Magic School

by Phoenix Grey

  “Well, I guess we’re ready,” Lonnell said, his arms swinging slightly back and forth with nervousness.

  “Yeah. Let’s do our best.” Janine shifted her weight.

  “Good luck to all of us.” Azure sucked in a breath before turning to face his door. “I guess I’ll see you guys on the other side.”

  “Don’t say it like that,” Janine chastised him.

  “You know what I mean.” He cast a smile over his shoulder before opening the door and stepping inside.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  THE REALM – Day 75

  Azure wasn't sure what he had expected to find, but it definitely wasn't the ghostly visage of a man standing in an otherwise empty room. He looked tired and sunken in, his body twisted inward where he leaned on a magnificent sword. Long dark hair fell onto his shoulders, but he was balding on top. Narrow features accentuated a strangely angular scowl. The finery he wore suggested that the man must have been wealthy in his previous life. A leather vest with vibrant green stitching closed over his chest with a red silk shirt beneath that matched the crimson slacks he donned. Azure Analyzed him from the doorway.

  Level 13 Digby's Distorted Soul.

  Digby. The guy who built this mansion. It clicked into place.

  “Hello,” Azure said apprehensively, sticking close to the door. The sound of it shutting behind him made Azure glance back for a second.

  When his eyes returned forward, the ghost was right in front of him, the sword swinging down to cleave his head in half. Azure ducked and rolled to the side, barely avoiding the attack. His hand instinctively reached for his Bergen’s Glaive, drawing it just in time to block the next incoming swing. The lifeless body had taken in breath with all the vigor of a swordsman in his prime. Steel clashed against steel in a flurry of advancements so swift that all Azure could do was dodge and block.

  “Digby,” Azure tried to get the ghost’s attention. No matter how many times he said its name though, it didn’t seem to be listening. Malice showed behind narrow brown slits of eyes, the type that would suggest Azure was its worst enemy.

  Finally, after what seemed like a good five minutes of defending, Azure saw an opening to attack. His Bergen’s Glaive sliced through the apparition as if it was nothing but air. That’s when Azure realized he was in trouble. He didn’t have the amulet to materialize the ghost, and thus would not be able to harm it.

  “Fuck!” he breathed as he blocked another downward swing from Digby, the blade coming dangerously close to his forehead.

  Already, Azure’s arms were beginning to tremble, his muscles atrophying from repeatedly defending against a foe several levels higher. Not good. He needed to get out of the room as quickly as possible.

  Edging toward the door, Azure couldn’t even reach back for the handle, he was so busy avoiding being sliced in two. The ghost seemed to have boundless energy and unwavering aggression. After a few seconds of defending with his back pressed against the door, Azure realize with much dismay that there would likely be no way to slip out without taking damage.

  Realizing that swinging to the side wasn't going to work against Azure, Digby made an attempt to stab forward and run him through. Taking advantage of the attack, Azure rolled to his right, his hand desperately reaching out for the door handle as soon as his back was against the wall again. He pulled the door open as the ghost drew his sword back, trying to squeeze his body through the opening, but Digby wasn't having it. His foot kicked forward, slamming into the door and smashing Azure's body between it. Then he went for another forward stab, piecing Azure's side. A blood-curdling scream erupted from his lips as the ghostly blade easily sliced through flesh, muscle, and intestines.

  Citical hit! Level 13 Digby's Distorted Soul delivers 75 damage.

  Son of a bitch! Gritting through the pain, Azure took the only opportunity he had to force his way through the door when Digby let up to stab him again, though the sword managed to come down and slice his side one more time, catching the tiniest bit of flesh on his way out.

  Level 13 Digby's Distorted Soul delivers 65 damage.

  As if aiding him in keeping the ghost out of the hallway, the door slammed behind Azure as soon as he was through it. Panting and groping at his side, he fell to the floor. Lonnell’s feet were in his peripheral vision, as was his similarly depleted Health and Stamina bars. It appeared that the staff-wielder hadn’t fared much better.

