted. There was a glowering in the voice, a fiendish hatred that seemed to ooze out of each word and syllable. “You are placing yourself and your allies in extreme danger.”

“Danger be damned,” Dren said. “You aren’t going to convince me of anything, so you might as well just skip the speech.”

Dren flew towards the structure, raising his right arm.

“Wait!” the dungeon pleaded. “What if I were to give you all of my treasure? Yes! I can gather everything I have taken from these adventurers, all of their magical items, their gold, their shinies. I can pour it all for you at the exit, an exit I can open up.”

“And would you allow everyone to leave through that exit?” Dren asked.

“Gravis keeps them for himself. He feeds off of their power. They are not in my domain,” Amero replied. “I cannot do much outside of where my hearts reside. But you would have my word they would not be harmed. They would be free to leave.”

Dren shook his head. “It’s too little and too late. I am going to destroy you. Hampton—”

The dungeon mind hissed at the name. “Do not speak the name of the false father!”

“He was not false. He was a good man who was tricked into creating this place,” Dren said. He raised his arm, feeling the sword in reality lift as well. “And you are not the true dungeon. You are an aberration. I don’t trust a word you say.”

“And you trust Gravis? He will feed upon you when this is all done. He will consume every last bit of your experience and grow much stronger!” the dungeon mind warned.

“I don’t think so,” Dren said. And with that, he slashed the weapon down. In an instant, he was back in the frost covered world of the dungeon. The blade dug deeply into the beating heart and there was a horrid shriek. Just like last time, the heart rapidly began to retract, wilting as it melted away into the ground.

The world around Dren began to twist and change. Rumbling began. The Artificer didn’t need to wonder what was going on this time around. Everything would be crumbling in a matter of minutes.

He hurriedly scooped up a chunk of the heart, to power his suit, and flew back towards the entrance. He could hear a voice crying out, cursing and vowing to destroy him but it was faint amidst the rumbling. Dren sailed through the exit and let out a sigh of relief.

Behind him, the entire room came crashing down. The ice realm was gone for good. Was it too much to hope for the next room being ice as well? Having primarily fire weapons gave him a real advantage in the fights.

“That went surprisingly well!” Holis said, folding his hands together, pleased to see that they were all still alive.

“These fights are too intense and resource draining,” Maureen muttered. “The XP might be good but wave after wave is just overwhelming. I mean, once my armor is down, it’s down for the rest of the encounter. No time to repair like Dren.”

“Are there any feats you can take for that?” Holis asked. “I just leveled up and I know for a fact that I’m going to be focusing on enhancing my psionic energy pool.”

“I suppose I’ll have to see,” Maureen said. She looked at Dren. “You’re doing a good job keeping the heat off of us. The way you use that suit…it’s impressive.”

“Thanks,” Dren replied. “I’m getting better and better at using it. Though to be fair, Holis taught me a thing or two about combos.”

“No need to throw yourself at my feet in worship of me,” Holis replied. “I know already that I am a superior mind amongst all men.”

“Sure, sure,” Dren said with a laugh. He leaned against the wall and sighed. “All right, I’ve got a few things to take care of before we go into the last room. My suit needs upgrades and then I’m going to level up. Probably going to spend some time in the workshop depending on what I get. Instead of just standing around outside, waiting for me, why don’t you folks head to the village we found and hang out? It’ll be safer since Amero has revealed to me that he can’t influence the areas that Gravis controls.”

“That sounds like a plan,” Maureen said. “Hopefully this level with give me something I can work with in the next room.”

With their heads held high, Dren and his associates made their way back to the village. The people there were happy to see them and received Maureen and Holis with the utmost hospitality. Knowing that they were safe, Dren headed back to the Great Workshop, strolling through the network of rooms until he reached the familiar door.

As he entered, he let out a heavy sigh of relief. He was exhausted after that last battle. Using the suit was tiring in a way and he was looking forward to getting some rest and preparing for the final dungeon room.

“Someone’s upgraded the suit!” Frame cheerily said as Dren walked in.

“And someone’s about to upgrade it again.”

“I’ve noticed a change in the dungeon’s energy,” Frame continued. “It would seem that you and your merry band of adventurers have dealt quite a bit of damage to Amero. Hampton would be proud of how you’ve used your suit.”

“You think so?” Dren asked as he opened up the Heartbreaker and climbed out. His muscles were quite sore from being in the suit for so long and it felt good to stretch out.

“For certain. The Master knew a great deal of theoretical information but the difficulty of bringing the theoretical into practical was intimidating to him. He confessed to me that while he built the suit, he wasn’t sure if he would be able to use it properly. The man was the furthest thing from an adventurer, from a fighter. I’d like to think that he would take one look at you and your efforts and say ‘yes, he’s the one for the Heartbreaker.’”

“Aw, you’re just flattering me,” Dren said.

“I am being sincere,” the painting replied. “The fact that you’ve returned after going after the hearts means you may as well have been destined to pilot the suit. Hampton would have been utterly in awe of your work.”

“You haven’t even seen me out there,” Dren said.

“I don’t need to. The mere fact that you’ve returned, with two hearts destroyed, is enough for me to know the truth. Dren, you are going to be the one to destroy Amero. You are going to free everyone from this dungeon. I believe it. More than anything. Hampton may have perished but his inventions are in the best hands. And through you, he lives on.”

“Thank you, Frame,” Dren replied as he walked to the back of the suit. He took the sample out of one of the pouches and slid it into the container. Stretching a little more, he climbed back into the suit and activated it.

Heart Sample Detected! Suit Tier has been upgraded to 3!

Select an Amplifier!

Armor Boost: Doubles the Armor Bonus of any given Primary and Secondary Configuration.

Combat Boost: Adds 50 damage to each Suit Attack.

Mobility Boost: Adds +12 Speed to all Configurations.

Hmm, these were tough choices. Armor Boost, when combined with his default Primary, meant that he’d have a base Armor of 80. This would more or less render him immune to all minor attacks. And with the Shieldbearer configuration, that would come out to 110 Armor total! Enough to shrug off anything short of a total attack.

On the other hand, boosting his weapon configurations would mean even more damage output. Twice he had used the artillery of the Heartseeker mode to devastate his enemies and the Gatling gun was quite strong already. Upping the damage would be incredible. The mobility boost was okay, but he didn’t really think much about that one. It really came down to defense or offense.

