I used Shroud of Divine Light, and it felt as if someone filled every inch of my body with poured sunshine.
It wasn’t just the light that emanated from my skin. The world seemed to fill with angelic song, and my friends looked to be glowing with multicolored auras.
I saw Bolverk’s body as he fought, but I saw his blue aura struggle against a red cage. I saw the damage done to his mind, and I understood that unlocking the runes on his skull would just bring him more agony. He needed a purpose to climb from his cage, and the metaphorical stairs he mentioned were reflected in his belief that he could free himself from his broken state by serving the greatest warrior.
I saw Cornalic’s fallen body and saw his yellow and green aura spin like a cyclone. The injury on his stomach should have cut him in half, but my quick heal had saved his spine from tearing, though it had not undone the rest of the damage.
I saw Chrysa and knew by her clear blue aura that her words to me were true. She was a good woman who wanted to serve her people, help others, and love me.
A flap of golden color was on the side of my shoulders, and I realized that I had ethereal wings coming out of my back. I was also no longer lying on the ground; I was floating a few feet off the stone as my booted toes pointed downward.
I felt more alive than I ever had. I felt like I could pick up a mountain and crush it between my hands without a problem. I felt as if I could love every single man, woman, and child but still have more joy to give. I felt like I never wanted to sleep, or blink, or do anything other than just meditate on how fucking awesome everything in the universe was.
I never wanted this enchantment to end.
The spear golems tossed their weapons at Cornalic, but I hit him with Guardian of Fortune. The enchantment landed on my friend before the spears hit, but instead of a glow, it was the brilliance of the sun illuminating him, and his health bar jumped up a quarter.
I set my eyes on Bolverk and used a Guardian of Fortune on him. The same flash of brilliance came to his body, and he became fully healed.
Both of the spears bounced off Cornalic, and I hit him with two Minor Heals to bring him up to 75% health. His bar wasn’t dropping anymore, and my friend flipped up to his feet with a triumphant shout.
The two headed golem rushed my green-skinned friend, but Cornalic was already sprinting toward the spear throwers. They had created new weapons and were poised to hurl them, but he made it there before they could toss them. His muscular arms were a blur of metal, and the two golems almost instantly turned into fallen pieces of clay.
Bolverk smashed one of the shield golems and then turned his attention to the final one. I wanted to tell Cornalic to double team the creature with the gnome, but no words came out of my mouth when I tried to speak, and the half-orc moved to engage the four-armed boss instead.
I used another Minor Heal on Cornalic, and his health bar moved up to 90% a half second before the four armed golem tried to attack. My friend parried a sword swing, dodged a spear thrust, and then danced away from a shield slam. Each time the large golem attacked, my friend managed to get in a dizzying array of slashes on the creature’s arm. The attacks all connected, but the golem’s health bar only moved down in small slivers.
The right head on the golem opened its mouth, and a stream of flame came out. I was surprised by the strange attack, and so was my friend. The plume of fire engulfed him with napalm-like fire, and his health started to drop. I also saw a black mark of a skull appear next to Cornalic’s icon on my party UI. I guessed that this was a curse, and I used Remove Curse half a moment after I saw the mark. Then I used Guardian of Fortune on my friend. The flames were instantly removed, and his health jumped back up to the full amount.
Hot damn, this Shroud of Divine Light was amazing.
I saw Bolverk roll under the shield golem’s legs and then come up from behind. He unleashed a series of twin chops with his hand axes before the golem could turn around, and the creature crumbled into dust. Then the gnome charged the final boss and managed to get three good hits in against the creature’s legs while it tried to kill a dancing Cornalic.
The other head of the golem spat out a plume of cold that hit Bolverk in the shoulders. My small friend turned into a block of ice, and the black skull icon appeared next to his icon on my party UI. I used Remove Curse and hit him with a Spirit of Stone to bring him out of the effect and back to full health.
