Chapter 52
Too Easy, Too Difficult
The first day of our adventure proved to be rather interesting. It was a day of two extremes, and we quickly learned that the system truly did not give a fuck about appropriate levels of difficulty when assigning world quests.
The sun was rising as we began our journey, painting the cobbled road in a warm golden glow. The prospect of the adventures that awaited filled our group with a quiet sense of excitement.
Despite my grumbling about not sticking to the forest, we actually ended up receiving our first quest while travelling along the road.
Quest Assigned: Peasant in Distress
Type: Open World
A peasant travelling between Oakreach and the village of Learton has encountered some difficulty and is in desperate need of aid.
You will find him several miles down the road.
Reward: ???
Assist the peasant to find out.
“A quest?” said Kaelis. “That was quick!”
I didn’t respond.
One of my people? In distress?
My mind ran through several equally disturbing possibilities…
Vicious bandits ransacking the peasant’s cart, plundering his goods before slitting his throat and leaving him to bleed out at the side of the road.
A rabid beast, saliva dripping between its long, jagged teeth. Driven by a vicious cruelty, it kills the peasant slowly – tearing him limb from limb while deliberately avoiding any major arteries or vital organs to prolong the suffering.
An evil forest spirit invading the peasant’s mind, twisting his thoughts and driving him to madness, leaving him a broken man whose psyche is beyond repair.
“Indeed,” replied Rel. “This is the perfect opportunity to develop our team’s cohesion. First, let’s discuss tacti–”
“Don’t worry, my peasant brother!” I roared. “I’m on my way!”
*
A handful of seconds later, I skidded to a halt. My head whipped around as I took in the scene.
A peasant stood beside his cart – it looked like it had gone off the road and ended up on its side in a ditch. He was an orc, wearing peasant garb very similar to my own, with the addition of a straw hat that I was incredibly jealous of. His skin was an almost emerald green, wrinkled and creased in a way that suggested he was getting on in years.
Then again, I was working on the assumption that orcs aged in the same way as humans. Maybe it was some Benjamin Button sort of shit – they are born all wrinkly and decrepit, then their skin smooths out as they get older.
For all I knew, the orc in front of me was only a teenager.
But probably not.
He looked equal parts nervous and embarrassed as he stared at me, a little wide-eyed from my sudden and unexpected arrival.
“Greetings, Trialist,” he said, his voice friendly and deep. He smiled awkwardly, the tusks protruding from either side of his mouth twitching a little. Reaching up to scratch the back of his neck, he nodded to the cart and the animal hitched to it. “Ol’ Jennie’s a skittish beast – she scares easily, and ain’t that the truth. There was a bloody great bastard of a creature rustlin’ about in the trees over yonder, making all sorts of odd noises. Well, Jennie didn’t like that one bit. She started to panic and…”
His words trailed off as he stared at the cart.
Jennie was a peculiar-looking beast. She wasn’t entirely dissimilar to a horse – at least in terms of her build anyway. She had four legs, but rather than hair, her body looked as though it was formed from earth and rock. It was a deep brown, with little flakes crumbling away as she shifted on the spot.
Her face – slightly rounder than a horse’s – was constantly moving, her gaze flicking between me, the old orc, and the nearby forest.
“This creature,” I said. “Is it still around? Did it try to attack you?”
“Attack me?” he asked, looking a little surprised. “No, Trialist. The big beasties avoid the road, almost like there’s somethin’ that stops ‘em getting too close. This road is the safest place to be… well, other than when…”
He stared at me a few moments, then cleared his throat.
“Well, no offence intended, laddy… but the most dangerous things you tend to come across ‘round these parts are Trialists looking to blow off a little steam.”
“Some Trialists are assholes,” I agreed, moving over to the cart. Jennie started edging away a little as I got closer, so I reached out to gently pat her side. “Easy, old girl. I’m just going to give your master a hand getting the cart back on the road.”
*
Quest Complete: Peasant in Distress
You helped the peasant return his cart to the road and continue his journey.
