[Combat mode deactivated]
Deactivated? Isabelle rolled her eyes. What was going on with her system?
[Clarification: An enemy had come within fifty feet of your party, but then, they left.]
"At least we're not in combat mode any more," said Isabelle with a sigh. She looked back at the stone archway, which lead to a stone structure that seemed impossibly tall. "But really, what the fuck is this?"
"I believe this is the entrance to the Cauldron's Tower," said Ignis, her eyes narrowed. "The tower within the Spire; some might call it the heart of the Spire."
"A tower within a tower?" said Isabelle, rolling her eyes.
" Beaubintian nesting towers, they call it," said Tahsi as he equipped a dinner roll. "This one is extra freaky, though. It's heavily warded."
"No shit," said Isabelle, reaching out a hand to touch the runes. As her fingers brushed against the cool stone, a jolt of energy shot up her arm. She yelped and snatched her hand back.
"Let me try," said Ignis, stepping forward. She took a deep breath and let out a stream of fire, bathing the archway in a torrent of flames. The runes flared brightly, absorbing the fire, and then shot back a wave of pure energy that sent Ignis stumbling backward with a surprised yelp.
[Ignis takes 20 hp magic damage]
"Well, that's not going to work," said Ignis, shaking her head and singeing the pavement.
"So we're stuck here?" said Tahsi Senior, his voice trembling slightly.
"No," said Isabelle, her eyes fixed on the archway. "There's got to be a way." She started pacing, her mind racing. "The runes... they're a puzzle. A password."
She looked at the glowing symbols, her mind sifting through everything she'd learned about magic and the Spire. They were a mix of ancient draconic and some other, older script she didn't recognize. But there was a pattern, a logic to them.
"It's a sequence," Isabelle said, more to herself than to the others. "A specific order. But what's the key?"
She stared at the runes, frustration building inside her. She was so close. She could feel it. Of course, if Isabelle still had access to the magic script she'd written called 'fuck this shit,' she'd be able to easily disable the entire archway and move on without any of its odd checks and balances. But then again, if that happened, would the Spire not try to nerf her all over again? Isabelle didn't want that. She didn't want that at all.
"Think," she said with a sigh. "What connects them all? What's the common thread?"
She looked at the draconic symbols, her memory flashing back to the dragon scrolls she'd looted from all those dragons she'd slain. She'd read them, absorbed their knowledge, but it was all a jumble in her head. But now, looking at these runes, it all started to click into place. The scrolls weren't just history; they were a guide. A key.
"It's a prayer," Isabelle said, her eyes rolling as she sighed with realization. "A prayer to the Spire itself. The first one taught to all young dragons."
She reached out, her finger tracing the runes in a specific sequence, her movements sure and confident. As she touched the final rune, the entire archway flared with a brilliant white light, and the humming intensified. The stone ground rumbled, and a section of the wall next to the archway slid away, revealing a dark, narrow staircase leading downwards.
["Path of the Faithful" has been discovered]
["Path of the Faithful" has been completed]
[Notice: You're ready to level up]
Isabelle liked how her system was telling her about this quest request, it was smaller. Sleeker. Was this what it felt like to have a system at full operational capacity?
[Clarification: Yes, although you can further customize your quest request display modules if you so choose.]
Isabelle did not so choose. She quite liked how that had flowed together.
[New quest: The Spire's Heart]
[Objective: Find the Cauldron]
"Fuck yes!" said Isabelle, a triumphant grin spreading across her face. "Let's go get your son back, Tahsi."
[Notice: You're ready to level up]
"My son!" said Tahsi Senior, a fresh wave of hope and a mouthful of gluten washing over him. "Let's fucking do this."
It sounded like a great plan, but of course Isabelle was going to level up first and foremost. She had to keep her priorities in order, after all. Plus, her system would freeze time while she leveled, so to her party members it was really irrelevant anyways.
But not to Isabelle.
