by Paul Bellow
Chapter 29
The Vaults Underneath
Sarah
The next morning, I woke to the cold, biting winter winds which was whipped up by a massive bone dragon flying overhead. I stayed curled under my blanket, not moving and hoping it didn’t see me as it flew by. A few tense moments had passed after it went away. I stood, still clutching the blanket around me. The dragon had come from the direction of the Tower of Sherlock.
I headed back that way, making sure to be as stealthy as possible. The landscape was about as far away from the tropical island I’d been stranded on for almost twenty years. All the memories of that time period rushed back to me as I walked. When I reached the base of the cliff with the tower atop it, I stopped and stared up. Is there another way in?
Compelled to find out, I scouted the surrounding area. A set of narrow, deep steps leading up the side of a cliff behind the Tower of Sherlock looked daunting, but I started up. The wind picked up the higher I climbed, of course. If I fell, I would cast Feather Falling and most likely be okay, so I wasn’t too frightened. What awaited me on the top concerned me more.
When I reached a narrow ledge no more than a couple feet wide behind the Tower of Sherlock, I glanced up at the imposing structure partially carved into the mountain itself. Scaling the side of it was out of the question, so I took a few tentative steps down the ledge, looking for another way in. I didn’t find a normal door, but I saw a hole carved into the base of the tower big enough for me to fit through. What had dug such a hole? I wondered as I peered in.
Not seeing any signs of danger, I stepped into the tunnel, hunching over so my head didn’t hit the jagged rocks of the roof of the roughly carved cave. As I went, I noticed a slight change in depth. I was heading beneath the tower most likely, which was good. With each step, I peered straight ahead, scanning for anything. I cast a light spell when the natural light eventually gave way the deeper I went. The smells got worse as I descended. Sulphur filled the air.
I continued going deeper. The map started where the rock salt mines ended. By the seams of white crystals in the walls becoming more common, I figured I was heading in the right direction. Once I reached the salt mines themselves, the map would show me the way to the Vault of the Quest Giver. Whether or not I would run into Thomas remained to be seen. Even if I didn’t find him, his vault might hold more clues and treasures to help me find Eric and Josh.
The two of them had been in my mind even more the moment I stepped on the main island of the Grabisco Isles on level one-three. While I didn’t know their exact location, I was closer than when I’d been on the penalty level with Charlotte and the other penalized players.
I gripped my trusty spear as I crept forward, burrowing deeper underneath the Tower of Sherlock. How did Magi Inyontoo know Thomas? Was the Quest Giver working for him in some way?
I pushed the thoughts aside and concentrated on the cave ahead. The path had widened a few hundred feet back as the salt took up more of the walls. Eventually, even the floor of the tunnel turned into a solid block of salt. A light dusting of it stuck to my boots as I walked. While I still had my spear, I missed the magic crossbow that had disappeared after I left the penalty level. My spells had crossed over with me along with what experience I’d gained.
Up ahead, I saw something slithering on the ground. A rock salt snake came at me. I saw no eyes or mouth, but it somehow propelled itself forward. When it got near, it rose up and whipped across my face, damaging me.
The rock salt snake WOUNDS you for 18 damage.
You have [293/311] health remaining.
I brought my spear down on its body which turned out to be a mistake. On top of not doing a lick of damage, the stupid salt snake split in half. Both of them whipped up and struck my legs, once again doing damage.
The rock salt snake INJURES you for 13 damage.
The rock salt snake WOUNDS you for 16 damage.
You have [264/311] health remaining.
I dropped my spear and raised my palms to cast one of my most powerful spells. Two lightning bolts shot out, one from each palm. Each struck one of the snakes. Instead of killing them, the electricity only served to energize them. Both glowed an intense white before shooting bursts of energy out of one end toward me.
The rock salt snake DECIMATES you for 32 damage.
The rock salt snake WOUNDS you for 20 damage.
You have [212/311] health remaining.