The third room was going to be the most dangerous yet. Dren already knew that in his heart. Amero had lost a lot of influence and power but if his third heart was destroyed, everything would be over for him. Whatever he had left, whatever his energy was would be concentrated in that room, and Dren would be facing a colossal challenge. It might be more waves, it might be a mega monster of some sort or it could even be the actual dungeon’s manifestation, directly trying to defend itself.

Defense would ensure that Dren could stand long enough to keep fighting while offense would cut the battle shorter. Hmm, a very hard choice indeed. Though… Dren’s HP was only so much. If the armor broke once during a fight, he would be down to only his hit points and even though he had that healing module, the damage output of the monsters he had already faced was quite high. Damage was good but if Dren’s armor broke, he was in trouble. It was better to focus on protecting himself and dealing damage over time than hoping for one shots and outright devastation.

He selected the Armor Boost and moved on to the next section.

Select 2 Advanced Modules!

Agility Engines: Gain +10 Speed.

Lock-on System: Lock onto a single target. All of your ranged attacks cannot miss, even if the target has a Dodge ability. Lasts for 30 seconds.

Reinforced Plating: Gain +20 Armor Points

Pulse Wave: Attack that releases a pulse from your suit, hitting all targets within 30 feet. Deals 40 Force Damage and causes Knockdown.

Emergency Mana Reserve: Fully recover your Mana (1 Use per Encounter.)

Storm Mode: Trample a target for 80 Bludgeoning Damage.

Damage Graft: Increases damage for existing Attacks by 20.

Sniper Module: All ranged attacks gain +50 feet range.

It seemed that Dren was done with the basic modules. Now he had two advanced systems to choose from. While he was pleased with increasing his armor from the Amplifier, he was now interested in the additional speed provided by the Agility Engines. +10 was a significant increase to his ability to move, even with his heavy armor. Dodging wasn’t really important to him but the ability to move from A to B quickly, or to get into a melee scuffle at the drop of a hat was quite attractive. And in situations where he did need to avoid attacks, such as if there was a beam coming at him, he wouldn’t need to spend his time reconfiguring his secondary to the Dodge Matrix.

Dren selected Agility Engines and looked at the other options. Damage Graft was good for what it provided, a flat bonus of an extra 20 damage but he was drawn to the Lock-On System. The only trouble with it was that it locked onto a single target and with Dren’s damage output, he wouldn’t really be able to get the most mileage out of the ability without needing to refresh. The extra damage would be useful for getting over the armor hump and would provide a blanket bonus across all of his attacks. So despite that little inconvenience, why not?

Once he finished the selection, he was greeted with a new menu.

Tier 3 Modules Unlocked! Select 2 Modules!

Orb Slots: The Suit gains 2 Slots for Infusion Orbs.

Jump Jets: High powered jets give you the ability to jump up to 50 feet in the air.

Spell Sphere: Releases a floating sphere that recasts any spell that you just cast. Lasts for combat duration.

Nullification Shield: Creates a shield around you that nullifies all magic and magical attacks. You cannot cast spells during this period. Lasts 60 seconds.

Thunder Punch: A melee attack that deals 70 Electric Damage and Stuns the target.

Rapid Repairs: Instantly repairs all Armor, restoring it to its maximum value.

Dren didn’t really need to mull over this list very long. Orb Slots meant that he could further augment the suit, increasing its damage output as well as adding something useful from his new level, whichever orb he chose. And Rapid Repairs would give him a second lease on life if he was hit particularly hard. Plus, the Refresh ability he possessed allowed him to use it up to two more times each fight. That alone made the ability worth taking.

Dren selected the pair of modules and watched as the suit sheet updated itself.

Heartbreaker Suit

Tier: III

Health: 67

Armor: 110

Mana: 26

Defense: 17

Speed: 13

Primary Mode: Ironbreaker

Abilities:

Heavy Reinforcement: Reduces speed by 5. Gain +50 Armor Points.

Breaker Bash: Deal 60 Bludgeoning Damage to any target within melee range.

Secondary Mode: Shieldbearer System

Abilities:

Reinforce Shield: Your shield gains invulnerability for a five second duration, allowing you to absorb any attack without taking damage.

Absorption Module: When struck with magical attacks, gain 10 Mana.

Basic Modules:

Versatility Module: Allows you to change your Primary and Secondary configurations on the fly, though it takes it a few seconds for the systems to come online.

Rocketry Mounts: Provides two mounted shoulder rockets that deal 50 fire damage to targets 100 feet away. Reloads after the encounter.

Provocation Module: Creates a fine dust around the Armor, causing all monsters to immediately target you, ignoring your allies and focusing only on you. Lasts for the duration of combat.

Restoration Module: Heals the wearer 50 HP once per encounter.

Advanced Modules:

Instant Refresh: All recharging Modules and Abilities immediately refresh and can be activated (2 Uses per Combat Encounter.)

Elemental Reconfiguration: You may change the element of your attacks to Ice, Lightning, Earth or Fire.

Agility Engines: Gain +10 Speed.

Damage Graft: Increases damage for existing Attacks by 20.

Tier III Modules:

Orb Slots: The Suit gains 2 Slots for Infusion Orbs.

Rapid Repairs: Instantly repairs all Armor, restoring it to its maximum value.

Amplifiers:

Armor Boost: Doubles the Armor Bonus of any given Primary and Secondary Configuration.

The suit was looking stronger than ever. Dren was pleased with the new upgrades. Hopefully it would be enough to get him through the last infected zone.

With the suit upgraded, it was time for Dren to upgrade himself. He opened up the leveling menu and was greeted with the words: Level Up! You are now Level 14!

You have gained a Greater Stat Bonus! Select one stat to increase!

HP: +6

MP: +6

Defense: +6

Speed: +6

Dren was excited to see that he finally got a stat increase and it was higher than usual. His HP and Defense were fine enough as they were, thanks to the suit’s ability to augment him. Speed was good because of the Agility Engines. Why not increase his MP? Using a single level 3 spell almost drained him entirely so it made sense to increase his mana by a bit more.

He selected the MP increase and was greeted with the familiar skills section.