Leveling could never, ever be irrelevant to her. And she wasn't wasting another moment outside of combat mode without leveling up.
[Congratulations, you've reached level 70!]
[Achievement unlocked: Nice, you completed level 69]
[Notice: You have attribute and skill points to spend]
[Would you like to spend your points now?]
[Y/N]
Isabelle thought yes.
Attribute Points to Spend: 70
Hp: 938
H-Regen: 2.4/5sec
Mana: 348
M-Regen: 2/10sec
Stm: 845
S-Regen: 0.7/sec
Isabelle knew exactly what she was going to do. This was her one and only level up for this sequence, and she was still righting some of the perceived wrongs of her earlier overzealous leveling. With that, Isabelle put 52 points into her mana and the remaining 18 points into reducing her M-Regen time.
Skill Points to Spend: 79
Str: 487 Int: 354
Dx: 380 Wis: 346
Const: 448 Char: 176
Okay, Isabelle needed to level with herself, literally and figuratively, for a moment. It really seemed like she ought to dump a good bit of her points into charisma, because it was insultingly low compared to her other stats. But she didn't want to ONLY dump points into charisma, because that was boring and very contrary to Isabelle's preferences overall. So, she resolve to put 24 points into charisma, 20 into dexterity, 20 into wis, and 6 into int. A good, balanced addition.
[Congratulations, you've finished leveling up!]
Character Status
Name: Isabelle
Gender: Female
Level: 70
Class: Shadow Mage
Race: Human
Alignment: Chaotic-Evil
Attributes
Hp: 938
H-Regen: 2.4/5sec
Mana: 400
M-Regen: 3/2sec
Stm: 845
S-Regen: 0.7/sec
Skill Points
Str: 487 Int: 360
Dx: 400 Wis: 366
Const: 448 Char: 200
Magic Ability Levels
Enchant: 3 Summon: 2
Heal: 3 Destroy: 13
Transmute: 3 Confuse: 3
Shadow: 1
Normal Ability Levels
Crafting: 8 Sneak: 12
Archery: 11 Lockpick: 5
Armed Combat: 18 Melee Combat: 4
Speech: 17 Sleight Of Hand: 6
Satisfied with her new stats, Isabelle looked at her character sheet for a moment with pride before the leveling dialogue ended and she was once again standing before her party members with time marching on as normal.
"Isabelle, are you ready to go?" said Ignis with a fiery huff. She looked impatient to get things started.
"Sure, Ignis," said Isabelle. Then, she looked again at the Choxian dragon that was her party member. "You know, Ignis, I'm a little concerned you won't fit down the passageway."
"Don't sweat it, human," said Ignis with another huff. "I'm a dragon of the ground and stone, this is my element. Child's play as far as I'm concerned. Just keep marching onward."
Isabelle shrugged, nodded, and moved on.
They descended the staircase, the air growing colder and damper with each step. The walls were lined with the same glowing runes, casting eerie shadows that danced and twisted. The silence was absolute, broken only by the sound of their own footsteps and the drip-drip-drip of water somewhere in the distance.
After what felt like an eternity, they emerged into a vast, circular chamber. The ceiling was so high it was lost in darkness, and the walls were lined with towering shelves, crammed with countless jars, bottles, and boxes, all glowing with a faint, sickly green light. In the center of the chamber was a massive, bubbling cauldron, its contents a swirling vortex of luminescent green liquid. The air was thick with the smell of chemicals and something else, something sweet and cloying and utterly wrong.
"So this is the Cauldron," said Ignis, her voice low and cautious.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"And that must be where they make the Oglos," said Tahsi Senior, pointing to a large, humming machine at the far end of the chamber, which was connected to the cauldron by a series of thick, pulsating tubes.
"Jesus Christ," said Isabelle, her stomach churning. "It's like a fucking factory."