Ugh. Maybe I should’ve thought this through more. Unable to defeat them, I grabbed my spear, strapped it on my back, then cast my newest spell—Blink. When I teleported just past the two rock salt snakes, I kept running deeper into the salt mines. I noticed a few twists and turns that resembled pieces of the map, and I quickly left the salt mines behind.
Without knowing how to kill them, I hoped the rock salt snakes didn’t follow me as I kept moving forward. My heart beat faster as I got closer to the Vault of the Quest Giver. I wanted to talk to him so bad and find out how he knew Magi Inyontoo. He could help me find Eric and Josh easier. Granted, I hadn’t even asked around about them since I arrived.
I reached the X mark spot on the map and saw a huge stone door carved into the wall of a cavern. As I approached, I noticed strange runes I couldn’t read. The door had no obvious handle and looked like it hadn’t been opened in ages. Maybe it was a trap? I’d gotten the map from Magi Inyonto and trusted it without too much thought.
Had he known I wouldn’t be able to enter? Thankfully, he wasn’t aware of the abilities of my new character class. Specifically, my ability to create runes. Many of them gave permanent abilities to things they were etched on, but some of them were more temporary. One such temporary rune was Open Sesame. While it had a silly name, it could unlock anything I’d come across in the game—even advanced magic.
Back on the penalty level, I’d used it more than once during the years. I found a boulder to sit on and began carving the Open Door rune on a small flat stone I’d brought with me for just such occasions. Valkyrie Skyriders might advance slowly, but they had cool abilities, powers, and spells. I concentrated on the work at hand as I carved.
The ceremony to turn it into a magical rune took another four after I completed the complex carving on the face of the rock, but I had the time. Nothing had come after me since the rock salt snake earlier in the tunnel. As I finished up the ritual, my excitement level rose. Even if I didn’t find Thomas the Quest Giver, I looked forward to his vault.
What did he keep in it? Files? Information? Treasures? I couldn’t wait to find out. The moment I finished the runestone, I tossed it at the door. A magical wave of energy flooded the door before I heard a deep clicking sound. The stone door of the vault slid to the right, revealing the inside. I stepped closer, my magic light barely illuminating anything.
After the door finished opening, I stepped into the entranceway, one foot in and one foot out of the vault. Scanning the darkness, I heard something from the far corner where my light didn’t reach. A hiss followed by a shriek got my attention. I should’ve healed before coming in here, I thought as I tightly gripped my spear, waiting to see what I would face.
Chapter 30
A Deeper, Darker Dive
Sarah
A group of skeleton warriors clutching swords staggered from out of the darkness in the far corner of the vault. I hadn’t seen anything else, so maybe it was larger? The questions could be answered later. I needed to kill some skellies. The spear would be difficult to attack them, so I kept it stored on my back and went for a ranged offensive magic attack.
Ten Golden Bolts shot out of my palms, pairs of them hitting the advancing skeletons. All five went down, their bones clustering into a pile. The other two stopped, turned to each other, and then whirled around to flee. I cast another four Golden Bolts at them, killing both before they reached the dark corner. Their bones fell apart before crashing to the ground.
Combat is Over!
You get 700 xp
You have 1,016,8
00 xp
You need 733,200 xp for level 11 Valkyrie Skyrider.
I kept walking forward, the glowing ball of light hovering over my head moving with me. As I reached the corner, I saw a doorway with a hallway behind it. Was the vault more than one room? I paused, waiting to see if any other skeletons came out. When they didn’t, I cast Improved Healing to bring my health back to full.
You feel better!
You have [292/311] health remaining.
You have [385/523] mana remaining.
I wondered if there was a way to sneak back onto the penalty level to get my magical crossbow. Or could I recreate it on a normal level? Maybe the rules were more relaxed on the penalty level for some reason? I found it difficult to focus on the task at hand. Something about the air underground had bugged me since I passed through the salt mines.