  “We need the Amulet of the Underdead,” Lonnell said, his stat bars already beginning to recover.

  Azure reached into his Bag of Holding and pulled out two Potions of Minor Healing and one Potion of Minor Stamina, drinking down the contents as quickly as possible. The healing potions only brought him up to 135 points. Three hits of Digby’s sword would be enough to kill him. Two if there was a Critical hit. Briefly, Azure thought about drinking another Potion of Minor Healing, but what would it really matter if the potion only healed him for 30 points but Digby dealt 65 points of damage per swing. As it was, Azure only had three Potions of Minor Healing left.

  “You’re not looking very good,” Lonnell noted.

  Somehow, he and Janine seemed to have an endless supply of potions. Azure envied them for not having to suffer his pain. The stab wound he’d endured was still bleeding, though it didn’t feel like it had punctured anything vital anymore. Existence was definitely pain.

  “You weren’t looking so great yourself.” Azure stared at him from the floor.

  They wouldn’t be able to do anything until Janine finished her room, and Azure wasn’t worried about getting attacked in the hallway, so there was no point in standing up. Besides, it hurt much less when he didn’t move.

  “I don’t know why I didn’t think that we’d need the amulet.” Lonnell’s brow furrowed as he gazed off into nothingness.

  “Probably because we’ve faced more skeletons in this dungeon than ghosts. To be honest, none of us knew what to expect. I was just as on board with finishing these rooms off quickly as everyone else.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” Lonnell raked his fingers through his hair, then took a few steps over to lean against the wall next to where Azure was laying and slide down it. “I just hope she’s all right. If she dies in there...” his voice trailed off.

  “If she dies in there, we’re fucked,” Azure finished his thought.

  Lonnell nodded.

  “I wonder how long it will take her.” His head fell to the side facing the door with the ax emblem.

  “I suppose it depends on if she can even get a hit in. I don’t know what you were fighting, but I had Digby in my room, and he wouldn’t let up, even for a second.”

  “Same. Maybe his soul is distorted because it’s divided between the rooms.” Azure looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

  Five minutes of silence passed, and with each one, his worry for Janine increased. He wanted to peek inside of the room to make sure that she was all right, but he didn’t know what kind of consequences that would carry, so it was better not to.

  “How long should we wait for her?” Azure turned to Lonnell.

  “How long does it take to defeat a monster like that?”

  He had no answer. It felt like it had taken forever just for him to get that one hit in.

  They continued to wait. After what seemed like an eternity but was probably a little over ten minutes, the door finally opened. Janine came stumbling out, looking like something from a horror movie. Blood splattered her face from what had been a large wound in her left shoulder. Her armor was torn away from that spot, and there was a gnarly looking scab that went almost all the way down to where her arm met her armpit. While she had been in the room, they couldn’t see her status bars. Despite Janine's panting and evident exhaustion, they were mostly topped off.

  “Oh my God, that sucked so badly.” She fell to the floor next to Azure. In her hand, Janine clasped an ornate ax. Intricate Celtic-looking carvings decorated the silver-white blade, and there was
a large round red jewel at the end of the handle. Janine gazed down at the ax that lie limply in her hand for a moment before looking from Lonnell to Azure. “How did you guys do?”

  “We just got beaten the fuck up.” The slightest bit of agitation showed through in Azure’s voice.

  “We need the Amulet of the Underdead to fight Digby,” Lonnell informed her, pushing away from the wall.

  “Oh.” She shot another glance between her two comrades. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Janine quickly removed the amulet from around her neck and offered it to Lonnell.

  He turned his attention to the door with the staff emblem. “I’ll try to get this done as quickly as possible.”

  “Please, take your time. I still want to rest a bit,” Azure told him.

  “You really should heal up more.” Lonnell scowled. “Remember that if you die, we can’t make it to the end either. There are three indentations in that door.” He pointed to the door at the end of the hall before placing the amulet around his neck.

