The Ruby Magician

Wyn dodged a spear thrust by a hair’s breadth, then blocked an incoming mace with his shield. The strength behind the hit was substantial, but not something that would overwhelm him. He then sidestepped a sword slash before returning his own attack with greater speed and strength, slicing a large gash out of the third Ashen Warrior he was facing. He kept the attention of four of them at a time. When one fell and turned to dust after he killed it, another would step up to face him.

It was a quick but relentless fight. These Ashen Warriors were at the power of the enemies they regularly fought on the fourth floor, and Wyn was used to their strength, attack formations, and skills. Not only that, but the combination of magic that enveloped him made the fight easier. His own equipment aside, John’s Squire Aura gave him enhanced endurance, strength, and energy, Tasha’s Arcane Aura spell protected him on top of his own magical gear, and the Decay spell sapping the life and energy of all nearby Ashen Warriors made him a terror to fight.

As he killed the fourth monster, he cast another Flash, blinding some of the Ashen Warriors. He took just a moment to check his mana and was shocked to find it was almost three quarters full. Decay worked to drain the life of nearby monsters, and with his upgraded Ruby Strategist class, any healing would also recover mana. Doubled with his Wellspring trap that was constantly draining life into mana for himself due to the sheer number of monsters in the wave, Wyn was gaining more mana than he was using, even with the often used support spell needed to manage the enemies. He blinded enemies, protected himself or John, or cast Regen when he thought the healing or mana boost was needed. He already had Chaincast activated once, doubling on a particularly well-timed Aqua Blast that obliterated the closest Warrior and knocked back several more, giving he and John some room to fight.

A boom of thunder to Wyn’s left pulled his attention. Three Ashen Warriors were stunned as lightning coursed over their bodies. They were past the storm cloud and approaching Cedric and Tasha, but the Wizard hit them with a strong blast of yellow-streaked magic. They weren’t dead yet, and more were coming behind them.

Wyn and John had held the middle of their funnel well, holding back the majority of approaching Ashen Warriors. The group’s barrier traps on the right and left helped mitigate the enemies’ advance, but it wasn’t a perfect setup. The room was square and large, and they were unable to completely block off the sides to force the monsters one direction. Cedric and Marcy were dealing with the strays when they could, but the amount of damage needed to kill each one was becoming too much when two to three dozen were in the room at a time.

“Tasha, Baratheon,” Wyn said, stabbing another monster in the torso. He wanted the larger Calling to come and take his place so he could help protect the sides, though he didn’t have time to tell his entire plan.

The familiar, large rune appeared under Tasha’s feet. It would take several seconds to Call the Celestial, and the monsters were closing in.

“I got it,” John yelled, slashing another monster. “Go!” He stepped forward and stomped down, activating the Earthen Tremor spell from his boots, causing a rippling wave of stone to spread away towards the wave of monsters. The enemies tripped, fell, or were knocked back against the rumbling stone, buying them precious seconds.

Wyn rushed over to Cedric’s side where the Wizard had backpedaled against the back wall. He wasn’t surrounded, but would be any second. The value of not having any enemies attack him from the back was great, and he was still more than pulling his weight.

Reducing his shield to its dormant state, Wyn elongated his weapon to a spear with a slightly longer, curved blade, and immediately began twirling and slashing through the nearest Ashen Warriors. His speed combined with Decay decimated the monsters as he rushed them from the side. Cedric began blasting the rest with lightning as fast as he could cast.

A loud thud hit the ground behind Wyn, and he looked back to see the Celestial Baratheon running up to John’s side. The behemoth immediately began crushing and demolishing Warriors left and right, nearly rendering John useless. He wouldn’t last long, but his presence was more than welcome.

Marcy flew above the group, firing glowing arrow after glowing arrow into the depleting mass of enemies. Each hit either scored chunks of the monsters away or blasted them apart like one of Cedric’s stronger spells. She looked like an angel of death with her flowing avian cloak and grim focus. She spared no spell as each arrow was magical.