Skills:

Artifice: A

Identify: A

Search: A

Appraise: C

Command: A

Control: B

Trapfinding: A

Mechanics: B

Herbalism: C

Researching: B

Butchery: B

Architecture: C

Meditation: C

Counterspell: B

Aura Sense: B

Siphon: D

Recharge: D

Resistance: D

Unlearned Skills:

Focus: Extends the Duration of a Spell by 1 each Rank.

Channeling: Allows you to spend HP to cast Spells. Each Rank provides 5 additional MP per Hit Point Spent.

Resistance was always good, so Dren increased it by two points, bringing it up to a B. After that, he mulled over whether he wanted to use Channeling or not. It was a powerful skill, allowing him to burn HP in exchange for more mana. It might be a good fallback to have, as Dren was now sporting a great deal of hit points and the higher level spells were much more expensive. Two ranks would give him 10 additional mana per HP. Three points of his own health would grant him 30 mana to use. Not a bad choice. Especially considering how much armor was between him and taking direct damage.

He decided to go for it and put two ranks into Channeling, bringing it up to a D. After he finalized his skills, he turned his attention to the feats.

You have gained 2 Feats!

Orb Maestro:

Orb Boost: Your Infusion Orbs gain an additional use per day.

Retooler: You may remove Infusion Orbs from gear.

Stat Overload: Once per day you may Overload any number of orbs you have equipped. They provide double their respective bonuses for 30 seconds.

Unbreakable Gear: Items with Orbs infused cannot be destroyed or broken in any way.

Seasoned Artificer:

Enhanced Scanners: Your scanners can now detect secret doors, analyze traps and are linked to your cogbots, allowing you to gain information from them remotely.

Greater Breakdown: Breaking down items into elemental cubes yields double the results.

Quick Dodge: Automatically dodge 2 attacks per combat.

Skilled Scavenger: When searching, you always find magical items.

Thaumaturgic Synergy:

Mana Connection: Gain +20 Mana.

Invention Detonation: You may detonate an Invention, surging it with magic and dealing 40 Elemental Damage to all targets within 30 feet.

Ringbearer: You may now equip up to 8 Artifice Rings.

There were a few new feats for him to consider. Some of these feats would be useful outside of combat and dungeon scenarios, like the Greater Breakdown. Dren would definitely have taken it if not trapped deep within the Westend Dungeon. But like most of the time, he had to consider the present circumstances to make a selection. And Quick Dodge seemed to be the most attractive out of all of these, especially if he was going to be facing waves in the last room.

Between his heavy armor blocking high amounts of damage and the ability to dodge the attacks that would break the armor, Dren would be looking pretty good on the defensive end. Yeah, Quick Dodge seemed perfect. Dren selected it and looked at the other options.

Stat Overload was the second feat that he settled on. It provided a blanket boost, meaning that his guns would gain +20 damage for half a minute. Then whatever he infused into his suit would also receive a hefty bonus. It was a solid feat choice. It was either that or more mana, but he had already taken the Channeling skill and the stat upgrade. No reason to keep pumping the mana up when he used spells only a handful of times during any given encounter.

With his feats finalized, Dren turned his attention to the schematics. He browsed through the list to find there were no new inventions this level. It was a pity but Dren had been expecting that. Last level he had been tied between the Burning Beam Wand and the Ring of Foresight. He had picked the wand then, so he didn’t hesitate to take the ring this time around. Having the ability to see into the future for a few seconds would give him astounding reflexes and accuracy. When combined with everything else he had going for him, it would be a powerful addition.

As for orbs, Dren figured that the Orb of Elements would work well with his armor. It would give him an extra 10 points, based on the conditions that the attack was an element. That would bring him up to essentially 120 Armor Points, enough to more or less ignore anything short of a massive onslaught. And the cost was easily paid, since it required any combination of elemental cubes, not that he was really lacking with Hampton’s massive collection.

Dren finalized the selection and was greeted with another bit of good news.

You have gained 2 Spell Slots!

Normally his spell amount didn’t increase unless he had unlocked a new level of magic but it seemed that 14 provided a bit more options. That wasn’t bad. He could slot Animate Wands and Gravity Increase, furthering his ability to affect the battlefield without having to take direct actions.

Dren added the spells to his Study list and watched as his character sheet updated. Let’s see how Amero would stop him now!

Chapter 34

Dren spent some time crafting the infusion orbs for his suit, one Element Orb and one Utter Destruction Orb, and then turned his attention to the Ring of Foresight. With all of the tools at his disposal, courtesy of Hampton, he finished his work in less than four hours.  He took advantage of the Wand Press and made an extra Wand of Electricity and Burning Beam, figuring that he could take advantage of the Animate Wands spell during combat. The materials from the organ never ceased to flow; Hampton must have made thousands while living inside of the dungeon.

As he toiled away, a question emerged in his mind. One that he couldn’t easily answer or ignore. The question was whether he should actually bring his companions into the last dungeon room.

Maureen and Holis were strong but Dren had quickly outpaced them. They were leveling up steadily—he believed they were at 11—but he was at 14 and with the suit added into the mix, he could really handle things on his own. They were both determined to prove themselves, to contribute to the adventure but… there was a big chance that inside of the last room one or both of them would be killed. If the waves were longer, they would run out of resources and be exposed. Holis’ powers cost quite a bit to use and while he was strong in various ways, Dren could easily outpace his psionic damage.

As for Maureen, she was limited by her armor which was ablative, reducing each time she was struck. They were basically extra hit points. And, while Dren liked her, her range was only melee and she was mostly focused on hand to hand combat. It had worked out plenty of times in previous fights but…whatever they were going to face in that last room might be too strong for direct melee engagement. Dren had plenty of ranged weapons, allowing him to take engagements at a distance and with his increased mobility, he didn’t need to worry about being caught in a fist fight. Even then, his armor and melee attacks did much more damage than hers.

Was he just bringing them in to serve as distractions and occasional bursts of damage? Amero was spiteful. If he could not kill Dren, he would certainly try to focus on his companions, if for no other reason than to cause Dren anguish. The Artificer had already seen two of his allies slain in battle, both times in infected zones. Holis was only pushing forward due to his pride and Maureen because she saw herself as vital to the mission succeeding. But did Dren really need them?

This was not coming from any place of arrogance or an exaggerated sense of self. Dren was simply running the numbers as he finished up the last of the wands. The pair was strong, but they weren’t even close to what Dren could do with his suit. Sure, Dren could use the Taunt ability to keep his allies safe but… even then, there could be traps or attacks that had areas of effect. Gulch had already been devastated, losing two people. Could Dren really ask them to go with him, knowing that he didn’t quite need their assistance?