Curious about the rest of the vault and the source of the skellies, I walked toward the hallway. With every cautious step, I pushed on. The hallway ended at a wooden door. I listened before turning the knob and pushing it in a few inches. Seeing nothing on the other side, I went into the empty stone room. Three other doors stood closed on the other walls.
I saw three surnames above the doors; Mallory, Munchausen, Muenster. Was the vault actually more of a crypt? And which surname was Thomas’? I cursed the complexity of the puzzle and walked over to the middle door with Munchausen above it. Pressing my ear against the cool wood, I didn’t hear anything special on the other side.
The door with Muenster over it opened. I whirled to my right, ready for a fight. An ancient humanoid with leathery skin and a skull with glowing red eyes stepped out.
“Who are you?” he asked. “And what are you doing here? I’m busy.”
The smell of death leaked out of the room behind him.
“What are you doing?” I asked, plugging my nose.
“Answer my questions!” the lich hissed.
I stood still, not saying a word as I tried to carefully think of my next move.
“Very well,” he uttered.
“My name’s Piper,” I said. “Magi Inyontoo sent me.”
“Oh!” The lich chuckled. “You’re my late-night snack.”
“I don’t think so,” I said then cast Summon Lesser Ice Spirits.
The mana hit would hurt me, but I wanted to keep him busy enough to stop him from casting any spells at me. As my seven small ice elementals danced around him, I took a few steps backward and away from the Munchausen door. The lich fought my ice spirits, ignoring me for the moment, which gave me just enough time to come up with a decent plan.
“Enough!” he shouted before I had a chance to act.
He rushed into the Muenster room and slammed the door shut behind him. I ordered the four remaining ice elementals to attack it as I crossed the room. When I reached it, they had crashed it inward. I saw the lich standing next to a pile of bodies. A round teleportation portal stood across the room from him.
“You’re too late,” he said. “A few of them have escaped into the portal.”
“Where does it go?” I asked. “What are you doing? Answer before I kill you.”
He laughed again, throwing his skull back briefly. I sent the remaining ice elementals at him while I ran for the portal, hoping it would take me back to the Tower of Gates where I could start the level normally or look for Eric and Josh with the computer terminal.
“No!” the lich shouted, waving his arms.
The portal shrunk as I got closer. By the time I reached it, the entire thing had disappeared. I turned toward the lich, a lust for death on my face. As I raised my hands to cast, it dispatched the last elemental then pulled out a wand. I sent ten Golden Bolts at him as he activated the wand and threw up a shield around him.
Huh? The color and shape looked strangely like the protective shields Charlotte had created on the penalty level before I killed her. Had she come back as a lich somehow? She’d been evil enough on the penalty level for it to make sense, but I had no way of knowing for sure. The Golden Bolts harmlessly bounced off the shield.
“Arise, my faithful,” the lich hissed. “Answer the Quest Giver’s wish!”
“Thomas? Is that you?” I asked.
“I no longer go by that name,” he said.
“Why are you here working with Magi Inyontoo?” I asked. “Why did you leave me stranded on the penalty level?”
“Magi Inyontoo brought me back,” he said. “I have another task now, creating undead for the flood. He originally sent me to the penalty level to help you gain experience. I’m not sure why, but he didn’t want you coming out low-level as is custom after a long time in a penalty level.”
“Hold on,” I said. “This is too much information all at once. You are working for Magi Inyontoo? Why? And there are other penalty levels?”
“You’re as new to this game as he said. Pity.” The lich raised his hands. “Arise, my faithful. Answer the Quest Giver’s wish!”
The bodies behind him stirred then sat up, climbing off one another. Was he making zombies or something else? The game wouldn’t give me any information on them.
“What are those?” I asked.