Wyn felt a club hit him in the leg and he faltered but stayed on his feet. There were still about five Ashen Warriors around him, though the number of monsters in the room had been culled tremendously. He’d only taken hits at a glance once Tasha’s Arcane Aura faded away, but that one felt like bone may have been broken. The only reason he was still standing was from his enhanced endurance thanks to John’s Aura.

He immediately cast Regen on himself and embraced the cooling effect of the healing spell while his leg reformed. He knew it would be a hard fight, but hoped they’d escape without too major of injuries with all of their magic and gear.

Over the next minute the monsters were steadily killed. The wave became easier once the Ashen Warriors stopped being formed from the crystal’s mist, and they were able to regroup while fighting off the last few ones. Tasha called back Baratheon while John and Wyn took turns sparring with the last two monsters, then the last one, while everyone else gathered themselves and the dropped treasure.

If the first wave had good rewards, then this one had great ones. There were seemingly twice as many component drops, a couple of blue rarity items Wyn saw glowing on the ground, and several more green rarity items that all went into John’s backpack. Thankfully the magic pack could hold plenty of items, though Wyn wondered about its limit. At least John brought it in empty every time they climbed.

As the final Warrior disappeared in ash, the five Climbers quickly gathered. The crystal dimmed again, giving a brief respite before the next wave.

“Alright, decision time,” Wyn said. “Do we leave or stay?”

“I vote stay,” John said. “That wave wasn’t too bad. None of us got seriously injured, we’re far stronger than last time, and we can handle at least one more. The rewards are too good.”

“Agreed,” Cedric and Marcy both said. Cedric held an uncorked mana potion in his hand while his scepter floated in the air beside him. Marcy’s quiver was nearly full, restocked from John’s backpack after the last wave. She began carrying reserves after their first and only climb through the second floor sewers where she needed to go back into the city to restock.

“You were the only one to take damage,” Tasha said, pointing at Wyn’s leg. “It’ll be worse for another wave.”

Wyn nodded and shook his leg. “I’m okay. I think I’m going straight to the trading hall to get some decent pants after this, though.”

Marcy laughed while placing another one of her traps on the ground.

“But let’s bring the same strategy,” Wyn said, casting Wellspring again overlapping Marcy’s trap. “Top off your mana after we set up defenses. Zoraquin this time, though, then help defend with Shield and Shell as needed. Stay in the middle, yell if you need cover.”

After placing down their magic traps again and casting their prepared spells and skills, the group all drank a mana potion. While they did, the crystal glowed with an even brighter red aura.

The mist was at least twice as big as the first wave. Instead of slowly walking out, the monsters came out at a jog. The first half dozen were a mix of Ashen Warriors and Ashen Dogs, all larger and more menacing than the last two waves. The Warriors were more armored while the Dogs were redder like blood. If Wyn had to guess, they were likely the strength of the second tier enemies. They’ve fought the stronger warriors on the sixth floor, but not any Dogs at that level.

Wyn stood beside John with his shield expanded and blade in the form of a longsword. Despite being as ready as possible, he felt nervous. This would be their hardest fight yet. He mentally cast Elemental Weapon on his blade, coating it in a blue aura similar to John’s sword. If the Dogs were still the fire element, then the water element would help give an edge.

Soon Zoraquin stood beside the two Climbers and the three of them formed a defensive line. It was needed when Wyn realized there were at least two dozen monsters now in the room, a combination of both monster types. Marcy flew overhead again and began peppering the crowded wave with magical arrows while lightning strikes started ripping through the oncoming monsters.

The battle was hard-fought and relentless. Twice Wyn was knocked on his back, the first shattering the protective armor around him and the second making him cough up blood. He would have been seriously injured if not for Zoraquin and Tasha teaming up to take down a small group of Ashen Dogs who rushed him while he was down. Tasha kept two attacking spells, though her Holy Beam was really the only one she needed. After completely decimating an Ashen Warrior with the spell, she started being more liberal with using it. The spell only needed a few seconds on each Dog to kill them, and about twice as long per Warrior, but the effect was tremendous. It was stronger than Wyn’s Aqua Blast by a good degree, and he assumed her Herald class gave her additional magic power to boost the spell’s strength.

