by Cate Ryan
She caught sight of the same fighter who’d knocked off the first head. A tall redheaded guy. He was now clambering up onto the wound and over to where the new heads were sprouting out. Taysia quickly sent a fireball at the wound which she managed to cauterize. She tried to catch sight of the man’s tag only to realize that it was Nolan swinging about up there as if he had agility a fighter just shouldn’t have.
She grinned. That man was a gun.
She continued slinging whatever she could. Keeping just enough mana for a fireball.
“One more head to go guys.” Their group had dwindled to 20. Slinging arrows, fire, ice, rocks, whatever they could across the huge cavern.
A message alerted her to a skill up.
[Ability improvement: Bolt of Energy – Rank 2 (Novice)]
[Ability Improvement (Bolt of Energy). 15 XP awarded]
[255 XP until next level]
She didn’t even know that was possible and made a note to look into it once they were finally out of there. She grinned. It would be soon. They’d need to head back to the cavern and meet the assassin then craft the collars and straight to Hades, they could be home in time for dinner.
Though if Racquel was cooking, maybe it would be better to stay in the Underworld after all.
Taysia got lost in her train of thought only to look up and realize that another head had tumbled to the ground and two more grew in its place. She didn’t see which it was. Nolan landed next to her suddenly. “I’ve got three in my inventory. We should get out of here.”
Taysia nodded. “Fall back everyone. We’ve got what we need.”
She and Nolan waited for everyone to fall behind them before finally exiting the cavern. Again, they made it to the tunnel just in time to avoid a bitter attack of acid from the Hydraxius.
“Good job,” she told them all, offering pats on the back as they headed up the steep pathway back to the main cavern.
A few people recounted their version of the fight until they realized the rest were too tired to pay attention to what they said, and the group fell into a silent march back.
As they walked, Nolan transferred the 3 heads to her.
[Hydraxius Head Acid has been added to your inventory]
[Hydraxius Head Fire has been added to your inventory]
[Hydraxius Head Water has been added to your inventory]
As soon as that message disappeared another popped up
[Quest Update – Find ingredients for Cerberus’ Collar
Reward – 50 XP]
[30/35 Flobberwask Venom
14/15 Flobberwask Teeth
10/100 Spider Silk
50/50 Rat Fur
3/3 Hydraxius Head
0/3 Fury Blood Vial]
Oh shoot. She’d forgotten the spider silk.
“Hey, anyone got spider silk. Or know where I can find some?”
“Um, yeah. I got a couple. There are heaps of spiders in the main cavern though. Pretty small things. You don’t get some with every kill. Might find bigger ones in a side cavern.”
Taysia sighed. “Thanks. Looks like it might be time for some good old-fashioned grinding.”
She did just that. When they finally made it back to the large cavern, she sent a bolt of energy at every spider she saw. Trailing the edges of the cavern while the others recovered. She watched as the level 220 slowly regenerated life. 20%, 30%. 50%. As she did laps of the cavern.
It took almost two hours before she finally collected the last one. And with it, a level up. Aside from a single level up the entire process had been utterly boring.
[Congratulations – You have reached Level 12
You have unlocked ILLUSORY WALL
450 XP until next level]
She made a note to check the new ability as a quest update appeared on her screen
[Quest Update – Find ingredients for Cerberus’ Collar
Reward – 50 XP]
[35/35 Flobberwask Venom
15/15 Flobberwask Teeth
100/100 Spider Silk
50/50 Rat Fur
3/3 Hydraxius Head
0/3 Fury Blood Vial]
Hmm, that was troubling.
“Anyone seen that assassin?” What was his name. She turned to Mack, shrugged unhelpfully.
As did the rest of the occupants.
It was getting dark. Maybe she should follow after him. Make sure nothing had happened?
“Let’s go Mack. We better check on him.” The Minotaur waddled after her, still sporting the fancy axe. It had belonged to one of the slain fighters. An old item. She supposed it was Mack’s to keep now. She’d check the rules on that one with Isaac when they got back to the real world. Well, the real, virtual world. As real as any world for her would ever be.
Her exhaustion had begun to take over. All the tunnels began to look the same.
How much further could it be?
She checked her new ability.
[Illusory Wall – 20 Mana
Damage None
Cooldown 60 seconds
Description
This spell will conjure a wall that appears real unless touched. Mana cost listed is for 10ft wide by 10ft high wall (can be made to imitate a door also), but if you’ve got the mana, it can be extended as far as you like. We’re not saying you couldn’t build the wall of China, we’re just saying it’s never been done before.]
They walked for what seemed like the whole night and very nearly was. Suddenly, Taysia put up a hand to halt Mack before stopping herself. In the distance she could see a dead end. She squinted, trying to get a better look. Was it a door? She took a few tentative steps forward. It looked like a door. As soon as she got close, she could see something sitting on the floor in front of it. Crouching, she realized it was lock picking tools. She tried the door, moving the knob only slightly. It turned easily. Unlocked.
Strange that their assassin had made it all the way to the door, but they hadn’t seen him on the path. Did that mean he was still inside?