Reward: 1 gold
Righting a cart and pushing it out of a ditch? One gold?
It wasn’t exactly the most exhilarating of starts. Still, it had felt pretty good to help a normal guy who was just trying to get by.
The others arrived in time to see the old orc setting off.
“Pete,” said Rel flatly, watching the cart retreat into the distance, “I’m not convinced you understand how a team works. Generally, it involves strategising and working together.”
“My bad,” I said. “When I read the quest description, my imagination took a pretty dark turn, and I didn’t think there was any time to waste…”
I turned to Allaria.
“You weren’t lying when you said the quests varied in difficulty. I was expecting to find a pack of bloodthirsty beasts trying to rip him apart. Instead, he just needed a hand getting his cart back on the road.”
“Yes,” she replied. “I had a real mix assigned to me when I came this way. Obviously, I didn’t stop to attempt any of them, but even from the descriptions it was clear some were easier than others.”
She stared at me a moment, eyebrows raised. “Nice hat, by the way. Where’d you get it?”
I grinned and reached up to adjust it.
“Thanks. It was a gift from my new friend Ougran,” I said, nodding towards the cart as it disappeared over a rise.
*
We were assigned our second quest several hours later as we travelled through the forest. It was cooler than the road, the dense trees forming a thick canopy that filtered out much of the sunlight.
When we’d first entered, there had been all the familiar sounds you’d expect from a forest – birdsong, animals scurrying along the branches overhead, leaves rustling in the breeze.
And then something changed…
The light grew dimmer, and a silence began to settle over the place. It was subtle, happening so gradually that I didn’t notice until all the background noise that had been accompanying our journey was gone entirely.
“Is it just me,” I said, glancing around nervously, “or is this part of the forest creepy as fuck?”
Voklum grunted. “It’s not just you, Pete. There’s a feeling of… unease about this place.”
As if sensing we were primed for a scare, a system message popped up.
“Fuck,” I said, stumbling slightly as the quest info filled my vision.
Quest Assigned: The Draeven
Type: Dungeon
A pack of draeven has taken up residence in a nearby tunnel system. Their malign influence is already spreading, corrupting the surrounding forest.
They must be eliminated before it spreads any further.
The dungeon entrance lies three hundred metres east of your current location.
Reward: ???
Eliminate the draeven pack to find out.
A dungeon?
Fuck, yes. Now we’re talking.
“Hmm,” said Rel. “This quest description is far more ominous than the first.”
He turned to glare at me.
“We will approach the entrance together. Pete, you lead the way. Kaelis and Voklum, cover his flanks. Allaria and I will follow and provide ranged support.”
I nodded and went to take a step.
I paused, foot hovering, and turned to face the others, scratching the side of my head.
“Umm,” I said. “Which way is east?”
*
We found a small rocky outcropping. There was a dark opening in the stone that quickly fell away into a deep descent. Runes were etched into the surrounding rock, powering a faint arcane barrier that shimmered at the tunnel’s threshold.
Rel strode forward and spent a few moments examining the runes.
“It’s a barrier similar to the one blocking the tunnel to Floor Nine. However, there are a few differences.” He gestured to several runes to the left of the entrance. “Those runes essentially act as a form of magical identification system. They’re attuned to recognise Trialists and allow them to pass through safely. The creatures inside, however? Well, if they tried to leave, they’d receive a rather nasty shock.”
I thought back to what had happened when Rel had tried to pass through the barrier to Floor Nine.
A nasty shock, indeed.
As Rel stared into the dark depths of the tunnel, a fireball ignited at the tip of his tail. “Pete and I will lead the way.”
With that, he strode into the darkness, vanishing from sight as he passed through the barrier.
*
Beyond the barrier, the tunnel looked much the same as it had from the other side. Rel’s fireball cast a blazing orange light over our surroundings, revealing the path ahead.
The walls were rough and jagged stone, but the ground was surprisingly smooth. The glow from Rel’s spell illuminated the first hundred metres or so, before giving way to darkness once more.
