Chapter Ninety-Three

  Choose your css and profession evolutions.

  Len was right, an emotional epiphany did help. This one however felt cold. Harmony kicked one of the assassin's corpses. Did it have to be so gruesome? The choice called to her but one didn’t evolve in the middle of a dungeon climb. Ahead, through the toughest winds, was the end and the reward. And the assassins? At this point, if there were answers to be found they were no longer to be discovered on this floor.

  “Ready for one more set of stairs?” Harmony asked her partner.

  “Bweah.” He compined as he started hopping in the right direction.

  Harmony could barely feel the wind thanks to her cimed power [Stability of the Earth] as long as she had a foot on the ground. This close to the center even Hyacinth with his massive bulk was having issues with the wind. He even tried slipping into the shadows, but that blew him further off course, the wind extending into that realm inside the dungeon.

  It had been that tank’s skill. The guild pass had his name listed as Joseph, but it also had Susan listed as Cathy, so it was unlikely his real name. It granted resistance to being moved and shielded you from some bludgeoning attacks. The skill was named along with several others in guides as ideal for this environment. Usually, teams would figure out the right distance per size of mossifant that poputed this final zone of the tower. Even then you needed to be quick if they started to roll, little moving mountains they were on this floor.

  The alternative to this would have been to strap herself to Hyacinth and anchor them every few feet with bone spikes into the ground. They pushed to the end with the wind so loud only a roaring could be heard. At the stairs, blessed silence, and then the final climb

  The idyllic garden of the eighth floor was at odds with the horror of the seven floors below it. It didn’t sit well, but there were no secrets or hidden traps. Every now and then a team would decide to look for themselves and ransack the pce. The treasure floor was more of a mocking name than what it really was. Not that skill stones weren’t valuable, but the pce acted more as a dispensary for them than anything else. That drew traders and tourists from the evolved kingdom more than anything else. People tried to farm them. But once you hit level thirty-five it wouldn’t produce for that member and would deduct one from the team's total. One per person with a maximum of five stones, shaped adventuring groups in Naewauld more than anything.

  As peaceful as it was, you still didn’t evolve in a dungeon. That was more rumors or horror stories. Harmony didn’t want to do it without her friends and books. Just having the level calmed her system some. That and the bloodshed, something about making things die appeased the necromancer in her.

  Flowers lined the pathway to the shrine of Nae's statue in the distance. Accept the gift for completing the climb and a gate opens to transport you out. Hyacinth would have his chance to avoid stairs. Using her soul sight Harmony scanned for any signs of nosy dungeon spirits making sure there was no chance a repeat of Haz’el Ri happened. Nothing. That had been one of those fears that prompted her to agree to the Deadwoods trip.

  As the pair stood in front of the statue Harmony checked the thing again. It wasn’t lifeless. Nothing was on this floor. It only looked like stone but was a mass of pure energy. The vitality in it reminded her of Prince Adric. It still cked the presence, container, or soul of a spirit.

  “Gwarp?”

  “You touch it first.”

  Hyacinth put his oversized palm on it. “Gwuff.” He huffed when nothing happened.

  Harmony pced her hand on it. Pain nced her palm, causing her to yelp and pull back her hand a small bit of blood streaming from a mark. “It bloody bit me!” It was deeper than that more than flesh as a small chunk of her container and soul went with it. Nothing unstabilizing as they all started to heal rapidly in close proximity to the statue.

  Congratutions on completing Nae’s Garden Alone before evolving!

  You’ve earned the title - Sprout

  Upon evolving you’ll gain a Vital Body.

  The gate out appeared and not a single skill stone rolled out of the small hole into the depression in front of her. Cheated! The damn thing cheated her! Vital body, like evolution wouldn’t already give you that. Jessica lost two decades with regur evolution. A quick self-check showed nothing had changed inside of her. A deeper check which let her see her oath with Max and primal bond with Adric showed no changes as well. Do people who get this title get greeted as Sprout so-and-so, when they approach a guild booth? Sprout Harmony, the indignity, it’s bad enough to be so short.

  Hyacinth's nudge brought her attention back to the exit. As soon as they touched the gate they were gone in a fsh. Harmony was still blinking away the afterimage of the brightness of the transfer as cheers and whistles filled the air. Paper confetti hit her in the face.

  “Congratutions, Harmony!” The crowd cheered with loving excited energy.

  But she was death? [Poise and Bearing] spped a mask over that jarring contradiction at the cheering and smiling faces of her friends. They even had cake! Harmony's stomach grumbled hungrily. Clearly, death liked cake. It’s not like they knew she’d killed people. While they wouldn’t disagree with her choices, there was no need to burden them. Teams disappeared in the dungeon all the time.

  Lord Tyler held the cake. His stronger, newly evolved form handled the monstrously sized bakery product well. His eyes fshed orange like a fiery set of eyes overpped his for a moment. Len bsted more streamers that now coated Hyacinth. Rose was even there. Was she trying to make up for the previous rude behavior, or that it would look bad if she didn’t show up?

  “Woo!” Maxwell cheered with Adric.

  Ambrosia wore a party dress with ce and frills. Bates was in his uniform, Harmony was unsure if he ever chose to wear anything else. Rose’s Hargreaves stood in the back but it was weird to see the two butlers near each other as they had simir mannerisms. Could they be reted? Bates could be his great great great great great great, not sure how many greats grandchild.

  Tess and her spiders. Stewart in his tailored uniform. The rest of the staff and with them nearly an equal number of bodyguards. It was quite a crowd.

  “Thank you. Thank you. How did you know I would be here?” Harmony asked the crowd.

  “The dungeon always drops off those who complete it here for your entrance. We’ve kind of been here a few hours. How about we head to the Inn for the formal celebration?” Ambrosia asked. Did death dance? No, death definitely danced, she’d seen skills linking the two in the Grave Society’s book. It was almost enough to peek at what her options were. That could come ter. Her friends needed to celebrate her achievements, and she could use a little distraction.

  It was hard to escape the twisted look of pain on Susan's face as her misery ended. Contrary to some beliefs, death didn't always make someone look peaceful. What did give people a reprieve from suffering was friends and joy. “A party is exactly what I could use,” Harmony answered, hooking her arm with her tall blonde friend.