"Hard to say which I would rather choose," Kaden said, his teeth chattering. "But then again, freezing to death is probably worse, as it takes you longer to die, right?" He grinned at the Wolfman, who didn’t seem to notice the cold. Then, Kaden slapped his forehead for such a stupid oversight.
[Frozen Armor]
A thin layer of cold enveloped his body, keeping the warmth in and cold outside. Though the layer itself was cold, the chilly air was far worse. Not caring about anything Kaden was saying or doing, Kain strode onwards like a battering ram, moving half a metre of high snow with his massive legs. The cold didn’t seem to affect him when touched, be it because of his fur, or high level of resistance to the elements, or whatever it was.
Kaden struggled to keep up with him. He knew if he got left behind, there wouldn’t be anything else to save him. To be honest, he doubted that his own power would be enough to keep him alive for long on this floor.
Some half an hour into the walk and lots of straining, everything still looked exactly the same. There was snow in all directions, so getting lost wouldn’t be an issue, they already were from what he could see. The stalagmites all looked the same, meters wide and a dozen high. It would be so easy to die without the knowledge of how, and where to move. Kain, knowing the way after a thousand years of traversing the floors, didn’t have a real problem when it came to navigation, it seemed.
"How do you know where to go?" Kaden asked. To his bad luck, the big wolf just growled and roared as if insulted. The look he returned was one filled with bloodlust and rage. But then, as if an illusion appeared, Kaden blinked twice and the Wolfman’s look was back to normal. Was it his imagination, or was the wolf playing mind games with him?
"I feel her. Morgana is calling to me. It's subconscious, she doesn’t even seem to be aware of it. That's how I always end up finding her," Kain tried to whisper, but it ended up as a low growl. "Now, follow me and be quiet. Danger lurks from both below and around us."
"A break would be appreciated," Kaden muttered. Kain looked at him as if he was a good-looking dinner and winked, his fangs showing. He turned his head east and sniffed, as if smelling something from that direction.
While focused in that direction, Kaden noticed a slightly taller pile of snow that looked like a hill. As they got closer, he could make out what looked like a cave entrance. The struggle was worse by the moment, as their strength was waning. Hungry and thirsty, they sat down in the middle of the cave.
"Sit down," Kain barked, dumping some firewood in front of Kaden. "And make fire."
How the hell am I supposed to make a fire? Kaden thought as he arranged the pile and sat down. Then he thought about his flaming hands, and shrugged as he held out both palms towards the firewood.
[Magic Bolts]
Two small clouds charged out from his palms and struck the wood, igniting it just enough to catch a small fire. Kaden squealed, and blew at the flame so it would grow larger. The faint glow of the green fire entranced him within seconds, the sparks dancing away their cheerful dance until they were no more. Another heap of wood fell down next to the fire as the Wolfman dropped down, and sat opposite Kaden.
Renewed hope sparked within him as the fire extended his life, and renewed his power. Lost in his thoughts and the flames, Kaden dropped like a log and fell asleep. Fatigue had finally caught up, no matter how much healed or buffed up he was, his body had to give in.
A strange vision visited him in his sleep. A war raged on for days on a large plain, near a river, in the forests and over dead bodies. On a massive battlefield lay countless corpses with horrible wounds, and an vista of mindless rage. The pain inflicted to both sides was beyond belief. Finally, a few days later the battle died down with a handful of survivors left on each side: a man that looked just like him, a woman who looked like Laney and some unknown faces. The two sides stared each other down before their blades clashed anew.
Magic sprayed both sides and savage wounds were both dealt and given. In the end, only two people survived: the man and woman who looked like him and Laney. They were enemies, that much was sure. Black wings grew from her back as the man cast some magic spell towards her. The spell missed and the woman lunged through the air, impaling the magician, who at the last possible moment grabbed the black angel and pulled her close, giving her one last moment to remember.
What followed were some of the most intense feelings that had ever surfaced from deep within Kaden’s soul: the will to live and love, and desire to kill and conquer. These were feelings at their most primal level.