As they watched, a new Oglo rose from a pool of glowing liquid on a conveyor belt. It was a perfect, naked replica of the original, its skin pale and smooth. It took a shaky step, then another, before stumbling forward and joining a line of other newly created Oglos, who were being herded towards a large, glowing portal by a pair of hulking, armored figures. Velithar, they looked to be, of course. Clockwork warriors for a Clockwork Spire, Isabelle figured.
She crouched, and bade her party members do the same. Now was the time for stealth.
[Current Visibility: 0/609]
Nice.
"Okay," said Isabelle, her mind racing. "New plan. We find Tahsi Junior, we grab him, and we get the fuck out of here. Then we figure out how to blow this whole place to kingdom come."
"Agreed," said Ignis, her eyes scanning the room for threats.
"My son," said Tahsi Senior, his gaze fixed on the portal as he mangled a bagel with his mouth. "I wonder if that's where he is. It seems to be radiating the same kind of strange light energy that coiled around him when Oglo zapped him away."
"Then that's where we're going," said Isabelle with a sigh, her grip tightening on the Overlord’s Black Silver Hammer. She could feel its power course through her body. "Stay close. And be ready for a fight."
They moved cautiously through the labyrinthine shelves, the green light casting long, distorted shadows that seemed to move on their own. The air grew colder, the hum of the machines louder. As they rounded a corner, they saw him. Tahsi Junior was standing in front of the portal, his body frozen in a block of glowing green energy. His eyes were wide with terror, his mouth open in a silent scream.
"Junior!" Tahsi Senior cried out, rushing forward.
"Tahsi, no!" Isabelle yelled, but it was too late. As the kobold reached for his son, a pair of the armored Velithar guards stepped out from behind a nearby shelf, their weapons raised.
[Combat mode activated]
[Current visibility: 609/609]
"SHIT!" said Isabelle. She stood up. It was time to fucking throw down.
She turned to face the Velithar. "You have three seconds to get the fuck out of my way before I turn you into scrap metal."
The Velithar didn't respond. They just kept advancing, their movements precise and unnervingly silent. One raised a massive, gleaming axe, the other a spear crackling with electricity.
"Very well," said Isabelle with a sigh. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
She charged at the one with the axe, her hammer a blur of motion. The guard sidestepped with a speed that belied its bulky armor, bringing its axe down in a devastating arc. Isabelle felt it coming and twisted her body, the axeblade missing her by a hair's breadth and cleaving a deep gouge in the stone floor.
[Velithar Guard attacks with Axe Sweep]
[You dodge the attack]
Isabelle retaliated with a powerful swing of her own. The hammer connected with the guard's chest, denting its armor but not breaking through. The impact sent a shockwave up her arm, but she held on.
[You attack with Overlord's Black Silver Hammer]
[Velithar Guard takes 35 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard is staggered]
While the guard was off-balance, Ignis let out a torrent of fire. The flames washed over the guard's back, the metal glowing red-hot.
[Ignis uses Minor Fire Breath]
[Velithar Guard takes 28 hp fire damage]
[Velithar Guard is stunned]
The other guard, seeing its companion in trouble, lunged at Tahsi Senior, its spear aimed at the kobold's heart.
[Velithar Guard attacks with Electrified Spear]
"Look out!" Isabelle yelled, but the kobold was too terrified to move. Just as the spear was about to impale him, a wall of shadowy energy erupted from the ground, intercepting the blow. The spear sizzled against the shield, sparks flying.
[Shadow Wall]
Isabelle blinked. Where the fuck did that come from? She hadn't cast it. It just... happened. It must have been a passive effect of her newly leveled-up Shadow magic. She'd have to check that later. Right now, she had a fight to win.
She turned her attention back to the stunned guard, bringing her hammer down on its head with all her might. There was a deafening clang of metal on metal, and the guard's helmet caved in. It staggered back, its movements jerky and erratic, before collapsing to the ground in a heap of broken armor.