The real turning point was Marcy’s cloak. Not only did it let her fly around the room staying out of harm’s reach, but she used its other effect to summon a Deathhawk to prevent monsters from completely surrounding them on the ground. The magical beast was an absolute terror. Marcy’s previous description didn’t do it justice, either. The beast was larger than a barrel, and its wings were at least ten feet wide when spread. After being summoned, it used its beak to puncture deep holes in the Warrior’s armor and completely tore through the Dog’s hides like they were made of paper. Its talons were like curved daggers, and it swooped over the heads of the monsters tearing them apart with frightening ease.

Still, it wasn’t a perfect outcome. John was beaten and bruised, requiring several healing spells over the course of the wave. He took more than his share of injuries, breaking several bones and receiving several gashes from both types of enemies. He was hit so much that his armor activated the stored energy effect to blast monsters away several times during the wave. Cedric had to use his circlet’s ability to make copies of himself to avoid being hit, and Tasha’s boots helped her avoid any damage similar to Cedric’s circlet. Marcy fared the best, flying above the chaos never being touched. Wyn took a serious gash behind his knee from a Dog biting him, and it took a second circle cast of Cure from Tasha to heal it, and that was after Wyn used Regen on himself.

Zoraquin took the worst of it, succumbing to his injuries and disappearing early after seemingly dying. Tasha said that Callings were magical copies only, so it wasn’t a permanent fate, but Wyn still winced watching the being take so much damage before disappearing in a flash of light. He was just overwhelmed, and didn’t have the same equipment like Wyn or John to protect himself.

Still, the group was victorious as the final enemies were killed. The reward haul was even better than they could imagine, and John’s backpack was finally filled to the brim. They stuffed what they could in Wyn’s pack and carried the rest out of the door in their arms.

Three waves were more than enough of a challenge for the five of them. If they had a sixth member and a Packer with them, then they might have reconsidered, but the experience was already more than fruitful.

It felt good to be successful. More than good, even. Wyn figured with the amount of rewards they found, it was easily as much as what they could earn in a week. He would not only be able to put a serious dent in his debt, but he was potentially on track to get a month ahead. He already had this month covered. If he scored a good haul and sold them to Melvin, there was no telling how many crowns he could earn in the week and a half left of the month.

After some time of laying on the floor with the others, Wyn sat up. His Mushroom Lantern was still glowing red, and he looked at the secret door curiously. The first room they found last month disappeared when they left, but this door was still there. It was there to begin with, to be fair, but the glow was as bright as when they first started.

The only difference was the glow was orange instead of red. It looked strange from the lantern hanging on his belt, but it was unmistakable.

“Guys,” Wyn said. “What’s going on with the door?”

Everyone sat up and stared at the door. Cedric leaped to his feet, causing the others to move a bit faster. He and Tasha studied the markings around the doorframe for a moment before he stepped back. “Gods. They’re different from before.”

Tasha opened her small notebook and studied the two, her curls bouncing with each shift of her head. “He’s right! Does that mean the challenge reset?”

Everyone looked at each other, stunned. Marcy pulled out a key and opened a portal. Wyn sat his backpack on the ground.

“John, you and I will take back all the rewards we collected,” Wyn said. “Then come back with empty packs.”

“Bring a couple more, too,” Marcy said. “We’re going to need the room.”

*****

Wyn stumbled into his room and nearly collapsed onto the couch still dressed in his equipment. He was exhausted. After facing the wave challenge of the secret room, the group reentered with empty packs. To their astonishment, the room reset like Tasha assumed. The crystal still produced waves of enemies, though they were the Fallen creatures more prevalent on the first and third floors instead of Ashen Dogs and Warriors.

After two waves, they decided to stop and left. Exhaustion had set in, and they were already doing far more than they expected. Then they saw the room had reset itself with a purple crystal. More waves of enemies came, but it was different elemental versions of the Dogs and Warriors.

They never left that hallway and entered the room three more times before finishing out the floor.

