Instead, he used Communion once again, and destroyed one memory: the swearing of the oath to the Nerf Herders. It didn’t negate the contract, but by removing one of its foundations, the whole construct became unstable.
Identity 41.
Error: Missing component.
Hawke watched the oath begin to crumple. When Girl forgot making the oath, the conditional elements of the construct ran into a system error. The mind-wipe component began to fizzle out, but some of its energy struck and threatened to tear off large chunks of Girl’s memory, if not destroy her entire Identity. Hawke used over three hundred of his Mana to create something like a shunt, rerouting the unfocused power of the spell at specific targets. Originally, he had planned to steer it all away from Girl’s memories, although he hadn’t been sure that he could manage it. He’d figured he had a better than even shot, at the risk of having his own memories burned off. Instead, he focused it on that emotionally-charged part of her childhood, the years where she had been scarred, possibly beyond repair. Doing that was a lot easier, saving most of her Identity while sacrificing the parts she didn’t want to remember.
Since he wasn’t doing the mind-wiping himself, like he had with the Necromancer, Hawke was spared from the worst of those memories. What little he saw made him understand Girl a little better, and would probably haunt his nightmares for years to come. Earth might not have had magic and levels, but it had its share of terrible beings.
Identity 29
Most of Girl’s early childhood was erased. There wasn’t a calendar he could check, but Hawke was afraid that the Shadow Assassin had lost more than six or seven years of her life. He had no idea how much, but the important thing was that the oath and its enforcement spells were gone, their Mana spent. She was free.
He canceled Communion and looked at her. Girl was holding her head in her hands, her eyes tightly closed. Her Mana and Endurance pools had dropped by two hundred points each, but she was otherwise all right and beginning to regain the lost energy. He examined her with Mana Sight and found some differences already. Her emotions were still duller than a normal person’s, but he thought they had brightened up a little. Forgetting the trauma was probably not a healthy way of dealing with it, but it hadn’t done a lot of damage, at least nothing he could tell at first glance. He had no idea what the long-term effects would be.
Girl opened her eyes at looked at him, the fake smile – still fake – back on her face.
“I guess it worked,” she said. “I remember agreeing to giving my oath – not that Kaiser gave me any choice in the matter – but not the ceremony itself. And I’m no longer in the Guild. He is going to be pissed off.”
“Oh, yeah. I guess breaking the oath means you get kicked out of the Guild automatically.”
“Kaiser will think I’m dead. Normally, I couldn’t quit the Guild without dying, since that goes against my standing orders. Unfortunately, that means I can’t enter the Nerf Herder’s compound without triggering all kinds of alarms.”
“Too bad. Would have been nice to have you go there and cut his throat.”
“That would be more difficult than you think, even if I were still in the Guild. After you made a fool out of him, Kaiser improved his security. He didn’t fill me in on the details, but I know it includes multiple layers of wards and spells, the best that money can buy. I wouldn’t try using Twilight Step inside those wards, for example. Or any sort of teleport spell.”
“Now that you’re no longer under oath, I hope you will share what you know with us.”
“What little I know. Kaiser liked to compartmentalize things. I have only direct knowledge of what he had me do, or what he thought I needed to know. I also ran a cell of five agents – regular non-Eternal Adventurers – outside the Guild. Most of them are in Herona, off on a wild goose chase.”
“Oh, yeah, I did tell people that was where I came from,” he said with a grin.
“The important thing is, they work for me, not the Guild. Kaiser didn’t want non-Eternals in the mix. He doesn’t even know who they are. So I can make use of them, if we go back there. Or you can, if I give you their contact info.”
“After we’re done with the Dungeon, that’s where I’m headed.”
“Maybe I’ll go with you,” she told him. “There are lots of non-innocents I can kill over there.”
“How do you feel? About, you know, the other stuff.”
“I remember remembering, if that makes any sense. But it’s not… not as heavy as it was. Wiping out that stuff was the nicest thing anybody ever did for me, Hawke. It’s almost enough to make me forget that now I’m in hock to a pack of goddesses who won’t let me kill puppies or nuns just to feel alive. Almost.”