Or was he thinking too grimly? Was fear getting the best of him? Maybe he would need their help. After all, Holis had a few abilities that could stun or stagger enemies and his psionic ability bypassed the armors of his foes. Maybe Dren was thinking too poorly of them…or maybe he was just trying to ensure that they survived. This was a hard choice. Yet the more Dren thought about it, the more he realized that this was something he would rather do on his own. It may not be the wisest choice but the alternative was to see these people perish in the last stretch. And that was something he just couldn’t stomach.

Dren sighed heavily. “Frame,” he said. “I’m going in alone.”

The painting looked at him and sagely nodded. “You wish to preserve your friends?”

“I’d never forgive myself if they were both slain on my watch. Not when we’re so close to getting out of this.”

“That is a noble decision,” Frame said. “Though being down a few people may hamper your ability to fight.”

“I know, I know but…I’m upgraded, I’ve got new spells, new orbs infused into my suit…I have everything I need to handle this on my own. They might help in the first few waves but if this really is the last area, the last heart to slay, then they are at risk. And I’d rather spare them if possible.”

“Hampton was planning on facing this monstrosity alone,” Frame said. “He had no one to protect, no one to consider. You are walking in his footsteps. Though, I should warn you. You may not come back from this.”

“That’s been the danger every single encounter, and yet I’ve survived,” Dren replied. “This will be no different. Failure is not an option. I will destroy Amero’s last heart. I will put an end to his control and set the people free.”

“Then I wish you luck,” Frame said. “It is my hope that I see you again.”

“Same here,” Dren replied as he climbed into his suit. Everything powered up and he could see that the orbs were now online. He had extra defense against elemental attacks and if he was struck with melee damage his damage field would activate, hitting for 20 damage. Not bad if he was dealing with a swarm.

As Dren headed to the door, he telepathically reached out to Holis. “Holis,” Dren said. “I’m getting a bit bogged down with some crafting. It’s gonna take me about a day to finalize everything, so just get comfortable. I’ll give you a shout when I’m done.”

“Sounds good,” came the reply. Not a hint of suspicion. Dren let out a sigh of relief that his lie was not detected. He felt a little bad about leaving them out but knew that ultimately this was for the best.

With the matter settled, Dren activated his minimap and located the last dark heart zone. It was on the far end of the dungeon and would take a few hours to reach. The Artificer mustered his courage and began to power walk, hurrying as quickly as he could.

The dungeon was deathly silent as Dren approached the last corner. Everything seemed so silent. There were no encounters on the way, no crystals for him to harvest. Just him and his thoughts. And the only thing he could really think about was getting this over with. Whatever faced him in the next room, he would overcome it and finish this long dungeon crawl. He would return to the surface and never willingly go back into another dungeon again.

When he was out, he was going to do things differently. He would start a school. Begin to teach people how to do artifice, train them in a formal setting. He’d add another level to his Den, to that tower that he rarely got to see these days. He’d put in classrooms and develop an actual curriculum. He wasn’t much of a writer but Salla could help him, maybe even transcribe for him. Yes, that would be perfect. That would be a great way to continue his mission as an Artificer, passing on his own ideas to an entirely new generation. Maybe in a decade they’d be able to prove to the world that artifice wasn’t just some kind of hoax or scam. Maybe he’d bring real respect to his profession and class.

Dren focused on this fantasy as he took the last turn. What lay ahead was surprising to say the least.

Maureen and Holis were leaning against the wall besides the dungeon door, arms crossed.

“Uhhhh, what are you guys doing here?” Dren said, trying his best not to sound conspicuous.

“Did you seriously try to abandon us?” Maureen shouted as she stormed up to Dren, pointing an accusatory finger at him. “After all we’ve been through?”

“We aren’t puppies that you can just abandon after getting bored with,” Holis added, though he remained hanging back against the wall. “And you really thought you could lie to me in a telepathic connection? I could sense the exact plan instantly.”

Dren held his hands up. “Look, guys, I uh, I’m not proud of lying but…but I’ve upgraded quite a bit. I’ve done everything necessary to survive on my own and I just can’t stomach the idea of losing either of you in that room. You’ve both been invaluable to me but I’ve outpaced you both in level and capacity. I’m not bragging, it’s just the facts.”

“It doesn’t work like that,” Maureen said. “After all the pain and struggle, I came to the conclusion that this was supposed to be my destiny. That I would put aside my fears and push on for the greater good, for the salvation of these people trapped here. You can’t just cast aside my own sacrifices just to preserve me.”

“I didn’t mean to insult you, I just…” Dren hung his head low. “I just didn’t want to see you guys hurt.”

“That is an understandable reaction,” Holis said. “I’m sure it must have taken you great deliberation to make this choice. But you’re part of our adventuring party. You don’t get to choose for us. We have the right to engage as we see fit.”

“Even if it’s certain death?” Dren asked.

“If you die in there, without any backup,” Holis replied. “Then we’ll have no chance of getting out of here. It’s in our best interests to stick with you. We may not hit as hard as you, or have the sheer defensive capacity but don’t forget, my psionic abilities saved your ass before. Without my brain hijacking, you would have been swallowed up by a simple hypnosis spell. We both leveled up, we both focused on smoothing out the areas we were roughest in. I’ve got plenty more psionic points to spend and Maureen’s armor is doubled. We made these choices to support this team’s effort.”

“I’m…I’m sorry,” Dren said. “I don’t know what else to say. I was just trying to keep you both alive.”

“And in doing so, you may have killed yourself!” Maureen shouted. She was certainly the angrier of the two, her monk training not particularly holding her back. “We aren’t children to be protected! We are seasoned adventurers. We know what we’re doing and we understand the risks of what is before—”

“Enough, Maureen,” Holis interrupted. “The man had a moment of weakness and I think he understands the error. We’ve got a lot more to worry about than our wounded pride.”

Maureen sighed and pulled her accusatory finger down. “Fine, just don’t do that again. Ever.”

“If we succeed here, we won’t have to worry about anything like that,” Holis said. He knocked on the steel door that he was leaning besides. “Do you want to do the honors, Dren?”