  “Your concern for me is overwhelming.” Azure chuckled but quickly stopped when he felt pain bloom from his injury.

  Lonnell mustered up his courage and strode forward. Knowing how aggressive the ghost was had him feeling apprehensive. It was apparent in the tension in his face and the stiffness in his gait. But they had to do this. Procrastinating wouldn’t prevent the inevitable.

  “How bad was it?” Azure asked Janine once Lonnell had disappeared into the room.

  “Pretty bad. I couldn’t seem to get a hit in edgewise. If I had known how difficult this dungeon would be...” Janine's voice trailed off, her hand moving to rest on her injured shoulder.

  “I'm sorry if it seems like I lied to you.” Azure's chin dipped to his chest.

  “Did you lie to me?” Janine raised an eyebrow in his direction.

  “Dungeons are never easy,” he confessed finally.

  Azure expected her to be angry, but she simply sighed, her body slumping slightly. “Well, I suppose it’s too late now. We’ve already come this far.” She averted her gaze, locking it on the door that Lonnell had entered. “I just hope he does better than I did.” Janine rubbed her shoulder.

  “It was a bad injury?” His hand went to the wound at his side. Red warmth coated his fingers, and he had to draw back to keep the salt of his skin from causing more pain.

  “I’ve yet to experience anything worse. I don’t think I’ll be doing another dungeon after this one. Yeah, I’m leveling up quickly, but it’s just not worth it.” She shook her head.

  “That’s fine. I get it. But for what it’s worth, you make a great party member.” Azure smiled at her.

  “Thanks.” Janine smiled back, but it didn’t make it to her eyes.

  Lonnell finished his room much faster than Janine had. He came out panting, using his new staff for support. While he wasn’t bloodied up, it was clear by the bruises on his face that he’d been knocked around a bit. His Health and Stamina were cut down by over half. Before even taking the time to speak to them, he dug into his Bag of Holding for potions to heal up.

  “I guess I’m up next.” Azure sat up finally, sending pain racing through his body. Next time he entered a dungeon, he’d make damn sure he had about a hundred healing potions on him. This was bullshit.

  “You’re not really going in like that, are you?” Janine’s face filled with concern as she watched Lonnell hand the amulet over to Azure.

  You have received the following item:

  Amulet of the Underdead

  Type: Jewelry

  Durability: 5/10

  Item Class: Common

  Quality: Average

  Weight: 0 kg

  Traits: Quest Item. Point at a ghost to make it materialize.

  He paused for a moment, staring at his staff-wielding friend. Lonnell had lost a lot of Health in the room, even with the amulet. Janine had clearly suffered worse. Azure would be dumb to think he could take on Digby without enduring a few more injuries.

  “You’re right,” he submitted finally, digging into his Bag of Holding for one more Potion of Minor Healing. It pained him to need it, but the odds of surviving the room weren’t in his favor without it. “I doubt this will help much.” Azure frowned once he was done drinking.

  “You seriously don’t have anything more you can use?” Janine eyed him in disbelief.

  “I have two Potions of Minor Healing left, two Potions of Minor Stamina, and one Minor Potion of Life,” he rattled off his remaining inventory to her. “And I’m probably going to need all of that for the boss fight. I will sacrifice the Minor Potion of Life for this battle if need be,” Azure tried to reassure her.

  Janine shook her head at him, digging into her bag again. Producing a red vial, she handed it over. “Here. This is all I can spare.”

  He nodded in thanks, quickly drinking the contents. Azure was still at under 200 Health points. It was a bit scary, but he’d have to make it work. At least, the pain in his side had died down dramatically.

  He stood before the door and took a deep breath. “All right. I’m going in.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  THE REALM – Day 75

  This time, Azure had a plan. He wrapped the Black Barbed Whip around his belt to equip it for its stat boosts. As soon as he was through the door, he pointed the amulet at Digby. The ghost was standing in the middle of the room again looking tired and stoic. Its faded body seemed to solidify after a moment, telling Azure that the amulet had worked. He wouldn't make the same mistake of taking his eyes off of Digby. Before the ghost even had time to move, Azure was drawing his Bergen's Glaive.

