Hovering beside her was a wheel, or rather, a wheel within a wheel like it encompassed a sphere. The wheel never veered, but moved beside her, always traveling straight. Along the wheel's rim were her eyes, the same emerald as those in her wings and human face.
Yes, human face. Where her head was, there were four, one in each direction: her own, an eagle's, a lioness's, and an ox's. I shouldn't say that the other heads weren't her. I could see the resemblance, in the lioness especially.
"Done staring at me?" Alice Black asked, as the eagle called, the ox grunted, and the lioness growled. From her wings she drew two long swords, her spear, and a staff. Each grew to superhuman size as she equipped them. "By the way, I'm going to be practicing talking with only one head, because everyone freaks out when I talk with four. But why? What's weirder about this than being a dragon or a bunch of monkeys?"
"Monkeys don't have four heads," Xavier said. "Not that you look bad."
"Monkeys have four heads if there're four of them," Alice Black said.
"Do you see out of every eye?" I asked.
"Yes, actually," Alice Black said, and eyes on her wheel winked. "I've got so much N-Type scrying that it doesn't really matter now. Shall we get going?"
Adrianne Black had also grown wings, and raised an eyebrow at me. I tore myself from staring at Alice Black to reach out a hand to party her. "Shall we?" she asked, but without waiting for an answer raised her staff—
* * *
And we were in the 25th Lock. "Enjoy your delve," Adrianne Black said as she left the party. "Try not to die, Alice; it would derail the superparty."
"I'll see what I can do," Alice Black said with a perfect sarcasm.
Adrianne Black raised a final eyebrow at all of us, then Returned.
"She's always like that," Alice Black said to us. "Acts like she's my big sister."
"I thought she was your big sister," I said.
"Calendar-wise, no. She's just died fewer times," Alice Black said.
I sensed an intensity in her voice and didn't dare stumble into it with further conversation. "Let's delve," I said.
* * *
How far less dangerous did the upper Deep seem? We were indigo now. Of course, we all were now Tier One as well; Alice Black maybe a Tier Zero. But even then it felt so much safer than our own delves.
We passed by 29th without visiting the Undercity. "I'm sure they all know by now," Alice Black said. "But it's still better not to show anyone who doesn't need to know what a Black Cherub is like. I brought a boat."
It was a small boat, a rowboat. But before we had time to take up positions, she had grabbed the boat and beat the air with her wings. We sped through the river crazy fast, taking mild acid damage from the spray in front of us. In moments we were finished.
"Was the Boss Rush your only time down here?" Alice Black asked as we passed the 35th.
"Basically," I said.
"Assume any monster you don't know can kill you. Then you'll be fine."
"Hey, speaking of things I don't know," I said, "what is a Cherub?"
"What do you mean?" Alice Black asked.
"We know what Knights are, and Mages, and Berserkers. But what is a Cherub? I mean, I've never seen anything like you before."
She paused for a fraction of a second. "Good question," was her answer. "But right now, we need to keep moving."
The final five Floors of the Deep are considered the deadliest. What little statistics there are, bear it out—as if the Dungeon threw its final defenders out to guard the Core. From what snippets I had heard of the Core, even worse things could be found beneath. Yet it still felt like a final defense. We didn't run into any of the Uniques, but we ran into plenty of the most bizarre creatures: Archepianos, Master Lichen, Doom Wumpuses and the Mordekai. There's nothing quite like an evil spell-casting piano to put a damper on your day.
But Alice Black was stronger. Lightning bolts flashed from her wheel's eyes, or she chopped apart monsters in one hit with either of her swords. Despite what she said about chests, we made no detours; soon enough, we were at the 50th Lock.
* * *
The 50th Lock was ornate, even more so than the 25th Lock. The vaulted ceiling was carved with the shapes of monsters in the Deep. The Lockstone, too, was massive, as if what was beyond was too terrible for even the slightest inkling to be discovered. Or, perhaps, promising wealth unimaginable... to the worthy, and they alone. What was down there?
"If you die here, you're probably not going to be found again," Alice Black said as she passed out consumable after consumable. Any damage we had taken was now meaningless. I had burnt a few spells, but I had been conservative. "So, good luck."
"Thanks," Elise said. "What are you going to do if we don't make it?"
"I'll just reenter and Return. I've got 50Q, obviously." Alice Black looked at us all. "Having second thoughts? Nothing wrong if you want to turn back here. I won't count it against you."
"It's now or never," I said.
Higher levels later, dude, Xavier thought to me.
Shut up, I thought back. I'm trying to be cool.
"Enjoy, then," she said, and walked out.
We took positions, and Xavier and I cast prebattles. My heart beat in my chest, as if it would soon beat its last. But, wait, I had a heartstone. What was I actually feeling? Enough philosophy, we were ready already!