Chapter 35

The door resisted the first punch but the second one, involving two fists this time, was enough to break it off its hinges, revealing a dark portal. Dren was embarrassed about being caught by his allies, embarrassed and worried about their survival. But there was no going back now. Their pride had been wounded and they were determined to go along with this mission. There was nothing Dren could do but go forward.

“Everyone ready?” the Artificer asked.

“More than ever,” Maureen coldly replied. He was tempted to tell her to get her emotions in check, but that would only piss her off more. The best option was to just press on and deal with whatever was waiting for them on the other side.

Dren raised his head high and marched through the black film, moving into another realm instantly.

The area was not elemental in any way. There were no forests, no trees or hills. No false sky or any type of grass. Instead, they were inside of what looked to be a gigantic cavern. Above them were stalactites, grey and black jagged formations that protruded from a reddish grey ceiling that seemed to pulse with energy.

The cavern was wide and uneven, the ground sloping up and down, though not enough to form any kind of challenge in traversal. The air was dry and there was no wind whatsoever. It seemed to be a battleground, a region where there was no cover, no ability to hide or get the upper hand with positioning.

Four hundred feet away was the thing that Dren had seen twice in that strange darkened state of mind. It was the black tree, the pulsing mass that was nearly twenty feet tall. Yellow pods lined up the sides of the tree, though the ones at the top and middle were without color, inert and lifeless. In the center of the tree was a beating heart, black as coal, with purple lines running through it.

Heart Core Found! his scanners informed him. Destroy it to slay Amero!

“And so…” a dark, gravelly voice rasped all around them. “You have finally come to the last heart. You fools. I was forced to manifest my own body here, my own core, so that I could have greater control. I will give you this offer only once. Listen and heed it well. Slay Dren, slay the man in the suit, and you will be showered with riches. I will open up an exit to this place. You two will be free. Otherwise, you will all die here.”

“What about whores?” Holis asked. “Will you throw some in as well?”

The voice paused for a moment. It spoke without a clear understanding of what this was, that much was clear. “Yes, I will give you as many as you wish.”

“What’s your counter-offer, Dren?” Holis asked. “Eh?”

“Don’t…don’t taunt it,” Dren replied, trying his best not to laugh at the absurdity of Holis’ request.

“I’m just trying to keep my options open,” the psion replied.

“Enough,” Maureen growled. “We have an offer for you. Release the people from this dungeon. Open up the exit to all. Allow everyone to leave and swear that you will no longer consume those who have the misfortune of entering you. Then we will consider sparing you.”

There was a sudden rush of wind that blew across the cavern. The tree shivered and shuddered, twisting in place. “I shall do no such thing.”

“Then you will perish,” Maureen said.

“It is you who will die here,” the voice defiantly said. As it spoke, the ground before Dren and his associates began to shudder.

Emerging from the floor were four bulky figures, creatures that Dren immediately recognized. They were golems! Made of pure iron, their bodies assembled with a mixture of magic and artifice, they were advanced creations.

Danger Detected!

Greater Iron Golem

Stats:

HP: 250

Speed: 3

Defense: 15

Attacks:

Crushing Blow: Deals 80 Bludgeoning Damage to a target.

Seize: Grapples a target and Pins them down, preventing all movement.

Squeeze: Crushes a Seized Target, dealing 100 Bludgeoning Damage per second.

Hurl Iron: Throws a chunk of iron that deals 50 Piercing Damage.

Defenses:

Iron Body: Has 150 Armor Points.

Weaknesses:

None

“Oh boy,” Dren said. The dungeon mind was really pulling out the stops for this fight. No weaknesses, armor that didn’t break and a huge pool of hit points? This was going to be difficult, even with Dren’s enhanced weaponry.

“I’m guessing your scanners didn’t give us good news?” Holis asked as the four golems began to lumber towards Den and his allies. They were painfully slow in their movements, giving the team some leeway with coordination.

“In short, they’re heavily armored, they grab and they squeeze you to death,” Dren replied. How in the hell was he going to generate enough damage in a single shot to destroy their armor? 150 was a ton of defense to break through and it required a single instance of damage.

“I figured we’d be facing some serious defenses,” Maureen said. She looked at Dren and grinned. “Watch.”

With that, the monk charged forward, her body turning to diamond as she dashed across the ground. The four lumbering golems targeted her first, pulling chunks of their own metal flesh out and hurling them at her. Maureen leapt high in the air, easily dodging the projectiles as she came down hard on one of them. Her right fist burst into bright red energy as she punched it right in the dome.

The monster did not react to the blow but Dren could see words, beautiful words, hover above the golem’s head. Armor Shattered! 40 Armor Points Lost!

That brought its defenses down a considerable amount. Dren quickly checked the stats for the Manasurge Mode and saw that the caster cannon was able to deal 120 damage. That would be enough to shatter it.

“He’s in my range! Hit the others!” Dren shouted as he activated the reconfiguration module. The suit shivered as it changed, his mana boosting and the caster cannon emerging from his left arm. The cannon took a moment to charge, bright blue and purple energy swirling on the end as Dren aimed it at the damaged golem.

The big monster was unable to get out of the way in time, though it did try to lumber out of Dren’s aim. The cannon powered up and released with a loud schwooom noise. The blue and purple beam cut through the air, tearing into the side of the golem. The energy crashed into the golem’s metal skin and broke through the armor entirely. Armor Destroyed! appeared in his vision and the monster stumbled backwards a little.

Maureen leapt from one target to the other, striking every golem. Dren glanced at his cannon’s refresh time. Twenty seconds. He was tempted to use his Refresh but this was only the beginning of the fight. There were undoubtedly going to be other waves. He would just have to wait it out.

“I’m going to conveniently ignore their armor,” Holis said, raising a hand as he released a burst of psionic energy. The golem in the middle was struck by the burst and staggered for a moment, the words 60 Damage! appearing above its head. Its HP dropped down to 190. “And you thought we were completely use—”

Holis’ words were interrupted as something swooped down from above, seizing him by the shoulders and carrying him upwards.

“What the hell?” Dren shouted, losing all focus on the golems and looking up.

Above were three flying creatures, gargoyles that were similar to what they had faced before. But rather than burning with hot red embers, these creatures were filled with a kind of darkness that shifted and shimmered, making them relatively hard to focus on.

Dren’s scanners activated immediately.