It took another fifteen seconds, but my friends managed to take down the boss golem as soon as the Shroud of Divine Light left me. I fell to the ground almost at the same time as the boss did, and I let out a gasp of release. The sensation of the enchantment had been euphoric, and I wondered what the VRIU did to make my body feel so good while the ability was running.
“Grab the icon!” I called out to Cornalic. The man nodded, sheathed his swords with a smooth movement, jumped up the stairs to grab the golden plate, and then back flipped off the ledge.
“Amazing! We got it! We went so fast!” Chrysa exclaimed as the half-orc handed her the golden disc.
“We aren’t done yet. There are the two casters back in the cavern room, but yeah, I don’t think anyone can beat this time. Let’s get moving.” I gestured to the door, and we started our return trip.
“Leo, what ability did you use? You had magnificent glowing wings and were floating above the ground like an angel.” Chrysa asked as we ran.
“It is called Shroud of Divine Light. It lets me heal with my enchantments for half a minute, but I can’t do any healing afterward.”
“Oh, that is amaz--”
“Let’s run,” I interrupted her. “Save your breath for when we get out!”
She nodded and the beautiful woman pushed her fists through the air harder so her legs would move. She actually had great running form and her beautiful hair flew out behind her like a flag.
The run to the cavern was easy, and we found that the two caster golems on the second platform were no longer there. The trip across the narrow pathways did take us some time, and the next hallway was now at an incline, so we had to run slower. The rest of the rooms were also empty of golems, and we all darted through the shimmering archway of the dungeon to emerge in the arena. I was prepared for the effects of the teleporting doorway now, and I only felt a mild spinning sensation when we stepped through.
“Fourteen minutes and twenty seconds!” Sharles yelled as soon as we came into the arena.
The crowd cheered, and I gestured for Chrysa to wave to them. The beautiful woman handed the golden icon to Sharles and then raised her hand to the crowd. Her face looked pained, and I imagined that the run had really taken a lot out of her. I held her hand so I could lead her down the stairs to the closest group of chairs, and then I motioned for Sharles to speak with me.
“Yes, Sir Lennox?” he asked as he stepped down the stairs halfway so that we could speak over the sounds of the crowd.
“I thought the golems were supposed to be using non-lethal attacks on Lady Chrysa?” I asked.
“Yes, of course!” he said.
“It didn’t seem that way. If anything, it seemed as if they were going out of their way to kill her with the same attacks they were using on the rest of us,” I said as I gestured to Cornalic and Bolverk.
“Oh my, I don’t think that is possible.” Sharles turned to his assistants.
“We have calibrated it so they will only use stunning attacks on anyone who wears the amulet,” the woman said as she pointed at Chrysa.
“But none of you actually saw us go through the dungeon?”
Sharles and his two assistants shook their heads.
“So anything could have happened in there. I’m telling you that the golems tried to kill Lady Aitcha. They did not use any of the stunning attacks to knock her out.”
“How is this possible, Sharles?” Cesnie and the other champions moved to stand closer to our discussion.
“I don’t know, Lady Kayleic. I personally oversaw the organization of the dungeons
last week,” the fat man ran his hand back through his hair. “I can have it inspected again, but we will have to delay the challenge. If it truly was tampered with, Sir Lennox and Lady Aitcha should make another attempt so that we get their true time.
“Ugh,” I moaned as I covered my face with my hands.
“Did any of these attacks harm Lady Aitcha?” Moryana asked.
“No, we didn’t let them, but it--”
“So you do not know for sure if they are lethal?” Rodin interrupted me.
“No, I guess I don’t know for sure,” I said.
“We should examine the dungeons again,” Cesnie said. “I don’t like the idea of risking Lady Sanduport’s life because of someone’s lack of attention to detail.”
“Yes, I can have it looked at,” Sharles sighed as he pointed to the crowd. “They will not be happy though.”
“I don’t care,” Cesnie said as she crossed her arms.
“But we don’t know for sure that the attacks are lethal. They could have not hurt Lady Aitcha,” Rodin said with a shrug.
“I am not concerned about your golems,” Tia’tor rumbled. “They will not kill my ward.”