Five times in the secret room was the most Wyn had climbed over and over. The challenges felt like facing second tier monsters, but thankfully the reward was equally higher. They had enough potions to last for months, hundreds of monster components, and dozens of items. Wyn stopped counting the items after fifty. Strangely, not a single purple item dropped, and he wondered if it was because it was just too low of a challenge to drop a higher tier reward like that. There was over two dozen blue rarity items, though, and the rest green.

His share was plenty to sell to Melvin, and that was after the group finished splitting the share. If the man couldn’t buy them all at one time, which was likely, then Wyn could save them for a future meeting.

After they climbed, they went to the trading district immediately to get items they needed. There were still some items the group could buy, and having a haul like that afforded them the opportunity. They each got a ring to complement their gear except for Wyn, who got both a pair of boots and pants. The others got backup items in case they needed them, which was fine by Wyn. They had more than enough gear to trade. Cedric set aside the rest of his share to sell to fund what was needed for his arm, and that was after he and Wyn sold items to merchants for gold. They both didn’t get as much as they wanted but the economy of the city wasn’t infinite. Selling the items would take time.

Wyn sat up and looked down at his new items. They weren’t exactly what he wanted, but they were far better than no item at all. If the group got into a guild, they could readjust. If not, over time he could replace items as needed. Still, his ITEMS sheet was more filled than ever.

Silk Weaver’s Pendant - Crafted from the obsidian eye stalk and webbing from the Silk Weaver, this pitch black pendant increases natural magic. Improves magic power and regeneration by a less than moderate amount, and grants the user the ability to cast Web twice a day.

*Web - Cast a sticky netting in a large area that traps or greatly slows passage. Lasts for 10 minutes.

Cuparo’s Wool Trousers - Cuparos have a magically dense wool coat that protects them from the magical storms that surge in their natural habitat. These trousers provide moderate resistance to both physical and magical damage.

Marcaroo Hide Boots - the Marcaroo is an agile creature that defends itself with its strong legs through combat or escape and thick hide for protection against predators. These boots provide a small passive bonus to strength and endurance as well as mild protection from physical damage.

Wyn took off his equipment and laid them out to be used tomorrow. The others he placed in the magical chest he procured at the recommendation of Cedric and Marcy. Now that they were storing up a small hoard each, they all needed a magical chest that stored items they didn’t need. The trunks were only a couple feet wide and tall, but could hold several dozen items while the trunk itself kept the same weight and was magically locked to the owner’s parchment. They said all veteran climbers had one and it was time they did, too.

For tomorrow, instead of climbing, it was back to the guild trials. The second round of the combat trials were in the morning, immediately followed by the individual trials the same day. It was a lot but nothing he couldn’t handle.

Wyn hoped the Marcaroo boots would give a set bonus with his bag, and he was a bit disappointed when it didn’t. It was still a good item, though, even though it didn’t offer the same mobility as Marcy’s or Cedric’s boots. Theirs were purple rarity and his blue, and apparently the higher rarity ones offered the mobile abilities. He was looking forward to testing the improved strength, and could already tell the effect made him feel stronger. A brief test in the training hall on the way back showed it improved his strength and speed, too, with his weapon swings and movements more explosive.

The necklace was an easy decision, giving another helpful utility spell in addition to boosting his magical effects. The pants… well, they were long overdue and spoke for themselves.

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Wyn looked over at his small desk. He saw the small stack of papers and large sacks of coins sitting beside it. Thankfully he’d earned his 12,000 gold needed for the month, and was already several thousand more into next month. He would’ve had more but only made 600 gold from merchants after their mass treasure from the secret room. And that was only after selling two green items and a couple dozen monster drops. While the room gave great rewards it didn’t offer much in the way of coins, and their overall reward total after clearing the third floor wasn’t much higher than normal. Wyn hoped the next few weeks would be more productive, or that Melvin would pull through.

Still, Wyn could see the end was in sight. Paying off his debt wasn’t far out of reach. He still wanted to make sure Arabelle was safe, but soon they wouldn’t have to worry about the Assembly breathing down their necks.

Wyn’s worries quickly drifted away into the night’s air, and he fell asleep almost immediately. Rest came easy.