“Shh,” she mouthed to Mack. She focused on moving in the way her stealth skill had taught her. Quiet deliberate footsteps on the best places to avoid noise. The door squeaked slightly as she pushed through, she willed it to be quiet. It squeaked again as the bulkier Minotaur squeezed through behind her. But she didn’t see movement. Her night vision had leveled up again on the walk.
Rank 3 offered only a minor improvement over rank 2 but Taysia intended to make full use of it.
She pressed forward, just able to make out shapes in the room. It was more of an alcove really. An enormous sofa took up most of the room. She stepped around it. Four doors at the back. She pulled open the first. A bathroom. Well, sure. Even in the Underworld there had to be bathroom breaks.
She pressed on to the next one.
This one was dark, and she could just make out a bed in the distance. The slight snoring sound of a creature told her she wasn’t alone. She readied her new attack and searched her inventory pulling up a vial which appeared in her hand.
Cut. She thought the word, whispered it quietly and as she approached, the bed noticed that it had done its job. It wasn’t high damage. Not even painful enough to wake the slumbering creature.
She pressed the vial to the warm skin. A name popped up above the creature now she was closer.
[Alecto - Fury (610)]
[Fury Blood Vial has been added to your inventory]
Taysia read it. She hoped nothing had happened to the assassin. She wished she could remember his name.
The vial was full. She pressed the stopper to it and snuck backwards. Careful to avoid all the items littering the room. She could just make out things all over the floor. Mack stood in the doorway already. A slight shadow.
She’d made it. Back to the alcove.
The next room was similar. The floor was less littered. This time the name above read [Megeara - Fury (610)]
She uttered the spell again.
Cut.
She approached the figure. The vial f
illed with blood.
She stoppered it and stepped back.
The messages scrolled across her screen as she pressed the vial in her hand.
[Fury Blood Vial has been added to your inventory]
Sure.
[Quest Update – Find ingredients for Cerberus’ Collar
Reward – 50 XP]
[35/35 Flobberwask Venom
15/15 Flobberwask Teeth
100/100 Spider Silk
50/50 Rat Fur
3/3 Hydraxius Head
2/3 Fury Blood Vial]
As she read the quest update that Taysia slipped on the edge of carpet that had been laid on the floor. She tripped, landed on her butt and let out the tiniest squeak. It was enough.
The woman who had been sleeping peacefully in the bed. Leaped to her feet and no amount of stealth would stop her from noticing Taysia and Mack. Taysia’s hand touched something on the ground as she pulled herself back to her feet. And ran. She knew the layout of the room. Straight through the door into the alcove. She ignored the notification that appeared.
[Recharge-a-Mana has been added to your inventory]
Over the sofa and back into the tunnel. She didn’t know if it would be enough, but she had to get out.
Mack was right next to her.
“That was close,” he grunted as they ran the length of the hallway. Again uphill.
“Why does it seem like we’re always running uphill?”
“Is that a metaphor?” Mack laughed. At her exclamation and gestured around them.
“We are always running uphill. Fun isn’t it?” He slowed to a walk, his stamina spent. A few seconds later Taysia joined him.
“Wonder what happened to the assassin?”
“Hopefully he didn’t suffer the same fate.”
“Yeah, hopefully.” Taysia paused watching her stamina regenerate. She was pretty sure they’d lost the witch but just in case. “C’mon, let’s run a bit more.”
By the time they made it back to the cavern it was mid-morning. The walk, run had taken way longer on the return trip and Taysia was pleased to see a small spread of food options. None of them sounded particularly appealing, but she was famished.
She hooked into something that had once been part of a Flobberwask. And enjoyed every mouthful of it.
[You have consumed a Flobberwask steak. All of your stats have been restored.]
She watched as even the constant debuff from the terrible environment returned to its normal level.
She found Nolan chatting to someone she didn’t remember seeing before.
“Has that assassin come back? We only managed to get two vials before some hag caught us.”
This time Nolan nodded. “He’s in pretty bad shape though. Stumbled in here through a totally different passageway than the one you guys went down. Few hours after you left.”
They followed his line of sight. The person he pointed to might have been sleeping, except that his health bar sat at nearly zero and didn’t seem to be regenerating.
Nolan caught her glance. “Something the fury did, I guess. Way out of my wheelhouse.” He turned back to his conversation.
Taysia approached slowly. For the first time she wished she’d picked a class that did healing magic rather than the illusionist.
She had no idea what she could do for the man.
She tried to access his inventory. Maybe she didn’t need to help him here. Maybe they could just get him back to Rolling Wave if she could just get that last vial.
A tiny woman approached.
“I haven’t been able to help him.”
“I’m Samara. I’m the only one with healing magic left now. And I don’t think I’m high enough level. There’s nothing in the forums about this ever happening.”
She glanced down. “I didn’t go on the trip to the Hydraxius but I wonder if I could’ve saved some of them.”
Taysia shook her head. “It was crazy in there. You probably would’ve just died yourself.”
The woman nodded.
“He dropped this when he got here.”
Taysia watched as the woman pulled something from her inventory. A single vial. The vial was a different design to the one’s Taysia had, but it held blood. Unmistakable.