Gloom Gargoyle

Stats:

HP: 120

Speed: 10

Defense: 15

Attacks:

Swooping Rend: Flies down and rakes a target with their claws, dealing 25 Piercing Damage.

Dark Orb: Shoots a ball of Darkness that hits all targets within 30 feet, dealing 30 Dark Damage.

Seize and Drop: Grabs a target and carries them into the air, dropping them for 50 Falling Damage that ignores armor.

Defenses:

Regeneration: Regains 10 health per second.

Tough Skin: Reduces all damage by half.

Weaknesses:

Lightning: Damage from Lightning sources cannot be regenerated and ignores their defenses.

“Crap!” Dren shouted.

“You thought there was going to be waves?” the dungeon mind taunted. “Why would I wait to overwhelm you? The other rooms required waves as my presence was not directly there, but here, here I can send them all at once. And I have prepared to end you since the moment you took one of my hearts!”

These Gloom Gargoyles weren’t particularly a threat to Dren but right now they were holding his ally and if they dropped him, Holis would lose all his HP in a single fall. Dren had to think quickly!

There were three of those gargoyles and they were weak to lightning. Dren decided to reconfigure his Secondary as he threw his hands up to quickly cast a spell. “Holis, I’m giving you flight!” Dren shouted. The extra mana from the Manasurge Mode gave him 50 more points to spend and just like temporary hit points they were spent first.

He activated the spell, sending a thin beam of yellow energy into Holis just as the gargoyle dropped him. The man did not fall but instead soared downwards, doing a barrel roll as he zipped in between the golems that were waiting for him to crash.

The reconfiguration finished and Dren’s Striker Cannons were active. The twin cannons emerged from underneath his wrists, long protruding guns that were ready to attack. With the Elemental Reconfigure ability, Dren swapped the damage type from fire to electricity. He aimed upwards at the gargoyles and began to unload.

The guns were able to fire twice and with extreme precision, thanks to the Striker mode. The recent upgrades Dren had made to his suit gave him an extra 20 lightning damage and that was enough to deal 120 damage flat to both targets. The guns thundered and bolts of lightning crashed out, striking two of the gargoyles that immediately plummeted to the ground, shaking and twisting violently as their nervous systems were overwhelmed.

The third gargoyle swooped down at the occupied Maureen, who was busy leaping from golem to golem, applying her Armor Reduction ability with extreme prejudice. “Look out!” Dren shouted as he aimed his Spell Pistols at the monster, firing a few shots. He managed to switch the guns to electric ammunition as he shot but the monster was moving too quickly. Even with his increased accuracy, the gargoyle was able to avoid the shots.

What it couldn’t avoid, however, was Maureen’s lightning reflexes. She was a blur. One moment she was atop the shoulders of a golem, punching down on its head, and the next she was turning around, catching the claws of the swooping gargoyle and body slamming it into the rocky ground.

Unfortunately, this exposed her, and one of the golems standing next to her raised its thick, iron fists and brought them down on her back. There was a loud clang as iron struck diamond. Maureen’s Armor dropped from 200 to 120, allowing her to more or less ignore the blow.

Dren’s scanners informed him that the armor of all the golems was down to 80, putting them within range of his normal damage output. The Gatling gun would work here.

But as Dren began to switch modes, the familiar sounds of metal shifting and guns emerging, something grabbed him from behind. The entire suit shrieked while a massive hand closed around his torso.

“What the hell?” Dren shouted as he was lifted in the air, his entire body seized by one single hand made of cobblestone. It was as if the hand grabbing him was made out of the dungeon itself.

Grappled! appeared in Dren’s vision as he struggled to get free. The mechanical systems in his armor whined violently while he tried to muster the strength to break out but it was to no avail.

“You think that a paltry suit can destroy me?” Amero roared. “That artifice, the work of the false father, can put an end to my reign? I shall live on for all eternity while you will simply become a corpse!”

“Ah crap!” Holis said as he flew above Dren. The psion stretched out his hands and focused intensely.

Though Dren could not see any actual energy moving around him, he suddenly felt the grip around him loosen. The hand began to open up as if something were prying it open by sheer force. The grip slacked enough for Dren to shove his gun arm forward. Without a second thought, Dren unloaded, firing as many shots as he could.

The stone hand broke open from the flaming shots, allowing Dren to climb out through the hole in the palm. He leapt out of the grasp and onto the ground, spinning around to see nothing more than a solitary arm that had grown out of the floor.

The hand swatted at Holis but the psion was deft in his flight. He sailed upwards, narrowly avoiding the blow.

“A little help here!” Maureen shouted.

Dren looked back to see that the woman had killed the gargoyle but was being assaulted on all sides by the golems. They had surrounded her and formed a kind of metal wall that made it impossible for her to escape as they seized her arms and punched at her. Her armor was almost shattered.

“I’m on it!” Dren said. He could fire the Gatling gun one more time, but this was not the moment for offense. It was time to reinforce his ally to ensure her survival.

The Artificer threw his hands down and made the signs for Animate Wands. The suit sensed this spell being cast and automatically selected the wands Dren was thinking about. With a shunk shunk shunk, the suit fired the wands into the air. Two Burning Beams, one Invincibility and a Lighting Wand immediately began to hover and function on their own.

The invincibility wand fired and struck Maureen just as she took a punch that broke through her armor. Her Hit Points skyrocketed and Dren felt relief surge through him. He cast another spell in tandem with Animate Wands, not needing to focus on the wands in order for them to function. It was a staple that he often relied upon: Grease.

A thin coat of grease covered Maureen and she immediately slipped out of the grasp of the golems, her own grappling abilities augmenting her ability to escape. With the extra defense from the invulnerability wand, she was able to slip in between them and out of the circle of death.

Dren went to aim his Gatling gun at the four targets but was intercepted by a heavy punch to his back. Armor Held! his vision informed him as he sailed forward a few feet, hitting the ground and rolling. With the extra speed from the Striker Mode, Dren was able to get back on his feet quickly.

This was just in time as he managed to leap out of the way, nimbly avoiding the heavy hand that crashed on the ground where he had fallen. The massive hand had a long enough reach to hit him from here.

Something caught Dren’s attention as he backed away from the hand. Behind the large appendage were three lion-like creatures, three-eyed and massive.