She wanted him dead, and he wanted her to live. Everything disappeared and Bardos descended from the sky, wearing his golden armour. Four winged creatures, not really human but very much alike, floated beside him. The woman glowed and floated up into the sky towards her god.
Everything disappeared as Kaden woke up. After the long dream, he felt even more exhausted than before he went to sleep. A bad aftertaste was left, which he couldn’t shake off. Before he could even sit upright, a large foot kicked him into the wall. "You remind me of my cursed wife. She was as stubborn as an ox, just like you. And before you ask me why I kicked you, there was a debuff that wouldn’t let you wake up."
"What, you used to kick her as well?" Kaden quipped as he got up and ate a meatball, recovering the lost hundred health from Kain’s kick.
The Wolfman just roared in laughter. ‘You really know how to cling on to life, I can give you that, mage. And no, I didn't kick my wife. You, however, were under a spell as I just said, so there was the need to shake you up a bit. You can thank me later.’
Kaden sighed. True, he had been dreaming of war and the people who looked like him and Laney.
Laney, what are you doing right now? Are you even still alive? Are you waiting for me to return, or have you moved on? His thoughts were all over the place, together with his emotions. How much time had passed anyway?
"I… need to live. I need to protect my friends and my… Laney. She's my main priority. She is all that I have left, besides my friends and the villagers. I would give my life for her if needed, so I have to survive through all of this, no matter what."
"I understand. Tell me, what is it with that creature of yours? Earlier it was visible, now it's gone. Did you figure out what happened?"
Kaden nodded once and smiled in turn. "Yes, well, sort of. The bird is my soul-bond. Bardos made him bind himself to me so when the one dies, the other will as well. I can talk to him via our mental link."
Just then, Razor appeared and croaked as it sat on Kaden’s shoulder. He was translucent, but looked even more menacing than he did before the transformation. "As you can see, he knows when to show up." Razor chuckled with his croaking voice.
"Right. Well, I do hope you won’t die until we have resolved my problem first. Afterwards, it's up to you. Now, I think we should get going, unless you want some alone time with that bird of yours," Kain offered with a smirk.
"I’m not just a bird, you dog. I'm a majestic Blackbird. Just you wait until we are out of here, and I'll show you who’s boss-"
"Enough," Kaden interrupted. "We have rested here for a while, and surely, the fire must have attracted something by now. Let’s go."
"Wait," Kain growled, holding his paw out. His tone was serious, and there was no talking back to him. After only one step towards the entrance, he stopped as his ears darted all over the place, like small antennas.
Kaden bumped into his giant arm, which forced him to stop as well. "What’s wrong?"
Kain shot him a bloodthirsty look, his eyes the color of liquid amber. "Is it a giant spider again? Shit, I could go my whole life without ever seeing another one!"
[Dark moon rising]
You have gained +20% Attack, +20% Defense and +50% to movement speed.
[Howl of Darkness
You have gained +20% Health Power Drain and +25% to Physical Resistance.]
Kain’s buffs hit both of them at the same time, just before a monstrous paw slam
med into the cave entrance. Kain got hit dead on and was sent flying into the wall, narrowly missing Kaden with his bulk. His health had gone down by around 700 points and turned yellow-green. Though he was far from disabled, it still was quite a chunk.
The paw withdrew from the entrance, and what looked like a massive polar bear stepped back so its head could come down towards the cavern opening. One of its eyes filled the whole entrance, making Kaden feel very small and weak in comparison.
"What the hell," he murmured, stepping back out of reach. The eye stayed focused on him without so much as a blink. Kaden’s nerves flatlined, making him panic and unleash an [Ice Orb], followed by dual [Magic Bolts].
The White obviously wasn’t expecting the underhanded attack, bellowing as its eye exploded in a gorey fluid. It reared up on two hind legs and roared in pain and anger, shaking the earth. A chime rang out in Kaden’s head. He looked at the message quickly, as the bear was feeling for its eye using its right paw.