[Quest Complete – Find ingredients for Cerberus’ Collar
Reward – 50 XP]
[35/35 Flobberwask Venom
15/15 Flobberwask Teeth
100/100 Spider Silk
50/50 Rat Fur
3/3 Hydraxius Head
3/3 Fury Blood Vial]
Each line was highlighted green.
[Quest Update – Craft Cerberus’ Collar (see crafting menu)
Reward – 150 XP and freedom from the Underworld]
Taysia grinned.
“Guys.” Her voice was quiet at first, then again louder. “Everyone? We’ve got it all. I just have to craft it then we can get out of here. Pack up. We’re going home.”
She navigated to the crafting menu using her thoughts. She didn’t need equipment like in Shizuku Tani just the items.
She scrolled down until she found the item, highlighted in green.
[Cerberus Collar – Unique] listed underneath the entry each item was green.
She grinned and pressed craft.
[This item will be completed in 32 hours and 5 minutes]
“Nevermind guys! It’s going to take 32 hours. Better settle in.”
Nolan shook his head. “I disagree. I’ve got something to cut that time in to a quarter.”
He handed her an item in a small vial.
Chapter 14
“It’s ready.” They all stood huddled just outside the entrance to Hades cavern. The collar was done. Of course, now that it had finished, Taysia could tell it was actually a series of three collars which comprised a full set. Each had the shrunken down head of a Hydraxius hanging like a charm from it.
She stood and took a deep breath. Then wished she hadn’t. The pungent smell assaulted all her senses at once.
Word had passed around the group and they all began clambering to their feet. Nolan at the front and a couple of the stronger people carrying the unconscious assassin towards the back of the group.
Taysia looked around at their little group of misfits. Each dirty and stinky. It was well and truly time to get everyone home.
She looked down at the collars. So much work for such a small thing.
They needed to face the Stone Soldiers. She needed to get back to Isaac and Racquel.
“Hades. I’ve done it. It’s ready. I’ve fulfilled my end of the bargain. Let me leave.”
This time Hades played the odd card game with a woman.
[Eurydice] the tag read. The name seemed familiar to Taysia but she couldn’t remember why.
“Yes, okay.” He looked to his hand then back to Eurydice. “Wasn’t going to win anyway.”
“Game over. You lose.” It seemed to be his signature catchphrase. With a wave he dismissed Eurydice. She didn’t move. He turned back to Taysia and her assembled group.
“Collar.” She handed them over and the quest alert popped up.
[Quest Complete – Craft Cerberus’ Collar
Reward – 150 XP and freedom from the Underworld]
[Congratulations – You have reached Level 12
You have unlocked KALEIDOSCOPE
600 XP until next level]
“And now. Reward please”’
“No can do, doll.” Hades had already run across to the giant three-headed dog and stood contemplating which collar would look best on which head. Having decided he reached a hand up to the middle head of the giant dog. Beast. Whatever you wanted to call it.
“What. We had a deal.”
“We did. And as much as I’d love to hold up my end. I never go back on a deal.” He winked to Eurydice who remained seated at the table.
“I can’t fulfill my end. You and your beast can go. But the rest of them have to stay. I can’t get them out. They’re stuck here un
til you can fix whatever’s blocking me.”
Nolan and the others chattered loudly and unhappily amongst themselves a few cries of outrage amongst them, “You promised!”
Taysia spoke over them, “But then you promise you’ll let them go?”
Hades pressed one hand across his chest. His bow tie was askew. “Cross my fingers. Stick a needle in my eye.”
“Okay. Great.”
Taysia glared at the god, unimpressed.
She turned to the rest of the group. “I’m really sorry. I’ll find Isaac and Racquel and we’ll fix this as soon as possible.”
“Okay, thank you Taysia. We’ll stay safe.”
She nodded turning back to Hades.
“How do we do this? You magic me back to Headquarters?”
He shook his head and pointed to a dark passageway she hadn’t noticed earlier it looked far too narrow for her to fit through. And steep. “Follow that until you get to the water. Whatever you do, don’t look back. Get in the boat and it will take you back to Hellas.” Eurydice’s voice was filled with sadness.
Taysia remembered where she knew the story from. Orpheus, the son of Apollo had married a woman named Eurydice. She’d died from a snakebite or some other accident. After she got sent to the Underworld, Orpheus couldn’t face life without her and descended to the Underworld to find her. He did. Hades made a deal with them. Orpheus would leave first, and Eurydice would follow. Hades told Orpheus not to look back or Eurydice would fade back into the Underworld forever. He looked back.
That was all she had to do. Her and Mack. Walk and not look back. Sounded easy enough.
“She means it. Don’t look back.”
He cackled. “Or you’ll be spending a lot more time playing cards with me. Maybe we’ll even start a little tournament down here. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
Taysia didn’t bother to answer the rhetorical question.
“Bye Hades,” she spat the words not bothering to hide her disdain. She didn’t bother looking behind her as she headed for the passageway. She knew Mack followed her by the little tap, tap of his feet on the cavern floor. She squeezed in, the walls felt damp, and cold. They scratched at her skin, but she pushed on. She had to. She had to get home and save everyone. It seemed like forever. Uphill. As always.