“I don’t see that as a particular hardship, but you do you,” Hawke said. “As long as no innocents are hurt.”
“You put me on a leash. Don’t expect me to like that. But you could have killed me, and you’ve done me a big favor. I think I’ll call us even.”
“Glad to hear it. All right. I’m off to bed. I think your watch is coming up.”
He still wasn’t sure that he had done the right thing, but he wasn’t a god. At least, not yet. Who knew what the endgame would be like in the Realms? He had done what he thought was best. Time would tell, he supposed.
Quest Complete: Oath-Breaker
You have earned 3,080 (+10% Triune Goddesses bonus, 385 diverted towards Leadership; 385 diverted towards Node Mastery)
You have gained +100 Reputation with the Triune Goddesses.
You have gained +105 Reputation with Girl-Has No-Name (+110% Charisma bonus). Current Reputation: 180 (Trusted).
You have gained +300 Global Renown.
Congratulations! Your Global Renown (400) has reached Notorious status (250-500). Those with the ability to know such things will learn of your most notable deeds and recognize you. This can be both a blessing and a curse.
Congratulations! You are now a Level Five Node Master. New Abilities available!
Current XP/Next Level: 22,510/30,000. Leadership XP/Next Level: 16,297/25,000
Current Node Mastery XP/Next Level: 8,260/12,000.
He wasn’t sure what his Global Renown actually did, but it sounded like it would make it hard for him to be anonymous. He’d ask Saturnyx after he was done picking a new Node Mastery ability.
Ley Line Portal: You can create a dimensional gateway that allows for instant travel between two points connected by a Ley Line. A minimum of two Portals are required for this ability to take effect. Creating a Portal requires 200 Mana and 150 Structural Mana, and maintaining it costs 25 Structural Mana per day. The Portal creator can determine who can use the Portal by setting Conditions upon its creation. For every level of Node Mastery, five people or 2,000 pounds of cargo can use a Portal per day.
Ley Line Tapping: Once per day, you can draw power from any Ley Line within a hundred feet of you, to a maximum of 125 Mana per Node Mastery level. This is increased to 250 per Node Mastery level at a ley line confluence.
Node Empowerment: Once per day, you can draw power from your Nodes, increasing your Mana Pool by twenty Mana per level of all the Nodes in range. The range of this ability is one mile per Node Mastery level.
“Easiest choice I’ve been offered today,” Hawke said, picking Ley Line Portal.
There was a ley line between Orom and the Stronghold. Building two portals linking them would solve a lot of his problems. The limit of twenty-five people or five tons of cargo per day meant he would still need to build a decent road and a bridge to keep ordinary trade going, but cutting the commute from two days to immediately would make life easier for everyone. Craftsmen would be able to work in the Stronghold but go back to Orom every day; he would be able to entice Flava the Alchemist to work on the high-grade laboratory in the Death Spire. Nadia had become an Alchemist, but her level in the Arcane Craft was too low to produce anything better than Minor Potions, which were of little utility for people beyond tenth level. Flava could h
elp raise her skill, as soon as traveling back and forth became a matter of talking a short walk.
All of that would have to wait until they were done with the Dungeon, of course. Meanwhile, he asked Saturnyx about his Global Renown.
“I don’t see the upside to that.”
“Okay, that might be useful. Especially if I need to kick the Herders’ collective ass. Being a great hero might make the authorities more sympathetic.”
“I’ll just have to keep doing amazing things.”
And not get killed doing them, of course.
Eighteen
QUEST: Cleanse the Dungeon
The Claw of Tartarus was an Infernal Dungeon until Laryn the Revenant took over its core and infected it with Undeath. New and strange minions are being created by the Dungeon. In time, they will start infesting the surrounding area. Slay some of them to delay that evil day.
Objective: Destroy 35 Infernal Undead.
