Ultimate Level 1

Three days of slogging through a forest over forty miles long had earned a great amount of experience and orange gems, yet everyone was tired, frustrated by the constant fighting.

At least twice a day, a fight took place with over fifty of the mechanical animals and each time it was only each member of their team acting off instinct and experience that prevented casualties from taking place.

Back in the Faction house, only Alfreda was there to collect the collection of corpses they had stored.

“You five can’t help but make me wonder what in the gods is going to show up next, can you?” she asked as her gloved hand inspected one of the half wolf, half robot creatures. “It’s like each day is something out of a nightmare.”

“You’re welcome to take my place and fight,” Fowl said with a sigh. “If I didn’t have all of this in my storage, I would have gone right to bed.”

She nodded, seeing a pile of about eighty different animals taking up a large amount of the room.

“You five can go. Everett told me to apologize for not getting to be here. Faction duties and all,” she declared with a grin. “Even Tom is stuck, as I’m sure you saw on the training grounds, testing new recruits and helping prepare them for this new life.”

Max nodded and grinned, having commented on the group of about twenty that were out there when they arrived.

“If you are okay with us just letting you sign what we dropped off on your own, we’ll head upstairs,” Max said, giving her a slip with everything he had cataloged.

Grinning, she nodded and took the paper, storing it and turning back to the treasure trove of materials waiting to be dealt with.

***

Each of them sat on the couches and chairs in the center of the room, trying to stay awake a little longer after having eaten in the dining area.

“Do you think it’s weird we haven’t seen a boss or any orange gems?” Batrire asked as she rubbed Fowl’s hairy scalp. “Usually we see something worthy of good loot by now.”

Cordellia grunted, even with her eyes closed and grinned.

“You sound like your man now,” she teased.

“She’s right, though,” Max said as he chewed on his lip. “Everything before this boss seems different. The tower appears to be doing something different.”

Eyes snapped toward him as the three women studied his expression.

Max couldn’t help that he was frowning as he shared that knowledge.

“How do you know that?” Batrire asked, glaring at him.

Sighing he tapped his head, having been tired and revealed more than he should have.

“Think about it. Nothing about the last four floors has been normal. None of the monsters or animals we fought are like what others have. Part of me even wonders if someone can even enter the same tower floor we are on.”

Each of their eyes widened as the three glanced at each other before back at Max who nodded slowly.

“Think about it. In all our tower climbing, we’ve encountered only two groups. One was random, and the other took a Faction who was actively looking for us. What if we’re the only ones who could be on these floors?”

Cordellia was on her feet, suddenly unable to stay seated it appeared as she paced back and forth a few steps.

“You alright dear?” their healer asked as she studied the elf.

“No… if he’s right… I mean I’ve always known… but.” Cordellia paused and turned to Max who had softened his face knowing what was coming.

“Floor fifty one and I tell you everything. I promise.”

Grunting, the woman shook her head and moved back to her chair, flopping down on it.

“I’d swear sometimes you must have a mind reading skill,” she grumbled.

“Gods no,” Tanila said with a grin. “I’d be in a lot of trouble if he did.”

***

Max held up his hand, moving ahead and finding the section of stones that were trapped in the hallway they were moving along.

“It’s been four miles and not a single monster,” Fowl grunted. “Yet this has to be the hundredth trap you have found.”

Nodding, Max moved to where the lever activated in the wall and held up his hand.

“Back up. I’m going to activate this next section.”

Everyone obeyed his orders, moving about thirty yards away, having found out not long after they entered this maze that some stuff was more dangerous than others.

Summoning his giant boulder, Max continued to pour mana into it until it was about eight wide. Setting it on the stone, he pushed it, watching it roll over the sections that were trapped.

Two different areas on the wall opened up, one at ankle level and the other at shoulder height.

A wave of lightning raced across the section, tearing through the boulder and shearing off stone while the top half was a blade of wind, gouging out a three-foot chunk before failing to pierce further.

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The stone spun and continued to roll down the hallway, banging into the walls and running over other sections, causing an area of gas to appear further ahead and finally rolled into an area where the floor gave away, falling from view.

Jogging to where everyone was waiting, Max pointed at the section he had just cleared.

“Maybe we should let Fowl lead instead.”

A finger and grunt came from their dwarven warrior, and Max grinned as he motioned to follow once more.

Max heard Cordellia and Batrire talking as he stayed about twenty yards ahead of each other.

“ Trap floors are extremely rare until the forties ,” Cordellia said. “ Even then, most leave immediately because unless someone has a rogue or ranger with that skill, it’s suicide to venture deeper. ”

“ Which is why we’re grateful Seth has a plethora of talents. ”

Smiling to himself, Max was grateful for the idiot that tried to kill him. The skill was finally paying off after having been completely useless for so long.