“Do you know the age old adventuring question?” Holis shouted as he flew over Dren’s head, firing a few bursts at the golems, ticking their health down a bit. “Do you kill the minions or the boss first? If the boss goes down, the minions might remain…”

“But the boss might be the only thing sustaining the minions!” Dren exclaimed. “You’re right, no waves, no rest. I’ve got to end this now.”

With that, Dren turned and faced the black tree that was still pulsing violently. It was hard to explain but Dren could see or sense some kind of sick pleasure that it was getting from all of this carnage. Golems ahead, monstrous lions behind and a massive hand in the mix…there was going to be no end to the struggle. If they had to mop up these things afterwards, fine, but the source of these creatures spawning was that heart.

Dren charged as quickly as he could. He didn’t need to change his configurations. He didn’t need to cast any more spells. He just needed to cut up that heart.

Chapter 36

The ground flew beneath Dren as he ran. The full speed of the suit, the Striker Configuration’s bonus and his adrenaline made him fast as lightning. His allies were still alive, still fighting but the noise seemed to fade as Dren rushed forward. The only thing he could think about was killing the dungeon heart, destroying it once and for all.

He was almost to the tree, about thirty feet away when ahead of him, six massive thorns, jet black and wicked, rose up to block his passage.

“You will not kill me!” Amero screamed.

Two more hands burst out of the ground, threatening to seize Dren. There were so many things to calculate. Dren needed some edge…some foresight!

Instantly, he activated the Ring of Foresight. A silver film covered his eyes and he was able to see what was going to happen. The hands came crashing down upon him, anticipating him moving to the right. So Dren moved to the left.

The hands fell hard onto the direction they believed Dren to be moving, only for him to evade them entirely. He rushed to one of the thorns and tried to punch through it. Or at least, he saw himself punching. But nothing would happen. The thorns were too strong. They would resist everything.

It was hard, at first, to sort through the visions of the future and what he was actually seeing. Things seemed to move incredibly fast in his mind but in the real world time was slowed. He didn’t know if this was the effects of the adrenaline or the spell but as he thought of options, they played out before him.

Blink! The Teleportation spell! It allowed him to move 100 feet in any direction, though he couldn’t pass through solid matter. But there was always an angle to play. Dren saw himself warp a dozen times, falling down each time. But the last trajectory he picked was just angled perfectly enough for him to land on the other side of the thorns.

Dren threw his fingers down in the sign of Blink, vanishing just as the hands came crashing down where he had been standing. He was in the air now, above the thorns. He sailed down to the ground and promptly broke both of his legs. Wait, that was just a vision. He recast Blink a second time, to avoid falling a hundred feet down, as fall damage was not protected by his suit.

The chain of events was almost faster than Dren could process. He was on the ground, he was in the air, and then he was on the ground again. The great tree loomed over him, vibrating with anger as the heart beat rapidly.

Vines came ripping out of the ground to seize Dren’s arms. But the suit had something to say about that. Activating seconds before the vines could strike, long blades emerged all down Dren’s arms, burning brightly with red energy. These had been the vines that had killed Hampton, that had grabbed him before he was able to cut a sample. As if the suit itself understood this, it seemed to hum with a defiant energy.

The vines in actuality came out and tried to wrap around Dren but they were repelled by the blades that sang a song of vengeance. Dren’s right hand shimmered and the Heartkiller Blade emerged, hopefully for the last time. He raised the red blade and aimed straight for the heart.

“You will not kill me!” Amero screamed, the entire dungeon room shaking violently. “I am eternal! I am endless!”

“Your father says hello!” Dren replied, thrusting the blade upwards with all of his might.

The glowing red sword sunk into the organ and for a moment, everything grew silent. The entire world seemed to cease. Black blood sprayed out from the heart and Dren yanked upwards, cutting even further.

“You…the princess…I will…” the dungeon mind spoke, his words staggered and slurred. The yellow pods on the tree faded, one after the other. The heart sputtered and wilted. The beating ceased entirely and the tree began to melt away into black ooze.

Amero Destroyed! his vision informed him. Dren pulled the blade out and took a step back. The entire tree was fading now, glurping and gooping into the ground. He turned around quickly to check on his allies.

The monsters were melting as well. Holis was on the ground, bloodied but still alive. Maureen was on one knee, panting for air. They had survived. Thank the Hosts, they had survived!

“Did you kill it or is this just a time out?” Holis shouted, not bothering to speak telepathically.

“It’s dead,” Dren said. He looked around. There was no sign that the dungeon room was going to collapse. His foresight deactivated and thus he would have no way of knowing if it would all suddenly fall apart. “Let’s get out of here before Amero has his last laugh.”

Dren tried to move forward but he was paralyzed. His arms were incredibly heavy. His legs refused to budge.

“What’s going on?” Dren said, his eyes darting left and right. There was nothing around to grab him. But he was completely frozen in place.

A shimmering light appeared in front of Dren. It was an illusory image of a familiar man. Hampton!

“Greetings, Artificer!” Hampton’s illusion said. “I am most likely speaking from the grave. If you are seeing this, then you have done what I had set out to do so long ago. You have defied my partner’s wishes, you have overcome all odds. You have slain Amero.”

Dren felt strangely emotional at seeing the illusory recording of the Master Artificer. In a weird way, he felt like he knew the man. Working on his inventions, using his material and studying his notes…though they had never met and were centuries apart, there was a kinship there.

“I tip my hat to you, metaphorically speaking,” Hampton continued. “But alas, there is one thing that I must confess. This suit you wear, the Heartbreaker, it is a terrible invention. The artifice I used to create it was only enough to build a frame, a system interface and the abilities that you have used to slay the monster. But I was faced with a choice long ago. Do I give it a power source that runs without Amero’s heart? An energy that allows it to walk free?

“I knew that I would not be the one to slay the beast. Every encounter grew harder. Every foray into the dungeon more deadly. My allies slain, my recruits killed, I knew that my time was limited. I did the best I could. I stocked, I created as many cubes as I could. I built the painting to give instruction to those who were worthy. But…worthiness is not simply determined by a few questions. And it is not determined by the ability to kill a dungeon mind.