“I agree with Tia’tor. My team has prepared to protect our young lady and see her through this dungeon,” Rodin grunted. “I say we continue as we have planned. We are all experienced adventurers. I do not think we will have any sort of problem protecting our queens. Sir Lennox has proven that the dungeon is easy enough.
“I agree as well. Let us finish this today. No harm will befall my ward,” Moryana said as she looked to Cesnie.
The blonde woman glanced at each of the challengers and shook her head. Then she sighed and uncrossed her arms. “Fine. Let us end this. Sharles, roll your die and let us continue.”
“Yes, Lady Kayleic.” The big man returned to the top of the stairs and raised his die for the crowd to see.
“Ugh. This just seems really dangerous. I hope none of the girls get hurt,” I whispered to Chrysa.
“I as well. You were able to protect me though. I feel as if they believe they are better than you, and they don’t want to shy away from something you have already done,” she whispered in return.
“Yeah,” I said as I shook my head.
“What I said before this challenge. I did not think I could feel any stronger about my decision, but I do. Thank you for protecting me, Leo.” Chrysa was leaning in closer to whisper in my ear, and her warm breath tickled my neck.
“Chrysa, I--”
“The die has now called upon Tia’tor Barta and Lady Weela Grytar!” Sharles said after he rolled the die.
The axe carrying armored minotaur slowly stepped up the platform to stand next to the burgundy-robed herald. Two muscular men carrying staves followed him, and one wore a backpack harness contraption that carried a girl of about six years of age. The little girl waved to the crowd, and then the man she rode raised a piece of cloth to cover her head.
“Ahh, that is smart,” I said to Chrysa. “They will just carry her through the dungeon.”
“Yes, that is a good idea. Although, you did carry me through a part of it,” she said to me with a charming smile.
“Prepare yourselves!” Sharles shouted from above us. I saw the minotaur, and his party faced the archway. “Go!” the herald shouted, and the three men charged in through the archway.
The crowd cheered again and then descended into a low hum once the group of gray garbed men disappeared. The other parties of challengers moved away from the platform and they began to whisper to each other. I guessed that they were making tiny adjustments to their plans based on my report, but I had no way of knowing.
We waited, and I turned my attention to the platform where Sharles and his assistants paced. I hadn’t realized this before, but a phantasmal looking clock hung in the air a good twenty feet above the archway. It was large enough for the crowd to see from their seats.
The clock hit five minutes, and we waited, but then Tia’tor and his three men stepped through the archway. The large bull-headed man was drenched in sweat and steam rose from his muscular body. The two muscular men who emerged from behind him were also covered with sweat. It appeared as if the three of them had jumped into a pool of water before they exited the portal.
“Six minutes and fifteen seconds!” Sharles yelled, and the crowd cheered.
“Damn. That is crazy,” I sighed with disbelief. It was obvious the men ran quickly, but my party hadn’t exactly wasted much time either. We may have slowed a bit for Chrysa so she could keep up with us, but that couldn’t have cost us more than thirty seconds. Tia’tor must have smashed through the golems with ease.
“Oh, no,” Chrysa sighed. “It is okay. We will get second place.” her hand found mine, and she squeezed my fingers.
“I hope so,” I said. “I was more confident about this round than the third. I’ve only had a few games of Castles, but I have done countless hours of dungeon exploration.”
“You will do great, I believe in you,” Chrysa reassured me as Sharles lifted the die in the air.
“Sir Rodin Worred and Lady Yeelee Feelan!” Sharles called out, and the yellow-garbed knight walked up the stairs. A woman and man walked behind him. The man carried a tall shield and had a mace attached to his belt. The woman carried a twisted staff. The girl they escorted looked to be twelve years of age and the lack of a harness on either Rodin or his mace-carrying friend made me think that they intended to run with the girl.
Sharles let out his warning shout and then yelled for them to go as the portal opened. The crowd cheered when they ran through, and then the roar turned into a muffled sound of the waves as the observers discussed the odds.