Rewards: 1,500 XP, 20 gold, one random level 14-18 item (Masterwork Quality).
Penalties for Failure: None.
Accept? Y/N
QUEST: Close Infernal Portals
This Dungeon is linked to the Gates of Tartarus through five Portals which allow travel to and from the Labyrinth’s lower levels. Laryn the Revenant may use those conduits to invade the Gates of Tartarus and infect the Labyrinth with Undeath.
Objective: Destroy all five Portals. There is one Portal on each level of the Dungeon except the last.
Rewards: 1,200 XP and 15 gold for each Portal destroyed. If all Portals are Destroyed: 2,000 XP, 30 gold and one Class-specific level 15-20 item (Masterwork or Epic Quality).
Penalties for Failure: None.
Accept? Y/N
QUEST: The Five Barons
Each level of the Claw of Tartarus is under the control of a minor Infernal noble. Their names are Camanax, Dergal, Ikonok, Kabada and Yamorgo. To reach the lowest level of the Dungeon, you must defeat them all.
Objective: Destroy all five Infernal Barons.
Rewards: For each defeated Baron: 1,500 XP, 20 gold and one random level 12-15 item (Enchanted or Masterwork Quality). If all Barons are defeated: 2,500 XP, one Class-specific level 15-20 item (Epic Quality).
Penalties for Failure: None.
Accept? Y/N
QUEST: The Pool of Fear
On the third level of the Dungeon lies a molten pool of lava fashioned by an infernal Duke. Those who gaze into it will be taken to a Lesser Pit, where they will confront a manifestations of their greatest fear. If you survive the encounter, you will be purified and strengthened by it.
Objective: Accept the Pool of Fear Challenge and win.
Rewards: 2,500 XP, +2 to Willpower, Intelligence and Spirit, gain one new Perk.
Penalties for Failure: Death. For Eternals: Death plus -2 to Willpower, Intelligence and Spirit.
Accept? Y/N
QUEST ACCEPTED: Destroy, Purify or Absorb Dungeon Core
The Demon Prince Katolon was condemned to serve for six millennia as a Dungeon Core, bound to the Claw of Tartarus. He dwells on the sixth and final level of the Dungeon, from which he oversees its creatures. Laryn the Revenant has turned Katolon into an Undead Infernal, a new being with unknown powers and abilities. The Core that resides in his heart has been likewise mutated. The Demon Prince and the Core it holds must be stopped.
Objective: Defeat Katolon and extract the Core from its corpse, which you can then destroy, purify, or use as you see fit. Each option choice offers its own dangers and opportunities. Choose wisely!
Rewards: Varied, depending on your choice.
Penalties for Failure: None
Hawke accepted all the Quests he had a choice to accept, although he wasn’t sure if the group could complete them all. Dungeons were much larger and more complex than Lairs. If they couldn’t get through all six levels, they would have to retreat and try again later. Maybe after going to Akila and taking care of business? That trip would take two to three weeks, maybe as much as a month. Could they afford to let the Larry and his Dungeon run rampant throughout the Foothills – and maybe the Gates of Tartarus – during that time?
How long do you think this will take? Hawke asked his sword.
He nodded. His first Lair almost ended in failure and the wipeout of the entire Party. Only Saturnyx’s sacrifice had saved everyone. She had destroyed the gem that contained her soul to possess Hawke’s body and fight the Lair Master, who had overpowered everybody else. Kinto, an experienced Adventurer, had underestimated the dangers of the Lair, showing how risky Proving Grounds could be. Hawke’s second Lair crawl had gone a lot more smoothly, except for the falling out with a Party member, but that had been personal drama. He had also led a small army through the upper level of a Labyrinth, and survived.
We can do this.