***

“Okay, no one is going to like this part, but you need to trust me.”

Everyone grimaced as they stood at the doorway to the room that was filled with a yellow liquid that gave off a horrible smell and burnt their noses.

“I’m going to collect a few samples real quick for Alfreda and then we’re going to run across the room on the side of the walls–”

“And you think those columns aren’t going to be an issue?” Fowl asked, interrupting Max.

Pointing at the large room, Max shook his head.

Scattered across the room were stone platforms, but Max already sensed that one of the two closest to the start was trapped, a red haze appearing over it.

Whatever the pattern was for someone to not fall in would require him going first. The jump was only about eight feet between each platform.

The problem was that the roof was about fifteen feet above the liquid and Max had no doubts it wouldn’t feel good if one fell in.

Memories of being eaten alive by acid had appeared for a moment before he pushed it away.

Five-foot columns ran along the wall, creating an outcropping every five yards that would make traveling harder versus running along a flat surface.

“There are a hundred yards to cover. With the harness Tom made me, we should be fine.”

Grunting, Fowl scowled and shook his head.

“Fine, says the guy who can't fall off the wall…”

“Don’t worry, if I drop you, I’ll try to grab you before whatever that is melts off your beard.”

Max bent down and lowered the glass vial into the liquid, his nose twitching at the smell that smashed into it. It was so acidic it made his eyes immediately start to water being that close.

After two small vials were collected and stored, Max pulled out his harness, which everyone groaned at and began tightening them in.

On each shoulder were straps that kept Batrire and Cordellia snug against his shoulders while the back strap put Tanila against his back, slightly higher than usual and facing away. Fowl was in a looser strap that allowed Max to not bump legs while using his arms and strength to keep the dwarf in position ahead of him.

“I’ll never forget how Tom laughed when he saw us in this,” Max said before moving to the side. “Hold on now, this is going to be fun.”

[ Spider Walk ]

Not needing to race, Max started moving around the room, walking along the walls, trying not to laugh as everyone grunted and tried to not complain too much.

He didn’t struggle with walking sideways, but each of them felt the weight pulling them toward the yellow liquid below.

Carefully stepping so that his feet stuck to the column, Max moved around them, crossing the room with more ease than he thought it might go. His air wall had been ready the entire time, just in case something had happened.

“See, that wasn’t so bad,” Max said as he stepped onto the hallway floor across the room.

***

“As always, you five impress me,” Tom said with a sigh. “Already reaching another boss floor while I’m here working with all these new adventurers.”

Tanila motioned to the group of recruits, who looked completely exhausted, and grinned.

“I think I can tell which ones worked with you today,” she stated. “There were days I felt like you drained every ounce of mana from me.”

“That’s my job. Finding ways to push people past the walls they box themselves in. Tell me, have you been practicing like we talked about?”

Wincing, she shook her head, ignoring Fowl's chuckle. “I’d like to say I’ve been too busy climbing a tower, but I doubt you’ll accept that answer.”

Tom shook his head and pointed a thumb at the group they had been discussing.

“The stronger you get, the more power you’ll gain. And with that power comes a responsibility to use it correctly. You have already proved to me you’re a fast learner. Occasionally, when a fight gives you a chance, try to do something that seems impossible. Maybe you focus on a body part to target instead of the main mass. Try to hit a moving target with a spell that typically requires them to be still. Learn to lead or predict where the monster is going to be. In later tower floors, being able to hit some targets on the run will be the difference between one opponent and a dozen more.”

Cordellia choked on the bite she was taking as Tom spoke, and no one said anything when he looked at her.

“I saw the stone being delivered,” Max said, changing the topic. “Lines are already marked for the area. When do you expect to start digging out the dirt?”

Grimacing, Tom shook his head.

“We’re waiting on a team to arrive and I hope it’s soon. In less than a month, the rain should start and then things are going to get muddy out there. If they don’t have that lower floor dug out and the support walls in place, we are going to be in trouble.”

“Just need the walls and roof,” Fowl said. “Once those are in place, you can work through the rest of the bad weather. Besides, we both know you’re going to have enchanted stonework which will keep that place dry and the temperature perfect. The real problem is going to be handling the hauling off of all that material you dig up. Based on the size of the plans and the marks on the ground, you’ll need a few thousand carts of dirt hauled off.”

Everyone turned and stared at their dwarf, watching him roll his eyes before groaning.

“No, I haven't put any points into intelligence… I’ve just been around enough construction areas to know what it takes.”

Max grinned as everyone let the stress of today's tower floor leave them, knowing that whatever tomorrow held, it wasn’t going to be fun.

Of that, he was absolutely certain.

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