I watched the clock and resisted the urge to pace. Unfortunately, I didn’t have to wait for long.
“Eight minutes and eleven seconds!” Sharles called out as the yellow group of knights exited the portal. The crowd shouted joyfully, and the girl from the Freelan family waved her hand.
The girl didn’t look very tired, but the three adults looked as if they had been running. They weren’t sweating as much as Tia’tor and his team, but it did look as if they were breathing heavy.
“Damn. Did we miss something? I’m confused as to how they are beating us by such a wide margin.
The knights walked down the steps, and I returned Rodin’s slight nod. I didn’t want to accuse anyone of cheating, but I had a hard time believing that the knight beat us by nearly six minutes. Had they carried the girl? Maybe, but she must have been incredibly awkward. I thought about talking to the man to ask him about the golems he encountered, but then I decided that this probably wasn’t the time. Rodin and Tia’tor might have just been better than us, and my ego just didn’t want to believe.
“Lady Cesnie Kayleic and Lady Emila Sanduport!” Sharles shouted.
The crowd cheered as Cesnie and her two party members climbed the stairs. The blonde woman carried her shield and a rapier in her hands, but she also wore a second broadsword on her left hip. One of her men carried a spear, shield, and a sword; the other used a crossbow and sword. The one carrying the crossbow had a backpack on. It was covered with chain and had a plate attached to the back, and I guessed the young Emila Sanduport was tucked inside. The idea was all kinds of crazy, and I couldn’t believe that Queen Yrisi was okay with this situation.
“Go!” Sharles shouted, and the three green armored warriors dashed into the portal. The crowd did their usual cheer, and then we collectively waited.
“Seven minutes and thirty-two seconds!” Sharles yelled as soon as Cesnie and her team ran out of the portal.
Quest failed.
“Shit,” I seethed under my breath as the words of my UI scrolled over the quest text telling me to place first, second, or third, and I tried to keep my anger in check. Part of being a gamer was taking losses without “rage quitting” and logging out, but this whole situation smelled really stinky to me. Sure, these other teams might have just been that much better than us
, but I didn’t see how Cornalic, Bolverk, and I could have cut six minutes or more from our time. We didn’t even spend much time fighting.
I was hoping that Cesnie wouldn’t be able to beat my time or come in quicker than Rodin since I didn’t want to face the woman in the third round, but it looked as if she would at least score one point, and possibly two if Moryana couldn’t beat her time.
The sword dancer stepped up the stairs flanked by two other women who wore similar outfits and moved with the same cat-like grace. One wore a thick bladed two-handed sword that was probably a good foot longer than my longsword across her back, and the other had two broadswords sheathed on her waist. The trio of women wore no armor beside the thick-plated arm wraps and the strange banded leather skirts.
“Moryana, the sword dancer and Lady Yenna Teedan!” Sharles’ voice shouted across the arena, and the crowd screeched. Yenna had the same sour expression on her face that I had seen a few days ago when I saw her outside of the feasting hall, and the girl shot daggers at Chrysa.
“Are they going to make her run? What am I missing with this?” I asked.
“I do not know, Leo. I am sorry,” the brown-haired beauty said to me. Her large eyes were sad, and her fingers squeezed my hand again.
“Go!” Sharles yelled, and the group of women darted through the portal.
“Dearest Leo, I have considered something as we waited here,” Cornalic leaned over from his seat next to me and whispered in my ear.
“What?”
“I find it odd that we are getting trounced so soundly.”
“Yeah, no shit. I thought we did well,” I whispered.
“Agreed, dearest of friends, and while I know that Moryana and Tia’tor are amazing warriors, I do not believe we should have lost so much time to them.”
“What are you thinking?” I asked.
“Let us wait until the last group returns, then I will know for sure. There is nothing we can do about it now, unfortunately.”
“Cornalic, you are killing me. What are you thinking?” I asked.
“No one is observing what happens inside the dungeon,” he began.
Lion's Quest: Trinity: A LitRPG Saga Page 37