You have caused a critical hit. Damage dealt: 15.000
You have gained a unique passive ability. Rupture level: 1. Critical hit rate up by 3%.
Crit Damage needed to level up: 15.000/500.000
"Now that’s what I’m talking about!" he cried and unleashed another two [Magic Bolts] that struck the tyrant.
You have inflicted 672 damage to White Tyrant.
You have inflicted 712 damage to White Tyrant.
The 1.300 damage dealt was nothing compared to its full health pool, but they had to start somewhere. Guessing that ice spells wouldn’t do much normal damage, he still had to cast them and try to get in a lucky shot again, or just whittle away at its health.
[Frozen Land]
You have inflicted 2.751 damage to White Tyrant.
The ice rose faster out of the ground as the tyrant stood on its hind legs. Afraid of what was going on, it dropped down to all fours, but wasn’t quite able to free himself. A few moments as the energy built up, the White’s legs shattered as the ice exploded, sending meat flying in all directions.
You have inflicted 3.251 damage to White Tyrant.
Directing a [Flood] at the hind legs, Kaden caused even more damage to the creature.
You have inflicted 7.712 damage to White Tyrant.
Looking at the creature, its health bar was down by about twenty percent.
"Good work, lad!" Kain yelled, storming past Kaden. "Now it's my turn!" He roared and rushed outside of the cave, jumping on the tyrant’s belly, and slashed at it without mercy. Each slash drained the bear of health that wavered between 800 and 1100. Just before losing his balance, Kain rushed up its neck and landed on top of its head, biting the monstrosity.
"What the hell are you doing?" Kaden called as he released another [Ice Orb], hitting the tyrant’s hind leg. The bear roared out in pain as the two never gave it a chance to attack.
[Onslaught]
Kain tore into the beast with his claws, ripping away at the meat. Blood covered him from head to toe, but he didn’t seem to mind as he used his mouth to rip at the flesh. While rolling around, Kain had to let go and retreat for a moment, giving the tyrant a breather. Crying out, the group was hit by a spell.
Debuff received. White Tyrant’s wrath. Attack, defense and reaction speed halved. Duration: 60 seconds. 59...58...57
Not being able to move fast wasn’t the same as not being able to cast spells. Of those, Kaden had plenty.
[Ice Orb]
[Magic Bolts]
Just as the timer reached ten seconds, Kain turned towards the bear again, evading a swipe. The distance he had gained, saved his life most likely. As the timer hit zero, the Wolfman lunged at the beast again.
"Go for its hind legs! I will ice it again if you can get it to fall a second time!" Just then, Kaden looked up at the creature’s health bar. It was bright yellow and about halfway down.
You have received a buff. Howl of Darkness level: 1. Syphon 10% health upon successful attack and increase physical resistance by 30%
"Like it?" Kain asked as he lunged at the beast, sliding beneath its belly to the one halfway working hind leg.
[Onslaught]
Multiple stabs, slashes and piercing hits ravaged the tyrant’s side, connecting with its back left leg and ripping it off. It was no surgical cut, no, it was ripped off nastily. The health bar dropped to red at just beneath forty thousand health points. The monsters’ screams were deafening as it was wracked in pain, but the tyrant attacked first.
"Is it the right thing to do? Even if we’re attacked? It’s just a monster, how the hell does it know good from wrong?" Kaden asked.
"If I had attacked you, would the two of you have defended yourself against me?" Razor replied.
"You are still alive."
"Right. You wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t."
"True. And yes, we would have tried to kill you." Kaden admitted to his soulbound.
"What are you spacing out for?" Kain bellowed, wrestling with the creature’s front paws. Just as he was about to jump away, the tyrant caught Kain in mid-air as he tried to jump. Kaden was left standing alone in front of the giant monstrosity, without anyone to tank it at least for a while.
"Hey there, " Kaden stuttered, staring at the tyrant.
To his surprise, the beast spoke, just like the king and queen. "You shouldn’t have come here. There is a reason we remain within this dungeon, us guardians. Please, won’t you die and let the artifact stay behind in peace?" it cried out.