He looked at the group gathered around the unholy temple. Nadia and Gzzatt had arrived earlier that morning. Hawke had met them partway there, but as it turned out, there had been no need. Nobody had bothered them. The Revenant’s followers were too busy fighting the Evergreen Circle to deal with a Sorceress-Paladin and her Arachnoid bodyguard. If they had tried to attack them, it would have been a fatal mistake. Nadia was worth a small army on her own, and Gzzatt, now at tenth level, was no slouch, either. The Arachnoid Warrior had picked a new specialty, Stalwart, which was a no-shield tank specialty with lots of defense and survival abilities. Having them in the Party made Hawke feel a lot better about the whole thing.
Tava was talking animatedly with Nadia while Gzzatt, Rabbit and Luna watched them. Further back, Grognard was taking a nap. So was the giant earth lobster Hawke had named Digger; both the Battle-Mage and the pet monster seemed to have similar priorities. Olaf and Gosto were waiting quietly, each deep in thought. And Alba and Girl-Has were killing time by throwing knives at each other and catching them in mid-air. The two Shadow Assassins weren’t gently lobbing the sharp and probably poisoned weapons back and forth, either. Those were full-speed throws, the kind that only people with superhuman Dexterity could hope to intercept. Girl had the edge in reflexes, but Alba was holding her own. Hawke thought about saying something but decided against it. If they wanted to play that sort of game, it was their business. He would heal the loser if he had to, but would otherwise stay out of it.
He looked at his timer app. It was nine in the morning. They could get in there and clear at least one level by bedtime. Then they would have to camp inside the Dungeon; otherwise the whole thing would reset and they would have to deal with every encounter they had overcome, all over again. He had never liked grinding in games, but he had discovered that doing it in real life was downright hellish. The plan was to clear the whole thing before the Party left, unless it turned out they just couldn’t handle it.
“Let’s get this Party started,” he said, earning serious nods from Tava and Gosto, a grin from Nadia, and a wince from Olaf.
He added everyone to the Party, who gained two ‘brevet’ levels automatically, thanks to Generalship II. The levels only added to their Characteristic pools and things like spell effects, but that was plenty. It meant, for example, that Olaf’s measly 58 Health rose to 74 and that his spells would work as if he was a seventh level Priest. Hawke’s own level rose to
an equivalent of sixteen. If anything would win the day for them, it was his Leadership. Sacrificing one tenth of everybody’s experience towards improving it was well worth it.
As everyone checked their gear, Hawke made sure that his Gift of the Martyr was up; he had cast the damage-transferring spell on Tava, Gosto, Alba, Olaf, and the baby Drakofoxes. The rest of the Party had Health pools large enough to ensure that if he absorbed their damage he would die in short order, leaving everyone else exposed. He wished he could place everyone under the spell’s protection, but he had to think of the greater good. Even adding Tava, whose Health was 550, was pushing it, but he’d be damned if he let his fiancée risk death while he could do something about it.
His other ongoing spell, Transference, served a similar purpose; he could transfer Mana to either Endurance of Health at will, faster than even insta-cast spells. That let him tank like a beast, and with the lowbie Party members he was dragging on this little trip to hell, that was just what he needed to do. Gzzatt and Nadia could off-tank in an emergency, along with the two big pets, but the job to keep the enemy’s attention away from the squishies fell primarily on him.
“Everyone who was in on the Labyrinth trip knows the sort of thing we’ll be running into down there,” he told the group. “It’s going to be hot as, well, hell. Keep hydrated. We’re bringing over twenty gallons of water per person, including some ice-cold lemonade, so don’t worry about running out of water any time soon. Demons do Fire and Hellfire damage, with extra Physical pain and suffering thrown in. The first kind is why I had some of you put Fire Salves on.”
Olaf, Grognard and Gosto were all covered in the stinky goop, which increased their Fire resistance by twenty percent. Unfortunately, the disgusting concoction didn’t do anything for Hellfire, which was an Infernal Force, against which low level scrubs didn’t have a lot of resistance. Infernal Proving Grounds were supposed to be rare in the Common Realm, but Hawke’s valley held two of them. Lucky him.
Labyrinth to Tartarus: A LitRPG Saga (The Eternal Journey Book 3) Page 12