[Critical hit]
[Velithar Guard takes 99 hp damage]
['Velithar Guard' is dead]
"One down," said Isabelle, a grim smile on her face. "One to go."
The remaining guard, its spear now neutralized, drew a wicked-looking serrated sword. It circled her, its movements fluid and deadly. It was faster than the other one, more agile.
[Velithar Guard attacks with Serrated Sword]
Isabelle parried the blow with her hammer, the screech of metal on metal grating on her nerves. She could feel the guard's strength, its relentless, mechanical precision. This was going to be harder than she thought.
"Isabelle, behind you!" Ignis roared.
Isabelle spun around just in time to see the guard she'd just "killed" lunge at her from the ground, its movements jerky but still dangerous. It had a fucking backup power source. Of course it did.
[Velithar Guard uses Emergency Power]
[Velithar Guard has 1 hp]
"God damn it," said Isabelle with a sigh, her frustration mounting. She was getting tired of this fight. She wanted it to be over. She wanted to find a way to free Tahsi Junior and get the hell out of this factory of nightmares.
As she fought, her mind drifted back to the spell tomes she'd looted from the dragon's hoard. She'd read them, absorbed their knowledge, but she hadn't really had a chance to use any of the more advanced spells. But now, looking at the two guards, an idea sparked in her mind. A dangerous, reckless idea. But then again, that was her specialty.
She jumped back, creating some distance between herself and the guards.
"Cover me!" she yelled to Ignis.
Ignis obliged, bathing the area in another torrent of fire, forcing the guards to shield their faces. It gave Isabelle the opening she needed. She closed her eyes, her mind reaching for the well of mana inside her, the words of the spell forming in her head.
['Intermediate Destroying Magic' equipped]
She raised her hands, her fingers tracing intricate patterns in the air. Isabelle was hoping that focusing her power would allow her to learn a new spell on the fly, while fighting.
[Would you like to learn a spell?]
[Y/N]
Isabelle thought yes.
[Please select a spell]
Isabelle thought ‘Get Spells List.’
[Spells: Water Wave, Ring of Fire, Vasoconstriction, Poisoning Ray]
[Please select a spell]
It had been so long since Isabelle had learned a spell! But she remembered these from way back in Thres. Isabelle had opted to learn the 'Ring of Fire' spell, but barely ever used it. Now, the spell that was calling to her was actually Vasoconstriction. Isabelle opted to learn that.
[Learn Spell: Vasoconstriction?]
[Y/N]
Isabelle thought yes.
[Learning Spell Vasoconstriction]
[...]
[Spell Vasoconstriction Learned]
[You’ve already learned a spell today. Unequip ‘Spell Tome of Intermediate Destroying Magic’?]
[Y/N]
Isabelle thought yes.
[Spell Tome of Intermediate Destroying Magic unequipped]
"There are more of them!" said Tahsi Senior as he gnawed on two baguettes from either side of his mouth. "More Velithar! They're congregating! Like cockroaches!"
"Well they need to buckle the fuckedy fuck up!" said Isabelle. She stood in front of all the congregating warriors. "Hey! Assholes! Over here!"
The Velithar warriors turned to glare at Isabelle with their weird, gear-shaped eyes. Creeps. Isabelle was fucking done with them.
"Try this shit out, fuckheads!" said Isabelle. She raised her left hand and concentrated as hard as possible.
[Mana 50%]
[You cast 'Vasoconstriction' on Velithar x12]
Isabelle watched with a flurry of pride as a blast of dark energy surrounded her would-be attackers. In an instant, all but two of them dropped to the cold, stone floor. They were twitching.
"How did you do that to them?" said Ignis, clearly impressed. "Seriously. Vasoconstrict? Don't they need blood?"
"Blood, oil, what's the difference?" said Isabelle, rolling her eyes. She was pissed that two of them were still standing, and getting ready to try and take her on by the look of it.