"Here we go, guys," I said. "One, two, three—"
Sampson tapped the Lockstone with his sword.
The Lockstone swirled for a time, then swirled faster, until as if a cork were removed, a vast green Chaos Serpent burst through the ground, extending long enough to hit the ceiling before lunging into us.
We all dived or leaped out of the way, and Sampson hit with a full Power Strike to no effect.
Xavier started casting minor spells at the Serpent in order. "What is it not resistant to?" he shouted. The Serpent hit the floor and swept around the ground. Had Xavier not cast Mass Blink, it would have been fatal. Instead, we ended up separated.
I saw Andy hammering away on the scales, but they only broke. The Serpent itself didn't seem even wounded.
I fired a Drain Life at the Serpent, and it hissed the pain of pierced resistances. I shouted a battle cry then the rest of my triggers. This stunned it in pain as Sampson hacked away at a cut that Elise had made. One more Power Strike and he sliced the whole snake in two.
And now there were two of them.
Elise threw a knife at one going backwards which instakilled it—only for it, too, to split into two. Sampson, meanwhile, had cut another before I had a chance to stop him, and now there were four.
"Andy!" Xavier shouted, and cast a Control Teleport and a Teleportitis on her. She began blinking around the battlefield—with perfect effect. A sub-Serpent would approach one of us, and she would flash in and critical it with her crystal pick. Xavier now cast massive area spells, and Serpents died into even more Serpents.
There were now so many I was fending them off with my staff, but neither did they do much damage. My poison and chaos resistances must have been enough. Xavier cast another two area spells, and... the Serpents were gone. Chests appeared everywhere.
I breathed a long, long sigh of relief.
* * *
"How did we get so lucky?" I asked. "It was weak to drain!"
"Um, because you have Black Hierarch?" Elise asked. "Pierce drain resistance?"
"Oh."
"I'm getting something with Pierce Physical," Sampson said. "Not pierce armor, pierce physical resistance. This was absurd. I was hitting for insane amounts of base damage!"
"You'll need to get yet another Tier One for that kind of pierce," I said. "I don't think White Knight Grandmaster has it."
"Guys, Boss chests," Elise said, and opened hers. "Whoa. I mean, I shouldn't be surprised, but..."
I got a robe in my personal. An awesome robe, like it had been made of shadow itself.
Robe of Unending Night
Violet Gear
>
+0/+100/+150
Requires: 40 Intelligence, 50 Wisdom, Class Restricted
+10 Intelligence. +10 Wisdom. +5 6th Spell slots.
True Infravision. 95% Resist Dark.
When we had looted the last chest, Alice Black strode inside impatiently. "Now that wasn't that bad, was it?" she asked.
"Seriously, don't act that cool," I said. "Surely this was just as hard for you."
She huffed. "Actually, it was most of the House. Do or die. What did you get, a giant made of fire?"
"No, just way too many snakes," Xavier said. "Glad no one here is a herpetophobe."
"I'm going to develop it, I'm sure," Elise said. "They were crawling on me."
"Oh, they weren't just crawling on me," I said.
"Sheesh," Alice Black said. "Who died?"
"Nobody," I said. "We all made it."
"Huh. You got really lucky," she said. "Ready to go back? I'm not letting you go down."
"C'mon," Sampson said.
"You're going to go down for serious in three days. Don't worry about it."
I hadn't spoken, because I was still thinking.
About our luck.
Sure, I had Black Hierarch, but I had checked the books. It didn't pierce drain immunity, which was incredibly common with Bosses. But if I hadn't drained it, it wouldn't have been stunned long enough for Sampson to kill the first Serpent. Not only had I happened to have just the right strengths, but it had just the right weaknesses.
Xavier did have a point. People had died everywhere, especially on the 50th. Yet I could not help but think, looking at that, and wonder how had everything worked so perfectly.
Was it chance?
Was it?
* * *
Dear Alexander,
I really wish you would come visit. (Annabelle says: Like, now.)
Things have been going well for us here, ever since our finances stabilized. Have you gotten a regular income, now? We'd appreciate it if you continue sending money in constant installments.
We've bought this strange device which is supposed to send messages across distance. The merchant called it a microteleporter. We haven't been able to figure it out. Annabelle tells me it makes the most irritating high-pitched squeal, which I cannot hear at all. As such, we haven't experimented much.
Annabelle also tells me that you should see her in her new white dress. In fact, she only wears white now. I admit, it's quite the stark appearance.
Sincerely,
Alexandria Kenderman
* * *
Dear Mom and Annabelle,
My apologies, again, but I have a better excuse this time. Our House is preparing a delve into the deepest depths of the Dungeon, and my party and I have been spending about all of our time preparing. Did I mention I'm now 50th Qualified? (I guess you wouldn't know what that means.) I've seen the bottom of the Dungeon—that is, the lowest humans have gone. And now we're going deeper.