I sighed and put my sunglasses into my inventory. Sometimes, practicality had to take precedence over style.
Rel launched the fireball down the tunnel, and we tracked its journey. It went on… and on… until it was eventually lost from sight.
“It’s deeper than I expected,” said Rel. “As we don’t know the extent of the tunnel system, perhaps we should mark the walls as we go.”
Kaelis was put in charge of mark-making, using the blade of his axe to carve numbers into the walls at regular intervals.
At first, it seemed unnecessary – the tunnel descended in a near enough straight line for what felt like a mile. Eventually, however, it began to curve, and then finally split into two forks.
It was in that moment, as we stood discussing which way to go, that I sensed something was wrong. It was faint at first – a subtle but insistent feeling lurking at the edges of my thoughts.
Something wasn’t right.
“Do you feel that?” I asked softly.
“Feel what, Master?” replied Kaelis.
The others stared at me, their expressions equally blank, so I shrugged. They continued their conversation, debating whether it’d be wise to split into two groups and explore both tunnels at the same time.
I stayed silent.
The feeling was growing. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but something about it was familiar…
“What’s that?” Allaria asked suddenly. The sharpness of her words cut through the conversation, and the rest of the group fell silent.
We followed her gaze down the tunnel to the left. Lurking at the very edge of the fireball’s light was the shadowy outline of a creature.
It was tall, its head almost brushing the ceiling. Unlike many of the monsters we’d encountered in the Trial, it wasn’t muscular. Instead, it was incredibly slender – almost as if its body had been stretched – giving it an emaciated look.
The creature padded towards us, slowly and silently, its movements carrying a predatory grace. Although it hadn’t shown any signs of aggression, it radiated a cold violence.
As it moved further into the light, its features were revealed. It had the face of a bear, but one twisted into a grotesque mockery. It squinted slightly, as if the light caused it discomfort. Its arms were unnaturally long, the tips of its claws trailing across the stone.
“Allow me to handle this, Grandmaster,” said Kaelis, raising his axe as he strode to meet the creature.
In that moment, I realised what I’d been feeling.
Sensei had explained that every living thing that passed beyond a certain threshold of power began to develop an Aura. Most never learned to manifest it – but it still existed, like a dormant well of power growing within them.
Back in the Guild Hall, when Sensei had lost his temper, he’d manifested his Aura. He had expressed it physically – it weighed down on me like a mountain, forcing me to my knees and stealing the air from my lungs. His power had been immense and unrestrained, but it didn’t feel tainted.
The creature couldn’t manifest its Aura, which is why the others were seemingly unaffected. What I was feeling instead was the scale of its power – the depth of that unrealised well. It couldn’t access it, but it was still there.
And it was vast.
More worrying than that, though, was the… flavour of it. It was twisted, carrying a malice and cruelty.
You have progressed to Rank 5
Next tier of Aura Mastery unlocked
Aura Manipulation
Journeyman
Rank 1
Ability unlocked – Aura Sense
Activating this ability reveals the Aura of those around you. A glow surrounds their bodies, the intensity of the light reflecting their Aura Density.
Aura Density can be masked by those with sufficient control over their Aura.
I immediately activated the ability, and a yellow light burst into existence around the bodies of everyone in the tunnel.
You have gained 1 intelligence.
Current intelligence: 22
The glow surrounding Kaelis, Allaria and Voklum was steady but gentle. It was almost pleasant, like gazing upon sunlight streaming through a window.
Rel’s was far brighter, to the point that it was uncomfortable to look at. The light was dense and a little wilder, flickering like a fire.
The creature’s…
It dwarfed even Rel’s.
“Get back!” I roared, deactivating Aura Sense so its light wouldn’t distract me.
Kaelis glanced over his shoulder, his eyes widening at my horrified expression.
The creature blurred towards him, its movement every bit as fast as mine. I exploded into motion, crossing the distance.