"What is it with people and this artifact? What artifact? What’s so important about it anyway?" The bear laughed sorrowfully before responding.
"The artifacts of the creator are special items that were created by the first of the gods. Each one of them is unique and powerful in its own way. I assume Bardos has sent you to get it for him?"
"Yes, he did in fact,’ Kaden responded, frowning. ‘How do you know about that?"
"It doesn’t matter how I know, what matters is that with each one of the artifacts that you give Bardos, he will become a step closer to the Creator himself. If he somehow managed to get his hands on a few of them, there would be nothing left in any of the worlds to rival his power. Again, I ask you to die and leave the stone where it's. He is not able to get inside, so he sends pawns like you to get them for him. Do not give it to him if you manage to kill us all. He can not steal it."
Kaden looked down to his feet and thought about everything for a moment, and then shrugged. It was not what the bear had expected, one could see by his expression. "I’m sorry, tyrant, but there are some people out there I need to protect. To do that, you need to die. I hope you can forgive me in the afterlife."
The bear grinned and nodded its head. Then, his grin disappeared as it darted towards Kaden, swiping him with its front paw. The sharp nails narrowly missed him, but the aftershock flung Kaden into the air.
As Kain closed back in on the two, Kaden shot past the Wolfman allowing him to let loose on the bear, reducing his health with every slash and stab of his claws. The health bar dropped dangerously low and blinked out of existence in those ten seconds, just as Kaden scored a mercy hit into the second eye, killing the bear off.
Congratulations. You have received one level and one skill point
A renewed sorrow hit Kaden, as the White Tyrant had been another sentient trying its best to defend the artifact. He, in fact, was the real evildoer here, not the bear. It was just another victim of Bardos and his cruel ways. The only one who would have to die with a vengeance was Bardos. Just how much longer would he remain a puppet? What was worse, if he didn’t play by the rules, what would he do to Laney and his friends outside of the dungeon?
"Hey, what are you moping around for? Take these items and use them wisely. They will probably cause more changes to you and your body, but it has to be done if you wish to get stronger," Kain said, dropping three items in front of Kaden.
Ice elemental core. Unlock a tier three ice spell upon consumption
Kaden’s eyeb
rows rose as he read the description, and his heart beat faster. Kain just gave him an item that would make him a lot stronger by unlocking a tier three spell.
White Tyrant’s Pelt. Maximum health + 350. Elemental resistance + 20%. Defense: 74
White Tyrant’s Tooth. Spell cooldown time - 30%. Attack: 74
The pelt was in fact a helmet of sorts that covered everything, from his forehead down to his lower back. Up front and on top were three horns that shone in a silvery color, while the tooth was a necklace that hung loosely around his body and looked like a screaming head.
"You sure look fine, princess," Kain muttered, looking over Kaden. "Not princess, but rather a monster. You look like one of those things we are trying to kill. Fuckin scary," he added.
Kaden sighed but didn’t reply, as the feeling of being cold left his body immediately. No massive changes happened to his character screen, but it was mighty fine to see his stats rise.
The pelt felt soft and warm to the touch, making his skin tingle with a strange sensation. Kaden smiled at its touch of reassurance, the feeling that it was there for him, and him only.
"We need to move, mage," Kain said, breaking the silence. "That pillar made out of stairs will only be there for exactly one hour. If we do not make it in time, we will have to get back to the previous floor, then back here to fight another random boss, and each time it will be stronger. I don’t want to push my luck today."
"I see. Take us to the stairway to hell," he replied, trying to be funny. All he got back was an evil stare and snort before Kain started walking.
Most of the hour was spent trying to climb the stairway. Even buffed, the ache in his legs set in again after a thousand steps. When he thought it couldn’t get worse, light shone down on them. A warm wind blew sand into his eyes. Stepping up to the plateau that lead to the next floor, the scenery changed drastically. It was nothing like the previous two floors. This time, it was a scorching desert full of scurrying scorpions.
Chapter 21
"What the hell are those?" Kaden muttered.
Maelstrom Page 23