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
"They're taking damage in chunks," said Isabelle. "Awesome." She turned to look at the two approaching Velithar. Isabelle needed more mana if she was going to land the same spell on them. Thankfully, now she could switch through her items intuitively and equip without even opening her inventory.
[Potion of Greater Mana x1 equipped]
Isabelle drank the potion immediately.
[Potion of Greater Mana drunken]
[Mana 70%]
Much better. Isabelle raised her hand again and cast at the clockwork foes.
[Mana 50%]
[You cast 'Vasoconstriction' on Velithar x2]
The remaining Velithar dropped to the floor in convulsions.
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
They were all suffering in waves of damage now. It was sickening yet satisfying for Isabelle to watch.
"HAH!" said Isabelle. "Take that, you fucking DICKHEADS."
[Velithar Guard takes 50 hp damage]
['Velithar Guard' is dead]
[Velithar Guard takes 50 hp damage]
['Velithar Guard' is dead]
[Velithar Guard takes 50 hp damage]
['Velithar Guard' is dead]
[Velithar Guard takes 50 hp damage]
['Velithar Guard' is dead]
[Velithar Guard takes 50 hp damage]
['Velithar Guard' is dead]
[Velithar Guard takes 50 hp damage]
['Velithar Guard' is dead]
[Velithar Guard takes 50 hp damage]
['Velithar Guard' is dead]
[Velithar Guard takes 50 hp damage]
['Velithar Guard' is dead]
[Velithar Guard takes 50 hp damage]
['Velithar Guard' is dead]
[Velithar Guard takes 50 hp damage]
['Velithar Guard' is dead]
[Velithar Guard takes 50 hp damage]
['Velithar Guard' is dead]
[Velithar Guard takes 50 hp damage]
['Velithar Guard' is dead]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
[Velithar Guard takes 25 hp damage]
Only two left. Things were looking pretty damn good, and Isabelle was proud.
[Velithar Guard takes 50 hp damage]
['Velithar Guard' is dead]
[Velithar Guard takes 50 hp damage]
['Velithar Guard' is dead]
There they went. Only...
[Velithar Guard uses Emergency Power]
[Velithar Guard has 1 hp]
[Velithar Guard uses Emergency Power]
[Velithar Guard has 1 hp]
[Velithar Guard uses Emergency Power]
[Velithar Guard has 1 hp]
[Velithar Guard uses Emergency Power]
[Velithar Guard has 1 hp]
[Velithar Guard uses Emergency Power]
[Velithar Guard has 1 hp]
[Velithar Guard uses Emergency Power]
[Velithar Guard has 1 hp]
[Velithar Guard uses Emergency Power]
[Velithar Guard has 1 hp]
[Velithar Guard uses Emergency Power]
[Velithar Guard has 1 hp]
[Velithar Guard uses Emergency Power]
[Velithar Guard has 1 hp]
[Velithar Guard uses Emergency Power]
[Velithar Guard has 1 hp]
[Velithar Guard uses Emergency Power]
[Velithar Guard has 1 hp]
[Velithar Guard uses Emergency Power]
[Velithar Guard has 1 hp]
Twelve Velithar sprung to attack. They were glowing red. Something in Isabelle's intuition told her that the Velithar's emergency power made them much, much stronger than before, despite only having 1 hp to use. She'd have to act fast.
[Velithar Guard uses Emergency Power]
[Velithar Guard has 1 hp]
[Velithar Guard uses Emergency Power]
[Velithar Guard has 1 hp]
The other two were back on their feet as well.
"Isabelle!" said Tahsi Senior, fear in his voice and bread in his jowels.
"What?" said Isabelle with a sigh.
"The Oglos are coming!" said Tahsi. He was shaking, and crumbed sputtered from his mouth. "The Oglos are coming! A horde of them!"
"Damn it," said Isabelle as she watched the Velithar approach with malice in their gears. "Damn it all to hell."