Kaelis was still slightly closer to us than the creature, otherwise I wouldn’t have made it in time. I grabbed him by the fold of armour at the back of his neck and yanked him back, moving him out of the path of the creature’s claws.
It struck me instead.
A blinding white flash of pain exploded through my body as its claws tore three great bloody trenches across my chest. I stumbled backward, grimacing in pain as blood spread across my shirt.
A bolt of lightning tore past me, striking the creature in the torso and causing it to stagger and raise its arms to cover its eyes.
Another bolt followed.
And another.
Each one pushed it back a little further, giving me a moment to recover my senses.
“Run!” I bellowed over my shoulder to Kaelis, Allaria, and Vokrum.
Fortunately, they were warriors. They did not freeze or hesitate – they followed the command, turning and immediately racing back up the tunnel.
I knew at once that they were not quick enough. If the creature pursued them, it would take mere moments to close the distance. I winced at the thought of what it’d do to them if it reached them – if I hadn’t pulled Kaelis out of the way in time, he’d have been torn in half, regardless of his new armour.
The creature’s eyes seemed to have adjusted to the intensity of the lightning, and it was beginning to shrug off Rel’s spells.
I snarled and launched myself at it, barging into it before it could fully recover. It shot through the air and collided with the tunnel wall, great chunks of rock breaking free on impact.
I followed.
As the creature tore free of the rubble, my fist smashed into its jaw. The power of the blow shattered bone and it crashed back against the stone.
You have gained 1 strength.
Current strength: 52
I drew my swords and activated the set bonus ability Frostfire Blade.
Icy-blue flames roared to life along the crystal blades, casting an arctic light over the walls of the tunnel.
We clashed again, a whirlwind of swords and claws. Each slash brought with it a stack of Winter’s Touch and Biting Flame. Despite the stacking debuffs, my lack of training almost proved fatal. The creature’s claws kept slipping past my guard and carving chunks out of me.
If it had fought with skill, rather than just mindless ferocity, it was very likely it would’ve overwhelmed me.
You have gained 1 agility.
Current agility: 35
The creature slowed, the icy chill of Winter’s Touch spreading through its body and numbing its muscles. Biting Flame heated its blood, slowly cooking it from within.
It stumbled and I drove forward, sinking both swords into its chest. I twisted the blades and then ripped them free, a great gush of black blood spilling from the wounds.
The creature sank to its knees.
“Pete!” roared Rel, his words struggling to penetrate the haze hanging over my mind. “The quest said there’s a pack. We need to go before more arrive!”
I shook my head and turned, dazed, to face him.
It was a mistake.
As a final act of savage cruelty, the creature swiped at me. I jumped back desperately to avoid the blow, but I was too slow.
Its claws raked across my face.
Then it collapsed.
You have gained 1 durability.
Current durability: 46
I gasped in pain, sheathing both swords. I reached up to probe at my face, and my fingers came away bloody.
Hands shaking, I withdrew a healing potion from my inventory. I tore the stopper free and downed the contents, feeling a wave of warmth spread through my body. It dulled the pain a little, but I grimaced when I saw that it hadn’t closed all my wounds.
I examined the item’s description:
Healing Potion (Moderate)
Heals broken bones and torn flesh, repairing internal and external damage.
Effective up to 35 durability.
Cannot regrow lost body parts.
Cooldown: Full effect once every six hours. Potions used sooner have diminishing returns.
Effective up to 35 durability?
Shit.
They were the potions we’d looted from the chest on Floor Six. I guessed we’d have to add finding powerful healing potions to our to-do list.
Still, even with its reduced effects, it had been enough to take the edge off the worst of my injuries. I could still see out of both eyes, which I took to be a very good sign. The ‘cannot regrow lost body parts’ in the description didn’t exactly inspire confidence.
I startled a little as Rel rested a paw on my shoulder. He hovered beside me, studying me with eyes of sparking blue.
“Come on, Pete,” he said firmly. “It’s time to go.”
I couldn’t argue with that.