  Digby lifted his head, then gripped the sword he had been leaning on and charged. This was what Azure had missed last time. The ghost rushed him like a madman, his blade held above his head. With a guttural roar, Azure stormed forward as well. He kept his Bergen's Glaive at chest level, pure adrenaline infusing each step.

  It was over almost before it had begun. Digby swung down while Azure ducked and plunged his blade up through the spirit's ribcage. This time, resistance was felt as Azure put his weight into skewering the materialized body. Layer after layer of ghostly flesh gave way, and soon the Bergen's Glaive was buried hilt deep.

  Digby's sword-hand went limp before his blade clattered to the floor. A strange pink liquid began pouring out from the sides of his mouth. Not blood but plasma. He stared at Azure with dead eyes, the fight quickly leaving him. Then he disappeared, fading away like a cloud of smoke.

  Critical hit! Defeated Level 13 Digby's Distorted Soul. 117XP rewarded.

  Well, that was a bit anticlimactic, Azure thought, though he certainly wasn't complaining. After the shock of having won so quickly passed, it was replaced by pride that he was able to best an enemy several levels higher in a single blow. Now that he thought about it, it seemed like just deserts after failing so miserably the first time around.

  He bent to pick up the sword, feeling all sorts of relief that he could enter the next battle without needing to completely deplete his stock of healing items.

  You have received the following items:

  Digby Mansion Sword Key

  Attack: +5-10

  Vitality: +5

  Strength: +5

  Agility: +5

  Type: Two-Handed Weapon

  Durability: 29/29

  Item Class: Common

  Quality: Average

  Weight: 1.0 kg

  Uses: Quest Item

  Oh wow. Nice stats.

  Azure took a moment to admire the sword. It matched Janine’s ax, with intricate carvings down the blade and a large round red jewel set in the pommel. The only disconcerting thing was the lightness of it. For the materials it appeared to be made from, it weighed almost nothing. Hopefully, he’d be able to carry it out of the dungeon once they were done. The sword looked like it would be worth a small fortune, despite its Common class and Average quality. Then again, the stat
boosts might make it worth keeping, even though its attack power was far inferior to his Bergen’s Glaive.

  Azure took the sword and headed for the door. Both of his comrades seemed surprised to see him come out so soon. It had only been a few minutes.

  “Wow. That was quick.” Janine’s eyes set on the sword in Azure’s hand.

  He shrugged. “I knew what it was going to do this time.” Azure thought of how Digby had raised his sword overhead to attack. While there was no way he could have predicted the ghost would assault him in the same manner as the first time, as soon as he saw the repetition, his body had moved automatically to counter in the best way he knew how—a move he’d seen in movies and anime more times than he could count. If Azure had been even a hair slower, he’d probably be dead right now, the key-blade buried deep in his skull. His quick win had been a mixture of skill and luck.

  “And not even a scratch on you.” Lonnell looked him up and down. “I seriously don't know how you managed that.”

  “Mad skills.” Azure blew on his knuckles and rubbed them against his chest.

  “Must be.” Janine smirked at him.

  “Well, we got the keys. Are we ready for the boss fight?” He glanced from Janine to Lonnell.

  “I’m kind of tired.” She shifted her weight. “That fight took a lot out of me, maybe more mentally than physically.” Her hand went back to the gash on her shoulder.

  “Remember, if we finish this tonight, you get to sleep in a bed. If we finish this in the morning, it’s back to Squall’s End afterward.” It was clear which one Lonnell preferred.

  “I say we finish this today.” Azure sided with him. “I kind of hope we don’t have to fight with these dinky weapons.” His gaze fell to the sword-key.

  “I think they’re great.” Janine cut through the air with her ax. The way she moved with it showed no resistance from the heaviness of metal.