About my income, it's not actually regular, but I've got a crazy story why you've been getting remittances in installments. (I hope what I'm sending is enough. If not, say something, and I'll tell my broker.)
Are you putting a crystal in the microteleporter? It needs to burn one to work. You also need a microteleporter on the other end to use one, if it's the kind I'm thinking of. I asked Adrianne Black, who is basically our DA, and she said to stick the following code in: 3241-fga-1191. Be sure to put your own code in the next letter you send, or I can't send a letter back.
Actually, I realize this might be my last letter. (I know, ominous.) It's going to be dangerous, even if I'm in a group of the highest level delvers in the City. But if I survive, I'll visit, promise.
Sincerely,
Alex Kenderman.
P.S. I'll see it soon enough. After this, I'll visit. For sure, this time. I'll bring some crystal for the microteleporter, too.
Chapter Twenty-Six:
The Core
It's saying something about Eidolons that even the nicest one is looked on with disgust. Hermes, nonetheless, seemed like a decent human being. Or, more accurately, a weird one. His violet aura, his handsome hundreds-Charisma face, the thousands of violets’ worth of gear he equipped, to say nothing of the theomorphic Hermes' Sandals on his feet, did not seem to matter to him as much as spinning wildly in loops and somersaults and wheeling about while we waited, like some kind of hyperactive godling. He flew around, chatting with (or at) those of the superparty he passed by, not minding any glares shot back. I suppose intrinsic Haste and Flight does do something to someone.
He paused in front of me. "Y'know, I don't know why my old comrades insist on wearing those silly laurel leaves." Indeed, his red hair was bare except for a small cap strapped to his head. "They have no stat bonuses at all, you know. And they keep falling off!" Before I could reply, he vanished in a burst of speed to talk to Alice Black.
"That's... interesting to know, I guess," I said. More interesting was what was beyond the stairs of the 50th Lock, now looking so enticingly open.
Who are we waiting for? I thought to Alice Black.
Two from the Undercity, and they'll be here in a few minutes.
I watched Hermes fly again, landing in the midst of the High House members—members of almost every High House. The RDU had bowed out at the last moment. Their Wizard Warlord had protested he had a sudden increase in responsibilities and so couldn't come—probably a subtle, passive-aggressive protest against high-level delving. In a party consisting of nearly all heavy frontline classes, the Medici had sent a young Faustian with a goatee. High House Magica had sent two whole parties of all kinds of exotic mages, lead by a Dimensional Archmage and a Master Summoner. The Royals had sent a thick black young prince in the Top 100—a son of Mansa Musa himself, apparently. The Greens had sent a young Master Bard, wordlessly tuning his lyre in the corner. I couldn't see anyone from the other two High Houses; maybe they had dropped out, or quibbled over some clause of the superparty contract.
As for the rest of us, there were three indigo parties from our house, ourselves and two parties I didn't recognize; the Black's own party; the Golden Hares, a famous lone party; and seven more indigo parties from the other Houses. A total of nineteen parties, plus Hermes, who went solo.
I struggled to remember if there had ever been a superparty this large. Or one with this number of high-spectrum delvers.
"And here are our remaining two members," Alice Black said.
Through a door slinked one unfortunately familiar face.
"Not you," I said.
"What's wrong?" Cat asked languidly. "Don't like me or something?"
"Where's the other one?" Elise asked.
"Right here," said Michael, then laughed as we looked around in vain.
"Finally!" Alice Black growled in four. What took you two so long?"
"What, you don't think a guy has a right to spend time with his girlfriend?" Michael asked. Cat curled around empty air, and an invisible hand stroked her black hair.
"Whatever. Party up, everyone," Adam Black said. I felt a tap from him, and we connected. "Welcome to the greatest delve of your lives.
"Now, who here hasn't been in the Core? Raise your hands!"
We raised our hands, and we weren't alone.
"I will explain this only once. Pay attention!
"First rule of the Core: the Core is NOT stable!
"I will repeat that. The Core is not stable. It mutates far faster than the rest of the Dungeon. We haven't had a map that's stayed accurate between delves. We've had maps that stopped being accurate during the delve. Those of you in scouting parties, stay close. It's possible, more likely than not, that you, yes, you, will get lost.
"Second, there's a lot of monsters down here which look like the chaff you wade through on the First Five. They just happen to have a little modifier called 'Core', which will utterly destroy you if you're not careful. We've seen Core Goblins that cut through Knight Grandmasters in one hit. And no, it's not their gear. It
's still just the standard trash you find when they're upstairs. 'Cept, they've got something like a hundred times the Strength, if not more.
"Lesson learned: I don't care how strong you are, I don't care what they look like, the Core monsters are unlike anything you've fought before. Treat each one like a Boss.
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