“The entire game will find out soon enough,” Thomas the Lich said. “You’ll die by their hands first, but the rest will follow. I’ll leave you to it…”
He waved his hands and disappeared, either blinking or teleporting away. The color of the magical smoke left behind in his wake told me it was likely the former—i.e. a nearby location and not something far away. Did the vault complex go beyond what I’d found so far? I pulled out my spear to kill the undead physically, knowing the battle with the lich would take all my mana.
One after another, I dispatched the living dead relatively easily. Part of it had to do with my high-level melee skills, but some of it was them being weak, low-level undead of no particular flavor or variety. The last one went down without a fight when I stuck the tip of my spear through the bottom of its jaw, hitting the vital brain area.
Combat is Over!
You get 6,000 xp
You have 1,022,800 xp
You need 727,200 xp for level 11 Valkyrie Skyrider
I glanced around the room, looking for any signs of where Thomas might’ve gone. Blinking in a random direction was a quick way to materialize in stone, so I needed to figure out where he’d gone exactly. The blink spell also took a lot of mana which I wanted to conserve for offensive spells to soften him up before delivering the final blow with my spear.
Carving a new, temporary rune into the wood of the spear would be helpful, but I didn’t have the time. The permanent buffs I had on the weapon would have to suffice. After checking the bodies and not finding anything, I walked out of the room. The two other rooms with names above them also contained piles of bodies but no signs of Thomas the lich.
Did he teleport far away after all? The spell was new to me, but I’d noticed the particularly colored blue smoke the first time I’d cast it myself. I took a deep breath while debating where to go next. Would Thomas escape and run to Magi Inyontoo for help? Or was he setting a trap for me to spring? I went back to the hallway to see if I’d missed anything.
Going all the way back to the entrance of the vault, I didn’t see anything. My find hidden doors skill wasn’t great, but it also wasn’t horrible. I spent some time searching the hallway but found nothing. Finally, in the Muenster room, I found a secret button. When I pressed it, part of the wall in the back of the room dissolved away. I saw a passage leading out of the room.
Finally, success, I thought as I stepped forward. The lich running instead of outright fighting gave me hope. Maybe new liches had lesser powers or something. I wondered how Thomas had died. Did Magi Inyontoo kill him for some reason? I hated the number of questions that the Tower of Gates polluted my mind with sometimes.
The passageway continued a few hundred feet before I saw another doorway. I crept forward, keeping a steady watch on the area. When I reached the end of the passageway, I peered i
nto the room beyond. Thomas turned from a bookshelf with a new wand in his hand. He laughed as he raised and pointed it at me.
“I’ve been meaning to try this out,” he said.
A swirl of smoke came out of the tip of the wand, coalescing into a smoky blob with several limbs protruding from the central mass. What now? As the creature floated toward me, Thomas blinked away in a puff of blue smoke. My spear wouldn’t hit the smoke monster likely, so I went with a low level offensive spell to see if it took any damage.
Your Four Golden Bolts MAUL the smoky apparition for 25 damage.
You have [301/523] mana remaining.
The apparition floated forward and hit me with several of its smoky arms. While they went through me, they did damage, burning my skin even after they stopped touching.
The smoky apparition HITS you for 9 damage.
The smoky apparition INJURES you for 12 damage.
The smoky apparition GRAZES you for 6 damage.
You have [265/311] health remaining.
While the stupid mob didn’t do much damage, the multiple limbs might turn out to be a problem, especially if more of them hit me all at once. I needed to take it out before the lich got too far away and escaped. After taking a few steps back, I cast ten more Golden Bolts. They all hit, causing the smoky mess to disappear.
Combat is Over!
You get 1,000 xp
You have 1,023,800 xp
You need 726,200 xp for level 11 Valkyrie Skyrider
Come on, Thomas. Where are you?
I glanced around the room. Shelves covered all the walls. Another secret door? Why did he keep running away? Did I frighten him that much? I walked toward one of the shelves, looking for anything that might be a powerful magic item. A brass ring caught my eye. I picked up and prepared to cast identify.