“Take no insult from this, friend. You may be of the most noble hearts out there. But you may just be an adventurer, looking at this scenario as yet another quest. You may have deep loyalties to some nation that seeks war. You may wish for your own glory. When faced with this question, of allowing the Heartbreaker to continue outside of its primary function…I simply saw nothing but war. Destruction. Terror. The first king to see your suit, the first leader to notice a man who takes little damage in a fight but is capable of killing hundreds of level 1 or 2 soldiers…well, let’s just say that such an invention would lead to greater and greater levels of warfare.

“And so, I made the choice. Your time in the suit has ended. I apologize if you were hoping that this would be a long part of your career. But I once created something and released it without understanding the long term implications. I may be dead, sure, but I will not allow the world to see a weapon like this. Your work has been admirable but at the end of the day, I know not who is in this suit. And so, it will destroy itself after it releases you. Don’t worry, there’s no explosion. But alas, if you are an Artificer, no doubt you will try to replicate it yourself. That won’t be the case. I hope you understand this decision. Thank you for your hard work. And good luck on your further adventures.”

With that, the suit suddenly opened up. Dren scrambled out of it and ran a few feet away. He turned around to see the mighty suit, that incredible work of artifice, implode. There was no blast, just a shuddering as the suit collapsed inward. It slumped to the ground and then, it disintegrated.

“Holy hell!” Holis said, trotting up besides Dren. “What button did you push?”

“The suit only worked because of the samples,” Dren replied.

He sighed heavily. In truth, there was a bit of relief that someone else made the decision for him. The suit was powerful but it was a weapon, pure and simple. While it was useful for dungeon crawling and fighting enemies, ultimately it would be copied. If Dren was going to usher in a new age of artifice, he wanted to show the world inventions that helped those in need. Prosthetic augments that allowed the injured to walk and use their hands. Wands that gave healing readily and orbs that improved survivability. If he was going to open up a school, that suit would cast a long shadow over artifice. Those in power would not see utility and enlightenment. They would just see ways to further their own agendas with war.

“Well, we did it,” Holis said. “We killed the damn thing.”

“Let’s get out of here,” Maureen said. “It’s a shame that suit was destroyed before we could find out if Gravis was going to keep his word…”

Epilogue

Gravis, indeed, kept his word. The dungeon mind, the true personality of the West End Dungeon, spoke as soon as Dren and his allies were out of the room. He was deeply pleased that Amero’s power was annihilated. The other dungeon floors were losing their control and Gravis was regaining his power quickly. This allowed him to reconfigure the dungeon levels and the first thing he did was create a long, sloping tunnel to the surface.

Maureen, Holis and Dren were joined by thousands of people, all emerging from various holes in the wall as they gathered into the tunnel. They were pale, weary and exhausted from a lifetime within the confines of the dungeon, trapped by a nefarious battle between a split minded being. Some were adventurers, others were miners but a great many had been citizens of the long forgotten kingdom of Princess Alara Dagon.

They all marched together, silent and weary, out of the dungeon, once and for all. Dren squinted as he walked, still getting used to moving without the heavy assistance of his powered suit. Above, he could see it. Sunlight! Beautiful, unrestricted sunlight coming in from the top of the tunnel.

The people’s disposition had changed upon seeing the light. There were soft whispers at first, murmurs and then thunderous laughter and cheers. The weary folk seemed to change with the presence of the sun and began to run out of the tunnels, screaming and hollering with joy as they all flooded out of the side of the mountain, into Arthursberg.

Things moved quickly after that. Holis and Maureen took off. They weren’t interested in long, drawn out goodbyes. Their contract had stipulated all of the treasure found belonged to them and they had gathered enough items from their various encounters to both be considered rich by modern standards. Yet, as they walked off, leaving Dren behind for good, he could hear them plotting about a place where another dungeon was located. They were consummate adventurers, through and through. They had survived. Not only that, they had aided Dren greatly and without them, he would not have been able to destroy Amero for good.

The town was considerably confused by the sudden arrival of so many people. The adventurers who had been trapped were quick to find rides out of town, heading to Drift City so that they could continue their lives however they saw fit. The miners returned to their homes, surprising and delighting their families who had long since thought them dead. But the people of the forgotten kingdom, they had nowhere to go.

What had once been their nation, their homeland, was now a giant mountain, looming over the small town beneath it. They were lost, adrift and without direction. They had no understanding of the world they were now occupying, no connection to the history of the land around them.

That is where Princess Dagon stepped up. Dren had moved ahead of the group to fetch her. He had filled her in on the entire journey. They had been down there for weeks without sending word to the princess and she had feared them dead. Her relief at Dren’s survival had turned into rage, albeit briefly, upon being told that the dungeon still existed. But after Dren explained the entirety of the situation, of Amero and Gravis, of the mad mage and the humble artificer, she started to understand. And when she learned that some of her people were still alive, she quickly went to them.

Though everything was chaos and strangeness to these haggard survivors, they recognized their princess immediately. She stood before them and spoke, telling them that no matter what, she would not abandon them. That she would lead them. Without anywhere else to go, the people of the dungeon quickly accepted her as their leader.

The town was not thrilled about the sudden influx of mouths to feed. But Dagon spoke firmly with the leadership and ensured that the people would be fed, given work and an education. Things were tenuous but the princess would not relent. The town would have to figure out how to house these people. And when the mining corporations learned that the dungeon would no longer pose a threat to their operation, they in turn offered work to those who had been trapped.

As for Dren, he returned home, alone and without much to show for his long adventure. He had figured that he would have been able to return to the Great Workshop and gather notes, supplies and even Frame, but alas when he had returned to that hall, the door was gone. Hampton’s master work was hidden once more.

Alara was pleased with how things unfolded and quickly forgot about her vendetta with the dungeon. Gravis would no longer threaten anyone. The elevator was filled with stone by the miners, cutting off the West End Dungeon from the rest of the world.

One morning, Dren stumbled out of his bedroom to find Salla resting by a window. She was sipping her morning coffee and smiling at him.

“How’s my adventuring king?” she softly asked.

“I’m so tired that I could sleep another year,” he said, settling beside her and leaning his head against her chest.

“I know you probably don’t want to hear about anything going on in the mountain,” Salla murmured. “But it’s the strangest thing. Today, one of the workers inside the mine went to check in on the elevator, to make sure that it was still sealed and well…he found something curious. There was a door! A door where the elevator was. And it had words on it that read The Great Workshop. And weirdly enough, he couldn’t enter. Think that’s something you’d be interested in?”